The Daleks are back pursuing the Doctor and his companions throughout eternity, or at least as much of eternity that can be depicted on a Doctor Who budget, stopping at the Empire State Building, the Mary Celeste and Ghana amongst other places. The Daleks pursue in a vehicle with the same dimensionally transcendental properties as the TARDIS and gain on the Doctor with every step.
The first episode, "The Executioners" is reasonably good. The scenes from history that are displayed on the Time-Space Visualiser are well done, particularly the charming Elizabethan one (we also get a vintage performance of "Ticket to Ride" from The Beatles). However, I must say that the Time-Space Visualiser is a bit of pseudo-science I cannot quite suspend my disbelief for, especially when it tunes into the Daleks that are on the TARDIS’s trail, rather than any other event that has ever happened or will happen. However, the story dips in quality once episode 2 starts. The Aridians are sketchily written and only adequately acted. Hywel Bennett would eventually become a great actor, but here, he is no better than any other young actor making their start in the profession. The Mire beasts are merely pathetic and immobile octopus models and hardly the stuff of nightmares.
This is nothing, however, compared to the abortions that are episodes 3-5. The Empire State Building at least has an amusing performance by an actor whom we will hear more of later. However, the Mary Celeste sequence is utterly amateurish and the haunted house segment plays like The Munsters but is even less funny. We are then given the atrocious ‘robot double’ of the Doctor which is, in actuality, poor Edmund Warwick who is taller than Hartnell and is dubbed very poorly. This episode is, very rightly, called "The Death of Doctor Who".
Then, miraculously, episode 6, "The Planet of Decision" manages to be excellent. The Mechanoids are excellently realised, with their incomprehensible alphanumeric dialogue, and the battle between them and the Daleks is excellently rendered with a well-constructed montage. The design of the Mechanoid city is great, and even the Michael Bentinesque miniatures actually work. We are also introduced to Steven Taylor, who is brilliantly brought to life from the start, by Peter Purves- speaking as a fan of all three characters, it is a real joy to have Ian, Barbara and Steven sharing scenes. There is also the ending of the story, which I shall return to later.
By all accounts, The Chase was written in a hurry at the last minute, and it really shows. Terry Nation would often resort to cliché, but this is actually worse. The middle episodes consist of ‘sketches’ that are clumsily tied together in order to boost the running time. The robot double segment is wholly unnecessary dramatically and, honestly, could not have been realised more poorly. Richard Martin’s excellent direction in "The Planet of Decision" is all the more astonishing because the preceding episodes have seen some of the sloppiest visual direction the programme has ever seen. The editing, too, is atrocious- look at the scene where Ian tricks the Dalek into a trap on Aridius (imaginative name there, Terry. Was it the planet Soakedus when it had an ocean?)
The portrayal of the Daleks is more comedic, but this approach is a failure. There is one Dalek who is a bit thick, but he is so underused that it does not work comedically and just looks like a mistake. The Daleks also fall into the sea for no reason and are beaten up by an amusement park Frankenstein(‘s monster). Even in the strong final episode, a fatally wounded Dalek screams ‘Am Exterminated! Am Exterminated!’.
The regulars make the best of what they are given and make this mess watchable, but it is the end of the story where they are shown at their best. This is, of course, Ian and Barbara’s final story and their leaving scene is utterly gorgeous. Ian states firmly to the doctor that he misses the ordinary things in life, the sense of belonging. The Doctor is furious that they would risk their lives in the Dalek machine, but programs the machine to take them back. We are treated to a joyous photo montage of them in 1965 and the Doctor watching them on the Time-Space Visualiser. He is visibly upset at their leaving, as am I. Ian and Barbara have become two of my favourite companions of all time. William Russell’s portrayal always made Ian interesting, always avoiding being just the square jawed hero by injecting playfulness and humour into the role. And Jacqueline Hill as Barbara- brave, intelligent, creative, funny and very, very sexy. Yes, she screamed at times when a lot of people would, but she also held a knife to Tlotoxl’s throat. She confused the Daleks with pseudo history. And she looks really good in a Roman stola. I shall miss them too.
