DVD Review: Midsomer Murders - The Early Cases Boxset

Midsomer Murders: The Early Cases Collection DVD 10-Discs (31 hours)
Released by Acorn Media on January 7, 2014. SRP $119.99 (DVD)
Subtitles: English SDH 4:3 & 16:9

I am a huge fan of British television, obviously, but I am also a big advocate to set people straight on what British television is about. I think a lot of people in the US don’t realize or forget that British television is made up of more “real-life” television like Special Branch, Z Cars, or Dixon of Dock Green. Not every British television series about a class struggle set in the 1920s or a man who travels through time and space in a Police Box. It is important to know that good British television is made that is not fantastical. Now that I got that rant out of the way, let’s talk about fantastical British television.

Of course murder is not a fantastical topic. No matter how it is dealt; it is serious and devastating but I have been watching for the past 2 years a series that delights as well as horrifies me. It is Midsomer Murders. Detective series have been around for a long time. We, as a society, are interested in how law-abiding people catch villains. Sometimes it takes place in gritty locations which makes the setting real and unpleasant. Very often in the villages of Midsomer the murders are unreal which is ultimately the charm of this series.

This review looks at a DVD boxset released by Acorn Media looking at the first 4 series of Midsomer Murders. It is a series I had seen advertised on A&E long ago prior to the channel’s Duck Dynasty days but never tuned in. This is the perfect time to start watching and collecting this series with this wonderful boxset of the first 4 series. When I started to review DVDs, I knew this one would be a series I would like watch sooner than later. I instinctively knew it. I am a true testament to the fact that even though we are 16 series into it, one can start anywhere when watching Midsomer Murders. I started with the Series 10 episode Dance with the Dead. By this point Tom Barnaby was paired with Ben Jones. I think it’s simplicity with its main characters is what makes it easy to get into. There are continuing developments in the lives of these characters but they are not overly intrusive. In this boxset I am reviewing, a couple of episodes focus on Tom and his wife Joyce looking to get a new house. It’s not Downton Abbey and that’s why I like it. It’s simple. The complexity lies with the murders.

Of course there are murders which is why this is called Midsomer Murders. Murders are a nasty business which often revolves around greed. Midsomer Murders is deceptively simple because the murders take place in an amazing contrast of some of the most English and wonderful locations in any TV series. It’s all well and good to go on about how US viewers of British television should remember there are more grounded British series that should be remembered but when I look at Midsomer Murders, there is a certain amount of eye candy involved. No, I do not mean Daniel Casey or Laura Howard. We are talking about big manor houses, long never-ending fields of luscious crops or even quaint village churches that you would only find in The Vicar of Dibley. It is beautiful to watch and as much as I know that there are countless locations like this in the UK, I am still amazed that I keep seeing new unique places for these murders to take place.

Just as unique as the locations is the kind of people who are murdered and who are the murderers. If there are seedy people in an episode of Midsomer Murders, chances are they are not the murderers. It is often white collared people or people of wealth and entitlement. They are imaginative and twisted. They kill people in the most horrific way. As the series went on, it wisely increased the number of murders and murderers to bring a new dimension to the episodes.

Another aspect to this series which I love is the melding of certain interests that I hold. Episodes such as Beyond the Grave uses the influence of people’s fear of the paranormal or The Electric Vendetta where it is believed deaths are caused through extra-terrestrial means. Just as enjoyable as that is, sometime the purely British traditions are the focus of murders such as Destroying Angel where there is a focus on Punch and Judy shows or Dead Man’s Eleven that has the game of cricket central to the plot.

It is wonderful to go back to the beginning of this series. I did a full review of the first series set last year that can be found here. As mentioned earlier, watching Series 10 and going back to Series 1, there are only a few noticeable changes such as Barnaby’s original partner Det Sgt Troy. Barnaby’s wife Joyce and his daughter Cully are basically the same as they were when I was watching Series 10, just younger.  Even Dr. Bullard is there though occasionally replaced by Dr. Petersen played by Toby Jones. Though I can’t quite put my finger on it, I feel that the series doesn’t hit it’s completely recognizable stride until Series 3. I am not saying that is good or bad. The series is consistently strong throughout all series but for me, when Series 3 started, it all completely clicked for me.

Although all the episodes held my attention and I really loved watching them, some really stood out for me. I loved episodes like Death’s Shadow as it takes very separate plots and somehow ties it together with the church being central to it. I loved the tradition and deceit in Dead Man’s Eleven. Blue Herrings is one of my favorite episodes. I have never seen a murder mystery take place in an old age home which of course looks like a manor house. What I really enjoyed was the way the episode was lit. Much of it takes place in dark places in the house and everything is only lit through natural light. It is so good.

A look at the future?

Of course one that everyone loves is Judgement Day. When we watch these episodes and are trying to figure out the murderer, it is sometimes that the obvious that trips us up. Episodes like Garden of Death shows us once again the beauty of the British gardens and what someone will do to protect those places and keep the truth away from other people. It is the way the plots deceive us is what keeps me tuning in. There were a few times I guess who the murderer was but what about the other times when there were more than one murderer?

The lead character Tom Barnaby is a fair man. He is a good cop and he is extremely perceptive. He will look at a situation and file items he saw in the back of his mind to use later when he has a better understanding of the situation. With his long suffering wife Joyce, he is active in the community. As good of a husband and father he is, he is on call 24 hours a day. Even when he is off duty to get his new house ready in Blue Herrings, he still involves himself in a case because people are in danger. Sgt Troy is an officer who wants to do well in his job but he is still learning. He has a lot to learn. Troy is also a horrible driver which we see all throughout these episodes. As time goes on, Barnaby has a closer relationship with Troy but it starts off with Barnaby giving Troy a lot of ribbing and sarcastic responses. This never really goes away but over time they seem to spend more time together actually building a strong friendship.

