OK, I'm going to post this here for completeness sake - some time after I completed the Hartnell reviews there was a hacker on Ezboard (where they were stored) and a lot of posts got wiped. Basically, no copies exist of the original reviews for War Machines 2 through Tenth Planet 3 (TP 4 was wiped at the time too, but I found a copy of Part Four later on and reprinted it - we'll come to that when it turns up). I will come back and do these episodes later, but for the moment, this is all you're getting! ;)
Dorney
(4/15/04 4:11 pm)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The War Machines 1:
You know, totally irrelevant detail, but when searching through my loft today, I discovered I had copies of the camera scripts for The Savages. I doubt they'd have helped me in any way with my reviews, but it was interesting seeing them, so coincidentally soon.
But onto the next story, War Machines 1 - Ian Stuart Black 5. Once again a lot of the faults of part one of the Savages leap out at you again. ISB is so desperate to get into the story proper, that he forsakes all of the traditional exploratory elements of the usual part one. The Doctor here might as well be as respected and well known as he is to the Elders for all the hassle he has getting involved in the adventure - in fact, I'd guess that he is, in ISBs mind at least. This is once more the Doctor aware of his own fame, and iconic status as a hero, respected, famous and with a reputation, rather than the character we're used to. And again, in order to get into the story at light speed, we're given an akward info-dump of information for five minutes or so explaining who Wotan is, and what's going on. The writing rule of 'show don't tell' is being flaunted here. We're being told everything, shown nothing. This is also there in the initial wittering of the Doctor sensing evil in the Tower and deciding to investigate the minute he arrives. The Doctor's allergic to evil or some such guff. It's terribly silly and contrived.
The script remains pretty rushed, with the shift to the Inferno being sudden and jarring (and why it seems to be operating at full strength when surrounding scenes suggest that Polly and Dodo first enter during the afternoon is a mystery). We're also expected to really like Polly instantly, but in all honesty it just reminds me of Dodo's entrance. Too much too soon. There's a desperation to be liked that means they overdo her bouncy 'likeability'. She's practically screaming 'I'm fun, aren't I? Aren't I? You like me, don't you. DON'T YOU' all the time. Hopefully she'll mimic Dodo by calming down. Ben gets less time to prove himself, but his initial sulleness, and the script having the confidence to let us like him through his actions, rather than being force fed 'personality' is quite nice. It's rather embarrising to see that Dodo is being sidelined in the script even here, shoved into the background whilst B&P are highlighted. It seems unfair and rude, and slightly uncalled for. She's not the greatest companion, but we do, at this moment, have more interest in her than in the two interlopers.
The scenes of the Doctor marching through London and a nightclub are terribly weird and disconcerting, but in a good way. OK, the initial nightclub scenes attempts to be modern and trendy, relevant and real don't really work, in much the same way that the seriousness of the Savages didn't. Dr Who just doesn't have an interest in realism, and when it does it does it slightly half arsed. As I say, Who is heightened. It just looks like the Doctor's stumbled into a Venus Smith episode of the Avengers, rather than having an adventure of his own.
Plot wise, there is again the feeling, like with the Savages, that the cards have been put on the table too soon. By the end of this episode, we know pretty much what the entire story's going to be about. We know who the villain is, what they're up to, how they do it. In fact we know so early, that the episode gets repetitive. Yes, WOTAN, we can tell you can possess people. Do something else. By the time it's happened twice, it ceases to be dramatic.
It's all so on the button. There are no surprises, no shocks, no twists. Why not conceal Brett's possession til he drags someone new in. Make the possession the cliffhanger. As it is, there's nothing to intrigue or excite us about the story. We're told everything from the off, so once more, it's hard to see where this story has to go. There's nothing left to discover.
Showing posts with label Season Three. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Season Three. Show all posts
Monday, 15 June 2009
The Savages
Dorney
(4/8/04 3:43 pm)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nice to have you back Mr P, I was beginning to get worried. Hope all was good for you.
Incidentally, not sure whether you can't edit through the glitches here, or through the redesign. If it's the latter, look under the date/time bit by your name in the left hand column.
The Savages 1:
At last I can feel I'm using the right description of the episode in my title banners. Yep, it really is The Savages episode 1, no lovely fancy individual episode titles no more. Now, because the overall titles are the norm, this isn't terribly sad as such, I'm used to them this way. However, there is something rather sweet about the individual titles, and something incredibly evocative about them popping up as 'next episode' captions, giving you either clues to where the current story was going, or clues to the next one (and yep, once or twice being meaningless - Terry Nation, shame on you! - or just plain wrong). It feels slightly weird they bother to make this change so near to the end of a season, but not actually at the end - rather like the change into the Troughton titles proper, why not do it at a logical changeover point? But whatever.
Another positive here is that bar the at the time unheard of Marco Polo episodes and the two parts of the Crusade, this is my first real go with telesnaps. Now, I've got the ancient DWB photonovel somewhere, but I can't find it, so I'm going for the BBC internet site. Not sure how well this will work, frankly, as my computer is a touch slow, but we'll give it a shot - with any luck I'll be able to track down my DWBs for Power/Moonbase, etc. at some point soon.
This story is best described as forgotten. It's stuck away at the end of the third season, doesn't exist on video, and doesn't have any major monsters or terribly exciting stuff to latch it into people's memories. So far that's a shame, as this is rather a fine, straight script so far. There's some engaging shortcutting around the usual shennanigans with the Doctor and his companions already known to the Elders (and if nothing else the fact that they can track the Doctor deftly impresses on us that they are highly intelligent beings - though why the Doctor doesn't get them to tell him where he's going next I don't know). It's a good departure that the crew are immediately accepted, as opposed to being the outsiders. We get into the main plot so much more easily that way, and the exposition feels less forced.
There's a nice air of menace about this episode too - paradises always have to have their snakes in Who, otherwise there's no drama, and the darkness seems initially to be in the shape of the savages. The script plays with our expectations by making them the seeming villains to start with, which rather neatly demonstrates how much our prejudices shape our perception (I was going to make a point about how little we've learned since Galaxy 4, but then The Ark was a fairly straightforward ugly= bad, beautiful=good story, so it seems the series proper hardly learned either!). But as the unanswered questions start to build up we begin to distrust the Elders. It's a little bit of a shame that too much is given away too soon, and it is obvious precisely what the Elders are doing for the energy, so I'm not quite sure where the story has left to go. I suspect we should have been led to find out with the Doctor, rather than before him (and why does he suddenly care so much about potentially endorsing things - he's worried about his reputation? Hilarious. I love the concept that the Doctor is kind of aware of his fame by now, obviously inspired by his being worshipped).
This is also one of those stories it would be great to see properly. Watching the telesnaps at the same time as the soundtrack is an interesting experience. There are loads of great bits of composition, and beautifully paced dramatic action sequences - the chasing of Nanina and the cliffhanger most noticeably - that look like they must have been directed brilliantly, as far as we can tell. The build to the end of the episode is particularly good at racking up tension, despite the fact that we we can tell, if we've paid attention, who Dodo has met in the tunnel (a weak, unarmed man). Racking a great cliffhanger out of frankly weak material is a indication of how skilled Christopher Barry is.
The regulars are fine, none especially impressing, but none being actually bad. I once described Dodo and Steven as un-companions, the one's you tend to forget. Obviously their lack of episodes doesn't help, but Ben and Polly have always made more of an impression on me. Perhaps it's the fact that they have rather maleable personalities. It's hard to define what they are actually like. They come from a generic companion mould, rather than characters in their own right. This sounds terribly harsh, seeing as I like them both. Steven in particular has hugely personable touches, with his occasional conceitedness and rudeness - but it just varies too much. Most of the rest of the time he just isn't given the material.
The script is intelligent and well paced. As I say, I suspect the lack of obvious thrills and monsters have failed to do this story any favours, but ultimately, so far, it's an intriguing piece, serious and quite grown up.
Edited by: Dorney at: 4/8/04 3:47 pm
Dorney
(4/9/04 3:39 pm)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Savages 2:
It's really quite cool watching the telesnaps along with the recording. You do get a faint feel, or at least you think you do, of what the original episodes must have looked like. And in deed, it does also offer clues to how far your interpretation doesn't entirely work (I wouldn't have dreamed how much of this story was shot on location - it sounds all the same on the cd).
The reprise reminded me of one thing I forgot to mention last time. The music contributes hugely to the drama of the cliffhanger, and it's one of the best pieces I've heard in the show. Not much to add to that really.
Steven is wonderfully rude about Dodo this week, emphasising her recklessness. Simultaneously the Doctor shows a lot of faith in her, which is quite interesting as a snapshot of their relationship to her (it's particularly great that in a scene that reminds me of one of the Pertwee/Jo moments in a story I can't recall - possibly Axos - the Doctor pretends to dismiss her when in reality he trusts her inherently. Rather sweetly developing a warmth between them). Dodo's ballsiness when under threat from the scientists is great, a logical development from her holding Holliday hostage. She's becoming more of a likeable character all the time.
The story itself remains cerebral at heart, with it's main focus being on the ideas rather than the action. It's noticeable how much time in this story is devoted to debating the morality - Jano is one of the few really well motivated villains in the series, callous and immoral but never that cheap whitewash of being just plain evil. He believes what he says, that the ends justify the means, and that the elders deserve the strength. There are echoes of vampirism in the leeching of life, but the main focus is on the amorality of the Elders. They are a psychopathic people, ignoring the feelings of those they consider lesser mortals. For all their intelligence they have no hearts. Failure is punished instantly and the unworthy are dismissed. This story is in many ways a forerunner of the Happiness Patrol, with the perspective from the inside of a facist regime, a self proclaimed superior race, nominally working for the good, but sacrificing their humanity in the process. Jano's proclamation that the Elders are essentially better than the Savages due to their being cultured, and having art and learning and architecture is utterly chillling in many ways. It strikes me as possible that the whole piece is not the attack on slavery as popularly supposed but a critique of capitalism, with the rich/cultured/upper classes leeching off the lower classes.
The Doctor is on fine form here, a moral crusader. The role and attitude of the central character seems to fluctuate a hell of a lot through the Hartnell years. The more simplistic action scripts tend to have him as a righteous do-gooder, travelling the universe in search of evils to defeat. The more intellectual scripts have him as an explorer, an observer, a scientist (it's wrong to say he simply changes from the latter to the former over the course of the three years - the Doctor of the Celestial Toymaker just wants to escape, his central aim is not the defeat of the Toymaker, likewise in the Gunfighters he's not about to save lives, he just wants to get away). There's a sense in this story, featuring a Doctor of the former kind, matched with a script of the second, that the two halves are merging together. You can almost feel the character sliding between the two personas within the story. He's initially an explorer, but when his moral attitudes are challenged, he becomes the crusader. There's a wonderful scene of righteous fury from Hartnell, establishing the moral core, emphasising that the Elders are as bad as the Daleks - they may not kill, but they abuse and violate others to make their lives better (and it has to be said that there's something more obviously horrible about that than any of the Daleks' rather vague schemes).
As I said last time, it's a shame that we know from the off what the secret of the city is, and as a result this episode slightly marks time til the regulars find out too, but this is arguably part of the whole scheme. The serial isn't interested in being too Whoey, as I've said, preferring mental activity to action, and it's eschewing the traditional adventure mystery framework is indicative of that. It's all about the concepts, and the appaling ideas at the centre.
The story is so atypical that it's no wonder people forget it, but it's so utterly smart and well made that it's appealing on a grown up level, a level of themes and subtext that we haven't always had before. I like it a hell of a lot. Not sure I'd want it all the time, but with fine pace, scripting, direction, acting, who can really dislike it? It ain't exciting enough to ever be one of the classics, but it's terrific thoughtful television, so who cares?
Soviet Union a
Scrutationary Archivist
(4/11/04 3:17 pm)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
erm, Dorney, what's happening here?
Dorney
(4/11/04 3:42 pm)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The family have been over for Easter, so haven't quite had the time to do the episode views and write ups. I should be back on track tommorow. If nothing else, it stretches out more precious Hartnell (can't believe I've only a fortnights worth of his episodes to go!)
Soviet Union a
Scrutationary Archivist
(4/11/04 10:44 pm)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shame. He's my favourite doctor.
Dorney
(4/13/04 2:55 am)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Savages 3:
Well, I got a little behind there over Easter. Had a very nice weekend, thanks for asking. But now it's noses and grindstones again.
This is the time marking episode. The story really doesn't progress a great deal over the twenty-five minutes (as I said last time, the early reveal of precisely what the Elders are doing doesn't leave the story with a vast amount of room. You can almost feel the strain as ISB tries to stop the story hurtling towards the end. I can't recall too much about part four, but I'm pretty certain all the elements that lead to the climax are all in place already and they're just being held back) However, in keeping with the quality of the script, the padding is good padding. The extra space is used to develop the characters and the culture of the Savages (their temple is utterly irrelevant in plot terms, but it does give more depth to them as a people). We begin to get to know them as individuals - even if those individuals are slightly cliched: the strong wse chief, the rebellious younger brasher man, and the kind girl. It's the Tribe of Gum again. But a cliche treated intelligently can still work and they do. The sequences that will lead to Exorse's redemption are rather believable, for a change.
The other main use for the extra time is tension. The chase through the tunnels shouldn't really work particularly well, but it does. This is due to good direction and a slow build up of menace. The sequence isn't rushed and it's all the better for it. As with any scene like this, the tension derives from those being chased, their fear and reactions. And once more Steven and Dodo give it the right weight. It's a good little scene. There's no real reason that a man chasing other people down a tunnel with basically a torch should be quite as tense as it is. But we're sold it beautifully.
One thing that's increasingly noticeable in these stories is the sidestepping of Hartnell. This is yet another episode that eases off him, with him being present but not saying a word. With Hartnell doing very little in DMP 10,11,12, The Celestial Toymaker, the Massacre and here, you can practically see him being written out of his own show. It's a real shame, as whilst I like Steven and Dodo, they're not as much fun as the Doctor. He's the charismatic centre of the series, and it loses something without him.
Having said that, the Doctor is still in this episode, sort of, with a fine impersonation coming from Frederick Jaeger. The details and quirks, all of Hartnell's performance eccentricities are done so perfectly that you can't help but smile - which is quite odd in a cerebral story like this one. Ulitmately, however, it is no substitute for the real thing.
It's impossible to watch these episodes chronologically and not adore Hartnell. He's a consistent joy, and his increasing lack of action is rather a shame. Ultimately, the quirky oddball that is the Doctor is what makes the show different, what takes it out of the realms of being a regular Star-Trek style tv show. Doctor Who without the Doctor just doesn't seem right, obviously.
Since, as I say, this episode is mainly about marking time, there's little else I can add. It's fun, that's it main plus. It goes precisely nowhere for 25 minutes, but you're enjoying yourself so much you don't really care.
Dorney
(4/14/04 3:45 pm)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Savages 4:
Still not quite sure how I managed to make four episodes last a week, but here we are.
One of the things I'm finding it difficult to grasp about this story is that whilst it's very well-written, acted, as far as we can tell directed, somehow it doesn't quite work.
I've been dwelling on this whilst I've procrastinated on completing this story, and I suspect I've sort of got it nailed. I think the problem is it's not 'fun'. It's a script that wants to be straight sci-fi, and with the best will in the world, that ain't Doctor Who. I think I heard Janet Fielding - or someone, can't get the precise detail yet - saying the Doctor Who is a melodrama, and I think that has it in a nutshell. It's not about villains with proper motivation, it's not about moral ambiguity - ok, it can incorporate those kinds of things if it wants, but it doesn't need to. Who is about fun adventures with death and drama, it's heightened. The Savages is realistic and serious. So whilst it's good drama, it just doesn't feel like good Doctor Who. It's sort of like the least inspiring novels in the book range - or more specifically the ones that concern themselve with being good sci-fi over good Who.
RTD said in that DWM feature years ago that the central important feature of Who is death. As far as I can recall this is, bar Edge, the only Who story that has no-one die, or have the threat of death. Now whilst the Elders experiments are undeniably unpleasant and nasty, it's quite abstract. They're not hissable villains, you can't love to hate them, they're just unpleasant.
You admire the Savages, but you don't really enjoy it. You like what it says, but it's never going to be one to relax with, it's never going to be escapist entertainment. Even the sole element of humour in the rather cold script - Jano essentially possessed by the Doctor - brings a smile to your face, but it never quite manages to be as gloriously entertaining as you'd imagine it to be. It makes you smile, but it doesn't make you grin, and it doesn't make you laugh or cheer, as it really should.
The Savages is Doctor Who in a suit and tie, going for an interview. Perfectly presentable, but you'd rather it had it's hair down in the pub.
As with the last episode, the story doesn't really progress. As I said, all the plot elements to conclude the story are present and correct at the start of the episode, and it's merely about ticking the boxes. The destruction of the lab is wonderfully cathartic, though it does seem a temporary solution at best - and considering the general brains behind the script, rather a crass one. (likewise, Exorse's redemption feels slightly tacked on here - seemed to be going so nicely last time, but it ultimately fails to impact on the story).
The end of the episode proper is terribly abrupt. After the care taken with the departures of the original crew, Vicki, and the dramatic exits of Katarina and Sara, Steven's exit seems terribly rushed, and does rather show how we're entering the land of the underwritten departure. Maybe we couldn't always have the luxury of the ten minute epilogue of DIOE or the Chase, but the Myth Makers showed that a departure could be done elegantly and swiftly, if it seemed to grow out of the piece. Steven's exit comes out of nowhere. It doesn't bear too much relation to the rest of the story, and it seems to be accomplished in a minute and a half flat. Steven's never quite gelled as a character - I like him a lot when he works, but his lack of a definite background has left the writers without guidelines, and too often they forget to give him a proper personality. But he's been around for a year, and he's an important part of the show. The sudden dumping of him seems terribly ill-conceived, both in terms of the script and in actual on-screen motivation - I can't believe Steven and the Doctor could make such a life altering decision in the few moments their allowed. You can feel him being rushed out of the script, seemingly with no care at all. The Doctor seems not to think twice - his line of 'don't look back' or whatever it is, is rather sweet, and suggests the man isn't totally without heart, but it's all rather shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. The two guys seem to behave as if this is as simple as getting a job or moving house, not as if it's friends who are never going to see each other again. Dodo, who's known him so much less, seems to react far more than the others. They're not glad to see that back of each other - but they just don't seem bothered. A shame. And then, before we know it, the travellers have gone, with the plot barely finished. As I say, it all seems fairly abrupt. I can do abrupt.
(4/8/04 3:43 pm)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nice to have you back Mr P, I was beginning to get worried. Hope all was good for you.
Incidentally, not sure whether you can't edit through the glitches here, or through the redesign. If it's the latter, look under the date/time bit by your name in the left hand column.
The Savages 1:
At last I can feel I'm using the right description of the episode in my title banners. Yep, it really is The Savages episode 1, no lovely fancy individual episode titles no more. Now, because the overall titles are the norm, this isn't terribly sad as such, I'm used to them this way. However, there is something rather sweet about the individual titles, and something incredibly evocative about them popping up as 'next episode' captions, giving you either clues to where the current story was going, or clues to the next one (and yep, once or twice being meaningless - Terry Nation, shame on you! - or just plain wrong). It feels slightly weird they bother to make this change so near to the end of a season, but not actually at the end - rather like the change into the Troughton titles proper, why not do it at a logical changeover point? But whatever.
Another positive here is that bar the at the time unheard of Marco Polo episodes and the two parts of the Crusade, this is my first real go with telesnaps. Now, I've got the ancient DWB photonovel somewhere, but I can't find it, so I'm going for the BBC internet site. Not sure how well this will work, frankly, as my computer is a touch slow, but we'll give it a shot - with any luck I'll be able to track down my DWBs for Power/Moonbase, etc. at some point soon.
This story is best described as forgotten. It's stuck away at the end of the third season, doesn't exist on video, and doesn't have any major monsters or terribly exciting stuff to latch it into people's memories. So far that's a shame, as this is rather a fine, straight script so far. There's some engaging shortcutting around the usual shennanigans with the Doctor and his companions already known to the Elders (and if nothing else the fact that they can track the Doctor deftly impresses on us that they are highly intelligent beings - though why the Doctor doesn't get them to tell him where he's going next I don't know). It's a good departure that the crew are immediately accepted, as opposed to being the outsiders. We get into the main plot so much more easily that way, and the exposition feels less forced.
