The Historian here. As we end each story, I think I'll try to include a few links that talk about the production and such. In the future, I'll try to get Ketina (and whoever else is interested) to engage in a discussion of the story as a whole and how we think it helped to develop the series from our perspective. Obviously, that's a little difficult when discussing the first story, though I think we did an all right job in the episode posts themselves. As always, if you'd like to engage more, please feel free to comment and we'll do our best to keep the conversation going.
As far as production details go, it's hard to do better than Shannon Sullivan's "Brief History of Time (Travel)" page. His page detailing the pre-production and all work on "100,000 BC" is here; among other things, it answers Ketina's question regarding the switch from video to film for the fight between Kal and Za. The BBC "Classic" episode guide page for the story, if you are so inclined, is also here.
Last night, to celebrate the completion of our first story, I also brought a little treat with me. A few years ago, the idea of animating lost Doctor Who stories (for which fan-taped soundtracks exist) came into fan consciousness, thanks in no small part to the professional release of the DVD of the sixth season story, "The Invasion." Since then, a fan named Garrett Gilchrist, with a few friends, has begin to animate selected scenes, using his own "WhoSprites." He recently put the currently completed scenes together, with some commentary, into a 19 minute video. Links to the individual videos (as well as a link to download the whole presentation) can be found here. WhoSprites is definitely still a work in progress, but it's wonderful to see how much smoother the process has been getting, and how much longer the scenes to be animated are. Anyway, everyone was very impressed and we can't wait to see what Garrett and his crew come up with next! Very highly recommended!
At any rate, that just about wraps it up for "100,000 BC," barring any further discussions folks would like to begin in the comments! If I haven't said it before, thanks to all of you for reading and taking this journey with us. See you next time, and until then, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
Showing posts with label 000 BC". Show all posts
Showing posts with label 000 BC". Show all posts
Saturday, December 13, 2008
"The Firemaker"
And here we are at the last episode of "100,000 BC," the first Doctor Who serial. Tonight, Ketina and I were joined by the ever-present Ronelyn, Kroroboros, Spoo and SumGuy. Full house!
Summary: First aired 13 December, 1963. The TARDIS crew are taken back to the Tribe's cave where the Doctor cleverly managed to get Kal to admit to killing the old woman. The Tribe, led by the Doctor, then drives Kal out. Za, however, sends the crew back to the Cave of Skulls. Inside the cave, Ian makes fire! Za discovers them and demands they give him fire, which they do, expecting he will then let them return to the TARDIS. [Edit: I neglected to mention Kal killing the guard and entering the cave, leading to a brutal fight which Za wins.] In this they are mistaken, but Susan and Ian come up with a plan. Using skulls from the cave and torches, they scare the Tribe and, essentially, run away, making it back to the TARDIS just in time. Taking off, the Doctor explains that he hadn't been able to get any samples to figure out where and when they were, so he doesn't know where they're going. The crew lands and goes to clean up, not noticing the radiation monitor slowly moving into the red danger zone....
A strong finish to what I thought was a strong opening story, firmly establishing both the premise and the central characters. Opinions were somewhat divided, however, with Spoo feeling this was less of a real "story" and more of a "moment in time." (Spoo, please expand in a comment, if you want to!) The episode began with a fine showcase for the Doctor's cleverness; he plays Kal like a fiddle. Ian also shows his worth (Ronelyn remaked on Ian's fine Boy Scout skills!), both in his firemaking and his comment to Za about the Tribe being stronger that a single member--a lesson Za remembers, but seems to misunderstand, as he goes out to hunt alone. Susan had her moment, helping Ian come up with the plan to free the crew; this week it was Barbara's turn to be underused.
Which brings me to one of Kroroboros' excellent points. Being familiar with later Doctors, he was surprised that the Doctor was not the center of the action. And it's true, the series, in its first few seasons, was very much an ensemble piece, with the Doctor being only a part of the crew. (Though he will shortly become the linchpin around which the various companions operate.) At this point, though, Ian is far more of a dynamic presence, though the Doctor might be more of a clever one!
All in all, the first historical (for all intents and purposes) succeeds quite nicely; the guest cast is excellent, as is the design (both set and costume) and especially the writing. The regulars are strong too, with well-developed characters. It might be a bit of a slow start, but the absolute right turn into science fiction next week will take the show in an unexpected direction!
