Doctor Who signs up thinking man's crumpet

In a flurry of hyper-drive, telephone box powered activity, the Beeb has announced yet more guest stars for the forthcoming, much-awaited fourth series of Doctor Who. Hurrah, we say, as everyone's favourite OBG (Oldie, But Goodie) Felicity Kendall will be appearing in the show as Lady Clemency Eddison. Besides from that, …

[oxo]

So wrong El reg

Joan Bakewell is the "thinking man's crumpet", and cannot be redefined by some jonny-come-lately iJournos :(

[Anonymous Coward]

So What?

The damage has already been done with the casting of Catherine Tate as a companion. Doesn't matter if they get Angelina Jolie and Kate Beckinsale as pvc-clad goth vampiresses I still won't be watching.

[Steven]

No matter how many stars they sign up

I'm not going to be watching that series while the talent void that is Tate is on it. Worst casting ever (and I'm including every film with Andie MacDowell in that list). Bulldog chewing a wasp.

I'll be watching the one with Kylie in it though, obviously. No point cutting off your nose to spite your face, is there?

[Matt]

doh

Catherine Tate makes me want to stab myself in the face...

[Chris Priest]

I still say....

that Catherine Tate is a very poor choice for the companion.

Her acting performance in the earlier episode left a lot to be desired.

[Lloyd]

Please

Just ditch that talentless beached whale Tate and do us all a favour. Bring back Freeman, she can actually act and is very easy on the eye which is a bonus. Tate's about as funny a dose of the clap and couldn't act if her waistline depended on it.

[Richard Dyce]

Who?

Oh dear. To think that I'm now old enough to have witnessed the handover of the TTMC title to Felicity Kendal. I don't remember reading Joan Bakewell's obit. Or has she moved on to TTPC (The Thinking Pensioner's Crumpet?)

[Chris Cooke]

What, Joan Bakewell on Doctor Who?

Oh. Felicity Kendall. Oh well...

[Colin Morris]

Everyones favourite OBG

Surely everyone's favourite 'OBG' would be Joanna Lumley?

I remember watching 'The New Avengers' at around 8 years old and wondering why she made me feel...er...'strange'!

...she's still pretty much one of the best things on TV now. I don't really watch 'Sensitive Skin' for any other reason...

[Rob Sked]

Aussie Delight

Kylie will certainly be on my hand over xmas.

[Anonymous Coward]

Can we expect...

...everything to be filmed or set in Cardiff, clearly the centre of the world's supernatural phenomena?

And will Mr T Davies write in some more gay material (which he is clearly aching to do, as if the queens of Torchwood weren't enough) for what used to be family viewing?

Russell may have revived Doctor Who and reinvigorated it, but isn't it (and he) sometimes just a little too smug and full of itself? Of course Sylvester McCoy was a real low-point, but I actually liked the slight crappiness from the first 37 odd years, and the endless running from enemy to ally and back again.

Russell, please watch some of the old episodes again, and bring back some of the spirit we know and love. BTW, that episode in the series that just finished, where the Tardis turned up on a space ship falling into the sun or something, absolute CRAP, and everyone I know thought so too.

[Nano nano]

TMC ?

Thought that was Joan Bakewell ... or is FK "TMC-NG" ?

And what about Stephanie Flanders ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Captain Jamie

What if they got Angelina Jolie and Kate Beckinsale in as NON-pvc-clad goth vampiresses, would that tempt you back?

[Steve Anderson]

Catherine Tate...

...is the new Bonnie Langford.

I say bring back Ace. And do another tale like the Two/Three/Five Doctors. But don't invite Colin Baker if it's filmed in the Beeb's studios, because they're a short hop away from the regional Greggs HQ and he'd eat all the pies in South East Wales.

[Anonymous Coward]

Acting performance?

Never mind the performance - the character alone was so unlikeable my eyes tried to escape out the back of my head.

[Paul Thomas]

Wot a f***ing Liberty

I'd pay hard cash to see the Dr team with with Ms Taites Old Woman persona, I'd proably bust a gut laughing. :):)

[AliBaBa]

worse yet to come?

how about the Tardis being rammed by the Titanic? what a fantastic storymaker RTD is (when did they say they were all quitting?)

[Leigh Smith]

teh ghey!

"And will Mr T Davies write in some more gay material ... for what used to be family viewing?"

