The Tenth Planet

I am in major catch-up mode now with the marathon and this blog. Of course the gap is for a good reason; it’s been insanely busy with other writing projects, and work, and events.  I am only now getting write up episodes watched quite some time ago, and it will be good to get these up on the site. So here goes.

Episode 1

It's strange to think here in 2011, that when this episode was broadcast the time period portrayed was the future. 1986 was nothing like this in my experience, but there are lots of nice touches. I like the multi-cultural base. It’s a science fiction staple of course, especially for stories set in the near future, but it is nice to see here, and is done rather well. It’s been just as much a staple in Doctor Who, and was still there in 2009’s The Waters of Mars. Is this because we as a species always want to hope things will get better, and we can all get along without focusing on the differences between us?

Despite the idealism of harmony between races, we continue to get stereotypical treatment of women when Polly shows up on the base, and the men treat her with a 1960’s attitude. It’s an interesting contrast to

Ben and Polly don't look wrapped up warmly enough for the South Pole, but perhaps these are some more of those famous TARDIS coats that can protect the wearer against almost anything, despite looking normal in their appearance.

Hartnell is brilliant here, giving a no nonsense Doctor, but one who still has a sense of fun, and enjoys poking at authority figures. Even here in his last story, Hartnell is going toe-to-toe with Robert  Beatty’s General Cutler, in a battle of wills between two strong men; neither of these characters are going to back down, and this clash lasts throughout the story when both characters are on screen.

It's fascinating that the Doctor knows what's going to happen in this story. He is showing that he has advanced knowledge of the future just as he has always exhibited of the past. Knowing what we know now, this is obvious, but at the time this was a first. His behavior here, makes me wonder if 1986 is a fixed point in time? It seems like it must be, and that leads me to wonder how much of what will transpire during this story does the Doctor already know of? This is a major change for the character, who didn’t know who the Daleks were when he first encountered them. The character is evolving and developing and becoming ever more like the man we know today.

The concept and effect of the upside down planet is well carried off, and still holds some shock value for me. Then, right at the end of the episode is the moment I have been waiting for. The Cybermen are revealed, and to this day, they are my favorite Cybermen ever!

Episode 2

We don't see what the Cybermen do to the soldiers, but it's clear that whatever they did was horrific and deadly. Seeing the gear from the soldiers scattered in the snow by the TARDIS is a chilling moment. This story specializes in this kind of chilling scene. The destruction of the spaceship is another example. The reaction of Polly as the signal cuts out is shocking and very affecting. He audience is as shocked as the characters.

One of the things I love the most about these Cybermen are their sing-song cybervoices. The sound is inhuman, but retains a mockery of human intonation. It acts as a reminder of their organic origins, making these metal men seem more chilling than did the robotic voices that come along later.

This seems a good time to talk about a constant criticism of the 1^st Doctor, and Hartnell in particular; the so-called "Billy fluffs". Everyone talks about them as if he is the only one who ever fluffed a line. This happens all the time in 1960s television; it happens in Quatermass; Robert Beatty does it in episode one of this very story. But neither of those incidents get the criticism that Hartnell comes in for. It seems to be that because he is the lead he gets the bad reputation, and it is very unfair. As I have watched his full run of episodes I have been so impressed with Hartnell as an actor; comedy, drama, compassion, excitement - he does it all. His confrontation with Kang here is wonderful, and as he contemplates the Cyberman's responses to his statements you can see the Doctor's brain working and Hartnell is as alert as we've ever seen him. He inhabits this character completely, and it is brilliant!

There's something rather amusing about Ben escaping thanks to an old movie.

Episode 3

What a travesty that in his penultimate episode all William Hartnell does is keel over and then lie on a bed. It really is most upsetting. I have come to love this Doctor so much, and this is a sad ending.

Meanwhile we are getting our first alien invasion story and the tension is building very nicely indeed. And in another first, later on we get a companion crawling through a ventilation shaft. That is a tradition that is even more a part of Doctor Who than the Cybermen are. So much so that in Terminus two of the companions spend the entire story doing just that!

