Black Guardian Trilogy DVD

[shada pavlova]

I finally got around to ordering this today, what with going on holiday and all.

[Pip Madeley]

I'm renting this set from Lovefilm and I've finished Mawdryn Undead - much better than I remembered! Davison's a bit bland but Courtney, Collings and Strickson are good value... the girls don't get too much to do but I do like the out-of-character moment where Tegan thanks the Doctor for putting his life on the line for her and Nyssa.

As for the extras, mostly interesting, the CGI effects were better than expected (some piss-poor rotoscoping aside) and the documentary held my attention (although Floella's narration irritated me something rotten).

[Si Hunt]

We now have two copies and can't watch either of them! Good Times!

[Antony Cox]

Why not??

[Si Hunt]

We can't watch the Asda one because it needs to go back, and we can't watch the Sendit one in case Asda refuse to accept the refund!

But we have decided to tuck into the Asda one regardless. It's all too silly!

Bloody Sendit!

Si.

[Lissa]

Sendit have been worse than usual this time. I'll give them that.

[Si Hunt]

The interview thing with the Brigader is awful. It has so much potential, but it's not directed or edited like a drama at all. There are no pauses, no moments of reflection, no incidental music (bar some odd moments when snatches of "Mawdryn" incidental music is played very quietly, like someone is walking past with it on their iPod). It's just like two people talking to each other for five minutes.

Which goes to emphasise YET AGAIN that the people making these are NOT drama directors, they're documentary directors, and just because you can point a camera at someone does not qualify you to try and "make" drama. If they'd got someone who knew about drama to do it, it might have been brilliant.

If the script wasn't a shameless tissue of continuity references stitched together, of course.

Si.

[Pip Madeley]

I started to watch 'Liberty Hall' but switched off after two minutes, could not be arsed with it whatsoever.

Speaking of which, Terminus. Watched it over the last two days and I have to confess, it too wasn't as bad as I remembered! Still pretty poor for Doctor Who, but I didn't feel the urge to smash the TV or anything. Turlough asking Tegan if she could kill someone made for an interesting if rushed moment, the guy playing Bor outacting everyone on screen was great... but Goddard was characterless, Davison under-par and Sarah Sutton got very little to do until the last episode, bar screaming and whining. Didn't like the idea of Terminus causing the Big Bang, particularly when they'd answered that mystery in Castrovalva.

The extras on this disc were pretty dull, the main documentary offering an interesting insight into the troubled production but Floella's narration continued to bother me. As for unused model shots, snore.

[Jonno]

I've watched the Mawdryn and Terminus discs so far - I really enjoy the first story but not so much the other, although it does have a decent opening episode.

With Mawdryn, I'd never appreciated the way that the Brig's hut (both externally with the plants and internally) becomes less well cared for over the 6 year period, and I can't say I'd ever realised that Mawdryn wears the 4th Doctor's burgundy coat!

I'm not a fan of the way most of the extras have become dumbed down over the last couple of years, no doubt trying to appeal to more casual purchasers and non-fans. All this obsession with talking to professor scientist types or fashion expoerts is beyond me!

Much as I like the stories on the whole, this is clearly not a boxset up to the standards of Beyond the Surface, New Beginnings, E-Space and The Beginning to name a few.

[Paul Monk]

Si,

If sendit won't accept the refund, I'd be interested in buying this set off of you.

[Si Hunt]

I paid £25 for it, you're welcome to it for that price Paul! It'll save me sending it back if you are.

Si.

[Paul Monk]

I'll check my finances and get back to you.

[Si Hunt]

Ok, no worries if it's a no, I can easily return it instead!

Si.

[Si Hunt]

OMG, Floella Benjamin on the documentary for "Mawdryn Undead" (or "Mawdryd Undead" as she thinks it's called)!! The woman is like Debbie Watling on Speed! My favourite moment is when she has a little chuckle to herself for no reason over the words "Middlesex University".

