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    • Ncuti Gatwa
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Doctor Who's Tragical History Tour
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  • Nu-Who
    1. Ncuti Gatwa
    2. Jodie Whittaker
    3. Peter Capaldi
    4. Matt Smith
    5. David Tennant
    6. Christopher Eccleston
    7. View All

    Who Told You There Wouldn’t Be Any Math?

    December 5, 2022

    The Next-iest of Doctors

    May 29, 2022

    Svelte 16

    May 8, 2022

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

    November 10, 2023

    Who Told You There Wouldn’t Be Any Math?

    December 5, 2022

    B-Bye Bradley

    October 6, 2022

    Svelte 16

    May 8, 2022

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

    November 13, 2023

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

    October 12, 2023

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

    October 5, 2023

    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 — (12→7)

    November 17, 2023

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

    November 10, 2023

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

    October 28, 2023

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

    September 28, 2023

    Sometimes the Years Just Fall Away

    November 27, 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 — (13→18)

    November 13, 2023

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

    November 10, 2023

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

    November 10, 2023

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

    October 5, 2023

    The Dark Jacket Dimension

    November 13, 2021

    The (W)hole Ruth

    January 31, 2020

    Sometimes the Years Just Fall Away

    November 27, 2023

    Close Enough for Government (Broadcasting) Work

    November 25, 2023

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

    November 23, 2023

    Vworp-tex Manipulations

    November 20, 2023
  • Tweeners
    1. John Hurt
    2. Paul McGann
    3. The Master List
    4. Regeneration X
    5. The Mystery Guest
    6. The Hand of Fear
    7. View All

    Hurt So Good: A Doctor and His Umbrella

    April 27, 2023

    Who Told You There Wouldn’t Be Any Math?

    December 5, 2022

    Svelte 16

    May 8, 2022

    Ten’ll Get You Five

    September 4, 2020

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

    September 15, 2023

    McGann Before McGann

    May 26, 2023

    … And All That Yaz

    November 16, 2022

    Fivey at Forty: The First Companion Death of 1982

    March 16, 2022

    Sometimes the Years Just Fall Away

    November 27, 2023

    Close Enough for Government (Broadcasting) Work

    November 25, 2023

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

    November 23, 2023

    Vworp-tex Manipulations

    November 20, 2023

    Ghost Re-Write

    November 16, 2021

    The (W)hole Ruth

    January 31, 2020

    Dup-topia

    January 29, 2020

    The Glue Guy

    June 24, 2018

    Doctor on Doctor ACTION!

    November 19, 2017

    The Wheel in Cheese

    August 10, 2014

    The Hurt Locker

    May 25, 2013

    Sometimes the Years Just Fall Away

    November 27, 2023

    Close Enough for Government (Broadcasting) Work

    November 25, 2023

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

    November 23, 2023

    Vworp-tex Manipulations

    November 20, 2023

    Sometimes the Years Just Fall Away

    November 27, 2023

    Close Enough for Government (Broadcasting) Work

    November 25, 2023

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

    November 23, 2023

    Vworp-tex Manipulations

    November 20, 2023
  • Colo(u)r
    1. Sylvester McCoy
    2. Colin Baker
    3. Peter Davison
    4. Tom Baker
    5. Jon Pertwee
    6. View All

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

    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

    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)

    September 15, 2023

    Hurt So Good: A Doctor and His Umbrella

    April 27, 2023

    … And All That Yaz

    November 16, 2022

    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 — (25→30)

    October 28, 2023

    Stotz v. Stotz: A Love Story

    October 1, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (54→49)

    September 20, 2023

    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 — (12→7)

    November 17, 2023

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

    November 13, 2023

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

    October 28, 2023

    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 — (25→30)

    October 28, 2023

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

    September 28, 2023

    McGann Before McGann

    May 26, 2023

    Sometimes the Years Just Fall Away

    November 27, 2023

    Close Enough for Government (Broadcasting) Work

    November 25, 2023

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

    November 23, 2023

    Vworp-tex Manipulations

    November 20, 2023
  • Monochrome
    1. Patrick Troughton
    2. William Hartnell
    3. View All

