Sunday, November 23, 2008

 

Doctor Who 45th Anniversary – Why Was 1968 Brilliant?

More monsters hit the screen as hypnotic seaweed rises from the waves and the fabulous Quarks appear, but 1968’s most lasting contribution to the series comes when London is attacked by Yeti and Cybermen in The Web of Fear and The Invasion. Rising to fight these threats is Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, to be a friend of the Doctor’s for many years (and soon to be back on TV). The year’s most striking story, though, is memorable less for its monsters than for its sheer postmodern weirdness.

The Mind Robber
“I think we may be in a place where nothing is impossible.”
Funny, silly, literary, intelligent… Our heroes find themselves first in a void where the TARDIS, shockingly, explodes, then marooned in a Land of Fiction. Highlights include a resigned Rapunzel, a dumb superhero, a helpful Nottingham man and the Doctor losing face (but not his own).


The book’s rather fun, if slightly less disturbing, so you can look out for that (or the VHS) second-hand – but it’s the DVD you should buy. The picture’s been spruced up a treat and there are some smashing extras, with documentaries on the story and on the Doctor’s companion Jamie, and even a bit of Basil Brush.

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