26 Glorious Years
@26gloriousyears.bsky.social
Undertaking a rewatch of classic DW from the beginning (and picking up where I left off on that other platform last year).
Currently savouring Season 9 and happily reacquainting myself with ‘The Sea Devils’…
Currently savouring Season 9 and happily reacquainting myself with ‘The Sea Devils’…
On to Ep 2 of ‘The Sea Devils‘, & I’m reminded again of the impact created by Malcolm Clarke’s wonderfully discordant soundscape. Easily one of his best known scores - & certainly now as iconic as the inspired design of the Sea Devils themselves by the combined talents of Briant, Snoaden & Fletcher.
November 15, 2025 at 12:33 PM
On to Ep 2 of ‘The Sea Devils‘, & I’m reminded again of the impact created by Malcolm Clarke’s wonderfully discordant soundscape. Easily one of his best known scores - & certainly now as iconic as the inspired design of the Sea Devils themselves by the combined talents of Briant, Snoaden & Fletcher.
32 years ago this week, ‘The Antique Doctor Who Show’ - my favourite of the mini-features that preceded the ‘Planet of the Daleks’ 30th Anniversary repeat run.
Featured some eye catching animation courtesy of the talented Tony Clark, whose credits range from Target book covers to costume design.
Featured some eye catching animation courtesy of the talented Tony Clark, whose credits range from Target book covers to costume design.
November 14, 2025 at 11:26 AM
32 years ago this week, ‘The Antique Doctor Who Show’ - my favourite of the mini-features that preceded the ‘Planet of the Daleks’ 30th Anniversary repeat run.
Featured some eye catching animation courtesy of the talented Tony Clark, whose credits range from Target book covers to costume design.
Featured some eye catching animation courtesy of the talented Tony Clark, whose credits range from Target book covers to costume design.
Noted that it’s 60 years to the day that ‘The Nightmare Begins’ was broadcast.
Viewing the surviving clips invariably takes me back to one of my strongest memories of buying DWB (‘Daleks Masterplan 1 - Film Footage Found!’) & their much anticipated inclusion on ‘The Early Years‘ VHS.
Happy days.
Viewing the surviving clips invariably takes me back to one of my strongest memories of buying DWB (‘Daleks Masterplan 1 - Film Footage Found!’) & their much anticipated inclusion on ‘The Early Years‘ VHS.
Happy days.
November 13, 2025 at 9:22 AM
Noted that it’s 60 years to the day that ‘The Nightmare Begins’ was broadcast.
Viewing the surviving clips invariably takes me back to one of my strongest memories of buying DWB (‘Daleks Masterplan 1 - Film Footage Found!’) & their much anticipated inclusion on ‘The Early Years‘ VHS.
Happy days.
Viewing the surviving clips invariably takes me back to one of my strongest memories of buying DWB (‘Daleks Masterplan 1 - Film Footage Found!’) & their much anticipated inclusion on ‘The Early Years‘ VHS.
Happy days.
Now revisiting The Sea Devils, whose mythical status was fuelled when I was a youngster by the likes of this striking image (& others that would grace the books & magazines for years to come).
An archetypal image really - a resolute Dr with horror lurking in the shadows - no wonder we were hooked 🙂
An archetypal image really - a resolute Dr with horror lurking in the shadows - no wonder we were hooked 🙂
November 11, 2025 at 11:51 AM
Now revisiting The Sea Devils, whose mythical status was fuelled when I was a youngster by the likes of this striking image (& others that would grace the books & magazines for years to come).
An archetypal image really - a resolute Dr with horror lurking in the shadows - no wonder we were hooked 🙂
An archetypal image really - a resolute Dr with horror lurking in the shadows - no wonder we were hooked 🙂
OTD 1981. ‘The Five Faces of Dr Who’ season on BBC2 continues with ‘The Krotons’.
Apart from a few brief glimpses in the ‘Whose Dr Who?’ documentary, this was my first real exposure to Patrick Troughton’s Doctor.
Oh, how I made sure I was home in time to catch these episodes - just captivating. 🙂
Apart from a few brief glimpses in the ‘Whose Dr Who?’ documentary, this was my first real exposure to Patrick Troughton’s Doctor.
Oh, how I made sure I was home in time to catch these episodes - just captivating. 🙂
November 9, 2025 at 8:00 AM
OTD 1981. ‘The Five Faces of Dr Who’ season on BBC2 continues with ‘The Krotons’.
