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.
Showing posts with label Sarah Jane. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sarah Jane. Show all posts
Monday, 11 January 2010
Wednesday, 30 December 2009
"The Stolen Earth"/ "Journey's End"
Rose. Martha. Captain Jack and Torchwood. Sarah Jane and Luke. The Daleks. Harriet Jones. This was what we were promised in the teaser for "The Stolen Earth" and it was an increasingly poorly kept secret that Davros was returning. In addition to this, we have the return of Mickey and Jackie and not one, but two Doctors- the phrase ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ springs to mind, but this will be the last regular Doctor Who story until 2010 and so it must have that end-of term feeling of going out with a bang. The Daleks return in a truly spectacular manner- the Earth is moved across space to a location amongst 26 other planets. They do their usual thing of mercilessly subduing any opposition, but this merely incidental. Their ultimate plan is their most ambitious and masterful one since, erm, The Dalek Master Plan. These Daleks were born when Dalek Caan managed to do the impossible and travel back to the Time War. Despite the fact that his sanity was destroyed he managed to bring back Davros himself. Unwittingly taking a leaf from Sutekh’s papyrus, this new Dalek Empire intends to destroy all matter except themselves, leaving them the only life forms in every Universe and every dimension and reality, by using the gravitational fields on the 27 planets to amplify the effects of the ‘reality bomb’. This is a threat that dwarfs even the collapse of the Universe in Logopolis.
The return of practically every recurring character that appeared in the programme since its revival could have resulted in a self-indulgent mess, but Davies knows what he is doing and he understands the characters he has invented and the audience's reaction to them. The webcam session where they all meet is cannily constructed with Rose being an outsider, which probably gave the Martha worshippers a warm feeling inside. It is obvious from Rose's first materialisation that all these characters have changed. Rose spends a lot of time carrying a gun the size of a porpoise. Martha, clad in black, literally holds the key to the destruction of the Earth. As Davros says, the Doctor takes ordinary people and fashions them into weapons. Davies still manages to lighten scenes with some very funny lines- Wilfred's reason for not having a webcam had me in stitches and, of course, even the Daleks know who Harriet Jones is. I also love the fact that the mysterious Shadow Proclamation that has been hinted at since "Rose" is merely a police force, seemingly made up of Judoon and what look like space-age albino versions of the Bennet family from Pride and Prejudice. The cliffhanger is the most thrilling yet and its resolution, although it seems cheap at first, makes sense in terms of the programme's continuity and results in serious plot developments.
Graeme Harper gives this story the epic treatment it deserves with scenes looking incredibly cinematic. He is helped by the most spectacular special effects the programme has had up to this point, from the Dalek attack on the Valiant, to the flotilla of Dalek saucers to the awesome Crucible. Harper makes sure that all the performers are up to scratch. Any quibbles about Piper's performance in "Turn Left" are instantly quashed- Rose Tyler is definitely back with a wonderful performance by Piper. We also see the welcome return of Jackie and Mickey and, I must again heap praise upon Noel Clarke for another moving, yet very dignified performance. However, the best performance is definitely Julian Bleach as Davros. Bleach is definitely Michael Wisher's equal in realising the role, being both cold and calculating and a shrieking madman. The make-up is a fitting update for the character and anyone who wished to know what Davros had under his tunic get the unpleasant shock that they deserve.
This is very much the end of an era, so we are fittingly, given a series of endings that bring to mind Return of the King. We are taken back to Bad Wolf bay again and Rose is left in the parallel universe with the other Doctor. This manages to work because of the deep understanding of the characters that Russell T Davies has. Rose has a selfish streak, but it is proved here that she is not, ultimately, a truly selfish person. However, any emotion that Rose's second departure might have had is eclipsed by the rueful fate of Donna Noble. Of the companions who have travelled with the Doctor, Donna started off with the least and developed the most- a thirtysomething temp from Chiswick becomes half- Time Lord and saves all of creation. However, her human body cannot cope with the intelligence of a Time Lord so, to save her life, the Doctor removes from her memory all of her experiences with him. Once again, she is the eternal temp, eagerly awaiting a new Pringle flavour. Catherine Tate was never less than spectacular as Donna in a performance that should have silenced all her critics, but didn’t, as her critics could not see past their own prejudices. In my opinion, she was the best companion since the return of the programme, a character that was always interesting to watch and I will miss her.
We end on the Doctor being alone (thankfully not jarred by a teaser for the Christmas Special) after a real thrill-fest that had me gripped throughout. And yes, that includes towing the Earth home!
NEXT: "The Next Doctor"
The return of practically every recurring character that appeared in the programme since its revival could have resulted in a self-indulgent mess, but Davies knows what he is doing and he understands the characters he has invented and the audience's reaction to them. The webcam session where they all meet is cannily constructed with Rose being an outsider, which probably gave the Martha worshippers a warm feeling inside. It is obvious from Rose's first materialisation that all these characters have changed. Rose spends a lot of time carrying a gun the size of a porpoise. Martha, clad in black, literally holds the key to the destruction of the Earth. As Davros says, the Doctor takes ordinary people and fashions them into weapons. Davies still manages to lighten scenes with some very funny lines- Wilfred's reason for not having a webcam had me in stitches and, of course, even the Daleks know who Harriet Jones is. I also love the fact that the mysterious Shadow Proclamation that has been hinted at since "Rose" is merely a police force, seemingly made up of Judoon and what look like space-age albino versions of the Bennet family from Pride and Prejudice. The cliffhanger is the most thrilling yet and its resolution, although it seems cheap at first, makes sense in terms of the programme's continuity and results in serious plot developments.
Graeme Harper gives this story the epic treatment it deserves with scenes looking incredibly cinematic. He is helped by the most spectacular special effects the programme has had up to this point, from the Dalek attack on the Valiant, to the flotilla of Dalek saucers to the awesome Crucible. Harper makes sure that all the performers are up to scratch. Any quibbles about Piper's performance in "Turn Left" are instantly quashed- Rose Tyler is definitely back with a wonderful performance by Piper. We also see the welcome return of Jackie and Mickey and, I must again heap praise upon Noel Clarke for another moving, yet very dignified performance. However, the best performance is definitely Julian Bleach as Davros. Bleach is definitely Michael Wisher's equal in realising the role, being both cold and calculating and a shrieking madman. The make-up is a fitting update for the character and anyone who wished to know what Davros had under his tunic get the unpleasant shock that they deserve.
This is very much the end of an era, so we are fittingly, given a series of endings that bring to mind Return of the King. We are taken back to Bad Wolf bay again and Rose is left in the parallel universe with the other Doctor. This manages to work because of the deep understanding of the characters that Russell T Davies has. Rose has a selfish streak, but it is proved here that she is not, ultimately, a truly selfish person. However, any emotion that Rose's second departure might have had is eclipsed by the rueful fate of Donna Noble. Of the companions who have travelled with the Doctor, Donna started off with the least and developed the most- a thirtysomething temp from Chiswick becomes half- Time Lord and saves all of creation. However, her human body cannot cope with the intelligence of a Time Lord so, to save her life, the Doctor removes from her memory all of her experiences with him. Once again, she is the eternal temp, eagerly awaiting a new Pringle flavour. Catherine Tate was never less than spectacular as Donna in a performance that should have silenced all her critics, but didn’t, as her critics could not see past their own prejudices. In my opinion, she was the best companion since the return of the programme, a character that was always interesting to watch and I will miss her.
We end on the Doctor being alone (thankfully not jarred by a teaser for the Christmas Special) after a real thrill-fest that had me gripped throughout. And yes, that includes towing the Earth home!
NEXT: "The Next Doctor"
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
"School Reunion"
"School Reunion" has a perfectly respectable plot. A school in London has been infiltrated by the Krillitanes, a race who take physical characteristics of the races they conquer and add them to their own. They are using the children of the school as an organic computer to crack the ‘Skasis Paradigm’, apparently a formula that is the key to everything in creation. Mickey has noted something odd going on and has summoned the Doctor and Rose back to Earth. However, Mickey is not the only one who has noticed something odd, because there is also a freelance journalist who may look familiar to some of those viewing, together with something in her car boot…
Toby Whithouse creates a very entertaining story that seems, at first glance, to be aimed squarely at kids. The school setting and the use of the children in the adversaries’ dastardly plan is reminiscent of the Demon Headmaster books and TV series. However, the presence of Sarah Jane adds a different dimension altogether. Sarah Jane does not live in the past, but it is clear that her time with the Doctor will be with her forever. This also has an effect on Rose as she says, ‘I’ve been to the year 5,000,000, but this is really looking at the future’. The initial tension between Rose and Sarah Jane is written with wit and real understanding of the characters and their eventual reconciliation is joyful to behold. Just as interesting, if not more so, is the Doctor’s reaction to this, giving us insights into how he views the all-too mortal humans he travels with and his reluctance to ever say goodbye. The farewell scene between the Doctor and Sarah Jane is utterly beautiful- the line ‘I think it will be someone else’s grandchildren’ is heartbreaking and the Doctor finally saying goodbye shouldn’t leave a dry eye in the house. James Hawes makes another impressive show in the director’s chair, mounting scenes with expert shooting (although some of the editing is a bit off) but paying attention to the little things- I love the scene where Rose reaches out, expecting to get the Sonic Screwdriver, only for the Doctor to hand it to Sarah Jane. In Hawes’s hands, K9 is not just the lovable tin mutt of the past- the scene where he shoots down the Krillitane is completely awesome and K9’s apparent death genuinely left me shocked. The special effects are great, with the Krillitanes being very memorable.
