Season two throws up another strange one here for me. I really like the first episode where there is a genuine mystery thrown up about the nature of time travel and whether you can avoid the future laid out for you. The strangeness of not being seen or able to hear the inhabitants is nicely done, giving you the crew no clues to what dangers await them. And it climaxes with a nice cliffhanger line - "And we've arrived".
After this though I'm afraid for me the last three episodes are rather dull, a standard rebels v fascists story with no outstanding performances to enliven it or draw you in. Some nice concepts but not even things like the attempted gassing of Barbara really engaged me.
The story certainly has some interesting concepts and once again I enjoy the relationship between The Doctor and Vicki and find it a fairly easy story to watch but it's not one I would recommend or watch outside of the mission I think.
So, overall, for me a below average but not terrible 4/10
This reminds me of The Sensorites. Episode one is a real trip. Sureal, mysterious and creepy. However, whereas I thought The Sensorites at least sustained some originality and nice stuff, the Space Museum quickly turns into a rather dull run around of hide and chase. I wish I could just review episode one and leave it at that, because I could write more about that one episode than all the rest put together. And dear God, the acting. I was not prepared for some of the most stilted and poorly acted performances I think we have had so far. I kept wantign to put my fingers in my ears and pretend it wasn't happening.
Oh well. Up next... Daleks!
Space Museum rating: 3/10 (6/10 for episode one, and 2/10 for the rest)
I could probably just leave the review at that, but let's make a stab at something a little more informative:
Oh dear oh dear. Oh dearie me. Oh dear.
Um.
Yes.
OK, let's see what we can do:
Why do our guys hide from the first people they see? (Experience, maybe... though you do wonder how they manage to go down the shops in that case. "Let's hide! It's the shopkeeper!")
The first episode is kinda spooky... But, really. 25 minutes for all that?
Then there's the Space Museum itself. Not a terribly well laid out museum, it must be said. There are no exit signs and all the corridors look identical. Christ knows what everyone would do if there was a fire. Die, I expect.
There's lots of talk about the possibility of changing the future. And then more talk about it. And then more. And in the meantime, Ian's become terribly gun-happy all of a sudden.
And then when the revolution is over, they're going to destroy the museum and all its artefacts! Blimey. Vandals.
And then at the end: Fuck me! It's the Daleks! Hooray!
Well at least something good came out of this. It was the end.
No-one sets out to make a bad TV serial. I know that everyone always tries to make something good, and I hope that whenever I work creatively I shall be luckier than these poor people.
Nevertheless I'm very glad that I don't have to watch this story any more.
I love the first episode. It's another than brings strong memories of reading the novelisation and being quite freaked out at the idea of the team leaving no footprints, not being seen or heard and finding themselves as exhibits in glass cases. Actually I'm tempted to re-read it and see how the rest of this story fared in the book. The episode itself is just as spooky and I really relish the slow build to those awesome (and perfectly delivered) lines;
Barbara: Doctor, they've gone!
The Doctor: Yes my dear... and we've arrived.
After this though things go rapidly downhill. Just as the guest cast arrive, strangely...
It's a very strong story for Vicki - although she's very pro-armed revolution (though that isn't necessarily out of character for a teenager).
As Piers noted, Ian is very gun-happy. That said there is a lot of talk about guns and weapons in this story in general ("Have any of our arms fallen into Xeron hands?" for example..!). On the one hand this is an interesting reflection of world events in the mid sixties, on the other hand this is Doctor Who - stop going on about guns!
I think Lobos is pretty good fun actually, with his constant moaning or bullying. The scene where he (quite badly) interrogates the Doctor is very enjoyable. Most of the rest of the guest cast are abysmal and I've never had less interest in the "good guys" winning, what a bunch of squibs the Xerons are!
The museum itself is less than spectacular.
Barbara has an amazing tolerance for Sephra gas (or is it Zephrrra gas? The Moroks don't seem to be sure themselves), she appears to withstand a good twenty minute dose, this chick is tough.
There are some nice action sequences in episode four.
I think there's some truth in the notion that much of The Space Museum is meant to be funny, unfortunately though it isn't very funny at all. And on consideration, there's no humorous intent in episode one so why the dramatic shift in style for episode two?
Thumbs up for Hartnell's bathing suit and Barbara's slip though. Ding dong!
We're in dire need a proper zinger now, there's been a bit of a drought recently. Maybe The Chase will pep things up...
Better than - being trapped in a lift with Susan.
Not as Good as - The Web Planet... and that's really saying something.
