I did say earlier that I would talk about some of the problems with
Richard Martin's direction, and this - the most troubled episode of the
serial - seems like an appropriate point. To be honest, the problem
isn't so much with the technical aspects of direction as the scale of
his ambition. The filming at Ealing overran massively, requiring not
only the day set aside in case of problems but also one extra. The Zarbi
overran a little, and then this episode hit serious difficulties
resulting in an overrun of more than half an hour, running close to the
11PM absolute deadline. Many of the problems were nothing to do with
Martin - some sets were not delivered on time, parts of the floor had
not been painted, there were lighting difficulties and a camera broke -
but these delays caused friction between him and producer Verity
Lambert.
As well as timing, Lambert also chided him for letting the actors change
their lines. Part of this was due to the actors being thrown by the
other problems and so fluffing. William Hartnell in particular was
finding the serial difficult, because the cumbersome costumes meant he
had to hit his marks more accurately than he was used to. Martin
responded to the producer's comments with a complaint of his own, about
the trailer that was shot to advertise the serial (which portrayed Zarbi
arriving at the BBC to act in the show)). He felt it was too comedic,
undermining the tone of the story before it even aired; Lambert wanted
to make the creatures feel safe to children.
I'm with Martin on this. Serial N was the first time the show had done
outright horror, and if that required undercutting the mood to avoid
scaring younger viewers then it should probably not have been done in
the first place! Still, I'll return to the theme of horror later, in a
more appropriate episode.
What of this one, though? In general the direction is not so good, with
far more static shots; and of course we get to see a Zarbi running into
the camera! A bigger problem for me, though, is the sequence where the
Animus' gun is supposed to be firing at the TARDIS. We can't see this
from the way it is shot at all, which is a serious storytelling failure.
Having said that, though, it is followed by a great shot of the Doctor
stepping out of the smoke and appearing clearly while Ian and Vicki are
still wreathed in it behind him. We also get to see the Menoptera
Vrestin flying, which works surprisingly well; and the shots of the
Doctor talking to the Animus are great, with both Hartnell and Catherine
Fleming selling the idea of two great minds locked in a battle of wits.
The low shot of the Doctor in the communicator in particular makes him
look majestic, and the way he refers to it as a "hairdryer" is a great
bit of lampshading.
The script seems to be using this episode as a chance to explain things.
We learn the backstory of the Menoptera, that they are not invaders
(and so probably count as "good guys"), which is probably a good thing
at this stage; but there is just too much talking for me, and it drains a
lot of the tension. Still, it is written well enough that I didn't
notice that Jacqueline Hill was on holiday, and there are some nice
moments scattered throughout. When the Doctor tells Ian not to break the
time and relative dimension link, I wondered if it were foreshadowing
events in The Time Meddler.
Overall, though, not the best episode. Hopefully it will pick up next time...
Broadcast:
Date: Saturday, 27th February 1965
Viewers: 12.5 million
Chart Position: 11
Appreciation Index: 53
Rating:
3.5/10.
Next Time:
Crater of Needles.
Thursday, 18 October 2012
Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Episode 59 (N2): The Zarbi
So we return to Vortis, and this time I want to focus on the design work
of my namesake John Wood, as well as looking at some of the inhabitants
of the planet.
Getting the bad out of the way, I mentioned last time Richard Martin deciding to show us the other side of the console room. Well, it's much blander than the side we are used to seeing. (It also makes me wonder where the fault locator is hiding.) The room with the bendy beds is bland, too, so the TARDIS interior seems a really dull place, except for the console itself.
The only good side to this is that it makes the Vortis scenes look even more impressive. The main 'surface of the planet' set is awesome, giving us a sense of scale unequalled in the show so far. With modern TVs you can see the join, but in most shots you have to be looking for it - I didn't notice it at all in the first two episodes when I was watching for fun, only when I watched a second time to pick up on points for the review (and listen to the commentary). The Carsinome set is flat, because of the problems of packing it away for storage until the following week's shooting; as a result it doesn't have the organic look that they wanted. But it still has quite an alien "feel".
The modelwork fits very well. The shot of the TARDIS being moved through the mist matches perfectly with the main set, and the temple shot last time - with the statue of Menoptera on top of pyramid - impresses despite the occasional transparency of the Doctor's Atmospheric Density Jacket.
Ah yes, the Menoptera. Last episode we were introduced to the Zarbi and their venom grubs; this time we meet the other faction. The least obvious thing here from our future perspective is that their role is ambiguous. Are they heroes or villains? They keep Barbara from the clutches of the Zarbi, true, but then discuss killing her. And they are the spearhead of an invasion force from space. Probably villains, then, but it's not at all clear.
From their first appearance the Menoptera are treated as another very weird species. In fact, although the other inhabitants of Vortis distract us from this, their design makes them, physically, one of the least human sapients that have been shown so far. Only the brains of Morphoton and (by implication) the Daleks are more alien. Their movement and speech, devised by Roslyn de Winter (who plays Vrestin), enhances this. Bizarrely, Richard Martin originally wanted to cast big-eyed actors, before realising that nobody's eyes were big enough!
I should mention the other aliens' costumes here. All are effective; all have shortcomings. The Zarbi are my personal favourite, a total success in my book despite the obvious men's legs. The venom grubs (or 'larvae guns') are cute; the frill they have around the edge doesn't work as legs but this isn't a problem.
Finally, in a pretence that this is a review of this particular episode, I'll mention a few points which were particularly atmospheric. First is the scene with Vicki alone in the TARDIS. We have the shot of her through the console, and the shaky view seen on the monitor before the startling appearance of a Zarbi. We also have Ian stepping into a shell. The actual motion is necessarily contrived but the idea is affecting, and following this we see Ian more dispirited than he has ever been, completely uncertain of how to tackle the situation they find themselves in. Barbara also has a brief chance to shine, showing how resourceful she can be in escaping from the Menoptera.
