Latest / A Hamster With a Blunt Penknife - a Doctor Who Commentary podcast / Talks to Si Hart about his choice of Snakedance (4/4)
Transcript
- 0:01Welcome back to I'm still with a blunt penknife the Doctor Who
- 0:05commentary podcast. I can't think of anything
- 0:08original to do so I'm so sorry. Wow, that's right.
- 0:12Perhaps you could ask me a question.
- 0:14It's a sigh. We haven't been introduced.
- 0:18Have we okay. You said that to a few blokes
- 0:25every episode, every episode of this one.
- 0:32Deserve this honestly are here to discuss the gripping climax
- 0:37to snake. Dance story to of season 20 of
- 0:41Doctor Who. Yes.
- 0:43And just because you did this to me.
- 0:46I think the last time we spoke perhaps you could tell everyone
- 0:50at home. What has occurred in this story
- 0:52to date? Well, Tegan under, Partial
- 1:00control of them of the mara has taken the Tardis to the planet
- 1:04of Medusa, which is where the mara originated.
- 1:08Meanwhile, the people of Medusa have forgotten their past and
- 1:13are now reduced the story of the mara to a myth and legend that
- 1:18is part of their, their civilization.
- 1:20But they've forgotten the new ones is, and why, and how the
- 1:24civilization was destroyed by the creation of the mara, which
- 1:28they did themselves with the Mind's Eye and great Crystal.
- 1:33So they have put on this pageant every year, which is about to
- 1:36happen in part, 4 of snake dance where they go through the
- 1:41rituals of destroying of getting rid of the mara.
- 1:44But only this time, the mara lawn has persuaded Amber, all
- 1:49the director of Things with some by showing him, some beautiful
- 1:56trinkets that they're going to use the the original great
- 1:59Crystal. And thus the mara could come
- 2:02back. Meanwhile Doctor Who Nyssa and
- 2:04chela have walked down a corridor and a now being held at
- 2:08sword points, the most gripping part of the whole story.
- 2:11That's that was beautifully done.
- 2:14That was what's the matter? I'm quite impressed.
- 2:17You are lovely voice to listen to someone should tell me right
- 2:20now, the Doctor Who and Annuals and things and put them online.
- 2:23They should or anyone would say you should play a series of
- 2:27spin-off, Doctor Who audios they should.
- 2:33Well, look, this has been a very sophisticated story that we have
- 2:39been watching hands. I have a feeling that we're
- 2:43going to Rouse to an epic climax here.
- 2:45I think that I can't see this going wrong.
- 2:49But then we've got so many apart three and they've all gone
- 2:52wrong. I mean, unfortunately there was
- 2:55an enormous pink snake at the end of Kinder, which rather
- 2:59derailed things a little bit. Yeah.
- 3:02So I wonder if the same thing is going to occur.
- 3:04Well I think we might be seeing the pink snake.
- 3:08Have you ever had anything evil and phallic head towards you
- 3:12sigh? Boosie just get the Brigadier
- 3:18out. It's
- 3:35terrifying. Is that?
- 3:37This is an incredibly phallic monster.
- 3:41It's the like the most phallic dog poop.
- 3:44No. It's not, it's not but there's
- 3:48something about the snake imagery.
- 3:50Is that going right back to the Bible and Genesis and the snake
- 3:54is always the Temptation about Doctor Who designers have been
- 3:58obsessed with John Cox. I'll tell you.
- 4:00Well, yeah. Well that that's very much the
- 4:02case to so. So sorry to be talking about
- 4:05John Cox, when we're watching this Christopher Bailey least,
- 4:08intelligent script. It's such a shame, I have.
- 4:12Did you hear the Finished story that was the unmade.
- 4:17Christopher Bailey story children of Seth as very good
- 4:22actually, very good. I've not heard that one.
- 4:24So I'd heard some of the Barbara click ones that were very
- 4:27interesting, the elite particularly was really good.
- 4:31It was as mature as you would expect it to be very well,
- 4:37characterized a great guest cast.
- 4:39Like they really are kind of know when big finishing know
- 4:43Iran's role winner because when you look at the Guest the cast
- 4:46list and so on Blackman in that one.
- 4:48Yeah she was fantastic when you see sort of, you know, Kate
- 4:54Winslet on the guest list then you know, you know that whereas
- 5:02cradle of the snake, which was the MARC Platt script.
