Season 26, Story 3/4, Serial 7M: 4 x 25 minutes episodes, 25th October to 15th November 1989, Writer: Ian Briggs, Director: Nicholas Mallett, Script Editor: Andrew Cartmel, Producer: John Nathan-Turner
50dw50@50dw50 its odd the original version now fells like some strange special editionIronic, when fans are usually so picky about the "correct" version being the broadcast one (e.g. 2 part Resurrection of the Daleks) that in this case, as we know so much was chopped out at editing stage the VHS/DVD version is preferred.
Chris Cwej@chriscwej like so many stories from this era (which I love), the extra scenes often allow some narrative breathing room.
I think, with the best will in the world, that's a script-editing issue.
Chris Cwej@chriscwej yes definitely. But I think someone mentioned once that the rehearsal time was also shorter in than in other eras?
I've totally gone off this version of the theme over the years. The incidental music is brilliant. It's the arrangement of the actual theme tune I'm not keen on.
A group of Russian soldiers go boating while an ancient viking dragon boat watches them from beneath the waves.
The underwater footage is really good.
Great locations they found for this one.
Kosmic Kris@KosmicKris I always thought this was a wonderfully dramatic start - it felt “different”
The subtitles are a lot easier to read on the Special Edition! Very tele-prompter-y on the broadcast version.
The Doctor and Ace stroll into a WW2 army base.
Easier than getting into Greenford disco on a Saturday night.
Outdoor scenes on video. Yuck. They should be "surrounded by film."
50dw50@50dw50 i was just thinking how cheep the video looked!
Kosmic Kris@KosmicKris I hate the expression, but this whole story does feel “filmic”
Love Duffle Coats, but Sylv's is an odd colour. Similar to the one Harry Sullivan wears in season 12 though.
The darker jacket is such a massive improvement. Now just lose the jumper... I quite like his outfit in the TVM.
"From now on everything in English!"
"But Kapitan, the UK viewers love a good subtitled drama nowadays!"
The Doctor infiltrates the office of scientist Dr. Judson...
...and knocks up a quick forged letter from his pal Churchill.
Kosmic Kris@KosmicKris the psychic paper provides a neat solution to this type of shenanigans
Tim@parks8472 I can never decide if I like the psychic paper or if it's just a stealth-McGuffin.
Tim@parks8472 True, the sonic has become all things for all occasions.
James Cooray Smith@thejimsmith It always was. In The Dominators it's a blowtorch.
Tim@parks8472 Ironically, it always strikes me as wrong when it is used as a screwdriver LOL
Chris Cwej@chriscwej yes definitely. But I think someone mentioned once that the rehearsal time was also shorter in than in other eras?I've totally gone off this version of the theme over the years. The incidental music is brilliant. It's the arrangement of the actual theme tune I'm not keen on.
A group of Russian soldiers go boating while an ancient viking dragon boat watches them from beneath the waves.
Great locations they found for this one.
Kosmic Kris@KosmicKris I always thought this was a wonderfully dramatic start - it felt “different”The subtitles are a lot easier to read on the Special Edition! Very tele-prompter-y on the broadcast version.
The Doctor and Ace stroll into a WW2 army base.
Easier than getting into Greenford disco on a Saturday night.
Outdoor scenes on video. Yuck. They should be "surrounded by film."
50dw50@50dw50 i was just thinking how cheep the video looked! 
Kosmic Kris@KosmicKris I hate the expression, but this whole story does feel “filmic”Love Duffle Coats, but Sylv's is an odd colour. Similar to the one Harry Sullivan wears in season 12 though.
The darker jacket is such a massive improvement. Now just lose the jumper... I quite like his outfit in the TVM.
"But Kapitan, the UK viewers love a good subtitled drama nowadays!"
The Doctor infiltrates the office of scientist Dr. Judson...
...and knocks up a quick forged letter from his pal Churchill.
