[MizManiac]

Cack. An overblown load of intellectual airy-fairy fluff, a bad story, and a terrible end to Tom Baker's Doctor. 'The Watcher' idea was appalling too. If there ever should have been lost episodes of 'Who' this steaming pile of **** is at the top of my list!

[DoctorQui]

It did have an awful lot of potential but falls foul of CHB and his rather bizarre egotistical ideas on what Who should be!

imo!

[daveyboy7472]

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr


Completely and utterly disagree with the OP, this is one of my favourite stories ever. I agree it has it's faults but there is no way it's worse than stories like The Twin Dilemma and Paradise Towers. But like DQ, it;s just my opinion.

Grrrrrrrrr

[allen_who]

I quite like reading the 'goofs' on the BBC website for any of the Doctor Who stories. Here's the goofs for this one...

Why is there a litter bin next to the 'Take Your Litter Home' sign in episode one?

Why does the policeman take the doll-like corpses so seriously?

In episode two, Adric has wet trousers when leaving the TARDIS (which he acquires later when faking his bike accident).

When the Master puts the bracelet onto Nyssa's wrist, part of it falls off.

Entropy is green.

In episode four, when the Master enters his TARDIS, his shadow stays after it dematerialises.

The Master looking out of the cabin doorway is very obviously a CSO'd still frame.

He also nods Tegan her cue to notice that the Monitor is dying.






.......


Anyway, I've seen a lot worse stories than this one. Granted Tom deserved a better send off.

Truth be told, I didn't really understand most of it but found it entertaining none-the-less

[DoctorQui]

Originally Posted by allen_who

Truth be told, I didn't really understand most of it ...

Bidmead *shakes fist*

I do agree with Davey and allen, I wouldn't say that Logopolis is bad at all, just a bit messy!

What it DOES do very very well is harness an atmosphere of impending doom...it has a funerary (is that a word?) feel throoughout!

[stud u like]

For the time period, the story has been incredibly influencial upon 21st century science.

With tighter editing, the serial would have been excellent.

Some of the scenes are not necessary and would have been cut today.

Knowledge of Darwin and algorithms helps understand the story better.

Once you have read more about nanotechnology and reshaping matter, the theories from the story are better understood.

Ideally, it is not a children's story as there is too much complex science.

I didn't understand it fully until I finished university.

[allen_who]

I suppose one thing it did introduce, that has even been used in Modern 'Who', is the 'Cloister Bell'., so in that respect it deserves a spot in the hall of 'Dr Who' fame.

[DoctorQui]

I think Bidmead was a science journalist before being script editor. His ideas, I understand, were to try and base DW more on science fact or recognised theory rather than science fiction and make believe.

[DoctorQui]

Originally Posted by allen_who

I suppose one thing it did introduce, that has even been used in Modern 'Who', is the 'Cloister Bell'., so in that respect it deserves a spot in the hall of 'Dr Who' fame.

Absolutely, you just have to love the Cloister Bell...its as familiar as the sound of the Tardis engines now!

[stud u like]

Originally Posted by DoctorQui

I think Bidmead was a science journalist before being script editor. His ideas, I understand, were to try and base DW more on science fact or recognised theory rather than science fiction and make believe.

He's been a computer scientist for many years and has been influencial on many of Tom Baker's stories such as the Leisure Hive.

[Verence]

Originally Posted by MizManiac

Cack. An overblown load of intellectual airy-fairy fluff, a bad story, and a terrible end to Tom Baker's Doctor. 'The Watcher' idea was appalling too. If there ever should have been lost episodes of 'Who' this steaming pile of **** is at the top of my list!

The thing about the Watcher idea is that it's fairly similar to what happened with Abbot K'anpo Rimpoche and Cho-Je at the end of Planet of The Spiders

[lach doch mal]

Apart from being sad that it was the end of an era (although I didn't even watch it on first transmission), I actually liked it. The watcher seemed like an interesting idea.

[DoctorQui]

Originally Posted by Verence

The thing about the Watcher idea is that it's fairly similar to what happened with Abbot K'anpo Rimpoche and Cho-Je at the end of Planet of The Spiders

The Watcher is one of those things where I am completely on the fence. I cannot determine if it is a good idea or bad one!

It seemed to work but it didn't, if you know what I mean!?!

Did 5 have any memory of being the Watcher, for example and the scene on Albert Bridge suggests that the Watcher spoke, although not with a great deal of animation!

[JohnnyForget]

Originally Posted by daveyboy7472

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr


Completely and utterly disagree with the OP, this is one of my favourite stories ever. I agree it has it's faults but there is no way it's worse than stories like The Twin Dilemma and Paradise Towers. But like DQ, it;s just my opinion.

Grrrrrrrrr

Daveyboy, you completely echo my sentiments. I love "Logopolis"!

