Enlightenment

Enlightenment has at its core a simple image- a sailing ship gliding through space. This hugely evocative image is immediately appealing in its own right, but this story takes that image and runs away with it. Barbara Clegg turns it into a race between immensely powerful beings called Eternals, who exist outside time and space. The Eternals, however, lack creativity, dependent on ‘ephemerals’ for ideas, perhaps even intelligence itself. This is best shown in the ambiguities of the character Marriner- is he galvanized by her personality or is he, indeed, in love with Tegan? The guest cast do excellent work with these characters. Marriner is beautifully played by Christopher Brown, and Keith Barron plays Captain Striker with an eerie sense of detachment that is absolutely perfect. Lynda Baron’s performance as Wrack is hugely entertaining, while actually staying the right side of OTT. The only performance that isn’t first rate is Leee John. Hee tries to bee intense, but only suceeeds in beeing very camp- although the fact that hee is placed in the foreground for the Wheeelhouse sceenes for non-speeaking shots tends to reflect badly on him- it takes a very good actor to not look stupid when hee is placed in such a situation and hee was not a professional actor.

The story is beautifully realised, with sumptuous costuming and great sets- the design work is very carefully modulated so that we can see the contrasts between the different ships and crews without them clashing. Fiona Cumming is great in the director’s chair, setting up interesting compositions and it is probably due to her talent that Leee John remains watchable. There are many memorable scenes apart from the ships, such as the message from the White Guardian, the first appearance of Marriner (which starts off being very eerie and then becomes funny) and Wrack channelling the Black Guardian’s power. The lighting is superb throughout and the special effects beautiful, if not exactly state-of-the-art. Even the music (by Malcolm Clarke) is worthy of special praise.

This brings the Black Guardian Trilogy to an end. As an arc it was a rather weak one, so it is good that the stories had so much else to recommend them. The final scene has all the threads coming to a head, with Turlough making a final decision as to which side he’s on. The relationship between the Doctor and Turlough is very interesting; at the beginning, the Doctor all-but tells Turlough that he doesn’t fully trust him, and the end is unclear as to if the Doctor knew of Turlough’s bargain. Tegan’s interplay with Marriner is excellently performed- indeed this is very strong material for Strickson and Fielding and the companions come off almost as well as the Doctor. Almost, but not quite. Davison makes the Doctor a champion for all whose time is finite and we are cheering him all the way.

This is a wonderful story, that had me spellbound at the age of seven and still enchants today.

NEXT: The King's Demons

Terminus

Stephen Gallagher wrote Warriors' Gate, perhaps, the highlight of the already outstanding season 18. His second script is not as well remembered and, indeed, I can remember not really enjoying it at the time of transmission. However, I was pleased to find that I enjoyed it much more as an adult- not an ideal thing for a Doctor Who story, admittedly! Gallagher's script again displays a great deal of ambition. The concept of Terminus as a leper colony is dealt with very well, with social ostracism of sufferers and healthcare run as a business actually being explored. The Vanir, who staff Terminus are basically slaves, dependant on a drug not because they are addicted, but because it keeps them alive. The Garm, a mutant canine biped, may be the cure for the Lazar disease, but he is even more of a slave as the Vanir. It is clear that this situation could have been easily avoided, but for the apathy of Terminus Inc. There is also the plotline where it is discovered that Terminus is at the precise centre of the Universe, which turns out to be no coincidence- Terminus is actually a time-travelling ship from the previous universe that caused the Big Bang- and could cause another, destroying our universe as it did its own. On paper, this looks rather like a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy type concept (and, indeed, it results in the rather rubbish cliffhanger of a comically large red switch on the verge of flipping) and seems at first glance to be disassociated from the Lazar plot. However, it is tied in well with the character of Bor, a Vanir who is determined to get to the truth behind the radiation leaks and finds a more profound truth. Gallagher has a real talent for characters living in (for them) mundane situations and he provides some excellent dialogue. The Black Guardian framing does not interfere at all with the plot and even the long sojourn of Tegan and Turlough in the ventilation shaft is well handled.

Terminus was obviously the cheap story of the season, yet it is surprising how good it looks. The limited number of sets do not detract from the visuals and the lighting (apparently seen as inadequate by John Nathan Turner) adds to the grimness of the story. The obvious comparison that must be made is with Alien (Terminus even has its own 'space jockey') and Mary Ridge is very creative in using what she is given, with vertical shots through grilles and good use of modelwork. The costumes for the Vanir are quite effective, although the Garm leaves a bit to be desired.