Kosmic Kris@KosmicKris the psychic paper provides a neat solution to this type of shenanigans 
Tim@parks8472 I can never decide if I like the psychic paper or if it's just a stealth-McGuffin.
It's expedient to remove an old school ep 1 of convincing the locals to trust him, but has to be employed carefully
Kosmic Kris@KosmicKris agreed - although on balance, it’s a nice, consistent device that (unlike the sonic) hasn’t become a magic wand
Kosmic Kris@KosmicKris agreed - although on balance, it’s a nice, consistent device that (unlike the sonic) hasn’t become a magic wandTim@parks8472 True, the sonic has become all things for all occasions.James Cooray Smith@thejimsmith It always was. In The Dominators it's a blowtorch. 
It does always make me smile when it's actually used *as* a screwdriver (Fury, War Games). It does feel like they scaled back on it being a magic wand for series 8, but I still don't like the current design.
Tim@parks8472 Ironically, it always strikes me as wrong when it is used as a screwdriver LOL 
The Russians are very edgy about something attacking from the water at night.
Judson offers to show them the "Ultima Machine". The Doctor opts to get some kip instead. Ace bags the top bunk-bed, and plans to go rock-climbing...
Lovely stuff from Mark Ayres, genuinely a great soundtrack, all the more superior weighed against the Keff atrocities.
Kosmic Kris@KosmicKris the Mark Ayres score is a real highlight of this - echoes of Simpson and Howells but with it’s own distinct stamp!
Eyes... eyes, watching in the dark.
The next morning, the Doctor and Ace decide to visit the crypt at the local church.
The Doctor rescues local vicar Nicholas Parsons from puritanical battleaxe Mrs. Hardaker.
Ace meets evacuees Jean and Phyllis and arranges to meet up later on.
Millington seems to be a bit of a fruit loop, sat inside his replica of Hitler's office.
50dw50@50dw50 that must have raised a few eyebrows at the war office when he requested that
Bek Hobbes@Greebobek I bet he has Nazi underpants...
Nicholas Parsons shows the Doctor and Ace to his crypt where Judson is deciphering viking carvings.
Knickerless Parsons is actually brilliant in this.
Judson offers to show them the "Ultima Machine". The Doctor opts to get some kip instead. Ace bags the top bunk-bed, and plans to go rock-climbing...
Lovely stuff from Mark Ayres, genuinely a great soundtrack, all the more superior weighed against the Keff atrocities.
Kosmic Kris@KosmicKris the Mark Ayres score is a real highlight of this - echoes of Simpson and Howells but with it’s own distinct stamp! 
Eyes... eyes, watching in the dark.
The next morning, the Doctor and Ace decide to visit the crypt at the local church.
The Doctor rescues local vicar Nicholas Parsons from puritanical battleaxe Mrs. Hardaker.
Ace meets evacuees Jean and Phyllis and arranges to meet up later on.
Millington seems to be a bit of a fruit loop, sat inside his replica of Hitler's office.
50dw50@50dw50 that must have raised a few eyebrows at the war office when he requested that Bek Hobbes@Greebobek I bet he has Nazi underpants... 
Nicholas Parsons shows the Doctor and Ace to his crypt where Judson is deciphering viking carvings.
Knickerless Parsons is actually brilliant in this.
50dw50@50dw50 Parsons is one of those celebrity castings which really work, he is great in this
like Beryl Reid in Earthshock - a bit of casting pilloried by fans, but genuinely a star turn that elevates the written part.
In the graveyard, they spot some wonky headstones.
The ground has shifted since the grave was dug...
Miss Hardaker warns the evacuees that only girls with evil in their hearts go to Maiden's Point. Guess where Ace is going?
(The novel implies that the embittered spinster speaks from - tragic - experience here, by the way.)
In the graveyard, they spot some wonky headstones.
The ground has shifted since the grave was dug...
Miss Hardaker warns the evacuees that only girls with evil in their hearts go to Maiden's Point. Guess where Ace is going?
(The novel implies that the embittered spinster speaks from - tragic - experience here, by the way.)
