Story #25 - The Gunfighters (1966)

Sarah -
It’s the Wild West, and – hooray! – Steven always wanted to be a cowboy. A quick costume change and Dead Eye Steve and Dizzy Dodo get to "dress up like Tom Mix."


Harry -
Oh dear, that shirt... What was Steven thinking? He looks like a fugitive from a Wild West Revue. He and Dodo are ready for a real Western romp, I guess.


Sarah -
It would be a Western romp … if only the Doctor didn’t have a toothache, and Doc Holliday weren’t coming to town – and if that bloody woman would just stop singing!

But wait, Doc Holliday is coming to town to set up a dentist shop. What luck for the Doctor! But wait, four blokes are lying in wait for Holliday at the Last Chance Saloon. Bad luck for Holliday!

The plot of this romp is thickening – and still that woman sings.


Harry -
Ah, the never-ending "Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon". I have read many fan criticisms ripping on the singing in this story and was expecting the worst. Actually, I didn't mind it. Mercifully, they made a kind of Greek Chorus of the singer. A blindingly obvious Greek Chorus, mind, but in a weird way it worked. And it only could have worked in a comedy story like this.


Sarah -
I imagine they were trying to go for the “High Noon” effect, but it ended up feeling a little more “Cat Ballou” to me. Honestly, I didn’t mind it all that much. Plus, she filled in all the plot details in case the viewer happened to be a complete blooming idiot.

I'm going to dash ahead to discuss my favorite part of the entire story. Just before departing, Dodo stops everyone to ask if they can hear the singing. The Doctor admonishes her for falling for every Western cliche and they head back to the TARDIS. I nearly fell off my sofa laughing -- THE SINGING WAS ALL IN DODO'S HEAD AFTER ALL! SHE REALLY IS INSANE!


Harry -
Mad as a bag of frogs. La la la, can you hear the voices??


Sarah -
Meanwhile, things get even thicker, as they are want to do when a character named Doc and a character named Doctor find themselves in the same town.


Harry -
Didn't we just have a mistaken identity caper the last time the TARDIS landed on Earth? Here we go again.


Sarah -
Who doesn’t love a good mistaken identity caper? What a mess the TARDIS crew has gotten themselves into!


Harry -
You gawt that right, pardner. The Clanton Gang present a very real danger to Steven and Dodo while they lie in wait for the Doctor at the saloon. It made for a good first cliffhanger. However Wyatt Earp is soon on the scene to rescue the Doctor by arresting him and hauling him off. Tell me that didn't have "Hartnell Holiday" all over it!

The vacation plans must have fallen through, because the Doctor and friends are present throughout the story. I say "present" because Steven and Dodo seem to be complete bystanders for much of the story. The real drama is played out by all of the historical characters, as these four episodes slowly build up to the big finish at the O.K. Corral.


Sarah -
Poor Steven and Dodo just got shifted around from scene to scene, didn’t they? I had high hopes for them in the beginning. It even looked like Steven was going to get to do something heroic. You know, something Ian might do. Instead, he nearly gets himself lynched.


Harry -
Yes, the groundwork was set for Steven and Dodo to really get involved here, they donned their period dress with great enthusiasm. Maybe they were too naive? You could look at their subsequent rough ride as evidence that travelling with the Doctor and his magical box will always be harsher than what you fancy it might be like.


Sarah -
I do want to put in a kind word for Peter Purves. Whatever you may say about the inconsistencies in the writing of Steven’s character, Purves is always game. Need him to be angry? He’s on it. Some broad comedy? He’s your man!


Harry -
He can even carry a tune!


Sarah -
Also, he’s kind of cute in this story. If only the writers had given him more.

I’ll even admit that Jackie Lane gets off one good scene when she turns the gun on Doc Holliday, demanding he take her back to the Doctor. The moment when she hands him the gun and asks for a glass of water is brilliant – and clearly the actions of a mad woman!


Harry -
Yes, that was a bit of fun.

But the historicals used to not be this way, all lurching along in the other characters' wake. Think back to "Marco Polo" or "The Aztecs." Barbara, Ian and Susan were so much more involved in the plot, sometimes even driving it. And the historical characters were much more than just "characters" as they are here. I'm thinking of Marco Polo's journal entries, or Tlotoxl's into-the-camera asides -- moments that gave us entry into their personal thoughts. Here, unfortunately, we just have a bunch of Wild West figures playing out Wild West stereotypes, dragging our time travellers along with them. Alas.


Sarah -
Still, there is a sense of fun, at least at the beginning, which has been missing for a while. Hartnell gets to show his comedic chops and his timing is perfect. Actually, the more I think about Hartnell’s performance, the more I like this story. It’s refreshing to see him being the Doctor we love, after being sidelined in so many stories. We get to see what he can do when he’s actually given something to DO. His complaint about people giving him guns is priceless!


Harry -
Hartnell did shine when the story drifted into high comedy.


Sarah -
I also really enjoyed the supporting characters, even if most of the accents were more than a little inconsistent. It’s a short hop from the Arizona Territory to the Perpugilliam Brown School of American Accents, it seems. Still, it’s easy to pick on accents, so I’ll move along and focus on what did work.

John Alderson and Anthony Jacobs were perfect as Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. Sheena Marshe does a good turn on the saloon-girl-with-a-heart-of gold trope. Laurence Payne was wonderfully menacing as Johnny Ringo – his appearance changed the tone of the entire story. They all carry the roles off so well; it’s been a while since we’ve seen such strong character performances. The Clantons…well, they’re just hideous – but let us move along from them.


Harry -
If only they had done some more with these characters, rather than just have them go through the motions of history, if that makes any sense. What with all that singing, I guess there wasn't much time for character development.

Felt bad for Charlie the bartender, though.


Sarah -
Poor Charlie. That scene was harsh.

