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The fifth tale in this anniversary sequence of stories, ‘Smoke and Mirrors’, is quite definitely grounded in Peter Davison’s first series with the Doctor again failing arrive at Heathrow Airport in favour of answering the summons of an old friend. In fact, there are enough in-story continuity references to site the tale firmly between ‘Kinda’ and ‘Earthshock’.
Here we take a look at some of the most memorable Cybermen appearances.
For many CultBox readers, Peter Cushing is instantly recognisable for a number of roles. For many he was Star Wars villain Grand Moff Tarkin, the ruthless Imperial Commander running the Death Star in the original movie who appeared to be Darth Vader’s boss. Like Sir Alec Guinness, he lent the film an air of credibility amid the laser bolts, droids and spiritual mumbo-jumbo.
‘Dreams of Empire’ is the second entry in BBC Books’ Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Collection. Written by Justin Richards, a long time contributor and creative consultant for the range, it features Patrick Troughton’s Doctor alongside companions Jamie and Victoria, pitching it in the earlier part of his tenure.
The Victorian Era (1837 to 1901, date fans) often receives a visit from the Doctor. There is much for the Time Lord here, with his beloved author Charles Dickens at work, as well as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
The Doctor’s TT Type 40 capsule, or his “frankly magnificent timeship”, is as central to the show as the Time Lord himself. Disguised as a Police Box, but containing a myriad of wonders inside, she has travelled all over the universe and often saved the day. Despite being a safe refuge for the Time Lord … >
With sombre opening music and shots slowly panning over a body we are introduced to writer/director Joe Aherne’s rather serious take on vampires.
It is fair to say that the Doctor is usually a subscriber to Clarke’s 3rd law, which asserts, “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”.
On television ‘The Rescue’ was a rather modest affair. A two-parter set after the drama of ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’, its primary role was to provide an introduction Vicki (Maureen O’Brien) who was cast in the wake of Susan’s departure.
In this on demand digital age, we can stream Hollywood movies to our mobile phones and pre-order the DVD boxset of a television show before it has even aired. As Doctor Who approaches its 50th anniversary, the show is reaching ever-greater heights of popularity and international exposure. Amid all this, it somehow seems impossible to comprehend that there is a large swathe of the programme’s early episodes now lost to posterity.