This story is full of  some excellent performances from the guest cast. David Dodimead does worried scientist very well, and above all, Robert Beatty gives a very emotional performance as a man on the edge. He is willing to do anything, and he is personally invested in this, which heightens the tension of the 2^nd half of this story to almost unbearable heights. It is interesting to compare Cutler to later military characters. Many of the do-anything archetypes we see later are present in this character and his blundering in regardless is something that that later Doctors would delight in commenting on and Hartnell would doubtless be challenging were he not collapsed on a bed. (Yes, I am very bitter about not getting to see that here).

The tension at the episode's end is very well done. You can feel it as the noise of the rocket gets louder and louder. Well done to director Derek Martinus.

Episode 4

This episode is a bit of an anti climax isn’t it? Everything seems to end rather easily. But along the way though we finally get to see some devious Cybermen, and the real invasion and a last wonderful 1st Doctor bluff. There’s even a moment where he feels that he may have miscalculated after all. How Doctor-ish is that? Up until that point it had almost felt like General Cutler was the villain of the piece, but once we see the ruthlessness of the Cybermen, we can be reminded that he is really just a desperate father, with too much destructive power at his disposal.

When we see the Doctor and Polly imprisoned on the Cybership, I am pleased to see that the cells look like they could double for conversion chambers. It’s a nice hint at the real horror of these creations.

Finally, what can I say about the end of this episode and the first “renewal” of the Doctor. There is a lovely symmetry to the trauma of that first TARDs flight we saw back in An Unearthly Child, as we experience the trauma of this first regeneration. What was the audience to think? It certainly seems to shake Ben and Polly.

Goodbye Bill. You were magnificent. But now it's onwards to meet this new Doctor...

The Smugglers

As the previous post implies, I’m baack, and better than ever! And so is this blog, but it will now be at a less breakneck speed, and more at the speed that I just want to watch “Doctor Who”. Right now though I am eager to watch the stories that are coming up, so we’ll see how it goes! The announcement of the Series 6 premiere date has left me very excited and very much in a Who-watching mood. So here we go again.

Episode 1

This episode has a lovely opening TARDIS scene, as the new crew size each other up. The Doctor is gruff and cantankerous, and Ben and Polly are perplexed as he explains what they have got themselves into. It really is a perfect season opener, since it introduces the audience to the concepts of the series again, and setting up Ben and Polly as audience identification figures. They are a far cry from Ian and Barbara. Unlike he introduction to the schoolteachers though, the Doctor is more open about being a wanderer who cannot tell where he ends up.

Once they get to Cornwall, Polly is far more enthusiastic than Ben, who seems extremely suspicious of everything. It’s reminiscent of how Steven behaved when he arrived in pre-Norman England in “The Time Meddler”. Anneke Wills and Michael Craze have wonderful chemistry, and I shall be paying close attention to how this develops. The Doctor has already accepted them and there are hints of the attitude towards companions that we see joked about in the show today; that they can’t look after themselves without him keeping an eye on them; that they just don’t listen; that he’ll have to bail them out. At this point in his journey though it seems to amuse him no end, as opposed to the world-weariness with which it is referred to by the 10^th and 11^th Doctors.

It’s interesting that Ben and Polly can accept the change in location and the bigger on the inside bit of the TARDIS, while it is the time travel thing that is so much less believable.

There are some definite nasty pieces of work in this story, as we start to meet the different factions that will drive the plot, but this episode is more about the fun interactions, as the new TARDIS crew meet the cast of characters that make up this suspicious village. There’s some nice setup in this area, as the plot gets set into motion, and we discover that there are precious things hidden away, and lots of people looking for it.

Oh look, it’s Paul Whitsun-Jones as the squire! It’s almost as if the Marshall from The Mutants has been transported back to 17^th century Cornwall! How wonderful! He does fatuous pomposity, with a slightly sinister edge, like nobody else!

Episode 2

There goes the Doctor, turning on the charm again, to ingratiate himself with Captain Avery’s erstwhile shipmates. He appears to relish the company of these pirates, and is having a lot of fun negotiating with them.

