The Secrets of China was a script I wrote quite some time ago, and it was released on this day (28th April) last year (2012), meaning it's now a year old! Hooray! And so while you sit down and eat cake, why don't you have a watch or a rewatch?
And now, presuming you have watched or rewatched, I'll waffle on for a bit about how I wrote the episode (if I can remember). And technically, I've been meaning to make a Behind the Scenes for my writing for The Secrets of China for just over a year now - so here it is at last!
My life as a script writer for FanFilmsUK (I make it sound like a career choice, but it wasn't) began with "The Doctor and the Disappearances" for Series One. I'd been an admirer of the previous series FanFilmsUK had done under a different name, and when they rebooted, I got involved, asking if I could write a book. I was then told to hold off with the book writing, because the companions were changing - and then I asked with the arrival of the new series, and was 'commissioned' to write a script.
My two criteria were waterfall which quite possibly had the word epic before it, and witches. Oh, and broomstick scene. So, I set off, developing a plot about Cascade Veil, an epic waterfall, and there were witches. And a hut. And a broomstick scene. And then they saved the day, and woop. I've no idea how well the episode went down on YouTube, but Nathan [creator of FanFilmsUK and The Doctor]'s things tend to be well accepted so I'm hoping for that.
And then I wrote another for Series Two, enter The Secrets of China. It's not my title - because it's not my script. Nathan had written hundreds of drafts (well ish) for it wasn't getting anywhere. So as all struggling script writers probably don't do, he took to Facebook, and complained. He'd tried drafts with the Master's relatives and stuff, from what I can remember, and I'll keep the specifics secret in case he still wants to use it. But I volunteered to write it for him. And there I was, 'commissioned' once more. My criteria this time were box with DOCTOR engraved on it in Chinese and scene on boat with the Doctor and Banes. Banes was the Doctor's on/off companion at the time.
So I wrote it. And I invented Doris (seriously, if you haven't seen the episode yet, watch at least the first two minutes, purely for Doris), and she was a hit, so Nathan brought her back, hooray! But after Doris, I wrote a scene in the Chinese village (not in China, believe it or not) and it carried on, with scenes on the boat (I think that scene was copy and pasted from Nathan's latest draft) and then wrote loads of other stuff that happened. They went to the museum, which looks spectacular on the episode, and go into the TARDIS, and then stuff happens and they end up in a field.
And on watching the episode back, I've remembered the plot! I'm quite pleased with it. The whole mystery of 'what happened to the village' I considered to be quite dark at the time, but I'm pleased that I've made it a mystery that's always haunted the Doctor. I also pushed some of the 'last incarnation' stuff, which is good. And! There's the mysterious character of Saben. Originally, the companion was Banes, and it was changed to Lee last minute, so that's why Saben is called Saben, to an extra element of confusion. I'm not too fond of how he's written, but he was there more for me so I could push the story forward in my head. And it did push the story forward, adding in lots of complicated stuff like a fold in time...
But then I stopped writing. I can't remember why, school or just not bothering to finish it I suppose. But not long after stopping, I think, I got back to it and then I struggled. Who was the villain going to be? I had an idea about what they were doing, what happened to the village - but then I didn't know who. I hate it in episodes of anything where the endings aren't built in (such as Terror of the Autons or a large number of Doctor Who Series 7 episodes, most notably The Power of Three), but that was the problem here. There was no ending built in, no real purpose. And so, I found The Bumper Book of Monsters and Villains on the internet, which has been useful quite a few times, and chose VILLAIN (if you want to know who, watch the episode!).
VILLAIN had a little scene, which looking back was far too talky and explained far too much in one place. I think that's probably cos I had to explain their presence, and that in relation to the plot about the fold in time and stuff. It could have been written a lot better, and so when Nathan went out to film on a windy day on a large field (that are outtakes of the tripod/camera falling over it was so windy), having to say big speeches and lots of dialogues didn't help. So the last scene is perhaps a bit long (my fault) and a bit hard to hear (also probably my fault for not making it shorter, but I'll blame Mother Nature). But then they save the day... or do they?
