Episode 86 (DC): Dalek Cutaway

[This review has been much delayed because Isaac wanted to keep up Isaac's corner, but school has been a bit crazy lately. Still, I've written the three following reviews while waiting for an opportunity, so there shouldn't be any more delays for a little while.]

Every year, a friend who lives further down our street organises the Cheap Thrills Zero Budget Film Festival. People submit videos they've put together on a shoestring, these are edited into an evening of entertainment, and the show premieres in the chapel of the cemetery that lies beyond the bottom righthand corner of our garden. It's been very successful: it started out local, went national, then international...

This year is the first time that there has been an entry from offworld; specifically, a zero-gravity performance of David Bowie's Space Oddity, courtesy of the International Space Station. I don't know about you, but I think that's wonderful! Nevertheless, it points out quite effectively what a different world we live in now, compared to the one that existed when this episode was broadcast - a world where humans had barely ventured into space at all, but where it was assumed that we would keep on travelling further and further.

Of course, it was also a time when James Bond could be seen as an unambiguous hero, fighting the good fight for Queen and Country alongside his fellow (not-quite-so-) superspies. The character of Marc Cory is, basically, James Bond in space, combining two of the nation's fascinations. Ably played by Edward de Souza in a cut-glass accent, he's cool, calm, and callous. Human life means little to him, compared to his mission.

And, like Cory himself, this is an incredibly confident script. Not only is the Doctor absent, Nation makes the canny choice of withholding the Daleks from the screen for nearly a third of the runtime - which does a lot to help build up their menace after the comedy of The Chase. Meanwhile, there are the Varga. All we have, of course, are recons, so it's hard to judge how effective they actually were; but the concept, at least, is horrifying. I remember watching the transformation in The Ark in Space as an eleven-year-old, and the image stayed with me: never mind the bubble-wrap, that was true horror right there! Perhaps for those born a decade earlier, the same would have been true of the Varga transformations. We may never really know: Loose Cannon have once again done a lot with very little, but without any surviving clips that atmosphere is impossible to capture.

I said that all we have are recons, but thanks to Rick Lundeen that's no longer quite true. In later posts I'll go into more of the background to his graphic novel adaptation of The Daleks' Masterplan, but for now I'll concentrate on just this first chapter. The first thing to say is that it is very nicely done, the best-looking comic of this marathon so far: interesting layouts, varied camera angles, consistently recognisable characters, and a good use of colour to set the mood. His adaptation of the script is pretty faithful; he takes some liberties in order to make the story work as a comic, but if anything perhaps he sticks too closely to the original, resulting in some very wordy pages full of Nation's dialogue. That's a minor fault, mind you; it's a great read, and sets the scene nicely for the story to come. And some of the technology looks far more appropriately futuristic than would have been the case if he'd stuck with 1960s designs, such as Cory's recorder!

Getting back to the element that is common to both comic and recon - the story - this builds very well, with the quieter scenes of the Great Alliance (where the main interest would have been seeing all the aliens) interspersed with the action sequences of Cory and Lowery fleeing from the Daleks. There's a lot of exposition, but it doesn't feel overwhelming because it's tied so well into the worldbuilding. I have no hesitation in declaring this to be Nation's finest script for the show to date.

But by golly, it's bleak! All the way through you get the impression that something drastic will have to happen to save any of the humans, or even allow them to complete the mission. It doesn't happen; the beacon never gets activated, and everyone dies.

The Daleks have finally taken their place as the ultimate threat.

Isaac's Corner
Although the reconstruction was very clever, I still found it very hard to follow and only got a fuzzy idea of the story. It was much clearer in the comic. This episode really reminds me of the stories from the Dalek annuals of the time, with its Doctorlessness, and with a lot more action and extermination! The normal Doctor Who stories generally focus on defeating the large-scale Dalek plans rather than the small-scale battles. I didn't particularly like it but I didn't particularly dislike it either. I think I might have been a bit more decisive if we could get a proper idea of the acting, because the soundtrack is fuzzy and that's all we have to go on for acting. The illustration on the comic was good - he seemed to have put a lot of effort into it. Overall I would give it a 6.5/10.

And now, because it seems like the most appropriate time, we're going to be taking a break from the Doctor for a fairly extended period. The next 52 posts (if I've counted right) belong to the early solo exploits of the Doctor's arch-enemies: the Daleks...

Daleks conquer and destroy! Daleks conquer and destroy!

Broadcast:
Date: Saturday, 9th October 1965
Viewers: 8.3 million
Chart Position: 37
Appreciation Index: 54

Rating:
Mine (episode): 9.5/10.
Mine (comic): 9.5/10.
DWM Mighty 200: 64.54%, 133rd.
2012 Gallifrey Base Non-Dynamic Rankings: 6.67, 136th out of 234.

Next Time:
Genesis of Evil.

Episode 86 (T/A): Mission to the Unknown

Yikes, a bit of a long break before this one! Never mind; here at last is the first of two posts on this strangest of episodes - in which I don't review the content at all.

There's a reason for this, which is that I found it impossible to come at the story with an open mind. There is just so much mythology and trivia flying around concerning Mission to the Unknown that it clutters up my ability to appreciate it simply for what it is, so I decided to get that out of the way first.

Let's start with the reason it exists, which is, basically, scheduling. Towards the end of the previous recording block the last two parts of serial J (Planet of Giants) were combined into one because there wasn't enough content to warrant a four-parter, but this meant that the team had effectively produced one week's worth of Doctor Who less than planned. Sydney Newman decided to tack an extra episode on the end of the second recording block to make up for it.

Of course this meant that the episode needed to be fairly cheap, and also ran into the problem of the regular cast having to work an extra week. Verity Lambert came up with a solution that solved both of these issues at once, and in the process produced something quite unique.

This, then, is the first ever Doctor-lite story. It's so lite, in fact, that the Doctor doesn't appear at all (which is not quite true of any others, not even the 1960s episodes when William Hartnell was on holiday). His companions don't appear, either. Nor the TARDIS.

It's impossible to imagine the impact this would have had on viewers at the time (though Elizabeth Sandifer gives it a go in her review) - it's almost as if the program had been invaded by another show altogether.

And, in a way, it had. Without the regular cast to hold people's attention, Lambert turned to that other great attraction of the program, the Daleks. (In fact, it could be argued that they were even more popular: the first Dalek film came out in the summer, the stageplay Curse of the Daleks was announced at the end of September, and the second Dalek annual was due to go on sale two days after broadcast. Dalekmania indeed!) Lambert asked Terry Nation to produce a 'teaser' episode for the forthcoming Dalek epic, and Nation decided to use the opportunity to test out the viability of an independent Dalek program.

So, how successful is the only single-episode story of the classic series? You'll have to tune in next time to find out what I thought...

Behind the Scenes: Verity Lambert
Before she disappears from the show I need to say something about Doctor Who's first producer. This was Lambert's final episode before following Sydney Newman out of the door to produce The Newcomers with him, followed by Adam Adamant Lives! (a show my mother remembered fondly). Lambert went on to have a glittering career, which is detailed in the usual places, so I won't reiterate it here. Other people have also said plenty about her contribution to Doctor Who - see Sandifer again for an eloquent example. I just want to add one thing.

When I got properly back into the show (after a long break) in 2006 I decided to investigate some highlights of the eras I had missed first time around, as well as revisit some old favourites. Being new to fandom I defined eras by the most obvious method (the actor playing the Doctor), and the highlights by fan consensus (since I hadn't had a chance to form my own opinions). It took me by surprise quite how off target my expectations were, and in particular quite how much I enjoyed the Sylvester McCoy and Hartnell eras, neither of which had been suggested as highlights.

As time passed and I grew more knowledgeable I could refine that a little more: what I loved was actually the Andrew Cartmel and Lambert eras. Oh, there are plenty of joys still to come before we reach the end of The Tenth Planet, and there have been a smattering of clunkers already; but this has been a real golden age. And it set up the show to run and run, for another fifty years so far. So I am very glad that she lived to see the show successful once again in a new millennium, under Russell T. Davies.