After the relative romp of the beginning of the story, things turn dark when the infamous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral finally takes place. It’s all rather gruesome, and our heroes don’t really have much to do – other than batty Dodo running into the middle of things.


Harry -
Longest gunfight ever? I'm tempted to go back and count how many rounds were fired; it sounded like there were a couple dozen extra shooters blasting away during the whole thing. Well, we did get a big shoot-em-up at the end, can't complain about that. I'm not a big fan of Westerns, so for me that's usually the big attraction.


Sarah -
I enjoyed this story much more than I expected. I don’t share your Western aversion, but The Gunfighters had never had the best reputation in fandom, so my expectations were low. It’s a solid story, with strong performances all around.


Harry -
I too kept expectations low, was expecting the worst, and was pleasantly surprised. The story never seemed to drag, had plenty of colourful moments, and finished with a bang.


Sarah -
Stories like this are what make me appreciate this little project of ours. Having seen so few of the first two Doctors’ stories, it’s wonderful to have the opportunity to watch them for the first time.


Harry -
Same here! The fact that we can now compare different eras within the First Doctor's era is wonderful. Let's wrap this one up and head to the next story!


Lasting image: Steven in his "buckaroo" costume.

Favourite moment: the scene in the saloon where the various members of the Clanton family are plotting to hire Johnny Ringo, while belting down shots of whiskey as fast as the frantic barkeep can pour them.

Best line: "And lastly, sir, your humble servant, Doctor, er, Caligari."
"Doctor who?"
"Yes, quite right."

It never gets old!

6/10


Sarah -
You're right -- it never gets old!

Lasting image: The Doctor entering the saloon in his cowboy hat. (Not the last time he’ll sport that look!)

Favorite moment: Dodo hearing voices.

Best line: “All these people are giving me guns, I do wish they wouldn’t”

With an honorable mention for: “Well I had to find some sort of suitable cover. After all, you can’t walk into the middle of a Western town and say you come from outer space. Gracious me, you’ll be arrested on a vagrancy charge.”

7/10

I imagine our epic re-watch will be a very different experience from the Third Doctor on, where I’ve seen every story multiple times. For now, I’m really enjoying the feeling of discovery.


Harry -
It's definitely been worth watching each episode in order. That's the perfect note to end on here, as today we celebrate our first anniversary on the sofa.

Happy Anniversary Deerie! I hope we have many more (at the pace we are moving, there promises to be many more!).


Sarah -
Happy Anniversary, Old Chum! I recently found myself calculating how long it would take us to get through the Tom Baker years and decided I'd better not plan that many years ahead!

Let's sign off with a hearty Happy New Year to our readers. We'll see you on the Sofa in 2012!


Harry -
Happy New Year!

It might be too ambitious to promise that we'll get through the Troughton era by the end of next year, so let's promise to get through the Hartnell era by the end of next year. I think that's doable!


Sarah -
I think we can manage that.

Our marathon continues with Story #26 - The Savages...

Story #24 - The Celestial Toymaker (1966)

Sarah -
Well, the writers have finally found an efficient way to deal with yet another of William Hartnell's holidays -- make him invisible and mute. Problem solved!

I know this story is a favorite of yours, Dear Harry, so I'm putting on my positive hat and looking forward to your comments.


The Celestial Toymaker -
Hello Sarah. I'm afraid Harry is indisposed at the moment. He too has been rendered mute and invisible, and I have placed him in one of my game rooms where he might while away some time playing Sudden Death Othello. I hope we can play some games together. You are ever so clever and I think you would make a worthy opponent.


Sarah -
Knock it off Harry. I know it's you. You're making an already tedious story even more tedious.

So tell me, what makes you love this story so much? Have you reassessed your feelings towards it following this viewing?


Harry -
I see my makeshift Toymaker costume did not fool you. [*throws blue housecoat aside.*]


Sarah -
Not that it wasn't a good look for you.


Harry -
Why thank you darling!

Yes, this has always been a favourite story of mine, mostly because of the Toymaker character as played my Michael Gough. I love his voice, all caramelly and resonant. He purrs his lines like a tiger toying with its prey (if tigers toy, that is).

Unfortunately, this story takes two direct hits that weaken the viewing experience. First off and most obviously, the first three episodes are missing, so we are forced to watch reconstructions that rely on very scant available images. Even then, and this is the second weakness, the Toymaker does very little else than menace the Doctor and his friends with his voice.


Sarah -
I have to agree with you on both points. Gough's performance is positively juicy and I would love to be able to see it. (Keep checking those closets and lower file drawers, Kiddos, we know it's out there somewhere!) The recons do not in any way enhance the story. This is such a visual story and it feels wrong to judge it on the recon, but that's all we've got.


Harry -
But I still love the notion of an omnipotent being, grown bored with its powers and seeking out bright minds to play games with. It's not the last time we'll see this in science fiction, or in Doctor Who for that matter.

This story is so visual that no reconstruction could do it justice. I'd love to have seen the clowns mucking around with Steven and Dodo during the game of Blind Man's Bluff. All we hear are a squeaky voice and a honking horn. But it's still enough to raise my ire at those two, er, clowns. I strongly sympathized with Steven's growing anger.


Sarah -
I started taking notes, but gave up because I had no idea what the heck was going on. I was even more irate than Steven.


Harry -
On the subject of Steven, his attitude to the goings-on in the Celestial Playroom was markedly different to that of Dodo. Steven was skeptical of everything around him, impatient to get moving and overtly hostile to the characters they played against -- wanting to win and get out of there, even if it meant a terrible end to their opponents.

Dodo meanwhile seemed caught up in the fun of it all, not seeming to grasp the menace of the Toymaker or his games. But Dodo is insane. Let her be.


