On a whim, I just decided to re-watch all of the Doctor's regenerations. As I reached the 96 Telemovie, a very strange idea came over me. What if the adventure had been done in the more traditional style that had been used throughout the Classic Series? What if the whole thing had been broken down into that good 'ole fashioned episodic format?
Suddenly, I had a very silly idea for an essay...
COMPLETE AND UTTER SILLINESS essays are still somewhat rare on this blog. They were only invented about a year-or-so ago. What's fun about these posts is there isn't any sort of "set format" for them. They can be about anything - so long as it's silly. The first one, for instance, was just a ludicrous fan theory about the Doctor's multi-colored umbrella. Another one highlighted the gratuitous use of the "capture-and-escape" device that certain stories in the Classic Series relied on to mark time. I label this particular post as being a COMPLETE AND UTTER SILLINESS entry because the task I'm about to undertake is, pretty much, ridiculous. But, somehow, I found it to be fun.
A "CLIFFHANGER-CONDUCIVE" STORY
The 96 Telemovie is not quite the first Doctor Who adventure to be shot as a feature-length film. That credit would go to The Five Doctors. We would also get later stories like Day of the Doctor and Deep Breath that would have a similar running time. These tales would even get a limited cinematic release. Which made watching them in that format all the more fun.
What does make the Eighth Doctor's only televised story a bit different from the rest is the fact that it was an American co-produce so they needed to place gaps in the plot for commercial breaks. One of the tropes we see used in the writing of an American show is to leave things off on a suspenseful note just before they pause for advertisements. This provides the viewer with an incentive to hang in after the intermission is over.
This format means that if we want to imagine that Doctor Who - The Movie was shot in the way most Who stories had been made up to that point, it's not that difficult of an alteration to make. There are plenty of "commercial break cliffhangers" that we can choose from to determine where an episode might end.
That fateful clash between the Master and the Doctor for his remaining lives runs for nearly ninety minutes. Which means that it could break down into the four episode formula quite easily. However, there are certain issues that we should take into consideration as we undergo this re-structuring:
1) Running Time
An average episode in the Classic Series ran for about 23 minutes (done on purpose so that ad breaks could be edited into the stories if they were sold in markets where they ran commercials ). So the cliffhanger ought to be fitted in somewhere within that time frame. Every 20 to 25 minutes of content should be where we imagine a part to conclude.
2)Thematic shifts
Quite often, we see changes in emphasis from episode-to-episode. The story moves in one direction during Episode One but the flow will alter as Episode Two rolls in. We need to find moments where Paul McGann's debut adventure does this and consider it the beginning of a new part.
3)Specific Episode Formats
Similar to the second point but it should get its own special degree of attention. If you take a good look at most four-parters in the show's history, very specific things happen in each episode. These rules are not written in stone, of course, but it is a formula a lot of writers used as they composed their stories.
Part One - Laying out the Foundation - The main purpose to the first episode is usually to just display the environment the TARDIS has materialised in and introduce the characters that are inhabiting it. We will see some plot development or a degree of conflict, but this is largely about setting the story up for the audience.
Part Two - Really Developing the Conflict - This is usually where the real elements of the Main Crisis start showing themselves. You will often notice, for instance, that the Doctor has his first confrontation with the main villain of the tale. He'll figure out what they're up to and tell them to stop. He might, even, issue a threat of some sort. He'll, then, manage to escape their clutches for a bit and set about defeating them.
Part Three - Escaping Danger - Part Three can often feel like filler in the story. Quite frequently, there's not much happening in terms of advancing the plot. Usually it's just the Doctor and/or companions being placed in peril and then finding a way out. The third episode of Deadly Assassin is one of the best examples of this. It is, for the most part, just the Doctor trying to survive the attacks of Chancellor Goth as they battle in the Matrix. Part Three is more about giving the story a bit of action and suspense rather than trying to develop things.
Part Four - The Solution - Finally, the Doctor gets to some serious problem-solving. He finds a way to defeat the baddie and save the day. There's usually a bit of denouement afterwards where they make their way back to the TARDIS and bid farewell to the people they've helped.
Again, we don't always see this being done in four-parters. But it has happened quite frequently. We need to try to find this sort of thing going on in The 96 Telemovie and get it to fit it to this structure as much as humanly possible.