- 5:06Yeah, Laura Story was no good. I did not like that at all.
- 5:11Now that it was funny because when we used to do as Joel So we
- 5:16do the pants Cara audios which were a series of fan audios and
- 5:21about a couple of years before the Cradle of the snake.
- 5:25We did a third Maura story where the doctor was possessed by the
- 5:28mara wow. Yeah, exactly.
- 5:32That's a bold thing to pull off. You know, it was and we did who
- 5:36played the doctor and that was pulled monk, my friend Paul who
- 5:40played the doctor in that one, with his companion, AIDs?
- 5:43That was great. That was really fun.
- 5:45I scripted that one for my friend and helped him fill out
- 5:49the script. That was great fun to do.
- 5:51What was it called? Come on, let's do a bit of Mark.
- 5:53The hand of peace and of Peace, everybody.
- 5:56Please audios, go find out mmm-hmm.
- 6:02But the MARC Platt one, it's always it was a bit comical and
- 6:06a and a bit over played as well. It didn't quite come to as
- 6:12should have been brilliant. Because the idea of the doctor
- 6:15being possessed by the mara, it's a really great idea.
- 6:20But as always with big finish, didn't quite go where it should
- 6:24have done and it was just an idea and they didn't play with
- 6:28it and didn't become tight. Sometimes they think of this Be
- 6:32a great idea. But I don't know what to do with
- 6:35it. Yeah I mean sometimes I get it
- 6:36really right. Our slack off all a big finish,
- 6:39I would have got a big finish podcast so you don't like it.
- 6:41Huh. But like William much like talk
- 6:45to itself like the classic series and really very right and
- 6:48they could get it very wrong. Okay, what's occurring here?
- 6:57I'm just about to reveal that, he's going to use the great
- 7:02crystal in, in the ceremony and still still the doctor is not
- 7:07believe, but normally know this point in most Adventures robots
- 7:11are deaf. Those trout and stories, you
- 7:13know, where he's on this one over.
- 7:15Yeah, I don't think he ever does, does he?
- 7:18No not even at the end when he comes into the ceremony, no one
- 7:25is listening to Him and we don't even have that moment afterwards
- 7:29where everyone's, like, you know, old chunk you Doctor you
- 7:32are. Yeah, none of that at all.
- 7:35Black ink is are so fucking arrogant.
- 7:37They wouldn't even, they wouldn't can see from the fact
- 7:40that he was right. You know, and the only person
- 7:43who does believe them is chaillot, who is with them.
- 7:46Now, for the rest of the story, man, there's a couple of scenes
- 7:49in this episode with chela. The doctor Anisa I absolutely
- 7:53adore. They're just little character
- 7:55beers. Where they give each other a
- 7:57look, some things like that. It could have been a very
- 8:01interesting Tardis team, the three of them and I could have
- 8:05seen in a relationship between Taylor and Nissan Versa.
- 8:09Yeah. There's a big little bit,
- 8:12they're called primeval. Where in hell, are plays a
- 8:16character on Truckin? Yeah.
- 8:18A bit like Taylor quite gentle and softly spoken at that, and
- 8:22they have like an almost romance, as I can.
- 8:24Kind of see that working. All, this is great.
- 8:30Let me look at your arm bar. For the last time, what she's
- 8:35got on her head? She can collect O'Neill can
- 8:41carry that off beautifully. She didn't work.
- 8:45If you were an affair fucking cones as well.
- 8:49This is great where he says. Sorry doctor is just a surprise
- 8:54catches you and then you have to pay you.
- 8:56I was he froze. What happened?
- 8:59It feels again, it just feels like a little touch in the court
- 9:02of the carnival. Yeah.
- 9:05Yeah. And I love the fact, you get to
- 9:07see them like taking the snake through the through the
- 9:10corridors and that towards the cave mouth.
- 9:13Yes. Because and that it's the great
- 9:16big pink snake from kinder but that is a beautiful touch and
- 9:23the kids are home going. No, you know, don't do that.
- 9:29It's fabulous. Oh, well, we get a little little
- 9:32diversion now off into the country to see.
- 9:34Don't know yet. You don't see dojin, who has
- 9:37been. Such an enigmatic bigger for all
- 9:40of us because you just see those cutaways of him and there's no
- 9:43dialogue and we had music and the and the glow of the Crystal
- 9:48and that's it. And you have no idea.
