Story #73 - The Monster of Peladon (1974)

Sarah -
Here’s a change of pace – the Doctor MEANT to land on Peladon. Unfortunately, he didn’t quite manage to land in the Citadel as he planned. To quote Sarah, “It’s not your precious citadel at all. It’s another rotten gloomy old tunnel.”

A tunnel that happens to be the center of political intrigue!


Harry -
Metebelis III... Peladon... at least the Doctor has figured out how to land on the right planet. Baby steps.


Sarah -
You can't rush these things.

As you’ll recall from our last visit to Peladon, the planet had joined the Galactic Federation. It’s now 50 years on and things are heating up on Peladon once again. Queen Thalira, the young daughter of King Peladon, of blessed memory, now sits on the throne. Meanwhile, the Federation is at war with Galaxy Five and needs Peladon’s trisilicate to end the war.


Harry -
In many ways it's as if the Doctor never left. We have a tentative monarch being bullied by their chancellor, we have the local populace being menaced by the curse of Aggedor, and we have a colourful cast of aliens getting caught up in the affairs of the planet.

Sabotage? Paranoia? Just in time for the Doctor and Sarah Jane to step right into it.


Sarah -
Timing really is everything -- especially in television.


Harry -
I kind of wish this one had been written by Malcolm Hulke. Imagine how much fun he'd have had with the anxiety of Peladon joining the Federation (European Union?) and a bona fide miners' strike. This story is almost telegraphing real events that would unfold in England in the next decade.

Instead of searing political commentary, we instead get a bit of a goodies vs baddies runaround that feels very similar to "The Curse of Peladon."


Sarah -
Mac would have certainly kicked up the political allegory of the story. Still, the miner's situation certainly has a ripped-from-the-headlines feeling.


Harry -
There are some visual differences that make this story stand out from its predecessor. Not the least of which are the badger headed miners. That's an unforgettable look to be sure.


Sarah -
I think I'm going to use that as an insult: "You badger head!" has a certain ring to it.


Harry -
Did you spot Roy Evans among the badger heads?


Sarah -
Of course! I nearly shouted, “It’s Bert!” I love our regular guest actors.


Harry -
If there is a subtext to the story, it's certainly sexism. Every female character gets tutted at, or spoken down to, or rudely dismissed. At times, the Doctor is guilty of it too. Sarah will have none of it - she stands up for herself and encourages Queen Thalira to be a more assertive monarch. It was nice to see Alpha Centuri come around to the concept of equality, even if the men of Peladon had a harder time with it.


Sarah -
The Doctor leaves Sarah with Queen Thalira specifically so she can have a word with the Queen about how “There’s nothing ‘only’ about being a girl.” It’s a great scene as the Queen considers for the first time that she can actually assert her authority.

I had the realization in this story that one of the things that makes Sarah Jane one of the strongest companions of the entire series is that she’s not overly impressed by the Doctor. They’ve only been together a while, but she’s not afraid to tease, question, or even criticize him. He’s not a fatherly or grandfatherly figure for her. He’s a colleague more than anything. A senior colleague, perhaps, but still a colleague. When the Doctor is captured, she doesn’t panic, she simply completes his mission for him. Sarah Jane Smith knows how to get things done!


Harry -
Liz Shaw may have been too unimpressed, and Jo Grant might have been too much in awe. Barry and Terry got it just right with Sarah Jane.

At the end of part three, the Ice Warriors storm onto the scene and promptly declare martial law. Azaxyr is perfectly lizard-like in the role of dictator. It was nice to see the Ice Warriors turn heel again - their sort-of-friendly appearance in "The Curse of Peladon" didn't feel true to the Ice Warrior character.


Sarah -
I love that they’re back and badder than ever!


Harry -
Perhaps an unintended consequence of martial law was to unite the squabbling Peladonians against a common menace. Threats of summary executions always have that effect.


