The Ribos Operation Part 1

I liked it for the most part.

I still think the concept of the Guardians of Time is pretty naff. What do they actually do eh? If the White Guardian is so powerful he can pluck the TARDIS out of the vortex, why can't the Black Guardian? Kudos however to Tom Baker's restrained performance in those scenes as it highlights just how much of a powerful being the White Guardian is supposed to be when given this due deference. There is though that wonderfully understated lin where the Doctor wonders about the conseqences of refusing to gon the quest. "Nothing."

"Nothing?!"

"Nothing. Ever."

Romana makes an interesting addition to the TARDIS crew and there is a lot of comic potential for her relationship with the Doctor. This is only my second viewing of this story (indeed of this season) and so I am more used to the Lalla Ward incarnation. Mary Tamm does a good job of making Romana likeable inspite of the antagonism suggested by the script.

Good performances from all of the supporting cast but particularly Iain Cuthbertson as Garron and Paul Seed as the Graff Vynda-K.

I know we shouldn't try to be too harsh about the standards of special effects but the Shrivenzale.... oh dear. Can there be a worse Doctor Who monster? Ok yes I know the Taran Wood Beast will rear its ugly head later this season!

A fun little opening episode and look forward to the rest of the story.

The Key to Time

Well so what did you all think of the latest half season of Doctor Who?! Were you at the edge of your seat, punching the air with excitment or were you muttering darkly in to your cup of tea "Worst. Season. Ever."?

Whichever it was we've now a summer ahead of us until the completely bonkers sounding Lets Kill Hitler! so we're going to fill the gap by watching The Key to Time series.

For those uninitiated The Key to Time was season 16 of the original series, first broadcast in 1978 and comprising six stories (26 episodes in total). Starring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Mary Tamm as his companion Romana and of course the voice of John Leeson as everyone's favourite K9, that season saw the Doctor travelling all over the galaxy on a quest for the legendary Key to Time which would restore the natural balance of the universe which was threatening to slide in to chaos.

Whether you're a new series fan who has never dipped in to the classic series before or an old pro by all means feel free to join us. We're going to watch an episode a weeknight starting tonight with The Ribos Operation part 1 (reviewed the following day).

And of course in July we should be getting a new series of Torchwood so between the two of them that should be our summer sorted until the show returns in the autumn.

Leave your comments here, or join the discussions on our facebook page or engage with us on Twitter. Look forward to hearing from you and if these episodes are brand new to you (as some of them will be to us) we really hope you enjoy.

Give Us Your Children

TTZ contributor Aya Vandenbussche has started a new TV & Film blog over at Notorious Vandenbussche. To kick start her off she has reprinted "Give Us Your Children", an article that first appeared in The Terrible Zodin #8 and examined the Holocaust imagery as used in RTD's writing, predominantly in Torchwood: Children of Earth but in other stories too such as Planet of the Ood and Turn Left.

Highly recommended.

The Terrible Zodin on Facebook

TTZ would like to apologise to readers who're part of the zines group on Facebook if they recieved a gazzilion emails yesterday. Unfortunately Facebook in their infinate wisdom offered us the choice of upgrading the group or losing it, the result however meant that every member of the group thus recieved an email notification every single time someone so much as sneezed in the vacinity of the group.

We hope we've not lost your good will and would like to advise that if you don't want email updates when the group is updated, someone writes on our wall or whatever you can go to your account settings and then unclick that option under your group settings.

We hope you'll still stick with us and will continue to keep the zines facebook page fun and interesting once you know longer get a million emails.

Thanks

Jamie

Exclusive Interview with Terrance Dicks in The Terrible Zodin #10 (Spring 2011)

Fanfare please as The Terrible Zodin hits double digits in brand new issue 10.

Thanks to all our contributors (writers and artists) and to you dear readers for all your support over the last 2 years. It's thanks to you we've hit 10 issues and work has already started on issue 11.

We are delighted to bring you the first part of our exclusive interview with script writer Terrance Dicks who talks about his long association with the show and finally reveals the true secret of just who The Terrible Zodin is! Also in this issue we interview actor Peter Miles (Nyder in Genesis of the Daleks) and Grant Bull the new editor of Celestial Toyroom.

TTZ10 is an experiment in monochrome as we take the Second Doctor's swansong The War Games as this issues inspiration. From the American Civil War to Season 6(b) with Pancho Villa along the way plus our usual series of paper dolls focuses this time on Zoe.

