Yep, that's the one. They're changed song lyrics to Ratigan's villain song. What would you like to name your episodes?
TLIAPOT: Dr. Who?
- Thread starter DAv
- Start date
Yep, that's the one. They're changed song lyrics to Ratigan's villain song. What would you like to name your episodes?
Fifth Doctor
1976-1981
The Travelling Gentleman
1976-1981
The Travelling Gentleman
“You don't know what a delightful dilemma it is, choosing where and when in the Universe to go. So many places and times that I didn't know which to choose. So I decided to go to all of them. Marvellous, isn't it?”
In the aftermath of Gene Wilder leaving 'Dr. Who?', the hope to getting a famous actor to take his place were met by his successor, Vincent Price. Eager to take on to the role as it had gained his attention, Price was happy to go along with the chosen creative direction that the series was going in, not sharing Wilder's hopes to stamp his own take on the show expect for his interpretation of the character itself. Coming in at a time when people had only just gotten used to Wilder's Doctor, Price was left with steep challenge to set his own path while not alienating fans.
In this, Price was magnificently successful. The Fifth Doctor would go onto become the most popular take on the character for years to come with Price turning the Doctor into a beloved American icon above the mainstream success the show had already enjoyed. Forgoing the arrogance and darkness of Wilder and the earlier Doctors, the Fifth Doctor was charming, witty and perhaps the most eager of all of his incarnations when it came to exploration.
Always in a fine suit that would fit in well with a high class evening out in the finest restaurants and theatre, the Fifth Doctor carried himself with an air of class that few could match. A gentleman in his dealings, the Fifth Doctor made it a point of playing things fair and giving his enemies a chance to renounce their ways before facing his full power and intelligence. Although this was quite rare as the Fifth Doctor never generally showed anger, hiding it, even at the worst of times, under a polite sheen that set his enemies on edge.
His eagerness to explore the Universe was a key aspect to who the Fifth Doctor was. More than any other of his predecessors, he visited the most amount of different time periods and different planets to learn and delight in the very mysteries of life. This coincided with a great fleshing out of the Universe of the show, several of the races being given a backstory, whether they were allies, enemies or both. With the growth in richness of the Universe taking place, the show's expanded universe also gained traction with the books and comics published by DC only aiding the popularity of the show itself, especially among children.
The Fifth Doctor would be allowed to leave behind Carthaginia on his travels, bringing a Human back into his journeys in the form of Cidrac, a young man who took part in the majority of the series action scenes. The partnership between the two would become a key part of the popularity of the show, the Fifth Doctor and his Human companion from the 27th century acting almost like father and son as they uncovered the problems and threats along their travels, managing to save many lives and planets along the way.
Although normally known for his over the top performances, Price managed to call in a subtle performance when called for. For the first time since the Second Doctor, mentions of the family he left behind in the Citadel were heard and the Doctor even mentioned perhaps returning to them one day. But, for the Fifth Doctor anyway, his love of adventure and exploration came before all, determined to seek out every part of the Universe he could to explore and enjoy it.
After five years playing the Doctor though, Vicent Price decided to call it a day. While having enjoyed every moment of his time on the show, Price felt that he had done as much as he could with the character and decided to allow another actor to make his mark with the character. Price would go onto to fondly remember his role as the Fifth Doctor, appearing at every fan convention he could up until his death and always happy to interact with the fans, grateful for their support for the show itself.
The Fifth Doctor would go onto become the most popular of all the incarnations of the character, regularly topping fan polls as to who their favourite was. With strong writing throughout his run and performances from talented regular actors as well as guest stars, the run of the Fifth Doctor is regarded by many as the show's golden age. Vincent Price's legacy was that of a positive one, showing that while the Doctor could be a dark and dangerous individual, he was also an adventurer and one who could see the wonder of the Universe while bringing out the best in people. Embracing the positive qualities that the Doctor could be, the Fifth Doctor was the highlight of the optimism associated with the character. His successor would try to match it with a special interest in the third planet close to its Sun, but would sadly face a great deal more many problems.
