2 thoughts on “Doctor Who: The Legacy Collection (Shada/More Than 30 Years In The TARDIS) [DVD]”
A Hotchpotch Of Bits And Pieces Combined Now then, the debate of the century {not really but it feels like it at times} has been the un-inclusion of the £25,000 Ian Levine Shada animation. The forums and the fans that dwell within them have been set alight by this most gravest of tragedy’s. But for all my salt as a fan of Doctor Who, I just could not care less. Having finally gotten fed up of peoples bias and frankly foolish opinions on the matter I finally went and read in detail the reasons behind it’s non-inclusion. And in the end, it was never going to work so why on earth put so much effort into giving yourself a heart attack.Shada is a story that I have never been enamoured with, it was a product of it’s time, mainly the disastrous 17th season and final year of Graham Williams tenure. Nearly all the stories that year were below par, save for City of Death. Shada, for me anyway, would have just been the icing on the cake. I have viewed the VHS version {and thusly the DVD version because that’s all that is included, yes, a VHS to DVD straight copy!!! {with restoration of course}} many times and it just never grabs me. I suppose that is in part due to the fact that it is only half complete, but even if it was complete, I would have never been one of it’s supporters. Don’t get me wrong, I would have loved to have seen Ian’s complete version included on this DVD, if only for something new to try and tempt me towards liking this so called “lost classic”. But hey, since it’s not going to happen, I’ll just have to stick to the VHS version and thusly my disagreeable opinion of it.In a better world, I would have preferred it if JNT had kept his nose out of other peoples business and not put a preservation order on the half completed tapes. I hate the fact that the VHS version has Keff McColoughthdjs {whatever his surname is, it’s too early to spell it correctly} music on it, I love Dudley Simpson’s music and am pretty sure that the great Dudley could have saved this dreary tale. Maybe.Either way, you are probably wondering why I have given this DVD review a 5 star rating. I can assure you Amazon reader that it is not because of my undying love of Shada, as you have probably gathered, but because of it’s other lesser-known brother in this boxed set, More Than 30 Years In The TARDIS. What a great and self-indulgent documentary this is. A great piece, created way back in 1993/4 that had every fan reaching for the Video remote to record BBC2. I first saw this doco when I was still wet behind the ears concerning Doctor Who, and this doco made me think of Who as one of the greatest TV programmes of the era, if not ever. And how right was I to think thus so. Doctor Who from then on with the aid of Jon Pertwee repeats on UKGold was a mainstay in my TV viewing and that has not changed for more than 12 years. This doco was a small part of my destiny to become an avid viewer of Doctor Who.The boxed set is rounded off with a series of documentaries and featurettes that evidently could not be fitted onto other DVD’s coming out next year. Still, the oddness of their inclusion only adds to the enjoyment of this DVD and I think, it all makes for one hell of a start to next years fabulous release schedule and the end of the greatest collection of DVD’s in the history of the world.Many thanks for being patient with me, especially concerning my controversial view on Shada. It’s greatly appreciated.M.B.
Sadly…the epitome of the old phrase; “…a curates egg…” DVD InfoText: “The history of SHADA is long, complicated, sad, funny and fascinating”.This eccentric WHO special edition – eccentric in as much as it feels like a grab-bag of material the `Beeb’ did not feel comfortable shoe-horning into other DVD releases – is released in January 2013.DOCTOR WHO – SHADA was the 1979 story by then script-editor Douglas Adams’ story, scuppered by the Corporation’s industrial strike action and so was never finished. In 1992, the BBC released the remaining & errant footage structured as a VHS-format six-part story, linked with on-camera and voice-over narration by Tom Baker.Importantly, it’s key to understand just how much material is actually missing: the music had to be supplied by Keff McCulloch in 1992 as did a lot of the sort-of-special FX shots and most of the missing footage appear to be for the later episodes. However, in 2002, Big Finish and BBCi presented an audio version of the abandoned six-parter casting Paul McGann as the Doctor; and in 2012, BBC Books published an excellent extended novelisation by Gareth Roberts.The highlight of the first disc (DOCTOR WHO – SHADA) is Nicholas Pegg’s frank and chatty Info Text (“but let us begin at the beginning”; “Everything is about to happen all at once, so let’s prepare ourselves”), during which Adams self-assessment of his efforts is charming in its frankness. There’s nothing new here (all of it would have probably been picked up in DOCTOR WHO MONTHLY magazine) but it provides light and shade to an otherwise thin piece of work.Interestingly, Pegg informs us that Tom’s introduction for SHADA (it was Tom’s idea to narrate in the first person as the Doctor) was staged at the WHO exhibition at the Museum of the Moving Image, in London, and, as we all know, Tom is always good value: “I was irresistible in those days!”; “Designing an invisible spaceship – that takes imagination”; and “Poor old Douglas: I wonder what became of him”. Wandering around the exhibits, he quips, “I’ve always felt at home in museums”, adding, as he spots the giant robot, “Beat you, cock!” The InfoText tells us that the linking narration was written by JNT, “although much of the opening section was improvised by Tom Baker”. We are later told that Adams was not particularly proud of SHADA and was definitely not supportive