The Wheel In Space

daveyboy7472daveyboy7472 Posts: 16,356
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Though this is a strong story within itself, I think this is the weakest story of Season 5 due to the stronger stories within this run.

There are lots to commend it though. The first episode with mostly The Doctor and Jamie gives a good sense of isolation. Zoe's introduction is a good one and the banter with Jamie and The Doctor's challenging of her scientific principles are good. Love the hint of romance between Tanya and one of the crew. The Cybermats are good here and the Cybermen themselves are on top form despite their dialogue being delivered very slowly.

My only quibble is the story taking a while to get going due to Troughton's absence in the second episode.

The ending was good and I liked the idea of Zoe having to watch The Evil Of The Daleks to fill the summer break. Proves what a great story it was(Chuff) ;)

:)

Comments

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 82,262
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    have to say I know absolutely nothing about this one.
  • CoalHillJanitorCoalHillJanitor Posts: 15,634
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    It is a good one. I love the dancing Cybermen making their way towards the Wheel. :D And Clare Jenkins returns as Tanya after playing quite a different sort of character (Nanina in The Savages).

    Loose Cannon did a nice recon of this one last year with some impressive CGI bits.
  • chuffnobblerchuffnobbler Posts: 10,771
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    I rather like this one, and Moonbase, and have never understood why they get quite a bit of stick. To be honest, I don't feel qualified to give a greater review as I have only heard Wheel once ... but I might take it with me on my next long drive.
  • DoctorQuiDoctorQui Posts: 6,428
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    I always thought that the Wheel cybermen looked the most strange, not sure why. It was that sort of transition between the superb Tomb cybermen and the fanatastic Invasion cybermen look!

    I guess the look didn't go down that well as that design was used only once!
  • Lady of TrakenLady of Traken Posts: 1,314
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    The Wheel in Space doesn’t seem to get talked about a lot by fans and I must admit to not knowing that much about this story myself before now,.

    It is another base under siege story but it’s nice to get back into space after a run of stories set on Earth. I think overall it’s a decent entry mainly due to a strong supporting cast. Its good to see Clare Jenkins again (playing a very attractive engineer Tanya with her ‘nose for trouble’ . The accent is very stock Russian but the flirting between her and Leo is rather fun and adds some interest. She seems a bit out of his league and he seems a bit up himself telling Zoe she is like a machine, all facts and no emotion.

    Poor Jarvis Bennett seems to have a complete breakdown ( What is it about the characters in charge in this era that they don’t seem to want to listen to reason ). Seeing Donald Sumpter ( Rassilon in Hell Bent) so young and playing a Spaniard ( I think) is amusing. For some reason I get him confused with the actor Terence Yardley.I l did love Anne Ridler as Dr Gemma Corwyn. She was asking all the right questions so to see her killed by the Cybermen felt undeserved.

    David Whittaker (one of my favourite writers for the era) he’s had a good record at writing for the Daleks and making them interesting so does it work for the Cybermen ? Well I like the idea of the round egg like pods containing the Cybermats who eat all the bernalium stores and how they are launched against the Wheel ( soundtrack is great as they enter the ship). Regarding Rudkin’s death the Cybermats seem to move really slowly but I notice they disable him really quickly with their sonic ray. I also really enjoy seeing how the Cybermen control the humans with hypnosis ray or whatever it is. I don’t remember it seeing later when I originally watched the Davison era so it was done away with I guess but the ray does feels a bit more threatening than the guns they developed for the Cybermen later.

    I enjoyed Wendy Padbury’s debut playing Zoe although she wasn’t central to the action for a lot of the story. There is something cute about her general naiveté When the crew think Zoe and Jamie are lost in space due to the meteor storm I thought it was fascinating how the Doctor was so accepting that they had to take the risk. There are hard choices to be made and sometimes things that happen and I like that kind of maturity. No trying to reverse events.
    Though this is a strong story within itself, I think this is the weakest story of Season 5 due to the stronger stories within this run.

    There are lots to commend it though. The first episode with mostly The Doctor and Jamie gives a good sense of isolation. Zoe's introduction is a good one and the banter with Jamie and The Doctor's challenging of her scientific principles are good. Love the hint of romance between Tanya and one of the crew. The Cybermats are good here and the Cybermen themselves are on top form despite their dialogue being delivered very slowly.

    My only quibble is the story taking a while to get going due to Troughton's absence in the second episode.

    The ending was good and I liked the idea of Zoe having to watch The Evil Of The Daleks to fill the summer break. Proves what a great story it was(Chuff) ;)

    :)

    I know what you mean about the pace. The first couple of episodes are basically mostly Jamie and the Doctor and I liked how Jamie missed Victoria and craved a roast dinner. With the Servo- Robot releasing the Cybermat pods I can only imagine how the Cybermen killed the crew of the rocket all those weeks ago and set the rocket on a course towards the wheel. With the Doctor missing from Episode 2 I liked the emphasis on Jamie attracting the attention of the Wheei and then sabotaging the laser. It also felt realistic that the Doctor was later restrained to the sick bay and I like his professional relationship with Dr Gemma.

