Escape To Danger No.15

Rather a lot happening in the external world lately, so once again things have been neglected here in the Security Kitchen.

 

So, let's not beat about the bush, as we cut to the chase, and run a few clichés up the flagpole to see who salutes them...

I'm sorry. There was no way to break it to you gently...

 

 

Yes, it's Stuart Fell there as everyone's favourite penis-in-a-cloak, Alpha Centauri. Various pre-cloak rehearsal shots certainly exist, and will no doubt appear on these pages at some stage. Incidentally, the rehearsal Aggedor costume appears to also have been modified for the recording sessions, but I couldn't be 100% certain on that without consulting Andrew Pixley. (Not personally, I have to point out).

 

 

My difficulties with "The Curse of Peladon" have been mentioned elsewhere, and I think it is a steady accumulation of problems that make it such a soul-sapping experience. Because on paper, Serial MMM should be quite good. David Troughton is rather good in it as the lisping, big girl's blouse king of Peladon called, erm... King Peladon. So let's have a look at him to keep our spirits up temporarily.

 

 

Yes, political intrigues in a gothic faux-medieval alien castle with a savage hairy monster lurking in the tunnels should be just the ticket, you would have thought. Which you do get, let's be fair. But you also get an annoyingly pusillanimous penis-in-a-cloak with a nerve-shredding voice, a villain in a water-cooler and a marginally interesting reformed race of alien marauders who were never that great to begin with.

 

 

To make matters worse, the Third Doctor comes over as a total cock, patronising and brown-nosing his way through it all and enjoying every minute of being the Establishment figure. This is no real surprise, since he's been throwing his weight around on Earth at UNIT HQ for some time previous to this, name-dropping politicians and acting like everybody should be glad he deigns to stick around.

 

 

I won't go into the political metaphors here, as they are portrayed no worse than in any other Pertwee story produced by Barry Letts. At least Terrance Dicks gets his share of guween monsters, so that's him happy. And let's be thankful when we consider that Davros could have ended up looking almost exactly like Arcturus if Letts had produced "Genesis of the Daleks"...

 

 

But at the end of the day, "The Curse of Peladon" is a solid 1970's Doctor Who, and by default worthy of our love. I've even got the urge to watch it again when I finish off here, but I've also been feeling the need to re-read "The Lord of the Rings" again, so that gives you an idea of my state of mind...