6 replies to this topic

[wakeup37]

Over the 1967/1968 new year the BBC broadcast "The Enemy of the World", Doctor Who's 2 hour 30 minute adventure within the world of James Bond. The original tapes were wiped, with copies recently discovered overseas and made available today on iTunes, with a DVD coming out shortly. It's been described as:

 

"Absolutely incredible, light years ahead of its time, and still fantastic to this day. The James Bond comparison is apt, as the Doctor, Jamie, and Victoria are chased by hovercraft and helicopter, and then, for good measure, attacked by gunmen. This is clever - far more clever than just using some James Bond trappings. It begins by literally aping the structure of a James Bond movie, then dropping the Doctor into it. Then the first grand trick is pulled as Salamander - the Bond Villain - is revealed to be played by Patrick Troughton, the same actor that plays The Doctor."

 

"The result is sublime. A story that starts seeming like a James Bond pastiche and ends up delivering a commentary on James Bond, The Prisoner, and Doctor Who, has some sublimely weird and mindblowing double crosses in the final act. There is lots to admire as Troughton plays not only his two roles, but, at various points, each of his two roles impersonating the other.  It has a great writer, a great director, and one of the best actors ever to work on Doctor Who getting the chance to really stretch his wings. This should be a real pleasure even for people who haven't seen any 60s Doctor Who."

 

Here's a trailer: http://www.youtube.c...h?v=Z9Ckdpvg22w

 

I've not watched the story myself yet - I'll wait for the DVD - but I'd love to hear any thoughts from other James Bond fans.

[AMC Hornet]

I read the novelization yonks ago, but I don't remember thinking that it read like a Bond story - probably because I'd already read plenty of other Bond-based spy stories as well.

 

Looking forward to seeing the vid someday, though.

[Ernst Stavro Blofeld Jr.]

Its a great story, and as a Who fan I'm glad its back.  I'm hesitant to really compare it to Bond, but it definitely has an Avengers vibe to the whole thing.

[The Krynoid man]

I was really glad that this was found. It was one that interested me due to the Bond style plot and Troughtons duel role. He was one hell of an actor.

[col_007]

It's fantastic that they have found some of the missing episodes if rumours are true there might be more to come taken with a big pinch of salt obviously 

Interesting as Dr Who and James Bond didn't appear to have many links before this. I'd like to see this episode some day too.

Pertwee's Doctor is described as having a James Bond vibe to his incarnation

[AMC Hornet]

That's what I liked about him from the start.

More recently I read of Pertwee's wartime experience, and I wouldn't be surprised if he knew Fleming in those 'shot and shell' days.

Were he alive today, he could have been Dos Equis' "World's Most Interesting Man" instead of wossname.