The Doctor Who Real Time Marathon: A Land Of Fear - Prisoners Of The Conciergerie
Doctor Who - A Land Of Fear (08/08/04)
A very dramatic and quite violent episode this week. The TARDIS has landed in Revolutionary France (apparently the Doctor's favourite period in Earth's history!) and, following a bit of exploring, the travellers came upon an abandoned farmhouse which was being used as a stop off point by French nobles trying to flee the country. Having a look upstairs, the Doctor was knocked unconscious by a hiding refugee and Ian, Barbara and Susan, having discovered a chest containing clothes (which they changed into), maps and documents signed by Robespierre, were confronted by the young nobleman and the man running the escape. However, a group of Revolutionaries turned up hunting for the nobles and the young man, already hysterical after having his entire family executed, ran out to try and escape. They caught him, and the guide, and shot them both; the young guy after kicking the shit out of him off screen! The Revolutionaries (Citizens) found Ian, Barbara and Susan and decided to take them to Paris to be hanged while burning down the house! With the Doctor trapped inside!!!
Looks like he'll be saved by a peasant boy who they met earlier, but all very tense and very close to the bone compared to what's gone before. There was some nice interplay between the leads as Ian and Barbara pacified the Doctor after last week's cliffhanger, and a lovely scene where Ian and Barbara mused over not having been brought home and how they weren't disappointed. A great start to another nice Historical as the series draws to a close. Looks like it;s going to be a good one!
Doctor Who - Guests Of Madame Guillotine (15/08/04)
A brilliant episode this week! Maps, pictures and location footage of the Doctor's journey to Paris to rescue the others. It all looked very cool, the Doctor striding through the countryside and encountering a roadworks Overseer who he annoyed and was forced by to dig alongside the other tax-dodgers at gun point. He outwitted him, though, and twatted the Overseer over the head with a spade!
Meanwhile, Susan got all whiny locked up with Barbara who was determined to dig her way out of their cell after the gaoler suggested he could leave a few doors open if she agreed to be his 'friend' - dirty fucker! And Ian was locked up with a dying man who gave him a quest to find a guy called James Stirling via another guy named Jules Renan.
Tightly directed and scripted, Hartnell was very clearly enjoying himself, getting a nice scene thanking the French boy for saving his life and playing a bit of comedy alongside the Overseer. Susan showed a bit of spirit early on when worrying about her grandfather, but reverted to wimpy little girl for the most part. Barbara and Ian got some good stuff to do, though, and they continue to be great, especially Jacqueline Hill making Barbara a strong and determined character. Now Susan and Barbara are on their way to the guillotine, Ian is locked in his cell and the Doctor is still miles outside Paris! Can't wait to see what happens next!
Doctor Who - A Change Of Identity (22/08/04)
A little slow this week, but events are moving on and there was some fun with the Doctor. Barbara and Susan were rescued by a pair called Jean and Jules - no doubt the latter is the guy Ian was told to contact. They help smuggle French nobles out the country and knew of the pair shot in the first episode, who were on a route overseen by their mate Leon. It looks like they have a spy in their midst as it's not the first time their safehouses have been discovered. Leon turned up and flirted shamelessly with Barbara. Susan was barely in this episode, first being all feeble on the cart to the guillotine, then going to bed with a headache. I do wish they'd come up with some better writing for her as she far too often ends up getting sidelined or used in a way which really denigrates her character. She started off as odd and interesting, and she's an alien just like the Doctor so why they haven't explored this outside the Sensorite story is beyond me! Very weak and uninspired characterisation!
Anyway, Ian managed to escape when a bloke called Lemaitre distracted the Gaoler, but it looks like Lemaitre intended this to happen all along. And the Doctor visited a tailor's and sneakily traded his clothes for a posh new outfit and a sash denoting the position of Regional Officer of the Provinces which he used to gain access to the prison and find out the Susan, Ian and Barbara were gone. Then Lemaitre turned up and insisted the Doctor join him in a meeting with Robespierre where the region he 'oversees' will be discussed. Uh-oh! Not only that, but the tailor wasn't so dumb and has gone to the prison to report the Doctor as an impostor!
