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Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start... 

Day 238: The Krotons, Episode Four

Dear diary,

As I've found several times over the course of this marathon, it really is best when you come to a story about which you know very little, and get to experience it fresh. I've already mentioned how I've spent years muddling up The Krotons with The Dominators and not really paying them very much attention (they're trapped in a period that's dominated by a large-scale Cyberman story and the return of the Ice Warriors, and the mere fact that they exist fully in the BBC archives makes them instantly less interesting than anything from Season Five), but once again, I've found myself completely bowled over.

I think it's fair to say that the thing to impress me the most has been the relationship between Patrick Troughton and Wendy Padbury. Just a few days ago I mused that I'd never really understood the love for the Season Six TARDIS team, but these last few episodes have really shoved it into a brand new focus. The pair are fantastic together - as good as Troughton and Hines at their height, potentially better - and it really does make me long to see the Doctor travel with Zoe just on their own for a while. I know I've said it a few times in the last few days, but the more we see of this pair together, the more it feels like the right move.

The absolute highlight has to be the way they bounce off each other while trying to stall the Krotons. 'You stand here, Zoe, and I'll stand there,' the Doctor suggests. 'But Doctor! I wanted to stand here!' she replies, and a minute of comedy gold follows on, including the Doctor trying (and failing) to put on one of the Kroton's brain machines. Brilliant stuff. I feel that I should also draw attention to Zoe asking to borrow the Doctor's braces, and snapping them back at him when he refuses. Brilliant stuff. EVen the Doctor admits today that he's forgotten all about Jamie - I think I fear a repeat of the Ian and Barbara situation coming on, where the character simply outstays their welcome in the TARDIS. A shame, perhaps.

It's not all songs and games, though. The more we see of them, the more I realise that the Krotons really do look bloody awful. Actually, I'm not sure that's entirely fair - from the shoulders up, they look alright (though there's a few shots of them with their heads spinning round, and I can't begin to tell you how much I was bothered by them spinning at different speeds!), but the more I see of the arms down, the less impressed I am. There's a shot of one exiting their spaceship today, and shuffling down the ramp towards the Gonds, and it just leaves me disappointed. Given some great robot designs, The Krotons could have become a real favourite.

It's always seemed like an odd choice for the Troughton story to be shown during the 'Five Faces of Doctor Who' repeat season in the early 1980s (though they didn't really have much of a choice - the usually longer lengths of tales in this period and the emptiness of the archives meant this was the only 4-part Troughton story in existence at the time), but actually, I can see it now as a great introduction to this particular incarnation. He's fun, he's intelligent, he's got some great companions at his side… what's not to like?

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start... 

Day 237: The Krotons, Episode Three

Dear diary,

There's a real sense of everything falling into place as we reach this stage of the series, isn't there? Barry Letts made his directorial debut last season, Douglas Camfield is at the height of his skills, the Brigadier and UNIT have been introduced properly, and the script for The Krotons (by future script editor Robert Holmes) was something of a pet project for Terrance Dicks, who at this point is working as a sort of 'sub-script editor'.

The reason that I mention all of this is because this story is also directed by a man who goes on to have strong ties to Doctor Who, particularly in the mid 1970s - Daivd Maloney. It's not his first directing job on the series (that was The Mind Robber a few weeks ago), but it is the first time that his work has stood out enough to really make me sit up and take notice.

There's a lot to love in the design of the story, here. The quarry is working very well for the alien planet, and looks fantastic as the Doctor and Zoe make their way across it (though it has to be said that it's hard to avoid simply staring at how short Zoe's skirt is in this one! Blimey!), and there's several shots chosen which really do help to make it look all the more alien. The Point Of View shot of the armed Kroton being directed towards his targets is simply fantastic, and so unlike anything else we've seen in Doctor Who that it really does stand out.

The one real downside to everything, sadly, is the design of the Krotons themselves. I've never been all that bothered by them before, and in photographs they can come across like a fairly interesting design (I'm thinking specifically of the VHS and DVD covers to this story, and the cover to the Big Finish story Return of the Krotons), but when they're shuffling around on the set, complete with poorly hidden legs beneath what can only be described as a skirt… They're far from being the best alien creatures that we've had in the programme.