Please explain to us less enlightened souls how an occasional piece of 'gay innuendo' (stop sniggering at the back) and a male character who flirts with everyone makes a show unfit for family viewing in a way 'straight innuendo' and a male character who flirts with all female characters doesn't? Are you American or something?

"absolute CRAP, and everyone I know thought so too."

Well I am sure your Mum and Dad agreed with you after all they raised you to be a pompous, homophobic twit so I am sure they are the same.

[Alan Gregson]

oh dear...

I've just come over all funny at the thought of Angelina Jolie and Kate Beckinsale as PVC clad goth vampires...

[Andrew Moore]

I'm guessing

That it will be 10 episodes of dross, 2 fairly good ones and 1 cracker written by Steven Moffat.

[sheepdog]

Kylie and acting ability

How come everybody is slating Catherine Tate yet seems to neglect Kylie has starred in classics as: Neighbours, Street Fighter and Bio-dome?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm not sure that......

......Mr T Davis reads El Reg you know? May I suggest you try discussing your concerns at http://www.russelltdavies.com/ as he has one of those messageboard things. I'm sure he ocassionally peruses it while rolling round in piles of money.

Although on the off chance you are reading, Russell, can I just add that I would rather shoot myself in the face with an elephant gun than watch Catherine Tate ruin what was turning out to be pretty good saturday night viewing.

[Anonymous Coward]

Davros is back! Hurrah!

Best, probably the most iconic character. Apart from Mr Pineapple-Head.

Such a shame that nobody here has a good word for the good Doctor. I've loved every episode bar none - I couldn't say that about the old old series.

Sounds to me like the negative contributors here are all too cool for school.

I don't know what's more amazing - the fact that each episode is so interesting and entertaining, or the consistency with which Russell T & co are able to serve them up. It's the only thing worth watching on TV - mine has been and will be dormant 'til Xmas.

[Rob]

The Cardiff thing...

...annoys me as apparently it's money that stops them going everywhere else. "It's too expensive for the effects". Bollocks. we all used to watch and totally enjoy Doctor Who when we *knew* full well they were running around a quary pretending to be on the planet xxxarghk. It makes no difference to us, we're watching it and enjoying the story anyway. Get a grip Davies! Thanks for bringing it back n'all but now sling yer hook - it's time to give it to someone else with (dare I say it) more imagination...

[Andy Turner]

Surely Joan Bakewell..

Is a tart, not a crumpet.

[Tim]

It's simple...

There were 3 good episodes last series. Guess who wrote them? That's the answer Russel.

Anyway, if Freema comes back at some point in the next series as I believe she's supposed to, sadly she'll have undergone the Torchwood experience and will be trying to snog Tate half the time (!)

[Stuart Elliott]

Just adding my name to the list...

of people who think Catherine Tate is going to be the death knell of Dr Who.

[Gerrit Tijhof]

Davies kills Dr Who in favour of Torchwood

Catherine Tate has been the worst choice ever: nothing can compensate for that (sorry Kylie, no offense). O yeah, that last episode, with the Doctor shrinking and the whole planet chanting: that sucked so immensely, it fell nearly into itself. It was embarrassing to watch.

[Anonymous Coward]

@Kylie and acting ability

Ah, but Kylie is magic, she makes them "feel strange", but after they've felt themselves again they're back to normal.

[Dan]

I AM NOT BOTHERED

Glad to see the BBC aren't pebble-dashing an already pisswater weak show with "stars" to carry it through yet another excrutiating series. Michael Grade had the right idea, though I doubt he saw this coming...who just thought Dr Who was shit.

If David Tennant had an ounce of integrity he'd walk right off this project, as it is he will preside a bloody embarrassing pile of drivel. When will the BBC learn that celebrity does not equal quality? People *became* celebrities as a result of the success of shows past. I mean...Catherine Tate? Where did she cut her teeth in drama...getting a former Prime Minister to say "am i bovvered"? And lets not forget Kylie Minogue's illustrious acting heritage, what with a stint in Neighbours followed by a thousand years of performing songs that make you want to stand in front of a train an' all. I can understand the appointment of Ben Kingsley (sir)...at least he partially resembles Davros...

Jesus, I feel like I'm going mad. What a crock of shite.

[Anonymous Coward]

Just a reminder...

...the Ood weren't technically an enemy. I'm not going to geek everyone out any further.

[Tom]

Nah

We really should wait and see how Tate does. I thought she was apalling before but then again Billie Piper was apalling in her first episode... you have to give people time to get used to the character a bit.