Ben and Polly are not having quite as much fun, but they are definitely getting into the spirit of adventure, and ready to try every trick in the book to escape from their jail! Ben especially is now really getting into the swing of things – knocking out possible villains, and looking out for his friend. He has accepted their lot now it appears, and it just getting on with it.

Paul Whitsun-Jones continues his lovely performance as the squire. He plays this archetype to the hilt, and his enthusiasm is contagious. All of the actors are really getting into their roles and completely committed to them. It makes the drama so much more believable, despite some occasional cod accents and clichéd dialogue.

I love the joke of Captain Pike’s pike being fake, and the crewmembers needing to remind him to attach it!

Episode 3

Hartnell is having such fun with this script, which gives him plenty to do, and is unlike a lot of Brian Hayles’s later work for the show. This is just the type of script that Hartnell always enjoys, that come up a lot in the historical stories, where he gets to bluff and bluster his way through and have fun at the expense of his captors and trick his way out of any situation in which he finds himself. It’s in stories like these that we get to see the fun side of the 1^st Doctor, rather than the sternness that people usually remember.

Ben and Polly have the Doctor pegged already, even though they have only been with him a short while. They know that he just cannot help getting into trouble. Today of course, everyone would complain about this early knowledge, as they did with Amy in The Best Below knowing that the Doctor is alien and very old, since the assumption was that the knowledge wasn’t earned. (On that score they are wrong. It’s all right there and Amy has noticed and is a smart young woman; but that’s a discussion for 27 seasons from now!) With Ben and Polly here it all seems perfectly natural that they would understand the Doctor this well. They are observant people and they have paid attention to how he behaves!

Captain Pike is a vicious sort. Michael Godfrey plays him wonderfully, with a charming veneer, hiding a mercilessness streak underneath.

As the Doctor explains his need to get to the crypt, rather than just escape back to the TARDIS, we get a lovely redefinition of his moral code as he asserts that he has a “moral obligation” to keep the village and the innocent villagers there safe. He’s come a long way from the character that had to be restrained from braining a caveman with a rock. This is absolutely the character we know today, who tries to make a difference and to do the right thing.

All roads lead to the crypt as the parties converge looking for the treasure. The stakes are high – for the village anyway! And everyone is out for their own gain except the Doctor and his friends.

Episode 4

The Doctor is wonderfully powerful again in this. His righteous anger and his schemes are on top form as he works to outwit the crew of smugglers. I would love to be able see Hartnell’s visual acting in this scene. Vocally he sounds full of energy and confidence that belies the myth of a sick man who was pushed off the show he loved and gave so much to.

I love Ben asking Polly to put the kettle on when she gets back to the TARDIS! So English and so typical! It made me laugh.

Finally the Doctor solves the riddle. He’s known the answer all along of course, and could have wrapped this up in episode 2. But it’s been fun getting to this point! Hartnell is having a ball with this. I will be very sad to see him go.

As we reach the climactic battle between Blake’s men and the pirates, I feel disappointment that we cannot watch it, and simply have some pictures and the audio (although I am grateful we have that at least!) Director Julia Smith was to go on to become a very important t person in the BBC over the following 20 years, and of the 8 episodes of Doctor Who she directed we only have “The Underwater Menace” episode 3. All evidence points to her work here being of a higher quality.

And what a lead in to the next episode! I can’t wait!

Change my dear! And it seems not a moment too soon...

It's been a funny old month. But also a great one. As a result it's time for change here at Watching Doggie Who; and it seems not a moment too soon. I started working on this marathon watch of the show that I love in order to heal myself; After all, who better than the Doctor to make me better? Well, it turns out that I could do that myself, although it took him, and others, to inspire me to believe that I could. Along the way I have found out what wonderful friends I have; both here in New York, and in the Doctor Who community around the world. With their support and advice, along with a life-changing trip to India, that was exactly the detox from everything that I needed, I have found myself. I very much hope that the people who were a part of that (and one or two in particular) know who they are. Whatever happens in the future (and only time, or a Time Lord will determine that), I am so grateful to have them in my life, and to count them among my friends. I am a lucky man.

