Episode CC9.03b: Founding Father

This episode is actually called The Founding Fathers, of course (see my previous review). There is more than one founding father figure in the story, once the frame is taken into account; but I think the singular form still works, just utilising ambiguity rather than inclusivity. Hence I am adopting it as a minimal change.

Big Finish have this to say about CC9.03, The Founding Fathers:

The TARDIS lands in Leicester Square in the summer of 1762. When the Doctor, Steven and Vicki find themselves locked out of the TARDIS, only one man can possibly help them. But the American, Benjamin Franklin, has problems of his own...

Well, the framed story in this episode is, if anything, even sparser than last time, with most of the drama residing in the frame. That doesn't leave me much to talk about, and rather than pad it out I'll leave this as a short review.

Let's talk about characterisation. Most writers seem to "get" Vicki, and Simon Guerrier is, of course, no exception: he has her mannerisms down pat. Cleverer is where he shows us Vicki as seen through Steven's eyes, when he describes her as seeing the world in black and white (another nod to the TV show?) - which is almost true, but with a world-weary twist that is slightly dismissive of youthful idealism.

Steven is a harder character to get a handle on, partly because of the circumstances of Peter Purves' time on the show (which forced him to take on whatever role the plot required, to a greater extent even than William Russell). Here, his finding work as a boatman reminded me very much of Ian in The Library of Alexandria. His anger and sense of justice do come through strongly, but moreso in the frame.

Right, on to the plot. Minor spoilers coming up!

If last time was mainly about the Doctor and Benjamin Franklin, then this one is more about Steven, Vicki, and Abigail (with the Franklin/TARDIS thread dealt with briskly, and mostly offstage). Abigail's story holds echoes of Clara's in The Snowmen (it's obvious when you hear it, so I won't go into detail), but holds up well on its own merits. My favourite moment this time around is a scene where she is picked up by a cab, which is seen from Steven's viewpoint - he is already there. It provides an elegant twist on the classic "heroes get into a vehicle to find their enemy waiting " trope.

(Incidentally, I found listening to this episode to be a particularly visual experience. I pictured a lot of the action in my head in low-definition black and white, and with a definite difference between the outside location shoots and the inside sets.)

Of course, Abigail was never in the history books, and her story is left frustratingly incomplete. That's something which doesn't happen often, because we're dealing with fiction here. Usually, by the time the TARDIS leaves, the main guest cast are either dead or at the end of one chapter of their lives (perhaps journey completed, danger averted, about to start work on rebuilding their world; or thwarted and imprisoned or on the run). Indeed, there's often a "who was that masked man?" moment to underline the end of the story so that we aren't left hanging. There's nothing like that here.

But then, that's kind of the point - in two ways. For one thing, the Doctor and his companions are intruders into other people's lives, and their stories generally begin before the TARDIS arrives and continue after its departure. The Doctor is a transformative force, certainly, but there's no reason that the chapter breaks in the various tales should always match up neatly.

Plus, of course, this isn't the end of the story anyway. The adventure in the past is over, but - moreso than almost any Companion Chronicle not written by Guerrier - that is just one part of a larger tale.

Normally, I'd add a post on the story as a whole next. Instead I'm going to leave that until the framing sequence fits, after Steven's parting from the Doctor, and link back to these.

Huh. Guess I had more to talk about than I thought.

Rating:
3.5/10.

Next Time:
Plague of Death.

Episode CC9.03a: The Fire in the Sky

I hate Simon Guerrier.* He is in my opinion the best writer of the Hartnell era, post-1966: other writers may have some stories of similar quality, but they don't keep churning them out like Guerrier. Even Marc Platt only has about half as many stories to his name, and their average quality isn't quite so good (sorry Marc).

So why am I grumbling about him? Two reasons. The first (and most minor) is that he regularly uses the story title as an episode title, which is particularly galling in season 3 when the TV series had already stopped doing that.** I'm mostly going to be bloody-minded about this and change them, though I'll make the odd exception (I'll keep The First Wave, for instance, where changing the episode title would ruin a pattern).

The second, bigger reason is that he very often ties the frame very tightly to the inner story - which makes it hard for me to review without either jumping ahead of myself or waiting until the right position for the framing sequence. As a result, after listening to just this one episode I'm beginning to think my plan for the Sara Kingdom trilogy just isn't going to work.

