STORY
PLOTLINE
England,
1666 - the darkest days of the Great Plague. When the Doctor and his companions
step from the TARDIS into a land gripped by fear and mistrust, they soon discover
that they are not the only new arrivals.
Strange lights have been seen in the sky, the Grim Reaper stalks the local woods,
and evidence of advanced technology is all around.
DVD
EXTRAS
-
Studio
Commentary by Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Matthew Waterhouse and Peter Moffatt
(Director).
-
DIRECTING
WHO. Peter Moffatt looks back at his time on DOCTOR WHO,
in particular THE VISITATION.
-
WRITING
A FINAL VISITATION. Eric Saward discusses his first script for the Series.
-
SCORING
THE VISTATION. A detailed analysis of the incidental music by Paddy
Kingsland.
-
FILM
TRIMS. A behind the scenes glimpse of the material that never reached
the TV screen.
-
MUSIC
ONLY OPTION. An isolated incidental score.
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PRODUCTION
SUBTITLES + PHOTO GALLERY + EASTER
EGG.
COMMENT Spoliers
ahead
“It’s
a long time ago, dear boy”, as the Director reminds us during the
opening scenes commentary. It was but it doesn’t show.
The
beauty of THE VISITATION is that quality never dates, more so
as it’s historically set. A slight irony.
This
production is extracted from the nine million average Season 19, alongside KINDA, EARTHSHOCK and BLACK
ORCHID, and like the Great Reaper casts deep and depressing shadows
over the ham-fisted McCoy stories (please, don’t shout GHOST LIGHT or THE
CURSE OF FENRIC). The cold collation of talent satisfies the most delicate
of palate: Eric Saward’s crafted twisting plotline, Peter Moffatt’s
persuasiveness direction and enthusiasm for the series, Ken Starkey’s unchallenging
realistic sets, and swan-like acting from the regulars.
You
either like or loathe THE VISITATION. Whether it is regarded
as an engaging narrative or a degenerate aberration, no one can deny that for
the general music-store browsers could be the one that could introduce DOCTOR
WHO to another audience. Additionally, the DVD extras are, remarkably,
the most rounded issued to date.
The
extras draw together the views of the production team and cast.
The
studio cast/crew commentary is a hoot. A real hoot. As ‘Head Prefect’,
Davison marshals his colleagues like a Wimbledon Centre Court tennis referee.
Janet Fielding sobs, as she regrets the time when she had “a rat nailed
to my head”, whilst Matthew Waterhouse ticks-off the number of times
he “routs” around with his hands in his pockets.
Director,
Peter Moffatt discusses his work on the production (and others stories) so enthusiastically
and humbly that it would be admirable to offer him (in the twilight of his directing
career) a job on the New Series. This Director is only one of a few who realised
that “lighting is very important. It can make or mar a scene.” Referring
to Paddy Kingsland music, Moffatt comments that he didn’t like the ‘turgid’ noise.
He
comments relating to other DOCTOR WHO stories he directed, it
proves how committed he was. “I learnt a lot from DOCTOR
WHO”.
-
On STATE
OF DECAY: John Nathan-Turner offered Moffatt the story it was sold as
a ‘gothic story’ but when it changed to ‘space and people coming
out of eggs’ Moffatt sent it back. It eventually came back as the story
we know.
-
On TWIN
DILEMMA: How John Nathan-Turner, Colin Baker and he moulded the sixth
Doctor’s persona into an “a know-all Doctor”.
-
On THE
TWO DOCTORS: How frustrating Script Editor, Eric Saward became as Patrick
Troughton continually ad-libbed parts of the script.
Writer
and Script Editor, Eric Saward admits that the story (originally written for
the Fourth Doctor with Adric and Nyssa) stands the test if time and “was
workman-like and unsophisticated to what came later”. Revealing that
he unapologetically used a cheap movie technique for the beginning of episode
1. Known as “a grab”, it offers the viewer a false sense
of security by introducing a set of ‘warming’ characters and then
kills them off.
Incidental
music guru, Paddy Kingsland (talking to Radiophonic Workshop archivist, Mark
Ayres) is, like Saward’s script, ‘workman-like’ yet the interview
flags. This is for the hardcore fans only.
Naturally,
any behind-the-scenes material is eagerly viewed like a kid in a candy store
(or a CCTV camera operator in a public toilet), even if it was only Michael Robbins
encamped in a tree or Nyssa & Adric dancing on a sack. I kid you not.
The
release the second from the 19th. Season, and I can safely say that this will
be first Season to be wholly released on DVD. Yes, even TIME-FLIGHT.
However,
the only question remains is the question mark; what was the
BBC photomontage illustrator thinking?
If
anything.