4) The Cliffhanger Needs to Have Real Stakes
Obviously, we need a good cliffhanger to finish off our imaginary episodes. Either a main character should be placed in danger or a huge potential threat of some sort needs to be revealed. This is what we usually see in the Classic Series (red-checkered patterns on the floor during Death to the Daleks are the exception to the rule!). With so many "commercial break cliffhangers" set up within the story, this gives us a lot of choices. The trick is to try to pick the best one. We need to find cliffhangers that set up the best sense of peril,
Okay, with those qualifications brought up, we can begin this ludicrous undertaking:
PART ONE:
This was probably the easiest one to work out. There seems a very obvious spot for the episode to end that incorporates most of the traits we need in a good first episode.
If we start at that chilling pre-title sequence with the Master being destroyed in his bicycle helmet and go all the way to the Doctor looking Jesus-like in his shroud and crying out "Who am I?!", we get a near-perfect Episode One. It adheres quite nicely to the most basic principle of the first part of a Doctor Who story: the foundation of the plot is laid out. The Doctor is regenerating into a new incarnation while the Master is securing a temporary body so that he can go to work on a more permanent arrangement.
As we watch the Doctor in an abandoned part of the hospital crying out in anguish, we also see the Master smiling evilly in Bruce's body. The whole moment almost seems to say: "The Battle is about to commence". Although there isn't a huge sense of peril in this cliffhanger - there is definitely a good strong implication that something sinister is soon to come. Which works just as well for a cliffhanger.
The only real problem with this choice is that it does make Part One feel just a little too light on plot. It is, perhaps, too focused on set-up and could use with just a bit more story advancement. However, if we do go to the next commercial break cliffhanger, the running time for Part One feels too long. This would "squash" the other three episodes too much and would affect the symmetry of the rest of the story.
"Who am I?!!" really is the best place to end Episode One.
PART TWO:
After the dramatic tension of the Episode One cliffhanger, there is a gorgeous tonal shift that makes things really feel like we're in the second part. The whole atmosphere becomes immediately lighter as we re-join the adventure. We even get a bit of comedy as the Doctor goes through lockers, looking for his new outfit (the more you know the show, of course, the better the in-jokes become). This definitely is the beginning of a new chapter in the story.
As is often the case with a good Episode Two, the full conflict of the story presents itself clearly. The Doctor doesn't engage in that first confrontation with the main villain that frequently occurs at this point - but that's not, entirely, necessary. It's still established that the Master is after the Doctor's remaining incarnations and will destroy the Earth in the process. Which is what a second part needs to accomplish.
Selecting the cliffhanger for this one was a bit tricky. There are a few decent ones to choose from that all suit the running time and thematic flow quite nicely. We could have easily gone with the "Come on! He needs an ambulance!" moment that occurs before one commercial break or the Doctor and Grace arriving at the gala and seeing the ambulance already there that happens later. But I do think the Master showing up at Grace's door posing as an ambulance driver works best. There's a definite sense of peril, there. The Doctor is being delivered into the clutches of his enemy. Like the Part One cliffhanger, it also implies that something bad is soon to come.
Overall, I think this represents the best place to end our second fictitious episode.
PART THREE:
As we embark upon Episode Three, we see why the cliffhanger I chose is most effective. As I mentioned, the third part of most Classic Who stories is the "Escaping Danger Episode". That definitely becomes the central aspect of the plot for the next little while.
When the Master's shades accidentally fall off, the Doctor figures out what's going on and busts out of the ambulance (the number of times a fire extinguisher saves lives in Doctor Who without actually putting out a fire is quite astounding!). Knowing the emergency vehicle will soon be pursuing them, he and Grace procure a motorcycle. A chase sequence worthy of the Pertwee era ensues.
We take a brief break from evading peril as they arrive at the new year's gala at ITAR. Yes, the Master and Chang Lee are still trying to locate them, but things do settle down a little bit. Just long enough for the Doctor to steal the all-important component from the atomic clock. Then, once more, the chase resumes. Grace and the Doctor execute a clever escape from the roof of the building and make their way to the TARDIS. Again, it's all about dealing with danger rather than advancing the story much.
And then we make another difficult choice with cliffhangers. Easily, the best about-to-break-for-commercial moment is the Doctor screaming: "This can't be happening!" as his rival begins to tear away his soul with the Eye of Harmony. Things really seem to be going terribly for our hero, here. However, from a structural standpoint, the cliffhanger just before that works better. The scene where Grace loses control of her mind and slugs the Doctor with the Neutron Ram is where I prefer to place the cliffhanger. Admittedly, it doesn't quite have the same punch as "This can't be happening!" but it is still the better spot to end Part Three.
