The Armageddon Factor written by Bob Baker & Dave Martin and directed by Michael Hayes
The story in a nutshell:
The Key to Time has been assembled at last and the whole universe has
been paused. Two worlds are at war and missiles are heading towards one
planet and a bomb is waiting to demolish both. Trapped in a 3 second
time loop which is bleeding to a conclusion…wow this sounds really exciting on paper!
Teeth and Curls:
Another season sixteen story and Tom Baker again at his height. No I
don't mean tall, I'm talking about an actor that is showing no signs of
fatigue and still giving all that he can t make sure that the final
product is as good as it can be. What is immediately obvious from the
very first episode is how comfortable Baker and Mary Tamm are at the end
of their time together, they fire dialogue at each other like automatic
weapons hitting their target and make a wonderfully watchable team (‘As soon as we hand this over to the White Guardian, the better!’).
The Doctor always goes into every situation thinking the best but
knowing it will always be the worst. That is a pretty good way to live
your life. The Doctor is at his improvisational best, telling the
Marshall that he has visited a war zone for the purposes of tourism,
running a profitable, educational business visiting different battle
zones. Baker makes this preposterous material not only convince but make
you wish it was true as well because it sounds great fun. Watch the
scene where the Doctor babbles about ventriloquism and suddenly realises
the Marshall is a puppet for another power, it is a fantastic example
of his lunatic intelligence at it's finest thinking through a situation
and coming up trumps. The Doctor’s ultimate deterrent to war is peace,
which might sound like an obvious solution but not to those who have
grown accustomed to such a lifestyle. There is a great visual when the
Doctor bursts from the furnace shrouded in steam and holding K.9, every
inch the wild eyed lunatic adventurer. There is a want of patience in
his nature. What is it about the Doctor that he keeps getting people to
give him a good blow? He's not all amiability and smiles though, I was
grateful that somebody was cruel to Merak (who takes uselessness to a
whole new level) and who better than the Doctor in a bad mood (‘Insects! With stings in their tails!’).
Baker and Lalla Ward have instant, intimate chemistry. This might an
instance of love at first sight. Theta Sigma was his nickname at school
and he and Drax were at tech school together. Baker and Matin have been
responsible for filling in more background about the Time Lords than
practically anybody (Omega, their ability to time travel, the reason
behind their non-interference policy) and now they are sketching in some
of the Doctor's background too. The Doctor’s megalomaniac speech over
the Key to Time manages to be both over the top hilarious and pretty
scary. He has absolutely no sense of responsibility whatsoever; he’s
capricious, arrogant, self opinionated, irrational and he never knows
where they are going. And yet somehow when he is around everything seems
to work out fine. A delightful year where the Doctor is involved in
dazzling adventures and at the top of his game, adding much to each one.
I love season sixteen and Baker is one of the reasons why.
Marvellous Mary:
Totally comfortable in the role now, it would have been very
interesting to see what Mary Tamm would have given us in season
seventeen. Romana is now operating the TARDIS on her own rather than the
Doctor (I rather suspect he likes standing back and letting her do all
the dirty work and making clever comments). She’s observant, patient and
intelligent and her icy aloofness has vanished completely (which makes
perfect sense for her regeneration into the warm and witty Lalla Ward).
Her ‘I’ll explain to you when I’ve got about 2 weeks to spare’ is wonderfully deadpan and epitomises Roman's arrogance. I love it when Romana grips Merak’s neck (I was screaming ‘Snap it already!’
at the telly!). It's brilliant to see Romana reminding the Doctor of
the living cost of all this trickery (‘We’re murderers!'), I'm pleased
one of them has remembered the little people involved and at times the
Doctor is so busy being brave and clever foiling the latest mad scheme
he needs a little nudge. I was very impressed overall; Romana doesn’t
get a great deal to do in this story (hence Mary Tamm’s departure?) but
everything she does here is quite delightful. I wish Tamm could have
been this naturalistic throughout season sixteen but it pleases me that
we have seen some subtle development of the character under her
tutelage. If you are looking for some more action with Tamm then check
out her single season of adventures over at Big Finish (especially The
Auntie Matter, The Justice of Jalxar and Phantoms of the Deep). They
might err on the side of being traditional but it is fantastic to
experience some more material with the engaging team of Baker and Tamm.
