Barbara kept an eye on Ian as they walked up the hill. He was obviously
tense, and was walking at an almost funereal pace, delaying their return
to the picnic site. She didn't want to say anything while they were
with Vicki; but the girl was unusually quiet, and Barbara wondered if
she might have noticed the change in Ian's manner too.
Was she worrying about nothing? It was an aspect of her personality that
came to the fore all too frequently, she knew; her mother had commented
on it often enough. "I wish you could just relax," she'd say. It did
happen, sometimes - after a week or so in the villa near Rome, for
example - but it just wasn't something that came easily to her.
Tyron had seemed so promising when they first arrived, and in truth
there still wasn't anything wrong with the world; but perhaps they
brought their own troubles with them. She remembered first stepping out
of the TARDIS into the warm air, smelling the perfume of the flowers and
listening to the chittering of the insects. There were no birds, but
the smaller creatures made just as much noise, creating a pleasant
backdrop of sound.
The TARDIS had landed at the edge of a wood, in a broad, grassy valley.
"It's beautiful!" Vicki had exclaimed, turning slowly round and round.
"Everything's so bright and fresh!"
Ian was more focused on the feature that did the most to make the
landscape look alien. "Doctor, look at the stones. There's a pattern to
how they are arranged, but I can't quite figure it out."
"Indeed. Definitely a sign of intelligent life, I would say. We should investigate further."
Of course, they had. The stones were regular, about five feet high and
almost as broad at their widest point. They had oval bases, tapering to a
curved peak a hand's breadth across. Barbara was reminded of
gravestones, but it didn't feel like a cemetery; and the stones were
free of markings other than those caused by erosion from the wind and
rain. The arrangement was puzzling; there were no straight lines,
but each seemed to be about twelve yards from its nearest neighbours.
As she looked around, she noticed an isolated hill not too far away.
"Ian," she called, "why don't we climb that hill? We might get a better sense of the pattern from a higher vantage point."
"Good idea. Doctor! Vicki!"
And so they had gone together, walking through the long blue-green
grass, like a perfectly normal family on a day out in the country. Vicki
chatted excitedly, Ian had a spring in his step, the Doctor kept
stopping to examine things; all was well. The hill was steeper than it
had looked from a distance, and higher, too; but with some huffing and
puffing from the Doctor they made their way to the top, and looked down
on the valley below.
"Sunflowers!" exclaimed Barbara, suddenly. The others looked at her.
"The stones are like the seeds of a sunflower, arranged in opposing
spirals."
"Of course!" Ian looked as if he were kicking himself for not thinking
of it. "Based on the Fibonacci sequence. the number of spirals in a
sunflower winding in each direction always matches a pair of consecutive
numbers in the sequence - 13 and 21, for instance. Here the lower
number is" - he paused to count - "34, so the higher must be-"
"55," interposed Vicki. "I remember Fibonacci; we covered that when I
was six, I think. After the first two numbers, 1 and 2, each is the sum
of the previous two in the sequence. So it goes 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21,
34, 55..."
"Thank you, Vicki, that's impressive." Ian looked both amused and surprised.
"There's another neat thing about it. As you go up the sequence, the
fraction you get from pairs of numbers - 34/55ths with these stones, for
example - gets closer and closer to the Golden Ratio. Which crops up in
all sorts of places. You can find it in art, music, nature..."
"Yes, yes, thank you, child." The Doctor, as usual, was impatient
with people explaining what he already knew; Barbara had been quite
enjoying the reminder, since her maths was a bit rusty. "That's all very
good, but does it explain why these stones are as they are, hmm?"
Barbara was getting a little bored with the focus on the stones.
"Perhaps we could let you mull that over, Doctor, while we took a bit
more of a look around? It's a lovely day, and it seems a shame to waste
it."
Vicki was instantly energised. "Yes, let's explore!" She took another
look around, this time paying more attention to the landscape than the
stones. "Isn't that a lake over there, around the bend in the valley? I
think I can see the light reflecting on water." She turned to Barbara.
"Can we go for a swim? Please?"
So it had been decided, and they had all traipsed back to the ship to
pick up some supplies before heading off for the lake. Barbara had
hesitated when Ian suggested a picnic - they hadn't had much luck with
them on previous trips - but Ian was logical and Vicki enthusiastic, so
she quickly gave in.
And now, here they were, wet but warm; almost back at their picnic spot.
She hoped she'd dialled the right codes on the food machine.
The Doctor was still reading, but he put his book down and sat up when
he saw the others coming. "Chesterton, my boy, is something the matter?"
"Well, I-" Ian began, but the Doctor didn't give him a chance to continue as he turned to Vicki.
"Goodness, child, look at you, all soaking wet. You need to put on something dry, before you catch your death of cold."
Vicki smiled indulgently. "I'm fine, Doctor. It's a lovely warm day, and in this sun I'll be dry in no time."
The Doctor's mood darkened. "You'll do as you're told, young lady, and
no more arguing with your elders! Honestly, I don't know what your
father taught you, but it certainly wasn't how to behave!"