Still, I'm going to give it a go, and The Founding Fathers - which suffers from both problems - provides a good trial run.

OK, let's get the boring stuff out of the way. As usual, Peter Purves gives a great performance (and I think his version of the Doctor just keeps getting better and better). The sound design is spot on - I was out walking when I heard this, and took my headphones off to see if the birds were in the woods or in my ears. Later, the thunderstorm made me want to hurry home. Oh, and whatever Lisa Bowerman does as director works.

I'm not going to talk about Alice Haig here since her part is restricted to the framing sequence, except to say that it is also a solid performance. However, there is a third actor present, since Bowerman steps in to provide the voice of Abigail Holt, the figure at the centre of the mystery which is set up to keep the travellers on their toes. She did the same when directing The Mahogany Murderers, playing a barmaid called Ellie; and Abigail has a similar accent. Or rather, she has a fake accent that sounds like Ellie's, so I was impressed to note that this did sound less realistic, somehow, without my being able to put my finger on why. A fine line to walk.

Speaking of accents, there's a moment in the framing story where Steven's listeners tease him about his American accent. I don't know if that was a reference to Morton Dill - the part Purves originally played in The Chase - but it amused me anyway.

There isn't an awful lot to the story, but it has a cliffhanger that you might think had been used before, but actually I think it's unique: someone's first introduction to the TARDIS.

* This is manifestly untrue.

** Yes, yes, the story titles aren't actually a TV thing in this period. You know what I mean: we don't have titles taken from the episodes after The Space Museum.

My Soapbox, part 1: A Few Thoughts on Class
There's a coffee shop in this story where people of all classes sit cheek-by-jowl and discuss matters such as politics. I admire the principle, but wonder how well it works in practise. You see, I am solidly Middle Class, and one of the delightful results of this is that I am utterly useless at talking to people of other classes. Unless I try really hard - which probably looks just as odd as it sounds - I end up subconsciously trying to modify my accent when with Working Class people so that I can fit in. Like that's going to work - I remember once being (gently) mocked for using the word 'datum' in a casual discussion about films we'd seen recently. No amount of accent-manipulation is going to obscure the fact that I naturally use words like 'modify' and 'obscure' where 'change' and 'hide' would do (note: not an artificial example, I simply glanced at what I'd just written). Similarly, with Upper Class people I tend to feel small and go very quiet.

One thing I find sad is that ever since I went to university I have lost my original accent. When reading out loud I can do a passable Mockney, Mummerset, et al, but I cannot even remember the voices I grew up with in Hampshire, let alone mimic them. And my current voice sounds stupidly posh to me.

As an aside, I realised during the election in May that it has become very obvious that the interests of the Middle Class - or at least the lower Middle Class, which is where I sit - now align with those of the Working Class. While there are still many differences - for instance, I have savings I can dip into in times of trouble, whereas my Working Class friends don't - the policies that support them are also the ones that support me. I would try to stand by them on principle anyway, but actually enlightened self-interest tells me to do so as well.

But that's quite enough of that.

Rating:
5/10.

Next Time:
Founding Father

Episode 85 (T4): The Exploding Planet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating:
1/10.

Next Time:
Serial T as a whole.

Episode 84 (T3): Airlock

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fingers crossed for many more such unlikely chains of events!

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

Rating:
5/10.

Next Time:
The Exploding Planet.

Episode 83 (T2): Trap of Steel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating:
3/10.

Next Time:
Airlock.

Episode 82 (T1): Four Hundred Dawns

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating:
4/10.

Next Time:
Trap of Steel.

Episode CC8.03b: Upstairs, Episode 2: Dust and Empire

Warning: this review spoilers the menace as well as the location and some lesser plot details, but not the overall plot.

As usual, most of the review is going to be taken up talking about the writing; but first let's start where I left off last time, with a quick addition to what I've already said about the production. I found that the throbbing fungus noise got quite irritating after a while; enough so that it distracted me from the story a couple of times.

