Rating: 
Summary: Outer space? No, more from inner time.
Review: The 100th story of Doctor Who and the third part in the Key To Time sextet is The Stones Of Blood, which is also the only story in that canon to take place on Earth. Makes sense--why should more than one of the Key segments be on Earth?The Doctor and Romana journey to contemporary Earth (1978) and encounter Professor Amelia Rumford and her assistant/neighbor Vivien Fay, who are researching a Gorsedd (stone circle) named the Nine Travellers, whose number has mysteriously changed from six or seven over the centuries. The Doctor investigates a nearby British Institute of Druidic Studies run by the unpleasant Dr. De Vries and is nearly sacrificed to the Celtic goddess Cailleach. Fortunately, he is saved by Rumford. However, in returning to the Institute, he finds DeFries and his assistant Martha killed and the place in a shambles. Both have been attacked by a colossal silicon-based creature, an Ogri. The Doctor realizes that something is really amiss when he discovers paintings of certain woman painted over the ages in the Institute's basement. They are all of Vivien Fay! However, Vivien captures Romana and whisks her off to a spaceship existing in a hyperspatial dimension. Beatrix Lehmann makes Professor Amelia Rumford quite an adorable and tenacious character. In the scene when she and the Doctor and pursued by an Ogri, she pulls out a truncheon and says that in the name of science, it's their duty to try and capture it. The Doctor simply pulls her away. Rumford's tenacity is further demonstrated when Vivien explains that while giving a lecture in NYC, Rumford carried the truncheon with her for fear of being mugged, and was arrested for carrying an offensive weapon (!) She also takes the Doctor's obvious alien origins in stride: "Are you from outer space?" Doctor: "I'm more from what you inner time." Rumford: "Ahh." She makes a wonderful partner and foil, as she is paired at various times with the Doctor, Romana, and K9. Great dialogue: the Doctor has a bit of fun of the Druids at De Vries' expense, saying that John Aubrey invented them as a joke, and later, when he is about to be sacrificed, he rattles on about the knife at his throat: "I hope that knife's been sterilized. ...You can catch all sorts of things from a dirty knife." And when Rumford tells the Doctor that it's impossible for silicon-based creatures to exist, he tells her, "Maybe it doesn't know that." Mary Tamm's fashionable yet again, wearing salmon-coloured blouse, slacks, heels, and cap, and later, in a long red dress. The first two episodes work well as a light horror-mystery, but the subsequent plot of the alien spaceship hovering over the stone circle, the Megara, and the Doctor's trial causes the story to go awry. The Doctor pulling out a cake from a fridge celebrating the show's 100th story, as Tom Baker once suggested, would have improved the story a lot more. Naturally, that idea was nixed.
Rating:
Summary: "I can't read the script..."
Review: The Doctor, Romana and K-9 land on Earth, in hopes of finding the Third Segment to the Key of Time. During their visit in the english countryside, they encounter Druids, ravens & crows, moving stones, and a spaceship in hyperspace. I've always found that "The Stones of Blood" was very underrated. Hailed for the Hammeresque-quality of the first two episodes, and panned for the second half of the story being too boring on the hyperspace vessel. David Fisher's debut in Who is great! Tom Baker is at the height of his powers. The Doctor and Romanna's relationship with Emelia Rumford is wonderful. Her amazement and acceptance of the situation she is in, and her performance as well, help give the story a little believability. Vivien Fay, also is a great OTT character(not as great as another one of Fisher's creation, Lady Adrasta in "The Creature From the Pit") "O-Greeeee" she says repeatedly. And the Megara, well, if you didn't like the last two episodes, don't read anymore, the megara(let's start again) are very hilarious dealing the Doctor's death sentence,"No matter! None can escape the Megara!" And as for the Ogri, well, at least they're original. And Mary Tamm proves that she might be the worst screamer in the entire series. Love the location footage!
Rating:
Summary: "I can't read the script..."