It is a good thing that the last episode was so good, because this story contains some of the worst episodes of Doctor Who I have ever seen. It is not quite enough to save it.
NEXT: The Time Meddler
Showing posts with label richard martin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label richard martin. Show all posts
Wednesday, 17 September 2008
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
The Web Planet
The very first time I saw William Hartnell as the Doctor, was when I saw a clip of this story. Likewise, the Marshall Cavendish History of the 20th Century showed a still from this story when describing Doctor Who, so it is this story (and not a more obvious one like An Unearthly Child or The Daleks) that shaped my vision of 1960s Doctor Who when I was a child. Which is strange, as this story is an oddity in an era where every story tried to be different from the one before. We have the planet of Vortis, where the intelligent life forms are the Menoptra who are similar to giant butterflies. The planet has been taken over by a malignant intelligence called the Animus that has control over one of the indigenous animals, the Zarbi, who are like giant bipedal ants. The larval Zarbi are living cannons, shooting…something…out of their proboscides that acts like a laser beam. The Animus is spreading over the entire planet, causing the vegetation to wither and the surface water to vanish, leaving a barren landscape with pools of formic acid. The immense power it uses has caused other planets to appear near Vortis and orbit round it, and most of the Menoptra have fled to one of them. During that time the Menoptra left on Vortis have speciated into the Optera, who resemble giant caterpillars.
All this sounds fantastic on paper, but it has to be realised on screen, and it is this which is the problem with The Web Planet. The production team try to make it look good. The facial make-up for the Menoptra breaks up the lines on the actors’ faces very well. The Menoptra’s communication device is a lattice of crystal that has to be manipulated. The costume for the Zarbi is detailed beyond what is required for 405-line television. The studio scenes on Vortis are shot with a diffusing filter to show the rarefied atmosphere visually and the backdrops show a good deal of imagination.
But the wings of the Menoptera look like cellophane kites and they fly on visible Kirby wires. Every time a Zarbi touches anything, the clunk of its fibreglass body is all too obvious. The backdrops are reasonably effective until someone casts a shadow on what is meant to be the sky. The Animus is excellently voiced by Catherine Fleming, but disappoints visually. Admittedly, most Doctor Who stories require one to suspend one’s disbelief but disbelief here weighs several tonnes and requires not so much suspension, but structurally sound load bearing support from beneath.
The performances by the regulars are solid, but Hartnell fluffs a great deal and he seems to be utterly bemused by his surroundings at some points. The Menoptra speak in thin reedy voices and seem to be waxing large invisible moustaches. The Optera speak in staccato grunts throughout. Richard Martin’s direction is variable. At some points he does succeed in convincing us that we are looking at a totally alien world. At other points Zarbi crash into the camera. The editing ranges from the adequate to the awful, meaning that the pacing is severely affected. Martin even fumbles the first appearance of the Zarbi- they simply wander on screen for a totally pointless scene.People might claim that it must have looked better when broadcast as the audience had lower expectations of special effects, but the audience must have had some reservations about the visual effectiveness of the story.
In places the script is fantastic. The dialogue given to the Optera has been rightly praised as being an attempt to show alien thought patterns and there is lyrical dialogue throughout. In fact, the world-building of Bill Strutton is intoxicatingly imaginative, a world that directors like Jean Cocteau and Hayao Miyazaki would have a field day with. However, it is poorly paced and far too long, and could have worked far better as a four parter.
Again, this is not a bad story per se, but I cannot say that it is one I genuinely enjoyed. Like Ian, I probably won’t be returning to Vortis.
NEXT: The Crusade
All this sounds fantastic on paper, but it has to be realised on screen, and it is this which is the problem with The Web Planet. The production team try to make it look good. The facial make-up for the Menoptra breaks up the lines on the actors’ faces very well. The Menoptra’s communication device is a lattice of crystal that has to be manipulated. The costume for the Zarbi is detailed beyond what is required for 405-line television. The studio scenes on Vortis are shot with a diffusing filter to show the rarefied atmosphere visually and the backdrops show a good deal of imagination.