The closing scene is slightly chaotic. The Zarbi entering the ship works, but it's not obvious that it retreats because of anything the TARDIS is doing - I just assumed it was scared by the interior dimensions. As a result the creatures crowding the Doctor and forcing him under the telepathic helmet is slightly comical; but then we have Catherine Fleming's wonderfully resonant voice filling his head, and are left with a distinct feeling that the story is moving...
Broadcast:
Date: Saturday, 20th February 1965
Viewers: 12.5 million
Chart Position: 12
Appreciation Index: 53
Rating:
7.5/10.
Next Time:
Escape to Danger.
Getting the bad out of the way, I mentioned last time Richard Martin deciding to show us the other side of the console room. Well, it's much blander than the side we are used to seeing. (It also makes me wonder where the fault locator is hiding.) The room with the bendy beds is bland, too, so the TARDIS interior seems a really dull place, except for the console itself.
The only good side to this is that it makes the Vortis scenes look even more impressive. The main 'surface of the planet' set is awesome, giving us a sense of scale unequalled in the show so far. With modern TVs you can see the join, but in most shots you have to be looking for it - I didn't notice it at all in the first two episodes when I was watching for fun, only when I watched a second time to pick up on points for the review (and listen to the commentary). The Carsinome set is flat, because of the problems of packing it away for storage until the following week's shooting; as a result it doesn't have the organic look that they wanted. But it still has quite an alien "feel".
The modelwork fits very well. The shot of the TARDIS being moved through the mist matches perfectly with the main set, and the temple shot last time - with the statue of Menoptera on top of pyramid - impresses despite the occasional transparency of the Doctor's Atmospheric Density Jacket.
Ah yes, the Menoptera. Last episode we were introduced to the Zarbi and their venom grubs; this time we meet the other faction. The least obvious thing here from our future perspective is that their role is ambiguous. Are they heroes or villains? They keep Barbara from the clutches of the Zarbi, true, but then discuss killing her. And they are the spearhead of an invasion force from space. Probably villains, then, but it's not at all clear.
From their first appearance the Menoptera are treated as another very weird species. In fact, although the other inhabitants of Vortis distract us from this, their design makes them, physically, one of the least human sapients that have been shown so far. Only the brains of Morphoton and (by implication) the Daleks are more alien. Their movement and speech, devised by Roslyn de Winter (who plays Vrestin), enhances this. Bizarrely, Richard Martin originally wanted to cast big-eyed actors, before realising that nobody's eyes were big enough!
I should mention the other aliens' costumes here. All are effective; all have shortcomings. The Zarbi are my personal favourite, a total success in my book despite the obvious men's legs. The venom grubs (or 'larvae guns') are cute; the frill they have around the edge doesn't work as legs but this isn't a problem.
Finally, in a pretence that this is a review of this particular episode, I'll mention a few points which were particularly atmospheric. First is the scene with Vicki alone in the TARDIS. We have the shot of her through the console, and the shaky view seen on the monitor before the startling appearance of a Zarbi. We also have Ian stepping into a shell. The actual motion is necessarily contrived but the idea is affecting, and following this we see Ian more dispirited than he has ever been, completely uncertain of how to tackle the situation they find themselves in. Barbara also has a brief chance to shine, showing how resourceful she can be in escaping from the Menoptera.
The closing scene is slightly chaotic. The Zarbi entering the ship works, but it's not obvious that it retreats because of anything the TARDIS is doing - I just assumed it was scared by the interior dimensions. As a result the creatures crowding the Doctor and forcing him under the telepathic helmet is slightly comical; but then we have Catherine Fleming's wonderfully resonant voice filling his head, and are left with a distinct feeling that the story is moving...
Broadcast:
Date: Saturday, 20th February 1965
Viewers: 12.5 million
Chart Position: 12
Appreciation Index: 53
Rating:
7.5/10.
Next Time:
Escape to Danger.
Saturday, 13 October 2012
Episode 58 (N1): The Web Planet
I've just noticed that I don't own any more of the complete televised
stories in this run. From this point, except for two episodes of The Crusade, I will be watching DVDs that Isaac has bought with his own pocket money; fortunately he's letting me do so!
This is also the first serial of the program which credits me for design work - not bad for someone less than a year old, eh? Though I must admit it wasn't actually me, just someone (a bit older) who shares my name. There are a few of us about - I remember a magazine advert that suggested readers should "convert to Canada Dry, like John Wood" - and there's even one buried in the graveyard of the converted church where my children learn circus skills. It still has an effect, seeing the name, even though I don't get confused that they're talking about me. Usually it's fun; the tombstone was a bit creepy.
And speaking of creepy, here we are at the first episode of The Web Planet - which is also called The Web Planet. I've made masses of notes, and there's a lot to say, but much of it applies to the serial as a whole; or at least to the first couple of episodes. We'll see about the rest. So I'm going to split things up, and talk about the direction here, the design work next time, music later on...
Direction, then. This is Richard Martin, of whom I said at the end of season one: his wild moments of genius outweigh his "what were you thinking?" ones. He has said that he thought Bill Strutton's scriptwriting was awful, but that the ideas for the serial were great, and in fact just the sort of thing that Doctor Who should be. So, what does he do about it here? Works darn hard to make this the most totally alien story so far, that's what! Oh, he has his problems (which I will return to at a later date), but these aren't evident to the viewer in the first couple of episodes, at least.
Well, maybe there's one that's visible: the alien atmosphere. Martin asked about getting some special filters for the cameras, to distort the image. Once everyone stopped laughing he came up with an alternative they could actually afford: matte boxes (to protect the lenses) holding sheets of glass smeared with vaseline. I think this works really well, but many people say it looks rubbish.
Perhaps it's all a matter of perspective. I've said before that I come to Doctor Who with the intention of enjoying myself, and this means finding the right way to watch. Sometimes this is easy - I can enjoy any of the 2012 episodes as fast-paced, glitzy, self-aware modern TV, for instance. There's usually more to find than that, but it's enough to get me started. With 1960s episodes - and particularly special effects extravaganzas like these, which really show their age visually - it's harder. There's no getting around the fact that they have obviously got men in ant costumes being filmed with smeary cameras; but actually, you don't have to pay attention to it. Notice the tone, the emotional impact; don't sweat the small stuff.
