Season 18, Story 4/7, Serial 5P: 4 x 25min episodes, 22nd November to 13th December 1980, Writer: Terrance Dicks, Director: Peter Moffat, Script Editor: Christopher H. Bidmead, Producer: John Nathan-Turner, Executive Producer: Barry Letts
Previously on Doctor Who...
I bloody love this story, by the way.
Chris@KosmicKris This is a wonderful story - it never gets the love it deserves! Dr Who and The Vampires!! What’s not to love!
#CELTSSOXPATS@MelbCityLUFCNut State of Decay is in my all time top ten stories, and its a rare example of a trilogy adventure being stand alone as well !
In a savage looking castle on a planet in E-Space...
MAW Holmes@MAW_H Strangely pointy... almost like... No, surely not...?...Guard Captain Habris tells his Lords that it's the "time of selection."
The sets on the ship of state are so rich, and the darkened sets in the village work well.
The Three Who Rule are searching out "Chosen Ones" to serve The Great One at the Time of Arising.
Portentous much?
In the nearby village, Head man Ivo & his wife Marta try to keep their son Karl out of the identity parade.
MAW Holmes@MAW_H "Obstructing the police in their enquiries" they call it these days...
No dice; Habris picks him anyway, no matter how much moonshine he's slipped his dad.
Aboard the TARDIS, the Doctor says warping about in E-Space is making his ship a bit queasy.
He doesn't look too hot himself, to be honest - seems to be that period in this season when Tom wasn't well.
Chris@KosmicKris I know it wasn't deliberate, but his appearance, combined with his performance showed a great Time Lord approaching the end.
Yes, it does give the season that thematic resonance of things decaying, nearing their end - entropy etc, him included.
"Not now K9!" It's always something important when the Doctor says that.
Chris@KosmicKris That’s a perfect Doctor Who story arc, not a huge thematic denouement but lovely intricate, unspoken themes running almost unnoticed.
Still no idea why E-Space is green. Interesting, though.
M.R.Michael@The_Cybermatt The night sky is green, like E-space itself.
Wonderful location these woods.
Si Hodges@SiHodges79 Would be even better if they didn't turn up four times in this and the next series ;)
Si Hodges@SiHodges79 Would be even better if they didn't turn up four times in this and the next series ;)
MAW Holmes@MAW_H The photos from this shoot are amongst my very favourites... :-)
Simon Hart@Si_Hart Tom and Lalla shine throughout this story.
That village is suspiciously model-looking, though! ;-)
This is the part of the shoot when director Peter Moffat said Tom & Lalla were in a foul mood with each other, and wouldn't even make eye contact.
Simon Hart@Si_Hart Yes, you can tell which studio session is which too by whether they're looking at each other or away from each other!Poor old K9 is sidelined to guarding the TARDIS again.
Oh yeah, Adric.
MAW Holmes@MAW_H We've all had parties ruined like that...
Simon Hart@Si_Hart Lovely bit of music there (same as in Full Circle, which is a nice touch!)
The Doctor says it's a mistake to judge by appearances...
...but there doesn't seem to be more than meets the eye to this superstitious bumpkin.
Romana teases the Doctor that "He's probably the Astronomer Royal."
Ivo & Habris are amazed when the Doctor & Romana rock up in the village.
Habris thinks the Doctor is a Lord. Well, he's sort of right, I suppose.
This lot don't seem to know what a scientist is. "You know, Witch-wiggler, Wangateur. Fortune Teller? Mununugu?"
Go on, Terrance, lad!
Chris@KosmicKris I’m glad this story is getting the love it deserves! A little gem hidden in a much underrated series!
"Foreign Devils! You know - people you don't know!" Tom's on fine form, and Terrance Dicks scripts him so well. I'd go so far as to say that Dicks sets up a lot of Tom's ad-libs on purpose. Master craftsmen, both.
Ivo says the Lords protect the villagers from the Wasting.
Simon Hart@Si_Hart The wasting is... the wasting.
I'm sure that'll be important later, and wasn't just a remnant from the '77 draft abandoned & replaced by Horror of Fang Rock.
When the Doctor and Romana decide it's time to go...
...the supposedly technologically backward villager takes out a clandestine walkie talkie.