The Doctor finds the Russian's sealed orders and rushes leaving Ace to wait for her friends, with a warning not to go into the water.
Millington tells Judson they have to learn to think like the enemy.
Judson says that there will be many more thinking machines in the future. Millington wonders whose thoughts they will think...
The Doctor's rumbled that the vicar already has a translation of the runes...
Michael Bater@GreenLeftie He has a minute to repeat them all, without hesitation, repetition or deviation!
Millington tells Judson they have to learn to think like the enemy.
Judson says that there will be many more thinking machines in the future. Millington wonders whose thoughts they will think...
The Doctor's rumbled that the vicar already has a translation of the runes...
Michael Bater@GreenLeftie He has a minute to repeat them all, without hesitation, repetition or deviation!Chris Cwej@chriscwej I love the Doctor's mention of Nietzsche in the special edition.For once Ace follows the Doctor's advice & keeps out of the water.
The runes tell of a dark curse following the dragon ship; a black fog and death in the night...
50dw50@50dw50 a nasty attack of the runes 
There are curious echoes in the sealed orders...
"Make me look like Lana Turner"
"I've got a pencil, not a DIY plastic surgery kit."
They'll never know how close to death they come when they almost stumble on the hiding place of the Russians.
Judson doesn't seem to question that all the time he's been working Wainwright had the translation...
The Doctor & Ace meet the WRENs & the friendly Kathleen Dudman has a baby that Millington wants off the base...
Love this bit where Sylv (perhaps, arguably the Doctor, in character) is at pains to support the baby's head. Parent skills.
The baby's named Audrey, and funnily enough so is the mother that Ace hates.
You can't sack Dudman, she's invented Super Ted 40 years early!
50dw50@50dw50 evil space baby, it has to be the villain of the story 
Bek Hobbes@Greebobek Another evil space baby? At least this isn't green. I like to think the last one grew up to be the Jolly Green Giant
Ho, ho, ho!
The Doctor rifles through Millington's office, and alludes to Judson's accident...
Judson shares the translation with Millington, who fears trouble a-brewing.
Back at the beach, Ace finds a dead Russian, drained of blood and clutching another oddly shaped metal artefact...
Then they're suddenly surrounded by Russians with guns!
As Judson reads the translation aloud new runes are burned into the wall & a dead soldier's eyes open beneath the water...
The Doctor's able to persuade the Russians to bide their time.
He's able to gain Captain Sorin's trust when he helps their wounded comrade.
Millington wants Judson to use the Ultima machine on the transcriptions, and abandon the war work...
The Russians take out a British patrol.
Millington leads the Doctor to his underground poison factory...
"Norse mythology. It seems I'm in there, I'll get my coat." Love all the Norse mythology stuff.
Sorin sends another of his men to their death; "baywatch" is fast gaining a double meaning amongst the men.
Kosmic Kris@KosmicKris I actually quite like that they don’t try and artificially create an end-of-episode incident just for a cliffhanger
It's a full-on Haemovore attack on the church now!
Ace eventually gets to the roof...
She must have felt so smug when that rope ladder she'd been carrying round for 2 series finally came in handy.
To be fair, she steps out of the TARDIS talking about going rockclimbing, so obviously she packed it specially rather than it being total coincidence.
I was going to say who uses a rope ladder to go rockclimbing but it's Ace. She uses Nitro-9 instead of a door handle.
One of the Haemovores starts mooing at Ace so Sorin shoots it.
The Doctor creates a ringing psychic barrier by reciting the names of Hartnell-era companions.
Chesserman, Chatterton, Cheston, Sue. Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub.
MAW Holmes@MAW_H "Trace, Singleton, Noakes, Purves..." Oops! Wrong list...
Fenric's wonderfully egomaniacal supervillain dialogue goes largely unnoticed when people recall this story.
50dw50@50dw50 it does make him better than the standard villain
Sorin & Vershinin decide to destroy the Ultima machine...