The end of my script contains one last little twist, and a good bit of acting from Nathan, as he realises something's gone wrong... There are threads in that which are yet to be picked up, and I'm going back and forth to my tenth draft (yes, all different) of my latest and last script for his series (I may cry when I finish), which may or may not pick those threads up. There is a storyline to be completed, and it's wonderfully timey wimey, and hopefully pleasing to some Fourth Doctor fans out there.
I really did enjoy writing The Secrets of China, and I'm now going to go and rewatch it. I've now started rewatching it, and apologies 'cos this blog is slightly longer as I seemed to have remembered loads of other stuff to put in. But yeah, I hope that people enjoyed/enjoy/are enjoying (?) this episode, and I'm certainly proud of the timey wimey-ness, and the dialogue. Even if the dialogue does drag on sometimes (sorry, viewer!)
But anyway - who cares, I invented Doris, so all is good with the world.
Happy Birthday Secrets of China.
(PS Thank you to all who read my Broadchurch posts, it means a lot!)
Sunday, 28 April 2013
Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Broadchurch | Closing the Notebook - Spoilers
This will reveal the killer and discuss the ending, and the announcement at the end of the credits. If you have not seen Broadchurch Episode Eight - go away now! And watch it! Then come back, please.
I have to say, I have mixed feelings about Broadchurch. From episodes one to seven I haven't been able to fault it, it's been perfect. Beautifully written, directed, edited, structured and performed. One of the best dramas on TV for ages. But note - I don't call it a crime drama - because Episode Eight proved one thing. This is not a crime drama, or a murder mystery. If it was just a murder mystery, I'd be disappointed.
The good news is, I was right! Joe Miller was the killer, as was obvious from about weeks two and three for the viewer - because he was the least likely. So it was a clever move, in a way, to make him the killer. Unfortunately, the least likely became the most likely on the Internet and for the Bookies, and so the element of surprise or shock was non-existent when Joe was revealed. In fact, he was revealed in quite an undramatic way. I was hoping for a chase, or something, with Hardy following Joe onto the beach, and then Joe admitting he did it, standing on the spot he left Danny, with a crowd including Ellie gathering around him. My Northern friend Nathan Carter (he's on YouTube and Twitter, and not the singer) suggested that the hut might catch fire. Perfect! Another dramatic scene. But none of this happened. And in a way that's a good thing - how realistic would those have been? But in another way, it's a bad thing. Because if you've got the choice between a dramatic and realistic resolution, and a boring and realistic resolution - which would you pick?
Broadchurch went for the latter, and to be fair, in fitting with the tone of the series, the most real and least dramatic. Drama comes through the emotion, not the 'cheap' techniques that every series uses. And so, in a way, the revelation that Joe did was boring, but again, in another way, it was fitting. It's a battle between the two, and if I ever become a writer near to the standard of Chibnall, then I would go for an option in the middle. Personally, I wouldn't go for Joe standing in a shed. But the phone tracking scene, with Mark and Nige both possibly suspects, and a glimpse of Tom Miller, was brilliant. That is how you direct, people, that is how you edit, that is how you combine music and film perfectly. Excellent. But then you get to Joe in a shed and it's a bit... meh.
Albeit a realistic meh. So moving on slightly from that niggle, there's the question of: should he have actually been the murderer? Quite simply, yes. It couldn't have been anyone else, that wouldn't have been realistic enough. I was hoping for Dean, Chloe Latimer's boyfriend, or even Hardy - but again, how realistic would that have been? The killer is the only one that it really could have been - I just question one other thing. The reason.
Ok, so it was clever that killing Danny was more of an accident in a fit of anger that Joe had, but the "hugging" storyline was so predictable! Never mind realistic for that, surely, even if it was Joe, there could have been some other reason, some cleverer, less predictable reason, for him to have done it. To avenge Tom or to do something? Anything other than "oh we met up for hugs cos I was a better dad then whoops I killed him". The whole 'is he a paedophile' storyline was expected - and in a series that keeps twisting what you expect, it's a surprise that the only twist to that storyline was that it was just a hug. There could have been something more.
