Doctor Who Club of Australia

ADAMK · Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 217 Location: Canberra

What do people make of this (Season 26) 1989 story written by Ben Aaronovitch?

This is the analysis from the official BBC website (WARNING! SPOILERS): http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/battlefield/analysis.shtml

dunmall · Joined: 02 Aug 2005 Posts: 117

i've always been a fan of battlefield.... at the risk of sounding like a nerd, Bamberra is the female lister from the alternate universe episode of Red Dwarf series 2, Mordred is the captain of a Battleship in tomorrow never dies and of course Morgain was once married to John Pertwee...
man i really need to find something to do at work...

Beatly · Joined: 24 Jul 2005 Posts: 375 Location: London

Battlefield feels important, it feels like it has a lot to say and by golly it's going to say them. The telling becomes a bit muddy, but that doesn't matter a great deal, because it's done pretty much right. It has the "big" feel that Silver Nemesis should have had. It also puts me in mind of Delta and the Bannermen and the Daemons. Not entirely sure why...

Davros · Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 135 Location: Skaro

Good to see the Brigidar back in action!

Wester · Joined: 04 Aug 2005 Posts: 610 Location: Brisbane

So - we are finally in the 'last' season!

I am a bit non plussed on this story. The Brig seems to spend heaps of unneccesary time in the helicopter and the fight between Bambera and Ancelyn a bit silly.

But yes, there are elements of Daemons in this one - the pub, an historical dig, a buried spaceship, exclusion zones and the like.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4148

The season 26 opener. This is the third and last occasion that the classic series opens a season with a serial written by the writer of the previous season's opener as this comes a year after Ben Aaronovitch debut on the series with Remembrance of the Daleks. The other two writers to wrote two season openers in a row were Robert Holmes for Spearhead from Space (season 7) and Terror of the Autons (season Cool

, and Johnny Byrne for Arc of Infinity (season 20) and Warriors of the Deep (season 21). Russell T. Davies on the new series wrote the season openers of the first two seasons and I would expect he would go one step further and write the third season opener in a row.
Angela Douglas (Doris) is yet another of the Carry On ensemble to appear in Doctor Who.
Don't remember whether the TARDIS interior appears in either Parts 3 and 4 but if it doesn't then Part 1 is the last time that viewers saw the inside of the TARDIS on the classic series.
The Doctor has a new brown coat. It was originally meant to be a surprise on Curse of Fenric which was recorded just before Battlefield but ended up airing two stories afterwards. When Curse of Fenric comes on, on Tuesday you will understand how it was suppose to be a surprise.
Robert Jezek appears in Part 1 as Sergeant Zbrigniev. He later played the shape-shifting penguin Frobisher (a character originated in the comic strips) for Big Finish travelling with the Sixth Doctor Colin Baker.
Nick Courtney returns as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and Jean Marsh who was one-time companion Sara Kingdom on the Daleks Master Plan, returns here as a different character, Morgaine. When their characters in Battlefield first meet each other, it was the moment I was waiting for. This is because it was a reunion between Nick and Jean as Nick had made his debut on Doctor Who in the Daleks Master Plan as Sara Kingdom's brother Bret Vyon.
It is therefore interesting to point out that UNIT made its debut in the 1968 serial The Invasion and although it was the second appearance of Lethbridge-Stewart, it was however the first the character had appeared as the Brigadier. (He was a colonel in The Web of Fear earlier in 1968.) The villain in The Invasion was Tobias Vaughan played by Kevin Stoney. Stoney was also the villain Mavic Chen in the Daleks' Master Plan
Now Battlefield is the last appearance in the classic series of both the Brigadier and UNIT with another Daleks Master Plan actor as the villain, funny how things come full circle.
Quite funny when Morgaine says to the Brigadier, "I shall kill you" the next time he sees him, as Sara had killed Bret back in The Daleks Master Plan.
In between Daleks Master Plan, Jean Marsh, formerly married to Third Doctor Jon Pertwee, had co-created and starred in Upstairs, Downstairs. (Incidentally one of the other stars of Upstairs, Downstairs, Simon Williams had appeared in Doctor Who in the previous season opener Remembrance of the Daleks.) In her subsequent work, she also co-created House of Eliot.
Battlefield would not be the only time that Ms Marsh had appeared in the King Arthur legend. She had appeared in a TV movie version of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court as the similar character Morgana. It was shown in 1989, the same year as Battlefield.
I saw Jean in an interview recorded for the reconstruction of The Daleks Master Plan and she looked extremely good in her age.

dunmall · Joined: 02 Aug 2005 Posts: 117

awestruck

charlie · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2006 7:31 pm Post subject:

This is a fine peice of science fiction!