- 9:51Other than in the end credits that he's dojin, you know,
- 9:54what's fantastic is, is that you've had tanhe talk about him
- 9:57and how she liked it and work. It was, you've had a all talk
- 10:01about him. Those confetti quack.
- 10:03Yeah. So you get this massive sets of
- 10:05his character. Despite the fact he doesn't
- 10:07actually utter my what I love the music here with other
- 10:12Janice. Yeah, oh yeah.
- 10:14Good old Pizza how. Yeah, sort of adopted this and
- 10:17make it Again it's it has a culture.
- 10:22Remember I said that I thought that Brian Willis character was
- 10:25custom made for me. Yeah, I've changed my mind.
- 10:28It's the guy we are now speaking now.
- 10:31Yes, he's armed. He's back for.
- 10:32He was in The Invisible enemy. He's one of those possessed
- 10:36people. That's the start of.
- 10:38Yeah. You know.
- 10:39Marv raw thinks that's the worst acted seen in all of Doctor Who
- 10:42where he goes come in and join the party.
- 10:47Welcome to tighten and you're welcome to it.
- 10:51Is that bad? Oh, I like this way.
- 10:55He puts on the costume and then any tension between them goes
- 11:00away and she just goes. Yep.
- 11:01You're forgiven aren't you? Always?
- 11:03You are. Yes.
- 11:05So you know, she is standing with her back to what's going on
- 11:08and paying no attention to this. I just saw.
- 11:13You said? Yeah.
- 11:15Yeah because she's a spoil as he.
- 11:17Is it homes away? She's not a grown-up.
- 11:20She's yeah. I need just used to get in their
- 11:24own way but she stumbles across a nice are and she's like, well
- 11:29I just don't know what to do. I'm not accustomed to dealing
- 11:32with these sort of situations because she is, mm, that's not
- 11:36what she does. Nobody would ever have the nerve
- 11:38to rummage through my drawers, you know, it's all right.
- 11:45Here we are first scene shop for season 20.
- 11:48I was it. Yeah.
- 11:51It's so weird, isn't it? The film cameras had a depth to
- 11:56everything. Yeah.
- 11:57Hmm. Peter Davison there, looks
- 12:00amazing, his hairs, a bit, all over the place in the studio.
- 12:04But here these aren't. There was some brilliant
- 12:07photographs taken from this site and they would make it onto the
- 12:12book covers in the 90s where there'd be painted by Alistair
- 12:15Pearson, so forgot Opera and things like that and yeah,
- 12:20really good. Oh my God.
- 12:23Yeah, okay. Well, okay, even in context is,
- 12:28yeah, it's beautiful. Let me look at you beautiful red
- 12:48gloves. I feel like this look there's a
- 12:55period drama to be set in the Palace of the Federated after.
- 13:01Yeah absolutely. And I hope we never see the
- 13:04Federation. It he's one of those.
- 13:07Fantastic off-screen Doctor Who. Yes exactly.
- 13:10Yes painted brilliantly. Uh-huh.
- 13:13You think of any other examples? I'm sure there are loads but my
- 13:18brain has gone blank, right? There's two, I can always think
- 13:21of and that is what's her name? President zarb.
- 13:26Oh yes. It kind of loved ones does.
- 13:28Yes. Who you know?
- 13:29And again you've got a real image of him from the way he's
- 13:31spoken about. And the other one I was just
- 13:35thinking of another one as well. Oh the graphing.
- 13:39The case always going on about his brother as a lie.
- 13:41Yes. Taking over the live.
- 13:42Believe the business. Yes.
- 13:47The video. Oh, and a lovely real snake.
- 13:55But I think that does take some Talent, you know, to create an
- 13:59off-screen character. So vividly.
- 14:01Yes. You.
- 14:04I think that was the only time Davidson ever handled a live
- 14:06snake. He's huh?
- 14:08I remember having to do that, we had one of those live animal
- 14:12shows claim to the library where they've got creepy crawlies.
- 14:15And I took my nephew or he came along and I'm so they bring out
- 14:21the big python from the box and said, right?
- 14:25Who wants to hold this and Luke pipes up at age 5.
- 14:29So my uncle Simon would like to hold the snake at.
- 14:33So I had to hold the snake. Could be really Brave.
- 14:37It's so weird because I am I have a genuine phobia of snakes
- 14:41spiders, which everyone else in the spine or there's a local Zoo
- 14:46here where you can hold a tarantula.
