The first full series to be made after the first waves of the COVID pandemic (and the last full series for Jodie Whittaker) was to be one multi-part story which brings to mind the last time such a task was attempted. Although, unlike in 1986, Doctor Who's future is very much assured, the fact that it is not gaining the viewing figures it used to, immediately make one think of the end of the Colin Baker era. Flux is only about 30 minutes shorter than The Trial of a Time Lord, but is closer in structure to its '60s predecessor, The Daleks' Master Plan, in that it is one narrative that has some episodes that form discrete individual stories. Those 20th Century four bears have very different reputations, so to say that Flux falls between the two in terms of quality, is not very helpful! Flux is, however, very much Chris Chibnall's final statement on how he sees Doctor Who, so here we go.
The good news is that Flux contains some of the best episodes yet of the Chibnall era. "The Halloween Apocalypse" sets up things very well, with a wealth of memorable scenes and dizzying concepts and in its follow-up, "War of the Sontarans", we have a fun little alternate history/reality distortion story, where Russia has been replaced by a Sontaran bridgehead, resulting in the Sontarans being the masters of Earth, making the Crimean war a very different conflict. A fortnight later, we were given the pinnacle of Jodie Whittaker's tenure, "Village of the Angels". This story is lesser to the Weeping Angel stories written by their creator, but only by comparison, and is a tense, scary joy from beginning to end and proof that it is possible to make a fresh and surprising base-under-siege story, a story that ends with one of the best cliffhangers in the show's history (not affected by a bizarrely placed mid-credits scene). The remaining episodes are purely part of Flux's narrative. Of these, "Once, Upon Time" is a mind-bending puzzle box but, crucially, expands on the characters with some deft writing and performances that sets up what could be an intriguing finale . However, in the final two episodes, "Survivors of the Flux" and "The Vanquishers" that is not quite what we are promised. Although Chibnall's solution isn't the cuniculus ex capellum plot contrivance that I was fearing, there is the sloppiness in plotting that has been all too common. It seems that Chibnall is sometimes lacking confidence in his own creations; the Passengers are never sold as what they feel like to the viewer – an evil version of the TARDIS, which would have made the solution far more resonant. In addition, as I said, many, many moons ago in commenting on the resolution of "Last of the Time Lords", Doctor Who should be grounded on a contemporary Earth that is relatable to the viewer. Whilst it seems we have this, there is no indication that the effects of the Flux have been reversed. We are left with a universe of only a handful of galaxies and we are explicitly shown the destruction of Jupiter – something that would have cataclysmic effects on the movement of everything orbiting the Sun.
However, something that goes a very long way to compensating for the plot problems is the best character writing Chibnall has done to date. The Doctor's allies are a very appealing cohort. Chibnall has always been keen to bring back more of the educational aspect of Sydney Newman's vision (for history that is; the less said about the science, the better!) and we have appearances by Mary Seacole and, most wonderfully, Joseph Williamson, a person of whom I had not heard, but is integrated into Doctor Who better that any historical figure to date. An outstanding performance by Steve Oram surely resulted in a spike in hits to Williamson's Wikipedia page.
Characters like Bel and Vinder would usually be ciphers in previous Chibnall stories, but they are used well in the plot and brought to life by likeable performances by Thaddea Graham and Jacob Anderson. More sketchily written is Claire, but her plot is fascinating and she is effectively played by Annabel Scholey. Unlike with the previous returnee actor from a 1984 story, it would have been a miracle if this had not been the best Doctor Who story that Kevin McNally had appeared in. Professor Jericho is a truly wonderful character that I am sorry could not have remained as a proper companion. Then there is Karvanista the Lupar. The prosthetics indicate a fun alien, like the Cats of New Earth, but Craig Els makes him so much more. The expression of fury and despair on Karvanista's face when he learns of the genocide of the Lupari is all the more impressive in that it is delivered by an actor wearing a dog mask. I really hope that Karvanista remains a permanent fixture on the programme. Speaking of which, Jemma Redgrave makes a long-overdue return as Kate Stewart and fits into this new era like a glove.
Flux is blessed with easily the most charismatic villains of the Chibnall era, in the shape of the Ravagers, Azure and Swarm. Rochenda Sandall and Sam Spruell thoroughly command the screen helped by the nightmare-inducing prosthetics that they have been given. The Sontarans are back, with a more rugged look, but still with the brilliant Dan Starkey as the lieutenant. Strax became too beloved a character for Starkey to be in command, but we have Jonathan Watson performing admirably in those roles. Hovering between tertiary and quaternary villain status is Craig Parkinson's Grand Serpent, whose louche style always makes for interesting villains.
I love the Fam, but, it must be said that Yaz really shines on her own, and Mandip Gill gives one of the all-time great companion performances. this is helped by the fact that Yaz never states verbally something that has just been shown on screen - a very annoying trait of Chibnall's in earlier episodes. As I am only really familiar with him as a comedian, I was very pleasantly surprised by how effective John Bishop was as Dan and Chibnall cannot be faulted in any way in writing his character arc; of especial notice is Dan's relationship with Di, which is totally convincing and is given a very real conclusion. As with the Fam's Sheffield-ness, the Liverpudlian aspect is really well emphasised, and is brought to a hilarious crescendo, when Dan and his parents are discussing woks, a word that doubles its syllable count in a Scouse accent. Jodie Whittaker is playing against historical figures, malevolent primordial entities, other people inhabiting her form and two different versions of herself and is thoroughly spellbinding throughout. I look forward to seeing what remains of this new TARDIS line-up.
The production has been kicked into overdrive with some spectacular imagery although some cracks show (notably where the Doctor has her astral conference with the Mouri, which is not significantly better than a 70s CSO scene). However, the scenes with the Flux itself are spectacular and directors Azhur Saleem and Jamie Magnus Stone helm a very talented cast and production team. The freeing of Swarm is a masterpiece of teatime horror and there is a refreshing 3-dimensional quality to the space shots – too many films and tv programmes forget that space is infinite in all directions.
Cryptically suffusing this new Whoniverse, is the Division. We are again given a few more scraps of the Doctor's hidden lives and Chibnall provides us with startling snapshots, and a great role for Barbara Flynn as Tecteun, but it's unclear if he will give his rewriting of the mythos the power that it needs; it has the potential to be as existentially diquieting as the theory exemplified as Liu Cixin's Dark Forest. Also intriguing is the concept of the struggle between Time and Space (which brings to mind Sapphire and Steel) but, again, i have some concerns as to whether Chibnall can pull off this conceptual turn.
Despite being considerably better in almost every respect, like Colin Baker's swansong, Flux is less than the sum of his parts. However there is simply too much good stuff to dismiss it in the same way and I keep my fingers crossed for the remainder of this era.
NEXT: "Eve of the Daleks"
Showing posts with label Time Lords. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Time Lords. Show all posts
Thursday, 23 December 2021
Sunday, 2 February 2020
"Fugitive of the Judoon"
Seeing the trailer for "Fugitive of the Judoon" led one to have a few expectations for it. A low-key rural romp, with a welcome return for an entertaining, though not scary monster. And, for a while, this is what we get. However, this episode reminds us of something which has been missing from the Chibnall era – genuine jaw-dropping surprise. In this joint script by Chibnall and Vinay Patel, we have the abrupt change in direction of "Utopia", combined with the huge changes to the programme's mythology of The War Games. It is, perhaps, no exaggeration that this could mean a bigger change for the Doctor's character history than the moment Whittaker opened her eyes in "Twice Upon a Time"
As in "Utopia", we are given a perfectly respectable story to be getting along with, with nice small-scale characters in low-stakes conflict – the rivalry between Lee and All Ears Allan is both delightful and funny and the Judoon fit perfectly into this situation. However, the plotline is very similar to "Smith and Jones" and, when we find that there's more to the character of Ruth that we think, it seems that Chibnall is recycling the plot of his very average Torchwood episode "Sleeper". Torchwood springs easily to mind because, for the first time in nearly a decade, John Barrowman explodes back onto the screen as Captain Jack. He looks remarkably unaged and it is a real joy to have him back.
Yet this shock pales next to the subsequent one – for Ruth is not merely an alien in disguise, she's an alien wanderer in time and space, in a ship called the TARDIS, known only as the Doctor. Jo Martin gives a solid performance as Ruth, but she dazzles as the Doctor, giving further evidence of the theory that half of all British actors dream of playing the part. This brings out Jodie Whitaker's best performance yet as the Doctor. The first shot of her reminds me of a thought I had of her in her debut story, looking like William Hartnell would look like if he were a beautiful young woman. The sheer expressiveness of her face is an asset that has never been put to better use. The fam are with her all the way and each one of them flow with the relentless surge of the story, but are not overwhelmed. The first evidence of this story not being what it appears to be, is the rapid disposal of the supporting characters – however, Neil Stuke makes Lee someone with a past, a mission and a love and Ritu Arya is also memorable as Time Lord badass Gat.
Nida Manzoor is superb at the staging of all these scenes and refreshingly ensures that the major shocks and revelations are realised by moments involving actors. The location filming in Gloucester is great and the space battle scenes are shot with an intensity that belie the few sets used.
"Fugitive of the Judoon"'s true effectiveness can only be truly measured when Chibnall's full plan has been revealed. It has raised the stakes higher than any Moffatt or Davies story and it is a genuine fear that Chibnall will not match what those two, almost peerless writers have done. As it stands, "Fugitive of the Judoon" is thrilling and wonderfully realised, giving real hope for the future.
As in "Utopia", we are given a perfectly respectable story to be getting along with, with nice small-scale characters in low-stakes conflict – the rivalry between Lee and All Ears Allan is both delightful and funny and the Judoon fit perfectly into this situation. However, the plotline is very similar to "Smith and Jones" and, when we find that there's more to the character of Ruth that we think, it seems that Chibnall is recycling the plot of his very average Torchwood episode "Sleeper". Torchwood springs easily to mind because, for the first time in nearly a decade, John Barrowman explodes back onto the screen as Captain Jack. He looks remarkably unaged and it is a real joy to have him back.
Yet this shock pales next to the subsequent one – for Ruth is not merely an alien in disguise, she's an alien wanderer in time and space, in a ship called the TARDIS, known only as the Doctor. Jo Martin gives a solid performance as Ruth, but she dazzles as the Doctor, giving further evidence of the theory that half of all British actors dream of playing the part. This brings out Jodie Whitaker's best performance yet as the Doctor. The first shot of her reminds me of a thought I had of her in her debut story, looking like William Hartnell would look like if he were a beautiful young woman. The sheer expressiveness of her face is an asset that has never been put to better use. The fam are with her all the way and each one of them flow with the relentless surge of the story, but are not overwhelmed. The first evidence of this story not being what it appears to be, is the rapid disposal of the supporting characters – however, Neil Stuke makes Lee someone with a past, a mission and a love and Ritu Arya is also memorable as Time Lord badass Gat.
Nida Manzoor is superb at the staging of all these scenes and refreshingly ensures that the major shocks and revelations are realised by moments involving actors. The location filming in Gloucester is great and the space battle scenes are shot with an intensity that belie the few sets used.
"Fugitive of the Judoon"'s true effectiveness can only be truly measured when Chibnall's full plan has been revealed. It has raised the stakes higher than any Moffatt or Davies story and it is a genuine fear that Chibnall will not match what those two, almost peerless writers have done. As it stands, "Fugitive of the Judoon" is thrilling and wonderfully realised, giving real hope for the future.
NEXT: "Praxeus"
Wednesday, 23 December 2015
"Hell Bent"
The end of the peerless first episode of this story ends with the
Doctor, for the first time this century, setting foot on the sands of
his home planet. What we expect is a barnstorming homecoming and,
indeed, the depiction of Gallifrey is (naturally) the most visually
stunning that the programme has ever seen. Steven Moffat complements
what we know about the Time Lord home world with his own intriguing
additions to the mythos (the Cloister Wraiths or ‘Sliders’ being
particularly memorable) and, in a nod to the past, the way in which the
Doctor re-enters the higher echelons of Time Lord society has hints of The Invasion of Time.
