Latest / A Hamster With a Blunt Penknife - a Doctor Who Commentary podcast / Talks to Gary Russell about his choice of The Sensorites (6/6)

Transcript

Talks to Gary Russell about his choice of The Sensorites (6/6) · A Hamster With a Blunt Penknife - a Doctor Who Commentary podcast

0:40
Welcome back to you. I'm still with a blunt penknife
0:42
the Doctor Who commentary pod, cause I should have got you to
0:45
intro this one. What's wrong with me?
0:47
Welcome back to hamster with a blunt penknife the Doctor Who
0:51
commentary podcast in which today I'm talking to Joe and we
0:56
are going to sit down and watch finally episode 6 of the sense
1:01
rights. So tell me Joe, why did you
1:02
choose to watch the sensor rights because I had the
1:06
opportunity to talk to you and this was the story that you
1:08
chose. Bizarrely.
1:11
Right back on. Try and blame me for your your
1:14
inadequacies. I think that the sensor rights
1:17
is above average doctor who I think there is some not very
1:22
nice design, some lovely performances.
1:25
I think there's some pretty decent if not exceptional
1:28
writing. It could certainly have a bit of
1:31
time locked off it. I wouldn't mind a bit more
1:34
Barbara and yeah, I don't know if he's terrible.
1:38
It's not a terrible story. Why it's overlooks I think in
1:41
season one. So tell me Joe.
1:43
When did you first become a doctor?
1:44
Who fan? What made you watch Doctor Who?
1:47
Oh, what a question. I first became a doctor who fan
1:51
my neighbor. Two doors down was a big fan of
1:54
Doctor Who a lot older than me. Had the program guide and fed me
1:59
knowledge. Like, you wouldn't believe and
2:01
he used to, wow, I love this interview thing.
2:04
He used to, we used to play Doctor Who in his back garden
2:08
and now I think about it. It was a bit disturbing because
2:10
he's the time up to a chair quite a lot and threatened me I
2:13
was looking back here. Yeah I know right explains a lot
2:18
older than you was this person a few years anyway woman.
2:25
I remember getting those early vhss and I says bitch right
2:29
there sitting at my mother's knee, absolutely terrified in
2:31
the dark watching things like Tara, zygons death to the Daleks
2:35
and being transported away. What was the first story you
2:40
watch live? Battlefield, right Battlefield
2:48
and it was Battlefield episode 2.
2:50
And I remember because I burst into tears, at the end of the
2:52
episode because I was convinced that Sophie aldred had drowned
2:57
Wow. And how old were you being then?
3:01
I was going to make some knowing years old so I was obviously a
3:03
very delicate nine-year-old. You know I do remember gobbling
3:11
up the big finish's when they came out because obviously I
3:15
came in expecting there to be another season of Doctor Who
3:18
after the one, you know, that got me into it.
3:21
And then there was a dearth of Doctor Who for out the 90s,
3:25
which is a shame. Because I think 90 genre
3:27
television is some of my favorites and I would love to
3:30
see what they could have produced in the 90s even though
3:33
I do love the TV movie. But when big finish came back,
3:37
that for me, just felt like, legit new Doctor Who, and I
3:42
gotta do it. In fact, I used to get on the
3:44
train from Crowley to London which is not far but it felt far
3:50
to me to get those releases when they came out from Forbidden
3:54
Planet. Yeah, so so big finish was
3:59
probably my first kind of new Doctor Who and did you feel as a
4:05
nine-year-old watching Battlefield?
4:06
And then what came after it and then the show getting canceled,
4:10
did you feel that that was your fault?
4:12
But you'd suddenly started watching this program and then
4:15
they canceled it because you started watching it always?
4:18
Yes, no not at all. Now that guilt is very
4:21
important. Well what was your first?
4:25
First Doctor Who then now I'm interviewing you know.
