Doctor Who Club of Australia

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4429

Part 1:
Full Circle begins the E-Space trilogy.
Leela is mentioned.
Don't like Romana's moaning of going back to Gallifrey.
Outlers music not bad.
Matthew Waterhouse debuts as Adric. Recently he gets named after a character that David Walliams plays in Little Britain.
I am also seeing Alan Rowe (Garif) in the Horror of Fang Rock DVD in which the DVD notes mentioned his appearance on Full Circle.
George Baker (Login) is a lovely man.

When I watched this episode on video back in 2000 I remember 10 was showing the X-Files episode Field Trip for the first time which featured an actor Robyn Lively. Funnily yesterday on TV1 I saw Robyn Lively in the Quantum Leap episode Dr Ruth hours before Full Circle Part 1 was shown on the ABC. The Quantum Leap episode that was shown this morning Blood Moon had Sam Beckett apparently leaping into a vampire and the next classic Doctor Who story to be shown State of Decay is about vampires.

On a related note in the SFX Doctor Who special read the Probe on Tom back in December 1999 as he was asked a list of questions from readers.

meglos · Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 670 Location: Perth

I really like this story. I think the feel and look makes you think there on an alien planet. I love the mistfall idea as well. Very eerie. And Adric is'nt as bad as I remembered he was.

Nyder · Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 85

I really like this story too. I just think it's fun, and also quite creepy... those scenes of the marshmen crawling out of the swamps have got to be some of the more iconic of Who's history. Although, I think I prefer State of Decay which is next...

Nyder

Darth Sidious · Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 105

I gave it an 'excellent' rating. Full Circle is certainly a vast improvement on the dreadful 'Meglos' ...
The Marshmen are one of the best villians ever and I've always enjoyed Tom's outrage at the death of the poor marshchild and his frustration at Dexeter immoral experiments on the creature. For all their scariness, the Marshcreatures aren't actually evil which is a rare viewpoint for Dr Who.
It's actually hard not to feel sorry for Adric in this story, having witnessed the death of decider drath and his brother, can't blame him for having stowed away on the TARDIS, obviously he had nothing left to stay for on the starliner.
One of the most visually impressive Who stories ever.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4429

Part 2:
"Keep Clear" is clearly seen written in English.
Laughed when after the Deciders introduced themselves the Doctor says "And I'm the Doctor."
Romana says "They're only spiders" as if to imply they are not scary. Spiders that big. Yeah right.
Adric says he thinks he pulled the wrong lever in the TARDIS. He thinks.
"Tonight's version of Doctor Who" says the voiceover.

What trailer was shown: Billie on Parkinson was shown before Full Circle Part 2.

the wheel · Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 164

love the music in this - really funky.

geez adric is average in this. Ive never seen it before and i was expecting better adric since it was his first serial but it was not to be.

those marshmen and the mists are really convincing for original series Who.

however, the spiders are not and my mum laughed when they came on

the wheel · Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 164

sorry - so far, this gets 'very good' from me because overall it is pretty exciting and if you just pretend that the spiders are invisible, part 2s cliffhanger is pretty good

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4429

On a related note on Saturday finished with the Horror of Fang Rock DVD which happens to be Paul Cornell's favourite story just hours before seeing his episode Father's Day on the ABC as well as the fact that he was interviewed in one of the special features Terrance Dicks - Fact & Fiction. The DVD notes mentioned JNT as production unit manager for the story and eventually becoming producer. It also mentioned Production Assistant Peter Grimwade who eventually made his directorial debut on the series with Full Circle and the magazine TARDIS which had as one of its writers Full Circle writer Andrew Smith.

In yesterday's Sydney Sunday Telegraph there is a new column by Richard Clune called chic & geek and it has a picture of Tom as the Doctor as he talks about men and scarves:
"The length of actor Tom Baker's scarf (pictured) should never be replicated."

When the ABC began showing Tom's episodes on October 13 last year, I bought on the same day The Leisure Hive DVD which was the first story of Lalla Ward's final season and now just as we are heading towards the end of Tom's era I finished with the Horror of Fang Rock DVD which was the first story of Louise Jameson's final season.

Dazza · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 106

For all his faults, I think JNT got the series back on track with season 18. The Key to Time was quite poor with Tom seemingly doing whatever he wanted. The show was beginning to become a comedy. JNT brough the serious sci-fi is back.

*Is that the sound of can of worms opening?*

Liam · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 85 Location: Sydney

Love this story so far, will we ever see Doctor Who monsters that don't walk around like zombies... it would be nice (maybe the suits are too tight?)

Still the moment when the Marshmen come out of the swamp was fantastic, about the scariest image I've seen on DW in the last season or two.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4429

Part 3:
Nice interaction between the two Bakers (Tom and George).
Funny how Login's Keara-TARDIS deal is quickly fulfilled.
Love it when Tom shouted "DEXETER!"
Quite shocking the Doctor's revelation that the starliner could have taken off a long time ago because as Nefred reveals no one knows how to pilot the ship.
"Emergency Escape...." in English.
Quiz update: Full Circle is mentions in Medium Quiz 13:
"13. In Full Circle, the TARDIS lands on Alzarius when the fourth Doctor is heading to which planet?"

Nyder · Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 85

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4429

Part 4:
K-9 becomes the Marshmen's Head of State (get it).
Adric is last seen in the TARDIS but curiously it is not made clear on screen whether he left or stayed onboard.
A very good solo effort from writer Andrew Smith however I wonder if creating Adric was why he didn't write anymore stories for the series.
James Valentine's Tom Baker's scarf comment is played again in the voiceover.

On a related note this morning saw the Message Stick episode on the ABC called Thanks for All The Fish which of course comes from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by season 17 script editor Douglas Adams. The use of the title here is because it is about Aboriginal stories about fish.

Ace · Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 114 Location: Sydney

This and Earthshock were Adric's only good stories...

George Baker...ah...it's good to see Inspector Wexford on something else *grin*

Ace