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Previous fan suggestions for a video release of the two-part INSIDE THE SPACESHIP included tagging onto the front of THE KEYS OF MARINUS (when that was still unreleased) or releasing it on its own at a special price. Naturally, the BBC had other ideas and instead we were expected to shell out £35 for a boxed set of the first thirteen episodes and the full recording of the pilot - all but two episodes of which had already been released by the BBC. Fortunately, sense (and complaining) has prevailed and instead we're getting individual released, with Serial C and the pilot released on a single tape. First up is INSIDE THE SPACESHIP, except that the BBC have decided to call it THE EDGE OF DESTRUCTION, contrary to their own TELEVISION COMPANION (although that also called Serial B THE MUTANTS which is just bollocks in my opinion). I first saw this story in September 1990 on BSB's DOCTOR WHO weekend, when they helpfully showed the two episodes in the wrong order, necessitating an unscheduled repeat the following day. Fortunately, there's no such confusion here. Following on from the conclusion of 'The Daleks', the TARDIS crew recover, but all are acting strangely, accompanied by a number of bizarre events, leading them to the conclusion that an alien force has entered the Ship. The Doctor even accuses Ian and Barbara of sabotage, and is determined to put them off the Ship. Obviously there's no alien force instead the TARDIS, and Ian and Barbara aren't marooned as the four eventually discover that the TARDIS has been trying to warn them of something. THE EDGE OF DESTRUCTION is the weaker of the two episodes, thanks to some bizarre scenes - Susan with the scissors for example - and some less than inspired acting from Carole Ann Ford. There's also a cliff-hanger for cliff-hanger's sake where the Doctor is strangled by Ian for no real reason. THE BRINK OF DISASTER sees things picking up nicely with the Doctor forced to seek help from Ian and Barbara. William Russell is perhaps a little below par in the first half of the story, but both he and Jacqueline Hill are up to their usual standard in this episode. The solution to the problem is neat, if rather simplistic - although it's unfair to judge this sort of thing 36 years after its initial broadcast. Nice to see that the TARDIS controls are written in felt tip though! Just a shame that we'll probably never see anything after Susan's discovery of the footprint in the snow... On then to the pilot episode, Anthony Coburn's AN UNEARTHLY CHILD, which was previously released on the HARTNELL YEARS compilation and shown during the BBC's Lime Grove celebrations. Typically the latter was a different take after I'd decided not to both taping it, so it's nice to have both versions, along with a recording break and a short false-start here. The televised version of AN UNEARTHLY CHILD is still one of the series' best ever episodes, and it is fascinating to see how the series really started, fluffed lines and all. Even more interesting are the changes made before the episode was re-recorded, especially to the Doctor's character. Picture quality is also good for the episodes' age, and far better than some of the ropey prints the BBC have used in the past. With MARCO POLO sadly absent from the BBC's archives, INSIDE THE SPACESHIP was always going to be a tricky story to release, so full marks (well, nearly) to the BBC for this package - although nearly thirteen quid for only 82 minutes is a little on the steep side. Nevertheless, it still gets a big thumbs up from me. BACK TO THE TOP |
THE
EDGE OF DESTRUCTION and |