Next Time:
Dalek Cutaway.

Episode 85 (T4): The Exploding Planet

Something bizarre and annoying happened during the writing of my previous review. I had three issues of DWM out on the bed for reference, but needed to go off and do some housework and cook supper. When I came back they were gone, and nobody knew where they were. We have since looked fairly thoroughly - I even checked that they hadn't been put in the recycling by accident! - but they haven't turned up. One was the issue about the return of Airlock, which is a fairly minor loss now; one detailed the sale of 60s serials abroad and (I think) the resultant recovery of some episodes, which is more annoying. Worst, though, is my copy of The Complete First Doctor, which has been my constant companion during the TV portions of this marathon and helps set the scene in my mind, even when none of the info gets into the review. That I will struggle to do without.

Speaking of struggles: as someone who is not comfortable watching recons, we are really entering a barren stretch. This is the first of an unbroken run of seven missing episodes, matching the earliest ever gap - Marco Polo. Worse than that, however, is the realisation that of the next 22 episodes, only three survive. There were only eleven missing in total over the previous two seasons, and two of those have been animated! Thank goodness for other media, is all I can say.

So, what of this episode? Unfortunately, the phrase that springs to mind is "a bit pants". I didn't bother watching the full recon this time, because (a) it wasn't based on stills from the episode anyway; (b) Peter Purves' narration on the audio release is enough to let me know what's going on when it's not obvious from the soundtrack; and (c) I couldn't be bothered.

There's so much wrong with the script here. Let's take the Drahvins first. OK, so they are a threat to the travellers when they catch our heroes on their own, but are so vastly outmatched by the Rills that they cannot pose a credible threat now that the Doctor-Rill alliance is in place. So that's one source of tension removed. Steven is rescued in the first couple of minutes, and after that nobody is ever really in immediate danger; which just leaves the countdown to destruction. Now, countdowns can work - even though we know they are going to make it, especially in the first serial of a new season - but the interest and tension comes not from the countdown itself but from figuring out how they are going to solve it, and/or watching them overcome obstacles. Here, the Doctor figured out what to do in the previous episode, the Rills make it plain that they want the travellers to abandon them and leave if time runs out, and there is no significant opposition. We are left simply watching them clock-watching, and only Steven's first encounter with the Rills even provides meaty dialogue.

Right, that's the script. Visually we know what most of it looks like, and my guess is that the destruction of the planet and departure of the Rill ship would not have been "oh wow" moments, even with the obviously competent direction of Derek Martinus. The Chumblies make their usual cute noises, so that only leaves the acting.

It's possible I'm projecting when I say this, but based on the soundtrack William Hartnell is really not on good form here. My guess is that his heart wasn't in it, and who can blame him? He's fluffing, and he's falling back on a set of stock Doctor mannerisms to an extent I've not noticed before. Meanwhile, Maureen O'Brien gets hardly anything to say; she's probably doing some interesting things with her facial expressions, but sadly we are now past our last view of her on-screen before her departure. Purves puts effort in, but then he's the new boy and it's likely he still has enough enthusiasm to carry him through a poor script. Stephanie Bidmead steals every scene she's in, but isn't as centre stage as before, while Robert Cartland provides a fairly nondescript booming voice for the Rills.

I normally complain about cut-down recons, but the twelve-minute version of this episode on the DVD is actually a much more appropriate length for this - and that includes the trailer for next time...

Broadcast:
Date: Saturday, 2nd October 1965
Viewers: 9.9 million
Chart Position: 20
Appreciation Index: 53

Rating:
1/10.

Next Time:
Serial T as a whole.

Episode 84 (T3): Airlock

My regeneration into a 'proper' Doctor Who fan didn't begin until 2006. As a result the fact that some episodes of the show were missing had passed me by, and when I finally learned of it I was saddened. I did read with interest about the discoveries of the past, but it was all on an intellectual level.

Until December 2011, when I heard about the return of two episodes, Airlock and an early Patrick Troughton. I literally shouted in glee, then rushed around the house telling everybody (including a 'not-we', who was somewhat bemused but glad I was happy). I would never have predicted the strength of my reaction - if it had been something iconic like The Power of the Daleks or The Myth Makers, sure; but for a couple of individual episodes from minor, relatively unloved serials?

So, what's it like? Well, the plot's no improvement: space pilot Steven tries to escape but fails due to being scared by a Chumbley and ends up trapped in an airlock, before forgetting how differences in air pressure work; the Doctor spends ages trying to figure out how to sabotage an atmospheric converter; and Vicki learns that (gasp!) the Rills are good and the Drahvins evil. Oh, what a surprise.

Fortunately, it's a lot of fun to watch. The moving lights in the Chumblies weren't visible in the clip from the first episode (and so weren't included when they were reconstructed); this adds to their weirdness. Similarly, the Rills had previously only been glimpsed in a couple of poor quality photos, and we finally have a chance to see what they were actually like. The results are mixed: they look impressively alien, but their only animation is to rock back and forth, which ironically would have made them a great subject for the limited sort of animation Loose Cannon uses elsewhere! Both these character designs add atmosphere.

Seeing more of the set design also helps. The expansive Rill ship set is fairly unique - and a genuinely wobbly set to add to Toby Hadoke's short list! The Doctor's cry of "I can't move it, it's immovable!" is particularly ironic. We also get a better view of the relatively cramped Drahvin spaceship - which looks like Maaga has set out her garden furniture on the decking to enjoy the limited British summer weather. OK, so I mock; but I would much rather this than something generic. Even the (fairly bare) planetary surface is more reminiscent of The Web Planet than The Chase.

Still, the biggest asset this episode has, visually, is Derek Martinus. This is his third ever episode directing anything, and already he seems more ambitious than he did during Four Hundred Dawns (though there are also certain aesthetic choices there that stand out more in retrospect). Would the Rill spaceship have made such an impression without the shot down through the top panels? Probably not. And I am confident that we wouldn't have got that with the serial's intended director, Mervyn Pinfield, who mainly shot television as if it were theatre. Similarly, the Drahvins making very little eye contact, and the movement and positioning of actors inside the Drahvins' ship being so carefully choreographed, produces some quite unsettling effects.

And speaking of unsettling, Stephanie Bidmead is the other key component of the visual team. She puts in a stellar performance here, full of little facial movements that are so understated she needs to stand very close to the camera so we can see them. The way she expresses her frustrations over the limitations of her troops almost made me feel slightly sympathetic towards her, before this is turned right around the next instant. Steven's look of horror at Maaga's speech says it all.

The Doctor Who Restoration Team have done their usual meticulous job of cleaning up the episode. When it was returned to the BBC, there were a number of problems including a break in the film near the end which meant that almost half a minute of action was missing (as well as the credits); and a large, vertical scratch across Maaga's face during some of her speeches to camera. I couldn't spot either.

If it weren't for a casual conversation between Ralph Montagu of the Radio Times and former TVS engineer Terry Burnett - who had no idea that the couple of Doctor Who episodes he had in his film collection were significant - we would never have seen this. And before that, if someone hadn't rescued the cans from a skip when they were being junked - technically illegal salvage - they would have been lost in the 1970s.

Fingers crossed for many more such unlikely chains of events!

Broadcast:
Date: Saturday, 25th September 1965
Viewers: 11.3 million
Chart Position: 13
Appreciation Index: 54

Rating:
5/10.

Next Time:
The Exploding Planet.

Episode 83 (T2): Trap of Steel

In late June, during rehearsals for A Battle of Wits, filming was also taking place for Galaxy 4 at Ealing Studios with Mervyn Pinfield, who was to direct the serial. In the event Pinfield was taken ill, and never had another opportunity to direct the show; drafted in to replace him was Derek Martinus, who had just completed his directorial training. He probably had little idea of the minefield into which he was being parachuted.