The Doctor is written with more depth than in David Tennant’s previous stories and Tennant proves that Russell T Davies was fully justified in the risk he took in employing him. From his physics lesson at the start to his joyful reunion with K9, to his grim face-off with Mr Finch, Tennant is brilliant. Billie Piper is great in a performance that sometimes highlights one of Rose’s less laudable characteristics- her occasional selfishness. Noel Clarke is again utterly wonderful, with his realisation that he is the ‘tin dog’ leading him to join the TARDIS crew. The tin dog himself is obviously ace, with John Leeson returning. Then there is Elisabeth Sladen, who effortlessly gives a more mature, yet still recognisable Sarah Jane. Despite all these headlining performances, Anthony Head still manages to be fantastic as Mr Finch/ Brother Lassar, which would have satisfied Buffy fans as much as Sladen and Leeson satisfied Doctor Who fans. In smaller roles, Joe Pickley is great as Kenny and the Krillitane staff are also memorable but still very much ‘teacherly’.
"School Reunion" could have been fan-pleasing rubbish, but we are in skilled hands. It can be watched by those who don’t know who Sarah Jane is, without them losing anything, for it is a great paean to living one’s life with the belief that the best is yet to come.
NEXT: "The Girl in the Fireplace"
Toby Whithouse creates a very entertaining story that seems, at first glance, to be aimed squarely at kids. The school setting and the use of the children in the adversaries’ dastardly plan is reminiscent of the Demon Headmaster books and TV series. However, the presence of Sarah Jane adds a different dimension altogether. Sarah Jane does not live in the past, but it is clear that her time with the Doctor will be with her forever. This also has an effect on Rose as she says, ‘I’ve been to the year 5,000,000, but this is really looking at the future’. The initial tension between Rose and Sarah Jane is written with wit and real understanding of the characters and their eventual reconciliation is joyful to behold. Just as interesting, if not more so, is the Doctor’s reaction to this, giving us insights into how he views the all-too mortal humans he travels with and his reluctance to ever say goodbye. The farewell scene between the Doctor and Sarah Jane is utterly beautiful- the line ‘I think it will be someone else’s grandchildren’ is heartbreaking and the Doctor finally saying goodbye shouldn’t leave a dry eye in the house. James Hawes makes another impressive show in the director’s chair, mounting scenes with expert shooting (although some of the editing is a bit off) but paying attention to the little things- I love the scene where Rose reaches out, expecting to get the Sonic Screwdriver, only for the Doctor to hand it to Sarah Jane. In Hawes’s hands, K9 is not just the lovable tin mutt of the past- the scene where he shoots down the Krillitane is completely awesome and K9’s apparent death genuinely left me shocked. The special effects are great, with the Krillitanes being very memorable.
The Doctor is written with more depth than in David Tennant’s previous stories and Tennant proves that Russell T Davies was fully justified in the risk he took in employing him. From his physics lesson at the start to his joyful reunion with K9, to his grim face-off with Mr Finch, Tennant is brilliant. Billie Piper is great in a performance that sometimes highlights one of Rose’s less laudable characteristics- her occasional selfishness. Noel Clarke is again utterly wonderful, with his realisation that he is the ‘tin dog’ leading him to join the TARDIS crew. The tin dog himself is obviously ace, with John Leeson returning. Then there is Elisabeth Sladen, who effortlessly gives a more mature, yet still recognisable Sarah Jane. Despite all these headlining performances, Anthony Head still manages to be fantastic as Mr Finch/ Brother Lassar, which would have satisfied Buffy fans as much as Sladen and Leeson satisfied Doctor Who fans. In smaller roles, Joe Pickley is great as Kenny and the Krillitane staff are also memorable but still very much ‘teacherly’.
"School Reunion" could have been fan-pleasing rubbish, but we are in skilled hands. It can be watched by those who don’t know who Sarah Jane is, without them losing anything, for it is a great paean to living one’s life with the belief that the best is yet to come.
NEXT: "The Girl in the Fireplace"
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, 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
Monday, 23 March 2009
The Masque of Mandragora
Doctor Who returns to the historical with this story that takes place at the dawn of the Renaissance (or Early Modern Europe, to be more politically correct) and pits the Doctor against the malevolent Mandragora Helix, an entity that is trying to stymie the rebirth of European culture. With the Helix being a rather insubstantial threat, the struggle is personified by two human sides- the progressives, embodied in Duke Giuliano and the regressives, embodied by the astrologer Hieronymous and his Cult of Demnos. The story wholeheartedly takes the side of Giuliano, emphasising the need for science over superstition. Of course, there is some simplification of the viewpoints- very little of the new learning is actually described in the story; indeed, Giuliano is interrupted whilst trying to tell Sarah why it is obvious that the earth is a sphere (in fact, the spherical earth had been widely accepted nearly everywhere since the birth of Jesus). Nevertheless, the script, although oddly paced at times, manages to make this drive the story without being polemicist.
The characterisation is good, with some impressive performances backing it up. Gareth Armstrong makes Giuliano more than just a cypher (although his typical British pallor seems to indicate that the young Duke spends a lot of time indoors!) and is ably supported by the always excellent Tim Piggot-Smith. However, it is the baddies who are best served by the story. Norman Jones makes Hieronymous transcend his silly beard projecting a dark sense of menace throughout. Possibly even better is Jon Laurimore as Count Federico. Federico is not one of those looking backwards to the ’Dark Ages’ but is, in fact, the dark side of the Rennaisance itself. With Leonardo, Michaelangelo and Galileo came the Borgias and Federico is the ruthless, power-hungry despot that this period tended to produce. Laurimore exudes smug superiority like few other actors and his expressive performance and mellifluous voice are a very welcome addition. The characterisation of the regulars is given the interesting twist of Giuliano almost wanting to give the Doctor his patronage and him seeing Sarah both as someone to be educated and (for a short while) a potential love interest. The regulars play these roles with their usual aplomb.
Where the story really excels is in the visual department. One of the unsung heroes of Doctor Who is designer Barry Newbery and it is in this story that he really outdoes himself. This is one of the most beautiful Doctor Who stories ever broadcast, which has a lot to do with the sumptuous sets which are complemented by fantastic costume design. The lighting is very evocative and the whole is admirably directed by Rodney Bennet. The special effects probably cost nest to nothing, but are very effectively done. Of course, the fact that Portmeirion is used as the location might be a bit distracting for anyone who is familiar with The Prisoner, but the location meshes well with the studio scenes, which considerably lessens this. The new console room is beautifully designed too, a very welcome addition.
There are very few problems with this story- as said, the plotting could do with some tightening up and Dudley Simpson does show his limitations as a composer- a Geoffrey Burgon score would have been sublime. However, this remains an excellent and underrated story.
NEXT: The Hand of Fear
The characterisation is good, with some impressive performances backing it up. Gareth Armstrong makes Giuliano more than just a cypher (although his typical British pallor seems to indicate that the young Duke spends a lot of time indoors!) and is ably supported by the always excellent Tim Piggot-Smith. However, it is the baddies who are best served by the story. Norman Jones makes Hieronymous transcend his silly beard projecting a dark sense of menace throughout. Possibly even better is Jon Laurimore as Count Federico. Federico is not one of those looking backwards to the ’Dark Ages’ but is, in fact, the dark side of the Rennaisance itself. With Leonardo, Michaelangelo and Galileo came the Borgias and Federico is the ruthless, power-hungry despot that this period tended to produce. Laurimore exudes smug superiority like few other actors and his expressive performance and mellifluous voice are a very welcome addition. The characterisation of the regulars is given the interesting twist of Giuliano almost wanting to give the Doctor his patronage and him seeing Sarah both as someone to be educated and (for a short while) a potential love interest. The regulars play these roles with their usual aplomb.
Where the story really excels is in the visual department. One of the unsung heroes of Doctor Who is designer Barry Newbery and it is in this story that he really outdoes himself. This is one of the most beautiful Doctor Who stories ever broadcast, which has a lot to do with the sumptuous sets which are complemented by fantastic costume design. The lighting is very evocative and the whole is admirably directed by Rodney Bennet. The special effects probably cost nest to nothing, but are very effectively done. Of course, the fact that Portmeirion is used as the location might be a bit distracting for anyone who is familiar with The Prisoner, but the location meshes well with the studio scenes, which considerably lessens this. The new console room is beautifully designed too, a very welcome addition.
There are very few problems with this story- as said, the plotting could do with some tightening up and Dudley Simpson does show his limitations as a composer- a Geoffrey Burgon score would have been sublime. However, this remains an excellent and underrated story.
NEXT: The Hand of Fear
Saturday, 21 March 2009
The Seeds of Doom
It is interesting to look at this story after the previous one. The Brain of Morbius is about a mad scientist who wants to give the brain of a megalomaniac a new body, but it has very limited ambitions beyond this, both thematically and dramatically. The Seeds of Doom, on the other hand works on more levels than being simply the story about an alien plant that threatens all life on earth. It has long been a story I enjoy (and incidentally, the first episode was broadcast the day I was born!)
One of the most common criticisms of 6-parters is that they are frequently padded 4-parters (or even less). As commented by others, this story avoids this criticism by basically being a 2-parter followed by a 4-parter, and there is very little padding. As in the outstanding Pyramids of Mars, the story progresses believably without containing any plot points that are blatantly put in by the writer to move the plot along. The characterisation is superb. Scorby has far more depth than Doctor Who henchmen usually have and we have the brilliant character of Amelia Ducat, who seems like a Robert Holmesian incidental character, but actually fulfils important functions. Even the characters at the Antarctic base, although based on the usual stock base types in Doctor Who, are given enough characterful dialogue to make them transcend this. All of these characters are superbly played- John Challis is so good as Scorby that we very quickly forget Boycie. Best of all is Tony Beckley as Harrison Chase. He is portrayed as an environmentalist gone bad, bringing the portrayal of environmentalists to the precise opposite of what the likes of Professor Jones in The Green Death were, via the well intentioned, but misguided Sir Charles Grover of Invasion of the Dinosaurs. Beckley was a very underrated actor who, despite looking like the type of character actor who is limited in range, made all his portrayals different. There is not a hint of Camp Freddie in his brilliant performance.