RTD is leaving after Series 4 anyway... so I guess you'll all get what you want (the death of Doctor Who again)

[EvilGreenie]

Its Simple..

>There were 3 good episodes last series. Guess who

>wrote them? That's the answer Russel.

Nah - disagree. Best episode of the last series was Blink with the Weeping Angels, written my Stephen Moffat. The 3 episode finale which was rubbish - that was Russell...

[Dillon Pyron]

Tate vs Freeman

I've never seen Tate, so I can't comment. But I love Freeman. She's a skilled actor and, as someone else pointed out, very pleasing to the eye.

Since Kylie said she was giving up on thongs, I really haven't watched her (actually, never did before).

And Gerrit, how about a spoiler warning! We just had the episode with the Darlek-human hybrids here. Torchwood is coming, although not to SciFi. I guess they thought it had too much science fiction content and not enough monsters and rasslin'

[Anonymous Coward]

Is it just me?

Maybe amid the flurry of time-and-space travel I missed something but how is this the fourth series of something that has been running for several decades and with lots of different actors in the leading role?

Or is it the fourth series of the *New* Doctor Who? Am I just too old to understand this?

[Kevin]

Dr Who 'celebrities'

Why is Dr. Who joining the rest of the media in pandering to worthless celebrities. Rahter than paying their inflated fees they should spend the money on effects, or just save license payers money.

As for Tate - why?

[Neil]

3 Good Episodes

Tim: The three episodes RTD wrote last season were the first one (space rhinos!), the ridiculous one with the flying cars stuck in traffic, and the three-part finale where the Doctor turns into Dobby the House elf. Hardly gripping viewing.

Meanwhile, the best episode was the one with the weeping angels, written by Steven Moffat from Coupling. Can't we have him instead of RTD and the girl from that ep instead of Catherine Tate?

[Anonymous Coward]

oh dear !

By Alan GregsonPosted Friday 10th August 2007 11:57 GMT

"I've just come over all funny at the thought of Angelina Jolie and Kate Beckinsale as PVC clad goth vampires..."

lucky old "all funny" ...

[Anonymous Coward]

The worst Dr. Who companion ?

... those of a certain age remember Adric - 'nuff said ?

(Although Nyssa did make up for him !)

[Anonymous Coward]

Tate

is about as funny as Aids. You would shoot a dog if it was that useless!!!

[Morely Dotes]

Let's be logical

Firstly, I won't be watching any Doctor Who that isn't available on DVD, because I don't own a Tivo, and BBC America won't adjsut their schedule to accomodate me, for some silly reason.

Secondly, I'd like to express a preference for curvy women (preferably with acting talent, if they're going to be on one of my favorite shows), and an abhorrence of the "Twiggy types" I see all too much of. The first "Avengers" was marvelous for that (yes, I really am that old).

[Kevin Campbell]

An American perspective

Echoing all the comments about Tate. BAD idea. I didn't like her sniveling in Runaway Bride and certainly won't like more of her.

I must commend the current production (and those behind it) for reviving the show and giving us two memorable Doctors. By and large the stories (at least the ones available to us here across the pond) are interesting and exciting - although I miss the multi-part stories of yesteryear wherein the writer had sufficient screen time to properly flesh out a story.

Furthermore, I agree wholeheartedly with an earlier poster about a new multi-Doctor story, ideally one with (Tom) Baker, Davidson, Eccleston, and Tennant.

[Gerrit Tijhof]

Title

@Dillon Pyron

Sorry, just sorry.. what can I say? Feel glad you're expectations won't be too high? Or just high? Just don't expect anything worth watching. I haven't met _anyone_ confessing to having enjoyed it.

[Kris]

Oldies

Bring back Blakes 7, now that was gone on a tiny budget

[Maisie Donaldson]

It all sounds tremendous fun

Well it's a children's programme, at the end of the day. I know that children like Catherine Tate's characters, if their parents let them watch her show. I'm certainly looking forward to it.

(Runs and hides from chubby geeks... escapes easily).

[Anonymous Coward]

Catherine Tate

We're a season behind in the States, and I didn't even know who Catherine Tate was until I Googled her. I remember the episode she was in as the bride. Ack! I must protest. I've been watching Dr. Who since it first aired on PBS, and Catherine Tate is not a proper sidekick. Remember, the first rule of Dr. Who's assistant is she should not have an ass that is bigger than The Doctor's. This is clearly not the case with Ms. Tate.

[Bob Boswell]

KT

Oh for heavens sake people, give the woman a chance.