"That's right, strangers. They were asking about scientists..."
Adric outwitting K-9 is actually good fun. He's still reasonably endearing at this point.
James Cooray Smith@thejimsmith Terrance is writing the Adric of writers' guide, "A cosmic artful dodger," (State of Decay made first).
Simon Hart@Si_Hart He's written much better than usual too!
Yes, he's always pushing his luck (asking for cheese) and looking for an angle ("What's in it for me?"). Later on in his run it just becomes him repeating the turncoat thing rather than the Dodger tricks.
"The sooner I leave, the better." You said it, not me.
"Gotcha!"
Romana says there isn't a "next village". That's just bats!
MAW Holmes@MAW_H I know some dislike the "plum colour" outfit, but it really seems to suit the mood in this...
The Time-Lords a confronted by a gang of hoodies.
Ex-Tower Guard Tarak is played by Thane Bettany, father of Paul AKA The Vision.
Chris@KosmicKris If there is a better name in showbiz than ‘Thane Bettany’ I want to hear it!
James Cooray Smith@thejimsmith Dorothy Rose Gribble is in The Romans.Superb!
TonyCross@Lokster71 Brown Derby - see The Omega Factor.Chris@KosmicKrisYou make a good case - I also think ‘Walton Goggins’ takes some beating but Thane Bettany sounds Shakespearean!
The 3 vampires are wonderful. Such great performances, creepy, magnetic, oozing threat, power and charming evil.
Whoever wrote this one up on Wikipedia reckons "the Wasting" just means the bats that Aukon sends. Really?
The Doctor and Romana are escorted to the rebel hideout in the woods; their way is strewn with wrecked and abandoned technology.
Ah, Kalmar. Arthur Hewlett's always lovely, isn't he?
Chris@KosmicKris There is not a story that isn’t improved by Arthur Hewlett! He’s brilliant in this (and the one criticism I have: underused).
The Doctor congratulates him on his Technocotheca.
Seems this gang of rebels are working to rediscover the abandoned technology of the Lords.
Chris@KosmicKris There are some odd beards on display there!
Zargo's is the best of the bunch, I feel. Quite the work of art!
Simon Hart@Si_Hart I wish my beard was like his. All those curls!
All this stuff about the Wasting gets completely forgotten after this scene.
Adric's caught stealing some bread.
Marta sees something of Karl in him, and takes him in despite Ivo's misgivings.
James Cooray Smith@thejimsmith I would suggest we infer that from this point Adric takes a role in the story that was originally Karl's in the 77 version.
Yes, I definitely agree with that, great shout.
Simon Hart@Si_Hart I'd love to know more about the 77 version. I can't imagine Leela as the sacrificed virgin at the end somehow.
James Cooray Smith@thejimsmith Probably why the chosen one is a teenage boy in the first place. Suspect she leads attack on tower. (No K9 yet.)
Ever the chancer, Adric asks for some cheese to go with it. So he's not all bad.
James Cooray Smith@thejimsmith They have no concept of cheese! This the most terrifying dystopia ever.
The Doctor's able to fix the telly with some good old fashioned 20th Century Engineering.
The databank reveals that the vessel Hydrax arrived here from Earth, via a CVE.
The crew look familiar...
...though the Doctor says they're long since dead.
The Doctor and Romana are free to go - straight into trouble!
Masterful stuff from Paddy Kingsland on the score, here, too.
Simon Hart@Si_Hart All the music this year is brilliant. I love them all! Paddy was so tuneful!
Most of the shots of it were either cut or just didn't come out very visibly, but check out the Doctor's blue blood!
Great use of the stock footage of the bats there. This is so dark and atmospheric.
The Doctor and Romana are overwhelmed and brought to their knees...!
The bats have ushered them right into the clutches of Habris and the other castle guards.
Night turns into Day...
Simon Hart@Si_Hart Excellent glass painting. Peter Moffat often used them- see The Visitation and the The Five Doctors.
The Doctor notices there are no windows in the throne room.
MAW Holmes@MAW_H ...Oh... THAT throne room...
I should rococo.
Zargo's beard is colossal, it bears repeating.
MAW Holmes@MAW_H "By the beard of Zargo!" (As Brian Blessed probably never said)
There's that cheese Adric wanted. #CheeseWatch.
