Doctor Who's Tragical History TourDoctor Who's Tragical History Tour
  • Nu-Who
    • Ncuti Gatwa
    • Jodie Whittaker
    • Peter Capaldi
    • Matt Smith
    • David Tennant
    • Christopher Eccleston
  • Tweeners
    • John Hurt
    • Paul McGann
    • The Master List
    • Regeneration X
    • The Mystery Guest
    • The Hand of Fear
  • Colo(u)r
    • Sylvester McCoy
    • Colin Baker
    • Peter Davison
    • Tom Baker
    • Jon Pertwee
  • Monochrome
    • Patrick Troughton
    • William Hartnell
  • 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
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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

    Who Told You There Wouldn’t Be Any Math?

    December 5, 2022

    B-Bye Bradley

    October 6, 2022

    Svelte 16

    May 8, 2022

    Now You Sea Devil, No You Don’t

    April 24, 2022

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

    September 28, 2023

    E-Spaced

    August 4, 2023

    Svelte 16

    May 8, 2022

    The Dark Jacket Dimension

    November 13, 2021

    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

    E-Spaced

    August 4, 2023

    Who Told You There Wouldn’t Be Any Math?

    December 5, 2022

    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 — (60→55)

    September 15, 2023

    Who Told You There Wouldn’t Be Any Math?

    December 5, 2022

    The Next-iest of Doctors

    May 29, 2022

    The Dark Jacket Dimension

    November 13, 2021

    The (W)hole Ruth

    January 31, 2020

    Ten Days Till the Tenthiversary of the Tenting of the Tenth

    December 22, 2019

    The Last ‘Last Christmas’ Specials Rankings #3

    December 24, 2018

    Stotz v. Stotz: A Love Story

    October 1, 2023

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

    September 28, 2023

    Toyz in the Good

    September 24, 2023

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

    September 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

    Stotz v. Stotz: A Love Story

    October 1, 2023

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

    September 28, 2023

    Toyz in the Good

    September 24, 2023

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

    September 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

    Stotz v. Stotz: A Love Story

    October 1, 2023

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

    September 28, 2023

    Toyz in the Good

    September 24, 2023

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

    September 20, 2023

    Stotz v. Stotz: A Love Story

    October 1, 2023

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

    September 28, 2023

    Toyz in the Good

    September 24, 2023

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

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

    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

    Roomba With a Prenumbra

    March 1, 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

    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 — (60→55)

    September 15, 2023

    The Inevitable Adric

    July 14, 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

    Destiny of the Costume Closet

    September 1, 2023

    The Inevitable Adric

    July 14, 2023

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

    September 28, 2023

    McGann Before McGann

    May 26, 2023

    The Warrior Before Time

    May 19, 2023

    Purple Shag Carpet

    May 11, 2023

    Stotz v. Stotz: A Love Story

    October 1, 2023

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

    September 28, 2023

    Toyz in the Good

    September 24, 2023

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

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

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

    September 15, 2023

    When Patrick (almost) Met Ian

    August 25, 2023

    When Patrick Met Verity

    August 11, 2023

    More For Letts

    July 25, 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

    When Patrick Met Verity

    August 11, 2023

    The TARDIS whirled on it’s way again…

    December 23, 2022

    Stotz v. Stotz: A Love Story

    October 1, 2023

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

    September 28, 2023

    Toyz in the Good

    September 24, 2023

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

    September 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
Tangential Tardis Xmas Marks the Spot

Xmas Marks the Spot

By -- DSWDecember 21, 201603 Mins Read
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The long, long tail of Doctor Who and all of the people who have played significant parts in its 53 year history have created a diaspora which have touched nearly every facet of mainstream entertainment.  Going through any of the ‘Who Not Who!’ sections will bear witness to that.  That reach also extends to Christmas Specials, those that is that have nothing to do with Doctor Who.  So if you’re saturated with Cybermen or done with the Daleks you might want to try these ‘Who Not Who’ Christmas niceties.