And now, 20 pounds lighter, with healthier eating habits, a strong workout routine, and new-found confidence, I am back to this marathon watch. It will, however, now be on a less demanding schedule, and I am doing it because I want to, rather than as a discipline and distraction, since doing this has made me look at this wonderful show I have always adored, with new eyes and a new appreciation. As such, the blog in turn will become more about the show rather than anything personal (except for occasional news or other reports). It is now a labour of love, rather than a need for safety, and I'm good with that. It will give me the chance to embrace life, do some other writing, like the articles for The Terrible Zodin fanzine (available to download for free at (http://doctorwhottz.blogspot.com) and all the things New York and the world have to offer. To steal a track title from Murray Gold's fantastic Series 5 soundtrack: "Onwards"!

Day 27 - The War Machines

The snow looked beautiful this morning! A definite disadvantage of living 20 blocks from work though is that I have few excuses not to go into the office, and cannot work from home. Yes, it is home now. A realization that came to me over the last week or so. And I am glad.

I am excited about the next couple of days, despite some weirdness and setbacks that have set my head spinning, and filled it up with so many different feelings it is ready to explode. But I have some fun plans, which I hope will send me off to India with smile, along with something to look forward to when I return (which will help with the letdown of the trip being over!) But it is early days in so many things, and only time will tell what happens next.

Episode 1

This is a fantastic opening, with some wonderful location work. It’s fun to see the amazement and excitement from Dodo at seeing the completed Post Office tower. It was so new then, but seems so normal now.

It’s interesting how the Doctor already seems to have a position of authority, or at least has built up a reputation as an expert, in some circles of British society. I wonder when he did that. It seems quite at odds with the man we met in “An Unearthly Child”, who was only in 1960s England for Susan. Although based on what we will discover in his 7^th incarnation, the Doctor is full of secrets.

This whole story seems quite different and fresh, and is much more modern than what I’ve been watching lately. Ben and Polly are a breath of fresh air, as is the then-present day setting of 1966, which seems more like nostalgia today, with all the glamour of the swinging sixties in London! The location work also adds to the impact. It’s great to see the Doctor wandering around a familiar London again.

The description of WOTAN puts me in mind of SKyNet. It’s never a good idea to network all these computers together. And we are soon shown how bad an idea it is. The computer’s virtual tentacles start reaching out and taking control, leading up to the infamous cliffhanger, where “Doctor Who is required”. Innes Lloyd or Ian Stuart Black are a little confused about the name of their lead character! It’s a good thing this is a compelling story.

Episode 2

Dodo really is behaving rather oddly. I wonder what is happening with her. Meanwhile, the Doctor is right at home in English society, barely noticing the change in his companion. Until he speaks to WOTAN and everything becomes clear to him, and then, most conveniently, Dodo gives the plot away.

Oooh. Ben and Polly are flirting already. Are we going to get another couple in the TARDIS a la Ian and Barbara?

That all-purpose ring is up to yet another new trick! Now it’s a hypnotic tool being used to cure Dodo! And suddenly she is gone from our screens, without so much as a goodbye. I have never been the biggest fan of Dodo, and would usually claim her as my least favourite companion. But I have to admit that I have really enjoyed the time that I’ve spent in her company, and may need to re-evaluate that opinion a bit.

WOTAN is very efficient at getting all these parts into London in such a short time. It’s interesting that the tingle the Doctor feels reminds him of how he felt when the Daleks were around. The War Machines are the closest thing to the Daleks we have seen so far in the series, although they are far more bulky and unwieldy. They also seem to need very specific instructions to actually do anything. Their mallet style arm though seems more deadly at the moment though than the Dalek sucker-style arm.

Episode 3

Anneke Wills does possessed acting very well. Ben’s attempted escape from the warehouse is well put together and makes for a very exciting sequence. Michael Craze does a great job of showing his disbelief at Polly’s behavior. I think I am going to enjoy spending time with these two. They work very well together.

The Doctor has been rather static in this since he discovered what was going on. He has left everything to his new friends Ben and Polly. I hope he starts to become more active soon. It’s quite out of character based on the confidence and power he has demonstrated over the course of this season (when he wasn’t written out of episodes, of course!)

