Originally Posted by Tom Tit:
“
I think if you took silly characters like Rubeish (appropriately named) out of the story, and perhaps the under-utilized sub-plot with Queen Dorothy Cotton, this would be a five star classic.”
“
I think if you took silly characters like Rubeish (appropriately named) out of the story, and perhaps the under-utilized sub-plot with Queen Dorothy Cotton, this would be a five star classic.”
I think you'll find most Robert Holmes scripts have a comedy character in it. I don't see how Rubeish is any sillier than Pletrac from Carnival of Monsters, or Jago and Litefoot from Talons.
Originally Posted by Tom Tit:
“I think that Carnival of Monsters, Holmes serial just before this one (I think?), began an incredible stretch of stories by the master, with Holmes really finding his natural style, lasting right through the Tom Baker era (Caves of Androzani, Holmes' return to the series, is fantastic but not typical of Holmes as Saward gave him the encouragement to be 'darker' and more cynical than he had previously been allowed to be). I think Carnival of Monsters through Power of Kroll represents Holmes at his peak.”
“I think that Carnival of Monsters, Holmes serial just before this one (I think?), began an incredible stretch of stories by the master, with Holmes really finding his natural style, lasting right through the Tom Baker era (Caves of Androzani, Holmes' return to the series, is fantastic but not typical of Holmes as Saward gave him the encouragement to be 'darker' and more cynical than he had previously been allowed to be). I think Carnival of Monsters through Power of Kroll represents Holmes at his peak.”
I think you're the first person I've ever heard say that Power of Kroll is a better Robert Holmes story than Caves of Androzani!
When it comes to Holmes' golden run, I'd choose Holmes' two Auton stories and miss out on Carnival of Monsters, personally. There's a reason the relaunched Doctor Who started with a story directly ripped off from Spearhead from Space. It's because 35 years on it was still so memorable.