Until then, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
----
Ketina here,
Here's my brief observations of the episode:
Good - Fight choreography was pretty good. Kal and Za beat the crap out of each other very savagely. It was brutal. However, a bit odd as they switched to film instead of video for only that scene, which was very noticable. Also the cave of skulls looked significantly larger than the cave did in any other scene.
Silly - close ups of The Doctor's companions as they ran through the forest. Just faces with occational sticks thrown at them. Very silly.
Curious - the ending bothered me somewhat. The Doctor and companions trick the cavemen and escape and run back to the Tardis. And that was it. It didn't feel to me like there was a solid resolution to the story, While the cavemen finally got their fire, there wasn't any character resolution for the cavemen. Za became leader, but didn't seem to learn anything or establish himself as a stronger or better leader than before. I found it odd that there were no moral lessons for a show that is reportedly a family show. Maybe that's just more common in American family shows?
I'd say more, but I'm currently watching the gang we just watched the show with devolve into comedic mehem involving the central stars of our next story. More later, hopefully.
-Ketina
NEXT WEEK: "THE DEAD PLANET"
Summary: First aired 13 December, 1963. The TARDIS crew are taken back to the Tribe's cave where the Doctor cleverly managed to get Kal to admit to killing the old woman. The Tribe, led by the Doctor, then drives Kal out. Za, however, sends the crew back to the Cave of Skulls. Inside the cave, Ian makes fire! Za discovers them and demands they give him fire, which they do, expecting he will then let them return to the TARDIS. [Edit: I neglected to mention Kal killing the guard and entering the cave, leading to a brutal fight which Za wins.] In this they are mistaken, but Susan and Ian come up with a plan. Using skulls from the cave and torches, they scare the Tribe and, essentially, run away, making it back to the TARDIS just in time. Taking off, the Doctor explains that he hadn't been able to get any samples to figure out where and when they were, so he doesn't know where they're going. The crew lands and goes to clean up, not noticing the radiation monitor slowly moving into the red danger zone....
A strong finish to what I thought was a strong opening story, firmly establishing both the premise and the central characters. Opinions were somewhat divided, however, with Spoo feeling this was less of a real "story" and more of a "moment in time." (Spoo, please expand in a comment, if you want to!) The episode began with a fine showcase for the Doctor's cleverness; he plays Kal like a fiddle. Ian also shows his worth (Ronelyn remaked on Ian's fine Boy Scout skills!), both in his firemaking and his comment to Za about the Tribe being stronger that a single member--a lesson Za remembers, but seems to misunderstand, as he goes out to hunt alone. Susan had her moment, helping Ian come up with the plan to free the crew; this week it was Barbara's turn to be underused.
Which brings me to one of Kroroboros' excellent points. Being familiar with later Doctors, he was surprised that the Doctor was not the center of the action. And it's true, the series, in its first few seasons, was very much an ensemble piece, with the Doctor being only a part of the crew. (Though he will shortly become the linchpin around which the various companions operate.) At this point, though, Ian is far more of a dynamic presence, though the Doctor might be more of a clever one!
All in all, the first historical (for all intents and purposes) succeeds quite nicely; the guest cast is excellent, as is the design (both set and costume) and especially the writing. The regulars are strong too, with well-developed characters. It might be a bit of a slow start, but the absolute right turn into science fiction next week will take the show in an unexpected direction!
Until then, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
----
Ketina here,
Here's my brief observations of the episode:
Good - Fight choreography was pretty good. Kal and Za beat the crap out of each other very savagely. It was brutal. However, a bit odd as they switched to film instead of video for only that scene, which was very noticable. Also the cave of skulls looked significantly larger than the cave did in any other scene.
Silly - close ups of The Doctor's companions as they ran through the forest. Just faces with occational sticks thrown at them. Very silly.
Curious - the ending bothered me somewhat. The Doctor and companions trick the cavemen and escape and run back to the Tardis. And that was it. It didn't feel to me like there was a solid resolution to the story, While the cavemen finally got their fire, there wasn't any character resolution for the cavemen. Za became leader, but didn't seem to learn anything or establish himself as a stronger or better leader than before. I found it odd that there were no moral lessons for a show that is reportedly a family show. Maybe that's just more common in American family shows?
