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 #47 - The Krotons (1968-69)

Harry -
Oh dear, Sarah. After the heady heights of "The Invasion", we encounter "The Krotons" - a story that sets Doctor Who back five years.  And I had been so looking forward to resuming this marathon after our fantastic weekend at Chicago TARDIS. That was a brilliant three days!


Sarah -
That was a good time, wasn't it? Sylvester McCoy was every bit as delightful as I had hoped he would be, Sophie Aldred was so very sweet, Gary Russell was adorable as ever, and we finally got to meet Toby Hadoke! Could he possibly be any lovelier?


Harry -
You know I was nervous about meeting Toby. Leading up to the weekend, I kept imagining that I'd blurt out something stupid to him, and he'd confiscate my copy of Running Through Corridors. Turns out, he's lovely! Nor did I blurt out anything stupid!


Sarah -
I had faith in you, Old Chum!


Harry -
Gary Russell is totally adorable. Hope he's back next year (with the rest of the world) for the 50th anniversary blowout.


Sarah -
It's going to be out of control. Did I tell you, Old Thing, that it's also my 30th Whovian Anniversary next autumn? Where has the time gone?


Harry -
And there's still so much to watch! I love Chicago TARDIS - and one of these years I just might get up and dance at the Britpop-Karaoke bash.


Sarah -
I suspect I'm going to have to get you good and drunk for that to happen. Or, at the very least, us old folks will need to take a nap to fortify ourselves for the late night!

Oh dear. I'm afraid we're going to have to discuss "The Krotons" eventually, aren't we? You know who "The Krotons" made me miss? The Dominators. How can we go up from there?


Harry -
Well, if we must discuss "The Krotons", I'm going to start with a list of things that I didn't like, performed in booming voice with pointless jesticulations, Kroton-style.

"THE KROTONS" LOOKS SO TERRIBLY DATED, LIKE A SCI-FI SERIAL FROM THE 40s OR 50s!

CHEAP COSTUMES!

BORING SETS!

NO MUSIC!

RIDICULOUS MONSTERS!

IT'S AS IF THE SHOW TOOK A HUGE STEP BACK AFTER THE EXCELLENCE OF "THE INVASION!"


Sarah -
Oh my. I'm putting my positive hat on here and focusing on the good stuff.

...

Oh, yes, there was Jamie's super-sexy, “No, I’ll not be needing that, thank you” when he was challenged to a fight by a Gond. Highlanders don't need weapons, you silly Gonds.

I liked that bit.


Harry -
This might be one of Jamie's best stories. He gets to fight someone, he bravely infiltrates the Krotons' machine, he gets to do science experiments, and for once he's neither hungry nor sleepy nor on vacation.


Sarah -
Also, Jamie's cravat, which was a nice jaunty bit he apparently picked up in swinging 60's London. Zoe's too-revealing mini-combo was a bit much and not her best look. I did not like that.

And, ummmm...back to you Harry, Old Boy.


Harry -
I have to hand it to Rob & Toby. Both of them tried very hard to say nice things about this story. They were tested to the limits!


Sarah -
It is that kind of story.


Harry -
One notable thing about "The Krotons" is that it marks two important first appearances: writer Bob Holmes and actor Philip Madoc.

Holmes is legendary, of course, for fleshing out entire worlds, conflicts and backstories in a matter of minutes. You can see some of that here, with the introduction of the thousand-year dilemma of the Gonds, their internal politics, and the wonderful upsetting of the apple cart by the Doctor and friends - all in the opening minutes of the story.


Sarah -
There's something else nice to say: it did get right to the point and felt like quite the breezy story after an eight-parter. Well done, Bob.


Harry -
Madoc is one of my favourite guest actors in all of Doctor Who. He has such quiet presence, and his voice is so listenable, I would buy audios of him reading a phone book!

Sarah -
He was brilliant, which I knew because I kind of wanted to punch him in the face for being such a self-serving jerk.


Harry -
I wondered why he was not a more celebrated name in British acting.

Our Toby wondered the same thing too.



Sarah -
That is because Toby is brilliant.


Harry -
Brilliant and lovely.


Sarah -
Oh, speaking of Beta (were we?), I found James Cairncross' performance rather endearing. How can you not love a character who says things like, “Let’s see what happens. We can only blow ourselves up.”

