Your favorite 'Guity Pleasure' or 'Unsung Classic' Story?

Every time I get a classic story on DVD, chances are it's been well over ten or fifteen years since I've seen that story, so it's very much like approaching each story fresh.  

There's a number of Doctor Who stories I remember not liking very much, others just have a negative reputation in the fan community. More often than not, when I watch THOSE stories those stories on DVD, and am pleasantly surprised that I enjoy the stories a lot more than I'd expected!

This has got me wondering if any of you have had the same experience.

We all have our favorites, but do you have any 'favorite' Doctor Who stories that you might also consider a 'guilty pleasures'... ie, stories that many other fans rate low, but in spite of which you think are fun, enjoyable stories?

Have you discovered a new appreciation for a story you used to dislike or not particularly care for?

My guilty pleasure is "The Horns of Nimon". I have heard so many negative comments about this story from other fans that over the years that I'd completely forgotten how much I personally loved this story as a child. Watching on DVD brought back so many happy memories. Yes, it might be campy, but it is SO much fun to watch!

I used to dislike "The Aztecs". It has a good reputation in the fan community, but I remembered as being boring until I got it on DVD. I really like it now. It's a quite compelling drama. In fact all of the Hartnell stories fair better than my memory allows, a fact I attribute to the excellent restoration work which makes for much better picture and clearer dialogue and sound.

I also quite liked "The Mutants" when I got it on DVD.  I remembered this story as being slow... and it is, but in spite of its length and pace I think it's a great story.

I really enjoy Aliens of London/World War Three and always have, even though it generally unloved. And like you, I appreciate The Mutants more now than I used to.

For me, it's The Space Museum, The Dominators, The Krotons, Horns of Nimon, Nightmare of Eden, & Love & Monsters.

All rated very low by the masses but some of my favourites.

I like Warriors' Gate myself, as well as Nimon & Eden. I'm also fond of State of Decay.

Ah... I'd forgotten about "Eden". I have fond memories of that one too! I look foward to seeing it on DVD and seeing if I still feel the same way. I bet I will, I'm a sucker for comedy accents and Tryst's was a good 'un... and without giving too much away, that comedy provided a nice bit of misdirection for the viewer.

Wow... I can't believe I remembered that character's name.

I just watched The Sun Makers on DVD, and I just can't tell you how thrilled I am that I can now watch this story whenever I want. It doesn't rank high on most fans' lists, but it's one of my favorites: I like my sci-fi with a dose of tongue-in-cheek social satire (probably why I don't despise Paradise Towers and The Happiness Patrol like so many fans do), and The Sun Makers delivers.

mysterylad wrote:

I just watched The Sun Makers on DVD, and I just can't tell you how thrilled I am that I can now watch this story whenever I want. It doesn't rank high on most fans' lists, but it's one of my favorites: I like my sci-fi with a dose of tongue-in-cheek social satire (probably why I don't despise Paradise Towers and The Happiness Patrol like so many fans do), and The Sun Makers delivers.

Me too! I wasn't sure about buying these two (Sun-makers and Paradise) because they aren't known to be as widely popular, but I'm really glad I got them, I've loved both very much.

The Sun Makers is so delightfully critical of taxation and corporate government; I loved it as a kid, and now that I'm an adult living in a world of rampant taxation and corporate government, it's even funnier!

I don't view liking a serial that the masses have decreed bad as a guilty pleasure, because I don't consider what the masses deem good or bad in what I personally like or dislike. No guilt involved at all.

With the exception of Greatest Show, I like all the Doc 7 serials, and rank him top 4 Docs all time easily. Many don't like him as the Doc at all, many don't like his first season, many don't like Mel... too bad for them.

Many don't like Ghost Light in particular because they don't 'get it'. It's my favorite story of the entire classic series.

Many hate on Varos. I don't mind it at all.


As far as stories I dislike, I find my tastes are pretty much static. The ones I don't like are always the ones I have to force myself to get through during marathons. Once it's on my dislike list, it's there to stay

ok, although this was before his "dark" turn, paradise towers holds a special place for me. it had such great elements. a hitler like villain, different gangs, the doctor having to get everyone to work together to survive, cannibals, and of course, pex. the ending, when i was a kid, was so sad, and then when the tardis took off, with the graffiti "pex lives" behind it, really hit me. i almost think subconciously it influenced moffat for the end of the girl in the fireplace.

Paradise Towers always reminds me of '60s Who, for some reason. Take away the crappy synth music, and you can almost imagine it shot in B&W!

mysterylad wrote:

Take away the crappy synth music, and you can almost imagine it shot in B&W!