And tone is where Martin really shines in the first two episodes. Nothing is comfortable about his direction: from the first focus fade, and there are lots of moving camera shots and vertiginous closeups. The choice to film the console scenes from the opposite side of the door is simple, but subconsciously throws us off a little - at least, those of us who have been watching the show for a while. And shooting people's faces through the time rotor is inspired.
Really, Martin wrenches every bit of atmosphere he can out of the script. Fairly early on there's a discussion between Barbara and Vicki in the bendy bed room, covering mundane subjects such as school and aspirin. It is obviously meant as a lighter moment, filling a little more of Vicki's background. What Martin does is to shoot a second conversation, after Barbara's arm has started disobeying her, in almost exactly the same way. The creepiness of the current situation thus poisons the normality of the first conversation. Similarly, the cut from Ian looking around outside, worried, to Barbara tidying up keeps us on our toes. There are lots of other nice touches to the direction - the disappearing TARDIS being caught in webbing, for instance, or the view of the landscape seen through the TARDIS door, which really sells the reality of it - but you get the idea. The rotating console is less effective, but not enough to spoil it.
A lot of the atmosphere does come straight from the script as well, of course. The weird goings-on with the Doctor's ring, the ship's doors opening and closing on their own, the acid pool (though it's rather too similar to Marinus to have a big effect). Even the Atmospheric Density Jackets add to the feeling that we have gone a step further from home territory. By the end, when the Doctor finds the TARDIS gone and everyone is imperilled, a record-breaking 13.5 million viewers are left with no idea how our heroes are going to get out of this one...
Broadcast:
Date: Saturday, 13th February 1965
Viewers: 13.5 million
Chart Position: 7
Appreciation Index: 56
Rating:
8.5/10.
Next Time:
The Zarbi.
This is also the first serial of the program which credits me for design work - not bad for someone less than a year old, eh? Though I must admit it wasn't actually me, just someone (a bit older) who shares my name. There are a few of us about - I remember a magazine advert that suggested readers should "convert to Canada Dry, like John Wood" - and there's even one buried in the graveyard of the converted church where my children learn circus skills. It still has an effect, seeing the name, even though I don't get confused that they're talking about me. Usually it's fun; the tombstone was a bit creepy.
And speaking of creepy, here we are at the first episode of The Web Planet - which is also called The Web Planet. I've made masses of notes, and there's a lot to say, but much of it applies to the serial as a whole; or at least to the first couple of episodes. We'll see about the rest. So I'm going to split things up, and talk about the direction here, the design work next time, music later on...
Direction, then. This is Richard Martin, of whom I said at the end of season one: his wild moments of genius outweigh his "what were you thinking?" ones. He has said that he thought Bill Strutton's scriptwriting was awful, but that the ideas for the serial were great, and in fact just the sort of thing that Doctor Who should be. So, what does he do about it here? Works darn hard to make this the most totally alien story so far, that's what! Oh, he has his problems (which I will return to at a later date), but these aren't evident to the viewer in the first couple of episodes, at least.
Well, maybe there's one that's visible: the alien atmosphere. Martin asked about getting some special filters for the cameras, to distort the image. Once everyone stopped laughing he came up with an alternative they could actually afford: matte boxes (to protect the lenses) holding sheets of glass smeared with vaseline. I think this works really well, but many people say it looks rubbish.
Perhaps it's all a matter of perspective. I've said before that I come to Doctor Who with the intention of enjoying myself, and this means finding the right way to watch. Sometimes this is easy - I can enjoy any of the 2012 episodes as fast-paced, glitzy, self-aware modern TV, for instance. There's usually more to find than that, but it's enough to get me started. With 1960s episodes - and particularly special effects extravaganzas like these, which really show their age visually - it's harder. There's no getting around the fact that they have obviously got men in ant costumes being filmed with smeary cameras; but actually, you don't have to pay attention to it. Notice the tone, the emotional impact; don't sweat the small stuff.
And tone is where Martin really shines in the first two episodes. Nothing is comfortable about his direction: from the first focus fade, and there are lots of moving camera shots and vertiginous closeups. The choice to film the console scenes from the opposite side of the door is simple, but subconsciously throws us off a little - at least, those of us who have been watching the show for a while. And shooting people's faces through the time rotor is inspired.
Really, Martin wrenches every bit of atmosphere he can out of the script. Fairly early on there's a discussion between Barbara and Vicki in the bendy bed room, covering mundane subjects such as school and aspirin. It is obviously meant as a lighter moment, filling a little more of Vicki's background. What Martin does is to shoot a second conversation, after Barbara's arm has started disobeying her, in almost exactly the same way. The creepiness of the current situation thus poisons the normality of the first conversation. Similarly, the cut from Ian looking around outside, worried, to Barbara tidying up keeps us on our toes. There are lots of other nice touches to the direction - the disappearing TARDIS being caught in webbing, for instance, or the view of the landscape seen through the TARDIS door, which really sells the reality of it - but you get the idea. The rotating console is less effective, but not enough to spoil it.
A lot of the atmosphere does come straight from the script as well, of course. The weird goings-on with the Doctor's ring, the ship's doors opening and closing on their own, the acid pool (though it's rather too similar to Marinus to have a big effect). Even the Atmospheric Density Jackets add to the feeling that we have gone a step further from home territory. By the end, when the Doctor finds the TARDIS gone and everyone is imperilled, a record-breaking 13.5 million viewers are left with no idea how our heroes are going to get out of this one...
Broadcast:
Date: Saturday, 13th February 1965
Viewers: 13.5 million
Chart Position: 7
Appreciation Index: 56
Rating:
8.5/10.
Next Time:
The Zarbi.
Wednesday, 10 October 2012
Travellers' Tales I: The Wright Way to Start the Day?, concluded
Ian found her in the TARDIS library some time later, curled up in an armchair with a paperback.
"Here you are! I've been looking for you for hours."