On to the performances, and Peter Purves seems to have warmed up now, though of course it's mostly up to Maureen O'Brien, who has a larger cast to portray this time. I found her maid's voice to be much better than her Doctor's, and Bartholomew showed that she can be convincing as a man as well. I did note that she uses regional accent for differentiation, something I do myself when reading; and part of me thinks this is kind of a cheat. But then again, it's certainly effective, and I generally don't notice it except in extreme cases; so why worry?

The rest, then, concerns Mat Coward's script. Once again the main cast are nicely characterised - the observation that the Doctor can always seem to make people tell him things, even if they do lock him up afterwards, is spot on. Steven spends quite some time in the comedy sidekick role he often takes in his travels with Vicki - something Purves does very well, on TV as well as audio - and his "member of the EMC" comment made me laugh. Once again Vicki is shown to be smart, although I did wonder when she learned about the proper rules of address for English "persons of quality"?

Speaking of which, the handling of class is done in a satisfying (if not exactly subtle) way. The classic servant habits of deference - which are not just an ahistorical media creation, although they had been vastly overgeneralised by the 1960s - are put to good use. (As is the automatic sexism, too.) I love one observation from the Doctor, which I'll quote in full:

"There exists a desire to be ruled, to be led; and at the same time, in the same psyche, there lives a realisation that the rulers are not up to the job. It's why mobs cut idiot kings' heads off, you know, only to plant another idiot king on the same throne."

Lovely. It's the servants, actually, who make this episode - their plans, along with their frankly bonkers loyalty to their Prime Minister, seem very "Whoish". Coward puts some other nice touches in too, though - the idea of Number 10 being bigger on the inside, for instance, or the TARDIS having a Smaller Scent Library, in which smaller scents are kept. We also get a bit more nicely integrated background information, particularly concerning the history of Downing Street. One odd oversight comes up when they are talking about Earth fungi not feeding on people - none of the characters have heard of fungal infections, apparently!

The story is wrapped up well with a nice, tidy ending, but I felt this episode lacked a little of the atmosphere we saw in Dust and Death. I can't quite put my finger on anything specific - the pacing seemed OK - so perhaps it was just the sound effects, taking me out of the moment. It was still very enjoyable, but because of this a bit closer to average overall.

Rating:
6/10.

Next Time:
Companion Chronicle 8.03 as a whole.

Episode CC8.03a: Upstairs, Episode 1: Dust and Death

Well, since my previous post I've had massive problems with internet access and my computer died. I've got a new one (another £250 we've got to take from something else), and the internet issue seems to have mostly been resolved; but I've been busy getting everything set up again. To cap it all, my PVR has just lost the ability to remember channel settings, so the only way to record anything is to turn it on, go through the initial setup, and then record the program before turning it off again. I think I may end up relying on iPlayer for some of the next series...

[Warning: this review contains spoilers for where the TARDIS has landed, and for what kind of story we are in.]

The narration opens with Steven, which made me think this was going to be like The Suffering - but it's mostly Maureen O'Brien, with Peter Purves simply providing Steven's voice. Purves actually seems less engaged than usual (his line "Doctor, we're lost in time" sounds particularly like someone reading a script), and I wonder if this is because he was recording separately and less involved in the process. Meanwhile, O'Brien's Doctor is not great here - she gets the intonation right, but (as is often the case with cross-gender impersonations) the voice sounds wrong. There's a jowly "old man" quality to it, but it's not really Hartnell's old man. This is mitigated somewhat by having the Doctor's longer speeches reported rather than quoted; but Purves can do an excellent Doctor, and yet because he's only the supporting actor he's not used to the full. It's frustrating, and I feel the same when Frazer Hines is put in this position. In some ways this is the best argument for The Early Adventures you can have!

Having said that, I love the Companion Chronicles, where you can get the same sense of interiority that you get from books while still having a strong element of performance. The lack of a proper frame weakens that a little, here - it's obvious from comments about her hazy memory of how they exited the TARDIS that Vicki is narrating this quite some time after her travels, but that's all we are given directly. Still, you can also extract something from the way it is narrated. I get the impression that this is an even older Vicki than the one we saw in Frostfire - though it might still be Frosty she's talking to!

One bit of characterisation that made me think was the comment about her fear of being a burden. This is a point that fits for me, with The Space Museum being the turning point where that ceases to be something that holds her back and becomes a driving force.