- 14:48I'm happy. He's got big furry, legs scars
- 14:50all over your hand. Happiness is brilliant.
- 14:54This is really good and that hearing the doctors doubts and
- 14:59he's done this and he's brought this on on Tegan.
- 15:03He's got to savor and he can't focus.
- 15:05And just knowing the doctor can't focus because got all
- 15:08these thoughts going around his head again though.
- 15:10That's Haley. Things done, isn't it?
- 15:12Yeah but else you've got and he just needs to find the Still
- 15:17Point. What is the Still Point?
- 15:21It's a point. I think, like now, Where you
- 15:25just are calm and so you can defeat whatever needs to be
- 15:29done. Everyone else will be panicking
- 15:30around you but you can be calm and concentrate and do what you
- 15:34need to do. Is it like going into like a
- 15:36meditative State? Yeah, you are entirely in the
- 15:40now you're not going without see that bit at the end where he's
- 15:43got the Crystal and he's just focusing on the crystal wall
- 15:46everything. Everyone is screaming around him
- 15:49and he still and calm and he's focused and he's not being
- 15:53possessed like everyone else because he's on a different
- 15:56plane. That's why we're talking about
- 15:58this kind of stuff in the Doctor Who on the tree.
- 16:01It's just show that this is a this is like playing.
- 16:03I've got lots of weighty ideas. Yeah and I think the guy who
- 16:08plays dojin looks looks the part brilliantly.
- 16:11He's so disheveled. I think is the word but if you
- 16:16ever have you ever tried meditation No, I never have.
- 16:21I did Transcendental Meditation while it's right where?
- 16:24And that's where you repeat a phrase in your head.
- 16:27I've ever again for like 30 minutes.
- 16:30I'll tell you what, right? I didn't one time and I did it
- 16:34and about 10 minutes in, I think you numb your brain into not
- 16:38thinking because you are just constantly repeating the same
- 16:41phrase right after half an hour. I woke up and I had all tears
- 16:45running down my face. I've no idea where I went, what
- 16:48I was thinking about. So having these and emotion of
- 16:52some kind very strange. Anyway.
- 17:00I'll here we go. The great Sleek has reached the
- 17:02Kayla and don't you even say I'm being rude are.
- 17:07Well, that's exactly what has happened.
- 17:10I mean, it is Pink as well. Yeah, I the symbolism.
- 17:15Yeah, no, to be fair, if you see a pink snake coming towards you
- 17:20covered in yellow spots, I would advise you, I would run.
- 17:29Here as well. Yeah, it's kind of poetic isn't
- 17:33it goes? Yeah, I turned my hand and the
- 17:35branch falls to the floor. Yes, I give you the world in a
- 17:40handful of dust, which is a quote, from t.s., Eliot from the
- 17:43Wasteland. I see a beautiful piece of what.
- 17:47I'm it's magnificent I still can't get my head around it but
- 17:50it's it's a beautiful piece of poetry.
- 17:53It's huge and epic. And something I studied at
- 17:56University and need to go back and read again because I It's
- 18:00something you get more from as you're older.
- 18:05That's a that's another little liar than isn't it.
- 18:07What's the poet? That's quoted in Lazarus
- 18:09experiment. He said earlier again.
- 18:14It might be, it might be, I can't remember.
- 18:16Now, it is not, I do not. I do like, you know what, when
- 18:21literary allusions are made within a story, yet don't go.
- 18:29I offer you fear and I think that absolutely it yet, it's a
- 18:35handful of glitter actually, on my side, I do not fear anything.
- 18:40Sigh, well, I'm with you. I fear that shot any costs to
- 18:49the clouds? Between the three of them and I
- 19:22loved the scene. We had a Rome weather just lying
- 19:25around waiting for dojin to come.
- 19:27And they see. So at ease with each other guys,
- 19:31is well, the The Mask said, there's like Devil masks at
- 19:34someone's. Yeah, the big gold eyes and the
- 19:36gold masks as well. This is a very handsome story,
- 19:40you know? Yes.
- 19:42And we still haven't seen Tegan. Few hasn't been on screen since
- 19:47the middle of part 3 when she wasn't quite as here at my tail.
- 19:50Yeah, but she is actually going to make a huge entrance ants.
- 19:55Yeah, and I love it the way the the crystal goes in and then the
- 19:59wall lights up a bit. Yeah.
- 20:00That's really. Really good.
- 20:02And then the door opens and there she is.