I'd say more, but I'm currently watching the gang we just watched the show with devolve into comedic mehem involving the central stars of our next story. More later, hopefully.
-Ketina
NEXT WEEK: "THE DEAD PLANET"
Friday, December 5, 2008
"The Forest of Fear"
Yes, we're a bit early this week, but let's look at it as a benefit, shall we? The Historian here, with a review of the third episode of the series. This week, Ketina and I were joined by Ronelyn, Blueraccoon and Krorboros. Let's get to the summary, shall we?
Summary: Originally aired 6 December, 1963. Quite a lot actually happened in this episode. The TARDIS crew is released from the Cave of Skulls by the Old Woman, who tells them they must leave so as not to return the secret of fire to the Tribe. Za and Hur discover this and go after them, but Za is attacked by a creature. Against the Doctor's wishes, the crew attempt to help him, which confuses Hur completely. Meanwhile, Kal has discovered the Old Woman in the Cave and finds out where Za and the TARDIS crew has gone. He then kills the Old Woman. Afterwards, he convinces the Tribe that Za killed the Old Woman and they follow him as the new leader. Arriving at the TARDIS, finally, the crew and Za (on a stretcher) and Hur are ambushed by Kal and the Tribe.
Goodness, there's a lot to say about this episode. We discussed it more than almost any other. Although all Blueraccoon really had to say was, "I wasn't really paying attention. There was a lot of screaming and it got on my nerves." It's true, there was quite a bit, especially from Barbara. On the other hand, think about what kind of day she's had--from 1963 London to 100,000 BC! Ronelyn was, once again, impressed with the atmosphere, comparing it to other British productions of the era. I very much agree; although some may find the pace slow (see Ketina's section), I found that the episode built, ratcheting up the tension as the TARDIS crew attempted to escape, culminating in the ambush with the ship almost within reach. I will say that I was right in that watching this episode-by-episode is a very different experience than seeing it as an hour and a half "movie."
I'd like to take a moment to mention the design, which is quite excellent. The sets, from the jungle to the Cave of Skulls, is just fantastic and, within the obvious limits of the tiny studio confines, quite believable. The costumes are simple, but effective as well.
As far as guest characters, the shining stars are Hur and Kal, the two "smart" cavemen. Kal's scene where he essentially frames Za for murder is especially good, and Hur shows reasoning and actual political savvy!
The regulars are also quite good, though I felt Ian occasionally went a bit over the top. Barbara's hysterics were, as I said above, understandable. This was the first episode where Susan felt mostly underused. And the Doctor...I've read a theory that before Ian and Barbara, the Doctor had held himself aloof from humanity and it was his connection with them that began his evolution into a caring hero. This episode certainly gives that theory a firm basis; although he expresses contrition for kidnapping the teachers and getting them into the situation (a holdover from last week's episode), he is also snappish, mean and uncaring...and, indeed, at least momentarily murderous, before he is stopped by Ian. (Or was he? Was he telling the truth about having Za draw a map to the ship?) It's a very nuanced performance by William Hartnell (still stunning) and, knowing where it's going as I do, I'm going to really enjoy seeing the development of the Doctor's character as the weeks go by.
As usual, I am sure I have all kinds of other things to say, but I think it is time to turn this over to my erstwhile companion. However, I encourage all of you (yes, even you, Ronelyn, if you want to expand on what I said above) to comment with your thoughts, questions, suggestions. I don't think we're writing in a complete vacuum...I hope?
So, until next time, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
---
Ketina here.
Good bits - I thought that Hur (the cave lady from last week, who got a name this week) once more showed some savvy. She spends the beginning of the episode observing the old woman and suggesting to Za what to do. One of her best lines "the leader is awake while the other's sleep" as a way of starting to explain why Za should be investigating things while the other cave men are sleeping. Later, while Za is concerned about why Hur didn't stop the old woman, Hur was more interested in knowing what the old woman was up to.
I also thought the sets were fairly good. At one point they show a close up of a dead boar that The Doctor and his companions discover (putting Barbara into those annoying hysterics), And even the first shot of the episode, when they show a nearly full skeleton in the cave of skulls I thought was pretty creapy.