So a comment on all the red herrings and unanswered questions. First of all the clocks stopping - damn I wanted them to be important! Again, it might have added an extra edge to the storyline, if Danny was killed out of reason not out of accident, and the clocks stopped as part of that storyline. Second of all - Steve the psychic! He was there purely to add an extra dimension to the storyline, and it's a bit of a shame he didn't have any more to give than that. There were probably others I'll think of in time and tweet. (What do you mean you aren't following @trilbyauton?)
Another thing about the episode, and the series in general really, is the linear and realistic way it's been told. I'm very very glad that Joe didn't go from confessing in a shed to an interview room - but the 59 days earlier sequence felt a bit out of place for me. Perhaps it was too overly flashback-y, perhaps it didn't fit in with the mainly linear story that the series has told so far. It felt an odd (and surprisingly dramatic!) way to reveal what happened.
Anyway, enough of my small little problems with it. Overall, it's important to consider what I said at the start of this review. This was not a crime drama, which is just as well, because it would've been too predictable. But this was a showcase of emotions, a real drama, how one thing impacts on a community, and that has been shown perfectly. The acting, all the way through, has been incredible, as has the writing, all the way through. I am disappointed about the killer, to be honest, because I think it was the murder mystery/crime edge keeping people watching, rather than wanting to see Beth cry every week. But ultimately, I don't mind who the killer was, because I, and clearly everyone else judging by Twitter, can tell what the series was really about. And the emotion, the character, has been perfection all the way through. I can't fault the script (except maybe pick holes in the shed) and the dialogue has been amazing.
Episode Eight was predictably strong and emotional. It chose to reveal the killer early on (in a shed, just saying), so it could focus on the emotion. Ironically, it felt as if the impact of the killer wasn't felt enough, as if there needed to be more. I think that's maybe just cos I was a bit deflated about it being Joe, so when I rewatch it I probably won't notice that. But the way the news spreads around Broadchurch is typical of the whole series, and the cycle of the Latimer's finding out about Danny and then finding out about Joe in the same place, in the same positions, was excellent writing. The other fantastic thing, which I noticed back watching episode seven when I was adamant the killer was Joe, was the mirroring of Ellie's line to Susan. "How could you not know?". I'm not sure Beth needed to repeat it quite so explicitly, could that not have been a muted long shot to allow people to guess that the line was being mirrored?, but it was good to have that mirroring there. That just proves how clever and intricate the whole script has been. Perhaps that's why I'm so deflated about it being Joe- because the only thing that hasn't been clever and intricate is who the killer was.
Overall though - the series has been incredible. A special mention to Olivia Colman (not spelt with an 'e' Twitter) and David Tennant. David Tennant has portrays DI Alec Hardy well, without the shadows of playing the Doctor, and plays him as a full and believable character. The changing of how he acts when he knows that Joe is the killer, calling DI Miller 'Ellie' and the arrival of compliments (!) is perfect writing and foreshadowing. Ellie's reaction to Joe being the killer was also acted amazingly and with complete realism. Perfect.
And on the news of the next series. Well. We'll have to see how that one pans out. Another murder's unlikely - but doesn't Broadchurch then just become a soap? And how will we warm to detectives that aren't Hardy and Miller (if one could be said to have warmed to the former), without there being a contrived way of bringing them back?
I'm not 100% happy with the killer's identity, but I'm 100% happy with the emotion, the writing, the acting, the directing - in fact everything else.
#closure
I have to say, I have mixed feelings about Broadchurch. From episodes one to seven I haven't been able to fault it, it's been perfect. Beautifully written, directed, edited, structured and performed. One of the best dramas on TV for ages. But note - I don't call it a crime drama - because Episode Eight proved one thing. This is not a crime drama, or a murder mystery. If it was just a murder mystery, I'd be disappointed.
The good news is, I was right! Joe Miller was the killer, as was obvious from about weeks two and three for the viewer - because he was the least likely. So it was a clever move, in a way, to make him the killer. Unfortunately, the least likely became the most likely on the Internet and for the Bookies, and so the element of surprise or shock was non-existent when Joe was revealed. In fact, he was revealed in quite an undramatic way. I was hoping for a chase, or something, with Hardy following Joe onto the beach, and then Joe admitting he did it, standing on the spot he left Danny, with a crowd including Ellie gathering around him. My Northern friend Nathan Carter (he's on YouTube and Twitter, and not the singer) suggested that the hut might catch fire. Perfect! Another dramatic scene. But none of this happened. And in a way that's a good thing - how realistic would those have been? But in another way, it's a bad thing. Because if you've got the choice between a dramatic and realistic resolution, and a boring and realistic resolution - which would you pick?
