An English Gentleman: Okay I’m going to say something that might stun you rigid because it is the anathema of my position when I first started reviews many moons ago. If you head over to the Doctor Who Ratings Guide and read up my astonishingly amateurish (and yet buzzing with enthusiasm) reviews from the fifth Doctor’s era you will find a 20 something fan who thinks he knows it all railing at how the show could have ever have cast such a bland actor in the role of the Doctor and saddle him with such an irritating harridan. I’m talking, of course, about the fifth Doctor and Tegan. It feels very strange to be writing this but here in the depths of the main range I have to admit that the Peter Davison and Janet Fielding team is now my favourite of the lot, certainly as far as the stories of the previous few years are concerned. I’m not taking back my position on their TV adventures, but what Big Finish have done is refined both characters (the fifth Doctor is much more experienced and authoritative these days and Tegan now has a sense of humour and a willingness to learn) and the relationship that has built between the actors spills into the stories with an alarming amount of enjoyment. It feels like they belong together, the tension between them is amusing rather than tiring and she often gets to puncture his pomposity with hilarious results. Long may they continue in this vein. The Doctor let’s all kinds of waifs and strays into the TARDIS but given one of his latest companions allied himself with The Black Guardian and the other with the Master, you have to wonder if this incarnation of the Doctor isn’t a little too much of a bleeding heart to his detriment. He’s astonished to learn that the TARDIS has external sensors. It’s important to remember that the Doctor is just making it up as he goes along. He warns that he might regenerate because of the extent of the damage to his body. When the Doctor says about getting back to the ‘old girl’ for a second I wondered if he was referring to Tegan. I love the grace with which the Doctor accepts his potential physical disability. It’s a wonderfully positive message for those who cannot walk for him to accept that this is just a different way of living your life. I’m not sure how he is going to deal with all those corridors at speed though. He goes from place to place trying to make the universe a better place and when he needs some help the universe says no. Tegan just doesn't think that is fair.
Mouth on Legs: Early into this story and Tegan says ‘I’m sorry’ to Turlough, proof conclusive that this is not the same woman who appeared with him on TV. The very idea. Now Kamelion has joined the TARDIS she has somebody else to be suspicious of instead of Turlough. Given that he was working for the Master, she suspects he may murder them all in their sleep. Didn’t Tegan and Turlough meet a Bovine race in the comic strip? Along with the woodlouse inspired Tractators this was certainly a ‘talking animal’ friendly period of the show. ‘Is she always like this?’ somebody asks. A question Tegan must be used to hearing. She doesn’t like snakes, which is especially unfortunate for an Australian. It’s Tegan who asks the pertinent question of what is wrong with the wildlife on the planet.
Over the Shoulder: He’s not as gobsmacked as Tegan at talking Hippos given one if his best friends went by that name. He’s not sure it is wise to apologise to Tegan when she is angry.
Kamelion: One of the biggest casualties of the era was in not seeing the potential in Kamelion, the robot that can turn into anything and anyone. Imagine a string of guest stars appearing in different stories in season 21 in the guise of Kamelion. It’s strikingly unimaginative to introduce such a character (that never really needed to be represented as the cumbersome robot) and shove him in a cupboard until his exit story. How very Big Finish to take up the challenge of challenging that decision and exposing the android’s potential. It’s important to remember that this isn’t Kamelion’s first TARDIS and so he has an intimate knowledge of how the systems are supposed to be (the Master’s) rather than the old rust bucket that he is stuck in (the Doctor’s). He patched himself into the TARDIS information files by means of the telepathic circuits which means he’s now a far more useful walking box of exposition than the Doctor ever could be. Much like the real robot, Kamelion malfunctions more often than he works, although to be fair he is put through the wringer here. Robotics and water don’t make a healthy mix (remember K.9 when he took a dip on Brighton beach?). There are some lovely scenes that are experienced from Kamelion’s point of view. After the Master’s influence was broken it was only natural that Kamelion would latch onto the next strongest personality in the vicinity. Kamelion suggests that he is a monster but the Doctor assures him he is not and in the TARDIS he is safe and at home. When his actions are his own, Kamelion is genuinely surprised.