Vicki looked as if she'd been slapped; Ian stepped in to defend her. "Doctor, you can't-"
"Oh, do shut up, Chessington! It's quite clear to me that what she needs
is some proper discipline. You and Miss Wright have been using the
death of her father on Dido as an excuse to indulge poor behaviour for
far too long. She should be over that by now, but she's spoilt; soon
she'll be complaining because there are no animals on Tyron large enough
for her to saddle with a stupid nickname."
With a cry, Vicki turned and ran off, face in her hands. Barbara glared
at the old man. "You've gone too far this time, Doctor. I'm going after
her, but don't think I'm just going to let this lie."
As she set off, she heard Ian behind her. "I don't care what you say to
me, but that's no way to treat a young girl. We're going back to the
ship; think about what you've said, and when you're ready to behave like
a human being again and apologise to Vicki come and join us. Not
before. Understand?"
And then they were gone, leaving the old man to his thoughts.
Next Time:
The final scene of this episode.
Friday, 16 November 2012
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
Dialogue Disasters, scene 3
As they chatted, Vicki noticed Barbara's attention kept drifting up the
bank. She knew why, but it was still distracting. Eventually, she turned
round in the water and looked for herself. Ian was lying on his side,
talking to the Doctor. Vicki was too far away to hear the conversation,
but they seemed relaxed.
"I'm sorry," said Barbara, "I didn't mean to do that. It was very rude of me."
Vicki turned back, a knowing half-smile on her face. She liked Barbara, even though she was so hopelessly old-fashioned. The teacher didn't really have much of a sense of adventure, though. Not like the Doctor. The race had been fun, but it was starting to get a bit boring in the lake, just talking. Time to liven things up.
"Hey, Barbara, why don't we play a trick on Ian? Call him down here to help us out, and then pull him in!"
Barbara wasn't convinced. "Oh, I don't know if that's a very good idea..."
"He's still in his trunks, isn't he? I bet he'll laugh about it afterwards. Oh, come on, Barbara! Please?" Vicki could tell that she was wavering. "He's probably had enough of a break anyway; perhaps we could race him too?"
Barbara hesitated. "It seems a shame to disturb him now he's settled, though," she said; but just then Ian stood up. That did it. Barbara quickly agreed, and they signalled for Ian to come back down.
Vicki thought he looked a bit serious as he approached, as if something were troubling him. She wondered if perhaps now wasn't the time for a prank; but it was too late to talk to Barbara about it.
"What can I do for you ladies?" Ian was smiling now; but Vicki had spotted the moment when he decided he wasn't going to share his thoughts with them.
"Why thank you, kind sir," replied Barbara. "If you would be so good as to lend us a hand...?" She raised her arm; Ian swept an imaginary hat from his head and bowed, theatrically. He reached down to her.
As soon as he had a firm grip, Barbara pulled. Ian staggered, but managed to brace himself, his feet right on the edge. "Oh, no you don't!" he said, tugging on her arm with all his strength.
"Vicki, help me!" said Barbara, and the girl moved at last. No time for indecision now. She reached up and grabbed Ian by the ankle, as Barbara was being lifted from the water. It was enough: his foot skidded, and all three of them tumbled noisily back into the lake.
They rose to the surface spluttering and laughing. "Hoo, I needed that," said Ian. He took Barbara's hand, under the water; and suddenly Vicki felt like a gooseberry. "I think I've had enough of swimming for now," she announced. "I'll just go and see what the Doctor's doing."
For a second Vicki thought Ian was going to say something; he had an odd, thoughtful look on his face. But he just nodded. Barbara noticed it as well, and made a point of examining her other hand.
"Goodness, look at those wrinkles! I think it's time for me to get out, too." She looked at Ian. "Coming?"
"Well, we wouldn't want to let the food bars go cold, would we?"
They clambered out of the water.
Next Time:
Scene 4.
"I'm sorry," said Barbara, "I didn't mean to do that. It was very rude of me."
Vicki turned back, a knowing half-smile on her face. She liked Barbara, even though she was so hopelessly old-fashioned. The teacher didn't really have much of a sense of adventure, though. Not like the Doctor. The race had been fun, but it was starting to get a bit boring in the lake, just talking. Time to liven things up.
"Hey, Barbara, why don't we play a trick on Ian? Call him down here to help us out, and then pull him in!"
Barbara wasn't convinced. "Oh, I don't know if that's a very good idea..."
"He's still in his trunks, isn't he? I bet he'll laugh about it afterwards. Oh, come on, Barbara! Please?" Vicki could tell that she was wavering. "He's probably had enough of a break anyway; perhaps we could race him too?"
Barbara hesitated. "It seems a shame to disturb him now he's settled, though," she said; but just then Ian stood up. That did it. Barbara quickly agreed, and they signalled for Ian to come back down.
Vicki thought he looked a bit serious as he approached, as if something were troubling him. She wondered if perhaps now wasn't the time for a prank; but it was too late to talk to Barbara about it.
"What can I do for you ladies?" Ian was smiling now; but Vicki had spotted the moment when he decided he wasn't going to share his thoughts with them.