Most of the performances are first rate, with the Vanir actors being particularly noteworthy. Best of all is Peter Benson as the increasingly deranged, but determined Bor. There is, unfortunately one very weak link- Dominic Guard as Olvir, who is either incompetently bland or horrendously overwrought. The Go-Between notwithstanding, it's clear who got the talent in that family. In fact, the raiders could have been easily written out, although Liza Goddard gives an effective performance. This is also Sarah Sutton's final story. Nyssa tended to be somewhat swamped as a character, which did Sutton no favours. However, she did shine, when she was given a chance to and she gets a fantastic leaving scene that makes perfect sense in character terms. The interplay between Tegan and Turlough is very well written and performed and Peter Davison is awesome. As usual.

Terminus might not be the most enjoyable story, but it contains a great deal of substance and should not be ignored.

NEXT: Enlightenment

Mawdryn Undead

Peter Grimwade's second contribution to Doctor Who is, thankfully a vast improvement on his first, Time-Flight. The story takes place in two time zones, making it a rare instance of time travel being part of the plot, rather than the means to get the Doctor to his latest adventure. This is tied to the journey of Mawdryn and his fellow scientists on a quest for death. Apart from this, the story has to introduce new companion Turlough, have a guest role for the Brigadier and incorporate the return of the Black Guardian. In spite of some irritating technobabble, this story works very well. This story, of course, caused the 'UNIT dating controversy', but I can easily overlook this- things were more homespun then. Then, there is Mawdryn and his companions. They are by no means villains and their motivation in the story is a welcome change from the usual. There is good dialogue and all the strands are tied up very well.

The realisation of the story is very impressive, with sumptuous sets for Mawdryn's ship. However, the costumes for the mutants are a bit silly and, even though it has been pointed out by others, why does the Black Guardian have a dead crow on his head? Peter Moffat plays to his limited strengths as a director- canny editing sells the juxtaposition of different time zones and there are no fight scenes or complicated camera moves, something which Moffat has never been good at. The only time his limitations are shown is in the appalling shot of the 'dream Turlough' getting back into bed.

There are some very good performances, from Stephen Garlick's engaging 'Hippo' to Angus Mackay's restrained, yet very effective headmaster. However, there are two performances which really stand out. For the first time since 1975, the Brigadier appears and never before has he been portrayed as such a layered character and Nicholas Courtney rising admirably to the challenge, making the 1977 and 1983 Brigadiers genuinely seem like one person at different times of their lives. The portrayal of the Brig's apparent breakdown is portrayed surprisingly effectively and sensitively without betraying the heart of the character- something which is as much due to Courtney as to the script. I have seen David Collings in many things and he has never been anything less than brilliant. Collings infuses Mawdryn with a sense of menace, pain and tragedy, yet Collings makes us see a good person condemned to suffer for one mistake. Peter Davison works his usual magic, as does Janet Fielding and Mark Strickson makes an immediate impression as Turlough.

Mawdryn Undead is a highly enjoyable entry- with, incidentally, a really cool title!

NEXT: Terminus

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 Power of Kroll

…Or the one with the giant squid-thing. Apparently, one of the objectives of The Power of Kroll was to have the biggest monster in Doctor Who history, but Robert Holmes has again taken a very simple premise and built a convincing world for the story to take place in. Earth is clearly very aggressively colonial at this stage, with native populations of conquered planets relocated en masse to less valuable moons and planets. Such is the fate of the green-skinned natives of Delta Magna, called ‘Swampies’ by humans. They are a hunter and gatherer society who worship the cephalopod god Kroll and the humans was to indulge the Swampies by importing some giant squid and it is clear that something greater lurks beneath the surface of the swamps of Delta Three. Holmes’s script shows his usual sophistication, but also contains a great deal of padding. Most noticeable is the sacrifice plotline, where the Doctor, Romana and the gun-runner Rohm-Dutt are stretched by drying vines- it is never a good idea to immobilise the heroes for any period of time. However, the characterisation is intriguing- The humans on the refinery have no love for the Swampies, but some have stronger feelings than others- Thawn, the leader dispassionately wishes for the genocide of the Swampies and employs Rohm-Dutt to arm them so that he can have an excuse to wipe them out. The Swampies worship of Kroll brings up questions about religion, particularly the line between propitiation and worship.

