Bob Baker’s name looks very lonely in the credit sequence without the ‘and Dave Martin’ but his first solo script is probably the best he has been involved with for the programme. There are very imaginative ideas- conservation involving storing whole ecosystems on a ‘Continual Event Transmuter’, narcotics that are formed from the decay of an alien’s body and ‘warp’ flight causing two ships to become embedded in each other. The characters are believable and act in interesting ways, even if some are not that well drawn. The villains are not truly evil- Tryst has turned to drug-running to finance his conservation efforts and Dymond is more worthy of contempt than hatred. There is some excellent dialogue and the fact that the plot revolves around an ongoing crisis gives it a sense of urgency. The narcotics plotline is dealt with in a genuinely adult way- although it’s hardly Traffik or The Wire, the plot doesn’t merely broadcast the message that ‘drugs are bad’; instead it shows what motivates people to deal in them and how willing they are to deny their responsibility for the destruction of lives the that drug trade brings.
As many have said before me, BakerMartin scripts wildly overestimated what was possible on Doctor Who’s budget. This is not the case with this script, where the script demands nothing unrealistic from the budget. However, tragically, this story was evidently allocated a far smaller budget than was usual. The sets are hardly the best the programme have had- a special dishonourable mention must be given to the ‘economy class’ section of the ship, which is just a room with chairs in it. The other sets are more convincing, but it is very obvious that there aren’t many of them. The only reasonably good set is the one for the Eden environment in the CET. Then there are the monsters. The Mandrels look pretty ridiculous even before you see that they have flared legs (1979 is a bit late for flares, surely?)
The main problem with the story is the direction and, it should be said at the start, this is not director Alan Bromly’s fault. He clearly knows what to do with the camera and has an idea who the characters are and how they should interact. However, the very tight budget obviously meant the actors were under-rehearsed and there were clearly few, if any, retakes- something that is obvious in the number of fluffs and the set wobbles (nothing like as common an occurrence in the programme as a whole as lazy commentators would have you think) and monster costumes not zipping up at the back etc. The story was, in fact, produced in a similar way to the Hartnell episodes without the production team having the experience and skill of working within those restraints. Had the story been given the same level of attention as, say, Planet of Evil, this story would have been seen as a classic.
The cast is rather good, in spite of the rushed execution of the story. David Daker does good work as Captain Rigg and conveys as effectively as a family programme can a man going through a high, a comedown and withdrawal. Geoffrey Hinsliff is wonderfully officious as Fisk. Lewis Fiander’s performance as Tryst is watchable, but his attempt to do a futuristic ‘Creole European’ accent unfortunately reminds me of Stephen Fry’s Eastern European characters in A Bit of Fry and Laurie- I was half expecting Tryst to exclaim ‘You are shatting right that is what I am going to do!’ The regulars are excellent, with Tom Baker being clearly invigorated by the script and Lalla Ward ably assisting.
It’s cheap and shabby but if you forgive the many production disasters, there is an excellent story to be found here.
NEXT: The Horns of Nimon
Showing posts with label Bob Baker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bob Baker. Show all posts
Saturday, 30 May 2009
Saturday, 9 May 2009
The Armageddon Factor
The Key to Time arc comes to the end with this story. The quest for the sixth segment is intertwined with a total war that has been taking place between the twin planets of Atrios and Zeos. While the obsessively bellicose Atrion Marshal is bent on eradicating the enemy at all costs, he is being controlled by the shadowy figure of the, er, Shadow, who knows of the Doctor and is keen to get hold of the final segment. Usually, the phrase 'Baker and Martin six-parter' doesn't exactly fill me with anticipation. One expects very imaginative/barmy ideas that make unrealistic demands on the budget, a complete lack of any scientific understanding and plot-holes the size of planets. Happily, the wacky ideas in this story are ones which can easily be realised (such as placing the Atrion attack in a time loop) and there is little real science for Baker and Martin to violate. For the most part, the plot is reasonably well executed (although this could be due to script-editor Anthony Read- he came up with the idea that Zeos had become uninhabited and their entire campaign was being orchestrated by a battle computer called Mentalis- Baker and Martin wanted to have Zeos as a planet exactly the same as Atrios) this makes for an enjoyable first 100 minutes. Unfortunately, the final two parts have a good deal of padding with too much running around and the Doctor being shrunk for no good reason.
The characterisation is variable. Princess Astra and Merak are standard types, but the Shadow is a very good portrayal of an evil 'lieutenant' to a greater evil. The great William Squire plays the Shadow to perfection, his eerie whispering voice working wonders. For his master, the Black Guardian, the production team managed to get an even more evil sounding voice, that of Valentine Dyall. John Woodvine works wonders with the rather basically written Marshal, but Davyd Harries seems unsure what to do with the character of Shapp- early on he is a stoic second in command, but he turns into a Carry On character later. Then there is Barry Jackson as Drax. There is no reason why a Time Lord should not have a Cockney accent, but Jackson's performance at no point makes us feel that he is a Time Lord and he is written as some kind of proto-Del Boy, which doesn't help.
