STORY
PLOTLINE
The
Time Lords choose the Doctor for a special task - a mission so secret, that neither
the Doctor or his assistant Jo Grant know the true nature of their assignment
...
Far in the future, the planet Solos is claiming independence from Earth’s
vast galactic empire. A huge space station - Skybase - orbits the planet, forming
a bridgehead for the empire’s control of Solos, and is commanded by the
Marshal, who is determined to retain his control over the planet at any cost.
Solos’s atmosphere is poisonous to humans in the daylight, and the Marshal
is behind secret experiments to change the planet’s atmosphere into one
more similar to that of Earth. But down on the planet, changes are happening
amongst the native population. A disease that causes mutation has appeared and
is spreading fast.
The Doctor finds himself in a race against time to save Jo’s life, to find
a solution to the mutants, to complete the Time Lords mission, and to thwart
the Marshal’s plans...
DVD release - COMMENT Spoliers ahead
- Commentary by Katy Manning (Jo Grant) and Garrick Hagon (Ky), Christopher Barry (director), Terrance Dicks (script editor), Bob Baker (co-writer), Brian Hodgson (special sounds supervisor) and Jeremy Bear (designer), Moderated by Nicholas Pegg.
- MUTT MAD Cast and crew look back at the making of the story
- RACE AGAINST TIME Noel Clarke narrates a documentary looking at the representation of non-white actors in Doctor Who and on British TV as a whole
- BLUE PETER Peter Purves looks at a collection of Doctor Who monsters
- DRESSING DOCTOR WHO
- Radio Times Billings (PDF DVD-ROM -PC/Mac) + Programme Subtitles + Production Information Subtitles + Photo Gallery + Coming Soon Trailer + Digitally remastered picture and sound quality
Over the wilderness years, DOCTOR WHO - THE MUTANTS received considerable derision for a reason that eludes me.
It's a serviceable production that has stood the test of time (38 years) with only episode six's visual effects being ineffective and disappointing.
With a restored print, this DVD release is an ideal opportunity to re-discover the skilful plotting & diligent scripting of Bob Baker & Dave Martin that mirrored politicised life in Great Britain at the time and the echoes of the post-WWII simmering Imperialistic tension across it's diminishing Empire.
Added to that the winning team of Jon Pertwee and Katy Manning at the zenith of their on-screen relationship, THE MUTANTS is, and I say this like a stuck gramophone record, essential viewing for both fans of the CLASSIC SERIES and the NEW SERIES.
"VALUE ADDED MATERIAL" (VAM) - THE FEATURETTES
It's hardly surprising that with so many CLASSIC SERIES stories released in the last ten years that so many of the "MAKING OF." documentaries feel the same. Along with the predictable formatted documentary, the "usual suspects" appear churning out the same old anecdotes and "a funny thing happened when." to deliver 25 minutes of tedium.
MUTT MAD - THE MAKING OF "THE MUTANTS" reverses that trend with an absorbing, clinically professional and charmingly entertaining. Sure, the "usual suspects" appear (Terrence Dicks, Bob Baker and Barry Letts) but their contribution is both insightful and diverting. The documentary plots the trials & tribulations from the writer's (recognised by Terrance Dicks' as being "brilliant but uncontrolled" though one of the writers accepted this, ".we did it with gusto..!) conception through to the broadcast drama.
Writer, Bob Baker confirmed that the story was borne of the politicised 1970s, taking as many of its themes the British withdraw from India (1947); ".the evils of Empire underwritten in THE MUTANTS."). Controversially, Dicks had wanted the British Empire to survive as it would have been ".better with the Brits running the Empire." One of the key casting decisions was Rick James as Cotton; a prominent, positive role model for black actors in the 1970s, however Bob Baker was concerned that the role was written as "Cockney" (East End London, UK) and if they had known that the director (Christopher Barry) has cast a black actor then they would have altered the dialogue accordingly. "M'ol' cock" to "Bro", perhaps?
It was Christopher Barry's admission that the bleeding obvious homage to MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS opening credits - an old, bearded, rag-tag man running up to the camera and uttering the immortal line, "It's." - was wholly unintentional. Quite.