Being a fan of British television, I am always happy to see actors I have seen in other series or films. Some of my favorite guest star roles in this set include: Robert Hardy, Richard Briers, Prunella Scales, James Bolam, Samantha Bond, Phyllis Logan, Terence Rigby, Kevin McNally, John Duttine, Honeysuckle Weeks, and Orlando Bloom. It even has Neil Dudgeon in Garden of Death. He returns later to take over the series from John Nettles, of course as a different character than here. There are also great writers attached to this series such as Anthony Horowitz who wrote for Poirot and created the wonderful Foyle’s War, Peter J Hammond (PJ Hammond) responsible for Sapphire and Steel, and even the creator of the Midsomer Murders novels Caroline Graham write an episode from Series 1.

Packaging:

The set itself is a repackage of the recently released series DVD sets from Acorn Media. It takes the outer box packaging from the earlier cases set but the individual DVDs are housed in the new series covers. This set is 10 discs which is reduction from the original release of this box set which was 19. I am not sure how that worked unless there was one episode from Series 5 on the original set. There are a total of 18 episodes in this set.

Quality:

The quality of this set is fine. It reflects the age of the series. I know it sounds absurd to say that since the series started in 1997, the quality can still be seen. Telecine technology has come quite away even in this short amount of time. These episodes have the A&E logo at the end of them. These episodes exist in SD. Maybe someday the film can be retransferred to HD and we could get Blu Ray editions. I would love to see some of these locations in HD. The series starts off in 4:3 aspect ratio but move to 16:9 in Series 4.

Extras:

Making of Feature: This is only 8 minutes long but it is very good. It is a standard making of feature but the real stand out for me is the interview with John Nettles. I have been blabbing on for a while in this review and not be able to quite explain why this series is so unique but Nettles sums it up perfectly. He calls it a comedy drama which I didn’t really think about until he said that. Plus the two words I keep missing out which he say right away: gothic and eccentric. That is perfect. He also says that he doesn’t believe Tom Barnaby is particularly bright but I do disagree with that. Otherwise Nettles and I are on the same page!

Midsomer Map: On the DVDs there are maps of the villages of Midsomer which are kind of fun to look at and see where everything is located.

John Nettles on Midsomer Murders Essay: Perhaps one of the hidden treasures which I almost accidentally threw away is a little leaflet that is a short word from Midsomer Murders Star John Nettles. His honest and straightforward way of describing the series is fun. He has an obvious humility to him which is refreshing. I really think he is a terrific actor and a wonderful ambassador for the series. Well worth a read.

Disc breakdown:

Disc 1: The Killing’s at Badger’s Drift, Written in Blood

Disc 2: Death of a Hollow Man, Faithful Unto Death

Disc 3: Death in Disguise

Disc 4: Death’s Shadow, Strangler’s Wood

Disc 5: Dead Man’s Eleven, Blood Will Out

Disc 6: Death of a Stranger, Blue Herrings

Disc 7: Judgement Day, Beyond the Grave

Disc 8: Garden of Death, Destroying Angel

Disc 9: The Electric Vendetta, Who Killed Cock Robin?

Disc 10: Dark Autumn

I seem to say this with every review I write for Midsomer Murders but I love this series. Having all of these episodes together in one compact box is great. I love watching these episodes over and over again. There are too many to always remember the murderer but I also love watching them to take in the wonderful locations. I can hardly wait for Series 5 onwards! Well worth the investment!

Next week: I visit some old friends I haven’t seen in a long time. I watch an episode of the “final” trilogy of Only Fools and Horses called Modern Men. It has been so long since I have sat down to watch and episode of this series it really was like seeing old friends again. It was a joyous experience.

Have a great week!

Do you have feedback, article requests or want to talk about a program but do not want to leave a public comment? Feel free to drop me an e-mail at FTA13867@gmail.com

I am on Twitter: @FromtheArchive

Also please subscribe to my From the Archive: British Television Blog Facebook Page for updates about new articles.

Death By Mis-Adventure on Dixon of Dock Green

There are certain series I look back on and think of them in a certain way. They hold a perception that may not really be there. Maybe it’s right or wrong but if I look back and remember a series like Diagnosis Murder, I think of it as a standard Sunday night murder drama that has a wacky doctor who roller skates through the halls of a hospital. Maybe it started out this way but by the time it ended, it was actually a some-what dark series. At least it tried to be; whether or not it succeeded is up for debate. Anyway, by the time it ended, Dr. Sloan’s (Dick Van Dyke) daughter had been murdered, the hospital blew up because of a terrorist and there was a horrible plane crash perhaps caused by terrorists too.

What does any of this have to do with Dixon of Dock Green? Possibly more than you think. Dixon of Dock Green suffered from the same identity crisis as Diagnosis Murder. Dixon of Dock Green started out life in 1955 as a live program where we followed along with the life of George Dixon. He would unofficially become the face of the Metropolitan Police in terms of how the public saw the “Bobby”. He was polite and courteous but wouldn’t let the ruffians get away with anything.

Every episode started with Dixon foreshadowing of what we would see in the following episode and then re-join us at the end and tell us, essentially, what everyone learned from it. It was a comfortable series. It wasn’t fast pace. That could be down to the fact the series was live in the 1950s but also Ted Willis, the creator of the series, created a procedural police series. We first see George Dixon in the 1950 film, The Blue Lamp, played by Jack Warner just as he would play the character in the series. Shockingly, Dixon is killed in the film. His murder is central to the plot. Five years later, Dixon is brought back to life in his own series.

The series ended up getting a reputation of being comfortable and perhaps even simple with old time values and views. It may even be perceived as naïve. I don’t think it is. I have called it comfortable and admire the time it was made in and how it portrayed some of the values. I am not sure when it changed, but the way the series was seen by the general public was going to change.