- 20:05Yeah, I mean, if I was ever gonna have an entrance and a
- 20:07doctor who, I mean, I think that would that's pretty good, isn't
- 20:09it? Yeah, it's a bit like Cilla
- 20:11Black coming out and surprise, surprise surprise.
- 20:25You know, even with like, I'm going to worry about the
- 20:28Aesthetics quite a bit, but only because I'm so impressed with
- 20:31the caves, like, all these roots everywhere all over there.
- 20:34Everything is overgrown and old and time.
- 20:38Again, there are some thought into this, isn't that.
- 20:42And there are shadows, they've turned the lights down a bit.
- 20:46Although, I mean, we won't stop banging on about that because
- 20:49what I mean we will say there are times in the 80s where they
- 20:51should have turn the lights down.
- 20:52Yeah, absolutely. There are many times.
- 20:58If me the great Crystal PSI at lost, he becomes because this is
- 21:06a bit and come on, come on, hurry up.
- 21:10You left that go on. Getting this is a bit rubbish,
- 21:13Taylor doesn't and then he goes floor.
- 21:20This is greater, but this is a proper like this isn't a big
- 21:23action climax. Do you normally get it done, but
- 21:25it's a big dinner more. It's a big ending still.
- 21:31It feels very like a big Theater ending, doesn't it?
- 21:34You know, every or yeah, everyone's together and you're
- 21:39getting the big big end down. And it's like, I like the battle
- 21:44of wills. Yes and I because that that's
- 21:48it. Probably precisely what's
- 21:49happening. It's a psychological ending like
- 21:51Kinder where it was facing the mirrors, you know?
- 21:54Yeah, I love the way it. Just a little attention to
- 21:57detail of the two people possessed by the mara are very
- 22:02red-faced and hot. Yeah, and it's not something
- 22:06you. You notice straight away.
- 22:09I have to say the realization of the snake in this.
- 22:13It's still not the best thing ever.
- 22:16Damn good for a long time. Yeah.
- 22:21Well yeah, because if you look the eyes move.
- 22:23Yeah. And the mouth opens and yeah
- 22:27unfortunately that is clearly a rubber snake.
- 22:29She's just from all their wishes unfortunate But never mind.
- 22:37Look at that. That's a really good use of
- 22:39serious out. Yeah.
- 22:43That cover of the snake, dance novelization.
- 22:47Yeah. With the planet in its mouth.
- 22:49Yeah. Herb.
- 22:51Who did? Who true that Andrew Skillets.
- 22:53I did that one. It only knows targets back then.
- 22:56Yeah, see ya here. He is railing against everyone.
- 22:59And it's not working because he's forgotten, he's got to be,
- 23:02he's got to be still. He can't do it by his normal
- 23:07shouting at everyone. And it's been like Warriors, gay
- 23:12isn't it? Do nothing.
- 23:14Exactly. And here we goes.
- 23:17Or I like the overlay of Tegan and the snake.
- 23:19Yeah and that's Bree and the screams and yeah.
- 23:23Yeah, that's that. It's very effective.
- 23:27I think the creepiest moment is where the mara Tegan pretends to
- 23:33be normal Tegan. Yeah.
- 23:35But the voice is just that little bit higher than normal,
- 23:40but she's trying to get her own way.
- 23:43Superb. This is Janet fielding's tour de
- 23:46force here. This is No, that's dry the
- 23:52creek. No protect the Crystal.
- 23:54And just had just that thing of just taking her voice down a
- 23:59couple of registers. Is.
- 24:02Yeah, is wonderful. Yes.
- 24:06Only Doctor Who stories end on a big bang which is so nice to
- 24:10have something a little bit more thoughtful.
- 24:12It's clever. Actually yeah that snake head
- 24:16with her is. All right.
- 24:18Yeah. And I was thinking a second ago,
- 24:20you know, when they're all pretending to be afraid and all
- 24:23of that you can almost imagine when they said car just fell
- 24:27about her. Yeah but that's Doctor.
- 24:30Who isn't it? Like making something.
- 24:33Absurd terrifying. Yeah, here we go again.
- 24:47Yeah. Hello manipulative and wonderful
- 24:50and he will not submit was, it was sad, is I think in lysine
- 24:54than aside, she doesn't really get a gray acting role again.
- 25:01Oh, she gets lots of good stuff in enlightenment.