[pajs1000]

Originally Posted by lach doch mal

Apart from being sad that it was the end of an era (although I didn't even watch it on first transmission), I actually liked it. The watcher seemed like an interesting idea.

I agree. The watcher was a a mystery until the end. I had allsorts of [wrong] ideas about who or what it was.

[highlander1969]

Originally Posted by JohnnyForget

Daveyboy, you completely echo my sentiments. I love "Logopolis"!

Another thumbs up for Logopolis from me! I think it's great. It would easily make my Top 20 list.

[DoctorQui]

Every time I watch Logopolis, I always get that WTF are you doing Mr Writer regarding the 'flooding the Tardis idea' so again I say

'WTF was that idea all about?!?!?'

[meglosmurmurs]

It's one of my fave stories. I love the fact it manages to be bleak but also bonkers at the same time.

I think even I'd try to drown the Tardis if I had no-one but Adric for company.

[CoalHillJanitor]

Originally Posted by Verence

The thing about the Watcher idea is that it's fairly similar to what happened with Abbot K'anpo Rimpoche and Cho-Je at the end of Planet of The Spiders

So it is. I like that parallel.

[WelshNige]

I think it is a travesty that a story as poor as Logopolis was used as the swansong for the greatest Doctor ever, IMO.

Tom deserved so much better than that.....

[Rowls]

Agee fully with the 'cack' verdict.

I know this is a tad egotistical but here is my explanation of the "Watcher", written in the style of Target books from an earlier thread:

As the Doctor lay there, dying, and suffering from multiple compound fractures to his spine and limbs, his companions rushed to his side to crouch down and do their best to look concerned. Despite the traumatic event that had just unfolded before their eyes, the companion's shock resulted in a puzzling silence akin to that of an awful amateur dramatics society whose lead role has forgotten his lines. Nyssa was particularly affected into "blank expressionlessness", as they call it on Traken.
They all said his name at him but the Doctor simply lay there with a pissed off look on his face. Lying on his deathbed, he summoned up the memories of happier times and better, more convincing companions than the numpties who now surrounded him.
There was Sarah Jane, the 'Brig, Harry, Leela... His old friends seemed to possess more emotion in their finger tips than his current social circle could ever convey. He even remembered the robot dog he used to know. Ah yes - K9! Even he was more expressive than these damned prats...
Suddenly a ghost-like figure appeared next to them for some reason.
The annoying youth to his side was still saying his name.
"Doctor! Doctor!" said Adric like a possessed boy in pyjamas.
The Doctor perked up a bit but his voice betrayed the excruciating awkwardness of the scene. He could barely speak, but when he did it was with the honest lack of conviction of a man too pained to carry on.
"It is the end," he croaked half-heartedly (and who could blame him) "but the moment has been prepared for."
The gormless companions were all as puzzled as each other but it didn't stop them from not doing anything. They continued their inactivity with blank determination. Especially Nyssa, who briefly fell into one of her regular trances.
The Doctor, as he lay there dying, finally mustered up the strength to point to the ghostly figure who had appeared behind him. Reacting to the Doctor's gesture, the transparent, mystical phantom figure slowly began to ponce his way forward, as though he had a broom stuck up his arse.
"The Watcher!" exclaimed Adric (although his mouth didn't seem to move and neither did he as he crouched down, casually not really doing much at all). Adric had suddenly recognized the unexplained apparition.
Once the Watcher had finished poncing his way towards the Doctor the two figures began to merge together in a weird, blurry green glow.
Whether it was because they all understood the intricacies of the Gallifreyan regeneration process or whether they just couldn't be bothered with what was happening we may never know but the three companions continued to twiddle their thumbs.
Fortunately, Nyssa had come out of her trance. She seemed to understand intuitively what was going on and had the grace to attempt an explanation for the benefit of her time-travelling companions, or anyone else who may have been observing but was confused, bewildered, befuddled or otherwise flummoxed by the whole series of seemingly unconnected events.
"He was the Doctor all the time!" she said (without moving her lips).
The companions knew then exactly what the hell had happened and they all kept quiet about it in knowing silence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfLgUX4Bkrk

[M@nterik]

The "fluish the Master out" bit was a trifle silly but I loved Logopolis at the time, being 15, and now in spite of its flaws I still like it alot.

[Listentome]

Originally Posted by DoctorQui

It did have an awful lot of potential but falls foul of CHB and his rather bizarre egotistical ideas on what Who should be!

imo!

Agree with this.

[DavetheScot]

By and large, I like Logopolis, but I don't think it's a classic. There's a lot of good stuff happening, but somehow there's not quite the magic that makes for great Who.

The Watcher was certainly an interesting idea, though you do have to wonder why no such phenomenon took place at any of the Doctor's other regenerations.

[Castrovalva]

Agree with OP. This story is pure garbage, as is Castrovalva that comes right after. A pair of stinkers in my book, some of DW's lowest points.