Noel Clarke's narrated essay of black & ethnic minority actors appearing on British television is less successful (bar the excellent utilisation of period designed televisions as a graphic device) than MUTT MAD. Far too earnest, far too flimsy & droll and far too of sanctimonious, however any documentary that mention the other cultural icon of the time (THE DOUBLE DECKERS) then this 38-minute featurette is worth every minute.
The most interesting segment is the mischievous Patrick Troughton discussing a character development of the Doctor; a "blacked-up", turban-wearing Arabian-knight styled Second Doctor.
In addressing an often-overlooked element in bringing DOCTOR WHO (and any drama series) to the screen is comprehensively discussed in an interview with James Acheson. DRESSING THE DOCTOR (thankfully not titled "Stitches in Time") studies the work of a once reluctant costume designer (Acheson) over a four-year period (1972 to 1976), and his working relationship with key members of the production team (director, make-up, visual effects, set designer and production manager).
In designing for DOCTOR WHO, Acheson admits that it is "difficult genre to design" for (The mutts looked like "a grey scampi" but for the changes to the Third Doctor's outfit, "Jon Pertwee was particularly pleased to what I showed for him) though it did have it's perks; "I kind of fancied that Katy Manning".
The Award winning designer continues to recall his work on THE THREE DOCTORS (The Gel Guards were made from cod liver oil tablets, kitchen aluminium foil and painted red to make them look like a "massive blister"); THE TIME WARRIOR (creating a "severe-look for Elisabeth Sladen"); ROBOT (The Fourth Doctor's design was grounded in the phrase, "Clothes not a costume" but, surprisingly, Acheson admits that "if you look at it now you'd change almost everything. They (designers after 1976) improved it."; TERROR OF THE ZYGONS (the aliens were designed to be "embryos with large heads and "octopoidal" suckers"); THE MASQUE OF MANDRAGORA (the period costumes were "quite simple, not elaborate"); THE DEADLY ASSASSIN ("My last DOCTOR WHO that I did. A pool of ideas with Roger Murray-Leach in designing it but I had to hand over the work to someone due to the lack of support from the BBC").
Apart from showing a Mutt costume, the BLUE PETER featurette's (promoting the seaside DOCTOR WHO exhibition) highlight is Peter Purves is hugging an Ogron mannequin. I can imagine a "screengrab" of this intimate moment being printed off and stuck to the nation's bedroom walls. Heaven forefend.
THE STUDIO DVD COMMENTARY HIGHLIGHTS
Based upon previous releases, a six-parter commentary can have a tendency to "drag" after four episode but, in a spark of genius (well, they - 2|entertain - have probably learned from their previous mistakes), DOCTOR WHO - THE MUTANTS verbal assessment is superbly balanced.
Contributions are moderated by a trusted source (writer and actor, Nicholas Pegg - oh, he's one of the NEW SERIES dalek "operators") who professionally (read: he's there not to promote himself - unlike Hickman or (Gary) Russell or Haddoke) guides the contributors and distils their aged memories of the drama series. A deft mix of actors, pre-production (writer and director) and post-production (special sounds supervisor) BBC staffers provide a lively, informative and, at time, joyous commentary.
The team is:
- Katy Manning (Jo Grant)
- Christopher Barry (Director)
- Terrance Dicks (Script Editor)
- Garrick Hagon (Ky)
- Brian Hodgson (Special Sounds Supervisor)
- Bob Baker (Co-writer)
- Nicholas Pegg (Commentary Moderator)
The highlights:
During the opening scene (an old man being chased through a mist-laden wasteland) the commentary team fall silent only to be shout out simultaneously: It's.
On the opening scene "homage" of MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS, director Christopher Barry: A subconscious in-joke, at least. I think Terrance Dicks eased him into it but Barry Letts (Series Producer) didn't care for it.
Factual note: The original title of THE MUTANTS was THE EMERGENTS.
On re-watching the story before the commentary recording, Katy Manning: I got hooked on this one considering it was such a long time ago.
