Right, let's tackle the framing sequence first - because it's lovely!
Having the two companions recounting and recording one of their
adventures is such an obvious idea, I'm surprised it hadn't been
overused by the fourth Companion Chronicles season. This one is so full
of meta and cheeky comments, like "whoever's going to want to listen to
it?"; and it immediately shows off the narrators' differing character
traits. Vicki is fanciful, imaginative, teasing; while Steven is
straightforward, a less confident teller of tales until he gets into his
stride.
The fan-pleasing in-jokes continue within the main story, too, in
particular the one about the 'alien landscape' that looks like (and
turns out to actually be) a gravel pit. This opening scene sets the tone
of the piece, lighthearted but with a vein of horror. Steven's
frustration that the Doctor will never admit he's wrong comes through
strongly - and I must say that Peter Purves' Doctor is excellent, really
echoing the spirit of William Hartnell's performance.
Later on, Steven admits to being close to madness on Mechanus, but I don't think he realises quite how
close. This certainly informs Purves' intense performance in his first
few stories, and he recaptures that here. Steven hearing voices later on
also ties into the theme rather scarily, as does his role in the
(period-appropriate) cliffhanger. We don't hear so much of Maureen
O'Brien in this episode, but Vicki's impish warmth comes through when we
do.
Jacqueline Rayner makes very good use of the medium. For instance, one
advantage of narration is that you can skip boring bits for one
character while other stuff that we do want to hear about is
going on in the same room, without it seeming artificial - and I didn't
even notice it on first listen when this happens by Vicki's bedside!
Another example is the comedy car journey, which is very much recreating
early Hollywood. I love the idea that the Doctor drives the car as well
as he pilots the TARDIS, and can picture how it would have looked on TV
- except, of course, that money wouldn't have allowed it. The location
shooting and stuntwork budget on audio is a lot higher.
There is a very classic feel to this story in other ways too, with Vicki
a bit of a victim but the production making good use of the BBC's
famous costume department. In fact, feminism definitely takes a back
seat, with Constance described as masculine-looking, bridling - much as
the Suffragettes of the day were depicted by their detractors. I can see
how this fits with how she would have been presented if this had been
made for TV in 1965, but I hope later episodes will provide a
contrasting view. Incidentally, there was a very interesting talk at the
History Live! festival last July, about the women of the First Aid
Nursing Yeomanry and how they pushed against the attitudes of the time,
failing to achieve any recognition from the British during the First
World War (though soldiers of other nations were grateful for their
help) but finally being acknowledged in the Second.
In contrast to the actual portrayal of women here, the discussion
between Steven and the Doctor concerning suffrage is great. I actually
knew the facts, but somehow hadn't really got a feel for what that meant
in terms of limiting men's access to the vote. Seeing how it would have
applied to Steven and the Doctor - fictional though they are - brought
it home. That in itself is the best way to fulfil an educational remit -
something the writer also did well in her previous story, The Transit of Venus.
Finally, hearing the name 'Piltdown' was enough for me to have an "aha!"
moment - that's a bit of history I don't need to be educated about -
and made me think I know where one strand of the story is going. I'll be
interested to see if I'm right...
Rating:
7/10.
Next Time:
The Piltdown Woman.
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