Did you know, Harry, that this was originally meant to be Frazer Hines' last story, but he decided to stay on until the end of the season when he found out Troughton was leaving, as well? The schedule was juggled a bit to accommodate keeping him on. Maybe that explains why I found Jamie particularly enchanting in this story.


Harry -
Interesting! I was just saying what a great adventure this was for Jamie. Glad he stayed on for three more stories.

Holy crap, there's just three Troughton stories left for us! Before we run screaming from this one, let me just note a couple more nice things.

Bob Holmes knows how to close a story as well as open one. Part Four offers some nice twists. First, Eelek completes his journey into total bastardness: he's willing to collaborate with the Krotons, sacrifice the TARDIS crew, and overthrow the existing order to further his own ambitions. Then Selris the old grump suddenly becomes a sympathetic character.  He wants to give the TARDIS crew a chance to escape, and he pays the ultimate price for helping.


Sarah -
Oh, that was so sad.


Harry -
By that point, though, I was glad to get to the end. In a death scene befitting their crap design, one of the Krotons flops over and its head melts. I felt much the same way!


Sarah -
Let's talk about Jamie some more to cheer ourselves! I love how he was ready to bash his way into the Kroton lair to save the Doctor and Zoe and the way he was so chuffed to see that they had escaped. He was concerned when they entered the TARDIS, but knew that they would never leave him behind. He is the perfect companion -- endearing, loyal, and brave. And, also, cute, sweet, and sexy.


Harry -
As for Zoe, she got to do math... which is her favourite thing... so her adventure wasn't entirely wasted.


Sarah -
Have we said enough nice things yet?


Harry -
Damme! I'm just trying to say things that are not overly harsh. Let's wrap it up.


Sarah -
I'm slightly embarrassed to say that it's just occurred to me to say that Troughton is utterly delightful in this story. After being shuffled to the background a bit by UNIT, he's very front and center in "The Krotons" - I kind of missed him!


Harry -
Too bad about the umbrella.  Vandals!


Best line: "Great jumping gobstoppers, what's that?"

Favourite moment: the Doctor fusses about before taking the math test.

Lasting image: the Krotons' arms flailing as they spoke.

4/10


Sarah -
Best Line: I've got two, which occur within moments of each other and need to be together:

Zoe : "The Doctor's almost as clever as I am."
The Doctor : "Zoe is something of a genius... It can be rather irritating at times."

Favorite Moment: Jamie's fight in episode one.

Lasting Image: The Doctor in close-up at the end of episode one as the phallic-camera-thingy probes his face.

I'm starting to feel a bit more warm-hearted towards The Krotons after that discussion.

5/10

Our marathon continues with Story #48 - The Seeds of Death...

Story #46 - The Invasion (1968)

Sarah -
I remember quite well the first time I watched "The Invasion". It was based on your suggestion after the DVD was released with the animated episodes. It was the first full Troughton story I had ever seen, outside of "The Two Doctors" and "The Five Doctors". I liked him from those stories, but loved him after watching "The Invasion". It’s almost the perfect Second Doctor story.


Harry -
This is one of my favourites and I loved watching it again.

Incredibly, this is Patrick Troughton's fourth Cybermen story in three years, but it is easily the best one.


Sarah -
Absolutely! It’s another Cybermen-invasion-of-Earth story, but never has it been done so well. I love everything about this story! Oh dear, now that I've said that, I'm sure to discover things I don't love as we go along, aren't I?


Harry -
Considering that the first four episodes have a lot of running around in circles and the Cyber-reveal doesn't happen until the end of episode four, they were still entertaining. There's a lot of stuff going on outside the plot to keep things interesting.

First off, the animation of the two missing episodes is another moment of serendipity for Doctor Who. It's fun to watch our friends in animated form, and the black and white looks stylish as hell.


Sarah -
The animation is gorgeous. The animators did a fantastic job of capturing everyone’s look and facial expressions. I know an animated restoration of "The Massacre" is due out soon and I can’t wait to see it!


Harry -
There's a great musical score here too. The missile attack on the TARDIS is accompanied by eerie psychedelic chords reminiscent of early Pink Floyd ("Dark Side of the Moon", geddit?). Meanwhile the street scenes in and around London get jangly, film noir music like something from Portishead.


