DOCTOR WHO MARATHON 24th MEET-UP - THE WAR MACHINES (PARTS 3 & 4) & THE SMUGGLERS

Tuesday 30th December 2014

Well, here we go again!  But this time it feels different...why?  Because it's our last meet-up of the year!

Last time Leigh and Jim had missed "The Savages" but had caught up in the interim - however, although Leigh had, Jim hadn't managed to see the first parts of "The War Machines".  So he decided to join us later after the rest of us had watched the final two parts.

Photo 1: Gavin, Shaun (holding the ginger cat),
Mark (holding the sign), Jason, Leigh and
MJ (with the DVD cover) around Mark's house.

But first we had the second two parts of The War Machines to watch and we last left our new sailor friend, Ben, behind some boxes behind cornered by a War Machine!  Oh no!  Thankfully there was a nearby doorway to Ben and so he happily dives through there.  He then finds Polly telling her she needs to get out - but she's been hypnotised by WOTAN and locks him in a room!

Anyhow here's a side-note thing about WOTAN - it was made in Britain, by British, so why do they pronounce "WOTAN" as "VOTAN"?  That's a very Germanic way of doing things!  Oh well on with the story and eventually Ben manages to escape and get back to The Doctor (who is back with Sir Charles).  He tells them about Polly and about the killer machines!  Sir Charles thinks it's all nonsense but still decides to send in Soldiers to go to the warehouse.  The Doctor travels with them and thus begins a "HUGE" battle between the soldiers and the war machines!  With their slow-moving arm-hammers and their fire-extinguisher shooters, the War Machines easily defeat the soldiers - especially when the soldiers gins keep jamming!  Sir Charles gets the area evacuated but the episode ends with everyone retreating (I think of Monty Python and the Holy Grail's "Run away!!" Knights!) except the Doctor who stands against an advancing War Machine....

Photo 2: Gavin, Shaun (holding the ginger cat),
Mark (holding the sign), Jason, Leigh and
MJ (with the DVD cover) around Mark's house.

So the final part starts with the Doctor not actually in trouble - the War Machine decides not to run him over - it wasn't part of it's programming!  We see in a local pub a news report on TV telling London about the War Machine attacks (the newsreader was played by real life newsreader Kenneth Kendall - who also went on to host the Channel 4 show "Treasure Hunt" back when I was younger!).  Anyhow the Doctor and his friends end up capturing a War Machine in what (to me) looked like a Boxing/Wrestling Ring (albeit an electrocised (is that a word!!??) one).  The Doctor then reprogrammes this machine and it goes back to the Post Office tower and destroys WOTAN!  Yes I've missed out loads but you can watch the damn thing yourselves!!!  The episode ends with Ben and Polly meeting the Doctor at the TARDIS telling them that Dodo sends the message that "Dodo feels much better, she wants to stay in London and that she sends her love!"  "Hmmm - there's gratitude for you!" says the Doctor.  That would be fair enough but the actress who played Dodo, Jackie Lane, had actually been chucked off the show in real life, so it's a bit of a harsh send off - she doesn't even get a nice send off!  Just a cursory line.  I wasn't always the biggest Dodo fan but it does seems a tad harsh!  Anyhow the episode ends with Polly realising she has a spare TARDIS key - they try knocking on the door but the Doctor doesn't answer - so they both use the key and enter the TARDIS just before it dematerialises....

And that's the end of another tale - and the end of the third series of Doctor Who.  Big changes would be coming for Season 4 - but of course that's in the future!

So we all had a break and told Jim he could come over to join us - which he did.  All in time for "The Smugglers"...

Sadly no episodes exist of this story so it was time for four re-cons.  Here the Doctor and new companions Ben and Polly land in 17th century Cornwall.  Of course Ben doesn't believe a word of this time travel malarkey and wants to get back to his sailor's barracks - Polly I think does believe that they are back in time.  Anyhow they all set off and find a church where the warden is fretting that he may not be long for this world (which turns out to be true!) and tells the Doctor a clue as to where to find his treasure.

 

Photo 3: Gavin, Shaun, Mark,
Jason (holding the Smugglers re-con DVD cover),
Leigh (with the sign) and Jim around Mark's house.

Our heroes wander off leaving the warden behind and it's not long before a Ne'er-do-well in the form of a chap called Cherub wanders in to speak to the Church Warden - demanding him to tell him where Avery's treasure is buried - the Warden refuses and so Cherub kills him by throwing a knife in his back!  The nice thing about this story is that, although all the episodes are missing, the most gruesome parts do exist - thanks to Australia censors chopping out and keeping the "scary" parts!

One thing I must point out was that Cherub (a greatly acted character - gritty and nasty in equal parts - but able to switch on the charm when needed) was played by an actor whom I recognised from the children's school drama Grange Hill - he played the caretaker Mr. Griffiths!

 

Photo 4: Gavin, Shaun, Mark,
Jason (holding the Smugglers re-con DVD cover),
Leigh (with the sign) and MJ around Mark's house.

Anyhow what follows is a tale full of pirates, treasure, double crossing, smuggling, a dodgy (very chubby) magistrate, murder and a black pirate actually named Jamaica! (Brilliant.)  Such a shame it doesn't exist as I believe it would have been excellent to watch!  Although one thing probably doesn't add up - they all decide to refer to Polly as a boy (as it might be safer that way) and nobody bats an eye!  Have they seen her!??  She looks nothing like a boy - and does have lady-parts which do seem quite noticeable!  Ahh well, maybe it's only me that notices lady-parts...

Photo 5: Shaun, Mark,
Jason (holding the Smugglers re-con DVD cover),
Leigh (with the sign) and MJ around Mark's house.

I enjoyed the story - though it does suffer from being a re-con.  I thought the sets were quite excellent and I believe it was the furthest that they had shot outdoor locations (all the way down in Cornwall).  There were a lot of actors I enjoyed and some great scenes as well - the pirate captain being charmed by the Doctor was fun.  The betrayals that everyone seemed happy to take part in. No-one seemed safe!

Photo 6: Gavin, Shaun, Mark,

Jason (holding the Smugglers re-con DVD cover),
Leigh (with the sign) and Jim around Mark's house.

Anyhow the whole serial ended with a big shoot-out, lots of death and the Doctor and co escaping down a secret tunnel in the church - back down to the seashore where the TARDIS was.  All three enter the TARDIS and leave. Suddenly, the interior of the ship is freezing cold, and the Doctor announces they have arrived at the coldest place in the world.....

This ending will lead us into the next story - a tale which will be the first Doctor's last!  Hopefully we shall watch it on the anniversary of when we first started this marathon!

Well done chums - we're almost there!

But until then I shall return, yes, I shall return...

MJ 27-12-14