However, the performances fall short of the characterisation. Neil McCarthy was a talented enough actor, but his portrayal of Thawn is all wrong. Physically, he looks the part but his soft voice and mannerisms let the side down. I cannot describe the effect better than certain other commentators have- he acts like a Peter Cook character! Glyn Owen seems half asleep as Rohm-Dutt and most of the rest of the cast are merely adequate. Only Philip Madoc and John Abineri put in praiseworthy performances (Abineri seems to be doing a dry run for his performance as Herne the Hunter in Robin of Sherwood).

There is some very atmospheric filming on the Iken Marshes and the use of hovercraft gives these scenes a very glossy look. However, the studio scenes are less effective, with the refinery scenes being overlit and the sacrifice scenes totally lacking in atmosphere. The model for the refinery looks like a chair in a paddling pool with no effort made to give a sense of scale. Kroll himself is variable. The model itself is very well designed and looks great with its quivering palps. Its first appearance looks great, with its awesome size brought over excellently. However, its subsequent appearances show very ragged matte lines and the full-size mock ups of its tentacles are desperately unconvincing.

The regulars are not at their best. Tom Baker effectively portrays his outrage at the treatment of the Swampies, but he seems uninterested, presumably because standing for hours in a swamp does that to an actor. Mary Tamm is fine, but Romana is very much the standard ‘damsel in distress’ in this story.

This is by no means the disaster others have claimed it was and it is watchable, but its many flaws will become very evident on watching.

NEXT: The Armageddon Factor

The Androids of Tara

Doctor Who has always ‘borrowed’ from other sources, but this is the most blatant ‘homage’ that the programme has ever done. This is The Prisoner of Zenda rewritten as a Doctor Who story, with the human lookalikes changed into android duplicates and electric swords and crossbows, but it is still high adventure crammed with Ruritanian intrigue. There are a couple of things that raise it above mere pastiche. I like the way that the society of Tara is depicted- technologically advanced, but so steeped in the class system that anything that requires intelligence and inventiveness is deemed a ‘peasant skill’. This is not only interesting world-building in its own right, but a wry commentary about how useless the nobility ultimately are. Indeed, in the not-so-distant past, no ‘gentleman’ could style himself so if he ever lowered himself to actually working for his money! Beyond this, David Fisher writes some very witty dialogue and good characterisation, such as the relationship between Count Grendel and his servant Madame Lamia.

The production is exquisite, with great sets, costumes and locations (the matte work to augment Leeds Castle is almost flawless) some gorgeous film sequences and atmospheric lighting. Michael Hayes puts in some stellar work behind the camera with good use of high and low shots. True, the monster is rubbish, but it’s of no real importance to the story. Then there are the performances. Neville Jason is great as Prince Reynart and his android duplicate and actually manages to convey the difference between the real man, the android and the android playing the real man. There is good support from Simon Lack and Paul Lavers as the Prince’s aides. However, the show is very nearly stolen by the wonderful Peter Jeffrey as Count Grendel, villainous, deceitful but incorrigibly likeable throughout. Lois Baxter puts in a very nice performance as Lamia and there’s a good little role for Jabba the Hutt himself, Declan Mulholland. Once Tom Baker tries to stop upstaging everyone around him, he puts in a very good performance and Mary Tamm is just as good as Neville Jason in playing herself, her android duplicate and the very different character of Princess Strella.

The Androids of Tara may not be the most necessary Doctor Who story, but it is highly enjoyable.

