The interview on this disk was more interesting than some I've heard
recently. Once again we get the interviewee asking if they can mention
spoilers, and I do wonder why this continues to happen - surely they
know by now that everyone (except, perhaps, the strangest of fans) watch
or listen to extras after the actual story? It's lampshaded beautifully in Special Features
(featuring the fifth Doctor), though I probably won't be getting to
that one for decades yet! We also get comments about the pleasurable
experience of recording at Big Finish - common enough that I think it
must be true for most people - and, of course, the lunches. So far so
normal.
However, most of the discussion had nothing to do with any of that. I
didn't know that Maureen O'Brien is an author, and the story of her
relationship with Mat Coward and criticism was told in a very human way.
Like O'Brien, I'm not a great critic. This blog was always an
experiment; the experience of writing it has honed my critical faculties
to an extent, but my inclination when watching, reading, or listening
is always to sit back and go on gut feeling. That makes writing reviews
that are interesting for others a bit of a challenge. I'm a good enough
writer that people can probably get some entertainment out of reading
the odd review I write, but I think it would take a very particular
mindset to keep on reading over the years. Therefore this continues more
for my fun than anything, though hopefully there are people out there
who still get something out of it.
As with many of the actors, O'Brien is not a fan of Science Fiction.
Perhaps that explains why all the Vicki and Steven Companion Chronicles
are historicals - the setting keeping them happy and carrying them past
the SF elements. This does mean that we only have short stories to space
them out and provide some variety. The main story of Upstairs could fit anywhere before the framing sequence of The Suffering (which leads into Galaxy 4);
I'm inclined to put it earlier than where I've heard it, but I'll wait
until I've experienced the last story of this season gap to complete the
ordering.
The Great Man Theory of History
There are a number of 'pop' science theories of history, but one that has particular resonance for Doctor Who is the Great Man theory, which is actually key for this story.
The idea is that history is driven by the actions of great people
(usually men), without whom events would have taken a very different
course. The Alexanders, Napoleons, and Hitlers of this world shape the
political stage, while in other fields we have the Einsteins, the
Aristotles, and so forth. In reality it probably bears as close a
relationship to actual history as statements like "the First World War
was caused by the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo"; but
it's a very convenient theory for storytelling, focusing as it does on
the actions and motivations of people.
Such as, of course, the Doctor. He is the archetypal Great Man,
fomenting revolution, committing genocide, healing divisions, saving
lives; damming time tracks over here, digging new ones over there. It
fits very well with the colonial, Imperialist nature of his genesis: he
has taken up the White Man's Burden, and gone out there to sort out the
poor benighted natives. Those of us who love the show have to accept
that this aspect is buried deep in the show's genes and cannot be
expunged. This doesn't mean that it can't be inspiring and a force for
good - I believe it can - but in the real world 'pop' theories are not
good enough. We have to be aware both of the nature of stories and the
actual history that has led us to this point. People like Sydney Newman,
Verity Lambert, David Whitaker, and William Hartnell may have
manufactured their Great Man, but the rest of us have to learn to work
together and listen to each other if we are going to improve this world.
I hope we achieve that.
Published:
Date: September 2013
ISBN: 1-78178-085-5
Rating:
7.5/10.
Next Time:
The Power Supply.
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