4:27
Okay, go on off, you go then I want that we're now going to
4:31
watch the sensor rights and you're going to talk us through
4:33
the sense rights and so I'm going to count as in to watch on
4:39
my podcast, Gary, I got the oh these commentaries can get a
4:43
little kinky at times and being in your hands is a delightful
4:47
experience here. I've got to say Christ, you need
4:52
to get out more. So So we're going to watch
4:56
Doctor Who episode 6 of sensor rights in 5 4 3 2 1.
5:07
Camera off we go. This is my favorite title
5:11
sequence, you know, still beautiful, title sequences net
5:15
when we did Galaxy for animation and we had to decide to color it
5:21
up. And it's such a simple title
5:24
sequence. So difficult to color and I
5:28
wanted to make it red. I like the radio times, 10th
5:31
anniversary special, I was in Hartley's, red and troughton is
5:34
green, but because I'd been so much red put into the Hartnell
5:38
into the trunk title sequence that amory's team have done
5:42
that, we settle on sort of I thought Gallifreyan burnt burnt
5:46
Sky the the burnt orange of the Gallifreyan sky that they always
5:50
talk about I got that seemed very appropriate.
5:53
So Rob Ritchie, mocked it up for me.
5:55
And we've sort of I think we had three or four different versions
5:58
with a couple of other colors in there and me and Russell Minton
6:01
at the BBC and Rob all settled on the proper burnt orange.
6:05
And that's why we went with it for Galaxy, for well, I'll tell
6:08
you what is astonishing. How galaxies Floor Galaxy for
6:11
even came alive with a splash of color design for something?
6:17
Yes, it's a very slow super awful. 90 animation though.
6:24
Yeah, well, that's fine. But the story is, you know, we
6:27
were saying at the beginning when we remember when we first
6:30
started watching the sense, writes a few hours back and we
6:32
were going to talk about the sensor lights, all the way
6:34
through and we never have Erica. Like you said, you know, while
6:38
or I said, one of us, said that people reckon.
6:41
This is one of the worst Doctor Who Saw His all-time.
6:43
I genuinely think Galaxy for is the worst Doctor, Who Story of
6:47
All Time, The Script is awful. Awful, awful, awful, the whole
6:52
Whole plot is actually dealt with in the first 15 minutes.
6:56
The moment you meet Marga and she talks about the reels you
6:59
go, where you're the bad guy. So they must be the good guys.
7:01
And this is going to be just about the doctor getting off the
7:04
planet and saving the good guys from you, the bad guys.
7:07
And that's 15 minutes into episode 1, and then you've got
7:09
another three-and-a-half episodes of running round and no
7:13
character development and no plot and great for animation
7:19
because it was fun to animate. And you can make good sort of
7:23
pulpy people in cities, women in silver hair, and Silver makeup
7:29
and, and the little robots and The Reptilian monsters nose.
7:33
Great for animation. Good fun to do, but the plot is
7:38
just abysmal and the dialogue is worse, I remember that trailer
7:42
that you brought out for the outside.
7:43
Is this galaxy for really like it.
7:46
It seemed incredibly Dynamic, forgot that Galaxy for.
7:49
That's why those bits are in the trailer.
7:52
Barbara's back, and she's got a nice tan going.
7:55
Hey, we've missed you Babs. Oh that's grandfather.
8:00
Would you? Oh look, they're reading a oh,
8:01
look. We're on an alien planet and
8:03
curiously. Everyone can read letters.
8:07
So we've got the last minute surprise around the corner of
8:10
what the original was? It a spaceship that now they
8:16
carry that? I think they come to try and
8:19
make peace or something with them because that's what John
8:23
and make them were here to try and find them in the first place
8:25
because they've gone. Missing or how did I end up down
8:28
in the pipes going? A bit loopy?
8:30
Well, I think if you were trapped down with some pipes,
8:34
you probably go loopy as well. I actually really like the fact
8:37
that when we get to see them I like that kind of Stockholm
8:42
syndrome is not restore comes in.