There's a nice air of menace about this episode too - paradises always have to have their snakes in Who, otherwise there's no drama, and the darkness seems initially to be in the shape of the savages. The script plays with our expectations by making them the seeming villains to start with, which rather neatly demonstrates how much our prejudices shape our perception (I was going to make a point about how little we've learned since Galaxy 4, but then The Ark was a fairly straightforward ugly= bad, beautiful=good story, so it seems the series proper hardly learned either!). But as the unanswered questions start to build up we begin to distrust the Elders. It's a little bit of a shame that too much is given away too soon, and it is obvious precisely what the Elders are doing for the energy, so I'm not quite sure where the story has left to go. I suspect we should have been led to find out with the Doctor, rather than before him (and why does he suddenly care so much about potentially endorsing things - he's worried about his reputation? Hilarious. I love the concept that the Doctor is kind of aware of his fame by now, obviously inspired by his being worshipped).
This is also one of those stories it would be great to see properly. Watching the telesnaps at the same time as the soundtrack is an interesting experience. There are loads of great bits of composition, and beautifully paced dramatic action sequences - the chasing of Nanina and the cliffhanger most noticeably - that look like they must have been directed brilliantly, as far as we can tell. The build to the end of the episode is particularly good at racking up tension, despite the fact that we we can tell, if we've paid attention, who Dodo has met in the tunnel (a weak, unarmed man). Racking a great cliffhanger out of frankly weak material is a indication of how skilled Christopher Barry is.
The regulars are fine, none especially impressing, but none being actually bad. I once described Dodo and Steven as un-companions, the one's you tend to forget. Obviously their lack of episodes doesn't help, but Ben and Polly have always made more of an impression on me. Perhaps it's the fact that they have rather maleable personalities. It's hard to define what they are actually like. They come from a generic companion mould, rather than characters in their own right. This sounds terribly harsh, seeing as I like them both. Steven in particular has hugely personable touches, with his occasional conceitedness and rudeness - but it just varies too much. Most of the rest of the time he just isn't given the material.
The script is intelligent and well paced. As I say, I suspect the lack of obvious thrills and monsters have failed to do this story any favours, but ultimately, so far, it's an intriguing piece, serious and quite grown up.
Edited by: Dorney at: 4/8/04 3:47 pm
Dorney
(4/9/04 3:39 pm)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Savages 2:
It's really quite cool watching the telesnaps along with the recording. You do get a faint feel, or at least you think you do, of what the original episodes must have looked like. And in deed, it does also offer clues to how far your interpretation doesn't entirely work (I wouldn't have dreamed how much of this story was shot on location - it sounds all the same on the cd).
The reprise reminded me of one thing I forgot to mention last time. The music contributes hugely to the drama of the cliffhanger, and it's one of the best pieces I've heard in the show. Not much to add to that really.
Steven is wonderfully rude about Dodo this week, emphasising her recklessness. Simultaneously the Doctor shows a lot of faith in her, which is quite interesting as a snapshot of their relationship to her (it's particularly great that in a scene that reminds me of one of the Pertwee/Jo moments in a story I can't recall - possibly Axos - the Doctor pretends to dismiss her when in reality he trusts her inherently. Rather sweetly developing a warmth between them). Dodo's ballsiness when under threat from the scientists is great, a logical development from her holding Holliday hostage. She's becoming more of a likeable character all the time.
The story itself remains cerebral at heart, with it's main focus being on the ideas rather than the action. It's noticeable how much time in this story is devoted to debating the morality - Jano is one of the few really well motivated villains in the series, callous and immoral but never that cheap whitewash of being just plain evil. He believes what he says, that the ends justify the means, and that the elders deserve the strength. There are echoes of vampirism in the leeching of life, but the main focus is on the amorality of the Elders. They are a psychopathic people, ignoring the feelings of those they consider lesser mortals. For all their intelligence they have no hearts. Failure is punished instantly and the unworthy are dismissed. This story is in many ways a forerunner of the Happiness Patrol, with the perspective from the inside of a facist regime, a self proclaimed superior race, nominally working for the good, but sacrificing their humanity in the process. Jano's proclamation that the Elders are essentially better than the Savages due to their being cultured, and having art and learning and architecture is utterly chillling in many ways. It strikes me as possible that the whole piece is not the attack on slavery as popularly supposed but a critique of capitalism, with the rich/cultured/upper classes leeching off the lower classes.
The Doctor is on fine form here, a moral crusader. The role and attitude of the central character seems to fluctuate a hell of a lot through the Hartnell years. The more simplistic action scripts tend to have him as a righteous do-gooder, travelling the universe in search of evils to defeat. The more intellectual scripts have him as an explorer, an observer, a scientist (it's wrong to say he simply changes from the latter to the former over the course of the three years - the Doctor of the Celestial Toymaker just wants to escape, his central aim is not the defeat of the Toymaker, likewise in the Gunfighters he's not about to save lives, he just wants to get away). There's a sense in this story, featuring a Doctor of the former kind, matched with a script of the second, that the two halves are merging together. You can almost feel the character sliding between the two personas within the story. He's initially an explorer, but when his moral attitudes are challenged, he becomes the crusader. There's a wonderful scene of righteous fury from Hartnell, establishing the moral core, emphasising that the Elders are as bad as the Daleks - they may not kill, but they abuse and violate others to make their lives better (and it has to be said that there's something more obviously horrible about that than any of the Daleks' rather vague schemes).
As I said last time, it's a shame that we know from the off what the secret of the city is, and as a result this episode slightly marks time til the regulars find out too, but this is arguably part of the whole scheme. The serial isn't interested in being too Whoey, as I've said, preferring mental activity to action, and it's eschewing the traditional adventure mystery framework is indicative of that. It's all about the concepts, and the appaling ideas at the centre.
The story is so atypical that it's no wonder people forget it, but it's so utterly smart and well made that it's appealing on a grown up level, a level of themes and subtext that we haven't always had before. I like it a hell of a lot. Not sure I'd want it all the time, but with fine pace, scripting, direction, acting, who can really dislike it? It ain't exciting enough to ever be one of the classics, but it's terrific thoughtful television, so who cares?
Soviet Union a
Scrutationary Archivist
(4/11/04 3:17 pm)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
erm, Dorney, what's happening here?
Dorney
(4/11/04 3:42 pm)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The family have been over for Easter, so haven't quite had the time to do the episode views and write ups. I should be back on track tommorow. If nothing else, it stretches out more precious Hartnell (can't believe I've only a fortnights worth of his episodes to go!)
Soviet Union a
Scrutationary Archivist
(4/11/04 10:44 pm)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shame. He's my favourite doctor.
Dorney
(4/13/04 2:55 am)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Savages 3:
Well, I got a little behind there over Easter. Had a very nice weekend, thanks for asking. But now it's noses and grindstones again.
This is the time marking episode. The story really doesn't progress a great deal over the twenty-five minutes (as I said last time, the early reveal of precisely what the Elders are doing doesn't leave the story with a vast amount of room. You can almost feel the strain as ISB tries to stop the story hurtling towards the end. I can't recall too much about part four, but I'm pretty certain all the elements that lead to the climax are all in place already and they're just being held back) However, in keeping with the quality of the script, the padding is good padding. The extra space is used to develop the characters and the culture of the Savages (their temple is utterly irrelevant in plot terms, but it does give more depth to them as a people). We begin to get to know them as individuals - even if those individuals are slightly cliched: the strong wse chief, the rebellious younger brasher man, and the kind girl. It's the Tribe of Gum again. But a cliche treated intelligently can still work and they do. The sequences that will lead to Exorse's redemption are rather believable, for a change.
The other main use for the extra time is tension. The chase through the tunnels shouldn't really work particularly well, but it does. This is due to good direction and a slow build up of menace. The sequence isn't rushed and it's all the better for it. As with any scene like this, the tension derives from those being chased, their fear and reactions. And once more Steven and Dodo give it the right weight. It's a good little scene. There's no real reason that a man chasing other people down a tunnel with basically a torch should be quite as tense as it is. But we're sold it beautifully.
One thing that's increasingly noticeable in these stories is the sidestepping of Hartnell. This is yet another episode that eases off him, with him being present but not saying a word. With Hartnell doing very little in DMP 10,11,12, The Celestial Toymaker, the Massacre and here, you can practically see him being written out of his own show. It's a real shame, as whilst I like Steven and Dodo, they're not as much fun as the Doctor. He's the charismatic centre of the series, and it loses something without him.
Having said that, the Doctor is still in this episode, sort of, with a fine impersonation coming from Frederick Jaeger. The details and quirks, all of Hartnell's performance eccentricities are done so perfectly that you can't help but smile - which is quite odd in a cerebral story like this one. Ulitmately, however, it is no substitute for the real thing.
It's impossible to watch these episodes chronologically and not adore Hartnell. He's a consistent joy, and his increasing lack of action is rather a shame. Ultimately, the quirky oddball that is the Doctor is what makes the show different, what takes it out of the realms of being a regular Star-Trek style tv show. Doctor Who without the Doctor just doesn't seem right, obviously.
Since, as I say, this episode is mainly about marking time, there's little else I can add. It's fun, that's it main plus. It goes precisely nowhere for 25 minutes, but you're enjoying yourself so much you don't really care.
Dorney
(4/14/04 3:45 pm)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Savages 4:
Still not quite sure how I managed to make four episodes last a week, but here we are.
One of the things I'm finding it difficult to grasp about this story is that whilst it's very well-written, acted, as far as we can tell directed, somehow it doesn't quite work.
I've been dwelling on this whilst I've procrastinated on completing this story, and I suspect I've sort of got it nailed. I think the problem is it's not 'fun'. It's a script that wants to be straight sci-fi, and with the best will in the world, that ain't Doctor Who. I think I heard Janet Fielding - or someone, can't get the precise detail yet - saying the Doctor Who is a melodrama, and I think that has it in a nutshell. It's not about villains with proper motivation, it's not about moral ambiguity - ok, it can incorporate those kinds of things if it wants, but it doesn't need to. Who is about fun adventures with death and drama, it's heightened. The Savages is realistic and serious. So whilst it's good drama, it just doesn't feel like good Doctor Who. It's sort of like the least inspiring novels in the book range - or more specifically the ones that concern themselve with being good sci-fi over good Who.
RTD said in that DWM feature years ago that the central important feature of Who is death. As far as I can recall this is, bar Edge, the only Who story that has no-one die, or have the threat of death. Now whilst the Elders experiments are undeniably unpleasant and nasty, it's quite abstract. They're not hissable villains, you can't love to hate them, they're just unpleasant.
You admire the Savages, but you don't really enjoy it. You like what it says, but it's never going to be one to relax with, it's never going to be escapist entertainment. Even the sole element of humour in the rather cold script - Jano essentially possessed by the Doctor - brings a smile to your face, but it never quite manages to be as gloriously entertaining as you'd imagine it to be. It makes you smile, but it doesn't make you grin, and it doesn't make you laugh or cheer, as it really should.
The Savages is Doctor Who in a suit and tie, going for an interview. Perfectly presentable, but you'd rather it had it's hair down in the pub.
As with the last episode, the story doesn't really progress. As I said, all the plot elements to conclude the story are present and correct at the start of the episode, and it's merely about ticking the boxes. The destruction of the lab is wonderfully cathartic, though it does seem a temporary solution at best - and considering the general brains behind the script, rather a crass one. (likewise, Exorse's redemption feels slightly tacked on here - seemed to be going so nicely last time, but it ultimately fails to impact on the story).
The end of the episode proper is terribly abrupt. After the care taken with the departures of the original crew, Vicki, and the dramatic exits of Katarina and Sara, Steven's exit seems terribly rushed, and does rather show how we're entering the land of the underwritten departure. Maybe we couldn't always have the luxury of the ten minute epilogue of DIOE or the Chase, but the Myth Makers showed that a departure could be done elegantly and swiftly, if it seemed to grow out of the piece. Steven's exit comes out of nowhere. It doesn't bear too much relation to the rest of the story, and it seems to be accomplished in a minute and a half flat. Steven's never quite gelled as a character - I like him a lot when he works, but his lack of a definite background has left the writers without guidelines, and too often they forget to give him a proper personality. But he's been around for a year, and he's an important part of the show. The sudden dumping of him seems terribly ill-conceived, both in terms of the script and in actual on-screen motivation - I can't believe Steven and the Doctor could make such a life altering decision in the few moments their allowed. You can feel him being rushed out of the script, seemingly with no care at all. The Doctor seems not to think twice - his line of 'don't look back' or whatever it is, is rather sweet, and suggests the man isn't totally without heart, but it's all rather shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. The two guys seem to behave as if this is as simple as getting a job or moving house, not as if it's friends who are never going to see each other again. Dodo, who's known him so much less, seems to react far more than the others. They're not glad to see that back of each other - but they just don't seem bothered. A shame. And then, before we know it, the travellers have gone, with the plot barely finished. As I say, it all seems fairly abrupt. I can do abrupt.
The Gunfighters
The Gunfighters 1:
For all the talk of BF's releases last year being 'experimental' or 'radical', it really struck me that there's practically nothing in last years range that hasn't been done in season three. You want a story in two distinct parts? P:L or the Ark. A story in two parts, all about time travel and its implications? Flip Flop or the Ark. A story featuring a character we think is the Doctor, but who turns out not to be? I wouldn't dream of spoilering the very fine release BF that did that, but the obvious parallel is the Massacre. An epic story, bigger than anything else to date, if overlong, special, with a story designed around the length and featuring more than one old character? Zagreus or DMP. And here we have a musical historical, with a singing comedy cliffhanger. Pirates or the Gunfighters? Gunfighters every time.
I like this story a lot. Always have. I know a lot of people can't get past the ballad, and fair enough. Certainly in this episode it's used perhaps one or two times too many - though I would suggest the problem is less with the amount of times, as such, but how close they are together. There's two within a minute at the start, and that does feel odd. But generally I rather like it. I got a lot of stick when I replied to one of 21ca's reviews suggesting that the song is inspired by Brecht's verfremdungs effekt, the alienation effect, but I think it certainly is, not neccessarily intentionally or derived from the same intention, but coming from the same place (I suspect all songs acting as narrative commentary are derived from Brecht, even if it's a generation or two down). Yes, a similar device was employed in Cat Ballou just previously, which possibly inspired it, but that was an all out comedy in a way the Gunfighters isn't. The Ballad isn't wacky - is rather sweet, and sad, and slightly beautiful. It's there as a counterpoint to the images, rather than in sympathy with them. So it tends to affect our take on the events - through the lyrics and the tone. A simple shot of the Clantons walking to the bar is given foreboding by the tune. Perhaps a clearer example is the cliffhanger - it's clear the Doctor is in mortal peril, but in direct counterpoint, the music is jolly and upbeat. For me, this works terrifically well, and this is a brilliant and under-rated cliffhanger. The juxtapostion of jolity with potential death is simultaneously amusing and menacing, so we have a fun cliffhanger that still manages to carry the traditional 'how are they going to get out of that' threat.
Another way this works is that the comedy is pretty much contained in the regulars - well, David Graham's barman get's some nice stuff too. Everyone else is taking it deadly seriously. The humour comes from the regular's interaction with the situation, and their response to it. (Contrast this to the Myth Makers, where the humour comes mainly from the characters all being dry and witty. The humour here is less about the language than the context). Hartnell and Purves have acquited themselves admirably as light comedians in the stories to date and don't disappoint here. Purves in particular gets some great physical comedy, perfectly prepared to make Steven look a bit of a fool in his play acting, and then in response to the faintly farcical misconceptions (I love the way that for once the Doctor's safe disguise for everyone backfires completely - a singer with six shooters?). There's an especially nice double take in the last scene when he glances into Shane Rimmers gun. And all this without undermining the straighter Steven of the previous stories - it still seems like the same character. Hartnell gets some nice wordplay and jokes in his dealings with Earp and Holliday, and Shane Rimmer again, plus plenty of engaging physically business, proving to be possibly the most versatile of the Doctors. Dodo gets less to do, but is still quite fun. She's insanely good at piano quite quickly, a little too keen to get loud too often, and - in something I observed in CT 4, but forgot to mention - am I the only one who thinks that in the outfit she wore for CT and the start of this one there's a little too much on display, so to speak? Without wanting to be crude, there's probably not quite so much breastage this obvious in the series til Peri turns up, and in the slightly buttoned up world of 1960s Who this is a little surprising. Not that I'm complaining, they're pleasant enough, but they do rather come out of nowhere and are perhaps a little too much in your face. Could have chosen a better phrase, perhaps.
Some of the guest stars put in slightly mannered, heightened performances, aiming more to give the impression of a western parody than a proper one - though they still all play it sort of straight. This is mainly the case with the more flamboyant goodies, especially Holliday, the baddies being played relatively down the line. There is one that doesn't work, William Hurndall as Ike Clanton (I think, it's a little hard to tell). For some reason he barely seems to be acting at all. But the others put in performances that give the impression of realism, without neccessarily being totally realistic.
There's one or two rather awkwardly shot moments in the story with Holliday's first appearance and Steven and Dodo coming back down the stairs looking like fractionally late cueing. But generally it's filled with a few nice angles and has a good eye for pace and build up. Especially in the cliffhanger.
I'm having a great time and I'm looking forward to part two very much.
Dorney
(4/6/04 4:45 am)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Gunfighters 2:
Well, I'm going to be trying for two episodes of this today. Not for any desire to rush through it particularly, but because of what can be described as a slightly mad decision. I've decided to watch the Gunfighters with my mum.
Now my mum isn't a fan or anything, but she can put up with it if the story is enjoyable, and I thought that this might work for her. I rewatched part 1 with her last night and 2 this morning, and so far the response has been overwhelmingly positive. However, at a rate of one a day we'd reach part 4 when my dad gets home. And he loathes the thing with a passion that borders on Michael Grade proportions (though he did rather like Jubillee when I played it to him, which was pleasing). So we've decided to do two today and avoid annoying him on thursday. So expect an update on part three later.
Enough waffle. Episode two is a continuation of the form from yesterday. Rewatching part one made me realise how little humour there is when the regulars are off screen, emphasing the fact this is a comedy of context, where the humour is derived from their responses to the situation. Only Holliday gets to deliver witty lines as a matter of course, and on occassion Kate and Charley get a nice bit. And the same continues here. Cotton plays to the strengths of the regulars, mainly giving the comic stuff to the guys and avoiding Dodo. Steven gets all the slapstick, and Hartnell gets all the funny lines. It's very odd that this strange, playful Doctor doesn't really seem to contradict the one we've seen before. He still isn't quite with it, and this obviously fits with the way he's behaved before. And his anti-alcohol/violence insistence fits in too. But it's all still demonstrably the same character, showing just how good Hartnell is. His playing with his gun, his 'Werp'ing, his face pulling and confusion - the character is utterly loveable. And likewise, Steven's brash foolishness doen't really contradict a thing we've seen before, and in fact harks back to the character we were originally introduced to, rather than the slightly one-d heroic stereotype we've since been presented with, post Myth-Makers. He's almost a proto-Harry, an engaging blunderer. Dodo gets less funny business, but does manage to be quite likeable here. She hasn't really been given much personality yet apart from being enthusiastic and extremely naive, rather unable to take this whole thing as being anything other than a bit of a lark (she's enjoyed playing the piano at gunpoint apparently). Still, it's hard to dislike someone so without guile, and seemingly enjoying themselves. Her scenes with Holiday are rather nicely done, and it's hard to connect this performance with the irritating girl who ran into the TARDIS in the Massacre. I'm beginning to find her quite engaging.
It's rather a shame to see Shane Rimmer killed at the end of the episode, as he's probably the best acted guest character - possibly excepting Holliday, who isn't exactly supposed to be a straight realistic character. The Clantons aren't making much of an impression as individuals, being merely the young one, the wooden one and the stuttering one (a clear example of a desperate actor giving himself some business so as not to fade away). But we're not supposed to be that interested in them or sympathetic to them.
The death is also quite abrupt and bleak, and combined with growing menace of the lynch mob, we are once more getting into the mixture of wit and darkness that characterises Cotton's scripts. It's all the more shocking and effective for the surroundings being so light. And the spectre of death looms in the song, which once more uses the same trick of counterpoint for dramatic effect, reminding us constantly of where we're going. Comedy has to have a dark centre to be really really funny - all the great sitcoms do - and the two feed off each other. The darker the context, the funnier. The funnier the script, the more effective the moments of darkness.
Still plenty of inventive camera shots, great angles, and I love the sight of the advancing mob through the jail doors.
And another great cliffhanger, filled with menace. The sweetness of the ballad mixing in to a very good 'how can they get out of that' moment, heightening the tension.
My mum's loving it, by the way. She's laughing herself silly at Hartnell and Purves - the former in particular, such a fine comic actor, master of comic timing (and they're both so clearly having a great time you're swept away with them). And she's engrossed by the straight bits and the story. And for all the negative feeling Who fans have for this story (of which more another time, I think), she's the kind of person that the show must get - the general public. And she's there in spades.
