Doctor . . . Who?

At least people seem to be interested in Doctor Who enough for rumours to be spreading about the Christmas special, that it might be scrapped. The impression I have is of circling sharks smelling blood. Russell T Davies has announced that there will be an announcement.

This morning I was watching The Hand of Fear, the Fourth Doctor serial. It's amazing how effective it still is, being shot on video tape with ultra low budget special effects. Maybe the trouble with Davies' second era is just that he had too much freedom. I don't think so. A low budget probably does provide incentive for better scripts and performances but there are other ways to provide incentives. The threat of cancellation may be a good one.

The chemistry between Tom Baker and Elisabeth Sladen was certainly key. The chemistry between the actor who plays the Doctor and the actress who plays the companion was really the heart of the show, particularly in Tom Baker's era. The low budget also compels you to notice the natural quality of it. I don't know how much of it was actually improvised but the chemistry comes off as authentic enough that one suspects lines often were. Well, Baker did marry Lalla Ward. It wouldn't shock me to learn he and Louise Jameson had a tryst, either. I don't feel like Elisabeth Sladen hooked up with him but they are a lot of fun together. I don't think she was going with Jon Pertwee either.

On the other hand, Hand of Fear has a real threesome vibe.