- 25:05Yeah, very mature Tegan. Very I like, you know, she gets
- 25:11in, she gets to do a stroppy piece, a lot of stone, but she
- 25:14doesn't really get anything to get her teeth in.
- 25:16Know, I was such a shame which is why my power of the doctor
- 25:21was really good for me because she did Oh, here we go.
- 25:27Oh yeah, yeah, they're obsessed with guns in the 80s and so
- 25:30always when we have yeah, a snake.
- 25:39And it's weird because we don't really because we don't get a
- 25:42coder. And I think there was don't get
- 25:45in till Motrin Undead. Do we?
- 25:47When I think there was a scripted scene, yeah, they
- 25:50filmed it but I think the episode was over running so they
- 25:53put it into the start of Motoring Undead.
- 25:57Yeah, he explains that he had to be destroyed between its modes
- 26:00of being and but it means that we don't really see out all of
- 26:06these fantastic guest characters, though, we've done
- 26:08it just sort of. I think it's quite nice, it just
- 26:12stops and there is the possibility that they were
- 26:15around for a bit longer and a bit.
- 26:18And what are they learned? These rich people.
- 26:20Nothing that makes. And we've got a very, very rare
- 26:25moment of tenderness between the doctor and His companion in.
- 26:29Yeah. In the early 80s where he puts
- 26:31his arm around her, he's not allowed to do that.
- 26:34And it is a there's a similar language.
- 26:36Remember in modern Undead we talked about that where she says
- 26:39you were going to risk your life just keeping us.
- 26:41Thank you so much and that he's done the same for her here.
- 26:46And see don't sleep Companions and she's crying much better
- 26:51than she did at the end of her shock as well.
- 26:53So it is a real real feeling that she has been through the
- 26:57wringer. And she is, she is her and
- 26:59damaged. And just for a companion to have
- 27:02that kind of focus. Yeah, yeah.
- 27:06Very especially unusual in the 60s where no onions that very
- 27:14often had decent characters storylines.
- 27:19But we're out. We already the in the the decade
- 27:22of action who now always say exactly.
- 27:25And so, you don't ya to have something that's fought for and
- 27:28character-driven as this is it's rare.
- 27:31And it's a bit of a gem to say, well, you know, what comes next?
- 27:37Yes, I have to say. Would you like to go first or
- 27:43shall I? I'm, I'm happy to go first
- 27:45because I can take the really Really the obvious one and say
- 27:51Janet Fielding new New York. What else was it gonna be?
- 27:55I-it's, just a stunning performance in this story and
- 28:00she gets to be scared. She gets to be young.
- 28:04She gets to be hypnotized Tegan and she gets to be Mara Tegan
- 28:08and she excels at all of them. She is really, really good.
- 28:13And I think it's one of the best companion performances in the
- 28:17show. So Of own, an individual story.
- 28:19I think she is right up there and she's proved her worth
- 28:22there. I'm going to say the planet
- 28:26Medusa is one of the best realized and written planets in
- 28:33Doctor Who I absolutely believe it exists.
- 28:37The people in it, the sort of The Faded mythology the Customs,
- 28:44they just a bustling Marketplace, you know, all of it
- 28:48and all the different characters that we me.
- 28:50I believe that they've got a purpose with In this Society, I
- 28:55can't say that about every Doctor Who planted that we visit
- 28:57car fail. So I always say car feel but I
- 29:01see. Jeong Capo is just such the
- 29:05obvious example of a planet that you just don't believe in.
- 29:09Well, let me take another one. Then I don't entirely believe in
- 29:12because car felt such an easy target.
- 29:15Yeah, no coughing for all like Meg loss.
- 29:20You know what's that? Yeah, exactly.
- 29:22Yeah. It's Yeah, it's generically
- 29:24written. And yeah, it's there for the
- 29:27purpose of the story. But why would you have a
- 29:30separate faction of religious nuts versus scientists?
- 29:34So it's not, yeah, I'm going to say something controversial now
- 29:37as well. Okay, I so I, yeah, I do like
- 29:42the story. I just don't believe the planet
- 29:45and that is Terror Alpha in that happiness Patrol.
- 29:49I can understand that. Anyway, before phrase magical.
- 29:55Second everyone, my second one is going to be Peter, how, who,
- 29:59I think, gives this story tremendous atmosphere in a way
- 30:03that only the radio phonic Workshop.
