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| Daleks conquer and destroy! The sixties excitement of Dalekmania returns with the duology of films starring Peter Cushing as DOCTOR WHO. Image: CANAL+ |
UK fans of the small screen adventures of sci-fi hero DOCTOR WHO, as played by the enthusiastic David Tennant (who, I'm sure has fans still mourning his loss from the show two years back), and on the big screens of the 1960's as played by the legendary Peter Cushing will enjoy the special DOCTOR WHO bank holiday weekend on the WATCH, with its screenings of Tennant's two 2008 specials- the Christmas themed THE NEXT DOCTOR (with David Morrissey guest starring as a possible incarnation of the Time Lord, fighting against the body snatching Cybermen in Dickensian London) and the fun, though hardly classic, PLANET OF THE DEAD, where the Time Lord teams up with the posh jewel thief Lady Christina De Souza (Michelle Ryan) when they and the passengers of a number 200 double decker bus are stranded in the hostile desert wilderness of an alien planet. These two colourful romps of pace and audience friendly excitement were huge ratings winners in their and repeat screenings and, whether older classic fans like them or not, they certainly prove themselves as true examples of Producer/writer Russell T. Davies's final tenure on the show.
Trailers:YouTube - Doctor Who Easter Special: Planet of the Dead - Trailer
YouTube - Doctor Who: The Next Doctor (Trailer)
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| The two David Doctors-Morrissey and Tennant- fight Miss Hartigan (Dervla Kirwan) and the Cybermen in THE NEXT DOCTOR. Image: BBC. |
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| Tennant of Dubai! The Doctor and one-off companion Lady Christina De Souza (Michelle Ryan) are trapped in hostile climes on the PLANET OF THE DEAD. Image: YESTERDAY. Image copyright: BBC. |
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| Peter Cushing adds humour and heroism as the sixties movie version of DOCTOR WHO. Image: CANAL+ |
Then there's the equally colourful and exciting Dalek films-DOCTOR WHO AND THE DALEKS and DALEKS: INVASION EARTH 2150 A.D.- produced by horror movie veterans AARU of the sixties, which are adaptations of two previous William Hartnell WHO stories from 1963 and 64- THE DALEKS and THE DALEK INVASION OF EARTH, both originally written by equally iconic Dalek creator Terry Nation. The stories, with many times the production budgets of the BBC adventures, transfer to the big screen well and have acquired a faithful following over the years, and the Daleks certainly look bigger and better than ever for their time. Cushing, who's Doctor isn't a Time Lord but a friendly inventor/Grandfather, is terrific-a perfect choice for the role. Its a pity that the third in the planned movie series never got made.
Trailers: YouTube - Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) - Theatrical Trailer
YouTube - Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. (1966) - Theatrical Trailer
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| Paul McGann as The Doctor from 1996. Image: BBC/RADIO TIMES |
Finally, as well as a DOCTOR WHO AT THE PROMS special concert devoted to modern WHO series music, there's another chance to see Paul McGann's promising but sadly one-off DOCTOR WHO: THE MOVIE from 1996, which has many of the elements that would be incorporated more successfully into modern WHO series today. It may not totally synch with either the original or modern versions of WHO but, with a fine performance from McGann, its nonetheless an intriguing what could have been exploration...
Trailer: YouTube - Doctor Who: Original 80s trailer for TV Movie starring Paul McGann
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