Tag: Fear

Five/Fear

Hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott discuss Peter Davison and fear in Doctor Who in the fifth (well, okay…seventh) live Splendid Chaps episode, recorded at the Public Bar in Melbourne on May 19, 2013, and rushed to your ears in a fraction of the usual time! (You may find it a bit rougher around the edges than normal…) Our guests this month are comedian and actor Tegan Higginbotham (Watson) and horror writer Narelle M Harris, plus musician Georgia Fields performs a cover of Bullamakanka’s “Dr Who is Gonna Fix It”!

Narrelle M Harris, Tegan Higginbotham, Petra Elliott, John Richards and Ben McKenzie. Photo by Robert Young.
Narrelle M Harris, Tegan Higginbotham, Petra Elliott, John Richards and Ben McKenzie recording episode Five/Fear of Splendid Chaps at The Public Bar. Photo by Robert Young.

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Don’t forget you can go into the draw to win a (Region 4) DVD copy of The Visitation (Special Edition) by commenting on this episode below! Tell us whether Davison’s Doctor was bland, what you really think of Adric and Nyssa, share the scariest moments you can remember or just tell us what you thought of this month’s show. Comment by June 14 to be in the running, and we’ll announce the winner at the recording of Six/Clothes on June 15.

The Five/Fear viewing list

As revealed at the recording of our last live episode, Four/Comedy, here is your homework viewing for episode Five/Fear, which will be recorded on May 19th at The Public Bar in Melbourne (full show details can be found here).

If you’ve never experienced the Fifth Doctor, we think the following three stories will show him – and the style of his era – at their best:

  • Earthshock
  • Enlightenment
  • The Caves of Androzani

For “Fear”, we’ve decided that these stories and episodes cover the theme best:

  • Planet of the Spiders (Jon Pertwee, 1974; six episodes)
  • The Ark in Space (Tom Baker, 1975; four episodes)
  • Snakedance (Peter Davison, 1983; four episodes)
  • Ghost Light (Sylvester McCoy, 1989; three episodes)
  • Blink (David Tennant, 2007; one episode)

Some of these stories are terrifying, some are about facing or overcoming fear, and one probably isn’t all that frightening but keeps getting mentioned by our guests as the scary one they remember. With a history of being frightening, however, there are many other Doctor Who stories that fit this theme; if you’re keen, here’s Doctor Who TV’s “Top 5 Scariest Doctor Who moments” from the classic series, and – as part of the promotion for the recent episode Hide – the nominations for “Spookiest Ever Doctor Who Story” over at the official BBC Doctor Who blog.

Have any other stories made you cower behind the sofa? Share your suggestions in the comments below!

Five/Fear (live show)

Maudlin after many centuries of wandering, bohemian Time Lord the Doctor finds himself surrounded by young, unfamiliar human companions – and an ethereal “Watcher” – as he battles his old foe the Master to save the Universe from decay. The Doctor succeeds, but falls to his doom – only to realise that the Watcher was a premonition of his regeneration. His new, younger self begins life frail and disoriented, but soon reveals his personality: inquisitive, honest, selfless and open, young at heart though mature of mind. He abhors the violence with which he is so often confronted, always trying to avoid it: a talker, not a fighter, but loyal and with a fierce determination to protect his young friends. 

Splendid Chaps is a year-long celebration of Doctor Who‘s fiftieth anniversary: eleven live performances recorded as podcasts in which your brains will be fed, your funny bones tickled, and your hearts opened (yes, both of them!). Our fifth instalment discusses the Fifth Doctor, played by young actor Peter Davison. Already known to audiences as another doctor (well, all right…vet), All Creatures Great and Small’s Tristan Farnon, he soon made the role his own with a blend of innocence, optimism and wry humour – not to mention a distinctive outfit of striped cricketing whites and a decorative vegetable.

For our theme this episode we discuss Fear. Famously watched from behind the couch, its theme music alone instilling terror into many children, Doctor Who has long held a reputation for frightening audiences and characters alike. Is it still scary? Should that really be the focus of the show? How does it frighten us – and what does it have to say about the nature of fear itself?

Hosts Ben McKenzie, John Richards and Petra Elliott are joined by comedian and actor Tegan Higginbotham (Watson) and horror writer Narelle M Harris. We’ll also have a special musical performance from the delightful Georgia Fields, prizes, surprises and the final episode of the current Doctor Who season! Yes, The Name of the Doctor airs on ABC1 that night, so we’ll be putting it up on the big screen for everyone to watch together after the show. If you can’t make the recording, feel free to come join us for that.

Space: The Public Bar, 238 Victoria Street, Melbourne (opposite Victoria Markets)
Time: May 19; recording starts 5 PM
Accessibility: This venue is wheelchair accessible.
Tickets: $15 (plus booking fee where applicable)
Bookings: via trybooking.com or at the door (subject to availability)
Podcast: not yet available; released 23rd of May, 2013.