The production is of a high standard throughout, with Michael Hayes directing well visually, although he is not altogether as successful with the actors. Lighting is used effectively, with the strong lighting for Zeos (consisting of soft yellows and pinks) contrasting effectively with the dank locales of Atrios (with its stark reds and greens) and the sepulchral tones of the Shadow's domain.
Tom Baker is good, except when he has to feign being power mad when the Key is whole. Unwisely, he plays it 'comedically' which just comes off as horrific overacting. Mary Tamm is great in her final portrayal of Romana, and I am sorry to see her go.
So, the Key to Time is dispersed again, making one feel slightly cheated. However, this is still an enjoyable, though by no means great, story.
NEXT: Destiny of the Daleks
The characterisation is variable. Princess Astra and Merak are standard types, but the Shadow is a very good portrayal of an evil 'lieutenant' to a greater evil. The great William Squire plays the Shadow to perfection, his eerie whispering voice working wonders. For his master, the Black Guardian, the production team managed to get an even more evil sounding voice, that of Valentine Dyall. John Woodvine works wonders with the rather basically written Marshal, but Davyd Harries seems unsure what to do with the character of Shapp- early on he is a stoic second in command, but he turns into a Carry On character later. Then there is Barry Jackson as Drax. There is no reason why a Time Lord should not have a Cockney accent, but Jackson's performance at no point makes us feel that he is a Time Lord and he is written as some kind of proto-Del Boy, which doesn't help.
The production is of a high standard throughout, with Michael Hayes directing well visually, although he is not altogether as successful with the actors. Lighting is used effectively, with the strong lighting for Zeos (consisting of soft yellows and pinks) contrasting effectively with the dank locales of Atrios (with its stark reds and greens) and the sepulchral tones of the Shadow's domain.
Tom Baker is good, except when he has to feign being power mad when the Key is whole. Unwisely, he plays it 'comedically' which just comes off as horrific overacting. Mary Tamm is great in her final portrayal of Romana, and I am sorry to see her go.
So, the Key to Time is dispersed again, making one feel slightly cheated. However, this is still an enjoyable, though by no means great, story.
NEXT: Destiny of the Daleks
Monday, 20 April 2009
Underworld
The Doctor Who production team must have had a slight masochistic tendency which made them repeatedly commission scripts from Bob Baker and Dave Martin. Many of their contributions call for production values wholly unreasonable for the programme and the subsequent failure draws attention to some of the failures in plotting. This really comes to a head in Underworld. This is one of those stories that is remembered by no-one except hardcore Doctor Who fans and has a pretty dismal reputation, so I was not looking forward to watching it.
However, I must say that episode one was actually quite good. We are treated to some of the best model shots the programme has had so far, with some interesting direction from Norman Stewart. There are memorable scenes such as the spacecraft flying through a gas nebula and then attracting asteroids to form a new planet. It seems that the Baker/Martin propensity for intriguing, if barmy ideas has finally translated well to the screen. However, from the moment in episode two when we see the ‘trogs’ running around a badly superimposed ‘sky-fall’ the story collapses like a meringue under custard. The failure is largely a production failure- for whatever reason (probably budgetary) the production team decided to render the caves of the planet by using CSO. One of the problems with CSO is that it relies on the camera being static for it to work- no tracking, panning, zooming or even wobbling. Another problem is that it is very difficult to light the scenes atmospherically as the lighting of the actors often contrasts considerably with the lighting of the backgrounds making them jarringly stand out from the backgrounds. All this results in a large proportion of the story being visually uninteresting at best and downright amateurish at worst. This is a pity, as a few of the scenes that do not rely on CSO are rather well shot and lit, especially the chamber of the Oracle. The shield guns are actually quite cool and the effect used for their beam is actually quite good. However, there is little else to commend it, visually- there is the ludicrous scene of the Doctor, Leela and Idas float in zero gravity along a shaft accompanied by lift muzak and what pass for monsters in this story- in the service of the Oracle, the Seers have become fully robotic. They take off their masks to reveal- two giant sponge fingers!
The script is mercilessly padded, which doesn’t help when there are no flashy visuals to distract from it. Of course, it is ‘cleverly’ based on the myth of Jason and the Golden Fleece (with other aspects of Greek Myth thrown in – P7E…Persephone- geddit?) and even if you were one of the 8 people who missed the parallels, don’t worry, the Doctor explains them at the end, if you make it that far. There are nice ideas, such as the Minyans being the reason why the Time Lords no longer intervene and the endless regeneration of the R1C crew, but there is little in this story that was not explored infinitely better in The Face of Evil. There is, of course, the complete lack of scientific knowledge that all Baker/Martin scripts have and strange things such as the P7E Minyans eating rock. The characterisation is basic and poorly thought out. ‘The Quest is the Quest’ as we are told ad nauseum, so it should be something which is so ingrained in the R1C crew that it should affect every fibre of their being. When they meet the slaves, they are not overjoyed at meeting their kin, or appalled at their degradation, they are simply ignored. The P7E trogs are also underwritten. There are some nice performances from the R1C crew, but the P7E people are largely forgettable. Tom Baker seems not to care about his performance, which is understandable, but doesn't exactly help matters. Louise Jameson is wonderful as ever, though.