Also in this issue we look at A Chritmas Carol, Running Through Corridors, the latest Eighth Doctor audios and Faction Paradox. Popular misconceptions of classic series companions are overturned and an unnanounced guest turns up at the SFX Weekender.

If that weren't enough all your favourite regular features are here: The Web Planet is the latest victim of No! Not The Mind Probe!, Susie Who grapples with The Deadly Assassin and the Back2theWhoture team watch The Pandorica Opens.

We really hope you enjoy this issue and we'd love to hear what you think. We really value your feedback and your support helps ensure the zine grows and continues.

Don't forget we're doing a meet up in London on Saturday 9th April and would love to see you there.

Click here to download The Terrible Zodin #10 (Spring 2011)

The Terrible Zodin Doctor Who Meet Up - 9th April 2011

Due to the various tube engineering works going on the weekend of the 9th April 2011 we've relocated our Doctor Who Meet Up to The Mayflower in Rotherhithe, London, SE16 4NF.

The nearest station is Rotherhithe on London Overground (formerly the East London Line). Turn left out the station and left again down to the end of Railway Avenue. Once you hit the river, the Mayflower is just on your left and it's two minutes walk from the station.

Best bet is to get on to the Jubilee Line and change at Canada Water or on the Victoria Line and change at Highbury & Islington.

Forecast for the weekend is sunny and warm (well as warm as early April can get). There's a jetty out on the the river with plenty of tables and there's room inside in case the weather takes a turn for the worse.

We thought what with TTZ being a transatlantic zine The Mayflower was somewhate appropriate.

Jamie will provide his mobile number to anyone who is coming along. Please DM him @TerribleZodin on Twitter or send him a message on Facebook.

Look forward to seeing you all there and hope you all enjoy issue 10 of The Terrible Zodin which should be out.... very soon!

Back Issues - The Terrible Zodin # 9 (Winter 2010)

Back issue TTZ9 is still available for free download.



Click here to download The Terrible Zodin #9 (Winter 2010)

Contents

Christmas for the Doctor & Leela: Front cover art by Amy Humphries
Unavailable No Longer!: Article by Matthew Kresal
Death of the Doctor: Review by Astrid Lopez
How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the First Doctor: Article by Tony Cross
Back to the '80s: Article by Barnaby Edwards
Some Beach, Somewhere: Prose fiction by Matthew Kresal
Interview with Archie the Space Badger: Humour by Simon Guerrier
Theta Stigma Part 1: Article by Hannah Rothman
Mannequins, Reptiles, Astronauts and Primords: Article by Matthew Kresal
The Tweet Vortex 2 - Electric Boogaloo: Humour by Will Forbes
Blog High for Happiness: Column by Steven Sautter
Accustomed to Her Face: Article by Leslie McMurtry
Anything Gorgeous: Article by Aya Vandenbussche
Raston Warrior Robots vs Weeping Angels: Article by Jamie Beckwith
Captain Jack: Comic Strip by Akabeko
Move Over Mario!: Review by Will Forbes
Doctor Who Live: Review by Adam J. Purcell
Time, Casuality and the Doctor: Article by Will Forbes
My Adventure with the Doctor Part 1: Poetry by Alies Brunisma
Doctor Who and the Archers: Article by Leslie McMurtry
The TTZ Interview: Interview with Una McCormack
Once is Never Enough: Prose fiction by Leslie McMurtry
The Magic of November 1981: Article by Barnaby Edwards
Peter Cushing IS The Doctor!: Column by Susie Who
Back2theWhoture Part 5 - The Keys of Marinus, The Romans & The Fires of Pompeii: Doctor Who marathon edited by Jamie Beckwith
Roman Cutaway & Byzantium!: Review by Steven Sautter
The World Shapers: Review by Jon Arnold
The Fires of Vulcan: Review by Leslie McMurtry
No! Not the Mind Probe: Debate edited by Jamie Beckwith featuring Leslie McMurtry and Steven Sautter
The Fanzine Trap: Reviews by Jamie Beckwith
Tegan Jovanka: Paper dolls by Leslie McMurtry
Journey's Start: Article by Melissa Levesque
The Christmas Gnomes: Article by Steven Alexander
Doctor Who Christmas Memories: Nostalgia edited by Leslie McMurtry
Homo Reptilia: Back cover by Matt Harris

Also released alongside TTZ9

TTZ9 Presents Doctor Who Logopoly