_Episode 5: The Keys Of Marinus
By Matt Crossman
So after a suitable period of sulking from James because “Marco Polo” does not exist anymore, James skulks up alongside me one Sunday morning and suggest;
“Erm… Fancy watching a Doctor Who?” He had managed to hold out for just over two days.
“Sure. Do you know which one it is?”
“The Keys Of Marinus, isn’t it?”
“It is indeed.” I replied and off he scurried. Two minutes later and we were walking on glass beaches and alongside rivers of acid. “The Keys Of Marinus” is one of those Doctor Who stories that I always felt worked better in the Target novelisation that it did on the small screen. The book throws up some quite wonderful imagery and yet when you sit down to watch the actual film on which the book is based the realisation of these images is quite the disappointment. However with James never having read the book this was not a problem for him.
Whilst the cast run around the place looking for the keys to Marinus which controls the ‘Conscience’ which in turn controls the Voords James notices that the Doctor disappears from the scene during episodes 3 and 4. Of course the reason for his disappearance was due to William Hartnell taking a holiday but when James broaches the subject I do not wish to break the wall between programme and viewer.
“The Doctor hasn’t been in it for ages.” James says.
“Hmmmm. You’re right. I wonder where he’s gone.”
James ponders for a moment and then says, “He’s probably gone for a poo. Old people need to poo quite a bit.” I look at James slightly dumbfounded whilst he goes back to enjoying the chase for the keys of Marinus.
It’s a good an excuse as any I suppose. At six parts I think it’s fair to say that “The Keys Of Marinus” drags the story behind it like a gammy leg rather than race to the conclusion like a thoroughbred racehorse. Still, James enjoys it and despite us having wiled the Sunday morning away in the monochrome world of Marinus he’s quite keen to dive right in to the next story straight after lunch. Me? I’m not so keen to be honest. In fact it’s got to the stage where I would kill for a colour story for a change. Oh well, only another nineteen more stories (that are available on DVD) until “Spearhead From Space.”
By Matt Crossman
So after a suitable period of sulking from James because “Marco Polo” does not exist anymore, James skulks up alongside me one Sunday morning and suggest;
“Erm… Fancy watching a Doctor Who?” He had managed to hold out for just over two days.
“Sure. Do you know which one it is?”
“The Keys Of Marinus, isn’t it?”
“It is indeed.” I replied and off he scurried. Two minutes later and we were walking on glass beaches and alongside rivers of acid. “The Keys Of Marinus” is one of those Doctor Who stories that I always felt worked better in the Target novelisation that it did on the small screen. The book throws up some quite wonderful imagery and yet when you sit down to watch the actual film on which the book is based the realisation of these images is quite the disappointment. However with James never having read the book this was not a problem for him.
Whilst the cast run around the place looking for the keys to Marinus which controls the ‘Conscience’ which in turn controls the Voords James notices that the Doctor disappears from the scene during episodes 3 and 4. Of course the reason for his disappearance was due to William Hartnell taking a holiday but when James broaches the subject I do not wish to break the wall between programme and viewer.
“The Doctor hasn’t been in it for ages.” James says.
“Hmmmm. You’re right. I wonder where he’s gone.”
James ponders for a moment and then says, “He’s probably gone for a poo. Old people need to poo quite a bit.” I look at James slightly dumbfounded whilst he goes back to enjoying the chase for the keys of Marinus.
It’s a good an excuse as any I suppose. At six parts I think it’s fair to say that “The Keys Of Marinus” drags the story behind it like a gammy leg rather than race to the conclusion like a thoroughbred racehorse. Still, James enjoys it and despite us having wiled the Sunday morning away in the monochrome world of Marinus he’s quite keen to dive right in to the next story straight after lunch. Me? I’m not so keen to be honest. In fact it’s got to the stage where I would kill for a colour story for a change. Oh well, only another nineteen more stories (that are available on DVD) until “Spearhead From Space.”