Thread: S18@ 30

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  1. #26
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    Perhaps the thought of this thread has spurred me on, but I've enjoyed The Leisure Hive this time round more than I ever did before.
    Episode four, from the continuation of the episode three cliffhanger, was especially fast paced and tense, with Pangol's realisation that he'd been duped by the Foamasi he quickly descended into confusion, panic and near madness, as he attempts to carry out his plan and enters the tachyon chamber in an attempt to create an army of himself. Any tension in the episode though is negated by a comic scene as Mena emerges from the chamber with Pangol as a babe in arms and delivers her line with comic aplomb just before a Foamasi enters the scene, and also delivers its line with equal comic effect.

    The Leisure Hive may be an excellent scene setter for this new season, JNT certainly turned the show around from the previous year, it's unrecognisable from season seventeen, and that's not a bad thing, and then along comes Meglos, a story I haven't seen since it's UK Gold transmission, I know this 'cos my BBC tape is still in it's shrink wrap (I was surprised at that). A story ready for major re-evaluation I think.

  2. #27
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    I'm really glad you gave it a re-evaluation and enhjoyed it Stephen. I think part 4 is really rather good- the rising tension is really well portrayed int he performances and the wonderful music from Peter Howell- the whole sequence from "Citizens of Argolis!" to the Doctor throwing the helmet of Theron at the Generator is cracking stuff.

    Si xx

    I've just got my handcuffs and my truncheon and that's enough.

  3. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by SiHart View Post
    ....the Doctor throwing the helmet of Theron at the Generator is cracking stuff.

    Si xx
    Tom Baker didn't enjoy throwing that "dreary" prop though did he!! Wasn't he in a bad mood that day.

  4. #29
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    He was in an utterly foul mood from the look of the footage- and from more than one eyewitness account!

    Si xx

    I've just got my handcuffs and my truncheon and that's enough.

  5. #30
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    Another "domestic" no doubt!!

  6. #31
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    After 2.5 years of living abroad and missing most of the Williams era, S18 was so important for me as the first run of new episodes in all that time. When the season began, we were staying at my Nan's and I was about to begin secondary school within days of the season's debut.

    Like most of you on here, I was stunned when the new theme and title sequence began. But given some of it was repeated within the first episode en route to Argolis, I soon figured it was a special theme for just this story and we'd be back to normal for the next story... Nope!!

    Again like some of you, for me the season really kicks into gear from Full Circle onwards with a cracking run of stories. It really was inspired at the time to have that "mini-season within a season" with E-Space and especially gratifying that it had resonance in the season finale - something we take for granted these days but back then really novel.

    Halfway through Meglos, we moved to the shop we'd live in for the next 4.5 years right through to O Levels - a very settled period for growing up. Kind of ironic that that timing wise coinicdes with the better run of episodes for me after the lacklustre first two stories.

    Two other significant factors in the enjoyment of this season - DWW became DWM just as the season was about to begin. Still in its infancy, it didn't have too much to say about S18, bar a Jeremy Bentham (I believe without checking) review of Leisure Hive, though it picked up its coverage with fuller previews and reviews for the latter part of the run.

    Also a couple of years later I bought the "Music" LP and so am very familiar with the scores to Leisure Hive, Meglos and Traken as a result and always think of the LP when I watch those stories!

    And let's not forget that this was the longest running colour season ever with 28 episodes running for almost 7 months, with a fortnight off for the festive period.

    Oh and Si, hate to say it but you were a day out when you started this thread - S18 started on 30/08!

    PS - happy to join in with a Time Team special!

  7. #32
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    My favourite moment of Tom's BTS reactions is his (quite understandable) grumpiness during the regeneration...

    "Tom, can you have you do the beckon earlier?"
    "So- you want me to reach up and beckon?"
    "Yes, dear."
    "We didn't rehearse a beckon. Do we need it? I don't like a beckon!"
    "... Oh, I see. No, not a beckon, just sort of reach out. Sorry- total mistake on my part..."
    "Oh... darling!"

    Oooh, coconut macaroons!

  8. #33
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    Oh and Si, hate to say it but you were a day out when you started this thread - S18 started on 30/08!
    Oops! And I really ought to know better.

    Right with Stephen already heading to Zolpha Thura, the rest of us had better get on and do The Leisure Hive.

    Si xx

    I've just got my handcuffs and my truncheon and that's enough.

  9. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stephen Morgan View Post
    Another "domestic" no doubt!!
    By all accounts Tom's foul mood was due in a large part to severe jet lag (he recalls flying from Sydney to London and going to Brighton to film the very next day) and the beginning of the illness that led to his hair looking decidedly floppy and lifeless in State of Decay and required Lalla Ward to spoon-feed him baby food.

    I just watched The Tom Baker Years, and he seemed particularly fond of Meglos, suggesting that he might like to re-watch it based on the clip he saw and the memories it brought back.

  10. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jason Thompson View Post
    I just watched The Tom Baker Years, and he seemed particularly fond of Meglos, suggesting that he might like to re-watch it based on the clip he saw and the memories it brought back.
    And yet he's not on the forthcoming DVD commentary, that honour goes to Lalla Ward, perhaps we'll get some insights into Tom's illness on that one.

  11. #36
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    Right with Stephen already heading to Zolpha Thura, the rest of us had better get on and do The Leisure Hive.
    Indeed Monitor, indeed. Er, wrong story but you get the idea...

  12. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by SiHart View Post
    Oops! And I really ought to know better.

    Right with Stephen already heading to Zolpha Thura, the rest of us had better get on and do The Leisure Hive.