- 30:06I think could do, I've can't imagine this story being
- 30:10schooled by Murray gold or doubly Simpson or Paddy
- 30:15Kingsland. All the people who like Melody
- 30:18this is s a canola. This is Peter.
- 30:21How Ow, this is mood and mood music, rather than music music.
- 30:28There's not many Tunes other than the which is why the band
- 30:31stands out, and he creates the culture of this planet through
- 30:36the music of the carnival. And it's in all the marketplace
- 30:39scenes in different bits, but there are very few moments of
- 30:45conventional scoring on top of it.
- 30:47Whereas it's lots of pads and lots of waves.
- 30:52Music. And I think that is unsettling
- 30:56and in a way that 80s up to who isn't very often, and I think
- 31:00he's, he's, he's just brilliant. I love pizza house.
- 31:03Oh, yeah. What and to take that to, to
- 31:07extend that, I'll say that, I think the scares in this story,
- 31:15in an era that is not very subtle about it scares.
- 31:19Yes, this is scary because of the performance.
- 31:22Dances. And because of the ideas rather
- 31:24than yeah, the monsters, you know.
- 31:26Oh absolutely. Yeah.
- 31:27It's not about people's faces turning to gunge and and people
- 31:32turning into puddles of Goo he says hey he knows it's like a
- 31:35logical scares progressed to a child and tell ya, losing your
- 31:41identity, you know, and enjoying it and enjoying unleashing you
- 31:46know that nasty aside of yourself like it's it is
- 31:50properly scary but it It is down to the cost more than anybody
- 31:56and they perform up admirably. Absolutely, I can't.
- 32:00Yeah, I thought that because this was the scariest Doctor Who
- 32:04story of my childhood. As I said, this was the one that
- 32:07lingered with me and gave me nightmares and did upset me and
- 32:13I love it. It's because there weren't next
- 32:17essential Frets in cops who like that at this point and so it
- 32:21Really listen Kinder, really, really stood out in an era.
- 32:25That's obsessed with monsters and action.
- 32:28And people being gunned down. This is so different.
- 32:31And my third thing I think is I'm going to say, Well, done to
- 32:37Eric's a word for working with Christopher Bailey to get a
- 32:41workable script that is working both to doctor whose stripes and
- 32:48to Christopher Bailey strengths and like, That created the world
- 32:53but creating wonderful memorable, characters and
- 32:56interesting scenes and it's beautifully plotted.
- 33:01It's really, really well done. It's a slow burn and it's got
- 33:05really good use of the doctor and its really good use of Nyssa
- 33:08as well. And it all just works
- 33:11unexpectedly. Whereas Kinder is a slightly
- 33:14flawed production but this this everyone feels more confident, I
- 33:21think. A staffer Bailey is more
- 33:23confident in what he's doing. And yeah, it's really good.
- 33:26I look at the characters he creates here, they're all fit.
- 33:30As you said Medusa and the characters all feel like real
- 33:34people and places and that's thanks to Christopher.
- 33:37Bailey upping his game to create a world.
- 33:41Even then sigh even then well my last is going to be I think this
- 33:49is one of the it's hard because there are Great guess calls in a
- 33:53Tito and I think J. And T was bar savvier than
- 33:58anyone gave him credit when it can, I'll sting, and he did some
- 34:01pretty sort of dangerous casting as well.
- 34:04But actually, this is, this is like a reliable car.
- 34:08This is not, there's no one dangerous in this one.
- 34:11This is, these are all people who you feel should be in Doctor
- 34:14Who and John Carson and had a phenomenal career by this point,
- 34:18and somehow Doctor Who have missed him, he'd been in The
- 34:21Avengers. Has most years.
- 34:23He'd been in all the shows, he was a really great solid actor
- 34:29and he's got The Perfect part. He plays plays a role to
- 34:33absolute perfection. Martin clunes is clearly on his
- 34:37road to stardom and steal the show from everybody.
- 34:40Jonathan Morris comes in and develops an immediate rapport
- 34:44with Davison and set something Colette, O'Neill was just super
- 34:50probably that's probably the performance of As for me, I
- 34:52think she's great. And yeah she belongs in some
- 34:55Grand period drama solutely and and again with diamonds.
- 35:00So yeah. And even Brian Miller as
- 35:03ducktail is spot-on as the show, highly role but he gives it a
- 35:10dignity and wonder and weariness and cynicism.