of a video release.DVD InfoText: [Adams] “SHADA wasn’t actually very good”.Adams had previously pitched an idea about which he was apparently really keen involving cricket and aliens but that was vetoed; and so perhaps we should be thankful for small mercies. Naturally, SHADA was a last minute compromise, and it probably shows.DVD InfoText: “Adams donated all his royalties from the VHS release to Comic Relief”.As it is, the plot feels worryingly like an old Cambridge man struggling with writers block. Professor Chronotis, a Time Lord living as a Don in St Cedds (his TARDIS has taken on the shape of his rooms) stole a dangerous book from Gallifrey which will help the baddie, Skagra, played with desperate courage by Christopher Neame, to access SHADA, the Time Lord prison.DVD InfoText: “Fearlessly striding through Cambridge sporting the campest costume in the cosmos is Christopher Neame”.The Doctor and Romana turn up, in the punting scene used in The Five Doctors, having received a call for help from the old buffer.DVD InfoText: “Tom Baker had difficulty controlling the [punt] and there were multiple retakes”.It turns out that Skagra has the resource to remove minds while one of SHADA’s inmates, Salyavin, has the capacity to implant them; combining both powers will apparently enable Skagra to create one universe-spanning mind. The Doctor has to pursue Skagra to Shada, aided by a student, Chris, which provides another IT highpoint.DVD InfoText: [As the Doctor wires Chris into a mind download machine, Tom says “I’d like you to do something. It won’t be pleasant.”] His adlib was cut: “In fact, it’s going to crucify you, kid!”.Later, when piloting Chronotis’ TARDIS, the IT highlights another ad libbed exchange. Tom’s scripted line to Victoria Burgoyne (Clare) – `Come and hold down this switch'” became “Come over here and hold onto this, then.” Followed by, “Whatever you do, don’t let go, we’re in for a very, very rough ride.”The debate about whether this effort was worth recording, let along salvaging, will probably drag on and on but it is a hard story to like. Leaving aside the smug, lazy choice to set this effort in and around Cambridge, we are still left with a tale they feels like it was cranked out in a lunch break, between meetings.DVD InfoText: “This goodish serial seemed over-extended to me” (Graeme MacDonald, Head of Serials).At one point, as Skagra is on his way to confront Chronotis, the InfoText offers a poignant bit…
A Hotchpotch Of Bits And Pieces Combined Now then, the debate of the century {not really but it feels like it at times} has been the un-inclusion of the £25,000 Ian Levine Shada animation. The forums and the fans that dwell within them have been set alight by this most gravest of tragedy’s. But for all my salt as a fan of Doctor Who, I just could not care less. Having finally gotten fed up of peoples bias and frankly foolish opinions on the matter I finally went and read in detail the reasons behind it’s non-inclusion. And in the end, it was never going to work so why on earth put so much effort into giving yourself a heart attack.Shada is a story that I have never been enamoured with, it was a product of it’s time, mainly the disastrous 17th season and final year of Graham Williams tenure. Nearly all the stories that year were below par, save for City of Death. Shada, for me anyway, would have just been the icing on the cake. I have viewed the VHS version {and thusly the DVD version because that’s all that is included, yes, a VHS to DVD straight copy!!! {with restoration of course}} many times and it just never grabs me. I suppose that is in part due to the fact that it is only half complete, but even if it was complete, I would have never been one of it’s supporters. Don’t get me wrong, I would have loved to have seen Ian’s complete version included on this DVD, if only for something new to try and tempt me towards liking this so called “lost classic”. But hey, since it’s not going to happen, I’ll just have to stick to the VHS version and thusly my disagreeable opinion of it.In a better world, I would have preferred it if JNT had kept his nose out of other peoples business and not put a preservation order on the half completed tapes. I hate the fact that the VHS version has Keff McColoughthdjs {whatever his surname is, it’s too early to spell it correctly} music on it, I love Dudley Simpson’s music and am pretty sure that the great Dudley could have saved this dreary tale. Maybe.Either way, you are probably wondering why I have given this DVD review a 5 star rating. I can assure you Amazon reader that it is not because of my undying love of Shada, as you have probably gathered, but because of it’s other lesser-known brother in this boxed set, More Than 30 Years In The TARDIS. What a great and self-indulgent documentary this is. A great piece, created way back in 1993/4 that had every fan reaching for the Video remote to record BBC2. I first saw this doco when I was still wet behind the ears concerning Doctor Who, and this doco made me think of Who as one of the greatest TV programmes of the era, if not ever. And how right was I to think thus so. Doctor Who from then on with the aid of Jon Pertwee repeats on UKGold was a mainstay in my TV viewing and that has not changed for more than 12 years. This doco was a small part of my destiny to become an avid viewer of Doctor Who.The boxed set is rounded off with a series of documentaries and featurettes that evidently could not be fitted onto other DVD’s coming out next year. Still, the oddness of their inclusion only adds to the enjoyment of this DVD and I think, it all makes for one hell of a start to next years fabulous release schedule and the end of the greatest collection of DVD’s in the history of the world.Many thanks for being patient with me, especially concerning my controversial view on Shada. It’s greatly appreciated.M.B.
