This actually seemed better than the recon - I can think of three possible explanations:
1. TSP is one of those DW stories that you have to experience at least 3 times to understand the plot properly, and what's better understood is more easily appreciated.
2. Even a workmanlike Terrance transcription is easier to engage with than watching a recon
3. It takes a lot less time to read the book than it does to watch the recon, so less suffering is involved.
I got a cheap laugh when Clancey says 'Sure, I was beginning to suspect little Maddy herself.'
Monday, May 31, 2010
Target: The Three Doctors
Some improvements, some bits that are actually worse than the screen version. The best example of the latter is the government 'VIP' who replaces the 'Security Council on videophone'. We don't even have a scene with this personage, he's merely referred back to. (Then Terrance realises we can't have him going into the black hole along with UNIT HQ, so more space has to be wasted on the Brig ordering Cpl Palmer to send him away, and yet more reassuring us that this has actually been done - he's 'whizzed away' in his limousine in best children's-book style.
(Yes, I know the Targets are children's books, but their attraction is that often they don't read like them).
Omega's planet is much better, endless grey dunes and grey sea (although the Brig strangely still makes a joke about it looking like a quarry - instead of the Cromer reference). His base is a fantastic brass castle, and to prove a point to the Doctors he temporarily creates a beautiful landscape. The singularity is a flame (although Tel assures us that even that is just a sort of solid metaphor), Omega's monitor takes up a whole wall instead of being a television behind a cut-out and he creates a mirror as required, rather than just having one hanging on the wall.
The Brigadier is given a bit more dignity by means of a scene where he leads the other humans, armed with various UNIT weapons, to drive away the 'blob-men' when the Doctors escape from the castle.
Ollis is renamed Hollis, he actually fires his shotgun on Omega's planet at least once, and his last line is delivered with an affectionate hug of his wife, rather than a churlish tone.
Finally, the Doctor proposes a trip to Metebelis Three when he gets his new dematerialisation circuit, thus setting the stage for the rest of the season (I'm sure that bit isn't done on screen). I was none too keen on this Target as a kid, but I always enjoyed finally seeing him getting his mojo back.
This idea that Omega's world only has life and colour when he bothers to concentrate - and usually it's too much strain - could that be a metaphor for the story itself, which only has life and colour during the multi-Doctor scenes?
(Yes, I know the Targets are children's books, but their attraction is that often they don't read like them).
Omega's planet is much better, endless grey dunes and grey sea (although the Brig strangely still makes a joke about it looking like a quarry - instead of the Cromer reference). His base is a fantastic brass castle, and to prove a point to the Doctors he temporarily creates a beautiful landscape. The singularity is a flame (although Tel assures us that even that is just a sort of solid metaphor), Omega's monitor takes up a whole wall instead of being a television behind a cut-out and he creates a mirror as required, rather than just having one hanging on the wall.
The Brigadier is given a bit more dignity by means of a scene where he leads the other humans, armed with various UNIT weapons, to drive away the 'blob-men' when the Doctors escape from the castle.
Ollis is renamed Hollis, he actually fires his shotgun on Omega's planet at least once, and his last line is delivered with an affectionate hug of his wife, rather than a churlish tone.
Finally, the Doctor proposes a trip to Metebelis Three when he gets his new dematerialisation circuit, thus setting the stage for the rest of the season (I'm sure that bit isn't done on screen). I was none too keen on this Target as a kid, but I always enjoyed finally seeing him getting his mojo back.
This idea that Omega's world only has life and colour when he bothers to concentrate - and usually it's too much strain - could that be a metaphor for the story itself, which only has life and colour during the multi-Doctor scenes?
Target: The War Games
An unusually economical effort from Mac Hulke here - some bits are compressed, omitted or merely reported. For instance, Zoe's interrogation is just reported after the fact, and the bit where the War Lord tries to hijack the TARDIS on Gallifrey is omitted.
Nor is there space for the usual extensive character back-story - he has to content himself with shorter stuff, like describing Carstairs' reluctance to mention to Lady Jennifer that his family's wealth comes from commerce, and giving Capt Ransome (the officer Lady J suckers into going to Number 17 command post) a preference for reading books over conducting wars.
The Viewmaster 3D interrogation machine is replaced with a pain-inducing torture helmet. The Chief Scientist doesn't have the bland manner that he does on screen, instead he's eager for praise from the War Chief. Nor is he left in his own deprogramming machine by the rebels, as doing so would have 'reduced him to an idiot'.