Yet, as the subdued pre-credits sequence shows, this is not the thrust
of the story; and, indeed, the barn is literally not stormed.
The one thing that has been driving the Doctor is the loss of Clara, more specifically, his unwillingness to come to terms with it. Using all the power of Gallifrey, he rescues his best friend before the Raven claims her, despite the fact that this is a fixed point and will literally tear the cosmos apart. In order to do this, we see the Doctor act with greater authority – ordering Rassilon himself off Gallifrey, effectively staging a military coup in taking control of the planet and (most troublingly) shooting an ally. It is clear that the Doctor and Clara combined can be devastating. In the past two episodes, we have seen how frightening the Doctor can be when Clara is threatened and here we have its ultimate expression – the Doctor violating all that he has lived by. It could be said that the Doctor’s abandoning his sonic screwdriver in "The Witch's Familiar" means that the Doctor has abandoned his promise and his Name and, that the ‘me’ referred to at the end of "Heaven Sent" is not what the Doctor thought it would be. The Doctor and Clara, the human and the Time Lord have it in them to destroy everything. As Me says, they are the Hybrid.
Rachel Talalay again does stellar work in the director’s chair. The Gallifrey scenes have a hint of Western about them, but the sitcom-esque reactions of the Time Matron (as I am now going to call her) discovering people of greater and greater importance outside the barn work seamlessly with this. The scene where the Gallifreyan military surrender to the unarmed Doctor is brilliantly realised. The Capitol is a masterful combination of brilliant effects, design and great direction and the Cloisters are memorably spooky. We have the welcome return of Ken Bones as the General and Clare Higgins as Ohila. The resurrected Rassilon has regenerated into the less celebrated, but equally authoritative form of Donald Sumpter – less megalomaniacal than his previous form, but equally ruthless. We also have the return of Maisie Williams as Me – a lot wiser, if still not possessed of an infinite memory. Capaldi is his usual brilliant self – utterly commanding, yet making a line like ‘I had a duty of care’ truly heart-breaking.
Which brings us to the impossible girl. With the Doctor off the rails, it is Clara who must take responsibility. Despite her rescue, she is never passive in this story and she makes sure that the Doctor’s usual gambit backfires and it is his memory that is wiped – not just because Clara can keep what Donna could not, but so that the Doctor can finally let go. Jenna gives a stunning performance in her final story as the longest running companion of the revived series. She is left to live out her final seconds in her own time, like Albert in Discworld and like Vince Vega in Pulp Fiction, the fact that we have seen her die does not prevent her from riding off into the sunset – or, in this case, bucketing off into infinity in a TARDIS with a faulty chameleon circuit that has trapped it in the form of an American diner.
This season has mixed the intimate with the epic with even greater effect than before and, as the Doctor brandishes his new sonic screwdriver, it is clear that our never cruel, never cowardly, hero is back in black. Or burgundy.
NEXT: "The Husbands of River Song"
The one thing that has been driving the Doctor is the loss of Clara, more specifically, his unwillingness to come to terms with it. Using all the power of Gallifrey, he rescues his best friend before the Raven claims her, despite the fact that this is a fixed point and will literally tear the cosmos apart. In order to do this, we see the Doctor act with greater authority – ordering Rassilon himself off Gallifrey, effectively staging a military coup in taking control of the planet and (most troublingly) shooting an ally. It is clear that the Doctor and Clara combined can be devastating. In the past two episodes, we have seen how frightening the Doctor can be when Clara is threatened and here we have its ultimate expression – the Doctor violating all that he has lived by. It could be said that the Doctor’s abandoning his sonic screwdriver in "The Witch's Familiar" means that the Doctor has abandoned his promise and his Name and, that the ‘me’ referred to at the end of "Heaven Sent" is not what the Doctor thought it would be. The Doctor and Clara, the human and the Time Lord have it in them to destroy everything. As Me says, they are the Hybrid.
Rachel Talalay again does stellar work in the director’s chair. The Gallifrey scenes have a hint of Western about them, but the sitcom-esque reactions of the Time Matron (as I am now going to call her) discovering people of greater and greater importance outside the barn work seamlessly with this. The scene where the Gallifreyan military surrender to the unarmed Doctor is brilliantly realised. The Capitol is a masterful combination of brilliant effects, design and great direction and the Cloisters are memorably spooky. We have the welcome return of Ken Bones as the General and Clare Higgins as Ohila. The resurrected Rassilon has regenerated into the less celebrated, but equally authoritative form of Donald Sumpter – less megalomaniacal than his previous form, but equally ruthless. We also have the return of Maisie Williams as Me – a lot wiser, if still not possessed of an infinite memory. Capaldi is his usual brilliant self – utterly commanding, yet making a line like ‘I had a duty of care’ truly heart-breaking.
Which brings us to the impossible girl. With the Doctor off the rails, it is Clara who must take responsibility. Despite her rescue, she is never passive in this story and she makes sure that the Doctor’s usual gambit backfires and it is his memory that is wiped – not just because Clara can keep what Donna could not, but so that the Doctor can finally let go. Jenna gives a stunning performance in her final story as the longest running companion of the revived series. She is left to live out her final seconds in her own time, like Albert in Discworld and like Vince Vega in Pulp Fiction, the fact that we have seen her die does not prevent her from riding off into the sunset – or, in this case, bucketing off into infinity in a TARDIS with a faulty chameleon circuit that has trapped it in the form of an American diner.
This season has mixed the intimate with the epic with even greater effect than before and, as the Doctor brandishes his new sonic screwdriver, it is clear that our never cruel, never cowardly, hero is back in black. Or burgundy.
NEXT: "The Husbands of River Song"
Thursday, 5 December 2013
"The Day of the Doctor"
The anniversary specials of the programme have always generated interest, but Doctor Who
in 2013 is a mainstream success in a way it hasn't been since
Dalekmania in the 1960s. It is probably no exaggeration to say,
therefore, that "The Day of the Doctor" is probably the most eagerly
awaited episode of Doctor Who since "Rose". It has to satisfy the
wide mainstream audience that will tune in, whilst keeping an eye on
the fans, some of whom remember William Hartnell, some of whom were not
even born when Christopher Eccleston was the Doctor. It has to pay
tribute to the 50 years of television history that preceded it, whilst
trying to tell an engaging story. It is a pleasure to state that the
episode manages to succeed in all of these aims on a level that
genuinely surprised even me.
More so than any of the other anniversary specials, "The Day of the Doctor" works as a regular Doctor Who adventure, this one being a fiendish plan by the Zygons to take over the Earth. The use of the pictures as suspended animation makes that part of the plot seem like a bright and breezy season opener, with the added bonus of featuring a well-loved adversary from yester-year. However, although the Zygon plot is easily enough to sustain a story in itself, taking place in two time zones and featuring a Zygon Good Queen Bess, this is only the gateway into a deeper story. For the pictures are relics of Gallifrey and of the darkest day of the Doctor's life...
The key thing the audience remembers from Anniversary specials is the current Doctor meeting with past incarnations and here, we have the very welcome return of David Tennant, playing the Doctor like he'd never been away. Joining him is the incarnation we must now call the 'War Doctor' played by the legendary John Hurt. I stated at the end of his era that I thought Tennant was the best leading man the show had had since Hartnell and Hurt is an acting legend, one of the finest in the world, who has always been thoroughly mesmerising in every role he has played. I can think of no better praise for Matt Smith than stating that he completely holds his own in the presence of Hurt and Tennant. Moffat uses the three Doctors more intelligently than his predecessors did – we really get a sense of the centuries dividing them. The War Doctor is definitely the warrior that his predecessor chose to be, but he has not made the key decision that has haunted his successors. It is also a good choice to have a previously unknown incarnation be brought to the fore – the War Doctor has no nostalgic connotations, so he can stand in for all the previous incarnations more effectively, which makes his criticisms of his successors' characteristics all the more potent. Some portions of fandom criticise the perceived modern overuse of the sonic screwdriver, which is alluded to by the War Doctor and then it is shown why the sonic is used so often, as, for the first time this century, the Doctor is locked up! The War Doctor initially has little respect for the flippancy of his successors, but it becomes clear that it is a coping mechanism for something he has not yet done. Little kisses to the past abound, from the title sequence to the fulfilled promise of all the Doctors making an appearance.
Nick Hurran manages to make the episode both completely epic, with the stunning fall of Arcadia and also very low key in the quieter moments. The 3D photography really serves the epic space battles well, but the episode never devolves into a mere 3D showcase. The design is opulent and contains great little touches – apparently the original version of Le Radeau de la Méduse contained no humans! Hurran assembles a great cast, with the very welcome return of Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart, a fun turn from Joanna Page as Elizabeth and her Zygon double. There is also the wonderful Ingrid Oliver as Osgood (related to a certain UNIT technician who assisted at Devil's End?) Jenna Coleman continues to sparkle as Clara, whether impersonating witches or out-thinking three incarcerated incarnations of the Doctor. However, there are two minor parts that made my jaw drop – a brief flash of Peter Capaldi's eyes and (possibly) the first uttered words of the Twelfth Doctor; and the return of the most iconic actor to play the Doctor in the 20th Century. Whoever the Curator actually is, it is a true joy to see Tom Baker again!
The decision to rescue Gallifrey may not be acceptable to some, but the way in which it is brought about is excellently constructed. Moffat wants to rescue the Doctor from the burden of committing the genocide of the Daleks and the near omnicide of his home planet. We found out the importance of the name of the Doctor and now we find out what must be done in that name. The emotional consequences are still there, as the Ninth and Tenth Doctors forget what the War Doctor did in his final days. The Doctor has had many titles given to him, but where once he was Death, the Destroyer of Worlds, he is now the more famous aspect of Vishnu, that of Preserver < / pretentiousness >. Moffat's script is superlative, writing and rewriting myth with aplomb, without losing the little touches of humour.
I remember "The Five Doctors" when the programme was in the autumn of its success and I also remember Remembrance of the Daleks and Silver Nemesis when the winds of winter were blowing. The story looks back at the programme's history, but makes sure that it does not rest on its laurels and makes a decisive step forwards into the future. In this November, 50 years after it started, "The Day of the Doctor" is another highlight of a glorious second summer that shows no sign of coming to an end. Long live Doctor Who!
NEXT: "The Time of the Doctor"
More so than any of the other anniversary specials, "The Day of the Doctor" works as a regular Doctor Who adventure, this one being a fiendish plan by the Zygons to take over the Earth. The use of the pictures as suspended animation makes that part of the plot seem like a bright and breezy season opener, with the added bonus of featuring a well-loved adversary from yester-year. However, although the Zygon plot is easily enough to sustain a story in itself, taking place in two time zones and featuring a Zygon Good Queen Bess, this is only the gateway into a deeper story. For the pictures are relics of Gallifrey and of the darkest day of the Doctor's life...
The key thing the audience remembers from Anniversary specials is the current Doctor meeting with past incarnations and here, we have the very welcome return of David Tennant, playing the Doctor like he'd never been away. Joining him is the incarnation we must now call the 'War Doctor' played by the legendary John Hurt. I stated at the end of his era that I thought Tennant was the best leading man the show had had since Hartnell and Hurt is an acting legend, one of the finest in the world, who has always been thoroughly mesmerising in every role he has played. I can think of no better praise for Matt Smith than stating that he completely holds his own in the presence of Hurt and Tennant. Moffat uses the three Doctors more intelligently than his predecessors did – we really get a sense of the centuries dividing them. The War Doctor is definitely the warrior that his predecessor chose to be, but he has not made the key decision that has haunted his successors. It is also a good choice to have a previously unknown incarnation be brought to the fore – the War Doctor has no nostalgic connotations, so he can stand in for all the previous incarnations more effectively, which makes his criticisms of his successors' characteristics all the more potent. Some portions of fandom criticise the perceived modern overuse of the sonic screwdriver, which is alluded to by the War Doctor and then it is shown why the sonic is used so often, as, for the first time this century, the Doctor is locked up! The War Doctor initially has little respect for the flippancy of his successors, but it becomes clear that it is a coping mechanism for something he has not yet done. Little kisses to the past abound, from the title sequence to the fulfilled promise of all the Doctors making an appearance.
