Escape To Danger No.19

The mention of holidays in the last entry has reminded me of my October 2010 visits to the Dukedom of San Martino and the Eye of Orion.

Adopting my ususal believe-it-when-it-happens approach to being allowed the time and opportunity to do things that interest me while on holiday, I had done next to no research about the grounds of Portmeirion.

 

While I didn't find the Temple of Demnos, the lake where various scenes were filmed did look beautiful with the trees ablaze with autumn colour.

 

This was always a popular Tom Baker shot. Never did a lot for me, but each to his own. (But much like the story itself, I tend to think much more highly of it now than I did during my childhood. Probably Average Novelisation Syndrome).

 

In addition to some great location filming, "The Masque of Mandragora" is also remembered for the introduction of the short-lived wooden TARDIS console room set. This was a really big deal back in the days before you got woeful modern series redesigns at the drop of a stovepipe hat. (Or fez, as the case may be).

The set allegedly warped in storage (yeah, right) before Graham Williams managed to get his hands on it, but it did offer a fascinating glimpse into a mid-1970's attempt at some sort of proto-Steampunk before Michael Moorcock, Kevin O'Neill and Bryan Talbot acted as midwives for Jules Verne's legacy at the end of the decade.

Actually, it wasn't just the interior of the TARDIS that got a bit of an update, the exterior got a refurb too. (Even the font used for the credits was new... the production office must have been awash with money that year).

Eagle-eyed police box afficianados will have noted that it was rebuilt again at the behest of John Nathan-Turner for his first season as producer, and that the 1976 prop was brought out of mothballs for "Logopolis". (At least that's what I recall being the case. I'd research this stuff properly if I thought anybody cared...)

Some good CSO acting from Lis Sladen, here.

The best bit of design in Serial 4M in my opinion is the Hieronymous mask. A brilliant and utterly memorable piece of work that cemented itself in my mind through the character's appearance in the second series of Weetabix cards. (Vega Nexos also gained his foothold in my consciousness in a similar fashion. Both characters have great names, too).

I was initially quite disappointed when I saw the masks worn by the rest of the Bretheren, but I now accept the difference and now revel in it.

 

But sadly, not everyone gets a cool mask to wear to the hop...

And once again, I feel all fired up into giving this another viewing very soon. Solid and interesting story, some great performances and some nice design.

And I've always been a sucker for stories where scary masks disguise something even scarier...