"Why thank you, kind sir," replied Barbara. "If you would be so good as to lend us a hand...?" She raised her arm; Ian swept an imaginary hat from his head and bowed, theatrically. He reached down to her.
As soon as he had a firm grip, Barbara pulled. Ian staggered, but managed to brace himself, his feet right on the edge. "Oh, no you don't!" he said, tugging on her arm with all his strength.
"Vicki, help me!" said Barbara, and the girl moved at last. No time for indecision now. She reached up and grabbed Ian by the ankle, as Barbara was being lifted from the water. It was enough: his foot skidded, and all three of them tumbled noisily back into the lake.
They rose to the surface spluttering and laughing. "Hoo, I needed that," said Ian. He took Barbara's hand, under the water; and suddenly Vicki felt like a gooseberry. "I think I've had enough of swimming for now," she announced. "I'll just go and see what the Doctor's doing."
For a second Vicki thought Ian was going to say something; he had an odd, thoughtful look on his face. But he just nodded. Barbara noticed it as well, and made a point of examining her other hand.
"Goodness, look at those wrinkles! I think it's time for me to get out, too." She looked at Ian. "Coming?"
"Well, we wouldn't want to let the food bars go cold, would we?"
They clambered out of the water.
Next Time:
Scene 4.
Monday, 12 November 2012
Dialogue Disasters, scene 2
Ian spread out his towel and lay down next to the Doctor, just far enough away to be out of the shade. He glanced across at the old man: despite the warmth he was still wearing his waistcoat and cravat, though he had at least hung his jacket over the stone behind him. The Doctor didn't look up from his reading, and Ian's gaze swung back to Barbara, who was performing a leisurely backstroke close to a patch of reeds.
"Don't stay out in the sun too long, my boy. This star produces a lot more ultraviolet rays than you are used to."
Ian turned; the Doctor still had his nose in his book. "Thank you, Doctor, but the cream from the TARDIS seems to be doing the trick - and it's stayed on amazingly well, I must say."
"Well, as I said, you need to apply the counteragent to remove it. But it pays to be cautious, hm?"
The younger man nodded; it was the easiest response. Then he heard a commotion, and turned back to the lake to see Barbara and Vicki playfighting, before racing off at speed. He felt a pang of envy. The Doctor spoke again.
"They are more comfortable in the water than you, are they not?"
"Yes, they are," replied Ian, ruefully. "I've never been much of one for swimming. 'Not my bag', as some of my students used to say."
"You stayed in as long as you did because of her, didn't you?"
Ian sighed. He didn't really want to be having this conversation right now. "Yes, Doctor. Because of Barbara."
"Have you spoken to her, like I said? Have you discussed things properly?"
"Yes! We've talked about it several times now, in fact. I may be a slow mover when it comes to matters of the heart, but I do get there eventually. And - well, there's a reason I took my time."
The Doctor was silent; perhaps, for once, he was going to be tactful and not pursue the subject. More likely his attention was still mostly on his book. Ian watched the girls talking by the bank, and wondered what they were saying.
"You're getting lazy, Chesterton. Soon Miss Wright will notice that you're not really the athlete you pretend. You're not up to snuff; and what will hold her attention when she realises it, hm? You don't think your personality could interest her for long, do you? You're as stolid, dependable, and exciting as a block of wood."
Ian swung round, jaw clenched, and stared in amazement. The old man was lying there, book still open, as if he'd just been passing the time of day. "Doctor!" he called - but couldn't think of anything else to add.
The Doctor looked up. "What is it, my boy? I was just thinking that sometimes things are not discussed in time, important things; and that can cause regret later. But that's all dealt with now, isn't it? Everything's been said that needs to be?"
"Oh, yes, I think quite enough's been said, thank you so very much." Ian couldn't bring himself to continue and stood up, taking a few steps away from the stone.
Was the Doctor right? Were his hopes for the future based on an illusion, an impossible dream based on nothing more than the fact that he and Barbara had been thrown together when they were kidnapped? No! He was sure that wasn't the case.
"Ian!" He looked down to the lake, where Barbara was standing, chest-deep in water, by the bank. "Give us a hand, would you?" Floating beside her, Vicki gave a cheery wave.
They could get out of there easily, he thought; she just wants to see you in action. Physical action. Is that all I am to her, then? Some sort of friendly body? There's more to it than that, much more. I'm sure of it. Aren't I?
He set off down the slope towards her.
Next Time:
Scene 3.
"Don't stay out in the sun too long, my boy. This star produces a lot more ultraviolet rays than you are used to."
Ian turned; the Doctor still had his nose in his book. "Thank you, Doctor, but the cream from the TARDIS seems to be doing the trick - and it's stayed on amazingly well, I must say."
"Well, as I said, you need to apply the counteragent to remove it. But it pays to be cautious, hm?"
The younger man nodded; it was the easiest response. Then he heard a commotion, and turned back to the lake to see Barbara and Vicki playfighting, before racing off at speed. He felt a pang of envy. The Doctor spoke again.
"They are more comfortable in the water than you, are they not?"