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

    November 13, 2023

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

    November 10, 2023

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

    October 12, 2023

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

    September 15, 2023

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

    October 12, 2023

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

    October 5, 2023

    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 — (54→49)

    September 20, 2023

    Sometimes the Years Just Fall Away

    November 27, 2023

    Close Enough for Government (Broadcasting) Work

    November 25, 2023

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

    November 23, 2023

    Vworp-tex Manipulations

    November 20, 2023
  • Tour du Jour
    • On This Day
    • The House of Holmes
    • 50 for 50
    • The Randomizer
    • THT Rand-o-pix of the Day
    • The Feast of Steven
    • Tour Notz
    • The Watcher
    • Contact the Tour
Doctor Who's Tragical History TourDoctor Who's Tragical History Tour
Tour Updates New Who for You Jodie Whittaker Series 13

Now You Sea Devil, No You Don’t

By -- DSWApril 24, 202202 Mins Read
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There’s a curious, slow, sinking feeling of incompleteness to Legend of the Sea Devils that is hard to put one’s finger on. 

With a running time of 47 minutes, it is much more in line with a ‘regular’ episode of Doctor Who than a ‘special’ as we have improbably come to expect of a holiday outing.   It’s also a curiously ‘vacant’ story in terms of supporting cast.  That’s down to the pestilence of the current moment, but Doctor Who stories have always had this as a creative constraint, and quite often been able to successfully route around this.  In this case the absence it rather more keenly felt.  Eve of the Daleks made this work, but a few lines of exposition in Legend of the Sea Devils only point to that vacancy.  Then again Legend of the Sea Devils feels curiously incomplete and cobbled together–underrunning and only padded out to a fit length by all of the ‘relationship-crossplay’ which, while necessary, does tend to bring all of the other storytelling to an abrupt halt.

The cobbling also was seen in the story plotting, where in a couple of instances meant things happened only because they ‘had’ to happen, such as the giant-leap the Sea Devil took to get on its ship, or the Sea Devils emerging out of a transmat-induced fog.  Cool, in it’s own way, but at odds with their history, and not the sort of expansion of their known qualities that were not only useful but enhancing.  Village of the Angels accomplished this, but Legend of the Sea Devils did not.  Shame really.

When the 1-minute ‘next time’ trailer generates nuch more buzz than the 45+minute that preceded it, there’s an issue–albeit an amiable one.  The Sea Devils conceptually deserve better.  Let’s hope it won’t be another 38 years before someone tries again.  Images and caps for Legend of the Sea Devils are now online.

Short Hops:
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    The (Sea) Devil You Know
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    Golden Devil
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    Pirates All the Way Down
Tour Updates Jodie Whittaker Series 13 Village of the Angels Eve of the Daleks Legend of the Sea Devils
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On This Day in Doctor Who History
November 2023
Tuesday November 28
1964: The Dalek Invasion of Earth [2--The Daleks]
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2015: Heaven Sent
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2021: Flux - Chapter 5: Survivors of the Flux
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Wednesday November 29
1975: The Android Invasion [2]
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1980: State of Decay [2]
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1986: The Ultimate Foe [1]
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1989: Survival [2]
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Thursday November 30
1963: 100,000 BC [2--The Cave of Skulls]
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1968: The Invasion [5]
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1987: Dragonfire [2]
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1988: Silver Nemesis [2]
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December 2023
Friday December 1
1979: The Nightmare of Eden [2]
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Saturday December 2
1967: The Ice Warriors [4]
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1978: The Androids of Tara [2]
Recurs yearly
2018: It Takes You Away
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Random Thoughts
5/28/2002
By -- DSWMay 22, 2002 Roundel Roundabouts 2 Mins Read
One Wedding and a Free-for-all
By -- DSWOctober 2, 2011 Tour Updates 2 Mins Read
A Masterly Centenary
By -- DSWMarch 5, 2018 Tour Updates 1 Min Read

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