The City of Death, Gallifrey Gals Get Wibbly Wobbly! Classic Ep3

Re: your question about why the Doctor is known by a title while Romana by her name. It's been established, not in the TV show but in the audio drama spin-offs, that renegade Time Lords choose titles, so you have the Doctor, the Master, the Monk, the Corsair, the Rani, the Player, the Eleven etc,, while Time Lords with ties to Gallifrey tend to use their own names. Romana was assigned to the Doctor, so she uses her birth name. Hope that helps.

mark saunders

And Eleanor Bron, whom I will always know from the Beatles’ film Help.

Kathy A

I have absolutely no idea why, but Romana’s full name has been stuck in my head for about 40 years—Romanadvoratrelundar.

Kathy A

It's true about classic fans being more used to change. Though at the same time, the wrench when Tom Baker left, having been in the role for seven seasons was huge. For lots of kids and teenagers he was literally the *only* Doctor they'd known their whole lives. They even felt the need when he left to put on a special repeat season 'The Five Faces of Doctor Who' to remind people that there actually had been Doctors before him.

Peter Nolan

John Cleese!

Matt

As I guess you know, Douglas Adams was the script editor and the script for this was cowritten by him and producer Graham Williams. At the time, apparently the BBC took a dim view of showrunners commissioning scripts from themselves, so they used the pseudonym David Agnew. It's one of several such pseudonyms used during that era.

Vernon Harbin

Douglas Adams reused certain elements of City of Death in his novel Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, along with elements of the unfinished Doctor Who serial Shada (which never finished filming because industrial action got in the way)!

Will

Just want to thank the girls for their reaction

Steven morgan

Your comments about accepting new Doctors and change are spot on. Having watched this show since about 1969, the fact there is a new actor in the role of Doctor every few years, and different companions along the way, has never bothered me. I’ve always looked forward to a new Doctor with eager anticipation, keen to see what they will bring to the role. I like them all, and have never been one to complain about the change. I get quite annoyed by self described “fans” who whine about someone new taking over because they’re not like the old Doctor - either too young, or too old, or too female, whatever. All of them are superb, and all are the Doctor in their own way. The same goes for companions. I’m really excited for Paula’s reaction to Capaldi as the Doctor. He is, in my opinion, refreshingly different, as is his relationship with Clara. I think Paula as an actor herself will appreciate Capaldi’s brilliance in the role, especially as the seasons progress.

Lloyd B

This brought the memories flooding back! So glad you enjoyed it, and it was such a pleasure to revisit it after more than 40 years. To be honest, I’d forgotten much of the actual plot, and mainly remembered it for the Doctor and Romana running around Paris, and the John Cleese cameo (and Romana in that school uniform!). You may not be aware that there were two Romanas, as she regenerated (on a whim) into Lalla Ward after a season with Mary Tamm. Both were outstanding in the role. The plot of this one is so very Douglas Adams, and you should check out his other stories from this period - The Pirate Planet and Shada. The latter was never completed due to a strike at the BBC, but the missing scenes have been reconstructed and animated. Both also have some great K9 action. Shada incidentally has some plot elements that Adams later used in Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency.

Lloyd B

I met Lalla Ward at London Film And Comic Con several years ago. I'm not really an autograph person, but I queued up for one so I could say 'hi'. I did say 'hi', bought quite a nice picture of her, probably, which she autographed. She seemed nice.

Will

You don't like what someone says? Talk to them directly. And don't start talking about how people were raised. That's not nice. Some people could take offence.

Steve

"if the sounds they make upset you" Thank you for diminishing my point. You don't find any sounds triggering? Good for you. Other people aren't that fortunate. I said I enjoy their content. I just find the sound of constant joint cracking upsetting. I'd rather not hear it. It's really simple. "Perhaps they can do their next reaction in pantomime" is snark really the way you want to take this

Steve

The black ball with legs at the start looks like the ball from The Incredibles lol

Dazzy

Definitely happy to see this reaction as a HUGE fan of Classic Who. And with Tom Baker being the Doctor for seven years, he has so many wonderful stories to pick from and yet you've picked two of the best (my personal fave is 'Robots of Death', but you'll get there eventually). Anyway, yeah, I just love seeing Four and Romana running around Paris holding hands and their banter. It's been jokingly called like a honeymoon for them by bits of fandom -- probably because of the actors off-screen romance -- and it's easy to see why. Hell, some have even said it influenced RTD with having the Tenth Doctor and Rose running around holding hands later on, but who knows. Either way, I think it's a fun little story (and how could it not be with Douglas Adams?) and I have to admit I'm always delighted by Duggan. As I said in the Discord, my friends and I always just say: 'DUGGAN SMASH!' like the Hulk, because that pretty much sums up his character! <3 Oh, and I always forget how much I love the direction in this one. Lots of fun and creative camera angles, many taking advantage of the scenery, but also being a bit artsy as well. Totally here for that! 'Exqusiite!'