    Si xx
    You'll have to count me out for now, I can't find my videos of either the Leisure Hive or Meglos so I'll join in with Full Circle. I'll not be long in filling those gaps though, so I'll backtrack to those 2 stories ASAP.

  13. #38
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    Out of interest, what kind of timescale are we considering on this journey? Is it an episode a week until next March (with a break for the festive period) or is that too Leisurely?!

    Meglos started 30 years ago next Monday by the way!

  14. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jonno Simmons View Post
    Out of interest, what kind of timescale are we considering on this journey? Is it an episode a week until next March (with a break for the festive period) or is that too Leisurely?!

    Meglos started 30 years ago next Monday by the way!
    For me Jonno, an episode a week, along with some of the music from the top 40 of that week. Just as I like it, maybe Saturday or Sunday, depends on what I'm doing.

  15. #40
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    That suits me! I just need to blow the dust of the old Leisure Hive video and I'll be off. That's tomorrow morning's breakfast viewing sorted out!!

  16. #41
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    We'll be having an exciting new PS development with regards to the Season 18 Time team shortly... I'll tell you more when we've sorted out the details...


    Si xx

    I've just got my handcuffs and my truncheon and that's enough.

  17. #42
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    Quote Originally Posted by SiHart View Post
    We'll be having an exciting new PS development with regards to the Season 18 Time team shortly... I'll tell you more when we've sorted out the details...


    Si xx

    Sounds intriguing.

  18. #43
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    Indeed - I'll hold on for now, anyway I'm still halfway through Mindwarp.

    Steve - 1980 is one of my favourite years for chart music, so I shall post up some choice bits from those relevant charts as we get to them. Let's see if we're thinking along the same lines!

  19. #44
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jonno Simmons View Post
    Steve - 1980 is one of my favourite years for chart music, so I shall post up some choice bits from those relevant charts as we get to them. Let's see if we're thinking along the same lines!
    HA!! HA!! No. 1 in the week of the last episode of The Leisure Hive was Kelly Marie's Feels Like I'm in Love, the first line of which is "My head is in a spin, my feet don't touch the ground" relevant to Pangol's situation in the tachyon regenerator I suppose. And no. 1 for Meglos' first episode is a new entry from The Police with Don't Stand So Close To Me. Lessons to be learned from standing too close to cactus like alien creatures I think.

  20. #45
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    I finally got round to watching part 1 of T'Leisure Hive last night - actually on video, and I must say I'd not realised before how much of a leap forwards DVD is. I don't remember ever bemoaning poor picture quality on videos at the time, but it was almost as if I'd developed cataracts it was clearly (or unclearly!) inferior to DVD.

    General witterings about the new look have already been forced upon the world here,so I won't bore with all that again. But as for part 1, I've warmed to the story a lot over the years. I still think it's odd that we switch from Brock rejecting a directorship on the vidscreen, to appearing in person to accept it in the very next scene, and nobody commenting on it; and the scarf bit at the end just doesn't work (and the similar bit in part 2 is even worse - it's almost as if David Fisher was given the brief, "Use the scarf in this story!"). But against that, it feels 'rich' and full of interest. The music is quite modern in that it's virtually present throughout, but that doesn't detract and (for an 80s fanboy like me anyway) adds to the atmosphere.

    Now it's dated of course, and I can't quite remember how fresh and modern it felt at the time (if it did?). The effects are admirably ambitious, and when they work they're tremendous - alas, they don't all, but nobody's perfect.

    What did strike me last night was (again) how good Tom is. New broom or not, he actually does retain something of his season 17 nature actually - I loved the bit about "there are two intruders - keep an ear out for a description" for example.

    All in all, I think I'm going to enjoy this trek back through season 18!

  21. #46
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andrew Curnow View Post
    I finally got round to watching part 1 of T'Leisure Hive last night - actually on video, and I must say I'd not realised before how much of a leap forwards DVD is. I don't remember ever bemoaning poor picture quality on videos at the time, but it was almost as if I'd developed cataracts it was clearly (or unclearly!) inferior to DVD.
    Well I can certainly identify with that for Meglos, the tape was new, it was still in its wrap when I looked at it with a view to watching for this thread. I put in the tape, the first video tape since Nightmare of Eden last year, and was shocked at the amount of dropout and the overall picture quality of it, it really does make you realise what we were prepared to put up with for the sake of our favourite series.
    Anyway, aside from dropout and poor VHS quality, I thought this was a good opening episode with a bit of intrigue going on from various parties, and questions posed which hopefully will be answered in forthcoming episodes, mainly about Meglos himself. What exactly is a "xerophyte" (part of the "lush, aggressive vegetation" you answer) but I think there's more to him that just that, and how exactly, without humanoid aid, does he operate the dials and switches of his ship? And why does he need a human (from the 1980s) to disguise himself before taking the form of The Doctor? Incidentally, Meglos looks better than The Doctor at this stage as Tom himself is looking particulaly gaunt in the Tardis scenes, or is that due to the dropout and generally poor picture from my VHS tape?
    I haven't seen this story in full since UK Gold, maybe about 15/16 years ago, didn't like it much then, nor on its original transmission and never watched it again, but I'm prepared to give it my fullest attention over the next few weeks and maybe I'll change my mind about it. I enjoyed the first episode, like The Doctor says when K9 shows signs of life, "It's a promising start".


    see the what are you listening to in the music thread for my music memories of this period, I think it's better to post that there rather than bog this one down with old music charts.
    Last edited by Stephen Morgan; 28th Sep 2010 at 8:29 AM.

  22. #47
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    First up, I'm liking the whole new forum/sub-forum - great idea!

    Anyway, I've got underway with the first half of The Leisure Hive today - I'll finish it off tomorrow and post thoughts on the "Rate" Thread.