But the wings of the Menoptera look like cellophane kites and they fly on visible Kirby wires. Every time a Zarbi touches anything, the clunk of its fibreglass body is all too obvious. The backdrops are reasonably effective until someone casts a shadow on what is meant to be the sky. The Animus is excellently voiced by Catherine Fleming, but disappoints visually. Admittedly, most Doctor Who stories require one to suspend one’s disbelief but disbelief here weighs several tonnes and requires not so much suspension, but structurally sound load bearing support from beneath.
The performances by the regulars are solid, but Hartnell fluffs a great deal and he seems to be utterly bemused by his surroundings at some points. The Menoptra speak in thin reedy voices and seem to be waxing large invisible moustaches. The Optera speak in staccato grunts throughout. Richard Martin’s direction is variable. At some points he does succeed in convincing us that we are looking at a totally alien world. At other points Zarbi crash into the camera. The editing ranges from the adequate to the awful, meaning that the pacing is severely affected. Martin even fumbles the first appearance of the Zarbi- they simply wander on screen for a totally pointless scene.People might claim that it must have looked better when broadcast as the audience had lower expectations of special effects, but the audience must have had some reservations about the visual effectiveness of the story.
In places the script is fantastic. The dialogue given to the Optera has been rightly praised as being an attempt to show alien thought patterns and there is lyrical dialogue throughout. In fact, the world-building of Bill Strutton is intoxicatingly imaginative, a world that directors like Jean Cocteau and Hayao Miyazaki would have a field day with. However, it is poorly paced and far too long, and could have worked far better as a four parter.
Again, this is not a bad story per se, but I cannot say that it is one I genuinely enjoyed. Like Ian, I probably won’t be returning to Vortis.
NEXT: The Crusade
Wednesday, 3 September 2008
The Dalek Invasion of Earth
For the first time, Doctor Who looks to its past, but this does not mean that the production team were treading water. On the contrary, all the stops were pulled out for the return of the Daleks, taking the programme into new areas. We are taken into a world where everyone’s favourite ‘motorised dustbins’ have taken over, and the TARDIS crew find themselves caught in the London of the 22nd century, where the Daleks have the few surviving humans by the throat, while their ultimate plan for Earth comes closer to fulfilment.
It is, perhaps, in this serial that the concept of Daleks as Nazis first becomes absolutely blatant. This is a world of black marketeers and blitzed buildings, but it is also a place with labour camps and summary executions, where the worst of the Blitz is combined with the occupation of Czechoslovakia and a vague hint of the horrors of Poland. One of the Daleks’ chanting sessions is chilling- upon the order to exterminate all humans, one chants ‘kill… kill… kill…’ and another chants ‘final solution…’ Off screen, we hear the extermination of a man who, in the midst of his terror, rages at them about the murder of his wife and brother. The first appearance of a Dalek, rising out of the Thames is justly famous and they are far from the pathetic creatures confined to their city that they were in their first appearance. Here they race along bridges and are shown at the Albert Memorial- meaning, of course that they can climb stairs. However, their voices are nothing like as effective as in their first story, the ring modulator barely affecting the actors’ voices.
The supporting cast are sound, without being spectacular, yet, again it is the regulars who make it work. Hartnell’s performance is astounding- this story providers the most proactive role for him yet, and he fires on all cylinders to fulfil that. This is Carole Ann Ford’s last story and, happily, her best. This could be because she is given so much more to do, and it is a real shame when she goes. More on that later.
Visually, this story is unlike any of the others that preceded it. There are extensive scenes filmed on location, and the direction, editing and cinematography are all first rate. The highlight, of course, is Barbara, Dortmun and Jenny being chased across a desolate London by the Daleks, a fantastic montage with frenetic camera work and razor sharp editing. There are some great design work with the Dalek sets and I love the Dalek lettering painted on streets and famous landmarks.