Her death was another tragic blow for the Doctor Who universe but
fortunately we can marvel at her adventures in this sparkling year as a
reminder of her work.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘You could fry eggs in the street!’
‘This blessed plot!’
‘No glory, no speeches, no medal and no blood.’
‘Imagine the amount of power needed to stop the entire universe…’
‘What’s this heap of junk?’
‘Any second now beautiful mushrooms will blossom and burst…’
‘Remember me to Gallifrey!’
The Good Stuff: Standby
folks because this section might be a lot longer than you think…The
Armageddon Factor comes in for an awful lot of flack and yet when I was
compiling a list of my 'top comfy viewing stories' for my friend Paul
the other week it made it into the top five. There is a great deal of
worth in this tale, from the design to the performances to the witty
script and in the direction. Sure it is made on a shoestring but it
polishes up far better than other examples of Doctor Who when all the
resources have bled away. The opening gives the impression that you are
about watch some godawful soap with fringe lines and it turns out to be a
cheat, pulling away from a screen showing a godawful soap with fringe
lines to a hospital under siege full of sick patients. It's startling in
its trickery. In sharp
contrast to other all studio adventures in this era (Underworld, The
Horns of Nimon) the cameras never stop
moving in this story; pans, zooms, fades, tracks and the story feels
much more
visually interesting as a result. Michael Hayes may have found this
story a technical challenge with the lack of funding but it never shows,
he has a terrific grasp of how tightly Doctor Who needs to be shot.
John
Woodville really gives the situation some gravity; his grim faced
seriousness is exactly what the story needs at its heart (he’s
positively Shakespearean when communicating with the unknown phantom
behind the wall). The Atrios sets are dirty, under lit, rubble strewn
and claustrophobic. It really feels like a bomb could release the
ceiling on your head at any minute. I love the darkness of the first
episode; Astra being led into an irradiated zone and the Marshall
shooting down her escort, it is drenched in shadows and really rather
creepy. A missile heading towards the TARDIS – wow this really does feel
like a season finale (The Parting of the Ways anyone?). ‘The corpse on the left however, is recent’ –
who ever knew that K.9 had such a dark sense of humour. The first
appearance of the Shadow is memorable (and the music is really creepy,
Dudley Simpson at his best). Considering how cobbled together it is the
Marshall’s bridge is a vast, impressive set. Go and watch the DVD extras
to see how this was cannablised from so many desperate sources and
boggle at how good it looks. For once a lack of resources on screen
matches a lack of resources in the narrative (almost as though
Baker/Martin knew that the kitty would be empty at this stage) and the
mighty battle fleet of Atrios turning out to be six ships (that soon
start winking out of existence on screen) is a disheartening fact. I
love the Doctor’s idea of a psychological barrier; study the enemy so
they don’t want to attack. He will always go for the bloodless option
first. Something between Atrios and Zeos is absorbing the light and
energy; this is a script that is continually innovating and boasting
interesting ideas. How macabre is the glowing skull in the dark that the
Marshall communes with? I bet the menacing purr that emanates out gave a
few kids nightmares. ‘One of us is being extremely stupid’ ‘Affirmative’ – I love how
John Leeson says that line. The model of the Shadow's domain is
imaginatively designed and well lit and the sound effects inside his
cave system make it feel far more sinister than it is in reality. I
really like the simplicity and the symmetry of the design of Mentalis
(especially the sloping walls). Mentalis is a computer that has given
Atrios a battering, killed millions without a flicker and is totally
invincible – it really helps that we’ve seen the results of its work
already. The fact that it is mute is an unusual but very welcome touch. A
lump of metal programmed not to accept defeat. An explosion that will
take out both planets – the Armageddon Factor of the title. Who says
wish fulfillment doesn't come true? Merak trips down the rabbit hole and
is MIA for at least an episode. Mentalis is a scorpion stinging itself
to death. How can anybody dislike a story with so many terrific concepts
like that? I love the pace of episode four; the ticking bomb, the
Marshall’s missiles, it’s as climactic as this season deserved. Faking
the sixth segment is a clever conceit as is the whole universe trapped
in a three second time loop. Can you imagine the ecstasy if you had
reached a climax during those three seconds. Oh don't judge, I can think
of worse ways to spend a three second eternity. The shot, lit from
beneath, where Astra is hypnotised by the Key is bewitchingly done. I
can't help but adore Barry Jackson shoehorned into the role of a cuddly
rogue, Drax is a delight, cockney accent and all. It adds the finish
touch to the narrative (explaining who built Mentalis) and a little dash
of ambiguity to the last two episodes - as fun as Drax is, you are
never sure if you can quite trust him given his previous (current?)
employer. Perhaps a male companion could have been made to work - he and
Tom Baker share some delightful scenes (‘It must be synaptic adhesion’).