James Cooray Smith@thejimsmith So the vampires keep the cheese to themselves? Pure oppression. It just gets worse.
E-Space really is hell.
El Tel wheels out the Dracula "homages" as Camilla takes an unhealthy interest in Romana's cut thumb.
James Cooray Smith@thejimsmith Camilla an obvious allusion to Le Fanu's vampire novel Carmilla. Which is the ur-text for all those lesbian vampire films.
Chris@KosmicKris it was never a subtle allusion- but then for Saturday tea time, I didn't need to be! This is brilliant stuff :)
Seems the Three don't know the way back out of the CVE which is a bit of a downer.
Ivo still clings to the vain hope that Habris will keep his word to make Karl a tower guard.
Good luck with that.
As this selection scene is in daylight, and Aukon must have walked, do these vampires have no sunlight allergy?
MAW Holmes@MAW_H Not with this night filming budget...
Matthew Waterhouse is probably having flashbacks to his audition process at this point.
Aukon senses something different about Adric. "One who pretends to be a dull and stupid peasant but who is different."
Adric's always looking for an angle. "What's in it for me?"
"Wealth, power, dominion over this world, and over many others." Good answer.
The Doctor tells Camilla and Zargo that their society is going backwards.
"I've never seen such a STORY TITLE KLAXON!"
Zargo forgets himself with his reference to the "ship of state."
Or should that be remembers himself?
Habris arrives to tell the King and Queen that The Arising is at hand...
...so the Doctor and Romana are left to their own devices.
Love this bit: The Brothers Grimm and the Law of Consonantal Shift.
Simon Hart@Si_Hart Loved that bit on the cassette version. In fact I loved the talking book massively.
The Three's names have their origins in the names of the original crew. Camilla, Aukon & Zargo = MacMillan, O'Connor & Sharkey. Of course the castle itself is the explorer ship Hydrax itself.
Romana finds an inspection hatch. The Doctor inspects it.
Simon Hart@Si_Hart "Romana! I've found the inspection hatch!" So very Tom!
In the resting place, Aukon plans to feed the Doctor to the Great One.
Chris@KosmicKris Emrys James rips e-space size chunks out of the scenery here! A proper guest ‘turn'.
Simon Hart@Si_Hart He pitches it just at the right level of OTT. What a great voice!
KrynoidPodCast@KrynoidPodCast Even Zargo's beard is chewing the scenery.
Aukon dispatches his "servants" to seek out the Doctor & Romana.
Whoever wrote this one up on Wikipedia reckons "the Wasting" just means the bats that Aukon sends. Really?
The Doctor and Romana are escorted to the rebel hideout in the woods; their way is strewn with wrecked and abandoned technology.
Love the mish mash of vampires and technology in this. Possibly some Bidmead influence there? I mean, I imagine Dicks' original Witch Lords / Wasting might not have concentrated so much on the technology itself. I'm assuming in the earlier versions of the story we still would have had this explanation of the Tower being the ship, though.
Ah, Kalmar. Arthur Hewlett's always lovely, isn't he?
Chris@KosmicKris There is not a story that isn’t improved by Arthur Hewlett! He’s brilliant in this (and the one criticism I have: underused).
The Doctor congratulates him on his Technocotheca.
Seems this gang of rebels are working to rediscover the abandoned technology of the Lords.
Chris@KosmicKris There are some odd beards on display there!
Zargo's is the best of the bunch, I feel. Quite the work of art!
Simon Hart@Si_Hart I wish my beard was like his. All those curls!All this stuff about the Wasting gets completely forgotten after this scene.
Adric's caught stealing some bread.
Marta sees something of Karl in him, and takes him in despite Ivo's misgivings.
James Cooray Smith@thejimsmith I would suggest we infer that from this point Adric takes a role in the story that was originally Karl's in the 77 version.
Yes, I definitely agree with that, great shout.
Simon Hart@Si_Hart I'd love to know more about the 77 version. I can't imagine Leela as the sacrificed virgin at the end somehow.James Cooray Smith@thejimsmith Probably why the chosen one is a teenage boy in the first place. Suspect she leads attack on tower. (No K9 yet.)
Ever the chancer, Adric asks for some cheese to go with it. So he's not all bad.