The first Dalek story contained quite a few longueurs (boring bits of padding, as less pretentious people call them) but in this story, the episode length is more justified. Events are kept interesting by splitting the travellers into groups, all of which work against the Daleks as well as trying to find each other. There are some genuinely surprising plot twists- I was not expecting the Doctor’s rescuer to get exterminated a minute afterwards. At this point, however, I must mention the last episode. The pacing is atrocious, but it contains some fantastic material- Barbara’s history lesson to the Daleks (resulting in the funniest Dalek line of the 20th Century 'Daleks are the Masters of India') and, of course the ending. David and Susan’s attraction is built up gradually as is the Doctor’s knowledge and acceptance of it. Despite some atrocious dialogue in the story, the Doctor’s farewell to Susan is utterly gorgeous and utterly convincing.
Of course there are numerous plot holes and some horrific scientific errors. I’m not usually bothered too much by scientific errors, but they are really bad here. The Earth does not have a magnetic core, it has a magnetic field, caused by the movement of the liquid outer core. Also, it is by no means the only planet with a magnetic field. I must also mention the flying saucer effects. They’re really, really, really bad and actually do look like hubcaps held up by string. Watch it on DVD with the CGI replacements if you don’t want to be totally dragged out of the story.
However, this story comes very highly recommended- good stuff!
NEXT: The Rescue
It is, perhaps, in this serial that the concept of Daleks as Nazis first becomes absolutely blatant. This is a world of black marketeers and blitzed buildings, but it is also a place with labour camps and summary executions, where the worst of the Blitz is combined with the occupation of Czechoslovakia and a vague hint of the horrors of Poland. One of the Daleks’ chanting sessions is chilling- upon the order to exterminate all humans, one chants ‘kill… kill… kill…’ and another chants ‘final solution…’ Off screen, we hear the extermination of a man who, in the midst of his terror, rages at them about the murder of his wife and brother. The first appearance of a Dalek, rising out of the Thames is justly famous and they are far from the pathetic creatures confined to their city that they were in their first appearance. Here they race along bridges and are shown at the Albert Memorial- meaning, of course that they can climb stairs. However, their voices are nothing like as effective as in their first story, the ring modulator barely affecting the actors’ voices.
The supporting cast are sound, without being spectacular, yet, again it is the regulars who make it work. Hartnell’s performance is astounding- this story providers the most proactive role for him yet, and he fires on all cylinders to fulfil that. This is Carole Ann Ford’s last story and, happily, her best. This could be because she is given so much more to do, and it is a real shame when she goes. More on that later.
Visually, this story is unlike any of the others that preceded it. There are extensive scenes filmed on location, and the direction, editing and cinematography are all first rate. The highlight, of course, is Barbara, Dortmun and Jenny being chased across a desolate London by the Daleks, a fantastic montage with frenetic camera work and razor sharp editing. There are some great design work with the Dalek sets and I love the Dalek lettering painted on streets and famous landmarks.
The first Dalek story contained quite a few longueurs (boring bits of padding, as less pretentious people call them) but in this story, the episode length is more justified. Events are kept interesting by splitting the travellers into groups, all of which work against the Daleks as well as trying to find each other. There are some genuinely surprising plot twists- I was not expecting the Doctor’s rescuer to get exterminated a minute afterwards. At this point, however, I must mention the last episode. The pacing is atrocious, but it contains some fantastic material- Barbara’s history lesson to the Daleks (resulting in the funniest Dalek line of the 20th Century 'Daleks are the Masters of India') and, of course the ending. David and Susan’s attraction is built up gradually as is the Doctor’s knowledge and acceptance of it. Despite some atrocious dialogue in the story, the Doctor’s farewell to Susan is utterly gorgeous and utterly convincing.
Of course there are numerous plot holes and some horrific scientific errors. I’m not usually bothered too much by scientific errors, but they are really bad here. The Earth does not have a magnetic core, it has a magnetic field, caused by the movement of the liquid outer core. Also, it is by no means the only planet with a magnetic field. I must also mention the flying saucer effects. They’re really, really, really bad and actually do look like hubcaps held up by string. Watch it on DVD with the CGI replacements if you don’t want to be totally dragged out of the story.
