Last week we publicized a contest in which we gave away three prizes of a new Doctor Who novel, paired with a DVD of a classic Doctor Who episode. Thank you to everyone who sent in contest entries! It was great to read about all of your favorite Who episodes. Here are the contributions of our randomly selected contest winners:From Laura in Illinois:
I think "Vincent and the Doctor" [from the fifth season of the rebooted Doctor Who] was really amazing and spoke to me on a few different levels. As an artist, I adored it. Very clever and quick, and I always appreciate a good art history joke. Touching on depression in such a way was also very nice. I'm glad they didn't just wash over that part and instead gave a realistic hope with the sadness. It was visually lovely as well. Lots of warm yellows was a nice touch.
From Jacob in South Carolina:
I think "An Unearthly Child" [the very first Doctor Who serial] is one of the most influential (and quite good) episodes. It started the whole thing, of course. The grainy, low-res, black and white picture seems almost magical as the theme begins, and a policeman wanders past the strange junkyard on Totter's Lane.
Through the eyes of companions, two of Susan Foreman's teachers, Ian and Barbara, we discover that her home is a junkyard with a strange box in it...and inside, a huge spaceship with a grumpy old man called the Doctor, who starts "Ship," his TARDIS and takes them away...
From Max in Indiana:
I think "The Eleventh Hour" [the first episode of the fifth season of the new Who] is one of the most interesting episodes in Doctor Who history. It's only an hour long, but it still surprises me just how much it accomplished. Of course it was no easy feat to let people accept Matt Smith, but the episode did it. More than that, it introduced a new companion for a new era. Most of all, it introduced a story that still isn't completely over. A story that was set up for years to come. It started out so simple, but it clearly wasn't the case. And there's a lot to be studied from how Moffat used his arc and how he set it up. As each Season passes by it seems like each arc is part of something bigger. And it's amazing that he distilled it to something so small for that one episode. If nothing else, the episode proved that despite its 50 year old run, it's got loads more stories to tell and won't stop for a very long time, no matter how hard it is to get over the last guy.
From Max in Indiana:
I think "The Eleventh Hour" [the first episode of the fifth season of the new Who] is one of the most interesting episodes in Doctor Who history. It's only an hour long, but it still surprises me just how much it accomplished. Of course it was no easy feat to let people accept Matt Smith, but the episode did it. More than that, it introduced a new companion for a new era. Most of all, it introduced a story that still isn't completely over. A story that was set up for years to come. It started out so simple, but it clearly wasn't the case. And there's a lot to be studied from how Moffat used his arc and how he set it up. As each Season passes by it seems like each arc is part of something bigger. And it's amazing that he distilled it to something so small for that one episode. If nothing else, the episode proved that despite its 50 year old run, it's got loads more stories to tell and won't stop for a very long time, no matter how hard it is to get over the last guy.
Again, thank you to all those who sent in their favorite Doctor Who episodes--and thank you to Broadway Paperbacks for the fantastic prizes!