Sarah -
The Steven-Dodo dynamic was my favorite part of the story. Steven's anger and impatience mirrored my own and wacky Dodo was just playing along. I was ready for him to have a dramatic breakdown -- slapping Dodo repeatedly and telling her to get a grip on herself. That would have livened up the story!


Harry -
There's a fanfic for that.


Sarah -
I'm sure there is. *shudders at the thought*

I also kind of liked the game with Cyril. Peter Stephens' performance of the snotty little pischer is so delightfully over-the-top, that it's a joy to see him lose.


Harry -
Oh he was a vile bastard, wasn't he? Leaping unwittingly to his own demise was quite fitting.

You mentioned off the top about William Hartnell's absence in this story. Hartnell wasn't there, but the Doctor was (though not in body or voice). You think the producers were giving old Billy a hint?


Sarah -
One can only think.

So, staying positive, as we are want to do, I believe I learned more about the story from reading Rob and Toby's discussion than actually watching it. I didn't actually realize that the game characters were all played by the same three actors until I read Running Through Corridors. Or maybe I'm just slow on the uptake.


Harry -
Well, even though the actors played all three sets of characters with different voices, there was not much visual evidence to go by, and who would have really guessed that they were all the same people?

(Right here is where Messr Hadoke would slap me with a large haddock and tell me to read the bleedin' credits.)


Sarah -
Lasting image: The Toymaker's fab costume

Favorite moment: Cyril losing the game.

Best line: "I'm bored. I love to play games but there's no-one to play against. The beings who call here have no minds, and so they become my toys. But you will become my perpetual opponent. We shall play endless games together, your brain against mine."

5/10 (Although I'm open to re-evaluating my rating when the original footage is discovered in someone's gran's attic.)


Harry -
Keep double-checking your root cellars, people!

Well, I see my best efforts have failed to convince you. I still like the story because it is so "out there" as a Doctor Who adventure, even though "out there" wasn't all that "there." Oh no, I've gone cross-eyed!

Lasting image: the trilogic game.

Favourite moment: Any moment when the Toymaker was oozing menace.

Best line: "Go for move 1,023!"

7/10






Our marathon continues with Story #25 - The Gunfighters...

Story #23 - The Ark (1966)

Sarah -
First off, I’m positively giddy at the prospect of actual moving images in this story after so many reconstructions!


Harry -
Yup yup, valuable as they are to preserving the legacy, these reconstructions are wearing on me too. I want moving pictures, is that so wrong?


Sarah -
It's not wrong at all. I plan to party like it's 1999 when we finally get through our last recon. It was rather heartening to hear Rob Shearman comment at Chicago TARDIS about how chuffed he and Toby were when they got through the final recon.


Harry -
Chicago TARDIS was a blast!


Sarah -
It was a great time. It’s like a revival meeting for Whovians.

Now, back to my list...second, eyes in mouths are damn creepy. I may have trouble sleeping this evening with visions of Monoids dancing in my head.


Harry -
My manager would be alarmed to know how much time I spent today wondering how the actors got their eyeball to move around.


Sarah -
I'm so glad it wasn't just me. I was all distracted by the mechanics of it all. I also spent far too much time wondering how the Monoids ate all the food the humans prepared for them.


Harry -
That too.  For the eyes -- sorry, eye -- I concluded that the actors had a painted ping-pong ball in their mouths, with an opening cut into the back so that they could use their tongues to move the "eyeball" around. Although no one seemed to do it very well and the Monoids all came off boggle-eyed.


Sarah -
Third, I’m afraid your analysis of Dodo’s mental health is coloring my world. I felt a little sympathy for her when the Doctor harshed on her way of speaking, but can’t shake the impression that the girl is wackadoodle.


Harry -
Bonkers. She's already gotten into the TARDIS wardrobe and decided that it's time for Dodo's Mad Medieval Cosplay, la la la!


Sarah -
She was even chided for it by the Doctor. Later, when the Doctor says, “Don’t worry, Child, you’re quite safe with us,” you know things are going to go very wrong. Who knew it would be the common cold? Typhoid Dodo is on the scene.


Harry -
HAH!


Sarah -
Makes me just a little paranoid about my current sniffles. Perhaps I’ll just quarantine myself to the house for the duration to avoid spreading it about.

As the plague spreads, suspicion naturally falls on the new arrivals and a trial begins. I was hoping that Steven would finally get some good scenes as he confronts the Guardians, but he just passes out. Typical.


Harry -
I've been meaning to ask you your thoughts on Steven. Doesn't he seem terribly bland from one story to the next? Since he was introduced as a mildly overexcited fighter pilot, we haven't heard a peep about his backstory, nor have whatever skills he may possess have been worked into any story. He's settled into a kind of bemused tagalong who does the occasional bit of heavy lifting for the old man.

He is handsome though, don't you think?


Sarah -
He's terribly dishy, which somehow makes the lack of character development even more frustrating. I had high hopes for "The Massacre", which should have been his moment to shine, but was so disappointing in the end. I really want Steven to be fabulous, but am starting to reconcile myself to the fact that he's never going to get there.

So, the Doctor finds a cure, vaccinates the Guardian, delivers a reassuring speech, and heads off on the complimentary shuttle back to the TARDIS.


Harry -
I love the complimentary shuttle! It's a far cry from "An Unearthly Child," where the Doctor and his friends had to scamper back to the TARDIS all bedraggled and hair wild. These humans are clearly a civilized people, despite their curious antipathy towards trousers and leggings.


Sarah -
There's definitely a trend towards either under- or over-dressing on Doctor Who, isn't there?


Harry -
Definitely. And actually, these pantless people may not be entirely civilized, as we saw them almost go to pieces during the Dodo epidemic. Maybe there was a symbolic meaning to Dodo's medieval costume, as there was a mood of "BURN THE WITCH" being whipped up by Zentos, the deputy commander.