Sarah -
The Peladonians putting aside the differences to unite against the Ice Warriors is one of my favorite things in this story. It finally gives Thalira the chance to lead her people.


Harry -
Sure enough, we discover that the Ice Warriors are in cahoots with mild-mannered, keep-to-the-background Eckersley. They are all traitors in league with Galaxy 5.


Sarah -
Donald Gee’s performance as Eckersley was perfect. He underplayed every scene until his inevitable exposure.


Harry -
Unfortunately, there were still two more episodes to slog through and I must confess Sarah, my attention waned. If "Invasion of the Dinosaurs" is one of the best Pertwee six-parters, "The Monster of Peladon" might be one of the worst. It's overlong and it felt like they ran out of story after four parts.


Sarah -
While it was over-long and would have been stronger as a four-parter, I really enjoyed “The Monster of Peladon.” Also, we get to see the sonic screwdriver used as, well, a screwdriver. That’s always a highlight.

And, in another first, the Doctor is actually bested in a fight by Ettis. That certainly turned the tables – even if things didn’t work out for Ettis in the long run.


Harry -
One thing I did like about "The Monster of Peladon" was some of the cliffhangers. Part one actually ended with a double cliffhanger: first, the miners blew up a cave opening after the Doctor and the Queen's Champion had entered. It turned out they both survived, only for Aggedor to appear. Nice double whammy. I also liked the end of part four, in which the sonic lance blew up in very close proximity to the Doctor. Terrific puff of smoke and bang by the props department.


Sarah -
It may not be the strongest story of the season, but I still quite like “The Monster of Peladon.” Sadly, it’s the penultimate story of the Pertwee era. Are we ready for our next regeneration, Old Boy?


Harry -
Right before the end, this one almost felt like a regeneration story. The Doctor appeared to be killed by the refinery's psychedelic defence system. Turned out he'd only shut himself off for a time. It worked, but it's not a trick he can pull too often, as he will soon find out...


Sarah -
Best Line: “My Dear Sarah, there’s nothing I’d like more than a quiet life.”

Favorite Moment: Gebek being appointed the new Chancellor at the end of the story. “There’s nothing ‘only’ about being a miner.”

Lasting Image: The Ice Warriors entrance. We won’t see them again for 39 years!

7/10


Harry -
Best Line: "Don't sound so aggrieved. Anybody'd think you preferred me dead."

Favourite Moment: Alpha Centauri regrets that its appearance disturbs Sarah, but she gently reassures it that she's okay.

Lasting Image: the badger heads.

5/10

 


Our marathon continues with Story #74 - Planet of the Spiders...

Story #61 - The Curse of Peladon (1972)

Harry -
It's a funny thing, "The Curse of Peladon." When I'm in the mood to watch some Pertwee, this is never a story that I reach for, even though having just watched it again I enjoyed it so much.

Maybe the gloomy sets leave a dim memory of the proceedings at the galactic conference. Yes, another conference. However, the Doctor seems to have got the TARDIS working again and we find ourselves on the planet Peladon. It is, conveniently, ruled by the Peladons, but also by customs and beliefs that harken back to medieval times. And the locals do love their customs.


Sarah -
Doctor Who returns to one of its recurring themes of superstition versus reason. The planet Peladon is being considered for admission to the Galactic Federation and is being assessed by a committee of dignitaries from member planets. Not everyone on Peladon is eager to join the Federation. The two advisors of the soon-to-be-crowned King Peladon disagree on the application – Chancellor Torbis is an advocate of joining the Federation, while High Priest Hepesh opposes the move, citing the disapproval of their god Aggedor.

As luck (or, perhaps the Time Lords) would have it, the Doctor and Jo find themselves diverted to Peladon while out for a spin in the TARDIS. Jo’s anxious to get back to UNIT headquarters for her night on the town with Mike Yates, and most definitely has not dressed for the mountain climbing they find themselves doing.