MAW Holmes@MAW_H Freak weather conditions... keep an eye out for Pigbin Josh...
Kosmic Kris@KosmicKris I love the way the writing doesn’t hammer you over the head with this though! They leave so much unspoken!
To be fair, it's quite subtle - that early mention that the baby has the same name as her mum, and that's it until the reveal.
Kosmic Kris@KosmicKris it’s assumes a sophisticated audience who can import their own emotions and ideas to the story. Lovely writing!
Judson shares the translation with Millington, who fears trouble a-brewing.
Back at the beach, Ace finds a dead Russian, drained of blood and clutching another oddly shaped metal artefact...
Then they're suddenly surrounded by Russians with guns!
The Doctor's able to persuade the Russians to bide their time.
He's able to gain Captain Sorin's trust when he helps their wounded comrade.
Millington wants Judson to use the Ultima machine on the transcriptions, and abandon the war work...
The Russians take out a British patrol.
Millington leads the Doctor to his underground poison factory...
"Norse mythology. It seems I'm in there, I'll get my coat." Love all the Norse mythology stuff.
Sorin sends another of his men to their death; "baywatch" is fast gaining a double meaning amongst the men.
Ace promises Wainwright that there's light at the end of the war.
Hardaker tells Jean and Phyllis they'll burn in hell and their swimming cozzies are confiscated!
Judson's invented the first computer, and it's already got a virus. What German "messages" has he been trying to decipher again?
You can tell Millington's a bad'un, because he tests on animals.
Love is all you need... "Aadvark. The word is Aadvark."
Some of the base's soldiers are walling up the tunnel, but some old piece of tat doesn't fancy staying buried.
Jean and Phyllis aren't afraid to go back into the water. They should be...
"Burn the chess sets. And snakes and ladders. And Operation and Buckaroo. Hungry Hungry Hippos can stay."
When Dudman asks the Doctor if he has any family he says he doesn't know, which she assumes is a reference to "the war"...
When Judson begins to decode the runes, he gets a translation, but not the meaning...
The evacuees have gone a bit Lost Boys and lure a Russian soldier into the water to his death.
Jean & Phyllis? They'll be with the old Dragon boat.
Ace tips off Judson that the inscription is a logic puzzle for his computer.
Er... surely that was why Millington wanted Judson to use the Ultima machine earlier? That's not news.
The Lost Girls deliver their promised payback to Miss Hardaker.
JNT's dog Pepsi can be seen in Miss Hardaker's garden there
As the Doctor and Ace pay their respects to Miss Hardaker...
...the Lost Girls move on to the Reverend Wainwright.
The Doctor intervenes, but they promise to have it out with Knickerless Parsons later.
With the Ultima Machine going full pelt, vampires start to rise from the sea...
The Doctor says everything will be fine as long as Judson doesn't figure out what the runes are for. Ace has dropped a major clanger here.
"You're too late, Doctor!" is a weak and silly cliffhanger. Especially when the scene just carries on. He's a rubbish Time-Lord. He's "Too Late!" about once every 25 minutes
Kosmic Kris@KosmicKris I actually quite like that they don’t try and artificially create an end-of-episode incident just for a cliffhanger 
But the "Too late!" creates an incident that wasn't there and then they just carry on like he never said it. Falls flat for me.
With the Haemovores on the move, Millington decides to call for help - until it's pointed out he gave orders to destroy all radios on camp.
"No, not Vampires - Haemovores... creatures with an insatiable hunger for blood!" "So Vampires, then?"
Bek Hobbes@Greebobek Is this before or after we become heads in metal balls?
Going to put this one down to the time war. Or a wizard.
Dudman, whose name Ace *still* hasn't recognised, is offended when Ace doesn't automatically assume she's married.
"No, not Vampires - Haemovores... creatures with an insatiable hunger for blood!" "So Vampires, then?"
The Doctor implies that the human race *will* evolve into Haemovores eventually...
