STORY PLOTLINE
The TARDIS arrives on the planet Terra Alpha where the Doctor and Ace discover a society in which sadness is against the law - a law enforced with considerable zeal by the brightly uniformed Happiness Patrol. The planet is ruled over by Helen A with the aid of her companion Joseph C and her carnivorous pet Stigorax named Fifi.
The penalty for those found guilty of unhappiness is death in a stream of molten candy prepared by Helen A's executioner, the robotic Kandyman.
DVD EXTRAS
I have always been an advocate of those DOCTOR WHO stories – both from the CLASSIC SERIES and NEW SERIES – that other fans have perhaps misunderstood or merely loathe for no other reason than it guest-starred a ‘light entertainer’ (such as Nicholas Parsons, or Ken Dodd). Beneath their surface may lie truth, honest and dramatic perception obstinately hidden, like Hans Christian Andersen ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ tale, to those whose main misguided aim is to discredit DOCTOR WHO for being crass and ill-judged.
DOCTOR WHO - THE HAPPINESS PATROL is a case in point.
A seminal piece lost in a cloud of encompassing mediocrity (TIME AND THE RANI, PARADISE TOWERS and DRAGONFIRE) that has calmly hibernated across the intervening years – yes, it is nearly 25 years – and, only now, can be reassessed and analysed coherently.
With its DVD release by BBC CONSUMER PRODUCTS, Graeme Curry’s three-parter is, for me, the first McCoy production that only sees demonstrates his true promise as the endearing & enduring Doctor and a television drama series that may have rescued itself from a writing oblivion.
With the help of an array of eloquent and appropriate DVD EXTRAS, DOCTOR WHO – THE HAPPINESS PATROL is a revelation, and is recommended.
The DVD EXTRA Studio Commentary, again, like for that of the DRAGONFIRE release (as part of DOCTOR WHO – ACE ADVENTURES boxset), shoe horns a remarkable level of expertise drawn from the cast and production crew. Moderated by Toby Hadoke, alongside Sophie Aldred (played ACE, if you didn’t know already) are Andrew Cartmell, Graeme Curry, Dominic Glynn (incidental music) and the story’s director, Chris Clough.
DVD Commentary highlights:
On see THE HAPPINESS PATROL again, Andrew Cartmell: Very interesting to see it again but a focal point for scandal in the ‘gutter press’. DOCTOR WHO was a parasite, regarded as the lowest of the low (by the BBC Executives). You couldn’t do anything for the audience. Anything you did they hated it.
Chris Clough: The BBC didn’t really support it. (They) thought it was vulgar and the fans were always in revolt. (We were) trying to make it not too ‘naff’.
On being commissioned to compose the incidental music, Dominic Glynn: A great gift to compose for this story; really happy.
Graeme Curry: The music was a metaphor for the story.
On the socio-political subtext in the storyline relative to “society surveillance”, Graeme Curry: Very resonant to watch now and a satire of the times (1980s).
On the set design, Graeme Curry: Shabby glamour, with everything faded.
Andrew Cartmell: Reminds me of New Orleans.
On the music, Andrew Cartmell: Sounds like Danny Elfman years and years before he wrote it.
On the design for the Candyman, Andrew Cartmell: I said, “Looked great and we’re going to so sued” *by Trebor Bassetts.
On relating characters (Helen A and her lap-dog, Fifi) to the political players (Margaret Thatcher and her Cabinet) of the time, Toby Hadoke: She had a Terrier called Norman Tebbit.
Sophie Aldred: For the time, what an effective puppet.
Fact: The original title was THE CROOKED SMILE.
On the casting of the Happiness Patrol and their costumes, Chris Clough: The skirts were short and the legs are great.
Comment: There was a discussion about the recent (the commentary was recorded after Easter 2011) spotlight on the story by the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Easter Message, in which cites THE HAPPINESS PATROL alongside the Tory-led UK Government’s attempt to quantify the country’s ‘happiness survey’.
On comparing the two Doctors (Colin Baker and McCoy) that he worked with, Chris Clough: Colin is a funny man, and had a deft approach with his Doctor. Sylvester brought the clown out but more multileveled.
Graeme Curry: Sylvester has a manic quality.
On assessing how THE HAPPINESS PATROL fitted into the series’ development (after the 18-month cancellation hiatus), Andrew Cartmell: DOCTOR WHO was heading on an upward curve. We were halfway up the hill and then they pulled the plug.
On revisiting THE HAPPINESS PATROL for the first time since its broadcast, Sophie Aldred: It’s a complete surprise to me.
I had to watch the HAPPINESS WILL PREVAIL ‘making off…’ documentary twice as I was so absorbed in this intelligent, engaging discussion from the cast & crew that I forgot to ‘take notes’ (for this review). Andrew Cartmell’s overarching statement that the location for the story was “a saccharin world and people were killed by sweets” was succinct and perceptive and, perhaps, mirrors today’s society where ‘sweets’ is ‘materialism’ gorged upon by the restless & blinkered masses (re: the UK August 2011 ‘riots).
Discussing the Thatcherite influences plot, the ‘noir-film’ options in its recording and a pivotal scene that would define the Seventh Doctor (re: the ‘snipers on the balcony’) persona in the final two seasons of the CLASSIC SERIES, this documentary is clear in its message and certain in its intent to ensure that the potential undercurrent and subliminal subtext are eloquently and sympathetically highlighted.
In what surmounts to nearly another episode, DELETED AND EPISODE SCENES are categorised by the episode from which they were either ‘cut’ or ‘included’ in. The frequently cited line “I don’t give interviews” from the Candyman is well worth waiting for.
DOCTOR WHO is a zeitgeist television series. That’s my statement not one from BBC CONSUMER PRODUCTS as the series holds a mirror up to society (or the potential for a society to manifest into) or mirrors it. The UK Miner’s Strike, the ‘Cold War’, Atomic Bombs and ‘weapons of mass destruction’ have been parodied/copied by DOCTOR WHO across its 50 years, and WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE (written by Nicholas Pegg and presented by broadcaster, Shaun Ley) asserts that the series is “…fundamentally political…it can’t help but be Political…” It’s intelligent, considered and absorbing, and whilst the themes may go over the head of younger viewers the clips from the series will keep them watching.
The DVD EXTRAS conclude with the usual fayre: PHOTO GALLERY, INFORMATION ON-SCREEN TEXT and RADIO TIMES pdf content.
Overall, DOCTOR WHO – THE HAPPINESS PATROL redeems its boxset companion (DOCTOR WHO –DRAGONFIRE) with a polished set of DVD EXTRAS in addition to a restored and remastered version of the 1988 broadcast. The story itself may be an acquired taste but it is a superb antidote to the run-of-the-mill alien invasion-infiltration that has become ten-a-penny with the NEW SERIES.
Give it (another) try.
