Doctor Who Club of Australia

ADAMK · Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 220 Location: Canberra

What do people make of this (Season 24) 1987 story written by Ian Briggs?

This is the analysis from the official BBC website (WARNING! SPOILERS): http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/dragonfire/analysis.shtml

Greg · Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 3:50 pm Post subject:

Tries to be serious but fails. Between the very poor dragon (which looks like an Alien done on a $20 budget), the literal cliffhanger, the extraordinarily poor first appearance of Ace and the excessive annoyance caused by teh scenes in the restaurant, a number of the story's better features are hidden away inder layer upon layer of unremitting pap.

Good points: quite a bit about Kane and his situation, and that scene with the sunlight (I won't say more for people who've never seen it).

Really, the story needed to be seriously pared back of the stuff that wasn't terribly relevant to the underlying story.

Lara Croft · Joined: 11 Jan 2006 Posts: 99 Location: Canberra

I think this story had the potential to be good. When we meet Ace, we know that means that Mel is going - so that already makes the story look pretty good! But no - it didn't make it.

The script is bad - full of clumsy mistakes, like when Glitz says he won the map playing chess, and Mel straight away replies "So, you won it in a card game" What the?

Also - would somebody explain to me how the hell Glitz knows who Mel is - and visa versa. Peri was with the Doctor when he met them - NOT MEL!

Ehe - hopeless!

The only good thing about this story so far is Ace - and even then, the poor script work pulls her down with the rest of them. And I agree - the cliffhanger scene is laughable. I re-iterate. What the?

Dazza · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 106

Despite it's shortcomings, I think this story is the pick of season 24 - which isn't saying a great deal. It's the only one that feels like Doctor Who.

Didn't Mel meet Glitz in the Ultimate Foe?

Lara Croft · Joined: 11 Jan 2006 Posts: 99 Location: Canberra

Dazza said:

"Didn't Mel meet Glitz in the Ultimate Foe?"

Yes - he did. But as the ABC didn't air it, and as I didn't see it the first time round - I forgot they did meet.

My mistake.

SharazJek · Joined: 12 Aug 2005 Posts: 932 Location: Hobart, Tasmania

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4566

dunmall · Joined: 02 Aug 2005 Posts: 117

i'm enjoying this one actually, it reminds me of when you were a kid and you tried to imagine your own star wars type of universe.
Space pirates, treasure, monsters that sort of thing...all good fun.

although that being said man this got irratating:

ACE: Ace!

ACE: Brill!

ACE: Ace!

Good to see they worked on her vocabulary later on.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4566

Double post. No idea how this happened.

Lara Croft · Joined: 11 Jan 2006 Posts: 99 Location: Canberra

Okay - Okay - I am just stupid then. Sorry if I upset people - just being a Bimbo Rolling Eyes

arturo · Joined: 03 Jul 2005 Posts: 78 Location: Toowoomba

Reasons I dislike Dragonfire.

1. Mel
2. Shocking BBC version of the Star Wars Cantina
3. Cliff hanger ending. I mena how crap and stupid was that. In the novel it was an exciting and interesting event. On screen we had Sly grimacing after doing something random.
4. Glitz, I like the idea of a recurring mercenary, but is he meant to be a scallywag with a hear tof gold or a self serving b******d. He swings between the two maing him unbelievable.
5. Mel
6. Iceworld. I mean a shopping complex full of freezers. C'mon.
7. Ace's dialogue "I ain't got no mum and dad." At this stage the only thing she has going for her is that she isn't Mel.
8. Set design. Kanes controp room is similar to Nerva and the Nimon's larder. give me something new
9. Mel

Some good things
1. No more Mel (YAY!!!!!!)
2. Conceptually interesting
3. Dragon design
4. No more Mel

dunmall · Joined: 02 Aug 2005 Posts: 117

i really liked the dragon, it's a pity that they always insist on taking a good looking suit in the dark and placing it in bright lighting??

Also how exactly did the little girls mum survive the slaughter? but any way that's nit picking

Wester · Joined: 04 Aug 2005 Posts: 610 Location: Brisbane

I like this story because we get to meet Ace. From this point on, we get to see the last combination of Doctor and companion for the contiguous series of Dr Who.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4566

The creature looks sort of like the Predator from The Predator movies.
As with the other season 24 stories, the TARDIS interior is once again seen here. This is the first time that the TARDIS interior has been seen in all of a season's stories since season 21 (that is if we are to count Trial of A Time Lord as four stories.)
Funny how the mother does not seem very concerned that she could not find Stella and oblivious to what has been happening. Miranda Borman is wonderful as Stella.
Mel leaves as Ace joins the Doctor on his travels. Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred both have August 20 as their birthday.

The first episode of Dragonfire was aired on November 23 1987, the series 24th anniversary date. This is the third time that the series has aired an episode on November 23 for its original transmission after the very first transmitted episode An Unearthly Child in 1963 and The Invasion Part 4 in 1968. (Although The Five Doctors had its first world transmission on November 23 1983 in the US before the UK broadcast two days later.)

When we see Glitz's former crew, it did not include Dibber seen in The Mysterious Planet. David A. McIntee provided an explanation of what happened to him in his Sixth Doctor novel Mission: Impractical:
SPOILER

He got killed
.

END OF SPOILER

Lara Croft · Joined: 11 Jan 2006 Posts: 99 Location: Canberra

Would go as far as saying I hated this story (for many reasons) - but like all stories - it had a few saving graces, being:

1) Though the dragon looked like The Predator, it was cute.

2) The conversation the Doctor has with the sociopathic guard outside the Nosviratu was funny

3) The "Raiders of the Lost Arc" death of Kane was brilliant - possibly one of the best deaths of a villian in Doctor Who to date.

(Don't think I said anything wrong this time - if I have, apologise in advance)

dunmall · Joined: 02 Aug 2005 Posts: 117

yeah kane's death was surprisingly well done, and pretty grusome too!

Genlock · Guest

SharazJek · Joined: 12 Aug 2005 Posts: 932 Location: Hobart, Tasmania

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4566

charlie · Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2006 4:45 pm Post subject:

First of all What was the Doctor doing when he casually climbed over the cliff and worked his way down and then feared for his life? there was no way his umbrella was going to reach down that huge cliff. It looked as if it was bottomless until we saw Ace's ladder stretch down it.
That was my main problem with this story the other being that Stella seemed to have very little relevance to it.

I liked the white German uniforms that they wore.
That dragon was cool but mostly because it wasnt one of those stereotypical fire breathing ones.

Kane's death was quite horrific for DW I thought but I liked it. However it seems that things with great destructive power are developing a tendancy for being drained of power through one killing.