NEXT: The Power of Kroll

The Stones of Blood

Doctor Who is very used to demystifying myths and legends- a god, fabulous beast or superstition turns out to be an alien or a computer. This is the basis behind The Stones of Blood; the ancient Celtic goddess Cailleach turns out to be the alien criminal Cessair of Diplos. However, unlike other stories which have kept the Hammeresque atmosphere throughout, the revelation of Cessair of Diplos is accompanied by a wholesale change in the mood of the story. The ‘horror’ aspect of the story is well done, with a mix of latter-day Druidic revivalists, standing stones that come to life and drink blood, ravens acting as spies and a friendly archaeologist. David Fisher has clearly put some thought into the script, such as the Doctor pointing out to De Vries that understanding of ancient Druidic behaviour is mainly based on supposition. There are a few problems with this half of the story. Most obvious is the godawful literal cliff-hanger to part one and De Vries is killed off too early. However the real problems start once the action shifts to the space-craft lurking in hyperspace above the stone circle. There is nothing inherently wrong with the change in mood that this development brings with it- in fact it could have benefitted the story greatly. Unfortunately, the opportunity is wasted. The Doctor is put on trial for a petty crime by the Megara justice machines, while he has to prove that Vivien Fay is really Cessair of Diplos. This leads to a tedious trial sequence that takes up fat too much time. Fisher clearly lost inspiration for this section, which is desperately uninteresting.

The production matches the script a little too well. The scenes set on Earth are very atmospheric, with great sets and locations that are atmospherically lit (although the unwise decision is made to shoot day-for-night and genuine night). The Ogri, the titular monsters, are quite effective most of the time- the deafening heart-beat sound they make is terrifying and there is a scene where De Vries and an acolyte have their skulls crushed by the Ogri that is very close to the mark. However, they lose a bit of their menace when they start moving quickly- at one point, when one bursts through the door, we not only see the trolley it’s on, but a man pushing it and a further man standing behind him! However, the hyperspace scenes are overlit and seem to have been shot in a rush. The Megara come across like two officious fairies, which looks as ridiculous as it sounds. Darrol Blake’s stint in the director chair is mixed, though not uninteresting.

This is a real pity, as there are some great performances to be found, most notable of which is Beatrix Lehmann as Professor Rumford, a wonderfully dotty character played to perfection. Susan Engel puts in a nicely restrained performance as Vivien/ Cessair and, as said, Nicholas McArdle makes De Vries very memorable. The regulars perform well throughout with Tom Baker working very well with Beatrix Lehmann. It is genuinely bizarre seeing Mary Tamm wearing a Burberry cap, considering the current image of that article.

The Stones of Blood is a real mixed bag. It’s certainly entertaining, but if you never see it, you won’t have exactly wasted your life.

NEXT: The Androids of Tara

The Pirate Planet

Of all the writers who scripted Doctor Who in the 20th Century, only one became so successful that he arguably became almost as iconic as the series itself. Douglas Adams was riding the wave of success of the first radio series of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy when this story, the second in the Key to Time season was brought out. Adams's renown colours the perception of any viewer coming to the story today- we are looking for the detached view of the universe, the ideas that are both daft and brilliant, the absurd situations and the people that they spawn. We certainly get some very imaginative ideas- the Zanak, the planet that devours others; inertia absorbing corridors; a gestalt being formed from the psychic energy of the dead of a destroyed planet and moulding random inhabitants of Zanak to become Mentiads, beings with awesome psychic powers .

However, as you all know, I have been absorbed in Doctor Who for months, which led me to consider something- Douglas Adams has a lot in common with Bob Baker and Dave Martin. Baker and Martin are also fond of barmy ideas and they also have gaps in their scientific knowledge (to be fair, Adams has gaps, Baker and Martin have yawning chasms!) However, Adams is able to bind his barmy ideas into a narrative with more success than Baker and Martin usually do. Adams's humour is, of course a major factor, but more critical are the wonderful characters he creates. The Captain is one of the most entertaining figures the programme has ever seen, with his bombastic manner and piratical appearance. Bruce Purchase brings the character wonderfully to life, his mellifluous voice making us feel not only the bluster, but the ruthlessness and genuine humanity underneath. The interplay between the Captain and Andrew Robertson's wonderful Mr Fibuli are a joy to behold and the Captain's genuine grief at Mr Fibuli's death is genuinely moving. The twist in the tale is that the real reason for destroying dozens of planets and trillions of lives is to ensure that Queen Xanxia will be immortal. The vanity and total amorality is well portrayed in a restrained (and therefore very effective) performance by Rosalind Lloyd. Some of the other performances are less effective, however. The Mentiads are merely adequate, which is a real shame- we never really see why the rest of the population have such a horror of them. The only really disappointing performance is that of Ralph Michael as Balaton- not so much bad acting as wrongly modulated.