However, the Doctor srceamed a little too much and the Brigadear does spend far too much time in the chopper but that would have been fine if they didnt show him doing it. And another opportunity to pick up a companion wasted on Ace's friend(I cant remember her name). If there is never another companion I hope that someone tells me so I can stop being disappointed (its only a tiny spoiler for me). That interstitial thing was kind of lame.

Ace had the best cliffhanger since The Aztecs

Dazza · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 106

Fair story. Nicholas Courtney looked like he was having a good time.

dave · Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 1:15 am Post subject:

A fine piece of science fiction? Without decent explanations for Morgana's abilities, this remains a piece of fantasy fiction really. Not a bad one, and it was great to see the Brigadier again, but I found the 'Brigadette' rather annoying.

Kerr Avon · Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Posts: 478

hadn't seen this story before. loved it. the effects, costumes and battle scenes let it down (which is not unusual in 80's Who) but I thought the performances all 'round were excellent. if any televised Seventh Doctor story deserved to be a six-parter surely this was the one.

further to Theta Sigma's extensive background info I believe Jean Marsh also appeared in The Crusade.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4148

Darth Sidious · Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 105

I'm surprised I'm the only one who gave this a 'turkey' rating ... I thought more people hated this than me... Arguably one of the worst stories of all time, the script is a mess, the acting appalling, only thing that saves it is the good sfx from the Destroyer etc.

Greg · Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 5:14 pm Post subject:

The story has too many characters. I mean, what does Shou Yuing add to the story? Or Zbrigniev? The people who run the pub? It's c-r-o-w-d-e-d!

The script is a combination of good and bad (the 'Boom!' 'Boom!' 'Boom!' dialogue is probably the worst part of the story) and some of the actors were at best average (Yes, Ling Tai, I'm talking about you here!).

However, it was nice to see the Brigadier back and to see UNIT being updated rather than a cosy walk down memory lane.

Morgaine is a decent and threatening villain, showing the logically comparative character (the Rani) up to be not terribly effective - or, as I've previously said, Morgain could whip the Rani's raggedy white arse any day of the week!

A reasonable start to the season, but perhaps the weakest of the four stories (with Survival the only competition for this position).

SharazJek · Joined: 12 Aug 2005 Posts: 892 Location: Hobart, Tasmania

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4148

dunmall · Joined: 02 Aug 2005 Posts: 117

I have always liked battlefield, but i agree that there are way too many characters, most of who contribute little and are often forgotten, for example Major Husak arrives with more UNIT troops and weapons, obviously as reinforcements, but they vanish shortly after being introduced, they are all dressed in rather conspicuous military uniforms of their native land (Polish if i remember?) yet during the battle with Morgain's troops we only see British UNIT troopers. Likewise the rather interesting, yet in the end useless) Sgt. Zebigniev (originally intended to be an American according to Script Doctor) disappears after part one!

But all that aside I do hope that this will be the last time we see the Brig, if anyone deserves to retire and live happily ever after it's good old Alistair.

Also I just have to say that the UNIT guys milling around the convoy, are an excellent example of how to get away with a miniscule budget, watch carefully to see the same half a dozen guys run around in various directions while Ace and the Doctor approach the convoy in part one! Great stuff!

I love the "connection" between Morgain and the Brig by the way!

Wester · Joined: 04 Aug 2005 Posts: 610 Location: Brisbane

anyone know if its true that the guy who wore the suit for the Destroyer was also the same actor who played the Russian soldier dude in Curse of Fenric?? Greg, can you help?

Greg · Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 9:19 pm Post subject:

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4148