They're quite interesting as a concept, though. I like the idea that they're effectively grown from crystals, and that you can never truly kill them - they simply return to their base components, ready to be reformed when the time is right. It's the perfect idea for a Doctor Who monster (or, really, any monster), that can just *keep coming back. Maybe Davros has a similar built-in defence mechanism?

THe voices are possibly the best thing about the creatures, and I have to confess that for some reason when I was reading all those Quark comics a few weeks ago, I kept reading them in the booming South African tone of the Krotons. I'm not entirely sure why - especially when the Quark's child-like voices would have so suited a comic! - but I think it may be another one of those hangovers from all the years I've spent confusing the two stories. Sadly, the voice is less effective during long scenes of exposition with Jamie, but it's at its best when booming orders unseen from a speaker, or issuing out short, terse instructions to its comrade.

Today's episode also sees the arrival of the HADs to the programme. Until Mark Gatiss made use of the feature in this year's Cold War, I always wondered why it didn't turn up very often. The Doctor does give a description here (that he needs to remember to switch it on), but it strikes me as an extremely useful feature to have, when you constantly find yourselves right in the middle of danger. It's certainly far more useful safety feature than the scanner showing you tempting pictures of nice places in the hope that you'll fly off somewhere else instead of stepping outside!

a 

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start... 

Day 236: The Krotons, Episode Two

Dear diary,

I've said it before, and I've absolutely no doubt that I'll end up saying it again before we reach the end of Season Six… but Patrick Troughton really is fantastic, isn't he? Funnily, enough, I think this episode might sum up why I love his performance, and the entire character of the Second Doctor, more than any other that we've seen.

He's usually on pretty good form, but today he seems to be particularly enthused. For the most part, I've spent today's episode swinging between laughing out loud ('Great jumping gobstoppers!') and being completely thrown by the weird psychedelic imagery (more on which in a moment), but the entire time I've simply been impressed by his performance. This episode is home to one of my favourite Second Doctor scenes, and the only bit of this story which I've seen before. It's the moment that the Doctor sits down at the Krotons' learning machine and tried to get started with the tests. 'Go away,' he tells Zoe, 'don't fuss me.' A moment later an he continues: 'No, come back, what's this?' Another beat. 'It's all right, I know'.

The whole scene is a masterclass in timing and it doesn't only show off Troughton at his very best, but gives us a chance to really appreciate Wendy Padbury's performance, too. The pair of them bounce off each other so well here - and, indeed, throughout the rest of the episode - that it really does make me long for the departure of Jamie. I know, I know, he's an important part of this period in the programme's history, but I really love the idea of seeing Troughton's Doctor given room to breathe away from Jamie, and I think that Zoe might be the perfect person to travel on with him.

It needs to be said that all the stuff inside the Krotons' space ship is simply mad. As soon as the Doctor and Zoe are put through their strange mental testing, I found myself leaning forward in my chair, simply captivated by what was happening. Suffice to say that I couldn't make any sense of it, and things started to go really triply once they kicked in with the fish-eye effect. Shots of the bubbling tanks of water served only to confuse me further, but it was the look of real pain and anguish on their faces that sold the scene to me. Just as the climax to The Abominable Snowmen worked by showing us the Doctor at his most vulnerable, this whole sequence operates on showing us two of our heroes, who have spent the last ten minutes really bonding, being put through agony. We've already seen the after effects of this machine with Vana, which leaves us genuinely fearful for the fate of our two friends.

But for everything that I've said, Jamie gets a fairly good innings here, too. His best traits - his loyalty to his friends and his bravery - get to shine as he tries anything to desperately save their lives, and he's put through the same trial once he's trapped inside the ship. The stakes are even higher here, since the Krotons tell us directly that his mind won't be able to sustain the force of the assault, and we get plenty of weird shots of Jamie in pain, too.

Ah, yes. The Krotons. I'll reserve my judgement for now until we've seen them operating a little more, but I think this story might actually turn out to be the opposite of The Dominators - I don't think this story needs good robots to hold my attention (thank goodness!)

a 

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start... 