Visually, the story is aided by the always outstanding Douglas Camfield. Camfield’s choice of shots is always inspired- mention must be made of the moment after Chase has been possessed by the Krynoid, which Camfield has the nerve to shoot in a way that makes it seem almost post-coital. The production values are excellent on the whole. The story is shot entirely on video, bar a few effects shots, and this gives the production a very unified style, with studio scenes meshing very well with location. The Krynoid creatures fail to convince in some shots, but this is a minority of shots. This is also one of the few stories from this period that does not have Dudley Simpson as a composer. Although Simpson did do some excellent work, Geoffrey Burgon is a much more gifted composer and his more subtle score here is a joy to listen to.
The Doctor is more violent and action-orientated than usual, but Baker’s great performance here makes this interpretation of the character similar to that on Pyramids of Mars. Both regulars are on great form in this story, one which is never less than entertaining and a must-see for all Doctor Who fans.
NEXT: The Masque of Mandragora
One of the most common criticisms of 6-parters is that they are frequently padded 4-parters (or even less). As commented by others, this story avoids this criticism by basically being a 2-parter followed by a 4-parter, and there is very little padding. As in the outstanding Pyramids of Mars, the story progresses believably without containing any plot points that are blatantly put in by the writer to move the plot along. The characterisation is superb. Scorby has far more depth than Doctor Who henchmen usually have and we have the brilliant character of Amelia Ducat, who seems like a Robert Holmesian incidental character, but actually fulfils important functions. Even the characters at the Antarctic base, although based on the usual stock base types in Doctor Who, are given enough characterful dialogue to make them transcend this. All of these characters are superbly played- John Challis is so good as Scorby that we very quickly forget Boycie. Best of all is Tony Beckley as Harrison Chase. He is portrayed as an environmentalist gone bad, bringing the portrayal of environmentalists to the precise opposite of what the likes of Professor Jones in The Green Death were, via the well intentioned, but misguided Sir Charles Grover of Invasion of the Dinosaurs. Beckley was a very underrated actor who, despite looking like the type of character actor who is limited in range, made all his portrayals different. There is not a hint of Camp Freddie in his brilliant performance.
Visually, the story is aided by the always outstanding Douglas Camfield. Camfield’s choice of shots is always inspired- mention must be made of the moment after Chase has been possessed by the Krynoid, which Camfield has the nerve to shoot in a way that makes it seem almost post-coital. The production values are excellent on the whole. The story is shot entirely on video, bar a few effects shots, and this gives the production a very unified style, with studio scenes meshing very well with location. The Krynoid creatures fail to convince in some shots, but this is a minority of shots. This is also one of the few stories from this period that does not have Dudley Simpson as a composer. Although Simpson did do some excellent work, Geoffrey Burgon is a much more gifted composer and his more subtle score here is a joy to listen to.
The Doctor is more violent and action-orientated than usual, but Baker’s great performance here makes this interpretation of the character similar to that on Pyramids of Mars. Both regulars are on great form in this story, one which is never less than entertaining and a must-see for all Doctor Who fans.
NEXT: The Masque of Mandragora
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
The Brain of Morbius
The Brain of Morbius is inspired by the Frankenstein story or, more precisely, the Frankenstein story as told in the 1931 James Whale/ Boris Karloff film. We have the scientist attempting to animate a creature he has created from dead body parts. We have the deformed monosyllabic henchman. The story takes place in a castle-like building which is introduces in a flash of lightning during a storm. This story is one which has been trumpeted as a ‘classic’ but, I must confess, it has never been a favourite of mine. The problem is that it is the sum of its parts- perhaps a bit less, certainly not more. It sets out to do a story of the creation of a body for the preserved brain of a Time Lord criminal, combined with a ‘guardians of the fountain of youth’ storyline, with the Sisterhood of Karn, and accomplishes that, but little more. It doesn't add a Doctor Who twist to the Frankenstein story, it pretty much is the Frankenstein story- a disappointment after the brilliance of Pyramids of Mars. There are a few musings on stagnation being the price of immortality and some excellent bits of dialogue, but the story, overall, has always seemed a bit functional and lightweight to me. This is not helped by the characterisation- Solon is written as a stock mad scientist, Morbius as the usual ranting megalomaniac, Condo as a very stereotypical ‘Igor’ and the sisterhood are basically stereotypical Vestal Virgins (an odd addition!).
There are, however, some aspects that compensate for this. Although Christopher Barry’s direction is rather flat, visually, there is some effective use of lighting. The design work is also very good, managing to draw inspiration from 1930s horror films without unimaginatively aping them. It is a pity that this story is so studio bound, as scenes where characters clunk into plastic rocks tend to undermine the suspension of disbelief. The costumes for the sisterhood are also imaginatively designed and the dynamism between the burning reds of the Sisterhood’s lair and the sepulchral greys and greens of Solon’s castle. The brain itself is brilliantly realised- I love the ‘speech membrane’ especially. However, there is one effect that jars with the tone of the whole series- Solon shooting Condo in the gut. However effective the result, there was no need to show the bloody wound exploding- an effect that I am surprised the BBC allowed to pass.
As far as the guest cast goes, I cannot speak highly enough of Philip Madoc. As I said before, Solon is written as a typical mad scientist, but Madoc’s excellent performance makes him a far more interesting character than written. His ad-libbed ‘pun’ is a very welcome bit of extra characterisation, making Solon appear more human. Condo is ludicrously written, but Colin Fay manages the impressive feat of making him both sympathetic and repulsive. The sisterhood, however, are less effective, coming across as a bunch of pretentious interpretive dancers, rather than the mental equals of the Time Lords. Only Cynthia Grenville as Maren (with some very effective old age makeup) conveys any authority. Michael Spice’s vocal performance as Morbius is very effective but, as said, the character is not well written and the scene where he is pursued over the edge of a cliff by the Sisterhood is hardly a great climax. The regulars are good as ever (although Elisabeth Sladen’s ‘blind’ acting is far from perfect).
Overall, this is a watchable, though by no means essential story.
NEXT: The Seeds of Doom
There are, however, some aspects that compensate for this. Although Christopher Barry’s direction is rather flat, visually, there is some effective use of lighting. The design work is also very good, managing to draw inspiration from 1930s horror films without unimaginatively aping them. It is a pity that this story is so studio bound, as scenes where characters clunk into plastic rocks tend to undermine the suspension of disbelief. The costumes for the sisterhood are also imaginatively designed and the dynamism between the burning reds of the Sisterhood’s lair and the sepulchral greys and greens of Solon’s castle. The brain itself is brilliantly realised- I love the ‘speech membrane’ especially. However, there is one effect that jars with the tone of the whole series- Solon shooting Condo in the gut. However effective the result, there was no need to show the bloody wound exploding- an effect that I am surprised the BBC allowed to pass.
As far as the guest cast goes, I cannot speak highly enough of Philip Madoc. As I said before, Solon is written as a typical mad scientist, but Madoc’s excellent performance makes him a far more interesting character than written. His ad-libbed ‘pun’ is a very welcome bit of extra characterisation, making Solon appear more human. Condo is ludicrously written, but Colin Fay manages the impressive feat of making him both sympathetic and repulsive. The sisterhood, however, are less effective, coming across as a bunch of pretentious interpretive dancers, rather than the mental equals of the Time Lords. Only Cynthia Grenville as Maren (with some very effective old age makeup) conveys any authority. Michael Spice’s vocal performance as Morbius is very effective but, as said, the character is not well written and the scene where he is pursued over the edge of a cliff by the Sisterhood is hardly a great climax. The regulars are good as ever (although Elisabeth Sladen’s ‘blind’ acting is far from perfect).
Overall, this is a watchable, though by no means essential story.
NEXT: The Seeds of Doom
Monday, 16 March 2009
The Android Invasion
There are some impressive things about The Android Invasion. Barry Letts directs with great energy and the individual scenes work very well. The sequence where the android Sarah is unmasked and then sits up and shoots as the Doctor is very memorable. The design work is excellent, with the Kraals being successfully realised as a cross between a Sontaran and a Triceratops. There are also good guest performances, especially from Milton Johns as Crayford and the regulars put in good work- the chemistry between Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen is so successful that it manages to save some scenes that would otherwise be execrable.
However, the story suffers from having one of the stupidest, most poorly thought out scripts the programme has ever seen. This is Terry Nation at his worst, a script formed of set pieces that are clumsily stitched together. This is exemplified in the scene where Sarah twists her ankle for no good reason apart from adding ten minutes to the story time. There are ludicrous elements such as the robot detector and although enough has been written about the plot holes by others, it’s important to take note of how blatant they are- Guy Crayford’s eye, the fact that there is no real need to build the village in the first place, the fact that there is still an invasion fleet heading for earth at the end of the story etc. For this story to work, one would have to have the short-term memory of a cabbage. As soon as one thinks of the story as a whole, the whole thing falls apart. Instead of killing the Doctor Styggron ties him to a war memorial and blows up the fake village for no reason. This looks good and is exciting, but makes no sense in story terms. The opening is memorable- unfortunately it is exactly the same opening used in The Dalek Invasion of Earth. This story is an insult to the intelligence, with all the inherent narrative value of a screensaver.
NEXT: The Brain of Morbius
However, the story suffers from having one of the stupidest, most poorly thought out scripts the programme has ever seen. This is Terry Nation at his worst, a script formed of set pieces that are clumsily stitched together. This is exemplified in the scene where Sarah twists her ankle for no good reason apart from adding ten minutes to the story time. There are ludicrous elements such as the robot detector and although enough has been written about the plot holes by others, it’s important to take note of how blatant they are- Guy Crayford’s eye, the fact that there is no real need to build the village in the first place, the fact that there is still an invasion fleet heading for earth at the end of the story etc. For this story to work, one would have to have the short-term memory of a cabbage. As soon as one thinks of the story as a whole, the whole thing falls apart. Instead of killing the Doctor Styggron ties him to a war memorial and blows up the fake village for no reason. This looks good and is exciting, but makes no sense in story terms. The opening is memorable- unfortunately it is exactly the same opening used in The Dalek Invasion of Earth. This story is an insult to the intelligence, with all the inherent narrative value of a screensaver.