Writer William Emms has gone on record as being very happy with the way his script was accepted largely unchanged, in contrast to many he had submitted for other programs. William Hartnell and his co-stars were less happy. Maureen O'Brien complained that some of her dialogue did not sound like Vicki, while Peter Purves - stuck with many of Barbara's lines - considered his character to have been emasculated. Hartnell also wanted changes, and ended up in a loud argument with Emms. This was effectively the first serial produced by Verity Lambert's replacement, John Wiles, while Lambert concentrated on her final episode; Wiles stepped into the fracas, supporting Emms and telling the cast to perform it as written. When Hartnell still objected, Wiles threatened to sack him.

The fallout from all this is going to have consequences quite a way into the future of this marathon, but one immediate consequence is the decline in Hartnell's performance I noted last time. He's pulled himself together a little for this episode, but listening to it I realised that I have never heard him say "hm" so often!

Still, for me Hartnell is probably the highlight of an episode where the plot largely consists of people walking from place to place. The way he tells Maaga "I never kill anything" is great - he's such a liar! Tell that to the Daleks, Doctor.

Maureen O'Brien gets some time in the spotlight, but I do think what she's given is not quite Vicki-like. Her deduction that the Chumblies can only hear in front of them - and how does that work, exactly? - comes out of nowhere, much like the distrust of the Drahvins last time.

As for Peter Purves... well. This is where the fact that he's stuck with Barbara's lines starts to bite. Purves has said that he wishes they'd played up the sexism angle further, that Steven should have wanted to be captured because the Drahvins were attractive women; and you can hear him trying to put a little of that into his performance. It's not enough, though.

This is the first of two episodes which are entirely absent, and that definitely affects my enjoyment. Loose Cannon put a lot of effort into the reconstruction - they had to, because there are no telesnaps available for this serial. The landscapes and cast are composited from various photos (the recon having been completed long before the discovery of the third episode), and a loving recreation of the Chumblies provides much of the motion. This completely distorts the balance of shots, though; if you can create interesting images of cute robots chuttering, chumbling, and jinking about the place, of course you're going to use that instead of the umpteenth repeat of a still showing the actors in not quite the right pose! It's indisputably the right decision, as well as evidence of why I don't personally get on very well with recons. For such a visual story as this, though, I still find them superior to my (generally preferred) narrated soundtracks.

Ironically, Galaxy 4 is probably the last serial to be junked before the BBC changed their policy in 1978...

Broadcast:
Date: Saturday, 18th September 1965
Viewers: 9.5 million
Chart Position: 22
Appreciation Index: 54

Rating:
3/10.

Next Time:
Airlock.

Episode 82 (T1): Four Hundred Dawns

[Apologies for the delay - it's been longer than I thought, mainly because of trying to find a time to watch it with my son, added to which the fact that the official recon combines the first two episodes meant some untangling was required. Also, life.]

Back to television at last - albeit with the first ever non-historical episode to be missing from the archives. It's not quite missing, of course, as there's a six-minute stretch of actual footage. This exists thanks to its being requisitioned for Whose Doctor Who, a 1977 instalment of the documentary series Lively Arts (which ended up using about half a minute) and then being rescued by Jan Vincent-Rudzki, president of the Doctor Who Appreciation Society, who was acting as an advisor to the show. I'd still call this a "missing episode", though; but I'll postpone saying more about that until next time, as I've a lot of other topics to cover here.

Starting with the episode's status as the beginning of a new season. Last time - with Planet of Giants - the story carried on pretty much directly from the end of season one, making me wince slightly for all those stories shoehorned in between. This time it seems pretty obvious that there is a gap. Steven appears more settled, and the tense mood of the travellers doesn't quite match with the end of The Time Meddler; in addition, the Doctor's comment about 'past experience' adds to the sense that this team has been together for a while. As a polymedial (multimedial?) fan, I give this a thumb's up.

This is pure chance, really. When the script for Galaxy 4 was first written Iananbarbara were still on the team, and mostly for reasons of time (exacerbated by the ongoing change of production personnel) the rewrites made to accommodate Steven's presence were minimal. Of course it's written as if this team has been together for a long time! (Other aspects of this weren't so serendipitous, but we'll get to them later.)

There are a number of continuity references which seem to be included largely to remind viewers of the previous season: in particular, Vicki comparing this planet to Xeros (the setting for The Space Museum), and the return of the astral map. We also have the next instance of Vicki picking a cute name - the Chumblies, this time. (I think this is also the last occasion on TV, though I've only heard The Myth Makers once.) The Doctor also has a signature character moment when he is talking about the impenetrability of "his force barrier", in a lovely, low-key humourous exchange between him and Steven.

When we concentrate on William Hartnell's performance here, it is hard to remember that this is still part of the second production block and being recorded a week after Checkmate. He comes across as particularly prickly, and is getting far more lines wrong than he did last episode - the classic being their "long-deserved, undeserved" break. This has more than a little to do with the troubled recording history of this serial - which I'm also going to leave until next time, since I want to save a modicum of space to talk about the actual content of the episode.

Steven is pretty darn sexist here, referring to the Drahvins as a delightful surprise and commenting that their spaceship has "a few good features" - with the double meaning obviously intentional. As well as explaining what Jacqueline Rayner was drawing on for his characterisation in The Suffering, this is actually really appropriate because of his backstory as a space pilot. In the 1960s, US astronauts were drawn from the high flyers of the USAF, and came from an intensely macho culture. Many (though by no means all) bought into that culture wholeheartedly; and this is the real-life background to contemporary images of "space pilots", while Dan Dare's attitude to Peabody provides an example from popular fiction that is no better.

So, the characterisation is fine, which is actually a pleasant surprise. Less well handled is the central issue of the villains' identity. The TARDIS team are instantly suspicious of the Drahvins for no good reason that I can see (or rather hear), with Steven apparently the only one who is even prepared to consider that they might be telling the truth (Vicki's body language in the main clip is telling, here). Maaga is also presented as almost entirely unsympathetic, so where is the mystery?

On the plus side, there is a pleasing symmetry to the two sides in the conflict. Maaga's Drahvin soldiers being vat-grown and lacking initiative - "not what you would call human" - makes them excellent mirrors of the Rill-controlled Chumblies. And the cliffhanger is both effective and of a style I don't remember seeing so far in this marathon.

I've rattled on for a while. Hopefully the next review will be up in not four hundred dawns, not even fourteen dawns - but four dawns.

Broadcast:
Date: Saturday, 11th September 1965
Viewers: 9.0 million
Chart Position: 23
Appreciation Index: 56

Rating:
4/10.

Next Time:
Trap of Steel.

Episode 80 (S3): A Battle of Wits (Isaac's view)

Sorry this has been a bit late, I've got a bit behind schedule and I couldn't write it on Wednesday because we went to see the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular, which was a lot of fun but took up the whole day.

I liked this episode a lot - the acting was spot on, particularly Alethea's (as always). We start out with a recap of last week's cliffhanger, then Vicki and Steven search for a hidden entrance, which they find quickly. This was good - especially Steven pointing out the cliche and the accurate lack of knowledge Steven and Vicki have of their time period. The Monk, on his way to fetch medicine for Eldred, decides to check the Doctor's cell, only to find it unlocked and empty of Doctor. Peter Butterworth had excellent expressions here, and indeed throughout the episode - his look of confusion is priceless.

We return to Steven and Vicki, who are crawling along the passage. The Doctor arrives at the village and talks to a grim Edith. He learns that vikings landed, making a verbal blunder which means this time he has to let on that there is a viking invasion. In another callback to the original intention of the show, he lets on that Harold defeats Harald and is then defeated by William the Conqueror. I think that Edith's rape as handled well, though no help came from the scriptwriter - it's all in Alethea's acting, the way when talking to the Doctor at this point she is very sorrowful, bleak and closed - she makes it clear that Edith was affected by this deeply. Also, later on when the Monk calls, she is clearly wary when she comes out. The rest of these scenes were also good, with excellent acting throughout.