Day 235: The Krotons, Episode One

Dear diary,

Oh, I tip-toed into this one with a real sense of trepidation. For years - having never seen either of them - The Krotons and The Dominators have been pretty much interchangeable in my head. They both take place on a random alien world, they're both part of Season Six, they both introduce a new robot making their first and only appearance in the television series, and they both have something to do with how intelligent people are in relation to their potential as slaves. Having come close to tears trying to wade through The Dominators, I think it's fair to say that I wasn't exactly thrilled by the prospect of starting out with this tale.

I thought it was odd that the process of the TARDIS turning up on an alien world in The Dominators reminded me so much of a Hartnell story, but the same is true here. I wonder if it's just that the Troughton stories have so confined themselves to contemporary or futuristic space stations and bases that the sight of a quarry seems - excuse the pun - totally alien to me?

The establishing shot of the planet here is simply brilliant, and I was in the middle of scribbling a note about how well the scale of the rock face was done, when the TARDIS appeared even smaller than I was expecting! It gives a real sense of size to the proceedings, and actually makes this world work quite well. In many ways, the rest of the planet (or as much as we've seen so far) is simply standard fare, so it's nice to see things off to such a great start. I do enjoy the attempts to make this world seem different to anywhere else, in the form of Jamie's complaints about the smell and the Doctor noticing the two suns in the sky, but these points are thrown at you so quickly that they fail to make all that much of an impact.

That the similarities to a Hartnell-era tale are so clear shouldn't come as much of a surprise for today's episode, since it was originally submitted for consideration way back during Season Two. It marks Robert Holmes' first steps into the programme, and it's perhaps odd to think of him trying to get involved way back when Ian and Barbara were still a part of the TARDIS crew. There's a lot here that wouldn't feel out of place in that set-up, though, such as Jamie's spur of the moment fight with a guard (this sort of thing happened quite a lot to Ian, though I was specifically put in mind of his fight from The Aztecs). We've also got Zoe describing herself and her friends as being 'from another planet, another world', which is almost word-for-word the way Susan describes herself right back at the very beginning, in An Unearthly Child.

You'd think that it might feel like a real step back to see so much on display that was devised way back when, but it all holds together rather well. Certainly, I found myself far more invested in things than I did in The Dominators. It helps that the Doctor, Jamie, and Zoe are really gelling with each other now (I said during the last story that I've never really understood the love for this team, but if they carry on like this for the rest of the season, then I think I'll start to see what everyone else does!) and they bounce off each other brilliantly throughout.

We've also got a cast of guest characters who really should simply be there to fill the screen. They're typical generic Doctor Who characters who live on some far-flung world (though they're particularly susceptible to the Doctor's presence; having spent several generations being told that they can't go into the 'wastelands', the Doctor manages to convince them otherwise in a matter of seconds. Twice!), but I'm finding myself interested in them. They could well fall back into the trap of being simple ciphers before the story is out, but the idea of only having four episodes gives me hope - it's an absolute age since we last had such a compact story!

Don't forget to 'like' the 50 Year Diary Facebook Page - where I'll be asking about your favourite Troughton stories before long!

a 

Silva Screen Records have sent DWO the cover and details for the forthcoming Doctor Who Original Soundtrack CD release of The Krotons.

Product Synopsis: 

Originally transmitted in 4 episodes on BBC1 between 28th December 1968 and 18th January 1969, The Krotons starred PATRICK TROUGHTON as the second Doctor. The soundtrack (or “special sounds”) were created by Brian Hodgson and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop: 

“For this story I mainly used the “Crystal Palace”, so called because its case was made of clear Perspex which exposed its workings. This machine, created by our engineer Dave Young, could mechanically sample 16 inputs and combine them into a single output in 4 prearranged patterns. The progression of the patterns was deliberately slow to create textures of sound. I was very much interested in exploring changing aural textures in tracks such as “The Learning Hall” and “Kroton Theme”.” Brian Hodgson, 2012. 