In conclusion it is only the fun first episode that stops this story from being the most boring, uninspiring story ever broadcast under the Doctor Who banner- and there can be nothing that recommends a Doctor Who story less.
NEXT: The Invasion of Time
However, I must say that episode one was actually quite good. We are treated to some of the best model shots the programme has had so far, with some interesting direction from Norman Stewart. There are memorable scenes such as the spacecraft flying through a gas nebula and then attracting asteroids to form a new planet. It seems that the Baker/Martin propensity for intriguing, if barmy ideas has finally translated well to the screen. However, from the moment in episode two when we see the ‘trogs’ running around a badly superimposed ‘sky-fall’ the story collapses like a meringue under custard. The failure is largely a production failure- for whatever reason (probably budgetary) the production team decided to render the caves of the planet by using CSO. One of the problems with CSO is that it relies on the camera being static for it to work- no tracking, panning, zooming or even wobbling. Another problem is that it is very difficult to light the scenes atmospherically as the lighting of the actors often contrasts considerably with the lighting of the backgrounds making them jarringly stand out from the backgrounds. All this results in a large proportion of the story being visually uninteresting at best and downright amateurish at worst. This is a pity, as a few of the scenes that do not rely on CSO are rather well shot and lit, especially the chamber of the Oracle. The shield guns are actually quite cool and the effect used for their beam is actually quite good. However, there is little else to commend it, visually- there is the ludicrous scene of the Doctor, Leela and Idas float in zero gravity along a shaft accompanied by lift muzak and what pass for monsters in this story- in the service of the Oracle, the Seers have become fully robotic. They take off their masks to reveal- two giant sponge fingers!
The script is mercilessly padded, which doesn’t help when there are no flashy visuals to distract from it. Of course, it is ‘cleverly’ based on the myth of Jason and the Golden Fleece (with other aspects of Greek Myth thrown in – P7E…Persephone- geddit?) and even if you were one of the 8 people who missed the parallels, don’t worry, the Doctor explains them at the end, if you make it that far. There are nice ideas, such as the Minyans being the reason why the Time Lords no longer intervene and the endless regeneration of the R1C crew, but there is little in this story that was not explored infinitely better in The Face of Evil. There is, of course, the complete lack of scientific knowledge that all Baker/Martin scripts have and strange things such as the P7E Minyans eating rock. The characterisation is basic and poorly thought out. ‘The Quest is the Quest’ as we are told ad nauseum, so it should be something which is so ingrained in the R1C crew that it should affect every fibre of their being. When they meet the slaves, they are not overjoyed at meeting their kin, or appalled at their degradation, they are simply ignored. The P7E trogs are also underwritten. There are some nice performances from the R1C crew, but the P7E people are largely forgettable. Tom Baker seems not to care about his performance, which is understandable, but doesn't exactly help matters. Louise Jameson is wonderful as ever, though.
In conclusion it is only the fun first episode that stops this story from being the most boring, uninspiring story ever broadcast under the Doctor Who banner- and there can be nothing that recommends a Doctor Who story less.
NEXT: The Invasion of Time
Wednesday, 8 April 2009
The Invisible Enemy
The Invisible Enemy seems at first to be a run-of-the-mill Doctor Who story. However, as it goes on, it sabotages itself in ways that few other stories have ever done. Bob Baker and Dave Martin’s script is almost a caricature of a typical Baker & Martin story - barmy, sometimes wonderful ideas that are never properly thought through and a level of understanding of basic science that makes Kit Pedler look like Ben Goldacre. The idea of an intelligent virus trying to propagate itself is an intriguing one and the switching of the arena from an external to an internal and back again should work dynamically. However, their lack of thought in realising this in script form is obvious. Baker and Martin seem not to know what a virus actually is, which makes the virus’s plan seem confusing. The ‘Kilbracken process’ clones feel the pain of their external selves, which is nonsense. Of course, they should have also been naked when they were created (although I’ll bet that this wouldn’t have occurred so quickly to fans if Leela had not been one of them!) Most tellingly of all, Baker and Martin seem confused as to whether the clones journey into the Doctor’s brain literally or figuratively. We have phagocytes and neural arches, but we also have a literal ‘mind-brain’ barrier, a concept which is mentioned a few times, but never properly explained or explored. This is very sloppy thinking and I haven’t even mentioned such basic things as how Professor Marius finds the microscopic clones, how he can avoid injecting air into the Doctor without squirting the clones out and how the clones breathe. The characterisation is practically non-existent and there is some very clunky dialogue.