Dorney
(4/7/04 2:25 am)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Gunfighters 3:
Still fabulous stuff here. The most obvious thing about this episode is in the title - Johnny Ringo, as dar as I can remember the only guest character to get an entire episode title to himself (Meglos and Marco Polo getting an entire serial, of course). Laurence Payne might not seem to have a clue what accent he's supposed to be doing, but it's a fab performance if you can ignore that, all cold menace and confident swagger. The shooting of Charley is brutal and callous, and incredibly shocking in the context of a light story. My mum, still watching with me, said 'Oooh, that's a bit nasty isn't it?' and I have to agree. As I keep saying, it's all about the context - people have been killed in similarly nasty ways before, but the murder of a likeable character for no good reason and in such a casual way when there were jokes moments before really shocks. It's a bit of a shame that Payne draws his gun before calling Charlies name so we know what's coming a split second before we should, really, but it's such a stunning moment it hardly matters. Then of course, the death itself is treated lightly in the rest of the episode, with the parody funeral march in the ballad, and the Doctor and Steven double taking the corpse (a gag that doesn't quite work, sad to say, as the body across the bar is blatantly obvious).
The death of the younger Earp at the cliffhanger is less effective, mainly cos we haven't got to know and like the character as much as we had Charlie, but it is still quite brutal. Someone being shot still has a nasty edge to it in a way that ray guns or the like don't. And of course, it is really another innocent, which does add to the brutality total, and the air of foreboding that worked so well in the Myth Makers, as the events of legend start to overtake everyone.
It seems pretty much the norm for me in this story to rave about Steven and the Doctor. Once again, they put in sublime performances. However, this episode Dodo gets some good material too, her holding Holliday hostage being a lovely moment for the girl, brave and funny in a way we haven't really seen her do to date. Suddenly she seems like a proper companion. When she gets the material, Jackie Lane can be quite likeable. It's just a shame the scripts don't seem to like her all that much.
It really is a shame that this story continues to have a poor reputation that it simply doesn't deserve. It's biggest fault remains that it is different. There's nothing wrong about it not working for you, that's fair enough, but any objective viewpoint will tell you that it's a well made piece, and that ultimately means that it comes down to whether you like humour in Who or not. I seriously cannot see how anything that can be enjoyed 40 years after it was made by quite a number of people deserves the vitriol that is hurled at this story. It's rather indicative of a closed mind, in my opinion (and as I say here, this is not to suggest that the broad-minded enjoy the script, and the closed minded don't, not at all. You either like the style or you don't. However, it's closed minded to think, if you don't like it, that nobody else could, and that because you don't like it, it's inherently bad. Much as I love this story, I can perfectly see why it might not be everyone's cup of tea. If you dislike the Gunfighters you have to see that it's not badly scripted enough or made to be totally worthless, i.e you dislike what it does, not how it does it). It's poor reputation remains one of the worst hangovers from the years of the Uber-fans where we were told what was good and what was bad, by people who really wanted every story to be like a Hinchcliffe story. But that's an argument for another time.
Dorney
(4/7/04 3:34 pm)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Gunfighters 4:
Yadda yadda yadda Hartnell is hysterical yadda yadda yadda Purves is fab at the physical stuff yadda yadda yadda offsetting of humour and extreme violence yadda yadda yadda.
I find myself saying the same thing about this story each episode. About halfway through watching part four I thought of something new to say. But I'd forgotten by the end of the episode. Whoops. Maybe I should take notes.
It's odd, reading the archive of the story, to see that the principal guest star was Laurence Payne, when he doesn't appear til the third episode. But it really is rather justified in the scripting, with the villains forming into a coherent unit when Ringo eventually turns up (though it isn't entirely clear, unless I missed something, why Ringo is so against the idea of working with the Clantons in part three, but is a fully integrated gang member in this episode), and the script develops a stronger sense of the villains identity around him. It's an amazingly brave move to hold off on introducing such a major character til over half way through the story, but it's pulled off here incredibly well, mainly through Payne's performance. Yeah, sure his accent barely seems to exist or flits around more continents than you can count, but it's testament to the strength of the performance and his sheer presence that you find him a much more rivetting and charismatic performance than the straighter Clanton brother's who are blessed with better accents.
The regulars fare rather less well in this episode than the previous ones, with Steven relegated to being a captive for the majority of the time, and the Doctor caught in a deputisation subplot that doesn't really go anywhere, just giving the illusion that he's involved in events - purely in this episode though. As in all the best historicals, the events of the previous episodes are shaped around the regulars - just now that the historical climax has been reached they find little to do - the obvious exception being Dodo, surprisingly, who's the only regular to directly influence the action in this episode, bringing back Holliday and essentially initiating his confrontation with Ringo (though her frankly suicidal run into Ringo's way when her simple cry of 'Doc look out' was perfectly adequate requires stupidity of the highest order, but that is admittedly hardly out of character).
The Gunfight is the centrepiece, on film and on a vast set, looking fabulous. For a short while it does feel like a proper western, and not Doctor Who at all, reinforcing the sense that our heroes have stepped into somebody else's world, not just an extension of theirs. It's nasty and violent - Ike being shot repeatedly when to all intents and purposes unarmed is grim even for this show. OK, the sequence of the Earps walking through a shower of gunfire looks ridiculous (it's easy to forget that Ringo tells the Clantons to fire before they get in range to keep them busy), and it's a bit of a shame that with Virgil intoduced in this episode alone we don't really have an emotional investment in him. But this is to ignore the fact that this is a fine dramatic setpiece, and an effective finale to the simmering tensions that have been bubbling away. The ballad's been constantly reminding us where we're headed, underlying the humour with foreboding, and when we get there it isn't a dissapointment. The final confrontation between Ringo and Holliday is probably the best moment, mainly due to the fact that they're the best actors involved, and their emotional rivalry gives the scene tension and impact. But the whole thing rounds off the story in style with an effective climax - where a historically accurate one would have been something of a damp squib. It's a slight shame that Steven and the Doctor aren't around, as it is their show really, but ultimately they have to be bystanders.
Whilst I remember - as I watch these stories I occassionally glance at the reviews in the Time Team and the Discontinuity Guide and the TV Companion. The latter is so woefully one sided and narrow minded on this story it barely counts as worth reading. But the DG has an interesting 'goof', saying that the phrase 'Earning your gunfighter's wings' as sung in the ballad is anachnronistic. Now I never heard that line anywhere. There's one that says roughly the same phrase, but with an unclear final word - but for my money it has to be 'fee' because that fits the rhyme scheme. It's when Johnny first appears in part three. Didn't mention it til now in case it referred to another bit of the ballad.
It is worth adding that this story is incredibly well shot. Inventively shot and directed, it's one of the most visually impressive Hartnell stories I've seen. Not really my field so I won't go on, but it really did look good - nicely composed and with the actors all moved efficiently and well.
The humour has, understandably drifted a little in this episode, as the situation darkens. I can't quite agree with the assesment in the DWM first Doctor special that the humour vanishes around the end of part two - there's lots in three, and plenty of little bits of business from the regulars in this one (Mr Wearp is funny every time, a cheap gag but a good one). But as I've said, the humour is derived less from funny lines and business than the regulars difficulties interacting with this situation. With the situation darker, obviously their take will be less frivolous (and their frivolity has fed the previous episodes). None the less, the Doctor is still able to absently lean on Charley's corpse, and Steven to mug with a gun in his face. As they leave, the light wit returns in their scene with Holliday, and The Doctor's wonderful rebuke of Dodo at the end.
Considering the slow pace of the direction, slow fade ins and outs, this one is cut together quite abruptly, with a few jarring moments. The cut into the final TARDIS scene in particular seems very perfunctory. And that last scene just has a tacked on air in general, abrupt and dissapointingly out of tone with the rest of the story. Not to mention the slightly disappointing overall story titles turning up - but at least they left with quite an individual set.
Well I adored that, and so did my mum. Surely the definition of good Who, great family entertainment. Joyously entertaining, moving from wit to action with ease, unashamedly fun from beginning to end, I think this is a pretty damn fine piece of tv, and ultimately I don't care whether it works for anyone else or not! I've had a great time.
For all the talk of BF's releases last year being 'experimental' or 'radical', it really struck me that there's practically nothing in last years range that hasn't been done in season three. You want a story in two distinct parts? P:L or the Ark. A story in two parts, all about time travel and its implications? Flip Flop or the Ark. A story featuring a character we think is the Doctor, but who turns out not to be? I wouldn't dream of spoilering the very fine release BF that did that, but the obvious parallel is the Massacre. An epic story, bigger than anything else to date, if overlong, special, with a story designed around the length and featuring more than one old character? Zagreus or DMP. And here we have a musical historical, with a singing comedy cliffhanger. Pirates or the Gunfighters? Gunfighters every time.
I like this story a lot. Always have. I know a lot of people can't get past the ballad, and fair enough. Certainly in this episode it's used perhaps one or two times too many - though I would suggest the problem is less with the amount of times, as such, but how close they are together. There's two within a minute at the start, and that does feel odd. But generally I rather like it. I got a lot of stick when I replied to one of 21ca's reviews suggesting that the song is inspired by Brecht's verfremdungs effekt, the alienation effect, but I think it certainly is, not neccessarily intentionally or derived from the same intention, but coming from the same place (I suspect all songs acting as narrative commentary are derived from Brecht, even if it's a generation or two down). Yes, a similar device was employed in Cat Ballou just previously, which possibly inspired it, but that was an all out comedy in a way the Gunfighters isn't. The Ballad isn't wacky - is rather sweet, and sad, and slightly beautiful. It's there as a counterpoint to the images, rather than in sympathy with them. So it tends to affect our take on the events - through the lyrics and the tone. A simple shot of the Clantons walking to the bar is given foreboding by the tune. Perhaps a clearer example is the cliffhanger - it's clear the Doctor is in mortal peril, but in direct counterpoint, the music is jolly and upbeat. For me, this works terrifically well, and this is a brilliant and under-rated cliffhanger. The juxtapostion of jolity with potential death is simultaneously amusing and menacing, so we have a fun cliffhanger that still manages to carry the traditional 'how are they going to get out of that' threat.
Another way this works is that the comedy is pretty much contained in the regulars - well, David Graham's barman get's some nice stuff too. Everyone else is taking it deadly seriously. The humour comes from the regular's interaction with the situation, and their response to it. (Contrast this to the Myth Makers, where the humour comes mainly from the characters all being dry and witty. The humour here is less about the language than the context). Hartnell and Purves have acquited themselves admirably as light comedians in the stories to date and don't disappoint here. Purves in particular gets some great physical comedy, perfectly prepared to make Steven look a bit of a fool in his play acting, and then in response to the faintly farcical misconceptions (I love the way that for once the Doctor's safe disguise for everyone backfires completely - a singer with six shooters?). There's an especially nice double take in the last scene when he glances into Shane Rimmers gun. And all this without undermining the straighter Steven of the previous stories - it still seems like the same character. Hartnell gets some nice wordplay and jokes in his dealings with Earp and Holliday, and Shane Rimmer again, plus plenty of engaging physically business, proving to be possibly the most versatile of the Doctors. Dodo gets less to do, but is still quite fun. She's insanely good at piano quite quickly, a little too keen to get loud too often, and - in something I observed in CT 4, but forgot to mention - am I the only one who thinks that in the outfit she wore for CT and the start of this one there's a little too much on display, so to speak? Without wanting to be crude, there's probably not quite so much breastage this obvious in the series til Peri turns up, and in the slightly buttoned up world of 1960s Who this is a little surprising. Not that I'm complaining, they're pleasant enough, but they do rather come out of nowhere and are perhaps a little too much in your face. Could have chosen a better phrase, perhaps.
Some of the guest stars put in slightly mannered, heightened performances, aiming more to give the impression of a western parody than a proper one - though they still all play it sort of straight. This is mainly the case with the more flamboyant goodies, especially Holliday, the baddies being played relatively down the line. There is one that doesn't work, William Hurndall as Ike Clanton (I think, it's a little hard to tell). For some reason he barely seems to be acting at all. But the others put in performances that give the impression of realism, without neccessarily being totally realistic.
There's one or two rather awkwardly shot moments in the story with Holliday's first appearance and Steven and Dodo coming back down the stairs looking like fractionally late cueing. But generally it's filled with a few nice angles and has a good eye for pace and build up. Especially in the cliffhanger.
I'm having a great time and I'm looking forward to part two very much.
Dorney
(4/6/04 4:45 am)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Gunfighters 2:
Well, I'm going to be trying for two episodes of this today. Not for any desire to rush through it particularly, but because of what can be described as a slightly mad decision. I've decided to watch the Gunfighters with my mum.
Now my mum isn't a fan or anything, but she can put up with it if the story is enjoyable, and I thought that this might work for her. I rewatched part 1 with her last night and 2 this morning, and so far the response has been overwhelmingly positive. However, at a rate of one a day we'd reach part 4 when my dad gets home. And he loathes the thing with a passion that borders on Michael Grade proportions (though he did rather like Jubillee when I played it to him, which was pleasing). So we've decided to do two today and avoid annoying him on thursday. So expect an update on part three later.
Enough waffle. Episode two is a continuation of the form from yesterday. Rewatching part one made me realise how little humour there is when the regulars are off screen, emphasing the fact this is a comedy of context, where the humour is derived from their responses to the situation. Only Holliday gets to deliver witty lines as a matter of course, and on occassion Kate and Charley get a nice bit. And the same continues here. Cotton plays to the strengths of the regulars, mainly giving the comic stuff to the guys and avoiding Dodo. Steven gets all the slapstick, and Hartnell gets all the funny lines. It's very odd that this strange, playful Doctor doesn't really seem to contradict the one we've seen before. He still isn't quite with it, and this obviously fits with the way he's behaved before. And his anti-alcohol/violence insistence fits in too. But it's all still demonstrably the same character, showing just how good Hartnell is. His playing with his gun, his 'Werp'ing, his face pulling and confusion - the character is utterly loveable. And likewise, Steven's brash foolishness doen't really contradict a thing we've seen before, and in fact harks back to the character we were originally introduced to, rather than the slightly one-d heroic stereotype we've since been presented with, post Myth-Makers. He's almost a proto-Harry, an engaging blunderer. Dodo gets less funny business, but does manage to be quite likeable here. She hasn't really been given much personality yet apart from being enthusiastic and extremely naive, rather unable to take this whole thing as being anything other than a bit of a lark (she's enjoyed playing the piano at gunpoint apparently). Still, it's hard to dislike someone so without guile, and seemingly enjoying themselves. Her scenes with Holiday are rather nicely done, and it's hard to connect this performance with the irritating girl who ran into the TARDIS in the Massacre. I'm beginning to find her quite engaging.
It's rather a shame to see Shane Rimmer killed at the end of the episode, as he's probably the best acted guest character - possibly excepting Holliday, who isn't exactly supposed to be a straight realistic character. The Clantons aren't making much of an impression as individuals, being merely the young one, the wooden one and the stuttering one (a clear example of a desperate actor giving himself some business so as not to fade away). But we're not supposed to be that interested in them or sympathetic to them.
The death is also quite abrupt and bleak, and combined with growing menace of the lynch mob, we are once more getting into the mixture of wit and darkness that characterises Cotton's scripts. It's all the more shocking and effective for the surroundings being so light. And the spectre of death looms in the song, which once more uses the same trick of counterpoint for dramatic effect, reminding us constantly of where we're going. Comedy has to have a dark centre to be really really funny - all the great sitcoms do - and the two feed off each other. The darker the context, the funnier. The funnier the script, the more effective the moments of darkness.
Still plenty of inventive camera shots, great angles, and I love the sight of the advancing mob through the jail doors.
And another great cliffhanger, filled with menace. The sweetness of the ballad mixing in to a very good 'how can they get out of that' moment, heightening the tension.
My mum's loving it, by the way. She's laughing herself silly at Hartnell and Purves - the former in particular, such a fine comic actor, master of comic timing (and they're both so clearly having a great time you're swept away with them). And she's engrossed by the straight bits and the story. And for all the negative feeling Who fans have for this story (of which more another time, I think), she's the kind of person that the show must get - the general public. And she's there in spades.
Dorney
(4/7/04 2:25 am)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Gunfighters 3:
Still fabulous stuff here. The most obvious thing about this episode is in the title - Johnny Ringo, as dar as I can remember the only guest character to get an entire episode title to himself (Meglos and Marco Polo getting an entire serial, of course). Laurence Payne might not seem to have a clue what accent he's supposed to be doing, but it's a fab performance if you can ignore that, all cold menace and confident swagger. The shooting of Charley is brutal and callous, and incredibly shocking in the context of a light story. My mum, still watching with me, said 'Oooh, that's a bit nasty isn't it?' and I have to agree. As I keep saying, it's all about the context - people have been killed in similarly nasty ways before, but the murder of a likeable character for no good reason and in such a casual way when there were jokes moments before really shocks. It's a bit of a shame that Payne draws his gun before calling Charlies name so we know what's coming a split second before we should, really, but it's such a stunning moment it hardly matters. Then of course, the death itself is treated lightly in the rest of the episode, with the parody funeral march in the ballad, and the Doctor and Steven double taking the corpse (a gag that doesn't quite work, sad to say, as the body across the bar is blatantly obvious).
The death of the younger Earp at the cliffhanger is less effective, mainly cos we haven't got to know and like the character as much as we had Charlie, but it is still quite brutal. Someone being shot still has a nasty edge to it in a way that ray guns or the like don't. And of course, it is really another innocent, which does add to the brutality total, and the air of foreboding that worked so well in the Myth Makers, as the events of legend start to overtake everyone.
It seems pretty much the norm for me in this story to rave about Steven and the Doctor. Once again, they put in sublime performances. However, this episode Dodo gets some good material too, her holding Holliday hostage being a lovely moment for the girl, brave and funny in a way we haven't really seen her do to date. Suddenly she seems like a proper companion. When she gets the material, Jackie Lane can be quite likeable. It's just a shame the scripts don't seem to like her all that much.
It really is a shame that this story continues to have a poor reputation that it simply doesn't deserve. It's biggest fault remains that it is different. There's nothing wrong about it not working for you, that's fair enough, but any objective viewpoint will tell you that it's a well made piece, and that ultimately means that it comes down to whether you like humour in Who or not. I seriously cannot see how anything that can be enjoyed 40 years after it was made by quite a number of people deserves the vitriol that is hurled at this story. It's rather indicative of a closed mind, in my opinion (and as I say here, this is not to suggest that the broad-minded enjoy the script, and the closed minded don't, not at all. You either like the style or you don't. However, it's closed minded to think, if you don't like it, that nobody else could, and that because you don't like it, it's inherently bad. Much as I love this story, I can perfectly see why it might not be everyone's cup of tea. If you dislike the Gunfighters you have to see that it's not badly scripted enough or made to be totally worthless, i.e you dislike what it does, not how it does it). It's poor reputation remains one of the worst hangovers from the years of the Uber-fans where we were told what was good and what was bad, by people who really wanted every story to be like a Hinchcliffe story. But that's an argument for another time.
Dorney
(4/7/04 3:34 pm)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Gunfighters 4:
Yadda yadda yadda Hartnell is hysterical yadda yadda yadda Purves is fab at the physical stuff yadda yadda yadda offsetting of humour and extreme violence yadda yadda yadda.
I find myself saying the same thing about this story each episode. About halfway through watching part four I thought of something new to say. But I'd forgotten by the end of the episode. Whoops. Maybe I should take notes.
It's odd, reading the archive of the story, to see that the principal guest star was Laurence Payne, when he doesn't appear til the third episode. But it really is rather justified in the scripting, with the villains forming into a coherent unit when Ringo eventually turns up (though it isn't entirely clear, unless I missed something, why Ringo is so against the idea of working with the Clantons in part three, but is a fully integrated gang member in this episode), and the script develops a stronger sense of the villains identity around him. It's an amazingly brave move to hold off on introducing such a major character til over half way through the story, but it's pulled off here incredibly well, mainly through Payne's performance. Yeah, sure his accent barely seems to exist or flits around more continents than you can count, but it's testament to the strength of the performance and his sheer presence that you find him a much more rivetting and charismatic performance than the straighter Clanton brother's who are blessed with better accents.
The regulars fare rather less well in this episode than the previous ones, with Steven relegated to being a captive for the majority of the time, and the Doctor caught in a deputisation subplot that doesn't really go anywhere, just giving the illusion that he's involved in events - purely in this episode though. As in all the best historicals, the events of the previous episodes are shaped around the regulars - just now that the historical climax has been reached they find little to do - the obvious exception being Dodo, surprisingly, who's the only regular to directly influence the action in this episode, bringing back Holliday and essentially initiating his confrontation with Ringo (though her frankly suicidal run into Ringo's way when her simple cry of 'Doc look out' was perfectly adequate requires stupidity of the highest order, but that is admittedly hardly out of character).
