36 ms·

Douglas Adams and the exterminated Doctor Who adventure

mapontosevenths 19d ago
The unfinished original is one of my favorites, and the 2017 animated version is also wonderful. I feel like the animated version filled in gaps I hadn't even realized were there in the old one that just had the voice overs. If you like classic who, Adams, or both, and haven't seen it buy the blu-ray!
- cubefox 19d ago
  What are they called?
  - ClearAndPresent 19d ago
    Likely the 2017 Doctor Who Shada release: https://whospecialfeatures.fandom.com/wiki/Shada_(2017_Animated_Edition) https://whospecialfeatures.fandom.com/wiki/Shada_(2017_Anima...
    - mapontosevenths 18d ago
      Exactly so. I just found that it's on prime video (for a few bucks) as well if you don't want the blu-ray features. If you've seen the old VHS version of Shada where Tom Baker narrates the missing pieces, you'll probably enjoy the animated version replacements more. https://www.primevideo.com/region/na/detail/0RNSB5JYFHDMUJ0UF5Q2I2F3Y6?ref_=atv_unknown https://www.primevideo.com/region/na/detail/0RNSB5JYFHDMUJ0U...
  - shagie 18d ago
    Btw, Dr. Who has full episodes on YouTube. Shada | FULL EPISODE with BONUS Animation | Doctor Who: Classic - https://youtu.be/Qt7JdpWXmtE https://youtu.be/Qt7JdpWXmtE The channel is https://www.youtube.com/@ClassicDoctorWho https://www.youtube.com/@ClassicDoctorWho I've been enjoying going through the Tom Baker series... you never forget your first Doctor.
    - ahonhn 18d ago
      I should very much like to watch the Tom Baker seasons again, Sadly, I can see only the 1965 season 3 videos on the channel. The Shada link (and presumably all the rest of it) are "The uploader has not made this video available in your country" :-(
      - deleted 18d ago
        [deleted]
    - cubefox 18d ago
      Seems to be only available in certain countries.
      - shagie 18d ago
        For me, I see things like https://imgur.com/a/ekehKDx https://imgur.com/a/ekehKDx on the page. If I didn't have access to it, I'd be tempted to hunt down a VPN that would allow me to watch it.
philipallstar 19d ago
Who exterminated the 2026 Christmas special[0]? [0] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c621ln7vx7qo https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c621ln7vx7qo
- consumer451 19d ago
  Thanks for posting that. Good to know the BBC is moving on from Davies, and investing in a full season with a new production company. Star Trek is in far worse shape these days. According to Riker, this is the first time in decades where there is no TV or movie even in the planning phase.
  - philipallstar 19d ago
    And Star Wars. Complete train wreck. Disney just has so much money to burn from live action remakes they can limp along.
    - krapp 18d ago
      Main line Star Wars is a train wreck, unfortunately. I was one of the apparently few people who was looking forward to something new, even deconstructive, in the sequel trilogy. I'm so sick of Palpatine vs. Skywalker chosen bloodline nonsense you can't even imagine, and the last thing I want is to have my nostalgia pandered to. The ancillary stuff is a lot better however. I hear good things about Star Wars Visions but I haven't seen it.
    - sien 18d ago
      Andor was really good and only finished in 2025. Star Wars Jedi Survivor was also highly enjoyable. The big films have been sad except for Rogue One. But there is some Star Wars stuff that is out there and is really good.
      - philipallstar 18d ago
        Yes, I agree on Andor. But that was a quiet side-project done by good people, and not the main focus of Kathleen Kennedy and her recruits. Both it and Rogue One were made by Tony Gilroy.
sien 19d ago
The wikipedia entry is well worth a read for anyone interested in this. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shada_(Doctor_Who) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shada_(Doctor_Who) The tie in between Shada and Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective agency is worth noting.
metalman 19d ago
I recoverd a 3/4” studio broadcast VCR/P that when checked, contains a tape that says Doctor Who. I also at once recovered a wire recorder, with a wire spool inside, and another time wax cylinder recorder, with cylinders. All sitting there as minor mysteries. ;)
spiralpolitik 19d ago
There have also been a couple of audio versions over the years (one with Paul McGann). There was also a partial BBC attempt in late 80s/90s that was released on VHS with Tom Baker narrating the missing scenes.
nosrednAhsoJ 19d ago
The book is good, at least...
hedora 18d ago
I recently discovered his text adventure bureaucracy.
ZeroDayDreamer 18d ago
[flagged]
thinkingemote 18d ago
One thing with some modern sci-fi shows is that it's more of a message with a disguise of a story rather than a story with a disguised message. The writers justify the change by saying (correctly) that the message is important and that right now is the most important time to say the message. The message became more important than the vehicle that it travelled in so bad writing is allowed. It's true there's always been a message in these loved shows but not at the expense of story. It's like Christian rock music, it's okay and if you are Christian you might enjoy it both for the message and the music but if you just want good music you are likely not going to enjoy it as much as regular "secular" rock. But there's also rock music that everyone can enjoys which contains (not sure the word to describe it) religious-adjacent themes.
- calvinmorrison 18d ago
  nobody ever got hurt listening to mewithoutyou
  - moate 18d ago
    speak for yourself, I have def been bopping along to The King Beetle and tripped over something at some point :D
- wisty 18d ago
  Nah, politics in shows is great. It's like CGI. It can really make a show pop if it's well thought out, subtle, and feels realistic. People complain about it when it seems to be used as an excuse for a lack other aspects of the show, or it makes everything seem unrealistic because they were more keen on putting it in than actually caring about whether it was realistic or at least made things feel realistic to the viewer. The OG Jurassic Park had lots of politics and lots of CGI. No-one complained about it, because it was well done. If they had a jerkily animated raptor judo flipping a t-rex for no other reason than the director thought it would be cool to include then people would be saying the CGI was awful.
  - TaLiTr 18d ago
pessimizer 18d ago
The part that they generally leave out is that Shada is mostly terrible (although Christopher Neame's delivery as Skagra is very funny and over the top), and Douglas Adams's run on Who was mostly terrible. Adams himself was embarrassed by it, and a remember reading a quote somewhere with him saying that he dodged a bullet by Shada never getting out there. The fan-animated remake is better than the commercially released animated remake, and the guy who did it also redid part of it with early gen AI and that's pretty great, too. The best part of Shada is how awesome Victoria Burgoyne looked in it. Her career went nowhere, but at least she's here.
zem 18d ago
I just recently read the novelisation of "shada"[0]. it was altogether delightful, and reminded me of the time in college when I was a huge fan of dr who novels despite never really getting into the TV show. [0] https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Shada_(novelisation) https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Shada_(novelisation)
mrlonglong 18d ago
Seems like the Doctor Who enemies really has it in for the poor old UK.