Sarah -
Yes, yes, I get it. You had to bring up Pink Floyd, didn’t you?


Harry -
I like the Pink Floyds! Anyway, visually, there's some fantastic location filming in this story, and the camera work stands out too.


Sarah -
It’s all shot so beautifully. Everything ends up looking so much more expensive than it actually was – probably because the BBC didn’t have to build so many of the sets. There’s just a great texture to the visuals, which we haven’t seen in a while.


Harry -
If it weren't for all these little extras that helped move the story along, I'd have gotten really tired, really fast, of everyone barking about "stupid computers" repeatedly. Yes, you all think computers suck - we get it!


Sarah -
That was a bit odd, wasn’t it? The Doctor was all pro-computer back in the WOTAN days, wasn’t he? I don’t imagine the First Doctor ranting about how “I hate computers and refuse to be bullied by them.”

The TARDIS crew arrives in London, having received a lift from an unknown man who meets a terrible end. We find out later that he’s a UNIT member, but everyone seems to think that he’ll be just fine. I felt very sad for him.

Then we meet Isobel, niece of Dr. Watkins, a computer scientist who is renting the home of our old friend the yeti chaser, Dr. Travers. Isobel. Oh dear, what to say of Isobel?


Harry -
Our friend Rob Shearman says quite a lot of nasty things about Isobel, oh my! His antipathy towards her might be a bit tongue in cheek, but he's not that far off.


Sarah -
That could be almost my favorite thing written by Rob in the entire book!


Harry -
She's an odd one, with her wall scribblings and marathon photo sessions. Later in the story, she sneaks down to the sewers to photograph Cybermen, and the photos don't turn out very good. It begs the question whether or not she's a capable photographer in the first place.


Sarah -
You would think she’d be able to get some aspiring models to work for free, wouldn’t you? Maybe she really isn’t very good.

I think my favorite Isobel moment is when she’s taking photos of Zoe and Jamie wanders into the frame, only to be dismissed with, “No, not you.” Poor Jamie can’t catch a break sometimes!


Harry -
If anything, she's a survivor. Photographing herself if need be, then ignoring military commands if need be. She makes it to the end of the story and hooks up with Captain Turner. They way they carried on flirting throughout the story, they probably nipped behind some shrubs for a shag as soon as the TARDIS vanished.

Children's programme? Oh yes, back to Doctor Who.


Sarah -
Looking at my notes, I wrote, “Get a room, you two!” Still, I hope it all worked out for them. I wonder how many fictional babies have been born because of the Doctor.


Harry -
This is a gritty story with lots of sinister goings on before the big Cybermen reveal, but there are also plenty of comic moments. Packer is an idiot. Almost too much of an idiot, the way he haplessly allows the Doctor and Jamie to escape from International Electromatics HQ. That scene where he's frantically using his wrist communicator, with his eyes desperate and his hair in disarray, and Vaughn barking at him all the while... it was pathetic really, but funny for the kids I'm sure.


Sarah -
What a pathetic lackey. I almost felt badly for Packer at times. He was just so inept. Even Vaughn knows he’s useless: “And please don’t fail this time. There’s a good fellow.”

Still, Packer has the sense to doubt that Vaughn’s plan will work. When Vaughn declares, “A few minutes, Packer, and I shall control the world,” Packer responds with, “You? Are you sure?” Maybe he’s not as dumb as we think!


Harry -
Also amusing was the canoe scene. Yes, a canoe scene, in the middle of London, in a Doctor Who story. Wild!


Sarah -
I love the canoe scene! A definite runner up for lasting image.


Harry -
Then there's UNIT, freshly minted, with their very own cheery, "can do" theme music.


Sarah -
The UNIT theme cheered me every time it played.


Harry -
Who better to lead this group but Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart and his magical moustachio? Why did the Brigadier become such a popular character? My theory is the moustache. It's all about the moustache. Whether on film or animated, it has a life of its own!


Sarah -
I suspect it’s the combination of his moustache and the smile that plays so easily upon his face. I found The Brig positively adorable whenever he smiled in this story. Is One allowed to find The Brig adorable?


Harry -
One is!


Sarah -
And don’t forget our new old friend Benton! He doesn’t have a lot to do in this story, but it’s Our Benton!