"Oh, you fibber!" she said, looking at him with mock disapproval. "I saw you with the Doctor, not half an hour ago."
Ian paused, uncertain; the expression on his face was priceless. Barbara couldn't help herself, and burst out laughing. "You look just like one of the students caught out lying about why he hasn't handed in his homework!"
Ian relaxed. "'Of course I know you know we don't have a dog, it must of bin someone else's dog what et it.' Did you know I once had a girl in my class who claimed her mother ate her homework? Stuck to her story, too."
"Amazing, isn't it?" Barbara sobered up. "Sit down, Ian. I want to talk to you."
"Well the reason I've been looking for you is that the Doctor-"
"Hang the Doctor! This is important! Sit down!"
Ian did so. "Yes, miss. Sorry miss." Barbara didn't smile.
"How long have we been travelling with the Doctor, Ian? A year?"
"Something like that, yes. I'd have to do some totting up to be sure of the exact day count..."
"Don't bother. The thing is, for all that time we've been acting as if our lives have been on hold, as if we can go back to Coal Hill and pick up where we left off, just as soon as the Doctor figures out how to get us there."
"Well, yes, but-"
"It's not going to happen, Ian! Even if he takes us back to the day after we left there's going to be an awful stink over Susan disappearing, and someone's bound to have seen us on the way to Totter's Lane. If it's any later than that - well, I don't know what will happen. And that's the point.
"Here and now we have a life, in the TARDIS. I've barely scratched the surface of what it's possible to do here, because I've been waiting. Waiting for an old life to return, one that never will. And so have you. It's time we stopped waiting."
They were both silent for a while, processing. Ian spoke up first. "I never planned to be a teacher, you know."
"I'm sorry?"
"I was going to go into research, be a 'proper' scientist. But National Service came along at the wrong moment for me. By the time I got out, teaching just seemed like the easier option."
"You're very good at it. All the pupils love you."
Ian smiled. "Quite an exaggeration, but thanks. Yes, it worked out okay. I was just thinking, though, that it might not be so bad for me, if I had to quit. It might be the spur I need to pursue my original dream. But you - well, what would you do?"
Barbara stood up, paced slowly back and forth for a while. Ian waited patiently. "I don't know. Truly. Things were... complicated before I came to Coal Hill, so it felt like a bit of a fresh start. It's going to be hard, whatever happens. I love teaching, but after all this I feel like - well, like I could do with a trial run, get a temporary job somewhere, get a feel for it again. That's assuming we ever land somewhere not fraught with peril, of course."
"'Fraught with peril,' eh? With a vocabulary like that maybe you should try teaching English as a foreign language."
"Or as an alien language." Barbara sat back down. "We're at it again, though. Planning everything around a return home. I want to break that habit, think of the here and now! It may not have been our choice to travel with the Doctor, but it's a fantastic opportunity. When - if - no, when we get home, I don't want to look back and regret not making more of it." She picked up the book she'd been reading. "Take this, for instance. It's about a boy who finds himself suddenly thrust into a world that is so much bigger than he's used to. He doesn't spend all his time thinking about where he came from - quite the contrary. He revels in the discovery, and allows himself to grow. That's what we should be doing."
Ian came over and perched on the arm of Barbara's chair. "I think - I think in some ways, we have grown. Or changed, at least." He looked down at her. "I'd like to believe you thought so too?"
Barbara smiled, warmly, but said nothing; Ian continued. "You're right, though. I have been clinging a bit too tightly to that hope of return. I'll try to spend more time in the present. You'll probably have to remind me, though."
"Only if you remind me too."
"Deal?"
"Deal."
They paused again, looking at each other, each wondering what to say next. This time it was Barbara who broke the silence. "I suppose we'd better go catch up with the Doctor, then."
"I suppose we better had."
They both rose, and headed for the corridor. Ian idly picked up the book Barbara had been reading. "Rowling, eh? Never heard of him. Is he any good?"
"I'll let you know when I've read a bit more."
And then they were through the doorway, and once again there was silence in the TARDIS library.
Next Time:
The Web Planet.
"Here you are! I've been looking for you for hours."
"Oh, you fibber!" she said, looking at him with mock disapproval. "I saw you with the Doctor, not half an hour ago."
Ian paused, uncertain; the expression on his face was priceless. Barbara couldn't help herself, and burst out laughing. "You look just like one of the students caught out lying about why he hasn't handed in his homework!"
Ian relaxed. "'Of course I know you know we don't have a dog, it must of bin someone else's dog what et it.' Did you know I once had a girl in my class who claimed her mother ate her homework? Stuck to her story, too."
"Amazing, isn't it?" Barbara sobered up. "Sit down, Ian. I want to talk to you."
"Well the reason I've been looking for you is that the Doctor-"
"Hang the Doctor! This is important! Sit down!"
Ian did so. "Yes, miss. Sorry miss." Barbara didn't smile.
"How long have we been travelling with the Doctor, Ian? A year?"
"Something like that, yes. I'd have to do some totting up to be sure of the exact day count..."
"Don't bother. The thing is, for all that time we've been acting as if our lives have been on hold, as if we can go back to Coal Hill and pick up where we left off, just as soon as the Doctor figures out how to get us there."
"Well, yes, but-"
"It's not going to happen, Ian! Even if he takes us back to the day after we left there's going to be an awful stink over Susan disappearing, and someone's bound to have seen us on the way to Totter's Lane. If it's any later than that - well, I don't know what will happen. And that's the point.
"Here and now we have a life, in the TARDIS. I've barely scratched the surface of what it's possible to do here, because I've been waiting. Waiting for an old life to return, one that never will. And so have you. It's time we stopped waiting."
They were both silent for a while, processing. Ian spoke up first. "I never planned to be a teacher, you know."
"I'm sorry?"
"I was going to go into research, be a 'proper' scientist. But National Service came along at the wrong moment for me. By the time I got out, teaching just seemed like the easier option."
"You're very good at it. All the pupils love you."