    Wouldn't necessarily say it was the weakest but this story is much simpler to watch then some other stories and the plot moves along slow enough over the 6 episodes to enjoy seeing things unfold.
    It is a good one. I love the dancing Cybermen making their way towards the Wheel. :D And Clare Jenkins returns as Tanya after playing quite a different sort of character (Nanina in The Savages).

    Loose Cannon did a nice recon of this one last year with some impressive CGI bits.[/QUOTE]

    Agree about Loose Cannon, CoalHill its how I watched the story and thought the CGI added a lot to the story

    Talking of Cyber men when they are expelled from the airlock in Episode 6 they look like cardboard cut-outs ! They must have run out of money :D
  • daveyboy7472daveyboy7472 Posts: 16,356
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    The Wheel in Space doesn’t seem to get talked about a lot by fans and I must admit to not knowing that much about this story myself before now,.

    It is another base under siege story but it’s nice to get back into space after a run of stories set on Earth. I think overall it’s a decent entry mainly due to a strong supporting cast. Its good to see Clare Jenkins again (playing a very attractive engineer Tanya with her ‘nose for trouble’ . The accent is very stock Russian but the flirting between her and Leo is rather fun and adds some interest. She seems a bit out of his league and he seems a bit up himself telling Zoe she is like a machine, all facts and no emotion.

    Poor Jarvis Bennett seems to have a complete breakdown ( What is it about the characters in charge in this era that they don’t seem to want to listen to reason ). Seeing Donald Sumpter ( Rassilon in Hell Bent) so young and playing a Spaniard ( I think) is amusing. For some reason I get him confused with the actor Terence Yardley.I l did love Anne Ridler as Dr Gemma Corwyn. She was asking all the right questions so to see her killed by the Cybermen felt undeserved.

    David Whittaker (one of my favourite writers for the era) he’s had a good record at writing for the Daleks and making them interesting so does it work for the Cybermen ? Well I like the idea of the round egg like pods containing the Cybermats who eat all the bernalium stores and how they are launched against the Wheel ( soundtrack is great as they enter the ship). Regarding Rudkin’s death the Cybermats seem to move really slowly but I notice they disable him really quickly with their sonic ray. I also really enjoy seeing how the Cybermen control the humans with hypnosis ray or whatever it is. I don’t remember it seeing later when I originally watched the Davison era so it was done away with I guess but the ray does feels a bit more threatening than the guns they developed for the Cybermen later.

    I enjoyed Wendy Padbury’s debut playing Zoe although she wasn’t central to the action for a lot of the story. There is something cute about her general naiveté When the crew think Zoe and Jamie are lost in space due to the meteor storm I thought it was fascinating how the Doctor was so accepting that they had to take the risk. There are hard choices to be made and sometimes things that happen and I like that kind of maturity. No trying to reverse events.



    I know what you mean about the pace. The first couple of episodes are basically mostly Jamie and the Doctor and I liked how Jamie missed Victoria and craved a roast dinner. With the Servo- Robot releasing the Cybermat pods I can only imagine how the Cybermen killed the crew of the rocket all those weeks ago and set the rocket on a course towards the wheel. With the Doctor missing from Episode 2 I liked the emphasis on Jamie attracting the attention of the Wheei and then sabotaging the laser. It also felt realistic that the Doctor was later restrained to the sick bay and I like his professional relationship with Dr Gemma.

    Wouldn't necessarily say it was the weakest but this story is much simpler to watch then some other stories and the plot moves along slow enough over the 6 episodes to enjoy seeing things unfold.
    It is a good one. I love the dancing Cybermen making their way towards the Wheel. :D And Clare Jenkins returns as Tanya after playing quite a different sort of character (Nanina in The Savages).

    Loose Cannon did a nice recon of this one last year with some impressive CGI bits.[/QUOTE]

    Agree about Loose Cannon, CoalHill its how I watched the story and thought the CGI added a lot to the story

    Talking of Cyber men when they are expelled from the airlock in Episode 6 they look like cardboard cut-outs ! They must have run out of money :D

    Just a comment on your first point, I think these really bolshy unreasonable men who were in charge of places in this era were probably designed to be totally opposite to The Doctor and therefore provide that contrast. If they all listened to reason, you'd never have a story! :D:D

    As for your point about pace, I think(and this is purely my opinion rather than fact) that when The Doctor is missing from some sixties episodes the story as a whole doesn't progress that much. The episode itself will to a degree but sometimes as in this story, it seems as if the story is held back waiting for The Doctor to return the next episode and it' feels worse when he goes missing second episode.

    One of my few gripes about my fave Hartnell Story, The Time Meddler, is that maybe the story doesn't get going until the third episode when Hartnell returns and the second episode feels like filler.