8:43
But that thing that they carried on the military thing, there's a
8:46
captain and the soldiers and they believe that they're
8:50
fighting a war. It's like Japanese those people
8:54
trapped in Japanese jungles after the second world war and
8:57
thinking the war is still going on.
8:59
And I think that's that's a story in itself and they kind of
9:03
throw this into the final episode of the sense, right?
9:07
And I think that's quite a nice little touch.
9:09
It gives a sense of believability in humanity to the
9:12
men. The drawback is that bless them.
9:16
They may not be the world's strongest axis and I don't think
9:20
that they're believable. Actually, the guy that plays the
9:24
second-in-command he's quite good, but the guy in charge is
9:27
not hugely believable. As a loony, they needed to play
9:32
a little bit more mad a little bit more.
9:34
Like they were deranged. You think thence or I'm taking
9:37
over again now, I'll do apologize.
9:39
I'm sorry. Questions that you again.
9:41
Do you think a six-part doctor who story has a hope of having a
9:45
satisfying climax? Yes.
9:47
Yes, it's called your bundle. Snowmen wasn't a power of the
9:52
Daleks. Well, how does yes Parra has a
9:56
very, very good climax. It has a little bit of padding
9:59
and running around in the middle.
10:02
Oh look, we found the darks. Yeah, they're the bad guys.
10:05
We know they're the bad guys. Guys are but we're going to show
10:07
you thinking they might be the good guys.
10:09
We're never going to think they're the good guys.
10:11
Well he thinks are the good guys here but he's an idiot and we
10:13
know he's a bad guy as well. The power of the Daleks really
10:18
has nowhere to go. It starts on that wrong foot of
10:22
no one in their right. Mind in 1966 was ever going to
10:25
look at a darling go. He's really going to be their
10:28
servant the whole of power of the Daleks relies on what you're
10:31
actually going is at what point are all these people going to
10:34
wake up and smell? All the coffee and realize that
10:38
the Daleks are bad and unfortunately, it takes a while
10:42
to do that. So I don't think, I think power
10:45
would make a very good for parser, but again, there's too
10:49
much repetition and too much running around, but you're
10:51
right. Has a very, very good end the
10:53
but you're waiting for that Massacre.
10:55
Yeah. And why do you up and that's
10:58
their resources and then bam. And by all accounts, it probably
11:01
looked pretty good as well. Yeah, I think it why I need
11:05
certainly one, I have no recollection of watching.
11:09
But yeah, the what would tiny little bits?
11:11
We've got of it. I mean, it's Christopher
11:13
barriers directors are automatically, it's going to
11:15
look good because I didn't think Chris Barrie could make anything
11:18
look bad. Top top director and top load,
11:23
so I imagine it probably was pretty damn stunning to think
11:28
about and I think a six-part us now with Goods.
11:31
Essays. Good six, passes and sixes are
11:33
hard to come by. Yeah.
11:35
With they're all padded apart from.
11:38
As I say, bottom of snowmen and enemy of the world, I think the
11:42
only two that justify their length, I don't think even the
11:45
dikes just by seven episodes. Really, and truly evil of the
11:49
Daleks should be B. Oh look dr.
11:52
Losses Tardis. Dalits captured Tardis man from
11:55
the past is selling antiques that he's working for the Daleks
11:58
go back to his place. Finally, he's got a mate who's
12:01
sold. Everyone out to the Daleks and
12:03
he's trying to change me base metal into gold.
12:05
Oh look The Daleks are trying to discover the human factor dr.
12:09
Vs. Machine makes human Dalek since
12:11
humans. Go to skaro, have a big fight
12:13
all that stuff in the house with Arthur terrorland and the Toby.
12:19
The bad guy really. That's a two episodes of
12:22
completely and camel, the the stuff with camel and Jamie
12:25
exploring the house, visually brilliant to watch.