"Yes, they are," replied Ian, ruefully. "I've never been much of one for swimming. 'Not my bag', as some of my students used to say."
"You stayed in as long as you did because of her, didn't you?"
Ian sighed. He didn't really want to be having this conversation right now. "Yes, Doctor. Because of Barbara."
"Have you spoken to her, like I said? Have you discussed things properly?"
"Yes! We've talked about it several times now, in fact. I may be a slow mover when it comes to matters of the heart, but I do get there eventually. And - well, there's a reason I took my time."
The Doctor was silent; perhaps, for once, he was going to be tactful and not pursue the subject. More likely his attention was still mostly on his book. Ian watched the girls talking by the bank, and wondered what they were saying.
"You're getting lazy, Chesterton. Soon Miss Wright will notice that you're not really the athlete you pretend. You're not up to snuff; and what will hold her attention when she realises it, hm? You don't think your personality could interest her for long, do you? You're as stolid, dependable, and exciting as a block of wood."
Ian swung round, jaw clenched, and stared in amazement. The old man was lying there, book still open, as if he'd just been passing the time of day. "Doctor!" he called - but couldn't think of anything else to add.
The Doctor looked up. "What is it, my boy? I was just thinking that sometimes things are not discussed in time, important things; and that can cause regret later. But that's all dealt with now, isn't it? Everything's been said that needs to be?"
"Oh, yes, I think quite enough's been said, thank you so very much." Ian couldn't bring himself to continue and stood up, taking a few steps away from the stone.
Was the Doctor right? Were his hopes for the future based on an illusion, an impossible dream based on nothing more than the fact that he and Barbara had been thrown together when they were kidnapped? No! He was sure that wasn't the case.
"Ian!" He looked down to the lake, where Barbara was standing, chest-deep in water, by the bank. "Give us a hand, would you?" Floating beside her, Vicki gave a cheery wave.
They could get out of there easily, he thought; she just wants to see you in action. Physical action. Is that all I am to her, then? Some sort of friendly body? There's more to it than that, much more. I'm sure of it. Aren't I?
He set off down the slope towards her.
Next Time:
Scene 3.
Friday, 9 November 2012
Dialogue Disasters, scene 1
Barbara swam leisurely through the warm water, luxuriating in the feeling as it enveloped her, lifting her up in body and spirit. Ian was just climbing out, his wet back glistening in the yellow-white light of Tyron's sun; she watched him, surreptitiously, as he towelled his hair and strolled up the bank towards the Doctor, who lay reading in the shadow of a standing stone.
This is perfect, she thought, and wondered when the trouble would start. She was chiding herself for worrying unnecessarily when something erupted from the lake, noisily, showering her with water and momentarily blinding her.
"Got you!" cried a familiar voice, as Vicki's face swam into vague focus.
"Oh, have you indeed?" Barbara ducked beneath the surface where she could see more clearly again, and tried to grab the girl's legs; Vicki twisted out of her grasp and struck out for the shore. If it's a race you want, thought the teacher, I might surprise you; and she started after, feeling her muscles warm to the challenge as she picked up the rhythm of the crawl, one, two, breathe, one, two, breathe...
Barbara was gaining, but she was only the merest fraction swifter than her quarry. Vicki's foot was almost in reach, but the bank was coming up fast. She put on a last burst of speed and called out in triumph as she grabbed hold - just as Vicki's outstretched hand touched the side, and she, too, proclaimed victory.
"Well that was close," said the orphan. "You almost caught me then."
"'Almost'? I think you'll find you're the one who was almost fast enough."
Vicki paused for a second, then smiled knowingly. "Oh, I get it! You can't admit you came second when you're trying to impress Ian."
"I don't know what you mean," replied Barbara - unconvincingly.
"Really? I saw you watching him a few minutes ago."
"I was not!" Barbara felt her face flush. "I was just thinking. That's all."
Vicki smiled again, quietly, but decided to go easy on her. "Anyway, you're a fast swimmer for someone your age."
Barbara laughed, grateful for the opportunity to change the subject. "Thank you. I think. You're quick, too, and your technique is excellent. Have you been practising long?"
"Since I was a baby, of course." She noticed Barbara's expression. "Haven't you?"
"No, it was a little later than that for me."
Vicki looked faintly puzzled. "How strange." She lay back against the bank, feet moving gently to keep her in place. "This reminds me of the tanks back in Liddell Towers. It's the warmth, I think."
"Yes, there are hot springs underneath, extruding water heated by volcanic activity -"
"I know, Barbara. Ian already gave me the lecture."
"Sorry."
"It's just that all this is here without anyone to build it! No pipes, no plastic - not even a hypocaust. It feels - oh, I don't know. Pure, I suppose." She grinned. "Isn't it wonderful!"
Barbara laughed, feeling relaxed again. "It certainly is."
Next Time:
Scene 2.
This is perfect, she thought, and wondered when the trouble would start. She was chiding herself for worrying unnecessarily when something erupted from the lake, noisily, showering her with water and momentarily blinding her.