    The Wheel In Space isn't quite that bad but I think it does suffer a bit from Troughton's absence in Episode 2 as I've said but there's enough in that episode to make it feel less like padding.

    :)
  • Brandon_SmithBrandon_Smith Posts: 2,908
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    I sure doooo lovve the wheel in space who doesn't theres wheels in space.....and space.
  • Lady of TrakenLady of Traken Posts: 1,314
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    [Just a comment on your first point, I think these really bolshy unreasonable men who were in charge of places in this era were probably designed to be totally opposite to The Doctor and therefore provide that contrast. If they all listened to reason, you'd never have a story! :D:D

    As for your point about pace, I think(and this is purely my opinion rather than fact) that when The Doctor is missing from some sixties episodes the story as a whole doesn't progress that much. The episode itself will to a degree but sometimes as in this story, it seems as if the story is held back waiting for The Doctor to return the next episode and it' feels worse when he goes missing second episode.

    One of my few gripes about my fave Hartnell Story, The Time Meddler, is that maybe the story doesn't get going until the third episode when Hartnell returns and the second episode feels like filler.

    The Wheel In Space isn't quite that bad but I think it does suffer a bit from Troughton's absence in Episode 2 as I've said but there's enough in that episode to make it feel less like padding. :)

    Hi Daveyboy, yes you are probably right about the commanders and the Doctor. He is a bit unorthodox and they cant always understand that :D

    Your comments about the absence of the Doctor in episodes are interesting . it varies so much I think how much you notice it. Where the actor has a dual role it doesn't affect the pace too much so in the Massacre for instance Steven got more development when hartnell was the Bishop, in Enemy Jamie got more to do when Patrick Troughton was Salamander,

    Funnily enough it seems more noticeable when William Hartnell was the Doctor so as you say the Time Meddler and Tenth Planet probably because of his need for regular breaks due to his health. Saying that with Troughton, his Doctor is set up as such a knowledgeable charismatic character with such energy that he does end up being the only one to push the story along......Maybe its a blessing that the Master came along later as he is another character that can do that..
  • Daniel DareDaniel Dare Posts: 3,503
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    Some nice computer animation here, 'ALIEN' style.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXacKOtcHbo

    and another one from the same person, this time, '2001: A Space Odyssey'
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXacKOtcHbo

    Enjoy :)
  • Lady of TrakenLady of Traken Posts: 1,314
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    Some nice computer animation here, 'ALIEN' style.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXacKOtcHbo

    and another one from the same person, this time, '2001: A Space Odyssey'
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXacKOtcHbo

    Enjoy :)

    Cool bit of work.
    the second link is the same as the first though. Perhaps you meant https://youtube/zXnV1UNbTuM

    I rather like when the doctor is confronted by the Cybermen. They act with cunning and it's almost
    as if they have emotions about the Doctor "You know our ways" "others are coming"
    https://youtu.be/cexT2aE0M5w
  • daveyboy7472daveyboy7472 Posts: 16,356
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    Hi Daveyboy, yes you are probably right about the commanders and the Doctor. He is a bit unorthodox and they cant always understand that :D

    Your comments about the absence of the Doctor in episodes are interesting . it varies so much I think how much you notice it. Where the actor has a dual role it doesn't affect the pace too much so in the Massacre for instance Steven got more development when hartnell was the Bishop, in Enemy Jamie got more to do when Patrick Troughton was Salamander,

    Funnily enough it seems more noticeable when William Hartnell was the Doctor so as you say the Time Meddler and Tenth Planet probably because of his need for regular breaks due to his health. Saying that with Troughton, his Doctor is set up as such a knowledgeable charismatic character with such energy that he does end up being the only one to push the story along......Maybe its a blessing that the Master came along later as he is another character that can do that..

    I will just readjust what I said about The Time Meddler. The first episode is quite progressive and a bit of a mystery but then it seems the whole story sort of just pauses slightly in Part 2 while The Doctor is locked up even though Steven and Vicki have a bit to do in his absence.

    I don't think it applies to all Hartnell stories. The Keys Of Marinus I think works well without Hartnell as in this case he has three companions to fill the gap and an ongoing story as well.

    Back to The Wheel In Space, it does feel a bit like those split six parters of the Hinchcliffe Era at times. The Doctor is knocked out halfway through the first episode and doesn't wake up until Episode Three. That's when the story seems to start properly for me!

    :)
  • Daniel DareDaniel Dare Posts: 3,503
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    Cool bit of work.
    the second link is the same as the first though. Perhaps you meant https://youtube/zXnV1UNbTuM

    I rather like when the doctor is confronted by the Cybermen. They act with cunning and it's almost
    as if they have emotions about the Doctor "You know our ways" "others are coming"
    https://youtu.be/cexT2aE0M5w

    Yes, I meant to put the link
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXnV1UNbTuM
  • chuffnobblerchuffnobbler Posts: 10,771
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    One thing I do like about Wheel is that there are some good string roles for women characters. Gemma Corwyn has plenty to do, and her death is a shock.
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