Chez Wombat

Oops sorry I missed this, I finished 18th/24 in this last time so I suppose 13th/21 is a minor improvement x Pleased I at least got a few big scores, many thanks for voting for this scandi beauty (that's not really pop or Schlager at all but ssshhhh xx) Congrats Rich! Was a very enjoyable retro song and most of my votes did pretty well there so all good, thanks for hosting (and keeping the spin-off forum alive), Noche! Done! Anymore that need adding (now I've worked out how to do these)?

Closing Time - James Corden in anything devalues it so can't say I've revisited it much x (I don't recall much else about it, just another waste of the Cybermen) The Ghost Monument - This was where Chibnall's weaknesses really started to show, a lot of issues here persisted throughout the series. The Doctor scolding Ryan about using a gun (with bland acting as per) when she would go on to detonate them was a choice indeed x The Church of Ruby Road - This was honestly a pretty decent first outing for Fifteen, the goblins were a bit of a silly villain and the song is just an absolute mistake but it's not as juvenile as Space Babies and there was some really good tension when Ruby disappeared. The Doctor allowing the villain to be impaled though felt very out of character and jarred with the tone. The Name of the Doctor - Oh, that's rather low! True it's heavy on ideas and exposition, but it was still emotional and thrilling, and was a great set-up for the anniversary specials that followed. The Great Intelligence weren't quite as effective as they first appeared, but they had a great design and concept. Once, Upon Time - An interesting experiment, but didn't quite work as a whole. It didn't really serve as any substantial development to any of the characters, just flashbacks that didn't advance the plot and added a whole lot of confusion. Just one of many examples in the series of too much thrown at the wall and not all of it sticking. Kill The Moon - Certainly an interesting one that I have mixed feelings about. I thought the main plot wasn't particularly engaging and would have been a bit filler-y, the moon being an egg is the show jumping the shark if ever I've seen one, but the Doctor doing possibly one of the cruelest things he's done and Clara's completely scathing reaction was so striking. As said, I really loved the arc of someone so trusting and sensitive struggling to adapt to someone completely the opposite and I think Capaldi was the perfect person to portray this and I think that added a real sense of gravitas to what was otherwise a pretty average episode. Night Terrors - Definitely a bit better than a lot of child horror episodes, but it's still just ultimately filler like a lot of these episodes are. I did really like the doll's design, quite creepy. The Unquiet Dead - Oh I think this is too low, admittedly S1 is almost all killer no filler so it's not amongst the best of that year, but I wouldn't rank it the lowest by any means (especially when both Slitheen episodes are still to come?!), I love the historical episodes and this added a deeper sense of morality between the conflict between humans and ghosts, and I like the slower moments too as it makes us care about the characters a bit more. The Return of Doctor Mysterio - Not sure I needed Doctor Who's take on a superhero story (bloody MCU interfering in everything at the time x), but it was OK for what it was, not one I revisit though. The Long Game - I think this is a more worthy of being low in S1, it's filler but goes to show how good that season was. The ethics of journalism subplot is interesting, but the sci-fi concept just feels very dated nowadays. Simon Pegg is underutilised and the villain is not the most remarkable, the dumping of the utterly useless Adam was wonderful though, the rare moment of a show knowing how pointless he was. Tooth and Claw - I think this is still a solid episode even if it doesn't measure up to the very best of S2, the early seasons did historical episodes really well and the sense of suspense and dread before we see the werewolf is really great. The Queen Victoria running gags got a bit overused though. The Idiot's Lantern - There was an interesting exploration of domestic abuse here which is commendable for a show that has a young audience. Otherwise, it's definitely towards the lower end of the season, the threat was ruined a but by the poorly executed conclusion. The Vampires of Venice - I guess we needed an episode like this after Flesh and Stone, but it's very forgettable and there's not much about it that invites a rewatch,

Hype to Night Tapes indeed (always love a Terra recycle, although guessing they'll do even better x), their material has been really good this era, not as good as helix but still great. they are also the only BJSC act of mine I've met in person I'm admittedly not sure of my chances this time, due to the quick contest turnover I just sent a song I've been really liking recently, but I'm hoping the vibes can click with others like it did with me (and maybe make up for Lava La Rue's other two DNQs which I forgot completely sorry x)

Yeah, looking back, I think Space Babies was their first real muck up. I imagine that would've put a lot of people off instantly and especially with only eight episodes. There was so many other ways they could've given new viewers a flavour of Doctor Who that was more fun/monster of the week, hell a Dalek episode would’ve been perfect given they were going for a soft reboot.