Episode to Watch:
Time Express – Exploring a society that used time travel for purely leisure purposes, the Doctor and Cidrac use it their time travelling train to interact with other travellers across the fourth dimension. The journey goes through various planets and time periods, highlighting them all and even catching glimpses of the Doctor's past rejuvenations. The journey ends with the passengers eager to return some day while the Doctor muses to Cidrac that while this was a relaxing journey, there was still time for new adventures and more action while he had the time.
Written and produced during the last few episodes of Vincent Price's run as the Doctor, Time Express was initially meant as nothing more than a bottle episode to save money with little special effects and even clips from past episodes to save on money. What saved it was a brilliant script with the Doctor reflecting on his past adventures and the wonders yet to come. Vincent Price led the way with a wonderful performance that was both warm and eager to face the new challenges while honouring the old ones. With a colourful cast of one shot characters that all became hugely popular in the expanded universe, the episode would go onto become a major fan favourite.
Episode to Avoid:
The Horror of Glam Rock – Appearing on the planet Transvesta, the Doctor and Cidrac are bemused by the eccentric locals who love to party in gaudy night shows. Agreeing to go to one, the Doctor and Cidrac uncover a conspiracy to assassinate the Master of Ceremonies (Essentially the world's ruler) and do their best to stop it. After managing to end the conspiracy, the Doctor and Cidrac take part in a rather strange dance party before leaving.
This episode was produced at the height of Disco's popularity and it shows. While also taking notes from the Rocky Horror Picture Show for added awkwardness, the episode as a whole is garish with a wafer thin plot that's cut to pieces simply to allow for dance numbers. Awful, even in its time, the sole redeeming feature is Vincent Price giving full force to the ham he'd held back up until that point. That is about the only entertaining part of it though.
I'm really enjoying this so far! I'm going to guess Six is John Lithgow based on the "third planet (rock) from the Sun" bit...
Ah! Beat me to it!
I did indeed.
A bit different from what I expected but I'll give them a go. Something of a challenge.
Anyone have thoughts on this TL so far at all? Any words on the changes from the show as it was IOTL?
A very well written timeline, the changes from the UK to America make sense.
I am enjoying it. Bonus points if the Doctor is played by George C. Scott
I am enjoying it. Bonus points if the Doctor is played by George C. Scott
I like what you did with my two titles - I was hoping that you'd turn Time Express into a success. Having a Rocky Horror Show influence on The Horror of Glam Rock was brilliant. I'm picturing it as being a bit like OTL's Happiness Patrol in style.
I guess that Cidrac is a more popular companion than OTL's Adric.
You've made a good choice of actors to play the Doctor. There's some hint of the OTL actors there - the Second Doctor's obfuscating stupidity, the Third's martial arts and the Fourth's more alien interpretation. About the only thing that I miss from the OTL series is an equivalent of UNIT - it would be interesting to see an American equivalent of the Brigadier.
I'm not sure how the Cadillac would actually work as a TARDIS prop. I'm struggling to see how you could cut from people getting into a car to them enteering a much larger control room - it's not as natural as walking through a door. In OTL, other TARDISes have taken the form of a caravan, a monument and a grandfather clock. Big Finish had an imitation TARDIS take the form of a portaloo, although that was played for laughs, with a distinctly lavatorial version of the dematerialisation sound effect.
Cheers,
Nigel.
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TheLoneAmigo
Donor
So - there's no way Christopher "Doc" Lloyd avoids becoming an American Doctor Who, right?
Sixth Doctor
1981-1987
The Clownish Genius
“The people on this planet will swallow anything.”
1981-1987
The Clownish Genius
“The people on this planet will swallow anything.”