This need not have damned the story. The lack of characterisation is made up for by some nice performances- I like Frederick Jaeger’s portrayal of Marius and Michael Sheard is always worth watching. The regulars work wonders with the script- Leela in particular is written either as a parody of her usual self or just as a figure saying dialogue. However, the script is only part of the problem. The set design by Barry Newberry is rather good throughout and the model are sometimes truly wonderful, especially the shot of the shuttle flying over Titan. The realisation of the infection, however, looks like a candle has exploded in the actors’ faces. Further cracks start to show in the journey inside the Doctor’s body. Newberry just about manages to win the successful battle against the inherent ludicrousness of this element. Then, we see the Virus grown to macroscopic size. Nothing that I had read about this effect fully prepared me for the awfulness of this monster. This is the worst monster to ever take up screen time in the programme. There are brief shots where the dinosaurs in Invasion of the Dinosaurs and the Myrka in Warriors of the Deep are convincing enough for the viewer to forget their awfulness. There is not one interlaced field in this story in which the Virus is anything other than a poorly constructed, wobbling embarrassment. It drains the story of any drama or intrigue that the story could have had and pulls the viewer completely out of the experience.
Of course, what this story is primarily famous for is the introduction of K9 and, it has to be said, he is a very welcome addition to this story and is constantly watchable in what would otherwise be little more than an exercise in audience tolerance.
NEXT: Image of the Fendahl
This need not have damned the story. The lack of characterisation is made up for by some nice performances- I like Frederick Jaeger’s portrayal of Marius and Michael Sheard is always worth watching. The regulars work wonders with the script- Leela in particular is written either as a parody of her usual self or just as a figure saying dialogue. However, the script is only part of the problem. The set design by Barry Newberry is rather good throughout and the model are sometimes truly wonderful, especially the shot of the shuttle flying over Titan. The realisation of the infection, however, looks like a candle has exploded in the actors’ faces. Further cracks start to show in the journey inside the Doctor’s body. Newberry just about manages to win the successful battle against the inherent ludicrousness of this element. Then, we see the Virus grown to macroscopic size. Nothing that I had read about this effect fully prepared me for the awfulness of this monster. This is the worst monster to ever take up screen time in the programme. There are brief shots where the dinosaurs in Invasion of the Dinosaurs and the Myrka in Warriors of the Deep are convincing enough for the viewer to forget their awfulness. There is not one interlaced field in this story in which the Virus is anything other than a poorly constructed, wobbling embarrassment. It drains the story of any drama or intrigue that the story could have had and pulls the viewer completely out of the experience.
Of course, what this story is primarily famous for is the introduction of K9 and, it has to be said, he is a very welcome addition to this story and is constantly watchable in what would otherwise be little more than an exercise in audience tolerance.
NEXT: Image of the Fendahl
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
The Hand of Fear
When the Doctor and Sarah land in a quarry, they find themselves in the middle of an explosion which releases a stone hand that has been entombed in the rock since the Jurassic. It is the hand of Eldrad, a member of the Kastrian race. As Eldrad is reconstructed, the Doctor decides to help- but is Eldrad to be trusted?
Bob Baker and Dave Martin return with an offering that has first draft written all over it. The basic storyline is not particularly great, but there is nothing wrong with it. However, the structure and plotting leave a good deal to be desired. I know that the story is called The Hand of Fear, but there is no reason for the titular manus to be the only manifestation of Eldrad for two episodes. Episode 2, in particular is mainly padding. Sarah attempts to put the hand in the core of the reactor only to be stopped. However, Driscoll then simply does exactly the same thing as Sarah did, this time successfully. This is particularly irksome as Episode 3 is actually very impressive and the female Eldrad deserved more screen time than just one and a bit episodes. She is one of the most intriguing antagonists that the programme has had, someone whose true motivations are, for the moment, clouded and we truly believe that Eldrad may not be truly villainous. If the events of the first two episodes had been condensed into one, this fascinating character would have been a far more effective focus for two episodes There is some truly memorable and mythic dialogue given to King Rokon and Kastria is a reasonably successful exercise in world building, but the dénouement of the story is seriously fumbled.
Perhaps it is unfortunate that Sarah is again possessed by the antagonist, as she was in The Masque of Mandragora. Again, Baker and Martin show their complete lack of awareness of radiation, making the same assumption they made in The Claws of Axos- apparently, all one has to do to escape a giant nuclear explosion is to drive away a few miles and duck. As this story was filmed in a real nuclear power station, one can imagine the guffaws that the script must have caused there.