Ian smiled. "Quite an exaggeration, but thanks. Yes, it worked out okay. I was just thinking, though, that it might not be so bad for me, if I had to quit. It might be the spur I need to pursue my original dream. But you - well, what would you do?"
Barbara stood up, paced slowly back and forth for a while. Ian waited patiently. "I don't know. Truly. Things were... complicated before I came to Coal Hill, so it felt like a bit of a fresh start. It's going to be hard, whatever happens. I love teaching, but after all this I feel like - well, like I could do with a trial run, get a temporary job somewhere, get a feel for it again. That's assuming we ever land somewhere not fraught with peril, of course."
"'Fraught with peril,' eh? With a vocabulary like that maybe you should try teaching English as a foreign language."
"Or as an alien language." Barbara sat back down. "We're at it again, though. Planning everything around a return home. I want to break that habit, think of the here and now! It may not have been our choice to travel with the Doctor, but it's a fantastic opportunity. When - if - no, when we get home, I don't want to look back and regret not making more of it." She picked up the book she'd been reading. "Take this, for instance. It's about a boy who finds himself suddenly thrust into a world that is so much bigger than he's used to. He doesn't spend all his time thinking about where he came from - quite the contrary. He revels in the discovery, and allows himself to grow. That's what we should be doing."
Ian came over and perched on the arm of Barbara's chair. "I think - I think in some ways, we have grown. Or changed, at least." He looked down at her. "I'd like to believe you thought so too?"
Barbara smiled, warmly, but said nothing; Ian continued. "You're right, though. I have been clinging a bit too tightly to that hope of return. I'll try to spend more time in the present. You'll probably have to remind me, though."
"Only if you remind me too."
"Deal?"
"Deal."
They paused again, looking at each other, each wondering what to say next. This time it was Barbara who broke the silence. "I suppose we'd better go catch up with the Doctor, then."
"I suppose we better had."
They both rose, and headed for the corridor. Ian idly picked up the book Barbara had been reading. "Rowling, eh? Never heard of him. Is he any good?"
"I'll let you know when I've read a bit more."
And then they were through the doorway, and once again there was silence in the TARDIS library.
Next Time:
The Web Planet.
Monday, 8 October 2012
Travellers' Tales I: The Wright Way to Start the Day?
Barbara woke. The bed was soft and warm so she lay there for a while,
eyes closed, putting off the moment when - well, putting off everything,
really. It felt self-indulgent, almost sinful - and once that
thought had entered her head she was fighting her upbringing to stay
put. She stuck it out for another ten minutes but the feeling wasn't the
same. It had become rebellion, not relaxation, and that wasn't what she
wanted right now. Almost crossly she levered herself up, threw back the
sheets, swung her legs round, put her feet on the Persian rug.
"Oh well," she said to the room at large, "I suppose I just wasn't born to be a sybarite." Nor an ascetic, she added silently. Moderation in all things, that's the key. Although I don't seem capable of even a moderate amount of sloth; which is something I am definitely going to have to work on.
Ten more minutes and she was washed and dressed, her hair under control; she had almost finished making the bed. She admired the workmanship as she tucked the corners in: cedar frame with rosewood inlay, mock-Greek images of Dionysian figures, grapes, leaves with curling stems. Trite but attractive. What she loved about it most, though, was the smell - particularly when she had just put on clean linen.
Barbara smiled; it had taken so long to convince the Doctor that she and Ian didn't like sleeping on the narrow, sloping monstrosities he and Susan preferred. Ian had said it brought back nightmares of trying to doze in deckchairs on the Dover-Calais ferry, one memorable field trip before she'd moved to Coal Hill. Once he got the idea, though, the Doctor had taken them deep into the TARDIS and shown them an enormous room, like a warehouse, chock full of beds. Or so he claimed; some of them looked more like torture devices, or the remains of huge waste paper baskets after the bomb hit. Still, there were plenty of more Earthlike examples. She had enjoyed clambering into a large hammock with Ian, an undertaking which left both of them shrieking and giggling like class 4B on a rainy Friday afternoon. And once they'd made their choices the Doctor - or perhaps the TARDIS - had done something, and the beds were waiting for them in their rooms when they got back.
Ian had gone for a huge four-poster. She could picture him lying on it now, hands behind his head, legs crossed at the ankles, looking like the cat who got the cream. Being relaxed suited him - he certainly didn't seem to have any qualms about taking advantage of the opportunities the ship offered.
He'd also chosen a continental quilt, saying that he liked the idea of never having to make a bed again. Something to do with his National Service days, apparently. Barbara felt differently - for her it was a useful ritual, a kind of domestic kata to focus her mind before starting the day.
Which brought her back to the present. What would this day offer, she wondered? Would she and Ian spend it exploring the ship while the Doctor fiddled with his magic formula, trying to figure out how to get them back home? That had happened a few times lately, though always with the same result. Or would they be arriving in some new place, invariably at a time of day that upset her internal body clock? Who could tell? "There's one thing about this life," she muttered, "it's never short of surprises."
Stepping into the corridor she knocked gently on Ian's door. No answer. So, he was either still asleep or out and about. Making her way to the kitchen she dialled a glass of fresh orange juice from the food machine, but decided to postpone the rest of breakfast - just until she'd seen what was going on in the console room.
Ian and the Doctor were there; she heard them before she saw them.
"Pay attention, Chesterton! As I was saying, this, here, is the primary compensation circuit, right here, do you see?"
"I've got that, Doctor. What I didn't get was what it's meant to do? What does it compensate for?"
"What is it for? I should have thought that was obvious, even to someone of your primitive background! I can't be expected to explain everything to someone too ignorant to figure out a simple control, can I?"
"It's not the control that's the problem," muttered Ian. "Look, ignorance is just a lack of information! That's what questions are for: to increase knowledge and understanding. Anyway, there's been precious little explaining going on, and you agreed it would be a good idea for me to learn more about the ship's controls now that it's just the three of us."
Barbara tiptoed away again. Boys and their toys, she thought. It's funny; those two argue just as much as they ever did, but now they enjoy it. Most of the time, anyway.