James Cooray Smith@thejimsmith They have no concept of cheese! This the most terrifying dystopia ever.
The Doctor's able to fix the telly with some good old fashioned 20th Century Engineering.
The databank reveals that the vessel Hydrax arrived here from Earth, via a CVE.
The crew look familiar...
...though the Doctor says they're long since dead.
Tarak saw them every day - the Three Who Rule.
The Doctor and Romana are free to go - straight into trouble!
Masterful stuff from Paddy Kingsland on the score, here, too.
Simon Hart@Si_Hart All the music this year is brilliant. I love them all! Paddy was so tuneful!
Most of the shots of it were either cut or just didn't come out very visibly, but check out the Doctor's blue blood!
Great use of the stock footage of the bats there. This is so dark and atmospheric.
The Doctor and Romana are overwhelmed and brought to their knees...!
The bats have ushered them right into the clutches of Habris and the other castle guards.
Night turns into Day...
Simon Hart@Si_Hart Excellent glass painting. Peter Moffat often used them- see The Visitation and the The Five Doctors.
The Doctor notices there are no windows in the throne room.
MAW Holmes@MAW_H ...Oh... THAT throne room...
I should rococo.
Zargo's beard is colossal, it bears repeating.
MAW Holmes@MAW_H "By the beard of Zargo!" (As Brian Blessed probably never said)
There's that cheese Adric wanted. #CheeseWatch.
James Cooray Smith@thejimsmith So the vampires keep the cheese to themselves? Pure oppression. It just gets worse.
E-Space really is hell.
El Tel wheels out the Dracula "homages" as Camilla takes an unhealthy interest in Romana's cut thumb.
James Cooray Smith@thejimsmith Camilla an obvious allusion to Le Fanu's vampire novel Carmilla. Which is the ur-text for all those lesbian vampire films.
Chris@KosmicKris it was never a subtle allusion- but then for Saturday tea time, I didn't need to be! This is brilliant stuff :)
Ivo still clings to the vain hope that Habris will keep his word to make Karl a tower guard.
Good luck with that.
As this selection scene is in daylight, and Aukon must have walked, do these vampires have no sunlight allergy?
MAW Holmes@MAW_H Not with this night filming budget...
Matthew Waterhouse is probably having flashbacks to his audition process at this point.
Aukon senses something different about Adric. "One who pretends to be a dull and stupid peasant but who is different."
Adric's always looking for an angle. "What's in it for me?"
"Wealth, power, dominion over this world, and over many others." Good answer.
The Doctor tells Camilla and Zargo that their society is going backwards.
"I've never seen such a STORY TITLE KLAXON!"
Zargo forgets himself with his reference to the "ship of state."
Or should that be remembers himself?
Habris arrives to tell the King and Queen that The Arising is at hand...
...so the Doctor and Romana are left to their own devices.
Love this bit: The Brothers Grimm and the Law of Consonantal Shift.
Simon Hart@Si_Hart Loved that bit on the cassette version. In fact I loved the talking book massively.
The Three's names have their origins in the names of the original crew. Camilla, Aukon & Zargo = MacMillan, O'Connor & Sharkey. Of course the castle itself is the explorer ship Hydrax itself.
Romana finds an inspection hatch. The Doctor inspects it.
Simon Hart@Si_Hart "Romana! I've found the inspection hatch!" So very Tom!
In the resting place, Aukon plans to feed the Doctor to the Great One.
Chris@KosmicKris Emrys James rips e-space size chunks out of the scenery here! A proper guest ‘turn'.
Simon Hart@Si_Hart He pitches it just at the right level of OTT. What a great voice!
KrynoidPodCast@KrynoidPodCast Even Zargo's beard is chewing the scenery.
Camilla has different plans for Adric. "We must increase our numbers." Well, he is good with numbers.
KrynoidPodCast@KrynoidPodCast She may be barking up the wrong tree there.
The inspection hatch leads to a ladder...
Tarak plans a lightning raid on the tower to rescue the Doctor & Romana, but Kalmar urges patience. 2nd story in a row where we have dithering leaders, and those advocating action are in the right. Hmmmm.
Finding the Doctor & Romana gone, Zargo starts to lose his cool.