The not so good bits -- Again, I think the pace is rather slow. They spent the bulk of the episode running through the forest, half of which consisted of The Doctor and ian arguing, running around in circles and lots of screaming. Did we mention the annoying screaming yet. And long discussion on how to put together and putting together the makeshift stretcher.
The silly -- the scene showing the cave man tribe all piled up in a heap in the middle of their cave. There were a few snickers among us watching regarding the groping potential of cave men heaps.
Also, the back door out of the cave discovered by the old woman the was obviously just covered up by some branches.
Can't think of anything else interesting at the moment. So that's all from me for now.
-Ketina
(A quick note from the Historian: I didn't think the Tribe sleeping together for warmth against the oncoming cold was silly....)
NEXT WEEK: "THE FIREMAKER"
Summary: Originally aired 6 December, 1963. Quite a lot actually happened in this episode. The TARDIS crew is released from the Cave of Skulls by the Old Woman, who tells them they must leave so as not to return the secret of fire to the Tribe. Za and Hur discover this and go after them, but Za is attacked by a creature. Against the Doctor's wishes, the crew attempt to help him, which confuses Hur completely. Meanwhile, Kal has discovered the Old Woman in the Cave and finds out where Za and the TARDIS crew has gone. He then kills the Old Woman. Afterwards, he convinces the Tribe that Za killed the Old Woman and they follow him as the new leader. Arriving at the TARDIS, finally, the crew and Za (on a stretcher) and Hur are ambushed by Kal and the Tribe.
Goodness, there's a lot to say about this episode. We discussed it more than almost any other. Although all Blueraccoon really had to say was, "I wasn't really paying attention. There was a lot of screaming and it got on my nerves." It's true, there was quite a bit, especially from Barbara. On the other hand, think about what kind of day she's had--from 1963 London to 100,000 BC! Ronelyn was, once again, impressed with the atmosphere, comparing it to other British productions of the era. I very much agree; although some may find the pace slow (see Ketina's section), I found that the episode built, ratcheting up the tension as the TARDIS crew attempted to escape, culminating in the ambush with the ship almost within reach. I will say that I was right in that watching this episode-by-episode is a very different experience than seeing it as an hour and a half "movie."
I'd like to take a moment to mention the design, which is quite excellent. The sets, from the jungle to the Cave of Skulls, is just fantastic and, within the obvious limits of the tiny studio confines, quite believable. The costumes are simple, but effective as well.
As far as guest characters, the shining stars are Hur and Kal, the two "smart" cavemen. Kal's scene where he essentially frames Za for murder is especially good, and Hur shows reasoning and actual political savvy!
The regulars are also quite good, though I felt Ian occasionally went a bit over the top. Barbara's hysterics were, as I said above, understandable. This was the first episode where Susan felt mostly underused. And the Doctor...I've read a theory that before Ian and Barbara, the Doctor had held himself aloof from humanity and it was his connection with them that began his evolution into a caring hero. This episode certainly gives that theory a firm basis; although he expresses contrition for kidnapping the teachers and getting them into the situation (a holdover from last week's episode), he is also snappish, mean and uncaring...and, indeed, at least momentarily murderous, before he is stopped by Ian. (Or was he? Was he telling the truth about having Za draw a map to the ship?) It's a very nuanced performance by William Hartnell (still stunning) and, knowing where it's going as I do, I'm going to really enjoy seeing the development of the Doctor's character as the weeks go by.
As usual, I am sure I have all kinds of other things to say, but I think it is time to turn this over to my erstwhile companion. However, I encourage all of you (yes, even you, Ronelyn, if you want to expand on what I said above) to comment with your thoughts, questions, suggestions. I don't think we're writing in a complete vacuum...I hope?
So, until next time, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
---
Ketina here.
Good bits - I thought that Hur (the cave lady from last week, who got a name this week) once more showed some savvy. She spends the beginning of the episode observing the old woman and suggesting to Za what to do. One of her best lines "the leader is awake while the other's sleep" as a way of starting to explain why Za should be investigating things while the other cave men are sleeping. Later, while Za is concerned about why Hur didn't stop the old woman, Hur was more interested in knowing what the old woman was up to.
