On the same evening that a Dalek first waved a menacing sink plunger at one of the Doctor’s companions, over on the other channel The Avengers offered Death a la Carte, later the same evening, written by future Doctor Who writer John Lucarotti, and starring no fewer than four Doctor Who alumni: Honor Blackman, of course, David Nettheim (Enemy of the World) as chef Umberto Equi, Henry Lincoln (co-creator of the Yeti) blacked up as Emir Abdulla Akaba, credited by his stage name Henry Soskin, and Robert James as Brigadier Mellor. James would later be menaced himself by the Daleks in Patrick Troughton’s debut story, Power of the Daleks. Instead here he provides most of the villainy himself, with the help of a couple of co-conspirators. The identity of the villains is revealed very early on and is never really much of a mystery, so the dramatic tension instead springs from whether they will succeed in their plans or not. Continue reading
Last week I made the observation that a Koenig-free episode was excellent and Koenig himself may play a part in why some episodes are especially weak. This episode comes along and features only Koenig from the main cast (with no explanation of why, I might add) and the episode peters along at such a staggeringly slow pace, that I was looking for things to munch on throughout the episode, determined to keep my eyes open. 
The audience research reports for The Andromeda Breakthrough in 1962 indicated that viewers felt the series was slow to get going, but this episode finally picked up the pace with some exciting developments. I’m paraphrasing, but I think the viewers are the time were exactly right in their opinions. In a way, the extreme weather conditions happening in this series have been an accidental metaphor for the development of the story. Things started out a bit breezy and weird, but with this episode the storms really hit. 
In the first episode, Edmund made the ironic comment that, “in the country, nothing ever happens.” This week he learns how wrong he was, becoming the second of the children to meet somebody in Narnia, but whereas Lucy was lucky enough to meet gentle, brave Mr Tumnus, Edmund is unlucky enough to encounter the White Witch, or the White Queen, as she calls herself. When she decides he is too useful to be killed, she enters into a period of manipulation, which is uncomfortably close to how grooming of a child must look: the creepy stroking of his face, being kind to him, plying him with treats, offering him the chance of more if he cooperates, persuading him that their relationship is going to be their little secret, and establishing a twisted parent/child relationship: 
After a run of four high quality episodes to start the season, Homecoming feels like a throwback to Season One. Cordelia is social networking, literally buying votes in an attempt to become Homecoming Queen, Buffy is getting upset about not having a normal life, and a bunch of easily defeated villains have arrived in town with grand plans.
I guess I can’t fault Rod Serling for aiming for some comedy from time to time. I spend a good deal of my time being whimsical and playful. Why should Serling only write dark drama? He’s as entitled to humor as the next guy. But The Whole Truth felt like the setup for a joke. “A used car salesman and a politician walk into a bar…” And yet that’s what we get here: a story about a used car salesman who has to tell the truth and a politician who gives him an idea… 
On Saturday, November 19th, I again set off on that 100 mile drive to Holtsville, NY where Ken Deep was hosting another Doctor Who convention. This was one of the better conventions I’ve spent time at in recent years but that’s not to say it was flawless. I’ve been to this venue before and I don’t think it’s really cut out for the crowd. Arriving just ahead of the 10am start, I was amazed that I had to park all the way around the back of the hotel. Walking in was a chilly affair since I didn’t want to have a jacket on the whole time I was in the building, but at least it was sunny; a fickle time of year and November is not known for being predictable. Then I was again bummed that the dealers room did not open until 11 and I think it’s important to understand why that matters. I go to these cons for a few things: the celebrities are a big part but that varies. 
Last Christmas I wrote about the 1984 BBC adaptation of 
I couldn’t recall what The Red Circle was about until I’d started the episode. Then it came flooding back. Could this have a stronger impact than the written version? The answer is yes! 
The idea for this film takes some believing. John Thaw plays David Jones, a young journalist who decides to fake a murder in order to generate a hoax story to make headlines. He is after “interviews, syndicated rights, television”. It’s a very warped idea, and one wonders how anyone would think they could get away with something like that and then make money out of it. Taking on the role of his victim is Johnnie Gordon, played by John Meillon, who has to be concealed in a large wooden chest. It all goes horribly wrong when the car Jones is driving gets stolen by the entertainingly-named Knocker (Jack Rodney), a member of a criminal gang that also includes characters played by John Abineri and Peter Bowles (the cast of this one is amazing), and the box is dumped in a dusty corner of a shed and forgotten about. Lead Writers
Roger Pocock
Mike Loschiavo-
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