Quite dark and serious still, with the exception of the Gaoler, but it's nonetheless engaging. The plot just needs to speed up a bit.
Doctor Who - The Tyrant Of France (29/08/04)
This plot is getting very convoluted, but at least there's plenty happening. The Doctor successfully dealt with his awkward meeting with Robespierre but it ended with him being asked back again the next day. Meanwhile, Lemaitre seems suspicious of him and has insisted he stays to attend the meeting, especially after he spoke to the tailor who reported his suspicions of the Doctor. Jules et Jean heard that someone had been asking about them at Le Chien Gris and clobbered him and took him back to their house. Obviously, it was Ian so he and Barbara were reunited. Susan, however, is still ill so Barbara took her to see a physician who also suspected them and fetched some guards. This all worked out okay (sort of) because back at the prison, Lemaitre sent Barbara in to be questioned by the Doctor so now they've been reunited, too.
I assume that Lemaitre assumed that the Doctor was at the prison trying to free prisoners he knew and put Barbara and the Doctor together to see if he was right and they were both criminals. Whatever, he's certainly not all he seems.
Meanwhile, Ian had Jules arrange a meeting between himself and Leon (who Barbara very clearly fancies) but it turns out Leon is a traitor, no doubt responsible for informing the Revolutionaries about the farmhouse. Told to go alone to meet Leon in the crypt of a church, Ian arrived to find himself surrounded by soldiers having walked straight into Leon's trap.
Much more engaging and busy this week. I'm not entirely sure how everything;s going to pan out as everyone seems to be in an impossible situation with only Jules free to provide any help and unaware of either Ian or Barbara's situations. Like I said, convoluted, but nonetheless really engaging, and at least it isn't obvious what's going to happen next. It certainly doesn't feel like this is only the fourth episode. Really good script!
Doctor Who - A Bargain Of Necessity (05/09/04)
Really good this week with all sorts going on, betrayals and deceptions. Barbara had a good scene where she pointed out how one man's traitor is another man's patriot - it's interesting that, given that the French Revolution is seen to have been a good thing which freed the people of France from the greed and oppression of the nobility, the Doctor and his companions have found themselves in a situation where they're being helped by the Royalists and the villains of the story are actually those who, historically speaking, were the good guys. It just goes to underline that in history, and in the real world, it's very rare that everything is black and white.
Leon captured Ian and threatened to torture him in order to get information about the Royalist supporters because he supports the Revolution. Obviously, Ian knew nothing and, luckily for him, Jules came along and shot Leon and his soldiers. To Barbara, who liked Leon, and anyone supporting the Revolution, this was terrible, but for Ian and Jules it was the right thing to do. It was interesting to see Ian and Barbara, who are so often on the same side, disagreeing and both putting forward justified arguments.
Also this week, the Doctor once more conned the Gaoler, this time into letting Barbara escape. But Lemaitre had already tipped the Gaoler off about the Doctor and obstructed his freeing Susan from the prison. When he finally got Susan free, Lemaitre turned up and confronted him about his deception, and the cliffhanger saw the Doctor arrive at Jules' house with Lemaitre, Susan still imprisoned - obviously a hostage ensuring the Doctor's betrayal of Jules.
Oh, and it looks like Robespierre's peers are plotting against him and he's asked Lemaitre for help. This has turned out to be a very interesting and mature story - although I still wish they'd given Susan something more positive to do. I'm looking forward to seeing how it all concludes!
Doctor Who - Prisoners Of Conciergerie (12/09/04)
A bit of a twist at the end of this story! I should have figured it out really, but Lemaitre was James Stirling all along and got the Doctor, Ian and Barbara to help him. Robespierre had asked him to keep an eye on Barrass, who he thought was responsible for plotting against him, and a meeting Barrass was holding was part of the information the dying bloke who spoke to Ian had spoken about. Lamaitre got Ian and Barbara to pose as the bar staff at the inn where the meeting was being held (tying and gagging the innkeeper in the cellar! Er...) and it was only a meeting with Napoleon bloody Bonaparte making a deal which would lead to him becoming ruler of France!
