STORY PLOTLINE
The TARDIS arrives on the planet Marinus on an island of glass surrounded by a sea of acid. The travellers are forced by the elderly Arbitan to retrieve four of the five operating keys to a machine called the Conscience of Marinus, of which he is the keeper.
These have been hidden in different locations around the planet to prevent them falling into the hands of the evil Yartek and his Voord warriors, who plan to seize the machine and use its originally benevolent mind-influencing power for their own sinister purposes
DVD EXTRAS
- DVD COMMENTARY TEAM - William Russell and Carole Ann Ford, director John Gorrie and designer Raymond Cusick
- THE SETS OF MARINUS - Designer Raymond Cusick recalls his work
- PHOTO GALLERY production and publicity photos from the story + PDF Material - Radio Times listings plus the entire set of Cadet Sweets 'Doctor Who and the Daleks' sweet cigarette cards in Adobe pdf format for viewing on PC or Mac + Coming Soon + Programme Subtitles + Subtitle Production Notes
COMMENT Spoliers ahead
It was never going to set the SONY flat screen LCD television alight with lightening action, Shakespearian dialogue or creative flair. However, like rubber-necking a motor vehicle accident , re-watching Terry Nations' laborious "hide-and-seek" misadventure, DOCTOR WHO - THE KEYS OF MARINUS, is brutally captivating.
But that's 150 minutes scythed off your life expectancy; you'll never get that time back. You don't have a TARDIS, do you?
Releasing on 21 September 2009, this BBC DVD release is one of seven William Hartnell (archive complete) stories that (at the time of writing) have yet to be released on DVD (PLANET OF GIANTS, THE SENSORITES, THE SPACE MUSEUM, THE CHASE, THE ARK and THE GUNFIGHTERS); whether it was the best choice following the previous (superb) boxset release, THE BLACK GUARDIAN TRILOGY is debateable. Take your pick.
The single-disc release is bereft of substantial EXTRAS (a single "documentary" talking-head interview with Set Designer, Raymond Cusick), the most tedious studio commentary ever recorded moderated by DVD sleeve designer, Clayton Hickman (one comment nudged replaced the word "Banality" from the Collins English Dictionary with "Hickmanity". I tell you later why that happened) and a woeful attempt (if they did.) at a "digital clean-up" that left each episode print with irritating retina "floaters" (shame that the BBC DVD producers have not insisted that all Hartnell & Troughton releases are not treated in the same fashion as the VHS release, PLANET OF GIANTS. The technique is called VidFIRE).
However, there was one EXTRA that was fascinating; the photo gallery. It contains a selection of colour 35MM stills from the personal collection of the set designer. Fantastically colour saturated images that demonstrates the creative brilliance of the DOCTOR WHO production team of the sixties of which we frequently witness as shades of grey.
If this was an "end of term" school report it would be "Could do better. A lot better".
Thankfully the next release (5 October 2009) is an epic two-story DVD boxset, THE DALEK WAR, and, therefore, BBC DVD will be redeemed for this poor release.
The DVD Commentary wheels-out the Pensioners and provides them with lashings of DentureFix adhesive and an assurance that they'll be back home in time for COUNTDOWN; William Russell is the antithesis of garrulous or sentient that made his attendance a DVD formality as the oldest surviving DOCTOR WHO cast member - he had to be there in body, at least; Carole Ann Ford is, at times, as incoherent as an eyeofhorus.org.uk article badly spell checked; Raymond Cusick's inclusion seems nonsensical as much of his comments were/are mirrored in his "talking head" DVD EXTRA (in which he calls the production "Awful. The most unloved story, as I am concerned); So, John Gorrie had some work to do (to be interesting, insightful, retrospective and entertaining) but he succeeded.
Oh, ditch Clayton Hickman as he's hardly a box of delights but a bucket of innocuous patronising comments.
THE DVD COMMENTARY
On episode one's opening alien vista of an island surround by an expanse of sea, followed by a materialisation of a Police Box, Clayton Hickman asks: I assume that this is model filming.
Doh!
The Information Text states that the comments between Ian and Susan about "Corns" and Boots were ad-libbed.
On working in BBC Studio D, Carole Ann Ford: Horrible studio.
Raymond Cusick: The studio diorama was only 12 feet high
On her costume, Carole Ann Ford: My mum made that "top" for me. Saved the BBC a few Pennies.
On the casting of George Colouris as Arbitan, John Gorrie questions: He was a superb actor. A bit of a strange choice for a children's show.
On the appearance of the Morpho aliens, Carole Ann Ford: That monster gives me the chills. How gross. Yuk.
On the relationship between her and Hartnell, Carole Ann Ford: The boundary of reality was a bit fuzzy. He thought that he could be my Grandfather. I adored him. He was such a strong character. He said that it (DOCTOR WHO series) would run forever. And he turned out right.
John Gorrie: Bill (Hartnell) would have made a great Sherlock Holmes.
On Ron Grainer's theme music, John Gorrie: The opening music is amazing. It was unusual for its day. Wonderful. It holds up even today.
On Terry Nation's attendance on recording days, William Russell: He was never there.
Raymond Cusick: He didn't talk about the show. He didn't seem too interested.
On the studio recording days when Hartnell was on holiday, William Russell: It was fun not to the "Boss" there. I certainly enjoyed it. I had much more to do. It was fun.
On the design of the Voord headpiece, Carole Ann Ford: A bit like THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. The grill mouth thing.
On Verity Lambert, William Russell: Verity was great to be around. Amazingly seductive. I surrendered immediately. SA very special girl.
John Gorrie: Verity telephoned and said, "I want you to do a DR WHO for me." I said, "oh, I don't do that kind of thing. I don't understand science fiction". She knew what she was doing. If Verity says, "It's was alright" then she'd make it work.
On re-watching DOCTOR WHO - THE KEYS OF MARINUS, Raymond Patrick Cusick: Very refreshing.
William Russell: A buzz of "not too bad". We managed pretty well.
I think that it time that - especially for Hartnell and Troughton DVD releases - the cast & crew commentaries are replaced by a "expert viewer's panel" (in the same fashion that the official DOCTOR WHO website engages a "Fear Factor panel").
The DVD of DOCTOR WHO - THE KEYS OF MARINUS is an arduous, relentless task to endure that mirrors the journey that the Doctor and his companions had to suffer as they undertook their own "hunt for the alien Grail".
As an entertaining, caffeine-filled science fiction fantasy drama it fails, and probably did in the spring of 1964 but as a prime example of sixties television production it is absorbing.
A BBC DVD release that is recommended for the DOCTOR WHO purists only.
