Once upon a time there was
a man named Douglas Adams. He had a story he had written for Doctor Who as the
season closer for 1979. It was named Shada and it would be a six-part tale of
epic proportions. It would have a villain who basically did not wish to control
the universe, rather just want to make the universe one in his image. His name
was Skagra and he would have been a truly unique and menacing foe. He was to
have been aided by monstrous creatures named Kraargs. He would have had a
special sphere that extracts the entirety of people's minds and the Doctor
would foil the villain by letting the sphere take a copy of his mind, but not
the original. In the end the Doctor would defeat Skagra's nefarious plan and
Skagra would be imprisoned in his own ship for the rest of eternity.
The story began production
and many scenes were shot, directed by Pennant Roberts. But then a stumbling
block hit the production. There was a strike and sadly the story was then
shockingly abandoned and the story would fade into the echelons of forgotten
wonders of the show. Soon a video special of the incomplete serial would be
released with linking narration performed by Thomas Stewart Baker. Then at the
turn of the new century Paul McGann would star in a specially adapted audio version
of the story for Big Finish productions. It would then get the full
novelisation treatment by Gareth Roberts, who would embellish and streamline
the story somewhat. But it would not be until sometime later that some bright
sparks somewhere had the notion of making new animation for all the unrecorded
scenes and splicing them then together with the recorded footage to at last
make a complete story. Douglas Adams sadly would not live long enough to see
his story completed, but his memory would at last be honoured.
That is the long and
protracted history of Shada in a nutshell basically.
Shada most avidly did
deserve to finally be completed. It is a very ambitious story with a truly
unique villain. It was a stroke of genius to have veteran actor Christopher
Neame portray the soulless Skagra in this story. When the serial opens with him
walking in a suitably ludicrous flowing white cape and over the top costume
through the streets of Cambridge, he is totally scene stealing. Skagra comes
over as one of the most self-centred and eccentric egomaniacs ever to be on the
show. His drive for the single universal mind could have portrayed for laughs,
but Christopher chooses to wisely play the role totally straight, and he is all
the more memorable and brilliant for that.
Dennis Carey is very
wonderful in the role of the dotty Time Lord Professor Chronotis, who has a
dark secret which he has kept for centuries. He is so superb in the role,
playing the absent-minded Professor with much aplomb and making him a pure
delight to watch.
Daniel Hill is also very
very good as Chris. He portrays the out of his depth every day Joe remarkably.
Honestly, he had a strength of character good enough to make him a companion.
The same can also be said for the performance by the wonderful Victoria
Burgoyne as Claire Keightley. All the characters in this story are extremely
well formed and it’s wonderful that the cast was so adept at appearing to each
be made for the roles they played.
One of the other small
delights is the excellent performance given by Gerald Campion as Wilkin. He is
a man who knows the Doctor of all from his past visits to the college. I like
his stoicism and that he is not even shown to be put out even by the sight of
Skagra in an incongruous voluminous costume or the sight of a room that has
been stolen!
One of the added extremely
special extras for the new release of the completed story too is the treat of
having Tom Baker back in full garb as the Doctor for the final scene of the
show. This is an incredible scene and truly displays the fact that Tom most
definitely still has all the magic in the role of the Doctor. This was such a
great surprise and wonderful way to end the story. Although the only slight
oddity is for this scene, they use the wrong costume, for in the majority of
Shada he has his dark brown coat, yet here is depicted in his light brown coat.
Not that I am complaining much though. The scene is still total Doctor Who
awesomeness.
The Kraargs too look
extremely effective as a monster. Fashioned from something alike to molten rock
and the red/yellow glow off their skins makes them such a striking design. It
is beyond me yet again why this brilliantly designed alien was not ever brought
back again for the show later on, it deserved too.
Through the thrill and
elation of having Shada finished it is hard to pinpoint any flaws in the story
or the scripting. Scenes of the memory sphere chasing the Doctor through the
city are very very well shot and tense. I love the little scene of the boys
choir singing in the streets whilst the Doctor pedals past on bicycle with
sphere in tow and none of them seem to notice this irregular oddity!
Had Shada been
completed originally it would have been such a fresh and vibrant story with
which to finish season 17. It has humour in the storytelling, but it is not
grafted on, it springs from the drama and is there for memorable and
successful. Season 17 comes in for a hard time of it in my opinion actually.
Some say this is the season where Tom Baker grew out of control in the role of
the Doctor and just was never hemmed in and so became increasingly hammy and
ridiculous. Nonsense! The Doctor is just always the Doctor, even in this
season.
It is a true joy therefore
for fans that Shada has returned from the annals of myths and legends and grown
finally into the completed serial it always deserved to be. Now we don't just
have the scene of the Doctor and Romana punting on the river in the Five
Doctors, now it is a complete and excellent addition to the Doctor Who mythos.
And long may Shada and that mythos continue.
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