Harry -
The ultimate man for all jobs, Our Benton.


Sarah -
I find it hard to believe that we’ve come this far without mentioning what must certainly be one of the greatest performances ever in the history of Doctor Who – Kevin Stoney as Tobias Vaughn. Vaughn is the most interesting megalomaniac we’ve met since Mavic Chen in "The Daleks’ Master Plan". Oh wait, there’s a reason for that – Kevin Stoney also played Mavic Chen!


Harry -
And even though it's virtually the same role (megalomaniac human stooge for alien monsters), the performances could not have been more different. While Mavic Chen was something of a comic rogue, Tobias Vaughn is all icy charm.


Sarah -
I know we both loved his performance back in Season 3, but Stoney takes it to a whole new level in "The Invasion". Vaughn is smooth and charismatic – and so sure he’s in control. We know, of course, how foolhardy this will prove to be, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of Vaughn whenever he was on screen.


Harry -
His moments of explosive rage were terrifying!

As pointed out by Rob and Toby, this isn't so much a Cyberman story as it is Tobias Vaughn's story. He is present throughout, and no matter how hard our friends try to escape him, we always end up back in his stylish office, watching him issue cold commands.


Sarah -
Vaughn is definitely the villain of this piece. The Cybermen are more set dressing then villains.


Harry -
The Cybermen could have been any alien entity really. They don't do all that much aside from some sewer skulking and marching around London landmarks. They look awfully nice and shiny in their new skins, though.


Sarah -
Don’t they just look stunning?


Harry -
Things got away from me a bit when we got to the final two episodes and the whole Russian rocket plot. And I might be a bit thick, but I kept forgetting that the UNIT HQ scenes were taking place aboard a plane.


Sarah -
We’re both a bit thick, then, because I did, too!


Harry -
There were so many new and interesting characters in this story that Jamie and Zoe seemed somewhat left out. Jamie was literally taken out of the action (another damned holiday!) and Zoe only came in at the end to put her math skills to work. Although I did admire the fact that she survived the ordeal in the sewers with her feather boa still intact.


Sarah -
Jamie did get some good action scenes – and the seemingly requisite ladder-climbing scenes.


Harry -
Always popular, those.


Sarah -
I found myself vacillating between loving Zoe’s boa and wondering why the hell she was still wearing it! Speaking of Zoe’s wardrobe, did you notice how she had a sudden costume change late in the story from her mini-dress back to her spangly jumpsuit? How did she manage that?


Harry -
That was odd. Oddest of all was how little the Doctor actually did here. He was reduced to the role of a messenger at times, conveying information between Vaughn and UNIT as Vaughn's plans disintegrated and all hell broke loose on the ground. The long missile launch / Russian rocket sequence at the end rendered the Doctor an observer with the rest of us. That was the only real sour note for me in an otherwise fantastic, stylish and compelling tale.


Sarah -
There was a definitely overuse of stock footage, wasn’t there? I guess we’ve got to expect some padding in these eight-parters.

Still, as long stories go, this is a cracker! Still one of my favorites and I savored the chance to revisit it.


Harry -
Me too!


Sarah -
Best Line: “If there’s trouble to be found, the Doctor and Jamie can’t miss it.”

Favorite moment: Vaughn calling Packer on his video screen, only to have a Cyberman’s face appear. Chilling!

Lasting Image: This one’s obvious: the Cybermen in front of St. Paul’s – one of the most iconic images in Doctor Who history.

10/10


Harry -
Best line: "Packerrrr!"

Favourite moment: The Cybermen open fire and the Doctor scrambles away, covering his arse and yelping in fear.

Lasting image: St. Paul's, yup!

9/10

Our marathon continues with Story #47 - The Krotons...

Story #45 - The Mind Robber (1968)

Sarah -
What an odd story. I really wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about it at the beginning. The story felt like a combination of "The Edge of Destruction" and "The Celestial Toymaker", neither of which were favorites of mine.


Harry -
Agreed on both references. And as we learn from the DVD featurette, external influences resulted in even more oddities to this story.

The entire first episode was tacked onto the production, without any money for actors, sets or props. The result, while minimalist to say the least, is an interesting prelude to the story proper. Before we get to that, however, the story starts Hartnell-style, with a continuation from the previous adventure.