Sarah -
And what a charming man he was. Still, they find themselves safely back in the TARDIS and all is well in the universe…or is it?


Harry -
It is for all of 10 seconds, before that quirky TARDIS lands them in the exact same spot, 700 years later. The camera pans up to reveal the now-completed human statue, and the statue is topped by a Monoid head!


Sarah -
The shot of the statue was my favorite single moment of the story.


Harry -
I liked that cliffhanger, and the ensuing two episodes were very fast moving. I also liked the repeated use of overhead shots, something that makes this story stand out from others.


Sarah -
I thought the overall design and feeling of the story was very classic Doctor Who. I could easily imagine this story being told in another Doctor’s era – perhaps the Fourth Doctor. He’d have a good time giving the Monoids what for.


Harry -
Just as I was panning Steven for never using his fighter pilot skills, he suddenly goes and analyses the spaceship's navigation charts. Well done flyboy!


Sarah -
It was a heartening moment.


Harry -
Er... that about wraps up the nice things I have to say. Even Rob and Toby broke character and started trashing this story. My favourite part of "The Ark" might actually be their review in Running Through Corridors. Hilarious stuff!


Sarah -
I just got around to reading it. I definitely laughed more than I have anywhere else in the book!


Harry -
Anyway, after starting off as benign, Ood-like servant creatures, the Monoids have been fitted with voiceboxes and armed with heat guns. Having been weakened by the Dodo epidemic, the human Guardians are now enslaved to the Monoids. But it's done so hokily. There's a short story by John Wyndham called "Dumb Martian," and it plays on this theme of servants-become-masters to chilling effect, but here it's so, so hokey.


Sarah -
It does kind of fall apart in the second half, doesn’t it, which is really too bad because the story has so much promise. I liked the fact that the Doctor had become a bit of a legend among the Guardian descendents. I also thought Venussa was a strong character with a nice performance by Eileen Helsby.


Harry -
Yes, she did a nice turn.


Sarah -
She might have made a good companion; she looked like she wouldn’t have minded traveling with Steven, if you know when I mean.


Harry -
Indeed! Now, my notes are littered with comments like "shoddy acting," "bad acting," and worst of all: "Hartnell BORED." I wonder if this story was the beginning of the end of William Hartnell's job as the Doctor. He looks terribly bored throughout the story, merely reciting his lines. Even his Hartnellian giggles seem forced.


Sarah -
The moment when the Monoid almost reveals his diabolical plan to Dodo before catching himself may be the single worst moment of acting in the entire history of the series. Not a race of super-spies, these Monoids.


Harry -
The Monoids are livelier, with all that flailing of hands, but they are so silly as monsters, and with the rest of the cast seemingly dampened by Hartnell's boredom, the story limps to the finish. There, we are made to believe that a Refusian -- an invisible creature that uses human-sized chairs to sit on -- can somehow lift a colossus statue and help pitch it out of the spaceship before the bomb contained within can explode. Yeesh.


Sarah -
But they certainly have a knack for interior design! Terribly kind of them to set up such swanky digs for their coming neighbors. I can only imagine the BBC accounting department was delighted by the notion of invisible aliens. Crap storytelling, but easy on the budget. Speaking of budget, how the heck did they afford an elephant? Did it just wander in from another set?


Harry -
Imagine the director whisper-shouting: "Keep rolling, keep rolling! Actors, go and stroke the elephant, we've not got enough time for another take!"

If you'll humour me as I go all "Toby" for a bit, it was nice to see Terence Bayler in this story. I recognized him as the actor who played MacDuff in Roman Polanski's wild and wooley 1971 film version of Macbeth. He also appeared in Jean Marsh's 1975 production of Upstairs, Downstairs.


Sarah -
Not to mention all his work with the Monty Python chaps. Alas, poor Yendom, betrayed so cruelly by the masters he trusted to save him. Doesn’t he know what happens to collaborators?


Harry -
Alas, poor Yendom.


Sarah -
Lasting image: The Monoid statue.

Favorite moment: The big reveal of the Monoid statue.

Best line: Doctor telling the monoid in the lab, “Yes, I know I’m a bit of a quack.”

6/10


Harry -
Lasting image: All those overhead shots will stick in my mind.

Favourite moment: Random elephant.

Best line: "Two, take them away to the security kitchen..." I was hoping that that sentence would end with "...and have them puréed."

5/10

 



Our marathon continues with Story #24 - The Celestial Toymaker...

Story #22 - The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve (1966)

Harry -
Well, we really burned through that one. After the previous 12-parter, this was a walk in the park.


Sarah -
It felt so quick after "The Daleks' Master Plan", didn't it?

Interesting choice to have the Doctor and Steven land in a historical situation that is less well known than those we've visited previously. We don't know where our loyalties are supposed to lie at any point in the story...and I still don't know.


Harry -
It felt very much like being pulled back into Season One, with a historical/educational type of story, this.


Sarah -
I was waiting for Barbara and Ian to show up and sort it all out.


Harry -
I know nothing about this particular episode of French history, but in a way it was refreshing to be able to choose sides for myself. Sort of. Soon enough, it's clear that this is a "religious intolerance" dilemma, and Steven soon finds himself in the middle of it. Sort of. I liked the overall atmosphere of paranoia and suspicion that was maintained throughout. Plots, treason, assassins, tasty stuff.


Sarah -
It’s unusual and refreshing for this era of Doctor Who to offer us a story with no clear protagonist. Other than Anne, we don’t really develop an emotional connection to any of the characters. Like us, Steven doesn’t know what’s going on, and has to find his way through the story without the benefit of the foresight that previous companions enjoyed in their historicals.


Harry -
It was very much a "Choose Your Own Adventure" for Steven. Meanwhile, the Doctor vanishes for a chunk of the story early on, first in search of the scientist Preslin, then for one more "Hartnell Holiday."