However, this story comes very highly recommended- good stuff!
NEXT: The Rescue
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
The Edge of Destruction
The ‘bottle episode’ it’s called. Use only the regular sets and regular actors and save a lot of money. They can be turn out to be exquisite character pieces that can define the basic appeal of a programme for both the audience and its creators. They can also be speed-written tosh used to pad out the schedule. Or, as in this case, it can be utterly bonkers.
The first scene is almost like a Beckett play with characters being slightly out of synch with the audience and we get the impression that there are whole chunks of the conversation we haven’t heard. Indeed, after the very interesting visual dynamism of some of the earlier episodes, this is the ‘televised theatre’ that we often hear references to when talking about 60s British Television. That is not to say that there isn’t arresting imagery- the melting clock is a great shock moment. However, this is primarily the actors’ show. Russell and Hill convey the confusion of the characters very well (possibly because they were pretty baffled themselves!) but, sadly, this reflects badly on Carole Ann Ford. Martin and Cox seem to enjoy putting her in tableaux, which become a tad unconvincing as a dramatic device after the nth iteration. Hartnell, however, continues to impress- his delight at viewing the birth of a solar system is infectious and he holds out interest from the start.
Now let’s turn to the script. The best way I can describe its structure is in the direction George Martin gave to the orchestra for “A Day in the Life”- here is the start note, here is the end note, anything in between is up to you. There are no plot holes because there is no plot, only a story. Why do the doors keep opening? Is the TARDIS possessed? Is Susan possessed? Is David Whitaker? Then there’s that dénouement based on a faulty spring- I suppose it is the privilege of a script editor not to edit his own script, but still….
The directors and the cast fight valiantly to realise the script, and it’s not surprising there are misfires. ‘Can it be that this is the end?’ declaims the Doctor, looking at the camera. Watching it now, I half expected the rest of the cast to look in the same direction, wondering whom he was talking to. Does this sound garbled? Try watching it.
This is not to say that this is a bad story. The whole is less than the sum of its parts because the parts have been fitted together poorly (with some, possibly, back to front or in the wrong order) but there is too much good stuff here to totally dismiss the story. So let me just say again: it’s bonkers.
But bonkers is better than boring any day.
NEXT: Marco Polo
The first scene is almost like a Beckett play with characters being slightly out of synch with the audience and we get the impression that there are whole chunks of the conversation we haven’t heard. Indeed, after the very interesting visual dynamism of some of the earlier episodes, this is the ‘televised theatre’ that we often hear references to when talking about 60s British Television. That is not to say that there isn’t arresting imagery- the melting clock is a great shock moment. However, this is primarily the actors’ show. Russell and Hill convey the confusion of the characters very well (possibly because they were pretty baffled themselves!) but, sadly, this reflects badly on Carole Ann Ford. Martin and Cox seem to enjoy putting her in tableaux, which become a tad unconvincing as a dramatic device after the nth iteration. Hartnell, however, continues to impress- his delight at viewing the birth of a solar system is infectious and he holds out interest from the start.
Now let’s turn to the script. The best way I can describe its structure is in the direction George Martin gave to the orchestra for “A Day in the Life”- here is the start note, here is the end note, anything in between is up to you. There are no plot holes because there is no plot, only a story. Why do the doors keep opening? Is the TARDIS possessed? Is Susan possessed? Is David Whitaker? Then there’s that dénouement based on a faulty spring- I suppose it is the privilege of a script editor not to edit his own script, but still….
The directors and the cast fight valiantly to realise the script, and it’s not surprising there are misfires. ‘Can it be that this is the end?’ declaims the Doctor, looking at the camera. Watching it now, I half expected the rest of the cast to look in the same direction, wondering whom he was talking to. Does this sound garbled? Try watching it.