Standout Performance: Jon Culshaw is a brilliant choice to bring Kamelion to life because not only is a he an authentic mimic but he’s also a great actor as well. He manages to blend both of those worlds together here to create a unique spin on the android, partly a mimic of Gerald Flood’s interpretation but still recognisably Culshaw. He’s been something of an ambassador for the show in its wilderness years, making us laugh until our sides hurt with his impressions of the classic Doctors on Dead Ringers and keeping the show in the public consciousness and so I’m pleased he’s finally been rewarded with a big role in the spin offs of a show he clearly adores. I might have groaned a little when I heard Kamelion was being dusted off for this trilogy (I think I might be getting a little cynical as I approach 40) but as soon as I heard about Culshaw’s involvement I knew everything was going to be alright. He’s rather sweet in the final episode when Kamelion is crestfallen at his actions. He reminded of D84 in Robots of Death, a very touching turn by a robot.
Sparkling Dialogue: ‘Last one to the TARDIS washes Turlough’s socks!’
‘The snakes will just have to hiss off!’
Great Ideas: As a way of splitting up this top-heavy TARDIS crew and giving them a chance to explore their relationships, I thought splitting the ship in two during a crash (as a defence procedure) was a really inspired idea. Even if it is very similar to the climax of The Burning Prince episode one.
Audio Landscape: Listen to that damage as the ship crashes into the planet. It’s an audio tour de force as the ship splits in two and embeds itself into the carcass of a new world. The jungle planet (complete with river and wildlife) is conjured up with real atmosphere. By story’s end you might feel as if you have visited this unnamed planet too. I found myself trying to come up for air during the river sequence.
Isn’t it Odd: It is interesting that JNT wanted rid of K.9 because he made things far too easy for the Doctor on the travels (he seemed to know everything about everything plus he could bite when provoked) and yet a few years later chose to introduce Kamelion who essentially would fulfil the same function? It feels very strange to see Cavan Scott’s name on a release without Mark Wright. Has their partnership come to an end or is this just one of those occasions where one writer wasn’t available? It’s a shame that Kamelion is found to be under the control of a nefarious element in his first story in decades, rather than use him in an original way it is the case that he is the ultimate puppet of whatever despot they happen to encounter. I would rather see the creative ways that a shapeshifting companion can be utilised than him turning coat at every opportunity. Makes him no more use than Adric.
Result: ‘Why does everything on this planet want to kill us?’ Some of the best Ken Bentley direction in years, Devil in the Mist is an immersive audio that really puts you in the companions shoes in this survival tale. The plot is slight but this is more the sort of story that you enjoy in a moment by moment basis, with each danger conjured up with frightening authenticity. It’s a good character tale too and in a range that seems to have forgotten that that is an important element of a Doctor Who story (especially on audio where we need as much substance as possible to compensate for the lack of visuals). It feels like the ‘welcome to the TARDIS’ tale that we were denied on television for Kamelion and gives the android a chance to show what he was capable of and to give the crew (specifically Tegan) a chance to rest her fears about The Master’s latest weapon of choice against the Doctor. It has nice, short episodes that feel well paced and the plot (thin though it is) drops enough curveballs to keep you interested until the climax. Admittedly the first episode is by far the best but I would happily take an amiable audio without much of a narrative than some of duller stories of recent years that have too much story that simply isn’t very interesting. I can’t imagine this being anybody’s favourite main range release, but I had fun with it and thoroughly enjoyed the use of all four regulars. Turlough hasn’t been utilised for years and Kamelion gives this a very novel feel, Tegan continues to make very good sense and the Doctor faces a potential disability that brings out the best in him. A nice start to the trilogy: 7/10
Tegan is much better on audio than on TV. They have given her a sense of humor! You should re-evaluate your review of her first audio story. I seem to remember you weren't very enamoured with her back then
ReplyDelete