"Got you!" cried a familiar voice, as Vicki's face swam into vague focus.
"Oh, have you indeed?" Barbara ducked beneath the surface where she could see more clearly again, and tried to grab the girl's legs; Vicki twisted out of her grasp and struck out for the shore. If it's a race you want, thought the teacher, I might surprise you; and she started after, feeling her muscles warm to the challenge as she picked up the rhythm of the crawl, one, two, breathe, one, two, breathe...
Barbara was gaining, but she was only the merest fraction swifter than her quarry. Vicki's foot was almost in reach, but the bank was coming up fast. She put on a last burst of speed and called out in triumph as she grabbed hold - just as Vicki's outstretched hand touched the side, and she, too, proclaimed victory.
"Well that was close," said the orphan. "You almost caught me then."
"'Almost'? I think you'll find you're the one who was almost fast enough."
Vicki paused for a second, then smiled knowingly. "Oh, I get it! You can't admit you came second when you're trying to impress Ian."
"I don't know what you mean," replied Barbara - unconvincingly.
"Really? I saw you watching him a few minutes ago."
"I was not!" Barbara felt her face flush. "I was just thinking. That's all."
Vicki smiled again, quietly, but decided to go easy on her. "Anyway, you're a fast swimmer for someone your age."
Barbara laughed, grateful for the opportunity to change the subject. "Thank you. I think. You're quick, too, and your technique is excellent. Have you been practising long?"
"Since I was a baby, of course." She noticed Barbara's expression. "Haven't you?"
"No, it was a little later than that for me."
Vicki looked faintly puzzled. "How strange." She lay back against the bank, feet moving gently to keep her in place. "This reminds me of the tanks back in Liddell Towers. It's the warmth, I think."
"Yes, there are hot springs underneath, extruding water heated by volcanic activity -"
"I know, Barbara. Ian already gave me the lecture."
"Sorry."
"It's just that all this is here without anyone to build it! No pipes, no plastic - not even a hypocaust. It feels - oh, I don't know. Pure, I suppose." She grinned. "Isn't it wonderful!"
Barbara laughed, feeling relaxed again. "It certainly is."
Next Time:
Scene 2.
Wednesday, 7 November 2012
CC6.02: The Rocket Men
We've met John Dorney before in this marathon, wearing his actor hat in The Fragile Yellow Arc of Fragrance and Farewell, Great Macedon!;
but this is the first time we've hit one of the stories he's written.
He is actually the author of my favourite Companion Chronicle, Solitaire;
though as a full-cast two-hander I always feel that hardly counts, so
he may have to console himself with the fact that it's also one of only
eight 10/10 audios I've heard so far (out of about 200).
This one, though not quite up there, is still very good; and again the production suits the script. As long-time readers will know I'm a bit of a William Russell fan, and he's on good form here. There's a lot of emotion in his reading, which is appropriate to the underlying theme of the story as well as the action-packed nature of the narrative. Gus Brown as Ashman is a well-chosen foil, suitably nasty and with a distinct voice. I am renewing my determination to find out what an audio director actually does beyond the obvious, but the prolific Lisa Bowerman certainly gets a lot right - and congrats on the recent Benny anniversary, Ms. Bowerman! The sound design is excellent, modern yet appropriate to the story. If it had tried to match the style of the Republic serials where the rocket men originated I think it would have spoiled the mood.
Ah yes, the Republic serials. I've not seen King of the Rocket Men or its sequels, but I have seen the Disney film The Rocketeer, adapted from the comic of the same name (which is almost a tribute to the serials). The clever thing Dorney has done is to take all the pulpy trappings of the original, place it in a Golden Age SF setting - and then treat it completely seriously. This is not a pastiche, despite what a summary of the plot might indicate, and it's all the more original for that.
This is also one of the releases with an 'extra' - in this case an interview with the author, which was great for finding out how he went about writing it. Learning of the missing framing sequence (set after Barbara's death) and how this wouldn't fly with Cardiff was enlightening - I can see how it would have worked with this story, but to be honest it isn't needed anyway. I was also happy to find that he didn't have a story until he had the emotional hook, since this is something I often find myself; and to learn of his love for the experimental nature of this period of the show (in particular The Web Planet, which I hope I have boosted a little in my recent reviews).
Changing Formats
I liked the cover of this one - but since I only own it as a download I don't get to see it that often, or in a particularly high resolution. As I'm writing this it's the last day of the digital switchover for television in the UK. A couple of weeks ago some friends who were upgrading to a touch-screen edition of the Kindle gave us their old one, so we now have another electronic entertainment device to fight over. Technology rolls on.
Meanwhile, in our house, we don't have unlimited space (though it's still much bigger than the house I grew up in). Because of the way my mind works, one of the ways I tackle this is by being as ruthlessly organised as my health and family will allow; and one of the areas this has worked best is in collecting together all our audiovisual stuff. We have two alcoves in the lounge, either side of the fireplace, and have allocated the largest to this purpose. It houses the equipment (TV, hifi, Isaac's Gamecube, a few odds and ends); a small number of cassettes, videos, and LPs; and a large number of discs. All of my Doctor Who material is now in two huge cases (holding over 500 discs each), with the inlays, in chronological order from the Doctor's viewpoint. But there is also an increasing number of stories that I only own in digital format (the most recent being Voyage to Venus), and this change loses something that previous format changes haven't: the physical cover or inlay.
