Day 373: The Monster of Peladon Part 4

Jon Pertwee is not getting any younger. This is quite apparent in this episode as the action scene towards the end features Terry Walsh, the stunt co-ordinator, wearing an unconvincing grey wig as he tries to fill in for the Doctor during various jumps and such. This serves as a sign to the end of the era. Pertwee has been defined by his stunts, and feats of derring-do. But this is no longer as achievable as it once was, and indicates that perhaps the best course of action would be a radical change of direction for the series...

Day 372: The Monster of Peladon Part 3

The Monster of Peladon is remembered generally for only seven words. "There's nothing only about being a girl". These words are said by Sarah Jane Smith to Queen Thalira, when the Queen is feeling depressed over the fact that any order that she would give would be dismissed due to her only being a girl. This is a striking message, as it allows for Doctor Who to connect with an issue which sadly still affects us today, being the vast inequality in the way in which we treat different genders, in particular the way in which women are treated. And through those seven words young girls can see Sarah Jane, the main audience identification figure, telling them that they need to fight inequality and make their voice heard. Because there is nothing only about being a girl.

Day 371: The Monster of Peladon Part 2

This serial has made a point of having the lower classes of Peladon revolt. It's due to a mistrust of the Galactic Federation, causing them to rise up and attack their superiors. This is a massive contrast to how things were in The Curse of Peladon. There, the focus was on the upper classes, as we saw the discussions made about the benefits and disadvantages of joining the Galactic Federation. Here, all elements of Peladon society get to take part in the discussions, and it becomes obvious that there are severe problems with the way in which the lower classes have been treated. By allowing us to see the hidden side of the planet, we can grow to have a better understanding of the conflict that is place within the story, and thus grow to appreciate the world building that has taken place on the planet Peladon.

Day 370: The Monster of Peladon Part 1

I love The Curse of Peladon. Obviously, others do as well as we have a sequel to the story here. Returning to Peladon is an interesting choice, although somewhat obvious. Having a return appearance to a planet is interesting as it allows for us to see the impact of the Doctor's actions, as well can see the evolution that has taken place for the planet and the way in which it operates. It's similar to the William Hartnell story The Ark, which took place on a spaceship in two time periods and got to witness the true consequences of the TARDIS crew's actions (in that case it was a full sclar rebellion that took place and caused humanity to be subjugated).

But once a return visit is decided, it is clear that the only candidate is Peladon. Other stories were either too self contained or lacked the memorable characters that were present in The Curse of Peladon to warrant being remembered by the viewing audience. So we get to revisit this lovely little planet once more, hoping that we'll get a story of the calibre of The Curse of Peladon.

Day 369: Death to the Daleks Part 4

I have to be honest and say that I wasn't expecting to like Death to the Daleks. I was acting on the perceived wisdom that it was actually quite a poor story, and so it was with some regret that I sat down to watch it. What followed wasn't spectacular. The plot was less than stellar, the acting left much to be desired and the editing was sometimes remarkably poor, with the cliffhanger ending to Part 3 being a shot of the floor.

But all of that said, I rather enjoyed this story. This is mainly due to the direction from Michael E Briant, who is quickly becoming one of my favourite directors for the series. He is unafraid to use different techniques when using the camera, as he innovatively allows us to see through the Daleks' eyestalk, which grants the viewer an insight into the way in which the Dalek operates, as well as letting the camera become one of the characters in the story instead of just the omnipresent viewer. Also interesting is his use of darkness and shadows, which allows for the Daleks to remain hidden in the shadows, adding to the menace that the demonic pepperpots have. It all makes for some very engaging viewing, and has shown me that whilst a good script can elevate a story above poor direction, the inverse is true and a poor script can be elevated by some excellent direction.

Day 368: Death to the Daleks Part 3

When I was young and flicking through Doctor Who: The Television Companion, I would look through each story and see things like producers, directors, writers and guest stars. There was always a pang of disappointment as I'd look through the cast list and see a wealth of unfamiliar names, because there was always the hope that I would recognise someone who had been in something else. Then, one day, I encountered a name that I recognised. Indeed, I was actively surprised to discover that they had contributed to Doctor Who, because I knew them for something quite different. That person's name was Carey Blyton, the composer of Doctor Who and the Silurians, Death to the Daleks and the forthcoming Revenge of the Cybermen.

Blyton's scores are more experimental than other composers for the series. He has a tendency to go out of his way to use more unconventional instruments, which lend an otherworldly sound to proceedings. They do run the risk of being distracting to the viewer, indeed when watching the story I am often more interested in the soundscape than the plot or performances. There are also instances where the score is occasionally at odds with the action, choosing to represent the Daleks not with harsh music but with a clarinet based score, which doesn't do much to inspire fear in the hearts of humankind. But at the end of the day, it's still an interesting score and one which I would highly recommend.

But Carey Blyton had another contribution to the world that I was aware of. The popular Australian television series Bananas in Pyjamas was based on a nonsense song, written by Carey Blyton. As a child reading the credits at the end I would see his name pop up, recognising that this guy wrote this remarkably catchy theme tune. Discovering the connection between Bananas in Pyjamas and Doctor Who, therefore, was a mindblowing experience, as I learnt that there was more to the credits of TV programmes than just a list of names at the end.

Day 367: Death to the Daleks Part 2

This story also features, somewhat surprisingly, Daleks. Indeed, they have lost their guns due to an issue removing their power, forcing them to forgo their energy weapons and find some other way of surviving through an uneasy alliance with the humans who are also trapped on the planet. This is a fantastic idea, as it takes away the extermination from the Daleks and forces them to be more cunning (although thanks to being written by Terry Nation, cunning here means loudly stating your plan to the rest of the Daleks).

However, almost immediately, the Daleks find a work-around, using traditional projectile weapons instead of the energy beam, thus removing all of the tension that was set up in the first few minutes of the episode. But here, we have another piece of interest for the Daleks. They now have power but cannot use it without revealing themselves. It forces them to be stealthy, and to hide their true nature until they are ready for a full attack.

A full attack that comes later in the episode, thus squandering this plot development as well. Nation apparently had strong ideas about what the Daleks were and weren't, and that he was the only writer who really 'got' the Daleks. But to be honest, he really doesn't and it's a brutal shame to see all of these fascinating opportunities for the Daleks ruined through some incredibly poor writing.