Latest / A Hamster With a Blunt Penknife - a Doctor Who Commentary podcast / Talks to Frazer Gregory about his choice of The Ambassadors of Death (7/7)
Transcript
- 0:56Dun dun, dun dun you realize something.
- 1:06Hello, hello, hello, hello. You realize something.
- 1:10No, I don't. People listen to us talking
- 1:12about the story for two weeks. People demanded that the
- 1:17lavender. I mean, ahem, wasn't it Conrad?
- 1:24Who said I should do this episode first?
- 1:27I'm an at is Andy Park Apartments, and is his mouth on
- 1:31this one as well? Yeah.
- 1:34I think Ben Conrad was quite specific that you had me talk
- 1:37for. Yeah, I think so.
- 1:41But I think he cares what you're talking about.
- 1:42He coveted reading your shopping list or something.
- 1:47It's the accent Fraser. Honestly, I'll do a special
- 1:49shopping list or two pounds of spots.
- 1:55I like no one's guess which way of my voice right now.
- 1:58I should be Borden's. Mrs. Just next door this way.
- 2:08Okay, all right. Welcome back to a hamster with a
- 2:13blunt. Penknife the doctor who try to
- 2:17comment, we podcast that considers it.
- 2:21So its moral duty to talk about the ambassador's of death.
- 2:27I'm freezer and I'm joined by the host of hamster, which is
- 2:31The Marvelous incomparable incorrigible.
- 2:35Joe fault. See, how would you encourage a
- 2:37ball? What the hell does that mean?
- 2:41It means that you are incorrigible.
- 2:46I am a very slick, Hench man. Who is scientifically?
- 2:53Very Adept, I can murder anyone in a heartbeat.
- 2:57Stop Rockets going up in the air.
- 2:59Yeah. For for your henchmen needs,
- 3:03just going to go forward know the difference between your M3
- 3:06and standard variant. Just about.
- 3:09Yeah, I think you just like rub it out and write standard
- 3:13variant, you know, which which tube to put the the helium gas
- 3:16in it. Ask me what I'm going to answer
- 3:22that question. You feel bag unusual?
- 3:24I used, you know, since you first started doing these
- 3:26things, everyone's gone the way of the hamster.
- 3:31It's just you're incorrigible ability to see smut where no
- 3:35smut exist. It's true as you are.
- 3:38Yeah. When I'm talking to you, we are
- 3:40here to talk about episode 7. The climactic installment.
- 3:45Yes, of the ambassador's of death.
- 3:48We have some interrogation points from hamster.
- 3:54Contributors if, if you are willing to have a go, yes, let's
- 3:59go with those are marvelous question here from Jim Allen me,
- 4:03who asks given that? How many of us first of all, and
- 4:06Masters in black and white? Do you think it works better in
- 4:09black and white or color? I love the colorization but the
- 4:12black and white gives it a fantastic atmosphere.
- 4:16That's interesting because I did see this first in black and
- 4:19white on UK gold me to him when it was repeated on there in.
- 4:25I mean, I do but I do like the color, the color brings Brings
- 4:30more to it. But it is very Superior tone.
- 4:32Be just because of the way that it's, you know, been brought
- 4:36back. I don't think the color you
- 4:39know, ads as much as it might do and see if we only had like a
- 4:41black-and-white closer back sauce, that sort of thing.
- 4:46I hear you know that if you turn down the Colin Baker era to
- 4:49black and white it automatically becomes more Moody.
- 4:55Well what was the rumor that the happiness Patrol was scheduled
- 4:59to be filmed in black and white? I think it's a myth but it's an
- 5:02interesting idea though isn't it interesting a jar that it was
- 5:05supposed to be this very sort of film Noir on sort of a crazy
- 5:09angles in a black and white water.
- 5:10But I think I think but we'll see the best of the story in
- 5:15terms of color eyes. Shin is if and when it gets a
- 5:19good scrub up for blu-ray. I think, if you know, those
- 5:24Geniuses the Blu-ray Central can can really go to work with this,
- 5:30like the have done with like season 8 and really, you know,
- 5:35smooth out the rough edges and whatnot.
- 5:40When I'm a contributor there. Yeah this is Willow.
- 5:44Willow. Finally I think people think so.
- 5:48I think Lily disagrees their think Lily prefers the black and
- 5:50white because of you I all the ones I've been re colorized.
- 5:55I tend to prefer the black and white there.
- 5:57It's certainly mind of evil. I think looks a lot sharper and
- 6:03the picture quality is a lot better in black and white.
- 6:06But this one, I don't know. Yeah I think again going back to
- 6:11in an alternate a lot about the vision of the dinosaurs in this
- 6:14commentary that episode 1 where the colorization isn't quite as
- 6:19good as the other ones really the ads atmosphere that do you
- 6:22know, that that's sort of it sort of like a burnt orange
- 6:28effect, isn't it around sort of the scenes in London, which
- 6:32really adds a lot of depth to that whole sense of imbalance.
- 6:36Didn't city which I really like. There's just a certain
- 6:41grittiness about black and white, I really like, yeah,
- 6:44yeah. There's a kind of comes with an
- 6:46inbuilt atmosphere as I own, you know, I suppose the most
- 6:49important question about this episode is, does it end the
- 6:53story satisfactorily? It's a lot, you know, not a
- 6:57slob. It's a long story, and a lots
- 7:00happened and it's very complicated.
- 7:02It is. And there is there's a quite
- 7:05unusual ending. Which I think I'll leave until
- 7:08the end to discuss. I think this is where you get
- 7:12the classic neuters divided because I think a new series fan
- 7:16a primarily would say this is anticlimactic, whereas I think a
- 7:20classic series had would say, actually this is very different
- 7:23and very forceful. Okay, let's get to the end, the
- 7:27end of the end, okay, have a good, a good chat about the end
- 7:30of the end because there is, there is meat on those bones, so
- 7:34it's definitely a my bones. Let's go.