Sadly…the epitome of the old phrase; “…a curates egg…” DVD InfoText: “The history of SHADA is long, complicated, sad, funny and fascinating”.This eccentric WHO special edition – eccentric in as much as it feels like a grab-bag of material the `Beeb’ did not feel comfortable shoe-horning into other DVD releases – is released in January 2013.DOCTOR WHO – SHADA was the 1979 story by then script-editor Douglas Adams’ story, scuppered by the Corporation’s industrial strike action and so was never finished. In 1992, the BBC released the remaining & errant footage structured as a VHS-format six-part story, linked with on-camera and voice-over narration by Tom Baker.Importantly, it’s key to understand just how much material is actually missing: the music had to be supplied by Keff McCulloch in 1992 as did a lot of the sort-of-special FX shots and most of the missing footage appear to be for the later episodes. However, in 2002, Big Finish and BBCi presented an audio version of the abandoned six-parter casting Paul McGann as the Doctor; and in 2012, BBC Books published an excellent extended novelisation by Gareth Roberts.The highlight of the first disc (DOCTOR WHO – SHADA) is Nicholas Pegg’s frank and chatty Info Text (“but let us begin at the beginning”; “Everything is about to happen all at once, so let’s prepare ourselves”), during which Adams self-assessment of his efforts is charming in its frankness. There’s nothing new here (all of it would have probably been picked up in DOCTOR WHO MONTHLY magazine) but it provides light and shade to an otherwise thin piece of work.Interestingly, Pegg informs us that Tom’s introduction for SHADA (it was Tom’s idea to narrate in the first person as the Doctor) was staged at the WHO exhibition at the Museum of the Moving Image, in London, and, as we all know, Tom is always good value: “I was irresistible in those days!”; “Designing an invisible spaceship – that takes imagination”; and “Poor old Douglas: I wonder what became of him”. Wandering around the exhibits, he quips, “I’ve always felt at home in museums”, adding, as he spots the giant robot, “Beat you, cock!” The InfoText tells us that the linking narration was written by JNT, “although much of the opening section was improvised by Tom Baker”. We are later told that Adams was not particularly proud of SHADA and was definitely not supportive of a video release.DVD InfoText: [Adams] “SHADA wasn’t actually very good”.Adams had previously pitched an idea about which he was apparently really keen involving cricket and aliens but that was vetoed; and so perhaps we should be thankful for small mercies. Naturally, SHADA was a last minute compromise, and it probably shows.DVD InfoText: “Adams donated all his royalties from the VHS release to Comic Relief”.As it is, the plot feels worryingly like an old Cambridge man struggling with writers block. Professor Chronotis, a Time Lord living as a Don in St Cedds (his TARDIS has taken on the shape of his rooms) stole a dangerous book from Gallifrey which will help the baddie, Skagra, played with desperate courage by Christopher Neame, to access SHADA, the Time Lord prison.DVD InfoText: “Fearlessly striding through Cambridge sporting the campest costume in the cosmos is Christopher Neame”.The Doctor and Romana turn up, in the punting scene used in The Five Doctors, having received a call for help from the old buffer.DVD InfoText: “Tom Baker had difficulty controlling the [punt] and there were multiple retakes”.It turns out that Skagra has the resource to remove minds while one of SHADA’s inmates, Salyavin, has the capacity to implant them; combining both powers will apparently enable Skagra to create one universe-spanning mind. The Doctor has to pursue Skagra to Shada, aided by a student, Chris, which provides another IT highpoint.DVD InfoText: [As the Doctor wires Chris into a mind download machine, Tom says “I’d like you to do something. It won’t be pleasant.”] His adlib was cut: “In fact, it’s going to crucify you, kid!”.Later, when piloting Chronotis’ TARDIS, the IT highlights another ad libbed exchange. Tom’s scripted line to Victoria Burgoyne (Clare) – `Come and hold down this switch'” became “Come over here and hold onto this, then.” Followed by, “Whatever you do, don’t let go, we’re in for a very, very rough ride.”The debate about whether this effort was worth recording, let along salvaging, will probably drag on and on but it is a hard story to like. Leaving aside the smug, lazy choice to set this effort in and around Cambridge, we are still left with a tale they feels like it was cranked out in a lunch break, between meetings.DVD InfoText: “This goodish serial seemed over-extended to me” (Graeme MacDonald, Head of Serials).At one point, as Skagra is on his way to confront Chronotis, the InfoText offers a poignant bit…