NEXT: The Brain of Morbius
Saturday, 14 March 2009
Pyramids of Mars
In doing this marathon, there are some stories I am encountering for the first time and others I am more familiar with to various degrees. There are a very few for which I have lost count how many times I have seen them and Pyramids of Mars definitely falls into this category. I love this story and want to have its babies.
One of the main reasons for this is the script, which is very well structured and believable. Because of the simplicity of the plot, it is easy to overlook the skill in the actual plotting. In journeying from point A to point B, in the plot, there is always something to see out of the window- the Doctor discovers the signal from Mars through a primitive radio telescope invented by Laurence Scarman. The small cast of characters are very well written- there are bonds of family and friendship between them that subtly make the events more real for the viewer. Also, this story manages to convey the alien in a way few others do. When Sutekh wants to know what planet the Doctor comes from, he asks for 'the binary location from galactic centre' as 'Names mean nothing'.
The guest cast are uniformally excellent, but there is one who stands out (no pun intended). Sutekh is a character created almost exclusively through voice, and what a voice it is! Gabriel Woolf makes Sutekh, for my money, the most awesomely powerful adversary the Doctor has ever faced. Hearing him intone 'Any further insolence and I shall shred your nervous system into a million fibres' is still chilling. Sutekh is utterly unforgettable, one of the greatest Doctor who baddies of all time. Bernard Archard is fantastic as the possessed Marcus Scarman and the wonderful Michael Sheard is almost heartbreaking as Laurence. The robot mummies look comical if one sees a clip, but they are genuinely chilling when seen in context in the story.
The emphasis on the alien leads to one of Tom Baker's finest performances as the Doctor. Here, for the first time since the Hartnell era, we truly see the Doctor as an alien with a human face. His rapport with Elisabeth Sladen makes this one of the finest performances from the regular cast. Paddy Russell directs with great dynamism and there are fantastic set pieces- the invisible force field, the poacher's death, Marcus Scarman expelling the bullet from his body. Good use of locations and some excellent set design are excellently blended together, with simple, yet very effective lighting and backed by one of Dudley Simpson's best scores.
The legend of the Mummy is taken and given a truly original spin with wit and intelligence. Yes, there are a few plot holes, but the story is so good, they can easily be ignored. This is a story that is not just worth watching, it should be watched and if I were to select one story as my absolute favourite, it would probably be this one.
NEXT: The Android Invasion
One of the main reasons for this is the script, which is very well structured and believable. Because of the simplicity of the plot, it is easy to overlook the skill in the actual plotting. In journeying from point A to point B, in the plot, there is always something to see out of the window- the Doctor discovers the signal from Mars through a primitive radio telescope invented by Laurence Scarman. The small cast of characters are very well written- there are bonds of family and friendship between them that subtly make the events more real for the viewer. Also, this story manages to convey the alien in a way few others do. When Sutekh wants to know what planet the Doctor comes from, he asks for 'the binary location from galactic centre' as 'Names mean nothing'.
The guest cast are uniformally excellent, but there is one who stands out (no pun intended). Sutekh is a character created almost exclusively through voice, and what a voice it is! Gabriel Woolf makes Sutekh, for my money, the most awesomely powerful adversary the Doctor has ever faced. Hearing him intone 'Any further insolence and I shall shred your nervous system into a million fibres' is still chilling. Sutekh is utterly unforgettable, one of the greatest Doctor who baddies of all time. Bernard Archard is fantastic as the possessed Marcus Scarman and the wonderful Michael Sheard is almost heartbreaking as Laurence. The robot mummies look comical if one sees a clip, but they are genuinely chilling when seen in context in the story.
The emphasis on the alien leads to one of Tom Baker's finest performances as the Doctor. Here, for the first time since the Hartnell era, we truly see the Doctor as an alien with a human face. His rapport with Elisabeth Sladen makes this one of the finest performances from the regular cast. Paddy Russell directs with great dynamism and there are fantastic set pieces- the invisible force field, the poacher's death, Marcus Scarman expelling the bullet from his body. Good use of locations and some excellent set design are excellently blended together, with simple, yet very effective lighting and backed by one of Dudley Simpson's best scores.
The legend of the Mummy is taken and given a truly original spin with wit and intelligence. Yes, there are a few plot holes, but the story is so good, they can easily be ignored. This is a story that is not just worth watching, it should be watched and if I were to select one story as my absolute favourite, it would probably be this one.
NEXT: The Android Invasion
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
Planet of Evil
Zeta Minor, a planet at the edge of the known universe, is the boundary between the universe and the universe of anti-matter. The Morestan scientist, Professor Sorenson believes he can use the anti-matter particles of Zeta Minor to provide energy for his dying civilisation. However, there is a sinister force at work on the planet…
Despite the obvious influence of Forbidden Planet and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (and the less obvious influence of Stanisław Lem’s Solaris) Planet of Evil adds a spin of its own to these sources. Louis Marks creates a planet that seems to have an intelligence of its own- the title, in fact, is a misnomer, but Planet of Self-Defence probably wouldn’t have been as catchy. The actual script is a mixture of the majestic with the commonplace- there is excellent dialogue, but it is oddly paced and the ending is a bit rubbish- in story terms, Sorenson has not really ‘earned’ the right to survive. The characterisation is also lacking in colour, with all supporting characters conforming to type.
Where this story excels is in its visualisation. The jungle set, especially the filmed one, is one of the best alien environments ever seen on television- the level of detail is astonishing and it honestly looks like a genuine location at times. This is contrasted with the Morestan space ship which, although sparse, do not look tacky. The full size set of the door to the ship is one of the few times in the programme that one actually believes that it is part of a space-ship, with a very tall structure with characters standing on two levels. David Maloney, one of my favourite directors on the programme, creates some very effective shots and is helped by having very effective lighting on all scenes, both film and video. The anti-matter monster is simply realised, but the effects it has on people are very memorable, with some gristly ‘freeze-dried’ corpses.
However, there are problems with the acting. As said, none of the characters are particularly well written and their eventual effectiveness depends on the actors. In the case of Frederick Jaeger and Ewen Solon, this is fine, both of them making their respective characters of Sorenson and Vishinsky convincing. However, there is the major problem of Prentis Hancock as Salamar. As I see it, Hancock is a bit-part actor who got very lucky and he is woefully out of his depth in a major supporting role. Even when he isn’t fluffing his lines (forgiveable in the Hartnell days, less so in the 70s, where they had more flexibility) he utterly fails to convince in any of the scenes he is in. Tom Baker and Lis Sladen are generally good, although Baker at times seems to be less than enthused by the story. Sladen is excellent throughout, despite being lumbered with an outfit that makes her look like a hillbilly’s fantasy.
This story is by no means a classic, but it is watchable and an effective shocker- but could easily have been a whole lot better.
NEXT: Pyramids of Mars
Despite the obvious influence of Forbidden Planet and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (and the less obvious influence of Stanisław Lem’s Solaris) Planet of Evil adds a spin of its own to these sources. Louis Marks creates a planet that seems to have an intelligence of its own- the title, in fact, is a misnomer, but Planet of Self-Defence probably wouldn’t have been as catchy. The actual script is a mixture of the majestic with the commonplace- there is excellent dialogue, but it is oddly paced and the ending is a bit rubbish- in story terms, Sorenson has not really ‘earned’ the right to survive. The characterisation is also lacking in colour, with all supporting characters conforming to type.
Where this story excels is in its visualisation. The jungle set, especially the filmed one, is one of the best alien environments ever seen on television- the level of detail is astonishing and it honestly looks like a genuine location at times. This is contrasted with the Morestan space ship which, although sparse, do not look tacky. The full size set of the door to the ship is one of the few times in the programme that one actually believes that it is part of a space-ship, with a very tall structure with characters standing on two levels. David Maloney, one of my favourite directors on the programme, creates some very effective shots and is helped by having very effective lighting on all scenes, both film and video. The anti-matter monster is simply realised, but the effects it has on people are very memorable, with some gristly ‘freeze-dried’ corpses.
However, there are problems with the acting. As said, none of the characters are particularly well written and their eventual effectiveness depends on the actors. In the case of Frederick Jaeger and Ewen Solon, this is fine, both of them making their respective characters of Sorenson and Vishinsky convincing. However, there is the major problem of Prentis Hancock as Salamar. As I see it, Hancock is a bit-part actor who got very lucky and he is woefully out of his depth in a major supporting role. Even when he isn’t fluffing his lines (forgiveable in the Hartnell days, less so in the 70s, where they had more flexibility) he utterly fails to convince in any of the scenes he is in. Tom Baker and Lis Sladen are generally good, although Baker at times seems to be less than enthused by the story. Sladen is excellent throughout, despite being lumbered with an outfit that makes her look like a hillbilly’s fantasy.
This story is by no means a classic, but it is watchable and an effective shocker- but could easily have been a whole lot better.
NEXT: Pyramids of Mars
Monday, 9 March 2009
Terror of the Zygons
Tom Baker's second season begins with his first alien threat against contemporary Earth. The basic storyline is nothing we haven't seen before- the Zygons want to conquer the Earth and use their cyborg monster, the Skarasen, to help them accomplish this. There are some plot problems, as we shall see later. However, if there is one story that is genuinely a 'triumph of style over substance' it is this one.
The Zygons themselves are one of the best realised alien races the programme has ever had. A fantastically designed costume is seamlessly blended with make-up onto the faces of the actors. Even today, a Hollywood budget would only slightly improve on the look. As in The Claws of Axos, there is an organic spacecraft, but one which is far easier on the eyes and far more subtle and interesting. All this is helped by Douglas Camfield's great skill in selecting the shots and supervising editing- the first full reveal of a Zygon is brilliantly done. Camfield manages to make the programme more 'edgy'- there is a real sense of danger in scenes such as the Zygon Harry's escape. Much has been made of the believability of the Skarasen. The creature is realised through a mixture of puppetry and a few shots with stop-motion animation. Although the creature is not particularly convincing, it is mobile and quite well designed. The end, where it rises out of the Thames fails mostly because it combines film and video elements- there have been far worse special effects on the programme.