I have to complement Michael Ferguson on a great direction job on this story, especially in the climatic sequence to this episode. This is more like it; the army are attacking in force. This story really does feel so different and modern, and is nothing like we have seen before. It may also be the crystal clear picture that is contributing to this. The restoration team have done a spectacular job on this story. It looks pristine, especially in the film sequences as the War Machine exits the warehouse. The War Machine in full attack mode would be a great sequence even without the great restoration team job, however. It’s big and menacing and means trouble. And there, as the episode ends, my confident hero returns, as the Doctor strides fearlessly towards the enemy.

Episode 4

I like the idea of showing how regular people are reacting to the emergency. It’s something we don’t get often in later invasions, but makes for effective scenes here. The government don’t really know what they are doing yet though, and need to do a better job with cover stories. But this is just a practice run for all the invasions to come. Earth, and especially England, will learn from (some of) its mistakes.

I love watching the Doctor, taking charge completely, and putting together a machine from junk and making it up as he goes along! It’s so very Doctor-ish, and I love that Hartnell is so dynamic and gets to do this, after his inactivity in the previous episode.

Once it is all wrapped up, and we hear Dodo’s perfunctory departure, the Doctor seems saddened to have lost her, and goes into the TARDIS an old man. But all is not lost and it doesn’t look like he’ll be alone for long. Ben and Polly are an adventurous pair! And in they go!

And so I reach the end of the 3rd series of Doctor Who, and for the time being, I reach a short break from this blog, and the marathon watch. I am going to be focusing on the trip to India and the new experiences and adventures that I will be having out there! It’s a new country for me, and full of new things to go and see, and to focus on things I may not normally do. I am very grateful the person who helped me to understand that.

But I shall come back, yes I shall come back, and Season 4, and the 2^nd Doctor await me when I do!

Day 26 - The Savages

It was another very busy day today, but extremely productive. I am now 80% done with packing for the big trip to India, and feel most accomplished. The workout routines are also getting easier, and I feel so much better for them. People have even commented that I am looking in better shape, which is nice to hear!

Emotionally things have calmed down a lot as well, as I concentrate on the future, and all the opportunities that I hope are out there. It’s started snowing outside. It seems like it’s a constant companion these days, but in India it will be different!

                

Episode 1

The transition to this story was very peculiar. One moment we were wrapping up the Wild West story, and then after a harsh cut we are suddenly in the far future. We also say goodbye to the individual episode titles at this moment in the show’s run. I am sorry to see them go. Sometimes they bore little relevance to the episode that lay ahead, but they added some fun to several stories.

This is all rather unsettling. The Doctor seems to know exactly where he is but he isn’t letting on to his friends, which is unlike him. I do hope we’re not back in the Stone Age. These people do look rather like the cavemen from the first story. The Doctor thinks differently though. It’s odd how he seems to have heard Steven’s early dialogue, despite Steven and Dodo being by the TARDIS and the Doctor seeming to have wandered off somewhere else.

Oh good, some more advanced people. Good. Not the Stone Age again then. Based on the reports of these guards this planet is inhabited by some very advanced scientists, if they are able to track the TARDIS.

The unsettling nature of this story continues. There seem to be several factions at work; the savages, the elders, and some disgruntled guards. As we discover more about the advanced civilization there appears to be some sort of secret behind it; something that no one talks about; along with places that the TARDIS crew cannot go. Steven is very accepting of it all, while Dodo is more suspicious. She has grown more than I expected in her time in the TARDIS. It was she who realized the nature of the Toymaker’s puppets, remember, while Steven was unconvinced. I may need to revise my opinion on Jackie Lane.

Nanina seems to be dressed much as Leela will be! But this 10 years earlier! It seems quite a daring outfit for 1966! Were there complaints back then about this outfit? This vitality they speak of, is that what they are doing to the savage woman? I have a lot of questions and am most curious about what the answers will be.

Episode 2

Dodo’s getting very feisty again, and she gives as good as she gets. As this episode develops we find that this paradise is absolutely not what it appears, as Avon and Flower are punished for letting Dodo see anything at all.

This life-force concept is very interesting. It appears that the Doctor has had his suspicions all along, despite all of his apparent interest in the science of this civilization.