Bek Hobbes@Greebobek Is this before or after we become heads in metal balls?Going to put this one down to the time war. Or a wizard.
Dudman, whose name Ace *still* hasn't recognised, is offended when Ace doesn't automatically assume she's married.
Judson wonders when *his* chains will shatter. Not long now, mate.
Sorin tells his men that reports of the black fog in Russia where dismissed, with the reports saying that the men had been listening to too many superstitions about vampires...
The Doctor still thinks the key could be in the church records of the original viking settlers' descendants.
In the basement, Ace finds that tatty old flask and pockets it for later nitro-9 usage. Bet it definitely doesn't have Fenric in it or anything.
Sure enough the locals names are down - so they're coming in!
It's a full-on Haemovore attack on the church now!
Ace eventually gets to the roof...
She must have felt so smug when that rope ladder she'd been carrying round for 2 series finally came in handy.
To be fair, she steps out of the TARDIS talking about going rockclimbing, so obviously she packed it specially rather than it being total coincidence.
I was going to say who uses a rope ladder to go rockclimbing but it's Ace. She uses Nitro-9 instead of a door handle.
One of the Haemovores starts mooing at Ace so Sorin shoots it.
The Doctor creates a ringing psychic barrier by reciting the names of Hartnell-era companions.
MAW Holmes@MAW_H "Trace, Singleton, Noakes, Purves..." Oops! Wrong list...
Sorin and his men help them escape through the crypt to a tunnel that will take them back to the base.
Sorin volunteers to use his faith in the revolution to pass by the haemovores the other way with the ringing.
Hey, guess what? Ace's battered old flask is the bottle the evil genie Fenric was trapped in!
Having escaped the church crypt, Sorin calls Millington out.
Millington saying Sorin's name "hardly seems to matter" seems a bit daft considering what he knows.
Ace goes to see her gran, who's just had the news that the ship her husband was on has been torpedoed.
So she's less than impressed with the Doctor's evasiveness.
He comes clean that Fenric is an evil intelligence from the dawn of time.
Sorin volunteers to use his faith in the revolution to pass by the haemovores the other way with the ringing.
Hey, guess what? Ace's battered old flask is the bottle the evil genie Fenric was trapped in!
Having escaped the church crypt, Sorin calls Millington out.
Millington saying Sorin's name "hardly seems to matter" seems a bit daft considering what he knows.
Ace goes to see her gran, who's just had the news that the ship her husband was on has been torpedoed.
So she's less than impressed with the Doctor's evasiveness.
Wainwright has an appointment with death.
Ace distracts with abstracts...
...while the Doctor frees Sorin.
They look naff all like Lana Turner. More like Kate Bush dragged backwards through... erm, a bush.
The evacuees kill Wainwright, his faith rocked by the thought of British bombs killing German civilians.
Ace distracts with abstracts...
...while the Doctor frees Sorin.
They look naff all like Lana Turner. More like Kate Bush dragged backwards through... erm, a bush.
The evacuees kill Wainwright, his faith rocked by the thought of British bombs killing German civilians.
Judson is stricken by a computer virus.
The Haemovores are on the march.
Millington starts reciting Norse mythology, as Judson stands with glowing eyes...
MUCH better cliffhanger!
"We play the contest again... Time-Lord!"
Fenric makes a dramatic exit...
...so Millington orders the Doctor & Ace shot.
They're rescued by the Russians.
Millington lures Fenric in with the last remaining game of Screwball Scramble.
Fenric's wonderfully egomaniacal supervillain dialogue goes largely unnoticed when people recall this story.
50dw50@50dw50 it does make him better than the standard villain
Sorin & Vershinin decide to destroy the Ultima machine...
"All part of Fenric's evil game... like this weather." Oh, valiant effort, but no.
MAW Holmes@MAW_H Freak weather conditions... keep an eye out for Pigbin Josh...
Fenric has summoned the Great Serpent to spew venom over the Earth...
Good job no-one's been stockpiling chemical weapons then, eh, Commander Millington? Oh.