Harry -
One moment, Yates is taking Benton's food, now he's taking Jo on a date. Rank continues to have its privileges.


Sarah -
As a military organization, One would think UNIT had policies against this sort of fraternizing.


Harry -
It was a more innocent time, perhaps.

Jo mountaineering in heels was commendable, and it was she who found the entrance to the tunnels beneath the city (is the city called Peladon too?).


Sarah -
I’m pretty sure everyone and everything on the planet is called Peladon.


Harry -
Keeps things simple.  I liked how the Doctor and Jo immediately insinuated themselves into the conference proceedings, the Doctor claiming to be the Earth delegate, accompanied by Princess Josephine of TARDIS. The kid in me loved the wild assemblage of alien delegates too. Best assortment of characters since "The Daleks Master Plan."

But could the locals not have sprung for some more overhead lighting? It was terribly dim everywhere.


Sarah -
It did enhance the mood, giving everything a creepy, almost gothic look.

The Doctor didn’t miss a beat, did he? Good thing the Earth delegate was running late.

I loved the aliens! The moment when the Doctor and Jo make there way out of the tunnels and into the citadel, only to happen upon two Ice Warriors is wonderful.


Harry -
That was a wicked shock!


Sarah -
It’s been a long time since I last watched this story, which was likely the first time I ever saw the Ice Warriors. Having met then from the beginning, I forgot that they were allies in this story and shared the Doctor’s sense of concern upon seeing them. I loved the twist of finding out they were federation delegates.

And then we have the delegates from Alpha Centauri and Arcturus. Alpha Centauri, we soon learn, is a hermaphrodite hexapod – and a big scaredy pants. Arcturus is a head encased in a mobile life-support unit, and definitely wins the award for most tripped-out alien of the season.


Harry -
Against some fierce competition still to come.


Sarah -
One of my favorite things about this story is that the participants never know who is trustworthy and who is not. Everyone is under suspicion – especially the Doctor and Jo.


Harry -
It's great. Every episode bounds along from one scene to the next, and the delegates - being of the highest bureaucratic rank among their people, one assumes - love to do nothing more than spend the the whole time chatting away, keeping all of us apace as the story develops.


Sarah -
In the middle of this all is King Peladon, about to ascend to the throne and unsure of how to be a good ruler and decide what is best for his people. He trusts in High Priest Hepesh, who is completely playing him.


Harry -
Oh gosh, King Peladon was such a delicate thing, I wanted to bring him home and put him under glass.


Sarah -
I have to pause here a moment to say that David Troughton is perfect as Peladon. Last seen by us in an American Civil War era barn in "The War Games", it’s nice to have him back. (As we know, he won’t return to the series again until 2008.) He makes Peladon a sympathetic but naïve ruler, who finds himself falling for the lovely Princess Josephine of TARDIS.


Harry -
Their scenes alone together were very sweet, something we don't often see in Doctor Who.

Meanwhile, check out the Doctor: he's conning the delegates, battling the king's champion, and singing the mighty Aggedor to sleep with a Venusian lullaby. Another fantastic performance by Jon Pertwee. We really haven't given him enough credit for making his Doctor a great man of action. I think the fact that he's slipping the shackles of Earth has vastly improved his mood.


Sarah -
That it has. Pertwee is wonderful in this story – all charm and action. I’m happy to be off Earth again.


Harry -
I don't know if this story was meant to be a shorter three-parter, but it's as if the whole thing gets wrapped up right at the start of episode four. The nefarious Arcturus gets blown away by one of the Ice Warriors, and his plot with Hepesh is revealed to all. But there's still enough time for Hepesh to go old school, and lead a coup attempt with swords and shields.


Sarah -
Arcturus seemed shady from a beginning, but maybe I just can’t trust a being who needs green gel squeezed over his head all day long.


