The Doctor Who Real Time Marathon: Spearhead From Space
Spearhead From Space: Episode 1 (03/01/10)
Wow! It's in colour! It's on film! It's on location! It looks fantastic!
The Brigadier's back along with UNIT who are investigating a meteor shower in some woods near Ashbridge Cottage Hospital. The Time Lords have put the TARDIS down right at the centre of the shower and the Doctor's unconscious body was found by UNIT soldiers and taken to the hospital.
The Doctor has two hearts and weird blood, and the Brigadier went to see the Doctor but didn't recognise him. The new Doctor does look quite different (played now by Jon Pertwee, who's famous for comedy radio shows and a couple of Carry On films) being tall with greyish brown and white hair. He still sounds the same, but also a little different.
The story started with UNIT tracking the meteors, then went to Lethbridge-Stewart meeting scientist Dr Elizabeth Shaw who's been hijacked from her studies at Cambridge to aide their investigations. She's a sceptic. Then, upon hearing about the 'unconscious civilian near a phone box', they travelled to Ashbridge. However, a hospital porter alerted the papers and they all turned up, along with a weird, shiny-faced man who, along with two other shiny-faced men in hospital uniforms, tried to kidnap the Doctor. He escaped - in a wheelchair - and headed back to the TARDIS, but one of the UNIT soldiers left guarding it has shot him!
Not immense on plot, but an absolutely brilliant episode focusing on UNIT and the fact that this new Doctor is very clearly an alien. Well scripted, well filmed, well acted; this bodes really well for the new series and the new format with the Doctor exiled on Earth. Is he going to be helping UNIT? Elizabeth Shaw and Lethbridge-Stewart seem to be being set up as Ian and Barbara-style companions. Very positive for the new series!
Spearhead From Space: Episode 2 (10/01/10)
Lots happened this week and it's still all really good; possibly more adult than it's ever been! The Brigadier and Liz Shaw are developing a good mutually antagonistic relationship with Liz coming out with sarcastic remarks and sceptical comments. The Doctor has finally made his way to UNIT too, after being absent for much of the episode, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
The weird shiny-faced man from last week has taken over a doll factory and appears to be making shop mannequins which seemingly operate under his instructions. I think the idea is the 'meteorites' were hollow and contained an alien intelligence which lives in plastic, that being what the meteorites appear to be made of (even though they contain no polymer chains and so, therefore, aren't plastic). An employee (doll designer) has returned from a trip to the States to find out he's been sacked, had a confrontation with his boss (who's being controlled by the shiny-faced man) and broken in later for a cliffhanger with a mannequin.
The Doctor was only grazed by last week's bullet to the head, went into a very deep coma, had a shower (more of Mr Pertwee than I wished to see) where you got to see a snake tattoo on his arm - has he been branded? He stole a hospital bigwig's clothes and car (vintage) and tracked the TARDIS to UNIT HQ for some witty banter about Delphons and meteorites and memory loss.
There's a poacher who lives in a really cool looking cottage that I want to live in and he's hiding one of the meteorites from his wife. Another meteorite was found by UNIT but retrieved by a murderous mannequin. The Brigadier's army liaison, General Scoby, meanwhile, has visited the doll factory to have a replica made of him in some barely credible plot strand (but the rest is so good we'll ignore that) and the shiny-faced man appears to be keeping a sphincter in a box. Not sure about that bit. All very good and better than it's ever been!
Spearhead From Space: Episode 3 (17/01/10)
The high quality of the new series is continuing. The guy that worked for the doll factory managed to escape and contact UNIT and let them know something dodgy was going on. The Doctor, Liz and the Brigadier went there and were fobbed off, but the Brigadier recognised the shiny-faced man as the leader of the Doctor's kidnappers from his photograph.
Sam Seely, the poacher, went and told UNIT about the meteorite he found but his wife found it while he was out, taking it out of the metal casket he was keeping it in and alerting the shiny-faced man as to where it was. A mannequin was sent to retrieve it, trashing her house (which I still want to live in!) and almost killing Mrs Seely. She put up a decent fight with a rifle, though, which may be a first for Doctor Who: feisty, gun-wielding old woman. Then the guy that worked at the doll factory was hunted down and vaporised (nasty!) and General Scoby was visited by his alien, plastic double for the cliffhanger. Oh, and the Doctor conned Liz into getting the TARDIS key off the Brigadier, tried to leg it, but found the Time Lords have done something to stop him. A really good episode with plenty going on. Like Pat's finale, this culd easily go on for weeks and still be entertaining!