Review: The Doctor, Romana and K-9 land on Earth, in hopes of finding the Third Segment to the Key of Time. During their visit in the english countryside, they encounter Druids, ravens & crows, moving stones, and a spaceship in hyperspace. I've always found that "The Stones of Blood" was very underrated. Hailed for the Hammeresque-quality of the first two episodes, and panned for the second half of the story being too boring on the hyperspace vessel. David Fisher's debut in Who is great! Tom Baker is at the height of his powers. The Doctor and Romanna's relationship with Emelia Rumford is wonderful. Her amazement and acceptance of the situation she is in, and her performance as well, help give the story a little believability. Vivien Fay, also is a great OTT character(not as great as another one of Fisher's creation, Lady Adrasta in "The Creature From the Pit") "O-Greeeee" she says repeatedly. And the Megara, well, if you didn't like the last two episodes, don't read anymore, the megara(let's start again) are very hilarious dealing the Doctor's death sentence,"No matter! None can escape the Megara!" And as for the Ogri, well, at least they're original. And Mary Tamm proves that she might be the worst screamer in the entire series. Love the location footage!
Rating: 
Summary: It's all the rage in Trenton, New Jersey!
Review: THE STONES OF BLOOD was never one of my favorite stories, but thanks to its recent release on DVD I've had time to rewatch it and reevaluate it. It's still not one of the best stories, but it's average enough, though a few bits of sloppy plotting do prevent it from being a more satisfying adventure. It's a good bit of fun, but nothing more serious than that. The first thing that many reviews and commentators mention is how wonderful Beatrix Lehmann is as Professor Rumford. Well, I'm not going to break with convention here. She is indeed absolutely fantastic. She has an excellent rapport with Tom Baker, and she plays well off of Mary Tamm's slightly aloof but naive Romana. In fact, by the time we get to episode four, she even has great chemistry with the K9 prop. A wonderful actress, a great performance, and I couldn't help but wish that the Doctor had ditched Romana and finished the quest for the Key To Time with the slightly batty, but quick-witted elderly professor. It would have made THE ARMAGEDDON FACTOR much more interesting anyway. The story marches forward at a relatively fast pace. Perhaps a little too quickly, as there are several plot elements that are dropped, never to be addressed again. We begin the adventure with a story about modern-day druids practicing blood sacrifices to their weird god, but by the time we reach the ending, this has been completely discarded in favor of Tom Baker fooling around in a barrister's wig. All of the effective atmosphere, gloom and mystery are lost as soon as the action switches to the over-lit spacecraft, and it's only Tom Baker's tomfoolery with two glittery alien-props that give the conclusion any redemption. By the end, there are a few too many questions that were never properly addressed. Why was the Cessair of Diplos going around impersonating Celtic gods? What were her followers doing? Why did she have followers? How did her followers know of the Doctor's impending presence and why would they care? Why was an alien with a fully functioning hyperspace craft and the powers of the Key To Time segment just sitting around on Earth for four thousand years? Each of these unanswered questions (and the many others that the story provides) could be explained away given a sufficiently wily and creative mind, but the story simply doesn't address them, and I found that to be mildly annoying. Unexplained motivations never sit well with me, and I just couldn't figure out what on Earth the Cessair of Diplos was doing. Doctor Who doesn't always have the most thoughtful or realistic villains, but they usually at least have a plan of some sort, even if it is just an insane desire the rule the universe. But here the villain is causing havoc for no good reason that I could see. She was bad merely because the script required her to be bad. Still, there is a lot to like about THE STONES OF BLOOD. The opening episode is sufficiently gloomy. Despite their obvious limitations, the eponymous Stones actually manage to be genuinely creepy as they stalk their way noisily through the English countryside. There's a lot of fun to be had watching the Doctor uncover the mystery, even if it doesn't make much sense. Viewers won't soon forget the Doctor's assurances that electronic dogs like K9 are all the rage in Trenton, New Jersey. Those little sparkles of humor shine like the electronic effects of the alien Megara. Mystery and suspense hold up the first half of the story, and their absence in the second half are just barely replaced with the bizarre humor of the Graham Williams era. From the creative side of the direction there were several small things that I enjoyed. There's a particularly noteworthy sequence that occurs early on in the adventure concerning the Doctor's initial encounter with the Cailleach. The sequence is quite underplayed. Tom Baker is merely walking across a room in an almost casual manner. The shots leading up to this moment have been fairly run-of-the-mill close-ups of people talking intermixed with views around the room. But suddenly the camera switches to a shot of the Cailleach herself in all her feathered glory. There's no dramatic music, no build-up, and it works as a very surprising scene because the viewer simply isn't expecting to see this. If you've let yourself be drawn into the scene as it was unfolding, it's quite a shock to see something completely unexpected like that. It surprises me every time. Little touches like this really help the overall adventure. The commentary track, consisting of Mary Tamm and director Darrol Blake is well worth listening to. The pair discuss the location, the casting, and a host of interesting topics. It's intriguing to hear the story from the director's point of view, and I really like listening to his approach to directing Doctor Who. The production notes are again quite good and highlight a lot of the changes that went into the script between David Fisher's pen and its life in front of the camera. When you throw this disc into the player, just try not to think about it too much. Watch it for the great interactions between Professor Rumford and everyone else. Watch it for the eeriness of the Stones as they chase their victims. Watch it for the funny dialogue that's usually coming from the mouth of Tom Baker. Just don't watch it expecting it to be a tightly plotted adventure, or you'll be disappointed. Turn your critical mindset off and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: It's all the rage in Trenton, New Jersey!