Broadchurch went for the latter, and to be fair, in fitting with the tone of the series, the most real and least dramatic. Drama comes through the emotion, not the 'cheap' techniques that every series uses. And so, in a way, the revelation that Joe did was boring, but again, in another way, it was fitting. It's a battle between the two, and if I ever become a writer near to the standard of Chibnall, then I would go for an option in the middle. Personally, I wouldn't go for Joe standing in a shed. But the phone tracking scene, with Mark and Nige both possibly suspects, and a glimpse of Tom Miller, was brilliant. That is how you direct, people, that is how you edit, that is how you combine music and film perfectly. Excellent. But then you get to Joe in a shed and it's a bit... meh.
Albeit a realistic meh. So moving on slightly from that niggle, there's the question of: should he have actually been the murderer? Quite simply, yes. It couldn't have been anyone else, that wouldn't have been realistic enough. I was hoping for Dean, Chloe Latimer's boyfriend, or even Hardy - but again, how realistic would that have been? The killer is the only one that it really could have been - I just question one other thing. The reason.
Ok, so it was clever that killing Danny was more of an accident in a fit of anger that Joe had, but the "hugging" storyline was so predictable! Never mind realistic for that, surely, even if it was Joe, there could have been some other reason, some cleverer, less predictable reason, for him to have done it. To avenge Tom or to do something? Anything other than "oh we met up for hugs cos I was a better dad then whoops I killed him". The whole 'is he a paedophile' storyline was expected - and in a series that keeps twisting what you expect, it's a surprise that the only twist to that storyline was that it was just a hug. There could have been something more.
So a comment on all the red herrings and unanswered questions. First of all the clocks stopping - damn I wanted them to be important! Again, it might have added an extra edge to the storyline, if Danny was killed out of reason not out of accident, and the clocks stopped as part of that storyline. Second of all - Steve the psychic! He was there purely to add an extra dimension to the storyline, and it's a bit of a shame he didn't have any more to give than that. There were probably others I'll think of in time and tweet. (What do you mean you aren't following @trilbyauton?)
Another thing about the episode, and the series in general really, is the linear and realistic way it's been told. I'm very very glad that Joe didn't go from confessing in a shed to an interview room - but the 59 days earlier sequence felt a bit out of place for me. Perhaps it was too overly flashback-y, perhaps it didn't fit in with the mainly linear story that the series has told so far. It felt an odd (and surprisingly dramatic!) way to reveal what happened.
Anyway, enough of my small little problems with it. Overall, it's important to consider what I said at the start of this review. This was not a crime drama, which is just as well, because it would've been too predictable. But this was a showcase of emotions, a real drama, how one thing impacts on a community, and that has been shown perfectly. The acting, all the way through, has been incredible, as has the writing, all the way through. I am disappointed about the killer, to be honest, because I think it was the murder mystery/crime edge keeping people watching, rather than wanting to see Beth cry every week. But ultimately, I don't mind who the killer was, because I, and clearly everyone else judging by Twitter, can tell what the series was really about. And the emotion, the character, has been perfection all the way through. I can't fault the script (except maybe pick holes in the shed) and the dialogue has been amazing.
Episode Eight was predictably strong and emotional. It chose to reveal the killer early on (in a shed, just saying), so it could focus on the emotion. Ironically, it felt as if the impact of the killer wasn't felt enough, as if there needed to be more. I think that's maybe just cos I was a bit deflated about it being Joe, so when I rewatch it I probably won't notice that. But the way the news spreads around Broadchurch is typical of the whole series, and the cycle of the Latimer's finding out about Danny and then finding out about Joe in the same place, in the same positions, was excellent writing. The other fantastic thing, which I noticed back watching episode seven when I was adamant the killer was Joe, was the mirroring of Ellie's line to Susan. "How could you not know?". I'm not sure Beth needed to repeat it quite so explicitly, could that not have been a muted long shot to allow people to guess that the line was being mirrored?, but it was good to have that mirroring there. That just proves how clever and intricate the whole script has been. Perhaps that's why I'm so deflated about it being Joe- because the only thing that hasn't been clever and intricate is who the killer was.