Nick Hurran manages to make the episode both completely epic, with the stunning fall of Arcadia and also very low key in the quieter moments. The 3D photography really serves the epic space battles well, but the episode never devolves into a mere 3D showcase. The design is opulent and contains great little touches – apparently the original version of Le Radeau de la Méduse contained no humans! Hurran assembles a great cast, with the very welcome return of Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart, a fun turn from Joanna Page as Elizabeth and her Zygon double. There is also the wonderful Ingrid Oliver as Osgood (related to a certain UNIT technician who assisted at Devil's End?) Jenna Coleman continues to sparkle as Clara, whether impersonating witches or out-thinking three incarcerated incarnations of the Doctor. However, there are two minor parts that made my jaw drop – a brief flash of Peter Capaldi's eyes and (possibly) the first uttered words of the Twelfth Doctor; and the return of the most iconic actor to play the Doctor in the 20th Century. Whoever the Curator actually is, it is a true joy to see Tom Baker again!
The decision to rescue Gallifrey may not be acceptable to some, but the way in which it is brought about is excellently constructed. Moffat wants to rescue the Doctor from the burden of committing the genocide of the Daleks and the near omnicide of his home planet. We found out the importance of the name of the Doctor and now we find out what must be done in that name. The emotional consequences are still there, as the Ninth and Tenth Doctors forget what the War Doctor did in his final days. The Doctor has had many titles given to him, but where once he was Death, the Destroyer of Worlds, he is now the more famous aspect of Vishnu, that of Preserver < / pretentiousness >. Moffat's script is superlative, writing and rewriting myth with aplomb, without losing the little touches of humour.
I remember "The Five Doctors" when the programme was in the autumn of its success and I also remember Remembrance of the Daleks and Silver Nemesis when the winds of winter were blowing. The story looks back at the programme's history, but makes sure that it does not rest on its laurels and makes a decisive step forwards into the future. In this November, 50 years after it started, "The Day of the Doctor" is another highlight of a glorious second summer that shows no sign of coming to an end. Long live Doctor Who!
NEXT: "The Time of the Doctor"
Friday, 24 May 2013
"The Name of the Doctor"
There is sometimes a great danger in
teasing the audience too much. The revelations promised usually turn out
to be disappointing. However, as this episode shows early on, the words
in a question can have more than one meaning, which means that the
actual answer could be something completely unexpected. No episode of Doctor Who
has left me slack-jawed more often than "The Name of the Doctor", an
episode that arguably does more to intelligently redefine our view of
the Doctor than any other story produced in colour.
In a very bold move for the 50th anniversary year, the main action takes place on Trenzalore, a world revealed to be the last resting place of the Doctor. Death is a major theme in this episode - of the regulars and semi-regulars, it is only Madam Vastra who has not died and been resurrected. Indeed, the River Song we see is the Data Ghost from the library. Moffat is confident enough to allude to the Doctor’s travels finally coming to an end and, as usual, his inventiveness suffuses the entire script, from the conference call on the astral plane, to the true nature of what is within a Time Lord’s grave. Instead of the body, we have a swirling vortex of light that is a gateway to every moment of the Doctor's life. There have been intimations of the Doctor erasing himself from history and, it turns out, this is for a good reason – if one has the information, one can find the path the Doctor takes from birth to death and, as we find out, the Great Intelligence is information. Richard E Grant is back in fine fettle as an enemy thwarted, but determined to utterly destroy his enemy in death, for the Doctor will now die at every point in his existence – unless someone can save him. The true nature of the Impossible Girl has finally been unveiled and, as many suspected, Clara has been Scarothed throughout the Doctor’s existence. Although I still believe that the season could have been improved considerably by fleshing out Clara’s character a bit more, Jenna-Louise Coleman has been a delight throughout and it is testament to her skill that her sacrifice is as poignant as it is – however it would have worked far better had the audience been as emotionally invested in her as they had with Rose or Amy.
Saul Metzstein again puts in great work behind the camera and there is inspired work from the production team, from the Great Intelligence tearing off Dr Simeon's face to the sepulchral vistas of Trenzalore. Perhaps the Whisper Men could have been a bit more different to the Trickster from The Sarah Jane Adventures, but this is a small nitpick. Metzstein makes sure that the story is full of scenes and images that will stick in our minds and this is key to the success of the story.
The title of the story suggests that we are going to get to know something huge about the Doctor's past and, indeed, the story begins with the first ever scene in Doctor Who set before "An Unearthly Child", followed by re-jigged footage of the first seven Doctors interacting with Clara. As for the current incarnation, our leading man has never been better – in tears as he girds his loins to go to Trenzalore, being hoodwinked into playing blind-man's buff by Angie and Artie whilst they sneak off to the cinema and showing the deep love he has for River, a love which is perhaps not best expressed when the other party is a mental projection that only he can see. The title of the story is one that makes the audience think they want a sound or a collection of letters or symbols. However, this would ultimately be as inconsequential as the words Giovanni Battista Fidanza or Phillip Pirrip – we would still call them Nostromo and Pip and that is what they would always be. The Doctor may not be the name he was born with, but it is who he is and it is what he does – except once. There have been eleven Doctors, but the body which the Eleventh Doctor inhabits is his twelfth. Once, the Doctor did something so horrific that his subsequent avatars denied that incarnation the right to call himself 'Doctor' - and this is what the Doctor and Clara find at the centre of the path of the Doctor's life. Even before he turns around, one of the most recognisable voices in the world indicates that one of the finest actors in the world will play a character that redefines what we know about our hero. We will find out more in November, but what we are left with is an almost unbearably heady, yet utterly intoxicating brew that will be talked about for years.
In a very bold move for the 50th anniversary year, the main action takes place on Trenzalore, a world revealed to be the last resting place of the Doctor. Death is a major theme in this episode - of the regulars and semi-regulars, it is only Madam Vastra who has not died and been resurrected. Indeed, the River Song we see is the Data Ghost from the library. Moffat is confident enough to allude to the Doctor’s travels finally coming to an end and, as usual, his inventiveness suffuses the entire script, from the conference call on the astral plane, to the true nature of what is within a Time Lord’s grave. Instead of the body, we have a swirling vortex of light that is a gateway to every moment of the Doctor's life. There have been intimations of the Doctor erasing himself from history and, it turns out, this is for a good reason – if one has the information, one can find the path the Doctor takes from birth to death and, as we find out, the Great Intelligence is information. Richard E Grant is back in fine fettle as an enemy thwarted, but determined to utterly destroy his enemy in death, for the Doctor will now die at every point in his existence – unless someone can save him. The true nature of the Impossible Girl has finally been unveiled and, as many suspected, Clara has been Scarothed throughout the Doctor’s existence. Although I still believe that the season could have been improved considerably by fleshing out Clara’s character a bit more, Jenna-Louise Coleman has been a delight throughout and it is testament to her skill that her sacrifice is as poignant as it is – however it would have worked far better had the audience been as emotionally invested in her as they had with Rose or Amy.
Saul Metzstein again puts in great work behind the camera and there is inspired work from the production team, from the Great Intelligence tearing off Dr Simeon's face to the sepulchral vistas of Trenzalore. Perhaps the Whisper Men could have been a bit more different to the Trickster from The Sarah Jane Adventures, but this is a small nitpick. Metzstein makes sure that the story is full of scenes and images that will stick in our minds and this is key to the success of the story.
The title of the story suggests that we are going to get to know something huge about the Doctor's past and, indeed, the story begins with the first ever scene in Doctor Who set before "An Unearthly Child", followed by re-jigged footage of the first seven Doctors interacting with Clara. As for the current incarnation, our leading man has never been better – in tears as he girds his loins to go to Trenzalore, being hoodwinked into playing blind-man's buff by Angie and Artie whilst they sneak off to the cinema and showing the deep love he has for River, a love which is perhaps not best expressed when the other party is a mental projection that only he can see. The title of the story is one that makes the audience think they want a sound or a collection of letters or symbols. However, this would ultimately be as inconsequential as the words Giovanni Battista Fidanza or Phillip Pirrip – we would still call them Nostromo and Pip and that is what they would always be. The Doctor may not be the name he was born with, but it is who he is and it is what he does – except once. There have been eleven Doctors, but the body which the Eleventh Doctor inhabits is his twelfth. Once, the Doctor did something so horrific that his subsequent avatars denied that incarnation the right to call himself 'Doctor' - and this is what the Doctor and Clara find at the centre of the path of the Doctor's life. Even before he turns around, one of the most recognisable voices in the world indicates that one of the finest actors in the world will play a character that redefines what we know about our hero. We will find out more in November, but what we are left with is an almost unbearably heady, yet utterly intoxicating brew that will be talked about for years.
Monday, 11 January 2010
The End of Time
The final adventure of the Tenth Doctor would always have been a significant story in of itself- David Tennant is the only actor to have successfully challenged Tom Baker for the title of most popular Doctor. And what a story it is- two and a quarter hours in length (a six-parter in old money) with cameos from every actor to have played a regular role and the return of the Time Lords. The plot is simple and just about works, albeit with an odd structure. There are a few problems with the script. The resurrection of the Master is presented as a necromantic ritual, a move which could work had the emphasis been different. However, mentions of ‘potions of life’ and ‘the secret books of Saxon’ are a bit too Harry Potter. The plot means that the critical characters of Naismiths are given short shrift in the second episode- a pity, considering David Harewood’s fine performance. The means by which the Time Lords escape, although comprehensible, is in danger of being misread. Donna’s ‘defence mechanism’ seems to have been constructed purely to season the cliffhanger.These are all valid criticisms all raised by perceptive critics of the programme (together with others raised by those who cannot tell the difference between a plot hole and something that they have failed to spot). However, like The Evil of the Daleks, like Logopolis, The End of Time manages to overcome these shortcomings to produce a story of real wonder and excitement.
However, once the Master is properly back after his Voldemortesqe resurrection, we are again blessed with John Simm’s electrifying take on the character. The Master started off being simply an evil opposite to the Doctor, but since The Keeper of Traken, he has become a Time Lord who is physically, as well as mentally 'wrong'. His return in "Utopia" was as a fully fledged Time Lord, but his botched rebirth here leaves him a nightmarish horror- his flesh repeatedly vanishing to reveal the skeleton beneath, able to fire lightning from his fingers; and all the time, he is ravenously hungry, as shown in scenes that must have caused Yuletide gastric discomfort in a few viewers. The relationship between him and the Doctor is as deftly written as ever. Both need each other on a visceral level- the Master instinctively holds the Doctor as he falls from his own assault. However, once he finds out what is returning, he is perfectly willing to let the Doctor die- his visceral feelings were grounded in his own selfishness.
The story starts off by an imposing voice narrating events in a rather florid manner (but who are the ones who have an infinite capacity for pretension?) which reaches a crescendo in the middle of the first episode- to reveal the face of the Narrator. The Master Plan with his Master Race is only a small part of the grand scheme- for the Time Lords have returned. We are treated to Gallifrey on the last day of the Time War- the dome of the Capitol shattered, the wrecks of Dalek saucers strewn around. The High Council are in session and it is clear that these are a grimmer, more ruthless race than we have ever seen before. The Lord President (as the Narrator turns out to be) deals out disintegration for dissent and, as they descend on Earth, bringing the raging inferno that is the dying Gallifrey with them, it is clear that the destruction of the Time Lords was no accidental side effect. Twisted by the Hell that the war had become, they chose to ascend to godhood- ripping space-time apart in the process, as the final act of the war. Davies’ depiction of the final days of the Time War prove that it is an event that should never be explored on screen- how can anything compare to the images in our minds of The Nightmare Child, the Horde of Travesties and, most wonderful of all, the Could-have-been King with his army of Meanwhiles and Never-weres? It should remain a series of images in our head that point to something we can never fully understand. The Lord President is played with relish by Timothy Dalton, arguably the best actor to play James Bond. He is actually named as Rassilon himself by the Doctor, which makes sense- if the Master was brought back as the ultimate warrior, it makes sense that the founder of Time Lord society be resurrected to lead his people- a people who become just as much the Doctor’s enemy as the Daleks. The Time Lords are truly awesome in their power, Rassilon overcoming the Master’s schemes with a flick of his gauntlet (The Great Glove of Rassilon?) but it is clear that they know that the Doctor is not someone to be underestimated, even with something as primitive as a service revolver in his hand.
