The Curse of Peladon

 

Peladon is as rich a planet as was ever created for Doctor Who. Its murky passageways lit by flickering torches seem so far from the studio environment in which they were constructed. Its almost as if the stories were filmed on location on Peladon itself! Its pagan tradition seems rooted down the centuries rather than scribbled out at a script meeting the other week. Perhaps because the series at that time was mostly set on present day Earth, those stories which are not resonate particularly strongly. One of the best aspects of the two Peladon stories is a strong sense of time and place. A feeling- still rare in the series to this day- that these people were here long before the Doctor and will still have lives afterwards. Moreover, writer Brian Hayles invents an entire history, structure and society not just for the planet Peladon but the Galactic Federation as well. It is quite intricate in detail and sounds convincingly believable as well

 

`Curse of Peladon` was likely intended to have something of an allegorical backdrop with the planet’s uncertainty over whether or not to join the Galactic Federation alluding to Britain’s ongoing doubts over membership of what was then the EC and is now the EU.  Or so various reviewers have always claimed and yet it is interesting that Hayles raises this subject in 1971-2. The UK’s first referendum over whether to stay or leave didn’t take place until 1975 so he must have sensed the debate percolating then. In 1971 the UK ‘s currency was changed to the decimal system and around the time this story was broadcast our treaty of accession was signed. So perhaps he always felt uneasy with the EC? The story actually suggests the opposite.

What really impresses even now about this script is how eloquent it is; a touch melodramatic perhaps, but every conversation has a purpose and meaning. It’s like watching a stage play with the ebb and flow of opinions, attitudes and motives. Traditionalist Hepesh is no crude villain and there is real conviction to the lines Hayles gives him and the bond between the young progressive monarch (a virtually unrecognisable David Troughton) and the old priest (Geoffrey Toone) is clear through their arguments. Both their points of view are valid.

On Peladon, keeping the planet’s tradition and heritage are put forward by the traditionalist High Priest Hepesh against joining but the Doctor’s viewpoint of inclusion and involvement wins the day. It initially seems obvious then where Brian Hayles’ sympathies lie- the anti -Federation lobby is portrayed as parochial and fearful of losing control and till the later reveal Hepesh is very much presented as the villain of the story. Hayles’ dialogue may be of the patrician style so despised by modern writers but it eloquently sets out the arguments and counter arguments, raising issues that would resonate across the decades. Its effectiveness lies in the fact that there is no right or wrong- yes Peladon will accrue some benefits from joining the Federation but they will also lose some of their traditions. However Hayles does include Hepesh’s wider and to some extent understandable concerns about the future of the planet. The writer is also clear that it isn’t just a case of the old versus the young as the other older character Torbis is much more open minded than his contemporary. Also, Arcturus who is unveiled as the main antagonist quite early in part three  -when we all think as the Doctor does it’s the Ice Warriors -is seen as acting through self -interest rather than as a Federation lackey.

 Of course all this political argy bargy would not be a lot of interest to the kids for whom the real draw of the story is the range of alien races on display, all of them green! As well as being the first time the viewers had seen the Ice Warriors in colour. They remain one of the series’ most accomplished realisations of an alien race partly down to the robust costumes but also the performances of the actors stuck inside them. Seeing Alan Bennion (Izlyr) and Sonny Caldinez (Ssorg) in the DVD documentary for the Peladon stories you couldn’t imagine more normal people yet watching them move and talk on screen it is easy to believe they are not of this world.  In fact Brian Hayles had not intended to include the Ice Warriors in these stories originally but was asked to because of their popularity. This may explain why he flipped them from being the villains (which obviously older members of the audience expected) to being on the side of fairness. Hayles later said in a 1978 interview: “If you followed the philosophy they were still basically the same people. The Doctor accepted their help very reluctantly, because he knew they could turn nasty at the drop of a scale or something.”

