[DW] Classic Catch-Up - "Inferno" + "The Ark In Space"
(ETA: This took longer to type up than I expected, but I swear I will get to comments later tonight.)
Just finished watching, "The Ark In Space," from the Fourth Doctor's era. I also watched, "Inferno," from the Third Doctor's era a while back. But since that was the only other Classic Who story I've watched I could only compare it to NuWho, and the contrasts are huge.
Now I can compare them to each other! The fun never stops around here.
Just some random thoughts about Three, Four, Ten and their respective eras:
The jist of, "Inferno," is that there is an experimental project to drill to the center of the earth; the Doctor is there as an advisor to UNIT (the UN's military force), which is providing security cover. He's also trying to get his...dis-em-boxed...TARDIS console to work (I never did understand why he has a spare console when he was supposed to be banished from Gallifrey - it wasn't covered), and instead ends up sending himself to a parallel universe where the drilling is further along. He discovers that the end result of the drilling in both versions will be the end of the world, a return to a primordial ball of lava. So he has to get back to his own universe to alert everyone.
At seven 25-minute episodes, "Inferno," takes quite a while to set up the major plot elements. (Including a sideplot about a guy going to alert the Ministry of the project's danger which arguably could, and probably should, have been scrapped.) It has a tendency to drag, especially if you're used to the faster pace and shorter stories of the new series.
(Man, I was surprised that the new series has so many two- and even three-parters until I discovered the serial style of Classic Who. I guess I should be thankful the resolutions come more often than once a month, or even less. I HATE WAITING.)
More culture shock for NuWho viewers - especially young, American ones - is that the older Who stories are filmed more like videotaped plays than what we think of as television. There are no quick cuts in "Inferno," no fancy camera work. (Hell, you can't even count on the actor's faces being properly lit.) Just a straight-on shot, a slow pan and a slow zoom if they're really being fancy. (If you're Canadian, it visually gives an impression similar to the government-funded educational tapes we used to have to watch in science class, which naturally makes it seem laughable at first.)
And as everyone knows, the so-called "special effects" in Classic Who are pretty hilariously awful. "It's only a model," is the most appropriate Python reference to make here. Or only facepaint and slip-on fangs. Or only big plastic switchboards. Or whatever. Although the weak effects are probably the easiest aspect to forgive, because it's easier just to go along with actors who play it so straight despite the cardboard and tinfoil.
I suspect, "Inferno," is not the best episode to use as an introduction to the Third Doctor. For one thing, he spends little time actually interacting with his earth-bound companions (in this case, Liz Shaw and the Brig) because he's in a parallel universe most of the time. There are versions of Liz and the Brig in the other universe as well, but naturally they follow the cliche of parallel universes by being nearly irredeemable characters.
The plot hamstrings the Doctor at every turn; not only is he banished from Gallifrey and earth-bound, but he requires the permission of everyone around him before he can do nearly anything. This means he spends much of the story either discussing the unfolding events with his companions or arguing with their baddie versions. It gets tiresome to watch a good 70 minutes worth of the Doctor pleading with people to listen to him.
BUT. With all that said, I did like what I gathered of the Third Doctor. I liked his poise and his wit. I liked the little opera capes. (Hee!) I liked the respect with which he treated by the Brig and Liz. I just don't think "Inferno," is the best episode to show him off, so I'd like to see more Third Doctor stories to make up my mind better.
And ultimately, I liked, "Inferno," as well. I've dumped on it some here, true, but I did get into and liked the ending. The middle section of this story didn't do the last couple of episodes justice, really.
So now I've also watched, "The Ark In Space," where the Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry Sullivan land themselves on a space station well into the future. There, the last of humanity is held in suspended animation - waiting for the Earth to recover from solar flares and be hospitable to life again. But this episode introduces the arthropod alien species called the Wirrn, which was left homeless when humans took over their planet, and which is now planning to feed it's larvae off the humans on board and take over the Earth in return.
I liked this much better as a story. For one thing, it's shorter (only four 25-minute episodes), and more tightly paced and plotted with genuine tension. It's also set on a space station, which is always nice. (Too many earth-bound stories get boring eventually, and we've had a ton of them in NuWho. Plus, I always like the constraints on resources for the characters when facing a threat.) And I didn't notice the camera work or the lighting nearly as much, which tells me it had improved from, "Inferno."