Some of my friends bemoaned the move to CD because they loved the physicality of vinyl. I didn't feel the same, but was sad to see the large record sleeves go. In fact, one of the few LPs I've kept - Anthony Phillips' Private Parts and Pieces II, Back to the Pavilion - I also have on CD, and I retain the original purely for the cover, by the wonderful Peter Cross. These things matter to me. Not as much as the actual content, but they matter.
I mention this because I have realised that the ideal Big Finish story combination for me would be download-only audio plus full booklet. If they started including a (printable-quality) PDF of the booklet with the download, I would be a happy man.
And our cupboard space would thank them too.
Published:
Date: August 2011
ISBN: 1-84435-581-5
Rating:
7.5/10.
Next Time:
Some more of my own fiction, for once being posted in its correct chronological position. This is probably going to be a two-part story; it's designed to go just before The Crusade, and I'll be releasing it in short chunks (about a page at a time). So join me for the first scene of the first episode, which is titled Dialogue Disasters (in honour of Cornell, Day and Topping's Discontinuity Guide) - although it may be a while before the reason becomes clear...
This one, though not quite up there, is still very good; and again the production suits the script. As long-time readers will know I'm a bit of a William Russell fan, and he's on good form here. There's a lot of emotion in his reading, which is appropriate to the underlying theme of the story as well as the action-packed nature of the narrative. Gus Brown as Ashman is a well-chosen foil, suitably nasty and with a distinct voice. I am renewing my determination to find out what an audio director actually does beyond the obvious, but the prolific Lisa Bowerman certainly gets a lot right - and congrats on the recent Benny anniversary, Ms. Bowerman! The sound design is excellent, modern yet appropriate to the story. If it had tried to match the style of the Republic serials where the rocket men originated I think it would have spoiled the mood.
Ah yes, the Republic serials. I've not seen King of the Rocket Men or its sequels, but I have seen the Disney film The Rocketeer, adapted from the comic of the same name (which is almost a tribute to the serials). The clever thing Dorney has done is to take all the pulpy trappings of the original, place it in a Golden Age SF setting - and then treat it completely seriously. This is not a pastiche, despite what a summary of the plot might indicate, and it's all the more original for that.
This is also one of the releases with an 'extra' - in this case an interview with the author, which was great for finding out how he went about writing it. Learning of the missing framing sequence (set after Barbara's death) and how this wouldn't fly with Cardiff was enlightening - I can see how it would have worked with this story, but to be honest it isn't needed anyway. I was also happy to find that he didn't have a story until he had the emotional hook, since this is something I often find myself; and to learn of his love for the experimental nature of this period of the show (in particular The Web Planet, which I hope I have boosted a little in my recent reviews).
Changing Formats
I liked the cover of this one - but since I only own it as a download I don't get to see it that often, or in a particularly high resolution. As I'm writing this it's the last day of the digital switchover for television in the UK. A couple of weeks ago some friends who were upgrading to a touch-screen edition of the Kindle gave us their old one, so we now have another electronic entertainment device to fight over. Technology rolls on.
Meanwhile, in our house, we don't have unlimited space (though it's still much bigger than the house I grew up in). Because of the way my mind works, one of the ways I tackle this is by being as ruthlessly organised as my health and family will allow; and one of the areas this has worked best is in collecting together all our audiovisual stuff. We have two alcoves in the lounge, either side of the fireplace, and have allocated the largest to this purpose. It houses the equipment (TV, hifi, Isaac's Gamecube, a few odds and ends); a small number of cassettes, videos, and LPs; and a large number of discs. All of my Doctor Who material is now in two huge cases (holding over 500 discs each), with the inlays, in chronological order from the Doctor's viewpoint. But there is also an increasing number of stories that I only own in digital format (the most recent being Voyage to Venus), and this change loses something that previous format changes haven't: the physical cover or inlay.
Some of my friends bemoaned the move to CD because they loved the physicality of vinyl. I didn't feel the same, but was sad to see the large record sleeves go. In fact, one of the few LPs I've kept - Anthony Phillips' Private Parts and Pieces II, Back to the Pavilion - I also have on CD, and I retain the original purely for the cover, by the wonderful Peter Cross. These things matter to me. Not as much as the actual content, but they matter.
I mention this because I have realised that the ideal Big Finish story combination for me would be download-only audio plus full booklet. If they started including a (printable-quality) PDF of the booklet with the download, I would be a happy man.
And our cupboard space would thank them too.
Published:
Date: August 2011
ISBN: 1-84435-581-5
Rating:
7.5/10.
Next Time:
Some more of my own fiction, for once being posted in its correct chronological position. This is probably going to be a two-part story; it's designed to go just before The Crusade, and I'll be releasing it in short chunks (about a page at a time). So join me for the first scene of the first episode, which is titled Dialogue Disasters (in honour of Cornell, Day and Topping's Discontinuity Guide) - although it may be a while before the reason becomes clear...