- 7:36Cherise, I'm talking about fat, right?
- 7:44Do you want a compass in five? Four, three, two, you'll one.
- 7:53Let's go, quick question for your spirit of the button.
- 7:57I'm ready. Where do you read this story?
- 8:03It was this is Evan. Nope, the story ambassadors of
- 8:06that. How where do you read it in all
- 8:07of Doctor Who when I did it for my blog?
- 8:12Yeah, I thought to myself heart, I don't know what I will say
- 8:16about this thing and I ended up writing, I think it's three and
- 8:18a half thousand words and I gave it an 8 out of 10.
- 8:23I said it's a little bit muddy. It's a little bit long and a
- 8:28little bit padded, but everything that's here is It's
- 8:33very well done and I wouldn't disagree with that, you know.
- 8:39So I'll say is well above average but not like a standout
- 8:44classic. Yeah.
- 8:46Where would you eat it within the stories of season 7?
- 8:52Probably s. Now, I think I think it would be
- 8:56are literally take season seven in reverse order, Inferno
- 9:00ambassador's, silurians All European here hurt.
- 9:04I would. Yeah, I would interesting.
- 9:07Where would you write season seven in terms of the part where
- 9:11you were? Such an anomaly in a unique
- 9:18bubble, all of its own. No, I'd say seven is probably,
- 9:22it's probably the most effective season.
- 9:25It's the most successful season, but is no way my favorite
- 9:28season. And where would you read the put
- 9:32you right in all of Doctor, Who I think the Pertwee era is my
- 9:36go-to comfort Doctor Who, but I also think there's a lot more to
- 9:40it than just Comfort who I love the Jon Pertwee era.
- 9:45Excellent. I've been the video.
- 9:48I'll thank you very much. McGary was sort of, I don't
- 9:51know. I think, I think with the job
- 9:53poeira it. If I'm gonna go to my shelf at
- 9:56times Outta ten, I'll pull out of her way, I think.
- 10:00Yeah, it's really funny because I really at this moment in time
- 10:03and all grown up over discussed, you know, Pertwee was you know a
- 10:07big influence on my love of Doctor Who and you know the
- 10:11stories lot of the first stories I watched before we want some
- 10:15butter. Squeaking a time and we struggle
- 10:19with what these doctorate times. Now at this moment in time, but
- 10:22again, you know, coming back in like you see a pic and stories
- 10:26off the shelf. These stories are so good in
- 10:28this era, a lot of them are so good.
- 10:30Even the ones that aren't as good, make the time monster that
- 10:33will discuss of still got a lot of Merit and a lot of things to
- 10:36to talk about. Haven't I think this is probably
- 10:39the most reliable era of Doctor Who and I can see why during the
- 10:44Jean Pertwee era it. At that audience.
- 10:46Yeah, you know there was a Todd million people watching it.
- 10:50Took a little dip at the end of seven.
- 10:51Yeah, calm. I think invasion of the
- 10:54dinosaurs 10 episodes got 11 million, like, it was growing
- 10:57and growing, like, you could rely to turn on the TV and be
- 11:00entertained and several and excited.
- 11:03I think the the real best thing about the series is why we left
- 11:10in 76 who are absolutely sympatico in the different Yeah,
- 11:16and I think what they almost want different things from the
- 11:18show, but they've got such a Clear Vision of what they want
- 11:22to do and they work so well together and which you know, we
- 11:26possibly haven't heard. Throughout the year, the
- 11:30previous sort of seven years or whatever.
- 11:31That this point, a team that I saw, you know, engage with each
- 11:35other. And so connected with seat again
- 11:37with with Hinchcliffe and homes and we'll see, you know, cream
- 11:40Williams. It's not until like GMT and see
- 11:42what that kind of discipline. Well interestingly the other
- 11:46story I am recording later on today is the twin dilemma and I
- 11:50think that is the perfect example of when your script
- 11:55editor in your producer are not in sympatico.
- 11:58Yeah. What goes wrong, you know.
- 12:02Okay, I've got a question for you.
- 12:03Hmm, in the first couple of episodes where you had a lady in
- 12:07space control who was helping Ralph Cornish, you know, talk
- 12:13down and then we've got another female current space control.
- 12:19Now who's helped get the doctor in this case and getting down
- 12:21here till different current as well.
- 12:23And I think we're supposed to not have know is it's a
- 12:27different woman. What was wrong with the first
- 12:29one that the thought of when he had to replace that with tr?
- 12:32The someone else, Michael folks from that.
- 12:34Yeah, I think he does have a reason as to why the woman fish
- 12:37got another job. As when I make this fabulous
- 12:39joke that perhaps you could have popped along at the end, God
- 12:42what's been happening in the last couple of weeks, anything
- 12:44been going on? I should know about.
- 12:47We have these aliens, come visit, you know?
- 12:49No world catastrophe. So I've got a question for you
- 12:52and it's about the ambassador's, right, because they've been
- 12:57going about the place killing people.
- 12:58All right. Well, I come down, they've got
- 13:01unusual language. And there's communication errors
- 13:03and things like this, but what the fuck?
- 13:04Do they think they're about? What do they think they're
- 13:06doing? Do they think they're going
- 13:07around saying hello to people? No, no.
- 13:08Do you think that the north exactly what's happening because
- 13:11the doctor does build a machine where they can talk to them at
- 13:14the end and then we'll find well and that they are going and kind
- 13:17of people. But they are being held over
- 13:18bubble by Regan because he has got the radiation that they need
- 13:21to survive. So is his device.
- 13:23Also do this, the floppy wrist Ambassador on the venetian blind
- 13:29screen, he never he You've been using our ambassadors.