Harry -
By the time Hepesh launches his coup attempt, the Doctor is completely in control of the situation. He turns Aggedor against the man who abused him for so long, and Hepesh meets his demise. Hooray, I guess? It's hard to feel celebratory at the end of this story, because King Peladon has lost so much over the course of four episodes. His two trusted advisors are both dead, his planet's attempt to gain entry to the Galactic Federation is almost a shambles, and Princess Josephine shoots down his marriage proposal. Oh Peladon!


Sarah -
Poor Peladon – the king, the planet, the city … the guy who carts away the rubbish. If only we could go back again to see what happens to the planet a couple seasons down the road. Oh, well.


Harry -
Very subtle, there.


Sarah -
Thanks. I thought a bit of foreshadowing would be a nice touch.

The story ends on something of a high note with the coronation of King Peladon about to begin. The Doctor and Jo plan to stay, until the untimely arrival of the actual Earth Delegate to the conference. Time for another quick escape in the TARDIS!

Time to get back to Earth for some watery hijinks!

Best Line: Jo: "I don't understand you! One minute you're condemning the Doctor to death and the next you're proposing to me!" Ah, young love!

Favorite Moment: When the Doctor spots the Ice Warriors for the first time.

Lasting Image: Peladon’s royal ensemble. That’s quite a look!

7/10


Harry -
I would have called this one "The Thighs of Peladon."  Yes!

Best Line: an exchange between Arcturus and Ice Warrior Izlyr:

"The facts point to one thing: a unilateral blood alliance between Peladon and Earth."

"It is unusual to celebrate such an event with an execution."

Favourite Moment: I liked the sequence of moments at the end: Aggedor getting attached to the Doctor, Jo and Peladon's final moments together, the surprise arrival of the Earth delegate Amazonia, and everyone's shock when the TARDIS dematerializes.  Fantastic sequence!

Lasting image: Alpha Centauri and the other alien delegates.

7/10

 




Our marathon continues with Story #62 - The Sea Devils...

Story #48 - The Seeds of Death (1969)

Sarah -
I don’t want to be overly critical here, Dear Harry, but I’m a bit confused about the whole T-Mat system. Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand the appeal of instant travel and, having been fed a steady diet of Star Trek from an early age, I’ve been waiting for a transporter my entire life. That said, what is the point of a transportation system that seems to be responsible for all commerce on the plant? Indians will starve because the shipment from Moscow doesn’t arrive? The social order breaks down after a day without T-Mat? Has over reliance on the T-Mat extinguished local agriculture to the point that nations have to receive their shipments to prevent mass starvation? I don’t much like this version of the 21st Century.


Harry -
The T-Mat concept would have been more believeable if this story was set inside a futuristic shipping company - even a global enterprise would have been okay - but without the crazy dangerous consequences that arise from short-term blips in the system. Social breakdown and unrest within hours? Sorry, I don't buy it.


Sarah -
If things weren’t bad enough in the 21st Century, the jumpsuits add insult to injury. Absolutely no one looks good in those uniforms. Yes, T-Mat Staff, that jumpsuit does make your butt look big.


Harry -
Those "jock strap" patterns on the crew's uniforms were distracting, in a bad way.


Sarah -
Having gotten those minor issues out of my system, I have to tell you that I loved this story! This is the last complete story that I’ll watch for the first time on this marathon, and I’m happy as can be that it was such a cracker!


Harry -
I like this story too. It's base-under-siege again, but this one gallops along at a steady pace, and is packed with cinematic eye candy right from the start. The production crew are comfortable with the template here, and make it look great. I liked the opening camera shots from the moonbase invaders' point of view. We are treated to a wide array of interesting angles and blockings throughout the story.


Sarah -
There is some excellent camera work in this story. The initial shot of the seeds in close up is so effective, but there are many other great moments. The most famous, of course, is Troughton’s romp through the corridors in episode 3. It may be filler to pad out a six-part story, but it’s so much fun and provides a wonderful opportunity for director Michael Ferguson to work all the artsy camera angles.