  • On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.  What’s a Bond movie doing here you might ask…  As it happens crucial periods of the plot occur over Christmas.  If you’re allergic to the ‘forgotten Bond’ then a reappraisal is in order.  The Who hook here is the luminous Diana Rigg from The Crimson Horror as the fated Tracy.  Also appearing are George Baker from Full Circle, Bernard Horsfall from Planet of the Daleks (and several other stories) and James Bree (Full Circle again).  Tonally this Bond movie, probably because it hewed more closely to the source material than any other, stands apart from the others.  Even Telly Savalas strikes a more grounded tone than a viewer might expect.  It’s an underappreciated gem.
  • Just as every Doctor Who fan his or her ‘own Doctor’, or there’s a Sherlock Holmes for every generation (we’re partial to Jeremy Brett ourselves), so to there is an adaptation of ‘A Christmas Carol’ for any generation.  Quite apart from the Matt Smith variation, our preference goes to a lavish trans-Atlantic 1984 TV version starring George C. Scott as Scrooge and featuring Mark ‘Turlough’ Strickson as a young Scrooge.  David Warner from Cold War and too many Big Finish audios to count was a suitably put-upon Bob Cratchit.  And if you want a truly deep Doctor Who cut, Timothy Bateson who played Mr. Fezziwig had a scene-stealing gem of a time in as Binro the Heretic in The Ribos Operation.  While some might question Scott as Scrooge, there is a wonderful sense of faithfulness to the Dickensian text at work here that makes it re-watchable annually.
  • With the last selection, we here at THT Worldwide confess a bit to our Diana Rigg infatuation.  On the same day, December 25th, 1965, that The Feast of Steven aired over on ITV The Avengers aired a Christmas episode for the ages.  ‘Too Many Christmas Trees’ was at once terrifically Dickensian, even featuring a scary Santa, and had that Avengers dash of panache which set it as required Christmas fare.  Also in the episode were Edwin Richfield from The Sea Devils and The Twin Dilemma and Robert James from The Power of the Daleks and The Masque of Mandragora. It’ll ruin you for other Christmas-themed stories.
Short Hops:
  • M.E.H. (Matt Enjoyed Himself)
    M.E.H. (Matt Enjoyed Himself)
  • Pieces of Eight -- The 8 Specials of Christmas
    Pieces of Eight -- The 8 Specials of Christmas
  • The Ten Specials of Christmas — #10
    The Ten Specials of Christmas — #10
Tangential Tardis Xmas Marks the Spot The Sea Devils The Feast of Steven The Twin Dilemma The Crimson Horror Full Circle Planet of the Daleks Cold War The Ribos Operation Mark Strickson The Power of the Daleks The Masque of Mandragora Diana Rigg
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On This Day in Doctor Who History
  • October 4
    • 2014: Kill the Moon
    • 1975: Planet of Evil [2]
    • 1980: Meglos [2]
    • 1986: Mindwarp [1]
    • 1989: Ghost Light [1]
  • October 5
    • 1987: Paradise Towers [1]
    • 1968: The Mind Robber [4]
    • 1988: Remembrance of the Daleks [1]
  • October 6
    • 1979: City of Death [2]
  • October 7
    • 2018: The Woman Who Fell to Earth
    • 1978: The Pirate Planet [2]
    • 1967: The Abominable Snowmen [2]
  • October 8
    • 1977: The Invisible Enemy [2]
    • 1966: The Tenth Planet [1]
  • October 9
    • 1976: The Hand of Fear [2]
    • 1965: Mission to the Unknown

Random Thoughts
10/9/2002
By -- DSWOctober 9, 2002 Roundel Roundabouts 2 Mins Read
Center Field(ing)
By -- DSWFebruary 13, 2021 Tour Updates 1 Min Read
Movable Feast
By -- DSWDecember 3, 2014 Roundel Roundabouts 2 Mins Read

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