What's in a name? This show could have been called Lost in Time and Space, and this serial could have been called Land of Giants. So let's talk a little about the 1960s science fiction TV shows of Irwin Allen.
Across the pond in the US, a show called Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea had started airing just after the last episode of Doctor Who's first season had gone out over here. This was the start of a series of series produced by Allen - four in total - the others being Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants. I'll deal with the first three on later occasions, but this last is of obvious relevance now.
I'd never seen serial J before this marathon, and had managed to avoid finding out too much about it - though I knew it wasn't highly regarded. Because of this, my mind wandered to similar-themed stories from my childhood, in particular the film The Incredible Shrinking Man (the ending of which shocked my mum and I at the time) and Land of the Giants. Technically, Allen's show (which ran from 1968-70 in the US, but presumably later when I was watching) is about normal-sized humans in an outsized world, but the result is the same. I don't remember the plots, but I remember the images (including giant scenery and props) - and the style, which was very 1950s/60s with clean-cut lantern-jawed heroes, eye-candy women, the plucky kid and the comedy fat guy. The thing I notice now, watching Who's take on the same theme, is that while Ian, Barbara and Susan seem at first glance as if they should fit into those first three categories, none of them really do. Even in these early days there is a degree of stereotype subversion going on.
Which brings us back to the matter at hand. Another thing that is notable is that serial J comes at a time of transition for the show. Original script editor David Whitaker had already left before the first episode was broadcast; by the end, his novelisation of The Daleks had been published, the film version had been announced, and the very first episode of the long-running strip in TV Comic had appeared. Doctor Who had truly become a franchise. It's visible in the program too, with the softening of the Doctor's personality firmly underlined. The trust between him and Barbara has never been so evident, and he's never been so willing to put himself and Susan in danger to sort out a problem. We've also got people (writer Louis Marks, composer Dudley Simpson and director Douglas Camfield) and themes (environmental issues, an off-kilter contemporary setting) which will return many times.
Ratings were good, and the second season was off to a successful start; but the story was completely overshadowed by the excitement over what was coming next.
Apparently, the DVD release will have a reconstruction of the missing sections, presenting episodes 3 and 4 as closely as possible to how they were originally produced. I look forward to seeing that, and will post an update in a future entry. Meanwhile I'll leave the final word to my son, in what will be his final review before reaching the big one-oh...
Isaac's Corner
It was generally a good story. I liked the twist where the pesticide was really deadly but the nasty businessman lied to the scientist about it being able to save millions of lives, and it was also good that the scientist managed to stop Forester until the policeman arrived. The miniature sets were very good, and Barbara being poisoned but not telling the others added a lot of suspense to the story. She had a really bad time of it, with twisting her ankle and fainting as well. I'd give it 7½ out of 10.
Rating:
Episodic: 6/10.
DWM Mighty 200: 58.17%, 163rd.
2011 Gallifrey Base Non-Dynamic Rankings: 5.76, 165th out of 222.
Next Time:
We should be moving back into print for The Time Travellers, but I messed up and didn't order it from the library in time. I picked it up on Friday, but rather than leave a long gap while I read it I'll slip in a trip sideways for Daleks versus the Martians!
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