TV Gold

PARTNERS IN CRIME :: basically :: As with last years “Smith and Jones” this Season Four opener performs a similar perfunctory task of introducing, or in this case, reintroducing the Doctor’s travelling companion and in that regard is fairly satisfactory. The script teasingly plays with the Doctor and Donna’s reunion primarily around the corporate surroundings of Adipose Industries before finally resolving this issue in truly delightful form through a mimed sequence whilst both observing a young lady named Penny being interrogated by Miss Foster, the principal villain of the piece. The plot itself, that of a ‘laughably absurd’ notion that a new slimming pill makes plasticine like creations called Adipose form in the bodies of potential customers, is hardly the stuff of most peoples nightmares. Their image and the pendant that activates the change will no doubt form a future must have piece of merchandise no doubt helped by the rather puerile disintegration of slimmers as exemplified by Stacey. In short “Partners In Crime” is merely an effective ‘scene setting’ opening instalment that I’m pretty sure will come fairly low, if not bottom of this years scripted episodes when viewers consider relative merits of Season Four.

PARTNERS IN CRIME :: …also :: Its certainly most welcome to see Bernard Cribbins once more this time featuring as Donna’s uncle, sitting in his allotment gazing through his telescope as the star lit night sky. Rather a coincidence for me as just last week I was watching “Carry On Jack” to which he joined franchise expert Robert Ross in a particularly enjoyable DVD commentary. No doubt the Adipose creatures might be likened to the troll doll that appeared during the Season Eight opener “Terror of the Autons” and seeing them enmass outside Adipose Industries as Miss Foster addresses them all I was reminded of a slightly similar sight in the feature film “Batman Returns” where Danny Devito’s Penguin addresses his feathered troops in the latter stages of this film. Other than the obvious “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” comparison drawn to the Adipose spaceship there’s really nothing else worth noting in this fairly mediocre opener albeit with a (probable season long loose story arc) sting in its tale regarding the astonishing sudden appearance of a ghostly Rose Tiller whom fades shortly after encountering Donna.

FIRES OF POMPEII :: basically :: Played out against the authentically recreated surroundings of AD79 Pompeii this second episode effectively blends the cities historically documented tragic final days with an alien threat beneath the ground. The main protagonist of the piece is eventually revealed as an impressively realised fire breathing rock like life form known as the Pyrovile. This species appear to have gained, over some considerable time, a significant level of reverence and loyal unswerving devotion from the settlements deeply spiritual people, most notably settlement leader Lucius Petrus Dextrus and the mystical followers of the Sibylline Sisterhood. To prevent the Pyrovile from achieving their sinister aims the Doctor is ultimately confronted with a moral dilemma, that of saving either the Earth or the inhabitants of Pompeii. As a period drama combined with a science fiction element “Fires Of Pompeii” succeeds admirably in its aims to entertain and captive in equal measure its viewers attention.

FIRES OF POMPEII :: additionally :: Obviously those more ardent enthusiasts of the franchise will undoubtedly be looking for similarities between this story and the Big Finish audio release “The Fires of Vulcan”. On that double CD title, originally released way back in September 2000 we found Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy (accompanied by Mel) also landing in the doomed Roman settlement although this was a much more simplistic outing compared to that which the Doctor and Donna face in 2008. Mannerisms and actions of the Sibylline Sisterhood will no doubt be likened to the similarly focused ‘Sisterhood of Khan’ (i.e. former worshiping fire derived creatures, latter worshiping a sacred flame) as featured in classic series 1976 story “The Brain of Morbius” and the threat to execute Donna might stir thoughts of situations cropping up in stories like “Masque of Mandragora” and “Underworld”. Loved the impressive design and realisation of the fire breathing rock creatures that threaten the Doctor and Donna and I momentarily thought back to (for those of you whom have seen the BBC 1992 VHS video) the similar aspect of the ‘Krargs’ as featured in the untransmitted season seventeen finale “Shada”.

PLANET OF THE OOD :: basically :: Welcome to the distant future of the year 4126 and the breathtaking panoramic grandeur of the ice covered Ood-Sphere world. Yes the secretive hard skinned, frond adorned species return to this time take prominence in this pleasing third episode. However as the Doctor and Donna discover the true nature of their current situation at the hands of the callous Ood Operations Corporation as personified by their dispassionately resolute Managing Director Klineman Halpen is so morally appalling that our heroic duo are obligated to intervene. As essentially a premise regarding the liberating of a repressed culture “Planet of the Ood” is an undoubted successful instalment utilising the core sci-fi elements of excitement, strong emotion and special effects which have become so endemic to the franchise.

PLANET OF THE OOD :: …also :: So for Donna’s first trip to an alien world and shortly after stepping out of the TARDIS into the frozen wasteland beyond the sight of a three pronged spacecraft overhead immediately made me think ‘Oh look there is Thunderbird 3!’ However joking aside I could spot a few other similarities along the way. The point where our duo find a incapacitated Ood (designated as Delta 50) laying in the snowy ground will obviously draw similarities between this and the mutant scene in 1985’s ‘Revelation of the Daleks’. On first sight of the Ood Corporation complex I reflected back to either the arctic base in “The Seeds of Doom” or even further back to the scientific base featured in Patrick Troughton’s “The Ice Warriors”. I had my doubts when I witnessed the large Ood brain surrounded by a laser circle because of its possible connotation with the similar gurgling mass featured in third season Blake’s Seven episode ‘Ultraworld’ but thankfully the Ood version stayed relatively silent. It’s good to have an explanation for the Ood translator globe however the fact that the Corporation cut off the species brains and attach this glowing orb just heightens the viewers loathing for the distinctly unethical actions of this organisation.

