(628) Attack of the Cybermen - Part 2

I was thinking before I started to watch today’s episode about the 45 minute format. I think that before 2005, I wasn’t keen on the longer format as I somehow felt that I wasn’t getting a better deal in terms of storytelling. Having had a decade (nearly) of 45 minute episodes, I can now appreciate the longer running time in the classic era. I don’t think that I appreciated certain moments leading up to the cliffhanger in the previous episode enough. The shot of Russell shooting a Cyberman close up is one of the more violent instances in this serial. The death of Russell is dealt with quite interesting because after the reprise, you don’t actually get to see Russell’s body and that is so Terry Molloy doesn’t have to get paid for a second episode which is perhaps smart financial sense.

The first couple of minutes are quite dramatic as everyone boards the TARDIS and the Doctor is threatening to blow up the TARDIS if the Cybermen don’t let Peri go. It is perhaps unfortunate they use BBC computer graphics to illustrate the countdown timer. That aside, it’s a good little moment and the episode is filled with these good little moments. The Doctor really doesn’t trust Lytton which starts quite early on in the episode and becomes almost a theme.

Michael Kilgarriff is the Cyber Controller and at a risk of being mean, he is quite a large Cyber Controller. Kilgarrif has previously played the K1 robot in Robot (1974) and I think that it was perhaps unfortunate that he does appear to be a bit on the large size.

There is a bit of a backstory given to why the Cybermen adopted Telos as their home world. The problem with this period in the show is that continuity started to creep too much into the show but on this occasion it works quite well because it all seems to tie in together. The touchy subject of what happened in The Tenth Planet is raised between the Doctor, Peri, Lytton and Griffiths. Oddly enough the year that this particular story takes place in is a year in advance of when this story was transmitted.

The sight of the Cybermen in the console room of the TARDIS without the Doctor is a very strange one but it’s one that I like. Peri has a change of costume in this episode, even the Cybermen understand that Nicola Bryant wasn’t particularly well dressed for Telos. When the story moves to Telos properly, the thing that stands out about the set for the tombs is that it is just as grim as the quarry.

If there is one aspect of this serial that doesn’t quite work then it is the introduction of the Cryons. Visually they are something that are very 1980’s. Their story is interesting in the build-up but when they appear then it’s a little bit disappointing. It’s the eyes which just a silly and also the moustache that appears to be on their faces which looked equally silly. Sarah Greene (Varne) and Faith Brown (Flast) are two of the Cryons who were quite famous in the 1980’s. Greene having appeared in Blue Peter (1980-1983) and Going Live for several years. Brown is someone that I am not as familiar with but apparently she was a big name.

Bates and Stratton’s foolhardy plan to take one the Cybermen’s ships does seem to have a better chance of success when they team up with Lytton and Griffiths. There is a nice progression of the character of Lytton during this episode. When the Cyberman squeeze Lytton’s hands so that blood comes out of them is one of the reasons why the too much violence line was pointed at the show during this time. It was too excessive in my opinion and slightly disconnected me from the story for a brief moment. The deaths of Bates, Stratton and Griffiths are grim but happen quite quickly. Unlike Lytton’s death which takes place over several minutes after he is being converted by the Cybermen. Lytton had been working for the Cryons and so that makes his conversion quite sad.  The Doctor’s reaction after he has been killed is a nice moment.

The Death of the Cyber Controller and that whole scene is another dramatic moment but it shows the Doctor attacking and is another example of how different Baker’s Doctor is going to be very different to Peter Davison’s Doctor.

The Doctor believes that the Timelords have manipulated matters to get the Doctor on Telos. The Doctor and Flast come up with a plan to use powerful explosives against the Cybermen. The scene when a Cyberman is attacked by the explosives and its quite good. Flast’s death is quite grim as she is forced outside the chamber and she basically burns to death.

The episode ends with the Doctor attacking himself for misjudging Lytton but I think that he acted like most people would have done. Ok so Lytton turned out to be a good guy but if you base you impression on the last encounter then the Doctor probably did act the right way. Maybe if Lytton had acted different in their first encounter then things would have worked out differently.

It feels like this is the first story that Colin Baker’s Doctor should have started off with. It was one of the best Cyberman stories even better than Earthshock. At the moment the story is in fourth position and I think that is a fair position for it to be in. There were some moments that I think were perhaps misjudged but apart from that I thought this is one of the prime examples of why Colin Baker was underrated as a Doctor.

