[daveyboy7472]

This story has echoes of The Celestrial Toymaker in terms of sheer surrealism but is definitely better than that story. I really like this story, it is slightly atypical of the Troughton Era but unlike The Highlanders and The Underwater Menace which also are atypical, it actually works!

I think the first episode is a prime example of what can be done with a few sets, low budget, good writing and just the minimal amount of cast. It is a brilliant episode, very atmospheric and almost set entirely inside the TARDIS. The fact that an outside force can actually penetrate the safety of the TARDIS was still quite an unusual idea and it can be considered a little similar to Amy's Choice many years later.

The other four episodes don't quite live upto this early promise but they are still good anyway. It was lucky the production team had a great way of replacing Frazer Hines in the second episode. Hamish Wilson did a great job replacing him and fitted well into the cast.

Aside from that I love all the ideas of the fictional characters being real and it certainly added to the story. I also love the introduction of Bernard Horsfall as Gulliver, the first of his many appearances in the show. He gave Gulliver a great nobility and delivered his lines in a really great way.

The Master(not that Master!) as in this story was also played by Emry James in the same way as Wolfe Morris in The Abominable Snowmen in that his two different personalities were displayed superbly through vocal artistry.

The criticisms I have for this story are few. It's clear the actress playing Rapunzel can't really act, it's never clear who created the computer and how it came to be in charge and there are a few cringey moments along the way but after the poor start this Season had with The Dominators, this story got it up and running.

[Nikki E.]

Frikkin' love The Mind Robber!

The three main layers interactions with fictional characters from classic literature is brilliant. Them meeting Gulliver is sooo funny.

The Doctor getting Jamie's face wrong is (IMHO) hilarious! (As well as it being a clever way of replacing Frazer Hines, for part of the serial, as daveyboy above me also points out.)

The alphabet trees - with ladders within the trunk(!) - priceless!

I love the whole serial. From the moment the TARDIS explodes, to their encounters with Medussa and Gulliver, to the unicorn running towards them.

Not a dull moment in all five episodes, I feel.

The Mind Robber receives full marks from myself. I give it a resounding ten; five gold stars; two thumbs sticking firmly up.

I quite like this one, just in case you couldn't tell...

[Gene the Cow]

A great story which shows just what Doctor Who is about IMO. Never seen it but it was one of the first audios I got.

[CoalHillJanitor]

The way Jamie was replaced is somewhat reminiscent of the original plan for replacing Hartnell during Celestial Toymaker.

I'm not too bothered by Rapunzel's poor acting. Probably the fact that she's just a bit of writing brought to life helps to camouflage this. (Naturally that means I must ignore the fact that everyone in DW is just bits of writing brought to life by actors! )

The Karkus on the other hand ... the less said about him the better. Interesting, though, the way the Doctor (or was it Jamie?) had trouble disbelieving in the Karkus because he wasn't already familiar with him as a work of fiction.

The Doctor's weird internal dialogue in Episode 1 had shades of both Inside the Spaceship and The Moonbase. Creepy, spooky weirdness. This was Tingramretro's favourite episode of all.

And someone's got to mention ... well, that shot of Zoe.

[Nikki E.]

Originally Posted by CoalHillJanitor

And someone's got to mention ... well, that shot of Zoe.

Yes. Well. hmm...

Her couture gold sequin tracksuit is to die for!
(Seriously, though, I want - no, need - a suit just like it.)

[Larry1971]

absolutely love it I just can't find anything to fault about it.

[daveyboy7472]

Originally Posted by CoalHillJanitor

The way Jamie was replaced is somewhat reminiscent of the original plan for replacing Hartnell during Celestial Toymaker.

I'm not too bothered by Rapunzel's poor acting. Probably the fact that she's just a bit of writing brought to life helps to camouflage this. (Naturally that means I must ignore the fact that everyone in DW is just bits of writing brought to life by actors! )

The Karkus on the other hand ... the less said about him the better. Interesting, though, the way the Doctor (or was it Jamie?) had trouble disbelieving in the Karkus because he wasn't already familiar with him as a work of fiction.

The Doctor's weird internal dialogue in Episode 1 had shades of both Inside the Spaceship and The Moonbase. Creepy, spooky weirdness. This was Tingramretro's favourite episode of all.

And someone's got to mention ... well, that shot of Zoe. :eek:

I feel utterly ashamed I forgot to mention that at the beginning! It's one of the highlights(or should that be lowlights?! ) of the story, don't think arse shots come much better than that!

I sort of agree about Rapunzel in a way. Maybe the actress concerned was instructed to speak in that way in line with the fictional characters of the story but she still sounded as if she couldn't act! Saying that, it's still better than Neska in Planet Of The Spiders.....

As for the Karkus, I thought he was hilarious but a bit of a wimp to allow himself to have his ass kicked by Zoe!

Also agree about Ting, was one of his fave stories, if not his actual fave. It's this sort of subject I used to love discussing with him.

[ocox]

Originally Posted by Larry1971

absolutely love it I just can't find anything to fault about it.

Your are so right about that image

[pajs1000]

Top episode. Love it!

[Face Of Jack]

I remember being so gobsmacked at the age of nine years old....seeing the Tardis blow up!
I had to wait a whole week (and that was a looooong time in those days!) to see what happened next. I loved the rest of it too - even though it didn't make sense!
I've since re-watched it.....I STILL love it! I agree that Rapunzel was just 'acting' as a story-book character - especially when she said that line (when Jamie asks to use her hair to go down again): "Why not? Everyone else does!" (or words to that effect)
Bit of a mystery to this day.......did it really happen?

[TEDR]

Originally Posted by Face Of Jack

Bit of a mystery to this day.......did it really happen?

You suspect psychic pollen?