Mat Coward's writing is engaging, with some particularly nice descriptions, such as "the Doctor seemed to age before our eyes as worry stretched the skin thinly across his face". It's not an image I would have considered, but I know exactly what he means! The regulars' dialogue fits, with some lovely banter, and their characterisation is fine. There are some classic humourous bits - I smiled at the reactions when they first encountered the maid (there's certainly no salaciousness implied) and when Vicki described the Doctor's penetrating whispered asides - and there are more serious moments, such as when Vicki spots a subterfuge that the others walk straight into. Coward's plot structure is also very good, with a fine balance of humour and horror leading up to a delightfully wacky cliffhanger.

Which - so far as writing goes - leaves the content of the plot. This aspect I loved. From the beginning it looks as if we are in a haunted house story, and the three characters fall into classic tropes (the sceptic, the obstinate one who refuses to leave, and the sensible one who doesn't insist on finding a rational explanation before accepting what's happening), but this is skewed into something slightly different. I do think O'Brien's better on the more upbeat or exciting moments than the downright sinister, but fortunately there are few of the latter.

This is a story in which atmosphere is key. It manages to offer a sense of both space (with the seemingly endless parade of rooms) and claustrophobia (with the simple fact that it's set entirely in an attic, and the realisation that there is no way out) - I can see it being produced on TV as a budget-saving serial, much like The Edge of Destruction.

It's also a story about admiring the setting - in a way it's like a celebrity historical, but with the celebrity being the location! Because of where it's set I was first reminded of Aliens of London/World War Three, but another revived series story came to mind later: Gridlock. Like that episode, the location here is more the driving force for the plot rather than just a pretty backdrop, and that's clever.

In keeping with its era, this provided a fair helping of education, covering both history (Downing Street) and science (fungi, with the Food Machine explanation also bringing up a feeling of "forward nostalgia" for a story featuring a certain Professor Jones). It's all served up in a way that enhances the plot rather than causing it to stutter. It's particularly well woven into the travellers' attempts to find out where and when they are - utilising a window, receipt books, newspaper, a history book (I wonder if "A Short History of the Inhabitants of Downing Street" is real?), and the Doctor's encyclopaedic knowledge. Impressive!

On the production side, this is one of the rare releases where I don't think Big Finish got it quite right. The music feels a bit "off" for both the story and the era, somehow, and I found it almost impossible to hear the woman next door (even with headphones) over the fungus sound effect. It's not bad; but I've got used to this aspect being spot on.

And I'd better stop there, in order to save something to say about the next episode. I think I'll just listen to that cliffhanger again...

Rating:
8/10.

Next Time:
Dust and Empire.

Companion Chronicle 4.07: The Suffering

[Well, my apologies for not posting this earlier. This has nothing to do with getting behind on writing entries - I currently have four in hand - and everything to do with getting distracted. I simply forgot to post anything this week!]

This was the fifth outing for Steven in the Companion Chronicles, but only one of those (Mother Russia) had been performed by Peter Purves. The very first Companion Chronicle of all - Frostfire, performed by Maureen O'Brien with Keith Drinkel - will be coming up in this marathon after a book and a couple of short stories.

Which brings up the issue of placement. The reference to Steven's hair apparently seems to put it just before Galaxy Four, while his comment in the first episode that he hasn't eaten since 1066 seems to put it straight after The Time Meddler; and because of other stories in spin-off media these can't both be true. Fortunately, in this case there's a straightforward solution, and for once the framing sequence makes it easier rather than harder. Simply put, the main adventure takes place where the 1066 comment would imply, but Steven and Vicki don't get to make their recording until some time later, either because other adventures get in the way or just because they don't find the necessary equipment for a while. I may change this later - Steven could have been being deliberately less than accurate in his comment, quoting that date for effect - but I'm hoping it won't be necessary.

I am always happy to see Jacqueline Rayner's name on the credits; I still have to get the final seven Companion Chronicles, and I note that she has written Vicki's entry, which is exciting. (There are a number of my other favourite writers in that run, too - I do hope I can get more money from somewhere soon!) Rayner is an author for whom character comes first, but plot and setting are not far behind; basically a balanced approach but with my top priority in pole position. The Suffering is a good example.