One thing that is surprising me as I work my way through the Williams
era, much criticized for its production values, is how this period
managed to pull off some effects that left some of the more polished
eras of the show scratching their heads. The model work is of a high
standard in stories such as The Invisible Enemy, The Invasion of Time
and The Armageddon Factor, they managed to pull of a giant squid in The
Power of Kroll and another trick that seems to bewilder elsewhere but
pulled off with rare aplomb here are miniaturization effects. Via CSO,
it genuinely looks as if the Doctor and Drax have been shrunk down to
the size of an inch. Lalla Ward somehow manages to salvage the vacuous
character of Astra and is enthralling throughout, by simply taking her
so incredibly seriously and refusing to let her flounder like Merak. It
may have been the reason she secured the role as Romana. The Shadow
being blinded by the light of the TARDIS surprised me but makes perfect
sense. The Doctor and Drax inside the Trojan Canine with the metal mutt
enjoying the experience of hamming it up...this story is capable of odd
moments of total delight!
I adore the visual of the Doctor and Drax jumping from K.9’s innards!
No imagination has been spared in revealing the identity of the segments
of the Key to Time and the sixth and final piece turning out to be
Princess Astra does not disappoint. Some pace and tension is injected
into the final episode as hold on the countdown slowly bleeds away, the
Doctor indulges in a bomb disposal sequence and Romana realises that the
Marshall's missiles are still on course for the planet. There's some
spectacular fireworks as the Shadow planet goes up, the two plot lines
(the Marshall and the Shadow) meeting with detonating results. People
say that the ending is a disappointment and unworthy of 26 weeks of
build up but I think that is a little ungrateful; Bob Baker and Dave
Martin integrate the Key into their plot dramatically, there is a lovely
double bluff with the Black Guardian and the device is treated with
appropriate gravity. Have the keys been scattered into brand new
segments? Let's do this whole thing over again because this whole season
has been a hoot! The Randomiser works under the principle of potluck
and promises much for the next season.
The Bad Stuff:
Merak is the drippiest lump of lard to ever slick his way through a
Doctor Who story. His characterisation doesn’t extend beyond calling
Astra's name over and over again. It's perfect for a drinking game,
watch this and have a shot every time he says it – I promise you this
you will be bladdered by episode three and paralysed by episode five.
Alcohol poisoning caution, perhaps use chocolates instead. Obesity
caution. Turning K.9 into scrap is an extended set piece that whilst
looking quite good and may have had the kids screaming at the telly goes
on for far too long. The ‘K.9, it’s a trap!’ ‘A trap?’
cliffhanger is pure panto. Shapp is another bumbling incidental
character that continually threatens to ruin what is otherwise a
well-written story; this is one character that sabotages the story
whenever he appears. K.9 gets all snooty after he has hooked up with
Mentalis and you really want someone to give him a sharp kick to remind
him of his place. The Shadow quickly degenerates into a ranting,
cackling panto villain; a shame considering all the effort that has gone
into the first two episodes to make him as creepy as possible. The
whole bad K.9 sequence is tiresome; clearly the writers have run out of
things to do come the fifth episode. It really bugs me how the
interesting war plot is put on hold for an entire episode in favour of
some party games, albeit pretty funky ones. Suddenly at the beginning of
part six the Doctor remembers ‘the time loop must be at breaking point by now!’ as though the writers have suddenly remembered everything they have to wrap up. K.9 bursts through a very polystyrene wall.
The Shallow Bit:
It is Mary Tamm’s best costume yet and she looks positively edible!
Having two Romana’s together must give the guys in the audience some
very bad thoughts. ‘Care for a blow?’ There is five Mary Tamm’s together in one scene to answer to your every whim – down boys!
Result:
A perfect representation of the Graeme Williams era; moments of comedy,
darkness and imagination interspersed with moments of pure pantomime.