The script is quite good, if somewhat half-baked. Despite the fact that the very first line by a Scottish character is aboot haggis, characterisation is good, with some nice moments. There is some clunky info-dumping- Broton explains things to Harry for no good reason, and some rather unbelievable plot points- the removal of the bug from the inn only alerts UNIT to where the bug came from and Sarah stumbles into the tunnel to the spaceship after being left alone by the Zygons, who have fetched a step-ladder for her to reach it. Any thought that they did that deliberately is scotched when they angrily discover the tunnel open.
The performances throughout are first rate, from Lillias Walker's spooky performance as Sister Lamont to John Woodnutt's excellent Broton/ Duke of Forgill. Tom Baker's detached, yet playful performance further distances the Fourth Doctor's personality from his predecessor. It's sad to see Harry go as a regular- Ian Marter made him entertaining and convincing throughout. This is also the last we'll see of the Brig for a good long while and Nicholas Courtney works his usual magic.
Terror of the Zygons has its problems, but it is thoroughly entertaining throughout and highly recommended.
Next: Planet of Evil
The Zygons themselves are one of the best realised alien races the programme has ever had. A fantastically designed costume is seamlessly blended with make-up onto the faces of the actors. Even today, a Hollywood budget would only slightly improve on the look. As in The Claws of Axos, there is an organic spacecraft, but one which is far easier on the eyes and far more subtle and interesting. All this is helped by Douglas Camfield's great skill in selecting the shots and supervising editing- the first full reveal of a Zygon is brilliantly done. Camfield manages to make the programme more 'edgy'- there is a real sense of danger in scenes such as the Zygon Harry's escape. Much has been made of the believability of the Skarasen. The creature is realised through a mixture of puppetry and a few shots with stop-motion animation. Although the creature is not particularly convincing, it is mobile and quite well designed. The end, where it rises out of the Thames fails mostly because it combines film and video elements- there have been far worse special effects on the programme.
The script is quite good, if somewhat half-baked. Despite the fact that the very first line by a Scottish character is aboot haggis, characterisation is good, with some nice moments. There is some clunky info-dumping- Broton explains things to Harry for no good reason, and some rather unbelievable plot points- the removal of the bug from the inn only alerts UNIT to where the bug came from and Sarah stumbles into the tunnel to the spaceship after being left alone by the Zygons, who have fetched a step-ladder for her to reach it. Any thought that they did that deliberately is scotched when they angrily discover the tunnel open.
The performances throughout are first rate, from Lillias Walker's spooky performance as Sister Lamont to John Woodnutt's excellent Broton/ Duke of Forgill. Tom Baker's detached, yet playful performance further distances the Fourth Doctor's personality from his predecessor. It's sad to see Harry go as a regular- Ian Marter made him entertaining and convincing throughout. This is also the last we'll see of the Brig for a good long while and Nicholas Courtney works his usual magic.
Terror of the Zygons has its problems, but it is thoroughly entertaining throughout and highly recommended.
Next: Planet of Evil
Saturday, 7 March 2009
Revenge of the Cybermen
Of all the things I was hoping for more of, a Gerry Davis penned Cyberman story was not high on my list. Despite their ubiquity in the Troughton era, there was only one good story that featured the cyborgs (The Invasion) and Davis had nothing to do with it. Like Terry Nation, Davis had a tendency of recycling ideas, but at least Nation’s ideas were good. Things don’t look good for the story at the outset, with Revenge of the Cybermen starting off looking like a remake of The Wheel in Space, the very worst Cyberman story of the Troughton era. The story seems to indicate Davis’s sabbatical from the programme has given him time to think of a couple of new ideas. The Cybermen wish to destroy the planet Voga, a planet with very high gold deposits, a metal that is lethal to the Cybermen. The Vogans wish to be rid of the Cyber menace, but some wish to take offensive action, while others prefer to hide.
The fact that Davis has actually come up with a reasonably original storyline would be refreshing- if perusal of the original script didn't reveal that most of the innovations were the work of Robert Holmes. Beyond this, the actual plotting leaves a great deal to be desired. The Cybermen use the Doctor and the Nerva crew as ‘suicide bombers’ to take explosives to the centre of the planet. The reason why they don’t plant the bombs themselves is unclear. It can’t be because the gold content makes it impossible for the Cybermen to set foot on Voga, as some do, later on in the story. When they do, they are able to kill the entire Vogan army- who, for some reason, don’t use gold in any of the weapons that they deploy against the Cybermen, despite the fact that they use gold in everything else! Although their plan doesn’t have the Heath Robinson level of idiotic complexity that Davis usually gives them, the Cyber-scheme is still convoluted. Vorus’s plan is also ridiculous- why not just shoot down the Cybermen’s spaceship before they disembark? The characters are poorly defined and, even if it wasn’t for the many plot holes, the scene to scene plotting is very pedestrian.
To compensate for this, the story is very well designed, with some great sets and costumes and some fantastic location work at Wookey Hole. The makeup for the Vogans is very effective, actually making each of them look slightly different. Michael E Briant directs very well throughout- there are very effective scenes in part 1 when the TARDIS crew find Nerva full of diseased bodies and is helped by a cast that is so good that it elevates the mundane script into something watchable. The Vogans boast Kevin Stoney, David Collings and Michael Wisher, three excellent actors who manage to turn poorly defined ciphers into characters. Kelman is a stock traitor on paper, but Jeremy Wilkin makes him one of the smarmiest characters seen on the series. Unfortunately, the Cybermen themselves are less successful- so poorly defined that they could be any set of alien thugs. The performance of Christopher Robbie as the Cyberleader is completely off- a petulant, camp, silver gimp. The regulars are great, thanks to some great character dialogue by Robert Holmes- if there’s one thing worth watching the story for, it is the ‘Harry Sullivan is an imbecile!’ scene.
This is the best Cyberman story that Gerry Davis wrote. However, that is the faintest that faint praise can be. And the cybermats are still rubbish.
NEXT: Terror of the Zygons
The fact that Davis has actually come up with a reasonably original storyline would be refreshing- if perusal of the original script didn't reveal that most of the innovations were the work of Robert Holmes. Beyond this, the actual plotting leaves a great deal to be desired. The Cybermen use the Doctor and the Nerva crew as ‘suicide bombers’ to take explosives to the centre of the planet. The reason why they don’t plant the bombs themselves is unclear. It can’t be because the gold content makes it impossible for the Cybermen to set foot on Voga, as some do, later on in the story. When they do, they are able to kill the entire Vogan army- who, for some reason, don’t use gold in any of the weapons that they deploy against the Cybermen, despite the fact that they use gold in everything else! Although their plan doesn’t have the Heath Robinson level of idiotic complexity that Davis usually gives them, the Cyber-scheme is still convoluted. Vorus’s plan is also ridiculous- why not just shoot down the Cybermen’s spaceship before they disembark? The characters are poorly defined and, even if it wasn’t for the many plot holes, the scene to scene plotting is very pedestrian.
To compensate for this, the story is very well designed, with some great sets and costumes and some fantastic location work at Wookey Hole. The makeup for the Vogans is very effective, actually making each of them look slightly different. Michael E Briant directs very well throughout- there are very effective scenes in part 1 when the TARDIS crew find Nerva full of diseased bodies and is helped by a cast that is so good that it elevates the mundane script into something watchable. The Vogans boast Kevin Stoney, David Collings and Michael Wisher, three excellent actors who manage to turn poorly defined ciphers into characters. Kelman is a stock traitor on paper, but Jeremy Wilkin makes him one of the smarmiest characters seen on the series. Unfortunately, the Cybermen themselves are less successful- so poorly defined that they could be any set of alien thugs. The performance of Christopher Robbie as the Cyberleader is completely off- a petulant, camp, silver gimp. The regulars are great, thanks to some great character dialogue by Robert Holmes- if there’s one thing worth watching the story for, it is the ‘Harry Sullivan is an imbecile!’ scene.
This is the best Cyberman story that Gerry Davis wrote. However, that is the faintest that faint praise can be. And the cybermats are still rubbish.
NEXT: Terror of the Zygons
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Genesis of the Daleks
Genesis of the Daleks has been an ‘all-time-classic’ since it was first broadcast and, like some other all-time-classics it has been re-evaluated and found wanting since then. I will, therefore, try to be as fair as I can to a story that I have, to be honest, seen more than once before.
It is impossible to talk about the merits of the story without talking of the merits of Terry Nation as a writer. He was great with the basic ideas but less successful at other things- such as plotting and dialogue. Consider the ‘one-line pitch’ for the story:
The Doctor is sent back in time to the moment of the Daleks’ creation on Skaro, which has a society very reminiscent of the Nazis and meets their creator, Davros, a crippled genius who, disturbingly, uses a wheelchair shaped like the lower half of a Dalek.
There are so many possibilities, so many ways that this storyline could be executed. Nation effectively makes the similarity between the Nazis and the Daleks more explicit than ever before- we are told that the Kaled race ‘must be kept pure’ and that the Daleks are, in fact the ultimate expression of eugenics. Unfortunately, Nation again makes the story one of captures, escapes, recaptures and a few cliffhangers with terrible conclusions. We have many poorly thought out details such as a 100 year long war of attrition between two cities that have secret passages to each other that both sides know about. Most critically, we are left unsure of what it is, exactly, the Doctor accomplished. Apart from Davros, characterisation is virtually non-existent and Nation’s dialogue ranges from the functional to the bloody awful (‘She is a Norm! She must be killed!’) Nation resorts to some really egregious padding to bulk the story to a six episode length especially towards the end, where the Doctor loses the Time Ring and then has to destroy the tape recording of Dalek defeats.