What is particularly interesting is that she winkles out some extra personality traits for Steven from the slim pickings we are given in the TV scripts. (Purves' performance does imbue him with a fair bit of character but it rarely comes out of the writing, which for the most part treats him as a stock action hero.) I had been going to say that Rayner created new traits, but then I remembered something which I will talk about a little later in the marathon. Of course, Rayner also does something similar for Vicki, particularly in the final episode but it's not quite so impressive simply because Vicki was better served by script writers on more occasions.

In principle the cover is a fairly standard collage affair, but I like the use of the charge sheet for the arrested Suffragettes and the blending of historical London above and alien world below. The colour scheme is also unusual and effective.

Published:
Date: February 2010
ISBN: 1-84435-463-4

Rating:
7/10.

Next Time:
A short peek forward at The Three Doctors.

Episode CC4.07d: The Suffering, Episode 4: The Sharing

The finale to this story is very carefully crafted. It is even-handed, with all the travellers making a significant contribution to the solution, which is quite unusual and satisfying, so bonus marks for that.

Unfortunately there is a form of even-handedness that goes a bit too far as well. The section showing the appalling treatment of women - and, in particular, how bad it is for them in prison - places too much emphasis on women's involvement in the oppression. This feels like a kind of internalised sexism; while such collusion certainly shouldn't be tolerated or ignored, the way it is presented lets the men too far off the hook. It's not a fatal flaw, but it is annoying.

Other aspects of this section gave me mixed feelings, too. The sound work indicating the memory transfer was spot on, but the violins were too much. We didn't need them to emphasise the pathos!

I have no complaints about the rest of the episode, though, politically or artistically. I was pleased that the story rejects the rule of the vanguard, recognising that we need different skills and mindsets after the revolution than we do during it - something that the Doctor comes to know all too well, being himself more of a tearer-down than a builder-up. The anti-revenge message from last time is also not forgotten, and the revelation of what had actually happened in the fourth galaxy makes perfect sense. Even the reason for the recording is appropriate!

Jacqueline Rayner takes the opportunity to illuminate Vicki's psychology here, including giving her a two-minute speech packed full of thoughtful commentary on her motivations. It could have come across as heavy-handed, but Maureen O'Brien delivers it with an appropriately light touch. The words are carefully chosen too: "I've lost everything once, so there are no horrors left. Of course I don't want to die; I'm having too much fun. And that's the point." Or "I have been afraid, but it's a fear born of adrenaline; there was no pain. Pain doesn't fit in with jolly adventures." Great stuff, and bringing back memories of her standing in the space museum and declaring revolution with a joyous smile on her face.

Finally we have the second interview, and the revelation that O'Brien is enjoying playing Vicki again now. I was aware she wasn't an enthusiastic alumnus of the show, and the fact that the folks at Big Finish can do so much to make it a happy experience is heartening. I know there are a few for whom this is not the case - John Levene for one - but they have a high hit rate, and it makes them a company I am very happy to support.

O'Brien seems a little more thrown by the question of what would make a good setting for an adventure. Her suggestion of the English Civil War doesn't seem to have been taken up, so far, and neither does Lisa Bowerman's of the Restoration; although I admit I'm not entirely up to date!

Rating:
7.5/10.

Next Time:
Companion Chronicle 4.07 as a whole.

Episode CC4.07c: The Suffering, Episode 3: The Female of the Species

I have to comment on the cliffhangers in this story, because they are all very similar - too similar, in fact, for it be anything other than a deliberate choice. And I just don't get it - the second and third come across as boring to me. Still, that's a minor complaint.

This episode is very much a game of two parts, and just to be perverse I'll tackle the second half first. This is where the science fiction element of the story comes into its own, and where the main threat is explained.

And it's kind of familiar. This seems to be a "genesis" story for a race the Doctor and his companions have yet to meet, but will very soon. Which is kind of a strange idea, but in the process the themes of the alien's story are shown to be tied very closely to the historical side of things.

What we hear is nicely layered. There's the appalling treatment of the alien women, of course, and their desire for freedom is completely understandable; but it's also shown that the (equally natural) desire for revenge which came with it is not good, and has undesirable consequences.