The Gunfight is the centrepiece, on film and on a vast set, looking fabulous. For a short while it does feel like a proper western, and not Doctor Who at all, reinforcing the sense that our heroes have stepped into somebody else's world, not just an extension of theirs. It's nasty and violent - Ike being shot repeatedly when to all intents and purposes unarmed is grim even for this show. OK, the sequence of the Earps walking through a shower of gunfire looks ridiculous (it's easy to forget that Ringo tells the Clantons to fire before they get in range to keep them busy), and it's a bit of a shame that with Virgil intoduced in this episode alone we don't really have an emotional investment in him. But this is to ignore the fact that this is a fine dramatic setpiece, and an effective finale to the simmering tensions that have been bubbling away. The ballad's been constantly reminding us where we're headed, underlying the humour with foreboding, and when we get there it isn't a dissapointment. The final confrontation between Ringo and Holliday is probably the best moment, mainly due to the fact that they're the best actors involved, and their emotional rivalry gives the scene tension and impact. But the whole thing rounds off the story in style with an effective climax - where a historically accurate one would have been something of a damp squib. It's a slight shame that Steven and the Doctor aren't around, as it is their show really, but ultimately they have to be bystanders.
Whilst I remember - as I watch these stories I occassionally glance at the reviews in the Time Team and the Discontinuity Guide and the TV Companion. The latter is so woefully one sided and narrow minded on this story it barely counts as worth reading. But the DG has an interesting 'goof', saying that the phrase 'Earning your gunfighter's wings' as sung in the ballad is anachnronistic. Now I never heard that line anywhere. There's one that says roughly the same phrase, but with an unclear final word - but for my money it has to be 'fee' because that fits the rhyme scheme. It's when Johnny first appears in part three. Didn't mention it til now in case it referred to another bit of the ballad.
It is worth adding that this story is incredibly well shot. Inventively shot and directed, it's one of the most visually impressive Hartnell stories I've seen. Not really my field so I won't go on, but it really did look good - nicely composed and with the actors all moved efficiently and well.
The humour has, understandably drifted a little in this episode, as the situation darkens. I can't quite agree with the assesment in the DWM first Doctor special that the humour vanishes around the end of part two - there's lots in three, and plenty of little bits of business from the regulars in this one (Mr Wearp is funny every time, a cheap gag but a good one). But as I've said, the humour is derived less from funny lines and business than the regulars difficulties interacting with this situation. With the situation darker, obviously their take will be less frivolous (and their frivolity has fed the previous episodes). None the less, the Doctor is still able to absently lean on Charley's corpse, and Steven to mug with a gun in his face. As they leave, the light wit returns in their scene with Holliday, and The Doctor's wonderful rebuke of Dodo at the end.
Considering the slow pace of the direction, slow fade ins and outs, this one is cut together quite abruptly, with a few jarring moments. The cut into the final TARDIS scene in particular seems very perfunctory. And that last scene just has a tacked on air in general, abrupt and dissapointingly out of tone with the rest of the story. Not to mention the slightly disappointing overall story titles turning up - but at least they left with quite an individual set.
Well I adored that, and so did my mum. Surely the definition of good Who, great family entertainment. Joyously entertaining, moving from wit to action with ease, unashamedly fun from beginning to end, I think this is a pretty damn fine piece of tv, and ultimately I don't care whether it works for anyone else or not! I've had a great time.
The Celestial Toymaker
Dorney
(3/31/04 2:27 am)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Celestial Toymaker 1:
It's become rather fashionable to dislike this story. I haven't heard it in ages so I can't really comment on it as a whole, but from this episode alone it's ok.
OK, it's very hard to judge any of this from sound alone. More so than any other missing story, a lot of the weight of this has to come from the visuals. The extended Blind Man's Buff sequence, with a mute clown as one of the villains show this clearly, but the tone of the story is unwordly and strange, and we can tell from the few photographs and part four that this is, in some ways reflected and enhanced by the design.
The Toymaker himself is a slightly unexciting character idea - some bored god like being or something, it ain't entirely clear - but it's really given life by a great performance from Gough, especially on the audio. The man's voice is magnificent. Shame the character seems designed to fit the requirements of the story rather than being a character in his own right though.
It's very odd that the Doctor's met him before. It doesn't actually help the scripting all that much, seemingly just a device to short cut the exposition. We as audience members think 'Who?' when the Doctor announces they're in the realm of the Toymaker. It's nice to hear that he has a life outside of what we know, any reminder of that is good - but we feel slightly left out here, with the Doctor's foreknowledge essentially being used to try and give us a sense of threat the story otherwise wouldn't possess. And ultimately, that short-changes us. We know the Toymaker's bad from the start, because the Doctor tells us. There's nowhere for that element to go. We expect the games to be rigged. And it sidesteps the need for plotting.
The games are... well I like the Blind Man's bluff, what I can hear of it. It's quite nicely playful to start with, but the sudden seriousness of the clowns when they have to play for real is quite creepy, and you do begin to sense that there is something at stake. Steven and Dodo respond well, both displaying more personality than they've had for a while, or ever, respectively. Steven is humourless and brash, but ultimately focused and pragmatic - he knows that they it's a them or us situation. And Dodo is naive and compassionate. The game brings out the best in them.
It seems quite odd that the Toymaker gets people to play his games because he is bored - but he doesn't watch the Blind Man's Bluff. He's more interested in the Trilogic game, which is dull and repetitive, and grabs him so much he rushes through the moves when he gets tired. Is he really enjoying this at all?
I know this sounds like I'm slagging it off, but I do genuinely quite like part one. The game is engaging and the characterisation is rather fine. There's a nice, creepy cliffhanger. However, I do have a faint recollection that it all just repeats the same tricks for a couple of episodes, so my liking will possibly wane.
There isn't a lot else I can say - not much happens in this episode. It is quite nice to see one that's totally rooted outside our reality and not standard sci-fi.
Dorney
(4/3/04 3:21 am)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, I've figured out how to get my sister's computer to let me onto O:G (yay!) and so it's time for an update. I've been deliberately trying to avoid getting ahead of myself (and I did feel very ill for most of Thurs) so I'm only one episode further ahead. Should be onto Toymaker 3 later today...
The Celestial Toymaker 2:
One of the weird things about this story, so far, is that it gets a fabulous actor like Michael Gough in and then gives him nothing to do at all. It's an interesting character, and he sounds great, but he does nothing. He's just locked in a room watching the Doctor play a particularly dull boardgame - and then is completely emasculated by having the Doctor pretty much removed from the action (why do they do that, anyway - considering all the time and effort spent in recording scenes on film with Ian to give him a holiday in Reign and Crusade, and Susan likewise, how much effort would it have taken to record a few more lines of voice over from Hartnell. Isn't the whole premise of the intangible Dr a gift for the holiday-covering producers? Why only record one line from Hartnell? Grr...) Gough has nothing to do, and no-one to interact with. It seems a waste - this guy would have made a great Mavic Chen (they'd probably find it difficult to have got the three month booking, but they could have tried) Why hire someone this good if you don't get them to act?
The rest of the episode is quite good fun. I think this is one of those stories that proves you should never watch more than one episode at a time. It's how they were meant to be seen. There is an air of repetition about this episode, curiously emphasised by the recasting of Cambell Singer and Carmen Silvera (two people with the same initials... odd, but totally insignificant). With each episode filmed completely week by week, this doesn't save the production any money, as it would have done in the later years, so it's clearly a directorial choice rather than one of budget neccessity. But it's not really referred to (Dodo does say 'they look familiar', but she's referring to the playing card motif rather than them resembling the clowns), and it's not clear what it's supposed to mean. Steven and Dodo react to the games the same way, Steven all ruthless pragmatism, Dodo all naive innocence and compassion - which frankly makes her look a little stupid.
The game itself - well, the whole thing reminds me a little of the movie Cube. Seemingly random choices, death dealt out for the wrong ones through a variety of booby traps. There's something genuinely creepy about it, though once more it would have to work better on tv (bizarrely, the various explosions, slicings, shakings make no sound at all - maybe an attempt to make it look less nasty?). The whole juxtaposition of childhood symbols with gruesome death played out against a surrealistic background is rather unnerving, really.
The other characters are quite nicely written, having distinct personalities and being broadly speaking likeable - but we are carefully made to sympathise with Steven and Dodo through the queen's slightly uppity nature and their plan to sacrifice another being - the Knave - for their freedom. Having said that, they're decision to be free together or go together is rather touching.
So quite a nice episode - not vastly dramatic or anything, but tense, creepy and a little strange.
Dorney
(4/3/04 3:30 pm)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Celestial Toymaker 3:
OK, this is the episode that really explains TCT's poor reputation.
A lot of my criticisms of episode 2 still stand - Gough is still utterly wasted, even with a little more to do in this episode. But more on that later.
The general problem with this episode is... well, practically everything. Episode 1's game had novelty, 2's had a tangible sense of threat. The majority of this episode is taken up with the search for the key. And it's utterly woeful. The guest characters, Rugg and Wigg, are nicely drawn caricatures, instantly personable and likeable - but ultimately this goes for a burton when we see that the whole key search has no real dramatic or threatening base. It's just a lot of silliness. Now silliness is all well and good, but when you have an episode like this without a clear direction or purpose, then it just seems dull. It ain't going anywhere, it's just hot air to fill time. The scene isn't really about anything more than filling in time.
And that's a general problem with this episode. There's a real sense that the imagination has run out. The game is less interesting this week. The support characters, being less clearly based on totems of childhood, don't have the same creepy air. And unlike the previous guest parts, the whole thing doesn't really interest them, they care less about escaping, so Dodo and Steven's quest doesn't really seem to be in danger. With no proper opponents they're clearly going to win.
There's a faint air the script team are getting bored too. The only properly deadly part of the game, the dancing floor, is rushed through dismissively without any real interest. There's a nasty idea at the heart of it, but it doesn't get investigated - it's all well and good saying that if they lose they'll be trapped in the Toymakers reign, but that's quite an oblique context. The booby trapped chairs worked because we saw, and could be afraid of, what they did, we knew it was something bad. No-one seems to consider quite what the eternal dance could mean.
With the dance treated so perfunctorily, there then remains rather an uncomfortable five or so minutes of padding. This all has to be desperate first draft filler, really, there's no other excuse. There's loads of dialogue from Dodo, Steven and the Toymaker that fails to have any dramatic point, or takes the story forward. Wasting time, pure and simple. (This is where Gough's extra screen time comes from - but he isn't given a single line of interest or significance to say).
Steven and Dodo are still pretty much the same - her complete failure to take any of it seriously is quite annoying. Steven's almost too serious about it, and his threat of physical violence to Cyril at the end is strikingly odd. (And 'My friends call me Billy?' How could they expect not to be sued?)
I think the various bits of padding underline the problem with this story - it just isn't going anywhere. There's no heightening of the stakes, each episode is roughly the same as the next. It's a series of events, not a plot. A lot of nice ideas, but not a coherent story. We're in Feast of Steven territory here with this episode - Who has to be about something. It has to be a story, not set pieces. It's hard not to listen and think 'Honestly, what's the point?'
Dorney
(4/4/04 5:04 am)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Celestial Toymaker 4:
The worst thing about this episode is having to watch it on the Hartnell years tape. The fortunate rereleases of the Pilot episode and Crusade 3 means I haven't had to dig this video out for yonks. And blimey, is it awful. McCoy is forced to utter things like 'Wonderful stuff' at the end of the episode when he clearly hasn't watched it and doesn't care, and do slightly forced comedy moments with an Arabic Edge of Destruction and Lady Peinforte. Not the best work he's done.
Anyway, the episode. This is very much an improvement on part three. The main game seems properly deadly (even if they do have to work hard to make it look like Steven and Dodo could ever be in danger - Steven's wobble at the edge is contrived, how hard can it be to hop a yard or so?). Having the games themselves be potentially fatal is much more striking than the abstract threat of not getting to the TARDIS. Cyril veers perhaps a little too close to irritating, for my money though. It's fair enough that we have to be against him, we have our heroes, but actively annoying can't be a good idea, surely? As a minor point, one I forgot yesterday, it is at least acknowledged that he was the Jack of Hearts, though there's still no explanation of why the characters look the same. Just adds to the slightly surreal atmosphere, and the enigma of the Toymaker.
Gough finally gets to do something in this episode. His scenes talking about being a bad loser are the best he has in the story. It's one of the few times we get to see him as an actual threat, genuinely all powerful and nasty, rather than just being told he is. Actions speak louder and words and his childish pettiness at his loss really work. We finally get to see him as a bored god figure, immoral and unpleasant, rather than just some alien with a nursery fetish. OK, his strained face pulling as he waits for the film insert to be cut in at the end doesn't entirely work, but that's more a fault of direction than Gough himself. The character becomes a figure of menace, showing how dangerous it is to be powerful and bored - rather than just some intergalactic Richard O'Brien/Des Lynam cross breed. He should have been out there, talking to Steven and Dodo more, threatening them and his players in the previous episodes. They've been fun, but that could have made them more dramatically satisfying and coherent.
The hopscotch is a bit of a weird finale game, btw. It's not terribly visually exciting (after all my banging on about how this story probably looks better than it sounds, the rather univentive look of this episode suggests that it would sound better than it looked. Maybe the whole story is like this, maybe not. Hard to tell, obviously). One of the clear problems of this story, as I said last time, is the lack of any real progression. The game's don't get successively harder, they all seem the same. As a result it becomes a little repetitive - We know Dodo and Steven are going to win, Steven's going to be petulant, Dodo's going to be ridiculously stupid (Honestly, she's been banging on about being nice to the Toymaker's players for three episodes, you think she'd have got the message by now. At least they were pleasant, likeable people. Cyril's a total arse, so her going back to help him is utterly insane). Still, it's more about the why, and it's entertaining in its way.
There's a clear boom mike over the robot displaying the Trilogic moves counter at one point. Bit of a shame.
The trap of the Trilogic game's final move is quite a nice idea. There really does seem no way out and the eventual solution is quite fun - yep, the Doctor's sudden ability to be Jon Culshaw comes out of nowhere rather, and considering that the script indicates that it's the Tone the Toymaker uses to move the pieces, rather than his voice specifically, the dubbing could perhaps have been dropped. It's quite nicely done for a while. Usually the pre-recorded voices in the show sound distinctly, well, pre-recorded, the Hartnell ones early in the episode here certainly do. But this one feels as if live, in the right place.
All in all, quite good fun. Surreal and strange and with a good villain. Could have been a classic if it had been about anything, or bothered with a proper plot, but, barring part three, I enjoyed it and think it's underrated these days. There's a clear set up for a sequel, but I'm sort of glad they didn't do one as it's hard to see what else the character could do apart from an exact re-run of this script. And whilst I enjoyed it, it made sure that at four episodes it didn't outstay its welcome (at six episodes, this would have been unbearable). As it is, it's a pleasant enough diversion - though it must be watched one episode at a time. Seriously.
(3/31/04 2:27 am)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Celestial Toymaker 1:
It's become rather fashionable to dislike this story. I haven't heard it in ages so I can't really comment on it as a whole, but from this episode alone it's ok.
OK, it's very hard to judge any of this from sound alone. More so than any other missing story, a lot of the weight of this has to come from the visuals. The extended Blind Man's Buff sequence, with a mute clown as one of the villains show this clearly, but the tone of the story is unwordly and strange, and we can tell from the few photographs and part four that this is, in some ways reflected and enhanced by the design.
The Toymaker himself is a slightly unexciting character idea - some bored god like being or something, it ain't entirely clear - but it's really given life by a great performance from Gough, especially on the audio. The man's voice is magnificent. Shame the character seems designed to fit the requirements of the story rather than being a character in his own right though.
It's very odd that the Doctor's met him before. It doesn't actually help the scripting all that much, seemingly just a device to short cut the exposition. We as audience members think 'Who?' when the Doctor announces they're in the realm of the Toymaker. It's nice to hear that he has a life outside of what we know, any reminder of that is good - but we feel slightly left out here, with the Doctor's foreknowledge essentially being used to try and give us a sense of threat the story otherwise wouldn't possess. And ultimately, that short-changes us. We know the Toymaker's bad from the start, because the Doctor tells us. There's nowhere for that element to go. We expect the games to be rigged. And it sidesteps the need for plotting.
The games are... well I like the Blind Man's bluff, what I can hear of it. It's quite nicely playful to start with, but the sudden seriousness of the clowns when they have to play for real is quite creepy, and you do begin to sense that there is something at stake. Steven and Dodo respond well, both displaying more personality than they've had for a while, or ever, respectively. Steven is humourless and brash, but ultimately focused and pragmatic - he knows that they it's a them or us situation. And Dodo is naive and compassionate. The game brings out the best in them.
It seems quite odd that the Toymaker gets people to play his games because he is bored - but he doesn't watch the Blind Man's Bluff. He's more interested in the Trilogic game, which is dull and repetitive, and grabs him so much he rushes through the moves when he gets tired. Is he really enjoying this at all?
I know this sounds like I'm slagging it off, but I do genuinely quite like part one. The game is engaging and the characterisation is rather fine. There's a nice, creepy cliffhanger. However, I do have a faint recollection that it all just repeats the same tricks for a couple of episodes, so my liking will possibly wane.
There isn't a lot else I can say - not much happens in this episode. It is quite nice to see one that's totally rooted outside our reality and not standard sci-fi.
Dorney
(4/3/04 3:21 am)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, I've figured out how to get my sister's computer to let me onto O:G (yay!) and so it's time for an update. I've been deliberately trying to avoid getting ahead of myself (and I did feel very ill for most of Thurs) so I'm only one episode further ahead. Should be onto Toymaker 3 later today...
The Celestial Toymaker 2:
One of the weird things about this story, so far, is that it gets a fabulous actor like Michael Gough in and then gives him nothing to do at all. It's an interesting character, and he sounds great, but he does nothing. He's just locked in a room watching the Doctor play a particularly dull boardgame - and then is completely emasculated by having the Doctor pretty much removed from the action (why do they do that, anyway - considering all the time and effort spent in recording scenes on film with Ian to give him a holiday in Reign and Crusade, and Susan likewise, how much effort would it have taken to record a few more lines of voice over from Hartnell. Isn't the whole premise of the intangible Dr a gift for the holiday-covering producers? Why only record one line from Hartnell? Grr...) Gough has nothing to do, and no-one to interact with. It seems a waste - this guy would have made a great Mavic Chen (they'd probably find it difficult to have got the three month booking, but they could have tried) Why hire someone this good if you don't get them to act?
The rest of the episode is quite good fun. I think this is one of those stories that proves you should never watch more than one episode at a time. It's how they were meant to be seen. There is an air of repetition about this episode, curiously emphasised by the recasting of Cambell Singer and Carmen Silvera (two people with the same initials... odd, but totally insignificant). With each episode filmed completely week by week, this doesn't save the production any money, as it would have done in the later years, so it's clearly a directorial choice rather than one of budget neccessity. But it's not really referred to (Dodo does say 'they look familiar', but she's referring to the playing card motif rather than them resembling the clowns), and it's not clear what it's supposed to mean. Steven and Dodo react to the games the same way, Steven all ruthless pragmatism, Dodo all naive innocence and compassion - which frankly makes her look a little stupid.
The game itself - well, the whole thing reminds me a little of the movie Cube. Seemingly random choices, death dealt out for the wrong ones through a variety of booby traps. There's something genuinely creepy about it, though once more it would have to work better on tv (bizarrely, the various explosions, slicings, shakings make no sound at all - maybe an attempt to make it look less nasty?). The whole juxtaposition of childhood symbols with gruesome death played out against a surrealistic background is rather unnerving, really.
The other characters are quite nicely written, having distinct personalities and being broadly speaking likeable - but we are carefully made to sympathise with Steven and Dodo through the queen's slightly uppity nature and their plan to sacrifice another being - the Knave - for their freedom. Having said that, they're decision to be free together or go together is rather touching.
So quite a nice episode - not vastly dramatic or anything, but tense, creepy and a little strange.
Dorney
(4/3/04 3:30 pm)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Celestial Toymaker 3:
OK, this is the episode that really explains TCT's poor reputation.
A lot of my criticisms of episode 2 still stand - Gough is still utterly wasted, even with a little more to do in this episode. But more on that later.
The general problem with this episode is... well, practically everything. Episode 1's game had novelty, 2's had a tangible sense of threat. The majority of this episode is taken up with the search for the key. And it's utterly woeful. The guest characters, Rugg and Wigg, are nicely drawn caricatures, instantly personable and likeable - but ultimately this goes for a burton when we see that the whole key search has no real dramatic or threatening base. It's just a lot of silliness. Now silliness is all well and good, but when you have an episode like this without a clear direction or purpose, then it just seems dull. It ain't going anywhere, it's just hot air to fill time. The scene isn't really about anything more than filling in time.
And that's a general problem with this episode. There's a real sense that the imagination has run out. The game is less interesting this week. The support characters, being less clearly based on totems of childhood, don't have the same creepy air. And unlike the previous guest parts, the whole thing doesn't really interest them, they care less about escaping, so Dodo and Steven's quest doesn't really seem to be in danger. With no proper opponents they're clearly going to win.
