Culture Focus// Doctor Who 50: Essential Doctor Who (Part Two)
When Doctor Who debuted in
1963 it was a different creature than the current series, currently celebrating
the 50th anniversary of the show with a slew of ongoing and upcoming activities
taking in all media. But in some ways it was the same – the time traveller
wandering in space and time in a machine named the TARDIS was there, it was
almost one of the first things we saw. It’s difficult to imagine how the
majority of viewers felt at the time when faced with this science fiction show
totally unlike anything else on the screen but it must have worked – because
many of them are still here enjoying it half a century later.
As the countdown to the
worldwide simulcast of the much anticipated anniversary special gets closer to
its final call we take a look at some of the highlights of fifty years of
storytelling. There may be controversy, head nodding or even Dalek mugs thrown
in derision – but all we know is that this list is to our minds a good
indication of why, despite some scratchy patches, Doctor Who is a phenomenon
well worth recognising.
Inferno
(1970)// Alternative universe theory is something that you’d
think would have been explored much earlier than the tail end of Jon Pertwee’s
first season in 1970. Inferno sees the Doctor travel sideways in time into a
parallel version of Earth where UNIT are somewhat different than their normal
role. The Brigadier is now the much brusquer Brigade Leader Lethbridge-Stewart,
eye patch and Liz Shaw is Section Leader Elizabeth Shaw. With the UK under a
Dictatorship, everyone is markedly different as a drilling project looking for
new fuel goes very wrong for the crew of the parallel world.
Oft stated by Nicholas
Courtney, who portrays the Brigadier, to be one of his highlights of the show,
you can see the cast working to give the audience a very different rendering of
their regular roles. Being evil is almost synonymous with parallel world
narratives – but here it’s done well and even if you weren’t a huge fan of the
show it’s easily possible to enjoy it without too much knowledge.
The
Deadly Assassin (1976)// After the departure of
long standing companion Sarah-Jane smith in the previous story, The Deadly
Assassin acted as a experiment to see if The Doctor could really, as Tom Baker
claimed, carry the story without a companion. It is the only time in the
original run it would happen. But despite the absence of the companion we’re
treated to a more than worthy solo adventure on the Doctor’s home planet of
Gallifrey. Presaging the scrolling intro text of Star Wars by a year, this
story sees a very similar introduction voiced by Baker open the first part. We
also see the secondary control room in the Tardis, with its quite cosy looking
wood panels to boot.
Whilst in said place, the
Doctor has a premonition of the death of the Time Lord President and soon finds
himself back on Gallifrey to try and avert it. With a brilliant script from
writer Robert Holmes and a (admittedly, only occasionally thin) design value
that impresses we get the first mention of the much discussed, debated and
endlessly played with rule of thirteen regenerations. The start of trouble or
another thing entirely - It’s hard to say until we’ve seen the 50th Special
just what will happen to that rule.
But with Tom Baker in fine
form, a script built to last and a killer third episode The Deadly Assassin is
excellent viewing.
The
Talons of Weng Chiang (1976)// In this story, featuring
the ever reliable (even if the script was not – which is not the case here!)
Tom Baker and his recently arrived companion Leela and it’s an instant,
infinitely rewatchable classic. Talons’ though is in some ways distinctly un-Doctor
Who in many ways. That’s perhaps why we like it so much; there are only so many
wobbly sets and shouty robots a person can take and here is the perfect intellectually
stimulating yet very silly antidote to that.
As Tom Baker foreshadows a
later foray into portraying Sherlock Holmes with his deerstalker and pipe,
constantly delivering those witty lines he is known for with a wonderful wit
there is murder boiling The titular Weng-Chiang and his frankly creepy
assistant Mr Sin are collecting ladies to feed to their master, resident in the
sewers beneath the city in a rather excellently designed lair. Of course, the
Doctor soon get s involved after a meeting with a still unconvincing giant rat
things move at a pace.
The script from Robert
Holmes is taut, witty and gives the serial format of that time a good use. With
the main cast getting great words, the supporting cast are also well provided
for. The sheer malevolence of the idea of Chang hitting the streets to pick up
ladies for his masters sustenance is straight out of the gothic pages of Hammer
Horror film and if you saw Mr Sin stalking you down a dark street with that
blade in his hand you wouldn’t be too keen to hang about. The fact that Deep
Roy, the only actor to have appeared in Doctor Who, Star Trek and Star Wars as
well as a very creepy turn in The X Files, portrays the evil puppet so well is
just icing on an already very filling cake.
City
of Death (1978)// With
some of the highest audience figures for any era of the show, City of Death is
another Tom Baker serial that sparkles with wit and invention. Scripted by
Douglas Adams under a pseudonym this beautifully scored, beautifully shot on
location in Paris and much recommended story is one not to be missed. Throwing
together the art world with crime and time travel is a daring narrative feat
but one that is handled delightfully.
The true beauty of the
story though is found in the location of Paris. As we see Tom Baker and Lalla Ward running
merrily around the city and enjoying the life of a tourist on the Eiffel Tower
we see how the location can bring out the best in the cast. Add in the very
romantic incidental score and you have something to savour. There is at one
point a cameo from John Cleese and Eleanor Bron extolling the beauty of the
Tardis in the Louvre . The guest cast too, Julian Glover and Catherine Schell
shine, their dialogue and surroundings perfectly adding to sophisticated sheen
of the script.
There is a story, of
course, but even if it often quite inconsequential to the sheer wit and beauty
of the script it needs to be seen rather
than read about. All we’ll say – the Mona Lisa is hiding something behind her
smile…
(To be continued)
Words by Sebastian Gahan.