12:29
Story-wise, take it all out. That all of those characters in
12:33
the house are utterly redundant other than every water-filled
12:36
and Theodore maximal. I so I perked up an animation,
12:39
you know, when Kenmore turned up with his chest out, you might
12:43
almost think that the people animating that new Their
12:46
audience, you might think that In in the center is about to
12:51
attack. Someone with a piece of paper.
12:54
He's literally rolled up a map and he's hoping that someone is
12:59
going to think it's a gun. And that's what they did.
13:04
And and he appears to have, is he going to overpower them or
13:07
they're going to fight back in their little Rags.
13:10
It's at least a refreshing change of location, this isn't
13:13
it? Yes, it could.
13:15
It's weird because you know, saying last time we were talking
13:17
about this how good the architecture is in the sense
13:21
right world and it's beautiful an alien.
13:24
I'm then you come down to this dark gritty.
13:27
Very sort of 60s, Urban stuff in this just pipes and, and sort of
13:33
halogen lights and everything. It reminds me of a couple of
13:36
episodes of out of the unknown where it says that, brilliant
13:40
one, where they all live in the underground city.
13:42
And that's what this, that is, like, that contrast between the
13:45
brightness and the glamour of the sense, right?
13:48
City in this, this underground pipes and everything is quite
13:51
interesting. It's it's nicely done.
13:54
It doesn't mean of course that we now only have one set in
13:59
sense, right? City Kazumi half the Studio's
14:03
taken up now with the load of pipes.
14:05
Yeah, there was always a lovely Cliffhanger, which we talked all
14:09
over where heart was down investigating the points.
14:14
And there's a Almighty growl and installs life, shines and it,
14:17
and no one can hold a gaze in a cliffhanger, like, William
14:21
Hartnell absolutely marvelous Hartnell.
14:24
He's underlit someone shines a light from under him, his bone
14:27
structure is phenomenal because it just captures everything and
14:32
he always looks brilliant. Has that lovely bit at the end
14:35
of the time meddler because we're breaking from the end of
14:39
season 2 and they do those weird faces in the snow and heartless
14:42
facing there is very good and I think there's another couple of
14:45
shots like that in reign of terror and then, of course,
14:49
there's the best one of all when he's in the in the space museum.
14:54
In the increase in quizzes are inquisitors chair and they under
14:58
like him in that. So and it's just his bone
15:02
structure is phenomenal. I think if you look at pictures
15:06
of heart and when he's in his 30s, it's a bit like Michael
15:09
crazy, incredibly attractive, man with reload.
15:15
And then he, he, he, you know, as I said earlier, he's only 55
15:20
at this point, but he looks 75. He has that thing.
15:24
That a lot of people did post war where they suddenly aged 20
15:30
years in the space of two and suddenly people who were quite
15:34
young looked what we would now consider to be very, very old.
15:38
But probably in 1963, lots of people who are only 55 look like
15:42
William Hartnell. Well, how old is Paul McGann
15:44
now? I've no idea if he's older than
15:49
me. So he must be Call must be 65.
15:55
I think something like that. No, you're joking.
15:59
He has to be. It has to be.
16:01
He's got ten years on harmful. I mean, have you seen him?
16:05
Well. So, when we were started big
16:08
finish and we were doing one of the early piece of Davison's,
16:13
and it was, it was Davidson's, 50th birthday.
16:16
And I remember joking to him. I said in five years time,
16:18
you'll be the same age as William Hartnell was And I was
16:23
kind of making a point that that partner was only 55 when he
16:26
played dr. Who and Pete, it's totally the
16:29
wrong way. And thought I was suggesting
16:31
that therefore he looked about 75, you know, because he's
16:36
brainy didn't realize her heart was only 55.
16:38
He thought of Partners being about 75 or 80 where everyone
16:41
does. And I was like, no, no, I'm
16:43
making the point that, you know, he was a five years older than
16:46
you when he played the point that you're looking good.
