OK, so its time for another post on this blog and apologies for not doing as many as I would normally do this year but other things get in the way at times (usually laziness!).
However today I decided its time for another review and this one will be on a rather special Doctor Who story (well in a way) as it is the last story from the original series run back in 1989 and the story in question is Sylvester McCoy's swansong, Survival. Now, I've never been very keen on this story but I decided to give it another chance to see how it is after all these years.
So, is the last story of the original Doctor Who series a disappointment??? Well, let's find out...
And the usual warning is coming...
PLOT SPOILERS ARE AHEAD!!!
STORY
So, the story begins with the Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) and his companion Ace (Sophie Aldred) returning to Ace's home, Perivale, as she is keen to find out how her old friends are getting on. However things are not what they appear to be as there is a mysterious black cat hanging around, targetting humans and making them disappear into another dimension. Ace also discovers that most of her friends have disappeared, however the Doctor is more interested in the strange cat's behaviour as he tries to track it down. Ace however soon falls victim of the cat herself as she is transported to another world where she is chased by one of a race called the Cheetah people.
The Doctor meanwhile continues to try and track the cat and as he follows up to a brick wall, he is soon accosted by a local keep-fit instructor, Paterson (Julian Holloway) who the Doctor and Ace run into earlier but they are soon also transported into the other world where they are also hounded by the Cheetah people. But its not long before the Doctor stumbles across who is really behind all the disappearances, who is none other than his old foe, the Master (Anthony Ainley) who wants the Doctor's help to aid him in his escape from the Cheetah world, which is on the verge of destruction...
THOUGHTS
Well in the past I've never been so keen on Survival as a story in general, however after giving another go, I found myself quite enjoying it and now think its a good one, which is a fitting end to the original series and as McCoy's swansong its a very decent way to go out. Its just a pity after this that the show would then be cancelled even though it was never properly announced but by this time the ratings of the show had really gone down and the powers that be at the BBC decided it was time to call it a day on Doctor Who.
However, it has to be said that the story itself has quite alot going for it as it was written by Rona Munro went on to become quite a successful tv and theatre writer. The story also has quite a menacing mood to it throughout, particularly in the first episode which has plenty of mystery to it and the reveal of the Master is well handled as the first cliffhanger. Also as a three parter, the story never lags and its pacing is pretty taut throughout and its also another on that let's Ace's character stand out as she tries to reuinte with her old friends and later on falls under the influence of the Cheetah people.
PERFORMANCES (Warning: this section may contain spoilers!)
As for the performances, well they are all excellent here as a fine cast give this story their best.
For starters, Sylvester McCoy is excellent again as the Seventh Doctor and by his swansong he had become very self assured in the role, as he plays the Doc with a sense of goofy charm but also there is always underlying seriousness to him aswell.
As for a few of McCoy's notable scenes, there is the one where the Doctor tries to grab the mysterious cat but the fitness instructor, Sgt Paterson stops him. So, Paterson grabs the Doctor and says "Now, what do you think you're up to?! I've had complaints!" and the Doctor asks "What's it got to do with you?!" and Paterson says "Neighbourhood watch". The Doctor dismissively says "I've got no time for that! I've got to catch that cat!" but Paterson restrains him and says "You're public nuisance!" the Doctor struggles and says "Will you leave me go!". Paterson however says "Now don't yourself into real trouble!" and the Doctor suddenly presses his finger against Paterson's head, who falls to the ground unconscious. The Doctor then reiterates what Paterson said to him earlier "One finger can be a deadly weapon!".
Another good scene is where the Doctor and the Master have their final confrontation which begins in Perivale but they are soon transported to the Cheetah people planet, which by then is disintegrating.
So, in the scene in Perivale the Doctor catches the Master tries to pick the lock of the Doc's TARDIS and the Doctor sneaks up behind and says "Good hunting?!" and the Master says "Yes it would seem to easy. It seems we must always meet again" and they begin to circle each other as the Doc says "They do say opposites attract".
WARNING: THE NEXT TWO PARAGRAPHS FEATURE SPOILERS!!
