Eye of the Daleks

[Pip Madeley]

And ah, no, I'm afraid I didn't

Ah, then I've failed

[SiHart]

Wayne's voices werew superb. Perhaps he'll correct me if I'm wrong, but were they based on the Michael Wisher Death to the Daleks voices? They sounded similiar to me anyway. But anyway, you could really hear his enthusiasm shining through!
Simliarly Pip's Kroton was great too. I look forward to hearing more from him next week.

Production wise, Si has once again come up trumps. The planet sounds weired and wonderful, which was cool! Nice use of previous incidentals too. That worked nicely.

Ant's accent is still making us chuckle and I now understand why Si found Fnub so annoying, though that's no disrespect to Phil Ludlum who did a good job with a weird character. The buzzing was good.
I really liked the Doctor's offhand manner with his enemies too. I'm sure he was just doing it to put everyone else at their ease though and underneath he's as scared as everyone else. Paul, Dave and Steve were as assured as ever and are a joy to listen to.

Great stuff! I want to hear the final part!

Si xx

[Philipnet]

Ant's accent is still making us chuckle and I now understand why Si found Fnub so annoying, though that's no disrespect to Phil Ludlam who did a good job with a weird character. The buzzing was good.

Fnubzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz was a weird character to play.
It was only after I had delivered my first line did I find out that he was meant to sound like the Wasp character from "The Unicorn and the Wasp". I think it might have been better if I'd delivered my lines slower and without the 'zzzzzzzz' sound at the end of each sentence (although that's what was written). Hopefully then, when Si came to edit, pitch and warble my voice, things might have been a bit clearer.
But I had recorded my lines and so that's what was used.

Great stuff! I want to hear the final part!

Likewise!

[Alex]

Ah, then I've failed

Well no, as I've never seen that particular story. So it's me who's being crap, not you Pip!

[Si Hunt]

I don't really think it matters too much Pip. Originally of course, we were going to unveil the Daleks at the end of the previous story, but as we saved it for this one it's like a bonus surprise anyway. Plus, if you listen to it as if you don't know, it still makes for quite a weird, unearthly cliffhanger I think.

I think Fnub works reasonably well, although it may have been just a fraction too ambitious in an already ambitious story! Not Phil's fault of course (and the uniqueness of the character means we can easily use him again as someone else soon!) plus it's not as if the whole story hangs on Fnub, so we just about get away with it this time!

Si.

[Wayne]

Wayne's voices were superb. Perhaps he'll correct me if I'm wrong, but were they based on the Michael Wisher Death to the Daleks voices? They sounded similiar to me anyway. But anyway, you could really hear his enthusiasm shining through!

Production wise, Si has once again come up trumps.

Thanks Si!
As to your question, the answer in 'Yes', although it's not a concious decision on my part as such, They just come out that way. Michael Wisher's voices in both 'Planet' & 'Death' were really the Dalek voices that i grew up with, & i think his way of doing the voices has partly become my natural Dalek accent if you like. (North Nottinghamshire not withstanding) I've been doing them that way since i was about 10yrs old!
And yes i was very enthusiastic about doing this. I wanted to be a Dalek in Dr Who for about 35yrs!

I couldn't agree more about the production! Just superb! I think it really makes it what it is. The use of Tristam Carey's 'Devil's Planet's' really makes the whole thing sound extra daleky. But Si got the balance just right because he didn't overuse it or make it too loud. It's used quite subtlely, & i think that really works in making it sound more atmospheic.

I thought the cast all sounded bloody great again, & i liked the nods to some previous stories when the Doctor was getting quite sarcastic with the daleks.

It's weird, I kinda thought that one of was characters was Ant, but i wasn't sure. I thought his part might've been played by a newbie to the PS audios. So well done Ant for a very convincing accent.
Congrats again to Ali who as mentioned plays a copmpletely different part, & also to Phil who in conjunction with the production team (That'll be Si then!?) for making a distinctly alien sounding character.
Oh, and think the cliffhanger is my favourite so far. Nice one Pip.

Oh & something else - Sometimes it's just the little touches that make a story sound so Doctor Who-ish. I thinking of Doctor's first scene where he's just humming to himself in the Tardis control room. That just made me smile because it was such a typical Doctory thing to do. It reminded me of Jon Pertwee.

[Si Hunt]

Thanks Wayne!

I have to say I'm very fond of the opening TARDIS scene, all credit to Paul for writing it! I only realised when he'd written it how little we've actually seen this crew inside the TARDIS - isn't this our first Doctor/Rob/Nick TARDIS scene since "Echoes of the Protii"? I think I'm right, and if I am that's a pretty long wait! I certainly enjoyed finding different sounds for all the various tools that Paul wrote in for his Doctor to use, and rest assured they are all preserved for the future in case he ever gets the desire to whip them out again! You may not have seen the last of the Dendril Probe.

Ants accent was very brave, but we realised we had to do something pretty drastic with him, because with Scott sounding not TOO dissimilar to Ricky Bonham, we really needed Ant to create something new. I wasn't there for Ants session (he and Ali recorded their lines later) so all credit both to Ant for delivering, and to Si and Steve for coaxing such a different and inspired performance from him. It's true the accent does wander entertainingly between London, Scotland the Deep South, but I think he does a wonderful job over-all of making Della different to previous characters!

Si.

[Martin Penny]

Just listened and again thought this was excellent. Si's production seems to get better with each story, and really puts you in the moment and allows you to visualise what's going on. The alien planet was suitably eerie and weird sounding, and the incidental music worked really well.

I love Wayne's Dalek voices as well, like SiHart said, they sound like Michael Wishers...with a bit of Roy Skeleton thrown in. I also loved how the Dalek Supreme sounded like the one from 'Ressurrection', was it meant to be the same one? As the dialogue implied they had met before.
And the previous Dalek incidental music was great, I particularly liked the use of the music from Revelation, which has always been one of my favourites.