Frederick Jaeger’s Jano has a fascinating role in this story and his debate with the Doctor is full of power. It’s a moral debate; science against humanity, and the value of a person. The Doctor puts his personal creed on full display here. He values the life of a single person, no matter how small, above anything else, and will fight for their rights with all that he is worth. It’s a Doctor that we clearly recognize to this day. Hartnell is once again getting to play a strong and confident Doctor, and I love it.

Until, that is, he is rendered almost speechless by the revelation that his own lifeforce is to be drained. As the experiment begins, the Doctor looks helpless, strapped down and motionless. It’s a very disturbing sight.

Episode 3

This script has been very well thought out and is a lot deeper than I expected. I appreciate the discussion of the cultural effects of the life-essence removal on the Savages. It is this process that keeps them savage and that their lifestyle and culture deteriorates with every passing generation due to the processing that consumes them.

Unfortunately it seems like we’re in yet another episode without the Doctor. There have been too many of those in recent stories. But in his absence Steven gets to demonstrate his growth as a character as he comes up with a way to help the Savages escape the guards who have invaded their cave homes. He has learned to think outside the box in his time with the Doctor, even if he does sometimes show naivety, and is too willing to believe the best in people. It’s an admirable quality, even if in his adventures he should have learned that that is not always the case.

I’m not sure I trust Jano’s motives here. He sounds altruistic enough, but I suspect he wants to keep the Doctor’s life essence for himself, suspecting it will increase his power. But it would seem it backfires. Frederick Jaeger’s performance seems totally different once he comes out of the transference machine. He is doing an excellent impression of Hartnell, but also seems to realize that all is not well. It would be wonderful to have this episode back in the archive, just to see if it was as effective in moving pictures, and it is on pure vocals alone.

As we get our only glimpse of the Doctor in this episode, I am disturbed again. He looks dreadful, even worse than his helpless situation at the end of the previous episode. Hartnell is such a good actor, and deserved to be able to do more of this stuff.

Episode 4

Did the Doctor know what would happen all the time, and how his essence would affect Jano? He seems to recover at just the right moment to prevent anyone harming the leader of the Elders. And as he recovers he demonstrates, once again, his intention to do the right thing, and cleanse this civilization of the evil that has infested it. He seems sure that Jano will be the one who helps him to accomplish that goal. And he is, of course, right. For those fans who see the manipulative all-knowing Doctor of the New Adventures, and the New Series as something new for the character, I would urge them to watch this. The seeds of that are right here at the beginning!

So I, along with the Doctor, and Dodo, bid farewell to Steven Taylor. He has earned this opportunity. He is a good man, and he will do the right thing. I have enjoyed getting to know Steve, and Peter Purves has been a pleasure to watch in the part. I wish him well in his attempts to bring these divided people together. It’s a lovely leaving scene. The Doctor shows his great confidence and pride in this young man, whom he has inspired and made a better man than when they first met.

Day 25 - The Gunfighters

Wow! Today has been busy, busy, busy. But it was also very productive, as I start to check off everything I need for the big trip, and set up Barnaby-Con in London on the way back to the States.

I have put together a list and have accomplished almost everything except laundry and packing; the two most time consuming parts of the list, but the ones that make sense to leave until last. I expect to have them done tomorrow or Thursday though, since there is some other fun stuff to look forward to before I leave on Saturday.

I am feeling very empowered at the moment, and ready for these new adventures. The world is my oyster at the moment, and while there is some sadness in my heart, I know that there are experiences, and people out there who can help banish that further as time goes by.

Episode 1 – Holiday for the Doctor

I have a confession to make. I really like “The Gunfighters” and I even hum “The Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon” from time to time! It really does get stuck in your head.

We are back to these wonderful punning episode titles, and this is a good one, with its multiple meanings! And some more dress-up fun. I will miss this when the historical stop. Everyone appears to be enthusiastic about where they have landed. I love the Doctor’s comment warning Steven and Dodo try to look inconspicuous. This is the same man who was dressing up in revolutionary France in an outfit that stood out a mile!

The design team has done a really good job with the Tombstone set. It looks quite expansive, and authentic, which is quite an impressive feat for the studio space in which they were still working.