All this seems to irretrievably damn the story. However, the story has the advantage of practically every other aspect of its realisation being nothing less than first rate. The guest performances are never less than excellent- for example, Ronson and Gharman are, essentially the same character on paper, but the performances by James Garbutt and Dennis Chinnery more than compensate for this. Peter Miles is utterly compelling as Davros’s right hand man (or should that be left hand man?) Nyder. Then there is the stunning direction. David Maloney is one of the best directors ever to work in Doctor Who and his mastery of mise-en-scène is a joy to watch here- note the proto-steadicam shots that introduce Nyder. Then, of course, there is the excellent opening sequence with gas-masked soldiers gunning each other down in slow motion. The lighting by Duncan Brown is astonishingly effective, creating shadows and reflections on Dalek casings and having Davros in shadow, with only his cybernetic eye glowing.
The design is first rate, taking inspiration from the two world wars. The front line is reminiscent on the Western Front, but has a small underground rail network, similar to that at the Maginot line. The Kaleds, of course are Nazis in manner and dress, with Nyder even sporting an all-black analogue of the Iron Cross. However, if the story has one absolutely indisputable triumph, it is Davros himself. As an image, that of a half man, half Dalek, he is potent enough. However, most crucially, Michael Wisher portrays him as a man, not a monster, which is what makes the character so chilling in this story. The regulars are not as well served by the script as they should be, but Sladen, Marter and Baker put in some typically sterling work. The Doctor is seen as always being mindful of the physical and moral consequences of actions, something simply, yet brilliantly brought to light when the Doctor talks of the morality of the creation of a deadly disease with Davros. This sequence, together with the famous one where the Doctor questions his right to destroy the Daleks at their birth are excellently performed and written, although they are blatantly the work of Robert Holmes.
With Genesis of the Daleks, the whole is less than the sum of its parts, because the parts have been sloppily gummed together. But the story is so well-made that it is definitely worth watching- although perhaps not all in one sitting.
NEXT: Revenge of the Cybermen
It is impossible to talk about the merits of the story without talking of the merits of Terry Nation as a writer. He was great with the basic ideas but less successful at other things- such as plotting and dialogue. Consider the ‘one-line pitch’ for the story:
The Doctor is sent back in time to the moment of the Daleks’ creation on Skaro, which has a society very reminiscent of the Nazis and meets their creator, Davros, a crippled genius who, disturbingly, uses a wheelchair shaped like the lower half of a Dalek.
There are so many possibilities, so many ways that this storyline could be executed. Nation effectively makes the similarity between the Nazis and the Daleks more explicit than ever before- we are told that the Kaled race ‘must be kept pure’ and that the Daleks are, in fact the ultimate expression of eugenics. Unfortunately, Nation again makes the story one of captures, escapes, recaptures and a few cliffhangers with terrible conclusions. We have many poorly thought out details such as a 100 year long war of attrition between two cities that have secret passages to each other that both sides know about. Most critically, we are left unsure of what it is, exactly, the Doctor accomplished. Apart from Davros, characterisation is virtually non-existent and Nation’s dialogue ranges from the functional to the bloody awful (‘She is a Norm! She must be killed!’) Nation resorts to some really egregious padding to bulk the story to a six episode length especially towards the end, where the Doctor loses the Time Ring and then has to destroy the tape recording of Dalek defeats.
All this seems to irretrievably damn the story. However, the story has the advantage of practically every other aspect of its realisation being nothing less than first rate. The guest performances are never less than excellent- for example, Ronson and Gharman are, essentially the same character on paper, but the performances by James Garbutt and Dennis Chinnery more than compensate for this. Peter Miles is utterly compelling as Davros’s right hand man (or should that be left hand man?) Nyder. Then there is the stunning direction. David Maloney is one of the best directors ever to work in Doctor Who and his mastery of mise-en-scène is a joy to watch here- note the proto-steadicam shots that introduce Nyder. Then, of course, there is the excellent opening sequence with gas-masked soldiers gunning each other down in slow motion. The lighting by Duncan Brown is astonishingly effective, creating shadows and reflections on Dalek casings and having Davros in shadow, with only his cybernetic eye glowing.
The design is first rate, taking inspiration from the two world wars. The front line is reminiscent on the Western Front, but has a small underground rail network, similar to that at the Maginot line. The Kaleds, of course are Nazis in manner and dress, with Nyder even sporting an all-black analogue of the Iron Cross. However, if the story has one absolutely indisputable triumph, it is Davros himself. As an image, that of a half man, half Dalek, he is potent enough. However, most crucially, Michael Wisher portrays him as a man, not a monster, which is what makes the character so chilling in this story. The regulars are not as well served by the script as they should be, but Sladen, Marter and Baker put in some typically sterling work. The Doctor is seen as always being mindful of the physical and moral consequences of actions, something simply, yet brilliantly brought to light when the Doctor talks of the morality of the creation of a deadly disease with Davros. This sequence, together with the famous one where the Doctor questions his right to destroy the Daleks at their birth are excellently performed and written, although they are blatantly the work of Robert Holmes.
With Genesis of the Daleks, the whole is less than the sum of its parts, because the parts have been sloppily gummed together. But the story is so well-made that it is definitely worth watching- although perhaps not all in one sitting.
NEXT: Revenge of the Cybermen
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
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
The Ark in Space
In Robot, the production team and the audience were given a chance to get used to the new Doctor. The Ark in Space, on the other hand, is the real start of the Tom Baker era, presenting a story that would have seemed very out of place in the Pertwee era. Why this is is hard to pinpoint exactly. Perhaps is because the visceral reaction to the central antagonist (laying eggs in a human host) is not just a welcome by-product of the story, but integrated into the story as a whole. It benefits from a good script from Robert Holmes. The first episode, which features only the regulars, works very well where similar episodes have failed (such as The Wheel in Space). This is probably because the episode is also used to present Harry's first trip in the TARDIS, which results in some excellent character moments. There are also the scenes where Sarah is put into hibernation, where info-dumping is brilliantly backed with soothing but sombre chamber music. The rest of the story is plotted well with little padding and the Wirrn, on paper are a well thought-out race of monsters. A pleasant surprise is that, even though a convenient Achilles Heel for the Wirrn is discovered (electricity) the story doesn't rely on it for its resolution. The dialogue is great, with the Doctor's famous speech on the indomitability of Homo sapiens being an obvious highlight.
The sets and direction are of a very high standard. The cryogenic chamber is a fantastic design and the harsh lighting of the main sets is actually effective, as it contrasts very well with the more gloomy lighting elsewhere. However, although the model the Ark is good, if basic, the shots of it in space fail because of the floating wobbly stars. The Wirrn are also disappointingly realised- I can just about accept the man in a bubble wrap sleeping bag as the grub, but the imago Wirrn show no mobility and, most damningly, it is never shown how they actually walk.
The characterisation of the supporting roles is surprisingly lax for Holmes. The sleepers are meant to come from a highly compartmentalised society, yet this is forgotten as the story goes on. It is a real pity that Homes did not do something interesting like having the revivees be from different areas who would only have communicated through intermediaries and therefore have a massive communication problem to start with. Wendy Williams puts in a nicely ubderstated performance as Vira, but John Gregg and Richardson Morgan are flat as Lycett and Rogin. Kenton Moore is fine to start with, but is hugely overwrought when he becomes possessed.
The regulars are fantastic in this. Tom Baker plays the doctor as light-hearted, yet radiating authority. Lis Sladen works well with a rather limited role for Sarah. Ian Marter is hilarious as Harry, with his enthusiasm ('I say, what's all that for?') and clumsiness working alongside his medical expertise.
Overall, this is a flawed, but still very enjoyable and worthwhile story.
NEXT: The Sontaran Experiment
The sets and direction are of a very high standard. The cryogenic chamber is a fantastic design and the harsh lighting of the main sets is actually effective, as it contrasts very well with the more gloomy lighting elsewhere. However, although the model the Ark is good, if basic, the shots of it in space fail because of the floating wobbly stars. The Wirrn are also disappointingly realised- I can just about accept the man in a bubble wrap sleeping bag as the grub, but the imago Wirrn show no mobility and, most damningly, it is never shown how they actually walk.
The characterisation of the supporting roles is surprisingly lax for Holmes. The sleepers are meant to come from a highly compartmentalised society, yet this is forgotten as the story goes on. It is a real pity that Homes did not do something interesting like having the revivees be from different areas who would only have communicated through intermediaries and therefore have a massive communication problem to start with. Wendy Williams puts in a nicely ubderstated performance as Vira, but John Gregg and Richardson Morgan are flat as Lycett and Rogin. Kenton Moore is fine to start with, but is hugely overwrought when he becomes possessed.
The regulars are fantastic in this. Tom Baker plays the doctor as light-hearted, yet radiating authority. Lis Sladen works well with a rather limited role for Sarah. Ian Marter is hilarious as Harry, with his enthusiasm ('I say, what's all that for?') and clumsiness working alongside his medical expertise.
Overall, this is a flawed, but still very enjoyable and worthwhile story.
NEXT: The Sontaran Experiment
Monday, 23 February 2009
Robot
Terrence Dicks’s Wobot is a story where the Doctor helps UNIT in combating a threat, but it’s all change for this story. There is a new Doctor whose presence colours every scene of the story, while following a format that would easily fit Jon Pertwee’s Doctor. Here, the threat is a giant robot that is being used by a group called the Scientific Reform Society. The plot has a slightly lighter touch than previous stories, with a cosier kind of catastrophe than is usual- in fact the story seems to be aimed more at kids than a general family audience. This is no bad thing and Dicks’s script is full of great lines and good, if sometimes inconsistent, characterisation.