So, after a few taunts, the Master grabs the Doctor by the throat and they are suddenly transported to the Cheetah planet, which is beginning to destroy itself. The Master then says to the Doctor as they struggle "Welcome to my new home, Doctor!". However, the Doctor manages to force the Master down onto his back and he grabs a skull and lifts it above his head but then notices the Cheetah people disappear around him. So, the Doctor snaps out of his rage and says "They've gone! What am I doing?! We've got to go! We've got to stop!" and the Master says "You can't go! Not this time!" and the Doctor tells "Yes, we can!" and the Master tells him "Escape to what?! I don't choose to live like an animal!". The Master then grabs the Doctor by the throat again and tells him "You should have killed me, Doctor!" and then the Doctor yells the most memorable line of the story "IF WE FIGHT LIKE ANIMALS, WE'LL DIE LIKE ANIMALS!!!" and he is suddenly transported back to Perivale.
And last of all is the scene where the turns up behind a teary eyed Ace, who had picked up the Doctor's hat and umbrella and she is wearing his hat but then he suddenly takes it from her and says "Mine, I believe!". Ace then asks the Doctor of the Master "But the Master?" and the Doctor says grimly "Who knows?" and then with a cheerier tone he asks Ace "Where now to, Ace?" and Ace says "Home" and the Doctor a little puzzled asks "Home?" and Ace cheerily says "The TARDIS!" and the Doctor smiles and says "Ah yes!".
And so the Doctor finishes with his memorable little speech as he puts an arm around Ace and they walk off together. So he tells Ace "There are worlds out there where the sky is burning, where the sea's asleep and the rivers dream, people made of smoke and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice and somewhere else the tea is getting cold. Come on, Ace, we've got work to do!".
Sophie Aldred next up here in Survival probably delivers her very best performance as Ace in the show as she is terrific in this story and she shows Ace's courage, humour and vulnerability as she is taken over by the Cheetah people.
And I will mention a few of Sophie's scenes that include her first one where the Doctor and Ace arrive in Perivale on a Sunday, much to Ace's disappointment. So, Ace, disgruntled tells the Doctor "You had to pick a Sunday, didn't you? You bring me back to the boredom capitol of the universe, you pick the one day of the week you can't even get a decent television programme!". The Doctor then says to her "As I recall, Ace, we came here at your request" and Ace grumpily says "I just said I wondered what the old gang was up to, that's all. You didn't have to bring us here. You could have dropped me up in town. I could have phoned. I just wanted to see what my old mates were up to. You didn't have to have the guided tour!". The Doctor then asks Ace "What's so terrible about Perivale?" and Ace says "Nothing ever happens here".
WARNING:NEXT PARAGRAPH IS A SPOILER!!!
Then there is the scene which is the cliffhanger of episode two (which is a pretty good one!) where the Doctor tells Ace, Paterson, Derek and Shreela, while trapped on the Cheetah people planet that they will wait for next one of the them to change into a Cheetah person and they will then get back home. So, suddenly in the scene we see one of the Cheetah people, Kara arrive on her horse and Shreela shouts out "Look!" and Ace with her back turned from the other says "Oh yeah. She's better. Doctor look!" and she then turns around we see her eyes are now yellow! Dun dun!
Another good scene is when Ace in the final episode tells the Doctor how she feels as the influence of the Cheetah comes and her eyes keep going between yellow and normal. So, Ace tells the Doctor "Its weird, Doctor. I think I like this place. I like it. I feel like I belong here" and the Doctor says "Connected" and Ace says "I'm a bit scared. It feels exciting!" and the Doctor asks her "What do you feel?" and Ace says with excitment "I feel like I could run forever! I can smell things as clear as pictures!". The Doctor then asks Ace "Anything else, Ace?" and she says "Well, I'm starving, Professor!".
And lastly there is perhaps Sophie's best scene where she shows Ace's angst and desparation as she faces the Master and struggles to control the hold that the Cheetah planet has on her. So, in the scene Ace has the Master set his thugs on her as they approach her she is aware of the animal instinct in her and says to herself "I must not fight. I must not fight! Help me! Help me! WON'T SOMEBODY HELP ME???!!" and then all of a sudden, Kara appears out of nowhere on her horse to Ace's rescue.
Anthony Ainley next is excellent as the Master and here he gives his best performance in the role as his depiction of the Master prior to this had always been quite hammy but here Ainley really scales back the ham and produces a more restrained and chilling take on the Master.
So, to mention a few of his scenes there is the one where we first properly see the Master as the Doctor has been transported to the Cheetah people's planet and he is pushed toward a tent and the Doc is soon face to face with his mortal enemy. So, in the scene the Master simply says to the Doctor "Why, Doctor. What an unexpected pleasure!".
SPOILERS COMING UP IN NEXT PARAGRAPHS!