The popularity enjoyed by 'Dr. Who?' in the late 70's bleeding through to the early 80's would, oddly enough, have a negative impact for the show as a whole going into the next decade. The popularity of the show had brought in legions of new fans, most of whom were children that devoured the comics, short stories and other merchandise that exploded in number around this time. With a new generation of executives taking the helm of ABC, this came with complete misunderstandings as to the reasons behind the long running love of the show from its fans.
A gradual overhaul started with the show started as John Lithgow took over the role, starting with the character himself. Wishing for an even broader audience, the decision from above was made for the series to take on a more comedic feel. With it being felt that more could also be done with a smaller budget, the setting of Earth believed to be much better with several citing the success that Bruce Lee had enjoyed with similar tactics. What they missed though was the Bruce Lee was a famous actor waiting to break into the movies and it had been him to dictate the way the show was run, not the executives.
With a slashed budget, a creative direction forced onto the show and a much more family friendly road having to be travelled, 'Dr. Who?' was in for a rough few years as fans rebelled against these changes, many leaving the show to dwindling ratings which caused the budget to be cut further, continuing the cycle. The presence of 'Dr. Who?' also dwindled in the public's eye as movies such as Revenge of The Jedi brought in other Science Fiction franchises that grabbed people's attention.
Despite all this though, the show clung on due to various factors. One of them was the fact that the writing staff did the best they could with what they had been given, limiting their writing to the budget and trying to write around it, the special effects budget being slashed most of all and many old props and costumes being used for species such as the Jotos and Automatons especially. This did allow the writing to focus on the stories and characters however, finding a saving grace in the man cast as the Sixth Doctor.
Although mostly known for dramatic work, John Lithgow proved himself to be a terrific comedic actor as well, giving the character of the Doctor a softer humour that hadn't been seen since Falk's take on the character. Despite that though, the Doctor was at his most arrogant and overbearing that the character had ever been, reminding those around him that he was so much more brilliant than anyone else, in some ways helping emphasise his alien nature. The manner in which he dealt with Humanity was often overbearing in his pride, but also showed his affection for them through odd moments of praise and even admiration when a Human acted in a particularly noble and moral manner.
Dressed in a shirt and tie, the Sixth Doctor gave the impression of being a semi-formal college professor of sorts, eager to teach and happy whenever his students performed expectation. This willingness to embrace the good side of Humanity was an endearing trait that had been noticed throughout the Doctor's incarnations, but stood out most of all here.
The arrogance of the Doctor was perhaps his most defining feature as he lorded his intellectual superiority over anyone who would listen but everyone who didn't as well. Never one for humility, the Sixth Doctor was willing to charge into any situation and take control as he felt it was his natural right. All this unbearable haughtiness was tempered by a humour that went through the character, willing to laugh (Or give a subdued smile) at others pointing out his faults and acknowledging his own foibles. It gave the Sixth Doctor a sense of warmth that would have otherwise been lacking and allowed the character to grow on people.
With the setting being on Earth, new allies were needed as a way to spread out the cast and give a new generation of companions for the Doctor. For this, the Core Operational Regional Protection System, or CORPS for short, was introduced with its commanding officer, the Brigadier-General Kutuzov, as played by Walter Koenig. This military group gave the Doctor some valuable allies in his fight against forces that threatened Earth and provided some classical comedic moments as Lithgow and Koenig bounced off each other superbly.
The adventures on Earth, most commonly contemporary USA, did something to date the show as it went on, pop culture references from the 80's being somewhat frequent although the Doctor's refusal to even begin to try and understand them helped some later viewers get into the show even as it dated. The setting also allowed for greater focus on the character of the Doctor himself, exploring his past and motivations further as the idea came about that after the particularly painful Rejuvenation process that had created the current incarnation, he had decided to settle on Earth as a way to distance himself from the many deaths he'd endured. Although willing to do good, the traumas he'd suffered had made the Doctor realise even his own mortality and the Sixth Doctor was drawn to loving Earth and its people more than any of his predecessors.