Spearhead From Space: Episode 4 (24/01/10)
Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! I think this is the most adult, professional and exciting that Doctor Who has ever been! It was only a four part story but could have gone on longer. That said, it concluded in a most satisfying way.
So, first things first.
The aliens were Nestenes; their mannequins were Autons. They transmitted their consciousness to Earth in plastic meteors and took over a plastics factory because that's what they can manipulate. They made Autons, all dressed alike in blue overalls, and facsimiles of Government officials. The Doctor and Liz worked this out at Madame Tussauds where they found General Scoby was wearing a working, correctly timed watch and therefore wasn't his facsimile but the real thing.
UNIT attacked the factory after shop window dummies throughout London came to life and started shooting people. The Doctor and Liz used an ECT-machine-for-aliens on the fake General Scoby and made their way to the control room.
The Doctor's first words when seeing the Rectum In A Tank were "Good gracious!" - couldn't've put it better myself! Then they chatted with the shiny-faced man before using the ECT machine to destroy the Nestene and the Autons. It didn't work at first, allowing the Nestene Octopus (VERY rubbery tentacles, but then they would be) to try and strangle the Doctor, but Liz sorted out the problem and the aliens were defeated.
Looks like the Doctor is now set up with UNIT as they've promised him a car and outfit like those he stole from the hospital in Episode 2, and Liz to help him try and sort out the TARDIS. It's looking good. Hopefully the quality keeps to this high standard as I don't think the series has look so good!
Wow! It's in colour! It's on film! It's on location! It looks fantastic!
The Brigadier's back along with UNIT who are investigating a meteor shower in some woods near Ashbridge Cottage Hospital. The Time Lords have put the TARDIS down right at the centre of the shower and the Doctor's unconscious body was found by UNIT soldiers and taken to the hospital.
The Doctor has two hearts and weird blood, and the Brigadier went to see the Doctor but didn't recognise him. The new Doctor does look quite different (played now by Jon Pertwee, who's famous for comedy radio shows and a couple of Carry On films) being tall with greyish brown and white hair. He still sounds the same, but also a little different.
The story started with UNIT tracking the meteors, then went to Lethbridge-Stewart meeting scientist Dr Elizabeth Shaw who's been hijacked from her studies at Cambridge to aide their investigations. She's a sceptic. Then, upon hearing about the 'unconscious civilian near a phone box', they travelled to Ashbridge. However, a hospital porter alerted the papers and they all turned up, along with a weird, shiny-faced man who, along with two other shiny-faced men in hospital uniforms, tried to kidnap the Doctor. He escaped - in a wheelchair - and headed back to the TARDIS, but one of the UNIT soldiers left guarding it has shot him!
Not immense on plot, but an absolutely brilliant episode focusing on UNIT and the fact that this new Doctor is very clearly an alien. Well scripted, well filmed, well acted; this bodes really well for the new series and the new format with the Doctor exiled on Earth. Is he going to be helping UNIT? Elizabeth Shaw and Lethbridge-Stewart seem to be being set up as Ian and Barbara-style companions. Very positive for the new series!
Spearhead From Space: Episode 2 (10/01/10)
Lots happened this week and it's still all really good; possibly more adult than it's ever been! The Brigadier and Liz Shaw are developing a good mutually antagonistic relationship with Liz coming out with sarcastic remarks and sceptical comments. The Doctor has finally made his way to UNIT too, after being absent for much of the episode, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
The weird shiny-faced man from last week has taken over a doll factory and appears to be making shop mannequins which seemingly operate under his instructions. I think the idea is the 'meteorites' were hollow and contained an alien intelligence which lives in plastic, that being what the meteorites appear to be made of (even though they contain no polymer chains and so, therefore, aren't plastic). An employee (doll designer) has returned from a trip to the States to find out he's been sacked, had a confrontation with his boss (who's being controlled by the shiny-faced man) and broken in later for a cliffhanger with a mannequin.
The Doctor was only grazed by last week's bullet to the head, went into a very deep coma, had a shower (more of Mr Pertwee than I wished to see) where you got to see a snake tattoo on his arm - has he been branded? He stole a hospital bigwig's clothes and car (vintage) and tracked the TARDIS to UNIT HQ for some witty banter about Delphons and meteorites and memory loss.
