The Jellyfish, The Prawn and the Tax Man!

Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, and John Leeson take on a season that pushed the limits of what could be done with new technology and limited time and money, but fans usually remember it fondly.

All six episodes are beautifully upgraded in visual quality for Blu-ray. Horror Of Fang Rock gets the best treatment with a 5.1 Surround Audio mix and new updated SFX, which were excellent, particularly Ruben the Rutan in Episode Four and the Rutan Ship, apart from the Rutan climbing up the side of the lighthouse and the Doctor hanging from the window, which were still crap. A beautiful new Making Of called Inside The Lighthouse, featuring Louise and Toby Hadoke at Belle Tote Lighthouse in Beachy Head, shows why we love Louise and her time on Who was too short. It focuses on their time filming the episodes at Pebble Mill in Manchester. New Audio Commentary by Tom Baker (with Matthew Sweet) on episodes 2 & 4, and a hilarious Denys Fisher Toys Advert with a reaction from Louise.

Other new shining lights on this set are Louise Jameson in Conversation with Matthew Sweet, another Tom Talks, The Final Battle where Leela finally meets the Daleks on screen (in Dolby 5.1 and Atmos), new Audio Commentary from Tom on episodes 4 & 6 of Invasion Of Time, the rushes for Tom’s Greetings for fans at the first Doctor Who Exhibition at Longleat, The Panopticon Archive interview with Louise and John, a 50^th Anniversary Interview with John, and the magnificent and moving Graham Williams Documentary, Darkness And Light, from Moon Balloon Productions.

Behind the Sofa is again a highlight of this Collection featuring Louise Jameson, Colin Baker, Katy Manning, Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton, Matthew Waterhouse, Pennant Roberts’ wife Betsan, and Toby Hadoke. All are in fine form and often hilarious.

Other notable inclusions were the “Making Of” documentary on the Underworld disc which is old but fascinating, and the idiotic and appalling Doctor Who Dustbin Skits by Emu Broadcasting Company on Image Of The Fendahl disc.

A treasured addition to the Who-ray Collections!

 

Topics Discussed in Interviews:

Tom Talks. On the Image Of The Fendahl disc, Tom looks older and frail but soon lights up with that youthful joy and devious tongue-in-cheek humour. Tom discusses… being in the Merchant Navy, serving on a passenger ship, serving in the Medical Corps. The Medics series, visiting Children’s Wards, being a patient. Being in his own head, being admired, dabbling, being phony. Shakespeare, Sir Laurence Olivier, Magie Smith. Revolution, Malcolm Tierney and political actors, Bertrand Russell, being arrested. Taxes, Banks, power, death. Being younger, saying goodbye.

Louise Jameson In Conversation. On The Sunmakers disc. Delightful, magnificent, moving! Louise (Leela) discusses with Matthew Sweet… Playing Blanche Summers in Tenko, Pennant Roberts. Who I want to be, accents, class. Childhood spent in theatre wings, mum, family, private school, Mrs Tipping. Drama school, RADA, Royal Shakespeare Company, John Barton, do the ‘text’ work to make it flow as fresh. Ambition, auditions, Leela, fame. Tom Baker, Paddy Russell, Tom’s eye contact and charisma, Graham Williams, Tom’s attitude to the text. Sexism in the BBC and showbusiness. Stuart Fell, Feminism, psycho-dynamic therapy. Theatre after Who, Bergerac, Lavinia Warner series and the Christmas scene, lack of older female characters, Coronation Street. Paparazzi, press office secrets. Offer to return for Tom’s departure, working with Peter Davison, Tom’s apology. Big Finish, working with Tom now, writing for Leela. Back to 1976, major movie role.

Darkness and Light. The stunning new Graham Williams documentary on the Bonus disc featured everyone they could find: Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, John Leeson, Phillip Hinchcliffe, Lalla Ward (old interview), Jackie Williams (wife), Katie Williams (daughter), Rick Williams (eldest son), David Williams (younger son), Richard Astbury (school friend and college), June Hudson (Costume Designer), Eric Saward (Script Editor), Ann Davies (Production Secretary), Anthony Read (Script Editor), Robert Shearman (Writer), James Goss (Writer), Colin Mapson (VFX), Darrol Blake (director), Maev Alexander (actress), Norman North (Agent), Paul Seed (Actor/Director), Jeremy Bentham (DWAS).

Tom’s New Commentary on Horror of Fang Rock.

Part 2:  Working with Terrance Dicks, Pebble Mill, meeting Sue Gerard there in Birmingham. Acting styles, criticisms, enjoying the madness of it all. Hypocrisy of the current world compared to the 70s. Louise, Graham Williams, and the perfect companion.

Part 4:  More about meeting Sue Gerard. Delivery, Beryl, Sir Laurence Olivier, pronunciation. Joan Plowright, Colin Douglas (Ruben), one line in George Of The Dragon in 1968. Acting is anxiety, Alan Roe and Geoffrey Bayldon. Agents, ratings, family response, character development. Watching Who with a family by accident.

Tom’s New Commentary on Invasion Of Time.

Part 4:  Keeping it interesting, lodging with Andred, recommending an actor for a part. Everything changed, living with other actors, Max Faulkner. To speak or not to speak, cutting room floor performances. Breaking the fourth wall, alternate takes, the Benevolent Alien. Changing opinions.

Part 6:  March 1978, Louise, Derek Deadman, Inside the TARDIS. Reconnecting with Louise, Big Finish. The obsequious Milton Johns, John Arnatt as Borusa. Playing a horse with Derek Godfrey, whistling for variety. McBeth, The Solution, directing. Thank you from all of us. Goodbye, Savage.

Behind The Sofa. 

Three teams: Colin Baker, Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton. Louise Jameson, Betsan Roberts, Toby Hadoke. Katy Manning, Matthew Waterhouse. It was good that at least one from every “team” knows the story and what is going on.

“Evil green blob. Evil maniacal prawn, cook him up and eat him.” By Image Of The Fendahl, Colin, Janet and Sarah had started to go stir crazy. “Rock salt! Rock salt!”

Sunmakers was acknowledged as a partly accurate prediction of what was to come. All three “teams” were saying the same things about this story. Colin’s comments about the censorship of his episodes in the 80s compared to all this violence and murder were very valid.

Matthew started mirroring Katie’s responses a bit too much as it went on. “The Quest Is The Quest!” All were underwhelmed by Underworld. “The season of oppression.” There was great excitement when the Sontarans appeared.  Katie and Matthew had gone a stir crazy by the last few episodes and needed “a nice cup of tea and a good lie down.”

Louise confirmed Sunmakers as her favourite story of this Season, and all found good in each story.

OVERALL… it felt like a Warm Hug from an Old Friend!  🙂