Monday, 5 November 2012
Episode CC6.02b: The Fall
There is more in the way of spoilers in this review; I would recommend listening before reading on, if you have the opportunity.
So what we have in the most advanced timeline for the early part of this episode is, quite literally, a fall. You can plummet a long way through the atmosphere of a gas giant and it could get quite boring to listen to; so most of the action is in the other timeline, but with frequent switches to short snippets of the drop. This makes sense, but unfortunately John Dorney's way of marking the changeover - the repeating word structure trick, which worked so well last time - starts to feel a bit artificial with overuse.
It's all building up, though, to a great reveal that could never be achieved on TV. There's an "eh? What have I missed here?" moment in the falling timeline, which is soon explained in the other; and it completely changes how we imagine the events of the first episode. I like this sort of thing, and it makes me look forward to listening to the story all over again with the new image in my mind. A Sixth Sense moment, if you will. It really makes me glad I decided to review this fresh, too, as this is one I will definitely react to differently on subsequent listenings.
Dorney's not finished with authorial tricks though. Steven Moffat's Who is famed for the amount of timeline-crossing which goes on, but here it happens literally. The strand which has been explaining what our heroes have done since the TARDIS arrived in the Jobis system reaches the beginning of the first episode - and then jumps ahead into the 'future'! We get to see some of the wrap-up while Iananbarbara are still in peril. It's a brave move, but he gets the timing right - any sooner and I would have felt cheated out of the excitement that would have lost its edge, any later and it wouldn't have been worth it.
As for the resolution of Iananbarbara's crisis, it was one of those moments that I really should have seen coming. There's a 'smoking gun' in the first episode that I picked up on at the time, thinking that it would become important later; but by the time we got there I'd forgotten about it again. Would I have done so if I wasn't treating this like a TV serial, if I had listened to both episodes in one sitting? I'll never know.
Hm, have I even mentioned Vicki yet? This is the only audio play with this TARDIS team (so far), and our youngest star is very much in the background. With a crowded TARDIS and a two-parter there isn't really enough space for everyone; on TV it was, unusually, Ian who had the least to do in both Inside the Spaceship and The Rescue, but here he and Barbara had to take centre stage. Ah, well; I've got a couple of Maureen O'Brien Companion Chronicles coming up early next year.
I've said a lot about the script and little about the production. Since that applies equally to both episodes you'll have to wait until the next time...
Rating:
7/10.
Next Time:
Companion Chronicle 6.02 as a whole.
So what we have in the most advanced timeline for the early part of this episode is, quite literally, a fall. You can plummet a long way through the atmosphere of a gas giant and it could get quite boring to listen to; so most of the action is in the other timeline, but with frequent switches to short snippets of the drop. This makes sense, but unfortunately John Dorney's way of marking the changeover - the repeating word structure trick, which worked so well last time - starts to feel a bit artificial with overuse.
It's all building up, though, to a great reveal that could never be achieved on TV. There's an "eh? What have I missed here?" moment in the falling timeline, which is soon explained in the other; and it completely changes how we imagine the events of the first episode. I like this sort of thing, and it makes me look forward to listening to the story all over again with the new image in my mind. A Sixth Sense moment, if you will. It really makes me glad I decided to review this fresh, too, as this is one I will definitely react to differently on subsequent listenings.
Dorney's not finished with authorial tricks though. Steven Moffat's Who is famed for the amount of timeline-crossing which goes on, but here it happens literally. The strand which has been explaining what our heroes have done since the TARDIS arrived in the Jobis system reaches the beginning of the first episode - and then jumps ahead into the 'future'! We get to see some of the wrap-up while Iananbarbara are still in peril. It's a brave move, but he gets the timing right - any sooner and I would have felt cheated out of the excitement that would have lost its edge, any later and it wouldn't have been worth it.
As for the resolution of Iananbarbara's crisis, it was one of those moments that I really should have seen coming. There's a 'smoking gun' in the first episode that I picked up on at the time, thinking that it would become important later; but by the time we got there I'd forgotten about it again. Would I have done so if I wasn't treating this like a TV serial, if I had listened to both episodes in one sitting? I'll never know.
Hm, have I even mentioned Vicki yet? This is the only audio play with this TARDIS team (so far), and our youngest star is very much in the background. With a crowded TARDIS and a two-parter there isn't really enough space for everyone; on TV it was, unusually, Ian who had the least to do in both Inside the Spaceship and The Rescue, but here he and Barbara had to take centre stage. Ah, well; I've got a couple of Maureen O'Brien Companion Chronicles coming up early next year.
I've said a lot about the script and little about the production. Since that applies equally to both episodes you'll have to wait until the next time...
Rating:
7/10.
Next Time:
Companion Chronicle 6.02 as a whole.
Friday, 2 November 2012
Episode CC6.02a: Assault on Platform Five
Okay, the official episode title (I have discovered) is actually The Rocket Men,
but if I can avoid names that match both an episode and the whole
serial then I will. So since I only have this on download subscription
and it was hard to find, I'm pretending that I didn't know.