Season two throws up another strange one here for me. I really like the first episode where there is a genuine mystery thrown up about the nature of time travel and whether you can avoid the future laid out for you. The strangeness of not being seen or able to hear the inhabitants is nicely done, giving you the crew no clues to what dangers await them. And it climaxes with a nice cliffhanger line - "And we've arrived".
ReplyDeleteAfter this though I'm afraid for me the last three episodes are rather dull, a standard rebels v fascists story with no outstanding performances to enliven it or draw you in. Some nice concepts but not even things like the attempted gassing of Barbara really engaged me.
The story certainly has some interesting concepts and once again I enjoy the relationship between The Doctor and Vicki and find it a fairly easy story to watch but it's not one I would recommend or watch outside of the mission I think.
So, overall, for me a below average but not terrible 4/10
This reminds me of The Sensorites.
ReplyDeleteEpisode one is a real trip. Sureal, mysterious and creepy.
However, whereas I thought The Sensorites at least sustained some originality and nice stuff, the Space Museum quickly turns into a rather dull run around of hide and chase.
I wish I could just review episode one and leave it at that, because I could write more about that one episode than all the rest put together.
And dear God, the acting. I was not prepared for some of the most stilted and poorly acted performances I think we have had so far. I kept wantign to put my fingers in my ears and pretend it wasn't happening.
Oh well. Up next... Daleks!
Space Museum rating: 3/10 (6/10 for episode one, and 2/10 for the rest)
Oh dear.
ReplyDeleteI could probably just leave the review at that, but let's make a stab at something a little more informative:
Oh dear oh dear. Oh dearie me. Oh dear.
Um.
Yes.
OK, let's see what we can do:
Why do our guys hide from the first people they see? (Experience, maybe... though you do wonder how they manage to go down the shops in that case. "Let's hide! It's the shopkeeper!")
The first episode is kinda spooky... But, really. 25 minutes for all that?
Then there's the Space Museum itself. Not a terribly well laid out museum, it must be said. There are no exit signs and all the corridors look identical. Christ knows what everyone would do if there was a fire. Die, I expect.
There's lots of talk about the possibility of changing the future. And then more talk about it. And then more. And in the meantime, Ian's become terribly gun-happy all of a sudden.
And then when the revolution is over, they're going to destroy the museum and all its artefacts! Blimey. Vandals.
And then at the end: Fuck me! It's the Daleks! Hooray!
Well at least something good came out of this. It was the end.
No-one sets out to make a bad TV serial. I know that everyone always tries to make something good, and I hope that whenever I work creatively I shall be luckier than these poor people.
Nevertheless I'm very glad that I don't have to watch this story any more.
Let's hope the Daleks do better.
Well it's not a classic is it? No.
ReplyDeleteI love the first episode. It's another than brings strong memories of reading the novelisation and being quite freaked out at the idea of the team leaving no footprints, not being seen or heard and finding themselves as exhibits in glass cases. Actually I'm tempted to re-read it and see how the rest of this story fared in the book. The episode itself is just as spooky and I really relish the slow build to those awesome (and perfectly delivered) lines;
Barbara: Doctor, they've gone!
The Doctor: Yes my dear... and we've arrived.
After this though things go rapidly downhill. Just as the guest cast arrive, strangely...
It's a very strong story for Vicki - although she's very pro-armed revolution (though that isn't necessarily out of character for a teenager).
As Piers noted, Ian is very gun-happy. That said there is a lot of talk about guns and weapons in this story in general ("Have any of our arms fallen into Xeron hands?" for example..!). On the one hand this is an interesting reflection of world events in the mid sixties, on the other hand this is Doctor Who - stop going on about guns!
I think Lobos is pretty good fun actually, with his constant moaning or bullying. The scene where he (quite badly) interrogates the Doctor is very enjoyable. Most of the rest of the guest cast are abysmal and I've never had less interest in the "good guys" winning, what a bunch of squibs the Xerons are!
The museum itself is less than spectacular.
Barbara has an amazing tolerance for Sephra gas (or is it Zephrrra gas? The Moroks don't seem to be sure themselves), she appears to withstand a good twenty minute dose, this chick is tough.
There are some nice action sequences in episode four.
I think there's some truth in the notion that much of The Space Museum is meant to be funny, unfortunately though it isn't very funny at all. And on consideration, there's no humorous intent in episode one so why the dramatic shift in style for episode two?
Thumbs up for Hartnell's bathing suit and Barbara's slip though. Ding dong!
We're in dire need a proper zinger now, there's been a bit of a drought recently. Maybe The Chase will pep things up...
Better than - being trapped in a lift with Susan.
Not as Good as - The Web Planet... and that's really saying something.