Well, since my previous post I've had massive problems with internet
access and my computer died. I've got a new one (another £250 we've got
to take from something else), and the internet issue seems to have
mostly been resolved; but I've been busy getting everything set up
again. To cap it all, my PVR has just lost the ability to remember
channel settings, so the only way to record anything is to turn it on,
go through the initial setup, and then record the program before turning
it off again. I think I may end up relying on iPlayer for some of the
next series...
[Warning: this review contains spoilers for where the TARDIS has landed, and for what kind of story we are in.]
The narration opens with Steven, which made me think this was going to be like The Suffering
- but it's mostly Maureen O'Brien, with Peter Purves simply providing
Steven's voice. Purves actually seems less engaged than usual (his line
"Doctor, we're lost in time" sounds particularly like someone reading a
script), and I wonder if this is because he was recording separately and
less involved in the process. Meanwhile, O'Brien's Doctor is not great
here - she gets the intonation right, but (as is often the case with
cross-gender impersonations) the voice sounds wrong. There's a jowly
"old man" quality to it, but it's not really Hartnell's old man.
This is mitigated somewhat by having the Doctor's longer speeches
reported rather than quoted; but Purves can do an excellent Doctor, and
yet because he's only the supporting actor he's not used to the full.
It's frustrating, and I feel the same when Frazer Hines is put in this
position. In some ways this is the best argument for The Early
Adventures you can have!
Having said that, I love the Companion Chronicles, where you can get the
same sense of interiority that you get from books while still having a
strong element of performance. The lack of a proper frame weakens that a
little, here - it's obvious from comments about her hazy memory of how
they exited the TARDIS that Vicki is narrating this quite some time
after her travels, but that's all we are given directly. Still, you can
also extract something from the way it is narrated. I get the impression that this is an even older Vicki than the one we saw in Frostfire - though it might still be Frosty she's talking to!
One bit of characterisation that made me think was the comment about her
fear of being a burden. This is a point that fits for me, with The Space Museum being the turning point where that ceases to be something that holds her back and becomes a driving force.
Mat Coward's writing is engaging, with some particularly nice
descriptions, such as "the Doctor seemed to age before our eyes as worry
stretched the skin thinly across his face". It's not an image I would
have considered, but I know exactly what he means! The regulars'
dialogue fits, with some lovely banter, and their characterisation is
fine. There are some classic humourous bits - I smiled at the reactions
when they first encountered the maid (there's certainly no salaciousness
implied) and when Vicki described the Doctor's penetrating whispered
asides - and there are more serious moments, such as when Vicki spots a
subterfuge that the others walk straight into. Coward's plot structure
is also very good, with a fine balance of humour and horror leading up
to a delightfully wacky cliffhanger.
Which - so far as writing goes - leaves the content of the plot.
This aspect I loved. From the beginning it looks as if we are in a
haunted house story, and the three characters fall into classic tropes
(the sceptic, the obstinate one who refuses to leave, and the sensible
one who doesn't insist on finding a rational explanation before
accepting what's happening), but this is skewed into something slightly
different. I do think O'Brien's better on the more upbeat or exciting
moments than the downright sinister, but fortunately there are few of
the latter.
This is a story in which atmosphere is key. It manages to offer a sense
of both space (with the seemingly endless parade of rooms) and
claustrophobia (with the simple fact that it's set entirely in an attic,
and the realisation that there is no way out) - I can see it being
produced on TV as a budget-saving serial, much like The Edge of Destruction.
It's also a story about admiring the setting - in a way it's like a
celebrity historical, but with the celebrity being the location! Because
of where it's set I was first reminded of Aliens of London/World War Three, but another revived series story came to mind later: Gridlock.
Like that episode, the location here is more the driving force for the
plot rather than just a pretty backdrop, and that's clever.
In keeping with its era, this provided a fair helping of education,
covering both history (Downing Street) and science (fungi, with the Food
Machine explanation also bringing up a feeling of "forward nostalgia"
for a story featuring a certain Professor Jones). It's all served up in a
way that enhances the plot rather than causing it to stutter. It's
particularly well woven into the travellers' attempts to find out where
and when they are - utilising a window, receipt books, newspaper, a
history book (I wonder if "A Short History of the Inhabitants of Downing
Street" is real?), and the Doctor's encyclopaedic knowledge.
Impressive!
On the production side, this is one of the rare releases where I don't
think Big Finish got it quite right. The music feels a bit "off" for
both the story and the era, somehow, and I found it almost impossible to
hear the woman next door (even with headphones) over the fungus sound
effect. It's not bad; but I've got used to this aspect being spot on.
And I'd better stop there, in order to save something to say about the
next episode. I think I'll just listen to that cliffhanger again...
Rating:
8/10.
Next Time:
Dust and Empire.
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