It was cool seeing another historical figure after Marco Polo - Robespierre is a famous historical figure, but nothing compared to Napoleon or Polo! Lemaitre and Jules would rather have Robespierre in charge, so Lemaitre and Ian went off to try and stop his arrest. The Doctor and Barbara realised this was futile, though, and had a nice little chat (and laugh) about the situation. Obviously, Lemaitre was too late and Robespierre was shot in the jaw and dragged to the prison where the Doctor was freeing Susan. Then they all met up, said their farewells and legged it back to the TARDIS via carriage (superimposed over a map). There was a nice little coda and a fade to a shot of the stars, and that's it for a few weeks!
This first series has been very good overall with only a few dud episodes and some interesting developments for the characters. The Doctor is much more likeable than he was at the start, more open and much less selfish, although he's kept about him the opinion that the welfare of Susan and himself is most important. Ian and Barbara are great, particularly Barbara who regularly gets all the best dialogue and has had some great scenes facing off against various people. Susan has been the least well developed, the Sensorite story aside. This serial and the Aztec story in particular gave her bugger all to do, so I hope that changes next series. Overall, there have been some clever ideas, great sets and costumes, and some truly brilliant aliens. I hope the production team continue to expand on their ideas. It looks hopeful because the next episode is set to be on a Planet Of Giants!
A very dramatic and quite violent episode this week. The TARDIS has landed in Revolutionary France (apparently the Doctor's favourite period in Earth's history!) and, following a bit of exploring, the travellers came upon an abandoned farmhouse which was being used as a stop off point by French nobles trying to flee the country. Having a look upstairs, the Doctor was knocked unconscious by a hiding refugee and Ian, Barbara and Susan, having discovered a chest containing clothes (which they changed into), maps and documents signed by Robespierre, were confronted by the young nobleman and the man running the escape. However, a group of Revolutionaries turned up hunting for the nobles and the young man, already hysterical after having his entire family executed, ran out to try and escape. They caught him, and the guide, and shot them both; the young guy after kicking the shit out of him off screen! The Revolutionaries (Citizens) found Ian, Barbara and Susan and decided to take them to Paris to be hanged while burning down the house! With the Doctor trapped inside!!!
Looks like he'll be saved by a peasant boy who they met earlier, but all very tense and very close to the bone compared to what's gone before. There was some nice interplay between the leads as Ian and Barbara pacified the Doctor after last week's cliffhanger, and a lovely scene where Ian and Barbara mused over not having been brought home and how they weren't disappointed. A great start to another nice Historical as the series draws to a close. Looks like it;s going to be a good one!
Doctor Who - Guests Of Madame Guillotine (15/08/04)
A brilliant episode this week! Maps, pictures and location footage of the Doctor's journey to Paris to rescue the others. It all looked very cool, the Doctor striding through the countryside and encountering a roadworks Overseer who he annoyed and was forced by to dig alongside the other tax-dodgers at gun point. He outwitted him, though, and twatted the Overseer over the head with a spade!
Meanwhile, Susan got all whiny locked up with Barbara who was determined to dig her way out of their cell after the gaoler suggested he could leave a few doors open if she agreed to be his 'friend' - dirty fucker! And Ian was locked up with a dying man who gave him a quest to find a guy called James Stirling via another guy named Jules Renan.
Tightly directed and scripted, Hartnell was very clearly enjoying himself, getting a nice scene thanking the French boy for saving his life and playing a bit of comedy alongside the Overseer. Susan showed a bit of spirit early on when worrying about her grandfather, but reverted to wimpy little girl for the most part. Barbara and Ian got some good stuff to do, though, and they continue to be great, especially Jacqueline Hill making Barbara a strong and determined character. Now Susan and Barbara are on their way to the guillotine, Ian is locked in his cell and the Doctor is still miles outside Paris! Can't wait to see what happens next!