There's a faint air the script team are getting bored too. The only properly deadly part of the game, the dancing floor, is rushed through dismissively without any real interest. There's a nasty idea at the heart of it, but it doesn't get investigated - it's all well and good saying that if they lose they'll be trapped in the Toymakers reign, but that's quite an oblique context. The booby trapped chairs worked because we saw, and could be afraid of, what they did, we knew it was something bad. No-one seems to consider quite what the eternal dance could mean.
With the dance treated so perfunctorily, there then remains rather an uncomfortable five or so minutes of padding. This all has to be desperate first draft filler, really, there's no other excuse. There's loads of dialogue from Dodo, Steven and the Toymaker that fails to have any dramatic point, or takes the story forward. Wasting time, pure and simple. (This is where Gough's extra screen time comes from - but he isn't given a single line of interest or significance to say).
Steven and Dodo are still pretty much the same - her complete failure to take any of it seriously is quite annoying. Steven's almost too serious about it, and his threat of physical violence to Cyril at the end is strikingly odd. (And 'My friends call me Billy?' How could they expect not to be sued?)
I think the various bits of padding underline the problem with this story - it just isn't going anywhere. There's no heightening of the stakes, each episode is roughly the same as the next. It's a series of events, not a plot. A lot of nice ideas, but not a coherent story. We're in Feast of Steven territory here with this episode - Who has to be about something. It has to be a story, not set pieces. It's hard not to listen and think 'Honestly, what's the point?'
Dorney
(4/4/04 5:04 am)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Celestial Toymaker 4:
The worst thing about this episode is having to watch it on the Hartnell years tape. The fortunate rereleases of the Pilot episode and Crusade 3 means I haven't had to dig this video out for yonks. And blimey, is it awful. McCoy is forced to utter things like 'Wonderful stuff' at the end of the episode when he clearly hasn't watched it and doesn't care, and do slightly forced comedy moments with an Arabic Edge of Destruction and Lady Peinforte. Not the best work he's done.
Anyway, the episode. This is very much an improvement on part three. The main game seems properly deadly (even if they do have to work hard to make it look like Steven and Dodo could ever be in danger - Steven's wobble at the edge is contrived, how hard can it be to hop a yard or so?). Having the games themselves be potentially fatal is much more striking than the abstract threat of not getting to the TARDIS. Cyril veers perhaps a little too close to irritating, for my money though. It's fair enough that we have to be against him, we have our heroes, but actively annoying can't be a good idea, surely? As a minor point, one I forgot yesterday, it is at least acknowledged that he was the Jack of Hearts, though there's still no explanation of why the characters look the same. Just adds to the slightly surreal atmosphere, and the enigma of the Toymaker.
Gough finally gets to do something in this episode. His scenes talking about being a bad loser are the best he has in the story. It's one of the few times we get to see him as an actual threat, genuinely all powerful and nasty, rather than just being told he is. Actions speak louder and words and his childish pettiness at his loss really work. We finally get to see him as a bored god figure, immoral and unpleasant, rather than just some alien with a nursery fetish. OK, his strained face pulling as he waits for the film insert to be cut in at the end doesn't entirely work, but that's more a fault of direction than Gough himself. The character becomes a figure of menace, showing how dangerous it is to be powerful and bored - rather than just some intergalactic Richard O'Brien/Des Lynam cross breed. He should have been out there, talking to Steven and Dodo more, threatening them and his players in the previous episodes. They've been fun, but that could have made them more dramatically satisfying and coherent.
The hopscotch is a bit of a weird finale game, btw. It's not terribly visually exciting (after all my banging on about how this story probably looks better than it sounds, the rather univentive look of this episode suggests that it would sound better than it looked. Maybe the whole story is like this, maybe not. Hard to tell, obviously). One of the clear problems of this story, as I said last time, is the lack of any real progression. The game's don't get successively harder, they all seem the same. As a result it becomes a little repetitive - We know Dodo and Steven are going to win, Steven's going to be petulant, Dodo's going to be ridiculously stupid (Honestly, she's been banging on about being nice to the Toymaker's players for three episodes, you think she'd have got the message by now. At least they were pleasant, likeable people. Cyril's a total arse, so her going back to help him is utterly insane). Still, it's more about the why, and it's entertaining in its way.
There's a clear boom mike over the robot displaying the Trilogic moves counter at one point. Bit of a shame.
The trap of the Trilogic game's final move is quite a nice idea. There really does seem no way out and the eventual solution is quite fun - yep, the Doctor's sudden ability to be Jon Culshaw comes out of nowhere rather, and considering that the script indicates that it's the Tone the Toymaker uses to move the pieces, rather than his voice specifically, the dubbing could perhaps have been dropped. It's quite nicely done for a while. Usually the pre-recorded voices in the show sound distinctly, well, pre-recorded, the Hartnell ones early in the episode here certainly do. But this one feels as if live, in the right place.
All in all, quite good fun. Surreal and strange and with a good villain. Could have been a classic if it had been about anything, or bothered with a proper plot, but, barring part three, I enjoyed it and think it's underrated these days. There's a clear set up for a sequel, but I'm sort of glad they didn't do one as it's hard to see what else the character could do apart from an exact re-run of this script. And whilst I enjoyed it, it made sure that at four episodes it didn't outstay its welcome (at six episodes, this would have been unbearable). As it is, it's a pleasant enough diversion - though it must be watched one episode at a time. Seriously.
The Ark
Dorney
(3/26/04 8:07 am)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Ark 1:
After the slow, thought provoking drama of the last four episodes, an epic downbeat adventure and a witty romp, we're back on slightly childish territory here. The Ark is enjoyable enough, but, for this episode at least, it doesn't really seem as intelligent as the last two historicals, or as dramatic as DMP. Which after a solid run is quite disappointing. It tries to be both, but doesn't quite gell.
It's alright, though, for a family drama. Yes, you have to ignore possibly the worst guest performance to date from the Ark Commander (looking for all the world like an untalented Wilfred Bramble). But there's not much to actually dislike here. The general set up is intriguing, and the idea of the common cold being the main threat is rather a nice idea. Not much actually happens, with this episode mainly being concerned with explaining the world we are in.
Dodo - well, she remains immensely irritating at the start, but she's beginning to get better. I think the main problem is the fact she didn't have a proper intro story, so all her 'endearing' mannerisms are shoved in your face in too short a period. And I think that's a problem as well - they work far too hard to make her 'likeable', permanently unfazed and upbeat and toe-curlingly modern, to the degree that she just seems like an annoying loon who doesn't deserve to be in the TARDIS. The companions we've had before haven't wanted us to like them quite as much. As soon as she settles down in the background and doesn't try so hard she's seems to veer towards bearable. Hopefully she'll get better.
The whole episode also looks like they've had a bit of cash spent on it. The 'zoo' is wonderful, with the opening shot (and the rather sweetly off-centre captions) is particularly nice, seeming to add a reality to the show that I can't really recall. The elephant too is fab, even if it's ruined by an 'ooh, look at him' comment from Dodo. The special effects inlay of the Doctor and crew on a screen and the shrinking man are quite jarring as well, seeming to be much nicer effects than we've seen before.
Shame less money's been spent on the costumes and sets though. The Monoids look half impressive, half cack. The opening shot is rather creepy, but it's hard not to notice that it looks like a man with an eye in his mouth. The make up and mask is quite unnerving and creepy however, at least until you see them full length, when they walk as if they've got their trousers around their ankles. Likewise, there's the uncomfortable design of the human's clothing - those strange swimsuit and string combos, similar to Thal outfits. Always looks nice on the girls in the cast, so whilst they're rubbish I ain't complaining.
Nicely evocative end of episode too. Ending not on the direct threat to the regulars but a shot of the dying Earth. There are a few dodgy bits of direction in there - there's a sequence where the Doctor is explaining his voyages to the Commander, and we pan away to another discussion. But it doesn't feel far enough away. We feel we should still be able to hear the Doctor in the background, and it's painfully obvious that he hasn't been talking all the time when the camera comes back to him.
There's some interesting ideas in the story - slightly worn down by the pulp sci-fi cliched utopia feel. But the introduction of some natural conflict suggests that the next episode might smarten up and have some proper drama.
Dorney
(3/27/04 5:39 am)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Ark 2:
After having found part one a little simplistic and 'Flash Gordon' Sci-fi for kids yesterday, I'm quite pleased to say that, with the plot actually turning up this episode the story's shaping up rather nicely.
And it's certainly smarter than I gave it credit for. I wrote a review of this story for a fanzine years ago, and by chance I have it to hand. The main contention this piece has is that the Ark is about time and its effects, not just using the concept of time travel as a plot device. It's about the possible implications of travelling through time in a way the series hasn't really done (it's explored the concept of changing history, but it hasn't really dealt with how it could affect things outside of the past). And to be honest, ten years later, I still think that's very much the case. It reminds me to some degree of the first season scripts, which were more about ideas and intellectualism rather than the adventure series of the season 2 onwards. The Ark can seem dull because it isn't about action, at least for the first half. But it's got some interesting ideas going on. Dodo's cold and it's implications are the most obvious, but the double story obviously adds to this - I'm sure I'll cover this in more detail over the next couple of days. It's certainly good too to have a story without any villains. Whilst the judge bloke is against the travellers, he's never even close to being taken as the villain. Contrast with Tavannes in The Massacre - a complex character, not wholly evil, acting for what he perceives to be the general good, but still manifestly the villain. Everyone here has understandable points of view, which goes some way towards demonstrating the brains of the script.
Dodo has stopped trying to force us to like her, and as a result is much more pleasant here. The gag, repeated from part one, confusing crying and snivelling, is quite nice too. Steven gets a fab moment in this episode, railing away at the trial. The character has been slightly blanded out, sadly, becoming more a sort of one-note Star Trek heroic stereotype than the individual, brash figure of the earlier stories. Hartnell is dependable as ever, but none of the other cast members make much of an impression - the Bramble-esque commander has little to do this episode, fortunately, so we're spared too much more of his appalling performance (there's a lovely bit in part one where he seems to out fluff Hartnell, walking one way, then suddenly realising he's gone to the wrong monoid, turns back and approaches another one. Get him off my screen now!) Of course, we have the first appearance of the great Sheard, saying about one line. It's fairly traditional to rejoice about this, but he has so little to do it's a wonder why they bothered to hire another speaking actor.
Another fab moment is the cliffhanger, which is one of my favourites. There's something rather nice about the way the 'next episode' caption flashes up before we actually see what the cliffhanger is - it adds a real menace in a way, as we know we're going to see something shocking and episode concluding before we do, because we can tell that this part is at an end. It's a real grabber of an ending, helped by some wonderfully menacing music.
Lot's of great, expensive looking stuff here still - the cameras in the cells, the zoo montage, and particularly the destruction of the earth, which is original and impressive.
Not quite sure about dumping the bodies in space - after 700 years, there's going to be a lot of corpses floating about, surely?
It's a strange little story, but that hardly feels out of place in the slightly schizophrenic nature of season 3 so far - if ever a season showed how many different type of story and place the series could go, this is the one. Interesting and intelligent.
Llama Roddy
Scrutationary Archivist
(3/27/04 9:16 am)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's a real grabber of an ending, helped by some wonderfully menacing music.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Absolutely. It stuck in my head for a long time. I was delighted to find that particular piece on the Devil's Planets CD.
Dorney
(3/29/04 2:36 pm)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Ark 3:
I have to say this episode contains one of the all time great lines in Who: 'Take them off to the security kitchen.' I can't stop myself laughing when I hear that. It's almost topped by the incredibly stupid subordinate Monoid who gives Dodo way too much information, feeling all smugly pleased with himself. 'Are you up to something fishy?' Dodo asks. 'Er... no,' is the wonderful reply. God, what a supervillain he turned out to be! Again, I laughed so hard I could barely hear any of the dialogue. And 'How in space'? What are you blathering about? I almost hope the dialogue here is supposed to be comic...
It's an odd little episode, and after the quiet intelligence of the last episode, it's got a little silly again. Suddenly it's all Flash Gordon evil monsters - in deed, considering the amount of fuss made in Galaxy 4 concerning appearances it's more than a little disappointing that the Monoids turn out to be evil. However, I do have to say that, with them moving less, they are almost effective - the one eye is quite creepy.
But the morality and scripting has gone all silly. The chief Monoid calls a huddle of his entire team in a sort of Scooby Doo plan style moment - of course, considering there's no-one who can listen in this is utterly pointless. And considering that the revolution has only taken place recently - what's Dodo's cold been up to for 700 years? If it revived sooner, why is the revolt only recent?
And then there's the problems of direction and design. The slave who can't tell where the chief monoid points (it's clear from the angle of the screen he sees that he'd have to tell it's the statue). The ludicrous sequence when the 2nd monoid kills his guardian companion a few feet away from the rocket pod. But when Dodo and the Doctor find the body, the pod is much further away. Nice of the Monoid to give his report a long preamble so that he can be killed without giving too much away... And the fact that the fashions on the Ark haven't changed in 700 years.
Plotwise it's just not that interesting. 1-2 had an interesting, thoughtful premise and this is just dumbing it down. It's entertaining enough, but it's fairly standard stuff - nasty aliens, good but bland humans, boring plots. The first few minutes are quite tense, with quite an interesting mystery - why is the Ark empty, why is the statue a Monoid - but ultimately this feels tacked on. There's no good reason for the areas the crew visit to be empty. The moment the mystery is solved they're full of Monoids. It's contrived to add tension, but makes no sense in the longer sense.
The regulars all make no impression here either. Steven and Dodo seem to be given no personality at all, and even the Doctor takes some time to be interesting. None of the guest human's make any impression, or seem to have any personalities at all. No wonder the Monoids took over. At least they have character.
The Refusians - well, so soon after the Visians another invisible monster smacks of laziness. The slow reveal of the concept is incredibly similar. The Refusians are as 1-dimensionally good as the Monoids are 1-dimensionally bad. You can tell from the voices, it's that simplistically drawn. The Monoids plan to attract the inhabitants by smashing vases is quite fun, and does portray them as thoughtless thugs. But I'm not sure this really squares with what we see of them in the first half.
A so so episode that seems all the more disappointing for wasting a really thoughtful premise (how does time affect people? A real illustration of how much can change over time by limiting it to the same location), some great special effects for the time (most of the wipes and inlays, and particularly the instant food seem much better and more expensive than anything we've seen in the show to date) and for the fact it is so average after stuff that's far more interesting. Sort of like the Space Museum. The script is ok, and it's all entertaining enough. It just could have been so much more interesting.
Edited by: Dorney at: 3/30/04 12:57 am
Dorney
(3/30/04 8:25 am)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Ark 4:
How did the Monoids ever managed to conquer the humans? In this episode and the last they can't wait to blab their plans out loud for everyone to hear.
And whilst we're on the subject, does Dodo have no taste in clothes at all? Does she seriously walk into the TARDIS wardrobe and just look for the worst outfit possible? And for that matter why does the Doctor have these atrocious clothes in his collection? Susan was quite sedate in her tastes...
Maybe I should get on to the episode proper. There's a lot of the proverbial sound and fury signifying nothing in this episode. There's some clear contrivance in trying to make it seem as if Steven has something to do - there's a huge amount of weight and emphasis placed on his leading the breakout of the... er... security kitchen. However, the moment they escape they meet the slave guardian who is now distraught that the Monoids have gone. If Steven didn't organise the escape, then this guy would almost certainly just have released them anyway. The crew do nothing with the time they've gained, so to all intents and purposes this little subplot fails to impact on the main storyline in any way.
The Doctor and Dodo get more to do (though they never leave each others side, so it's increasingly clear there's only a role for one of the regular's in this episode). Hartnell gets some lovely wordplay with the Monoids, alluding to the Refusians ability in order to lie without lying. They also find the bomb's location, through the stupidity of Monoid 1. But again, that's pretty much it (Dodo in particular gets lost).
Monoid 1 is rather fun. His Zippyesque voice, combined with his ott and melodramatic behaviour and hammy hand gestures make him come across an engagingly camp figure, a daft if rather rubbish villain who never really seems to be up to the required level of competence for his job. In fact, the end with the suggestion of the humans and Monoids looking for peace is quite sweet - and especially, the rather regretful and distraugh Monoid (looks like number 4) who kills 1 and drops his gun, seemingly horrified by the sheer waste of it all. Considering the cartoon silliness of the episode, this is a surprisingly nice moment. It suggests that possibly the reason the Monoid revolt was so late was because it was entirely instigated by Monoid 1 as a charismatic dictator figure, and that the Monoids aren't an inherently bad people. Something in the sweeping, cutting gestures of Monoid 1 remind me of Adolf Hitler in a way.
I may be reading too much into this.
The humans don't come over too well. The Slave Monoid is a nice step towards characterisation, seeming to have gone all Stockholm Syndrome and fallen in love with his captors - but it isn't done terribly well. The other humans again make no impression - apart from the girl one, who looks a bit shiny. For no reason I can fathom, I thought this made her look quite attractive. But that's probably more information than you want.
The Refusians - they can fit into the pod, and yet they can lift the entire statue (and considering the shot if it being lifted, they must have extendable arms or something, or can fly... otherwise it's physically impossible for them to lift it that much.)
There's a bizarre moment when we cut to no 1 putting down a chicken leg. Where's his mouth, hmm?
There's a couple of nice bits of direction and special effect here. The moment when the shiny attractive female starts to look for the bomb and steps out of shot to reveal the statue (where we know the Bomb is) is a great piece of dramatic irony. And the foreshortening of the landing/launch of the pods with a Monoid moving around in the background is superb. This really is the most impressively made story for a while, and these are great effects in the context. OK, when the three pods launch we can see the wires, but this is a minor gripe when the rest of it seems, well, revolutionary.
An nice enough little tale, with some good ideas, and some hilariously daft bits of stupidity. A story that, when it's good is very good, and when it's bad it's hysterical. So you're either entranced by its intelligence or laughing at its daftness. So permanently happy. Shame that the central premise - seeing how the Doctor's actions affect and change the world he lands in - is slightly ignored with the cause of all the pain and suffering being entirely down to Dodo is slightly glossed over (it's a shock she even wants to get back in the TARDIS at the end - she's caused several deaths and nearly destroyed the entire human race, as well as potentially been stranded on an isolated planet with just an old alien and several invisible people. It's not the best first trip you could have had, is it, dear?)
(3/26/04 8:07 am)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Ark 1:
After the slow, thought provoking drama of the last four episodes, an epic downbeat adventure and a witty romp, we're back on slightly childish territory here. The Ark is enjoyable enough, but, for this episode at least, it doesn't really seem as intelligent as the last two historicals, or as dramatic as DMP. Which after a solid run is quite disappointing. It tries to be both, but doesn't quite gell.
It's alright, though, for a family drama. Yes, you have to ignore possibly the worst guest performance to date from the Ark Commander (looking for all the world like an untalented Wilfred Bramble). But there's not much to actually dislike here. The general set up is intriguing, and the idea of the common cold being the main threat is rather a nice idea. Not much actually happens, with this episode mainly being concerned with explaining the world we are in.
Dodo - well, she remains immensely irritating at the start, but she's beginning to get better. I think the main problem is the fact she didn't have a proper intro story, so all her 'endearing' mannerisms are shoved in your face in too short a period. And I think that's a problem as well - they work far too hard to make her 'likeable', permanently unfazed and upbeat and toe-curlingly modern, to the degree that she just seems like an annoying loon who doesn't deserve to be in the TARDIS. The companions we've had before haven't wanted us to like them quite as much. As soon as she settles down in the background and doesn't try so hard she's seems to veer towards bearable. Hopefully she'll get better.
The whole episode also looks like they've had a bit of cash spent on it. The 'zoo' is wonderful, with the opening shot (and the rather sweetly off-centre captions) is particularly nice, seeming to add a reality to the show that I can't really recall. The elephant too is fab, even if it's ruined by an 'ooh, look at him' comment from Dodo. The special effects inlay of the Doctor and crew on a screen and the shrinking man are quite jarring as well, seeming to be much nicer effects than we've seen before.
Shame less money's been spent on the costumes and sets though. The Monoids look half impressive, half cack. The opening shot is rather creepy, but it's hard not to notice that it looks like a man with an eye in his mouth. The make up and mask is quite unnerving and creepy however, at least until you see them full length, when they walk as if they've got their trousers around their ankles. Likewise, there's the uncomfortable design of the human's clothing - those strange swimsuit and string combos, similar to Thal outfits. Always looks nice on the girls in the cast, so whilst they're rubbish I ain't complaining.