This soundtrack will be released on CD and Digital Download on the 13th of May. A Limited Run of 10″ Vinyl will also be made available, to be released at the end of May.

+  The Krotons Original Television Soundtrack is released on 13th May 2013, priced £10.75 (CD).

+  Preorder this product on Amazon.co.uk for £8.51.

[Source: Silva Screen Records]

Manufacturer: BBC Worldwide Consumer Products

Written By: Robert Holmes

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 2nd July 2012

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 31st July 2012

The Doctor (Patrick Troughton, on top form) steps from the TARDIS into a planet inhabited by not very bright people. These people - The Gonds - are bred and taught to be two-legged cattle, no more and no less. They mill around and get on with their lives, quite happy with the fact that they've been feeding their best and brightest (a bit of an oxymoron considering) to a machine for the past couple of generations; in the mistaken belief that they will be "companions to the Krotons". What they've actually beeing doing is providing target practice for the inbuilt system that gets rid of thickies.

Together with Zoe (Wendy Padbury) and Jamie (Frazer Hines), The Doctor must pit his wits against the owners of the machine, The Krotons themselves; strangely accented giant vacuum cleaners with ideas above their station. The task they face is huge: defeat The Krotons, teach The Gonds how to fight back effectively, and reverse the conditioning and stupidity that the learning machines (another oxymoron) instil into the populace.

This four-part story, release as a single disc from BBC Worldwide, showcases Patrick Troughton's Doctor perfectly. From the moment he emerges from the Police Box exterior of the TARDIS he's obviously completely in his element. He takes charge of situations with ease, and you get the feeling that this is a very easy day for him; almost a distraction to stop him from getting bored. Zoe manages to cause a lot of trouble and needs rescuing, and Jamie... isn't given a great deal to do.

Notable for the only appearance to date of the TARDIS' H.A.D.S - a very clever idea; The Krotons is a fairly fast moving tale that entertains effortlessly, even if a few of the effects are somewhat less than special.

The usual magic has been woven on the story's audio and visual properties and is pin sharp as a result, and as happens with some of the older Who stories the black and white print works really well for the story, and lends a credence to the alien world and the Krotons themselves.

Special Features:

Commentary - Toby Hadoke talks over the credits again to introduce the people around the table for The Krotons. On this occasion, they are: cast wise, the late, great Philip Madoc (Eelek in this story, and so many other roles in Doctor Who), Richard Ireson (Axus), and Gilbert Wynne (Thara). From the technical and behind the scenes department are Richard Tilley (assistant floor manager), Sylvia James (make up designer), Bobi Bartlett (costume designer) and Brian Hodgson (special sound guru, and the man who invented the TARDIS demat noise!)

Informative as ever and gently entertaining, and always kept in good humour by Hadoke, the commentary doesn't stand out as one of the most memorable in the DVD series, but it's certainly not bad. It might have possibly been helped by having one of the main cast - either Padbury or Hines, present to lend it some more humour and a different perspective for some parts.

Second Time Around - A look at the reinvention of Doctor Who into the Troughton era; both in direction and and portrayal. This behind the scenes look at the show's renewal has contributions from Anneke Wills (Polly to the First and Second Doctors), Frazer Hines (Jamie), Deborah Watling (Victoria), Wendy Padbury (Zoe), Christopher Barry and modern era Doctor Who writers Rob Shearman and Gary Russell.  

An honest look that finally lays to rest the myth that William Hartnell chose to leave, and the ins and outs of the companions' entrances and exits and the transition from the historical adventure to the monster era of Doctor Who. It also covers the episode junkings of the 1960s, when the archive started being wiped for the sake of space. Informative, if a little talky, but entertaining and the narrative flows very easily.

Doctor Who Stories - Frazer Hines: Part One - With the usual animated beginnIng (albeit tailored to his run on the programme) Frazer Hines talks us through his time on Who. The footage used is not new, it's culled from 2003 and The Story of Doctor Who. It's fast and not terribly in-depth, but Frazer is always engaging and entertaining, so there's no chance of boredom creeping in.