The idea of Alpha Centauri is fantastic, a real attempt to portray something truly unusual however the realisation was to leave a lot of adults sniggering. It does look a bit ridiculous now but in simpler days was a bold attempt to portray something different. Ysanne Churchman’s urgent tones soon cause that embarrassment to sink into the background and gives Centauri quite a personality with its quivering demeanour. Meanwhile, Arcturus’ limited movement is disguised by lots of liquid and some close ups of what is actually quite a horrific appearance. Its face is truly grotesque and an overlooked triumph. I suppose to the modern eye these creatures look a little tatty – the tin foil in Arcturus’ hood definitely does- yet you hardly notice because they are so interesting.

 Then there’s Aggedor which actually still looks pretty good when you consider that much later attempts to portray a wild beast using a man inside a costume don’t work as well, as `Androids of Tara` would later show. Aggedor is rarely left in full profile (except for one unavoidable moment when the Doctor brings it into the throne room) and sound effects create a mighty roar which combined with Lennie Mayne’s inventive camera angles make it the scariest monster in a story full of monsters. Mayne’s shooting of the big action sequence where the Doctor takes on Grun in the pit is excellent – just go with it and you won’t notice the moments when Terry Walsh is clearly standing in. Mayne shoots from above to give maximum visual and dramatic aura.

 You have to give credit to the set and lighting design too. When you watch a lot of old tv drama the lighting is too bright but here the entire story is shrouded in shadow using real flames to cast light – there probably were studio lights too but it doesn’t look like it. Director Lennie Mayne shoots everything as tightly as possible to emphasise character nuance even Izlyr’s lips or the looks that shoot between Jo and Peladon. The staging also fills Peladon with realism; seemingly large sets, lots of smoke and especially the lighting are excellent; you can almost smell the sulphur of Aggedor’s temple and feel the heat of the braziers that line the corridors.

 Included in the storyline was something that was still rare in old Doctor Who- a love story. You wonder sometimes how the series lasted as long as it did without them. Here Jo and King Peladon are a potential couple however the scenes written for them skirt around the topic. Thanks to the tenderly played scenes between David Troughton’s naïve monarch (who inexplicably has the same name as the planet!) and Katy Manning who is superb throughout  it works really well and doesn’t seem out of place at all. While Jo accuses Peladon of using her for political reasons she does more or less the same as she pleads for the Doctor’s life. Yet there is clearly a bond between them. The way the atmosphere becomes informal once the other delegates have left the room and there’s just the two of them is palpable. I don’t know how old David Troughton was when this was made but the script suggests Peladon is only about eighteen and that really plays into the actor’s performance. I imagine he looks back on this with mixed feelings as an early role yet he should be proud of it. He really conveys the young monarch’s insecurity and the pull between duty and love something real life Royals struggle with to this day.

 The ebb and flow of their dynamic seems important if only to warm the King to the change that Hepesh refuses to entertain. Hayles holds back from making this a fairytale romance though, despite Jo’s regal dress and pretend identity, preferring to focus on two young people misunderstanding each other yet having a genuine connection. It’s a shame the series didn’t do this more often.

 Katy Manning is often hugely undervalued by mainstream commentators who seem to think all Jo did was run away from monsters and scream. However watch any story she’s in and you’ll see a three dimensional character full of curiosity and life. Here Jo is lively and enthusiastic despite the perils and she takes a proactive part in the story almost the Doctor’s equal. I’d forgotten too how lovely the relationship between the Doctor and Jo is, like an uncle fond of a niece they share looks and jibes yet are absolutely there to help the other.

Brian Hayles keeps things flowing, introduces some twists and undercuts audience expectations on several occasions. Even something as simple as having Jo already dressed up plays into her looking like the princess she has to pose as. The use of Aggedor both as a superstitious legend and then as a real beast works really well. Often Hayles employs detective novel twists to keep us guessing who is trying to sabotage the talks- even when you know and are looking for the clues it’s not too obvious. We’re encouraged at first to see Hepesh as the perpetrator and the red herring of the attack on Arcturus had us fooled in the 70s even if it might not now but the about turn of the Ice Warriors is still a clever idea.  Just like a detective story, when the villain is revealed their motives are not as strong as they might be but it frees up part 4 to become more action orientated in a surprising change of pace. Watching this story fifty years since it was made it seems as if it could have been made recently. There’s not an ounce of fat, not a line of dialogue wasted and I would say its one of the  best classic Doctor Who stories in a season front loaded with three of them with the very best yet to come…