- 13:34Okay? But so, but they are benevolent
- 13:37species. Yeah, they br have come used to,
- 13:39you know, say hello, the being these three, three buildings are
- 13:42essentially just that Ambassador as they have come to make
- 13:45contact with the Earth and set up, good relations, and whatnot,
- 13:48but because they've been hijacked by current and to use
- 13:51for his xenophobe, it means, and because he's given the Regan who
- 13:54wants to use them for everything else, they are now being forced
- 13:58into doing. So, there's the real villain
- 14:00here is, is not The aliens. It's the it's the humans.
- 14:04It's a very sort of timidly. It's there's an a phobia.
- 14:07Is it's the racism? Yeah.
- 14:09But this is the second time this season then where, you know, a
- 14:13relationship with another species was entirely possible.
- 14:17Yeah. So what occurs at the end of
- 14:19this sin because We're going to get the ambassador's back into
- 14:23space, so they just pop off and say, whoa, Gerard, exactly?
- 14:26I mean nothing to do with you, right?
- 14:27You Troublesome lot on Earth, I don't imagine so, I mean, it's
- 14:32yeah, we sent three ambassadors. You didn't give them any
- 14:35Ferrero. Rocher whatsoever, you just use
- 14:37them as up people. So toodle-oo planet Earth.
- 14:40Leave. Well alone mostly harmless off
- 14:42you go. I'll wait.
- 14:44I really love this. I really love how Carrington is
- 14:48going to use the ambassador's to say Scare everybody via the
- 14:52media. Yeah.
- 14:54Because that's, that's very, very modern day as well.
- 14:58Yeah. Yeah, I guess you're not going
- 15:03to remove the helmet. You can't even touch them
- 15:05without hardly a single finger on them, without beans up to
- 15:08death. Now, we're going to take the
- 15:09helmet off, it doesn't doesn't count and hold a gallon like a
- 15:12wishes Report with say no you will you will report this?
- 15:16I'm not entirely sure. Yeah, I think he does.
- 15:19I think I think he is desperate for everybody to see what he
- 15:24sees. Yeah it which is this.
- 15:26Is it This is it and we'll get the ambassador's do in a bit
- 15:31more. Zapping zapping yet.
- 15:36Those clouded space helmets are soaked, affect her, bosom
- 15:42Margaret who, who who says in the making of that, you know, it
- 15:48was a unintentional design flaw that the helmets that the actors
- 15:53were wearing steamed up while they were wearing them but that
- 15:56just added to the whole brilliant like say when you can
- 15:59actually see the faces, when you can see the just got a face with
- 16:02black cloth over, it's not nearly as effective. - is this
- 16:05sort of, like, radiation blistered.
- 16:10What what's great about this episode?
- 16:13Now is, we're kind of want to count down to this broadcast?
- 16:17Yes, which has got to be stopped and suddenly, this wonderful
- 16:21sequence in a minute where it's done, handheld camera where the
- 16:24Brigadier is marched out of the base and he effectively it, it
- 16:29takes on all the cars doesn't. He's amazing.
- 16:33But it's like, you know, how we need to stop Carrington.
- 16:35We need to stop this happening because this is going to spread
- 16:38like fear. Yeah.
- 16:40And they say, I'm going to end well for the ambassador's.
- 16:42It's not going to end well for anyone, but we've got we try to
- 16:45save the monsters when does Doctor Who do that, it's so new
- 16:50series and in a lot of ways, isn't it in?
- 16:54You've got current and just becoming more and more unhinged,
- 16:57you know, Cornish has already called him out as being murdered
- 17:01in, would know, see in a really Start to unravel and he's going
- 17:03to stop pulling guns on people. It's going to start arresting
- 17:05the Brigadier. You know, we already know now
- 17:08that he is you know the chief you know he's the organ grinder
- 17:14as it were to Regan's monkey. So well that does actually leave
- 17:18me to another question that somebody asked.
- 17:21Yes, and that is from The Marvelous been Jolly.
- 17:25He asked given the the Despicable things that he does
- 17:29in this story. Do you think?
- 17:32Reagan deserved to live to fight another day.
- 17:36Absolutely. Yes.
- 17:37Because, you know, this is Doctor Who it's not bleep 7 or
- 17:41but this equalness and enough rear has no idea what has this
- 17:45man likes. Corby gets killed, doesn't he
- 17:47starts gets killed? Yeah, absolutely.
- 17:49But you know of those good things is that You know how it
- 17:55should be that. Yeah, you were wrong answer.
- 17:57You don't, and you don't make it to the end credits of the final
- 18:00episode, I don't think so. I like the fact that, you know,
- 18:04current and get away with it. Doesn't get away, but he is Left
- 18:07Alive. I like that.
- 18:10You know, Regan is captured and you know you are going to get
- 18:12Justice somewhere else. You know, you think it's another
- 18:15element of naturalism for this season actually site.
- 18:18You know what? Like not everybody gets their
- 18:20just not, not all bad people. Die sometime.
- 18:25She and I are bad people, bad people and they get away with it
- 18:27against your sometimes, the good people live.
- 18:30Some people you know bad people live and good people died in a
- 18:33story. You know that's very well.
- 18:36Know, Ser la la. Yeah, I'm more than happy with
- 18:38that. I think, you know, one of the
- 18:40things I dislike about it is always especially the, you know,
- 18:43Mighty works here with time is that everyone dies at the actual
- 18:48murder or? Yeah, buddy.
- 18:50That's how he ends up law, isn't it?
- 18:52As I woke up not to give anyone a satisfying ending.
- 18:54I was brutally dispatch them all.
- 18:57We'll just let the Tardis crew walk away or maybes, one or two
- 19:01and then you can't just turn around and go.