Euros Lyn is often overlooked as a director, despite his amazing track record. As the revived programme’s longest serving director, it is fitting that he helms Tennant’s finale. The spectacle demanded by the script is easily realized by Lyn, from the stunning scenes set on Gallifrey to the wonderful Star Wars inspired sequence where the Vinvocci ship has to evade and shoot down seemingly every missile on planet Earth. The appearance of Gallifrey is as awesome as it should be (it seems to be as large compared to the Earth as we are to the Moon). Lyn makes sure every performance counts (even in minor roles such as the Visionary and Shaun, we have Brid Brennan and Karl Collins). I must also mention the incredibly likeable Sinéad Keenan as Addams and a cheeky role for the legendary June Whitfield, in the wonderful sub-plot of the ‘Silver Cloak’- Wilf’s network of OAPs who know everything there is to know in London. Then there is the appearance of the legendary Claire Bloom as a woman who guides events to try and help the Doctor. We never find out who she is (or indeed, her fellow partisan, whose face is never revealed) which is for the best- until we do find out, let us revel in our theories.
There is spectacle to be had, for sure, but there is a heart to the story- the relationship between the Doctor and his companion. Here, that role is taken by Donna’s granddad, Wilf. It is great to see his joy in seeing the Earth from space and to feel the thrill he has in finally sharing in the adventures his granddaughter had. It is in the quieter moments between the Doctor and Wilf that the characters really shine. Both are old men, reaching the end of their lives, which means the Doctor is more open, more emotional with Wilf than he has been with anyone else. Wilf’s decency comes through in every scene, from his refusing to be shamed by the fact that he never took a life as a soldier, to the scene where he immediately rescues a man he has never met from being sealed in the Nuclear Bolt chamber, even though it means he gets sealed himself. Bernard Cribbins is wonderful in the role, mixing his natural lovability with a really strong performance.
But he does get stuck, which leaves us with the Doctor. He has prevailed against the Master, against Rassilon and his Glove (and, no doubt, his Key, Rod and Sash). However, the four knocks come- Wilf in the chamber. The Doctor knows that this is why Wilf has figured so often recently- he is the bringer of his Doom. He will not give his life to save the Universe or even Earth- but to save one man. On Mars he was at his most arrogant, speaking in condescension of ‘the little people’. It is for such a little person that he will make the ultimate sacrifice. He rages like an alcoholic Welsh poet, but in the end, in a scene of genuine heart-wrenching emotion, he saves Wilf, while the old man begs him not to. The scene of the Doctor’s irradiation itself is shot simply- it would scarcely have looked different twenty years ago. Although he gets up, it is clear that the regeneration has started. In the short time given to him, he visits his friends- Martha, Mickey, Sarah Jane, even the descendant of Joan Redfern in a series of scenes that have been earned and therefore avoid being self-indulgent. Although he cannot speak to Donna, he does make sure that she is secure for the future, before taking a trip to the Powell Estate in 2005. But his time has run out.
David Tennant has made the Doctor his own in the hearts and minds of millions in a way no-one has done since Tom Baker. He never failed to put in a great performance and, in some stories, he put in the best performance yet in the role. In watching the entire programme from the beginning one thing is clear- William Hartnell finally has his match in this fantastic actor. It is fitting that the Tenth Doctor’s passing nearly rips the TARDIS apart, in a scene that is shot and scored immaculately. ‘I don’t want to go!’ are his last words- and I’m sure that no-one sane wanted him to go either. Matt Smith seems good enough in his short appearance as the end- but he has a hell of an act to follow.
However, once the Master is properly back after his Voldemortesqe resurrection, we are again blessed with John Simm’s electrifying take on the character. The Master started off being simply an evil opposite to the Doctor, but since The Keeper of Traken, he has become a Time Lord who is physically, as well as mentally 'wrong'. His return in "Utopia" was as a fully fledged Time Lord, but his botched rebirth here leaves him a nightmarish horror- his flesh repeatedly vanishing to reveal the skeleton beneath, able to fire lightning from his fingers; and all the time, he is ravenously hungry, as shown in scenes that must have caused Yuletide gastric discomfort in a few viewers. The relationship between him and the Doctor is as deftly written as ever. Both need each other on a visceral level- the Master instinctively holds the Doctor as he falls from his own assault. However, once he finds out what is returning, he is perfectly willing to let the Doctor die- his visceral feelings were grounded in his own selfishness.
The story starts off by an imposing voice narrating events in a rather florid manner (but who are the ones who have an infinite capacity for pretension?) which reaches a crescendo in the middle of the first episode- to reveal the face of the Narrator. The Master Plan with his Master Race is only a small part of the grand scheme- for the Time Lords have returned. We are treated to Gallifrey on the last day of the Time War- the dome of the Capitol shattered, the wrecks of Dalek saucers strewn around. The High Council are in session and it is clear that these are a grimmer, more ruthless race than we have ever seen before. The Lord President (as the Narrator turns out to be) deals out disintegration for dissent and, as they descend on Earth, bringing the raging inferno that is the dying Gallifrey with them, it is clear that the destruction of the Time Lords was no accidental side effect. Twisted by the Hell that the war had become, they chose to ascend to godhood- ripping space-time apart in the process, as the final act of the war. Davies’ depiction of the final days of the Time War prove that it is an event that should never be explored on screen- how can anything compare to the images in our minds of The Nightmare Child, the Horde of Travesties and, most wonderful of all, the Could-have-been King with his army of Meanwhiles and Never-weres? It should remain a series of images in our head that point to something we can never fully understand. The Lord President is played with relish by Timothy Dalton, arguably the best actor to play James Bond. He is actually named as Rassilon himself by the Doctor, which makes sense- if the Master was brought back as the ultimate warrior, it makes sense that the founder of Time Lord society be resurrected to lead his people- a people who become just as much the Doctor’s enemy as the Daleks. The Time Lords are truly awesome in their power, Rassilon overcoming the Master’s schemes with a flick of his gauntlet (The Great Glove of Rassilon?) but it is clear that they know that the Doctor is not someone to be underestimated, even with something as primitive as a service revolver in his hand.
Euros Lyn is often overlooked as a director, despite his amazing track record. As the revived programme’s longest serving director, it is fitting that he helms Tennant’s finale. The spectacle demanded by the script is easily realized by Lyn, from the stunning scenes set on Gallifrey to the wonderful Star Wars inspired sequence where the Vinvocci ship has to evade and shoot down seemingly every missile on planet Earth. The appearance of Gallifrey is as awesome as it should be (it seems to be as large compared to the Earth as we are to the Moon). Lyn makes sure every performance counts (even in minor roles such as the Visionary and Shaun, we have Brid Brennan and Karl Collins). I must also mention the incredibly likeable Sinéad Keenan as Addams and a cheeky role for the legendary June Whitfield, in the wonderful sub-plot of the ‘Silver Cloak’- Wilf’s network of OAPs who know everything there is to know in London. Then there is the appearance of the legendary Claire Bloom as a woman who guides events to try and help the Doctor. We never find out who she is (or indeed, her fellow partisan, whose face is never revealed) which is for the best- until we do find out, let us revel in our theories.
There is spectacle to be had, for sure, but there is a heart to the story- the relationship between the Doctor and his companion. Here, that role is taken by Donna’s granddad, Wilf. It is great to see his joy in seeing the Earth from space and to feel the thrill he has in finally sharing in the adventures his granddaughter had. It is in the quieter moments between the Doctor and Wilf that the characters really shine. Both are old men, reaching the end of their lives, which means the Doctor is more open, more emotional with Wilf than he has been with anyone else. Wilf’s decency comes through in every scene, from his refusing to be shamed by the fact that he never took a life as a soldier, to the scene where he immediately rescues a man he has never met from being sealed in the Nuclear Bolt chamber, even though it means he gets sealed himself. Bernard Cribbins is wonderful in the role, mixing his natural lovability with a really strong performance.
But he does get stuck, which leaves us with the Doctor. He has prevailed against the Master, against Rassilon and his Glove (and, no doubt, his Key, Rod and Sash). However, the four knocks come- Wilf in the chamber. The Doctor knows that this is why Wilf has figured so often recently- he is the bringer of his Doom. He will not give his life to save the Universe or even Earth- but to save one man. On Mars he was at his most arrogant, speaking in condescension of ‘the little people’. It is for such a little person that he will make the ultimate sacrifice. He rages like an alcoholic Welsh poet, but in the end, in a scene of genuine heart-wrenching emotion, he saves Wilf, while the old man begs him not to. The scene of the Doctor’s irradiation itself is shot simply- it would scarcely have looked different twenty years ago. Although he gets up, it is clear that the regeneration has started. In the short time given to him, he visits his friends- Martha, Mickey, Sarah Jane, even the descendant of Joan Redfern in a series of scenes that have been earned and therefore avoid being self-indulgent. Although he cannot speak to Donna, he does make sure that she is secure for the future, before taking a trip to the Powell Estate in 2005. But his time has run out.
David Tennant has made the Doctor his own in the hearts and minds of millions in a way no-one has done since Tom Baker. He never failed to put in a great performance and, in some stories, he put in the best performance yet in the role. In watching the entire programme from the beginning one thing is clear- William Hartnell finally has his match in this fantastic actor. It is fitting that the Tenth Doctor’s passing nearly rips the TARDIS apart, in a scene that is shot and scored immaculately. ‘I don’t want to go!’ are his last words- and I’m sure that no-one sane wanted him to go either. Matt Smith seems good enough in his short appearance as the end- but he has a hell of an act to follow.
Monday, 24 August 2009
The Trial of a Time Lord
Indictment
For whatever reason, Doctor Who was off the air for over a year before returning in 1986. The season was shorter and the episode length was back to the usual 25 minutes. It has often been said that the programme itself was on trial for its life- so the wisdom of making a comeback season of one fourteen episode story seems a bit flawed to me. Of course it is not really one story, but four, but is does have a linking theme- the trial of the Doctor. I said, many moons ago in my review of The Keys of Marinus, that courtroom drama is, perhaps, the most constricting genre of all. Courtroom sets are constructed very similarly, the dynamics are similar, even the plot is dictated by the mechanics of the trial. The best courtroom dramas rely on performances and truly inspired direction. Even so, the best courtroom scenes I have watched occur in other types of drama- a good example are the astonishing court martial scenes in Kubrick's Paths of Glory. Which brings me to this season. A multi-camera videotaped production is almost certainly never going to match a feature film as far as visual creativity is concerned and, indeed, as soon as the lights go up, we see a perfectly average set and three main participants- the Doctor, the Inquisitor and the Valeyard. Whatever else the season might reveal, visually exciting courtroom scenes are not on the menu. I shall return to this aspect periodically but, I think it is useful to examine each of the separate epistopic interfaces of the spectrum before looking at the story as a whole. So…
The Mysterious Planet
The season opens with a four parter by Robert Holmes himself. Although it is by no means a 'Holmes classic' it contains much good dialogue and tells a reasonably effective story. The script is, indeed, skilful enough to make one forget that it is basically a retread of The Face of Evil- a human society split in two by an artificial intelligence, with a pallid group of humans living under the control of the AI and a savage group living outside it. Holmes creates some good characters; however, Glitz and Dibber (on the page, at least) are very similar to Garron and Unstoffe from The Ribos Operation. Despite having quite a few quibbles with the plot (water jars on display, two light years being nothing in galactic terms) the story manages to paint a believable environment and believable people to go with it.
The season as a whole opens with the most spectacular effects shot the programme had in the twentieth century. The shot of the space station is breathtaking and still impressive today. However from this story on, both location and studio scenes (bar a few effects shots) are shot on videotape, which gives a greater sense of visual unity to the programme. Unfortunately, Nicholas Mallett's direction, although not bad, is hardly inspired, with the overlit scenes in Marb Station being particularly unimpressive. The costume for Drathro is superb, but Mallett fails to shoot the robot with the requisite skill to make it appear like the vast automaton it should have appeared to be.