Harry -
Oh gosh, the angles. And the moonbase set! Part expressionist, part surrealist. A hall of mirrors on a moonbase? That had to be the most crazily-designed space base we've seen so far.

It was disappointing, however, to see Zoe still dressed in that "Cowgirl Cutie" getup. However, as we saw in "The Invasion," she pulls off another sudden wardrobe change as the TARDIS crew prepares for the rocket launch. Would the ability to change clothes at unexpected moments be considered a notable skill? If she does it one more time, we'll have to acknowledge it as a Zoe Thing.


Sarah -
I listened to a bit of the commentary track with Frazer Hines, Wendy Padbury and Michael Ferguson. It was amusing to hear Hines immediately give Padbury grief for her outfit. Apparently, it was made of PVC paper and kept ripping. (I believe we saw a bit of that in the last story.)


Harry -
Yeesh!


Sarah -
My favorite part of the story is that she loved the yellow leather ensemble, which Zoe magically changes into, so much that she asked to keep it – and the BBC made her pay for the material! Sheesh.

Meanwhile, Frazer hung onto the black shirt he wore in the story, only to rediscover it years later when he was moving house. Do you remember the white shirt he was wearing at Chicago TARDIS a couple years back? He told me that he had worn it in a particular story, but, honestly, I was so overcome by finding myself talking to him and trying not to faint that I was unable to retain the story title!


Harry -
It was the frilly shirt he wore in "The Two Doctors" and he still looked very fetching wearing it in 2010, if I may say.


Sarah -
Oh yes, that was it! He looked positively smashing!

We also learn in the commentary that Frazer calls Wendy “Padders,” which I’m pretty sure is just about the cutest thing I’ve ever heard.


Harry -
The English love a good nickname. I love the collegial back and forth that we often see among Doctor Who actors, years after they worked on the show - even if they were there for just one season or less. If there is any lingering resentment, they keep it well hidden.


Sarah -
One gets the feeling that having been on Doctor Who puts you in a special club where everyone is best chums. Even at conventions, it feels like they’re having a class reunion.


Harry -
Oh dear, we've veered far off course. Let's pull it back to "The Seeds of Death" shall we? I think the best Doctor Who stories all feature some variation of the title: "____ of Death" and this one is a favourite.

As mentioned above, the production crew really nailed the base-under-siege template this time. The steady stream of creative camera angles kept things fresh. Since we had already met the Ice Warriors before, we were spared from any long, explanatory scenes and got right into the action. The death count was high without being overly gruesome, thanks to the Ice Warriors' death rays and their freaky camera effects.

There is so much that I like here, even though the story itself is full of holes. Would you consider this story a victory of style over substance, Sarah?


Sarah -
I suspect you’re on to something there, Harry! The premise is a bit silly, but the production is top-notch and the actors are all on their games. It’s amazing how, week after week, excellent actors keep turning up in Doctor Who and we meet so many in this story.

Commander Radnor (Ronald Leigh-Hunt) is the perfect firm, yet efficient chief, who carries his briefcase on the T-Mat. Haven’t tablet been invented yet?

Professor Eldred (Philip Ray) is the perfect foil for the Doctor. They get to be cranky old men of science together. I love that the put-out-to-pasture Eldred is the only one who can save the day.

I wasn’t sure I was going to like Gia Kelly (Louise Pajo). She’s all-business when we first meet her, which is probably appropriate as we learn she’s apparently the only person capable of repairing the system. There’s another hole in the T-Mat business plan. In the end, Kelly shows more than enough pluck to help save the day.

Poor Osgood (Harry Towb) should have been the hero of the piece. Instead, he’s dispatched by the Ice Warriors when they realize he’s sabotaged the system. Apparently, Harry Towb was quite the respected actor at the time. I guess when you’ve got so many fabulous actors at one time, you can feel free to toss some of them overboard.