(627) Attack of the Cybermen - Part 1

Today is the first episode of the 22^nd season. Something I forgot to mention with episode 3 of The Twin Dilemma and that was it was the 100^th episode for John Nathan Turner as producer meaning he is only the second producer in Doctor Who history to his the 100 mark. This is the first of the new 45 minute episodes and also the first story to feature on a Saturday since Logopolis back in 1981. This is an Eric Saward script but it is credited to Paula Moore although there is a lot of confusion about this because it seems that continuity advisor Ian Levine suggested some idea. Moore only acted as the author of this to avoid any problems with the Writers’ Guild. What is more certain is the involvement of the director. After his success on Resurrection of the Daleks, Matthew Robinson was asked to come back for this. He wasn’t the original director intended but I think that Robinson was the right person to direct this serial because he is someone that like Graeme Harper, can inject some energy into the action.

There is a really nice opening scene between to characters who don’t have much of an involvement in the story. It’s helped that the sewer scene is so badly lit because that in itself creates the atmosphere even before the performances begin. Some mysterious figure kills the two workers then sometime later kills Payne. Even though Cybermen is in the title, it’s good that they have at least held back on stating the obvious and have the Cybermen appear early on.

This episode sees the Doctor try and fix the Chameleon Circuit. The chameleon circuit working means that the traditional iconic Police Box design is replaced and it seems to be purely to act as a source of comedy. Also the fact that the TARDIS materialises in 76 Totters Lane is a huge continuity nod and seems like a little bit of a joke.

The opening scene with the Doctor and Peri does seem a bit more toned down than in The Twin Dilemma. It does seem that Colin Baker has got a handle on the role know and the loudness of his opening performance has been replace with a cocky but more likeable Doctor. Nicola Bryant has a better time than she has had in her two previous adventures but sadly her performance is overshadowed by the bright pink lycra costume that she wears.

Lytton’s return is welcomed and he seems to have turned to criminal activities as he is interested in £10 million worth of diamonds. As well as Lytton (in a rather dapper suit), the two police officers from Resurrection make an appearance although have more involvement than in the previous story where their actions consisted of shooting a stranger on the banks of the Thames.

This episode sees Terry Molloy out of the Davros costume. This was Matthew Robinson’s way of thanking Molloy for what he had to put up with in Resurrection of the Daleks. He plays Russell and I like the character because he is the one of the team that doesn’t trust or like Lytton. Another familiar face is Brian Glover who plays Griffiths. He is perhaps famous for appearing in such shows Kes (1969), Porridge (1974), Bottom (1991) and Alien 3 (1993). He doesn’t come across as the smartest person in the world but he is a likeable character. Maurice Colbourne is really fun in this serial and seems to be thriving not being with the Daleks. The insults that Lytton delivers to Griffiths are the few moments of comedy in this serial.

The Cybermen’s appearance happens where the 25 minute episode would normally end. It’s a good start for them and when Lytton wants to work with the Cybermen it comes as quite a bit of a mystery. It’s not quite clear what their involvement is but there is the sense that they are going to be using people for converting. Part of the action takes place on Telos which was briefly seen in the 1967 adventure Tomb of the Cybermen. It really does look like a grim place, the 1967 version seems like a quarry with a nice sun but this version is grim with a lack of warmth. The stuff that happens of Telos is seen through the eyes of Bates (Michael Attwell) and Stratton (Jonathan David) who are trying to escape but aren’t the smartest people ever. They are involved in another violent scene where they decapitate a Cyberman’s head but I suspect things are going to get more grim in the next episode.

It’s fun seeing the scene between Colin Baker and Terry Molloy because there will be another encounter between them but in the final story of the season except next time Molloy will be dressed as Davros.

As the Doctor doesn’t have his Sonic Screwdriver anymore, he seems to have created a sonic lance which doesn’t have quite the ring to it. The Doctor killing a Cybermen is quite violent for the show and it does show a different tone in terms of style from Colin Baker’s Doctor to Peter Davison’s.

The final scene leading up to the cliffhanger is rather actioned packed. The Doctor, Griffiths and Peri enter the TARDIS but Cybermen are already waiting for them. Peri is about to be attacked by Cybermen before screaming. This is quite a good cliffhanger and the whole episode in general is impressive. I can get past the violent moments that take place in the episode because everything around it was so enjoyable. The performances were superb, the directing was superb and even the writing was on the same level which even if you can get to the bottom of that confusing part is good. The new 45 minute format is working well so far and I look forward to final part.

(614) Resurrection of the Daleks - Part 2

So this is the final episode for Janet Fielding who is bowing out of the show after 64 episodes. She is the eighth longest serving companion and has appeared in 12 episodes more than Carole Ann Ford.  After being impressed with the first episode there was a fear on my part that it would have lost something in the concluding part but it’s a relief to say that this isn’t the case. The Stien truth s comes across quite good. Rodney Bewes is brilliant in this episode as during the course of the episode he becomes the hero of the adventure. He is the one that presses the self-destruct button. His death sort of happens thanks to the Daleks but it’s the last action of pressing the button is a nice moment.