The guest cast is mainly dull. Glyn Houston is quite effective as Professor Watson, and Rex Robinson is dependable as usual, but the rest of the humans are badly written and limply performed. What goes a long way to redeeming the story is Judith Paris as the female Eldrad. Her striking look and deep voice is combined with a very carefully judged performance, which towers over her fellow guest performers. It is a pity that the true Eldrad is Stephen Thorne again booming away under heavy makeup in a performance that, while it is by no means bad, is nothing like as skilful as Paris’s.
Visually, the story impresses. Lennie Mayne had a great eye for shots and some very effective location work is combined with great set design- the eerie crystalline Kastrian sets are very effective. Unfortunately, not even he could save the risible climax. Eldrad is defeated by tripping over the Doctor’s scarf and falling into a (very narrow) chasm. Even if this was not ineptly realised, it seems that Eldrad would have simply walked into the abyss anyway.
Of course, the most memorable thing about the story is that it is Sarah Jane’s last appearance as a companion. One thing that struck me in this marathon is that Sarah was actually less capable of taking care of herself in a crisis than Jo Grant was- Jo frequently used force in escaping from a crisis, whereas Sarah was more likely to scream for help. However, the performance of Elisabeth Sladen cannot be praised highly enough, particularly her interplay with Tom Baker. Sarah Jane always real, no matter what situation she was in, and it is not surprising that she is the companion that everyone remembers. Her leaving scene is wonderful, bursting with the unsaid and repressed feelings. The look on her face when she finds that the Doctor has not dropped her off in Croydon (actually, as we find out 30 years later, in Aberdeen!) is wonderful, speaking of annoyance, amusement and sadness.
This is another story of which it is impossible to give a clear thumbs up or thumbs down to. All that can be said that it has a good deal to offer.
NEXT: The Deadly Assassin
Bob Baker and Dave Martin return with an offering that has first draft written all over it. The basic storyline is not particularly great, but there is nothing wrong with it. However, the structure and plotting leave a good deal to be desired. I know that the story is called The Hand of Fear, but there is no reason for the titular manus to be the only manifestation of Eldrad for two episodes. Episode 2, in particular is mainly padding. Sarah attempts to put the hand in the core of the reactor only to be stopped. However, Driscoll then simply does exactly the same thing as Sarah did, this time successfully. This is particularly irksome as Episode 3 is actually very impressive and the female Eldrad deserved more screen time than just one and a bit episodes. She is one of the most intriguing antagonists that the programme has had, someone whose true motivations are, for the moment, clouded and we truly believe that Eldrad may not be truly villainous. If the events of the first two episodes had been condensed into one, this fascinating character would have been a far more effective focus for two episodes There is some truly memorable and mythic dialogue given to King Rokon and Kastria is a reasonably successful exercise in world building, but the dénouement of the story is seriously fumbled.
Perhaps it is unfortunate that Sarah is again possessed by the antagonist, as she was in The Masque of Mandragora. Again, Baker and Martin show their complete lack of awareness of radiation, making the same assumption they made in The Claws of Axos- apparently, all one has to do to escape a giant nuclear explosion is to drive away a few miles and duck. As this story was filmed in a real nuclear power station, one can imagine the guffaws that the script must have caused there.
The guest cast is mainly dull. Glyn Houston is quite effective as Professor Watson, and Rex Robinson is dependable as usual, but the rest of the humans are badly written and limply performed. What goes a long way to redeeming the story is Judith Paris as the female Eldrad. Her striking look and deep voice is combined with a very carefully judged performance, which towers over her fellow guest performers. It is a pity that the true Eldrad is Stephen Thorne again booming away under heavy makeup in a performance that, while it is by no means bad, is nothing like as skilful as Paris’s.
Visually, the story impresses. Lennie Mayne had a great eye for shots and some very effective location work is combined with great set design- the eerie crystalline Kastrian sets are very effective. Unfortunately, not even he could save the risible climax. Eldrad is defeated by tripping over the Doctor’s scarf and falling into a (very narrow) chasm. Even if this was not ineptly realised, it seems that Eldrad would have simply walked into the abyss anyway.
Of course, the most memorable thing about the story is that it is Sarah Jane’s last appearance as a companion. One thing that struck me in this marathon is that Sarah was actually less capable of taking care of herself in a crisis than Jo Grant was- Jo frequently used force in escaping from a crisis, whereas Sarah was more likely to scream for help. However, the performance of Elisabeth Sladen cannot be praised highly enough, particularly her interplay with Tom Baker. Sarah Jane always real, no matter what situation she was in, and it is not surprising that she is the companion that everyone remembers. Her leaving scene is wonderful, bursting with the unsaid and repressed feelings. The look on her face when she finds that the Doctor has not dropped her off in Croydon (actually, as we find out 30 years later, in Aberdeen!) is wonderful, speaking of annoyance, amusement and sadness.
This is another story of which it is impossible to give a clear thumbs up or thumbs down to. All that can be said that it has a good deal to offer.