16:48
Yeah, was what I was kind of implying, but they Didn't get it
16:52
didn't work. It didn't go down very well.
16:53
I got one of those. Thank you.
16:55
Gary, that's very kind of you comments from Peter Davison
16:58
looks down at you imperiously because he's quite tall.
17:01
And you go, oh, I've just been told off by the Headmaster.
17:06
I am up, I've been reading in that inside story, you know, the
17:10
it was he was a little bit reluctant at the start of big
17:15
finish and it was a few stories in before he Yeah, I don't think
17:21
it's that Peter did it because Sylvester asked no Colin asked
17:26
him to it wasn't Peters. First Choice to do it.
17:30
I have to say. But because Colin and silver on
17:34
board instantly. I think he realized that if he
17:38
didn't do it. It would be something that would
17:41
play him at conventions going forward.
17:44
And it took a couple of stories before he realized, he was
17:46
actually quite enjoying himself and he I think he felt as well.
17:51
I'm like them. He felt it was going to be quite
17:54
hard for him to play the doctor again.
17:56
He didn't think he would remember how to play that on.
17:57
Do we do the voice and everything?
17:59
Of course, he fell straight back into it instantly and certainly
18:05
once Sara Sutton was there. That's the point where I think
18:10
he like went. When we did Land of the Dead, I
18:12
think was the first time he was like, oh no, actually I'm kind
18:14
of cool with this. I mean, I'm not saying he didn't
18:16
enjoy doing siren door phantasmagoria with Mark, but I
18:20
think working with Sarah again, made him do.
18:23
Oh yeah, this is how I play doctor.
18:24
Who isn't it? Because that's how I have to
18:26
talk to Nyssa, and, and Steve coll wrote very various good
18:29
script for mr. And the doctor because it's like
18:32
one of Steve's favorite series of Doctor Who, so it was, it was
18:36
the right thing to have Peter to do.
18:39
Because he just, he really enjoyed that.
18:41
I feel right around sort of winter for the Adept, you can
18:44
hit it, he's just having great fun with it laughs.
18:46
Yes, yeah, yeah. And then one day, he said, you
18:50
know, could you give my daughter away?
18:55
And so I said, yeah, so we gave her the lead in whoever came
18:59
over. Gary.
19:00
I don't know. Them.
19:01
Never swore again. No sheshe.
19:06
We still talk about that now because You know, I would say to
19:09
her other than your mum and your dad, I've probably known you
19:11
long. Always anyone else in your life?
19:14
She doesn't really remember. She remembers being in the
19:18
studio and doing him. She has no recollection of what
19:21
red dorm was about what actually what she played in it or
19:24
anything like that. But yeah she's always, she's
19:30
always been very lovely to me. She's a smashing woman.
19:35
She really is amazing Davison at that convention recently holding
19:39
up. Did you see the picture of him
19:40
holding up that sign? Saying?
19:41
He's not migrate that I love, I love this disco battle between
19:47
him and David. I said the nice thing about
19:51
David I always say is because obviously we work within a big
19:54
finish long before he ever became Doctor Who.
19:57
So I'd known him for a couple of years before then, and he was an
20:00
actor who I'd loved and admired on.
20:02
Vision was very, very excited. Toby Longworth said all my mate.
20:06
David wants to do a doc too and I was David Tennant as I.
20:09
Oh my God, yes, because he'd been brilliant in an episode of
20:12
the bill and I just know he did called it's before anything else
20:21
and he is somebody with one or two people.
20:24
I will say this about him and Mark gauges are two people who
20:29
have become very successful and very famous.
20:33
And very in demand over and has not changed them in the
20:38
slightest. Well, they are still the two of
20:41
the nicest warmest kindest people, utterly Untouched by
20:45
their Fame. They're both, you know, feet on
20:49
the ground soul of the party, lovely human beings and there's
20:54
a moment on he hasn't changed them and I think that's lovely.