Turlough’s new friends start the episode in the chamber for the self-destruct device. Turlough and Mercer seem to spend most of the time bickering which isn’t the best thing to do considering that there isn’t the time. In normal circumstances I would have really disliked Mercer for just being annoying but with every going on there wasn’t the time be bothered by him.

Tegan and Laird do a feeble attempt to pretend that Tegan is sleeping in the bed but instead use one of the capsules. I really do think that the character of Laird is very good and Chloe Ashcroft does a good enough job but ultimately it’s a rather poor character. Her death is something that Tegan finds sad but I just found her to be a bit of a redundant character and as such her death didn’t bother me.

The Daleks are going to duplicate the Doctor, Tegan and Turlough to go back to Gallifrey and assassinate the high council. This might be a little bit convoluted but compared to some of their plans, this is probably one of their best. The problem in Destiny of the Daleks is that the Daleks don’t look in the best of condition and the all looked tatty and tired. Whereas fast forward to this story and they look great and the colour scheme is very much like the traditional ones. Davros clearly doesn’t trust the Supreme Dalek 100% because he manages to get two Daleks to work for him. There is another flashback for the Doctor as we see all (or most) of the companions that the Doctor has travelled with including previous incarnations.  I always think that is fun when they sort of things happen and it’s better than the one used in Earthshock.

The scene where Tegan is running from the policemen who in turn shoot a stranger with a metal detector on the bank of the Thames is quite grim and I think that this is the moment when Tegan decides that she doesn’t find travelling in the TARDIS as much fun as she use to. After being somewhat side-lined in the previous episode, its good that Janet Fielding gets to be a bit more active.

We have to wait until the half hour mark before the Doctor gets to encounter Davros. There isn’t quite the chaotic feel to their scene that there was between Tom Baker and Michael Wisher or David Gooderson. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good performance and both Terry Molloy and Peter Davison match each other but there is just something different in this encounter.

The Doctor decides that he is going to kill Davros. Anybody who has been watching this show for a long time will know that the Doctor would never kill Davros so it’s quite a brave/silly thing to do to have the Doctor put in this situation. The alliance between Lytton and the Daleks really starts to unravel as the situation during the episode gets worst and the Daleks realise that Lytton isn’t quite the mastermind they thought he was.

It’s always good when Daleks decide to blow seven lumps out of each other. It is something that will happen in future Dalek stories but there are a few moments in this episode where it happens and its short but sweet.

The Daleks in the warehouse are defeated with the movellan virus. It is perhaps not the greatest way that they would be defeated but considering that its not the main area of action it is perhaps understandable that the Daleks didn’t get the perfect ending. The supreme Dalek’s appearance on the TARDIS scanner screen  is quite good but he tells the Doctor that some of his duplicates are placed in “strategic places”. This is a rather silly thing because its clear that the plan has been stopped. However you have to give it to the Daleks that they never throw in the towel even when its obvious that they should.

Lytton manages to escape by simply walking out. He obviously makes a return in a few stories time but I think that Lytton has been a good villain. I think its funny how he just walks off into the distance with two of his officers. Davros is stopped in his tracks by being affected by the movellan virus. It’s implied when Stien blows up the prison ship that Davros has been killed but obviously they wouldn’t kill him off like that. Terry Molloy has been very good in these two episodes and its easy to see why he returned for two further adventures.

I really liked Tegan’s departure scene. After everything that has happened during this story it is perhaps understandable that she doesn’t want to go on. It’s been a long time since a companion has had anything approaching a good departure. She decides that as its stopped being fun that she wants to leave and I think that her final words were a fitting end. “Brave Heart Tegan, I will miss you”. Really couldn’t have ended it any better. Tegan has been a really good character and have developed quite a lot since Logopolis. Her finest story was Kinda and even in Snakedance she still gave a solid performance.  It’s weird to think that it would be 22 years before she would return to play the role for Big Finish.

Resurrection of the Daleks is one of the strongest Dalek stories for a long time. In fact its one of the best Peter Davison stories and it missed the top 10 and at the moment is currently placed in 14^th place and also in terms of ratings it is better than Genesis of the Daleks and only Mission to the Unknown rates higher. I think that this was a great Dalek story and it does feel like the transition period that there was during Tom Baker’s final few stories is happening again. It’s weird to think that there are just two stories left featuring Peter Davison.