By no means have I seen all of the episodes of Dixon of Dock Green. Most people haven’t. Out of the 432 episodes made between 1955 and 1976, only 32 still exist. You don’t need to be Adric to do the math. There are 400 episodes of Dixon of Dock Green missing. Doctor Who fans are upset that 97 episodes are missing of their series. The thing about Dixon of Dock Green episodes being gone is that it appears the series does a decent job of reflecting the style of how television was made and how the general public lived. Even though I just made this statement, I am not 100% sure I believe it.

To finally get to the point I made earlier, everyone thinks of Dixon of Dock Green a certain way but in the 1970s this changed. Joe Waters became Producer of this series. He seemed to want to change the direction of the series. The series started out in 1955 with 30 minutes episode and moved to 45 minute episodes in 1961 (Series 8). The theme music changed in 1966 when the series introduced a theme by Jeff Darnell called later titled “The Ordinary Copper”. At least with the 1970s series onwards, the theme kind of took on a bizarre 1970s tone. Previously the theme had a sort of a light entertainment approach to it. That’s at least what I can find from piecing info together from what I have handy.  In the audio extract from the 1966 episode Nothing to Say, the music is very “dance hall”. I find the theme music very interesting as when I hear it, it sounds to me exactly the same as another song also released in 1966 called “Somethin’ Stupid” written by C. Carson Parks. It was covered by Frank Sinatra and Andy Williams amongst others. Seriously, does anyone else notice this?

Whether or not the series became grittier is an educated guess on my part. Joe Waters became a Programme Coordinator in 1969 but soon became Producer. From what have read online is that he was always disappointed that people thought of Dixon of Dock Green as the program from the 1950s instead of the work he had done and what the program became under his watch. Joe Waters passed away recently and I wanted to pick something that showed his skill as a Producer and Director. In the episode I looked at, he did both.

Waste Land 14/11/70

This episode begins in a very a very abstract way. The camera is moving around outside at a location that looks like abandoned factories. It’s pretty bleak. I doubt that area is there anymore. I am sure that the area has been completely redeveloped. A woman is telling someone about a dream a man she knows often has.

We find out that there is a police officer missing. The woman who is speaking about the dream is his wife and it is his dream. He has been missing since the previous day. He is a mystery to us, the viewer, but he is also a mystery to the police in some way. His surname is Norman and he had joined the Metropolitan Police about 10 weeks previous. He had been in the Police force by not in London.

As the episode unfolds more, we find out a little bit more about Norman. He was attacked in 1965 while on duty by a gang of people who jumped him and hit him over the head with a metal bar. By his wife’s own admission, he had never been the same since. From that point on, his life changed. He believed he could find the people who did this to him. It took a lot out of him and his wife believes this is why he transferred to the Metropolitan police.

The investigation on the detective side is handed by Det. Sgt. Andy Crawford. Crawford has been in the series since the first episode in 1955 titled PC Crawford’s First Pinch. Crawford is actually Dixon’s Son-in-Law. His boss is Chief Inspector Presscott played by one of my favourite actors James Grout. He plays it with a suitable amount of “common sense”. Along with Crawford is Det. Con. Lauderdale. They start going around the area having conversations with the locals. One woman who is questioned has a son who spots and keeps notes on all police car numbers. It seems very much like a hobby I would have had when I was younger. Anyway, this woman is non-other than Anna Karen who played the awesome Olive in On the Buses. Seeing her in this brings up an interesting point.

There is something to be said about actors in the UK who were in big name series but ended up in smaller roles either during or just after their big programs ended. It seemed like there was no ego. It was actors staying employed. I think nowadays, at least in the US TV, the networks would probably milk it for as much publicity as possible. On the Buses was not only still going when this episode of Dixon of Dock Green was made but was hugely popular. She is great in this. It was a nice surprise to see her.

Lauderdale ends up finding a woman who may know something. In fact, Ruth Perry not only knew something but she was with Norman the night before. She would see him on a regular basis. Immediately the other officer’s attitudes change as it appears that Norman has been cheating on his wife. It makes it even more delicate as the entire time the investigation has been going on, Mrs. Norman has been with them, mainly with Dixon.

Ruth maintains that Norman would see her only to talk to her. She says Norman’s wife was not interested in what was going on in his life and he wanted to talk with someone about it. It soon becomes academic because the trail of what happened to Norman leads to a waterworks with waterfalls. As the officers continue to look, they get a call on the radio saying they found a body downstream in the water and confirmed it was Norman. Unfortunately, this call came through the radio as Mrs. Norman was sitting in the back of one of the police cars with Dixon. I guess she found out the hard way.

It is questionable what was going on with Norman that night. What was his true relationship with Ruth Perry and was it suicide? Norman was a very complicated person that really began when he was attacked. Chief Sup Bannister decides that the official record should say it was an accident. He tripped and fell in while in the line of duty. The Coroner labels it “death by misadventure.”

It’s a lie but it would appear that this serves a dual purpose. One it saves Mrs. Norman from knowing her husband was up to questionable activities. Two it also makes the Metropolitan police comes out looking good for the same reasons. Whether it was right or wrong, that was the decision. In the epilogue, Dixon personally believed Norman died five years ago when he was attacked. A very grim way to look at it.

As for Dixon himself, he is not very young anymore. He spends the entire episode watching over Mrs. Norman and asking her if she wants to go home while other people actual do something. It’s not so much a criticism but it is a direct link to the age of this character. This episode was the season premiere for Series 17. Jack Warner was born in 1895 and was 75 by the time this episode was made. He actually looked pretty good. My great-grandmother was born in 1891 and lived to be 102. Knowing her, it’s odd to think she was born before and lived longer than Jack Warner. Just a moment of morbidity.