Doctor Who - A Change Of Identity (22/08/04)
A little slow this week, but events are moving on and there was some fun with the Doctor. Barbara and Susan were rescued by a pair called Jean and Jules - no doubt the latter is the guy Ian was told to contact. They help smuggle French nobles out the country and knew of the pair shot in the first episode, who were on a route overseen by their mate Leon. It looks like they have a spy in their midst as it's not the first time their safehouses have been discovered. Leon turned up and flirted shamelessly with Barbara. Susan was barely in this episode, first being all feeble on the cart to the guillotine, then going to bed with a headache. I do wish they'd come up with some better writing for her as she far too often ends up getting sidelined or used in a way which really denigrates her character. She started off as odd and interesting, and she's an alien just like the Doctor so why they haven't explored this outside the Sensorite story is beyond me! Very weak and uninspired characterisation!
Anyway, Ian managed to escape when a bloke called Lemaitre distracted the Gaoler, but it looks like Lemaitre intended this to happen all along. And the Doctor visited a tailor's and sneakily traded his clothes for a posh new outfit and a sash denoting the position of Regional Officer of the Provinces which he used to gain access to the prison and find out the Susan, Ian and Barbara were gone. Then Lemaitre turned up and insisted the Doctor join him in a meeting with Robespierre where the region he 'oversees' will be discussed. Uh-oh! Not only that, but the tailor wasn't so dumb and has gone to the prison to report the Doctor as an impostor!
Quite dark and serious still, with the exception of the Gaoler, but it's nonetheless engaging. The plot just needs to speed up a bit.
Doctor Who - The Tyrant Of France (29/08/04)
This plot is getting very convoluted, but at least there's plenty happening. The Doctor successfully dealt with his awkward meeting with Robespierre but it ended with him being asked back again the next day. Meanwhile, Lemaitre seems suspicious of him and has insisted he stays to attend the meeting, especially after he spoke to the tailor who reported his suspicions of the Doctor. Jules et Jean heard that someone had been asking about them at Le Chien Gris and clobbered him and took him back to their house. Obviously, it was Ian so he and Barbara were reunited. Susan, however, is still ill so Barbara took her to see a physician who also suspected them and fetched some guards. This all worked out okay (sort of) because back at the prison, Lemaitre sent Barbara in to be questioned by the Doctor so now they've been reunited, too.
I assume that Lemaitre assumed that the Doctor was at the prison trying to free prisoners he knew and put Barbara and the Doctor together to see if he was right and they were both criminals. Whatever, he's certainly not all he seems.
Meanwhile, Ian had Jules arrange a meeting between himself and Leon (who Barbara very clearly fancies) but it turns out Leon is a traitor, no doubt responsible for informing the Revolutionaries about the farmhouse. Told to go alone to meet Leon in the crypt of a church, Ian arrived to find himself surrounded by soldiers having walked straight into Leon's trap.
Much more engaging and busy this week. I'm not entirely sure how everything;s going to pan out as everyone seems to be in an impossible situation with only Jules free to provide any help and unaware of either Ian or Barbara's situations. Like I said, convoluted, but nonetheless really engaging, and at least it isn't obvious what's going to happen next. It certainly doesn't feel like this is only the fourth episode. Really good script!
Doctor Who - A Bargain Of Necessity (05/09/04)
Really good this week with all sorts going on, betrayals and deceptions. Barbara had a good scene where she pointed out how one man's traitor is another man's patriot - it's interesting that, given that the French Revolution is seen to have been a good thing which freed the people of France from the greed and oppression of the nobility, the Doctor and his companions have found themselves in a situation where they're being helped by the Royalists and the villains of the story are actually those who, historically speaking, were the good guys. It just goes to underline that in history, and in the real world, it's very rare that everything is black and white.
Leon captured Ian and threatened to torture him in order to get information about the Royalist supporters because he supports the Revolution. Obviously, Ian knew nothing and, luckily for him, Jules came along and shot Leon and his soldiers. To Barbara, who liked Leon, and anyone supporting the Revolution, this was terrible, but for Ian and Jules it was the right thing to do. It was interesting to see Ian and Barbara, who are so often on the same side, disagreeing and both putting forward justified arguments.