The best guest performance in the story is easily Tony Selby's Glitz and it is entirely due to his performance that the character is so memorable. Most of the other performances are sound, especially Adam Blackwood as Balazar, but Joan Sims is a major disappointment as Katryca- much as I love Maid Marian and Her Merry Men, it is not the thing I should be thinking of every time Katryca issues an order!
Colin Baker continues to impress as the Doctor. His greater affection for Peri and his more moral outlook is a joy to behold. Nicola Bryant is given some strong character material and she attacks it with relish.
The Mysterious Planet is a good run-of-the-mill story- something we hadn't seen for some time.
Mindwarp
Phillip Martin returns to Doctor Who with this fun story with a shocking twist. Like Vengeance on Varos, there is the slight feeling that Martin might drop one of the plates he is spinning- the script covers economic exploitation of less developed civilisations, genetic engineering, brain alteration, revolutions etc, whilst incorporating the possibility of an unreliable narrator. However, as before, Martin just about manages to pull it off- although there is the subplot about the Alphan rebels which is unnecessary (and probably not the work of Philip Martin). The central thread is the imminent death of Lord Kiv, leader of the Mentors and each plot thread is somehow connected to that. To bolster the plot, Martin brings back Sil, perhaps the greatest character of the Sixth Doctor era and he is accompanied by other great characters such as Kiv and Yrcanos. There are some instances of rushed scripting- Crozier’s move from brain transplants to mind transfers is rather sudden- but the story works well, with some choice dialogue- the financial conversations between Sil and Kiv, and later Sil and the Doctor are a delight.
The story is further helped by its excellent visualisation. This is the first use of paintbox image manipulation in the programme and the resultant Thoros Betan landscape is impressive (if typically gaudy for the era). There is great use of matte work and some highly effective lighting and the camerawork is very impressive. Ron Jones has been very inconsistent as a director but, with a good production team behind him, he does a good job here. The costuming and make-up are also first rate- the work for the Mentors is even more impressive than it was for Vengeance on Varos with great attention to detail- it is easy to forget that Christopher Ryan wears two similar, but not identical costumes. There is also the terrifyingly effective make-up for the Lukoser, a truly horrific creation. Jones clearly knows how to disguise the production’s shortcomings- the Raak doesn’t look very good, so it is never fully glimpsed. Overall, this is a highly impressive production.
It goes without saying that Nabil Shaban puts in another wonderful performance as Sil, a character he clearly loved playing, but he is ably supported by Christopher Ryan as Kiv, who amusingly treats Sil like an annoying illegitimate sprog who he has some regard for, finds occasionally useful, but is not above ordering the death of. However, there is one guest performance which cannot help to stand out- Brian Blessed as Yrcanos. Blessed is one of the very few actors who can go completely over the top and still make the character believable, which is exactly what he does with Yrcanos. There are wonderful little touches he gives to the role, like the throat singing he employs as a farewell. There is not enough room to fully do justice to Blessed here- he is a force of nature and the world will genuinely be a poorer place when he passes on. There are some other nice performances- Patrick Ryecart as Crozier is worth a mention- and a strangely poor one from Gordon Warnecke. Mind you, Ron Jones is no Stephen Frears.
Colin Baker has a very tough challenge- he must make the Doctor look more dislikeable than he has ever done before which, considering The Twin Dilemma is really saying something. The juxtaposition of the Doctor acting his worst on Thoros Beta and his noblest in the trial room is very nicely done and baker acquits himself well. However, this does mean that the story is Doctor-less for long stretches and it is Peri who steps up to the challenge. This, Nicola Bryant’s final story as Peri, is also one of her best performances- and she is given one of the most shocking exits for any companion ever. It seems that her mind has been destroyed and the intelligence of Kiv now inhabits her skull. The last words heard from her lips are ‘Protect me! I am your Lord and Master’ with her staring at Yrcanos with infinite menace. The Doctor’s realisation of what happens is wonderfully effective- Baker is understated and then coldly furious.
Mindwarp may not be 100% successful, but it is extremely enjoyable throughout- a fine story!
Terror of the Vervoids
Pip and Jane Baker's second contribution to Doctor Who is a return to the simple monster tale, with a heavy helping of Agatha Christie. This is nothing new- The Robots of Death also had touches of the Dame of Detection. However, the earlier story used a Christie type plot merely as the framework for a thoughtful script that aspired to so much more and succeeded. Terror of the Vervoids is a very watchable story, but the trouble is, it is too much like Christie- puzzles are more important that emotion or characters and there are numerous badly thought out ideas- notably, why the Vervoids have a lethal capability if they were genetically engineered. There is also the question of the dialogue. The Bakers showed they had no ear for naturalistic dialogue in The Mark of the Rani, but that is nothing compared to some of the appalling lines the poor actors have to say! Also present are little educational nuggets- there were thousands of children who would forever know the difference between an agronomist and a thremmatologist, that plants had chloroplasts and what a Judas Goat was.
The money is obviously running out- the space sequences obviously look bad compared to the opening shot of the season. However, the design is very clever and the story doesn't actually look cheap. Even the costumes for the Vervoids are rather good- although I'm sure their look caused all sorts of adult neuroses for anyone who saw them as a child! Chris Clough does the best that he can with what he is given and does a pretty good job, helped by some effective lighting. He also helps give the story some excellent cliffhangers, most notably the terrifying revelation of Ruth Baxter, brilliantly shot and lit, with some superb make-up.
The performances are generally good, although Honor Blackman seems a bit listless as Professor Lasky. Maurice Tierney as Doland deserves special praise for making his character seem real, with a surprisingly nuanced performance. Mind you, considering what they had to say, it is a testament to the skill of all the actors that they emerge with dignity intact. Colin Baker is wonderfully energetic in this story, a true pleasure to watch. However, there is another regular present. Bonnie Langford is obviously a hugely talented individual but Mel is, to be frank, fingers-on-the-blackboard irritating. True, she's energetic and seems to be enjoying herself, but her voice and line readings are too mannered. Then there's her screaming… Still, early days.
Terror of the Vervoids is an enjoyable, if shallow entry which ends with the Doctor being accused of genocide…
The Ultimate Foe
So, the trial comes to its conclusion with a script that was only half complete when its author, the great Robert Holmes, died. Moreover, Eric Saward, who wrote the final episode based on what Holmes had told him, refused to allow its use, meaning that Pip and Jane Baker had to write a replacement in less than a week. So it is, in fact, a miracle that The Ultimate Foe works as well as it does. Holmes returns to the nightmare virtual reality of the Matrix and creates another memorable dream realm- the Christmas Carol influence of the whole Trial season is, appropriately, concluded with a heavily Dickensian setting. Upon the shock revelation of the Master (which is rather well done) it is revealed, in a very atmospheric moment, that the Valeyard is an entity created from the distillation of the dark side of the Doctor's personality and he can only gain a truly independent existence with the Doctor's death. Although the story lacks the depth and impact of The Deadly Assassin, episode 13 is a startling piece of television and, it has to be said, that the Bakers do quite well with their concluding episode (with the obvious caveat concerning their dialogue). Holmes creates the wonderful character of Popplewick, a Dickensian clerk whose belief in a circumlocutory 'procedure' is part of the Valeyard's evil plan. There are some problems, most of which I will address later, but there are a few things that annoy me- for example the Master thanking Mel for calling him 'utterly evil' undermines the character somewhat.
Chris Clough, while he is no David Maloney, works wonders with the Matrix scenes. The Dickensian courtyard is wonderfully atmospheric and the scene of the Doctor being dragged under the beach by chthonic arms is also very memorable. There are a few silly bits (Mel being tripped up by the Keeper, for instance) but they are minor. The performances are good, with Glitz making a welcome return and an excellent performance by Geoffrey Hughes as the Popplewicks. Anthony Ainley is also very effective in his return as the Master. Bonnie Langford is still annoying as Mel, however.
So, we have watched each separate story. But that is not all that needs to be said…
Verdict
If you ignore the linking theme of the season, what you have is four respectable stories. There are many moments of near greatness in them, in Mindwarp, particularly. However, the linking theme cannot be ignored as the trial scenes permeate the entire narrative. The first point that must be made is the bizarre nature of Gallifreyan justice- the prosecutor can add charges at will, the Doctor is held responsible for things he hasn’t done yet. It would appear that the most the writers had done was half-watch a courtroom drama and get a very basic idea of legal practice. This makes the actual stories far more streamlined, but it becomes increasingly obvious that trial sequences are sometimes inserted to pad out the running time. With its theme of unreliable narration, the trial scenes in Mindwarp are the most ’necessary’, but are far from the best part of the story. By the time we get to Terror of the Vervoids, the trial scenes are pointlessly intrusive- most notably the silly part where the Doctor is revealed to have trashed the radio equipment. As a whole, the trial sequences weaken the story. A notable example is the Valeyard using a series of incidents that directly point to the secret plan of the Time Lords and, rather than removing incriminating scenes, clumsily bleeps over them. In Mindwarp it is immediately obvious that anything that occurs after the Doctor is taken out of time is a fabrication, as there is nothing there to record incidents for the Matrix. And in Terror of the Vervoids, surely the fact that the incidents in question are from the future either means that the Doctor definitely gets off and the Trial is pointless, or it is only a potential future and therefore can hardly be seen as admissible.
As I predicted, the trial scenes are visually dull- it is a big step down from the stunning opening sequence to when the lights are turned on in the trial chamber. And, speaking of the opening sequence; it is stunning, beautiful- but strangely pointless. There is no sense of the trial taking place on a giant space station- indeed it could be on Gallifrey for all that it matters to the plot.
Apart from the Doctor, the only characters to appear in every segment are the Inquisitor and the Valeyard. The Inquisitor is basically characterised and her motivation, level of authority and, indeed, knowledge of the events shown is totally inconstant- most notably when she suddenly has full knowledge of the events leading to Peri’s apparent death. Lynda Bellingham deserves credit for making the character seem believable, considering what she had to work with. Michael Jayston’s voice makes him immediately memorable as the Valeyard and it is his masterful performance that makes the character so memorable. It certainly isn’t the writing- in fact, although we are told what the Valeyard is, we are never actually told who or what brought him into being and how (in the story’s defence, this is because the original idea- that the Valeyard is a future incarnation of the Doctor- was discarded at the eleventh hour). Nicola Bryant is, eventually denied her dramatic exit, but I am glad that Peri got to live, despite that- it would have been the most miserable exit possible, her mind being destroyed believing that the Doctor betrayed her. As I indicated before, Bonnie Langford does not agree with me, more due to irritation than incompetence.
This is, of course, the anticlimactic end of the Colin Baker era. One thing that I can definitely say in the story’s favour is how much I enjoyed his performance in this season and that he would have gone from strength to strength. Whatever the quality of the stories, he had what it took to play the Doctor and his firing (the first unwilling departure since Hartnell) was totally unwarranted.
There is a common cliché used when evaluating The Trial of a Time Lord, which I cannot improve on- it is much less than the sum of its parts. If you watch it, there is much goodness- but you will have to bite through layers of fat and gristle to get there.
NEXT: Time and the Rani
Wednesday, 22 July 2009
"The Five Doctors"
Doctor Who's 20th Anniversary was marked by this feature length episode. As expected, the story is primarily there to celebrate Doctor Who's history, of which there was a hell of a lot. Terrence Dicks's script was a last-minute rush job that juggled five Doctors and their companions and the usual array of guest characters, so it is a miracle that the story works so well. Dicks reuses a plot element from The War Games (kidnapping alien beings to do battle in a game) and uses it to give each Doctor breathing space in this convoluted affair and the quest aspect is well handled to bind the differing journeys together. The story is also a quest for the identity of the Doctor himself, something made explicit in the plot and also lying implicit in the story's aim to be a celebration. Gallifrey is again given a sense of history with great economy and Dicks includes a great deal of memorable dialogue in a script that shows his skill and consummate professionalism.