Like Baker and Martin, Douglas Adams's scripts don't seem too concerned about whether they can be effectively realised on screen with the low budget that Doctor Who had. However, the story is effectively realised, for the most part- special mention must be given to the wonderful costume for the cyborg Captain. The direction by Pennant Roberts is good enough to make the scenes work, but could have been better- his skill seems to be concentrated on some of the more impressive set pieces- the battle between K9 and the Polyphase Avitron was clearly filmed in a hurry, but works reasonably well.

Strange as it may seem, Tom Baker does not go completely over the top in his performance- perhaps this is Roberts's greatest contribution as director! Baker is funny when the script calls for it, but also expresses outrage at the countless deaths caused by Zanak. Mary Tamm is growing into her role nicely. Romana's attitude to the Doctor has changed a great deal, but her outward behaviour has not, something put over very well by Tamm.

The Pirate Planet is funny, clever and imaginative, which more than compensates for its flaws.

NEXT: The Stones of Blood

The Ribos Operation

And so, we move on to the 'Key to Time' season, where the Doctor has to collect all 6 parts of the titular McGuffin to save the universe from chaos. The first story is another of Robert Holmes’s. I was disappointed, somewhat, with The Sun Makers, but any thought that Homes was losing his touch was quickly dismissed by this utterly fantastic story . It is not what you would call a sci-fi plot- Garron and Unstoffe try to con the deposed Levithian monarch the Graff Vynda-K into buying the planet Ribos, which is at a mediæval level of development. It could quite easily have been them selling an island to a dodgy millionaire. The plot is very well constructed and engaging throughout, but Holmes doesn’t stop there. Holmes makes Ribos a real planet, whose eccentric orbit has led to the inhabitants worshipping fire gods and ice gods. We are efficiently given the state of interstellar politics with the Graff’s situation and Holmes’s gift for making up evocative words is well used here- with ‘Pontonese starships’, ‘mercenaries from Schlangi’ and the like. We are dropped into a time and place that seems instantly real. The dialogue is simply gorgeous with almost every line being quotable. Holmes’s script ranges from genuinely hilarious comedy to tragedy with consummate skill.

Then, of course there is the characterisation, in which Holmes outdoes himself and is aided by a truly superlative cast. First and foremost, there is Iain Cuthbertson as Garron, truly one of the best guest performances the programme has ever seen. Cuthbertson is utterly electrifying throughout and it is testament to his extraordinary skill that Garron’s impersonation of a planetary estate agent is thoroughly convincing while being obvious as an impersonation to the viewer. Cuthbertson is generous enough not to steal scenes from the brilliant Nigel Plaskitt as Unstoffe, making this perhaps the greatest Robert Holmes double act of all time. Then there is Paul Seed as the Graff Vynda-K who is written as a genuinely frightening tyrant by Holmes. He is clearly a man of honour, but that does not mean he would not kill an unarmed innocent if it suited his purpose. The interplay between him and his confidante Sholakh is so well written that we genuinely feel the Graff’s grief at his friend’s death. Seed and Robert Keegan are thoroughly convincing as the pair. Binro the Heretic is one of the many examples of Holmes refusing to make incidental characters boring. Binro is the Ribosian equivalent of Galileo (with a bit of Thomas Digges thrown in) and the scene where Unstoffe confirms Binro’s theories and validates his life is very touching- Timothy Bateson’s performance as Binro is truly special. Even Prentis Hancock works well, his limited role playing to his few strengths as an actor.

The story is beautifully shot with George Spenton-Foster working wonders behind the camera. The production design is first rate, with great sets (believe it or not, mostly the same set, redressed!) and costumes. The lighting is subtle and atmospheric, especially the wonderful candle-lit catacombs. Tom Baker’s performance is note-perfect throughout, especially scenes he shares with Cuthbertson. Then there is the new regular, the glacially gorgeous Mary Tamm as Romana. The Doctor/ Romana dynamic is one that the programme has not had before- Romana is truly the Doctor’s equal. Their interplay is beautifully written and acted and great to watch. The stage for the season is set with a great scene written by Anthony Read, where the White Guardian gives the Doctor his task. I have a few problems with this rather dualistic theological view of the Doctor Who universe, but the presentation of this figure, of an elderly man sipping Chartreuse is an inspired view of omnipotence.

There are few Doctor Who stories that offer the viewer so much- a great start to the season.

NEXT: The Pirate Planet