Apart from a few brief glimpses in the ‘Whose Dr Who?’ documentary, this was my first real exposure to Patrick Troughton’s Doctor.
Oh, how I made sure I was home in time to catch these episodes - just captivating. 🙂
Apart from a few brief glimpses in the ‘Whose Dr Who?’ documentary, this was my first real exposure to Patrick Troughton’s Doctor.
Oh, how I made sure I was home in time to catch these episodes - just captivating. 🙂
This particular reunion is still a joy to revisit… 🙂
November 8, 2025 at 10:19 PM
This particular reunion is still a joy to revisit… 🙂
On to episode 4 of ‘The Curse of Peladon’.
I can easily say that repeated viewings over the years - from ‘Dr Who and the Monsters’, then via VHS, DVD and finally Blu-ray - certainly hasn’t blunted my fondness for this story.
Though there was something inevitably magical about those 80s repeats 🙂
I can easily say that repeated viewings over the years - from ‘Dr Who and the Monsters’, then via VHS, DVD and finally Blu-ray - certainly hasn’t blunted my fondness for this story.
Though there was something inevitably magical about those 80s repeats 🙂
November 7, 2025 at 9:49 AM
On to episode 4 of ‘The Curse of Peladon’.
I can easily say that repeated viewings over the years - from ‘Dr Who and the Monsters’, then via VHS, DVD and finally Blu-ray - certainly hasn’t blunted my fondness for this story.
Though there was something inevitably magical about those 80s repeats 🙂
I can easily say that repeated viewings over the years - from ‘Dr Who and the Monsters’, then via VHS, DVD and finally Blu-ray - certainly hasn’t blunted my fondness for this story.
Though there was something inevitably magical about those 80s repeats 🙂
Remember, remember, the 5th of November.
Well, I certainly recall this date in 1993 - 70s Dr Who in a peak-time viewing slot, due to a welcome repeat run of ‘Planet of the Daleks’.
Along with those wonderful featurettes that preceded each episode, the VHS recorder was rarely idle during this time.
Well, I certainly recall this date in 1993 - 70s Dr Who in a peak-time viewing slot, due to a welcome repeat run of ‘Planet of the Daleks’.
Along with those wonderful featurettes that preceded each episode, the VHS recorder was rarely idle during this time.
November 5, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Remember, remember, the 5th of November.
Well, I certainly recall this date in 1993 - 70s Dr Who in a peak-time viewing slot, due to a welcome repeat run of ‘Planet of the Daleks’.
Along with those wonderful featurettes that preceded each episode, the VHS recorder was rarely idle during this time.
Well, I certainly recall this date in 1993 - 70s Dr Who in a peak-time viewing slot, due to a welcome repeat run of ‘Planet of the Daleks’.
Along with those wonderful featurettes that preceded each episode, the VHS recorder was rarely idle during this time.
OTD 1966. Patrick Troughton’s first appearance as our beloved mercurial time traveller, as the first episode of ‘The Power of the Daleks’ is broadcast.
A story that represents the first of twenty-one reasons over three memorable seasons to delight in his extraordinary performance as the Doctor 🙂
A story that represents the first of twenty-one reasons over three memorable seasons to delight in his extraordinary performance as the Doctor 🙂
November 5, 2025 at 9:55 AM
OTD 1966. Patrick Troughton’s first appearance as our beloved mercurial time traveller, as the first episode of ‘The Power of the Daleks’ is broadcast.
A story that represents the first of twenty-one reasons over three memorable seasons to delight in his extraordinary performance as the Doctor 🙂
A story that represents the first of twenty-one reasons over three memorable seasons to delight in his extraordinary performance as the Doctor 🙂
I was intrigued to read that there were initial plans for Donald Cotton to adapt his first script for the series (fragments of which were retained for the opening broadcast episode) as a Target novelisation. Now that would have made for a lovely collectors item 🙂
November 4, 2025 at 1:03 PM
I was intrigued to read that there were initial plans for Donald Cotton to adapt his first script for the series (fragments of which were retained for the opening broadcast episode) as a Target novelisation. Now that would have made for a lovely collectors item 🙂
OTD 1992 - UK Gold is launched & this devotee of the show, desperate to view archive Doctor Who, begins stocking up on blank VHS tapes.
This channel jingle quickly became synonymous with my first viewings of many surviving Hartnell episodes. Such a wonderful time.
This channel jingle quickly became synonymous with my first viewings of many surviving Hartnell episodes. Such a wonderful time.
