Classic Who "The Happiness Patrol" Part 3 Full Reaction!

"I can hear the sound of empires toppling.", The Doctor, "The Happiness Patrol" This studio-bound story invites comparison with "Paradise Towers". I think I like "Paradise Towers" better - I like the creepy cannibal residents over the Kandy Man - although the blues musician in this one is cool. Also, the hyper-slow studio-bound go-cart/car things take me out of this story. As you pointed out, they could have made a bit more engaging episode with the "Happiness Patrol" concept. No, I'll go with "Paradise Towers" - "Build high for happiness!" "I don't believe you've met my young friend, Ace - an expert in calorification, incineration, carbonisation and inflammation.", The Doctor, "The Happiness Patrol" I like Ace! And the two of them tossing the red-hot poker to each other. "It's still the same old story, a fight for love or glory, a case of do or die.", The Doctor, "The Happiness Patrol" I always enjoy things that reminds me of "Casablanca". "Haven't you read the paper of Doctor John Wallis to the Royal Society in 1677?", The Doctor, "The Happiness Patrol" Well, I hadn't - but I think it could be this one: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rstl.1677.0006 Amusingly, the abstract on the website says: "Sir, I Have thought sit [sic] to give you notice of a discovery that hath been made here," N.B. "sit" is a mistranscription of the word "fit" - they assumed the "f" was a long "s" - like the later word "difcovery" in the same sentence. Amusingly #2: the paper was dated March 14 1676/7 - note the dual year. That was due to the start of the old-style civil year changing after March 25 each year - until calendar reform kicked in. Ok, that deep dive had nothing to do with this Classic Who story - except it's interesting that the Doctor knew about the Royal Society paper - perhaps he himself had made some suggestions to John Wallis. "Fifi? That wouldn't be Fifi as in Fifi the annoyed rat you claim to have blown to smithereens?", "Nobody's perfect, Professor.", The Doctor and Ace, "The Happiness Patrol" "Nobody's perfect" - I always enjoy things that reminds me of "Some Like It Hot". Ace said the same thing, about her Nitro Nine, last story. "Whoa, Fifi!", sesskasay, Reaction to "The Happiness Patrol" I don't think that was the animatronic under its own power. "Happiness is nothing unless it exists side by side with sadness.", The Doctor, "The Happiness Patrol"

Andrew Vignaux