Steven and Vicki emerge from the tunnel and find no sign of the Doctor, Steven finally accepts time travel but the watch and the gramophone are anomalies - both probably connected to the Monk. They argue over where to look for the Doctor - the TARDIS or the monastery. In the meantime, the monk gives Eldred aspirin from his first aid box and tells Wulnoth to put his sword away, saying a monastery is a place of peace. Wulnoth does so, and leaves. The Monk asks Eldred when the viking invasion would arrive - finding he is right on schedule. Wulnoth returns, saying that Eldred must stay here but he and Edith will help. The Monk starts to protest, but does not finish because they would be suspicious. These scenes are good - the acting is done well, the small conflict is nice, and we get to know a bit more of the monk's plan.

Sven and Ulf are running in the woods, as stealthily as possible. They stop, and argue over what to do - try and complete their mission by returning to the ship through dangerous territory, or hide out until Hardrada arrives and claim they were captured. Eventually, after much discussion, they decide the latter and head to the monastery, reasoning that the monks have to give them refuge. This is a nice scene, which I have said for almost all of the scenes, and we get to see a bit more of the vikings (they play it a bit over the top, but I don't particularly mind).

The Monk gets out a scroll and hangs it up, letting us know the content is a progress chart - including position atomic cannon and light beacon fires. He ticks off 'Sight Vikings', then rolls it up and gets out a map. He uses his authentic 11th century compass to presumably measure a distance, maybe for the aforementioned beacon fires. While he is in the middle of doing this there is a knocking at the door. He goes to check it out, but there is no-one there. He goes inside and shuts the door, but someone knocks again. He quickly goes back and opens the door, this time walking quite a ways outside to look for the knocker. The Doctor approaches him from behind with a stick, pokes it in the Monk's back, and tells the Monk it is a gun. This scene is very good - it gives a bit of an idea of the Monk's plans and it has Peter Butterworth's always excellent expressions; humour - the fact that the Monk had a progress chart amused me; drama - you think that the knocking door is the Vikings, and it gets a bit tense with the Doctor's hiding after knocking.

We cut back to Steven and Vicki arriving at the clifftop, and look down to see that the tide has come in! Vicki laments the fact that of the two possibilities that she can see, both of them mean they are trapped there. Steven suggests going to the monastery to either find the Doctor or see what is going on with the Monk and his modern equipment. Before he can persuade Vicki to do it however, he spots in the bushes a very futuristic gun - presumably the atomic cannon - which spurs them into action. This scene is a good, and we see quite a sad Vicki, which been quite rare before this story.

The Doctor realises that the Monk had been leading him in circles around the monastery, but while he is talking the Monk discovers his stick trick - but this doesn't change much as it is still quite dangerous. There is a knocking at the door, which the monk explains he has to answer. The Doctor, still mistrustful, orders him to get him a Monk's habit. There is a jump to the Doctor, wearing a robe, and the Monk walking through the entrance hall and tentatively opening the door, stick still in hand. Unfortunately the Vikings come and capture the Doctor, and put him in a cell. Sven orders Ulf to find the other monks, who will hide them or the Doctor dies. There is a jump to Ulf resting near the Monk's stone cupboard. The Monk then comes out of hiding and knocks him out. This scene was good, with lots of drama - the drama we've had before was in short bursts, so it's nice to have a long run.

Steven and Vicki look for the secret passage, but apparently the area looks very different in daylight. They eventually find it. In the meantime, Sven decides to check on the Doctor but he is not in his cell! The secret passage door is wide open, but as he looks down it the Doctor emerges from behind the door and knocks him out. These scenes are well done, moving most of the characters to the monastery and showing more of the Doctors cleverness with this ploy.

While this was happening, the Monk goes down to the village and asks Wulnoth to get the villagers to prepare beacon fires on the cliffs, claiming that 'building materials' were coming on a ship so that he could repair the monastery. After the Monk leaves, Wulnoth asks Edith what the Doctor said about an invasion. This scene is nice, showing more of the Monk's plan coming into play, but also the fact that the villagers are not as gullible as the Monk thinks.

Steven and Vicki emerge the other end of the passage, and are alarmed by Sven's unconscious body. They don't stop to contemplate it though, because they don't have the time to. We jump back to the Monk, who speaks to Ulf, saying he has made beacons for his fellow Vikings. Little does he know, the Doctor is listening and places a sword at his throat, ordering him to explain his plan. While this is happening, Steven and Vicki find a cable which runs into the Monk's stone cupboard, and they enter it to find that the Monk has a TARDIS. These short scenes were good, moving the story along well - Vicki and Steven finally get to the monastery, the Doctor finally has a hold over the Monk that's substantial, and Steven and Vicki uncover that the Monk has a TARDIS like the Doctor's...

Next Time:
Guess.

Episode 79 (S2): The Meddling Monk (May's view)

The opening scene of this episode would be quite unremarkable if it wasn't set in Saxon times. The Monk is using a toaster to make crumpets, he burns his hand and then smacks the toaster (oh Monk, you have no idea how many times I've wanted to do that!). It's just a small thing, but Peter Butterworth plays the comedy very well. He hums a little tune to himself as he makes breakfast, which is a good acting choice on Butterworth's part I think, it distracts us from the fact that the Monk is actually the antagonist of this serial. We think, "aw, he seems like a nice guy, doesn't he?". He makes a pretty good breakfast by the looks of it as well, like dad said, I'd stay at Hotel Monk! The Doctor throwing tea on him is a wonderful comedic moment as well.

Vicki and Steven's breakfast is a lot simpler than the Doctor's. In this scene I particularly like Purves' delivery of the line "Would you like some blackberries, or... some blackberries?" It really shows how Vicki and Steven's friendship is developing. Also, *cough* Peter Purves was very attractive *cough*.

The Monk and Edith's interaction is great. We get to see more of what a nice person Edith is!

The set for this serial as just amazing. If I didn't know it was studio filmed, I'd swear it was filmed on location. The projected sky, realistic rocks and plants, plus a clever use of stock footage provides a really immersive set. The Monk spotting the Viking longship and getting excited makes you want to know what his plan is.

I like how Edith is the voice of reason in this next scene. There's a definite gender divide in views. Edith and Vicki are amiable towards each other; Steven is hostile towards the male Saxons, and they are hostile back, particularly Eldred. I like Steven's hostility actually, it's another reminder of how he was affected by his time with the Mechanoids, but I also like Vicki correcting him, it shows how she's helping him recover.

The Vikings are here! The first thing I notice is some fab work from the costume department, I mean, completely historically inaccurate, but very striking. Also, is it me, or does Sven look like Asterix?

Once again, we see Steven's social ineptitude when he's talking to the Monk, I don't think I have to reiterate why I think this is good. As the others have said, Steven's arrogance is shown by his confidence in his own plan, and Vicki's intelligence is shown by her questioning of it.

Edith is shown to be resourceful. She knows to defend herself, and she doesn't hesitate in it. She is overpowered, but I don't think that this means she's weak, she was up against three Viking warriors! Her heavily implied rape is an interesting plot point, definitely not one I would have expected from Hartnell's era of Who! Rape is a very sensitive topic to handle, and it has to be done well for it not to fall into sexist tropes or 'torture porn'. However, it can't be ignored, as it's a horrific thing that happens to many women (and men). Nowadays, I think rape is used too much on television, just as a way to inject horror into the show, and it's often not handled well; however, in the '60s, it was a different case, not talked about much on TV or in day-to-day life. As for how Doctor Who handled the rape of Edith, I'll talk about that more in the next episode, because I really need to look at how the aftermath of it is portrayed to formulate a proper opinion.

The episode is rather let down by the horrifically choreographed fight scene. Oh, dear Lord, it's so awful. We've just had this really important, serious scene, and it's followed by this atrocity! I could cry.

Steven and Vicki going different ways in the monastery is a return to the comedic nature of the episode, which is nice (I like that it's the direction Vicki chooses that they go in!). I like the parallel to the end of the last episode, with Vicki and Steven finding the gramophone as well. The cliffhanger is kind of meh, but good enough that I wanted to find out what happens next.

