You know they had no choice there, right? The only other 8th Doctor TV episode is a minisode, not even 10 minutes long.

Earthshock is the last really good story in the run. Vengeance on varos, battlefield (presume will be the transmitted version and not the extended vhs version or special edition dvd with cgi) and the tv movie are much harder work watching. Would like there to be more classics shown after the run has finished and not just finish with the movie.

Its been a while since I saw Earthshock but really enjoying the tension in the first episode. Happy days with my doctor Peter Davison and Nyssa and Tegan and even Adric.

Am loving this peter Davidson was my Doctor as well as Tom Baker ( I am allowed two aren't I )

Classic is amazing whilst Nu-who is beyond abysmal and unwatchable plus extremely cringeworthy
Plus Classic had excellentt stories and characterisation

That Nyssa's a babe !

Of course !

Personally think Who has always been watchable whatever era. Admittedly for me on some occasions not particularly something I'd go out of my way to rewatch. Might be easily pleased, but wouldn't even call non-favourites of mine like The Dominators, The Time Monster, Underworld (like the first episode) , The Doctor's Daughter or The End of Time "beyond abysmal". Plenty of telly out there comes close, but not Who in my book, whatever Century.

Edit: Back OT, Earthshock is great. Truly did shock me when I was a lad.

ooh , downbeat ending .

You know what I like about this story - well two things 1 a tight logical plot well paced
2 Most of the main characters bar a couple ( Dr Kyle & the team leader) get their moments where you see deeper motivations for their actions and these push the plot along which I rather like

The Cyber leader is quite interesting even the Doctor calls him flippant. I like the design as you can actually see a mouth moving with the Cyber leader so the Cybermen aren't just machines under some one elses control.There is a remnant of human form even if they are logical.

A great story

Hope you weren't spoilered.

Episode one was transmitted the day after my 13th birthday, and knew it was a bit special even then. Prefer Kinda, though. Remember my sister taping the repeat in, I think, 1983 and me suggesting she must've switched the video off early because there was no "we can go back and save him" scene. Of course that was in Time-Flight! I blame emotional trauma. Hadn't yet got involved with other fans and been advised I had to hate Adric. It was a fandom rule in the Mid Eighties. Wouldn't let you join otherwise.

is that the only time they've done silent end credits ?

Back in the day when there weren't spoilers or fans raging on the internet it was a shock moment. I like the silence over the closing titles and the star. Going for Maximum emotional impact but I think it was meant in a respectful way rather than cynically then.

I think so but never saw first 3 doctor originally so may be corrected.

I like that they actually killed of a companion, they should kill a few off now and again.

It was on UK Drama not BBC4. You say you hate classic Who yet you watch each story that's on Drama?

I was! Stupid EPG (on Freeview) said (wtte) "... a tragic end for one of the Doctor's companions" so I kept wondering which of them it was going to be.

Those cybermen were good. And the programme was on my birthday, today.

http://drama.uktv.co.uk/shows/doctor-who/episodes/

I cannot watch nuwho and enjoy it but I love classic
I read the novel before seeing his story so it didn't have the same impact on me and I got into Doctor who for the fifth doctor regen
I can watch classic who and love it

I honestly don't get the hatred
I think Adric is an excellent character and I watched Kinda recently with him

But I thought he was a gonner in Earthshock. Did he enjoy it? Kinda's a masterpiece.

(sorry.)

"Spoilers" doesn't even come close - the Freeview EPG also said something like "the Cybermen crash a spaceship into prehistoric Earth"!
Which, in fairness, most fans are likely to have known anyway... but it does negate a large amount of the "shock" for the casual viewer or new Who fan.

I haven't seen any Peter Davidson episodes since they were broadcast, so I'd forgotten what an annoying tit Adric was. He was the Danny Pink of his day and his death didn't make me shed any tears.

It was interesting though how the Cybermen seemed a lot more "human" in this series compared to the modern version where they are more like Daleks with legs. And those androids looked more menacing than a lot of the modern Who baddies despite the obvious budget limitations. But the less said about the laser gun special effects the better.

Just watched again - those cybermen really were cyber men and were far scarier than the modern metal machine cybermen.

I honestly can't remember if that was Eric Saward adapting his own story or an Ian Marter adaptation. Either way, I remember it as a bloomin good read.


If you mean with with, as in with Matthew, he's a nice guy, isn't he/