PART FOUR:
A very serious change of emphasis happens after Grace's attack on the Doctor. For the next little while, it's all about being in the Cloister Room. This is one more reason why I feel the previous episode should end where it does. To break up the Cloister Room stuff just doesn't make sense. On top of this, if we did break up the sequence - Part Four would run very short.
All kinds of great tension and drama plays out over the next little while. Chang Lee finally comes to terms with how evil the Master is and gets murdered by him. Grace jump-starts the TARDIS but then also meets her untimely end as she tries to free the Doctor from his weird Clockwork Orange contraption. There's a great climactic battle between the two rival Time Lords where the Doctor, ultimately triumphs. Finally, we get a somewhat confusing re-writing of time that occurs and brings Grace and Chang-Lee back to life. Again, I would hate to break up any of this action. This is all meant to be Episode Four.
As the excitement subsides, we get some denouement. Chang Lee is allowed to keep his gold dust and Grace gets one more kiss. It's actually quite the twist that she chooses not to go travelling with her new-found boyfriend.
Episode Four wraps up beautifully with the Doctor back in the console room, sipping tea. As a fun callback, the record starts skipping again! Cue closing credits and new symphonic theme song that's trying to sound like STNG!
THUS ENDETH THE EXERCISE IN SILLINESS
And that's the way I would structure things if this story were an old-fashioned four-parter. Some of those episodes might feel a bit light on plot. But that's only because the content, itself, is only so dense. In some ways, keeping the whole thing as a feature film hides this problem a little better.
But, if you are in the mood to re-watch The 96 Telemovie, try imagining it like this. Maybe even take a little break at the end of each imaginary episode to make a snack or have a bathroom break. Step away for a bit and then come back to watch the next part. You'll see that the flow works pretty well that way and that you're suddenly back in the Classic Series rather than watching a backdoor pilot for a show that never came to be.
Another COMPLETE AND UTTER SILLINESS entry is complete. Maybe not as humorous as some of the others I've written but still equally ridiculous! I have other indulgences of a ludicrous nature that I'd like to take in future entries so we will see these types of posts again sometime soon.
Oddly enough, I do love to talk about The 96 Telemovie. Here are some other entries that deal with it:
Is the The 96 Telemovie New or Classic Who?
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2020/01/points-of-debate-96-telemovie-new-or.html
What is up with the Eye of Harmony?
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2019/08/points-of-debate-what-is-up-with-eye-of.html
And a super-old entry that deals with the Doctor being half-human -
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2015/05/fixing-continuity-glitches-this-is-one.html
COMPLETE AND UTTER SILLINESS essays are still somewhat rare on this blog. They were only invented about a year-or-so ago. What's fun about these posts is there isn't any sort of "set format" for them. They can be about anything - so long as it's silly. The first one, for instance, was just a ludicrous fan theory about the Doctor's multi-colored umbrella. Another one highlighted the gratuitous use of the "capture-and-escape" device that certain stories in the Classic Series relied on to mark time. I label this particular post as being a COMPLETE AND UTTER SILLINESS entry because the task I'm about to undertake is, pretty much, ridiculous. But, somehow, I found it to be fun.
A "CLIFFHANGER-CONDUCIVE" STORY
The 96 Telemovie is not quite the first Doctor Who adventure to be shot as a feature-length film. That credit would go to The Five Doctors. We would also get later stories like Day of the Doctor and Deep Breath that would have a similar running time. These tales would even get a limited cinematic release. Which made watching them in that format all the more fun.
What does make the Eighth Doctor's only televised story a bit different from the rest is the fact that it was an American co-produce so they needed to place gaps in the plot for commercial breaks. One of the tropes we see used in the writing of an American show is to leave things off on a suspenseful note just before they pause for advertisements. This provides the viewer with an incentive to hang in after the intermission is over.
This format means that if we want to imagine that Doctor Who - The Movie was shot in the way most Who stories had been made up to that point, it's not that difficult of an alteration to make. There are plenty of "commercial break cliffhangers" that we can choose from to determine where an episode might end.
That fateful clash between the Master and the Doctor for his remaining lives runs for nearly ninety minutes. Which means that it could break down into the four episode formula quite easily. However, there are certain issues that we should take into consideration as we undergo this re-structuring:
1) Running Time
An average episode in the Classic Series ran for about 23 minutes (done on purpose so that ad breaks could be edited into the stories if they were sold in markets where they ran commercials ). So the cliffhanger ought to be fitted in somewhere within that time frame. Every 20 to 25 minutes of content should be where we imagine a part to conclude.