Camilla says the Doctor "is not weaponless. He has the greatest weapon of all: Knowledge."
MAW Holmes@MAW_H One for "The Wit and Wisdom" book there...
Chris@KosmicKris that is the Terrance Dicks philosophy for Doctor Who encapsulated in one line!
The Doctor and Romana find themselves in one of the ship's "turrets".
"There's even a bit of power left in the energy cells." Might as well forget about that, doubt it'll be important later.
They hear what sounds like a giant heartbeat. "More evidence."
KrynoidPodCast@KrynoidPodCast She may be barking up the wrong tree there.
The inspection hatch leads to a ladder...
Tarak plans a lightning raid on the tower to rescue the Doctor & Romana, but Kalmar urges patience. 2nd story in a row where we have dithering leaders, and those advocating action are in the right. Hmmmm.
Finding the Doctor & Romana gone, Zargo starts to lose his cool.
Camilla says the Doctor "is not weaponless. He has the greatest weapon of all: Knowledge."
MAW Holmes@MAW_H One for "The Wit and Wisdom" book there...
Chris@KosmicKris that is the Terrance Dicks philosophy for Doctor Who encapsulated in one line!
The Doctor and Romana find themselves in one of the ship's "turrets".
"There's even a bit of power left in the energy cells." Might as well forget about that, doubt it'll be important later.
They hear what sounds like a giant heartbeat. "More evidence."
They descend into the bowels.
Blood in the fuel tanks, exsanguinated corpses and dark claustrophic sets. This is worlds apart from last season, isn't it!
Chris@KosmicKris And how much better is it? A wonderful darkness about this whole story - there's some real peril here!
Simon Hart@Si_Hart Tom's at his doomy best here. I think the Season 18 Tom is the best of them all. You get all the facets of his Doctor.
At the thought of vampire legends, Romana admits that she's scared.
Unfortunate that we get a clear shot of those terrible question marks on Tom's shirt here. Curse you, JNT!
MAW Holmes@MAW_H You know, watching that series on TV at the time I never noticed them. Only in a publicity shot later on that I saw them.
Tom and Lalla don't look very at ease in "The Resting Place"!
"I am Aukon, welcome to my cliffhanger!"
Simon Hart@Si_Hart Scary close up!
"I've never been a great one for swarming." Wonderful stuff from Tom.
This is the first point the Doctor & Romana learn that Adric has stowed away with them!
Aukon hints at their origins, which the Doctor has sussed: they *are* the original crew.
Aukon tries to get all Delgado on them, but the Doctor's willpower is too great.
"Time-Lords - the ancient enemies!"
Would have been great to see more of the wars between the vampires and Time-Lords.
MAW Holmes@MAW_H Introducing PETER CUSHING as THE VAMPIRE HUNTER DOCTORChris@KosmicKris Again, this is perfect layering of a story by Terry - that hint of menace added by making them an ancient enemy!
Tarak has made it into the Tower.
Now it's Zargo's turn to be afraid.
Simon Hart@Si_Hart Nice little nod to Macbeth.
Amongst lessons about daisiest daisies the hermit also told the young Doctor about giant vampires.
Simon Hart@Si_Hart This is one of my favourite scenes ever in Doctor Who. So lovely!
Chris@KosmicKris Again, perfectly acted by Tom & Lalla, beautifully written by Terry - and the 4th Doctor for once looking back...
Simon Hart@Si_Hart "Psst! You are wonderful!" "Me? Wonderful? Yes, I suppose I am really, I've never really thought about it!"
Simon Hart@Si_Hart Terrance really, really should have written more for the show on TV.Totally agree! :-)
"I know you - you're Tarak the Traitor!"
"And you're Fell the Fall Guy!"
Even this cell the Doctor & Romana are kept in looks quite rich and luxurious.
Hearing trouble approach, the Doctor overpowers the guard...
...but is squashed behind the door when Tarak bursts in. Another one in the eye for the "Season 18's no fun" crowd.
Kalmar's got the scanner working, so they can detect anyone approaching now.
Karl's body was dumped at the village, drained of blood, in retribution for Tarak's attack.
But if it was meant to intimidate the villagers it's had the opposite effect. Ivo will attack tonight, with or without Kalmar.