(613) Resurrection of the Daleks - Part 1

Resurrection of the Daleks is a story that should have gone out as a four part adventure to mark the departure of Tegan, however due to the 1984 Winter Olympics this was reduced to two forty-five minutes episodes which was in effect a trial for what would happen in the next season. Technically this was the first Dalek story since they made a cameo appearance in The Five Doctors but really their last story was Destiny of the Daleks back in 1979.

The opening shot is very grim and dank which is probably how things felt in 1984 (I wasn’t even 1 when this episode aired so I wouldn’t know). The setting of the police shooting innocent people is something that is still quite shocking. It was filmed at Shad Thames and the Doctor comments that it was once bustling with life and Tegan replies with that it might be once again and she is right because if you watch the documentary you will see that it has become quite a trendy place to visit. Lytton comes across in the early stages of the episode as the boss and the one coming up with the plan but once the Daleks appear, he loses a bit of that authority vibe and just goes back to being a slave of the Daleks.

The story is set in two places. 1984 London and a prison space ship. Firstly there is a mystery about the time corridor that the Doctor, Turlough and Tegan encountered in Frontios. It doesn’t take long for the Doctor to realise who is behind it and from that moment the story is off to the races.

The Daleks’ first appearance in the episode comes just fifteen minutes into the story and comes after a huge explosion which shows where the budget was going. It’s not immediately clear why they are there because their invasion plans tend to take place on a planetary scale. It doesn’t take very long for this to be revealed. They have arrived there to free Davros who had been cryogenically frozen in Destiny of the Daleks. I like how Davros is clearly being awkward. Lytton wants Davros to go back onto his ship and yet Davros wont budge. The Daleks want Davros to think that they are working for him but in reality they are going to try and use him for their own ends.

This episode has a great deal of famous faces. Firstly there is Rodney Bewes who plays Stein. Bewes is perhaps most famous for appearing in The Likely Lads (1964-66) and Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads (1973-74). Stein is a character that has a stammer which is something that becomes relevant later on. Rula Lenska has been in a huge number of things including playing Mrs Peacock in the ITV game show Cluedo. She plays a character called Styles who doesn’t really care about the things that are going on around her and the sub-standards that they are working in. Maurice Colbourne had appeared in such things as The Day of the Triffids (1981) and The Onedin Line (1979). Leslie Grantham has a rather supporting supporting role as Kiston. Grantham would go on to play Dirty Den in Eastenders (1985-1989 & 2003-2005).

Mercer is someone who thinks that he can changes things on the space station which is perhaps naïve considering that there is very little evidence that people around him don’t feel the same. It’s a good performance from Jim Findley and he has some good war of words with Lenska’s Styles. Terry Molloy becomes the third actor to play Davros. I think that his performance of the evil genius is perhaps the craziest version that we see. It’s one that immediately captures my attention and it’s a good idea that Molloy hasn’t tried to copy what Michael Wisher had done and just done what a new actor would do in playing the Doctor and that is give the character a new style but still make it seem like the same Davros that David Gooderson played.

Lighting has been one the big problems during the Davison era but the levels of lighting that are used in this story seem to mirror what was seen during Earthshock. There are moments where the lighting is a bit brighter but its not to the level of Warriors of the Deep. The Prison Ship is where the main action takes place and it’s a good group of sets and even the warehouse sets are dark and dirty so it kind of raises the question as to why the sets were so brightly lit for most of the stories.

It’s clear where the cliffhanger was suppose to take place had this been a 25 minute episode. It would have happened when the Dalek appears in the warehouse. As a result that this isn’t a 25 minute episode it means that there is a weird feeling about this particular moment because it clearly looks like a cliffhanger but the resolvement doesn’t really work and then its forgotten in a moment.

Tegan gets a bump on the head and this pretty much renders her incapacitated for most of the story. Considering that this is her final story, I would have thought that they would have had her involved in the story a bit more in this story. Peter Davison spends most of the episode in the warehouse looking around for the contents of the Dalek. It’s a bit disappointing really but on a positive note he does get to fire a gun at it when it is under a blanket. When he does eventually leave he takes Stein with him in the TARDIS but this doesn’t happen until just before the end of the episode. Mark Strickson gets to be the most active when he accidentally ventures onto the prison ship. He ends up joining Mercer and Styles to try and blow up the prison ship.

The proper cliffhanger is quite good because its Stein pointing a gun on the Doctor and reveals that he is a Dalek agent.  It was a good way to end the episode and I think I am going to like the 45 minute format. The issue with the cliffhanger that never was isn’t something that can really be blamed on the production crew cause they didn’t know what would happen so they did the best they could. As a story so far, it is quite good with a vibe to it that has been missing from the show since the last Cyberman story and it looks like one of the strongest Dalek stories since Genesis.