This is not to say that this is a bad story. The whole is less than the sum of its parts because the parts have been fitted together poorly (with some, possibly, back to front or in the wrong order) but there is too much good stuff here to totally dismiss the story. So let me just say again: it’s bonkers.
But bonkers is better than boring any day.
NEXT: Marco Polo
Friday, 8 August 2008
The Daleks
Here it is, the serial that made Doctor Who a phenomenon, and kept Terry Nation in foie gras for life. Daleks are so much a part of the mental furniture of the British public that it seems hard to appreciate the impact of seeing one for the first time. However, just because this is their first appearance doesn’t mean that the operators are clumsy or the voices less harsh- they move over the smooth surface of their city with nary a wobble in sight, and their voices have changed little since then. They remain a classic of design and execution. However, there are differences from the Daleks we know and love. These Daleks are self-interested and, although they have a ‘dislike of the unlike’ they are not yet omnicidal maniacs. In fact their prime motivation is fear, rather than hate, which makes them more human- one scene fades out on them chattering rather than triumphally chanting. However they have no compunction about breaking promises made to the Thals and, indeed, to irradiate Skaro so they can be the only intelligent life form.
This story is called The Daleks on the DVD cover, and that’s what I’m putting as the title of this post, but it must be remembered that that is not the original title, and the story is just as much about the Thals as about the Daleks. The neutronic war between them has resulted in mutation in both races, resulting in the beautiful (in a very Home Counties way) Thals and the deformed Daleks (this is as good a place to point out that, in only its second story, Doctor Who has taken inspiration from H.G. Wells’s The Time Machine, with the Thals as the Eloi and the Daleks as the Morlocks). The Thals have become pacifist farmers and it is, of course, the job of the regulars to reawaken their fighting spirit. Nation is skilful (did I really just type that?) in not making the Thals into mere ciphers. When Temmosus, Alydon, and Ganatus appear, I was prepared for the old pacifist leader who would die and the headstrong one who would lead the Thals to war. However, there is actual characterisation here (although no character can actually be called complex). Although Temmosus dies in a way I could have predicted, there isn’t a headstrong and violent successor to take his place because pacifism has been a form of cultural conditioning, not something forced on the people. It takes Ian’s goading of more primal urges to get Alydon to punch him, and even then, Alydon feels shame. There is also no attempt to portray pacifism as being equivalent to cowardice- Antodus, Ganatus’s brother does come across as being a bit wet, but his ultimate fate shows that he was merely subject to the fear that we all possess. The performances by the Thal actors are actually rather good, although it is a bit odd seeing Virginia Wetherell in this, as the only other thing I have seen her in is A Clockwork Orange.
Lest we forget, this is also the series that really solidified the character of the Doctor as we know him. At the start, he is totally unwilling to take the feelings of his companions into consideration as he sabotages the TARDIS in order to explore. He has no interest in helping the Thals in their struggles. By the end of the story, his outrage at the Daleks’ plan of genocide makes him into the Thal’s ally- for the first time, this mysterious old man is not acting out of self interest, but out of a sense of moral duty. Hartnell’s skill as an actor makes this transformation totally believable. William Russell makes the stock figure of the square-jawed hero more interesting than it has any right to be, and Jaqueline Hill is utterly captivating. The growing attraction between Barbara and Alydon seems totally genuine amongst all this to-ing and fro-ing.
Which brings me onto Terry Nation. I will try to avoid reference to future stories, but sometimes it is unavoidable. To-ing and fro-ing is something Nation does often, and there is a fair bit of it here. There is also the old ‘now-we-have-the- McGuffin-we-can-get-back-oh-bugger-I-dropped-it’ which he would use again in Genesis of the Daleks (and possibly others- I’ll let you know). Maybe it’s because he wasn’t ‘Terry Nation: Creator of the Daleks’ yet that these scenes actually work in story terms. Nation’s dialogue makes me appreciate that there is a fine line between the archetypal and the clichéd- some of the pronouncements by the Thals come very close, but, again, it works as part of the drama, artless and clunky though it is. However, padding is still evident- I fail to see why showing the characters jumping over a (rather small) chasm needed to take up the best part of an episode. A bit of pruning could have made the story more effective.