It's impossible for me, from my position of privilege and safety, to know what it is like for people at the sharp end of such oppression. I hate violence, and disapprove of it on principle; and yet, in a situation like that, I cannot condemn the ones who use it to fight for their freedom. The only reason we ever got a National Health Service and Welfare State after the Second World War - two things I consider unequivocally good about British history - is because there were a lot of Working Class men with guns returning home who had been trained as soldiers and wanted some payback on their sacrifice.

Which leaves the revenge angle, and South Africa is my model here. There could have been a bloodbath after the revolution - many people assumed there would be - but the ideals of truth and reconciliation won out. Not entirely, of course, and the country has been left with massive problems anyway; but the sincere effort to avoid a revenge cycle has certainly been positive.

The first part of the episode - which I prefer, despite my relief that we have finally reached the point of significantly interacting with the alien aspects of the story - is almost entirely historical. (The only exceptions are the 'punishing' of the local doctor and then of the police officer, the latter leading into the second part.) The educational remit appears here with Constance's lecture to Vicki about the Suffragette cause and the reasons for it, followed by the scenes with the protesters and their treatment by the police. The combination is an effective way of showing both the rhetoric of protest and the reality, the latter being far more messy and ugly.

As well as this, we finally get to know Constance a little better. No longer is she a poster girl for those who oppose women's suffrage: now she comes across as a passionately committed supporter of the cause, naïve and unaware of her own privilege but definitely thoughtful and well-meaning. Of course, this is now Vicki telling the tale; and I wonder how much of the change is deliberate? My previous impression came from Steven's description, and I've already commented that he is presented as somewhat sexist. Given Jacqueline Rayner's history of good characterisation and of playing with the form (I recently relistened to the wonderful Doctor Who and the Pirates, an extreme example), I am inclined to think that it is.

And this adds another layer to my appreciation of the story. There is much less humour in Vicki's account so far, and she is the one who wanted to record the adventure. Despite Steven usually coming across as the more serious of the two, is it possible that he embellished a little to keep himself entertained while recounting his part of the tale, while Vicki was determined to keep everything accurate and factual? I believe so. And the realisation that I am not necessarily listening to an objective account gives this episode another half mark.

Rating:
6/10.

Next Time:
The Sharing.

Episode CC4.07b: The Suffering, Episode 2: The Piltdown Woman

The second episode maintains the standard of the first, with, if anything, even more humour. The sound effects and music are quiet and selective, which captures the feel of an era far removed from the constant soundtrack of the modern series. There's a reminder that this is Steven and Vicki recording an adventure at the start, but it's very short; now that Steven has got into the flow, Peter Purves can dive almost straight back into telling the story using his full abilities.

Mostly it's good plain fun, with the Doctor namedropping a fictional character (Raffles) and the farce with the Gladstone bag, the skeleton, and the omnibus. The drama on the clifftop never feels too dangerous, being more of a "how will he get out of that?" puzzle; and the horror is restricted mainly to the opening and the close.

Speaking of which, the cliffhanger is surprisingly similar to the previous one, and I hope that's not a sign the alien threat is going to be kept in the background much longer. I am more interested in the historical setting, but if you're going to have a pseudohistorical the menace needs to be a proper part of it.

So far, this is a proving to be a good story for continuing to develop Steven's characterisation. His worrying about madness continues, and he is characterised as sexist but gallant (which seems to fit), whereas the Doctor is both more egalitarian and more callous.

Normally, of course, this would have been the final episode of a Companion Chronicle, but here Big Finish experimented for the first time with a four-episode release (alongside having two voice actors from the TV series). It must have been a success because the two-disk story became an annual feature up until the end of the monthly run, and the use of multiple leads became even more common - The Flames of Cadiz being an example I've reviewed earlier.

Of course, being in the middle of the story means it's a bit odd to suddenly be presented with an interview! It's not completely unprecedented - it happened in the main range when they experimented with a serialised extra story, The Three Companions - but there's still something jarring.