What did she enjoy? That was a tricky question. There were some obvious answers: actually being present in Earth's history; meeting strange new people; spending time with Ian and getting to know him, so much better than she had when they were both teaching. But beyond that? As a child, it had been an important question; but once she started work her job had become her focus. She liked teaching, certainly, but that neglect of her own feelings had left her ill-prepared for this life, with so much time to herself, cut off from the rest of the universe.
Perhaps that's the answer, she thought. A modicum of introspection and a little self-indulgence to while away the hours, and loosen up some emotional muscles long atrophied from lack of use. Now, where to begin?
Next Time:
The conclusion.
"Oh well," she said to the room at large, "I suppose I just wasn't born to be a sybarite." Nor an ascetic, she added silently. Moderation in all things, that's the key. Although I don't seem capable of even a moderate amount of sloth; which is something I am definitely going to have to work on.
Ten more minutes and she was washed and dressed, her hair under control; she had almost finished making the bed. She admired the workmanship as she tucked the corners in: cedar frame with rosewood inlay, mock-Greek images of Dionysian figures, grapes, leaves with curling stems. Trite but attractive. What she loved about it most, though, was the smell - particularly when she had just put on clean linen.
Barbara smiled; it had taken so long to convince the Doctor that she and Ian didn't like sleeping on the narrow, sloping monstrosities he and Susan preferred. Ian had said it brought back nightmares of trying to doze in deckchairs on the Dover-Calais ferry, one memorable field trip before she'd moved to Coal Hill. Once he got the idea, though, the Doctor had taken them deep into the TARDIS and shown them an enormous room, like a warehouse, chock full of beds. Or so he claimed; some of them looked more like torture devices, or the remains of huge waste paper baskets after the bomb hit. Still, there were plenty of more Earthlike examples. She had enjoyed clambering into a large hammock with Ian, an undertaking which left both of them shrieking and giggling like class 4B on a rainy Friday afternoon. And once they'd made their choices the Doctor - or perhaps the TARDIS - had done something, and the beds were waiting for them in their rooms when they got back.
Ian had gone for a huge four-poster. She could picture him lying on it now, hands behind his head, legs crossed at the ankles, looking like the cat who got the cream. Being relaxed suited him - he certainly didn't seem to have any qualms about taking advantage of the opportunities the ship offered.
He'd also chosen a continental quilt, saying that he liked the idea of never having to make a bed again. Something to do with his National Service days, apparently. Barbara felt differently - for her it was a useful ritual, a kind of domestic kata to focus her mind before starting the day.
Which brought her back to the present. What would this day offer, she wondered? Would she and Ian spend it exploring the ship while the Doctor fiddled with his magic formula, trying to figure out how to get them back home? That had happened a few times lately, though always with the same result. Or would they be arriving in some new place, invariably at a time of day that upset her internal body clock? Who could tell? "There's one thing about this life," she muttered, "it's never short of surprises."
Stepping into the corridor she knocked gently on Ian's door. No answer. So, he was either still asleep or out and about. Making her way to the kitchen she dialled a glass of fresh orange juice from the food machine, but decided to postpone the rest of breakfast - just until she'd seen what was going on in the console room.
Ian and the Doctor were there; she heard them before she saw them.
"Pay attention, Chesterton! As I was saying, this, here, is the primary compensation circuit, right here, do you see?"
"I've got that, Doctor. What I didn't get was what it's meant to do? What does it compensate for?"
"What is it for? I should have thought that was obvious, even to someone of your primitive background! I can't be expected to explain everything to someone too ignorant to figure out a simple control, can I?"
"It's not the control that's the problem," muttered Ian. "Look, ignorance is just a lack of information! That's what questions are for: to increase knowledge and understanding. Anyway, there's been precious little explaining going on, and you agreed it would be a good idea for me to learn more about the ship's controls now that it's just the three of us."
Barbara tiptoed away again. Boys and their toys, she thought. It's funny; those two argue just as much as they ever did, but now they enjoy it. Most of the time, anyway.
What did she enjoy? That was a tricky question. There were some obvious answers: actually being present in Earth's history; meeting strange new people; spending time with Ian and getting to know him, so much better than she had when they were both teaching. But beyond that? As a child, it had been an important question; but once she started work her job had become her focus. She liked teaching, certainly, but that neglect of her own feelings had left her ill-prepared for this life, with so much time to herself, cut off from the rest of the universe.
Perhaps that's the answer, she thought. A modicum of introspection and a little self-indulgence to while away the hours, and loosen up some emotional muscles long atrophied from lack of use. Now, where to begin?
Next Time:
The conclusion.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Past Doctor Adventure 66: The Eleventh Tiger, by David A. McIntee
I cheated with this book. I read it slightly out of order and wrote most of the review before seeing the last two episodes of The Romans.
I felt I had to in order to keep ahead of the game while we had no
working TV; purists will just have to lump it. As a result, though, I
hadn't seen how tightly The Romans links with The Web Planet,
so I am adding a paragraph to talk about that. Basically, this is an
adventure that shouldn't exist. It can't possibly be made to fit, and
McIntee doesn't even try. But - like the whole business of stories set
between seasons one and two, which are partly contradicted by clothing
and comments at the beginning of Planet of Giants - it also doesn't matter. A minor adjustment of dialogue would do the trick, and this is a story well worth having.
This is another tale by the author of Romans Cutaway, and it's an explicit sequel; but interestingly it makes reference to Byzantium! as well. Which is confusing, but also not really a problem. We're back in the land of repetitive Chesterfields again, but otherwise this is (to my mind, at least) vastly superior to either of those stories.
This is really not a tale that could be told in 1965. Set in China in 1865, its main inspiration is the chop-socky kung fu craze of the 1970s - it even quotes Carl Douglas' "Kung Fu Fighting", in a slightly lame joke (which I nevertheless enjoyed) - and it has typically OTT levels of martial arts prowess. The Doctor shows off his abilities in a fight that resembles the one from All Roads Lead to Rome in that he uses skill and cunning rather than brawn to win (and his opponent is totally outclassed), but his moves are more in keeping with the genre in which he now finds himself. There's one movie of particular relevance - Drunken Master - which features some of the same historical characters, and I suspect (despite not having seen it) that some of the action may well be more faithful to the movie than history.