Resourceful Phipps (Christopher Coll), who survives the initial encounter with the Ice Warriors and manages to set up communication with the incoming rocket. It was sad when he died helping Zoe, only to be completely forgotten for the rest of the story. Let’s raise a glass to Phipps tonight – it’s the least he deserves after saving Zoe!

And, of course, Sad Sack Fewsham (Terry Scully), who ends up being one of the most interesting and most important characters in the story. He will do anything to preserve his hide, but manages to redeem himself in the end.

OK, I take it back. It’s not just style. The story may have some holes, but there are some very well-written characters, providing the substance the story needs. (Did I just completely back-track there?)


Harry -
Not back-tracking at all.


Sarah -
In that case, I shall sally forth!


Harry -
The guest cast put in some great performances here. I'd like to throw in Hugh Morton as Sir James Gregson, a classic high ranking civil servant who is so full of himself he doesn't realize how small a role he is playing in the story. Hah!


Sarah -
What a pratt. Sir James was a real piece of work – and very accurate!


Harry -
I really liked sad-sack Fewsham too, especially the miserable faces he made while being ordered around by the lead Ice Warrior, Slaar.

Slaar is quite the vile little creep, stomping around in his (ahem) form-fitting body suit, striking poses, making relentless demands and ordering people to be killed. Stupid sexy Slaar!


Sarah -
He was working that look, wasn’t he?


Harry -
My notes are filled with so many notations about the visuals that I want to give a few more shout outs:

- the bizarre images of an Ice Warrior strolling around a park
- Zoe sneaking around to get to the thermostat control on what looks like a disco dance platform
- the Doctor's mysterious sideburns that change length throughout the story
- and of course, the foam party!


Sarah -
Foam Party! Everybody dance now!

I loved that after making her way across the disco platform, Zoe was helped along by the Heating Control “Full ON” sign with the handy directional arrow. How handy!

You know what I’m a sucker for, Harry? I’m a sucker for crawling through maintenance tunnels and heating ducts. Crawling Through Ducts! Now there’s a catchy title!


Harry -
"The Ducts of Death." Get Mark Gatiss on the phone!

All kidding aside, the thing I loved most about this story was that unlike "The Invasion," where the Doctor and Jamie spent the final episode as quiet observers, they are front and centre at the conclusion here. The final battle on the moonbase was thrilling stuff. The Doctor face to face with Slaar, Jamie leaping to his aid, and Slaar getting blasted. Kolossal!


Sarah -
I was nice that they got to be in on the action. I love that Jamie ran to the rescue when the Doctor needed him. Sweet, loyal Jamie!


Harry -
The reason I like this ending so much is that it dispells some of the notion that Patrick Troughton's Doctor always hid behind a clownish façade, content to pull strings in the background. Here, he drops the clown mask and takes on the enemy directly. It reminds us that the Doctor can be an action hero too. That is, after Jamie helped him wipe off all that foam...


Sarah -
I can’t believe that we haven’t discussed the rocket ride yet. That was utterly brilliant! The actors having to feign weightlessness and pulling their faces back to simulate g-force may just be the best acting of the series ever. Or at least the most amusing.


Harry -
It was another arresting image in a story chock-a-block with them. The base-under-siege template may have been overused in the Troughton era, but here it is done to perfection. It may be a six-parter, but it never drags and the visuals alone make for a great watch. Bravo to the production team.


Sarah -
They’ve outdone themselves!


Harry -
Season 6 is a real wibbly-wobbly thing. For every clunker like "The Dominators" or "The Krotons", we have fantastic stories like "The Invasion" and "The Seeds of Death."

Sadly, we have only two left in the Troughton era, and the next one is... a recon! But thankfully, it is the final recon! Shall we start planning the "Hooray For No More Bloody Recons Party", Sarah?


Sarah -
Oh, I’m ready! I’ve been preparing for this for the past year. Bring on “The Space Pirates” – I’m ready!


