Better to Travel Hopefully than...Watch The Sensorites

[Dave Tudor]

That's quite an impressive rosta for the commentary, and without sounding too morbid, it's good that so many people involved in a 48-year-old television programme are still around. Shame, though, that death and, presumably, distance prevents John or Carol from being involved.

(I did warn you...)

[Awesome Wells]

Guess what Ray Cusick talks about ... A LOT ...

[SiHart]

He's not bitter.

[Stuart Wallis]

What's his theme tune - I'm HAPPY?

[SiHart]

It's on the way...

[Rob McCow]

Oh no! It's going to turn up for my birthday!

[Stephen Morgan]

It's on the way...

Haven't the weeks flown, I didn't realise it was coming so soon, I haven't pre-ordered this one I'll probably pick it up in ASDA on Monday morning.

[SiHart]

It's arrived.

[Dino]

Haven't the weeks flown, I didn't realise it was coming so soon, I haven't pre-ordered this one I'll probably pick it up in ASDA on Monday morning.

... I had never thought of that!

[Si Hunt]

I don't know if ours has arrived yet, as I'm not yet home from work. As soon as I get home I'll be able to tell if it's arrived, or if I have to wait even longer for it to come through the door.

That nasty First Elder even annoyed me on the trailer. Grrrr! He's so wicked.

Si.

[SiHart]

I only know it'd arrived because I went home for lunch and some sneaky PS Audio editing!

[Simon R]

Our was at the sorting office along with Nothing At The End of The Lane 3.

They are now in our lounge.

[Rob McCow]

"Looking for Peter" was a brilliant feature. Strangely moving too.

Sent from my LT15i using Tapatalk

[SiHart]

And features someone called Vera. Always a good thing.

But yes, it's one of the best ever features on a DW DVD. Just lovely in tone and realisation. Great stuff.

[Rob McCow]

Slightly unexpectedly, the production notes and commentary have been absolutely superb. The commentators are on rapid rotation - you literally never know who's going to pop up next - which seems to keep things fresher. William Russell gets evicted immediately after telling his 'Charles De Gaulle / Dalek / Non!' story.

Shock! Carole Anne-Ford makes sensible comments!
Shock! Ray Cussick looks at a bit of his set design and says 'it's pretty good'!
Shock! The guy who played a Sensorite has actual memories of doing it!

And the production notes go to great lengths to explain the similarities between the Sensorite society and Chinese Communism. I was blissfully unaware that it was an allegory. Woop!

[J.R. Southall]

And the production notes go to great lengths to explain the similarities between the Sensorite society and Chinese Communism. I was blissfully unaware that it was an allegory. Woop!

Well, you know: they all look the same. And people complain about The Talons of Weng-Chiang's depiction of race!

[Rob McCow]

Although they suggest that Peter R Newman was a bit smarter than that. He'd been held prisoner by the Chinese during the war, so he had first hand experience. The point about the Sensorites is that, unlike the Daleks, they may all look the same but in terms of personality they are very different. The production notes argue that they're the first 'humanised' alien society to appear in Doctor Who and they make a good couple of points.

There's also the business about the Chinese having exactly the same uniforms, with only small details to distinguish the difference between ranks, much like the Sense-sphere Elders.

[Si Hunt]

Episode 3 is where this story loses its way. The first two episodes are a master-class in tension and claustrophobia. The manic and schizophrenic John is extremely well played and the spaceship set makes it seem bigger than it is. The Sensorites are just weird, skulking about with their odd beardy faces and flat feet.

Then suddenly they are turned into ordinary speaking characters. There is no attempt anymore to convey much alien movement and they come over as rather effeminate and irritating fey old men. They arn't spared by the camera, and the mystery evaporates with the onset of lots of great long talking scenes. What was once intriguing with a sense of the odd is now just a lot of people in masks chatting. It's a sudden and giddy decent in quality.

Si.

[Stuart Wallis]

William Russell gets evicted immediately after telling his 'Charles De Gaulle / Dalek / Non!' story.

I read this originally as his getting excited after telling it. No wonder they removed him!

[Rob McCow]

I read this originally as his getting excited after telling it. No wonder they removed him!

And I read this originally as "Bosums Ejaculated Titter Fnar Entendre Randy". I really need to wake up!

[Stuart Wallis]

Now who's getting excited!

[Si Hunt]

Peter R Newman was a handsome young chap in his day. Phwoaaaar, eh girls?

Or maybe boys, judging by the absence of any kind of wife and his camp reading of Shakespeare.

Si.

[Si Hunt]

This has to be the most fluffed story of all time! There's barely a scene goes by without someone messing up a line. It really is a very shoddily executed piece, which is a shame as there's much to commend it.

Si.

[Terry Leptil]

Just a quick question. Giles Phibbs participates in the commentary for Episode 6 but is he interviewed on any of the special features? If so, is this the person:



(There's a Giles Phibbs with a Twitter page, not sure if it's the actor.)

[Nyder]

Just finished watching this. Particularly enjoyed Ep 1, and the first scene where they're discussing all their adventures thus far. It's a good job they don't do that these days or we'd be here forever I thought the Sensorite popping up outside the spaceship window was a bit spooky - I'm sure kids of the 60s were freaked out by it......let's just say that Sensorites are scarier filmed a long way away, and from the neck up

The "extra" on Peter R Newman was both fascinating and touching. Did anyone spot the witness on his death certificate though? It was Francis SYDNEY Newman. I'm really surprised this wasn't commented on.