The Doctor and Ace stumble across Millington's Fenric-trap...
...but escape with the all important records.
Fenric gives his orders to the Ancient One.
As per, it's the Brits that start with the chemical weapons.
But the troops are starting to come around to the Doctor's side.
Especially when faced with vampire WRENs!
Good job no-one's been stockpiling chemical weapons then, eh, Commander Millington? Oh.
"Don't interrupt me when I'm eulogising."
The Doctor and Ace stumble across Millington's Fenric-trap...
...but escape with the all important records.
Fenric gives his orders to the Ancient One.
As per, it's the Brits that start with the chemical weapons.
But the troops are starting to come around to the Doctor's side.
Especially when faced with vampire WRENs!
Ace has a soft spot for Sorin. Bet that ends well.
The Doctor needs a chess set to put the puzzle to Fenric for the final time and Ace remembers that Dudman had one in her suitcase.
Fenic takes delight in having nurse Crane polished off on behalf of Doctor Judson.
Ace is banging on about that evil house. Post-shadowing due to the transmission order switcheroo!
The Doctor's back in the game.
Ace creates her future by sending her grandma to go and live in the house where her grandma lives.
Relativey-welativey?
The Doctor needs a chess set to put the puzzle to Fenric for the final time and Ace remembers that Dudman had one in her suitcase.
Fenic takes delight in having nurse Crane polished off on behalf of Doctor Judson.
Ace is banging on about that evil house. Post-shadowing due to the transmission order switcheroo!
The Doctor's back in the game.
Ace creates her future by sending her grandma to go and live in the house where her grandma lives.
Relativey-welativey?
Kosmic Kris@KosmicKris I love the way the writing doesn’t hammer you over the head with this though! They leave so much unspoken! 
To be fair, it's quite subtle - that early mention that the baby has the same name as her mum, and that's it until the reveal.
Kosmic Kris@KosmicKris it’s assumes a sophisticated audience who can import their own emotions and ideas to the story. Lovely writing!
Fenric doesn't need the Haemovores any more so he has the Ancient One psychically melt them, which is lucky for Ace.
Then he's off to play a nice relaxing game of chess.
Mad dog Millington is put down by a new Anglo-Russian alliance.
Fenric's almost worn out Judson's body...
The Doctor explains the paradox to the Ancient One.
Then he's off to play a nice relaxing game of chess.
Mad dog Millington is put down by a new Anglo-Russian alliance.
Fenric's almost worn out Judson's body...
The Doctor explains the paradox to the Ancient One.
How far back does the chess thing go? Listen, Hartnell was on his way back from Chess club when he first turns up in An Unearthly Child...
Sorin plans to be the end of Fenric. He's not entirely wrong, of course.
The pawns are fighting together now...
Ace tells the solution to "Sorin", who's the new Fenric.
So the solution is that you cheat, or at least change the rules.
You can tell it's a puzzle set by the Doctor.
Fenric gloats about how he's steered the Doctor here using Ace's timeline.
Then he drops the bombshell: the baby she loves is the mother she hates.
The Doctor needs to break the psychic barrier that Ace's faith in him is creating.
"Do you think I didn't know? The chess set in Lady Peinforte's study? I knew."
"Earlier than that, Time Lord. Before Cybermen, ever since Ice World, where you first met the girl."
The Doctor has to slag Ace off so the ancient One can kill Fenric.
The Doctor tricks Fenric into using his own weapon against himself; just like the Daleks & Cybermen last season.
Then he's got some apologising to do.
Ace washes away the painful memories with a swim.
Lucky that water's so clean.
No more dangerous undercurrents.
TTFN! K.
Coming Soon... The Daemons
Why not delve into the secret history of the 7th Doctor with "The Arc of Fenric"...
"From now on everything in English!"
ReplyDelete"But Kapitan, the UK viewers love a good subtitled drama nowadays!" HAHA! :D
The novelisation makes WAY too much of the big symbolic 'swim in the sea' scene at the end