The episode itself has a pretty uneventful perhaps even disappointing ending. Not disappointing for me but for all the people who were looking for Norman. There is hope for a happy ending of sorts but it never happens and perhaps it felt like there wasn’t going to be a happy ending from the start. It was bleak throughout the entire episode.  

The direction is good on this, especially in the beginning. As I have not seen any of the 1960s episodes leading up to this, I can’t help but feel this had to be a shock of sorts for the viewers. Something tells me the series never portrayed itself like this but I can’t be sure. There is a real gritty quality to the locations in this episode. Being shot entirely on film help sells this feel. The lighting is minimal and everything is real. There is nothing glamorous about the setting or locations in this episode. I watched this from the Acorn R2 DVD set and I am sure the others episodes follow the same look but I haven’t seen them all yet. I have watched the episode Domino from the final series and it seems to follow suit in this regard yet that is a standard mix of video interiors and film exteriors setting.

Speaking of gritty, the film print quality of the episode is pretty awful. It looks like it was telecined through dirt. According to the Kaleidoscope book of excellence, this episode exists as a 16mm print. Disgustingly, all the other episodes from Series 17 were made on the standard 2” video masters and they are all missing. So, thankfully it exists at all. I am not sure how Acorn received the episode to put onto this release but my guess it was provided on tape and not film. If it was on film, I don’t know if they would have done anything to clean it up since they are not known to put any money into that sort of thing. If this was a Network release, that would be a different story. Don’t get me wrong, I am glad we have this release but if you look at a “popular” title made at the same time such as Spearhead from Space, made during the same period and made the same way, you get an idea of what this could have looked like.

Joe Waters produced 86 episodes of Dixon of Dock Green. What I have seen from his era has been good but will this series ever lose the stigma of what people remember from the 1950s? Even if a ton of episodes are found from Philip Morris with his searches from around the world, would that go a long way to change people’s perception of the series? Probably not, it is my belief that most of the people who remember this series who are not ardent British television archive fans want to remember this series in its former 1950s glory with a black & white George Dixon saying to us  from the TV “Good evening all!”

Next week: Acorn Media is releasing a box set of the early episodes of Midsomer Murders. I love this series! I am going to review the new box set which looks at series 1-4.

Have a great week!
Do you have feedback, article requests or want to talk about a program but do not want to leave a public comment? Feel free to drop me an e-mail at FTA13867@gmail.com

I am on Twitter: @FromtheArchive

Also please subscribe to my From the Archive: British Television Blog Facebook Page for updates about new articles.
 

Blu Ray Review: The Day of the Doctor

Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor
3D Blu Ray/2D Blu Ray/DVD Combo  (Main Feature: 75 min)
Released by BBC Home Entertainment on December 10, 2013. SRP $29.98 (Blu Ray)
Subtitles: English SDH 4:3/16:9 DTS-HD 5.1  HD: 1080p

It is actually really difficult to find the words to start this review. For us to get to this point seems impossible. The fact that I am writing a review for the 50^th anniversary special to Doctor Who still seems to be a surreal experience. I am a life-long fan of the series. I have been watching it continuously since 1984. It was never mainstream. It went away for many years. When the series came back in 2005, it was a sizeable success in the UK and took a while to catch on again in the US. Over the past 3 years, I have been watching the stunning rise in popularity in this series. The amount of people who are fans is mind-numbing to me. If there was ever a time to see proof as to how far this series has come in popularity, it would be the 50^th anniversary of Doctor Who with this episode, The Day of the Doctor, as the anchor.

The story itself is a feast for the eyes and memories of the series. Almost more than anything else this was the bridge between the classic series and the new series but done in a very unorthodox way. The biggest revelation was given to us at the end of Series 7 with The Name of the Doctor when we found out that there was another Doctor that no one knew about before now. This was an incarnation that the Doctor had tried really hard to forget even as going as far as saying that this person does not deserve the name of the Doctor. It was clear almost immediately this version (played by John Hurt) had something to do with the Time War.

Ah yes, the Time War. This concept was introduced to us when Doctor Who returned to our screens in 2005. This changed much of the series for us long-time fans. The biggest change was this Time War pitted the Time Lords against the Daleks and both races were obliterated leaving just the Doctor left to bear the weight of his actions. The mystery of Doctor Who soon became about what happened in the Time War to turn the Doctor into someone who mourned his actions in the Time War and was the man who ended it all “in the name of peace and sanity”. How this was achieved has been a mystery.

By the time we get to the start of the Matt Smith era, the Time War takes less precedence in the series. It is still mentioned but not as a prevalent as it had been. The idea that it would take the center stage for the 50^th anniversary seemed right. The concept had been around long enough that it was now a cornerstone of the mythology of the series that it seemed right to be included.

The special melted my heart immediately when this episode opened with the original title sequence from 1963. It sets the perfect tone for the special reminding us how this series started. It even goes a step further with an updated recreation of the first episode with a police officer walking past a sign for the I.M. Foreman Junkyard and in black & white no less. I am impressed that a junkyard can stay in business for over 50 years. I wonder if Steptoe’s rag & bone yard is still around?

The story starts off so happy. Clara gets a message from the Doctor at the school she teaches at. It’s called Coal Hill School. Not everyone is going to get it which is fine. I get it and that is all that matters, to me. Clara takes her motorcycle and rides out to where the TARDIS is located. It is such a happy moment. The music and visuals paint a fun atmosphere fitting of a celebration. It is clear that the Doctor and Clara have become really close. Soon something happens. The TARDIS gets picked up via a helicopter and is transported to the National Museum. UNIT is responsible for this. UNIT was featured in the 10^th anniversary story, it is seen in the 20th anniversary story, and is even a part of the 30^th anniversary Children in Need special Dimensions in Time. It is so appropriate that it is a major part of this story.