- 19:02Well, there should have been another way.
- 19:05Oh yeah. There should have been, we
- 19:06should have fucking written it. Exactly.
- 19:11I think you can use that end in a few times.
- 19:14We know there was just a issue like using that ended.
- 19:16I just think they did it to Get It Best in silurians.
- 19:19Yeah, let's let's make it with other aliens as well, rather
- 19:23than just Just the Siberians, you know every side you install
- 19:28we now is sort of like oh well this is your plan as well.
- 19:30We should share and or I'm really so that we've got to kill
- 19:32you. Is that why can't I have that
- 19:34with Adam of the zygons in Terror of the zygons?
- 19:37Why can't I have that with the turbolift doors in the
- 19:40visitation? Why does it always weigh just?
- 19:43So your real reasons that we have this this actually nothing
- 19:45is similar to Russell. T Davies did very well in series
- 19:50one with with Chris Eccleston where we have the unquiet.
- 19:52Dead. Where was more than happy to let
- 19:54the girls? Come through and how I love
- 19:56that. I'll take that.
- 19:57I like the open and I really like your other doggy bags in
- 20:00the very alien way, you know, or it was a morality that's
- 20:03different, it's not exactly. You know.
- 20:05That's, that's one of the things that works very well that Mitten
- 20:07with and man's back. We'll miss stem.
- 20:09Jeffrey beavers are no. I was about to say Caroline job.
- 20:12Husband husband teacher Master. Yes, it is looking very handsome
- 20:16on my side. Look at that shot.
- 20:18A current and just stood at the top there, can I just say
- 20:21phrase? I don't know if you've listened
- 20:22to the big finish box at masterful, right?
- 20:25But Gary beavers gets a sub point.
- 20:27Now, where his crispy Master it gets a love story and he's
- 20:32absolutely amazing in it. It's some of the best most I've
- 20:36ever heard. He's very, very good.
- 20:38Yes, yeah, rather ugly, you've got Geoffrey beavers in this,
- 20:43you got pulled Darrow, playing a soldier in silurians.
- 20:47Yeah, pre Tech a stroke Avon other this question for you,
- 20:53then obviously, you know, Got my Coalition here, who goes on to
- 20:56play, various other parts, as well as Davos.
- 20:59We've got several shops who has various possible, got who, you
- 21:03know, This is a theme throughout the 60s and the 70s where you
- 21:08have the same. Number of Cornish was in the
- 21:10dominators, Clarkson on it and the the classic series wasn't
- 21:14afraid to use actors again and again and again and see, you
- 21:17know yeah just because you were in one story.
- 21:20Doesn't mean you can't be in there.
- 21:21Get asked me why the new series doesn't do the same thing?
- 21:23Yeah. Oh my God.
- 21:26Am I David Icke table? Yeah.
- 21:28Possibly is the new series more scrutinized.
- 21:32I think I think perhaps the show as a whole More accessible now
- 21:36and it's scrutinized in a lot more detail.
- 21:38I know there have been a couple. I'm there in the new series, The
- 21:41Hoff I mean, obviously, Karen Gillan was in fires of Pompeii
- 21:43of your regiment yet was you know, kabaddi, hmm.
- 21:49You know, I mean and the show had then has to do with you now
- 21:53double Loops to say because he has escaped and fantastic to
- 21:56see. Why is this is just a lot of
- 21:58bloody Sweeney this. Look at this.
- 22:00Yeah, dark and underground things.
- 22:02He's getting away to car. They're blasting away at him.
- 22:05All you need is like that. Whack, ow!
- 22:07Ow, music playing. And when you've got dirty
- 22:10Simpson doing his famous work here, so you could be Jason King
- 22:13or something like that, you know, starring Nicolas Courtney.
- 22:16I mean this is good because the brigadier's drill vote just as
- 22:19they got a phone call to say, don't let the Brigadeiro oats,
- 22:23we just unit that shit security. It's the general Army as well,
- 22:28nor to keep anyone in outer space.
- 22:31That's terrorist attacks. Keeping it a secret side.
- 22:33It's got make sense. Come on.
- 22:36How to get out how to get him. Hi, I'm sorry.
- 22:40I'm dizzy to hit you with a random question that has just
- 22:43emerged and that is which several shafts are you today?
- 22:47Oh, I would say, aye. So we'll shop strum as Planet
- 22:54spiders. I think I'm always the
- 22:57archimandrite if I'm honest campus Christmas.
- 23:01That's oh my God. Here we go.
- 23:03Is the music? This sequence is amazing
- 23:17although I think is this one moment where you really see the
- 23:21Brigadier uncomfortable but firing a come he's like he's
- 23:24like wincing with every fire. Every time every time you see
- 23:27Nick hardly polygon he thinks and he flinches and it's
- 23:31actually fantastic. But again I just love it because
- 23:34it's the Brigadier you know getting into the thick of
- 23:37things. It's To take me away from home
- 23:39when units and yet has brought in and season, it is that it
- 23:42doesn't get to actually prove. His mettle is more than again,
- 23:48more than goes to show that he could very well have been caught
- 23:50but at one point in his career I am I remember in the behind the
- 23:54sofa from season 8, Janet Fielding is watching that.
- 23:57And obviously the, you know, there's a lot of violence, a lot
- 24:00of action and a lot of death as well like MonaVie was bloody
- 24:03massacre. And she says, I know, I really
- 24:07object to all the violence in this.
- 24:09And the doctor having like an army at his command.
- 24:14So, to speak. Is that a problem?
- 24:19No no I think I think it works well.
- 24:22You know having unit in here as you know the doctors tool as it
- 24:28were you know I mean it's like the doctor uses you know, he if
- 24:32it was just you know the doctor in a some sort of like nice
- 24:36little cottage down and Cornwall or something you know and having
- 24:39to see if the world at the same name I would be a bit of a
- 24:42stretch but I have the doctor in the thick of the action.