Maybe because of my historical ignorance, I found the story quite dry and hard to get into. Although some of the performances were great. I especially liked André Morell, who chewed his dialogue with great élan as the beruffed Marshall Tavannes. I wonder if he appeared in any other stories (wishing for Toby Hadoke's powers of total recall).


Sarah -
Watching the story in a reconstruction didn’t help. After a while, I couldn’t keep my Catholics and Protestants straight!


Harry -
Yes, this was a painful reconstruction. As for The Big Twist, ie. the Abbot being played by Hartnell, it had me rolling my eyes I must confess. The doppelganger has never been a favourite plot device of mine. Although the Abbot's murder was well played out and Steven's belief that the Doctor was dead was very believeable. We've seen the Doctor take on the identity of French characters in previous stories, so I genuinely puzzled if the Abbot had in fact been the Doctor or not.

I have to ask, was that ever really resolved? I'm still not certain!


Sarah -
It was – and he wasn’t!


Harry -
Thank you!


Sarah -
While I enjoyed Steven having the opportunity to take center stage, I started thinking he was a bit dense when he couldn’t let go of the idea that the Abbot was the Doctor. Even after finding the Abbot dead in the street, he was convinced the Doctor was dead and he had to find the TARDIS key to escape.

I kind of enjoyed Hartnell’s performance as the Abbot, if only because it reminded me that Hartnell was, in fact, acting when he played the Doctor. It can be easy to forget sometimes.

So, the TARDIS takes off, leaving the Huguenots to their fate. Steven rips into the Doctor for leaving Anne behind and the Doctor responds with a speech that illustrates an eternal conflict of the series:

“My dear Steven, sometimes history gives us a terrible shock and that is because we don’t quite fully understand. Why should we? After all, we’re all too small to realize its final pattern. Therefore, don’t try and judge it from where you stand. I was right to do what I did. Yes, that I firmly believe.”

Steven begs to differ and tells the Doctor to let him off at the next stop, which, conveniently, is twentieth century England.


Harry -
And it only took him two years of trying to get Barbara and Ian there...


Sarah -
The Doctor is alone in the TARDIS for the first time in the series, leading to my favorite moment in the story:

“Now. They’ve all gone. All gone. None of them could understand. Not even my little Susan or Vicki. And as for Barbara and Chetterton…Chesterton…they were all too impatient to get back to their own time and now Steven. Perhaps I should go home back to my own planet. But I can’t. I can’t.”

Poor Ian; the Doctor still can’t get his name right.


Harry -
Great speech, really, really great speech. The muffing of Ian's name was a quintessential First Doctor moment.


Sarah -
As we know, the Doctor doesn’t like being alone with himself. His sadness is overwhelming and I found it the most touching moment of "The Massacre".


Harry -
Because it came out of nowhere, the Doctor's soliloquoy was all the more profound. I had never seen this story before, but we know that Steven continues as a companion for several more stories, so this little moment was an unexpected delight. Definitely the highlight of the story.


Sarah -
But, this being Doctor Who, it doesn’t last long…


Harry -
Ah yes, now the lowlight. The sudden, jarring, utterly absurd appearance of Dorothea (Dodo) Chaplet. This scene is bonkers. One of the worst if not the worst companion introduction ever.


Sarah -
I'll go with worst.


Harry -
What the heck happened there? Dodo comes skipping up to the TARDIS looking for help for an injured child. She barges in and discovers the Doctor, who politely tries to shoo her away, and she ends up staying.

La la la, who cares about that injured child! La la la, you say this is a flying spaceship, what fun! La la la, never mind about my family and friends, I'm an orphan!

Completely bonkers.

I have a theory about Dodo. Would you like to hear it?


Sarah -
Would I? I'm all aflutter with anticipation!


Harry -
Here now, is my theory, which is mine, about Dodo Chaplet.

*ahem*

My theory is this: that Dodo Chaplet is insane. She herself may have been responsible for causing injury to the unseen child, if there was a child at all. Being insane, she then skipped merrily to the Police Box, perhaps to call for help, perhaps just to hide behind it. Perhaps those policemen that Steven saw were, in fact, looking for Dodo. Trying the door, she entered a wonderland that totally captivated her.

Dodo is insane. That is my theory. I shall have further evidence to present as our marathon continues. For now, I'm ready to wrap this one up. Too many flaws dragged this story down for me and I can't give it much of a rating.


Sarah -
Interesting theory, Harry Brackets-Mister-Brackets. I'm fairly sure that your theory will color my viewing of Dodo's episodes, none of which I've seen, from here on out.

Let's wrap it up, then -- so we can start planning for Chicago TARDIS!


Harry -
Chicago TARDIS!  See you in a few hours dearie!

Oh, and by the way, I looked up André Morell.  He never appeared in Doctor Who again, but his son did!  (Our Toby probably could have told us that.)


Sarah -
Lasting image: Steven finding the Abbot dead in the street.

Favorite moment: The Doctor alone in the TARDIS.

Best line: The Doctor’s lonely reflection.

7/10


Harry -
Lasting image: Marshall Tavannes and his ruff.

Favourite moment and Best line: I concur with your picks!

5/10

 



Our marathon continues with Story #23 - The Ark...

Story #21 - The Daleks' Master Plan (1965-66) - Parts Seven to Twelve

Harry -
We did it, Sarah! We made it to the end of "The Daleks' Master Plan."

What a wild and woolly ride that was. The story really is a tale of two halves, so our previous review after Part Six was well timed, I think.

We could probably spend this entire session discussing Part Seven, "The Feast of Steven." That had to be the rompiest romp since romp came to Romptown!