The Doctor has been brought there for a specific reason but is sidetracked by a painting. The painting is called either “No More” or “Gallifrey Falls”. The 3D painting reminds the Doctor of the worse time of his life; the time where he killed the Time Lords and the Daleks to finish the Time War. We, as the viewer, are transported to the Time War, which we saw a little of in The End of Time. This is where we get a proper introduction to the Doctor also known as the War Doctor. We find out that he is done with the years and years of trying to get the war to end. He is tired.

We get a glimpse of the Time War being fought on Gallifrey. We are seeing horrible carnage. Daleks invade Arcadia. This is a lush scene with lots of action, explosions and Daleks. We get cities built in CG and are treated to a lot of visually stimulating imagery including watching the TARDIS used as a weapon against invading Daleks.

The War Doctor steals The Moment. The Moment is a powerful weapon of Time Lord technology where the operating system became sentient. From there, this tired version of the Doctor takes the weapon and decides to use it to end the war. It will destroy Gallifrey, the Daleks and himself. He brings the weapon to an unknown planet and we see The Moment up close. It is a box that has an intricate clockwork style innards. What the Doctor doesn’t realize is that the interface takes a familiar form. Perhaps not familiar to the Doctor (yet) but familiar to us. It looks like Rose Tyler but it is in fact meant to be Bad Wolf.

She is aware that the Doctor wants to end the war in a horrible fashion but she devises a way for him to see the lasting effect on himself if he does this. The Doctor does not want to live through this but this is what The Moment will make sure happen if he uses the device. She will make sure he lives as punishment for destroying everything.

She devises a way for this version of the Doctor to see the future by opening up a time portal. Once opened something immediately falls through. It is…….a fez.

To me this is one of the most fascinating aspects of this story. The storyline gets very complicated very quickly but Moffat and director Nick Hurran do an incredible job of making this whole segment work seamlessly. In a matter of minutes, the War Doctor gets a Fez through a portal, we catch up with the Tenth Doctor, we find out there is a Zygon plot, Tenth and Eleventh Doctor meet and the War Doctor catches up with both of them. It is handled brilliantly through clever editing and great storytelling. I am seriously impressed by this segment. The overriding plot becomes the War Doctor seeing what has happened to him since he destroyed Gallifrey which will ultimately help him to decide if he should still go ahead with this plan.

The interesting thing about this story is that the Doctor (really any of them) are not put into any danger. It’s more of a long decision the War Doctor needs to make. I have been critical in writing and in podcasts about the Steven Moffat era of the show. I think Matt Smith is brilliant but I have found the writing of the series from Series 6 onwards to be disappointing but I feel this episode captures the right amount of celebratory goodness that I really needed from this story.

I think anyone going into this needs to have seen the new series more so than anything else. As I mentioned, this story features heavily on the back story of the Time War. Something introduced to us when the series came back. There are things in this that I feel like I would normally be pulling my hair out over in dislike but I really enjoyed in The Day of the Doctor. Simple things as the use of the phrase timey-wimey which is a huge annoyance to me these days. The use of the sonic screwdriver as a weapon is also hugly disappointing but these are OK down to one man. John Hurt.

Perhaps it’s not down to John Hurt solely as the War Doctor but more to do with how Steven Moffat wisely chooses to make a distinct split in how the Doctor sees himself and his place in everything and it mirrors the shift in how the Doctor has been portrayed as a character between classic series and new series. It’s not an us versus them scenario but a comedic reflection on how the series have changed. It’s bound to in 50 years, right? Examples of this are the War Doctor confusing the 10^th and 11^th Doctor for companions of the Doctor, the lack of the 10^th and 11^th Doctor speaking properly (such as phrases like time-wimey), not using the sonic screwdriver a scientific instrument, and making note of the kissing between the 10^th Doctor and Elizabeth. These are all examples of how the War Doctor makes comments to how the Doctor has changed. It’s nice to see the series make fun of itself but also serves a dramatic purpose of the Doctor trying to forget and move on from the horrible conclusion of the Time War.

I think everyone gave a real stellar performance in this episode. Matt Smith was very gracious to allow these other actors and characters so many great lines and situations while the whole time nobody questioned this was still his show. One small example as to why he is going to be missed so much! Jenna Coleman is his current companion Clara. I have not warmed to her up until now. This is mainly because Moffat set her up as one of the most important companions in the Doctor’s own history even before we had a chance to know her. I think she is perfect in this. She is lovely and makes a huge impact on this story. She is a big part of the climax to the episode without getting in the way. Welcome to Doctor Who Clara!

Returning to the series is Billie Piper as The Moment. It is such a bold and wonderful decision to bring her back but have her only seen by the War Doctor. I know there are a couple of fans who were disappointed by the lack of interaction between Tennant and Piper in this episode but I loved it. Every time Piper had returned to the series after Doomsday, I felt she wasn’t as good. It didn’t work for me. Here she is beyond excellent. She is funny, sexy and so pivotal to the Doctor’s future. The first scene between her and the War Doctor is probably my favorite as she keeps saying “No More!” It is also edited really well too.

David Tennant returns as the 10^th Doctor. As you can read here, I am not a big fan of his version of the Doctor. Yet, I loved him here and I was so happy he was back. There was a kind of self-effacing, self-deprecating quality to his Doctor that I felt wasn’t there during his era. If this is what we would have got if he stayed an extra year under Moffat’s watch, I would have been very interested in that. Just as I would be completely interested in a series of adventures between Smith and Tennant both as the Doctor. They play so well together. Even I got a bit fan-girlish when Tennant put on the fez. Next thing you know, I’ll start to use the word squee!