For a short piece, the gentleness and informality of the extra turn it into something wonderful, and you can tell from first glance that Frazer still holds a great deal of affection for Jamie McCrimmon.

The Doctor's Strange Love: The Krotons - Oh. They're back. "Simon Gond" and "Joe Gond" (this time without "Josie Gond") are back in Sarah Jane's attic to discuss The Krotons. Unlike the other instalments of this extra series, this one's not actually bad at all; the duo seem to be a lot more positive about the story, and a decent discussion about the best elements of The Krotons ensues. A huge, quantum leap of an improvement on the previous editions as the sillyness and the constant barbing has been removed.

There's a lot to like in this little extra, and with the removal of the sneering tone, and a look at what's good, great, and works well in the televised story, this Doctor's Strange Love manages to go a long way towards redeeming itself.

Coming Soon Trailer - Do you like the circus? The Psychic Circus is certainly different to most others you might have visited: The Doctor, Ace, a robot from Rentaghost, a werewolf and the gods of Ragnarock. Robot ticket inspectors and sinister clowns. All coming soon to a DVD near you, as The Greatest Show In The Galaxy is the next release off the starting blocks.

There's Audio Navigation for those who many want or need it, and the usual helping of Info Text to give you facts and figures on-screen during the story included too. Add in the Radio Times Listings available in PDF format if you're viewing the content on a computer; and a Photo Gallery of publicity and behind the scenes stills of the story, and you have The Krotons on DVD.

Whilst the story itself may not be an all-conquering fan favourite, this DVD has plenty going for it. It's one of the few complete Troughton stories, and shows perfectly just what an amazing Doctor Patrick was. The Krotons, although hardly terrifying, are a decently realised adversary, and the story keeps a cracking pace through it's four episodes. The extras put on the disc, whilst hardly numerous, are some of the best produced (especially "Second Time Around") and with Mssrs. Guerrier and Lidster upping their game considerably this is a well rounded, great value release.

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com!

BBC Consumer Products have sent DWO the cover and details for the Doctor Who DVD release of The Krotons.

The Krotons

Featuring: The 2nd Doctor

When the TARDIS arrives on the planet of the Gonds, the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe discover a world ruled and enslaved by the Krotons. The brightest Gonds are always chosen to serve as companions of the Krotons and are never seen again.

The Doctor and his companions decide to put a stop to their rule – but in doing so, inadvertently unleash the true power and terror of the Krotons instead...

Special Features:

•  Commentary With actors Philip Madoc (Eelek), Richard Ireson (Axus) and Gilbert Wynne (Thara), assistant floor manager David Tilley, make-up designer Sylvia James, costume designer Bobi Bartlett and special sounds designer Brian Hodgson. Moderated by Toby Hadoke.
•  Second Time Around Faced with William Hartnell’s deteriorating health but with a popular TV programme on their hands, the Doctor Who production team hit on the idea of ‘regenerating’ the show’s hero. This documentary looks back over Patrick Troughton’s tenure as the Second Doctor.
•  Doctor Who Stories – Frazer Hines (part one) Actor Frazer Hines reminisces about his time on the series in an interview originally recorded in 2003 for the BBC’s Story of Doctor Who.
•  The Doctor’s Strange Love Writers Joseph Lidster and Simon Guerrier take an affectionate look at The Krotons.
•  Radio Times Listings (DVD-ROM)
•  Programme Subtitles
•  Production Information Subtitles
•  Photo Gallery
•  Coming Soon Trailer
•  Digitally Remastered Picture and Sound Quality

+  The Krotons is released on 2nd July 2012, priced £20.42.

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com.

[Source: BBC Consumer Products]

A few online retailers are now listing the next few Doctor Who DVD releases, as confirmed by BBC Consumer Products.

The Krotons - Featuring The 2nd Doctor - 2nd July 2012 - £20.42
The Greatest Show in the Galaxy - Featuring The 7th Doctor - 30th July 2012 - £20.42
Planet of Giants - Featuring The 1st Doctor - 20th August 2012 - £20.42 

Further details are coming soon, together with a full breakdown of the special features.

[Source: BBC Worldwide Consumer Products; Play.com]