The Doctor sets off for some typical part 3 padding - a timewasting trip back for a faff in the TARDIS - while Romana and Tarak will go back for Adric.
It's only a model... but the tower/ship looks great.
I do miss white, roundelled, console rooms. :-(
Simon Hart@Si_Hart Tom's hair is looking better in these scenes.
Tarak seems to have forgotten how to use the security passes. Thought he used to be a guard?
"Do you know the lady Camilla? I just happen to be her blood group separator!"
Pretty sure "Not Dracula!" is an in-joke referencing this story being scotched from season 15.
Simon Hart@Si_Hart Nice to see K9 involved again (and not damaged!)
Chris@KosmicKris I’m sounding like a broken record but Terry even got the use of K9 right in this story, something not many writers ever did!
Romana and Tarak creep past the sleeping vampires to find Adric.
Love all this mythology about the Time-Lords and vampires. Bowships and all that.
Chris@KosmicKrisThis story just does not drag or lose pace - every scene drives the story forward (and a lovely bit of Time Lord history)
Nice camera angles in this TARDIS scene too.
Energy weapons will be useless against the Vampire King...
...a mighty bolt of steel is needed.
"The mutation must take some time!" Another remnant from an earlier draft - The Vampire Mutations.
Not sure why Romana's so keen to wake Adric. Should've left him.
The vampires are a bit hammy when they're on the attack.
Daft poses and hand gestures.
Simon Hart@Si_Hart Lots of hissing!
Tarak is killed...
...but the vampires want fresh blood.
Even a knife flung into Zargo's shoulder barely slows him down as he simply plucks it out.
Bad news for Romana!
Absolutely - best of the E-Space trilogy for me, always seems to be overshadowed by the artiness of Warriors' Gate.
Aukon calls his crewmates off...
Romana is reserved for the Great One, at his Time of Arising...
The Doctor will need to call on the help of the rebels.
He's getting better at these short hops, and K9 says the relative smallness of E-Space should make it easier.
Kalmar still thinks attacking the Tower will throw away everything the rebels have accomplished so far.
The Doctor makes an impressive entrance.
Aukon prepares to summon the Great One to suck the lifeblood from all inhabited worlds.
What a rotter!
The Doctor rips off Henry V to rouse the rabble. But not in the name of Ralph the Liar.
The Doctor refocuses Kalmar's scanner beneath the castle.
Then wishes he hadn't.
He can hear the heartbeat of a killer...
The opportunistic Adric gets a rollicking from Romana when he seems about to throw his lot in with the vampires.
Sammyc @Samanthacarey84 Adric, you shit!
Chris@KosmicKris And the whole attitude from this story! He was so much edgier than in future (where he just largely seemed to sulk).
Simon Hart@Si_Hart It's much better. I also suspect Lalla enjoyed telling Matthew off in this scene a bit too much!
The Time of Arising is at hand...
The rebels plan their attack on the tower.
Then wishes he hadn't.
He can hear the heartbeat of a killer...
The opportunistic Adric gets a rollicking from Romana when he seems about to throw his lot in with the vampires.
Sammyc @Samanthacarey84 Adric, you shit!
She's not wrong, you know. Being a right obnoxious so-and-so now.
Adric should have kept that jacket.
Adric should have kept that jacket.
Chris@KosmicKris And the whole attitude from this story! He was so much edgier than in future (where he just largely seemed to sulk).
Simon Hart@Si_Hart It's much better. I also suspect Lalla enjoyed telling Matthew off in this scene a bit too much!
The rebels plan their attack on the tower.
Ivo's all pro-technology til K-9 shows up.
The rebel attack begins.
K9 makes short work of the tower guards.
Simon Hart@Si_Hart Nice to see him one action one last time. I love K9!
Not sure whether Romana's in a trance here or just ignoring Adric. Either or.
Habris begs Aukon to send his bats, or they'll die.
"Then die. That is the purpose of guards!"
The rebel attack begins.
K9 makes short work of the tower guards.
Simon Hart@Si_Hart Nice to see him one action one last time. I love K9!
Not sure whether Romana's in a trance here or just ignoring Adric. Either or.
Habris begs Aukon to send his bats, or they'll die.
"Then die. That is the purpose of guards!"