Then there is the scene near the end of part two where Midge has transformed into a human version of the Cheetah people with yellow eyes and fangs and he growls and the Master holds him by a chain round Midge's neck. So, in the scene the Master grins and explains "You see, Doctor, you did help me. You kept these others alive just long enough to serve my purposes!". The Doctor then urges the growling Midge not to listen to the Master "Midge wait!" but the Master laughs and says "Don't worry, one of these others will become a Cheetah animal before you. You can escape in your turn. Or are you too squeamish? Only the animals of this place can leave, Doctor, because they carry it with them!". The Doctor then pleads with Midge "Midge, listen to me!" but the Master laughs mockingly and says "He doesn't remember his name!" and he looks to Midge and says "Midge, go home!" and the two of the disappear in a flash.
And last of all there is the scene where the Doctor confronts the Master for the final time (in the story anyway!) and in the scene the Doctor catches the Master trying to pick the lock of the TARDIS. So, in the scene "It seems we must always meet again!" and the Doctor says to him "They do say opposites attract!". The Master then taunts the Doctor by saying "But this is the end, Doctor. You see it. It's a power. A power from that planet. It's growing within me. Are you frightened yet?!" and the Doctor says "No". The Master taunts the Doctor more and says "You should be. You should be. It nearly beat me. Such a simple, brutal power. Just the power of tooth and claw. It nearly destroyed me, a Time Lord. But I won. I control that force, Doctor. And now, at last, I have the power to destroy you!".
The Master then grabs the Doctor and the two of them are transported to the Cheetah planet again, which by now is collapsing around them. So, the Master says to the Doctor "Welcome to my new home, Doctor!" however as the Doctor almost succumbs to his primal rage in nearly killing the Master, he stops himself. So, the Doctor then says "I can't do this! We must go!" and the Master shouts "You can't go! Not this time!" and the Doctor says "Yes we can!" and the Master says "Escape to what?! I don't choose to live as an animal!". The Doctor then shouts "If we fight, we'll destroy this planet! We'll destroy ourselves!" and the Master gains the upper hand and grabs the Doc by the throat and he shouts "You should have killed me, Doctor!".
Julian Holloway does very well in his role as the tough fitness instructor and ex army Sergeant, Paterson, who ends up getting trapped on the Cheetah planet along with the Doctor and the others.
And Holloway has some good scenes aswell but I will just mention just his first one where he does a self defence class and two of them fight each other with Paterson having a go at the winner for not beating down their opponent hard enough. So, as the winner of the fight, Stuart, says "But I already beat him, Sarge!" Paterson taunts him and pokes at him "Oh, you think I'm too hard, do you? Pushing you too hard, am I? Have you ever heard of survival of the fittest, son, eh? Have you ever heard of that? Life's not a game, son. I mean, I'm teaching you the art of survival. I'm teaching you to fight back. What happens when life starts pushing you around, son, eh? What're you going to do then?!!". Stuart angrily tries to hit Paterson, who swiftly grabs Stuart's arm and he restrains him and Paterson satisifed says "That's better!".
So, as the group leave the class, the Doctor and Ace, who were watching and not too impressed approach Paterson and the Doctor says "Survival of the fittest?! That's a rather glib generalisation, don't you think? Survival for what, Misterer?" and Paterson tells him firmly "Sergeant Paterson. You show me a better way of living and I'll give it a go!".
Lisa Bowerman also does pretty well in her role as Karra, one of the Cheetah people, who befriends Ace but she remains largely hostile to everyone else around her.
So, I will mention just one of her scenes quickly such as the one where Ace and Karra become friend and they travel together and stop at a partly eaten corpse. So, Karra tells Ace "Good hunt. Good hunting" and Ace says to her "You kill people. You eat people!" and Karra says "When I'm hungry I hunt. When I hunt, I eat". Ace, rather troubled by this asks Karra "Would you eat me?" and Karra says "There is meat here" but Ace reiterates her question "Yeah, but if there wasn't, would you kill me?" and Kara looks at her and asks "How fast can you run, sister?" and Ace tells her "Fast enough" and Karra smiles and says "Ah, that would be a good hunt! Are you hungry? Come and eat".
Will Barton next is also pretty good in his role as Midge, who is transported to the Cheetah world also and falls under the influence of the Master in the process.