- 24:44See well the doctor is using unit to try and fix these TARDIS
- 24:48You know using the doctor to save the world it's a bit of a
- 24:52symbiotic relationship. I think that's absolutely fine.
- 24:55And more importantly he objects. Yeah the violence half the time.
- 24:59All those as the as the series goes on I think he started
- 25:03utilizing it as well. Yeah, yeah.
- 25:07Oh, look at this. I'm offering you an equal share
- 25:09doctor, come on, break, element, breaking ball, literally sell
- 25:15out. Anybody would eat this story?
- 25:19Back, hence just saw this. I'll tell you what break.
- 25:23The this is a really good last episode because I really ate
- 25:26feels like it's like time is running out.
- 25:29We have got we have got to stop him.
- 25:31Yeah and I feel like that throughout some last episodes
- 25:34you go look ahead and screw up they a bit saggy you know.
- 25:38Yeah I think some momentum mass is probably a good example where
- 25:42the plot kind of runs out a little bit.
- 25:44So they have to hand a fear. I love, I love the last episode
- 25:48of It's the most you'll get is wrong.
- 25:50I love the whole termination feel a bit but it is eyes me a
- 25:52sickly Excellence. Yeah, I love, I love all across
- 25:56to me as so, isn't this great now that they managed to know.
- 26:00So like all of what we've seen is vital in communicating with
- 26:07the ambassador's because now they need them in order to bring
- 26:10parents and down. Yep.
- 26:13And they don't they're obviously, they don't use them
- 26:14to kill but they use them as a way in, don't they?
- 26:17Because no one's going to get in.
- 26:18Our way, this is the time short it's going back to work soon was
- 26:24like how this episode of suddenly like countdown Centric.
- 26:27It's what time to Dixon. My whole do so, well is just
- 26:31kind of pad pad pad, right? Let's get done.
- 26:34Yeah, do the end, but it's not a sort of deus ending.
- 26:37It feels very like to see of worked up to.
- 26:40This were built the machine with Look at that shot man's
- 26:45beautiful. This is there that could come
- 26:48from the steel that shot of the separately.
- 26:52Look at that shot of that hat. It's just stunning and sort of
- 26:56distracting myself. There was a scene.
- 26:59Yeah, but you know what? I don't I just don't think
- 27:01there's any part of this visually.
- 27:02You can say that about many Doctor Who stories that this is
- 27:05no part of this that isn't firing is that?
- 27:07No there's absolutely not that's just even the duff little things
- 27:10like the doctor in the Space Capsule.
- 27:12You know it shot from a bow. And he spins around before he
- 27:14gets out and, you know, shots a general count and at the top of
- 27:17the stairs. And the fact that, you know, the
- 27:20way that he shoots Ronald Allen just absolutely stock still in
- 27:26his chair. When he's, you know, talking to
- 27:28people over the radio that special effect there when I just
- 27:31touch the door and it blows out a few seconds later.
- 27:35Terrific. Bessie without a filter, like
- 27:40the entrance to the base and it just feels like they're
- 27:42certainly not that we got action sequence.
- 27:45Like if it's like the budget is massive for this, but it's one
- 27:49of the benefits of having these extra episodes.
- 27:51Me, is that you can advertise the cost, you can make
- 27:53everything look really fantastic.
- 27:54Yeah, like logistically, it was a smart creative move.
- 27:58Yeah. And it's even the set.
- 28:00I mean the Your companies that said that, obviously the roof
- 28:06from lame Groove D here to BBC Center and you can tell that
- 28:11it's something a studio, a studio, this the close-ups as
- 28:15we, and then we go into the news broadcast again, very new
- 28:19series. Yep.
- 28:20Using the news, I mean, you would not think that was the
- 28:24same one that placed our trust. Would you not?
- 28:28I but then II, I think Michael Wisher commits to everyone.
- 28:32He has some very thankless role in plan of evil are watching
- 28:35today and he's still great in that.
- 28:39Look, that's what this is. So tense.
- 28:40Now that we are just watching this like like even though he's
- 28:44defeated here. I don't think John have an Aries
- 28:47character is not apologetic. No no he's like I did it for a
- 28:52reason. Yeah I was trying to make them
- 28:54see it's that whole sort of like model Judy.
- 28:58I had a mola gp2 to this end. And you know this this is the
- 29:05sort of ending the I think Inferno lacks, this all feels
- 29:07like it. Okay, here's what I always feel
- 29:09like in front of kind of ends brilliantly on episode 6 and in
- 29:13episode 7, is just like a bit, a bit of a young Fest.
- 29:16You know, this, look at this, the current and is just so
- 29:18defeated and so deflated, be surrounded by units or just now,
- 29:22let him out people in that same. But look at this, the respect
- 29:26that the treating them with, you know, he's allowed to handle his
- 29:28pistol. Put his hat back on his hat, on
- 29:31a stick. Stan's to Stan's attention.
- 29:34Yep. And then obviously it stops by
- 29:40the doctor. The one person he thinks is
- 29:42going to understand why he's doing what he's done.
- 29:44I had to do what I did, it was my moral duty.
- 29:47You do understand that? Don't you?
- 29:48Let me just say, yes, yes, Jen. But you know what?
- 29:51The Pertwee of later seasons is very black and white.
- 29:55Sometimes just like, you know, you're going with the controller
- 29:58in there. The Daleks who really runs this
- 30:00know, you're a quisling sir. There's none of that here is
- 30:03there. Well, when Pertwee says, when
- 30:06the dock When he says, I understand those he is.
- 30:11He sort of agreeing with Carrington because that's that's
- 30:16a way that people read something, essentially, what
- 30:19he's made, no secret of what he thinks of humanity in all
- 30:22season. It is dripping with subtext.