Peter Moffat is hardly the most visually adventurous director, but he does reasonably good work here. Despite Gallifrey having a similar look to Arc of Infinity, scenes are cut with more urgency which compensate for this. The locations are well shot, with some very atmospheric scenes in the caves, and there is some great matte painting work for the exterior of the Dark Tower and great set design for the interior. We get some of the series' most celebrated monsters, with the appearance of a Dalek and a Yeti, but the main 'monsters' are the Cybermen. These are of similar design to those in Earthshock but, unfortunately, the key touch that made this design so great (the silver jaw visible behind the face-plate) has been omitted. However, the Cybermen form part of perhaps the most memorable set-piece in the story, the Raston Warrior Robot. This is a shockingly violent scene, where a platoon of Cybermen are impaled and dismembered by the Robot. The Robot is instantly memorable in a scene that is immaculately shot and edited.
Of course, the main attraction is the appearance of the five Doctors themselves, although, in reality, this is really another 'three doctors'- William Hartnell had been dead for 8 years and Tom Baker declined to appear. Jon Pertwee and Patrick Troughton effortlessly ease back into their roles and their interplay with their companions is excellently written and performed. Tom Baker appears in the form of a scene from Shada, but the First Doctor has been recast. Doing an impersonation of the inimitable Hartnell would have been disastrous, so it is good that Richard Hurndall gives us his own interpretation- he doesn't giggle or go 'hmm', but we still believe in him as the Doctor. If it had been up to me, I would not have had the First Doctor in it, but Hurndall does a good enough job. The guest performances are good, with Phillip Latham's power-mad Borusa being a highlight. The characterisation of the Master as being thwarted in his attempts to help the Doctor is highly amusing and works well.
The Five Doctors is eminently successful in both celebrating the programme and entertaining the viewer. This is the first story where I have had to review two versions. In 1995, an extended edition was released with 'improved' special effects and extra scenes. However, there are only two actual improvements, in my opinion- the first entrance of Borusa and the Doctor going into Borusa's office are better edited, but, in general, the pace is lost in the new edit. Also, the iconic black trapezoid used to represent the time scoop has been needlessly replaced with what looks like a CGI ice cream. If you only have time for one, make it the original.
NEXT: Warriors of the Deep
Peter Moffat is hardly the most visually adventurous director, but he does reasonably good work here. Despite Gallifrey having a similar look to Arc of Infinity, scenes are cut with more urgency which compensate for this. The locations are well shot, with some very atmospheric scenes in the caves, and there is some great matte painting work for the exterior of the Dark Tower and great set design for the interior. We get some of the series' most celebrated monsters, with the appearance of a Dalek and a Yeti, but the main 'monsters' are the Cybermen. These are of similar design to those in Earthshock but, unfortunately, the key touch that made this design so great (the silver jaw visible behind the face-plate) has been omitted. However, the Cybermen form part of perhaps the most memorable set-piece in the story, the Raston Warrior Robot. This is a shockingly violent scene, where a platoon of Cybermen are impaled and dismembered by the Robot. The Robot is instantly memorable in a scene that is immaculately shot and edited.
Of course, the main attraction is the appearance of the five Doctors themselves, although, in reality, this is really another 'three doctors'- William Hartnell had been dead for 8 years and Tom Baker declined to appear. Jon Pertwee and Patrick Troughton effortlessly ease back into their roles and their interplay with their companions is excellently written and performed. Tom Baker appears in the form of a scene from Shada, but the First Doctor has been recast. Doing an impersonation of the inimitable Hartnell would have been disastrous, so it is good that Richard Hurndall gives us his own interpretation- he doesn't giggle or go 'hmm', but we still believe in him as the Doctor. If it had been up to me, I would not have had the First Doctor in it, but Hurndall does a good enough job. The guest performances are good, with Phillip Latham's power-mad Borusa being a highlight. The characterisation of the Master as being thwarted in his attempts to help the Doctor is highly amusing and works well.
The Five Doctors is eminently successful in both celebrating the programme and entertaining the viewer. This is the first story where I have had to review two versions. In 1995, an extended edition was released with 'improved' special effects and extra scenes. However, there are only two actual improvements, in my opinion- the first entrance of Borusa and the Doctor going into Borusa's office are better edited, but, in general, the pace is lost in the new edit. Also, the iconic black trapezoid used to represent the time scoop has been needlessly replaced with what looks like a CGI ice cream. If you only have time for one, make it the original.
NEXT: Warriors of the Deep
Wednesday, 8 July 2009
Arc of Infinity
For a Doctor Who story, or indeed any story, to succeed, it is essential to have a situation that the viewer will care about. If the Doctor is threatened, if a planet is in danger, we must feel that danger, understand the nature of the threat. I say this now because, while Arc of Infinity is, in every way, a better made piece of television than Time-Flight, it utterly fails to connect to me as a viewer. The threats to the Doctor are explained by using the most extreme barrage of technobabble that the programme has ever seen and it never ceases. This is a story that progresses entirely by constructing, deactivating or bypassing various contraptions, rather than anything involving actual ideas or characters. The adversary of the story is Omega, but his identity is revealed far too late in the story and only those who remembered The Three Doctors would be able to pick up on the mentions on anti-matter to guess the identity of the antagonist. The Amsterdam section of the story is very poorly integrated with the Gallifreyan section and shows a shocking lack of anything approaching invention or imagination.
Visually, the story is competent, but dull. The location filming in Amsterdam is so unimaginative that it could have been shot anywhere- Only Fools and Horses would shoot in the same location with far greater flair two years later. Gallifrey is realised as a kind of futuristic coffee shop. Ron Jones's direction is hardly memorable, but he can have hardly been galvanised by the material. The most disappointing thing of all is the Matrix, which is realised as a bunch of criss-crossed lines.
There are some excellent actors here, but most are wasted. Leonard Sachs makes a rather disappointing Borusa and Elspet Grey is given little to do. Michael Gough, however, refuses to be cowed by the blandness and plays his part with vigour. On Earth, the performances are less good, with Andrew Boxer coming off more as a talented amateur, rather than a professional. Peter Davison manages to be engaging throughout and Sarah Sutton fills the role of sole companion rather better than I would have expected- however it is good to see Janet Fielding back.
If the story has a success it is the eventual portrayal of Omega. He is not just a villain- he thanks Hedin for his help and is genuinely angry at his death. Ian Collier is pretty good in the role (a far cry from his previous appearance in The Time Monster). Omega's costume design is excellent and the Ergon, while it is hardly the best Doctor Who monster, is about a thousand times better than the Gel-Guards. The best thing of all is Davison's child-like performance as the reborn Omega, which gives the final 15 minutes of the story more drama, wonder and excitement than the rest of the story put together. It is far too little, far too late, though.
NEXT: Snakedance
Visually, the story is competent, but dull. The location filming in Amsterdam is so unimaginative that it could have been shot anywhere- Only Fools and Horses would shoot in the same location with far greater flair two years later. Gallifrey is realised as a kind of futuristic coffee shop. Ron Jones's direction is hardly memorable, but he can have hardly been galvanised by the material. The most disappointing thing of all is the Matrix, which is realised as a bunch of criss-crossed lines.
There are some excellent actors here, but most are wasted. Leonard Sachs makes a rather disappointing Borusa and Elspet Grey is given little to do. Michael Gough, however, refuses to be cowed by the blandness and plays his part with vigour. On Earth, the performances are less good, with Andrew Boxer coming off more as a talented amateur, rather than a professional. Peter Davison manages to be engaging throughout and Sarah Sutton fills the role of sole companion rather better than I would have expected- however it is good to see Janet Fielding back.
If the story has a success it is the eventual portrayal of Omega. He is not just a villain- he thanks Hedin for his help and is genuinely angry at his death. Ian Collier is pretty good in the role (a far cry from his previous appearance in The Time Monster). Omega's costume design is excellent and the Ergon, while it is hardly the best Doctor Who monster, is about a thousand times better than the Gel-Guards. The best thing of all is Davison's child-like performance as the reborn Omega, which gives the final 15 minutes of the story more drama, wonder and excitement than the rest of the story put together. It is far too little, far too late, though.
NEXT: Snakedance
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
The Invasion of Time
The Invasion of Time is a sequel to the wonderful Deadly Assassin- indeed, parts of the story will not make sense unless the viewer has seen the 1976 story. It is, therefore, wonderful that the script aspires to the same degree of sophistication as its predecessor. The Deadly Assassin showed the Time Lords at the nadir of their civilisation, but this story suggests that Gallifrey is in the process of undergoing something of a renaissance. The Time Lords are more aware of their past and the older Time Lords have a dignity that they lacked earlier. However, it is clear that since the Doctor’s defeat of the Master, Gallifrey is in something of a constitutional crisis, with the president-elect (the Doctor himself) being absent and Cardinal Borusa having risen to the rank of Chancellor and being the de-facto president. Into this situation, the Doctor returns to claim the Presidency, but this is a very different Doctor than what we are used to. The story opens with the Doctor making a pact with some unseen aliens and deliberately keeping Leela in the dark. Upon his arrival on Gallifrey, he seems arrogant and power-mad and further surprises us by banishing Leela from the Capitol. However, we soon discover that the Doctor is actually trying to entrap the alien Vardans- but, of course, there is one thing he overlooked.
The script by David Agnew (actually Graham Williams and Anthony Read) is very politically astute. This incarnation of Borusa is recognisable as the character in The Deadly Assassin, but the academic has become a creature of politics. He is brilliantly portrayed just as much as a high-ranking civil servant as a politician, which leads to a fascinating dynamic between him and the Doctor. The story depicts the invasion actually succeeding, with portrayals of concomitant effects such as insurgency (Leela and the outcasts organising a rebellion) and collaboration (Castellan Kellner). The characterisation is well suited to this and the cast is superb. John Arnatt is fantastic as Borusa, injecting a note of ‘sinister Sir Humphrey’ into the mix. Milton Johns gives a very skilful performance as Kellner- it would have been easy to make him simply an obsequious toady. This is also one of Tom Baker’s best performances - his portrayal of the seemingly power-mad Doctor is genuinely disquieting. This depiction of the Doctor brings up something very important about the way we view the character- the audience implicitly trusts the Doctor, as does Leela in the story and it is this which fascinates us, rather than repels us in the story when it seems that our favourite Time Lord has turned traitor.
Visually, the story is well made, with some very good model shots. Director Gerald Blake is not the most exciting director, but he does, on occasion, know how to use shots well and how to marshal actors. Of special note is the Doctor’s induction as President, wonderfully shot and edited, with Dudley Simpson showing that he can still write an evocative score when he tries. However, the lighting is again there for no other reason to make objects visible. It is unfortunate that this story follows from The Deadly Assassin, directed as it was by David Maloney, one of the best directors the programme ever had, which amplifies the lack of decent ‘cinematography’ in this story.
There are some significant flaws in the story, however. The reveal of the Sontarans as the real villains is a real shock moment in the story and is fantastically done. Unfortunately, it also results in the last two episodes being mainly a runaround in the TARDIS, followed by the Doctor shooting at them to make them disappear- a severe disappointment after the sophistication of the first four episodes. Derek Deadman puts in a good performance as lead Sontaran Stor- despite what has been written by others, Deadman’s accent is not distracting, just not the Received Pronunciation we are used to. It certainly isn’t Cockney, more a relaxed Estuary English. However, the make-up for the Sontarans is disappointing, nothing like as effective as the versions in The Time Warrior or The Sontaran Experiment. The Vardans look like Bacofoil Christmas decorations before they materialise and they are flatly performed, the only really disappointing performances in the story. Then there is Leela’s departure. Louise Jameson is a very gifted actress and she never failed to put in an arresting performance. Her opting to stay behind on Gallifrey with Andred is unconvincing- if there would have been anyone for her to randomly fall in love with, it would surely have been Nesbin, who she spent more time with and had more in common with (if this story had been made today, however, she’d probably have paired off with Rodan!).
Overall, however, this story has a great deal to commend it, despite its shortcomings.
