View Poll Results: How would you rate The Sensorites?

Voters
9. You may not vote on this poll
  • 10: I heard them overtalking

    1 11.11%
  • 9: I have never thought of that

    0 0%
  • 8: Quite the spirit of adventure

    1 11.11%
  • 7: His hair was almost white

    2 22.22%
  • 6: Nothing wrong with that.

    3 33.33%
  • 5: Or inside something...

    2 22.22%
  • 4: It is useless to resist!

    0 0%
  • 3: Yes, Matron

    0 0%
  • 2: I should imprison you in some room wherein no light can shine and fill that room with noise!"

    0 0%
  • 1: Weakling! Betrayer of our people!

    0 0%
Results 1 to 11 of 11
  1. #1
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    Default Rate and Discuss: The Sensorites



    Strangers in Space- Captain Maitland, the woman Carol, the man John.

    Quiet shuffling aliens, The Sensorites.

    A subsituted sash! A poisoning! Jackie Hill's weeks off! It's all go as we look back at The Sensorites!

    I've just got my handcuffs and my truncheon and that's enough.

  2. #2

    Default

    The first two episodes of this story could have been edited into one. When I first saw this story, I found it slow going but it was slightly better the second time I saw it.

    Not bad but not great either. 6/10

  3. #3
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    Default

    I'm torn between giving this a '1' and a '10'.

    The tone of the story is utterly 1950's, 'Golden Age' sci-fi exploration. It owes more to Flash Gordon than the limits of human imagination.

    But in a way it does subvert that. The astronauts are a rather pathetic, middle aged bunch and the aliens are so phenomenonally weird that they defy belief. They go from being a sinister, unknowable threat to friendly pompous dignatries, sending Doctor Who out on a special mission.

    It's all these contradictions and surreal drops in quality that make it such an intriguing and entertaining watch. A totally forgotten adventure and bloody hard to get hold of (I believe it came out in a limited release box set only) so I'm really looking forward to it being re-appraised on DVD.
    Pity. I have no understanding of the word. It is not registered in my vocabulary bank. EXTERMINATE!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
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    Exeter, UK
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    Default

    The least successful story of Season One, without a shadow of a doubt (even Marinus made for more fun than this). There's a truly historic moment in Episode One (the tracking shot as the camera follows the crew out of the TARDIS), and a nice cliffhanger, and as Rob says, a strange and almost enchanting mixture of influences. But there are also some truly, diabolically stupid ideas (the sashes for one), and it's hard to care about it from around the halfway mark. An episode at a time, it's slightly above passable for a 1960s Doctor Who; regarded in its entirety, it's a bit of a shambles. 5/10 (because even the black and white ones I hate I still love)

  5. #5
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    Default

    Out of interest - who hasn't actually seen The Sensorites?

    And also - of those who have seen The Sensorites, who can remember a thing about it?
    Pity. I have no understanding of the word. It is not registered in my vocabulary bank. EXTERMINATE!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
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    Default

    I far prefer it to Keys of Marinus, because at least it's not bad in that awfully lame, amateur sense. Sensorites only real problem, for me anyway, is that it seems pitched far more at kids than the rest of the series, so comes across as a bit simplistic. But there's a lot to enjoy, even if it's rather slow moving. Some great cliffhangers, though, part 1 in particular being a real favourite.

    Of course, it's not as good as the spin-off but there you go...

  7. #7
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    Nov 2006
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    Loughton
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    Default

    A bit of harmless fun. The first cliffhanger's splendid, and the first episode-and-a-half are very atmospheric. Admittedly, it does seem a little drawn out after that, but there's some good ideas there. The Sensorites' feet though - their not related to the mandrells, are they?

    7/10

  8. #8

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Rob McCow View Post
    Out of interest - who hasn't actually seen The Sensorites?

    And also - of those who have seen The Sensorites, who can remember a thing about it?
    Guilty as charged. I watched it during a Hartnell-o-thon, years ago, but dozed off at some point, and never quite had the impetus to watch it in full.

    I really ought to give it another go. It is Hartnell, after all.

  9. #9
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    Default

    I've seen far worse Hartnell stories and I read the target novelisation before I saw the episode on VHS when it was realeased so I was already familiar with it. Albeit slow, it's still rather enjoyable.

    7/10 from me.
    I’m being extremely clever up here and there’s no one to stand around looking impressed! What’s the point in having you all?

  10. #10
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    Oct 2006
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    The very first episode I always find very creepy. The performances are (I'm quite sure how to describe this) odd. Not quite right and I always find that unsettling. After that it settles down into a very average story that was probably far too many episodes long. The Sensorites themselves are quite good though.

  11. #11
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    The first time I saw it I thought it was dreadful - slow, stupid, boring and pointless. I soon learned to love it though - it's cute, it's fun, it's silly but in a nice way. It's one of a small group of Dr Who stories that I adore because they're hugely flawed but those flaws just add to the charm. Planet of the Daleks is another.

    But Andrew's right - it's not as good as the spinoff. It's really just a pilot but the seeds of greatness are there.
    Dennis, Francois, Melba and Smasher are competing to see who can wine and dine Lola Whitecastle and win the contract to write her memoirs. Can Dennis learn how to be charming? Can Francois concentrate on anything else when food is on the table? Will Smasher keep his temper under control?

    If only the 28th century didn't keep popping up to get in Dennis's way...

    #dammitbrent



    The eleventh annual Brenty Four serial is another Planet Skaro exclusive. A new episode each day until Christmas in the Brenty Four-um.

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