- 35:15Yeah, so I mean like I think the conclusion that we're drawing is
- 35:20this is very good indeed. Yeah, and I don't like it even
- 35:24more than I usually don't talk about it.
- 35:28This is one. I've always rated very, very
- 35:31highly and what I was really excited to see you again in the
- 35:3390s bizarrely. For some reason, our when I got
- 35:41my met, the guy who got Doctor Who and beat the max tapes that
- 35:45I could borrow and sort of copy onto VHS, he had most of season
- 35:5120. But not much of 20 and 19 that
- 35:55bizarrely. He had the last five minutes of
- 35:58episode 4, on the end of a tape that I discovered I was just
- 36:02watching the speaking. This is superb.
- 36:04What really want to see the rest of this during the ceremony and
- 36:08that bit? Oh wow, this is so good.
- 36:12And, you know, I think it's like we said before, it is a story
- 36:16that works for children because it is scary and it works for
- 36:20adults because it's mature. Or as well yes and you can get
- 36:24you can ReDiscover this at any point in your doctor who found
- 36:27them and find something different in it.
- 36:29I think and it is talky and yeah, I'm slow but I don't think
- 36:35he's ever boring. Never know.
- 36:37Even as we say, even the POP3 Exposition is done really
- 36:41cleverly and really well or sad. I'm not sure what else we can
- 36:46say about the story. I really think we've done a
- 36:48marvelous job there I think so. I think that's yeah, that's been
- 36:51worth the wait. It's been a long time coming
- 36:53this one and I'm really pleased because I feel like this is a
- 36:56little neglected snake dance. Yeah, I think it needs a bit
- 36:59more love. So you better make that he's
- 37:01taking this in, people allow, whatever saw the Daleks and
- 37:06curse of fenric and the five doctor shop.
- 37:08Yeah, and this one is sort of a forgotten gem, but because it's
- 37:14so different to all of those. I think that's why it's special
- 37:17if Doctor Who was like this every week.
- 37:19Oh, yeah, we wouldn't celebrate it.
- 37:21But in this era it's such an oddity.
- 37:25And next week, you've got time. Travels Shenanigans and the
- 37:30Brigadier something larger. Yeah, exactly.
- 37:32And so this show is just all over the place in this era but
- 37:36thank God. Wonderful.
- 37:39What where we going next? Oh, I don't know.
- 37:44I've no idea. I know we've Fraser we're still
- 37:47going to take a trip to the moon some time, but it's not ever
- 37:51going to Is that going to happen?
- 37:53I don't think he likes that one. So I think he's stalling on
- 37:56that. Been promised a six-episode
- 37:58jaunt with Fraser and a ton of white stuff coming at me for a
- 38:03long time now. Oh, my word.
- 38:05That's all. I don't know.
- 38:08I don't know what we're going to do next.
- 38:11I thought I'd love to do something unexpected.
- 38:19Yes. And but I think what I'd like to
- 38:21You to do what's that? I'd like you to do a competed
- 38:25Capaldi episode? No, I've done the pilot.
- 38:29You have, should we take a trip under the lake?
- 38:35Oh yes, yeah. Yeah, I'll tell you what, I
- 38:39think my least favorite season of Doctor Who you do have a
- 38:43story. I don't you I really liked that
- 38:45story. So whereas I think the firstly
- 38:47we're house again, you see? So first episode I think is
- 38:50really good enough. Second episode.
- 38:52That's huge problems but how that would be interesting.
- 38:56Okay. And I know there was something
- 38:59else that we did say we were going to do one and it's a bit
- 39:04of a biggie corn and we were going to do the Day of the
- 39:10Doctor. Oh that she mean you like that
- 39:15one right I really love that one you know I really love that one
- 39:19as well but now I've seen power of the doctor I like it.
- 39:22Yeah I think it would be very interesting to go back now
- 39:27because I see other conclusion that I drew watching.
- 39:30The two is I prefer plastic who being celebrated the new boo.
- 39:36Me too. Well that, well, let's War.
- 39:40Let's pencil. Those both in.
- 39:42They will get Fraser to go to the Moon with us by the end of
- 39:47all. The hands to recordings will go
- 39:49from your stories taking three minutes to talk about to 10
- 39:52minutes so I don't you are totally adore doing this with
- 39:58you. That was wonderful.
- 40:01Yeah I hope everyone has enjoyed that as much as we did.
- 40:05I'll see you next time. Until next time, Joe.
- 40:09Bosch. I love that.