20:58
There's a joyous entry for the Lazarus experiment, which is
21:01
just the two of them. And forget that they were two
21:04
actors in this thing. They are a pair of Doctor Who
21:07
fan boys, talking about Doctor Who and that's all that's
21:10
happening and I conversation. Yeah, that's how it should be.
21:13
Yeah. Oh here we go.
21:15
Here here are the stuffy old men.
21:18
Hmm. The guy, the leader kind Now.
21:21
Isn't that John Bailey as in it? Is yeah.
21:24
From or, you know, more famously is season from the horns of My
21:33
mom. Yeah, I I say, let's go with,
21:35
let's go with the Edward water filters as a slightly better way
21:39
to remember him. Very good actor, who really is
21:45
John Bailey, we watch him. See him in lots of good 60s TV
21:49
stuff. He's always very very
21:51
dependable. They did what they used to call
21:55
a character actor because he can play anything, but this is
21:58
lovely. This whole conversation, the all
22:00
you've got a well-ordered base here and everything like that.
22:03
This whole military feel with it.
22:06
Yeah, it is it is it's if the war is over and everything,
22:09
that's right. It is done like this people
22:11
trapped in the jungle, why are you, what do you say what they
22:15
used to call a character actor? Because it's not a term that is
22:20
used very much these days outside of doctor.
22:22
You circles because, you know, probably Jeremy Bentham said it
22:25
1979 and everybody immediately goes all will use that phrase
22:28
not really know what it means but these days it's not a phrase
22:33
that gets used around because people really are just actors.
22:35
And it is a silly phrase character actor because everyone
22:38
plays the character, what it meant was you never really
22:41
played yourself. You always you know you could be
22:44
this or that you were quite easy to play anything.
22:48
Someone gave you a lot of actors.
22:52
Go. This is who I am, and I will pay
22:54
a slight extension of myself, but it will always be grounded
22:57
in what I am and then you go other actors, who you can throw
23:00
anything out, and they will play it.
23:02
And that's what they used to call a character actor.
23:04
And these days is just, you know, an actor, Alan.
23:07
You've got John Bishop on one side of that and Patrick
23:09
troughton on the other. There we go.
23:13
Maybe that's harsh. That's very hot.
23:15
I think John Bishop brilliant. Oh no, I think he's excellent.
23:20
There's something because people always a dismissive of people
23:23
who are famous for comedy. I was when when Catherine Tate
23:26
was cast as Donna, and everyone was like, oh, God is just a
23:29
comedian and he said, there's nothing you just about being
23:32
committed because to be a comedian who can play different
23:36
parts, like, Catherine Tate, you have to actually be the best
23:40
actor in the world before you even start to Do that because
23:43
that pure genuine acting and I think comedians are often
23:48
overlooked because people think they do comedy and they're not
23:53
there they're comic actors, but give them something dead serious
23:57
to play and they'll play it better than half people trained
24:00
in Shakespeare, because they have to be good to have been a
24:03
comedian in the first place because comedy is the hardest
24:06
form of acting in the world. I think that's why fires of
24:08
Pompeii hit the way it did, at the end of that PO people came
24:12
All these expectations of what Catherine Tate was going to
24:14
deliver partners in crime. We had all the comedy and it was
24:17
brilliant. Don't get me wrong.
24:19
And then the fires of Pompeii here and all my socks are blown
24:23
off. Yeah, she's she's magnificent in
24:26
everything. She does apart from the Nan
24:28
movie, but then he goes, well, I'm assuming not given what you
24:32
just said. You know do you know who Jay and
24:38
T's the site? As you know when people used to
24:40
complain about him bringing in comedy actors to play dramatic
24:44
roles Patricia route which and what a phenomenal actress she
24:48
is. And yet look what she's most
24:50
famous for. Yeah but you see I mean Jane
24:53
team is this whole idea of Jane T doing this stunt casting
24:56
everything like it was bad luck, you know, Nicholas Parsons.