NEXT: The Deadly Assassin
Saturday, 28 February 2009
The Sontaran Experiment
And so the Doctor and co transmat to Earth for this breezy little interlude. On the uninhabited planet, there are other humans who are there to reclaim it, and a Sontaran who is capturing them and conducting experiments to decide the suitability of Earth for invasion.
The Sontaran Experiment efficiently dispenses its plot in less than 50 minutes, without seeming rushed, at least until the end. The script is well written with memorable characters and dialogue- it is, indeed, odd to see such a script from Bob Baker and Dave Martin, who normally hugely underestimate what the Doctor Who production team is capable of. Here, the writing manages to convey the horror of the experiments Styre dispassionately performs on the humans, without the need for violence and gore. Here, the production team are well up to the challenge, the OB video cameras giving the story a very natural look, with great use of exterior locations, excellently marshalled by Rodney Bennett.
The supporting cast is very effective. It is always welcome to see the future not just populated by British and Americans, and the thick South African accents of the Galsec colonists really emphasises the difference from the Nerva sleepers and Donald Douglas and Glyn Jones (who, incidentally, wrote Hartnell’s wonderful Space Museum ) are excellent. However, the standout, again, is Kevin Lindsay as the Sontaran. This is his last performance as one of the bellicose spud-heads and, therefore, a last chance to appreciate the skill he brought to the role. Like Linx, Lindsay makes the Styre flick his tongue in and out like a snake, a trait that the Sontarans would, unfortunately, lose. The make-up is different, though no less effective than in The Time Warrior.
The regulars are really outstanding. This story sees the beginning of Elisabeth Sladen’s playful interaction with Tom Baker’s Doctor and she is charming and funny in another rather limited role for her. Ian Marter is thoroughly entertaining as Harry, who actually manages to fiddle about with an alien device and produce the correct result. And, of course, there is Tom Baker, in a seemingly loopy, but actually very focused performance as the Doctor.
This is hugely entertaining and, apart from the rather rushed resolution, excellent story.
NEXT: Genesis of the Daleks
The Sontaran Experiment efficiently dispenses its plot in less than 50 minutes, without seeming rushed, at least until the end. The script is well written with memorable characters and dialogue- it is, indeed, odd to see such a script from Bob Baker and Dave Martin, who normally hugely underestimate what the Doctor Who production team is capable of. Here, the writing manages to convey the horror of the experiments Styre dispassionately performs on the humans, without the need for violence and gore. Here, the production team are well up to the challenge, the OB video cameras giving the story a very natural look, with great use of exterior locations, excellently marshalled by Rodney Bennett.
The supporting cast is very effective. It is always welcome to see the future not just populated by British and Americans, and the thick South African accents of the Galsec colonists really emphasises the difference from the Nerva sleepers and Donald Douglas and Glyn Jones (who, incidentally, wrote Hartnell’s wonderful Space Museum ) are excellent. However, the standout, again, is Kevin Lindsay as the Sontaran. This is his last performance as one of the bellicose spud-heads and, therefore, a last chance to appreciate the skill he brought to the role. Like Linx, Lindsay makes the Styre flick his tongue in and out like a snake, a trait that the Sontarans would, unfortunately, lose. The make-up is different, though no less effective than in The Time Warrior.
The regulars are really outstanding. This story sees the beginning of Elisabeth Sladen’s playful interaction with Tom Baker’s Doctor and she is charming and funny in another rather limited role for her. Ian Marter is thoroughly entertaining as Harry, who actually manages to fiddle about with an alien device and produce the correct result. And, of course, there is Tom Baker, in a seemingly loopy, but actually very focused performance as the Doctor.
This is hugely entertaining and, apart from the rather rushed resolution, excellent story.
NEXT: Genesis of the Daleks
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
Monday, 19 January 2009
The Mutants
The Mutants has the Doctor being sent by the Time Lords to the planet Solos in the 30th century. The Earth Empire is in decline and subject planets are gradually being given their independence. However, there are colonial officials who wish to retain their authority on Solos, and some of the natives are exhibiting horrific mutations.
It is interesting to compare The Mutants with The Curse of Peladon. In the earlier story, a pre-industrial civilisation joins the Galactic Federation. Here, the Earth Empire has drained a planet of its natural resources and is granting it independence. However, the most interesting comparison is in the actual execution of the story. The Curse of Peladon is a very simple story. The Mutants is far more sophisticated and intelligent, taking in themes like colonialism, racism, xeno-biology, transhumanism and cultural development. However, The Curse of Peladon is a wonderful story, because its realisation is absolutely splendid. The Mutants…isn't.