Review: THE STONES OF BLOOD was never one of my favorite stories, but thanks to its recent release on DVD I've had time to rewatch it and reevaluate it. It's still not one of the best stories, but it's average enough, though a few bits of sloppy plotting do prevent it from being a more satisfying adventure. It's a good bit of fun, but nothing more serious than that. The first thing that many reviews and commentators mention is how wonderful Beatrix Lehmann is as Professor Rumford. Well, I'm not going to break with convention here. She is indeed absolutely fantastic. She has an excellent rapport with Tom Baker, and she plays well off of Mary Tamm's slightly aloof but naive Romana. In fact, by the time we get to episode four, she even has great chemistry with the K9 prop. A wonderful actress, a great performance, and I couldn't help but wish that the Doctor had ditched Romana and finished the quest for the Key To Time with the slightly batty, but quick-witted elderly professor. It would have made THE ARMAGEDDON FACTOR much more interesting anyway. The story marches forward at a relatively fast pace. Perhaps a little too quickly, as there are several plot elements that are dropped, never to be addressed again. We begin the adventure with a story about modern-day druids practicing blood sacrifices to their weird god, but by the time we reach the ending, this has been completely discarded in favor of Tom Baker fooling around in a barrister's wig. All of the effective atmosphere, gloom and mystery are lost as soon as the action switches to the over-lit spacecraft, and it's only Tom Baker's tomfoolery with two glittery alien-props that give the conclusion any redemption. By the end, there are a few too many questions that were never properly addressed. Why was the Cessair of Diplos going around impersonating Celtic gods? What were her followers doing? Why did she have followers? How did her followers know of the Doctor's impending presence and why would they care? Why was an alien with a fully functioning hyperspace craft and the powers of the Key To Time segment just sitting around on Earth for four thousand years? Each of these unanswered questions (and the many others that the story provides) could be explained away given a sufficiently wily and creative mind, but the story simply doesn't address them, and I found that to be mildly annoying. Unexplained motivations never sit well with me, and I just couldn't figure out what on Earth the Cessair of Diplos was doing. Doctor Who doesn't always have the most thoughtful or realistic villains, but they usually at least have a plan of some sort, even if it is just an insane desire the rule the universe. But here the villain is causing havoc for no good reason that I could see. She was bad merely because the script required her to be bad. Still, there is a lot to like about THE STONES OF BLOOD. The opening episode is sufficiently gloomy. Despite their obvious limitations, the eponymous Stones actually manage to be genuinely creepy as they stalk their way noisily through the English countryside. There's a lot of fun to be had watching the Doctor uncover the mystery, even if it doesn't make much sense. Viewers won't soon forget the Doctor's assurances that electronic dogs like K9 are all the rage in Trenton, New Jersey. Those little sparkles of humor shine like the electronic effects of the alien Megara. Mystery and suspense hold up the first half of the story, and their absence in the second half are just barely replaced with the bizarre humor of the Graham Williams era. From the creative side of the direction there were several small things that I enjoyed. There's a particularly noteworthy sequence that occurs early on in the adventure concerning the Doctor's initial encounter with the Cailleach. The sequence is quite underplayed. Tom Baker is merely walking across a room in an almost casual manner. The shots leading up to this moment have been fairly run-of-the-mill close-ups of people talking intermixed with views around the room. But suddenly the camera switches to a shot of the Cailleach herself in all her feathered glory. There's no dramatic music, no build-up, and it works as a very surprising scene because the viewer simply isn't expecting to see this. If you've let yourself be drawn into the scene as it was unfolding, it's quite a shock to see something completely unexpected like that. It surprises me every time. Little touches like this really help the overall adventure. The commentary track, consisting of Mary Tamm and director Darrol Blake is well worth listening to. The pair discuss the location, the casting, and a host of interesting topics. It's intriguing to hear the story from the director's point of view, and I really like listening to his approach to directing Doctor Who. The production notes are again quite good and highlight a lot of the changes that went into the script between David Fisher's pen and its life in front of the camera. When you throw this disc into the player, just try not to think about it too much. Watch it for the great interactions between Professor Rumford and everyone else. Watch it for the eeriness of the Stones as they chase their victims. Watch it for the funny dialogue that's usually coming from the mouth of Tom Baker. Just don't watch it expecting it to be a tightly plotted adventure, or you'll be disappointed. Turn your critical mindset off and enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: "Does your Cailleach ride a bicycle?"
