Least favourite Classic story?

Revenge of the Cybermen for me. An absolute turd of the highest order.

Underworld.
The only story that took me 3 attempts to get through.

And I watch Hartnell recons.

Yeah Underworld isn't I suspect one of Baker's best. But in a series as long running as classic Who was, it's maybe inevitable that there's going to be a few stories falling into a least favourite category. One of mine is actually Castrovalva. Now I don't say it's necessarily the worst classic Who story but it's one of my least favourite (as I've commented elsewhere).

I don't think it compares at all well with previous stories for a new Doc. Consider Power of the Daleks - a dramatic change of lead kicking off Troughton's era, energised by the series' arch baddies at their best. Or Spearhead from Space, with its revolutionary film debut for Pertwee in colour, plus seriously scary enemies in strongly Quatermass style. And Robot brought Tom Baker's eccentric energy to the fore, reinforced by good old fashioned UNIT antics to reassure the regular audience. After Tom's departure in the somewhat solemn Logopolis, we didn't get the exciting launch we might have hoped for because Casatrovalva felt like a rather ponderous affair with little seeming to happen except a lot of boring scenes cooped up in the TARDIS and only a ridiculous plot to lure the new Doc into an elaborately silly trap.

While the Escher-esque stuff might have offered a few points of interest along the way, for the most part, it felt too dull and worse it was hampered by Davison seeming a pale shadow of his predecessors, confined or enfeebled for practically the entire story. A more suitable launch for Davison might just have been something like Black Orchid but I thought Castrovalva was too poor a start for this era which didn't really feel authentic to me until eventually things livened up a bit with more dramatic and traditional stories, notably Earthshock.

The Creature From The Pit is one of the nadirs, for me. Also Timeflight and Planet Of Fire (which for some reason I thought was much worse on second viewing). Time & The Rani should be included but each time I see it there are a few things I rate, like the bubble traps and the general lightheartedness that would grate so badly in Nu Who.

Dimensions in Time.

Still better than anything NuWho though. Outstages Blink / Empty Child / Heaven Sent etc. to the point of absurdity.

The Time Monster, Underworld and Trial are all pretty bottom of the barrel.

The Monster of Peladon is another one that I just can't stand.

"" Classic "" meaning anything staring my girl Jodie???

It Takes Yuo Away cuz all the nerdy BS about parlalel worlds and dimensions etc took away fron the importent message about how dangerous single fathers are. Obvs a despirate atempt at pandering to the white male sci fi audeince who arent even fans of the show. It doesn't belong to the nerds any more. Dr Who is about CHANGE, so lets move on!

Commander Maxil wrote:The Monster of Peladon is another one that I just can't stand.

I don't mind it. It's overlong, but the Queen is very tasty.

iank wrote:I don't mind it. It's overlong, but the Queen is very tasty.

Indeed. She was adorable.

Commander Maxil wrote:Revenge of the Cybermen for me. An absolute turd of the highest order.

Now. Maybe it's because It was one of the first video releases and I watched it ad nauseum back in the day but I quite like Revenge of the Cybermen.
It has my personal favorite TARDIS team of Harry,Sarah and the Fourth Doctor, a great villainous turn by Jeremy Wilkin as Kellman, and the addition of Who stalwarts William Marlowe,Michael Wisher,Kevin Stoney & David Collings in the cast.
I know the plot is weak, and the Cybermen are awful but I still enjoy it.

#BeKind wrote:"" Classic "" meaning anything staring my girl Jodie???

It Takes Yuo Away cuz all the nerdy BS about parlalel worlds and dimensions etc took away fron the importent message about how dangerous single fathers are. Obvs a despirate atempt at pandering to the white male sci fi audeince who arent even fans of the show. It doesn't belong to the nerds any more. Dr Who is about CHANGE, so lets move on!

Warriors Of The Deep, Underworld and The Dominators. The former is just utter whippetsh*t and the latter two are cures for insomnia.

Stories which I've thought, "Pooh, what a stinker!" with little or no redeeming qualities were:

The Web Planet
The Smugglers
The Space Pirates
Monster Of Peladon
Masque of the Mandragora
Underworld(episode 1 is quite good though)
Ribos Operation
Armageddon Factor
Horns Of the Nimon
Four To Doomsday
Mysterious Planet
Mindwarp
Happiness Patrol
Battlefield

Most least favourite is probably The Web Planet, I'm sure it's fucking great if you watch it zonked out on LSD, but otherwise it's a real fucking chore to watch.

Rob Filth wrote:

Most least favourite is probably The Web Planet, I'm sure it's fucking great if you watch it zonked out on LSD, but otherwise it's a real fucking chore to watch.

Don't say that, you'll upset Ian



I quite enjoyed The Smugglers myself.

The Bannermen and Delta.

The one that's a ghastly, moribund load of Myrka-shit and fanwank.

Tanmann wrote:The one that's a ghastly, moribund load of Myrka-shit and fanwank.

Yeah, your favorite story of all time.

Well, only on the first day of April....