Just imagine, you are going down the isle on your wedding day and you are *kidnapped* by some weirdo in a police box. And then the person you thought loved you turns out to be a sidekick for a serious spider thing. How are you supposed to react?

I thought the character adapted well and there are some interesting possibilities available.

[Anonymous Coward]

I'll watch it...

I quite fancy Catherine Tate...

[Tibb the Cat]

Tate = monster food???

Surely the point of having a tellytubby like Catherine Tate in the show is that she makes a nice unsympathetic victim for one of the monsters to eat? I'm thinking of something like the giant insect Zarbi from Patrick Troughton days, ripping her up and sucking her blood and fat dry. Now THAT would be an episode worth watching.

Or maybe have her impregnated by a parasitic alien lothario and have her explode on screen while giving birth? That would give the special effects boys something fun to put together.

[Frank Bough]

Errr...

You lot are talking about THE Dr Who, yes? That boring, cretinous, feebly acted and directed kid's programme that goes out on a Saturday evening? I'm just starting to wonder if there's another, excellent, Dr Who that I'd somehow missed. Are you lot the same fucktards that read Harry Potter books aged 36?

[Nazlfrag]

Here's a tribute

Only for hardcore fans of the doctor: youtube.com/watch?v=0s95Mm0cFqg

[Gerrit Tijhof]

Objection!

@Michael, Friday 10th August 2007 21:15 GMT

>> Well it's a children's programme, at the end of the day.

No, that is not true. It is a family show.

[Ray Lee]

Tate et al

Well did anyone see CT as the single mother in a recent drama for the beeb, she played the part with empathy and acted above her sometimes cras talent in the sketches. Though I have to say that beyond the foul-mouthed characters there is an awful lot of genuine character study and fun if you keep watching.

True her christmas debut was little more than tongue-in-cheek but nevertheless the episode had it's thrills and comedy, a potent and heady mix if the balance is right and it is what perpetuates all the best soaps. Having said that the best soaps are populated by our regular 'stars' but rely on many an unknown to provide the real drama, Casualty, Holby City and The Bill (before becoming self-indulgent) have given a host of never to be seen again actors a major role in providing substance to the story-line.

As for the past episodes and Doctors RTD has certainly reinvigorated our beloved hero with a modern outlook and feel and the choices of Eccleston and Tennant are far superior than the pathetic,weak and totally crass performance of Peter Cushing for the 'Big Screen'.

Keep the writers on their toes and continue to create the Dr Who environment we all love. The Angels was a great episode and it's subtlety greatly appreciated as was the storyline that ran through the Scarecrows one. I could watch them over and over as the messages go beyond the 45 minutes of thrills.

Give Tate a chance, Freema we will miss you but hopefully the stories will be bigger than the 'Star' (and her waistline - biggoted crap) and I for one can't wait.

PS lets see the Lepidoptra again p-p-p-please !

[Anonymous Coward]

Nail in the coffin

Well, Tate will nail Dr Who once and for all won't she?

Ms ALL my characters are the same. Whenever I try to watch her particular brand of "comedy" my teeth begin to itch and my eyes & ears bleed. Samey? It's the same damn character with different makeup.

Freema is/was a good assistant, probably better than Piper (who I thought was actually quite good - she got better as the series went on). But I'd have thought, that with the penchant for spinning off everything from anything, the BBC would have given Piper's eyebrows their own show?

I see that the BBC / RTD are giving in to the urge to start getting big "stars" involved. Signs of the rot of programs running out of steam setting in perhaps?

[Cannop]

Comments

54 and counting? From an average comment count of 8ish to 54? I haven't seen this amount of comments since the last iThingy article! El Reg could you please post an article on the iTardis and see how many comments that could produce?

[Tibb the Cat]

Lepidoptera?

Do you mean the Menoptera from the same story as the Zarbii?

[God of Biscuits]

American here.

It's unfortunate to see that the old "why must gays flaunt their sexuality" argument is alive and well in England. It's nice to see someone calling them on it, though. Some of you Brits sound like unfortunately all-too-common Americans.

I was never a fan of Doctor Who. Ever. I tried watching it on our PBS (Public Broadcasting System) channel back in the 70s when I was a teen, but it was just too hokey and ridiculous.

