Doctor Who & the 'Web of jolly-well-not-very Clear'!!!

Oh that it were true! That 'Web of Fear' could be returned to the BBC vaults from where it was so cruelly cast out back in the late 70's!

Even if this rumour turns out to be a particularly nasty hoax, I am amazed at the timing of it. Reason being that the Co-Pilot & I, a mere 5 nights ago, sat down to watch the two (until now?) remaining Yeti episodes together. We had never watched those episodes paired in a 'Yeti fest' sense. In fact, of the two eps, the only one we'd seen together was Abom 2 & that was about 15 years ago on 'The Troughton Years' VHS. Our little Yeti moment may now be followed by a Yeti bonanza!! Pure chance?, spooky coincidence?, or something much more fabulous?? who knows!!

A few thoughts on:

Abominable Snowmen 2 -

Fairly slow moving but marvellously atmospheric. Well acted, superb set design. The outdoor film shots look superb; so crisp. An underrated, quiet gem.

Web Of Fear 1 -

Some great moments. The Hammer Horror style scenes in the museum are striking. Pat, Frazer & even Deb are all on good form. The tunnel scenes look superb. The letdowns are Jack Watling's wretched 'huffing old man' turn & the stilted scenes in the military base. I'm sad to say the episode overall is a middling effort from the otherwise masterful Mr Camfield. I hope it gets better after the somewhat shaky start & I certainly hope we will soon find out!!

The Lucozer (plugging up his fan boy saliva ducts, but hoping to soon let them flow!)

The Doctor's Favourite Companions!! (Hartnell/ Troughton Years)...for Peter Haining

Ian Chesterton - A charming & hunky antidote to Hartnell's coughs, cobwebs & mothballs. Steadfast, perceptive, quietly intelligent & stylish in a subdued way. I'd wear his cardigan any day (or Enoch on his wood perhaps?)...9/10

Barbara Wright - A smart & strong willed yet also warm & motherly figure. I would like Ms Wright to mop my brow & tell me it'll be alright after being paralysed from the waist down by a Dalek ray (if Ian wasn't available that is). I hope she & Ian got married & had lots of little Chesterton-Wright's...8.5/10

Susan Foreman - A painful & un-dimensional companion despite the writers best efforts to imbue her with mystique & alien-ness. A dreadful characterisation inhabited by a forced & clunky performance. Tripping (too often literally) at every wretched turn, I'd have no regrets, tears or anxieties if I never came back!...5.5/10

Vicki - An elfin cutie! I like her black & silver collar too. She had a relaxed & charming rapport with Barbara & Ian. Clever, curious, adventurous, woefully underrated & a vast improvement on Susan. For mine, she is the 'new black' where companions are concerned. Maybe that's overstating it a bit, but anyway...8/10

Steven Taylor - Not the poor man's Ian of repute, though initially he may have had to deal with a few scripts intended for Ian. He is passionate & heroic & Mr Purves gave it lots of gusto. His voice is a bit dorky, but his shoulders however..sf00khu...8/10

Sara Kingdom - C'mon. 6/7? episodes in the middle of one story (admittedly a Barrowman sized one). Not a PROPER companion surely?...N/A/10

Katarina - I've only watched Part 2 of 'Dalek's Masterplan' once & that was ages ago. So if I'm to be a serious critic, I'll have to award her the temporary pardon of another not very descriptive...N/A/10

Dodo Chaplet - If she was fired after a miserly five adventures because of, reputedly, 'terrible acting', then Ms Ann Ford's services deserved to have been terminated half way through her bus trip to the audition (sorry, that's probably a bit harsh) Dodo's not great, but she's competent & I think quite likeable. Lumbered with a dorky name, she suffered a dorky exit from the show too; written out half way through a story with no goodbye indeed! Tut-tut Innes...6.5/10

Polly Wright - Quite a looker. Would have set a few pimply fanboys pulses racing & a few dads might have poked their heads in too. Into the LOUNGEROOM that is! Not a great actress, but quite competent & a whole lot of sweetie. I'd go checking out the sailors & go-go dancing with her down at the Inferno...7.5/10

Ben Jackson - Originally cast to be the 'tough' for the ailing Hartnell. Fraze soon moved in, lifted the sporran & quickly showed who was going to be Pat's 'heavy'. Despite little character development & a broad accent that could make any dialouge wince in terrible pain, he did reasonably well. I'd buy him a pint...7.5/10

Jamie McCrimmon - A superb foil for the 2nd Doctor with whom he established a smashing rapport. Charming innocence, cheekiness & undying loyalty. What wondrous qualities. Oh how well he wore that long sleeve black T-shirt in the echoing white void. I'd quite like to be him, failing that, I'd really just like to...give him a whopping ...9/10

Victoria Waterfield - I wish Polly had stuck around & been developed further. She & Jamie would have made a foxy team, the pretty swinger & the simple, sexy Highlander. Alas, we have here the archetypal damsel in distress/ screamer. A thankless role played competently at best; not a good combination. She improved towards the end, but not enough to have me handing her a trophy for 'most improved'...6.5/10

Zoe Herriot - Not much character development here either, typical of the time I guess. At least they let her be a braniac even if not a very liberated one. Most of the time she just huffed & puffed & put her hands on her hips as impotent riposte to Jamie's sexist needlings. Zoe was charmingly played though & you can't argue with the curves in the catsuit or those doe eyes. The Co-Pilot would give her a lusty grrrrowwl if he were here. I'd give her half a growl too. I might just turn (on a spinning the TARDIS console) for zesty Zoe...8/10

That's it for now...stayed tuned for the Pertwee & Tom Baker years...

Love hurts, Lucozer...