Sarah -
Romp Away, I say! What a good time. I didn’t even mind the Doctor breaking the fourth wall to wish us a Happy Christmas. It was a pleasant respite from Master Plans and Daleks and Such. Professor Webster, for whom the Doctor was mistaken earlier, made me giggle when he critiqued the film set. But, I think my favorite line was when the cop told Sara to “Have a swinging time!” He’s the copper who’s down with the kids – or at least knows how to humor the drunks.

Speaking of Sara, can I cut to the chase and get up on my soapbox? Why is Sara Kingdom not included in the official BBC companions listing? She spent more time in the TARDIS than Katrina, traveled all over the damn place with the Doctor and Steven, and died trying to help the Doctor. To top it off, she’s smart, sexy, and awesomely fabulous. I’m going to compose a sharply worded letter to the BBC this evening and set things straight. This injustice cannot continue!

Or, maybe I’ll just head down the pub for a Halloween pint…


Harry -
Sara's companion status has been much-disputed. Entire message boards have risen and fallen without arriving at a conclusion to this question. I am firmly in the "Companion? Yes!" camp. It's great that Jean Marsh recently reprised the role in a series of DW Audios, which further expanded Sara's travels with the Doctor and Steven.


Sarah -
I’ve not heard those audios. You’ll have to get the titles to me, and perhaps our readers – if there are any out there. Hellooooooo!!!!


Harry -
I guess Part Seven can be considered the very first DW Christmas Special, since it was a complete one-off with no impact on the greater story. But it was a wild piece, DW as slapstick comedy.

Moving on to Parts Eight and deeper, though, it seemed hard for the story to get back up to speed again. Part Eight is essentially a reboot, with the Daleks spending most of the episode preparing to launch their own time machine on a pursuit of the TARDIS.


Sarah -
The Dalek-shaped doors on the time machine were a nice touch.

The return to the alien council was a relief -- I was kind of starting to miss them -- and Chen. Unfortunately, the whole Time Destructor test scene lacked the drama that would have pulled us back into the story, even with the cursory extermination of Trantis.


Harry -
There was also that silly bit involving the TARDIS landing on a cricket pitch. The story couldn't seem to decide what it wanted to be anymore.


Sarah -
The first appearance of cricket in Doctor Who! There was little point to it, but the commentators made me laugh, “We’re checking the record book to see if this has happened before.” I could imagine it the same scene playing out on ESPN.


Harry -
And then to confuse matters further, all of a sudden we land in the middle of an Egyptian historical... with a familiar villain back on the scene!


Sarah -
The Time Meddler is back! My hope briefly surged! Peter Butterworth is once again an utter delight. The Doctor looks so happy to have bumped into his old adversary in Ancient Egypt. The scenes between the Monk and Chen are a blast as the two cunning manipulators try to outmaneuver each other.

And then it turns into an episode about lock tampering and repair. Oh the drama!


Harry -
Mind-blowing greatest-hits package that foreshadowed the RTD epics to come, or a chaotic cacophony of confusion? What has become of "The Daleks' Master Plan?"


Sarah -
I feel much better knowing it wasn’t a sudden attack of latent-onset ADD or something. I had a terrible time keeping my attention focused on the story. After a strong start, we’ve wandered into a rambly Chase-like thing.


Harry -
Oh yes, I was feeling the "Chase" vibe in these later episodes too.


Sarah -
There’s a bit of an upswing in episode ten, but I think that’s mostly due to having footage again – and being able to enjoy Kevin Stoney’s brilliant, subtle performance.


Harry -
Kevin Stoney is definitely the gem of this story. He steals the scene in all the real footage episodes, with his little asides, his pinky-to-the-mouth bit, and his growing madness.

Fortunately part twelve brings it all together again. After a wild pursuit across time and space with an entire season's worth of great characters, it all boils down to the Doctor and his friends confronting the Daleks and their ally.

Chen is completely looney tunes by the end, and I loved it! In the space of 10 minutes, he lets go with at least three roaring "I, MAVIC CHEN!" outbursts. Completely, delightfully bonkers.


Sarah -
I believe Stoney is the current holder of my “All-time favorite guest actor” title. Such a gem of a performance.


Harry -
And then, death sweeps through the story one last time, taking Chen, the Daleks and (devastatingly) Sara.


Sarah -
Oh Sara, I renew my pledge to battle for your Official Companion status! Just right after I finish this pint, I promise.


Harry -
What a gripping way to finish the story. Stephen and the Doctor, alone in a dusty wasteland, lamenting their dead friends, and the Doctor regretting the terrible waste of it all. Perfect finish. For me, it overcomes the loosey-goosey flaws of the second half.


Sarah -
It’s simply devastating – Sara, Katarina, Bret, not to mention all the baddies who bit the dust. A terrible waste.


Harry -
One final note before we wrap it up. Part twelve might be the first DW episode that features wall-to-wall soundtrack for almost its entirety. I love electronic music, especially the ambient noise that we heard throughout. Contemporary DW might be a bit over-the-top and too movie-ish in its use of blaring musical cues, but this story demonstrates how a bit of background sound can heighten tension and elevate a story. Well done!

Before I collapse in a quivering heap:

Lasting image - I loved that moment when the Egyptians gazed up at the sun in the sky, and the image morphed into the reflection of a light on a Dalek casing.  But I'll go with Mavic Chen's peculiar writing style, which is more conducive to a still image.

Favourite moment - the exchanges between the Monk and the Doctor, always laced with latent hostility.

Best line - Could there be any other than "I, MAVIC CHEN!"

Second half rating - 8/10

Overall rating - 8.5/10


Sarah -
Lasting image – The Monk in his sunglasses.

Favorite moment – Mavic Chen spiraling out of control.

Best line – Because I don’t want to copy "I, MAVIC CHEN!"…

Steven: “You’re a genius, Doctor.”
Doctor: “Yes, I know, My Boy!”