Sarah -
The Doctor is forced to use an emergency unit to escape the volcanic eruption on Dulkis, and the TARDIS is removed from normal space and time. The travelers find themselves in an endless void, where they are tempted with visions of home and stalked by white robots. When they return to the TARDIS and believe they are escaping, the TARDIS suddenly explodes. The Doctor is flung into space, while Zoe and Jamie cling to the TARDIS.

That’s a very concise description I’ve typed there, but it doesn’t begin to capture the surrealism of this story. It was a bit thrown together. The Dominators was originally planned as a six-parter, but got chopped down to five. To fill the gap between stories, this episode was hastily created, and somehow it works.


Harry -
After seeing so many Troughton stories begin with the TARDIS landing on Earth and the Doctor frolicking around with his friends, this arresting opener was a welcome change.


Sarah -
As a one-off episode, it’s fun to watch. Everyone gets the chance to do interesting things while in the white void. I especially liked the shot of Jamie and Zoe all in white. It was beautiful, yet frightening. I didn’t know what to think when the TARDIS blew apart, but loved the drifting-through-space visuals. I’ve seen the iconic image of Zoe and Jamie clinging to the TARDIS console, but, never having seen this story before, I never knew the context. It really works well, despite the "bit for the dads" draping of Zoe on the console.


Harry -
Zoe's "bum shot" is legendary, but I liked how the spinning console was silently enveloped in clouds. Meanwhile, the Doctor seems somewhere else entirely, lost in a trance. The eerieness and uncertainty of what we have seen is a great set-up for the story proper.


Sarah -
Loved the silence. It was so much more effective than any sound would have been.


Harry -
Once we get to Episode Two, we find ourselves on more familiar ground, so to speak.

The Doctor and his friends find themselves in a mysterious forest, split up and encountering strange characters and pitfalls. Zoe literally falls into a pit, while Jamie has his face blown away by a Redcoat. Enter Hamish Wilson!


Sarah -
I know Hamish was brought in as a replacement when Frazer Hines contracted chickenpox, but what a brilliant idea! It was clear that the Doctor was selecting the incorrect face for Jamie, but I had no idea it was happening for a non-story-driven reason.

Excellent Job by Hamish Wilson! He wasn’t Jamie, but gave a perfect Jamie performance. Because they had to accept so much, the Doctor and Zoe just rolled with the replacement Jamie.


Harry -
I love Hamish Jamie!


Sarah -
I imagine Frazer would have been motivated to recover had he heard what a good performance Wilson was turning out.


Harry -
The alternate Jamie is one of those moments of pure serendipity in Doctor Who. An awkward situation that produced a memorable performance. I don't think we'll see another companion performed by two different actors until Amelia/Amy Pond, will we?


Sarah -
I can’t think of one offhand. Send Toby a tweet to find out.


Harry -
I wonder if he gets pestered by a lot of Doctor Who casting questions from strangers. He is, after all, the Doctor Who Wiki in human form.


Sarah -
The Doctor also meets A Stranger, who we later discover to be Gulliver. I loved that Gulliver only spoke in lines from Gulliver’s Travels.


Harry -
Simple but brilliant. I can imagine story writer Peter Ling combing through Swift's original text looking for just the right lines.


Sarah -
I found the children creepy and horrid, but quite liked Rapunzel. Christine Pirie was perfect as the princess waiting for rescue. Her disappointment upon discovering Jamie was not a prince there to rescue her is something to which all of us Jamie fans can relate. Her resignation when the Doctor asks if he can use her hair as a rope is perfect, “You may as well, everyone else does..." It made me hope that Rapunzel would end up with Gulliver, or at least Karkus.


Harry -
So many characters! I love this! From literary characters like Rapunzel and Gulliver to mythical persona like Medusa and the Minotaur, to futuristic figures like the Karkus, it's a constant stream of surprises. If I had seen this story as a kid, it might have been my most favourite Who tale ever.

And the whole thing is totally bonkers. From the forest of words to the labyrinth to the citadel, it's one crazy dilemma after another for our friends in this Through The Looking Glass world.

What sucked was that once the Doctor confronted the Master (eep!), everything kind of unravelled. The stream of fictional characters became an avalanche (Cyrano, D'Artagnan, Lancelot, Blackbeard), while the true villain - the alien brain - was just lame. The story sort of petered out and Episode Five ended as inconclusively as anything we've ever seen. What did you make of it all?