The Girl Who Died - Similar thoughts to it's successor earlier, unmemorable two parter that just seemed like an excuse to show they have Maisie Williams. The Eaters of Light - You'd think with Romans and whatnot I'd remember this, but it's not coming to mind, I recall the threat/conclusion being underwhelming as is often the case with these filler episodes. Survivors of the Flux - Oh boy, Flux was a mess (impressive for the pandemic though I do agree), but I did think it had great parts to it, this though is a lesson on how to completely kill tension built in the last episode. The companions are still such blank slates and the adventures were so unengaging and convoluted and it was sadly where the story started to fall apart with how quickly we were on a path to the finale. The Curse of the Black Spot - Fun idea having the Doctor on Pirate ships and all, but a bit throwaway in execution. Empress of Mars - I'm sorry, I'm sounding like a broken record but this is just yet more filler I don't remember, I don't think the Ice Warriors have been well utilised in the new series. Can You Hear Me? - This was one of Chibnall's better episodes, and I really appreciated the, um, attempt at character development, it didn't fully work as none of these characters come back and some plotlines were unresolved but it was better than we had so far. There were some nice art styles in this episode, but it suffered from an unmemorable villain and poor conclusion. I do agree that the Doctor's line to Graham was really badly done and tone deaf, this iteration was clearly more peppy than the one before and while it's not out of character to be awkward, there's a way to do it more subtly than...that lol 42 - I did enjoy the timed concept, but a lot of liberties were taken! I've got some good nostalgia for it as I have all of Eleven's era, but it's definitely a filler episode. Space Babies - Tbh I'm not sure how to judge the RTD2/Fifteen era right now, I'm still a bit angry as to the uncertainty and how they left off, but we'll get to that as we go...I hated this on first watch as, well, it's babies in space with a monster made of snot. Looking back, it's harmless and just not really what I look for in the show, but compared to other more silly episodes to open eras like Partners in Crime and Smith and Jones, it's just really lacking that drama to balance out the silliness.

ooh the Japanese Breakfast song has a fab chorus indeed, great pick <3 Quite a few other artists I know, but not the songs x

Your second paragraph is complete misinformed nonsense which is quite dangerous to spread. Asylum seekers DO NOT all get free money automatically, only the most destitute while their asylum is processed, and they get about £50 a week to cover food. clothing, toiletries etc. (£10 a week if your meals are provided), slightly more is given to families and pregnant women. There must also be clear evidence that you need this, god knows where you think they're getting a free phone or driving lessons from, I assume a Facebook post. You can read a bit more here for some actual facts: https://nrpfnetwork.org.uk/information-and-resources/rights-and-entitlements/support-options-for-people-with-nrpf/home-office-support, https://www.gov.uk/asylum-support Legally, asylum seekers have to be housed while their claims are processed. They are put in basic hotels which they don't get a choice with, where else would you put them in line with our basic obligation to cover Human Rights? In cages? I think going back to school and learning media literacy wouldn't be the worst thing, as all this post shows is you're far too prone to accept tabloid/social media misinformation.

I think the only hope we have is that some f***-up in the next four years of their own making destroys their name, it's definitely possible given they are a completely incompetent party politically and have no concrete plans outside of rage-baiting and keeping the media and far right on their side. I also think the Tories could clear themselves up if they got a more competent leader that can better put them as an alternative, Badenoch is completely holding them back. The locals will do wonders for them though and if the election were held today, they'd probably win big. It also will depend on what happens in the US election, a Democrat government I think would be less good for them with international relations. It's really quite concerning with flags lining the streets and blatant misinformation and rhetoric being twisted in ways to paint migrants as the sole issue hampering our country and threatening our national identity (legally we have to house migrants while they claim asylum, anything else would be a violation of human rights, but that involves reading comprehension beyond the headlines). I think we're heading in a bad direction.