Second half rating - 8/10

Overall rating – 8.5/10

 


Our marathon continues with Story #22 - The Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Eve...

Story #21 - The Daleks' Master Plan (1965-66) - Parts One to Six

Harry -
Well Sarah, it's been quite a while since we posted. I know we've both been busy with the start of Autumn, and vacations and conferences and such.   We'd better get cracking!

At the very least, we can use this post to discuss the first half of that most epic of epics, "The Daleks' Master Plan." It's the longest Doctor Who story, ever!

You know... watching The Ds' Master P is as much about the watching of the story as the story itself. How would you even begin to explain to non-Whovians the point of tracking down twelve reconstructed episodes on VHS or online, just to be able to watch a 40-year-old black-and-white TV programme that its own makers junked?


Sarah -
Ah, the glamour of being a DW Fan! How could we explain the excitement generated by every new discovery of actual footage? It’s a revelation, isn’t it, when moving images appear in the middle of a recon.


Harry -
The story begins by picking up two threads. First, there's the scene inside the TARDIS. Stephen is wounded, Katarina is tending to him, and the Doctor decides that they must land somewhere to try and obtain a drug to help Steven.

Meanwhile, Bret Vyon and Kert Gantry of the Space Security Service are investigating the mysterious events we witnessed in "Mission to the Unknown" five episodes ago.

The two threads intersect on the planet Kembel, and as they say, The Nightmare Begins.


Sarah -
The nightmare begins, indeed! But first, there’s the special joy in seeing “Written by Terry Nation” on the screen, followed by the even greater joy of seeing our dear friend Nicholas Courtney making a pre-Brigadier appearance as Bret Vyon.


Harry -
He's so young and dashing here. Not sure what to make of Katarina. She seems bewildered by what's going on around her. She trusts the Doctor implicitly and he does his best to show her the ropes, but the fit just doesn't seem to work.


Sarah -
Young and dashing, indeed! I laughed out loud when he referred to the Doctor as “Grandpa.” Won’t see that kind of behavior from The Brig.

Poor Katarina, she’s so sweet and so out of her depth, but she’s clearly the kind of companion the Doctor wants. He tells her, “Don’t ask questions or else you’ll become like the other two,” referring to Steven and Bret. I always like the companions that challenge the Doctor – and what’s a companion for if it’s not to ask questions so the Doctor can explain everything. For this reason alone, we know Katarina is doomed!


Harry -
One character that works for me is Mavic Chen, Guardian of the Solar System. Kevin Stoney does a brilliant turn as this scheming doublecrosser. I love his "I...MAVIC CHEN..." pomposity. It's the mark of a good megalomaniac.


Sarah -
Mavic Chen is brilliant and Kevin Stoney makes every moment sparkle. His grasping ambition and over-confidence is all we’d expect in a traitor to humanity. The Daleks already have his number and are ready to exterminate when necessary, yet Chen still thinks he’s going to outwit them. Silly man.

I particularly liked his scenes with the Master of Zephon before the Council meeting, especially when Chen is framed by the bars. I’m so glad we have footage of these scenes, which makes it all the more frustrating to go back to stills.


Harry -
The first three episodes involve our heroes teaming up with Bret Vyon to nab the final piece of the Daleks' new weapon and making their escape in Chen's ship. It all moves along at a brisk pace until the third cliffhanger, when Katarina is seized by one of the convicts from the planet Desperus. The nightmare continues!


Sarah -
Speaking of nightmares, I can understand why everyone is so anxious to get off Desperus. What a hellhole.


Harry -
Which leads us to episode four, which to me is the best single episode of DW we've seen so far. The first six minutes of the episode are riveting, shocking, upsetting stuff. The prisoner Kirksen holds Katarina hostage while the Doctor, Steven and Bret try to outwit him. The situation quickly becomes a moral dilemma: do they risk their one chance of stopping the evil plot in order to save Katarina? Is a single life more important than those of many?

Tragically, Katarina ends the standoff herself, by triggering the outer airlock door and jettisoning herself and her captor into space.

Shocking, just shocking. The remaining three pause to reflect, but there's still almost an entire episode remaining. One might think the remaining minutes would be a painful, drawn-out afterthought, but no, this is, after all, "The Daleks' Master Plan," epic of epics.


Sarah -
It’s such a shocking way to begin an episode. She’s the first companion to die and no one seems to know what do to at first.


Harry -
After some appropriate mourning, reflection and tribute, our heroes must press on, and the adventure continues. Immediately, a slew of new characters is introduced. We meet Karlton, Mavic Chen's sinister sidekick. We meet Daxtar, Bret's traitorous friend. And best of all, we meet Sara Kingdom, played by none other than Jean Marsh.


Sarah -
My beloved Jean Marsh once again!


Harry -
But before we can get comfortable with any of these new figures, Bret murders Daxtar, and Sara murders Bret. It's a wonder my head didn't explode after these most astounding 24 minutes!


Sarah -
This episode was positively exhausting to watch. It was surprising when Bret killed Daxtar, but utterly shocking when Sara killed Bret. And then we find out that he was her brother early in the next episode. Oh the drama.

Sara Kingdom, however, is not a mindless assassin and is quickly won over to the Doctor’s side when Chen’s dastardly ways are revealed.

Karlton is another highlight of the story for me. Maurice Browning has the perfect look for an evil lacky. Chen is so self-absorbed and confident that he never considers that Karlton will sell him out as soon as it works to his advantage.


Harry -
You can see the machinations going on in Karlton's mind, even in the stills.


Sarah -
Things take a turn in episode five, where the body count is limited to two mice. The scientist Rhynmal may just be my favorite character of the story so far – so obsessed with his little white mice that he doesn’t notice his entire planet’s being sold out.