Harry -
Best line: "Your leader will be angry if you kill me - I'm a genius!"

Favourite moment: the climactic battle on the moonbase.

Lasting image: stupid sexy Slaar.

8/10


Sarah -
Best line: You’ve got the best one there, Old Boy!

Favourite moment: Foam Party! Wendy Padbury was having so much fun, she clearly couldn’t resist laughing when she was saving Troughton from the foam.

Lasting image: The weightless TARDIS crew in the rocket.

8/10

Our marathon continues with Story #49 - The Space Pirates...

Story #39 - The Ice Warriors (1967)

Sarah -
I’d just like to begin by saying that when I launch my own international agency to combat glaciers, I know exactly how I want the uniforms to look. Martin Baugh may have just created my favorite uniforms ever in the history of Doctor Who. I’m sure it’s the black and white that makes me love them so – can you imagine how dreadful they would look in color?


Harry -
They look like a futuristic British Winter Olympics team! I remember seeing a colour photo of those uniforms, and each one was a splash of rainbow hues. Very creative and memorable.


Sarah -
I take it all back! I just tracked the color images down and they’re smashing!

http://www.kittensdirect.com/colourise/season5.html

My international agency will definitely have those unis!


Harry -
There's definitely a "Yellow Submarine" feel to that look.


Sarah -
In any case, the team at Brittanicus Base, in all their sartorial splendor, is struggling to hold back the glaciers that are slowly taking over the planet as a result of global cooling. (Global cooling? This really is science fiction!)


Harry -
A wacky premise but let's go along with it.


Sarah -
While the techs battle the icebergs with their computer system, Arden, a scientist with an archeological bent, is on the glacier with his team, where they find what they think is an ancient human. While the scientists’ excitement at finding the body is a reasonable human reaction, their cavalier attitude when one of their party, Davis, is killed in an avalanche is almost chilling (no pun intended). They tote the iceman’s body back to base, with hardly a look back or mention of poor Davis, who stays on the glacier.


Harry -
My favourite thing in this story might be how everyone pronounces glacier as "GLASS-ear."


Sarah -
They need someone to show up with an overdone American accent to pronounce it “GLAY-shur.”


Harry -
The avalanche was well done, but I agree with the strangely cavalier attitudes towards Davis' death. I still have Toberman in mind!


Sarah -
Poor Toberman.

Meanwhile, the TARDIS materializes on its side and Jamie suspects they’re just a bit farther up the mountain in Tibet.


Harry -
The Doctor really botched that landing.  Yet another story begins with madcap comedy.


Sarah -
I love this scene, when everyone is all happy and jokey coming off their Tibetan adventure. Even when they enter the Brittanicus Base, it’s still all fun and good times.


Harry -
Brittanicus Base threw me for a loop. As with "The Abominable Snowmen", we aren't really given a definitive date for when the story takes place. We opened with the futuristic control centre, which it turns out is just a room inside a Victorian manor, which on the outside looks like some sort of science building whose doors slide up and down with the wave of a hand. Bizarre!


Sarah -
Victoria suggests they leave when danger seems imminent, but the Doctor responds with his usual “No, let’s go in!” attitude. Jamie’s a bit miffed to be labeled a scavenger, but not enough to dampen the mood.


Harry -
Our heroes enter the base and meet the crew. The Doctor almost immediately leaps into action to prevent a disaster. This was another charming Troughton moment, watching him bounce from console to console, issuing orders.

Leader Clent is not amused. I wasn't too wild about him, to be honest. Pompous, arrogant, a slave to protocols and computers and the exact opposite of the Doctor as is pointed out repeatedly. The Doctor is very anti-technology here, which was odd.


Sarah -
It was, wasn’t it? Even after preventing a reactor explosion, the Doctor spent much of his time breaking protocol and trying to show up the technicians and scientists. It was amusing when Clent gave the Doctor a challenge to see if he was really the scientist he claimed to be. Troughton’s performance as he drags the answer, which he knew all along, out to the last second was delightful.