And just for time I will mention one of Will's main scenes where by this time he is well under the influence of the Master and in the scene he turns up at his old gym wearing a shiny suit he addresses some of the members there waiting for Paterson's class. So, Midge says to them "Waiting on the Sarge? He's been held up. He asked me to have a little chat with you. I learned a secret today. The secret of success. Thought I'd share it with you!".
So, Midge then walks around and addresses the group loudly and says "It's common sense, right? It's just the way of the world, right? Survival of the fittest. Get rid of the deadwood, let the wasters go to the wall, and the strong will inherit the earth. You and me. Do you hear what I'm saying?! Do you know what I'm talking about?!".
And the last few I will mention are Sakauntala Ramanee who plays the part of Shreela, one of Ace's friends and she does pretty well in the role but for time I won't really mention her scenes here (sorry Saka!). David John is also not too bad in his role as Derek, one of Ace's friends, who is transported to the Cheetah planet aswell. And last of all I will mention are the comedy duo of Hal and Pace who make a surprise appearance as two shopkeepers and also provide some good moments of humour as you would expect.
DIRECTOR AND MUSIC
As for the direction, Alan Wareing does the directorial duties here for what is the last show of the original run of the Doctor Who series and he does a fine job overall and he keeps the overall tone of the story as being quite dark and menacing but it also has its own share of humour and he does a fine job at balancing that. Wareing himself would later go on to direct episodes of various drama series such as Casualty, Holby City (same thing??!) Wyclyffe, Emmerdale and Coronation Street.
As for the music we are treated to an excellent score here by Dominic Glynn as his music here is absolutely perfect for the tone of the story and it is quite menacing and creepy aswell as very atmospheric. The music itself featured as part of the 50th Anniversary Doctor Who CD set release and the score was even released in full on CD, which is what it deserves as its definitely one of the best electronic scores from the McCoy era, which again puts the cheese fest of Keff McCulloch to shame!
FLAWS (Warning: this section may contain spoilers!)
As for flaws...yeah Survival has some worth mentioning.
For starters I had a bit of a problem with understanding the whole problem as to how the Master ended up on the Cheetah planet as I'm not sure that is explained in the story (or was it??!) and what he was hoping to really find there? Although of course knowing the Master, it would be unlimited power of sorts! However in the end, the Master struggles to keep himself from falling foul to the influences of the planet.
I also thought there were one or two other silly moments such as the scene where the Doctor is caught up in a bike challenge with Midge, which ends up badly for Midge who dies as a result. However, the Doctor of course survives and he ends up with his head jammed into an old sofa out in a rubbish tip and to be honest its a pretty silly moment and it feels like a bit of a cheesy gag to throw into the story and wasn't really needed.
WARNING: SPOILERS COMING UP IN NEXT PARAGRAPHS!
I also had an issue with Karra turning up on Earth to help Ace against the Master, however the Master ends up fatally stabbing her and she ends up lying in Ace's arms as she is dying but at this point she has suddenly turned human! I mean what is that all about?! Its another thing in the story that's not explained and it left me pretty flummoxed as to how Karra would suddenly go from a feline cat one minute, to a human being in the next!
And last of all you have to ask the question: What happened to the Master at the end of the story?? In the end he and the Doctor are struggling with each other on the Cheetah planet, which is destroying itself by then but the Doctor manages to escape leaving the Master seemingly to his fate. However, when the Doctor returns and reunites with Ace, she asks him what about the Master and he says grimly "Who knows?". I'd imagine that the Master would have also been transported off the planet aswell to somewhere else and once it was destroyed that the planet's influence on him had been banished. Now that might be the case but in the end we are just left to guess.
Anyway that's it for the flaws.
SUM UP
So, to sum up, after not really enjoying this story for years, I was plesantly surprised by Survival when I rewatched it and found the story has alot going for it. The script is well written by Rona Munro, the cast are all in excellent form, particularly McCoy, Aldred and Ainley who provide some of their best performances and the music score is excellent and is both sinister and atmospheric.
So, overall, Survival was a fine swansong for the final season of the original run of Doctor Who and it was a great pity that the show didn't know its own fate at that time of its broadcast but it would be another 16 years before the show would properly return again to our screens (the 1996 TV movie notwithstanding). However this was still a strong end to the McCoy era and to the old show after its lengthy 26 year run.
SIGN OFF
Right, so that's it for now and I will be back sometime soon with another post, possibly a Dark Souls related one as I have been played the final game of the series, Dark Souls III, so might get a review done for that.
So, till the next one its bye for now!
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