- 30:26The way that Pertwee delivers that mine.
- 30:28He's so gentle. Yes.
- 30:30I understand. He understands exactly that.
- 30:33Covington is lost the plot. That's what you see in.
- 30:36He's not seeing In, I understand and I agree with you.
- 30:38You see? And I understand that you are
- 30:43insane and let's go Eliza fact. When I hear someone like
- 30:47terroristic say that job Toby wasn't much of an actor but boy
- 30:49you had presents. No, he was a terrific actor, he
- 30:53is Lord of that, one lane with so much meaning that other
- 30:56people and you know, that's if that's where you want to read.
- 30:58If that the doctor is, you know, a green with counting whatever,
- 31:02then that's the easiest for me. He's just like he's shaking it.
- 31:07Right. I'm off.
- 31:07I'm Gonna Leave You two guys. But you know what?
- 31:10You can absolutely feel terroristic.
- 31:11Says hand in this scene because look at that glass shop.
- 31:16That is terrific. That's brilliant.
- 31:19I'm sorry, sorry. You can filter it takes because
- 31:21he goes right, you guys. Right?
- 31:23What we need to do is we need to contact the ambassador's, let
- 31:26them know that their people are down.
- 31:27Here it goes, my free astronauts.
- 31:29Yep, we need to get those back as well as like a tick list of
- 31:31things that still need to be done.
- 31:33And that's terrorist acts. He won't leave like any of those
- 31:36boxes unchecked. Yep.
- 31:37Is it? Well, are you not going to stop
- 31:39until the so you've got this? Sure, dr.
- 31:42Liz sure it would hope you'll do that.
- 31:44You don't need to me. Toodle-oo and you know, a lot of
- 31:47people say that that is a very sudden ending your dogs, only
- 31:54think so. Yeah.
- 31:58I'm down with it, but don't do, and but what's left, what's left
- 32:05of that point? What do we need?
- 32:07After this point, where your countenance defeated, the doctor
- 32:10has, you know, acknowledge that? You know, it's like I understand
- 32:16why you did what you did. I don't agree with it but I
- 32:19understand I don't agree with you.
- 32:22You reason whatsoever. I understand why you've done it
- 32:24though. Even though why you've done it
- 32:25as wrong? I am being.
- 32:26It's the polar opposite of what we talked about with tryst and
- 32:31Tom Baker to seeing go away, you know, that condemnation?
- 32:35It's actually yes, I understand you you are long but I
- 32:41understand that you were wrong and I it's just lovely.
- 32:44It is rare to have a villain with that much Nuance as well.
- 32:47I think dr. A very, very rarely.
- 32:50Yes. Ink to give its villain of the
- 32:54piece and he is, that's that kind of Thor.
- 32:59But you said that, don't always get that new ones with the
- 33:01doctor as well. We get a very black and white
- 33:03reaction to Good and Evil from from the doctors while still
- 33:06have that sort of tacit sort of like it's very condescending.
- 33:10It's very there there, there there, you know, so we'll do all
- 33:13that much, you know, the story's wrapped up, you know, it says
- 33:16right, it's done. Send them back into space, get
- 33:18your astronauts back. You know, we don't What other
- 33:21seam do we need after that? It with then goes into the sort
- 33:24of you have been watching. Yeah.
- 33:27Territory, which really really great sir million in season 8 of
- 33:33the galactic yo-yo. It's a funny line but it's it's
- 33:36that about your funny line and it's a bit late half.
- 33:38Well, we don't need that here were working just wrap up in the
- 33:41doctor can walk out and, you know, he's going to go back to
- 33:43fixing up the Tardis and this show, I'll clean up his mess and
- 33:47tidy, everything away, and come back with them.
- 33:49Joy this format, Is a can do a for for Lending and it can do
- 33:54agonizing comedy ending, okay? To going back to the question we
- 33:58were asked about when would that be a nice ending for this?
- 34:00I think if lizard said, well, actually doctor I'm not coming
- 34:03back to unit with you. I'm going to see it to be sent
- 34:04and do all this, that the other it would be a very sort of Lila.
- 34:07And it would be very like, actually why it's better than
- 34:11nothing though. It is better than nothing.
- 34:13Another the fact that she doesn't get a proper, send-off
- 34:15is one of the greatest tragedies of classic Doctor Who Razor.
- 34:21I've got a question for you and then we need to give our reasons
- 34:25as to why we were given plenty already.
- 34:26But let's summarize it. Well my question is this because
- 34:29I'll tell you this is a story that you admire a lot.
- 34:33I think it's one of your favorites.
- 34:35So I don't want the is part of season seven.
- 34:39Also, why is this story? Very, very infrequently spoken
- 34:46about like reverently. Like we have today.
- 34:50It's just that it doesn't get talked about enough, for
- 34:53whatever reason. I think I think spearhead gets
- 34:57talked about a lot because it is Jon pertwee's, first story and
- 35:00it's magnificent. Obviously, the silurians gets
- 35:02talked about a lot because we don't have the sea devils and
- 35:05then we'll have no worries of the deep after that.
- 35:09And then we have the what I called Earth.
- 35:16Madame vastra stuff in the new series.
- 35:18So we talked a lot about this aliens.
- 35:20We talked a lot about Inferno because it is very totally
- 35:23unique episode with all that was until we do parallel worlds with
- 35:29the age of the Cybermen. And it doesn't have a hook, does
- 35:33it? I think that's the big problem
- 35:35is all Tom's. They were here all along,
- 35:38parallel universe their big hooks, whereas like, we've been
- 35:41in space before and I we've made contact Our spaceship before
- 35:46we've done action with unit before.