November 1, 2025 at 10:55 AM
OTD 1992 - UK Gold is launched & this devotee of the show, desperate to view archive Doctor Who, begins stocking up on blank VHS tapes.
This channel jingle quickly became synonymous with my first viewings of many surviving Hartnell episodes. Such a wonderful time.
This channel jingle quickly became synonymous with my first viewings of many surviving Hartnell episodes. Such a wonderful time.
Revisiting The Curse of Peladon & I’m reminded just how good a performance Alan Bennion provides as Izlyr.
Augmenting Sylvia James‘s superb make-up work, Bennion works wonders with timing, inflection, gesture & posture - and it’s all beautifully sustained throughout each episode.
Such a fine actor.
Augmenting Sylvia James‘s superb make-up work, Bennion works wonders with timing, inflection, gesture & posture - and it’s all beautifully sustained throughout each episode.
Such a fine actor.
October 31, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Revisiting The Curse of Peladon & I’m reminded just how good a performance Alan Bennion provides as Izlyr.
Augmenting Sylvia James‘s superb make-up work, Bennion works wonders with timing, inflection, gesture & posture - and it’s all beautifully sustained throughout each episode.
Such a fine actor.
Augmenting Sylvia James‘s superb make-up work, Bennion works wonders with timing, inflection, gesture & posture - and it’s all beautifully sustained throughout each episode.
Such a fine actor.
Here’s one of my favourite (and admittedly very short-lived!) Hardy roles:
October 29, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Here’s one of my favourite (and admittedly very short-lived!) Hardy roles:
OTD 1966.
William Hartnell takes his bow, just eight episodes into Season 4. The change of lead actor would usher in a key component of the show‘s mythology, one that would help to secure it a longevity no one to that point could have foreseen.
It is of course far from all over…
William Hartnell takes his bow, just eight episodes into Season 4. The change of lead actor would usher in a key component of the show‘s mythology, one that would help to secure it a longevity no one to that point could have foreseen.
It is of course far from all over…
October 29, 2025 at 8:20 AM
OTD 1966.
William Hartnell takes his bow, just eight episodes into Season 4. The change of lead actor would usher in a key component of the show‘s mythology, one that would help to secure it a longevity no one to that point could have foreseen.
It is of course far from all over…
William Hartnell takes his bow, just eight episodes into Season 4. The change of lead actor would usher in a key component of the show‘s mythology, one that would help to secure it a longevity no one to that point could have foreseen.
It is of course far from all over…
Now revisiting ‘The Curse of Peladon’. My earliest memories of watching this in the 70s are now as steeped in flickering darkness as those shadowy castle corridors, but I do vividly recall avidly reading Hayle’s Target novelisation - for who could forget those impactful Alan Willow illustrations? 👇🙂
October 28, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Now revisiting ‘The Curse of Peladon’. My earliest memories of watching this in the 70s are now as steeped in flickering darkness as those shadowy castle corridors, but I do vividly recall avidly reading Hayle’s Target novelisation - for who could forget those impactful Alan Willow illustrations? 👇🙂
Remembering Peter Bryant, born OTD 1923.
Script Editor, Associate Producer & then full-time Producer for an absolutely extraordinary run of stories in the Patrick Troughton era.
Such a superb legacy - can we just have a little bit more of it back please? 🙂
Script Editor, Associate Producer & then full-time Producer for an absolutely extraordinary run of stories in the Patrick Troughton era.
Such a superb legacy - can we just have a little bit more of it back please? 🙂
October 27, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Remembering Peter Bryant, born OTD 1923.
Script Editor, Associate Producer & then full-time Producer for an absolutely extraordinary run of stories in the Patrick Troughton era.
Such a superb legacy - can we just have a little bit more of it back please? 🙂
Script Editor, Associate Producer & then full-time Producer for an absolutely extraordinary run of stories in the Patrick Troughton era.
Such a superb legacy - can we just have a little bit more of it back please? 🙂
Finished ’Day of the Daleks’ yesterday - a pleasure to revisit after many years.
And multiple viewings hasn’t blunted my fondness for Pertwee’s performance here - he’s completely on form throughout, especially the measured intensity with which he delivers these now immortal lines…
And multiple viewings hasn’t blunted my fondness for Pertwee’s performance here - he’s completely on form throughout, especially the measured intensity with which he delivers these now immortal lines…
October 25, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Finished ’Day of the Daleks’ yesterday - a pleasure to revisit after many years.