THE SONTARAN STRATGEN :: basically :: For the first of Season Four’s two-part stories initial “The Sontaran Stratagem” opener feels like a work of pure genius captivating and enthralling audiences in equal measure as it progresses. The script works well in elevating a sense of suspicious paranoia in vehicular satellite navigation systems, something that is a familiar cherished optional extra for present day car owners. Resplendent in new figure hugging blue uniforms another classic series foe returns in the form of the warmongering Sontarans successfully reimaged for the reinvigorated franchise as the principle alien protagonist of the piece. To help combat the insidious plans of this alien threat our series duo are aided by the combined might of UNIT and their medical advisor, the redoubtable, newly qualified Doctor Martha Jones. However the former companion is placed in peril when, having been tricked into the basement of the ATMOS factory, is subsequently captured and cloned to help further the Sontaran’s objectives. With the fate of the entire planet hanging in the balance as the atmosphere fills with poisonous gas emitted from ATMOS systems distributed around the globe the fate of humanity looks bleak. How can the Doctor successfully frustrate the combined plans of the Sontarans and their human alli Luke Rattigan? Viewers will no doubt be left ‘breathless’ (no pun intended) to find out in the next thrilling instalment.

THE SONTARAN STRATGEN :: …also :: Ah yes the good old probic vent, the age old fatal weakness of the Sontaran race. Who could forget previous attempts to foil this implacable foe like for example the short sighted Professor Rubeish giving Linx a jolly good whack during “The Time Warrior”. The Tenth Doctor’s cheeky swipe at this vulnerable area via a forehand tennis ball smash ‘around the angles’ was certainly one of the more humorously rewarding moments on offer as indeed was his deeply enthusiastic stroll around the interior of the Rattigan Academy. It also was good to see the typical spherical Sontaran craft, last seen during “The Two Doctors” together with the much larger, more impressive space station orbiting Earth, another worthy triumph from ‘The Mill’. I was certainly mighty impressed with the twenty-first century en-mass appearance of UNIT fronted by Colonel Mace and Donna certainly proved her worth early on adapting to this new military situation heading to the ATMOS factory office searching for clues. Nothing else specific really comes to mind during this fourth Season Four instalment which is certainly a pleasantly entertaining offering with much to commend it for.

THE POISION SKY :: basically :: Essentially the concluding “The Poison Sky” part is primarily about exciting action sequences and character conflicts so from that perspective viewers should be well satisfied. With Sontaran’s in greater numbers than we’ve ever seen before their battle with the armoured might of UNIT within the confines of the ATMOS factory conveys the conflict quite successfully. The ultimate summation of the Sontaran’s plans for Earth appears to be both ingenious and true to their genetic identity which leads to an impressively stunning (albeit a tad convenient!) solution by the Doctor to foil their scheme. Throughout “The Poison Sky” and the preceding “Sontaran Stratagem” this war mongering species have entered the 21st century in a manner entirely faithful to their classic series origins. Creator Robert Holmes would certainly be so proud in the successful way they have returned!

THE POISION SKY :: …also :: You know the sight of gas seeping across the surface of Earth had me thinking that this seems similar to the perceived ‘stinking hole in space’ that Cotton and Stubbs thought was Solos, the planet featured in 1972’s “The Mutants”. UNIT’s battle against the Sontarans in the ATMOS warehouse make me recall other military engagements that this organisation was involved in with examples like that which is featured in “The Web of Fear” and “The Ambassadors of Death” coming immediately to mind. It was a nice touch to have a little throwaway line about Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart being stranded in Peru however although this will no doubt please long term fans I personally rather doubt he will be called back to active service in a forthcoming story. The self sacrifice of a former adversary as personified here by Luke Rattigan is something that the classic series has on occasion used before with a possible example of this being Galloway stowing away on the spaceship at the conclusion of the Pertwee “Death To The Daleks” tale. Martha’s reaction to her clone was genuinely moving and it was great to see Donna conquering her feel of the Sontarans and being able to do what the Doctor asked her despite the undoubted danger of the situation.

THE DOCTOR’S DAUGHTER :: basically :: For me Season Four’s first disappointing total misfire “The Doctor’s Daughter” flops about like a metaphoric ‘fish out of water’ in a fairly uninspiring tale of two races involved in a centuries old conflict. The central premise revolves around both the humans and fish like Hath seeking out a mysterious ‘source’ device that can successfully terraform lifeless worlds and that globe shaped element works well, when we finally reach it. Thrown into the mix we have the stories title character, apparently forged from a DNA extract of the Doctor and apart from offering up interesting aspects of the Doctor’s personality she does little to move the story forward. Overall a pretty unengaging offering compared with other entries in this fourth run.

THE DOCTOR’S DAUGHTER :: …also :: The water breathing Hath are an interestingly realised creation but apart from there’s little else of note here. I could say that the curved walls of the tunnels remind one of those which the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria encountered down the underground in “The Web of Fear” but I think that’s rather clutching at straws. This is one story that on the face of it doesn’t have any significant links with the classic series or anything else worth highlighting.