I also thought the sets were fairly good. At one point they show a close up of a dead boar that The Doctor and his companions discover (putting Barbara into those annoying hysterics), And even the first shot of the episode, when they show a nearly full skeleton in the cave of skulls I thought was pretty creapy.
The not so good bits -- Again, I think the pace is rather slow. They spent the bulk of the episode running through the forest, half of which consisted of The Doctor and ian arguing, running around in circles and lots of screaming. Did we mention the annoying screaming yet. And long discussion on how to put together and putting together the makeshift stretcher.
The silly -- the scene showing the cave man tribe all piled up in a heap in the middle of their cave. There were a few snickers among us watching regarding the groping potential of cave men heaps.
Also, the back door out of the cave discovered by the old woman the was obviously just covered up by some branches.
Can't think of anything else interesting at the moment. So that's all from me for now.
-Ketina
(A quick note from the Historian: I didn't think the Tribe sleeping together for warmth against the oncoming cold was silly....)
NEXT WEEK: "THE FIREMAKER"
Saturday, November 29, 2008
"The Cave of Skulls"
The Historian here. I'll note that if we were being absolutely accurate, we would be skipping a week as the BBC reran the initial episode the week after it aired. (For some reason, people weren't tuning in the day after JFK's assassination...) But, getting down to it...
Synopsis: Originally shown on 30 November, 1963. The TARDIS lands in Ice Age era Europe, where a tribe is having a disagreement over leadership. Za's father made fire, but he cannot. Kal, an interloper, claims to be able to make fire. Kal discovers the Doctor (who's left the ship to explore) smoking and kidnaps him. Ian (who's gobsmacked about not being in a London junkyard anymore), Barbara and Susan attempt to rescue him, but they're all captured and thrown into the titular Cave of Skulls--and Za declares they will be executed at the next sunrise!
Ketina, Ronelyn, Blueraccoon and I watched the episode together. I enjoyed it a lot, especially the performance by the regulars. William Russell (as Ian) was particularly good at conveying his absolute disbelief, even when confronted by the evidence of his own eyes. William Hartnell continues to amaze; he's just so darn good at both the mischievious mystery and the honesty he shows towards the end of the episode. All of the actors show a depth, with the possible exception of Jacqueline Hill, who isn't given very much to do (although her belief in spite of everything is excellent). Susan's absolute desperation at losing her only link with her home in the Doctor is really effectively played by Carole Ann Ford. The writing is just top notch, although Ketina has some issues that I suppose she'll talk about in her post.
Something I missed in last week's chaos, but that I'd very much like to keep track of, is how the show developed elements that we'll see more of later. Last week, for example, we had the introduction of the TARDIS (which Susan claims to have named from the description "Time and Relative Dimension in Space"--note the singular for Dimension) as well as our first description of the Doctor and Susan's homeworld. Susan was "born in another place, another time," and the Doctor asks Ian and Barbara if they know what it's like to be exiles. Interestingly, the implication seems to be that they can't get home for some reason (there was an early idea that their home planet had been destroyed, but it wound up not being taken up), rather than the Doctor being on the run for stealing a time machine.
This week, in addition to our first travel in time, we're shown that the TARDIS might not be entirely functional. Some gagues don't seem to work properly and the outer shell, which has apparently changed to blend in in the past (Susan's descriptions imply some interesting trips) is no longer functioning--it's stuck as a 1963 era police box!
In all, this was an good episode, keeping the interest generated by the first one up nicely. Although there are a few parts that might not work completely to modern eyes (see Ketina's post for her thoughts), for a 1963 audience I can see it as, well, perhaps not riveting, but certainly diverting for the family at tea time. We're still a few weeks away from The Moment Doctor Who Became a National Phenomenon, but the ratings were decent, and this serial certainly shows us the original educational plan for the series--back in time, then science fiction, alternating. I suppose one can wonder though if the second story (to come in a few weeks!) hadn't changed everything and become the blueprint for much of the series, how things would have gone.... But now, I shall turn things over to my companion, Ketina. Until next time, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
----
Just finished watching the second episode of Doctor Who with The Historian, The Cave of Skulls (part two of the eventually titled 100,000 Years B.C.). Please read the Historian's summary first.