This is helped by a good supporting cast. Professor Kettlewell is obviously meant to be an absent-minded professor from a kids’ TV show, with his cardigan, pebble glasses and wild hair, but Edward Burnham gives him some depth. Then there is Michael Kilgarriff as the titular automaton. His rich voice is a welcome asset, but the real triumph is the wonderful design of the robot. The whole story is generally excellently realised. Just as Jon Pertwee’s debut was shot entirely on film, this story was shot entirely on video, even the location work, which gives the story a very unified look. Problems arise when the robot is required to grow to gigantic proportions- although background and object are better matched, due to the all-video shooting, it is far from perfect and the robot carries a doll to represent Sarah. This part of the story is obviously influenced by King Kong. Perhaps it is thankful that there are no dinosaur fights, considering what happened in the previous season. Then there’s the use of the toy tank, but it’s not egregiously bad.
However, the main reason the story is remembered is the new Doctor. Even today, 28 years after he relinquished the role, to many, Tom Baker is the Doctor. It is his likeness that appeared in episodes of The Simpsons and Family Guy, for example and only David Tennant has shaken that stranglehold since then. This is probably due to his unequalled tenure in the role, combined with the fact that it was his stories that reached the widest audience in the United States in the 20th Century. Whatever hindsight reveals, he is phenomenally good in his début- manic, incapable of even sitting normally and full of energy- I love his look of glee when he first sees the TARDIS. It is shocking how young he looks in this story, even though he was over 40. Although it was Jon Pertwee’s Doctor who said that he was serious about ‘what I do. Not necessarily about the way I do it!’ it is Tom Baker who embodies that. This interpretation of the character would be similar to Troughton’s but Baker makes the Doctor seem more alien than he has been since William Hartnell- when he speaks to Kettlewell, initially asking him to explain his solar battery, but then abruptly asking him about the robot- we get the sense that his thought patterns are really non-human. This is reflected in his dealings with the regulars- he is immediately friendly with the Brig and Sarah, but barely registers Benton- until he gives the solution to the crisis. He even drives Bessie in a way that is far from the loving manner that his predecessor had. The regulars react to this new presence very effectively and Ian Marter is instantly effective as Harry Sullivan, a man who, when asked to be James Bond, dresses as John Steed.
This would be a fun little tale ordinarily. Baker’s début makes it unmissable.
NEXT: The Ark in Space
This is helped by a good supporting cast. Professor Kettlewell is obviously meant to be an absent-minded professor from a kids’ TV show, with his cardigan, pebble glasses and wild hair, but Edward Burnham gives him some depth. Then there is Michael Kilgarriff as the titular automaton. His rich voice is a welcome asset, but the real triumph is the wonderful design of the robot. The whole story is generally excellently realised. Just as Jon Pertwee’s debut was shot entirely on film, this story was shot entirely on video, even the location work, which gives the story a very unified look. Problems arise when the robot is required to grow to gigantic proportions- although background and object are better matched, due to the all-video shooting, it is far from perfect and the robot carries a doll to represent Sarah. This part of the story is obviously influenced by King Kong. Perhaps it is thankful that there are no dinosaur fights, considering what happened in the previous season. Then there’s the use of the toy tank, but it’s not egregiously bad.
However, the main reason the story is remembered is the new Doctor. Even today, 28 years after he relinquished the role, to many, Tom Baker is the Doctor. It is his likeness that appeared in episodes of The Simpsons and Family Guy, for example and only David Tennant has shaken that stranglehold since then. This is probably due to his unequalled tenure in the role, combined with the fact that it was his stories that reached the widest audience in the United States in the 20th Century. Whatever hindsight reveals, he is phenomenally good in his début- manic, incapable of even sitting normally and full of energy- I love his look of glee when he first sees the TARDIS. It is shocking how young he looks in this story, even though he was over 40. Although it was Jon Pertwee’s Doctor who said that he was serious about ‘what I do. Not necessarily about the way I do it!’ it is Tom Baker who embodies that. This interpretation of the character would be similar to Troughton’s but Baker makes the Doctor seem more alien than he has been since William Hartnell- when he speaks to Kettlewell, initially asking him to explain his solar battery, but then abruptly asking him about the robot- we get the sense that his thought patterns are really non-human. This is reflected in his dealings with the regulars- he is immediately friendly with the Brig and Sarah, but barely registers Benton- until he gives the solution to the crisis. He even drives Bessie in a way that is far from the loving manner that his predecessor had. The regulars react to this new presence very effectively and Ian Marter is instantly effective as Harry Sullivan, a man who, when asked to be James Bond, dresses as John Steed.
This would be a fun little tale ordinarily. Baker’s début makes it unmissable.
NEXT: The Ark in Space
Saturday, 21 February 2009
Planet of the Spiders
One thing that colours all reviews is personal preference- no matter how objective you try to be, it will always colour one’s impression. Therefore, I should warn you that I really enjoy this story, despite its many problems. However, I will try to be fair.
The plot itself is intriguing. The summoning of the Spiders at the meditation centre turns out to be a link between 20th century Earth and Metebelis III of the future, with the Spiders attempting to recover the crystal that the Doctor took from the planet in The Green Death. This brings aspects of the Pertwee era together for its finale- Metebelis III is probably the closest thing to ‘Bad Wolf’ that the original series produced. Jo sends the crystal back to the Doctor with an affectionate letter to the UNIT family. This is all integrated well into the plot, and doesn’t seem gratuitous. More importantly, this is no mere celebration of the past. The Doctor’s past, in fact, haunts and catches up with him. The seemingly meaningless death of Professor Clegg is a timely reminder that the Doctor leaves a trail of destruction in his wake and the Doctor’s taking of the crystal is, in fact, a theft. The Doctor is on trial in this story, and he is, indeed found guilty and must pay the ultimate price. The story is a bit flabby and could have done with some pruning, but Robert Sloman and Barry Letts produce their best script (not saying much, obviously) for the programme, telling an intriguing story with a great deal of thematic depth. Even the basic Buddhism taught only enriches the story, when it could easily have been mere proselytism (Letts is a Buddhist).
In production terms, the strengths of the story can be seen in the first episode. The scenes set at the meditation centre are excellent, with great set design and atmospheric lighting and shows Barry Letts at his very best as a director. The extended chase sequence in episode 2 is the only example of really gratuitous padding, but it at least manages to be visually interesting, with Bessie, the Whomobile, a mini helicopter, a speedboat and a hovercraft being utilised. It’s a real pity that no explanation is given for Lupton disappearing at the end of the chase, rather than immediately, as this amplifies the gratuity of the sequence. The look of Metabelis III is a bit of a let down after this. Some of the sets look cheap and there is too much use of CSO as a background. The Spiders themselves could have been far better realised. However, the Cave of Crystal and the Great One are very effectively realised.
The quality of the performances seem to vary with the location. The scenes set on Earth are strongly acted. The very talented Cyril Shaps makes the most of the brief role of Professor Clegg. John Dearth is suitably slimy and villainous as Lupton and Kevin Lindsay and George Cormack are very impressive as Cho-Je and K'Anpo. John Kane is touching as the innocent Tommy, a role that could easily have been insulting. However, amongst the natives of Metebilis III, only Geoffrey Morris as Sabor is worthy of any praise. Gareth Hunt is adequate as Arak, Ralph Arliss, less so as Tuar. Then there is Jenny Laird. Laird was actually a very experienced actress- she had a large role in Black Narcissus-however, her...presence... in the story doesn’t even deserve being called a performance.
Mike Yates’s involvement is well handled- it is clear that he has been forgiven, though his actions not forgotten, as he never meets the Brigadier in the story. Elisabeth Sladen gives a very strong performance, especially towards the end, ably assisted by Nicholas Courtney. It is interesting how the relationship between the Doctor and the Brig has developed since Season 7. It starts as mutual toleration, but the Brig describes the Doctor as a friend in The Green Death and we see them both at music hall evening where Clegg performs and, for the first time, the Doctor calls the Brig by his first name. In his final regular performance in the role, Jon Pertwee excellently portrays the well written role he is given. The Doctor must face up to the mistakes he has made and pay with his life. the chilling moment when the Great One makes the Doctor dance for her shows this very self-confident character lose control for the first time and, indeed, feel afraid. The regeneration scene (the first to be shown since the first one, and the first to be described as such) is beautifully written and performed. The transition to the next Doctor is rather simply done, but the writing and performances make up for this.
The problems I have outlined are major ones, yet I have always enjoyed this story and the good parts are too good for this story to be overlooked.
NEXT: Robot
The plot itself is intriguing. The summoning of the Spiders at the meditation centre turns out to be a link between 20th century Earth and Metebelis III of the future, with the Spiders attempting to recover the crystal that the Doctor took from the planet in The Green Death. This brings aspects of the Pertwee era together for its finale- Metebelis III is probably the closest thing to ‘Bad Wolf’ that the original series produced. Jo sends the crystal back to the Doctor with an affectionate letter to the UNIT family. This is all integrated well into the plot, and doesn’t seem gratuitous. More importantly, this is no mere celebration of the past. The Doctor’s past, in fact, haunts and catches up with him. The seemingly meaningless death of Professor Clegg is a timely reminder that the Doctor leaves a trail of destruction in his wake and the Doctor’s taking of the crystal is, in fact, a theft. The Doctor is on trial in this story, and he is, indeed found guilty and must pay the ultimate price. The story is a bit flabby and could have done with some pruning, but Robert Sloman and Barry Letts produce their best script (not saying much, obviously) for the programme, telling an intriguing story with a great deal of thematic depth. Even the basic Buddhism taught only enriches the story, when it could easily have been mere proselytism (Letts is a Buddhist).
In production terms, the strengths of the story can be seen in the first episode. The scenes set at the meditation centre are excellent, with great set design and atmospheric lighting and shows Barry Letts at his very best as a director. The extended chase sequence in episode 2 is the only example of really gratuitous padding, but it at least manages to be visually interesting, with Bessie, the Whomobile, a mini helicopter, a speedboat and a hovercraft being utilised. It’s a real pity that no explanation is given for Lupton disappearing at the end of the chase, rather than immediately, as this amplifies the gratuity of the sequence. The look of Metabelis III is a bit of a let down after this. Some of the sets look cheap and there is too much use of CSO as a background. The Spiders themselves could have been far better realised. However, the Cave of Crystal and the Great One are very effectively realised.