Nicely evocative end of episode too. Ending not on the direct threat to the regulars but a shot of the dying Earth. There are a few dodgy bits of direction in there - there's a sequence where the Doctor is explaining his voyages to the Commander, and we pan away to another discussion. But it doesn't feel far enough away. We feel we should still be able to hear the Doctor in the background, and it's painfully obvious that he hasn't been talking all the time when the camera comes back to him.
There's some interesting ideas in the story - slightly worn down by the pulp sci-fi cliched utopia feel. But the introduction of some natural conflict suggests that the next episode might smarten up and have some proper drama.
Dorney
(3/27/04 5:39 am)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Ark 2:
After having found part one a little simplistic and 'Flash Gordon' Sci-fi for kids yesterday, I'm quite pleased to say that, with the plot actually turning up this episode the story's shaping up rather nicely.
And it's certainly smarter than I gave it credit for. I wrote a review of this story for a fanzine years ago, and by chance I have it to hand. The main contention this piece has is that the Ark is about time and its effects, not just using the concept of time travel as a plot device. It's about the possible implications of travelling through time in a way the series hasn't really done (it's explored the concept of changing history, but it hasn't really dealt with how it could affect things outside of the past). And to be honest, ten years later, I still think that's very much the case. It reminds me to some degree of the first season scripts, which were more about ideas and intellectualism rather than the adventure series of the season 2 onwards. The Ark can seem dull because it isn't about action, at least for the first half. But it's got some interesting ideas going on. Dodo's cold and it's implications are the most obvious, but the double story obviously adds to this - I'm sure I'll cover this in more detail over the next couple of days. It's certainly good too to have a story without any villains. Whilst the judge bloke is against the travellers, he's never even close to being taken as the villain. Contrast with Tavannes in The Massacre - a complex character, not wholly evil, acting for what he perceives to be the general good, but still manifestly the villain. Everyone here has understandable points of view, which goes some way towards demonstrating the brains of the script.
Dodo has stopped trying to force us to like her, and as a result is much more pleasant here. The gag, repeated from part one, confusing crying and snivelling, is quite nice too. Steven gets a fab moment in this episode, railing away at the trial. The character has been slightly blanded out, sadly, becoming more a sort of one-note Star Trek heroic stereotype than the individual, brash figure of the earlier stories. Hartnell is dependable as ever, but none of the other cast members make much of an impression - the Bramble-esque commander has little to do this episode, fortunately, so we're spared too much more of his appalling performance (there's a lovely bit in part one where he seems to out fluff Hartnell, walking one way, then suddenly realising he's gone to the wrong monoid, turns back and approaches another one. Get him off my screen now!) Of course, we have the first appearance of the great Sheard, saying about one line. It's fairly traditional to rejoice about this, but he has so little to do it's a wonder why they bothered to hire another speaking actor.
Another fab moment is the cliffhanger, which is one of my favourites. There's something rather nice about the way the 'next episode' caption flashes up before we actually see what the cliffhanger is - it adds a real menace in a way, as we know we're going to see something shocking and episode concluding before we do, because we can tell that this part is at an end. It's a real grabber of an ending, helped by some wonderfully menacing music.
Lot's of great, expensive looking stuff here still - the cameras in the cells, the zoo montage, and particularly the destruction of the earth, which is original and impressive.
Not quite sure about dumping the bodies in space - after 700 years, there's going to be a lot of corpses floating about, surely?
It's a strange little story, but that hardly feels out of place in the slightly schizophrenic nature of season 3 so far - if ever a season showed how many different type of story and place the series could go, this is the one. Interesting and intelligent.
Llama Roddy
Scrutationary Archivist
(3/27/04 9:16 am)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's a real grabber of an ending, helped by some wonderfully menacing music.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Absolutely. It stuck in my head for a long time. I was delighted to find that particular piece on the Devil's Planets CD.
Dorney
(3/29/04 2:36 pm)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Ark 3:
I have to say this episode contains one of the all time great lines in Who: 'Take them off to the security kitchen.' I can't stop myself laughing when I hear that. It's almost topped by the incredibly stupid subordinate Monoid who gives Dodo way too much information, feeling all smugly pleased with himself. 'Are you up to something fishy?' Dodo asks. 'Er... no,' is the wonderful reply. God, what a supervillain he turned out to be! Again, I laughed so hard I could barely hear any of the dialogue. And 'How in space'? What are you blathering about? I almost hope the dialogue here is supposed to be comic...
It's an odd little episode, and after the quiet intelligence of the last episode, it's got a little silly again. Suddenly it's all Flash Gordon evil monsters - in deed, considering the amount of fuss made in Galaxy 4 concerning appearances it's more than a little disappointing that the Monoids turn out to be evil. However, I do have to say that, with them moving less, they are almost effective - the one eye is quite creepy.
But the morality and scripting has gone all silly. The chief Monoid calls a huddle of his entire team in a sort of Scooby Doo plan style moment - of course, considering there's no-one who can listen in this is utterly pointless. And considering that the revolution has only taken place recently - what's Dodo's cold been up to for 700 years? If it revived sooner, why is the revolt only recent?
And then there's the problems of direction and design. The slave who can't tell where the chief monoid points (it's clear from the angle of the screen he sees that he'd have to tell it's the statue). The ludicrous sequence when the 2nd monoid kills his guardian companion a few feet away from the rocket pod. But when Dodo and the Doctor find the body, the pod is much further away. Nice of the Monoid to give his report a long preamble so that he can be killed without giving too much away... And the fact that the fashions on the Ark haven't changed in 700 years.
Plotwise it's just not that interesting. 1-2 had an interesting, thoughtful premise and this is just dumbing it down. It's entertaining enough, but it's fairly standard stuff - nasty aliens, good but bland humans, boring plots. The first few minutes are quite tense, with quite an interesting mystery - why is the Ark empty, why is the statue a Monoid - but ultimately this feels tacked on. There's no good reason for the areas the crew visit to be empty. The moment the mystery is solved they're full of Monoids. It's contrived to add tension, but makes no sense in the longer sense.
The regulars all make no impression here either. Steven and Dodo seem to be given no personality at all, and even the Doctor takes some time to be interesting. None of the guest human's make any impression, or seem to have any personalities at all. No wonder the Monoids took over. At least they have character.
The Refusians - well, so soon after the Visians another invisible monster smacks of laziness. The slow reveal of the concept is incredibly similar. The Refusians are as 1-dimensionally good as the Monoids are 1-dimensionally bad. You can tell from the voices, it's that simplistically drawn. The Monoids plan to attract the inhabitants by smashing vases is quite fun, and does portray them as thoughtless thugs. But I'm not sure this really squares with what we see of them in the first half.
A so so episode that seems all the more disappointing for wasting a really thoughtful premise (how does time affect people? A real illustration of how much can change over time by limiting it to the same location), some great special effects for the time (most of the wipes and inlays, and particularly the instant food seem much better and more expensive than anything we've seen in the show to date) and for the fact it is so average after stuff that's far more interesting. Sort of like the Space Museum. The script is ok, and it's all entertaining enough. It just could have been so much more interesting.
Edited by: Dorney at: 3/30/04 12:57 am
Dorney
(3/30/04 8:25 am)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Ark 4:
How did the Monoids ever managed to conquer the humans? In this episode and the last they can't wait to blab their plans out loud for everyone to hear.
And whilst we're on the subject, does Dodo have no taste in clothes at all? Does she seriously walk into the TARDIS wardrobe and just look for the worst outfit possible? And for that matter why does the Doctor have these atrocious clothes in his collection? Susan was quite sedate in her tastes...
Maybe I should get on to the episode proper. There's a lot of the proverbial sound and fury signifying nothing in this episode. There's some clear contrivance in trying to make it seem as if Steven has something to do - there's a huge amount of weight and emphasis placed on his leading the breakout of the... er... security kitchen. However, the moment they escape they meet the slave guardian who is now distraught that the Monoids have gone. If Steven didn't organise the escape, then this guy would almost certainly just have released them anyway. The crew do nothing with the time they've gained, so to all intents and purposes this little subplot fails to impact on the main storyline in any way.
The Doctor and Dodo get more to do (though they never leave each others side, so it's increasingly clear there's only a role for one of the regular's in this episode). Hartnell gets some lovely wordplay with the Monoids, alluding to the Refusians ability in order to lie without lying. They also find the bomb's location, through the stupidity of Monoid 1. But again, that's pretty much it (Dodo in particular gets lost).
Monoid 1 is rather fun. His Zippyesque voice, combined with his ott and melodramatic behaviour and hammy hand gestures make him come across an engagingly camp figure, a daft if rather rubbish villain who never really seems to be up to the required level of competence for his job. In fact, the end with the suggestion of the humans and Monoids looking for peace is quite sweet - and especially, the rather regretful and distraugh Monoid (looks like number 4) who kills 1 and drops his gun, seemingly horrified by the sheer waste of it all. Considering the cartoon silliness of the episode, this is a surprisingly nice moment. It suggests that possibly the reason the Monoid revolt was so late was because it was entirely instigated by Monoid 1 as a charismatic dictator figure, and that the Monoids aren't an inherently bad people. Something in the sweeping, cutting gestures of Monoid 1 remind me of Adolf Hitler in a way.
I may be reading too much into this.
The humans don't come over too well. The Slave Monoid is a nice step towards characterisation, seeming to have gone all Stockholm Syndrome and fallen in love with his captors - but it isn't done terribly well. The other humans again make no impression - apart from the girl one, who looks a bit shiny. For no reason I can fathom, I thought this made her look quite attractive. But that's probably more information than you want.
The Refusians - they can fit into the pod, and yet they can lift the entire statue (and considering the shot if it being lifted, they must have extendable arms or something, or can fly... otherwise it's physically impossible for them to lift it that much.)
There's a bizarre moment when we cut to no 1 putting down a chicken leg. Where's his mouth, hmm?
There's a couple of nice bits of direction and special effect here. The moment when the shiny attractive female starts to look for the bomb and steps out of shot to reveal the statue (where we know the Bomb is) is a great piece of dramatic irony. And the foreshortening of the landing/launch of the pods with a Monoid moving around in the background is superb. This really is the most impressively made story for a while, and these are great effects in the context. OK, when the three pods launch we can see the wires, but this is a minor gripe when the rest of it seems, well, revolutionary.
An nice enough little tale, with some good ideas, and some hilariously daft bits of stupidity. A story that, when it's good is very good, and when it's bad it's hysterical. So you're either entranced by its intelligence or laughing at its daftness. So permanently happy. Shame that the central premise - seeing how the Doctor's actions affect and change the world he lands in - is slightly ignored with the cause of all the pain and suffering being entirely down to Dodo is slightly glossed over (it's a shock she even wants to get back in the TARDIS at the end - she's caused several deaths and nearly destroyed the entire human race, as well as potentially been stranded on an isolated planet with just an old alien and several invisible people. It's not the best first trip you could have had, is it, dear?)
The Massacre
Dorney
(3/22/04 11:30 am)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Massacre 1:
It must have been quite tricky figuring out how to follow the biggest Doctor Who story ever. I'm not sure that a historical barely featuring the Doctor would ever have been the logical choice, but it turns out it's bang on the money.
There are several reasons why it works. One is that it doesn't refer back to the previous script at all. This is a good thing. There's something awkward about stories carried on to the first few minutes of another episode - but with nowhere to go. Think of the Earthshock hangover, or the Tikka to Ride episode of Red Dwarf. The latter is the best example. There's no way that the resolution has enough material to take up an episode, so it's uncomfortably dropped in right at the start of a completely unrelated story. Imagine how poor a 'Well, where are we now we've defeated the Daleks' type scene would have been. By choosing not to make it a direct follow on, we are distanced from the previous script.
And that's the other important factor. The script doesn't try and sell itself as 'another exciting adventure with the Doctor and his companion'. It doesn't try to compete with it's predecessor, cos it knows it can't match it for spectacle. So it goes for a quiet understated episode, filled with exploratory tensions.
However, one thing it does keep up is the tone. Whilst this is by no means as dark an episode as its predecessor, it's serious in execution in a manner that is reminiscent of it. A wacky adventure like the Myth Makers would just have felt wrong in this context.
So it essentially works as a follow up by not trying to top it, nor undercut it, but play out using different strengths. Serious drama, wordiness and slow quiet tension weren't exactly DMPs trademarks.
The episode is very nicely done. The basic unfamiliar setting is sketched out elegantly and quickly, establishing the tensions of the time and the resulting net Steven is clearly about to find himself in is obvious. There's a sense that the plot proper is holding off til next week - the majority of this episode takes place in the pub and is concerned with the background to the story rather than plot per se. Of course, the real kicker is the cliffhanger. It's a real shame we know that this isn't the Doctor, as it's the basic twist of the story (and one the BBC audio doesn't entirely hide) and it's quite an interesting take on the fairly traditional duplicate hero tale of practically every sci-fi tv show going (I can't think of another which doesn't want us to know it's about a duplicate, of the top of my head).
The relationship between Steven and the Doctor is pleasingly warm, relaxed and trusting here too. It seems like a couple of good friends, comfortable with each other. I've really taken to Steven. He a little rough and ready, but ultimately honest and good natured.
I think I've said just about all I can think of for now. As I say, it's a quiet one without too much going on, but what goes on is interesting and intriguing. There's a good sense of foreboding, a la Myth Makers, but we're not quite sure what about due to the obscurity of the events in question. It's quiet, but there is a real air of something explosive lurking behind the scenes, a real underlying tension. It feels like its going somewhere.
It's not exactly I can't wait til the next part sort of episode, but it doesn't put you off either. Good, well-performed, well-written stuff.
Dorney
(3/23/04 11:12 am)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Massacre 2:
It's becoming increasingly clear that this story is really Doctor Who. It's very good, but it does feel rather like a straight drama about the historical events rather than proper Who. The lack of Hartnell in any significant role for the first two episodes obviously contributes to this, but there's also a degree of it with Steven. The historical stories have tended on the whole to be seen through the context of a sci-fi show - so with The Aztecs/Myth Makers for example, the foreknowledge is important. There's little about Steven's words or deeds here that mark him out as someone from another time. Make him a genuinely lost Englishman and his entire role, so far, wouldn't change.
What shouldn't be ignored though is that it's a fine piece of historical drama. I am genuinely reminded of I Clavdivs, here. There's a well realised world of corruption and plotting filled with wordy complex dialogue and great actors here. The political unrest and religous differences are complicated, but understandable if you concentrate (it'd be so much easier if we had a picture to focus on, but ah well). This is a story where you have to pay attention or you'll be lost.
The characters are wonderful, three dimensional, detailed and human. Gaston's rejection of Steven and the contrasting trust of Nicholas is understandable and real (and God bless the writers for not having Steven do an Ian and be suddenly the best swordsman in the country). The air of virtue misunderstood, people acting with the best intentions yet inviting disaster gives the whole script its downbeat tragic air.
This is the episode where the big names turn up (the rule about holding off the most interesting characters working to full effect). Leonard Sachs is good as De Coligny, if nothing spectacular. Tavanne is the great Andre Morrell of course, which is immediately for the best, especially on audio where his amazing voice has full reign. Whilst the story sides with the victims rather than the perpetrators, the Catholics aren't written as cliched villains. They're made to be just as real as the Hugenots.
The plot racks up a bit and if you can follow it is really quite tense. I remember reading about the cliffhanger in a book somewhere or other before hearing the story, or knowing the context, and thought it sounded rather rubbish. In it's proper place it does exactly what it wants to do - it hooks you for next week. The looming darkness of the script is enthralling.
Steven is very much the hero here. He doesn't quite feel like the belligerent, leap before you look Steven we've got used to. But he carries the story well, acting as our way in to the world, and obviously carries our sympathies as he finds himself lost in the plots of others - trying to do the best, but caught out by circumstance.
The Abbott subplot is intriguing - and there's some excellent sleight of hand here to convince us that this actually is the Doctor. However, it looks like we're going to have to wait til next week to get a good look at the Abbott.
A fine solid episode. The plot is progressing nicely, with the tension tightening and the air of doom getting ever more cloying. Shame it isn't really Doctor Who, but when it's this good who's complaining?
Dorney
(3/24/04 5:04 am)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Massacre 3:
One of the many myths Dr Who has propagated is this: Hartnell's performance as the Abbot of Amboise, with nary a stutter, fluff or fumble, proves that all the hmming and stumbling in the Doctor's dialogue was deliberate.
Balls.
There might be some weight to this suggestion if the Abbot had as much focus in the Massacre as the Doctor does in a regular episode. But he just doesn't. The Abbot appears for all of about six or seven minutes in the entire story. Most of it is this episode, but it's only really two scenes lasting no more than five minutes or so, all in the one room. Of course Hartnell would find it easier to remember substantially fewer lines, especially when he wouldn't have to worry about moving around the sets too much. It's a completely different set of rules he has to play within.
It's a bit of a shame that the Abbot is featured so little. There's only so much of him we can see, obviously, because of the slight of hand about whether it is or isn't the Doctor (there's a great line from Tavannes where he says that everything has gone wrong since the Abbot arrived, which really seems to underline the 'he's really the Doctor' hypothesis. The side effect of this is that he comes across as a slight character, tangential to the main story. Hartnell's fine in the part, but he isn't really given enough to chew on to really shine and the Abbot is completely swallowed by the presence and dominance of Tavannes. It must have been weird for Hartnell - not on holiday or unwell, but to all intents and purposes a supporting performer in his own show.
Having said that - this is the fifth episode in a row that is Hartnell light. Maybe he was wearing down. Dunno. Whatever, the thread of the plot is nicely done, and the death of the Abbot would have to have shocked the audience (after dmp they could probably believe the Doctor could be killed). Cunningly the death is also off screen, allowing us to think 'well maybe he's tricked them all'. It's a fabulous cliffhanger, if a little brutal. Like Myth Makers there is a portentous air to the story now, everything's been stretched to breaking point and we know something's gotta give.
The story ticks along nicely in this episode. The obscurity of the events ensures that the twists of the plot are as unpredictable to us as in a sci-fi script. The build up to the assassination attempt is played well, with lots of last minute tension and we really don't know whether it's going to end with De Coligny alive or dead.
Steven comes over well as a good solid, if not terribly exciting hero. He's a little one note good and earnest here, and I slightly miss his edgier brashness from earlier stories, but he consistently proves himself brave and resourceful. He also never quite interacts with the plot, which perhaps adds to that faint feeling I get that he doesn't quite work as well as everyone says here. He seems to affect the world but again it's slight of hand (for all his fuss about 'the sea beggar for two episodes', the assassination attempt still takes place, and is foiled by chance rather than his intervention - his only real interference is totally indirect, influencing the excecution of the Abbot, but it's easy to suspect that that could have happened without him). So whilst I like Steven in the story it's a bit hard to take him as a proper heroic figure - because he doesn't really get anything done.
Anne is a bit generic here, so I'm not sure why they thought she should be a companion. She's nice enough, but she doesn't leap out. The only reason seems that they needed a new companion and she's the only young female in the story.
Most of my other criticism's still stand. It's a fine bit of acting and writing, but without the Doctor and without Steven connecting with the period this episode doesn't entirely feel like a proper piece of Who. Fortunately, I love good stories well told, and this certainly is. In many ways it's a nice break.
Dorney
(3/25/04 2:56 pm)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Massacre 4:
Well, that's a bit good.
As finale's go, the Massacre 4 does deliver rather well. Suddenly the story is put rather more into the context of Dr Who for this episode - through Steven's clear sense of loss and hopelessness, his uncertain future, and the issues regarding the changing of history. Admittedly, this isn't entirely integrated into the plot proper, but it does shift the story as a whole just enough into being actual Who.
The most interesting aspect of this episode is the reaction Tavanne has. Considering the fact that this man has been the closest thing we have to a villain for the story, his horror at the potential death of innocents gives him a valuable depth, similar to the moral complexity the Huegenots have. We see that he is a villain through circumstance rather than natural inclination. His time and place rather than his morals.
Generally, the episode only really roughly sketches out the conclusions for the guest cast, rushing a touch, focusing for the most part on the Doctor and Steven. It's only been twelve hours or so since I heard this episode and already I couldn't really recall if De Coligny and the protestants actually appeared. In deed, the offstage enactment of the Massacre itself is surprising to some degree, but it's probably more palatable left to our imagination than to have the senseless brutality against people we've grown to like enacted. That would have required a nasty edge that I'm pleased Dr Who doesn't possess.
Steven and the Doctor remain the focus for the script though. In some ways this episode feels like the Aztecs in microcosm, the Doctor having to make similar points to Steven, just in truncated form. The Doctor's panic on learning the date brings us back to the self-interest of the character, after the selflessness of DMP. It's perfectly in character. The Doctor has no choice but to get away quickly, he can't stop the mob. The abandoning of Anne is perhaps the only weak note, glossed over slightly with the Dodo nonsense. It does seem harsh that he blatantly refuses to save someone, more akin to the 1st season Doctor than the cuddly loon we've come to know.