The sergeant-major is much more aggressive at the court martial, threatening to smash the Doctor's teeth in.
There's no ban on humans from eras after 1917: there's at least one soldier from 1953 (the Korean war presumably) and another from the Chinese/Japanese conflict in 1937.
Couple of mistakes: Romans did not use chariots for warfare, nor did they practice human sacrifice in the era depicted.
This is a good 'un on the whole, though: the most frequent complaint about the screen version is the length and repetition, and the book reduces those both quite skilfully.
Nor is there space for the usual extensive character back-story - he has to content himself with shorter stuff, like describing Carstairs' reluctance to mention to Lady Jennifer that his family's wealth comes from commerce, and giving Capt Ransome (the officer Lady J suckers into going to Number 17 command post) a preference for reading books over conducting wars.
The Viewmaster 3D interrogation machine is replaced with a pain-inducing torture helmet. The Chief Scientist doesn't have the bland manner that he does on screen, instead he's eager for praise from the War Chief. Nor is he left in his own deprogramming machine by the rebels, as doing so would have 'reduced him to an idiot'.
The sergeant-major is much more aggressive at the court martial, threatening to smash the Doctor's teeth in.
There's no ban on humans from eras after 1917: there's at least one soldier from 1953 (the Korean war presumably) and another from the Chinese/Japanese conflict in 1937.
Couple of mistakes: Romans did not use chariots for warfare, nor did they practice human sacrifice in the era depicted.
This is a good 'un on the whole, though: the most frequent complaint about the screen version is the length and repetition, and the book reduces those both quite skilfully.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Target: The Auton Invasion
A real effort from Terrance here, with even comedy Sam Seeley and Meg being given some background. It's even explained how Hibbert came to be involved with the Nestenes in the first place.
There's a recap of the Doctor's trial as a prologue - and a back-reference to Jamie and Zoe which puzzled me mightily when I was younger.
The UNIT gate guards have a practised cover story about the place being a branch of the Pensions Department. (Rather than a sign saying 'UNIT HQ' with the Brigadier's name on, as seen in The Three Doctors).
Liz appears to take the TARDIS key from the Brigadier's office more out of petulance at being ordered around, than for any considered reason.
The invasion itself is on a much grander scale, with Autons taking to the streets across the country and rapidly causing chaos. The humans can only fight back in an isolated, piecemeal way because the Replicas are giving contradictory orders and sabotaging the resistance. Indeed, the Autons are so successful that the UNIT convoy has difficulty getting to the plastics factory at all for the final showdown.
There's a recap of the Doctor's trial as a prologue - and a back-reference to Jamie and Zoe which puzzled me mightily when I was younger.
The UNIT gate guards have a practised cover story about the place being a branch of the Pensions Department. (Rather than a sign saying 'UNIT HQ' with the Brigadier's name on, as seen in The Three Doctors).
Liz appears to take the TARDIS key from the Brigadier's office more out of petulance at being ordered around, than for any considered reason.
The invasion itself is on a much grander scale, with Autons taking to the streets across the country and rapidly causing chaos. The humans can only fight back in an isolated, piecemeal way because the Replicas are giving contradictory orders and sabotaging the resistance. Indeed, the Autons are so successful that the UNIT convoy has difficulty getting to the plastics factory at all for the final showdown.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Target: The Time Monster
Very little to see here, apart from an unwanted reference to the Timescoop, which TOMTIT apparently has the same powers as. I don't mind Terrance anticipating Gallifrey by 3 seasons in Claws of Axos, but looking ahead 11 seasons to refer to a crappy plot device like the Timescoop is just stupid.
The Galleia/Master thing is rather downplayed. But as a counterbalance, Jo's 'high boots' get namechecked, which excited me strangely.
The Galleia/Master thing is rather downplayed. But as a counterbalance, Jo's 'high boots' get namechecked, which excited me strangely.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Target: The Mutants
Just finished this again - I've written about the screen version already, but the Target continues to strike me as being one of Terrance's best efforts. This time round I noticed how neatly structured the plot is, almost like a board game (which is perhaps why I loved it so much as a kid). The Doctor has to get the box to Ky to open it, then to Prof Sondergaard to help him translate the scrolls, then he has to obtain the crystal, and finally to get the crystal, a Mutant (Ky) and the radiation together all at once to prove his theory (and dispose of the Marshal). Meanwhile he periodically gets forced to work in Jaeger's lab (perhaps until he can throw a 6 and escape by stunning or killing Jaeger with the old 'exploding circuit' trick).