Gosh, you work fast, catching up! The Tsuranga Countdown - don't feel there's much else to say there x (I can't remember much about this one, just a generic space episode with bad Chibnall writing, the pregnant man was a slightly baffling edition, and them genuinely acting like an oversized moshi monster was the most fearsome creature on the planet) Legend of the Sea Devils - Was cool to see a classic villain return and they looked very good, but otherwise this was an unremarkable special with the usual contrivances that lumbered this era, I'll credit it with some great underwater shots and the Doctor/Yaz relationship could've been good had it been handled well. Love & Monsters - Ah, remember when this was the most hated episode? Good times x There have been good, even fantastic, Doctor-lite episodes, but this was not one of them (not that I expected much given the villain was the result of a children's competition), mainly cos the protagonist wasn't really that likeable, Jackie was definitely the best thing about it. The Woman Who Lived - I remember so little about this and it's predecessor apart from Maisie Williams' Me who was never executed that well, this was peak Game of Thrones time so the fact she was there probably sacrificed a decent story, and...a lion I think. I don't remember it being anything special though x Victory of the Daleks - I think this is a great concept, especially given the Daleks are inspired by the Nazis, and 'Would you like some tea' coming from a Dalek is incredible indeed, but it was just a bit naff in it's execution, with the pastel coloured Daleks and space battles. Not bad, just a bit throwaway. Hide - Another one I remember very little about, Haunted House episodes and Doctor Who have never been the best combination. Praxeus - Better than Orphan 55, but still another really bad Chibnall climate change episode with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, quite literally jumping from one scenario to the next with no character development or plot given space to breathe, some characters died and there was next to no reaction from anyone lmao The Lie of the Land - The Monks three parter had a lot of potential and they looked great, but it wasn't the best and ended up feeling very unsatisfying. I didn't think blindsiding his companion was necessarily out of character for the Doctor though as he did the same in Kill the Moon, while he had made progress, it showed he was still prone to not always think of how others feel in times of danger (incidentally, I did find that one of the most interesting Doctor arcs and Capaldi portrayed it beautifully) Let's Kill Hitler - This in the midst of this super-confusing River Song storyline which I admittedly haven't revisited it much, there were good episodes here despite this but I don't recall this being remarkable. Arachnids in the UK - The title's great, otherwise it's one of my least favourite episodes. I just can't fathom who thought the Doctor would seriously think that trapping and suffocating spiders is more humane than just shooting them and ending it quickly (I don't understand why they had to die at all, couldn't she have just used the TARDIS to trap them and take them to another dimension where they're more at home or something? There clearly weren't that many given all of the spiders were seemingly drawn to that hotel), you know the writing's bad when you make the obvious Trump parody (very much necessary xx) look correct. The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe - This episode's a bit overhated, it's not bad just cliched and schmaltzy, but I do find it quite cute, maybe I have a soft spot for literary sci-fi recreations. Fear Her - The other obvious dud from S2, I do admire it as a time capsule as to how the 2012 Olympics looked from 2006, but that pretty much kills any replay value as it's firmly rooted in it's time (Shayne Ward's Greatest Hits tour!!), the concept had potential but the show's never been good with child-themed horror and the conclusion feels too cheesy. I didn't hate it at the time, but would never rewatch.