2)Thematic shifts
Quite often, we see changes in emphasis from episode-to-episode. The story moves in one direction during Episode One but the flow will alter as Episode Two rolls in. We need to find moments where Paul McGann's debut adventure does this and consider it the beginning of a new part.
3)Specific Episode Formats
Similar to the second point but it should get its own special degree of attention. If you take a good look at most four-parters in the show's history, very specific things happen in each episode. These rules are not written in stone, of course, but it is a formula a lot of writers used as they composed their stories.
Part One - Laying out the Foundation - The main purpose to the first episode is usually to just display the environment the TARDIS has materialised in and introduce the characters that are inhabiting it. We will see some plot development or a degree of conflict, but this is largely about setting the story up for the audience.
Part Two - Really Developing the Conflict - This is usually where the real elements of the Main Crisis start showing themselves. You will often notice, for instance, that the Doctor has his first confrontation with the main villain of the tale. He'll figure out what they're up to and tell them to stop. He might, even, issue a threat of some sort. He'll, then, manage to escape their clutches for a bit and set about defeating them.
Part Three - Escaping Danger - Part Three can often feel like filler in the story. Quite frequently, there's not much happening in terms of advancing the plot. Usually it's just the Doctor and/or companions being placed in peril and then finding a way out. The third episode of Deadly Assassin is one of the best examples of this. It is, for the most part, just the Doctor trying to survive the attacks of Chancellor Goth as they battle in the Matrix. Part Three is more about giving the story a bit of action and suspense rather than trying to develop things.
Part Four - The Solution - Finally, the Doctor gets to some serious problem-solving. He finds a way to defeat the baddie and save the day. There's usually a bit of denouement afterwards where they make their way back to the TARDIS and bid farewell to the people they've helped.
Again, we don't always see this being done in four-parters. But it has happened quite frequently. We need to try to find this sort of thing going on in The 96 Telemovie and get it to fit it to this structure as much as humanly possible.
4) The Cliffhanger Needs to Have Real Stakes
Obviously, we need a good cliffhanger to finish off our imaginary episodes. Either a main character should be placed in danger or a huge potential threat of some sort needs to be revealed. This is what we usually see in the Classic Series (red-checkered patterns on the floor during Death to the Daleks are the exception to the rule!). With so many "commercial break cliffhangers" set up within the story, this gives us a lot of choices. The trick is to try to pick the best one. We need to find cliffhangers that set up the best sense of peril,
Okay, with those qualifications brought up, we can begin this ludicrous undertaking:
PART ONE:
This was probably the easiest one to work out. There seems a very obvious spot for the episode to end that incorporates most of the traits we need in a good first episode.
If we start at that chilling pre-title sequence with the Master being destroyed in his bicycle helmet and go all the way to the Doctor looking Jesus-like in his shroud and crying out "Who am I?!", we get a near-perfect Episode One. It adheres quite nicely to the most basic principle of the first part of a Doctor Who story: the foundation of the plot is laid out. The Doctor is regenerating into a new incarnation while the Master is securing a temporary body so that he can go to work on a more permanent arrangement.
As we watch the Doctor in an abandoned part of the hospital crying out in anguish, we also see the Master smiling evilly in Bruce's body. The whole moment almost seems to say: "The Battle is about to commence". Although there isn't a huge sense of peril in this cliffhanger - there is definitely a good strong implication that something sinister is soon to come. Which works just as well for a cliffhanger.
The only real problem with this choice is that it does make Part One feel just a little too light on plot. It is, perhaps, too focused on set-up and could use with just a bit more story advancement. However, if we do go to the next commercial break cliffhanger, the running time for Part One feels too long. This would "squash" the other three episodes too much and would affect the symmetry of the rest of the story.
"Who am I?!!" really is the best place to end Episode One.
PART TWO:
After the dramatic tension of the Episode One cliffhanger, there is a gorgeous tonal shift that makes things really feel like we're in the second part. The whole atmosphere becomes immediately lighter as we re-join the adventure. We even get a bit of comedy as the Doctor goes through lockers, looking for his new outfit (the more you know the show, of course, the better the in-jokes become). This definitely is the beginning of a new chapter in the story.
As is often the case with a good Episode Two, the full conflict of the story presents itself clearly. The Doctor doesn't engage in that first confrontation with the main villain that frequently occurs at this point - but that's not, entirely, necessary. It's still established that the Master is after the Doctor's remaining incarnations and will destroy the Earth in the process. Which is what a second part needs to accomplish.