Next Time:
A Battle of Wits.

Episode 79 (S2): The Meddling Monk (Isaac's view)

(Isaac got just a little bit carried away with this one. Make yourself a cup of tea, sit back and relax...)

A good episode with good acting in general - I think Peter Russell hammed it up a bit too much, and the fight scene was cringe-worthy, but overall a nice episode. Maureen played Vicki well, especially when Vicki was unsettled at the start and when she showed off Vicki's ingenuity later on. William's voice acting was good from what little there was of it, and Alethea was brilliant in absolutely all of her scenes.

The first scene was a bit surprising, with a big change of tone from the end of last episode, but worked well in getting me engaged. I liked the relaxed nature of this scene, and I expect the first time someone watched it that was necessary for them to get their head round it, but it was also a nice bit of calm before the tenser later parts of the episode. The Meddling Monk also seems to make a first class breakfast (the Doctor's so ungrateful) and we get to find out a bit more about his character from what the Monk would consider quite normal stuff (again, well done Peter Butterworth).

We move on to see Vicki wake up a little worried from noises in the bushes. She warily goes to check it out, tension tenses, and... it's Steven. A release of tension follows, but lo! There are Saxons in the bushes! They ambush the travellers, and take them to their village. This is a cliche that is used quite a lot in television, and that does stick out a little bit, but I like this scene anyway - we see a more relaxed Steven, and a bit of dramatics is always nice.

We jump back to the Monk's renditioning his new poem "My Child" to Edith and co., who had politely brought him food. After the visitors have been ushered away, The Monk uses his authentic Saxon binoculars to spy a Viking longship, but he is happy for a reason unknown to us. This was a good scene, which I appear to be saying quite often in this serial, with a show of how the Monk tries to fit in and a sense of mystery around The Monk creeping back; Peter Butterworth's acting and humour make me look forward to each scene with him in.

We go and see what Steven and Vicki have been up to. There is an argument between Wulnoth and Eldred over whether they let our heroes go or not. Then Edith intervenes on the companions' side, and the thing is settled, with Steven and Vicki setting off for the Monk's abode and the others going back to their hnefatafl or whatever they were doing. Peter Russell, as I said at the start, did a bit of a hammy performance, but it is made up for by everyone else's acting. This scene is another good one that moves the story along, has some nice dialogue, and has a bit more of Michael Miller's character - unfortunately, we don't get to see an awful lot of him, and I think he's quite a good actor.

Changing viewpoints, we see the Vikings arriving on the beach. The leader of their expedition orders his his men about their duties, sending three to loot the nearby village for supplies. The leader proceeds to disappear for the rest of the story. This scene is short, there isn't much stuff to comment on, but I'll comment just the same. I think that Geoffrey Cheshire had a good commanding tone and aura about him, and the costumes looked a bit realistic, if not authentic.

We jump back to our lovely Steven and Vicki, who come knocking on our mystery Monk's door. He answers it, using his usual 'I'm being super religious' excuse, answering the pairs enquiries without a moment's thought, until he is caught off guard by Steven asking about other monks (doesn't Steven know it's perfectly usual to have a one monk abbey?). Steven is suspicious, and devises a plan to uncover the Monk while the monk is 'asking the others'. He enacts it, but lo! The Monk had heard his plan, and plays along so he can set a devious trap for our friends. The Monk goes back into his abbey, then Steven and Vicki discuss it. Vicki has ingenuity enough to see through the Monk, and informs Steven on how he's been fooled, but they decide to infiltrate the place anyway. I really like this scene. It shows a bit of the Monk's cunning side, with some more of Steven's forward manner; Vicki shows off her cleverness; and it's all coupled with great acting - particularly on O'Brien's part - and fantastic dialogue. 'Nuff said.

There is, as John put it, an elephant in the room. Some would address it now, but I'm going to put it off for a paragraph later because I want to talk about the matter a bit more completely. Edith hears some rustling in the bushes, and picks up a spear. The three Vikings spring from the bushes, overpower Edith, and drag her into the hut. This scene is a bit of the dramatics, and has the cliched 'something in the bushes', but it's pulled off well, so that doesn't matter. Edith picking up the spear is quite realistic - people would have to know how to defend themselves back then, especially near the coast.

Steven and Vicki decide that this side that they're looking at isn't the best one.

Now we come to the paragraph where I address that elephant. Wulnoth and Eldred return to the village, to find Edith lying still on the ground, alive, but it is heavily implied that she was raped. Eldred starts to argue to Wulnoth that it was the travellers, but Wulnoth bursts into tears, silencing him. After a while, he orders Eldred to gather the villagers, anger clearly present. This scene is very grim, darkening the tone considerably. The reactions of Wulnoth seemed accurate, and there was a lot of emotion in his speech and expressions. Peter Russell didn't do the best job on this scene - after Eldred's initial shock, it didn't seem like he felt anything other than anger - but the rest of the acting was fantastic. It will be hard to judge whether the rape was handled well until I see anything other than the initial reaction, so I'll write a paragraph about it at the start of next episode's review.

We see the Vikings blunder along the path with their loot in hand, and not being too quiet about it. We go back to the hut, where Edith is still incapacitated, with Wulnoth and some villagers caring to her, trying to find out who did it. Edith eventually manages to say Vikings. This scene is quite good because it shows how bad it must have been for Edith - it was such good acting, that it seemed almost real.

Now we come to a scene that completely offsets the tone that was built up over the last few scenes. The fight scene. It is so badly choreographed, that it is actually quite funny - the way they sort of stand around, not knowing quite what to do - one falls over then stabs someone in the foot. The mood is lightened by this slapstick, which is sort of welcome - it is a family show, all in all.

The Monk walks past an opening, then Steven and Vicki jump in. They both go opposite ways, and both say follow me at the same time. Steven ends up following Vicki. This is a short scene but quite nice - it adds a bit of humour, something that has been a bit lacking this episode after the first scene.

The Monk sets his gramophone, checks his trap, then waits for our travellers. Wulnoth drags Eldred up the path to the monastery. This scene is good, with some nice expressions by Peter Butterworth. Peter Russell does a surprisingly good injured person.

We see our travellers going along a passage, but unknown to them the Monk watches from his hiding spot. Then our nice Monk is called by the door. I liked this scene, mostly because of the expression on the Monk's face.

Our friends find the gramophone, but do not share the Doctor's fate, because the Monk has to answer the door. They search for a bit, and find the Doctor's holding cell. Steven starts to pick the lock on the door. This scene was quite good - O'Brien and Purves did a good expression of surprise when they found the gramophone.

The Monk answers the door, just as Wulnoth starts trying to batter it down - he invites them in, and is left standing outside by the Saxons. Vicki and Steven get into the Doctor's cell, but lo! when they take off the sheets, he is not there! This scene was nice - the humour with the Monk was good, and there was quite a cliched cliffhanger at the end, but that didn't particularly bother me.

Next Time:
May's review of The Meddling Monk.

Episode 78 (S1): The Watcher (May's view)

(And eventually, May also decided to do episode reviews! Over to her.)

I have to say I'm slightly daunted by writing this. I feel like I've got a lot to live up to. Particularly with this story actually, considering the monster review that my father has written. Really dad! You could have left at least a few points for your poor children to cover! Most of this will therefore be repeats of what dad's already said, just from the perspective of a fifteen-year-old girl.

Well, let's start at the beginning, with the very first scene. There's some good acting from Maureen O'Brien and William Hartnell. I feel like they got the grandfather/granddaughter dynamic really well (even though Vicki is not Susan, she's slotted into the hole she left quite neatly). There was also a definite air of suppressed sadness from both of them (particularly Vicki, she seemed like she was putting on a brave face for the Doctor), which seemed realistic, given Ian and Barbara's departure.

Then, of course, there's Steven's entrance. Which I think is marvellous. This scene just feels so Hartnell era, Vicki's cry of "oh, do be careful Doctor! It's obviously a dalek!", and their choice of weapons (shoe and coat). It's hard to put it into words, but it just seems like it belongs in that era of Who, and it wouldn't fit anywhere else.