I'm not really very familiar with the genre, despite being around at the time. I enjoyed the David Carradine Kung Fu TV series, but most of my experience comes from comics rather than movies, and in particular Marvel's The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu - initially in it's UK black and white reprint version. I know I was reading this in primary school, because I wrote a story called "Sir Watermite's Ghost" which I illustrated (completely inappropriately) with tracings from the comic!
What's that? Easily sidetracked? Me? I don't know what you're talking about.
Aaanyway, the genre and setting are well-presented. Of course, this means that there's a high level of violence - but it's cinematic, almost superhero comicbook violence for the most part, and that I can cope with. There are a couple of exceptions: one person is tortured to death quite horribly, only just off-screen; and a main character is very badly beaten. The former is typical Who, just a bit more explicit in the villain's description of what is going to happen. The latter hits closer to home. Still, this was only a small bump in the road of my enjoyment, and the injury is key to the plot.
There are two other links to the 1970s, one of which is a definite spoiler; so if you don't want to know the identity of the alien threat, walk away from this review now. The non-spoiler reference is to the "stone tape" explanation for ghosts, named for a drama written by Nigel Kneale (of Quatermass fame). This seems like a little sideplot, but is eventually tied into the main story very cleverly. The other, implied rather than stated, is that the alien causing all the non-historical trouble is a certain helix first seen in a 1976 serial. The nice thing about this is that if we spot it we are in some ways ahead of the Doctor, but it doesn't matter if we don't. Which is one of my favourite types of continuity.
All the characterisation is good, both of the regulars (with Vicki's faith in the Doctor being highlighted again) and of the supporting cast, oriental and occidental. The one thing I didn't like was the way Ian is put through the wringer and then forced to kill an innocent man to save Barbara. OK, so he doesn't succeed; but this is not through any decision on his part. It's just not him, and I can see it scarring him mentally in a way that isn't shown in his later TV appearances.
Apart from that, though, it's a great story. The twin mysteries of the Major and the Abbot are both engaging, and it's a nice touch that despite all the martial action from the men it's Barbara who saves the world through the power of her compassion and reason.
And then we have her proposal scene with Ian. For some reason this felt just a bit too explicit - I expect (and want) them to get married, but didn't really need it spelled out to this extent. Still, putting aside my objection to the scene's existence, it's well-written too.
I wasn't expecting much after Roman Cutaway, but now I'm looking forward to McIntee's next book.
Published:
Date: May 2004
ISBN: 0-563-48614-7
Rating:
Mine: 7.5/10.
2012 Gallifrey Base Non-Dynamic Rankings: 8.10, 7th out of 73 Past Doctor Adventures, 31st out of 264 overall.
Next Time:
It won't be until Monday but I'm taking a gamble with some more fanfic, writing a vignette that could well be rendered incompatible by scenes I've yet to see in this marathon. Join Barbara in the TARDIS as we learn The Wright Way to Start the Day...
This is another tale by the author of Romans Cutaway, and it's an explicit sequel; but interestingly it makes reference to Byzantium! as well. Which is confusing, but also not really a problem. We're back in the land of repetitive Chesterfields again, but otherwise this is (to my mind, at least) vastly superior to either of those stories.
This is really not a tale that could be told in 1965. Set in China in 1865, its main inspiration is the chop-socky kung fu craze of the 1970s - it even quotes Carl Douglas' "Kung Fu Fighting", in a slightly lame joke (which I nevertheless enjoyed) - and it has typically OTT levels of martial arts prowess. The Doctor shows off his abilities in a fight that resembles the one from All Roads Lead to Rome in that he uses skill and cunning rather than brawn to win (and his opponent is totally outclassed), but his moves are more in keeping with the genre in which he now finds himself. There's one movie of particular relevance - Drunken Master - which features some of the same historical characters, and I suspect (despite not having seen it) that some of the action may well be more faithful to the movie than history.
I'm not really very familiar with the genre, despite being around at the time. I enjoyed the David Carradine Kung Fu TV series, but most of my experience comes from comics rather than movies, and in particular Marvel's The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu - initially in it's UK black and white reprint version. I know I was reading this in primary school, because I wrote a story called "Sir Watermite's Ghost" which I illustrated (completely inappropriately) with tracings from the comic!
What's that? Easily sidetracked? Me? I don't know what you're talking about.
Aaanyway, the genre and setting are well-presented. Of course, this means that there's a high level of violence - but it's cinematic, almost superhero comicbook violence for the most part, and that I can cope with. There are a couple of exceptions: one person is tortured to death quite horribly, only just off-screen; and a main character is very badly beaten. The former is typical Who, just a bit more explicit in the villain's description of what is going to happen. The latter hits closer to home. Still, this was only a small bump in the road of my enjoyment, and the injury is key to the plot.
There are two other links to the 1970s, one of which is a definite spoiler; so if you don't want to know the identity of the alien threat, walk away from this review now. The non-spoiler reference is to the "stone tape" explanation for ghosts, named for a drama written by Nigel Kneale (of Quatermass fame). This seems like a little sideplot, but is eventually tied into the main story very cleverly. The other, implied rather than stated, is that the alien causing all the non-historical trouble is a certain helix first seen in a 1976 serial. The nice thing about this is that if we spot it we are in some ways ahead of the Doctor, but it doesn't matter if we don't. Which is one of my favourite types of continuity.
All the characterisation is good, both of the regulars (with Vicki's faith in the Doctor being highlighted again) and of the supporting cast, oriental and occidental. The one thing I didn't like was the way Ian is put through the wringer and then forced to kill an innocent man to save Barbara. OK, so he doesn't succeed; but this is not through any decision on his part. It's just not him, and I can see it scarring him mentally in a way that isn't shown in his later TV appearances.