My reactions:
Silly bits -- the gob smacked cave man Kal, as he stared at the Tardis shortly after it landed.
Boring bits (in my opinion) -- The lengthy debate between Za and Kal regarding what to do with the strange old man who could make fire from his fingers. They each made their point, which seemed long enough to me, and then proceeded to make pretty much the exact same points again two more times. If I had to watch Kal wiggle his fingers again "he made smoke come out of his fingers" I was going to hit the fast forward button. But then, we would have missed the ENTIRE episode. They didn't even get to the proverbial Cave of Skulls until the very end of the episode.
Irritating bits - Susan is quite the screamer, isn't she? Quite feisty however!
Weird bits - the fight scenes seemed very disjointed to me. Lots of close ups, hands and feet and bits, making it very difficult to see what was going on. While Susan joining the fight was evident, both by her screams and when we see her jump onto a caveman's back, it wasn't clear to me that Ian and Barbara were in the fight until the end when we see they have been captured. It reminded me a lot of the type of confusing and frustrating fight choreography found in current films.
Good bits -- as long as the scenes went, the acting was quite good. I also loved the characters of the cave lady who wanted to be given to Kal, and the old woman who thought fire was a bad idea. They were fun characters.
I also loved the continued banter between Ian and Barbara, continuing to establish their reaction to the amazing things happening around them. Ian continues to doubt while Barbara is more open minded about events.
Overall I did enjoy the episode, but believe that the pace could be tightened up significantly.
Ketina, the Impatient Companion
NEXT WEEK: "THE FOREST OF FEAR"
Synopsis: Originally shown on 30 November, 1963. The TARDIS lands in Ice Age era Europe, where a tribe is having a disagreement over leadership. Za's father made fire, but he cannot. Kal, an interloper, claims to be able to make fire. Kal discovers the Doctor (who's left the ship to explore) smoking and kidnaps him. Ian (who's gobsmacked about not being in a London junkyard anymore), Barbara and Susan attempt to rescue him, but they're all captured and thrown into the titular Cave of Skulls--and Za declares they will be executed at the next sunrise!
Ketina, Ronelyn, Blueraccoon and I watched the episode together. I enjoyed it a lot, especially the performance by the regulars. William Russell (as Ian) was particularly good at conveying his absolute disbelief, even when confronted by the evidence of his own eyes. William Hartnell continues to amaze; he's just so darn good at both the mischievious mystery and the honesty he shows towards the end of the episode. All of the actors show a depth, with the possible exception of Jacqueline Hill, who isn't given very much to do (although her belief in spite of everything is excellent). Susan's absolute desperation at losing her only link with her home in the Doctor is really effectively played by Carole Ann Ford. The writing is just top notch, although Ketina has some issues that I suppose she'll talk about in her post.
Something I missed in last week's chaos, but that I'd very much like to keep track of, is how the show developed elements that we'll see more of later. Last week, for example, we had the introduction of the TARDIS (which Susan claims to have named from the description "Time and Relative Dimension in Space"--note the singular for Dimension) as well as our first description of the Doctor and Susan's homeworld. Susan was "born in another place, another time," and the Doctor asks Ian and Barbara if they know what it's like to be exiles. Interestingly, the implication seems to be that they can't get home for some reason (there was an early idea that their home planet had been destroyed, but it wound up not being taken up), rather than the Doctor being on the run for stealing a time machine.
This week, in addition to our first travel in time, we're shown that the TARDIS might not be entirely functional. Some gagues don't seem to work properly and the outer shell, which has apparently changed to blend in in the past (Susan's descriptions imply some interesting trips) is no longer functioning--it's stuck as a 1963 era police box!
In all, this was an good episode, keeping the interest generated by the first one up nicely. Although there are a few parts that might not work completely to modern eyes (see Ketina's post for her thoughts), for a 1963 audience I can see it as, well, perhaps not riveting, but certainly diverting for the family at tea time. We're still a few weeks away from The Moment Doctor Who Became a National Phenomenon, but the ratings were decent, and this serial certainly shows us the original educational plan for the series--back in time, then science fiction, alternating. I suppose one can wonder though if the second story (to come in a few weeks!) hadn't changed everything and become the blueprint for much of the series, how things would have gone.... But now, I shall turn things over to my companion, Ketina. Until next time, I remain
THE HISTORIAN
----
Just finished watching the second episode of Doctor Who with The Historian, The Cave of Skulls (part two of the eventually titled 100,000 Years B.C.). Please read the Historian's summary first.