John Hurt is the War Doctor. I had no idea what to expect from him. I literally thought he would be evil. It turned out, he was the Doctor. It just goes to show us, the Doctor is always the Doctor. If you wonder why after 50 years, this series is still important, it is because of this statement. The Doctor is always the Doctor.

This isn’t a detailed synopsis of the story but it is a Blu Ray review so I will not give away the ending. At some point I will write a full on article but this isn’t it. I am saying this because I want to talk about the ending. Not to give it away but if you look at Doctor Who as a whole, not separating new series from classic series, then for me, the ending was a defining moment in the history of the series. There is a moment where a decision will need to be made and it is a wonderful chilling and emotional moment that makes me so proud to be a fan of this series.

I will say there are some great moments that I must share. I love the opening of the episode from use of the Hartnell title sequence to Clara leaving Coal Hill School and riding out to see the Doctor. He is wearing Amy Pond’s glasses which is such a nice touch. The opening is fun, inspirational and fresh. Something that shows this 50 year old program is showing no signs of slowing down. I love the use of familiar music cues from Clara’s theme to the Dalek theme to Martha’s theme which is also a way to re-introduce us to the 10^th Doctor. I heard that there was no budget for a new score for the music but if that is the case, it turned out well for us. I love the use of familiar dialogue said by other actors such as “You’ve redecorated! I don’t like it!” and others.

I love Doctor Who and I really enjoy the new series but I will be honest, I don’t watch it as much as the classic series. I have probably, in a very short amount of time, have watch this episode more than any other new series episodes possibly bar Rose. I truly love this episode to bits. I hope you enjoy it too.

Extras:

I feel for this being a one-off Blu Ray release, there is actually quite a lot of value for money here:

There are two mini-episodes that were released online prior to the broadcast of The Day of the Doctor. One wasn’t as good but the other was a fan’s dream come true.

The Night of the Doctor: This is something many of us fans have wanted to see since the series returned in 2005. In a surprise to us all, this mini-episode featured the return of Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor. The story, as short as it is, gives us some great background as to what has happened with this incarnation of the Doctor as well as a bridge between the classic and new series plus serves as a way to set up the anniversary special. I love how Paul McGann has so little time in this but he comes across magnificently. It almost makes me sad to know that there wasn’t a whole TV series made for his Doctor. Of course for those of you who want to see that can find whole seasons of his Doctor done in audio form from Big Finish productions.

The Last Day: This is a slightly odd mini-episode that focuses around the defense of Arcadia, the second city on Gallifrey. There is some strange re-use of people (Time Lords?) going on who are reconstituted as new guards that is not really explained. Their responsibility it to watch the skies to make sure no Daleks are invading even though the thought of such a thing is impossible. Then, the impossible happens.

It is clear that both mini-episodes don’t really have a huge budget. The Night of the Doctor strength lies in Paul McGann and other guest cast members. Any of the special effects in the episode are minimal. The Last Day is a little different. It is a little more effects heavy and stuff like the appearance of Daleks look to me at least a little rough. I highly recommend The Night of the Doctor which to me holds an essential place in Doctor Who history.

Doctor Who Explained: This is a documentary by the people who made the individual Doctor documentaries for BBC America, The Doctor Revisited. Its 50 minutes in length and I feel does a really good job of spreading the wealth between classic series guests and new series guests. I don’t feel it is to heavy one direction over the other. It has interviews with the following Doctors: Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, David Tennant, and Matt Smith. It has loads of companions such as William Russell, Carole Ann Ford, Frazer Hines, Nicola Bryant, Sophie Aldred, Arthur Darville, Karen Gillan, and Jenna Coleman. Just when you think you see all the people who are being interviewed, suddenly people like Matthew Waterhouse shows up. Once again, I gave praise to David Tennant above for his portrayal of the Doctor and here he comes across with intelligent thoughtful answers. I felt he has been this way through all of The Doctor Revisited specials.

Behind-The –Scenes Feature: This is a short look at the making of The Day of the Doctor narrated by Colin Baker. It is a fun feature keeping in the same fun vein as the anniversary special. Some nice moments on here and it is short enough to not outstay its welcome.

Comic Con Trailer: This is the trailer for The Day of the Doctor shown at Comic Con that was a big secret. No one uploaded it to YouTube which was frustrating as it was the very first look at this much anticipated special. Now seeing it, I have to admit that I am glad this was not the first promo I saw for the anniversary special. The ones shown on BBC1 in November were much better in my opinion and the one on here is only alright. It does beg the question, why are the BBC1 trailers/promos not on this disc? That is a miss.

Doctor Who 50^th Anniversary Tribute Teaser Trailer: This is one of the coolest trailers ever done. When I first heard there was going to be a trailer for the 50^th, I just assumed clips and the theme music. This is a wonderfully creative look at our favorite series. I have read complaints online about how people didn’t think it was technically interesting or that it doesn’t look like Jon Pertwee for the Third Doctor, blah, blah, blah. I am sorry but I love it and I love the fact I now own this in 1080p. I still tear up a bit when I watch it and it gets to the part with Sarah Jane. Wonderful stuff!

Packaging:

First off, this release is a 2D/3D Blu Ray & DVD combo. I find the 3D element of the story to be interesting but not great. It almost feels like the 3D was an afterthought. There are moments that I feel opportunities were missed to enhance something in 3D such as when the 11^th Doctor throws his fez into the time fissure. This could have a huge 3D impact but didn’t. Other things had a 3D effect that felt uninteresting such as the Doctor pointing to something off-center but it was oddly profoundly 3D. I will admit, I think 3D is a fad and is uninteresting to me. I do not need to be immersed in the action to be immersed into the story. So I may not be the best person to pass judgment on this aspect of the release.