The cast were all very good, Ali sounded very different to her previous appearance. I also liked Paul in the scene where he told Nick that he spoke fondly of him and Rob when travelling with Ed. I also loved the opening scene where everyone was in the Tardis, I don't recall there being another scene set inside the console room (correct me if I'm wrong), and it felt very 'classic' with the Doctor's humming.

[Wayne]

I love Wayne's Dalek voices as well, like SiHart said, they sound like Michael Wishers...with a bit of Roy Skeleton thrown in. I also loved how the Dalek Supreme sounded like the one from 'Ressurrection', was it meant to be the same one?

Thanks Martin!
And yes, Full marks for observation there about the Dalek Supreme.
I did dliberately set out to give the him that more 'clipped' manner of speaking which is very unique to the 'Ressurection' Black Dalek. (Although Nick Briggs has also copied it in some BF stuff)
It did require a bit more concentration on my part, & infact i did slip into the more natural to me Wisher-eque pronunciation at times, like the distinctive way he ariculates the word 'Tech-naarrlogy', which is a direct rip from 'Death to the Daleks', but again has also been borrowed by Nick Briggs on some of the BF stuff.
I'm quite pleased that you think some of it was a bit Skeltony because i find his style the most difficult to do, even though he is the classic Dalek voice. (To me anyway)

God, i'm a right Dalek geek aren't i?

[Pip Madeley]

Well I've listened to it twice today and I thought it was superb. The whole thing sounded very Doctor Who, not just from the authentic music/sound effects and the amazingly well realised Dalek voices but also because of the stark contrast from the previous story, which couldn't have been more different (that was a conscious decision of course, I chose the 'old style' music for that purpose). Variety is something we do well!

Speaking of Wayne's Dalek voices, I grinned like a loon when he did the "tech-naarlogy" line, it was so bang on! I'm glad we have someone like Wayne here, a Dalek story could've sounded really awful - imagine if we'd tried to put the effect on by computer! - but thanks to the ring modulator and Wayne's intimate knowledge of Dalek voices it's perfect. Well done sir!

As for the plot, it's all go isn't it? The episode went along at just the right pace and there were some great lines in there, well done to Paul & Simon! The production values are superb, puts my effort to shame with the polish it has but then Si has become so experienced with making these that you can't expect anything less. The scene revealing the army of Daleks was a highlight for me, sounded awesome! And

isn't this our first Doctor/Rob/Nick TARDIS scene since "Echoes of the Protii"? I think I'm right,

There was a TARDIS scene at the start of "The Curse of Ratanapura" - how quickly they forget...

So yes, well done to all concerned! Roll on episode two... cover will be online Monday morning - and a surprise will be revealed...

(oh, and Ant's accent was he taking the piss out of Northerners? )

[Wayne]

Speaking of Wayne's Dalek voices, I grinned like a loon when he did the "tech-naarlogy" line, it was so bang on! I'm glad we have someone like Wayne here, a Dalek story could've sounded really awful - imagine if we'd tried to put the effect on by computer! - but thanks to the ring modulator and Wayne's intimate knowledge of Dalek voices it's perfect. Well done sir!

Cheers Pip!

[Paul Monk]

We would never have attempted this if it we thought that Wayne couldn't deliver but deliver he does in lorry loads!
Thanks for all the good comments everyone. Big thanks to Si for his superb production.

[Si Hunt]

Thanks for your nice comments, Pip and Paul!

Si.

[Andrew Curnow]

Another excellent episode, and with the Daleks onboard it automatically gives it a sense of 'upping the ante' for the end of the season. The Kroton emerging from the ground (complete with twiddley-donk music) just adds another layer to it.

Just to echo what everyone else has said, Wayne's Dalek voices are just excellent, a really first-class job, he's definitely the NicK Briggs of PS. Adding to that the compulsary heart-beat effect, and the musical references from other Dalek stories, really cements this as a 'proper' Dalek tale.

Can't wait for part 2, well done to ALL involved.

BTW, knowing he's a bit of a method actor, did Pip practice rotating his head through 360 degrees to get into character?

[Wayne]

Thanks Paul & Andrew.

@Andrew's last sentence

[Pip Madeley]

BTW, knowing he's a bit of a method actor, did Pip practice rotating his head through 360 degrees to get into character?

I watched Wendy Padbury in "The Krotons" a lot...

[Andrew Curnow]

And did that affect your head in any way?

[Wayne]

Episode 1 available to download here, for as long as it needs to be.


eye_ep1_part1.mp3

eye_ep1_part2.mp3

eye_ep1_part3.mp3

eye_ep1_part4.mp3

[Paul Monk]

Thanks Wayne.

[Wayne]

Somewhat predictably considering my role in this story, i've listened to it a few times, & i've really developed an appreciation for Si's sound engineering/production skills. It all just sounds so great!

[Si Hunt]

Woo! I'm glad you think so Wayne! I tried out a few new techniques on this story!

Si.

[Wayne]

Well whatever you did it worked well. It has a vey skillfully multi-layered overall sound. Especially the Dalek control room scenes. Particularly when they start using the Eye, that's a really exciting sequence.

[Si Hunt]

My favourite bit is the battle with the Crystal Ships which is experienced from inside the Dalek ship "Sheilds holding at 51%!" etc. That's just a few moments into Episode 2 though so most people won't have heard it yet.

Si.

[Wayne]

Ah yes, the best is yet to come in Ep 2, but i wasn't gonna mention that just yet.

[Si Hunt]

You've reaped the benefits of placing an early order! It's like when you get a Doctor Who DVD a few days before the release date!

Si.