In the next scene, Peter Purves' acting is really very good, he has the right balance of seriousness and comedy that is required for Doctor Who - I especially liked the bit where he calls the Doctor 'Doctor' for the first time (or, as he actually said it, 'Doc...tor!'). And, of course, there's the Doctor's 'chair with a panda on it' speech. Steven and Vicki's little conflab about acronyms is also golden!

The monk is instantly presented as someone we need to watch out for. He observes the TARDIS from the cliff without batting an eyelid, and he does not seem at all unsettled when he listens to the Doctor explaining about the TARDIS. When I first watched this episode, I remember thinking "this guy's not a monk!".

Skipping ahead a bit because, while I adored the scene on the beach, this piece of writing is going be bloody long even if I do cut ruthlessly. The Doctor's first scene with Edith is really quite sweet. Edith is such a kindly character, just a genuinely nice person! Plus, there's the Doctor giving an aside about history, which was the shows purpose, to educate the young viewers. A couple of times Hartnell slips up on his lines, which is quite sad to see.

It's very clear that Steven has kind of forgotten how to interact with people. His first interaction with a Saxon is a very clear contrast to the Doctor's, all the more so when the scenes are placed next to each other. Although the fight was crappily choreographed, it does give us a bit of an insight into how Steven has been affected by his time with the Mechanoids.

In the final scene, all the modern stuff scattered through the episode is made clear by the reveal of the gramophone. The monk is not what he seems! And he has captured the Doctor! Dun, dun, DUH!

Next Time:
The Meddling Monk.

Episode 78 (S1): The Watcher (Isaac's view)

(Isaac got quite enthusiastic reviewing this story, and ended up covering each episode separately. Since this happened after I'd already posted a couple, I decided to save them all for the end and do a quick run through, in order to keep the momentum up. Over to him!)

A very good episode, with wonderful acting - the only character where in my opinion the acting wasn't great was the Saxon hunter in the woods. The Doctor's moment of sadness at the start was very convincing. The humour in the episode was done well - I especially like the Doctor's funny moments with Steven (I've often quoted his 'space helmet for a cow' bit these last few days). Maureen O'Brien did a good job of the sad aspect at the start, and did well at portraying Vicki's realisation when she is explaining to Steven about the TARDIS that she is the new most senior TARDIS crew member (excluding the Doctor, of course). Steven is very forward (well, you would be after being kept prisoner by the Mechanoids for a while) and his disbelief is portrayed by Peter Purves very well.

The aura of mystery around the Meddling Monk is done well, with the viewer just seeing his body language and facial expressions (well done Peter Butterworth! He got a lot of information in those!). The Doctor's little walk takes us to meet Edith, a nice character who seems quite real. She gives the doctor something to drink, and he verbally blunders around until he finds the date and informs the viewer on a bit of history (a nod to the shows original intention). This scene was quite nice, with good acting on both William and Alethea's part, which would not worked well in another era of the show but fits nicely in this serial.

Jumping back to Vicki and Steven we come across an exhausted Vicki - it's quite nice because it shows the fact that younger people aren't just downsized adults (something which happens quite a bit in fiction). Then the Saxon hunter came along, and as a result we have a badly done fight scene - where all they seem to be doing is rolling around with their hands locked together. That bit is my least favourite part of the episode, but we did have a nice bit of more Steven stuff, which is needed a little since this is his first story as a companion.

Finally we have a smug Doctor being trapped, which adds a bit more drama in the episode, which is nice at the end of an episode mostly composed of humour and scene setting.

Next Time:
May's review of The Watcher!

Serial S: The Time Meddler

This was the third story I watched featuring William Hartnell's Doctor (counting the initial broadcast of The Three Doctors as my first), back in the days when repeats were few and far between - 1992, to be precise, over a decade since the previous opportunity. Now I've seen all his surviving episodes and heard soundtracks for the rest, and the main thing that stops me seeing them more often is my physical inability to watch much TV. I also have access to a massively larger library of information than I did then, and consequently there is a kind of double vision viewing this. I can still just about remember the excitement I felt watching it originally, unspoilt except for whatever the announcers said beforehand; but my main memories are from the six or seven times I've seen the DVD in the last decade, knowing what's coming, and for most of those viewings knowing the context. It still holds up on repeat viewing, but I am very glad I first saw it without foreknowledge of that cliffhanger.

This serial marks the beginning of the first ever run with no contemporary companions in the TARDIS (a run that corresponds exactly to this section of my marathon). I think that's a sign of confidence: there is less need for an "audience identification figure" now that the program has been running for over a year, and is still proving popular. It can't be the new broom effect, because even though this is the first serial edited by Donald Tosh, it was the previous team that set it up.

When this story was originally being planned, almost everything was up in the air. William Russell was leaving and needed a replacement, but it was unclear whether Jacqueline Hill was staying; Dennis Spooner hadn't renewed his contract but hadn't announced his departure either. The Chase was going to be an expensive production, which meant that the following serial had to save money as well as introduce the audience to a new companion. In the circumstances producer Verity Lambert thought an experienced writer was needed to introduce Ian's replacement and handle the uncertainty, so applied for special permission for the story editor to write it.

This was a good decision. In the event Spooner decided to leave to work on The Baron; and his writing here reminds me of the previous companion introduction, The Rescue (again written by a departing script editor, and another of my favourites). All the main characters are well served, and Steven is indeed given some depth.

It wasn't a happy production for everyone, however. Upset at all the change, William Hartnell threw tantrums in the presence of incoming producer John Wiles, souring their relationship from the start. It was fortunate that this didn't affect the end product - at least for this serial...

Special Features
Starting with the standard fare, there's Radio Times listings (which I never look at these days, though I might have done for this DVD when I first got it) and the Info text (which I can't be bothered to read); I've already mentioned the commentary in my episode reviews. It's quite chatty, full of anecdotes but paying very little attention to what is on screen for long stretches, so less informative than some, but enjoyable. The Coming Soon is for The Five Doctors 25th Anniversary Edition, quite a fun trailer. Most of the Photo Gallery is made up of shots of the cast on set - there are some good quality photos, but nothing really surprising. Then, towards the end, we get a few of the bare sets (which do interest me) and some casting shots of Peter Purves, looking rugged and handsome. Not much stands out but I still enjoyed this one more than many, which I think is largely because the music is so good.

There's no 'making of' documentary, and the only other story-specific extras are the audio for the missing twelve seconds cut by censors overseas (good to have as a completist, but not really adding anything) and a piece on the restoration work. Much of this can be found on other releases, but I don't begrudge that; it's always good to be reminded of how much care and attention went into producing these disks. Of particular interest for me, though, is the use of the original film for the stock footage of the Viking ship.

Placed on essentially the wrong release for reasons outside of anyone's control, we have a fairly rushed obituary and photo gallery for the late, great Verity Lambert. I say rushed because the former is basically a simple PowerPoint presentation - almost entirely text, too - and the latter feels like a slideshow of holiday shots. Both lack a soundtrack. It's touching, but I wish they'd waited for a more appropriate release to put it on and then done a more thorough job.

Finally, we have one that could be placed on any Hartnell-era release: Stripped for Action, looking at the comics of his era. This is sorta-kinda a regular feature, in that there is one for each Doctor; but because there's only one for each Doctor, this is the first I've covered in my marathon. I like them. I don't know much about the comics featured and finding out more intrigues me, so that's one reason for my enjoyment; but I also appreciate the style, with the fake 'online comic' feel to the titles, the enthusiastic comic historians and (in this case) one slightly bemused artist. Short and sweet.

In conclusion, then, don't buy this release for the extras, buy it for the story.

Rating:
Mine: 10/10.
DWM Mighty 200: 72.81%, 75th.
2012 Gallifrey Base Non-Dynamic Rankings: 8.14, 39th out of 234.