The first four episodes are as good as anything in the sixteen season
but the story really stutters come episode five and thankfully recovers
for a marvellous conclusion. It’s a well-plotted story, at least
initially and the script keeps bringing fantastic ideas to the surface
and dramatically explores a very unusual war. Tom Baker is driving the
show at this point and he and Mary Tamm are completely comfortable with
each other by now, indulging in some very witty interplay. Despite some
empty moments, I find the Armageddon Factor an extremely watchable story
full of inventive touches, thoughtful direction and a general feeling
of everybody (aside from a few dodgy performers) trying their damdest to
make this end of season oh-shit-the-budget-has-run-out spectacular as
impressive as possible. Underrated: 8/10
11 comments:
Mary Tamm looks absolutly stunning in this story. She was an incredibly beautiful lady and is sadly missed.
When reading the info text. I noticed that the draft version prepared by Baker and Martin is a lot better than what ended up on screen.
Are you talking about the gulf between the script and the realisation? If so, I disagree and think they did a great job under the circumstances. If you're talking about the difference between a draft version of the script and the actual script that was filmed...tell me more :-)
Watch the production subtitles on the DVD each episode you get a synopsis of an episode of Armageddon.
But to summarise I from what I can remember from the DVD
Zeos has a population
The Black Guardian doesn't appear
As a story on screen it just doesn't work Drax, Shapps, Merak and Astra are terrible characters and Jon Woodvine is wasted. Trapping him in a loop shouting fire all the time is a huge waste of his ability.
I don't agree. I think what is put on screen works to a good extent, especially give the production pressures and lack of resources. I can't say that the two plot differences that you state above would improve the story at all. But it's all subjective.
Apologies to Ulkesh, I meant to click reply and accidentally clicked delete! That will teach me to do this sort of thing at 5.00 in the morning. I haven't seen the Angel episode Smile Time...but if they pull off the time loop climax, kudos to them! :-)
No worries, Doc! My comment died a painless death. Though the episode was actually "Happy Anniversary" from the second season. And it was a moment frozen in time forever as opposed to a time loop
Just a note on this story, though. Before I had seen "The Armageddon Factor" I had heard the audio clip of the Doctor's "FOR I POSSESS THE KEY TO TIME" speech and my imagination ran wild, thinking that at the end of the quest the Doctor would genuinely become corrupt, with Romana tasked with saving the universe from her former friend. Nothing could have prepared me for Tom Baker's wildly OTT performance (those eyes!) in that scene, though! It goes to show the power that context (and indeed the visuals) holds.
It struck me while re-watching this season that this is Doctor Who as a buddy cop film. Young and eager recruit, fresh out of the academy, is paired off with a veteran with his own, slightly unhinged, ideas about how to do things. They don't particularly like one another when they first meet, but they eventually bond over the case they're cracking together. What's surprising is how well it works.
Watching all in order. I thought this was great. Some cracking original ideas, like no Zeons, Mentalis, I liked the idea of the black ticket on the neck, Mary Tamm is gorgeous in this story. Some very clever plot points. Part 6 is one of the best single episodes of the season. The final use of Middle 8 on the Delia Derbyshire version of the theme, the final real 6 parter. I would have liked it if the Black Guardian had been the one who sent him on the mission all along, but I was happy with the resolution. Dudley Simpson excellent again. Yet in a years time would be finished on the show. He is at his peak in this season. Great use of strings, as per Blakes 7 at this point. The twist with Astra being the final segment is ingenious. Very dramatically realised in part 6. Seeing them all in order is a real treat, as God intended and the only way to watch them, a couple a night. Brilliant entertainment. The Shadow was good as was The Guardian. Drax was funny. K9 had so much humour, 'your silliness is noted' 'affirmative' as mentioned above, 'clearly' in part 2. Great timing. This is better than Invasion of Time, in fact had a feel of The War Games about it. Very good
Season 16. Very difficult to call.
1. Ribos Operation
2. Power of Kroll
3. Pirate Planet
4. Armageddon Factor
5. Stones of Blood
6. Androids of Tara
To be fair they are all better than half of s15 and Ribos is probably just better than Sun Makers.
Romana was good by Mary Tamm, though I found her delivery a bit melodramatic sometimes, and her inability to stop a door closing twice in Armageddon is pretty poor, but thats minor stuff. A great season, really clever. Doctor Who isnt as scary as it used to be, but its funny, very clever and very entertaining.
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