Review Delta and the Bannermen (1987)

Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
No.-55-The-Seventh-Doctor-Years-1024x639.jpg DELTA_AND_THE_BANNERMEN_by_DV8R71.jpg


Your thoughts on this story....

The Bannermen have successfully wiped out all but the last of the Chimeron - Delta, the queen, no less. She escapes with an egg and boards an intergalactic bus of Navarino vacationers heading for 1959 Earth to visit Disneyland. On that bus is Mel, followed closely by the Doctor in his TARDIS.






On to the next story....

DRAGONFIRE.....

https://www.imdforums.com/threads/dragonfire-1987.5250/


Back to the previous story....

PARADISE TOWERS....

https://www.imdforums.com/threads/paradise-towers-1987.5247/
 
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Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
On the day that we lost the Tollmaster (Ken Dodd, aged 90, R.I.P.) looking back at this tale, I always liked it and season 24 generally. Yes, the season was a fresh start for the show and veered too far into humour and had trouble finding it's feet, but it felt like a breath of fresh air, I thought, after Colin's troubled era.

This may well be the closest tv Who ever got to being a musical and I know that JNT was seriously looking into releasing an album of music from it.

Ken Dodd was simply being Ken Dodd in his role, but at least threw himself wholeheartedly into it - and I always liked the fan speculation that the old guy with the bees, played by Hugh Lloyd, could well have been a Time Lord.

And again we had the Almost Companion in Ray.

A delightfully offbeat tale, but I understand why quite a few fans reject it outright. I really like it.
 
michaellevenson

michaellevenson

Moderator
Staff member
This story gave us the incredible sight of a bus shaped space vehicle, the eye catching scene of the Navarinos going through the transformation arch, great soundtrack and lots of humour. Unfortunately it also had Bonnie Langford at her worst. Not her fault, she is very talented, but not right for the part of Mel. This was easily the best of season 24. Yes Ray would have been a great companion.
 
Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
I think I kind of preferred the lighter McCoy of this season in a way. The whole "More than just another Time Lord - let's torture Ace and put her through nightmares" stuff meant McCoy had to do SHOUTY acting and I don't think he was suited to it.
 
ant-mac

ant-mac

Member: Rank 9
michaellevenson said:
This story gave us the incredible sight of a bus shaped space vehicle, the eye catching scene of the Navarinos going through the transformation arch, great soundtrack and lots of humour. Unfortunately it also had Bonnie Langford at her worst. Not her fault, she is very talented, but not right for the part of Mel. This was easily the best of season 24. Yes Ray would have been a great companion.
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This would have been the perfect opportunity for Mel to leave and Ray to join up as the companion. Perhaps she could have heroically sacrificed her life by screaming at and killing one of those Bannermen, before being blasted to atoms by Gavrok. Could you imagine the Doctor eventually travelling with both Ray and Ace...?

I also think the working title, THE FLIGHT OF THE CHIMERON, was much better than the final one.
 
michaellevenson

michaellevenson

Moderator
Staff member
ant-mac said:
This would have been the perfect opportunity for Mel to leave and Ray to join up as the companion. Perhaps she could have heroically sacrificed her life by screaming at and killing one of those Bannermen, before being blasted to atoms by Gavrok. Could you imagine the Doctor eventually travelling with both Ray and Ace...?

I also think the working title, THE FLIGHT OF THE CHIMERON, was much better than the final one.
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Ludicrous as it seems I wonder if the popularity in Britain at the time of the excellent band Echo and The Bunnymen influenced the title of this story.
 
ant-mac

ant-mac

Member: Rank 9
michaellevenson said:
Highlighting Echo and the Bunnymen is okay in my book at any time . New LP out in May.
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I've got nothing against the musical band, but that's no reason to throw good taste out and go for a cheap laugh or pop reference.

I like ABBA, but I wouldn't recommend them as the basis for a DOCTOR WHO serial title.
 
michaellevenson

michaellevenson

Moderator
Staff member
ant-mac said:
I've got nothing against the musical band, but that's no reason to throw good taste out and go for a cheap laugh or pop reference.

I like ABBA, but I wouldn't recommend them as the basis for a DOCTOR WHO serial title.
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What would have happened if Ben Aaranovich had been a Peter Gabriel fan?
First story of season 25 ;
Sledgehammer Of The Daleks.
Perhaps not.
 
ant-mac

ant-mac

Member: Rank 9
michaellevenson said:
What would have happened if Ben Aaranovich had been a Peter Gabriel fan?
First story of season 25 ;
Sledgehammer Of The Daleks.
Perhaps not.
Click to expand...
Well, we know that the Daleks can change out there sucker arm when and where necessary.

And someone has to build all their spaceships and military bases somehow...

So anything's possible.
 
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