Um... did we just accidentally watch a fan film? That couldn't have been proper Doctor Who, surely?
Sarah -
I have no idea what that was, Old Boy. Now I understand how I've never seen this story before -- it has to be the nadir of the Tom Baker era.
Harry -
It's certainly a low point. [*laff track*]
One of the story's first images -- Leela standing at the TARDIS console looking utterly bored -- should serve as a warning to anyone venturing into this one.
Sarah -
She looked a little too bored, in fact. "The TARDIS -- so simple, a savage can fly it!"
Harry -
As the episodes rolled by in a ceaseless repetition of cavern chases and awkward closeups, I became astonished that the BBC allowed this to air. The production is shoddy beyond belief. Some effort was made to make the flight deck of the spaceship R1C somewhat different. Those cushy lounge chairs seemed out of place, and yet totally suitable for a 70s Sci Fi set. We meet another unremarkable space crew clad in ridiculous foil uniforms. Had I not written down their names I'd have forgotten them already.
Sarah -
You wrote them down? Overachiever!
Harry -
Once our friends arrive in the TARDIS (heard but not seen), things get a bit interesting. There's the usual suspicion and drawing of weapons, but at least the Doctor and Leela aren't accused of murder right off the bat.
Sarah -
That's a change of pace -- and perhaps the only surprise in the entire story. From there we head into a fairly literal retelling of Jason and the Golden Fleece, which somehow manages to make the story even less interesting than I remember from high school.
Harry -
Some of the concepts in "Underworld" were brilliant, like the Miniens who have regenerated a thousand times, the pacifist beam used to subdue hostile people, and the lost ship P7E which was the core of a still-forming planet on the edge of the cosmos.
Sarah -
The regeneration was particularly interesting, given the Minyan connection to the Time Lords. The Minyans recognize the TARDIS as the technology of "the gods" and we learn that helping the Minyans evolve faster and the the disastrous results lead to the Time Lords adopting a policy of non-interference. This may be the most interesting part of the entire story.
Harry -
It's got the makings of a fascinating story, but all we see for most of it is a bunch of unenthusiastic people running around in front of a blue screen, wearing awfully cheap costumes. We first saw the use of primitive blue screen technology during the Pertwee era. It was obvious onscreen, looked awkward more often than not, but at least they used it sparingly. Here, the entire underworld is blue screen. It looks okay for a few seconds, but it just wasn't capable of supporting prolonged visuals. The technology wasn't good enough yet.
Sarah -
The color separate overlay is an obvious cost-saving measure that cheapens the entire look of the story. Apparently, the budget was so tight that canceling the entire story and allocating its entire budget to "The Invasion of Time" was considered.
Harry -
The Trogs looked like unused extras from the live-action Flintstones movie. And what the hell were all the hooded security guards wearing? It looked like creepy mediaeval fetish costumes. Tom and Louise looked like they hated every minute of this one.
Sarah -
There's a great piece of footage in the bonus features where Tom's prattling on to one of the guest actors about how he was really born at the wrong time and should have been born during the Victoria Era...blah...blah...blah... Louise looks so epically bored that she's spending her time watching the tech who's just outside the shot with great absorption. I understand exactly how she feels.
Harry -
There was that one moment when Leela dragged Idas from the caverns into the body of the ship, and I wondered if they cast a particularly skinny actor so that Louise could haul him around easily. Wondering about casting decisions - that's how uninterested I was in the story itself.
The production was a letdown, the camera work was jarring, the acting was wooden, the overuse of repeat footage was terrible. The reprise at the start of part three clocked in at over two minutes. General awfulness throughout. Would you say this Doctor Who's Plan 9 From Outer Space?
Sarah -
This has to be our most disappointing viewing since "The Space Pirates" -- and that at least had the excuse of being a recon!
Harry -
In the end, our friends outwitted possibly the most dimwitted antagonists in all of Doctor Who, and they returned to the TARDIS. Calling Jackson "Jason" as they departed was sort of like breaking the fourth wall and pointing out to the viewers precisely which mythical retelling we'd all been through. By that point, I just wanted this hot mess to be over with.
The final disappointment was that we never got to see the painting that the Doctor was working on.
Best Line:
DOCTOR: "Have you ever heard of the Flying Dutchman?"
LEELA: "No."
DOCTOR: "Pity, I've often wanted to know who he was."
Favourite Moment: the Doctor bursts into the console room wearing a painter's smock and hat.
Lasting Image: the cushy lounge chairs on the R1C's flight deck
2/10
Sarah -
Best Line: Re: the bombs
Jackson: What are we going to do
Doctor: I think I’d better get rid of them, don’t you?
Favorite Moment: The Doctor getting caught up in the moment, chanting, “The quest is the quest” along with the crew.
Lasting Image: The Doctor in his painting gear.
2/10
Our marathon continues with Story #97 - The Invasion of Time...
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