The unfinished original is one of my favorites, and the 2017 animated version is also wonderful. I feel like the animated version filled in gaps I hadn't even realized were there in the old one that just had the voice overs. If you like classic who, Adams, or both, and haven't seen it buy the blu-ray!

cubefox 19d ago
What are they called?
- ClearAndPresent 19d ago
  Likely the 2017 Doctor Who Shada release: https://whospecialfeatures.fandom.com/wiki/Shada_(2017_Animated_Edition) https://whospecialfeatures.fandom.com/wiki/Shada_(2017_Anima...
  - mapontosevenths 18d ago
    Exactly so. I just found that it's on prime video (for a few bucks) as well if you don't want the blu-ray features. If you've seen the old VHS version of Shada where Tom Baker narrates the missing pieces, you'll probably enjoy the animated version replacements more. https://www.primevideo.com/region/na/detail/0RNSB5JYFHDMUJ0UF5Q2I2F3Y6?ref_=atv_unknown https://www.primevideo.com/region/na/detail/0RNSB5JYFHDMUJ0U...
- shagie 18d ago
  Btw, Dr. Who has full episodes on YouTube. Shada | FULL EPISODE with BONUS Animation | Doctor Who: Classic - https://youtu.be/Qt7JdpWXmtE https://youtu.be/Qt7JdpWXmtE The channel is https://www.youtube.com/@ClassicDoctorWho https://www.youtube.com/@ClassicDoctorWho I've been enjoying going through the Tom Baker series... you never forget your first Doctor.
  - ahonhn 18d ago
    I should very much like to watch the Tom Baker seasons again, Sadly, I can see only the 1965 season 3 videos on the channel. The Shada link (and presumably all the rest of it) are "The uploader has not made this video available in your country" :-(
    - deleted 18d ago
      [deleted]
  - cubefox 18d ago
    Seems to be only available in certain countries.
    - shagie 18d ago
      For me, I see things like https://imgur.com/a/ekehKDx https://imgur.com/a/ekehKDx on the page. If I didn't have access to it, I'd be tempted to hunt down a VPN that would allow me to watch it.