Oh I very nearly entered that one as I have zero memory of the last spin-off so...that's a relief! (Had to remind myself of my own entry for that, wasn't one of my better choices x), I had no potentials for this so just found this on reddit from nine years ago, it's slower than the other one but still beautiful <3

Great to see this, I've been getting more into the show recently with the 20th anniversary and I went to a special event held by the BFI where they watched a few S1 episodes and had a few cast members there. If you don't mind, I'll try and comment on these as you go, I can't promise I'll keep this up but we'll see how we go x Dinosaurs on a Spaceship - Y'know I'd probably rank this last or close to it too, it's a stupid episode that would be something I'd just file under forgettable fluff (Mitchell and Webb as Robots were really badly used), but that last, cold act by the Doctor of mercilessly killing the villain (who really wasn't that bad by the standard of villains) leaves a really bad taste in my mouth. It didn't come back or play into anything in the Doctor's Arc later either, just a horrendous out of character moment that sours the whole episode for me. Nightmare in Silver - I don't have many strong feelings towards this one, but it's definitely just a forgettable filler episode, given it had the Cybermen though, that's not great and a real waste of one of the greatest and most tragic enemies. They were portrayed as pretty unthreatening here and the chess game was a load of talky mumbo-jumbo. In The Forest of the Night - Pretty weak, quite literally nothing happens, and there's a weird preachy message at the end that doesn't work. Defining filler so much they forgot to write anything for it. The Rings of Akhaten - Admittedly my memory of this is fuzzy (mid-era Moffat did get exasperating with the Impossible girl storyline), but I didn't really mind this one much? Nothing amazing but diverting enough for a standalone, the singing was a bit naff but there's been cringier singing in the show x Sleep No More - Little memory of this one (didn't help that it was a single parter in a season of two parters), but found footage was getting tired in 2016 and from what I recall, it really didn't work in a show like Doctor Who, pass x Orphan 55 - Too high xx One of the worst episodes of the show ever, I actually can find very little to enjoy at all here - I guess Benny is quite unintentionally funny. Too many non-existent characters (I couldn't name one of them asides from Benny!), twist that doesn't work, rushed story, no atmosphere and the message delivery was eye-rolling to the extent it was downright insulting. The best way to deliver social commentary within sci-fi is to use subtlety and to show not tell, which the show's done well before which made this condescending lecture even more shocking. I know there's a younger audience, but they are not that stupid that they need it quite literally spelled out. grr, this episode aggravates me! The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos - I didn't hate this, but it was a disappointing end to a poor season. Indeed, no stakes at all, Tzim-Sha (or Tim Shaw x) is a really weak villain that went from literally shrinking the Earth to being shoved in a glass cage, and Graham's arc wasn't really fleshed out - he just says he's gonna kill Tzim, then he doesn't, there's nothing building up to this and it's telling not showing, one of the many problems that Chibnall had.

Well that's a decisive win for sure! Congrats dandy*, while I was getting a little tired of the 'winner with a previous top 10' trend we seem to be stuck on this year, I can't deny this was a fab entry that I couldn't have snubbed. Ajanaeda and R'dA were in my commiserations so I very nearly voted for that whole top 8! Great stuff, was the best entry for Kathaldazia for a while so wonderful to see it as high as 2nd, wasn't sure if the SyncTube hype would translate. Thanks for hosting, Silas, was great to follow a different kind of results presentation!

There it is, thanks Dan <3 and Frank as well, great to see both top 10, I wouldn't have called that for the latter.

aww I cursed it but still a great result for Mabe Fratti <3

Right can stop fervently refreshing 😅 Will gladly take 15th, thanks very much all for the votes, seems like the majority came from the DNQs but I guess I can expect a few more from some still to come, thanks to Jade for the big points (this being a bit of a 13 magnet x) Hoping for top 10 for Rontvia from my big points, shame my 18 just missed the top half x Would be very surprised if Fljotavik isn't a runaway winner unless I've missed something x

Hooray top 20! Bit of a drought there but somehow afloat, thanks to Iz and Bre in particular. Aelandor deserved higher, though not a bad position for a song of that style.