Then came RTD. Well, John Barrowman, actually. I saw his performance in "The Producers" and went to google and imdb him. From there it led to Captain Jack. Not wanting to step in to Doctor Who right when Barrowman entered, I started to watch Season (Series) 1 from the beginning and discovered a program that exalted when violence DIDN'T happen, a program with great characters and, perhaps, most importantly to long-time Doctor Who fans, a program which informed new fans about the history of Doctor Who.

Since then, I can say I've now seen all three Series of Doctor Who, AND Doctor Who Confidential, AND the first series of Torchwood and Torchwood Declassified. I can't get enough of this world that RTD created.

So complain all you want about how the show isn't "how it used to be", because NOTHING is exactly how it used to be. I didn't like Christopher Eccleston in the beginning, but came to love him. Then was disappointed when "Barty Crouse....Junior!" was his replacement. That disappointment lasted until about 5 minutes into the first Tennant episode.

As for Catherine Tate, after seeing her turn on DW and remembering the YouTube video of her as the stand-in translator, I've also become a big Tate fan (this is where you start castigating the stupid and boorish American sense of humour).

Does your hatred of RTD and the new Who mean that all your old beloved Doctors and series are suddenly crap? I seriously don't think so.

[Gilbert Wham]

The Fact...

...That someone further up this thread described fuming Dr Who fans as 'too cool for school' has to be the funniest thing I have read all day. Anyway, the Tate woman is a passing fad. The REAL problem is Tennant. Fuck, he is awful.

[Mark]

TTMC = Joan Bakewell??

Shurely shome mishtake!! Helen Mirren is the only true claimant to that crown.

[|333173|3|_||3]

Tennat

Tennant isn't too bad, but he lacks the style of John Pertwee (my favourite Doctor), or the wit of Tom Baker. I would really like to see more stories like teh many involving UNIT, or teh one in which John Pertwee is in a house which gets blown up by resistance forces from teh furture trying to prevent the house being blown up and starting a war which allowed the Daleks to invade Earth, and other such complicated 4-5 episode plotlines.

[salman ali]

re: Kylie and acting ability

the disparity in reaction probably has something to do with Kylie not having already played a horribly unpleasant character in the series.

[Anonymous Coward]

Homophobia - I don't think so - family show - no sex gay or straight please

I have to stick up for whoever raised the issue of sexual content - bent or otherwise in Dr Who.

Yes we are old farts and we like Dr Who, but we now watch it with our kids.

Explaining oral sex with a paving slab and blokes kissing blokes to my 7 and 9 year old is not high on my to do list.

Also let's get the hell out of Wales once in a while.

[Anonymous Coward]

Put Mark & Lard in the Tardis

Oh yes - more Northern Dr Who's - Lard as the Dr, and Mark as the hapless arsesistant.

Stop..............

[Anonymous Coward]

How come...

Dr. Who has never reanimated as a woman? Now that'd make for an interesting storyline. Throw in a male sidekick this time and do a spot of confused role reversal. Catherine Tate...jeez what were they thinking??

[Anonymous Coward]

What Would Get Me Back

Catherine Tate being slaughtered horribly by a mad wheelchair bound scientist with a questionable history, Owen from Torchwood being tempted, teased, seduced and finally drained of blood by Angelina Jolie and Kate Beckinsale (the aformentioned PVC clad vampiresses), Sarah Jane getting it on with Captain Jack who then both get it on with Angelina and Kate. Let's have proper Cybermen back, taking names and kicking ass and let's have proper DW canon being respected.

All in a storyline involving time and space travel, not some crabby estate in London or somewhere in Cardiff which has been picked purely so RTD can put it in the book he's writing listing all the places in Cardiff where Doctor Who was filmed.

[Thomas Jerome]

Title

Queer as Folk, Russell T's prior claim to fame is also overrated guff. One could excuse nudge-nudge jokes about homosexuality, being as it were the crux of the story.

Doctor Who is about time travel and outwitting aliens, not rimming and cumshots. I'm fed up of my license money being used to indulge the ironic whims of postmodern tosspitches like RTD.

[Thomas Jerome]

Re: Put Mark & Lard in the Tardis

Having said that, Mark E Smith would make a fine Doctor.

'Who Makes the Daleks?' anyone...?

[God of Biscuits]

Homophobia is...

...different to not wanting sexual content.

What's to explain about two men kissing? it's the exact same thing as a man and a woman kissing, except for the genders of the participants.

There's no explaining. Leave it at that.

If you can't do that, then yes, you're homophobic.

[Anonymous Coward]

Homophobia?

Fear of things which are the same? Always seems an odd choice of terminology...

