STORY PLOTLINE

It's 1881 and, in the Wild West settlement of Tombstone, there are theee strangers in town: 'Doctor Caligari', 'Steven Regret', and 'Miss Dodo Dupont'. They've arrived in a 20th Century blue police box, and they're about to wander into a whole heap of trouble.

The Doctor is in need of a dentist, but the sort of anaesthetic Doc Holliday uses comes out of a liquor bottle. He's in the middle of a feud with the Clanton family, whilst Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson try to keep the peace. This isn't the place for a relaxing holiday, as the TARDIS crew soon discover.

Tombstone's not the most happily named of towns, and it seems it may live up to that name any day now. There's a gunfight at the OK Corral brewing and, if the Doctor and his friends aren't careful, they're going to be caught in the crossfire.

DVD (as part of the EARTH STORY boxset)

DVD "Value Added Material"

• STUDIO COMMENTARY - with actors Peter Purves, Shane Rimmer, David Graham and Richard Beale, production assistant Tristan de Vere Cole and moderator Toby Hadoke.
• THE END OF THE LINE – After two years on the screen, DOCTOR WHO had become a television phenomenon, regularly reaching an audience of ten million viewers. But with a change of producer and script editor and the looming prospect of losing the lead actor, the programme’s third year was the one that would make or break it… With actors Maureen O’Brien, Anneke Wills and Peter Purves, script editor Donald Tosh, new series writer Gareth Roberts and long time DOCTOR WHO viewer Ian Levine.
• TOMORROW'S TIMES: THE FIRST DOCTOR – looking at the newspaper coverage of DOCTOR WHO during the programme’s opening years. Presented by Mary Tamm.
• PHOTO GALLERY - production, design and publicity photos from the story, set to the entirety of ‘The Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon’.
• COMING SOON (a trailer for a forthcoming DVD release) + RADIO TIMES LISTINGS in Adobe PDF format + PROGRAMME SUBTITLES + SUBTITLE PRODUCTION NOTES.

COMMENT  Spoliers ahead

There is an affinity with DOCTOR WHO – THE GUNFIGHTERS that I am unfashionably proud to announce that may be derided by the vocal minority amongst fans who slovenly languish across the darker recesses of the Internet.

Like the 1966 story, initially, back in 2003, eyeofhorus.org.uk is seen to be the underdog, the lambasted and viewed on a veneered level without examining the truth and the values that lie beneath. With the passing of time, a sensible and a more considered appreciation as has seen both garnering a new legion of fans.

The unqualified successful restoration of DOCTOR WHO – THE GUNFIGHTERS print for this DVD release by BBC DVD ensures that that ongoing reassessment by progressive fans (including those that have discovered the DOCTOR WHO brand since 2005) of Donald Cotton’s re-imagineering of the 1881 event, “The fight at the O.K. Carrol”.

As the production is so “different” to the normal, run-of-the-mill DOCTOR WHO story, THE GUNFIGHTERS is a truly unique but would not be out of place if re-shot (sic) in 2012 for SERIES 7. Punctuated with comical wit, hard-nosed historical characters and an eccentric soundtrack, modern viewers may – just may – embrace it.

The timing for this release may be perfect, capitalising upon the success of the post-Russell T Davies re-branding.

Surprisingly, the DVD package of “value added material” is extremely entertaining and informative. Yes, it is on the “lite” side but this does not detract from its thoughtful structure and production.

Personally, the key to the enjoyment of any DVD release, DOCTOR WHO or otherwise, is the specially recorded studio-based commentary featuring the insights of the production’s cast & crew. DOCTOR WHO – THE GUNFIGHTERS features a spur clinking, chap-oiled line-up that is a very special indeed.

Acutely moderated by Toby Hadoke (the moth-riddled performer/actor who deftly teases pertinent long-lost memories from the aging commentary team akin to an “Actor Whisperer”), Peter Purves is accompanied by the story’s Production Assistant, Tristan de Vere Cole, and guest actors Shane Rimmer, Richard Beale and David Graham. Their collective thoughts, observations and praise/criticism will ensure unenlightened and derisive fans view the story under a different light.

DVD studio commentary.

On THE GUNFIGHTERS, Peter Purves: It worked extremely well but I don’t have happy memories of the time we made it.
Tristan de Vere Cole: It was so polished, amazing good B-Feature. An extraordinary good production.
Peter Purves: I think you’re right.
Tristan de Vere Cole: The sets were fantastic, the costumes are brilliant, and the casting was very good. The only think wrong is that DR WHO (The Doctor) is not centre-stage. Very peripheral.
David Graham: The production values are terrific, and I based the voice (of Charlie the Barman) on the famous actor, Walter Brennan. I think I put a bit of cotton wool in my jaw that helped with the accent.

FACT: A production gem. The “No Shooting” sign behind the Saloon bar is a “flap” that could be hinged backwards behind the set to allow for a camera to film into the room. The flap was operated by the Son of Anthony Jacobs (who played Doc Holliday), Matthew Jacobs who, in 1995/96, wrote the script for DOCTOR WHO – THE TV MOVIE for Paul McGann).

On the NEW SERIES, David Graham: The latest DOCTOR WHO’s are over produced. These had a simple realism, more genuine, I think.
Peter Purves: A straightforward story. The NEW (SERIES) ones are more complicated.

On the story’s Director (Rex Tucker), Tristan de Vere Cole: Rex was a “ hauteur” but the end product is excellent.