Skall deserved better, though was pleasantly surprised that even qualified x

Can only hope the finalists have been as kind to me as the DNQ nations! Good luck all x

Well that's a way to start <3 Thank you Mack/!!!

ooh I like that concept, no waiting around through various painful points droughts to see you flop! 😅 Just hoping for a decent placing with this now it made past the semi hurdle

Kool And The Gang - Celebration Abba - Super Trouper Jona Lewie - Stop The Cavalry Adam And The Ants - Antmusic Kate Bush - December Will Be Magic Again* Diana Ross and Blondie just outside, not a lot of great discoveries cos of all the Christmas silliness but Spandau Ballet, The Clash and Gary Numan were good songs I didn't already know I don't usually do Worst, but I do want to single this rather heinous thing out (yes, St. Winifreds was better x) Mac Davis - It's Hard To Be Humble

I was struggling to remember what the 2nd song was, I was sure it had already been given all the modern songs seemed to not do as well here, but that's a great surprise result. It's a fantastic song, I prefer it in A-Trak remix form but both are great, The winner is slightly less unexpected but no qualms with it at all, it's a beautiful, simple song that connects with just about everyone. It's context of creation is lovely too as one of the songs that was more hopeful in the drama-filled Abbey Road recording sessions. Below them, Champagane Supernova and The Sound of Silence were my favourite 2 left,. I would say the former is much less of a blatant rip-off of the Beatles than some of their songs, it works really work well as an homage to psychedelia, the mid-90s soundscape and the lyrics ('slowly walking down the hall, faster than a cannonball') are as Oasis as you can get x Shame it hasn't yet managed to get top 40 on the back of the tour, but guess that works better for this rate and it need not be said at this rate, but Sound of Silence is one of the most profound and beautiful songs ever written, I do have a soft spot for the Disturbed cover as well x I can't really fault any of that top 10 even though none were quite at the top of my votes, all very clear classics that have aged really well. Thank you for the excellent effort you put into hosting this, gasman, it's been great to follow.

Definitely a worthy number 1 of the year however many polls put it there, it was just light years ahead of almost everything at the time and still sounds so distinctive to this day, I was 9 at the time and I even remember it standing out then! I don't mind that version of Lady Marmalade, I grew up with it and it fits the vibe of Moulin Rouge, however messy it is with all the different vocal styles. Touch Me has unfortunately always gone a bit over my head, Another Chance is better out of the random dance number 1s this year, but Survivor is a classic. I think this would be my top 10, roughly: Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out of My Head Roger Sanchez - Another Chance Destinys Child - Survivor Atomic Kitten - Whole Again S Club 7 - Don't Stop Movin' So Solid Crew - 21 Seconds (robbed in this countdown x) Emma Bunton - What Took You So Long Shaggy feat. RikRok - It Wasn't Me DJ Pied Piper & The Master of Ceremonies - Do You Really Like It? Daniel Bedingfield - Gotta Get Thru This There are a fair few guilty pleasures here, but 2001 is generally quite a poor year overall with not a lot of favourites. Thanks for hosting Wardy, would love this becoming a regular thing for a different poster per year if that is happening x

Well, the Alaska summit between Trump and Putin, not involving Zelenskyy, about trying to resolve the war was, to the surprise of absolutely no one, a waste of time and money with no deal reached.g I could've predicted that about a week ago but somehow the media were hyping this up as really significant... Maybe a failed distraction tactic with the Epstein files, but given how quickly he thought he could end this war, he is really failing.

Good to know that some reboots can still work well, I really enjoyed this, I love the original films, as well as the Airplane! movies which had a similar style and I think this did a brilliant job in replicating that style, with so many gags at once on the screen, I particularly liked Cold Cases and P.L.O.T Device as well as 'Can I ask why?'. Liam Neeson was also perfectly deadpan (he's about ten years older now than Leslie Nielsen was when he played the role!). There was some great callbacks to the original with things like the monologues and montages but they felt fresh and utterly bizarre at points which worked well, and it's nice to see a film give something for those who stick around for the credits, some great gags and nice to see Weird Al's cameo pay off. Like a lot of these reboots, I don't think it needed to exist at all, but when there is a clear love and respect for the originals as well as a clear attempt to have it's own style as well, I think it justified it.