When John Lithgow decided to end his time as the Doctor, the show itself had been damaged, many old viewers leaving it but drawing in others to compensate for that fact. Although many older fans had been turned off by the changes inflicted on the show, new fans enjoyed the comedy, the interaction between a set cast of characters and Lithgow's own interpretation of an old character. The franchise wasn't as strong as it had been when Vincent Price had been at the helm, but it was still chugging along nicely.
The Sixth Doctor was, in some ways, just as warm as his predecessor, the Fifth Doctor, encouraging the best in others and delighted when Humans made a moral choice that met his own beliefs. He was arrogant and overbearing though, willing to take command of a situation he knew little about, believing that he was the best to resolve any problem and was quite controlling as a result. His relationship with the Brigadier-General opened up new aspects to his relationship as a whole with Humanity and the introduction of CORPS was a fine addition to the show's mythos. The Sixth Doctor would be a controversial one, splitting the fandom for years to come. The one who would follow would see an equally unsettled continuum in terms of fan reception.
Episode to Watch:
Love me in Fierce Danger – The Brigadier-General receives word that an old flame is trying to defect from the USSR embassy and he goes against orders in order to get her to safety. The Doctor comes along with him, suspicious about the message received and wanting to protect his friend. As they try to set out a plan, the two clash as the Doctor uncovers more information that hints towards an alien foe wanting to damage CORPS by taking out Kutuzov, with the latter unwilling to believe it at first. Eventually, an alien conspiracy is uncovered with the Brigadier General having to blow up a good deal of the Soviet embassy in order to defeat it and save the Doctor. Although no Human died in the aftermath, the Brigadier-General is forced to acknowledge that it had all been a fake and his old love may never come to him, something that the Doctor at least cheers him up over.
A strange entry into the show's history, playing more like a political thriller in some parts, Love me in Fierce Danger nevertheless stood out for being an excellent exploration into the Brigadier-General, establishing the friendship between him and the Doctor and showing the changes that were to come later on in the series. The acting between Lithgow and Koenig is a delight to behold, two actors and how they respond to each other making most scenes must see. A strong episode that encapsulates everything right about the Sixth Doctor's run.
Episode to Avoid:
You'll Always Come Away Missing Something – The Doctor receives a message from the Citadel, the Time Masters wanting him to return to assess whether or not he should return from Earth to be with his own people. The Doctor insists that it be his own choice and the Time Masters try to woo him back with a series of images showing the beauty of the Citadel and what they can offer. The Doctor comes to reject them however and returns to Earth, still feeling some longing for his home world.
The worst part about this episode was the special effects. Which, was a terrible thing as this episode was practically all special effects. The executives had pushed for one episode in space and this was the result, a mish-mash of terrible effects and unconvincing light shows along with costumes that were outright cheap. The one saving grace of the episode is a well acted and tender scene at the end where the Doctor says the episode title to the Brigadier-General as he reflects over the fact that he loves his journeys, the Citadel and never seeing his family weighs heavily on his mind. Aside from this one shining moment though, the episode should be steered clear from.
A very well written timeline, the changes from the UK to America make sense.
I am enjoying it. Bonus points if the Doctor is played by George C. Scott
Was tricky to find ways to Americanise the show but hopefully managed to get the touches just right. Afraid Scott won't be showing up however.
Didn't realise Time Express was an actual show, rather odd my take on it was so similar really. Cidrac is essentially a more well done Adric true, one of the more popular companions to boot ITTL. The hints were there on purpose as I tried to find actors who had roles that perhaps had some link to the Doctors they played, however tenuous. The car thing was probably something I should have thought about more, I was just looking for American icons to use as the TARDIS, and cars came to mind more than anything. Clever editing more than anything would probably hold.
Hope you enjoyed this take on the Sixth.
He won't be showing up, not as the Doctor at least.