And multiple viewings hasn’t blunted my fondness for Pertwee’s performance here - he’s completely on form throughout, especially the measured intensity with which he delivers these now immortal lines…
And multiple viewings hasn’t blunted my fondness for Pertwee’s performance here - he’s completely on form throughout, especially the measured intensity with which he delivers these now immortal lines…
Even as an audio only experience, ‘The Destruction of Time’ is devastatingly effective - I never tire of listening this 👍
October 23, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Even as an audio only experience, ‘The Destruction of Time’ is devastatingly effective - I never tire of listening this 👍
The casual looking chap in the raincoat in this photo may be a ‘predictable’ guess (given the extent of his output), but from a classic series perspective I’m going to hazard the likes of Louis Marks or Robert Sloman (if for no other reason that they simply came to mind just now! 🙂)
October 23, 2025 at 8:12 AM
The casual looking chap in the raincoat in this photo may be a ‘predictable’ guess (given the extent of his output), but from a classic series perspective I’m going to hazard the likes of Louis Marks or Robert Sloman (if for no other reason that they simply came to mind just now! 🙂)
OTD 1976.
The more I revisit Sarah Jane Smith’s departure, the more I come to appreciate the cleverness of the writing & the subtle staging of those closing scenes.
Performances pitched just at the right level, complemented by some very sensitive direction from Lennie Mayne.
The more I revisit Sarah Jane Smith’s departure, the more I come to appreciate the cleverness of the writing & the subtle staging of those closing scenes.
Performances pitched just at the right level, complemented by some very sensitive direction from Lennie Mayne.
October 23, 2025 at 7:16 AM
OTD 1976.
The more I revisit Sarah Jane Smith’s departure, the more I come to appreciate the cleverness of the writing & the subtle staging of those closing scenes.
Performances pitched just at the right level, complemented by some very sensitive direction from Lennie Mayne.
The more I revisit Sarah Jane Smith’s departure, the more I come to appreciate the cleverness of the writing & the subtle staging of those closing scenes.
Performances pitched just at the right level, complemented by some very sensitive direction from Lennie Mayne.
Excellent - skipping about here like Troughton in a Tam-O-Shanter to celebrate…
Looking forward to hearing this - always a joy to listen to 👍
Looking forward to hearing this - always a joy to listen to 👍
October 22, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Excellent - skipping about here like Troughton in a Tam-O-Shanter to celebrate…
Looking forward to hearing this - always a joy to listen to 👍
Looking forward to hearing this - always a joy to listen to 👍
A fine series with multiple charms. Thinking about the multiple crossovers with DW, here’s a little bit of photoshop fun I indulged in a few years back 🙂
October 21, 2025 at 8:02 PM
A fine series with multiple charms. Thinking about the multiple crossovers with DW, here’s a little bit of photoshop fun I indulged in a few years back 🙂
With Season 13 gracing the shelves, I recalled one of the many things that makes ‘Terror of the Zygons‘ such a joy to watch - quite simply, it’s that beautifully staged cut to a close-up of Baker replying how the sea “may be calm, but its never empty”.
Timing, framing, intonation - all perfect 🙂
Timing, framing, intonation - all perfect 🙂
October 21, 2025 at 12:54 PM
With Season 13 gracing the shelves, I recalled one of the many things that makes ‘Terror of the Zygons‘ such a joy to watch - quite simply, it’s that beautifully staged cut to a close-up of Baker replying how the sea “may be calm, but its never empty”.
Timing, framing, intonation - all perfect 🙂
Timing, framing, intonation - all perfect 🙂
I find the ‘Vampire from Space’ studio recording absolutely fascinating - such a rare and captivating insight into the production of the show - those ‘alternative‘ takes (and additional footage) are a joy to watch.
October 21, 2025 at 12:16 PM
I find the ‘Vampire from Space’ studio recording absolutely fascinating - such a rare and captivating insight into the production of the show - those ‘alternative‘ takes (and additional footage) are a joy to watch.
Amongst an equally stellar cast, Rossiter is superb as Voltaire in the 1968 Theatre 625 production ‘The Fanatics’ - by far my favourite Rudolph Cartier production outside of the Quatermass serials 👍
October 21, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Amongst an equally stellar cast, Rossiter is superb as Voltaire in the 1968 Theatre 625 production ‘The Fanatics’ - by far my favourite Rudolph Cartier production outside of the Quatermass serials 👍