- 35:49So this is kind of doing stuff. We've we've done before, but
- 35:52it's doing it. Extremely bloody well, it was,
- 35:54but it does have a hook as well, because we have the ambassadors.
- 35:57And if you look back with again, like and promotional material
- 36:00around that time, you know, if it, can we go back to sort of
- 36:03like the 10th anniversary, this lots of shots of, you know,
- 36:06perfectly fate and sea devils and Ambassador as the Ambassador
- 36:08was, you know, keep popping up. I think obviously they've not
- 36:12been brought back in unlike, And the solutions or the autons, the
- 36:17or the master who comes along and series season 8 and then,
- 36:21you know, we get a lot of that. Is it, is it?
- 36:24Because, you know, it wasn't around in its current form for
- 36:27quite a while that it was just like black and white and no one
- 36:29had access to it enough to talk about it.
- 36:33Is it just to receive fan wisdom?
- 36:35I haven't checked what the Third Doctor handbook or and you know
- 36:40those Those only guides that we had at that time of said about
- 36:45this, you know, is it? I was so Iris into.
- 36:47Remember, they both saw got like five hours head.
- 36:49Yeah. So it's full of middle of the
- 36:51road. Yeah.
- 36:53And well then let's turn the tables.
- 36:54Let Simon, we've already done that for three and a half hours,
- 36:57but let's condense it all down into we do.
- 37:02Seven reasons, how many should we do?
- 37:03Should do seven reasons we've talked about seven episodes so,
- 37:06well, you go first and then you get five.
- 37:09Go on rate. I'm going to see.
- 37:13For one of my reasons is going to be the relationship between
- 37:18the doctor and the Brigadier Alistair Gordon
- 37:20lethbridge-stewart, which is just absolutely phenomenal.
- 37:24In this, it's the sort of thing. I wish we'd seen a lot more of
- 37:27just that whole Holmes and Watson thing that you've talked
- 37:30about and the mutual respect between the two and the
- 37:33affection is just absolutely wonderful.
- 37:36That is my first pick my. So my first pick is Is going to
- 37:42be the fact that it gives leash or a chance to go off our own
- 37:48and drive her own subplot, and have some action and those
- 37:52scenes of Lennox. And I just use her in a very
- 37:55sophisticated way. I think it Spotlight is it?
- 37:59I think she gives her best performers in Inferno because
- 38:01she gets to do. Yeah, it's really interesting
- 38:03things. But as Lee Shore in our
- 38:06universe, I think this is probably her best story.
- 38:10Yeah, next thing and I'm going to pick is the direction from
- 38:16little bit kitson because you do not take it.
- 38:20You're not a shot. Wasted comes up with so many
- 38:23interesting ways of you know directing you know two shots
- 38:29that could just be very static and very uninteresting or me as
- 38:33a lot more dynamic in a lot more exciting.
- 38:38Just Cuz he is putting a lot more effort into it.
- 38:41If you know, without make a furnace in this, this could
- 38:45well, again, Fallen very flat. Well, I'm gonna say and now it's
- 38:49your turn to say, God damn it. The score by Doug Lee with their
- 38:52symptoms, which is, which is one of his best.
- 38:56I think. No, it's not you don't think
- 38:59it's one of his best. Nothing.
- 39:01Good is his best. See you there?
- 39:04Nope, here is Miles. You'll see this is that this is
- 39:08his best. If you get three or essentially
- 39:12as well as sort of the incident thing, you have those three
- 39:14killer themes, you have sort of the ambassador's theme of
- 39:22creepy. I mean that that Seaver is
- 39:24called up the stairs to get get Lennox, just that Lumber and
- 39:28again slow-moving Unstoppable, you know, them using again.
- 39:32If different of everything they need.
- 39:34Yes, fantastic. Then you have the Deep doo-doo
- 39:38dee-dee-dee-dee done. Done.
- 39:46Done. Okay.
- 39:54Fine. Study.
- 39:55Simpsons. Best score against some pretty
- 39:59hot competition. This is a competition but you
- 40:01know, if this again this too Stands out for me because it is
- 40:04it's not just one brilliant, but music there is at least three
- 40:08and then easily get these little even these little harmless theme
- 40:11when when they're doing their 2001, it's right.
- 40:19What's your third one? All right, then I'm going to
- 40:23pick the the writen by ten sticks and my cork because to to
- 40:31be put in this situation. You've got the bare bones of a
- 40:34story, which has been worked out and worked at work that worked
- 40:38at didn't to, then have to kind of, you know, take all that out.
- 40:43Put your back against the wall and say we need to deliver 7
- 40:46scripts over story. That is going to, you know, fill
- 40:52em all this time. And to do.
- 40:56It's so bloody well to come up with such an actually twisty
- 41:00plot that is exciting and doesn't let up and again leaves
- 41:07it at the end of seven episodes going well.
- 41:08Okay, so that was a very long and there's a lot of padding in
- 41:11there, but what would I cut out? Not a thing to be able to pad.
- 41:15So so well, and with just extra bits of dialogue and next a
- 41:19little scenes and extra character moments, it's it
- 41:23really speaks to the genius. That was them, Terrance, dicks
- 41:27on Michael working together. I'm going to have as my last
- 41:33one, then I think this is the most convincing and authentic
- 41:41space control, that doctor who has ever pulled off.
- 41:44They tried it in 10th Planet. They tried it in Android
- 41:47Invasion, and I always feel like is it's a tiny set with a few
- 41:52extras in there. This feels And big and busy.
- 41:57Full of people, doing stuff all over the place and like the
- 42:01location Works in on it as well of all the pipes with let us
- 42:04going around. It feels it just feels like a
- 42:07genuine working environment. I don't think dr.
- 42:09He pulls that off very well but I absolutely believe it here.