philipallstar 19d ago

Who exterminated the 2026 Christmas special[0]? [0] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c621ln7vx7qo https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c621ln7vx7qo

consumer451 19d ago
Thanks for posting that. Good to know the BBC is moving on from Davies, and investing in a full season with a new production company. Star Trek is in far worse shape these days. According to Riker, this is the first time in decades where there is no TV or movie even in the planning phase.
- philipallstar 19d ago
  And Star Wars. Complete train wreck. Disney just has so much money to burn from live action remakes they can limp along.
  - krapp 18d ago
    Main line Star Wars is a train wreck, unfortunately. I was one of the apparently few people who was looking forward to something new, even deconstructive, in the sequel trilogy. I'm so sick of Palpatine vs. Skywalker chosen bloodline nonsense you can't even imagine, and the last thing I want is to have my nostalgia pandered to. The ancillary stuff is a lot better however. I hear good things about Star Wars Visions but I haven't seen it.
  - sien 18d ago
    Andor was really good and only finished in 2025. Star Wars Jedi Survivor was also highly enjoyable. The big films have been sad except for Rogue One. But there is some Star Wars stuff that is out there and is really good.
    - philipallstar 18d ago
      Yes, I agree on Andor. But that was a quiet side-project done by good people, and not the main focus of Kathleen Kennedy and her recruits. Both it and Rogue One were made by Tony Gilroy.

sien 19d ago

The wikipedia entry is well worth a read for anyone interested in this. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shada_(Doctor_Who) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shada_(Doctor_Who) The tie in between Shada and Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective agency is worth noting.

metalman 19d ago

I recoverd a 3/4” studio broadcast VCR/P that when checked, contains a tape that says Doctor Who. I also at once recovered a wire recorder, with a wire spool inside, and another time wax cylinder recorder, with cylinders. All sitting there as minor mysteries. ;)

spiralpolitik 19d ago

There have also been a couple of audio versions over the years (one with Paul McGann). There was also a partial BBC attempt in late 80s/90s that was released on VHS with Tom Baker narrating the missing scenes.

nosrednAhsoJ 19d ago

The book is good, at least...

hedora 18d ago

I recently discovered his text adventure bureaucracy.

ZeroDayDreamer 18d ago

[flagged]

thinkingemote 18d ago

One thing with some modern sci-fi shows is that it's more of a message with a disguise of a story rather than a story with a disguised message. The writers justify the change by saying (correctly) that the message is important and that right now is the most important time to say the message. The message became more important than the vehicle that it travelled in so bad writing is allowed. It's true there's always been a message in these loved shows but not at the expense of story. It's like Christian rock music, it's okay and if you are Christian you might enjoy it both for the message and the music but if you just want good music you are likely not going to enjoy it as much as regular "secular" rock. But there's also rock music that everyone can enjoys which contains (not sure the word to describe it) religious-adjacent themes.

calvinmorrison 18d ago
nobody ever got hurt listening to mewithoutyou
- moate 18d ago
  speak for yourself, I have def been bopping along to The King Beetle and tripped over something at some point :D
wisty 18d ago
Nah, politics in shows is great. It's like CGI. It can really make a show pop if it's well thought out, subtle, and feels realistic. People complain about it when it seems to be used as an excuse for a lack other aspects of the show, or it makes everything seem unrealistic because they were more keen on putting it in than actually caring about whether it was realistic or at least made things feel realistic to the viewer. The OG Jurassic Park had lots of politics and lots of CGI. No-one complained about it, because it was well done. If they had a jerkily animated raptor judo flipping a t-rex for no other reason than the director thought it would be cool to include then people would be saying the CGI was awful.
- TaLiTr 18d ago

pessimizer 18d ago

The part that they generally leave out is that Shada is mostly terrible (although Christopher Neame's delivery as Skagra is very funny and over the top), and Douglas Adams's run on Who was mostly terrible. Adams himself was embarrassed by it, and a remember reading a quote somewhere with him saying that he dodged a bullet by Shada never getting out there. The fan-animated remake is better than the commercially released animated remake, and the guy who did it also redid part of it with early gen AI and that's pretty great, too. The best part of Shada is how awesome Victoria Burgoyne looked in it. Her career went nowhere, but at least she's here.

zem 18d ago

I just recently read the novelisation of "shada"[0]. it was altogether delightful, and reminded me of the time in college when I was a huge fan of dr who novels despite never really getting into the TV show. [0] https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Shada_(novelisation) https://tardis.fandom.com/wiki/Shada_(novelisation)

mrlonglong 18d ago

Seems like the Doctor Who enemies really has it in for the poor old UK.