The names the Doctor comes up with for Dodo and Steven are very funny. And I’m sure it will only be a matter of time before they actually have to try and fulfill those roles. I love Donald Cotton. He even manages to slip in a “Doctor Who” joke. He is so good at this type of story.

It’s such a fun conceit, having the Doctor getting toothache and the only dentist he can find is Doc Holliday! The Doctor and the Doc preparing for dentistry is really funny stuff, and makes me very pleased that this still exists in the archive. We get to see how much Hartnell loves doing these comedy stories. He’s having a ball, and his reactions to Holliday as he gets more and more concerned are absolutely priceless.

The usual old standby of these historicals is quick to raise its head; mistaken identity. Steven and Dodo are also having fun with all this silliness. Peter Purves is absolutely game with his singing to end the episode. It’s not the best singing cliffhanger in “Doctor Who” history, however. That has to go to Big Finish and the episode 2 cliffhanger to “Doctor Who and the Pirates”. But this definitely brought a smile to my face.

Episode 2 – Don’t Shoot the Piano Player

Everyone is having such fun with the singing and the piano playing. Jackie Lane has the biggest grin on her face as she bashes away at the piano. Sheena Marshe as Kate Fisher is doing a lovely job and complementing the regulars very nicely.  Once she starts talking to Steven, I am sure that I see a hint of jealousy from Dodo.

Peter Purves really is a wonderful performer. He hasn’t had much of a chance to indulge the comedy skills we saw when he played Morton Dill way back in his first story, and before we met this dashing space pilot. Most of the stories since then have required him to play a more serious role. But given the chance here to let loose he relishes it, and does a great job.

Episode 3 – Johnny Ringo

Jackie Lane is also very game, as she gets the opportunity to show what she can do when she is off with Doc Holliday and Kate! I know I have ragged on Dodo somewhat during this marathon so far, but she is great value here. The whole cast is having a ball really, despite the occasional sidestep into some deadly serious scenes, I am more drawn to the comedy.

The song is a very interesting device and gives the story a unique structure. There’s all sorts of important background information in lyrics, as well as recaps of the action that has gone before. I wouldn’t want something like this in every story, but has it’s a good experiment, and works rather well here.

That Johnny Ringo’s a romantic sort isn’t he? (Not really!) I don’t think pointing a gun at her the way to a woman’s heart, even in 1880s Tombstone!

Episode 4 – The O.K. Corral

The story gets a lot more serious now. There have been serious moments before, but now everything is moving inexorably towards the event we have know was coming since we arrived in Tombstone; the infamous gunfight at the O.K. Corral and the showdown between Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp and the Clantons. It will be all the TARDIS crew can do to avoid getting caught up in the crossfire.

The Doctor looks to be happy to be out of it, but he is still concerned about Steven. And he also seems to, once again, be a lot less concerned about getting involved in events. He should know about how this turns out, but appears to be trying to ensure the gunfight does not occur.

Rex Tucker has really made the studio set of Tombstone look expansive, and there is a certain sense of scale to the gunfight as the players get prepared. Once it gets started it’s a harsh shootout. Dodo gets stuck in the middle, as the bullets fly. The cast are completely committed to the duel, and it is very well put together and effective. It’s quite a contrast to the rest of the story, and is notable for being silent except for the gunfight and the odd grunt as participants get shot.

This story has such a poor reputation and it’s extremely undeserved. This is a fun story, and has some effective moments. I enjoyed it a lot, and I look forward to watching it again on its DVD release later this year.

Day 24 - The Celestial Toymaker

The visa came through today, and so the India trip is a GO! I am very excited, now that it is really going to happen, and have started making lists and plans.  At the same time some other nice things have been going on, and I am really feeling like I am getting the hang of this life that I now lead. Some of it has been time, and some of it has been the comfort of doing this marathon and writing about it every day, and still more of it has been finding new things to make me smile. Those are the best things of all.