NEXT: The Ribos Operation
The script by David Agnew (actually Graham Williams and Anthony Read) is very politically astute. This incarnation of Borusa is recognisable as the character in The Deadly Assassin, but the academic has become a creature of politics. He is brilliantly portrayed just as much as a high-ranking civil servant as a politician, which leads to a fascinating dynamic between him and the Doctor. The story depicts the invasion actually succeeding, with portrayals of concomitant effects such as insurgency (Leela and the outcasts organising a rebellion) and collaboration (Castellan Kellner). The characterisation is well suited to this and the cast is superb. John Arnatt is fantastic as Borusa, injecting a note of ‘sinister Sir Humphrey’ into the mix. Milton Johns gives a very skilful performance as Kellner- it would have been easy to make him simply an obsequious toady. This is also one of Tom Baker’s best performances - his portrayal of the seemingly power-mad Doctor is genuinely disquieting. This depiction of the Doctor brings up something very important about the way we view the character- the audience implicitly trusts the Doctor, as does Leela in the story and it is this which fascinates us, rather than repels us in the story when it seems that our favourite Time Lord has turned traitor.
Visually, the story is well made, with some very good model shots. Director Gerald Blake is not the most exciting director, but he does, on occasion, know how to use shots well and how to marshal actors. Of special note is the Doctor’s induction as President, wonderfully shot and edited, with Dudley Simpson showing that he can still write an evocative score when he tries. However, the lighting is again there for no other reason to make objects visible. It is unfortunate that this story follows from The Deadly Assassin, directed as it was by David Maloney, one of the best directors the programme ever had, which amplifies the lack of decent ‘cinematography’ in this story.
There are some significant flaws in the story, however. The reveal of the Sontarans as the real villains is a real shock moment in the story and is fantastically done. Unfortunately, it also results in the last two episodes being mainly a runaround in the TARDIS, followed by the Doctor shooting at them to make them disappear- a severe disappointment after the sophistication of the first four episodes. Derek Deadman puts in a good performance as lead Sontaran Stor- despite what has been written by others, Deadman’s accent is not distracting, just not the Received Pronunciation we are used to. It certainly isn’t Cockney, more a relaxed Estuary English. However, the make-up for the Sontarans is disappointing, nothing like as effective as the versions in The Time Warrior or The Sontaran Experiment. The Vardans look like Bacofoil Christmas decorations before they materialise and they are flatly performed, the only really disappointing performances in the story. Then there is Leela’s departure. Louise Jameson is a very gifted actress and she never failed to put in an arresting performance. Her opting to stay behind on Gallifrey with Andred is unconvincing- if there would have been anyone for her to randomly fall in love with, it would surely have been Nesbin, who she spent more time with and had more in common with (if this story had been made today, however, she’d probably have paired off with Rodan!).
Overall, however, this story has a great deal to commend it, despite its shortcomings.
NEXT: The Ribos Operation
Saturday, 28 March 2009
The Deadly Assassin
The Deadly Assassin is, quite simply, one of the greatest Doctor Who stories ever made. Very few Doctor Who stories work successfully on so many levels. It is a thriller, a work of televisual surrealism, a political drama, a tale of the decline, fall and possible resurrection of a great civilisation. Most of all, it manages to be Doctor Who in every fibre of its being, whilst being unlike any other story- something which hadn’t happened since the Hartnell era.
Robert Holmes’s script is taut, yet is a thoroughly convincing portrait of the society of Gallifrey. A good deal on contemporary criticism of the story concerned its discontinuity with previous portrayals of the Time Lords. These are not the austere gods of The War Games, nor the technocrats of The Three Doctors. These are Time Lords with bad hips, old buffers who have ‘turned away from the barren road of technology’ whose great scientific achievements have become myth. The society of the Time Lords is led by a President and Chancellor, but other iconography is reminiscent of the Vatican. The Time Lords are, therefore, priests who have forgotten that they were once the very gods they served. However, there is still clearly a great deal of power on Gallifrey- mentions are made of a ‘Celestial Intervention Agency’ and the character of Borusa clearly knows more than he is telling. This world-building and political intrigue is bolstered by some very effective dialogue, making this a thoroughly believable reading of Gallifrey.
I have noted many times my admiration of David Maloney as a director and in this story, he really outdoes himself. From the very start of the story, with its scrolling text narrated by the Doctor, he sets out to make this story different. The scenes on Gallifrey have a foggy, funereal atmosphere and his shots are thoroughly effective throughout. Use of flashbacks and flash-forwards and interesting editing are used sparingly and effectively throughout. Then there are the scenes set in the Matrix (Holmes's estate should really sue the Wachowski brothers!) which is a fantastic array of surreal and frightening images, ranging from scenes inspired by Hitchcock’s North by Northwest, common phobias of injections and clowns, and the purely visceral, such as when the Doctor steps on a giant rotting egg and hears a ghostly squawk. Indeed, parts of this episode are like the Doctor Who equivalent of Eraserhead! This leads to a very tense face-off between him and his assailant, which takes up most of part three. These sequences are breathtaking in an already visually stunning story. The production values are impressive throughout- even the rather immobile mask used for the Master works reasonably well.
The performances are excellent across the board, with special mention being given to Angus MacKay as Borusa. This is the only story where the Doctor is not given a companion and Tom Baker manages to deal excellently with all aspects of the story, both dark and humorous. This is truly one of the all-time great stories- so what are you waiting for?
NEXT: The Face of Evil
Robert Holmes’s script is taut, yet is a thoroughly convincing portrait of the society of Gallifrey. A good deal on contemporary criticism of the story concerned its discontinuity with previous portrayals of the Time Lords. These are not the austere gods of The War Games, nor the technocrats of The Three Doctors. These are Time Lords with bad hips, old buffers who have ‘turned away from the barren road of technology’ whose great scientific achievements have become myth. The society of the Time Lords is led by a President and Chancellor, but other iconography is reminiscent of the Vatican. The Time Lords are, therefore, priests who have forgotten that they were once the very gods they served. However, there is still clearly a great deal of power on Gallifrey- mentions are made of a ‘Celestial Intervention Agency’ and the character of Borusa clearly knows more than he is telling. This world-building and political intrigue is bolstered by some very effective dialogue, making this a thoroughly believable reading of Gallifrey.
I have noted many times my admiration of David Maloney as a director and in this story, he really outdoes himself. From the very start of the story, with its scrolling text narrated by the Doctor, he sets out to make this story different. The scenes on Gallifrey have a foggy, funereal atmosphere and his shots are thoroughly effective throughout. Use of flashbacks and flash-forwards and interesting editing are used sparingly and effectively throughout. Then there are the scenes set in the Matrix (Holmes's estate should really sue the Wachowski brothers!) which is a fantastic array of surreal and frightening images, ranging from scenes inspired by Hitchcock’s North by Northwest, common phobias of injections and clowns, and the purely visceral, such as when the Doctor steps on a giant rotting egg and hears a ghostly squawk. Indeed, parts of this episode are like the Doctor Who equivalent of Eraserhead! This leads to a very tense face-off between him and his assailant, which takes up most of part three. These sequences are breathtaking in an already visually stunning story. The production values are impressive throughout- even the rather immobile mask used for the Master works reasonably well.
The performances are excellent across the board, with special mention being given to Angus MacKay as Borusa. This is the only story where the Doctor is not given a companion and Tom Baker manages to deal excellently with all aspects of the story, both dark and humorous. This is truly one of the all-time great stories- so what are you waiting for?
NEXT: The Face of Evil
Monday, 26 January 2009
The Three Doctors
Doctor Who managed to overcome the problem of how to survive after the lead actor left with immense creativity. Yet there must have still been some who missed Patrick Troughton and some (many of whom were now adults) who still remembered William Hartnell fondly. Both groups wondered what ‘their’ Doctor would have made of their successors and the start of the tenth season gave these fans what they had been hoping for. It is this aspect of the story that must be looked at first. There is a plot, but the plot is not the point of this story. There is a guest cast, but only two of them really matter. This is about fondly looking at the past, about younger siblings bonding with their older ones, of parents watching a programme with their children for exactly the same reason.
From the second he materialises, Patrick Troughton plays the Doctor like he’d never been away. Whatever the quality of the story (and he was in quite a few stinkers) Troughton was never less than excellent as the Doctor. His interpretation of the Doctor as someone who acted the fool in order to get his enemies to underestimate him makes an interesting contrast with the more diplomatic, yet confrontational Doctor as played by Jon Pertwee. The interaction between the two of them is utterly fantastic and is enough to make this story worth watching on its own. Then, of course, there is William Hartnell. One thing I have come to realise in this little project of mine is that the Hartnell era was the best, one of the many reasons for which being Hartnell’s consistently outstanding performance. Unfortunately, Hartnell’s declining health led to him having a very restricted role in the story. The fact that his performance is still thoroughly convincing despite the fact that he was reading from cue cards is testament to the great skill of the actor. Even in such a limited capacity, it is truly joyous seeing William Hartnell as Doctor Who for the last time.
The script by Bob Baker and Dave Martin is very interesting. The Time Lords are having their power drained into a universe of anti-matter. The culprit is discovered to be Omega, a stellar engineer who created the immense power source needed to fuel time travel, but trapping himself in a black hole in the process. The only option for the Time Lords is to pit the three Doctors against Omega, and the denizens of the anti-matter universe that he has created. Baker/Martin scripts usually demand a great deal on the production side and one can imagine what Cardiff today could do with anti-matter creatures, black holes and singularities and the like. It is, therefore, remarkable that the visualisation of Omega and his world is (although far from ideal) capable of suspending our disbelief. The Gel-Guards are, of course, utterly rubbish, with their ridiculous appearance and the ridiculous ‘blobby-blobby’ noises they make. However, although the sets are a bit garish, they are reasonably effective. The realisation of the singularity as a column of smoke works well- we are in Omega’s world and can accept such figurative realisations better. The success of the visual side is also helped by the fact that Lennie Mayne directs. Mayne never let the fact that he was working on a tiny budget in a television studio stop him from creating interesting shots and compositions. The one creative decision I find fault with is that we only see Hartnell on a TV screen by shooting the screen itself and we never see the actual footage shot of Hartnell on its own.
The regulars are on good form. Katy Manning seems to mesh well with Mayne’s directorial style and Benton is given much more to do than usual, which John Levene takes full advantage of. There has been much criticism of the treatment of the Brigadier’s character, but I found that to mainly refer to the scene where UNIT HQ is transported to Omega’s world. In the rest of the story, the Brig is resourceful and shows great humanity in the scene where they have to part with the Doctors. Stephen Thorne brings a great deal of energy into the role of Omega, together with some amount of pathos. His shouting is sometimes ineffective, though.
This story is hugely enjoyable throughout, well worth investing 100 minutes in!
NEXT: Carnival of Monsters
From the second he materialises, Patrick Troughton plays the Doctor like he’d never been away. Whatever the quality of the story (and he was in quite a few stinkers) Troughton was never less than excellent as the Doctor. His interpretation of the Doctor as someone who acted the fool in order to get his enemies to underestimate him makes an interesting contrast with the more diplomatic, yet confrontational Doctor as played by Jon Pertwee. The interaction between the two of them is utterly fantastic and is enough to make this story worth watching on its own. Then, of course, there is William Hartnell. One thing I have come to realise in this little project of mine is that the Hartnell era was the best, one of the many reasons for which being Hartnell’s consistently outstanding performance. Unfortunately, Hartnell’s declining health led to him having a very restricted role in the story. The fact that his performance is still thoroughly convincing despite the fact that he was reading from cue cards is testament to the great skill of the actor. Even in such a limited capacity, it is truly joyous seeing William Hartnell as Doctor Who for the last time.
