What TV shows have you been watching ?

  • I remember hiding behind the settee at shop dummies coming life. I would have been 8. I've re watched it and although I didn't end up hiding this time it still seems pretty creepy even by today's standards.

    I'm disappointed you didnt hide again this time. It's a pleasing image.


    The other thing that spooked me was the opening titles with that vortex of swirly patterns. The original murky arrangement of the theme tune remains a classic piece of opening music, atmospheric and slightly menacing. The different arrangements since the 80s and currently are too shiny and glitzy.


    Did you or any child really hide behind settees? (Excellent use of a very 70s word there by the way). Ours was pushed almost to the wall so even allowing for the smallness of a young child it would have been a squeeze. Did everyone else apart from us have their settees in the middle of the room?!

    Abandon all reason

  • Did you or any child really hide behind settees? (Excellent use of a very 70s word there by the way). Ours was pushed almost to the wall so even allowing for the smallness of a young child it would have been a squeeze. Did everyone else apart from us have their settees in the middle of the room?!

    Ours was pushed almost to the wall. I was pretty wirey and there was a crawling space. I remember I used to play there at times

  • I have to say this. Just watched Inferno, Jon Pertwee's Doctor Who. He spent time in a lock up/ garage where he was trying to fix the Tardis. Anyway he rigged up a remote device where all you had to do was press it and the doors to the garage would just open by themselves. All the other characters were amazed, it was really impressive stuff.

  • Did you or any child really hide behind settees? (Excellent use of a very 70s word there by the way). Ours was pushed almost to the wall so even allowing for the smallness of a young child it would have been a squeeze. Did everyone else apart from us have their settees in the middle of the room?!

    Being brought up in Birmingham we always called them settees, as opposed to sofa - which I always thought was posh but I know realise is a geographical thing, or even couch, which I would have said was American until I worked in Liverpool. Anyway, our living room would not manage anything in the middle as it was too small, so all the furniture was pushed back, so no hiding from Daleks for me, I had to squeeze between my mum and nan if I was scared.


    Just watched Inferno, Jon Pertwee's Doctor Who.

    I think Perwtee did a great job in Doctor Who, I think he was brought in to provide a bit of comedy, which was his existing persona, but turned out to be one of the most serious and heroic doctors. I get the feeling the actors in those days had quite a lot of influence in the development of the character, whereas now they seem to have less room for manoeuvre, with the writers and 'showrunners' determining the course of direction.

  • Incidentally, and I know this is 'listening' as opposed to 'watching' - but BBC Sounds have some great Who audio dramas at the moment. I especially enjoyed the one with the 4th and 10th/14th Doctors, great to hear Tom Baker in the role again and there was some really good interplay between him and Tennant

  • I think Perwtee did a great job in Doctor Who, I think he was brought in to provide a bit of comedy, which was his existing persona, but turned out to be one of the most serious and heroic doctors. I get the feeling the actors in those days had quite a lot of influence in the development of the character, whereas now they seem to have less room for manoeuvre, with the writers and 'showrunners' determining the course of direction.

    I retain a great fondness for JP's flamboyant action man portrayal. Those years also engendered an affection for the Brigadier character, and I love that the rebooted show occasionally nods back to him and has his daughter as head of UNIT. I have some reservations about how it's run now, but overall it's a great success and shows innate understanding of the phenomenon of Who.


    It's interesting about how the classic era actors brought their own interpretation. They still do now, but yes it's more tightly controlled within the structure. It's intriguing to read about some of the actors who were considered but not hired. To replace Pertwee they actually spoke with Richard Hearn but he'd only do it in his famous character of Mr Pastry. Before McCoy was recruited, actor/director/professional eccentric Ken Campbell screen-tested but his interpretation was considered too dark, bordering on disturbing! Sounds fascinating...


    There's occasionally been talk of a Hollywood film version, perhaps more of a possibility now with the involvement of Disney. Casting the lead is an amusing diversion. I'd love to see Sam Rockwell in the role, I could imagine bringing a nice touch of unhingedness.

    Abandon all reason