Earthshock or Androzani?

[Deleted]

Two of the most popular adventures from Davison's time, but which one gets your vote? I absolutely adore Earthshock personally. It's tense, exciting, action packed and has one of the most shocking endings in the history of the show. Androzani is good, but not quite as good as other stories from the same period. 

[RobFilth]

A difficult one.

Earthshock is more fun to watch, but Androzani has a better level of acting and characterization.

[Deleted]

Caves, no contest.

[RobFilth]

I'm going to be contrary with majority opinion and go for Earthshock on this occasion.

Whilst there is certainly no doubting Caves fantastic plot, direction, acting and characterization, I think it's probably Earthshock the general public remember more. I certainly don't remember casual viewers raving about Caves at the time of it's broadcast like they did about Earthshock anyway.

Caves is undoubtedly an excellent story and indeed one of the best examples of Doctor Who, but I feel it's level of brilliance has been over-amplified within fandom over the decades. Much like stories such as Pyramids of Mars used to be several decades ago.

Earthshock is by far a more accessible and fun story for the casual viewer to get into though.

[mott1]

Mar 31, 2021 18:32:13 GMT RobFilth said:

I'm going to be contrary with majority opinion and go for Earthshock on this occasion.

Whilst there is certainly no doubting Caves fantastic plot, direction, acting and characterization, I think it's probably Earthshock the general public remember more. I certainly don't remember casual viewers raving about Caves at the time of it's broadcast like they did about Earthshock anyway.

Caves is undoubtedly an excellent story and indeed one of the best examples of Doctor Who, but I feel it's level of brilliance has been over-amplified within fandom over the decades. Much like stories such as Pyramids of Mars used to be several decades ago.

Earthshock is by far a more accessible and fun story for the casual viewer to get into though.

Would you say Earthshock is 'fun'?

I saw it again only about a week or so ago and it is very enjoyable and full of action, but there's that sense of impending doom through the whole thing which even Caves didn't quite have, until around the end of part 3.

I felt Davo seemed to relish going out with a bang and there's a curious triumphalism, but in Earthshock I get the sense that the humour provided by Beryl Reid is just there to act as a bit of a breather between the humans being out-matched at the start and Adric's fateful attempts to save the day and prove himself after the row with the Doctor. Davo seems to be doomed in everything he does in that story more than any other...

[RobFilth]

Mar 31, 2021 18:48:23 GMT mott1 said:

Would you say Earthshock is 'fun'?

I saw it again only about a week or so ago and it is very enjoyable and full of action, but there's that sense of impending doom through the whole thing which even Caves didn't quite have, until around the end of part 3.

I felt Davo seemed to relish going out with a bang and there's a curious triumphalism, but in Earthshock I get the sense that the humour provided by Beryl Reid is just there to act as a bit of a breather between the humans being out-matched at the start and Adric's fateful attempts to save the day and prove himself after the row with the Doctor. Davo seems to be doomed in everything he does in that story more than any other...

I'm not sure Beryl Reid does provide any humour does she? Just not very good acting.

What I meant by "fun" is the Cybermen really, with their ludicrously imitable silly catchphrases. "Excellent!", "More power!", "Hurrry!" etc

Although I would say although Caves is by far more higher drama, it is somewhat heavily going and more dialogue-led and cerebral. Earthshock on the other hand is more accessible and a dumb drunken night out where a good time was had by all.

[iank]

I prefer Earthshock.

[Bernard Marx]

Mar 31, 2021 20:03:26 GMT RobFilth said:

Although I would say although Caves is by far more higher drama, it is somewhat heavily going and more dialogue-led and cerebral. Earthshock on the other hand is more accessible and a dumb drunken night out where a good time was had by all.

This is actually a good summation of why I prefer Caves, ironically. It might be a superficially slower burn, but I never feel this in any way because almost each and every shot and line of dialogue is hard-hitting or cutting to some extent. It’s also considerably grittier and more intelligently written. Conversely, Earthshock strikes me as more style over substance, as much of a good action story as it might be. Caves is just something else.

I’ll elaborate further on this tomorrow after I’ve got some rest. But in short, yeah, I prefer Androzani.