On the plotline, Bob Baker: The withdrawal of Empire. I was thinking about a story set in India.
Katy Manning: It's very AVATAR-esque. A new world that is invented.
On subtle innuendo within the script, Terrance Dicks: If I see a dirty meaning, I'll be the first to see it.
On rejecting complaints against the political undertones of DOCTOR WHO, Terrance Dicks: We didn't have a political agenda, You try to do a good story.
On the main "villain" (The Marshall played by Paul Whitson-Jones), Christopher Barry: He played it like Hermann Göring.
Bob Baker: As we wrote it.
On the character of "Administrator", Terrance Dicks: Geoffrey Palmer. A superb pompous character.
On the story's costume designer (James Acheson), Christopher Barry: A wonderful designer.
Terrance Dicks: A glimpse of Katy's knickers.
On being abducted by Ky, Katy Manning: I make a great hostage. I'm just the right size.
Factual note: The Marshall's "wand" communicator is an old-fashioned bicycle pump.
Katy Manning: We're turning into "Grumpy Old Women".
On a review in a book (Mark Campbell's DOCTOR WHO ESSENTIALS), Jeremy Bear: . it said that acting is dire.
On a stunt with Terry Walsh (as a guard) being punched, Katy Manning: He went down like a woman.
On the limitations of the storytelling of "relationships", Terrance Dicks: We didn't go into the companion's bedrooms. We're they doing a different programme after I left.
In paying tribute to the series' Production Assistant (Chris D'Oyly-John), Christopher Barry: A good man.
On seeing the mutts, Katy Manning: They look like very said ants.
On relating this DOCTOR WHO story with a 2010 movie, Garrick Hagon: The new film, DISTRICT 9, is like THE MUTANTS.
On completing the final special effects sequence, Christopher Barry: It was incredibly complicated.
On THE MUTANTS, Bob Baker: I always thought it was our best one.
VHS release - COMMENT Spoliers
ahead
Let’s
start with the heretical view that this is slow-moving (read: too long), badly
written (read: erratic plotting, lame dialogue, cardboard characters), and poorly
acted tosh with a political message (read: apartheid) grafted onto it's sci
fi-for-kids trappings. Because that is what it is but that makes no difference
if you love the show.
This is not a BIG FINISH WHO-Bible bashing audio tale, it’s the real deal,
and as such is is nothing less than an historical artifact. If you’re too
young to have seen pre-Baker WHO when it was originally broadcast, then you have
to see this, lame as it is.
I loved it.
For all its many, many failings, this drama dismisses with contempt the later
Tom Baker/JNT stories with a knowing wink to the camera, it has the courage to
stick to its guns: to trust its audience and respect the material.
The villain is played by Paul Whitsun-Jones, an odd cross between portly thesps-thesp,
Brian Blessed and Goon, Harry Secombe. PWJ is very much a JNT era actor, very
LOUD, very ARCH and very BROAD, playing to the Gallery. Add to that. the guy
who plays Cotton is so bad that he will put your teeth on edge.
But there are many, may reasons to love this piece of television history. The
score is excellent, mood noise more than anything and adds an unearthly hair-tingling
to the outing. Pertwee is on top form, lisp akimbo (”Rocketsth!”)
and his way with dialogue is extraordinarily much his own (“Would you
kindly explain that remark, sir?”). Indeed, in his cravat, smoking
jacket, bouffant ‘do’ and with a dolly bird on his arm, he is nothing
less than the Leslie Philips of Space/Time!
If all this
seems snide, then pardon me for sniggering. There are reasons to snigger! Watch
Varan try to scratch off the mutation on his arm and hand: he can’t because
then he would destroy the makeup! Why was this in shot? Also note how Whitsun-Jones’ Marshall
maps out the cave strategy, clearly thinking that his scrawl will not be in shot;
his marks are merely sweeping curves which make no sense.
The CSO is really dodgy at times. The Mutts look silly. What was Barry Letts
thinking, showing the hunchbacked insectoids in full studio lighting?
I would love
to see this on DVD with a cast commentary. What was all the fuss about, you may
say? And if you do, you’ve missed the point.