The special effects were still utterly crap (I think the Wirrn larvae were made from bubble wrap), but I did have to admire the studio set. It was a lot easier on the eyes than the bland indoors and even blander outdoor scrub from, "Inferno."
I loved Sarah Jane! Quick-thinking and courageous without being suicidal about it. Although so, so obviously in love with the Doctor. I have no idea why anybody thinks this is RTD's soap-opera retcon, that Sarah Jane loved the Doctor.
Best moment, when the Doctor and the few humans who've been awakened are trying to figure out how to run an electrical cable from a transport ship to inside the station:
Doctor: Aren't there conduits?
Rogin, one of the humans: Yes, but they're about- *holds hands apart the width of his waist* - that wide. We'd need a mechanical cable runner.
Sarah Jane: Why can't I take the cable through?
[All look at her.]
Sarah Jane: Well, I'm about- *briefly holds hands apart at her waist* - that wide!
So we get to see Sarah Jane squirming through ducts, which is very classic sci-fi. *imitates RTD's "Lovely!"* And ooh yes, did I mention Elisabeth Sladen had/has really great legs? Because yeah. Shallow of me, but I mean, damn, that woman was/is stunning.
The Fourth Doctor, though! I was concerned I might not like him. Mainly because he's such a well-loved version, I suspected I might end up hating him out of spite.
But nope! I like him bunches already. Mainly because - and ooh, this would make some people sputter - he reminds me so much of Ten. Which I know is just a bit backwards, but hey, I saw Ten BEFORE Four, so it makes sense to me.
People have said that David Tennant borrows most from the Fourth and Fifth Doctors in his own performance, and now it's retrospectively obvious where he's been channeling Four. He's got a lot of similar physical mannerisms that he gives Ten, like the pop-eyed toothy grin and the excited exclamations from the back of his throat. Which is full of win, and now I can't wait to see what parts of the Fifth Doctor he's channeling, too.
There's just one major problem with starting to get more into Classic Who, though: NOW, when I read fanfic, I hear Ten's lines in Tom Baker's voice!
Which is, oh god, DO NOT WANT. MAKE IT STOP.
I really hope that side effect goes away, or fanfic will be forever ruined.
Just finished watching, "The Ark In Space," from the Fourth Doctor's era. I also watched, "Inferno," from the Third Doctor's era a while back. But since that was the only other Classic Who story I've watched I could only compare it to NuWho, and the contrasts are huge.
Now I can compare them to each other! The fun never stops around here.
Just some random thoughts about Three, Four, Ten and their respective eras:
The jist of, "Inferno," is that there is an experimental project to drill to the center of the earth; the Doctor is there as an advisor to UNIT (the UN's military force), which is providing security cover. He's also trying to get his...dis-em-boxed...TARDIS console to work (I never did understand why he has a spare console when he was supposed to be banished from Gallifrey - it wasn't covered), and instead ends up sending himself to a parallel universe where the drilling is further along. He discovers that the end result of the drilling in both versions will be the end of the world, a return to a primordial ball of lava. So he has to get back to his own universe to alert everyone.
At seven 25-minute episodes, "Inferno," takes quite a while to set up the major plot elements. (Including a sideplot about a guy going to alert the Ministry of the project's danger which arguably could, and probably should, have been scrapped.) It has a tendency to drag, especially if you're used to the faster pace and shorter stories of the new series.
(Man, I was surprised that the new series has so many two- and even three-parters until I discovered the serial style of Classic Who. I guess I should be thankful the resolutions come more often than once a month, or even less. I HATE WAITING.)
More culture shock for NuWho viewers - especially young, American ones - is that the older Who stories are filmed more like videotaped plays than what we think of as television. There are no quick cuts in "Inferno," no fancy camera work. (Hell, you can't even count on the actor's faces being properly lit.) Just a straight-on shot, a slow pan and a slow zoom if they're really being fancy. (If you're Canadian, it visually gives an impression similar to the government-funded educational tapes we used to have to watch in science class, which naturally makes it seem laughable at first.)
And as everyone knows, the so-called "special effects" in Classic Who are pretty hilariously awful. "It's only a model," is the most appropriate Python reference to make here. Or only facepaint and slip-on fangs. Or only big plastic switchboards. Or whatever. Although the weak effects are probably the easiest aspect to forgive, because it's easier just to go along with actors who play it so straight despite the cardboard and tinfoil.