Also this week, the Doctor once more conned the Gaoler, this time into letting Barbara escape. But Lemaitre had already tipped the Gaoler off about the Doctor and obstructed his freeing Susan from the prison. When he finally got Susan free, Lemaitre turned up and confronted him about his deception, and the cliffhanger saw the Doctor arrive at Jules' house with Lemaitre, Susan still imprisoned - obviously a hostage ensuring the Doctor's betrayal of Jules.
Oh, and it looks like Robespierre's peers are plotting against him and he's asked Lemaitre for help. This has turned out to be a very interesting and mature story - although I still wish they'd given Susan something more positive to do. I'm looking forward to seeing how it all concludes!
Doctor Who - Prisoners Of Conciergerie (12/09/04)
A bit of a twist at the end of this story! I should have figured it out really, but Lemaitre was James Stirling all along and got the Doctor, Ian and Barbara to help him. Robespierre had asked him to keep an eye on Barrass, who he thought was responsible for plotting against him, and a meeting Barrass was holding was part of the information the dying bloke who spoke to Ian had spoken about. Lamaitre got Ian and Barbara to pose as the bar staff at the inn where the meeting was being held (tying and gagging the innkeeper in the cellar! Er...) and it was only a meeting with Napoleon bloody Bonaparte making a deal which would lead to him becoming ruler of France!
It was cool seeing another historical figure after Marco Polo - Robespierre is a famous historical figure, but nothing compared to Napoleon or Polo! Lemaitre and Jules would rather have Robespierre in charge, so Lemaitre and Ian went off to try and stop his arrest. The Doctor and Barbara realised this was futile, though, and had a nice little chat (and laugh) about the situation. Obviously, Lemaitre was too late and Robespierre was shot in the jaw and dragged to the prison where the Doctor was freeing Susan. Then they all met up, said their farewells and legged it back to the TARDIS via carriage (superimposed over a map). There was a nice little coda and a fade to a shot of the stars, and that's it for a few weeks!
This first series has been very good overall with only a few dud episodes and some interesting developments for the characters. The Doctor is much more likeable than he was at the start, more open and much less selfish, although he's kept about him the opinion that the welfare of Susan and himself is most important. Ian and Barbara are great, particularly Barbara who regularly gets all the best dialogue and has had some great scenes facing off against various people. Susan has been the least well developed, the Sensorite story aside. This serial and the Aztec story in particular gave her bugger all to do, so I hope that changes next series. Overall, there have been some clever ideas, great sets and costumes, and some truly brilliant aliens. I hope the production team continue to expand on their ideas. It looks hopeful because the next episode is set to be on a Planet Of Giants!
This is the overlooked historical of the first season, which is understandable given the 'competition', but it's better than you expect it to be, and every bit as dark as The Aztecs in places. Barbara shines, inevitably, but you're right that Susan is squandered, here and elsewhere. The story gets bogged down in the actual history a bit towards the end, but the last episode's very memorable. And the coda's lovely, as brief as it is.
ReplyDeleteI think this is much darker than The Aztecs. Susan is wasted (like she was in The Aztecs) and the focus seems to be very much on Barbara and the Doctor. I think it's the grimmest story of the first series and I actually like the fact that as the story progresses it starts to include more historical events - that, after all, was the series prerequisite. I actually struggled with episodes 4 & 5 because I was listening to an un-narrated off-air recording but it still came across incredibly well, one of the benefits of the more wordy earlier historicals. The final scene really is quite charming, though.
DeleteTo be fair, CAF had two weeks' holiday while they were filming The Aztecs, so they simply had to cut down her role. Same as per Jacqueline Hill in The Sensorites, William Hartnell in The Keys of Marinus and William Russell in... er, can't remember actually. Did he have two weeks off at any point? Was it here in The Reign of Terror?
DeleteWilliam Russell had a fortnight's holiday during The Reign Of Terror but, like CAF, he featured in prefilmed inserts (which is why he isn't seen alongside the rest of the main cast). Bill and Jacqueline were just absent from the scripts for their holidays, but Susan barely features in the letter half of The Reign Of Terror which is really bad scripting considering it's the end of the series. It's hardly surprising that she chose not to renew her contract!
Delete