I was I could take away the crappy synth music. It's one of the main problems I have watching episodes from that era...

I wish the DVD's would let you do that. They have this (what I find to be) useless option of "music only". I want an option of "music off".

Really, I'm not sure what I've got that would qualify as a "Guilty Pleasure". I supposed The Unquiet Dead and The Idiot's Lantern would both qualify in that category.

As for Unsung Classics, I gotta go with Revelation of the Daleks. I absolutely adore this story.

I always enjoy Delta and the Bannermen. I think it is the action and the music that does it. And it really has a great cast, too.

Ronpur wrote:

I always enjoy Delta and the Bannermen. I think it is the action and the music that does it. And it really has a great cast, too.

Yup. Ray should have been a companion.

Cruel Angel wrote:

Ronpur wrote:

I always enjoy Delta and the Bannermen. I think it is the action and the music that does it. And it really has a great cast, too.

Yup. Ray should have been a companion.

She almost was,but then,we would not have had Ace!

I really like Invasion Of The Dinosaurs. No idea if it's popular or not, but I guess the dinos are a bit silly. I grin the entire time I'm watching it however.

Also I don't think The Gunfighters is that bad.

Day of the Daleks has to be in my top 5 Dalek story's... people whine about the dalek voices but when I was 5 years old they sounded amazing to me and sparked my love of Dr. Who. I cant wait for the new DVD to be released soon!!

I have soft spots for
The Web Planet
Time and the Rani
The Happiness Patrol

ogron wrote:

Day of the Daleks has to be in my top 5 Dalek story's... people whine about the dalek voices but when I was 5 years old they sounded amazing to me and sparked my love of Dr. Who. I cant wait for the new DVD to be released soon!!

I have soft spots for
The Web Planet
Time and the Rani
The Happiness Patrol

I never understood the issue with the Dalek voices either.

Earthshock. It's kind of a 'guilty pleasure'. I don't like it due to its acting or story, just because Adric gets killed. BOOM.

Delta and the Bannermen always impressed me. Not alot of folks like that one. And lots of the Sixth Doctor stories. He always struck me as a more complex Doctor. And it's cool to see even the limited character development he had in his short tenure.

Cruel Angel wrote:

I don't view liking a serial that the masses have decreed bad as a guilty pleasure, because I don't consider what the masses deem good or bad in what I personally like or dislike. No guilt involved at all.

With the exception of Greatest Show, I like all the Doc 7 serials, and rank him top 4 Docs all time easily. Many don't like him as the Doc at all, many don't like his first season, many don't like Mel... too bad for them.

Many don't like Ghost Light in particular because they don't 'get it'. It's my favorite story of the entire classic series.

Many hate on Varos. I don't mind it at all.


As far as stories I dislike, I find my tastes are pretty much static. The ones I don't like are always the ones I have to force myself to get through during marathons. Once it's on my dislike list, it's there to stay

WOW! This is kind of freaky becuase we think almost exactly alike.

The Seventh Doctor is my third favorite Doctor of all time.

Ghostlight is one of my all-time favorite episodes. How could you NOT like a story about a bad guy whose life's work is cataloging Earth's animals only to find his work has become irrelevant becuase all the animals evolved? That is one of the most creative bad guys I have seen in a long time.

I also enjoy Varos and really like Sil!

Right now I am watching one of my favorite episodes of the entire series: State of Decay.

I don't know if it is a 'guilty pleasure', but it seems to be an episode that gets little talk or discussion.

It has a nice classic 'horror' feel to it. And a creative take on the 'stake through the heart' to defeat a vampire.

It is also nice to see the Doctor with a companion who is is equal. The Doctor and Romana were a nice change from the typical Doctor/helpless companion relationaship.

vengence on varos, is a fav guilty pleasure, although when i watched the other day i found it oddly relevent to today's politcal and socioeconomic struggle. just a solid episode.

i love paradise towers as well, but part of that was watching those mcoy stories with your friends who would just make them better by finding the fun in things you might miss. one of my friends just loved the kangs and his infectious love for them was intoxicating and i always think of him when i watch it. ice hot doctor, ice hot!

Just finished watching The Gunfighters. Wasn't nearly as bad as I heard it was. Though that song that kept playing was just awful. Wish they had a feature to turn it off.

the chase- it is so cheesy it is so good...
frankenstein...daleks...bad acting- but a great main cast...

battlefield- Loved the unit characters- brig- made the poor story more endearing.