I've had this quite a while - since before I reviewed Quinnis, in fact - and have managed to put off listening to it until now, so that I could get a fresh perspective. It's a tricky decision to make, as there are advantages both ways: once it has had time to settle I can offer a more matured, better thought-out view; whereas reviewing straight after my first experience benefits from the excitement of a new story. Since there are very few stories that are still new to me, I've decided to grab them when I can.
From the opening line I could tell that this was going to focus on Iananbarbara's relationship. It's another take on Ian coming to a realisation about his feelings for Barbara, which, as a follower of expanded universe print material, I have already seen happen. More than once. So basically, it's a bit late in the day - though if you only pay attention to audio and TV it's a case of "about time"! How to reconcile the two? You could say that Ian, as narrator, is attributing more to this moment than was the case at the time. Or perhaps this was a point when the depth of his feeling - or rather, his understanding of it - expanded. I like the second idea better, but whichever you go for it's not irreconcilable with the stories that have built this up over a longer period like The Time Travellers, Roman Cutaway and The Eleventh Tiger. And the trigger for this realisation is certainly believable!
There's no real framing sequence; it's just Ian telling the story to the listener. This means that the second actor (Gus Brown as Ashman) is simply a different voice in the narrative, something I've complained about in the past. Writing this review I realise that it is a feature of the Companion Chronicles I've since grown accustomed to hearing. There's still no logical in-story reason for it - no space for the other speaker - but it no longer bothers me.
Having said there's no framing sequence, the plot is still divided into two timelines. Unusually we begin right in the middle of the action, with Ian, Barbara and Vicki being held captive by Ashman and his rocket men. The second timeline shows how they got to this point (though it still hasn't caught up by the end of the episode, so this device will presumably continue next episode). Writer John Dorney has a lot of fun with the transitions, presenting us with echoes and repetitions in the dialogue that mark the boundaries. They are supported by sometimes-subtle differences in the soundscape, but it's still an interesting and novel way of marking the change. As an example:
And speaking of cliffhangers, this episode ends on a doozy: this isn't just hanging from the cliff, it's throwing yourself right over! Waiting a day to listen to the second part will require some willpower...
Rating:
8/10.
Next Time:
The Fall.
I've had this quite a while - since before I reviewed Quinnis, in fact - and have managed to put off listening to it until now, so that I could get a fresh perspective. It's a tricky decision to make, as there are advantages both ways: once it has had time to settle I can offer a more matured, better thought-out view; whereas reviewing straight after my first experience benefits from the excitement of a new story. Since there are very few stories that are still new to me, I've decided to grab them when I can.
From the opening line I could tell that this was going to focus on Iananbarbara's relationship. It's another take on Ian coming to a realisation about his feelings for Barbara, which, as a follower of expanded universe print material, I have already seen happen. More than once. So basically, it's a bit late in the day - though if you only pay attention to audio and TV it's a case of "about time"! How to reconcile the two? You could say that Ian, as narrator, is attributing more to this moment than was the case at the time. Or perhaps this was a point when the depth of his feeling - or rather, his understanding of it - expanded. I like the second idea better, but whichever you go for it's not irreconcilable with the stories that have built this up over a longer period like The Time Travellers, Roman Cutaway and The Eleventh Tiger. And the trigger for this realisation is certainly believable!
There's no real framing sequence; it's just Ian telling the story to the listener. This means that the second actor (Gus Brown as Ashman) is simply a different voice in the narrative, something I've complained about in the past. Writing this review I realise that it is a feature of the Companion Chronicles I've since grown accustomed to hearing. There's still no logical in-story reason for it - no space for the other speaker - but it no longer bothers me.
Having said there's no framing sequence, the plot is still divided into two timelines. Unusually we begin right in the middle of the action, with Ian, Barbara and Vicki being held captive by Ashman and his rocket men. The second timeline shows how they got to this point (though it still hasn't caught up by the end of the episode, so this device will presumably continue next episode). Writer John Dorney has a lot of fun with the transitions, presenting us with echoes and repetitions in the dialogue that mark the boundaries. They are supported by sometimes-subtle differences in the soundscape, but it's still an interesting and novel way of marking the change. As an example:
Ian narrating in the 'past': We should have remembered that with the Doctor, it was always best to take things one day at a time.The first episode has the responsibility of setting up the action, showing us the people and locations our heroes are going to be interacting with. This is harder on radio than television, and can slow things down; but starting in the middle and then looking back allows that introduction to have the space it needs without us metaphorically looking at our watches. Instead, we're thinking "how did they get from there to here?", in a kind of inversion of the way that cliffhangers hold our interest between episodes.
Ashman, speaking in the 'present': "I'll take one of you at a time."
And speaking of cliffhangers, this episode ends on a doozy: this isn't just hanging from the cliff, it's throwing yourself right over! Waiting a day to listen to the second part will require some willpower...
Rating:
8/10.
Next Time:
The Fall.
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