That’s actually one that I’m in the odd situation of having watched a long video all about all the stuff that went on when writing it, but haven’t actually watched. So many rewrites, and so many people claiming credit…
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I’m determined to finish watching the DW Blus I own before I buy any more, and Amazon has the Macra steel back in stock, so I’m now watching s24, then I’ll finally watch Ncuti’s s1.
Time and the Rani isn’t as bad as people say. It’s just the first episode that’s really bad.
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Even more funny is that they wanted to portray their characters as being in love with each other. That got nixed fairly early.
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Back on my “trying to finish the Second Doctor serials” run. I’m onto The Dominators now.
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I find ‘The Dominators’ to be a challenging story. It has some lovely fun moments and yet… the message seems curiously badly judged. The call-to-arms in ‘The Daleks’ makes me cringe, but it’s far better written and delivered than the central storyline here. Whilst true pacifism is a difficult ideal in reality, it is still laudable and pacificsts can be deeply intelligent people. The Dulcians, however, are portrayed as total idiots, paralysed by an inability to act. I find it quite offensive and contrary to the majority of our beloved show. It’s one of those few stories where the DW production team really seem to lose sight of what this show really is.
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I’ve finished it now. It was a bit rough to get through. There wasn’t really anything for me to latch onto. Ultimately, it was 4 episodes of either running around in a quarry, or talking about running around in a quarry in front of obvious set extension drapes. I did love the costumes though…
I ended up giving it a 3/5.
Now onto The Mind Robber. One I’m not really looking forward to. Last time I watched this, it gave me Celestial Toymaker vibes.
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The Dominators does better when viewed as part of a marathon than in isolation I’ve always found - it’s so different from the formula of Season Five. However, it still doesn’t make it a fun viewing experience for me.
The only way I can kind of enjoy it is to imagine the Dominators have never done this before and have only just recently decided to call themselves that and do a bit of dominating. It explains their inflated sense of self, theatrical manner and why they’re so bad at it
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It’s a problematic story, to be sure, but it has some lovely elements. I am hugely fond of the Tetraps. They’re truly alien, fun and inventive. They also are an early example of RTDs favourite trope of humanoids with recognisable Earth animal physiognomy.
I understand that Pip and Jane Baker intended the planet to be a verdant paradise (much more befitting the reptilian denizens). The idea of the paradise also provides motivation for their indolence. It’s a planet of plenty so they simply weren’t use to needing to work hard. Obviously, it was filmed in a quarry so immediately loses that element.
I do think Pip and Jane were often held to unattainable standards that other, more beloved and established, writers were given a free pass on. ‘Mark of the Rani’ was a lot of fun and introduced a much beloved villain. The biggest issue was the ‘tree mines’ and that was partly due to production. Plus, easy enough for tidying up at script editing stage. ‘Terror’ was extremely serviceable and one of my favourites from Colin’s tenure. They were rather dumped on for the final episode of ‘Ultimate Foe’ so can’t really be blamed for the difficulties there. Similarly, ‘Time and the Rani’ was written at a time when everything was in flux with the production team once again. They were given a rather horrible hospital pass twice in a row.
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I don’t know why but I’m often rather fond of stories that aren’t hugely loved by others. For example, I can’t understand why anybody can’t fall in love with The Krotons, or revel in the deceptive silliness of Meglos.
The Dominators falls into this category. True, the Dulcian’s aren’t the most inspiring bunch, but I really like the rest of the story. The interaction between the new TARDIS team is instantly very good, with Zoe quickly established as arguably the brains of the outfit. Guest stars Ronald Allen and Kenneth Ives are great as the squabbling titular characters - so powerful and yet so volatile - and I really like The Quarks. The story moves along at a fair lick and … I just have a great time with it.
Now, about Meglos …
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I love ‘The Krotons’! Genuinely great fun with really rather different aliens in the crystalline Kroton critters. The storyline is fun, fast paced and chock full of concepts. We have the delightful education machines scene with Pat and Wendy. Death by acid. Stinky smells. It’s great! Love it to bits.
Count me in, also, as a ‘Meglos’ fan. I’d never defend it is a highlight and the script isn’t anywhere near as clever as ‘The Krotons’ and yet… it’s a damned good time. It’s FUN! Ol’ cactus face is weird and Tom always does sinister well. Tigellan society isn’t that believable, but it’s drawn in broad brush strokes so is easy to grasp and nicely positions the Doctor in between both factions. Watched it many times. Always enjoyed it. It may be throwaway fun, but it IS fun!
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It’s a jumble, but I have a lot of time for it. Does anyone really know what it was all about? The Loyhargil, the ‘goo’ that fed the Tetraps, the talking brain, the Strange Matter? I never fully got it. None of these things actually came together for any good reason, or were properly explained. Or perhaps I just missed it all!
But I love the improved special effects, and Lakertia is a well-realised location. The cast is the best thing, and the look of the Lakertians is rather nice. I still didn’t know what to make of Sylvester, even by episode four, but the script seemed to acknowledge this, with our new Doctor saying to his companion, “I’ll grow on you, Mel. I’ll grow on you.”