I do agree with whoever it was who said that what Oscar Wilde referred to as "the love which dare not speak its name" has certainly now become "the love which doesn't know when to shut up". Why does Dr Who have any need of extraneous sexual references, of any variety, which add nothing to the story? Giggling teens might enjoy the innuendo, but these days the better Adult entertainment has no sex in it. never thought I'd get tired of sex, but it really isn't much of a spectator sport, is it?

PS +1 for the dump Tate petition.

[Anonymous Coward]

Pedant Alert

Not wanting to sound like a total pedantic <insert rude word here> but the Zarbii and Menoptra were from the William Hartnell story (not Patrick Troughton) The Web Planet.

Burn all new Dr Who. Only Eccleston was any good and when he made a break for freedom it was downhill all the way. All the BBC has to do now is have one season with Tate, realise that they've hit absolute rock bottom and then re-re-invent it back to watchableness.

And burn Torchwood too...

I shall now retreat back into the shadows of geekdom

[Anonymous Coward]

Dr. Who Rocks Compared to the Other Sh1t on TV!

Whilst I agree that Catherine Tate is probably not the slickest casting choice; for me there is nothing much else worth watching on the other 200 channels of utter pants available on Sky. So, i'll be willingly enduring a few episodes of CT and eagerly awaiting the return of Freema (watch shares in Kleenex go up!).. Oh, and actually I thought Torchwood was excellent - especially the episode "Day One" in which Gwen releases the Alien gas (if you've seen it you'll know the one I mean!)...

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh grow up all of you

Can't believe so many people wrote such drivel about a tv series.

So what if RTD is gay and puts gay references in? What's wrong with seeing some guy kiss another? It's not like they show full sex of any type! As for how rich or otherwise RTD is, so what, could any of you do any better? Straight man envy methinks - not only does he have the potential to get lots of sex but he has money too.

As for Catherine Tate, maybe she'll be better this time - give her a chance. The one thing I agre with somebody on is the introduction of these so-called celebrity appearances. On most other shows I've seen it's been the sign of a slow slippery slope to oblivion.

[Anonymous Coward]

Goodies.........

"Hurrah, we say, as everyone's favourite OBG (Oldie, But Goodie) Felicity Kendall will be appearing in the show as Lady Clemency Eddison."

For a moment there I thought that said ODDIE but goodie :-O.........

As to Dr Who as a whole and its writers.....

If its written by Russell T Davies then its normally passable.

If its written by Steven Moffatt then its top-notch.

If its written by Chris Chibnall then its invariably a pile of shite.

Other writers are more variable.

The fact the Chibnall was the lead writer for Torchwood explains the general crappyness of the entire series. When it was advertised as 'adult' sci-fi, I didn't realise they meant juvenile stories with added sex and violence.

[Anonymous Coward]

inspired

i really hope RTD or someone from the Dr Who reads this thread, because Alan Gregson's suggestion of Angelina Jolie and Kate Beckinsale as PVC clad goth vampires is simply inspired. Guarenteed to bring the ratings back

Regarding Felicity Kendal, i'm sure that's a good move too. There was a quote i've seen floating around the internet for a while along the lines of "It's a well known fact that 50% of the British male population are secretly in love with Felicity Kendal.... and the other 50% make no secret of it at all!"

I'm a little worried by the constantly bringing back "classic" villians for the doctor to battle against. The Darleks and the Cybermen were alright, but it's getting a bit much now. How long until they bring back the Bertie Basset monster? (scared the beejezuz out of me as a kid - i couldn't eat Basset Allsorts for months afterwards!!)

[Anonymous Coward]

Monster? Where monster?

A lot of the monsters weren't scary, except maybe to hypersensitive overprotected little darlings. Plus my sofa was always against the wall making it difficult to hide behind. However, that was part of the charm; a Welsh quarry 20yds from where they're filming "Blake's 7", Blue Peter construction monster suits (viz. the original Macra)

The only "monster" that scared me as a kid was the (inanimate) Stones of Blood and their annoying habit of leaching the flesh off people when they touched them. I didn't look at Stonehenge the same way for quite a while...

Bring back the assassin android that shot spikey javelins into the Cybermen in "The Five Doctors" and then viiiped into thin air as it could move so fast. And how's that spat with the Sontarans and the Rutan Host (allegedly a peace deal brokered by the McCann incarnation) going? I want more tentacly shape-shifting jellyfish onscreen, dammit!