Selecting the cliffhanger for this one was a bit tricky. There are a few decent ones to choose from that all suit the running time and thematic flow quite nicely. We could have easily gone with the "Come on! He needs an ambulance!" moment that occurs before one commercial break or the Doctor and Grace arriving at the gala and seeing the ambulance already there that happens later. But I do think the Master showing up at Grace's door posing as an ambulance driver works best. There's a definite sense of peril, there. The Doctor is being delivered into the clutches of his enemy. Like the Part One cliffhanger, it also implies that something bad is soon to come.
Overall, I think this represents the best place to end our second fictitious episode.
PART THREE:
As we embark upon Episode Three, we see why the cliffhanger I chose is most effective. As I mentioned, the third part of most Classic Who stories is the "Escaping Danger Episode". That definitely becomes the central aspect of the plot for the next little while.
When the Master's shades accidentally fall off, the Doctor figures out what's going on and busts out of the ambulance (the number of times a fire extinguisher saves lives in Doctor Who without actually putting out a fire is quite astounding!). Knowing the emergency vehicle will soon be pursuing them, he and Grace procure a motorcycle. A chase sequence worthy of the Pertwee era ensues.
We take a brief break from evading peril as they arrive at the new year's gala at ITAR. Yes, the Master and Chang Lee are still trying to locate them, but things do settle down a little bit. Just long enough for the Doctor to steal the all-important component from the atomic clock. Then, once more, the chase resumes. Grace and the Doctor execute a clever escape from the roof of the building and make their way to the TARDIS. Again, it's all about dealing with danger rather than advancing the story much.
And then we make another difficult choice with cliffhangers. Easily, the best about-to-break-for-commercial moment is the Doctor screaming: "This can't be happening!" as his rival begins to tear away his soul with the Eye of Harmony. Things really seem to be going terribly for our hero, here. However, from a structural standpoint, the cliffhanger just before that works better. The scene where Grace loses control of her mind and slugs the Doctor with the Neutron Ram is where I prefer to place the cliffhanger. Admittedly, it doesn't quite have the same punch as "This can't be happening!" but it is still the better spot to end Part Three.
PART FOUR:
A very serious change of emphasis happens after Grace's attack on the Doctor. For the next little while, it's all about being in the Cloister Room. This is one more reason why I feel the previous episode should end where it does. To break up the Cloister Room stuff just doesn't make sense. On top of this, if we did break up the sequence - Part Four would run very short.
All kinds of great tension and drama plays out over the next little while. Chang Lee finally comes to terms with how evil the Master is and gets murdered by him. Grace jump-starts the TARDIS but then also meets her untimely end as she tries to free the Doctor from his weird Clockwork Orange contraption. There's a great climactic battle between the two rival Time Lords where the Doctor, ultimately triumphs. Finally, we get a somewhat confusing re-writing of time that occurs and brings Grace and Chang-Lee back to life. Again, I would hate to break up any of this action. This is all meant to be Episode Four.
As the excitement subsides, we get some denouement. Chang Lee is allowed to keep his gold dust and Grace gets one more kiss. It's actually quite the twist that she chooses not to go travelling with her new-found boyfriend.
Episode Four wraps up beautifully with the Doctor back in the console room, sipping tea. As a fun callback, the record starts skipping again! Cue closing credits and new symphonic theme song that's trying to sound like STNG!
THUS ENDETH THE EXERCISE IN SILLINESS
And that's the way I would structure things if this story were an old-fashioned four-parter. Some of those episodes might feel a bit light on plot. But that's only because the content, itself, is only so dense. In some ways, keeping the whole thing as a feature film hides this problem a little better.
But, if you are in the mood to re-watch The 96 Telemovie, try imagining it like this. Maybe even take a little break at the end of each imaginary episode to make a snack or have a bathroom break. Step away for a bit and then come back to watch the next part. You'll see that the flow works pretty well that way and that you're suddenly back in the Classic Series rather than watching a backdoor pilot for a show that never came to be.
Another COMPLETE AND UTTER SILLINESS entry is complete. Maybe not as humorous as some of the others I've written but still equally ridiculous! I have other indulgences of a ludicrous nature that I'd like to take in future entries so we will see these types of posts again sometime soon.
Oddly enough, I do love to talk about The 96 Telemovie. Here are some other entries that deal with it:
Is the The 96 Telemovie New or Classic Who?
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2020/01/points-of-debate-96-telemovie-new-or.html
What is up with the Eye of Harmony?
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2019/08/points-of-debate-what-is-up-with-eye-of.html
And a super-old entry that deals with the Doctor being half-human -
https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2015/05/fixing-continuity-glitches-this-is-one.html
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