And he did!
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Good to read that! The Krotons has a creepiness about it that I find really effective. Those huge booming voices that come from nowhere are wonderful, and the visual Krotons, when they’re revealed, are excellent (provided they’re filmed from the knees upwards)! They even work on location. The bit where The Doctor and Zoe are arguing, in the scene you mention, is such good fun.
Meglos though. I can’t deny it; I love that story. The silliness of Grugger and Brotadac and Meglos itself compared with the horror of seeing our Doctor covered in cactus spines and acting ‘all horrible’ I found Tom’s performance here massively effective all those years ago, and still do now. I suppose this story could be seen as a bit of light relief amid a series that was keen to kill off the jokey tone the show had recently adopted.
I’d love to say to anyone who doesn’t love this story, “It’s just beyond your comprehension!” - but I’d never be so rude!
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No, you didn’t miss it all. I think it’s the result of two things:
a) …the chaos behind the scenes as they’re trying to pull everything together. Once again, Pip and Jane were seen as reliable hands who could turn in a script in short order, but if everything’s in flux… it impacts at all levels; and
b) …Correct me if I’m wrong but Cartmel had very little say over this script. It was commissioned with the expectation that Colin Baker would still be the Doctor and before Cartmel was in post. He simply had to pick it up as was and get something ready for filming.
Different voices pulling in different directions when everything around them was changing. It would be a miracle if it wasn’t a mess.
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Tom has always been good at playing the villain. It’s why I love the early parts of ‘Invasion of Time’ (another story with a poor rep).
As for your other point, this is a story that would 100% have fitted into season 17, just the year before. Season 17 is one of my favourites (despite it’s flaws) and maybe this is a big part of my enjoyment of the story.
In fact, much as I enjoy ‘The Leisure Hive’, I enjoy it less than ‘Meglos’ and I say that as a massive fan of David Fisher’s writing (‘Stones of Blood’ is one of my all-time favourite stories and ‘The Creature from the Pit’ is a work of flawed genius!). I get the sense that Bidmead did much more rewriting on Fisher’s script than on Flanagan and McCulloch’s. If anything, ‘Leisure Hive’ should feel more season 17 than any other story in season 18. Instead, that honour goes to ‘Meglos’.
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Yep, the Cartmel Masterplan (as it has become known) didn’t really start until Paradise Towers, as I understand it. That Time and the Rani is as good as it was is impressive in itself.
Meglos would have definitely been a good fit for Series 17 (which I also love). I get the impression that The Horns of Nimon is celebrated as something of a wonderful festive romp, whereas poor old Meglos is often unfairly dismissed, which is a shame.
Just to touch on Creature from the Pit - I think it would have made a terrific three-parter. As it is, episode four feels mostly ‘tacked on’. The main story is over, and the fourth part is just tidying things up, and to me, has always seemed a little superfluous. It still has one of the best jungle sets in Classic Who though!
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See, this is a perfect example of double standards and I think you’re absolutely right. I think ‘Horns’ is by far the weakest story in season 17, and inferior to ‘Meglos’ in almost every respect. Similarly, I feel ‘Creature’ is villified for the rather unfortunate looking titular creature, yet other stories with far less ambition and equally dodgy monsters are given more leeway.
3 episodes you say? I could see that, but again think this is a matter of script editing. I love Douglas Adams and his quirky season, but I get the impression he wasn’t anywhere near as consistent or reliable when it came to quality as many other script editors. He seemed more intent on squeezing in his gags. ‘Creature’ is inspired. Where it’s good, its great. It just needed a little bit of TLC to bring out its full potential. I think there’s more than enough scope for 4 episodes, but more of that time could have been put into exploring the society (which, I admit, was a little broad brush).
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“The Quest is the Quest”
Underworld has this ability to never quite stick inside my mind. Just saw part 1, and despite having seen it several times, the greater plot eludes me. So I will be laser focused this time around!
That is my Quest 
never mind the P7E
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Funny thing is I remember I actually had fun watching the Dominators. I was tending to focus on the parts with the Doctor and Jamie, though. The two of them convincing the Dominators they weren’t intelligent, the interplay between the two Dominators, the Doctor with the sonic screwdriver…
And, of course:
JAMIE: Doctor, come on, will ye? The whole place is going to blow up.
DOCTOR: Oh, it’s quite all right, Jamie. The planet is quite safe. There’s just going to be a localised volcanic eruption. It’ll only affect the island.
JAMIE: Maybe so, but we happen to be on the island.
DOCTOR: Oh, my word!
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Oh, and my favorite bit:
DOCTOR: But Jamie, it’s a brilliant idea! It’s so simple only you could have thought of it.
JAMIE: Oh. Eh?
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Dead and Buried - Had a few minutes and noticed this Bernice Summerfield short sitting on the shelf.
I like it. I don’t really know the story around it. Last I checked in, Brax was a friend and an ally. But whatever. The animation’s good, the story tight, and it does a good job of getting you to wonder what happens next.
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