Amazing.

Si.

[Perry Vale]

She was an odd choice. My favourite extra on the set was the Russell Harty piece, for it's bizarre-ness, and reminding me how incredibly beautiful Sandra Dickinson was. Enjoyed the Sarah Sutton & Mark Strickson pieces too.

Re-enlightenment was excruciatingly bad, imo, the most interesting part being the fact Brendan Sheppard was using one of the (many) free pens from DWA.

[Andrew Curnow]

I've not seen it, but the much-hyped 'modern edit' of Enlightenment doesn't seem to have set the world alight.

[Perry Vale]

I thought it was a dreadful waste of time and money.

[Pamela]

oh good, it's not just me then.

[Si Hunt]

"Terminus" Episode 1 is really good, but as it progresses a few things clobber it. Turlough and Tegan wander around in tunnels for the WHOLE story which is just an unforgivable use of two of your characters, the music is dreadful - like "Arc of Infinity", it's just unmelodic keyboard parping and is horrible to hear, and Liza Goddard is just crap. She really is. The most useless "companion substitute" ever. There's a weird bit where the Doctor is attacked by a Vanir and she is standing four feet away, untroubled, WITH A GUN. She's a TRAINED SPACE EXPLORER! What would you do? Walk a few paces forward and shoot the Doctors attacker in the head, maybe? No, she looks for a few moments like she's trying to pass a particuarly difficult poo, and then she turns and shoots something in the opposite direction!!!!! And then, by what can only be a cataclysmic bit of good fortune, the ray bounces off something and hits the Vanir in the head! It's a bit hard to conclude that she was just being flash as she's got an expression like a simpering jessie on while she's doing it, and even if she was, why not just go up to him and shoot him?! Bizarre.

Si.

[Perry Vale]

Although it's very obvious that Tegan & Turlough are sidelined, I don't really care too much, Bor more than makes up for it, imo. And I like the music, and really struggle to understand what singles it out for so much criticism. But yes, that scene you mention with the deflected shot is very bizarre, and I think goes to show that the director for this was the wrong choice for this (or maybe any) story.

[Stuart Wallis]

Got round to seeing Mawdryn, which I haven't seen since first broadcast. I remembered it as being fairly average, but it's a little bit better than that. It was a clever idea having the older Brigadier as a bit grumpier than we remembered; also a little frightening when he starts ranting on about not having had a breakdown - has he changed that much in only six years? Mark Strickson puts in a very good debut; it's such a pity that the writers find it so difficult to do something to do with him once the Black Guardian's seen off in Enlightenment.

The makeup should be mentioned as well. Nick Courtney does manage to look several years younger as the other Brig, and the burns done to Mawdryn when we first see him are rather disturbing for the sort of timeslot that the story was originally meant to go out at. Talking of which, David Collings is good VFM as usual, and i couldn't help thinking as he lay back in the regenerative couch that never mind the gubbins on his head, he looks like a villain.

Sets - good all round. Story - a bit like the better sixties tales: slow pace, but not so much that you nod off; more the sort that allows things to develop comfortably. Also, it's pleasing to have a story that does something with time travel concepts. It's like Blink, but at less of a breakneck speed. Of the two, I prefer this one. The only flies in the ointment are Ibbotson, and it's a relief when the wet nit wanders away; and the music. Sometimes, the funky guitar does get in the way, and I've had this problem with Paddy Kingsland before. (He lives upstairs, and he will start playing at halfpast two in the morning!) Still not too much to complain about.

[Andrew Curnow]

He lives upstairs, and he will start playing at halfpast two in the morning

Another 'classic Wallis' there!

[Simon R]

I can't believe Stuart hadn't seen "Mawdryn" since it was originally on! I'm not having a go, I'm just amazed you never saw the video or a UK gold repeat or summat of that nature.

[Si Hunt]

Summat summat summat to get my teeth inta.

Si.

[Simon R]

No, don't do that.