Episode 1 – The Celestial Toyroom

We have a very knowledgeable Doctor here. He knows of the Toymaker, and how powerful he is. It’s another first in the programme’s history, that he is so aware of the enemy that they are facing, and knows so much about him. It begs the question, however, of how he could he know about the Toymaker and not the Daleks? Is it possible that the Daleks were nothing but a local nuisance until the Doctor landed there, and showed them a world beyond Skaro that was ripe for conquest and exploration, and fuelled their ambitions?

Anyway, I digress. This is story is a great concept. Micahel Gough is extremely sinister playing the Toymaker, with a great costume and design concept. He and Hartnell spar very well, in a way it reminds me of the sparring with the Monk, but there’s a more sinister than in those clashes. This time it isn’t as much of a game, despite the Toymaker’s raison d’etre, and the argument is colder, and the consequences far more serious.

The presentation of the Trilogic game is interesting, especially the effect of moving the game forward all those additional moves, which is very well done. This is a story that really suffers from the lack of moving pictures. It’s difficult to get the hang of the games that Steven and Dodo are playing, and how the action plays out. I get the impression that this is full of visual jokes, and that just doesn’t work so well on audio.

Episode 2 – The Hall of Dolls

It’s goodbye to Hartnell for a while, as he becomes invisible in the story. But behind the scenes we see the beginning of the attempts to get rid of you, the reasons for which are ridiculous based on the performances that we have seen recently; Even in this story itself. He has been a confident and strong hero that I believe in absolutely.

The array of characters on display in the Toymaker’s realm is wonderful and show great imagination in the writing and the design. But they are all deadly, and as they work against Steven and Dodo. I think Brian Hayles is having fun with the Queen’s dialogue; “A Playing Card” speaks the Queen in a clear Lady Bracknell reference.

You have to feel sorry for the playing cards. They have been trapped in the past by the Toymaker, and simply want their freedom. Some of the Toymaker’s victims are more sinister and less sympathetic that these two, although in their dealings with the fool they are more brutal. I find their last actions together, as they elect to lose together, are very sweet.

It’s Steven and Dodo working together that has helped them win out against the Toymaker so far. It seems that previous competitors were too busy thinking about saving their own skin, and they continue to do so as his pawns, rather than working as a team.

Episode 3 – The Dancing Floor

We get another lovely set of caricatures here. The Toymaker has realized that he needs to get Steven and Dodo to make a mistake if they are going to lose a game, and so he is pulling out all the stops. The two companions have to carry a lot of this story, with the Doctor struck dumb and incorporeal. Every stalling tactic at his disposal is predicted by the Toymaker, who knows every one of his tricks. It’s going to be up to the companions if they are going to get through this one. When the Toymaker actually gets involved with his creatures, and has to threaten them, there really are no holds barred. Michael Gough has scary down pat as he reminds them of the consequences of failure.

This is another episode where the visuals would go a long way to improving the episode. There are likely lots of visual gags and business going on, which does not come across well in the audio only. There are still some fun lines still to be had though, particularly in the interactions between the sergeant and the cook. This is even more of an issue when we reach the Dancing Floor of the episode title. It’s easy enough to follow what is going on in the sequence, but there are several times when all we hear is dancing music and watch pictures.

Oh, here’s Cyril. Things are going to get serious now.

Episode 4 – The Final Test

The last game is TARDIS hopscotch. This will be more fun since we are back into moving pictures.

Cyril is a very disturbing character. Peter Stephens does a great job portraying this schoolboy, who pretends butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth, but seems certain to have several tricks up his sleeve and a very nasty streak to go with them. It’s a very creepy performance.

It seems most appropriate that Cyril is hoist by his own petard. He tried to play just one trick too many, and that allows Steven and Dodo to win through. Unlike the rest of the Toymakers playthings he is the one we feel least sorry for as he loses. He revels in his role almost as much as his master, and was a most unsympathetic character.

I like the confidence that the Doctor becomes full of as he gets ready to leave. He seems to have a plan. But is he or the Toymaker the more overconfident one. They are so well matched. Now that Hartnell and Gough finally get to work together they really spark. It’s a very clever trap that the Doctor almost falls into; a real catch-22, but the Doctor’s solution is ingenious. I especially like how he tricks the Toymaker into thinking the idea is a failure, before his perfect mimicry act sets them free and defeats his enemy!