Doctor Who Horns Of The Nimon (1979) Shows Future 40yrs Of James Bond!

Interesting. I always rated the gadget-besotted Jon Pertwee, master of "Venusian Aikido", as the most self-consciously Bondian of the classic Doctor Whos: for example, when he rides a DAF dune buggy in 'Day Of The Daleks' (1972); or when footage from FRWL of the exploding helicopter is re-purposed in 'The Daemons' (1971). A later Doctor Who, Colin Baker, makes a callous, decidedly Bondian quip when a guard falls into a vat of acid in 'Vengeance On Varos' (1985) - "You'll forgive me if I don't join you!' - and, before that, Peter Davison (the Fifth Doctor) dressed as Bond in a tuxedo with new companion Nicola Bryant, who was wearing a bikini, for a publicity shoot organised by Who producer John Nathan Turner. In 2007's Christmas Day episode, 'The Voyage Of The Damned', David Tennant's Doctor Who also dressed in a tux, substituting the traditional Christmas TV outing for Bond, in a one-off pairing with Kylie Minogue. The less said about the cliche-ridden pastiche episode, 'Spyfall' (2020), the better...

Last edited by Shady Tree (10th Dec 2020 00:22)

Agreed that 'The Horns Of Nimon' isn't among the most fondly remembered Who serials.

I guess a key similarity is that both Dr Who and Bond-in-the-cinema began in the early 60s (Bond, 1962; Who, 1964) and both are still going, having gained acceptance by audiences as early as in the sixties that the part can be re-cast when necessary, largely within the same (loose) continuity. Both have stretched through different styles and tones over the decades, with certain periods of hiatus between series/ films, though Dr Who (which has an in-universe explanation for the changing face of its lead character and for his extended life) has never had a re-boot, as such, of the kind we saw in CR06. Some of the Bondian references in Who are deliberate, though it's true to say the show's modus operandi has always been to 'magpie' from a range of popular genres (more so, sub-genres of horror and sci-fi. Some commentators have drawn parallels between mid-60s Bond and the 1968 Who serial 'The Enemy Of The World', though I think that's rather oblique).

Timothy Dalton, Honor Blackman, Diana Rigg (all post-Bond), Jason Connery and Julian Glover appeared as guest characters in Who. Numerous other character actors have appeared in both.

When it comes to on-screen longevity, Ken Barlow in TV's 'Coronation Street' is a more distinguished character than either Who or Bond: starting out as a young man of the 60s, aspiring beyond his roots, and subsequently becoming - for a time - something of a womaniser, Ken is the same fictional character played by the same actor (William Roache) in the same continuity for 60 years!

Last edited by Shady Tree (10th Dec 2020 12:09)

Thank you, Shady & Caractacus for reminding me about the Dr Who I used to know. It's been a long time since I viewed any episodes.
I forgot that Pertwee's earth-exiled Doctor was deliberately designed to be a 'Doctor Bond' and had all those gadgets like the sonic screwdriver, Bessie & the Whomobile. And yes, of course, UNIT, the recurring nemesis of the Master and the increased level of violent confrontations the Doctor pursued reinforced this.
These were certainly not coincidental. I rather meant the plots and the character motivations are often similar because, for instance, one megalomaniac often comes across very much like another, whether a story is set in the present day or in the future.

I rewatched every Pertwee & Baker series about 10 years back and was surprised how well the stories had endured over time. One thing I never did was relate them to Bond. I always, by default, I guess, compared Dr Who with other sci-fi series.

Pertwee was certainly the most vigorous. He had charm and a certain arrogant suavity which often translated into condescension or downright rudeness. He didnt suffer fools and was prone to outbursts of righteous anger. I enjoyed his interpretation even if the stories sometimes faltered. The best of his era (Inferno, Carnival of Monsters, The Green Death) is remarkable sci-fi.

Baker was a little more thoughtful. There was an element of wonder which he brought to the show. Aliens were not always so cut and dried / good and evil, the borders blurred a lot. As mentioned the three Philip Hinchcliffe produced seasons (12-14) predominantly took inspiration from horror stories and IMO were the high point of the show. The very best here (Robots of Death, Seeds of Doom, Genesis of the Daleks) are not just excellent sci-fi, but excellent dramas of their own.

Hartnell & Troughton never quite caught my imagination, despite moments of brilliance, while diminishing returns set in once John Nathan Turner took over production.

I wouldn't want to start a thread on Dr Who, but all you guys have brought back some very golden memories.

Thanks again, Magus, for opening the topic.

  I know this isn't a serious thread but I did re-watch Horns Of The Nimon and I guess
the OP, was having a laugh with us.