Harry -
I liked the Doctor's line: "I think you might try trusting human beings instead of computers."


Sarah -
There are so many great lines in this story:

“We’ve been on retreat in Tibet. We are sanctifiers.” The Doctor, explaining why they don’t know about the glacier crisis.


Harry -
"He's got a printed circuit where his heart should be." Penley disparages Clent's obsession with computers.


Sarah -
“Well, looks aren’t everything you know.” The Doctor’s response when Varga says he looks like a scavenger.

Going back to the uniforms, I’m not their only fan, it seems. I loved the scene when Jamie asks Victoria if she would consider wearing one, much to her embarrassment. The chaste flirting between the two of them is so sweet.

Unfortunately, this sweet moment won’t last long.


Harry -
To this point I like Victoria's character. She's shown endearing flashes of personality and isn't there just to scream at things. Well, in this case she's there to be kidnapped!


Sarah -
I quite like her, too. I think she’s gotten the shaft in fandom. Deborah Watling does a great job with the character and deserves more respect than she gets!


Harry -
Agreed.


Sarah -
Poor Victoria. Varga, the Ice Warrior, newly thawed, knocks out Jamie and takes her hostage!

What did you think of Penley, the rogue scientist, and Storr, the scavenger? They’re a bit of an odd couple, but seem to share a sense of purpose and hatred of the base scientists.


Harry -
They were a strange pair. A couple of shaggy wildmen at first, creeping around the base and adding to the incongruity of things. As we learn more about Penley and his falling out with Clent, he gains depth as a character. Storr just whinges about everything. Although he met an undeserved end at the hands (gloves? pincers?) of the Ice Warriors.


Sarah -
I appreciated Rob’s point that Penley’s and Clent’s rich character development is the sort of thing that you can do in six episodes, but would never make it into the current series. Brittanicus Base certainly feels lived-in.

Penley also gets in one of my favorite lines of the story. When Clent says there is no hope, he responds with, “You mean hope happens to be inconvenient.”

So good, the Doctor could have said it himself!


Harry -
The whole story seems to be built on contrasts. At one point, the story has broken out into a bunch of character pairings: the Doctor and Clent, Penley and Storr, Victoria and Varga, and Jamie and Arden. The biggest contrast is obviously the pro and con sides of the computer debate.

Maybe there were too many pairings, but something in this story just didn't click for me. It started to drag in the second half, when everything revolved around finding out what kind of engines powered the Ice Warriors ship. Not exactly high adventure.


Sarah -
Some of it was a bit pat, but the performances made up for a lot of the problems I had with the script. Everyone is in top form and doing all they can with the material.


Harry -
The Warriors were interesting to look at and I loved the makeup - especially those weird pouting mouths - but they got a bit dull too. Maybe it was their slow movements or the whispering voices, probably both, but I'm left wondering why the producers would have wanted to bring them back again.


Sarah -
Definitely not the most compelling baddies. One wants a little zing in one’s monsters, no?


Harry -
I would have liked a little more zing in this story too, but they can't all be gems.

Best Line: Whenever someone said "glacier."

Favourite Moment: The Doctor enters the ship and sees the Ice Warriors, says "Oh my word!" and does an about face before they surround him. Classic Troughton moment!

Lasting Image: The Ice Warriors' mouths.

6/10


Sarah -
I liked it a bit more than you, but I think that’s a tribute to the actors.

Best Line: The Doctor, reacting to the thought that he should take a weapon as he goes to treat with the Ice Warriors, “Well, I’m not going to fight a duel!”

Favorite Moment: Jamie suggesting Victoria put some oomph into her wardrobe.

Lasting Image: Those groovy unis, of course!

7/10

 


Our marathon continues with Story #40 - The Enemy of the World...