It's also a shame that this episode completely fails to bother explaining what he's been up to for three episodes worth of material. It always sounds like he's been up to something - Preslin talks about "hoping his plan works" in part one, and the Doctor here claims to have "been delayed". Doing what exactly? Given his later regenerations and miracle revivals, it does almost seem possible that he WAS the Abbot and faked his own death - bar his ignorance of the date, this seems just as plausible an explanation as the non-explanation we are offered.
The final scene in the TARDIS takes nearly ten minutes in total. The confrontation between Steven and the Doctor is wonderful, cut to the bone and taut. I have really rather warmed to Steven, and the scenes of his righteous anger are compelling. Shame that after his storming out, his return also has no explanation - it's seems to be not just the policemen because he says he'll explain later... Likewise, the Hartnell elegy to the companions is touching - but there is the sneaking suspicion that it's there cos they ran out of script that week.
Dodo enters and - well, she has to be the most instantly dislikeable companion ever. She's like a companion designed by commitee. Everything fits on paper - modern, trendy, young girl, ballsy and vivacious. Just it all fits together into the worst entrance for any companion. I may warm to her over the next few stories, but here she's so irritantingly up, and wacky and loud and positive and 'sixties' it makes me want to throw up. With each of the other two proper companions to join, we've been given time to warm to them, get used to them, whereas Dodo feels like she's been dumped on us. She's completely unbelievable - runs into a police box looking for help for some poor kid, it's got a vast room inside and she doesn't blink? Some old bloke lives inside and tells her that it travels in time and space and no reaction? She get's kidnapped, that she can't go back and doesn't care? Told she's travelling through time and only then says in a hilarious understatement 'Hold on, something's funny here.' It's just too rushed. We don't really want to spend time with this girl. That ain't a good thing.
edited to add: one thing I meant to say, but kept forgetting. I don't know if it's an idiosyncracy of this particular audio release, and they were there on transmission, but there are no cliffhanger reprises in the audio. This further emphasises the sense of it being a proper serious drama as each episode begins on a fresh new day, feeling like four self contained 'acts' rather than four parts.
(3/22/04 11:30 am)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Massacre 1:
It must have been quite tricky figuring out how to follow the biggest Doctor Who story ever. I'm not sure that a historical barely featuring the Doctor would ever have been the logical choice, but it turns out it's bang on the money.
There are several reasons why it works. One is that it doesn't refer back to the previous script at all. This is a good thing. There's something awkward about stories carried on to the first few minutes of another episode - but with nowhere to go. Think of the Earthshock hangover, or the Tikka to Ride episode of Red Dwarf. The latter is the best example. There's no way that the resolution has enough material to take up an episode, so it's uncomfortably dropped in right at the start of a completely unrelated story. Imagine how poor a 'Well, where are we now we've defeated the Daleks' type scene would have been. By choosing not to make it a direct follow on, we are distanced from the previous script.
And that's the other important factor. The script doesn't try and sell itself as 'another exciting adventure with the Doctor and his companion'. It doesn't try to compete with it's predecessor, cos it knows it can't match it for spectacle. So it goes for a quiet understated episode, filled with exploratory tensions.
However, one thing it does keep up is the tone. Whilst this is by no means as dark an episode as its predecessor, it's serious in execution in a manner that is reminiscent of it. A wacky adventure like the Myth Makers would just have felt wrong in this context.
So it essentially works as a follow up by not trying to top it, nor undercut it, but play out using different strengths. Serious drama, wordiness and slow quiet tension weren't exactly DMPs trademarks.
The episode is very nicely done. The basic unfamiliar setting is sketched out elegantly and quickly, establishing the tensions of the time and the resulting net Steven is clearly about to find himself in is obvious. There's a sense that the plot proper is holding off til next week - the majority of this episode takes place in the pub and is concerned with the background to the story rather than plot per se. Of course, the real kicker is the cliffhanger. It's a real shame we know that this isn't the Doctor, as it's the basic twist of the story (and one the BBC audio doesn't entirely hide) and it's quite an interesting take on the fairly traditional duplicate hero tale of practically every sci-fi tv show going (I can't think of another which doesn't want us to know it's about a duplicate, of the top of my head).
The relationship between Steven and the Doctor is pleasingly warm, relaxed and trusting here too. It seems like a couple of good friends, comfortable with each other. I've really taken to Steven. He a little rough and ready, but ultimately honest and good natured.
I think I've said just about all I can think of for now. As I say, it's a quiet one without too much going on, but what goes on is interesting and intriguing. There's a good sense of foreboding, a la Myth Makers, but we're not quite sure what about due to the obscurity of the events in question. It's quiet, but there is a real air of something explosive lurking behind the scenes, a real underlying tension. It feels like its going somewhere.
It's not exactly I can't wait til the next part sort of episode, but it doesn't put you off either. Good, well-performed, well-written stuff.
Dorney
(3/23/04 11:12 am)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Massacre 2:
It's becoming increasingly clear that this story is really Doctor Who. It's very good, but it does feel rather like a straight drama about the historical events rather than proper Who. The lack of Hartnell in any significant role for the first two episodes obviously contributes to this, but there's also a degree of it with Steven. The historical stories have tended on the whole to be seen through the context of a sci-fi show - so with The Aztecs/Myth Makers for example, the foreknowledge is important. There's little about Steven's words or deeds here that mark him out as someone from another time. Make him a genuinely lost Englishman and his entire role, so far, wouldn't change.
What shouldn't be ignored though is that it's a fine piece of historical drama. I am genuinely reminded of I Clavdivs, here. There's a well realised world of corruption and plotting filled with wordy complex dialogue and great actors here. The political unrest and religous differences are complicated, but understandable if you concentrate (it'd be so much easier if we had a picture to focus on, but ah well). This is a story where you have to pay attention or you'll be lost.
The characters are wonderful, three dimensional, detailed and human. Gaston's rejection of Steven and the contrasting trust of Nicholas is understandable and real (and God bless the writers for not having Steven do an Ian and be suddenly the best swordsman in the country). The air of virtue misunderstood, people acting with the best intentions yet inviting disaster gives the whole script its downbeat tragic air.
This is the episode where the big names turn up (the rule about holding off the most interesting characters working to full effect). Leonard Sachs is good as De Coligny, if nothing spectacular. Tavanne is the great Andre Morrell of course, which is immediately for the best, especially on audio where his amazing voice has full reign. Whilst the story sides with the victims rather than the perpetrators, the Catholics aren't written as cliched villains. They're made to be just as real as the Hugenots.
The plot racks up a bit and if you can follow it is really quite tense. I remember reading about the cliffhanger in a book somewhere or other before hearing the story, or knowing the context, and thought it sounded rather rubbish. In it's proper place it does exactly what it wants to do - it hooks you for next week. The looming darkness of the script is enthralling.
Steven is very much the hero here. He doesn't quite feel like the belligerent, leap before you look Steven we've got used to. But he carries the story well, acting as our way in to the world, and obviously carries our sympathies as he finds himself lost in the plots of others - trying to do the best, but caught out by circumstance.
The Abbott subplot is intriguing - and there's some excellent sleight of hand here to convince us that this actually is the Doctor. However, it looks like we're going to have to wait til next week to get a good look at the Abbott.
A fine solid episode. The plot is progressing nicely, with the tension tightening and the air of doom getting ever more cloying. Shame it isn't really Doctor Who, but when it's this good who's complaining?
Dorney
(3/24/04 5:04 am)
Re: Day by Day
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Massacre 3:
One of the many myths Dr Who has propagated is this: Hartnell's performance as the Abbot of Amboise, with nary a stutter, fluff or fumble, proves that all the hmming and stumbling in the Doctor's dialogue was deliberate.
Balls.
There might be some weight to this suggestion if the Abbot had as much focus in the Massacre as the Doctor does in a regular episode. But he just doesn't. The Abbot appears for all of about six or seven minutes in the entire story. Most of it is this episode, but it's only really two scenes lasting no more than five minutes or so, all in the one room. Of course Hartnell would find it easier to remember substantially fewer lines, especially when he wouldn't have to worry about moving around the sets too much. It's a completely different set of rules he has to play within.
It's a bit of a shame that the Abbot is featured so little. There's only so much of him we can see, obviously, because of the slight of hand about whether it is or isn't the Doctor (there's a great line from Tavannes where he says that everything has gone wrong since the Abbot arrived, which really seems to underline the 'he's really the Doctor' hypothesis. The side effect of this is that he comes across as a slight character, tangential to the main story. Hartnell's fine in the part, but he isn't really given enough to chew on to really shine and the Abbot is completely swallowed by the presence and dominance of Tavannes. It must have been weird for Hartnell - not on holiday or unwell, but to all intents and purposes a supporting performer in his own show.
Having said that - this is the fifth episode in a row that is Hartnell light. Maybe he was wearing down. Dunno. Whatever, the thread of the plot is nicely done, and the death of the Abbot would have to have shocked the audience (after dmp they could probably believe the Doctor could be killed). Cunningly the death is also off screen, allowing us to think 'well maybe he's tricked them all'. It's a fabulous cliffhanger, if a little brutal. Like Myth Makers there is a portentous air to the story now, everything's been stretched to breaking point and we know something's gotta give.
The story ticks along nicely in this episode. The obscurity of the events ensures that the twists of the plot are as unpredictable to us as in a sci-fi script. The build up to the assassination attempt is played well, with lots of last minute tension and we really don't know whether it's going to end with De Coligny alive or dead.
Steven comes over well as a good solid, if not terribly exciting hero. He's a little one note good and earnest here, and I slightly miss his edgier brashness from earlier stories, but he consistently proves himself brave and resourceful. He also never quite interacts with the plot, which perhaps adds to that faint feeling I get that he doesn't quite work as well as everyone says here. He seems to affect the world but again it's slight of hand (for all his fuss about 'the sea beggar for two episodes', the assassination attempt still takes place, and is foiled by chance rather than his intervention - his only real interference is totally indirect, influencing the excecution of the Abbot, but it's easy to suspect that that could have happened without him). So whilst I like Steven in the story it's a bit hard to take him as a proper heroic figure - because he doesn't really get anything done.
Anne is a bit generic here, so I'm not sure why they thought she should be a companion. She's nice enough, but she doesn't leap out. The only reason seems that they needed a new companion and she's the only young female in the story.
Most of my other criticism's still stand. It's a fine bit of acting and writing, but without the Doctor and without Steven connecting with the period this episode doesn't entirely feel like a proper piece of Who. Fortunately, I love good stories well told, and this certainly is. In many ways it's a nice break.
Dorney
(3/25/04 2:56 pm)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Massacre 4:
Well, that's a bit good.
As finale's go, the Massacre 4 does deliver rather well. Suddenly the story is put rather more into the context of Dr Who for this episode - through Steven's clear sense of loss and hopelessness, his uncertain future, and the issues regarding the changing of history. Admittedly, this isn't entirely integrated into the plot proper, but it does shift the story as a whole just enough into being actual Who.
The most interesting aspect of this episode is the reaction Tavanne has. Considering the fact that this man has been the closest thing we have to a villain for the story, his horror at the potential death of innocents gives him a valuable depth, similar to the moral complexity the Huegenots have. We see that he is a villain through circumstance rather than natural inclination. His time and place rather than his morals.
Generally, the episode only really roughly sketches out the conclusions for the guest cast, rushing a touch, focusing for the most part on the Doctor and Steven. It's only been twelve hours or so since I heard this episode and already I couldn't really recall if De Coligny and the protestants actually appeared. In deed, the offstage enactment of the Massacre itself is surprising to some degree, but it's probably more palatable left to our imagination than to have the senseless brutality against people we've grown to like enacted. That would have required a nasty edge that I'm pleased Dr Who doesn't possess.
Steven and the Doctor remain the focus for the script though. In some ways this episode feels like the Aztecs in microcosm, the Doctor having to make similar points to Steven, just in truncated form. The Doctor's panic on learning the date brings us back to the self-interest of the character, after the selflessness of DMP. It's perfectly in character. The Doctor has no choice but to get away quickly, he can't stop the mob. The abandoning of Anne is perhaps the only weak note, glossed over slightly with the Dodo nonsense. It does seem harsh that he blatantly refuses to save someone, more akin to the 1st season Doctor than the cuddly loon we've come to know.
It's also a shame that this episode completely fails to bother explaining what he's been up to for three episodes worth of material. It always sounds like he's been up to something - Preslin talks about "hoping his plan works" in part one, and the Doctor here claims to have "been delayed". Doing what exactly? Given his later regenerations and miracle revivals, it does almost seem possible that he WAS the Abbot and faked his own death - bar his ignorance of the date, this seems just as plausible an explanation as the non-explanation we are offered.
The final scene in the TARDIS takes nearly ten minutes in total. The confrontation between Steven and the Doctor is wonderful, cut to the bone and taut. I have really rather warmed to Steven, and the scenes of his righteous anger are compelling. Shame that after his storming out, his return also has no explanation - it's seems to be not just the policemen because he says he'll explain later... Likewise, the Hartnell elegy to the companions is touching - but there is the sneaking suspicion that it's there cos they ran out of script that week.
Dodo enters and - well, she has to be the most instantly dislikeable companion ever. She's like a companion designed by commitee. Everything fits on paper - modern, trendy, young girl, ballsy and vivacious. Just it all fits together into the worst entrance for any companion. I may warm to her over the next few stories, but here she's so irritantingly up, and wacky and loud and positive and 'sixties' it makes me want to throw up. With each of the other two proper companions to join, we've been given time to warm to them, get used to them, whereas Dodo feels like she's been dumped on us. She's completely unbelievable - runs into a police box looking for help for some poor kid, it's got a vast room inside and she doesn't blink? Some old bloke lives inside and tells her that it travels in time and space and no reaction? She get's kidnapped, that she can't go back and doesn't care? Told she's travelling through time and only then says in a hilarious understatement 'Hold on, something's funny here.' It's just too rushed. We don't really want to spend time with this girl. That ain't a good thing.
edited to add: one thing I meant to say, but kept forgetting. I don't know if it's an idiosyncracy of this particular audio release, and they were there on transmission, but there are no cliffhanger reprises in the audio. This further emphasises the sense of it being a proper serious drama as each episode begins on a fresh new day, feeling like four self contained 'acts' rather than four parts.
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
The Myth Makers
Dorney
(3/5/04 3:40 pm)
The Myth Makers 1
I'm a sucker for Greek legends. Love them to pieces. Did Classical Civilizations for A-Level. However, I always feel that their representation in art/theatre etc. is always annoyingly po-faced. These stories are entertainment, pure and simple. I don't honestly think they're vastly illustrative of the human condition, they're entertainment pure and simple - ok the Illiad and Odyssey are great poetical works, but the main joy of the stories comes from a surface sense of adventure/excitement and above all fun. Which makes it a perfect match for Doctor Who.To illustrate this further, I'm prepared to admit that my definitive treatment of the Trojan War is not that of Homer - but 'Odysseus - The Greatest Hero of them All' by Toby Robinson and Richard Curtis. Fun, fast and concentrating on a rolicking good story (in a way that countless theatre companies parading endless dreary reinterpretations of Medea as a feminist icon miss). So it's not going to be a suprise that I love the Myth Makers.For some reason my CD of this is autographed by Peter Purves. I've never met the guy, never got him to autograph a thing, so this is quite a surprise for me. I assume I must have bought it like that in a shop, but I can't honestly remember.This story is a joy. I love the way it leaps head first into the centre of the war – rather like the Doctor himself does in an act of sheer madness. Within a few wonderfully melodramatic moments we know where we are and who these people fighting are, and already we’re rather pleased.The Doctor’s taking to being a God is nicely done, and one of the principle pleasures of the episode is his wit and intelligence in manipulating the situation – the ease by which at the end of the episode he’s managed to come up with a perfectly acceptable solution for everyone (albeit one ruined by the vanishing of the TARDIS) demonstrates exactly why we love the character.Steven is as brash and foolhardy as ever. I think, and in deed hope that the return of the Daleks will knock this out of him pretty promptly, as his bullheadedness could become a little tiring. It’s still a very engaging performance, and it does seem a shame we’ve lost him to corporate video hell.Vicki is treated less well, getting an off-camera sprained ankle, and as a result barely registering in this episode at all. The main brilliance of this story is in the dialogue – witty and soaring. OK, the scene between Agammemnon and Menelaus doesn’t exactly advance the plot, but it illustrates their characters, enrichening them – and doing so whilst keeping us easily entertained. If you want it in a word, the major success of this episode is in the characterisation. Not much in plot terms actually happens, but we get to know the Greeks without it feeling contrived or boring. The Doctor and Steven merge into the history rather more effectively than the last couple of historicals, seeming to drive the plot themselves (what story there is is purely based around their prescence), rather than walk through it.Episode one summed up is slight but elegant, witty, clever and fun. The cliffhanger suggests the story is going to be heading off fairly soon. Looking forward to part two (which due to my laziness in typing up this report is going to be later tonight!)
ianzpotter
Castellan(3/6/04 3:18 am)
I also love Classics and did them for A level. I suspect we can both blame Doctor Who to some degree!I'm really looking forward to getting to The Myth Makers again (I suspect it'll be all that's keeping me going through The Chase).My absolute fave version of The Odyssey by the way (though I do have a huge soft spot for the EV Rieu translation) is a radio play from the mid 80s called Odysseus on an Iceberg by Alick Rowe, it out Spooners Spooner!'Rosy-fingered Dawn had bitten her finger nails right down to the quick...'
Dorney
(3/6/04 4:20 am)
Blame Doctor Who - I think you may be right on that. The amount of things I can blame on Doctor Who... my obsessive reading, my writing, my lack of a social life...
The Myth Makers 2:
I really love the tone of this story. It's like a turn of the century drawing room comedy. This is particularly obvious with the Trojans - a squabbling family of broadly comic figures whose main function is to say lines of wit and humour. Paris comes over as a doddering posh twit along the lines of Bertie Wooster, which is of course utterly wonderful. Like the last episode, we are focused on the detailing and development of these characters - this time the Trojans rather than the Greeks, though Odysseus still has some scenery chomping. The plot is getting more defined, returning to the old 'need to escape' story of the first season, with the focus being the regular's attempts to pass through history unscathed. Sure it's slight, but there is an underlying tension generated by our foreknowledge.I notice in a few of the reviews of this story - the Pocket Essentials one most clearly - there is some criticism of the fact that the story has variable tone. OK, so far there hasn't been much darkness, but our knowledge of the fate of Troy does rather influence matters. Now for me, this is what makes the story. I think it was the League of Gentlemen who said that comedy is at it's funniest when there's something at stake - it's quite true (look how all the great sitcoms are based around dark centres, tragic personal relationships, etc.). So the encroaching menace gives weight to the humour, meaning it doesn't come over as frippery.And what wittiness it is. Paris and Steven's fight is fantastic, and the banter in Troy nothing but superb line after superb line. But, as with all good comedy drama, the comedy is there as a gloss, rather than the sole purpose. Vicki's awkwardness about the Trojan Horse underlines the dilema she's in - and the basic sadness of the story. Even as we are entertained we are reminded that Priam will be dead soon.And what with Vicki - of the magically healing ankle - getting called Cressida, and seeming to be quite taken with Troilus - he the completely invisible, the air of gloom is prevalent. Obviously, we know she leaves here, but it still doesn't seem a foregone within the story itself... all we know is that this is going to lead somewhere sad. Like the whole thing, really. Witty, yet melancholic and ultimately rather beautiful.
Tried to post this last night, but EZboard wouln't let me reply to anything for some reason...
Myth Makers 3:
I'm really begining to get quite downbeat that this story's missing from the archives. I think this is the one I'd want back most of those I've heard so far.Now, I love Marco Polo - but it does seem practically a radio play. Galaxy Four I couldn't care less about, and the odd episodes of the Crusade and Reign don't feel as important - we've got a sense of what they looked like.Something about this I really want to see. Maybe it's because the actors are so fine (Max Adrian who was always great fun, and Frances White who I completely failed to identify until after hearing this episode as the lady from May to December and Brian Blessed's sluttish daughter from I Clavdivs.) Or maybe it's the joie de vivre of the script. I don't know. I'd just love to see it done.This episode doesn't make me change my mind in the slightest. I've said that the previous two episodes are slight on plot, but thinking back I'm not so sure that's true. Historical's against a backdrop as well known as this have a real problem in this department. We know what's going on, so the traditional explanations of who everyone is, the early mysteries are obvious. We're used to the plot, so it's easy to miss it, if you like. Certainly with this story, and this episode in particular, I'm inclined to think it's just marking time til the horse turns up - but that's not entirely true. It's taking the plot, twisting and turning it, developing the characters and their relationships in a way that the plot of any regular story does. The inevitability of the outcome means that the plotting is less obvious because it therefore only seems to be about the regulars - just imagine this story taken lock stock and placed in another environment, a different world, and its plotting should be apparent. The story is still more interested in it's characters than it's plot though, but that's not a bad thing. The more likeable we find the people involved in a story the more engaged we are. Was there honestly anyone you could care two hoots about in Galaxy 4? Here you like everyone. They seem real, intelligent, funny, above all human. Even screeching Cassandra is entertaining company.It's another fine episode - there's a slight weakness that the Troilus/Vicki romance seems to leap in at the deep end. We haven't met him before, he's been offstage, so his romance with Vicki seems a bit sudden. It is however, very sweetly written and played, perhaps more so than the Susan romance, to my suprise. They knew how to do this is the old days (Leela and Andred take note). Likewise, the spiky interaction between Steven and Vicki is back in force, and you can't help but wish they'd had more than three stories together.The Doctor's wonderfully barking plan about paper darts is hilarious, and his confrontations with Odysseus - all rivalry and cynicism are the highlights of his side of the story. It's nice to see an historical character completely unimpressed by the Doctor's posturing for a change. Hartnell always seems great playing him when he was outfoxed, as he is here.The horse building seems to be acheived pretty damn quickly it must be said.And it should have been called 'Is there a Doctor in the Horse' too.