There's a poacher who lives in a really cool looking cottage that I want to live in and he's hiding one of the meteorites from his wife. Another meteorite was found by UNIT but retrieved by a murderous mannequin. The Brigadier's army liaison, General Scoby, meanwhile, has visited the doll factory to have a replica made of him in some barely credible plot strand (but the rest is so good we'll ignore that) and the shiny-faced man appears to be keeping a sphincter in a box. Not sure about that bit. All very good and better than it's ever been!
Spearhead From Space: Episode 3 (17/01/10)
The high quality of the new series is continuing. The guy that worked for the doll factory managed to escape and contact UNIT and let them know something dodgy was going on. The Doctor, Liz and the Brigadier went there and were fobbed off, but the Brigadier recognised the shiny-faced man as the leader of the Doctor's kidnappers from his photograph.
Sam Seely, the poacher, went and told UNIT about the meteorite he found but his wife found it while he was out, taking it out of the metal casket he was keeping it in and alerting the shiny-faced man as to where it was. A mannequin was sent to retrieve it, trashing her house (which I still want to live in!) and almost killing Mrs Seely. She put up a decent fight with a rifle, though, which may be a first for Doctor Who: feisty, gun-wielding old woman. Then the guy that worked at the doll factory was hunted down and vaporised (nasty!) and General Scoby was visited by his alien, plastic double for the cliffhanger. Oh, and the Doctor conned Liz into getting the TARDIS key off the Brigadier, tried to leg it, but found the Time Lords have done something to stop him. A really good episode with plenty going on. Like Pat's finale, this culd easily go on for weeks and still be entertaining!
Spearhead From Space: Episode 4 (24/01/10)
Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! I think this is the most adult, professional and exciting that Doctor Who has ever been! It was only a four part story but could have gone on longer. That said, it concluded in a most satisfying way.
So, first things first.
The aliens were Nestenes; their mannequins were Autons. They transmitted their consciousness to Earth in plastic meteors and took over a plastics factory because that's what they can manipulate. They made Autons, all dressed alike in blue overalls, and facsimiles of Government officials. The Doctor and Liz worked this out at Madame Tussauds where they found General Scoby was wearing a working, correctly timed watch and therefore wasn't his facsimile but the real thing.
UNIT attacked the factory after shop window dummies throughout London came to life and started shooting people. The Doctor and Liz used an ECT-machine-for-aliens on the fake General Scoby and made their way to the control room.
The Doctor's first words when seeing the Rectum In A Tank were "Good gracious!" - couldn't've put it better myself! Then they chatted with the shiny-faced man before using the ECT machine to destroy the Nestene and the Autons. It didn't work at first, allowing the Nestene Octopus (VERY rubbery tentacles, but then they would be) to try and strangle the Doctor, but Liz sorted out the problem and the aliens were defeated.
Looks like the Doctor is now set up with UNIT as they've promised him a car and outfit like those he stole from the hospital in Episode 2, and Liz to help him try and sort out the TARDIS. It's looking good. Hopefully the quality keeps to this high standard as I don't think the series has look so good!
There are very few points in Doctor Who's history where from one story to the next the series changes almost completely, but this is the earliest of them. It's not only got new leads and new colours, but a new energy, approach and style. Of course, we don't know at this point that this is going to be the only story that looks like this for the next 25 years, but it still heralds in a very different take on the series - one that must have been a huge shock at the time for being so different, but also successful in getting the viewers to come back next week.
ReplyDeleteIt's also interesting to note, in the wake of two failed attempts since, that this is the only time the show has managed to give us a slightly/very prickly Doctor and make it work to its (and the character's) advantage. Jon Pertwee takes the role very seriously from the word go but is also allowed his moments of charm to take the edge off the new Doctor's abrasiveness, and the combination of the writing and the acting makes this work - something that would go wrong most prominently when they sought to repeat it with the 6th Doctor, and less so but still to some extent with the 12th Doctor.
While the plot here becomes more cartoon-like the longer it goes on, I agree that from the off there's a much more adult tone to the whole thing, as reflected in the fact that our companions are no longer likeable but clearly secondary 'kids' but rather intelligent, independent(-minded) adults who in their own ways are equals to the Doctor himself. It makes for a much more interesting and relatable dynamic for adult viewers while the show still gives the kids enough scares and therefore reasons to keep watching.
Overall, an impressive and promising start to the new era.