I suspect, "Inferno," is not the best episode to use as an introduction to the Third Doctor. For one thing, he spends little time actually interacting with his earth-bound companions (in this case, Liz Shaw and the Brig) because he's in a parallel universe most of the time. There are versions of Liz and the Brig in the other universe as well, but naturally they follow the cliche of parallel universes by being nearly irredeemable characters.
The plot hamstrings the Doctor at every turn; not only is he banished from Gallifrey and earth-bound, but he requires the permission of everyone around him before he can do nearly anything. This means he spends much of the story either discussing the unfolding events with his companions or arguing with their baddie versions. It gets tiresome to watch a good 70 minutes worth of the Doctor pleading with people to listen to him.
BUT. With all that said, I did like what I gathered of the Third Doctor. I liked his poise and his wit. I liked the little opera capes. (Hee!) I liked the respect with which he treated by the Brig and Liz. I just don't think "Inferno," is the best episode to show him off, so I'd like to see more Third Doctor stories to make up my mind better.
And ultimately, I liked, "Inferno," as well. I've dumped on it some here, true, but I did get into and liked the ending. The middle section of this story didn't do the last couple of episodes justice, really.
So now I've also watched, "The Ark In Space," where the Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry Sullivan land themselves on a space station well into the future. There, the last of humanity is held in suspended animation - waiting for the Earth to recover from solar flares and be hospitable to life again. But this episode introduces the arthropod alien species called the Wirrn, which was left homeless when humans took over their planet, and which is now planning to feed it's larvae off the humans on board and take over the Earth in return.
I liked this much better as a story. For one thing, it's shorter (only four 25-minute episodes), and more tightly paced and plotted with genuine tension. It's also set on a space station, which is always nice. (Too many earth-bound stories get boring eventually, and we've had a ton of them in NuWho. Plus, I always like the constraints on resources for the characters when facing a threat.) And I didn't notice the camera work or the lighting nearly as much, which tells me it had improved from, "Inferno."
The special effects were still utterly crap (I think the Wirrn larvae were made from bubble wrap), but I did have to admire the studio set. It was a lot easier on the eyes than the bland indoors and even blander outdoor scrub from, "Inferno."
I loved Sarah Jane! Quick-thinking and courageous without being suicidal about it. Although so, so obviously in love with the Doctor. I have no idea why anybody thinks this is RTD's soap-opera retcon, that Sarah Jane loved the Doctor.
Best moment, when the Doctor and the few humans who've been awakened are trying to figure out how to run an electrical cable from a transport ship to inside the station:
Doctor: Aren't there conduits?
Rogin, one of the humans: Yes, but they're about- *holds hands apart the width of his waist* - that wide. We'd need a mechanical cable runner.
Sarah Jane: Why can't I take the cable through?
[All look at her.]
Sarah Jane: Well, I'm about- *briefly holds hands apart at her waist* - that wide!
So we get to see Sarah Jane squirming through ducts, which is very classic sci-fi. *imitates RTD's "Lovely!"* And ooh yes, did I mention Elisabeth Sladen had/has really great legs? Because yeah. Shallow of me, but I mean, damn, that woman was/is stunning.
The Fourth Doctor, though! I was concerned I might not like him. Mainly because he's such a well-loved version, I suspected I might end up hating him out of spite.
But nope! I like him bunches already. Mainly because - and ooh, this would make some people sputter - he reminds me so much of Ten. Which I know is just a bit backwards, but hey, I saw Ten BEFORE Four, so it makes sense to me.
People have said that David Tennant borrows most from the Fourth and Fifth Doctors in his own performance, and now it's retrospectively obvious where he's been channeling Four. He's got a lot of similar physical mannerisms that he gives Ten, like the pop-eyed toothy grin and the excited exclamations from the back of his throat. Which is full of win, and now I can't wait to see what parts of the Fifth Doctor he's channeling, too.
There's just one major problem with starting to get more into Classic Who, though: NOW, when I read fanfic, I hear Ten's lines in Tom Baker's voice!
Which is, oh god, DO NOT WANT. MAKE IT STOP.
I really hope that side effect goes away, or fanfic will be forever ruined.