Sarah -
The challenge in placing protagonists in this surreal world is that the story will eventually need to be wrapped up. Emrys Jones was fabulous as the Master. He’s got the challenge of speaking for both the author and the higher power that is controlling him and knocks it out of the park.


Harry -
He certainly had an air of dangerous enthusiasm about him.


Sarah -
Alas, it’s not enough to save the story. It’s all rather predictable at the end, as the Doctor manages to save the Master, while Zoe and Jamie overload the computer. The Master is bundled off into the TARDIS and they take off – after what has to be the shortest episode ever.

This story has so many great elements, I can only wish the plot was more than the usual take-over-Earth scenario in the end.


Harry -
Yeah, while the kid in me loved the characters and visuals of this story, the grown-up me couldn't help frown at the weak resolution.

There is an interesting theory floating out there in cyberspace. A while ago, I read someone's suggestion that most of "The Mind Robber" was actually just a nightmare that the Doctor had. As evidence, it was noted that early in the story, the Doctor sits down in a chair in the console room and shuts his eyes. Then, at the start of the next story, "The Invasion", the Doctor is again seen seated in a chair, so all the events between those two moments might have been a phantasm, all in the Doctor's mind. It's an interesting theory anyway!


Sarah -
Works for me!

Best Line: The Doctor, looking for a place to hide in the forest of letters: “Oh, thank goodness for the letter C.”

Favorite moment: Zoe taking on Karkus -- and winning!

Lasting Image: Jamie and Zoe clinging to the TARDIS console.

6/10


Harry -
Best Line: "When someone writes about an incident after it's happened - that's history... But, when the writing comes first - that's fiction."

Favourite Moment: Zoe kicks the Karkus' arse.

Lasting Image: Jamie and Zoe with the white robots.

7/10

Our marathon continues with Story #46 - The Invasion...

Story #44 - The Dominators (1968)

Sarah -
Oh, Harry! Moving images! A whole story simply full of moving images! I hardly knew what to make of it.

Season Five has felt like a trudge through recon after recon. There were so many good stories, but the lack of video does wear one down after a while. I know we've not seen the last of the recons, but I feel as though a new day has dawned and the Sofa is soaking up the sunshine.


Harry -
A Doctor Who story we could actually watch on our tellys, with DVD extras! It was simply smashing, wasn't it old girl?


Sarah -
DON’T CALL ME OLD GIRL!


Harry -
Righto, sorry.

I was even willing to overlook the fact that the story is a bit of a clunker in the early going. We start off with the Dominators, two utterly miserable characters. One of them has a permanent scowl carved into his face, and the other wants to destroy everything in sight. Then again, if I had to skulk around wearing what appears to be a giant scallop shell I'd probably be pissed off too.


Sarah -
Rago and Toba were a delightful pair, weren’t they? One imagines the other Dominators sending them on this mission just to be rid of them.


Harry -
They did turn out to be a rather inept team.

As for the Dulcians, they are just as sartorially suspect - the males in particular wrapped in what look like very absorbent towels.


Sarah -
I couldn’t help but think that the Dulcians’ costumes made the Thals look modest. Cully barely seemed to register Zoe’s comment about the impracticality of their garments.

In the end, the Dulcians aren’t much more interesting than the Dominators.


Harry -
But the first ones we meet are a fun bunch, out for some adventure... on the Island of Death, that is. Uh oh!


Sarah -
The good times never stop – or quite start – for this gang. The scene where they become marooned on the island and attempt to seek assistance from the Dominators, only to be killed, was startling. Even the Daleks can’t match Toba’s psychopathic behavior.

The TARDIS crew, as they are wont to do, wander into this situation while attempting to find a beach for a bit of R&R. The Doctor’s memories of Dulkis are fond, which makes it unlikely that he encountered the Dominators on his last visit.

There was much about this story that reminded me of the Hartnell era. The debates about pacifism versus action could have been lifted directly from a First Doctor script.


Harry -
There was definitely a Hartnell vibe to this one.


Sarah -
Faced with the choice to fight, submit, or flee, the Dulcians just decide to wait.