ERRONEOUS FACT: The information text states the obvious: “The pistols were loaded with blank cartridges, not live ammunition”.

On the production’s humour featuring Stephen, Tristan de Vere Cole: It is terribly funny.
Peter Purves: I’m pleased it is. Gosh because being funny on television is hard because you don’t know don’t get laughter feedback.

On his cotton wool assisted character of Charlie the Barman had inspired Marlon Brando in THE GODFATHER trilogy of films, David Graham: He was always copying me.
Shane Rimmer: I thought it was tobacco!

On William Hartnell, Peter Purves: He looked cross all the time and it makes it different to imagine that can be funny. I liked him a lot and never had bad words with him.
David Graham: Very nice to work with.
Peter Purves: He didn’t like Rex Tucker and Michael Leeston-Smith (THE MYTH MAKERS). He thought Michael was a “clown”; he’d turn up in his jodhpurs.

FACT: Following a substantial re-edit of episode by Series Producer, Innes Lloyd, Rex Tucker requested that his “Director” credit should be removed from the on-screen credits list.

On the reasoning why Peter Purves was “sacked” from DOCTOR WHO, Shane Rimmer surmised: Perhaps, it was the singing!
Peter Purves: I was embarrassed by it. Terribly self-conscious and actors don’t feel self-conscious when you can absorb yourself in a very distinct character.

On the story’s direction, Richard Beale: It’s very well paced.
David Graham: There a lot less fancy camera work in this than there is today. Like “cross-cutting”.

At the start of episode two’s (titled DON’T SHOOT THE PIANIST) commentary, Toby Hadoke: Don’t shoot the Moderator.

On receiving fan letters, Peter Purves: I don’t get fan letters from anywhere very often. Sometimes, I think that I didn’t really exist.

On recalling THE GUNFIGHTERS, actor Richard Beale (who played Bat Masterson): I have a bad memory these days. I rang myself up the other day.

On recalling filming at the Riverside Studios, Richard Beale: I saw a man commit suicide at the Riverside Studios. The chap chucked himself over the bridge.

On the murder of Seth Harper, Peter Purves: That was a good death, Shane.
Shane Rimmer: Who shot me?

On filming THE GUNFIGHTERS, Shane Rimmer: I was most impressed by the authenticity of it.

FACT: During the restoration of the print, professional may have discovered that not only episode four was transferred from videotape to film (by Innes Lloyd in order to facilitate re-editing) but both episodes two and three may have been too. Potentially demonstrating that the Series Producer was disappointed with Tucker’s direction of those episodes too.

On his time on THE GUNFIGHTERS, David Graham: It was wonderful to see myself all those years ago. Goodbye all, thanks.

(And then reverting to this Charlie the Barman accent)

Mighty proud.

Fascinatingly, Tristan de Vere Cole describes the process by which actors’ fees were “capped” (i.e. limited) by the BBC in the 1960s and were assigned by the “duration” of the production. For example, for a 30-minute DOCTOR WHO episode Peter Purves was paid £30.

On the lead actor playing DOCTOR WHO, Richard Beale: (Jon) Pertwee made a lot of impression more so than Hartnell.
Peter Purves: Jon was a very strong Doctor but Bill (Hartnell) was definitive.
Tristan de Vere Cole: He was the definitive. A little frightening and not a little joker.

The remaining DVD “value added material” may be, as I said, “lite” but is nonetheless intriguing.

In a perfect length, THE END OF THE LINE intelligently analyses the momentous period that preceded the series’ first regeneration in 1966. The series had similar times since (the start of the Pertwee era, and the hiatus forcing the series off-air in 1985) but unlike those periods the series was not as established as it seemed.

The hallowed corridors of the BBC Executive had concerns and may have disassembled the Police Box without a second thought.

Going beyond THE GUNFIGHTERS, the documentary chronicles the changes, the panic and the entrepreneurial enterprise that the DOCTOR WHO production team employed to keep the series’ from drowning beneath the turbulent waves. Waves created not only by the BBC Executives (requesting that a reluctant John Wiles replaced Verity Lambert as Series Producer) but also by the series Production Team themselves through negligence and poor planning (continuing with commissioned scripts that were clearly unfeasible & unlike, to sacking to cast members without due care & diligence, and experimenting with a series formula that had been so successful).

Fascinating documentary, and could have gone further & deeper that it did.

TOMORROW’S TIMES – THE FIRST DOCTOR continues with the unwieldy format that has been established in previous DVD releases and, therefore, an easily subject to the “fast forward button” on the remote control.

The remaining “value added material” is standard material; a PHOTO GALLERY (set to the iconic song, THE BALLAD OF THE LAST CHANCE SALOON from Lynda Baron), a COMING SOON trailer for DOCTOR WHO – PARADISE TOWERS, the archive material from the RADIO TIMES, and the essential on-screen INFORMATION TEXT.

Whilst I am still bemused to why DOCTOR WHO – THE GUNFIGHTERS (honestly, I would have bought this DVD as a ”single-disc” product) is presented as part of a boxset titled, DOCTOR WHO – EARTH STORY, the DVD is wonderfully evocative of a bygone television age that told substantial, entertaining and informative stories (similar to VINCENT AND THE DOCTOR from 2010).

Having watched (for this review) the DVD with the commentary & information text active, I will be going back over the forthcoming 2011 May Bank Holiday to indulge in this infamous CLASSIC SERIES four-parter and re-appreciate this misunderstood production.

Its time has come.

High noon.

AUDIOBOOK COMMENT  Spoliers ahead