Nicole Mazza

I love these reactions to Classic Who. I started watching Who in the Tom Baker era on PBS with my Mom. I was pleasantly surprised that I actually remember both of these arcs!

Alisa Loudner

As someone who only recently got the chance to stare at the suggestion sheet on discord, I was thinking a lot about Romana, this and a later one (that you inderectly referenced while reading the wiki) are what I most think of. Great job to the contributors that caused you to pick this fun one. This is a fun one. I was disappointed that Douglas Adams name wasn't in the title sequence to jump out to you, assuming it would have mattered. Some time after I learned of his involvement my head canon just switched to assuming he was the credited writer. It's just an unremarkable coincidence that I read Hitchhiker's and started watching DW about the same time when I was 11. Bonus high five to Paula's remarks echoed by Kat at the end about change,

hrcaffee

I have been fortunate enough to watch Dr Who from the beginning. I signed up for a Patreon subscription precisely **because** you started reacting to stories from the original era, and I'm loving it. I'm so sorry you're having to deal with petty comments over the past few hours. This should be fun for all of us. Please continue to do what you enjoy.

Vernon Harbin

She had better luck with Richard Dawkins.

Opti_Frog

Steven morgan

Some pettiness going on here. If you can't handle spending two hours with two lovely ladies reacting to a fun show then stick with the YouTube edits. Perhaps they can do their next reaction in pantomime if the sounds they make upset you? Let's not make Discord the only place I'm not feeling I'm like I'm typings in to a void l

Bruce Bromley

I don't think either one of the Gals had seen this episode before, and it's tough to do research on an episode without spoiling yourself. That's probably why you saw them looking things up in the middle or after the episode.

Firefly24601

It's interesting to see how Paula does research before watching an episode of Trek, while Katrina just doesn't bother. Would have been interesting to discuss the fact Tom and Lala were married, could have had a mention of John Cleese having a cameo, could have talked about how Douglas Adams (a true genius of a writer) wrote this episode under a pen name.... nope, no reason to mention any of that. It all seemed a bit half arsed. And sorry if this is too much moaning in one comment (I AM a fan, and I am going to continue supporting this channel) but seeing how the sound of felt-tip squeaking was enough to put Katrina's teeth on edge, it's clear that you understand how some sounds can be rather upsetting. So please, I beg you, please try to limit the constant cracking of joints next to the microphone. I'm sympathetic to medical conditions that may mean its unavoidable, but the frequency and volume is something I find really upsetting. We can't help what it is that makes us queasy, so please don't think I mention this for the hell of it, it's a real trigger for me. Sorry. Otherwise I DO like your content. And I certainly don't agree with the rather angry wee fella that thinks you're stealing his money. Or monkey, it's hard to tell, his typing needs work.

Steve

It would be a really poor business plan to rely just on any one Doctor, when you know each will leave. Besides, plenty of people like Capaldi as well as Smith. I think this is just a nice break from New Who, with just a few Classic stories. Also Paula will understand where a lot of the 50th Anniversary references come from.

Firefly24601

Come on now, i pay to see youu react to modenn who. It feels like you know people will stop paying after Matt Smith leaves. But a lot of us will stick by you tthrough it all. Stop waiting our time and get on with it. If you want to watch clasicc who do it on a different sub level. I dont want to be a trroll but i know what i paid for. It just feels like you are taking our money and moving on without thinking what we paid for. If you tell us when proper show will be back i can cancel my subscription and joinn again when what i want comes back. I dont want to watch old wh!!!Ive been a pattern since you started but ive had enough, feel like you'r stealing myy money

James Meek

Lalla Ward & Tom Baker fought like cats and dogs on set, shouting at each other from across the rehearsal studio because they couldnt stand to be near each other. Of course they eventually eloped... the marriage lasted about a year

Mark Ten

Really love 4's and Romana's humor in this one. Great reaction!!!

Firefly24601

One of the Fourth Doctor's best. And Romana is just a joy. (Also, I had quite a giggle when you called her Ramona. Nothing bad, I'm just remembering a few Big Finish audios where humans would mistakenly call her Ramona.)

Scribbles

Interesting story, but all I can think about is that Paula needs some steel toe cap boots.

TheHimble

The greatest crossover ever. Douglas Adams (Hitch Hikers Guide) meets Star Wars (Julian Glover) meets Pink Panther (Catherine Schell) meets Monty Python (John Cleese) meets Thunderbirds (David Graham) meets Dr Who. Exquisite... absolutely exquisite.

Vernon Harbin