The quality of the performances seem to vary with the location. The scenes set on Earth are strongly acted. The very talented Cyril Shaps makes the most of the brief role of Professor Clegg. John Dearth is suitably slimy and villainous as Lupton and Kevin Lindsay and George Cormack are very impressive as Cho-Je and K'Anpo. John Kane is touching as the innocent Tommy, a role that could easily have been insulting. However, amongst the natives of Metebilis III, only Geoffrey Morris as Sabor is worthy of any praise. Gareth Hunt is adequate as Arak, Ralph Arliss, less so as Tuar. Then there is Jenny Laird. Laird was actually a very experienced actress- she had a large role in Black Narcissus-however, her...presence... in the story doesn’t even deserve being called a performance.
Mike Yates’s involvement is well handled- it is clear that he has been forgiven, though his actions not forgotten, as he never meets the Brigadier in the story. Elisabeth Sladen gives a very strong performance, especially towards the end, ably assisted by Nicholas Courtney. It is interesting how the relationship between the Doctor and the Brig has developed since Season 7. It starts as mutual toleration, but the Brig describes the Doctor as a friend in The Green Death and we see them both at music hall evening where Clegg performs and, for the first time, the Doctor calls the Brig by his first name. In his final regular performance in the role, Jon Pertwee excellently portrays the well written role he is given. The Doctor must face up to the mistakes he has made and pay with his life. the chilling moment when the Great One makes the Doctor dance for her shows this very self-confident character lose control for the first time and, indeed, feel afraid. The regeneration scene (the first to be shown since the first one, and the first to be described as such) is beautifully written and performed. The transition to the next Doctor is rather simply done, but the writing and performances make up for this.
The problems I have outlined are major ones, yet I have always enjoyed this story and the good parts are too good for this story to be overlooked.
NEXT: Robot
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
The Monster of Peladon
The Curse of Peladon was an excellent story and was granted this sequel for Jon Pertwee's last season. Things seem to be on track for a successful sequel- rather than rehashing the same themes as the original, the sequel explored the consequences of them, the first time this had been done since The Ark. Unfortunately, things aren't that simple.
The Curse of Peladon had an economical narrative that was well paced over four episodes. The Monster of Peladon, despite having more plot, is still blatantly padded to six episodes. Time and time again, the narrative is broken to have a fight scene and the Doctor keeps escaping and getting captured, with Ortron finding a new reason every time to have the Doctor put to death. This is a pity, as the basic plot is quite sophisticated- joining the federation has meant prosperity for the Pel aristocracy, but no change for the masses. The advent of a war with Galaxy 5 has meant more work for the miners, causing discontent that may result in revolution. However, when hostile forces, in the shape of rebel Ice Warriors arrive, the Pels unite against them. This development doesn't quite work, although there is no reason why it shouldn't have.
The design work is variable. Elements used for The Curse of Peladon work well, but the new elements are less successful. The Vegan miner Nexos looks like a cross between Azal and a chicken and the Pel miners look like blaxploitation badgers. There are only a few sets, something which is unwise in a 150 minute story. Lennie Mayne is too good a director to be totally overcome and it is thanks to him that the story doesn't completely collapse.
Hayles's script lacks the efficiency and great dialogue of the original story.The characterisation is also far weaker, and the guest cast is variable. Frank Gatliff is good as Ortron and Alan Bennion again radiates menace as the Ice Lord. Rex Robinson is not a brilliant actor, but his gruff charisma makes Gebek very likeable. However, Nina Thomas comes short with her portrayal as Queen Thalira and Ralph Watson fails to rescue the rather poorly written part of Ettis. However, the main casting failure is Donald Gee as Eckersley, a thoroughly lazy performance by someone who is clearly at least a competent actor.
Despite the cringe inducing 'women's lib' scene, Elisabeth Sladen is fantastic as Sarah Jane- her grief over the apparent loss of the Doctor is perfectly conveyed and she does, for the first time, her 'about to be shot' performance, something Sladen can do like no-one else. Pertwee is clearly putting his all into it and is great throughout.
Other commentators have repeatedly stated how bad the story is. In my opinion, the story isn't actually bad. It just fails.
NEXT: Planet of the Spiders
The Curse of Peladon had an economical narrative that was well paced over four episodes. The Monster of Peladon, despite having more plot, is still blatantly padded to six episodes. Time and time again, the narrative is broken to have a fight scene and the Doctor keeps escaping and getting captured, with Ortron finding a new reason every time to have the Doctor put to death. This is a pity, as the basic plot is quite sophisticated- joining the federation has meant prosperity for the Pel aristocracy, but no change for the masses. The advent of a war with Galaxy 5 has meant more work for the miners, causing discontent that may result in revolution. However, when hostile forces, in the shape of rebel Ice Warriors arrive, the Pels unite against them. This development doesn't quite work, although there is no reason why it shouldn't have.
The design work is variable. Elements used for The Curse of Peladon work well, but the new elements are less successful. The Vegan miner Nexos looks like a cross between Azal and a chicken and the Pel miners look like blaxploitation badgers. There are only a few sets, something which is unwise in a 150 minute story. Lennie Mayne is too good a director to be totally overcome and it is thanks to him that the story doesn't completely collapse.
Hayles's script lacks the efficiency and great dialogue of the original story.The characterisation is also far weaker, and the guest cast is variable. Frank Gatliff is good as Ortron and Alan Bennion again radiates menace as the Ice Lord. Rex Robinson is not a brilliant actor, but his gruff charisma makes Gebek very likeable. However, Nina Thomas comes short with her portrayal as Queen Thalira and Ralph Watson fails to rescue the rather poorly written part of Ettis. However, the main casting failure is Donald Gee as Eckersley, a thoroughly lazy performance by someone who is clearly at least a competent actor.
Despite the cringe inducing 'women's lib' scene, Elisabeth Sladen is fantastic as Sarah Jane- her grief over the apparent loss of the Doctor is perfectly conveyed and she does, for the first time, her 'about to be shot' performance, something Sladen can do like no-one else. Pertwee is clearly putting his all into it and is great throughout.
Other commentators have repeatedly stated how bad the story is. In my opinion, the story isn't actually bad. It just fails.
NEXT: Planet of the Spiders
Monday, 16 February 2009
Death to the Daleks
Terry Nation’s last story, Planet of the Daleks is one of the very few Doctor Who stories that I have absolutely no desire to ever see again. Thankfully, for his second Pertwee story, Nation produced a script that didn’t merely consist of the reheated scraps of previous, better stories. In Exxilon, Nation creates an interesting alien planet and the underlying scenario of the galactic plague forms an intriguing backdrop to the planet, which contains the mineral parrinium (stop it!) which can cure it. Nation again starts the story with a threat to the TARDIS, but it is part of the plot as a whole and is far more effective than the threat in his previous story. With all this plot, it might sometimes seem that the Daleks are superfluous to the story. However, for the first time we see the Daleks having to survive without their weapons and we see the Daleks as scheming geniuses, rather than merely killers, although there are two rather silly scenes of them committing suicide for no reason. It is, however, a joy to see them replacing their ray guns with traditional percussion instruments- and then using a model TARDIS for target practice. The busy plot means that there is very little padding, which is always welcome.
The production values are very impressive, with good costumes for the Exxilons and the impressive realisation of the Exxilon city. The Daleks have been repainted, which is very welcome, considering their shabby appearance in Planet of the Daleks. The ‘root probes’ for the city are very well done, with one very impressive scene where one rears out of a lake that almost makes one forget that you can see the string holding it up at some points. Michael E. Briant does some sterling work behind the camera, with some slow dissolves and atmospheric day-for-night photography and moody scenes in the caves. However, the daylight scenes are somewhat overlit, which makes the sterile city sets not as striking as they should be and Carey Blyton’s music saps some of the atmosphere- the jaunty Dalek theme is unintentionally comedic and his decision to use saxophones is almost as unfortunate as his decision to use crumhorns for Doctor Who and the Silurians.
The guest cast ranges for competent to pretty good. Joy Harrison and Julian Fox are unspectacular, but effective enough, with Duncan Lamont making Galloway quite interesting. Characterisation was never Nation’s strong point, but the better actors, with Briant’s help, are able to expand on the characters as written. The regulars work their usual magic with what they are given.
This is a rather underrated story. Nation plays to his strengths as a scriptwriter and the visualisation bolsters these strengths. It’s well worth a look.
NEXT: The Monster of Peladon
The production values are very impressive, with good costumes for the Exxilons and the impressive realisation of the Exxilon city. The Daleks have been repainted, which is very welcome, considering their shabby appearance in Planet of the Daleks. The ‘root probes’ for the city are very well done, with one very impressive scene where one rears out of a lake that almost makes one forget that you can see the string holding it up at some points. Michael E. Briant does some sterling work behind the camera, with some slow dissolves and atmospheric day-for-night photography and moody scenes in the caves. However, the daylight scenes are somewhat overlit, which makes the sterile city sets not as striking as they should be and Carey Blyton’s music saps some of the atmosphere- the jaunty Dalek theme is unintentionally comedic and his decision to use saxophones is almost as unfortunate as his decision to use crumhorns for Doctor Who and the Silurians.
The guest cast ranges for competent to pretty good. Joy Harrison and Julian Fox are unspectacular, but effective enough, with Duncan Lamont making Galloway quite interesting. Characterisation was never Nation’s strong point, but the better actors, with Briant’s help, are able to expand on the characters as written. The regulars work their usual magic with what they are given.
This is a rather underrated story. Nation plays to his strengths as a scriptwriter and the visualisation bolsters these strengths. It’s well worth a look.
NEXT: The Monster of Peladon
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