25:00
I see brilliant in fenric and everyone goes always a quiz
25:04
show, host forgetting the fact that he had 30 years as an
25:06
actor, long before he quiz show, tiny, part of his career.
25:11
But that's what people remember in for.
25:14
And I was thinking, you know, Ken Dodd indeed.
25:16
I don't like Delta and the bannermen, it's one of my lowest
25:20
rating, love it. But the best thing in it is Ken
25:25
Dodd, because although he's playing in a sense, Ken Dodd in,
25:29
in a space suit, That performance is fantastic because
25:34
it's consistent, and his death sequence is just fantastic.
25:38
I Love Ken Dodd in that. I think he's brilliant.
25:42
I don't think very often that J&T did with his stunt casting.
25:47
He actually got it wrong more often than not.
25:49
He's done casting. Worked up, I think, possibly
25:52
Hale. And Pace was a misstep, but then
25:55
it didn't matter because it was, that was just a scene in it.
25:58
That's all it needed to be. They weren't important to the
26:01
plot thinking of Time Lord, every single bit of his stunt
26:05
casting or celebrity Kelsey was bang on the now of permanently.
26:10
Absolutely people. People underestimate just how
26:13
good a producer of Doctor Who James he was.
26:16
And, and I think, you know, it's a terrible shame.
26:19
I of all the people no longer with us, I would say, it's a
26:24
shame we lost Pertwee when we lost him, because he would have
26:26
done big finish. But it's a shame that John went
26:29
before the Came back because he would have loved.
26:33
What Russell did we dogs, who would have been absolutely loved
26:36
it. You only have to look at what he
26:38
in Carmel did in those last couple of years to see that
26:41
Genesis of rows. And that would mean absolutely
26:44
his cup of tea. I have I have no doubt that he
26:49
would have wanted to be involved in some way or other documentary
26:54
that was put together for the DVD, right?
26:58
Huh. Me to that final.
27:00
A shot of the plaque I was in tears.
27:05
I was actually in tears because, you know, he's been my friend
27:08
for very many years and we've had our ups and downs.
27:11
Of course, everyone does with John.
27:13
But, you know, I watch that and I was watching the Scott Hancock
27:16
actually and I said to me, end of it.
27:17
I said, it's just so unfair because he deserved so much
27:22
better than he got in life and and he was just, I loved him.
27:27
I thought he was a great man, I could round with him.
27:30
I'm quite happily and we did many times but Underneath It All
27:35
he was a good bloke and and he was fun to be around when he was
27:39
in a good mood, he was absolute best to be around with.
27:45
And I think it's so sad that he went so young and would have
27:49
loved one Doctor Who more than anyone else I think.
27:56
Well, good luck, good luck, bonus understood, and very much
28:00
maligned. Oh look, the central story ended
28:04
Gary. It's that story.
28:07
We were going to talk through 46 episodes and then we guaranteed,
28:10
we were definitely going to talk through this final episode and
28:14
we still failed to do it completely.
28:16
I will now heart was going to throw them off the ship again.
28:18
Oh, grow up. Is that the first model show?
28:22
The first actual model is model shot.
28:25
Surely is the darkness peering in at the beginning of sea of
28:29
death? I think.
28:31
Oh yes, of course, probably the first spaceship model shop and
28:34
thenceforth spaceship. This is great.
28:37
When hard up throws a Paddy at the last minute.
28:40
Yeah. Good off my ship.
28:44
Followed by a caption saying the land of fear or which again is
28:48
you you as a viewer watching in those days when you didn't know
28:50
when a story was going to ever come, To an end because it's all
28:53
that's brilliant one. Long thing that's a great way.
28:56
I'm going to throw you off the ship a land of fear beryllium
29:00
then you have made up to United States really really well.
29:03
So is there a Cusick story? He did design it.
29:06
That's fantastic. I'm going to ask you to do
29:09
something now which I ask every single guest to do I don't
29:13
coughs. You see Frank Cox did this
29:14
episode? I knew be done at least one
29:16
upset. It's not relevant.