Next Time:
Wait a minute! What about Isaac's corner? Has he given up? Far from it. He wanted to write more about this serial, and May also had some thoughts, but they're not quite ready yet; so before my blog is invaded by my children, a round-up and overview of the second season.

Episode 81 (S4): Checkmate

And unexpectedly, I managed to write up my review of A Battle of Wits the following morning and watch this one later in the day! Now that's a turnaround. And hopefully a sign of things to come.

Unfortunately this episode is the weakest of the serial, though still reasonably strong overall; and the first part of this review is little more than a random collection of thoughts. So I'll keep it short, before moving onto what it represents for the series.

One of the things that makes this feel weaker is that there seems to be less attention to detail from all parties. The pacing is slightly off, with some well-performed discussions nevertheless moving too slowly; Eldred's injury seems to come and go; William Hartnell makes some more obvious slips; and the camerawork is not quite as sharp.

There's a lot to love too, though. The comedy continues to be well done - I love the scenes where the Monk persuades the (very stupid) Vikings to help him, and the one with the Saxons running into and then out from the monastery. Peter Butterworth's expressions continue to provide good value for money, particularly as he reads the letter from the Doctor; and the final resolution is both clever and funny. I thought the clifftop scene with the Doctor emphasising how happy he is with his new team was heartwarming, and the final credit sequence is very effective.

A final word on Edith. There is little indication that she is recovering from trauma this time, though the fact that she insists on accompanying the men in the attack is significant. She remembers her English middle-class manners, and invites the travellers back for tea and gives them a smile. I'm inclined to be charitable and read this as a sign she is on the road to recovery and will be OK.

Let's turn to the science fiction elements of the story. A few minor points first. Vicki and Steven's discussion of how history can change is interesting, and possibly the clearest so far; though keeping the Doctor out of the discussion is, perhaps, a cunning ploy to allow for the production team to change their mind at a later date. The business with the Doctor's TARDIS being an earlier model than the Monk's Mark IV can be reconciled with the later Type 40 designation if you squint, though it's hardly worth bothering with; and the whole sequence with the dimensional stabiliser, while slightly too drawn out, is a great way of making use of the show's mythology to affect the plot.

And now, on to the main feature:

The Beginning of the End for 'Pure' Historicals?
So, we reach the era of the 'pseudo-historical', with a story where a time traveller attempts to use their knowledge of the future to change and improve the past. The Doctor expresses his disapproval and anger, the nature of history is discussed, and there is violence (although none of the time travellers are harmed); the changes are averted. What am I describing? The Aztecs, of course.

People always point to The Time Meddler as the birth of the pseudo-historical, but in terms of science fiction interfering with history there is very little it does that is new. The anachronistic has been there ever since a caveman watched a man step out of a police box and light a pipe.

So what makes the difference? For there surely is one! I believe the explanation belongs in the extradiegetic realm, in the fact that this is a television drama and not a news report. The Doctor and his companions occupy a privileged position: in a sense, their SF influence doesn't count because they are the window through which we get to see the drama happening in the past. When we marvel at a TV presenter in an inaccessible place and ignore the fact that there must be a camera operator there too, so we fail to register the difference the mere presence of the TARDIS crew makes on the past. The Monk externalises that influence so that we can see it.

There were good, solid reasons for fiddling with the historical format. Just as the idea of 'one serial backward in time, one forward, one sideways' had been quietly dropped when it became apparent there wasn't enough mileage in sideways stories to do them more than occasionally, it had become obvious over the second season that historicals were just not as popular as SF stories. The first season's "drop them down in history and see what happens" methodology had already been replaced with "drop them into a historical genre such as Up Pompeii or Shakespeare", but it wasn't enough. More had to be done.

There are only five more 'pure' historicals in the 1960s, and then nothing until a single outlier in the '80s; the revived series has not done any to date. Ironically, these (and the ones that came before) are some of the best-loved stories of the era.

Which just goes to show that there is no accounting for taste.

Broadcast:
Date: Saturday, 24th July 1965
Viewers: 8.3 million
Chart Position: 24
Appreciation Index: 54

Rating:
7.5/10.

Next Time:
Serial S as a whole.

Episode 80 (S3): A Battle of Wits

Well, there was another enormous gap before I got to this episode; viewing so far has taken nearly six months. Still, I refuse to dwell on the fact, since it's the 17th of July 1965, which means it's time to say happy first birthday to me!

This is another episode that looks brilliant. Barry Newbery's sets are fantastic, giving an enormous sense of space, both in the forest and in the monastery. The use of projected sky and wind machine in the clifftop scene makes it feel incredibly real - May commented on this (and the first shot of the first episode, where the monk is at the top of the cliff against a similar projected sky), asking "how come they could do special effects like that in 1965 and yet with all our modern technology they still can't make a car look real in Supernatural?". Indeed.

The direction certainly helps; as they point out in the commentary, having a short tracking shot in the forest as the surviving vikings are running away supports the illusion of space. There's also some lovely framing, with cameras moving in for extreme closeups while characters move into and out of shot. The actors must have been very careful about hitting their marks for it to work!

Turning to the writing and acting, this episode is focused on the monk to a much greater extent than the first two. This is certainly not a problem, because he's a lovely character well played! His bumbling makes him a great adversary, a complete contrast to the Daleks. The way he mutters about miles and kilometres as he refines his schemes really made us chuckle, and we all loved the progress chart ("atomic cannon?!", we cried). Peter Butterworth also has great chemistry with William Hartnell, and the two of them obviously enjoyed their confrontation.

The vikings are a little less successful, though not enough for me to dock any marks. When Sven is threatening Ulf in the forest they are both a bit too nice about it - May thought they looked more like they wanted to kiss - and they still seem politer than I would expect in the monastery. They are also rather puny if they can be knocked unconscious with a bit of balsa - one of the less successful effects, though I love the symmetry of them both getting whacked in the same way by fake monks.

Of course, I also have to mention that cliffhanger too. The reveal that there is more than one TARDIS in the universe - and the implication that the Doctor is not, therefore, a lone inventor like the Doctor Who of the movies - is quite a mythological shift, and is still a very cool moment even when we know what's happening. But I'll have more to say about the consequences next time.

Sadly, this episode had the fewest viewers of any in season two, although it still did better than the opposition on ITV (and only just over a third as many watched the 1992 BBC2 repeat). Either it was a nice sunny summer evening or people back then had no taste.

Violence Against Women, part 3: The Aftermath
In a recent discussion on Gallifrey Base I agreed with someone who said that, basically, whether this topic was handled well depended largely on whether or not there were shown to be consequences. This, then, is the deciding episode, and the evidence is...ambiguous. The case for the prosecution would likely be that there is no dialogue discussing the matter at all. However, the way Alethea Charlton plays Edith has subtly changed. She does not smile, and there is something about her manner that is more closed, particularly in her scenes with the Doctor.

People don't always want to talk about traumatic experiences. I remember visiting my old school shortly after I'd left - which was also shortly after my dad died. One of the teachers said "I bet your dad was pleased with your results", and I said "yes, he was". He'd never seen them, but I didn't want to get into that, so I lied. Particularly in the English Middle Class (and despite being the wife of the chief, Edith comes across as being very Middle-Class), there is an attitude of showing the world that everything is alright, even when it isn't. Observers have to pick up and interpret some fairly subtle signals to work out what is really going on, and as distance from the trauma increases the feelings get pushed down further and the mask is perfected. Here some of her pain is visible (and the Doctor being oblivious to it does not reflect well on him); fairly soon she will approximate her old self better.

Because of this, and thanks to a nuanced performance from Charlton, I think this is a well-handled case; but I can understand other people coming to a different conclusion.

Broadcast:
Date: Saturday, 17th July 1965
Viewers: 7.7 million
Chart Position: 28
Appreciation Index: 53

Rating:
10/10.

Next Time:
Checkmate.

