Underrated Stories?

[jjpor]

I was reading this article earlier today:

www.denofgeek.com/television/282134/ten_underrated_classic_doctor_who_stories.html

I found myself broadly in agreement with most of its points (apart from the NuWho stories that get mentioned at the end), especially with its assessment of the Seven episodes it considers, and especially especially with its consideration of "The Happiness Patrol", which I think still continues to get seriously short-changed (gotta shake my head at some of the comments underneath the main article - the Kandyman is a great villain, really!).

So, my question to y'all is, do you agree with the points made in the linked article, and what other Who stories do you consider to have been done an injustice by fandom?

[IMForeman]

I started off very skeptical of that list, but having seen the whole thing, I do agree with a few of them.

Thinking of ones that should have made the list - Enemy of the World, Face of Evil, The Time Monster, Invasion of the Dinosaurs...am I the only one who doesn't hate Underworld? Until I find out if the answer to that is no, I'm more apt to file that as "I have strange taste" than underrated.

On the flip side, what would you consider to be the most overrated stories? Personally, I've never understood the love for Revelation of the Daleks and Inferno left me rather bored, although that one isn't quite fair since I haven't seen it since first getting into Old Who. Weirdly enough, I do love The Ambassadors of Death, which is just as long and back to the original subject, also underrated.

[magnusgreel]

Everyone would have a different list. I veer wildly back and forth on Nimons. There's a lot to like in it. Underworld I like, good SF concepts even if some are mangled a bit, it's just that the humor conspicuously drops out of the series for that one story, and it's unsettling. I'd like to make sense of Battlefield and Ghost Light as the author seems to have. Still good even without making sense. Greatest Show in Galaxy? Can't say the same.

Most under-rated? Maybe Sun Makers, one of the greats, often dismissed because the dark humor is misinterpreted as light goofiness. I'd like to hear Holmes' answer as to whether DW is for children. I have a feeling that a lot of his humor was meant to disguise adult stories as lighter entertainment for kids, to slip them by the BBC.

Invisible Enemy, Happiness Patrol, and others had problems in execution. The latter had a look which was at odds with the point and attitude of the story. It was always dark and obviously indoors even when "outside", the colors were stylish (light) pastels, not the strong cheery colors they were supposed to like there. No one seemed suffocatingly chipper or cheerful, in fact they seem grim and hostile. The hypocrisy of this place shouldn't have been made that obvious. Great idea though, and I agree completely with the story's point of view.

[merrythemad]

Personally, I love "Happiness Patrol" maybe it's just my American perception of the UK (filtered in through the Beatles, Pink Floyd, DW and personal experience). Everytime I watch it I hear Floyd in my head ..."desperation is the English way"... The undercover despair and "everything is hunky dory love" just sort of fits that for me.

Plus, come on Pink!TARDIS, and Ace has to be girly (not like in Fenric when she is suddenly so girly it smacks you in the face) also the little bit of interaction between Seven and Ace at the beginning is very well done. Underwritten and sweet as the aged and weary wanderer and his charge discuss where they will go next, and Seven leaving things up to Ace's discernment, I LOVE IT! It's actually where my Seven and Ace come from whenever I write them.