The idea of a planet that has a year of 2000 Earth years and the notion that, although the Earth Empire has been there for centuries, it has only experienced one season is intriguing. The fact that this makes any civilisation on Solos subject to environmental factors that are cyclical but not predictable shows a true understanding by Bob Baker and Dave Martin of the conceptual audaciousness that can lead to good science fiction. However, they seem to lack any understanding about how to tell that story in 24 minute segments. Although I have never seen this story before, I knew what the plot was beforehand, and I realised at the end of episode 4 that there was precious little plot left and two episodes to go. Yet again, there is no need for this to be a 6-parter.
The acting is variable. Garrick Hagon gives a solid, dignified performance as Ky. Geoffrey Palmer is excellent- he is so ubiquitous, it is easy to forget that he has never given a performance that is less than first rate. However, he is killed off very early on. Paul Whitsun-Jones is a bit over the top as the Marshal, but he is an actor with great presence and personality and I have always enjoyed his performances as irascible blowhards. Then there is Rick James as Cotton. Cotton is the first black character in Doctor Who to be a major supporting player, so it is a crying shame that James provides one of the worst performances I have ever seen. Not only does he fail to properly depict the character, his line readings sound like he's reading from a badly-punctuated autocue and, most damningly of all, he misses a fair few cue lines from his fellow actors. Better, though still terrible, is James Mellor as Varan, constantly talking in the third person (although this manner of speaking has always annoyed me and, as far as I am concerned, only the Hulk and Curtly Ambrose can get away with it!)
Christopher Barry does his best with the mess of a script. Some scenes, such as Sondegaard appearing like an angel to rescue Jo, verge on the iconic. The location work for Solos is very effectively done but, although the design work is sound, many of the interior scenes are overlit. The most successful piece of design is that of the Mutants themselves, which are detailed and actually manage to break up the outline of the actor inside the costume.
This is a very thought-provoking story, but one thought that is provoked time and time again is 'this could have been so much better'. This story fails to make the grade because it has so much potential and wastes it completely. It really could have been one of the triumphs of the Pertwee era and Doctor Who in general.
NEXT: The Time Monster
It is interesting to compare The Mutants with The Curse of Peladon. In the earlier story, a pre-industrial civilisation joins the Galactic Federation. Here, the Earth Empire has drained a planet of its natural resources and is granting it independence. However, the most interesting comparison is in the actual execution of the story. The Curse of Peladon is a very simple story. The Mutants is far more sophisticated and intelligent, taking in themes like colonialism, racism, xeno-biology, transhumanism and cultural development. However, The Curse of Peladon is a wonderful story, because its realisation is absolutely splendid. The Mutants…isn't.
The idea of a planet that has a year of 2000 Earth years and the notion that, although the Earth Empire has been there for centuries, it has only experienced one season is intriguing. The fact that this makes any civilisation on Solos subject to environmental factors that are cyclical but not predictable shows a true understanding by Bob Baker and Dave Martin of the conceptual audaciousness that can lead to good science fiction. However, they seem to lack any understanding about how to tell that story in 24 minute segments. Although I have never seen this story before, I knew what the plot was beforehand, and I realised at the end of episode 4 that there was precious little plot left and two episodes to go. Yet again, there is no need for this to be a 6-parter.
The acting is variable. Garrick Hagon gives a solid, dignified performance as Ky. Geoffrey Palmer is excellent- he is so ubiquitous, it is easy to forget that he has never given a performance that is less than first rate. However, he is killed off very early on. Paul Whitsun-Jones is a bit over the top as the Marshal, but he is an actor with great presence and personality and I have always enjoyed his performances as irascible blowhards. Then there is Rick James as Cotton. Cotton is the first black character in Doctor Who to be a major supporting player, so it is a crying shame that James provides one of the worst performances I have ever seen. Not only does he fail to properly depict the character, his line readings sound like he's reading from a badly-punctuated autocue and, most damningly of all, he misses a fair few cue lines from his fellow actors. Better, though still terrible, is James Mellor as Varan, constantly talking in the third person (although this manner of speaking has always annoyed me and, as far as I am concerned, only the Hulk and Curtly Ambrose can get away with it!)
Christopher Barry does his best with the mess of a script. Some scenes, such as Sondegaard appearing like an angel to rescue Jo, verge on the iconic. The location work for Solos is very effectively done but, although the design work is sound, many of the interior scenes are overlit. The most successful piece of design is that of the Mutants themselves, which are detailed and actually manage to break up the outline of the actor inside the costume.
This is a very thought-provoking story, but one thought that is provoked time and time again is 'this could have been so much better'. This story fails to make the grade because it has so much potential and wastes it completely. It really could have been one of the triumphs of the Pertwee era and Doctor Who in general.
NEXT: The Time Monster
Saturday, 20 December 2008
The Claws of Axos
A huge spacecraft called Axos buries itself on Earth and broadcasts a proposal- in return for the opportunity to refuel, mankind will be given Axonite, a material that can solve both the energy and food crisis of Earth. But Axonite and the Axons are not what they seem, and they are not acting alone.