Apart from that, though, it's a great story. The twin mysteries of the Major and the Abbot are both engaging, and it's a nice touch that despite all the martial action from the men it's Barbara who saves the world through the power of her compassion and reason.
And then we have her proposal scene with Ian. For some reason this felt just a bit too explicit - I expect (and want) them to get married, but didn't really need it spelled out to this extent. Still, putting aside my objection to the scene's existence, it's well-written too.
I wasn't expecting much after Roman Cutaway, but now I'm looking forward to McIntee's next book.
Published:
Date: May 2004
ISBN: 0-563-48614-7
Rating:
Mine: 7.5/10.
2012 Gallifrey Base Non-Dynamic Rankings: 8.10, 7th out of 73 Past Doctor Adventures, 31st out of 264 overall.
Next Time:
It won't be until Monday but I'm taking a gamble with some more fanfic, writing a vignette that could well be rendered incompatible by scenes I've yet to see in this marathon. Join Barbara in the TARDIS as we learn The Wright Way to Start the Day...
Monday, 1 October 2012
Serial M: The Romans
The impetus behind the idea of a comedy serial came from Verity Lambert -
as was so often the case with the innovations during the early days of
the show. She had noticed how funny Dennis Spooner could be, and thought
there was no reason he couldn't be allowed to run with it. While this
was not an experiment that was welcomed by the public at the time, it
started a tradition that faded during the classic run, was revived in
2005, and survives to this day (with one of the 2012 episodes having a
similar mix of outright comedy and darker themes).
For me, it's the script that really makes this (though it wouldn't have worked without some fine comic acting). The plot is very intricate, put together like the proverbial Swiss watch. And yet there's something inconsequential about the whole thing, a feeling that it should be something more than the romp that it is obviously designed to be. This is grossly unfair - it's just a bit of fun designed to provide 25 minutes entertainment each Saturday night for a month - but for whatever reason I wanted more.
The DVD has some good extras, some of which I've already mentioned. The profile of Spooner is touching, and the Blue Peter section nostalgic; but the best extras for me were the "making of" and commentary, both of which enhanced my reviewing.
I'm not going to say much more because we have a longer than usual Isaac's Corner, since The Romans - unsurprisingly - features one of his current main interests: Romans!
Isaac's Corner
As you might guess from my ranting about the cover of Byzantium!, I have been looking closely at the Roman soldier costumes. I think they were very good costumes for the time considering they had not enough money to have some re-enactors come in to play the soldiers.
Gladiators take lots of time and money to train, so Ian and his friend were lucky to be properly armed - often in fights between criminals there'd be one person with a knife and one without any weapons at all, although sometimes they would give them the armour and weapons of a gladiator but without the training. I found the fight with the soldiers historically inaccurate; think about it! Two untrained (though fit) gladiators vs. ten fit, very well trained and armed veterans in the elite Emperor's praetorian guard in one of the most efficient armies of the ancient world!!!
Anyway, swiftly moving on, I really liked the slave trader subplot, with Iananbarbara being captured by them. I thought Ian's slave companion was well-written but they could have got a better actor for the job. The sets were good but, as pointed out by Blue Peter in the extras, the feasting hall was supposed to have long couches to relax on, and it would have been bigger; but I understand their limitations of money and set size. I wish it was in colour because the sets would look VERY elaborate.
I also thought that the comedy was very good, and added a lot. I thought Nero was acted very well, and my overall rating is 7.5 out of 10. The reason it's not 8 or 8.5 is that I've decided I should leave some more leeway space for really really good ones.
Rating:
Mine: 6.5/10.
DWM Mighty 200: 70.73%, 97th.
2012 Gallifrey Base Non-Dynamic Rankings: 7.96, 55th out of 234.
Next Time:
The Eleventh Tiger.
For me, it's the script that really makes this (though it wouldn't have worked without some fine comic acting). The plot is very intricate, put together like the proverbial Swiss watch. And yet there's something inconsequential about the whole thing, a feeling that it should be something more than the romp that it is obviously designed to be. This is grossly unfair - it's just a bit of fun designed to provide 25 minutes entertainment each Saturday night for a month - but for whatever reason I wanted more.
The DVD has some good extras, some of which I've already mentioned. The profile of Spooner is touching, and the Blue Peter section nostalgic; but the best extras for me were the "making of" and commentary, both of which enhanced my reviewing.
I'm not going to say much more because we have a longer than usual Isaac's Corner, since The Romans - unsurprisingly - features one of his current main interests: Romans!
Isaac's Corner
As you might guess from my ranting about the cover of Byzantium!, I have been looking closely at the Roman soldier costumes. I think they were very good costumes for the time considering they had not enough money to have some re-enactors come in to play the soldiers.
Gladiators take lots of time and money to train, so Ian and his friend were lucky to be properly armed - often in fights between criminals there'd be one person with a knife and one without any weapons at all, although sometimes they would give them the armour and weapons of a gladiator but without the training. I found the fight with the soldiers historically inaccurate; think about it! Two untrained (though fit) gladiators vs. ten fit, very well trained and armed veterans in the elite Emperor's praetorian guard in one of the most efficient armies of the ancient world!!!
Anyway, swiftly moving on, I really liked the slave trader subplot, with Iananbarbara being captured by them. I thought Ian's slave companion was well-written but they could have got a better actor for the job. The sets were good but, as pointed out by Blue Peter in the extras, the feasting hall was supposed to have long couches to relax on, and it would have been bigger; but I understand their limitations of money and set size. I wish it was in colour because the sets would look VERY elaborate.
I also thought that the comedy was very good, and added a lot. I thought Nero was acted very well, and my overall rating is 7.5 out of 10. The reason it's not 8 or 8.5 is that I've decided I should leave some more leeway space for really really good ones.
Rating:
Mine: 6.5/10.
DWM Mighty 200: 70.73%, 97th.
2012 Gallifrey Base Non-Dynamic Rankings: 7.96, 55th out of 234.
Next Time:
The Eleventh Tiger.
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