As far as the execution of the script goes, Martin and Barry do very well with what they have. The cliff-hanger to “The Dead Planet” is justly famous and is aided by Hill being as marvellous as ever. Tristram Cary’s musique concrete score is very effective and the ‘cinematography’ make the very best of the small, yet very creative sets.
Overall? Not in the same league as the brilliant opening story, but a good story
NEXT: The Edge of Destruction
This story is called The Daleks on the DVD cover, and that’s what I’m putting as the title of this post, but it must be remembered that that is not the original title, and the story is just as much about the Thals as about the Daleks. The neutronic war between them has resulted in mutation in both races, resulting in the beautiful (in a very Home Counties way) Thals and the deformed Daleks (this is as good a place to point out that, in only its second story, Doctor Who has taken inspiration from H.G. Wells’s The Time Machine, with the Thals as the Eloi and the Daleks as the Morlocks). The Thals have become pacifist farmers and it is, of course, the job of the regulars to reawaken their fighting spirit. Nation is skilful (did I really just type that?) in not making the Thals into mere ciphers. When Temmosus, Alydon, and Ganatus appear, I was prepared for the old pacifist leader who would die and the headstrong one who would lead the Thals to war. However, there is actual characterisation here (although no character can actually be called complex). Although Temmosus dies in a way I could have predicted, there isn’t a headstrong and violent successor to take his place because pacifism has been a form of cultural conditioning, not something forced on the people. It takes Ian’s goading of more primal urges to get Alydon to punch him, and even then, Alydon feels shame. There is also no attempt to portray pacifism as being equivalent to cowardice- Antodus, Ganatus’s brother does come across as being a bit wet, but his ultimate fate shows that he was merely subject to the fear that we all possess. The performances by the Thal actors are actually rather good, although it is a bit odd seeing Virginia Wetherell in this, as the only other thing I have seen her in is A Clockwork Orange.
Lest we forget, this is also the series that really solidified the character of the Doctor as we know him. At the start, he is totally unwilling to take the feelings of his companions into consideration as he sabotages the TARDIS in order to explore. He has no interest in helping the Thals in their struggles. By the end of the story, his outrage at the Daleks’ plan of genocide makes him into the Thal’s ally- for the first time, this mysterious old man is not acting out of self interest, but out of a sense of moral duty. Hartnell’s skill as an actor makes this transformation totally believable. William Russell makes the stock figure of the square-jawed hero more interesting than it has any right to be, and Jaqueline Hill is utterly captivating. The growing attraction between Barbara and Alydon seems totally genuine amongst all this to-ing and fro-ing.
Which brings me onto Terry Nation. I will try to avoid reference to future stories, but sometimes it is unavoidable. To-ing and fro-ing is something Nation does often, and there is a fair bit of it here. There is also the old ‘now-we-have-the- McGuffin-we-can-get-back-oh-bugger-I-dropped-it’ which he would use again in Genesis of the Daleks (and possibly others- I’ll let you know). Maybe it’s because he wasn’t ‘Terry Nation: Creator of the Daleks’ yet that these scenes actually work in story terms. Nation’s dialogue makes me appreciate that there is a fine line between the archetypal and the clichéd- some of the pronouncements by the Thals come very close, but, again, it works as part of the drama, artless and clunky though it is. However, padding is still evident- I fail to see why showing the characters jumping over a (rather small) chasm needed to take up the best part of an episode. A bit of pruning could have made the story more effective.
As far as the execution of the script goes, Martin and Barry do very well with what they have. The cliff-hanger to “The Dead Planet” is justly famous and is aided by Hill being as marvellous as ever. Tristram Cary’s musique concrete score is very effective and the ‘cinematography’ make the very best of the small, yet very creative sets.
Overall? Not in the same league as the brilliant opening story, but a good story
NEXT: The Edge of Destruction
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