The script by Bob Baker and Dave Martin is solid enough but not spectacular, containing little that had not been covered (somewhat more skilfully) in the previous season. However, this is not what sets this story apart. Perhaps more than any other story, The Claws of Axos succeeds or fails depending on the viewer's own particular sense of æsthetics. The production team is called to realise an organic spacecraft and their realisation is certainly imaginative. However, the early 1970s were not famous for tasteful combinations of colours and it is easy to sympathise with the viewer who finds the set design absolutely hideous- yellow is a colour that does not lend itself easily to saturation. In my opinion, although the sets are, indeed, very colourful, I can appreciate the imagination and creativity of them. The main chamber in Axos is reminiscent of a heart ventricle and there are nerve ganglia and ligaments in all the sets. The blobby Axons are mostly effective, although some shots are better than others. Michael Ferguson's direction is up to his usual high standard, not only in showing us the psychedelic environment of Axos, but in effective action sequences. Dudley Simpson's score is, shall we say, idiosyncratic and seems, at times, to be making it up on the spot on a Delaware synthesiser. The science in the story is very dodgy- apparently, all one has to do to escape a giant nuclear explosion is to drive away a few miles and, once the explosion has happened, it is perfectly safe to drive back!
The guest cast is very variable. Paul Grist is a bit flat as Bill Filer, but Donald Hewlett and Tim Piggot-Smith are rather good. There are some more serious character problems, however. Winser is made to be a rather unlikeable figure for no reason whatsoever and we are actually glad when he gets killed (or I was, anyway!) There have been many scientists in Doctor Who who mistrust the Doctor and think him a fool, but they have always had a proper place in the plot. Peter Bathurst's performance as Chinn is perfectly sound, but Bathurst is miscast. The character should have either been played as a young, inexperienced, but overconfident man, or a single-minded blowhard. With Bathurst playing him, I actually felt sorry for Chinn quite a few times! The regulars are on good form with some very nice scenes given to the Master when he is inspecting the Doctor's TARDIS. There is also an unusual and well played turn of events when the Doctor appears to join with the Master and abandon Earth. The Doctor has pretended to join with the villain before, but there is a real personal stake in it this time and we are not sure. This is the first time we have seen the Doctor piloting the TARDIS since he regenerated and the ease in which the Third Doctor does this is obvious.
The Claws of Axos is a real mixed bag, but does contain much that is good. It depends, really on how much you like yellow.
NEXT: Colony in Space
The script by Bob Baker and Dave Martin is solid enough but not spectacular, containing little that had not been covered (somewhat more skilfully) in the previous season. However, this is not what sets this story apart. Perhaps more than any other story, The Claws of Axos succeeds or fails depending on the viewer's own particular sense of æsthetics. The production team is called to realise an organic spacecraft and their realisation is certainly imaginative. However, the early 1970s were not famous for tasteful combinations of colours and it is easy to sympathise with the viewer who finds the set design absolutely hideous- yellow is a colour that does not lend itself easily to saturation. In my opinion, although the sets are, indeed, very colourful, I can appreciate the imagination and creativity of them. The main chamber in Axos is reminiscent of a heart ventricle and there are nerve ganglia and ligaments in all the sets. The blobby Axons are mostly effective, although some shots are better than others. Michael Ferguson's direction is up to his usual high standard, not only in showing us the psychedelic environment of Axos, but in effective action sequences. Dudley Simpson's score is, shall we say, idiosyncratic and seems, at times, to be making it up on the spot on a Delaware synthesiser. The science in the story is very dodgy- apparently, all one has to do to escape a giant nuclear explosion is to drive away a few miles and, once the explosion has happened, it is perfectly safe to drive back!
The guest cast is very variable. Paul Grist is a bit flat as Bill Filer, but Donald Hewlett and Tim Piggot-Smith are rather good. There are some more serious character problems, however. Winser is made to be a rather unlikeable figure for no reason whatsoever and we are actually glad when he gets killed (or I was, anyway!) There have been many scientists in Doctor Who who mistrust the Doctor and think him a fool, but they have always had a proper place in the plot. Peter Bathurst's performance as Chinn is perfectly sound, but Bathurst is miscast. The character should have either been played as a young, inexperienced, but overconfident man, or a single-minded blowhard. With Bathurst playing him, I actually felt sorry for Chinn quite a few times! The regulars are on good form with some very nice scenes given to the Master when he is inspecting the Doctor's TARDIS. There is also an unusual and well played turn of events when the Doctor appears to join with the Master and abandon Earth. The Doctor has pretended to join with the villain before, but there is a real personal stake in it this time and we are not sure. This is the first time we have seen the Doctor piloting the TARDIS since he regenerated and the ease in which the Third Doctor does this is obvious.
The Claws of Axos is a real mixed bag, but does contain much that is good. It depends, really on how much you like yellow.
NEXT: Colony in Space
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)