Chris@KosmicKris Another line that is very Terrance Dicks :)
Simon Hart@Si_Hart Brilliant line!
The Doctor has a plan; he just needs to find 1 of the scout ship "turrets" with a flicker of life left.
After Habris failed to keep his promise to protect Karl, Ivo isn't very inclined to show him mercy.
Adric was just playing along; he chooses his moment... and fails.
Well that was worth the wait.
K9 orders the evacuation.
Adric was just playing along; he chooses his moment... and fails.
Well that was worth the wait.
K9 orders the evacuation.
Aukon dispatches his bats as the moment approaches.
Simon Hart@Si_Hart "Short trip. Quick flip. Time to be going Doctor!"
The bats get to work on Romana...
...but she's rescued as the whole "Tower" shakes with the Turret's take-off.
The TARDIS crew reunite...
...as the Three gather in anticipation of the Arising.
Lovely model work as the Doctor's "mighty steel bolt" goes up...
Simon Hart@Si_Hart Paddy Kingsland sells these scenes. His music works well giving it the mood and tension it needs.
...but such wonderful aging-to-death make up FX on the 3 vampires.
Simon Hart@Si_Hart That terrified me when I first saw it back in 1980, aged 5.
Like his minions, the Great Vampire rests in pieces.
Ivo apologizes to K-9 like the Doctor said he would do "1 day" about 5 minutes ago. "Well done, dog!"
And, having got the Hydrax database up and running for Kalmar...
Simon Pittman@LibraryPlayer Taking him home the long way round... what could possibly go wrong?! ;-) #BestAvoidTheCybermen
Chris@KosmicKris What a brilliant story - and a great tweet along as well!
Simon Hart@Si_Hart It's been fun. One of my favourite stories.
Never Cruel...@never_cruel Do you think one thing Doctor Who was missing in 1980s (bar The Five Doctors) was the pure joie de vivre of Dicks' stories?
No, because that mode of Who is far from being unique to TD & it's too much of a cliche to portray all 80s Who the same way. There's a lot of variety in it, a lot of thoughtfulness, valuable experimentation and even a lot of fun.
Never Cruel...@never_cruel Every time Dicks is on a DVD extra, he talks about Doctor Who with the enthusiasm (and some of the vocabulary) of a child. The sense that he just wanted that (televisual) page to turn and for viewers to have a rollicking good time and a chuckle. It's all goodies and baddies and people being zapped and monsters and jokes and... fun!
Ivo apologizes to K-9 like the Doctor said he would do "1 day" about 5 minutes ago. "Well done, dog!"
And, having got the Hydrax database up and running for Kalmar...
...the Doctor & his friends depart, apparently to take Adric "straight home"!
Simon Pittman@LibraryPlayer Taking him home the long way round... what could possibly go wrong?! ;-) #BestAvoidTheCybermen
Chris@KosmicKris What a brilliant story - and a great tweet along as well!
Simon Hart@Si_Hart It's been fun. One of my favourite stories.
Never Cruel...@never_cruel Do you think one thing Doctor Who was missing in 1980s (bar The Five Doctors) was the pure joie de vivre of Dicks' stories?
No, because that mode of Who is far from being unique to TD & it's too much of a cliche to portray all 80s Who the same way. There's a lot of variety in it, a lot of thoughtfulness, valuable experimentation and even a lot of fun.
Never Cruel...@never_cruel Every time Dicks is on a DVD extra, he talks about Doctor Who with the enthusiasm (and some of the vocabulary) of a child. The sense that he just wanted that (televisual) page to turn and for viewers to have a rollicking good time and a chuckle. It's all goodies and baddies and people being zapped and monsters and jokes and... fun!
I always loved the concepts in this one, but the acting gets really bad in moments, mostly with the three vampires... But it captured my imagination otherwise, as a kid. The idea of an Earth space ship, ending up captured by the influence of some ancient creature, turned them vampiric, and the technology and knowledge they carried was discarded as if worthless... I always wanted to know what the officers of the ship were like prior to being sucked into the influence of the vampire. Their photos in the ship's database are the only tease of the people they used to be. Their helmets and smileless stares gave them a rather sinister appearance, in that green monochrome. What was Hydrax's original flight path/mission?
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