Harry -
Oh gosh the Dulcian elders were a tedious lot. Their glacial approach to decision making was best summed up with lines like: "Better to do nothing than the wrong thing," and "Remaining passive is in itself a course of action." The Doctor's reaction was remarkably restrained.

That really is the whole story: pacifists vs. aggressors, with the Doctor and friends getting involved with a happy result. The simple storyline and wacky costumes leave much to be desired here.

Some credit is due to the actors. Rago and Toba are played like silly panto villains, one of them wanting to destroy everything, the other halting him at every turn. I did like Ronald Allen as Rago, especially the way he stared off into space while speaking, as if drowning in his own misery, stuck on this dustheap with a psychotic partner and a bunch of silly robots.


Sarah -
I found myself wondering why he did that, but I suspect you’ve nailed it on the head, Dear Harry.


Harry -
The Quarks! According to the DVD featurette (squee!) the Quarks were actually envisioned as the new Daleks, marketing possibilities and all. Thankfully, this did not come to pass. It was hilarious watching them get blown up though.


Sarah -
It’s hard to imagine them taking off as replacements. They don’t have the free will and sociopathic nature of the Daleks.


Harry -
So many great comic moments here. Rago's ongoing misery, the Doctor re-wiring the shuttle craft, "Action Jamie" romping about wreaking havoc. It's the small moments that keep this story from being a total dud. Zoe got a bit lost in the shuffle, but hopefully that won't be a regular occurrence.


Sarah -
The Doctor falling headfirst into the shuttle craft was a great image. Speaking of images, have you noticed how often Jamie finds himself atop a ladder while other characters stare up at him from below? Just sayin’…


Harry -
There were also several low-perspective shots of Jamie in action, believe me I was watching closely!


Sarah -
The scenes in episode two when the Doctor and Jamie pretend to be stupid while the Dominators administer their tests, is comic gold. "An unintelligent enemy is far less dangerous than an intelligent one, Jamie. Just act stupid. Do you think you can manage that?"

I was amused by the boulder-moving scene. There are so many bounder-moving scenes in the history of Doctor Who, but this is the first one where the perpetrator admits that there's really no point to shifting the boulders -- it's just an excuse to wear down the prisoners.


Harry -
The boulder scene was well-acted. Actually, most of the actors did an admirable job here, considering the material they had to work with. Johnson Bayly, for example, played the role of Balan with gravitas. His death scene was right out of the Royal Shakespeare Company.


Sarah -
Everyone was making the most of what they had, that’s for sure. It was amusing when the actors interviewed for the DVD all admitted that "The Dominators" really wasn’t the best of Doctor Who. Still, they all seemed to be pleased with their work in the end.


Harry -
Everyone was exceedingly, knowingly polite in the finest British tradition.

As our friends Rob and Toby point out, Patrick Troughton is often reduced to monkeying for the cameras here and I agree. It felt like he just wasn't taking things seriously at all, as if the whole story was a kind of farce.


Sarah -
Pity no one thought to let the Dominators in on the farce!


Harry -
Aye.  Ultimately, the story is too thin and sets and costumes too flimsy to hold this one up. I found amusement in the acting, rather than the adventure.


Sarah -
That sums it up nicely. There was plenty to amuse, but not much to hang on to.


Harry -
I didn't realise that the sonic screwdriver was being used as a magic wand so early in the show's history (instant blow-torch-disintegrator? Really??). This also tells me I've probably run out of nice things to say. Let us scamper like the Doctor and move on, Dear Sarah!


Sarah -
When I say run, Harry, RUN!


Harry -
Best line: "Jamie, it's a brilliant idea! It's so simple only you could have thought of it." OOF!

Favourite moment: Quarks getting blown up.

Lasting image: The Dominators' goofy costumes.

6/10


Sarah -
Best Line: “An unintelligent enemy is far less dangerous than an intelligent one, Jamie. Just act stupid. Do you think you can manage that?” Poor Jamie takes a lot in this story, doesn’t he?

Favorite moment: Jamie taunting the Quarks and pelting them with rocks. I suspect those Jamie action scenes tend to catch both of our attention.

Lasting Image: The Doctor and Jamie tangled up in wires on the shuttle.

5/10

Now, RUN!

Our marathon continues with Story #45 - The Mind Robber...