Also noticed: in the book Jaeger does not tell the Marshal that Solos has a 2000-year seasonal cycle. That's kept quiet until the discussion in Sondergaard's cave.
The radiation cave has a globe in it, showing the benign face of one of the Old Ones, which crumbles to dust as soon as the Doctor picks up the crystal.
The ionisation rockets turn the surface vegetation brittle and crumbly, and when the Doctor uses the maser to fix the problem, large areas of jungle excellently explode into white-hot flames under the power flow.
The Marshal shrewdly notes that the Investigator is scared and disgusted by the Mutant that follows Sondergaard aboard Skybase, and realises that killing the Mutt will cause the Investigator to trust him.
And Cotton, when he has to lie about Jo receiving oxygen treatment, speaks 'woodenly'.
Also noticed: in the book Jaeger does not tell the Marshal that Solos has a 2000-year seasonal cycle. That's kept quiet until the discussion in Sondergaard's cave.
The radiation cave has a globe in it, showing the benign face of one of the Old Ones, which crumbles to dust as soon as the Doctor picks up the crystal.
The ionisation rockets turn the surface vegetation brittle and crumbly, and when the Doctor uses the maser to fix the problem, large areas of jungle excellently explode into white-hot flames under the power flow.
The Marshal shrewdly notes that the Investigator is scared and disgusted by the Mutant that follows Sondergaard aboard Skybase, and realises that killing the Mutt will cause the Investigator to trust him.
And Cotton, when he has to lie about Jo receiving oxygen treatment, speaks 'woodenly'.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
The Time Monster
The parallels with Carry On Dick get more obvious every time I watch it: a late entry in its era, seemingly with all the classic cast members, but with a rambling, wandering story which spends far too much time trying to amuse us with Jack Douglas/Stuart Hyde.
The Brigadier has had his final serious story in Day of the Daleks, and now he's reduced to permanent comedy relief, except for his bit of 'That can't be a V1' acting, nice though it is. Yates is basically sealed into his own separate storyline - and even if Benton does have his finest moment in temporarily outwitting the Master, he has to pay for it by having everyone laugh at his c0ck in the final scene. Perhaps on balance he'd've preferred just to be shouting at the troops in the background, as usual.
The time flow analogue stretches credulity too far. I don't know why they put that bit in since it's a plot dead-end anyway.
It's a relief to get away from Stuart and bossy woman and off to Atlantis (particularly as I always enjoy the limited TARDIS trips during the exile period). Interesting to see the Master trying his hand at conventional seduction. I wasn't terribly convinced by it I must say. I thought the incredible confusion of the 'Kronos devastates Atlantis' scene actually worked, it conveyed the idea of the place being destroyed about as well as you could manage with one set. (Compare the final scene of Frontier in Space for how not to do confusion).
Yes, obviously the Doctor isn't going to let the Master be tortured for all eternity. If there was no way to make that bit less predictable, perhaps it would have been more effective not to do it at all?
The Brigadier has had his final serious story in Day of the Daleks, and now he's reduced to permanent comedy relief, except for his bit of 'That can't be a V1' acting, nice though it is. Yates is basically sealed into his own separate storyline - and even if Benton does have his finest moment in temporarily outwitting the Master, he has to pay for it by having everyone laugh at his c0ck in the final scene. Perhaps on balance he'd've preferred just to be shouting at the troops in the background, as usual.
The time flow analogue stretches credulity too far. I don't know why they put that bit in since it's a plot dead-end anyway.
It's a relief to get away from Stuart and bossy woman and off to Atlantis (particularly as I always enjoy the limited TARDIS trips during the exile period). Interesting to see the Master trying his hand at conventional seduction. I wasn't terribly convinced by it I must say. I thought the incredible confusion of the 'Kronos devastates Atlantis' scene actually worked, it conveyed the idea of the place being destroyed about as well as you could manage with one set. (Compare the final scene of Frontier in Space for how not to do confusion).
Yes, obviously the Doctor isn't going to let the Master be tortured for all eternity. If there was no way to make that bit less predictable, perhaps it would have been more effective not to do it at all?