The script by Bob Baker and Dave Martin is very interesting. The Time Lords are having their power drained into a universe of anti-matter. The culprit is discovered to be Omega, a stellar engineer who created the immense power source needed to fuel time travel, but trapping himself in a black hole in the process. The only option for the Time Lords is to pit the three Doctors against Omega, and the denizens of the anti-matter universe that he has created. Baker/Martin scripts usually demand a great deal on the production side and one can imagine what Cardiff today could do with anti-matter creatures, black holes and singularities and the like. It is, therefore, remarkable that the visualisation of Omega and his world is (although far from ideal) capable of suspending our disbelief. The Gel-Guards are, of course, utterly rubbish, with their ridiculous appearance and the ridiculous ‘blobby-blobby’ noises they make. However, although the sets are a bit garish, they are reasonably effective. The realisation of the singularity as a column of smoke works well- we are in Omega’s world and can accept such figurative realisations better. The success of the visual side is also helped by the fact that Lennie Mayne directs. Mayne never let the fact that he was working on a tiny budget in a television studio stop him from creating interesting shots and compositions. The one creative decision I find fault with is that we only see Hartnell on a TV screen by shooting the screen itself and we never see the actual footage shot of Hartnell on its own.
The regulars are on good form. Katy Manning seems to mesh well with Mayne’s directorial style and Benton is given much more to do than usual, which John Levene takes full advantage of. There has been much criticism of the treatment of the Brigadier’s character, but I found that to mainly refer to the scene where UNIT HQ is transported to Omega’s world. In the rest of the story, the Brig is resourceful and shows great humanity in the scene where they have to part with the Doctors. Stephen Thorne brings a great deal of energy into the role of Omega, together with some amount of pathos. His shouting is sometimes ineffective, though.
This story is hugely enjoyable throughout, well worth investing 100 minutes in!
NEXT: Carnival of Monsters
Saturday, 29 November 2008
The War Games
The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe find themselves in what appears to be the Western Front in World War I. The truth, however, is more sinister- an alien race is kidnapping human soldiers from wars that have occurred throughout human history prior to the 21st century (actually, it seems to be prior to World War II) to create the ultimate army, an army which will be used to conquer the galaxy.
Patrick Troughton’s tenure as the Doctor comes to an end with this epic 10-part story, second only to The Daleks’ Master Plan in length (yes, yes, Trial of a Time Lord blah, blah). There is just over 4 hours of material here, yet it never becomes boring or repetitive. The story gradually escalates in scale- the first episode feels like it actually takes place on the Western Front, with aliens having infiltrated. When Jamie meets the Redcoat from Culloden, this interpretation is questioned and we find that there are soldiers from throughout human history and mysterious machines that materialise with a sound similar, but not identical to, the TARDIS. We are then taken to the control centre where we see the aliens processing the humans and, indeed, pitting the humans against each other like they are playing a deadly game of Risk (perhaps a hint of Malcolm Hulke's communist leanings seeping through?). There are power struggles in the higher echelons of the aliens’ command structure. We then discover that the similarities of the time machines to the TARDIS are not a coincidence and we find out more about the Doctor than we have ever done before. Terrence Dicks and Malcolm Hulke manage to fill the story with memorable dialogue and good characterisation throughout and expertly weave a narrative that moves from the grittiness of the trenches to the ‘futurama’ of the aliens’ domain. There is a distinct stylistic difference between the two, but it works thematically- the aliens maintain a detachment from the affairs of the humans at all times. In a story of ten parts, there is, obviously, some padding evident, but much less than one would expect. It is interesting to note that there are several Troughton stories (The preceding Space Pirates leaps to mind) which are six parters by design, that are considerably more padded than stories which had extra parts foisted on them.
Visually, the story is a triumph. The Western Front zone (the war zone that is explored the most fully) is excellently realised and could come from a respectable historical drama dealing with the period. The scenes at the alien control point are as differentiated visually as they are thematically and never crosses the line into cheesiness- even the bizarre goggles that are worn do not look ridiculous. David Maloney again directs with consummate style and subtlety with very effective camera work and an unshowy but highly effective use of lighting.
The guest cast is extensive and astonishingly good. James Bree is memorable as the security chief- his diction is almost Dalek like, but seems natural with the character and makes the struggles he has with Edward Brayshaw’s marvellous War Chief very memorable. Philip Madoc is outstanding as the War Lord, a figure who is usually shown speaking calmly with the ghost of a smile on his face, but still projects a horrifying amorality. This makes the depiction of his breakdown in the final episode all the more effective. David Savile and Jane Sherwin are very effective as Lt Carstairs and Lady Jennifer Buckingham. Unlike in The Tomb of the Cybermen, the blatant nepotism (Jane Sherwin was married to Derrick Sherwin) is vindicated. Even minor roles are excellently portrayed- it is not surprising that many were played by future stars. Most notable is Rudolph Walker as the doomed Harper, who puts in a brilliant performance for what amounts to about 5 minutes of screen time.
I have said before that I find the team of the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe to be the best line-up of the Troughton era and this story demonstrates this excellently. Frazer Hines displays for the last time that irresistible blend of unschooled resourcefulness and fiery energy that makes Jamie one of the greatest companions of all time and Wendy Padbury’s infectious enthusiasm continues to endear the viewer. We can see that the relationship between the characters has deepened considerably- when the Doctor is about to face a firing squad, he gives Zoe an avuncular kiss on the cheek. When the Doctor is faced with his greatest challenge yet, it is made clear- for the very first time- that his companions are willing to spend their entire lives with him.
This story presents the greatest challenge as an actor that Patrick Troughton ever achieved in the role and, of course, we all know that he is more than up to the task. Half-way through the story we hear of a mysterious and powerful race called the Time Lords. We find out that the War Chief is one of them and, in a wonderful moment, it only takes one glance for the Doctor and the War Chief to recognise each other and it is later revealed that the Doctor too is a Time Lord. There is a scene that consists entirely of exposition that is utterly fantastic, starting with the War Chief saying ‘You may have changed your appearance, but I know who you are.’ In this scene, we see the Doctor as we have never seen him before. The Doctor, this incarnation especially, has always been mysterious, always guarded about his origins and past. Now he is with a true peer who knows exactly who he really is. From this pivotal scene onwards, the Doctor is forever changed in our eyes. Troughton’s performance is effortless, yet hugely effective.
The Doctor has to summon the Time Lords as the task of returning tens of thousands of soldiers to their times is beyond him. He tries to escape, but the Time Lords have complete control over the TARDIS- the cliffhanger to episode 9 has the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe running more and more slowly towards the TARDIS as the Time Lords slow down time around them. However, they are eventually brought back to the Doctor’s home planet, where we see the Time Lords for the first time, imposing, forbidding and, by all appearances, well-nigh omnipotent. The Doctor is forced to take leave of Jamie and Zoe in what has to be the most touching departure scene since Ian and Barbara left, which is beautifully played by the three actors. The Doctor is sentenced to exile on earth with a new appearance and we see him continuing to protest as he spirals off into infinity…
Unlike William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton chose to leave the programme and, therefore, is given this thoroughly amazing story as a send off. The faults are very few and far between- the only notable one I can think of is the fact that most of the fight scenes are very poorly done. However, this story has so much more to offer and is excellent as a final Troughton story, one of his best, and would even work well as a final ever Doctor Who adventure. Seven years on the air and 253 episodes is a phenomenally good run by any standards, but, although viewing figures were down…
NEXT: Spearhead from Space
Patrick Troughton’s tenure as the Doctor comes to an end with this epic 10-part story, second only to The Daleks’ Master Plan in length (yes, yes, Trial of a Time Lord blah, blah). There is just over 4 hours of material here, yet it never becomes boring or repetitive. The story gradually escalates in scale- the first episode feels like it actually takes place on the Western Front, with aliens having infiltrated. When Jamie meets the Redcoat from Culloden, this interpretation is questioned and we find that there are soldiers from throughout human history and mysterious machines that materialise with a sound similar, but not identical to, the TARDIS. We are then taken to the control centre where we see the aliens processing the humans and, indeed, pitting the humans against each other like they are playing a deadly game of Risk (perhaps a hint of Malcolm Hulke's communist leanings seeping through?). There are power struggles in the higher echelons of the aliens’ command structure. We then discover that the similarities of the time machines to the TARDIS are not a coincidence and we find out more about the Doctor than we have ever done before. Terrence Dicks and Malcolm Hulke manage to fill the story with memorable dialogue and good characterisation throughout and expertly weave a narrative that moves from the grittiness of the trenches to the ‘futurama’ of the aliens’ domain. There is a distinct stylistic difference between the two, but it works thematically- the aliens maintain a detachment from the affairs of the humans at all times. In a story of ten parts, there is, obviously, some padding evident, but much less than one would expect. It is interesting to note that there are several Troughton stories (The preceding Space Pirates leaps to mind) which are six parters by design, that are considerably more padded than stories which had extra parts foisted on them.
Visually, the story is a triumph. The Western Front zone (the war zone that is explored the most fully) is excellently realised and could come from a respectable historical drama dealing with the period. The scenes at the alien control point are as differentiated visually as they are thematically and never crosses the line into cheesiness- even the bizarre goggles that are worn do not look ridiculous. David Maloney again directs with consummate style and subtlety with very effective camera work and an unshowy but highly effective use of lighting.
The guest cast is extensive and astonishingly good. James Bree is memorable as the security chief- his diction is almost Dalek like, but seems natural with the character and makes the struggles he has with Edward Brayshaw’s marvellous War Chief very memorable. Philip Madoc is outstanding as the War Lord, a figure who is usually shown speaking calmly with the ghost of a smile on his face, but still projects a horrifying amorality. This makes the depiction of his breakdown in the final episode all the more effective. David Savile and Jane Sherwin are very effective as Lt Carstairs and Lady Jennifer Buckingham. Unlike in The Tomb of the Cybermen, the blatant nepotism (Jane Sherwin was married to Derrick Sherwin) is vindicated. Even minor roles are excellently portrayed- it is not surprising that many were played by future stars. Most notable is Rudolph Walker as the doomed Harper, who puts in a brilliant performance for what amounts to about 5 minutes of screen time.
I have said before that I find the team of the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe to be the best line-up of the Troughton era and this story demonstrates this excellently. Frazer Hines displays for the last time that irresistible blend of unschooled resourcefulness and fiery energy that makes Jamie one of the greatest companions of all time and Wendy Padbury’s infectious enthusiasm continues to endear the viewer. We can see that the relationship between the characters has deepened considerably- when the Doctor is about to face a firing squad, he gives Zoe an avuncular kiss on the cheek. When the Doctor is faced with his greatest challenge yet, it is made clear- for the very first time- that his companions are willing to spend their entire lives with him.
This story presents the greatest challenge as an actor that Patrick Troughton ever achieved in the role and, of course, we all know that he is more than up to the task. Half-way through the story we hear of a mysterious and powerful race called the Time Lords. We find out that the War Chief is one of them and, in a wonderful moment, it only takes one glance for the Doctor and the War Chief to recognise each other and it is later revealed that the Doctor too is a Time Lord. There is a scene that consists entirely of exposition that is utterly fantastic, starting with the War Chief saying ‘You may have changed your appearance, but I know who you are.’ In this scene, we see the Doctor as we have never seen him before. The Doctor, this incarnation especially, has always been mysterious, always guarded about his origins and past. Now he is with a true peer who knows exactly who he really is. From this pivotal scene onwards, the Doctor is forever changed in our eyes. Troughton’s performance is effortless, yet hugely effective.
The Doctor has to summon the Time Lords as the task of returning tens of thousands of soldiers to their times is beyond him. He tries to escape, but the Time Lords have complete control over the TARDIS- the cliffhanger to episode 9 has the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe running more and more slowly towards the TARDIS as the Time Lords slow down time around them. However, they are eventually brought back to the Doctor’s home planet, where we see the Time Lords for the first time, imposing, forbidding and, by all appearances, well-nigh omnipotent. The Doctor is forced to take leave of Jamie and Zoe in what has to be the most touching departure scene since Ian and Barbara left, which is beautifully played by the three actors. The Doctor is sentenced to exile on earth with a new appearance and we see him continuing to protest as he spirals off into infinity…
Unlike William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton chose to leave the programme and, therefore, is given this thoroughly amazing story as a send off. The faults are very few and far between- the only notable one I can think of is the fact that most of the fight scenes are very poorly done. However, this story has so much more to offer and is excellent as a final Troughton story, one of his best, and would even work well as a final ever Doctor Who adventure. Seven years on the air and 253 episodes is a phenomenally good run by any standards, but, although viewing figures were down…
NEXT: Spearhead from Space
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