29:17
It's not a lot though. If we had a look, I don't think
29:19
he did them all. Others.
29:23
And I think doing this is more vital than ever given eight the
29:28
amount that commentary that we talked about the story.
29:32
It is to ask you to give me three reasons why you would
29:38
recommend the sensor ayats', right?
29:41
The sense rights is an alien race because a Doctor Who's
29:44
first proper alien race? They're not human.
29:49
They have a society. They have a Structure, they were
29:53
believable World, beautiful architecture.
29:56
So that's the main thing is the sensor acts themselves are
29:59
phenomenal. I think it's a tour de force for
30:04
the Tardis. Crew Hartnell is absolute top of
30:07
his game. William Russell Carolyn Ford
30:09
about brilliant when she's in it Jackie.
30:14
Jacqueline Hill. Is is superb.
30:16
So it's great for them. It's a really good opportunity
30:20
to see that first time. Team.
30:23
They've got used to each other. I don't mean the characters.
30:25
I mean, the actors they've got used to each other filming for
30:28
the last of half a year to everyone's on their game.
30:32
Everyone's fast. Fast kick ticket.
30:34
There's a confidence about the sensor rights from the four of
30:38
their point of view. That makes it eminently,
30:40
watchable because they're just Joy is to watch.
30:43
And I think, you know, a third thing, I'd have to say is I
30:46
think Stephen Darkness performance as John all the way
30:49
through. He's one of the best up to this
30:53
point, guest actors performances in any episode of Doctor Who
30:57
because he plays the whole gamut of emotions and everything.
31:02
In probably his scream time is quite limited, but he's
31:07
mesmerizing in every single scene, he's in much as
31:11
bizarrely, a could say, he's brilliant in keys of marinus and
31:14
that's under a mask and he can't even see him.
31:17
But again, he gives her performance in that.
31:19
That he's good, but he's performance here is Phenomenal.
31:23
So yeah, there's my three main reasons, brilliant monsters or
31:26
brilliant. Aliens Tardis crew at their best
31:29
and a really good guest performance from Stephen Donnell
31:32
or undercutting, all of that. Then why is this underrated?
31:36
Like why? Why don't people like this?
31:38
Because, I think it is over long because it does have that for.
31:43
He's got a good script dialogue wise.
31:45
But it has that Central floor of the aliens, don't know each
31:49
other, the moment they change clothes.
31:52
Which is just ludicrous and I think that's why Anna and also I
31:55
do think the bit at the end the tacked on bit.
31:58
At the end with the the crash survivors of the spaceship with
32:02
the deadly nightshade in. The tunnel is just irrelevant,
32:06
it's absolutely irrelevant. You could cut those last two
32:08
episodes off and wrap up the story in episode 4, and not have
32:12
that. And I think as a result to
32:15
upstairs in the spaceship Two and a half episodes in the
32:19
Central City one-and-a-half episodes in some very dark
32:23
pipes. It makes it feel very extended
32:27
and slightly boring, which is a shame because when you actually
32:30
do watch it, you realize it isn't boring, but it's, you
32:34
know, it doesn't deserve the reputation, it's got, but
32:40
sometimes it doesn't help itself particularly Can you sum that up
32:44
beautifully? That just leaves me to thank you
32:48
for your time. We've had a long conversation
32:51
and he has we've got everywhere comics big finish, TV, Sarah
32:57
Jane. We've covered the gamut of
32:59
Doctor Who and its spin-offs thank you.
33:05
We haven't actually because you're going to cut the Surge
33:06
and stuff out there. Oh yeah.
33:08
Oh yeah, that was between episodes as well.
33:11
I will cut that bit out, but thank you very much for your
33:15
time. It's been an absolute.
33:16
Thank you for having me. It's been great fun.
33:18
I really, really enjoyed. It's been a good fun evening.
33:21
Thank you.