Oh, and speaking of last times... One thing that Battlefield did quite well, at least for unspoiled first-time audiences, is convince them that that the Brigadier's number was well and truly up.
They couldn't have forshadowed his imminent death any more if they'd tattooed an expiration date across his forehead.
Of course, part of this was because in the earliest drafts of the story he was supposed to die defending the Earth from The Destroyer (and posthumously awarded the rank of General.) The televised confrontation between man and demon ened up being severely scaled back due to special effects limitations (Aaronovitch originally envisioned a shape-shifiting character that looked like a regular business man, but who eventually transformed into something more approaching The Beast from 'The Impossible Planet'), but it was still a class A fake-out, since you knew darn well that The Doctor and Ace were going to make it out alive, but you weren't quite sure about the Brig.
Just watched the episode last night, and while the writing this season has been less than stellar, bringing back the Brig makes all the stupid recycled plot contrivances, scenery chewing villains, and terrible faux-American accents almost forgivable.
I just think it's a shame he'll never get a chance to star opposite David Tennant's Doctor. I can just imagine poor old Letherbridge-Stewart trying to keep up with the energetic timelord, grumbling that "You may be over 900 years old, but I'm the one with a plastic hip," then stepping in to save the world with his service revolver one last time. (until the next last time, of course)
The story was rubbish but the Brig was rather marvelous. And put to much better use than his last outing in Battlefield, where if I remember correctly he just got driven around for three episodes before doing anything.
@Elizabeth Weinbloom: Well, it's only a kids' show, so they probably figure they don't need to pour a lot of work into things like story, plot development and good characterisations.
@Elizabeth Weinbloom: Actually, he had a couple of really great moments in Battlefield, including the impromptu memorial service for the World War II dead, the "get off my world" and the "I do what I can" speech.
@Charlie Jane Anders: and don't forget the 'We've got teflon anti-Dalek bullets, high explosives for Yetis, armour piercing rounds for robots, and gold-tipped bullets for "you know what" ' speech..
@Charlie Jane Anders: Oh yes, once they finally installed the Brig in the story he had some great stuff, but there's also an absurd amount of filler in Battlefield in which he stalks around his house and sits in helicopters and cars.
@Bruce_A: I wouldn't agree with that. This story in particular was nothing to write home about, but SJA has had a couple excellent stories - and they are consistently FANTASTIC with character bits. After the Brig, my favorite part of this episode was Clyde announcing his vegetarianism and then giving his sandwich some dirty looks. And the Maria/Rani transition should be a model for the parent show on how to introduce new companions while remembering the old.
Which is all to say - it's capable of being a rather good show, and "only a kids' show" is both dismissive of the whole package and lets them off the hook for not doing better.
12/02/08
They couldn't have forshadowed his imminent death any more if they'd tattooed an expiration date across his forehead.
Of course, part of this was because in the earliest drafts of the story he was supposed to die defending the Earth from The Destroyer (and posthumously awarded the rank of General.) The televised confrontation between man and demon ened up being severely scaled back due to special effects limitations (Aaronovitch originally envisioned a shape-shifiting character that looked like a regular business man, but who eventually transformed into something more approaching The Beast from 'The Impossible Planet'), but it was still a class A fake-out, since you knew darn well that The Doctor and Ace were going to make it out alive, but you weren't quite sure about the Brig.
12/02/08
I just think it's a shame he'll never get a chance to star opposite David Tennant's Doctor. I can just imagine poor old Letherbridge-Stewart trying to keep up with the energetic timelord, grumbling that "You may be over 900 years old, but I'm the one with a plastic hip," then stepping in to save the world with his service revolver one last time. (until the next last time, of course)
12/02/08
12/01/08
12/01/08
12/01/08
12/01/08
12/02/08
12/02/08
Which is all to say - it's capable of being a rather good show, and "only a kids' show" is both dismissive of the whole package and lets them off the hook for not doing better.
12/01/08