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    Wish It All Away, and Back Again

    May 25, 2025

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    May 21, 2025

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    May 4, 2025

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (24→19)

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    Who Told You There Wouldn’t Be Any Math?

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    May 8, 2022

    2024Kristmas #4 – Twice Upon the First

    December 21, 2024

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (18→13)

    November 13, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (36→31)

    October 12, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (42→37)

    October 5, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (12→7)

    November 17, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (24→19)

    November 10, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (30→25)

    October 28, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (48→43)

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    2024Kristmas #3 – The Man With All The Toys

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    December 3, 2024

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    May 5, 2024

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (24→19)

    November 10, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (42→37)

    October 5, 2023

    The Dark Jacket Dimension

    November 13, 2021

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    January 31, 2020

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    June 19, 2025

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    … And All That Yaz

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    June 19, 2025

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    January 31, 2020

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    January 29, 2020

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    June 24, 2018

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    November 19, 2017

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    August 10, 2014

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    May 25, 2013

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    June 19, 2025

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    June 19, 2025

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    May 21, 2025
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    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (36→31)

    October 12, 2023

    A Studio Film (or rather a film in the studio)

    June 9, 2023

    … And All That Yaz

    November 16, 2022

    Fivey at Forty: The First Companion Death of 1982

    March 16, 2022

    Sweet, not Effete

    April 5, 2025

    Arguably Arguable

    August 19, 2024

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (48→43)

    September 28, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (60→55)

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    January 13, 2025

    What’s in a Number? Occasionally Everything

    November 23, 2024

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    November 19, 2024

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    XCited for Tom

    January 27, 2024

    Living Day-to-Day with The Candy Man

    July 31, 2024

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (6→1)

    November 23, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (30→25)

    October 28, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (48→43)

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    The Night of the Precious Stones

    June 19, 2025

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    May 25, 2025

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    May 24, 2025

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    May 21, 2025
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    Stock(s) Company

    September 9, 2024

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (18→13)

    November 13, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (24→19)

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    December 24, 2024

    Have a Feast @ Doctor Who’s Tragical History Tour!

    December 6, 2024

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    The Night of the Precious Stones

    June 19, 2025

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    May 25, 2025

    Mark II of The Rani

    May 24, 2025

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    May 21, 2025
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50 for 50 Patrick Troughton

50 for 50 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — #43

By -- DSWJanuary 30, 201302 Mins Read
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For a child of the seventies, I never saw the story I’ve put at No.43…it had probably been junked long before I was born. Brought up on a steady diet of Target novels, in the years before the high street video shelves were packed with Doctor Who releases, this story even had the nerve to leave a gap there too. But the mysterious magic of The Power Of The Daleks gains it a place in the top 50…

Before Power came along, Doctor Who had already cemented a place in TV history, and very nicely too. But this story turns everything we knew and turns it on it’s head.  The Doctor’s ‘renewal’ was barely trumpeted by the Radio Times, instead concentrating on the return, yet again, of Mr. Nation’s pepperpots. Where they may have lost their initial sting, this cleverly written tale by ex-script editor David Whitaker renewed them too, allowing them to become characters, rather than screeching monsters, as they innocently begin their control of Lesterson, and the colonists.

It’s Troughton’s tale, though of course. From the minute he ‘becomes’ the new, mysterious Doctor, putting his companions on the back foot, just as they thought they knew him, he owns the story. A lesser actor wouldn’t have made it work. Any doubts were erased after that first 25 minutes, this man was still the Doctor. Props too, to the team of Michael Craze and Anneke Wills, we see ‘him’ through their eyes, untrusting and doubtful at first, unbelieving that it could still be the same man. Once Ben and Polly start to trust him, we do too.

It’s also one of the first and best ‘base under siege’ stories of Doctor Who, using it’s setting to maximum chilling effect. There is no escape for any character it seems. No other story had to do what Power does, but once it had, there was no going back, and Doctor Who would never be the same. Although it’s not possible to sit and watch, the soundtrack still grabs you, well worth an evening’s listen. — Andy

Alan’s #43 – The Time Warrior
David’s #43 – Enlightenment
Steve’s #43 – The Dæmons

February beckons … so does #42 (THE answer) next week.

Short Hops:

50 for 50 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — #34 50 for 50 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — #45 50 for 50 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — #19
Enlightenment The Time Warrior Anneke WIlls Michael Craze 50 for 50 Patrick Troughton The Power of the Daleks The Dæmons
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July 2025

Tuesday July 8

2006: Doomsday
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1966: The War Machines [3]
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1965: The Time Meddler [2--The Meddling Monk]
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1964: The Sensorites [3--Hidden Danger]
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1964: The Reign of Terror [3--A Change of Identity]
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