My reactions:
Silly bits -- the gob smacked cave man Kal, as he stared at the Tardis shortly after it landed.
Boring bits (in my opinion) -- The lengthy debate between Za and Kal regarding what to do with the strange old man who could make fire from his fingers. They each made their point, which seemed long enough to me, and then proceeded to make pretty much the exact same points again two more times. If I had to watch Kal wiggle his fingers again "he made smoke come out of his fingers" I was going to hit the fast forward button. But then, we would have missed the ENTIRE episode. They didn't even get to the proverbial Cave of Skulls until the very end of the episode.
Irritating bits - Susan is quite the screamer, isn't she? Quite feisty however!
Weird bits - the fight scenes seemed very disjointed to me. Lots of close ups, hands and feet and bits, making it very difficult to see what was going on. While Susan joining the fight was evident, both by her screams and when we see her jump onto a caveman's back, it wasn't clear to me that Ian and Barbara were in the fight until the end when we see they have been captured. It reminded me a lot of the type of confusing and frustrating fight choreography found in current films.
Good bits -- as long as the scenes went, the acting was quite good. I also loved the characters of the cave lady who wanted to be given to Kal, and the old woman who thought fire was a bad idea. They were fun characters.
I also loved the continued banter between Ian and Barbara, continuing to establish their reaction to the amazing things happening around them. Ian continues to doubt while Barbara is more open minded about events.
Overall I did enjoy the episode, but believe that the pace could be tightened up significantly.
Ketina, the Impatient Companion
NEXT WEEK: "THE FOREST OF FEAR"
Sunday, November 23, 2008
"An Unearthly Child"
The Historian here, welcoming you to the official beginning of the TARDIS Project! Our format for these posts is still a bit in flux, so I invite our readers to offer suggestions of what you'd like us to talk about in regards to each episode. But until then...
Today, Ketina and I, along with this week's companion contingent of Ronelyn, Schmallturm, Kroroboros and BlueRaccoon, sat down to watch the first episode of Doctor Who, "An Unearthly Child," originally shown on November 23rd, 1963. The summary: schoolteachers Ian Chesteron (science) and Barbara Cartwright (history) decide to investigate the home life of a strange schoolgirl, Susan Foreman. They follow her to her home address, discovering it is a junkyard run by a mysterious old man, her grandfather. They force their way into a Police Box, from which they heard their student's voice, discovering the TARDIS and beginning a journey in time and space....
The reactions from our group was generally positive. I opined that the whole thing felt a bit like a stage play, given that the studio scenes were shot in order with minimal editing. Ronelyn found the set-up and characters reminicent of a John Wyndham novel, with ordinary people stumbling into an extraordinary situation and trying to figure it out logically. (See Ian's bafflement with the interior size of the TARDIS: "I walked all around the thing!") Kroroboros: "Susan was cute."
All in all, this was an auspicious start. I can see how it would have intrigued both children and their parents. It presented a mystery and doled out just enough information to whet the appetite for more. And the ending, with the shadow falling over the landscape before the TARDIS was a great cliffhanger. Even though I know, I still can't wait to see what happens next!
THE HISTORIAN
Turning things over to my Partner In Time, Ketina:
Sorry, technical problems are causing me difficulties in blogging on my own. Reversing the polarity just ain't working. Ketina here, the impatient companion. I call myself impatient as watching only one episode per week is gonna result in my gnawing my own arm off before this is over, but I digress.
Loved the episode. I relate best to Susan's character - I would have loved to have been a girl like her when I was young. The pacing of the episode wasn't as slow as I remembered it being, in fact it didn't seem very slow at all. At least so far. There's also a nice mystery too things. She's smart and savy, yet still naive. She's not willing to outright disobey her grandfather, but she'll still stand up to him when she doesn't agree with his actions.