- 42:16I'm going to pick so my next one is going to be the hard sci-fi
- 42:21element of it, if that's what you wanna call it hard sci-fi
- 42:23the fact that it is You know, it's pure science, fiction
- 42:27story, you know, is, you know, Alien Invasion, but it's not
- 42:30nearly Envision. It is, you know, Rockets going
- 42:32into space, that's or thing. But because it's played so
- 42:35realistically, you know, because it isn't just, I've got to
- 42:38welcome you back garden and oh, I've got a spare one.
- 42:41So I'll just nip into space. The fact that we have all of
- 42:43these key scenes, where they go talking about the, the fuel, the
- 42:51g-force, and all of that stuff, that just brings a level of we
- 42:55do. No Jason Thompson probably
- 42:56sitting there you know with a pen and paper ready to tell us
- 42:59exactly what please feel, free to because it sounds convincing
- 43:02enough I don't is it is and it really works because it's it is
- 43:06really thought about me, even if they have got it wrong, the
- 43:08thought about it, enough to have a stab at getting it wrong.
- 43:12So the other the whole Sci-fi element of it works for me.
- 43:18I think that what I saw seven there isn't it?
- 43:22I think the Chris Carter. Okay, well, my last thing then
- 43:25is Chris Carter sitting there in America watching is little TV
- 43:30show, Doctor, Who taking notes of ambassadors of death of
- 43:34government conspiracies, and, and aliens coming along, and all
- 43:38of this. And then a few years later goes,
- 43:41I'll tell you what. We're going to create a show
- 43:42called The X Files. And we're gonna, we're gonna
- 43:44grab all the paranoia. The so expertly conjured up in
- 43:48ambassador's of death. We're going to inject that into
- 43:50a 90's TV show. Once doctor is off the air and
- 43:54then they'll never know. We stole it from them, it's very
- 43:57exposed to this. Yes, the next concept and its
- 43:59successful for the same reasons that that the X-Files was yes
- 44:03and it's very new series as well because you have that really
- 44:05sort of like sudden and interpreting like well
- 44:07everything's wrapped up. So let's awful go.
- 44:10You don't? Well I'm going to keep going
- 44:12because I buy really, don't know how many beans make five.
- 44:14Sorry everyone that fast. So the next thing is going to be
- 44:19vegan because we have talked a lot about me again, and Regan
- 44:23should be taught a lot about more disciplined.
- 44:25Stoic should talk, but Regan just being that absolute perfect
- 44:29villain of having everything. You know, in one package, the
- 44:33smart, the style Sinha Stannis, the viciousness the technical
- 44:41capability, always just use this wonderful.
- 44:45Well, they're mine. The next one is going to be and
- 44:48I don't think I can stress enough how much he is underrated
- 44:53as an actor, Jon Pertwee in his third Doctor, Who story
- 44:57delivering a fucking Powerhouse performance in this the and yes,
- 45:02every single study gets the comedy bits, right?
- 45:05He gets the action, right? He gets the forceful moments,
- 45:08right? There are no signs at all.
- 45:11That he is new to this role. He is owning the show.
- 45:14He's amazingly. Absolutely, I mean wound up
- 45:17Assad. Seven output, go back to episode
- 45:191, just look at that intensity when he's you know, slap any
- 45:22starting. I know what this mean.
- 45:24Fuck font think of it and write just he's coming open.
- 45:27Yeah, it's got the full range. It's got that water authority
- 45:30about them. That's the doctor.
- 45:32But he's also got that down Danish that you said, he's got
- 45:34that thoughtfulness at the end where he's thoughtful enough to
- 45:37say, yes, I know that you are wrong.
- 45:39I understand. Exactly says, yes, General.
- 45:42I understand that but I'm going to let you down gently because
- 45:46You know, you are ruined enough as it is now.
- 45:48You are literally popped deflated defeated.
- 45:52Your career has finished. You are completely written off
- 45:55but I'm not going to rub that in.
- 45:57I'm just going to let you down gently with her.
- 45:59Yes, I understand that you are anymore for anymore.
- 46:04Final one them. Go up one, Chef Keith, kept the
- 46:07best till last. The one thing that sets this
- 46:12story higher than any other story in the hole.
- 46:16Almost 60 years. Now, with Doctor Who Liz, Shaw's
- 46:20Hut, be single. Best thing about this talk
- 46:27about, but it's brilliant, it's great, it just sits on a head
- 46:34like a calf. Do in its own, right?
- 46:37That's the big finish box set. We need is the story of list,
- 46:41shows hat, force force. As I see it three times, I'm
- 46:44sure they'll make it so it's short letter.
- 46:49Roanoke, a gift or I will make a gift of our hat to, you know.
- 46:54Well, that just I don't think I could possibly praise our buses
- 46:58of life, any more than we have. You know, I think we got us a
- 47:01superb job if I say so myself face up.
- 47:06Do you know where we're heading next to you and me, possibly.
- 47:10Another is one that one story that you've said that you want
- 47:12to record with me Time of the Doctor.
- 47:20God. Yeah, do you like that?
- 47:23It has its moments. Oh, that's nice.
- 47:26What you said that? Nobody would Moffat, who you're
- 47:28right over it. Well, I mean there's there is
- 47:31some tough. Don't get us wrong.
- 47:32There's, there's some wheat in their heart, there's a lot of
- 47:35traffic as well. So Christ tied up.
- 47:38Three years worth of bloody plots in one extended dialogue
- 47:41scene, halfway through the story, that's got nothing to do
- 47:43with it. Sorry that's just out of 10.
- 47:48Just leaves me to say it's a pleasure as ever to talk with
- 47:51you. It really is and I look forward
- 47:54to holding your hand and heading to trenzalore very soon.
- 48:00Thank you very much. Thank you everyone for
- 48:02listening.