Overall though - the series has been incredible. A special mention to Olivia Colman (not spelt with an 'e' Twitter) and David Tennant. David Tennant has portrays DI Alec Hardy well, without the shadows of playing the Doctor, and plays him as a full and believable character. The changing of how he acts when he knows that Joe is the killer, calling DI Miller 'Ellie' and the arrival of compliments (!) is perfect writing and foreshadowing. Ellie's reaction to Joe being the killer was also acted amazingly and with complete realism. Perfect.
And on the news of the next series. Well. We'll have to see how that one pans out. Another murder's unlikely - but doesn't Broadchurch then just become a soap? And how will we warm to detectives that aren't Hardy and Miller (if one could be said to have warmed to the former), without there being a contrived way of bringing them back?
I'm not 100% happy with the killer's identity, but I'm 100% happy with the emotion, the writing, the acting, the directing - in fact everything else.
#closure
Tuesday, 16 April 2013
Broadchurch | The Detective's Notebook (Eps 1-7)
This is it! The final week next week, and I'm completely engaged in a programme I didn't even think I'd enjoy. Broadchurch is one of the most well written dramas I've ever seen - it is so real and brilliant, and the acting is superb. It's a great cast, a great script, great music, and now everyone's guessing who they think did it.
In my previous Detective's Notebook I outlined some suspicions and questions - "who's the father of Beth's baby", "what link do Susan and Nige have", "why does Nige have a crossbow" and "what happened to Mark Latimer in those missing two hours". Three of those, well pretty much, have been answered. We know Mark's the dad, which is surprisingly sensible, Susan and Nige are mother and son (which I didn't see coming) and Nige is weird so he owns a crossbow. Oh and he does pheasant stuff and went out on trips with Danny, so. We don't know what happened to Mark in those missing hours... And we still don't know why the Latimer clocks stopped in episode one..
Considering the five minute mystery at the start of the episode one (with the missing oil from the tractor) has been solved - maybe the Latimer clocks are important. There also things to update concerning Jack Marshall. I said it definitely wasn't him, or Mark, and I expect I'm right. I hope so - 'cos Jack Marshall threw himself off a cliff at the end of episode five anyway.
So it's time to update the suspect list. I'd pick up on Nige and Susan being weird and having a connection - and they did, but now Susan says Nige dragged the body onto the beach.. So with that in mind; who are my suspects?
Suspect A - Joe Miller (with Tom)
Yes, Miller's husband is still my top choice. It has to be him. He's bald, Nige is bald (thanks to Twitter for pointing that out) so Susan could easily have expected to see Nige, knowing he'd be capable of that, but would have actually seen Joe. And there's definitely something going on, or there was, between Tom and Danny. Tom and Danny sent messages (which Hardy the Detective says "of course" to) to each other which Tom was frantically trying to delete. We know Tom and Danny fell out, and Reverend Paul Coates says that he thought Tom mother's, which is Miller the Detective, knew about the fighting and falling out. She didn't. So maybe her husband said she knew. Maybe her husband found out about some Tom/Danny trouble, possibly involving the £500 in Danny's bedroom, and Joe sorted it. Did Tom send Danny messages saying he'd meet him at the hut where the murder happened?
So - Joe Miller, because of Tom. Which is what I believed after episode four - "We know that Miller's son (Danny's best friend) is hiding something, and perhaps Joe found out about this and acted to stop his son getting found out? Joe would also have a more emotional impact if it turned out to be him".
Or it could just be Tom, with Joe dragging the body. Tom is "that much bigger" than Danny anyway, according to Rory (I mean Paul) the Vicar.
Other Suspicions:
To be honest, it is Joe/Tom, no doubt, in my eyes. But I'm hoping that there's a further twist to surprise me. And I still believe innocent reporter Olly Stevens could have something to do with it. