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Doctor Who Club of Australia
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| The Happiness Patrol |
| Excellent |
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8% |
[ 1 ] |
| Very Good |
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8% |
[ 1 ] |
| Good |
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25% |
[ 3 ] |
| Fair |
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16% |
[ 2 ] |
| Turkey |
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41% |
[ 5 ] |
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| Total Votes : 12 |
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| Author |
Message |
kalid
Joined: 29 Sep 2005
Posts: 37
Location: Geelong
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 Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 10:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Genlock wrote: | Theta Sigma wrote:
I see I am the only one who knows Georgina Hale (Daisy K) as Tabitha Bag in the T-Bag series.
Yes, you probably are. I've never heard of "T-Bag".
Is this one of those shows that you can only watch if you're one of the 12% of australians who can afford cable? |
I remember T-Bag! It was on ABC during the holidays about 9-10 years ago i think - when the ABC used to get all these British shows over summer (most of which were far better than anything that gets played now)
I have very vague memories of it, I was only 7 or 8
but yeah from the moment Daisy K spoke I remembered the voice of T-Bag |
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SharazJek
Joined: 12 Aug 2005
Posts: 898
Location: Hobart, Tasmania
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| Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 11:28 pm Post subject: |
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Did the ABC ever show any of Russell Davies obscure kiddies sci-fi shows in the early '90s?
I'm curious as to whether anyone remembers them and what they thought of them. |
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Lara Croft
Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 99
Location: Canberra
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 12:24 pm Post subject: |
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I can't rate this story, only because I don't know if I liked it or not.
The redeeming features of this story for me were:
1) The black chappy who kept playing the harmonica - I hate jazz and blues, but I enjoyed his playing
2) When The Doctor sang "As Time Goes By" into the mic - he can always manage to be charming
3) When Fifi, the stigorax, made her way through the pipeline - it was funny watching her run.
4) When Helen A cried because Fifi was dead - we knew it was going to happen, but of course she would cry, it was inev-inevable. |
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Genlock
Guest
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| Posted: Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Hiruma wrote: | | Hey Considering the average australian spends over apparently 10 bucks a week on alcohol , and I think Foxtel is like 50 a month for the basic stuff... its not that much a lean. On average its probably cheaper to get cable in Aus than say America or England. |
Foxtel basic is $50 a month or $600 a year.
Platinium is $100 a month or $1200 a year.
(And you can spend even more with the various "extras").
For many Australians struggling to get by either is a lot of money.
Especially to spend each year, year after year.
The last statistics I saw on this topic indicated that only 23% of australian households had a "subscription service", and that those households had an average of 3 residents.
On the digital tv front only 12% of households had digital FTA tv.
I'm unable to comment on the relative cost of pay tv in australia compared to the usa or the uk as I don't have any figures. Can you back up your "probably cheaper to get cable in Aus than say America or England" statement with some references for me? I'm quiet interested. |
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rundoctoritsthegatherer
Serial Pest
Joined: 26 Jun 2005
Posts: 279
Location: Sydney
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| Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 12:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Genlock wrote: | Sixteen (?) years later and I actually liked this one.
I may be the only one.
Yes, yes I know, "worst story ever". Which is fine.
We all like and dislike different things. |
That's true enough. If everyone had the same opinion the world would be a pretty dull place.
| Genlock wrote: | I would suggest that those who don't like it read the analysis from "Doctor Who: The Television Companion" before you watch it again.
(Yes, yes I know, "I'll never watch that one again, it's rubbish ...."). |
Read that. Have read a few positive reviews of this story. What drugs they were on when they saw the story and wrote the review are not known to me, but anything they took that allowed them to enjoy the story must be very, very bad for you.
| Genlock wrote: | | I was just happy to see a story where we didn't have to sit through, (as Douglas would say), "some bug-eyed monster trying to take over the universe for no adequately explored reason". |
And the last bug eyed monster to want to take over the universe for no adequately explored reason was... ?
| Genlock wrote: | The story works and exist on a number of levels.
The sets look fake. That's the point. The whole society is fake.
Government control is total. Do as you are told. Don't question authority.
Be happy or else. Or else you will disappear. fear rules.
Those on top care nothing for those on the bottom.
It's a reflection of what has happened in the past; and what is happening again now. Look around you. |
I understand this. I also understand that sometimes pisstakes are done well, like The Sunmakers. Other times they aren't done well, like Happiness Patrol. I understand the political and social undertones of the story. I don't understand why it had to be a proverbial huge steaming pile of dren, or why JNT thought that bringing camp back was a good idea, when that was apparently one of his major problems with Who when he took over and was determined to get rid of it (which he did for a while).
| Genlock wrote: | There have been many bad Doctor Who stories over the decades.
This isn't one of them. Yes, I agree it's not brillant, (a panetary unrising on a tv budget?), but it's not as bad as you may believe. |
Oh yes it is.
| Genlock wrote: | | I think the bagging James V gave this one, all those years ago was a bit unfair .... |
Personally, I thought he could've gone (and probably wanted to go) a lot further, but censored his comments since he was on children's television.
| Genlock wrote: | As a small aside. In this episode the Doctor mentions that his nickname at Uni was "Theta Sigma". (Mmmm ... ). Just glancing through my 1972 Piccolo edition of "The Making Of Doctor Who", (with Jon Pertwee*** on the cover), I noticed in the section called "A Summary of the Travels of .... known as The Doctor", "The Doctor" is reffered to as: (as closely as I can make out)
"Delta Cubed Sigma Chi Squared"
***That edition of "The Making of Doctor Who" was re-released in a heavierly revised edition by Target, (same sized book), in 1976 with a Drawing of Tom Baker on the cover. |
I thought it was just a reference to The Armageddon Factor. |
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Genlock
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 1:29 pm Post subject: |
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| rundoctoritsthegatherer wrote: | | Genlock wrote: | Sixteen (?) years later and I actually liked this one.
I may be the only one.
Yes, yes I know, "worst story ever". Which is fine.
We all like and dislike different things. |
That's true enough. If everyone had the same opinion the world would be a pretty dull place.
| Genlock wrote: | I would suggest that those who don't like it read the analysis from "Doctor Who: The Television Companion" before you watch it again.
(Yes, yes I know, "I'll never watch that one again, it's rubbish ...."). |
Read that. Have read a few positive reviews of this story. What drugs they were on when they saw the story and wrote the review are not known to me, but anything they took that allowed them to enjoy the story must be very, very bad for you.
| Genlock wrote: | | I was just happy to see a story where we didn't have to sit through, (as Douglas would say), "some bug-eyed monster trying to take over the universe for no adequately explored reason". |
And the last bug eyed monster to want to take over the universe for no adequately explored reason was... ?
| Genlock wrote: | The story works and exist on a number of levels.
The sets look fake. That's the point. The whole society is fake.
Government control is total. Do as you are told. Don't question authority.
Be happy or else. Or else you will disappear. fear rules.
Those on top care nothing for those on the bottom.
It's a reflection of what has happened in the past; and what is happening again now. Look around you. |
I understand this. I also understand that sometimes pisstakes are done well, like The Sunmakers. Other times they aren't done well, like Happiness Patrol. I understand the political and social undertones of the story. I don't understand why it had to be a proverbial huge steaming pile of dren, or why JNT thought that bringing camp back was a good idea, when that was apparently one of his major problems with Who when he took over and was determined to get rid of it (which he did for a while).
| Genlock wrote: | There have been many bad Doctor Who stories over the decades.
This isn't one of them. Yes, I agree it's not brillant, (a panetary unrising on a tv budget?), but it's not as bad as you may believe. |
Oh yes it is.
| Genlock wrote: | | I think the bagging James V gave this one, all those years ago was a bit unfair .... |
Personally, I thought he could've gone (and probably wanted to go) a lot further, but censored his comments since he was on children's television.
| Genlock wrote: | As a small aside. In this episode the Doctor mentions that his nickname at Uni was "Theta Sigma". (Mmmm ... ). Just glancing through my 1972 Piccolo edition of "The Making Of Doctor Who", (with Jon Pertwee*** on the cover), I noticed in the section called "A Summary of the Travels of .... known as The Doctor", "The Doctor" is reffered to as: (as closely as I can make out)
"Delta Cubed Sigma Chi Squared"
***That edition of "The Making of Doctor Who" was re-released in a heavierly revised edition by Target, (same sized book), in 1976 with a Drawing of Tom Baker on the cover. |
I thought it was just a reference to The Armageddon Factor. |
- Yes, it would be dull.
- I wasn't on drugs when I watched the story and quiet enjoyed it. What you appear to be saying is that anyone who did like it must have been out of their minds. This approach doesn't really add to the discussion.
- If I have to explain this to you there's no point. Or were you just trying to grandstand by an attempt at humour.
- Oh, no it's not. Oh, yes it is. Oh, no it's not. Pointless. "Look at me I'm right". Ok, put up your own detailed post explaining why it's that bad. "WORST STORY EVER" doesn't rate.
- Without asking him directly we'll never know for sure.
- Well, I have to say I must have missed that reference. Care to enlarge on it, rather than just to a throw away. |
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rundoctoritsthegatherer
Serial Pest
Joined: 26 Jun 2005
Posts: 279
Location: Sydney
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| Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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Hmm...
I'm assuming your attempt at humour point was in answer to the bug eyed monster part of my reply. Actually I'm serious. The last story before Happiness Patrol to have someone want to take over the universe that I can think of is the Two Doctors, and they weren't bug eyed monsters. Story before that was probably Frontios. You're right in that this theme has been overdone in the past, but I didn't think it had been for a little while. If I'm wrong about this, I'm sure someone will be pretty quick to jump in and let me know. Either way, it's pretty irrelevant to my opinion of the story. I just thought your point about it not being that type of story was a little off since every second story isn't like that. Then again, it could just be a natural aversion you have to that type of story, which is fine with me. I can understand that.
You're little look at me I'm right speil is also pointless. You tell me it isn't as bad as I may believe, but my opinion is it is the worst story ever, and I believe it IS that bad. I wasn't going to bore everyone with too many details about why that is, since people in here don't seem to be into posting reviews. Anyone really interested can read my review of it - http://www.76totterslane.com/happiness.html#avon
Feel free to agree/disagree as you see fit. Basically, I think it was a pretty poor idea which was executed really really badly. I also think the acting was way too OTT even for DW and it grated really badly with me.
If you (or anyone else for that matter) want to write a review and post it, feel free to do so. Maybe at the same time you'll allow it to get published in DE as well (you could even get a prize for it). We don't not print reviews just because we disagree with the opinion, otherwise quite a few I've read wouldn't make the cut.
Drax calls the Doctor Theta Sigma in Armageddon Factor. Somewhere in part four or five. It's pretty obvious so you won't have to look too hard for it. Theta Sigma in these forums could probably tell you exactly where it is in the story, but IIRC it's when they first run into each other. |
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Genlock
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 2:36 pm Post subject: |
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| rundoctoritsthegatherer wrote: | Hmm...
I'm assuming your attempt at humour point was in answer to the bug eyed monster part of my reply. Actually I'm serious. The last story before Happiness Patrol to have someone want to take over the universe that I can think of is the Two Doctors, and they weren't bug eyed monsters. Story before that was probably Frontios. You're right in that this theme has been overdone in the past, but I didn't think it had been for a little while. If I'm wrong about this, I'm sure someone will be pretty quick to jump in and let me know. Either way, it's pretty irrelevant to my opinion of the story. I just thought your point about it not being that type of story was a little off since every second story isn't like that. Then again, it could just be a natural aversion you have to that type of story, which is fine with me. I can understand that.
You're little look at me I'm right speil is also pointless. You tell me it isn't as bad as I may believe, but my opinion is it is the worst story ever, and I believe it IS that bad. I wasn't going to bore everyone with too many details about why that is, since people in here don't seem to be into posting reviews. Anyone really interested can read my review of it - http://www.76totterslane.com/happiness.html#avon
Feel free to agree/disagree as you see fit. Basically, I think it was a pretty poor idea which was executed really really badly. I also think the acting was way too OTT even for DW and it grated really badly with me.
If you (or anyone else for that matter) want to write a review and post it, feel free to do so. Maybe at the same time you'll allow it to get published in DE as well (you could even get a prize for it). We don't not print reviews just because we disagree with the opinion, otherwise quite a few I've read wouldn't make the cut.
Drax calls the Doctor Theta Sigma in Armageddon Factor. Somewhere in part four or five. It's pretty obvious so you won't have to look too hard for it. Theta Sigma in these forums could probably tell you exactly where it is in the story, but IIRC it's when they first run into each other. |
Your original post said in very big letters "Worst Story Ever" and concluded "disgrace to the series".
I think you made your point in that post that you didn't like this story.
I did like the story.
Perhaps I saw something in it that you didn't.
There was absolutely no need what so ever for you to pick apart my post and make your ................ comments. You made your point. You cannot get more definite than "worst story ever".
I offered a different opinion.
As for the rest of it .......
I'm really beginning to feel this is all a waste of time. |
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Greg
Site Admin
Joined: 26 Jun 2005
Posts: 1794
Location: Canberra
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| Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 6:55 pm Post subject: |
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| rundoctoritsthegatherer wrote: | | Drax calls the Doctor Theta Sigma in Armageddon Factor. Somewhere in part four or five. It's pretty obvious so you won't have to look too hard for it. Theta Sigma in these forums could probably tell you exactly where it is in the story, but IIRC it's when they first run into each other. |
Drax also refers to the Doctor by the diminuitive 'Thete'.
There are a few Time Lord names given in the first edition of The Making of Doctor Who, which uses the semi-interesting decice of summarising the Doctor's adventures by way ot transcripts from his trial and UNIT memoranda. This edition (with the 3rd Doctor and a Sea Devil on the cover) isn't that common, but it's also not unbelievably rare either. Copies crop up from time to time on the internet (try eBay and other auction sites). |
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