Episode 79 (S2): The Meddling Monk

I've been trying to figure out a way for this blog to keep going in the face of a number of factors - chiefly that it's not my top writing priority, and that I am also having increasing difficulty watching television. I decided to write all the reviews for this serial before I posted the first, to give me a head start; this turned out to be a good idea. There was such an enormous gap between writing the first episode entry and watching this one that we all decided to rewatch The Watcher first, to remind ourselves of where we'd got to. Because of this I noticed the reprise was different, in that this time it was accompanied by dramatic music.

This episode starts out really emphasising the anachronisms, presumably for the benefit of those who missed the previous week. There probably weren't many who needed it - the viewing figures are pretty consistent, down very slightly - but it's a sensible precaution. The modern kitchen stuff (added after the final revision of the script, and looking so old now!) makes a pretty bold statement. ("Nice dinner service", said May. "I'd stay at Hotel Monk.") It's not long before we get the Monk using binoculars, by which time the point is clearly made and the focus shifts away from "where are we?" to "where are we going?" - a nice balance to strike.

And speaking of balance, I'd like to praise Peter Butterworth for his facial expressions in particular - they are priceless. He gets just the right amount of comedy into the performance.

Peter Purves also does a fine job of showing off some more of Steven's character: the space pilot has relaxed a bit and seems more cheerful after a night's sleep away from Mechanus, but tenses up straight away when they hear an unexplained noise. It's a small note, but adds a lot. Later, Steven being suspicious of the monk's excuses in the same way he was suspicious when the Doctor and Vicki were telling him about the TARDIS reinforces this, even though he's right this time. Then he believes he's tricked the monk with a fairly transparent ruse, which shows us some of his naïvety while giving Maureen O'Brien a moment to show off Vicki's cleverness.

The writing is very finely judged. The two time travellers struggling with the manners of the time is another fine touch, as is the comedy moment when the pair enter the monastery and head in opposite directions, which helps to reduce the tension after a more horrific scene. I also love the way that the end looks like being a repeat of the previous episode's cliffhanger, this time with us seeing the monk setting his trap; but then he gets called away, and we are given a different cliffhanger instead.

(I may be wrong since I've now seen it so often, but I don't remember noticing William Hartnell's absence on first viewing until this moment. It's very cleverly done.)

The rest of the production is of a high standard as well. There's some great camera direction and effective use of stock footage, and the craggy vikings look good. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the fight scene is pretty much the only thing that lets the episode down. The era always had trouble with fight scenes, but unfortunately this is a particularly poor example.

Violence Against Women, part 2: The Rape of Edith
There is, of course, an elephant in the room with any discussion of this episode, and that is Edith's implied rape. Well, I say implied, but this is about as close to portraying the actual event as you are going to get in a pre-watershed program. We've had the threat of rape before - usually involving Barbara, and most obviously with Vasor in The Snows of Terror, when this series of sidebars started - but this is the first time the threat has been carried through.

I recently read an interview with a crime writer in an issue of the Radio Times in which he bemoans the way every new TV crime series has to start with an episode in which a woman is kidnapped and raped or otherwise tortured. I can see what he means: it does seem to have become the first port of call when a show wants to establish its credentials as edgy or hard-hitting, and unless handled very carefully it can become a form of mysogynistic 'torture porn'. And then there's the trope of 'fridging', where a character (almost always a woman) is mistreated just to give a more major character (almost always a man) some motivation, a drive for revenge or similar, with the emphasis on the latter's viewpoint rather than the former's.

At first glance, this certainly looks as if Edith has been fridged. We see her husband Wulnoth's pain and anger, and indeed he and the other men of the village go off and hunt down the vikings and kill them in revenge. A classic case. And yet, by any reckoning, Edith is a more prominent character than her husband - so it almost falls into this trap, but not quite. The event is also handled seriously, not treated lightly: we see the effect on Edith in multiple scenes. And before the attack she is shown to be a strong, resourceful character, hearing something wrong and reaching for her spear. The fact that she is overpowered by three warriors doesn't make her an ineffective damsel!

So, my response is generally positive thus far - but I'll have a little more to say next time...

Broadcast:
Date: Saturday, 10th July 1965
Viewers: 8.8 million
Chart Position: 19
Appreciation Index: 49

Rating:
9.5/10.

Next Time:
A Battle of Wits.

Episode 78 (S1): The Watcher

I'm back from a fantastic time in Northumbria, and almost over the post-holiday reality shock, so I think it's time to get going again.

Occasionally I think I'm not really the right person to be doing this. I enjoy writing but I don't have any background in media studies or production, which sometimes makes talking about the visuals (and the direction in particular) tricky. I know what I like, but not always why.

This episode is a case in point. Visually it feels like a big step up from last time, but all I can do is pick out a few details that don't really add up to all that much (though being linked to a better script always helps, of course). Given my difficulties I'm not going to try and be too analytical, instead just pointing out some of the things I reacted to. Imagine you are in 1965, and I'm a friend telling you about an episode you missed (which is, of course, unlikely ever to be repeated); but without the obligatory summary of the plot.

To start at the beginning, then, we have the aftermath of Iananbarbara's departure at the end of The Chase. The first TARDIS scene is quite theatrical, and the episode uses asides to the audience throughout (such as "how does he know that?") and careful positioning (such as the early shot with Vicki behind the clock and the Doctor behind the console). William Hartnell uses his own sadness to play a sad Doctor, which tugs at the heartstrings. There's a lot of warmth here, with Vicki seeing Iananbarbara as old but not the Doctor because he's different - her faith in him is obvious. The pair have different reactions to the noise coming from the TARDIS interior, a small but effective note; and then as they arm themselves with shoe and jacket, the humour comes to the fore. It's an elegant transition.

What follows contains a great deal of humour, in fact. The Doctor has some wonderful speeches - the 'chair with a panda on it' one and the 'space helmet for a cow' one, in particular (though the horns are, of course, a historical inaccuracy). And the whole situation with the monk is humorous, though with an edge to it as well; and that mix is part of what makes this script work so well for me.

The other part is the characterisation. Steven is very intense, which you might expect from a space pilot after years as a captive of the Mechanoids - though he gets to vent some of his frustration in his tussle with an innocent peasant. Vicki tries to keep things light, teasing him and the Doctor, which is how she deals with the world; but eventually even she loses patience. The Doctor is thoughtful (and Hartnell puts a lot of subtlety into his expressions). Meanwhile, Alethea Charlton puts a lot of warmth into Edith (admittedly in a bizarre kind of RP Northern accent, possibly because she was told to tone it down, given what happened later with Jackie Lane). And the monk... well, he's supposed to be the enigma, so we can forgive them keeping him at a distance.

Turning to other aspects of the production, Douglas Camfield gives us plenty of variety in the camera shots - nothing too ambitious but all well planned, for example when the monk is hiding behind the rock. This is combined with good use of music, of sound effects (such as waves and animals), and of stock footage (such as skies, gulls, waves crashing on the shore and cliff), all of which add to the feeling of being there.

Barry Newbery generally provides great sets as well, the main exception being the outside of the monastery. After listening to the commentary, though, I can see that this is more a problem with the lighting than the set itself.

What about the plot? This is an episode that has to deal with a sudden change in the TARDIS crew - the biggest so far - so that takes up quite a bit of screen time. The pacing is carefully handled, though, and we get a liberal sprinkling of hints about the monk throughout: his ring, him looking at his wrist in a familiar way, the monks' chanting winding down, and ultimately the reveal of the gramophone.

When I first saw this I didn't know what to expect, not being the sort of fan who checked out the details of stories (indeed, I was barely a fan at all at the time); but I had been watching through the '70s, when all historicals had aliens or other anachronistic elements. What impact would this have had coming from only pure historicals? Did it throw people, other than one confused housewife who failed to realise that the anachronisms were deliberate? Was it a positive change? I don't know, but this serial held on to more of its viewers than The Romans or The Crusade (and with generally better AIs) so I'm guessing it was. Whatever, the important thing here is that I really enjoyed it.

Broadcast:
Date: Saturday, 3rd July 1965
Viewers: 8.9 million
Chart Position: 15
Appreciation Index: 57

Rating:
9/10.

Next Time:
The Meddling Monk.