What I am impressed with is that with this release is the DVD that comes with it. Normally on some of the releases by other studios that include a copy on DVD, we may only get the main feature and nothing else. With this Blu Ray set, the DVD is a complete DVD including all of the extras that were mention above on the Blu Ray. I think that is a pretty cool move and I applaud it.

The packaging itself is a standard double Blu Ray case with a cool lenticular slip case which is kind of neat. Finally, the set comes with some trading cards I don’t know what I will do with them other than keep them in the case but it’s kind of fun. The art on the cards is kind of nice and when you lay them out the images actually connect to form one image of all the Doctors. Cool! There are also some facts about the Doctor on the back of the cards.

This was a special episode and I am suitably impressed with this release. These new series releases don’t tend to have the volume of content that the classic series releases have but I feel that this release does a good job of giving us value for money and an excellent episode to boot!

This is a very non-spoilery look at The Day of the Doctor. If you are interested in a full commentary/conversational style look at this episode, please check out the podcast I am on called The Others where we look at The Day of the Doctor. Please check it out here. Direct link to MP3 here.

Next week: I look at an episode of a series that is a real treasure of British television. I look at an episode of Dixon of Dock Green. Though I look at an episode from later in the series where it is not quite the same show people think of from the 1950s. As a loose tribute to Producer/Director Joe Waters, I look at Wasteland.

Have a great week!
Do you have feedback, article requests or want to talk about a program but do not want to leave a public comment? Feel free to drop me an e-mail at FTA13867@gmail.com

I am on Twitter: @FromtheArchive

Also please subscribe to my From the Archive: British Television Blog Facebook Page for updates about new articles.

The Three Wise Men of Darrowby

How does a special show celebrate a special episode? It may seem like an odd question but as it is well established that I dearly love All Creatures Great & Small, there is something very special indeed about this series. It is usual custom for TV series to set apart their Christmas episodes from the regular run in a series. Arguably, 1970s churned out some great Christmas episodes of my favourite series. This 1978 installment would be one of my absolute favourites of all time.

There was a period of time that I was not watching All Creatures Great & Small. This was not for any reason of dislike towards the series. Actually far from it. It was on my mind constantly. As I mentioned in other articles, I started to watch this wonderful series on KTCA on Sunday evenings in the mid-1980s. The series itself went a long way to cementing my love for all things British. KTCA stopped running the series not long after I started to watch it. I would hazard a guess that would be because they went through the three series and decided not to keep running it. I did catch the later episodes on A&E sometime in the early 1990s but although I enjoyed them, they were nothing like what I had remembered. I really wanted to see the episodes that I was most familiar with and wasn’t finding them anywhere.

I remember in 1993, I was visiting a friend in Sheboygan WI and we turned on the TV only to find an episode of the classic run of All Creatures Great & Small playing. I was ecstatic! I hadn’t seen them in years! I asked my friend if his parents wouldn’t mind taping them for me and he, quite rightly, said they would not tape it for me. There was no hesitation in his answer.  So the search went on. By chance, in 1994, I went to a garage sale and found a bunch of VHS tapes. Maybe 5 of them. They had on them, taped at LP speed, episodes from Series 1 & 2 of All Creatures Great & Small recorded off KTCA. Because these early episodes had not been seen around here in such a long time, I might as well have just found 4 episodes of The Web of Fear. It was that exciting to me. So, I obviously bought those. I was in for a treat.

For some reason, many of my memories of episodes this series came from 1 episode, Merry Gentlemen. I don’t know why since I really don’t remember originally watching it. When I watched the A&E episodes, I thought maybe my memory cheated with how good this series was but when I got a hold of this few episodes, I realized that I was not mis-remembering at all. This was truly an amazing series and I have watched one of the best installments to right about here.

Merry Gentlemen 24/12/78

The episode starts with Gypsies arriving at a farm. They come through twice a year and spend time there before they move along to another place. It’s the holiday season getting close to Christmas. The idea of war is imminent and it is the thought of enjoying their time together now as there is an uncertain future. Tristan believes, pretty much right up until the war that war will not break out. Everyone else is not so certain.

As usual with an episode of All Creatures Great & Small, this episode is made up of a lot of smaller stories which brings everything together at the end to come up with a happy ending. There are a lot of great moments in this episode. What I love about Merry Gentlemen is that although it is a Christmas episode, it doesn’t get bogged down in the holiday. It is not a saccharine induced set of moments where I am forced to feel happy. At the end of the episode, I feel happy because these characters are not only well-written but beautifully realized by the actors.

When I said a lot of my memories come from this episode, I guess in reality only one memory really is strongly associated with it. James and Siegfried need to go to the Hewison farm to look at a horse. This is a fairly easy call but Siegfried knows the real reason why he was called out. It is a tradition in the Hewison family that Siegfried passes judgment on the holiday cake Mrs. Hewison makes. They feel that Siegfried has an impeccable palette. Mrs. Hewison shares a secret with James. She is not serving Siegfried her cake but one made by her sister. She wants to see if he will notice the difference and if he will be truthful with his response.

Courtesy of John Archbold

This is an absurd situation but directly in a very serious way. She cuts into the cake, it looks like she is cutting into dense piece of cardboard. The plate that will have the amazing piece of cake is passed ceremonious from person to person before it gets to Siegfried. It becomes tense as he takes the cake and examines it carefully. He thoughtfully feels the texture of the cake between his fingers. Taking in the sight and smell of it. The camera virtually does a 360 degree turn around as we see the entire family and James anxiously look on to see Siegfried’s verdict. The director, Christopher Barry, really allows this scene to take it’s time and play out. No music. It just takes it’s time which makes the whole scene brilliant. Finally Siegfried takes a bite.  He looked onto Mrs. Hewison and says solemnly after he takes another sip of whiskey “This is a good cake. It’s a very good cake indeed but if you may permit me to say that this is not up to your normal standards.” Suddenly the room erupts with happiness. Siegfried is a hero! I have paraphrased what Siegfried had said but one thing is certain. I have watched this episode many times and nearly every time I see this scene, I ask myself if I would have the guts to be as truthful as Siegfried and if I did, would I be able to deliver the news in such a perfect way.

