What's Your Opinion Of The E-Space Trilogy?

[number 6]

This is coming out pretty quick on DVD and right now pre-ordering is close to 40% off, working out to about $11 per DVD which is reasonable for DW in my opinion.

I still have my Ditto audio cassettes of Tom Baker narrating State of Decay. When I got this as a teenager it seemed pretty creepy to me. I listened to it again recently and it strikes me as being just O.K.

I'm usually not a big fan of post-Hinchcliff Who though I haven't seen very many. Actually thought City of Death was pretty good and might actually buy if the price drops a bit.

So what do you guys think?

[palitoy]

I'm not really a fan of it, I just recently rewatched "State of Decay" and it's alright but I've always loathed "Warrior's Gate".

[Mikey]

I'm not a big fan of it either ...

Of the three, State of Decay is the only one watchable for me.

Full Circle was just plain BORING and Warrior's Gate I could just not understand --- and it was boring too boot.

The E-Space trilogy is probably my least looked up to DVD release since Ghost Light

[jds1911a1]

Some of the worst episdoes of the Baker years. And it brings on the most annoying companion ADRIC. when people scoff about Doctor who as "the Tom baker Show" this is a common example.

if you haven't seen em are they worth it - only if you have no other Tom dvd's to buy as most VHS of the not in DVD print for Tom bakers go for a fortune on ebay

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

I don't hate any of these episdoes, but they're not my favourites. Adric kinda bugs me; but even as a kid I didn't like kid sidekicks. The episodes themselves seem to be trying WAY too hard to be dramatic.

"Warrior's Gate" seems kind of rushed too. There are a lot of plot points to get across, and I don't think they did such a good job of blending it all into a proper story.

Don C.

[Mikey]

The biggest thing I didn't like about the E-Space Trilogy is the same thing I don't like about the whole season ......
Tom Baker just seemed like he didn't want to be there and it comes through on almost everyone of his scenes.
He went from nutty Jelly Baby Tom to something unrecognizable.
In Tom's last year, he made William Hartnell look like a fun guy

Even his new red suit subconsciously gave viewers the idea he was no longer the fun loving Tom we all knew and loved.

Strangley, I didn't mind Adric.
Adric was a pain in the but and was quite annoying, but his character seemed to work with the new Tom persona.

Tom Baker's last season was just one big depressing thing to watch.
It was almost like watching a loved one slowly die, and when they're finally gone you feel relieved it's over.

[palitoy]

Funny, when I tuned it one night it was Adric on screen and my wife said "Ugh I hate that kid!"

Salient point about Baker Mike, I feel the same, that he's kind of ....tired by this point. I assume his leaving was already announced and I know he hated the new look of the series (especially that suit), so I imagine he was sort of phoning it in.

[jds1911a1]

Funny, when I tuned it one night it was Adric on screen and my wife said "Ugh I hate that kid!"

Salient point about Baker Mike, I feel the same, that he's kind of ....tired by this point. I assume his leaving was already announced and I know he hated the new look of the series (especially that suit), so I imagine he was sort of phoning it in.

His fight with JNT was in full swing for the last 2 seasons and that was why he wouldn't renew his contract (also why he wouldn't come back for 5 doctors). I don't think he was phoning it in but the conflict behind the camera clearly shows in front

[palitoy]

"Phoning it in" wasn't a good anology, he's still Tom but he's not as animated as he once was. Definitely showing signs of a troubled house.

[Mikey]

For me, it was the Key To Time season that differentiated the two Tom eras.

Before Key, Tom was his usual self .....

During Key Tom already started acting -- perhaps tired

After Key is when Tom started growing more serious and unlike his former self.

By the last season his "change" was at it's peak, but I think it started during Key To Time

Perhaps some of it was caused by Lalla

[number 6]

Salient point about Baker Mike, I feel the same, that he's kind of ....tired by this point. I assume his leaving was already announced and I know he hated the new look of the series (especially that suit), so I imagine he was sort of phoning it in.

Hmmm, this is what I was kinda afraid of. A few years ago I bought The Leisure Hive and was pretty disgusted with it. Sounds like this is probably the same caliber stuff.

Granted, I think one of the reasons I disliked Hive so much was because I paid full retail (about $25 if I remember right) so in addition to watching a disappointing story I felt like I got ripped off. If I had paid half that I probably would have hung on to it and watched in every once in a blue moon when I got really, really bored.

And that's the only real reason I was considering these is because, at $11 a story, even if they weren't great I wouldn't mind having them at that price.

But I just bought a couple of stories that weren't on my list of must-haves just because they were 50% off retail (and they really weren't great). So I guess for now I should just save my Who money for stories that I at least kinda want.

Was kinda looking forward to watching a Who story and I've only heard on audio for years. Oh well.

[Mikey]

I think I was the one who bought your Leisure Hive ?

I traded it off like a year ago for another Who

That Leisure Hive DVD get's around

[number 6]

I think I was the one who bought your Leisure Hive ?

I traded it off like a year ago for another Who

That Leisure Hive DVD get's around

LOL, yeah you're right.

That's what's tuff about Who, it's hard to gauge what's really good because peoples opinions vary so much. I guess Leisure Hive is considered a classic and most Who fans like it, but I could hardly sit through it.

But I love Horror of Fang Rock, I've watched that more than any of the other Whos I have. An old lighthouse on a rocky coast in deep fog in the middle of the night with everyone trapped inside and being picked off one by one by a shape changing alien, how could anyone not like it?

But Baker hated it, Paddy Russell didn't think it was a great script, and I get the impression most fans don't think it's great.

On Amazon, this E-Space trilogy has glowing reviews. I have a book (can't remember the authers name) where he rates all the Who episodes and has brief comments. He gives these 3 stories pretty high marks. But of the 3, the one he likes the least is State of Decay. And everone here thinks State is the most tollerable of the 3. So there you are.

[Mikey]

The only thing I didn't like about Fang Rock was to me it seemed too long.

I know it was only a 4 episoder, but toward the end it felt like 6

My fav Tom Baker story that's currently on DVD is Brain of Morbius, followed closely by Robot.

[jds1911a1]

LOL, yeah you're right.

That's what's tuff about Who, it's hard to gauge what's really good because peoples opinions vary so much. I guess Leisure Hive is considered a classic and most Who fans like it, but I could hardly sit through it.

But I love Horror of Fang Rock, I've watched that more than any of the other Whos I have. An old lighthouse on a rocky coast in deep fog in the middle of the night with everyone trapped inside and being picked off one by one by a shape changing alien, how could anyone not like it?

But Baker hated it, Paddy Russell didn't think it was a great script, and I get the impression most fans don't think it's great.

On Amazon, this E-Space trilogy has glowing reviews. I have a book (can't remember the authers name) where he rates all the Who episodes and has brief comments. He gives these 3 stories pretty high marks. But of the 3, the one he likes the least is State of Decay. And everone here thinks State is the most tollerable of the 3. So there you are.

or they are someone like me who wants every episode.

Sadly many of Tom's best work isn't on dvd yet. of the DVD episodes my favorite is City of Death (but then I think Julian Glover - Scaroth- is a brilliant actor anyway)