Review: This adventure, the third in the Key to Time saga, is a wonderfully dark, creepy horror tale full of sprawling moors, druids, Celtic goddesses and ravens, which then changes into a sci-fi/courtroom drama. It has wonderful incidental music and audio effects, especially the unsettling but atmospheric sound we hear whenever the Key to Time or the third segment are referred to. From the very beginning the story generates a sense of unease and terror, especially so after the brevity of the previous adventure ("The Pirate Planet"). There is interesting direction and camerawork (the soft focus scenes on the moors, for example) and the Cailleach has always terrified me - watching the scene when she is alone in the circle at night always sends a chill up my spine. "The Stones of Blood" is full of other memorable moments. The campers in episode three, the stones lumbering through the bushes (although the matador moment at the cliff edge is a bit silly) - and Beatrix Lehmann's delightful performance as Professor Rumford. When the story switches to the hyperspace vessel, it loses its horror tones, which I find a little disappointing, but nevertheless essential to the plot. This is the very first Doctor Who story I saw as a whole, way back in 1980, so I suppose it holds a special place in my heart. Watching it reinforces both nostalgic memories and the fact that it's a superbly written, directed and acted adventure.
Rating:
Summary: A Theortical Absurdity!!
Review: This is a terrific episode of Dr. Who. It's the 3rd installment of the Key to Time series and brings the Dr. and Romana to Earth at an ancient stone circle, the 9 Travellers. During their investigation, they uncover a spaceship trapped in hyperspace hovering over the circle. The stones are a silicon-based organisn that need gobulin to live, hence the blood sacrifice. These Orgi (ogres) serve Vivian Fey, actually an alien outlaw from Delos. Fey is stranded (?) on Earth and has used the circle for 4,000 years to control the surrounding lands as a deity/goddess.
Fey captures Romana and travels to hyperspace, followed by the Dr. who releases the Magara, justice machines that condemn the Dr. to death for releasing them. The trial is humorous and ends up with Fey being recognized as the outlaw that the Magara were after and condemned to perpetual confinement at a Traveller.
A fun episode but it leaves so many questions unanswered.
Who pushed Romana off the cliff? If the circle were built to mark the place of the hyperspace ship and Fey's coming and going, what about the other stone circles? Was Vivian Fey also Morgana leFey of Arthurian legend? Why do the number of Travellers keep changing? What happened to the Magara? Dr. Who just snapped his fingers and they disappeared.
The Key to Time series is an excellent series because it reminds the Time Lords that they are not the supreme powers in the universe.
This episode marks the 100th time that Tom Baker played Dr. Who and everything shows it. The dialogue is witty, the characters are protrayed wonderfully and there is a familiarity about the entire set that makes watching it a pleasure.
Rating:
Summary: The Docotor and Roman must battle rock aliens and more!
Review: To find the third segment of the Key , the Doctor and Romana go off to Earth. The TARDIS lands near a stone circle. A woman and her assistant are studying the rock circle origin. Romna is sent off to hyperspace by way of the third segment. The Doctor follows with the help of K9.In hyperspace the time travellers release some aliens who were sent to try a criminal. The assistant turns out to be the criminal they were looking for. The aliens destroy her and her rock henchmen Orgi(rock aliens that feed on human blood! ) The Doctor and Romana leave with the thrird piece of the Key to Time.In this case it's a necklase worn by one of the women looking into the circles origin! Next stop the planet of Tara and it's androids!
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful classic Who...
Review: What slugs? Where? There were lots of crows... Hmm, and glitzy justice machines, and killer standing stones that just won't stand still :) And a mad old lady professor, and Romana clumping around in hilarious heels. This is a good one, and probably my favorite key to time episode. Totally gothic, totally brit and totally weird. Yes, it is silly, but that's the fun of Doctor Who. Well worth the price. Did I mention the usual great performance by Tom Baker, our hero?
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