Another interesting this about the Hewisons is that Mr. Hewison was played by Robert Brown. To many of us, he is also known as M in the James Bond film series replacing Bernard Lee. It is interesting as I have seen both of them play British country farmers. Brown in this and Lee in the “pilot” for the Nigel Kneale series Beasts in an installment of Against The Crowd called Murrain. It wasn’t really a pilot but it certainly got people at ATV interested in putting Beasts into production.

Of course there is something wrong with the Gypsies, or more accurately one of their donkeys. One has tetanus and may die. The Gypsy father doesn’t want to pay for the donkey to be mended, although that donkey is a favourite of his daughter’s Margie. Finally, Siegfried is able to persuade the father to allow them to treat the donkey as a gift to Margie but only Siegfreid and the Gypsy father know of this arrangement. The father is too proud to accept gifts like that but in this case has been persuaded to do so for the love of his daughter.

Of course what we really need in a festive episode like this is Mrs. Pumphrey and something going wrong with Tricki woo. In fact, Siegfried was wondering if they needed to check in on her and the animal since it was getting near Christmas and he wanted to make sure they would be remembered so they would receive a hamper from Fortnum and Mason’s with all sorts of decadent goodies. That is one of my favourite aspects of the series is when we see food. I am certainly a foodie and love watching how food is portrayed in a TV series. All the meals Mrs. Hall prepares in the series look hearty and wonderful, always being served in nice dinnerware. There is a very procedural way they eat and it always fascinates me.

Sadly, Tricki Woo is dying. He is so sick that even the vets are not completely sure he will recover. Siegfried comes up with an inspired idea. They take Tricki Woo with them and treat him at Skeldale House. While being treated at Skeldale House, Mrs. Pumphrey visits daily (at 10am exactly). There is a funny moment when she comes into the surgery with a defeated face and says, “He’s dead. Isn’t he.” She had a dream that Tricki Woo had died and James was holding back from telling her until after the Christmas holiday. Of course nothing could be further from the truth since it is a Christmas episode of All Creatures Great & Small and death is simply not on. With the miraculous saving of Tricki Woo which is really down to the care of Helen, what does Mrs. Pumphrey do? Sends a gigantic hamper of all sorts of wonderful goodies. I wish I could sample some of that!

The relationship between Tristan and his brother Siegfried is truly one of the highlights of the series and this episode is no exception. It is clear that Siegfried gets exasperated by Tristan but there are moments that he is truly a caring brother. Such as when Tristan cuts himself earlier in the episode while trying to clean the hoof of the donkey that is being treated. It is revealed, over one of Mrs. Hall amazing dinners, that Tristan never had a tetanus shot. Siegfried calmly stops dinner and quietly asks his brother to come with him. He takes him to the local doctor to get a shot. The whole time just being calm which is the exact opposite we all would expect from Siegfried.

Just as he can be caring, he is also mischievous. He plays a joke on his brother once he realizes that Tristan wants to see inside a secret room that has been locked for years. Listening in on a conversation between Tristan and James about how Tristan is going to get the key to the room, Siegfried gets in the room first and plants a skeleton sitting at the dining room table with his head separated from the body resting on a plate in front of it. It scares the hell out of Tristan who becomes hysterical. A high light of the episode is watching Siegfried catching Tristan pouring himself a drink to calm his nerves. At the end of the episode, while everyone is getting ready for midnight mass, Siegfried has a gift for his brother, “a gift of pure friendship”. Tristan opens it up to find skeleton keys and then realizes that he was set up by his brother.

Why was this room locked in the first place? Simply because the house is so big that Siegfried didn’t want to have an extra room for Mrs. Hall to clean that wouldn’t be used. Plus, there is also a fine selection of vintage wines in there too. I had wondered if this is the episode that had a story I heard Peter Davison retell a couple of times at conventions. He talk about an episode that had vintage wine that were brought in as props for the episode. For authenticity sake, they were real bottles of vintage wine. The cast were not allow to touch them but they ended up opening a bottle and drinking it without knowing how old the wine was. I’ve often wondered if it was this episode or a different one. Does anyone know?

Finally, I mention how many of my memories seem surrounded by this episode but the memory also cheats for me. I swore that this was the episode Patrick Troughton was in. Even up to the point of watching it this time to write this article, I expected him to be the father of the gypsies and when he wasn’t that I figured he would be a different character later in the episode. He is not in this episode at all. He was in the Series 3 episode Hair of the Dog. I am not even in the right season!

If you have this on disc, Merry Gentlemen should be essential holiday viewing every year. It is the right balance of being a Christmas episode without going overboard. Christmas episodes of series sometimes border on pantomime of themselves. I think a prime example of this is the Public Eye episode Horse and Carriage. I am sure there is a lot of room for those type of episodes but this is perfect. What a wonderful treat to watch every year. Special thank to John Archbold for providing the scans for the 1978 edition of The Radio Times.

Next week: The Blu Ray review to the 50^th anniversary special to Doctor Who, The Day of the Doctor!

Have a great week!

Do you have feedback, article requests or want to talk about a program but do not want to leave a public comment? Feel free to drop me an e-mail at FTA13867@gmail.com

I am on Twitter: @FromtheArchive

Also please subscribe to my From the Archive: British Television Blog Facebook Page for updates about new articles.

Courtesy of John Archbold