Re: Day by Day
Tried to post this last night, but EZboard wouln't let me reply to anything for some reason...Myth Makers 3:I'm really begining to get quite downbeat that this story's missing from the archives. I think this is the one I'd want back most of those I've heard so far.Now, I love Marco Polo - but it does seem practically a radio play. Galaxy Four I couldn't care less about, and the odd episodes of the Crusade and Reign don't feel as important - we've got a sense of what they looked like.Something about this I really want to see. Maybe it's because the actors are so fine (Max Adrian who was always great fun, and Frances White who I completely failed to identify until after hearing this episode as the lady from May to December and Brian Blessed's sluttish daughter from I Clavdivs.) Or maybe it's the joie de vivre of the script. I don't know. I'd just love to see it done.This episode doesn't make me change my mind in the slightest. I've said that the previous two episodes are slight on plot, but thinking back I'm not so sure that's true. Historical's against a backdrop as well known as this have a real problem in this department. We know what's going on, so the traditional explanations of who everyone is, the early mysteries are obvious. We're used to the plot, so it's easy to miss it, if you like. Certainly with this story, and this episode in particular, I'm inclined to think it's just marking time til the horse turns up - but that's not entirely true. It's taking the plot, twisting and turning it, developing the characters and their relationships in a way that the plot of any regular story does. The inevitability of the outcome means that the plotting is less obvious because it therefore only seems to be about the regulars - just imagine this story taken lock stock and placed in another environment, a different world, and its plotting should be apparent. The story is still more interested in it's characters than it's plot though, but that's not a bad thing. The more likeable we find the people involved in a story the more engaged we are. Was there honestly anyone you could care two hoots about in Galaxy 4? Here you like everyone. They seem real, intelligent, funny, above all human. Even screeching Cassandra is entertaining company.It's another fine episode - there's a slight weakness that the Troilus/Vicki romance seems to leap in at the deep end. We haven't met him before, he's been offstage, so his romance with Vicki seems a bit sudden. It is however, very sweetly written and played, perhaps more so than the Susan romance, to my suprise. They knew how to do this is the old days (Leela and Andred take note). Likewise, the spiky interaction between Steven and Vicki is back in force, and you can't help but wish they'd had more than three stories together.The Doctor's wonderfully barking plan about paper darts is hilarious, and his confrontations with Odysseus - all rivalry and cynicism are the highlights of his side of the story. It's nice to see an historical character completely unimpressed by the Doctor's posturing for a change. Hartnell always seems great playing him when he was outfoxed, as he is here.The horse building seems to be acheived pretty damn quickly it must be said.And it should have been called 'Is there a Doctor in the Horse' too.
Dorney
(3/8/04 4:11 pm)
Myth Makers 4:
Whilst this episode is still wonderful, it does rather underline the story's only flaw.It's almost as if the jokes and wit stop slap bang at the end of part three. Suddenly, it forgets to be funny. It's a slightly odd change in tone. It's not abrupt as all that, and I suspect people who have said so have watched the entire story in one go where it would be more than a little jarring, I'm prepared to admit. It's slightly taking the easy route to quit the comedy like that.It has however done it's job. We've warmed to the characters such that their casual slaying off-screen (Paris and Priam) and capture as a slave (Cassandra) is terribly sad. It does rather bring home the tragedy of war - that these are real people on both sides, real likeable people with real faults and foibles. I've warmed to them, especially the Trojans, rather more than anyone else in a historical. The burden of history on the travellers has never seemed so acute.And likewise, Vicki has obviously warmed to them as well. Her final scene with Troilus is beautifully performed and genuinely touching. I like the way that her leaving is concealed - it does look like she's left as usual. You feel sorry for Troilus as he weeps at the burning city, thinking she's gone, before the whole scene is turned around with the suprise of her appearance - the implications of which don't hit immediately. The whole departure is played in a completely different tone to the previous leavings. Those were given a good ten minutes or so each, whereas the decision to go, and any talk between the Doctor and Vicki is offscreen. His unsentamentalised and understanding explanation of what had happened when he speaks to Steven is rather brave, and ultimately says as much as the more obviously dramatic histrionics of DIOE and the Chase.There was an article on Doctor Who structure in DWM a few years back, and one of the problems it suggested was the need to have the moment of crisis at the end of part three, then hold of the climax for twenty odd minutes. There's a slight air of that here - some of the scenes with Odysseus and the Doctor in the horse are clearly marking time until they get out - because the moment they do the story is effectively over. Odysseus is an instantly memorable character, rather more so than most of the other Greeks, who've been a little sidelined since part one - most not appearing here at all.It all ends in a rather downbeat way, melancholic as I said before - and it could only acheive that downbeat end with the humour. There's been the faint air of gloom over the entire thing through the foreknowledge we have, which gives it a genuine sad joy throughout. Vicki's leaving scene, terribly sweet and romantic, looking for the silver lining just puts the button on this. She seems to have gone too quickly for my tastes. Funny, smart, spunky (can I still say that - oh, I will anyway), reassuringly unperturbed, she really was a terrific, much underrated companion (infinitely preferable to the wet Susan), who I don't think I liked as much until now. I'm going to miss her.Katarina's introduction is practically blink and you'll miss it (obviously that doesn't entirely work on a cd, but you know what I mean). Before you know it she's there. She's been a presence for the whole episode, but it's in a kind of reserved way. Background if you like. Unlike Steven, who we got to know and like before he officially joined the crew, she seems a bit of a wildcard. We know very little about her. She essentially becomes a companion without us knowing, and it's more than a little suprising.One other thing that's surprising is that this story doesn't have a better reputation. I personally think it's wonderful. Perhaps it's change in tone confuses, or it's residue from the undoubted disappointment that it wasn't a Dalek story (which really was quite unsettling and I forgot to mention that in the review of part one - the sudden change to somewhere else with no real explanation of what the previous episode was about is really rather disconcerting). I firmly believe that if this story was recovered tommorow (fingers crossed) its reputation would improve no end, undergoing the sort of revival of interest that was accorded to The Romans and The Gunfighters. Here's hoping.
(3/5/04 3:40 pm)
The Myth Makers 1
I'm a sucker for Greek legends. Love them to pieces. Did Classical Civilizations for A-Level. However, I always feel that their representation in art/theatre etc. is always annoyingly po-faced. These stories are entertainment, pure and simple. I don't honestly think they're vastly illustrative of the human condition, they're entertainment pure and simple - ok the Illiad and Odyssey are great poetical works, but the main joy of the stories comes from a surface sense of adventure/excitement and above all fun. Which makes it a perfect match for Doctor Who.To illustrate this further, I'm prepared to admit that my definitive treatment of the Trojan War is not that of Homer - but 'Odysseus - The Greatest Hero of them All' by Toby Robinson and Richard Curtis. Fun, fast and concentrating on a rolicking good story (in a way that countless theatre companies parading endless dreary reinterpretations of Medea as a feminist icon miss). So it's not going to be a suprise that I love the Myth Makers.For some reason my CD of this is autographed by Peter Purves. I've never met the guy, never got him to autograph a thing, so this is quite a surprise for me. I assume I must have bought it like that in a shop, but I can't honestly remember.This story is a joy. I love the way it leaps head first into the centre of the war – rather like the Doctor himself does in an act of sheer madness. Within a few wonderfully melodramatic moments we know where we are and who these people fighting are, and already we’re rather pleased.The Doctor’s taking to being a God is nicely done, and one of the principle pleasures of the episode is his wit and intelligence in manipulating the situation – the ease by which at the end of the episode he’s managed to come up with a perfectly acceptable solution for everyone (albeit one ruined by the vanishing of the TARDIS) demonstrates exactly why we love the character.Steven is as brash and foolhardy as ever. I think, and in deed hope that the return of the Daleks will knock this out of him pretty promptly, as his bullheadedness could become a little tiring. It’s still a very engaging performance, and it does seem a shame we’ve lost him to corporate video hell.Vicki is treated less well, getting an off-camera sprained ankle, and as a result barely registering in this episode at all. The main brilliance of this story is in the dialogue – witty and soaring. OK, the scene between Agammemnon and Menelaus doesn’t exactly advance the plot, but it illustrates their characters, enrichening them – and doing so whilst keeping us easily entertained. If you want it in a word, the major success of this episode is in the characterisation. Not much in plot terms actually happens, but we get to know the Greeks without it feeling contrived or boring. The Doctor and Steven merge into the history rather more effectively than the last couple of historicals, seeming to drive the plot themselves (what story there is is purely based around their prescence), rather than walk through it.Episode one summed up is slight but elegant, witty, clever and fun. The cliffhanger suggests the story is going to be heading off fairly soon. Looking forward to part two (which due to my laziness in typing up this report is going to be later tonight!)
ianzpotter
Castellan(3/6/04 3:18 am)
I also love Classics and did them for A level. I suspect we can both blame Doctor Who to some degree!I'm really looking forward to getting to The Myth Makers again (I suspect it'll be all that's keeping me going through The Chase).My absolute fave version of The Odyssey by the way (though I do have a huge soft spot for the EV Rieu translation) is a radio play from the mid 80s called Odysseus on an Iceberg by Alick Rowe, it out Spooners Spooner!'Rosy-fingered Dawn had bitten her finger nails right down to the quick...'
Dorney
(3/6/04 4:20 am)
Blame Doctor Who - I think you may be right on that. The amount of things I can blame on Doctor Who... my obsessive reading, my writing, my lack of a social life...
The Myth Makers 2:
I really love the tone of this story. It's like a turn of the century drawing room comedy. This is particularly obvious with the Trojans - a squabbling family of broadly comic figures whose main function is to say lines of wit and humour. Paris comes over as a doddering posh twit along the lines of Bertie Wooster, which is of course utterly wonderful. Like the last episode, we are focused on the detailing and development of these characters - this time the Trojans rather than the Greeks, though Odysseus still has some scenery chomping. The plot is getting more defined, returning to the old 'need to escape' story of the first season, with the focus being the regular's attempts to pass through history unscathed. Sure it's slight, but there is an underlying tension generated by our foreknowledge.I notice in a few of the reviews of this story - the Pocket Essentials one most clearly - there is some criticism of the fact that the story has variable tone. OK, so far there hasn't been much darkness, but our knowledge of the fate of Troy does rather influence matters. Now for me, this is what makes the story. I think it was the League of Gentlemen who said that comedy is at it's funniest when there's something at stake - it's quite true (look how all the great sitcoms are based around dark centres, tragic personal relationships, etc.). So the encroaching menace gives weight to the humour, meaning it doesn't come over as frippery.And what wittiness it is. Paris and Steven's fight is fantastic, and the banter in Troy nothing but superb line after superb line. But, as with all good comedy drama, the comedy is there as a gloss, rather than the sole purpose. Vicki's awkwardness about the Trojan Horse underlines the dilema she's in - and the basic sadness of the story. Even as we are entertained we are reminded that Priam will be dead soon.And what with Vicki - of the magically healing ankle - getting called Cressida, and seeming to be quite taken with Troilus - he the completely invisible, the air of gloom is prevalent. Obviously, we know she leaves here, but it still doesn't seem a foregone within the story itself... all we know is that this is going to lead somewhere sad. Like the whole thing, really. Witty, yet melancholic and ultimately rather beautiful.
Tried to post this last night, but EZboard wouln't let me reply to anything for some reason...
Myth Makers 3:
I'm really begining to get quite downbeat that this story's missing from the archives. I think this is the one I'd want back most of those I've heard so far.Now, I love Marco Polo - but it does seem practically a radio play. Galaxy Four I couldn't care less about, and the odd episodes of the Crusade and Reign don't feel as important - we've got a sense of what they looked like.Something about this I really want to see. Maybe it's because the actors are so fine (Max Adrian who was always great fun, and Frances White who I completely failed to identify until after hearing this episode as the lady from May to December and Brian Blessed's sluttish daughter from I Clavdivs.) Or maybe it's the joie de vivre of the script. I don't know. I'd just love to see it done.This episode doesn't make me change my mind in the slightest. I've said that the previous two episodes are slight on plot, but thinking back I'm not so sure that's true. Historical's against a backdrop as well known as this have a real problem in this department. We know what's going on, so the traditional explanations of who everyone is, the early mysteries are obvious. We're used to the plot, so it's easy to miss it, if you like. Certainly with this story, and this episode in particular, I'm inclined to think it's just marking time til the horse turns up - but that's not entirely true. It's taking the plot, twisting and turning it, developing the characters and their relationships in a way that the plot of any regular story does. The inevitability of the outcome means that the plotting is less obvious because it therefore only seems to be about the regulars - just imagine this story taken lock stock and placed in another environment, a different world, and its plotting should be apparent. The story is still more interested in it's characters than it's plot though, but that's not a bad thing. The more likeable we find the people involved in a story the more engaged we are. Was there honestly anyone you could care two hoots about in Galaxy 4? Here you like everyone. They seem real, intelligent, funny, above all human. Even screeching Cassandra is entertaining company.It's another fine episode - there's a slight weakness that the Troilus/Vicki romance seems to leap in at the deep end. We haven't met him before, he's been offstage, so his romance with Vicki seems a bit sudden. It is however, very sweetly written and played, perhaps more so than the Susan romance, to my suprise. They knew how to do this is the old days (Leela and Andred take note). Likewise, the spiky interaction between Steven and Vicki is back in force, and you can't help but wish they'd had more than three stories together.The Doctor's wonderfully barking plan about paper darts is hilarious, and his confrontations with Odysseus - all rivalry and cynicism are the highlights of his side of the story. It's nice to see an historical character completely unimpressed by the Doctor's posturing for a change. Hartnell always seems great playing him when he was outfoxed, as he is here.The horse building seems to be acheived pretty damn quickly it must be said.And it should have been called 'Is there a Doctor in the Horse' too.
Re: Day by Day
Tried to post this last night, but EZboard wouln't let me reply to anything for some reason...Myth Makers 3:I'm really begining to get quite downbeat that this story's missing from the archives. I think this is the one I'd want back most of those I've heard so far.Now, I love Marco Polo - but it does seem practically a radio play. Galaxy Four I couldn't care less about, and the odd episodes of the Crusade and Reign don't feel as important - we've got a sense of what they looked like.Something about this I really want to see. Maybe it's because the actors are so fine (Max Adrian who was always great fun, and Frances White who I completely failed to identify until after hearing this episode as the lady from May to December and Brian Blessed's sluttish daughter from I Clavdivs.) Or maybe it's the joie de vivre of the script. I don't know. I'd just love to see it done.This episode doesn't make me change my mind in the slightest. I've said that the previous two episodes are slight on plot, but thinking back I'm not so sure that's true. Historical's against a backdrop as well known as this have a real problem in this department. We know what's going on, so the traditional explanations of who everyone is, the early mysteries are obvious. We're used to the plot, so it's easy to miss it, if you like. Certainly with this story, and this episode in particular, I'm inclined to think it's just marking time til the horse turns up - but that's not entirely true. It's taking the plot, twisting and turning it, developing the characters and their relationships in a way that the plot of any regular story does. The inevitability of the outcome means that the plotting is less obvious because it therefore only seems to be about the regulars - just imagine this story taken lock stock and placed in another environment, a different world, and its plotting should be apparent. The story is still more interested in it's characters than it's plot though, but that's not a bad thing. The more likeable we find the people involved in a story the more engaged we are. Was there honestly anyone you could care two hoots about in Galaxy 4? Here you like everyone. They seem real, intelligent, funny, above all human. Even screeching Cassandra is entertaining company.It's another fine episode - there's a slight weakness that the Troilus/Vicki romance seems to leap in at the deep end. We haven't met him before, he's been offstage, so his romance with Vicki seems a bit sudden. It is however, very sweetly written and played, perhaps more so than the Susan romance, to my suprise. They knew how to do this is the old days (Leela and Andred take note). Likewise, the spiky interaction between Steven and Vicki is back in force, and you can't help but wish they'd had more than three stories together.The Doctor's wonderfully barking plan about paper darts is hilarious, and his confrontations with Odysseus - all rivalry and cynicism are the highlights of his side of the story. It's nice to see an historical character completely unimpressed by the Doctor's posturing for a change. Hartnell always seems great playing him when he was outfoxed, as he is here.The horse building seems to be acheived pretty damn quickly it must be said.And it should have been called 'Is there a Doctor in the Horse' too.
Dorney
(3/8/04 4:11 pm)
Myth Makers 4:
Whilst this episode is still wonderful, it does rather underline the story's only flaw.It's almost as if the jokes and wit stop slap bang at the end of part three. Suddenly, it forgets to be funny. It's a slightly odd change in tone. It's not abrupt as all that, and I suspect people who have said so have watched the entire story in one go where it would be more than a little jarring, I'm prepared to admit. It's slightly taking the easy route to quit the comedy like that.It has however done it's job. We've warmed to the characters such that their casual slaying off-screen (Paris and Priam) and capture as a slave (Cassandra) is terribly sad. It does rather bring home the tragedy of war - that these are real people on both sides, real likeable people with real faults and foibles. I've warmed to them, especially the Trojans, rather more than anyone else in a historical. The burden of history on the travellers has never seemed so acute.And likewise, Vicki has obviously warmed to them as well. Her final scene with Troilus is beautifully performed and genuinely touching. I like the way that her leaving is concealed - it does look like she's left as usual. You feel sorry for Troilus as he weeps at the burning city, thinking she's gone, before the whole scene is turned around with the suprise of her appearance - the implications of which don't hit immediately. The whole departure is played in a completely different tone to the previous leavings. Those were given a good ten minutes or so each, whereas the decision to go, and any talk between the Doctor and Vicki is offscreen. His unsentamentalised and understanding explanation of what had happened when he speaks to Steven is rather brave, and ultimately says as much as the more obviously dramatic histrionics of DIOE and the Chase.There was an article on Doctor Who structure in DWM a few years back, and one of the problems it suggested was the need to have the moment of crisis at the end of part three, then hold of the climax for twenty odd minutes. There's a slight air of that here - some of the scenes with Odysseus and the Doctor in the horse are clearly marking time until they get out - because the moment they do the story is effectively over. Odysseus is an instantly memorable character, rather more so than most of the other Greeks, who've been a little sidelined since part one - most not appearing here at all.It all ends in a rather downbeat way, melancholic as I said before - and it could only acheive that downbeat end with the humour. There's been the faint air of gloom over the entire thing through the foreknowledge we have, which gives it a genuine sad joy throughout. Vicki's leaving scene, terribly sweet and romantic, looking for the silver lining just puts the button on this. She seems to have gone too quickly for my tastes. Funny, smart, spunky (can I still say that - oh, I will anyway), reassuringly unperturbed, she really was a terrific, much underrated companion (infinitely preferable to the wet Susan), who I don't think I liked as much until now. I'm going to miss her.Katarina's introduction is practically blink and you'll miss it (obviously that doesn't entirely work on a cd, but you know what I mean). Before you know it she's there. She's been a presence for the whole episode, but it's in a kind of reserved way. Background if you like. Unlike Steven, who we got to know and like before he officially joined the crew, she seems a bit of a wildcard. We know very little about her. She essentially becomes a companion without us knowing, and it's more than a little suprising.One other thing that's surprising is that this story doesn't have a better reputation. I personally think it's wonderful. Perhaps it's change in tone confuses, or it's residue from the undoubted disappointment that it wasn't a Dalek story (which really was quite unsettling and I forgot to mention that in the review of part one - the sudden change to somewhere else with no real explanation of what the previous episode was about is really rather disconcerting). I firmly believe that if this story was recovered tommorow (fingers crossed) its reputation would improve no end, undergoing the sort of revival of interest that was accorded to The Romans and The Gunfighters. Here's hoping.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)