Something else I noticed in particular was the episode's sound track. I noted how long the opening music continued into the episode. Rather than ending as soon as the scene started, it continues well into the scene, although thankfully not over any dialog. The background music continues setting the mood throughout the episode and I liked it.
Other characters. Ian is rather mean and pushy, barging past "grandfather" and shoving his way into the Police Box. Barbara is quite noisy but more curious and concerned. I loved the scene in the car when Barbara comments that they are there as much out of curiousity as they are concern for their student. I like that honest part of her character, which establishes her well.
The Doctor is just awesome. His mumbling to himself is great, the way he hints at what he's thinking. I agree with The Historian's earlier assessment about the stage play feel, as The Doctor's side comments in this epsiode feel like asides in a stage play. A little Shakespeare in feel. But is still cool to see in his head a bit. He doesn't come across as a nice man, given that he's supposed the main character, and yet he kidnaps half the cast in opening episode.
Okay, that's my stream of consciousness on the spot review. Both the Historian and I may add more to this later, and we refine our process. Like the first story of Doctor Who, we're still trying to figure everything out.
Until next week!
NEXT WEEK: "THE CAVE OF SKULLS"
Today, Ketina and I, along with this week's companion contingent of Ronelyn, Schmallturm, Kroroboros and BlueRaccoon, sat down to watch the first episode of Doctor Who, "An Unearthly Child," originally shown on November 23rd, 1963. The summary: schoolteachers Ian Chesteron (science) and Barbara Cartwright (history) decide to investigate the home life of a strange schoolgirl, Susan Foreman. They follow her to her home address, discovering it is a junkyard run by a mysterious old man, her grandfather. They force their way into a Police Box, from which they heard their student's voice, discovering the TARDIS and beginning a journey in time and space....
The reactions from our group was generally positive. I opined that the whole thing felt a bit like a stage play, given that the studio scenes were shot in order with minimal editing. Ronelyn found the set-up and characters reminicent of a John Wyndham novel, with ordinary people stumbling into an extraordinary situation and trying to figure it out logically. (See Ian's bafflement with the interior size of the TARDIS: "I walked all around the thing!") Kroroboros: "Susan was cute."
All in all, this was an auspicious start. I can see how it would have intrigued both children and their parents. It presented a mystery and doled out just enough information to whet the appetite for more. And the ending, with the shadow falling over the landscape before the TARDIS was a great cliffhanger. Even though I know, I still can't wait to see what happens next!
THE HISTORIAN
Turning things over to my Partner In Time, Ketina:
Sorry, technical problems are causing me difficulties in blogging on my own. Reversing the polarity just ain't working. Ketina here, the impatient companion. I call myself impatient as watching only one episode per week is gonna result in my gnawing my own arm off before this is over, but I digress.
Loved the episode. I relate best to Susan's character - I would have loved to have been a girl like her when I was young. The pacing of the episode wasn't as slow as I remembered it being, in fact it didn't seem very slow at all. At least so far. There's also a nice mystery too things. She's smart and savy, yet still naive. She's not willing to outright disobey her grandfather, but she'll still stand up to him when she doesn't agree with his actions.
Something else I noticed in particular was the episode's sound track. I noted how long the opening music continued into the episode. Rather than ending as soon as the scene started, it continues well into the scene, although thankfully not over any dialog. The background music continues setting the mood throughout the episode and I liked it.
Other characters. Ian is rather mean and pushy, barging past "grandfather" and shoving his way into the Police Box. Barbara is quite noisy but more curious and concerned. I loved the scene in the car when Barbara comments that they are there as much out of curiousity as they are concern for their student. I like that honest part of her character, which establishes her well.
The Doctor is just awesome. His mumbling to himself is great, the way he hints at what he's thinking. I agree with The Historian's earlier assessment about the stage play feel, as The Doctor's side comments in this epsiode feel like asides in a stage play. A little Shakespeare in feel. But is still cool to see in his head a bit. He doesn't come across as a nice man, given that he's supposed the main character, and yet he kidnaps half the cast in opening episode.
Okay, that's my stream of consciousness on the spot review. Both the Historian and I may add more to this later, and we refine our process. Like the first story of Doctor Who, we're still trying to figure everything out.
Until next week!
NEXT WEEK: "THE CAVE OF SKULLS"
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