The Edge of Destruction

The ‘bottle episode’ it’s called. Use only the regular sets and regular actors and save a lot of money. They can be turn out to be exquisite character pieces that can define the basic appeal of a programme for both the audience and its creators. They can also be speed-written tosh used to pad out the schedule. Or, as in this case, it can be utterly bonkers.

The first scene is almost like a Beckett play with characters being slightly out of synch with the audience and we get the impression that there are whole chunks of the conversation we haven’t heard. Indeed, after the very interesting visual dynamism of some of the earlier episodes, this is the ‘televised theatre’ that we often hear references to when talking about 60s British Television. That is not to say that there isn’t arresting imagery- the melting clock is a great shock moment. However, this is primarily the actors’ show. Russell and Hill convey the confusion of the characters very well (possibly because they were pretty baffled themselves!) but, sadly, this reflects badly on Carole Ann Ford. Martin and Cox seem to enjoy putting her in tableaux, which become a tad unconvincing as a dramatic device after the nth iteration. Hartnell, however, continues to impress- his delight at viewing the birth of a solar system is infectious and he holds out interest from the start.

Now let’s turn to the script. The best way I can describe its structure is in the direction George Martin gave to the orchestra for “A Day in the Life”- here is the start note, here is the end note, anything in between is up to you. There are no plot holes because there is no plot, only a story. Why do the doors keep opening? Is the TARDIS possessed? Is Susan possessed? Is David Whitaker? Then there’s that dénouement based on a faulty spring- I suppose it is the privilege of a script editor not to edit his own script, but still….

The directors and the cast fight valiantly to realise the script, and it’s not surprising there are misfires. ‘Can it be that this is the end?’ declaims the Doctor, looking at the camera. Watching it now, I half expected the rest of the cast to look in the same direction, wondering whom he was talking to. Does this sound garbled? Try watching it.

This is not to say that this is a bad story. The whole is less than the sum of its parts because the parts have been fitted together poorly (with some, possibly, back to front or in the wrong order) but there is too much good stuff here to totally dismiss the story. So let me just say again: it’s bonkers.

But bonkers is better than boring any day.

NEXT: Marco Polo