What did you think of the scene where our heroes are transported through space? I couldn’t stop giggling at Sara and Steven, apparently bouncing on a trampoline while they were taken apart and reassembled. One can only imagine that William Hartnell refused to participate in any bouncing about!


Harry -
I like to see these hints of psychedelia creeping into Doctor Who. And I am very, very glad we were spared the image of a bouncing Billy Hartnell. The indignity!

Whew, I'm feeling worn out and it's only halfway! Let us pause here to gather our thoughts so far.

Lasting image: For me, it comes from the Loose Cannon reconstruction, when they show Katarina's lifeless body floating away in space. What a horrible, unforgettable image.

Favourite moment: The Doctor dons delegate Zephon's robes and sneaks into the conference. The Doctor does make a habit of monking around, doesn't he?  (I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.)

Best line: "I hope she's reached that place of perfection." The Doctor struggling to cope with Katarina's shocking death.

First half rating: 9/10


Sarah -
This has been a smashing good time and I can’t wait for the second half!

Lasting Image: Chen framed by the metal bars while conspiring with The Master of Zephon.

Favorite moment: The bouncing. I’m giggling again just thinking of it.

Best Line: The Doctor: “By doing nothing, we do everything.”

First half rating: 9/10

Our marathon continues with the second half of The Daleks' Master Plan...


...and it won't take another two months, we promise!

Story #20 - The Myth Makers (1965)

Harry -
So, how about them Greeks 'n' Trojans?


Sarah -
Yes, how about them. I spent too much time trying to remember the details of the Odyssey, which I last read about twenty-five years ago. Turns out it didn't really matter, did it?


Harry -
You got further than me on that count. I couldn't be arsed trying to sort out who was whose brother, who was whose daughter etc. The viewing experience was weakened by a lack of footage, but based on the stills and audio, this story had the feel of a cheap costume drama. There were some stretches were nothing was said, so the subtitles were helpful, despite the occasional redundancy ("Thunder roars!").


Sarah -
Watching it in a recon is definitely daunting. Following the story was a real challenge.


Harry -
Enough crabby talk. It was nice to see some familiar faces in this one. And what do you know, the Doctor's gone and made a Zeus of himself!


Sarah -
He had no problem going with the flow on that, did he?

This story is known as a comedy, but I didn’t really find it all that funny. Paris’ slightly Woosteresque performance was a bit of campy fun, but the story was not as charming as it seemed to think.


Harry -
The first episode was certainly played straight. I wasn't sure what to make of Paris. His performance seemed out of place, compared to the other actors.


Sarah -
It was a wacky performance.


Harry -
One interesting thing in this story was that the Doctor and his companions gave up their real identities as early as the second episode. However the reactions from the other characters seemed mostly bemused or sceptical, as if they couldn't really grasp what they were being told.


Sarah -
Interesting observation. So often in the Doctor’s travels, the people he meets will just take him at face value and do what he wants. That didn’t work too well here, did it?


Harry -
Speaking of sceptical, Cassandra was one big oily heap of scepticism. She's probably my favourite character in all of this. Her loathing for sweet little Vicki was very palpable!


Sarah -
Poor Vicki. I wouldn’t want Cassandra as my enemy; talk about a drama queen. My favorite thing about her scenes was how you could practically hear the other characters rolling their eyes at her – “Oh, there goes Cassandra again. Pay her no nevermind.”


Harry -
History? Comedy? Historical-Comical? Comical-Historical? However I look at The Myth Makers, it just doesn't seem to amount to very much. Am I missing the point of it? Maybe my lack of classical education is to blame.


Sarah -
I probably got enough classical education for both of us, and I didn’t fare much better. I kept wanting it to make up its mind about what it was. It started off fairly strong, but the last episode didn’t leave me feeling satisfied by the storytelling.

Perhaps it would be different if we had the original footage to watch, but this story could not overcome its reconstruction.


Harry -
Yes, this is definitely a case of the viewing being hampered by a weak reconstruction, although it's the best we had to work with.

Now, what about Vicki's departure? That came out of nowhere! I was stunned! It was so jarring and inexplicably out of character, wasn't it?

Even the Doctor didn't seem all that torn up.

A bizarro ending to a bizarro story, I felt.


Sarah -
That whole romance came out of nowhere, not that it stopped Steven from noticing that Vicki and Troilus were smitten at first sight. Still, it’s a huge of a leap of faith for Vicki to stay behind – as huge as Susan’s. Oh, young love, what a convenient device you are to dispose of companions.

Not seeing the Doctor and Vicki part was the worst of it. Their bond was so strong.

Meanwhile, we have Katarina aboard the TARDIS now, and an injured Steven. And it’s off to the Daleks. At the very least, The Myth Makers reminds us that war is no fun at all.

Lasting image: It’s so hard to pick a lasting image in this recon, because there’s so little to work with. I liked the model Trojan horse on the hill because it was so obvious.

Favorite moment: Menelaus admitting that he’s happy to be rid of Helen at last. This scene definitely made me laugh.

Best line: "All right, then, get back to your temple before you give us all galloping religious mania!" No respect for Cassandra!

6/10


Harry -
Lasting image: I'll go with the horse.

Favourite moment: That rather silly exchange between Paris and Steven:

"Now, die, Greek -- and tell them in Hades that Paris sent you thither!"

"I yield."

[beat]

"Beg your pardon?"

"I yield. I'm your prisoner."

"I say, this sort of thing is just not done. I mean surely you'd rather die than be taken prisoner..."

"Well yes, but only in a general sort of way you see..."

Proto-Python history at its finest.

Best line: "HOWWWW DAAAAARRRRE YOUUUUU!" Cassandra utterly devours the scenery with one line. All future "How dare yous!" must be judged against this one.

Still, meh.

5/10

Our marathon continues with Story #21 - The Daleks' Master Plan...