Fortunately they studiously avoid spoilers, and I did learn some things. Unsurprisingly, like most of the cast, Purves prefers historicals. (When I met him last year, he said the story he'd most like to see recovered is The Massacre, with The Myth Makers a close second. His favourite SF story is The Savages, which he considers underrated. It'll be a while before I get there in this marathon, though!)

Something I'd never considered before was the matter of colour. Purves pictures his audio adventures in full colour, whereas I generally imagine them in monochrome. I hypothesise that this is to do with him being there when the TV serials were made: in effect, he saw them in colour then, whereas I have only ever seen them in black and white.

It also sounds as if some of the ideas he gives here for future stories of Steven were taken into account - and when I get The War to End All Wars I'll find out just how far they've gone...

Rating:
7/10.

Next Time:
The Female of the Species.

Episode CC4.07a: The Suffering, Episode 1: An Unearthing

Right, let's tackle the framing sequence first - because it's lovely! Having the two companions recounting and recording one of their adventures is such an obvious idea, I'm surprised it hadn't been overused by the fourth Companion Chronicles season. This one is so full of meta and cheeky comments, like "whoever's going to want to listen to it?"; and it immediately shows off the narrators' differing character traits. Vicki is fanciful, imaginative, teasing; while Steven is straightforward, a less confident teller of tales until he gets into his stride.

The fan-pleasing in-jokes continue within the main story, too, in particular the one about the 'alien landscape' that looks like (and turns out to actually be) a gravel pit. This opening scene sets the tone of the piece, lighthearted but with a vein of horror. Steven's frustration that the Doctor will never admit he's wrong comes through strongly - and I must say that Peter Purves' Doctor is excellent, really echoing the spirit of William Hartnell's performance.

Later on, Steven admits to being close to madness on Mechanus, but I don't think he realises quite how close. This certainly informs Purves' intense performance in his first few stories, and he recaptures that here. Steven hearing voices later on also ties into the theme rather scarily, as does his role in the (period-appropriate) cliffhanger. We don't hear so much of Maureen O'Brien in this episode, but Vicki's impish warmth comes through when we do.

Jacqueline Rayner makes very good use of the medium. For instance, one advantage of narration is that you can skip boring bits for one character while other stuff that we do want to hear about is going on in the same room, without it seeming artificial - and I didn't even notice it on first listen when this happens by Vicki's bedside! Another example is the comedy car journey, which is very much recreating early Hollywood. I love the idea that the Doctor drives the car as well as he pilots the TARDIS, and can picture how it would have looked on TV - except, of course, that money wouldn't have allowed it. The location shooting and stuntwork budget on audio is a lot higher.

There is a very classic feel to this story in other ways too, with Vicki a bit of a victim but the production making good use of the BBC's famous costume department. In fact, feminism definitely takes a back seat, with Constance described as masculine-looking, bridling - much as the Suffragettes of the day were depicted by their detractors. I can see how this fits with how she would have been presented if this had been made for TV in 1965, but I hope later episodes will provide a contrasting view. Incidentally, there was a very interesting talk at the History Live! festival last July, about the women of the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry and how they pushed against the attitudes of the time, failing to achieve any recognition from the British during the First World War (though soldiers of other nations were grateful for their help) but finally being acknowledged in the Second.

In contrast to the actual portrayal of women here, the discussion between Steven and the Doctor concerning suffrage is great. I actually knew the facts, but somehow hadn't really got a feel for what that meant in terms of limiting men's access to the vote. Seeing how it would have applied to Steven and the Doctor - fictional though they are - brought it home. That in itself is the best way to fulfil an educational remit - something the writer also did well in her previous story, The Transit of Venus.

Finally, hearing the name 'Piltdown' was enough for me to have an "aha!" moment - that's a bit of history I don't need to be educated about - and made me think I know where one strand of the story is going. I'll be interested to see if I'm right...

Rating:
7/10.

Next Time:
The Piltdown Woman.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next Time:
Guess.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next Time:
A Battle of Wits.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next Time:
The Meddling Monk.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next Time:
May's review of The Watcher!

Episode 81 (S4): Checkmate

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

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

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

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

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

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

And now, on to the main feature:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating:
7.5/10.

Next Time:
Serial S as a whole.

Episode 80 (S3): A Battle of Wits

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating:
10/10.

Next Time:
Checkmate.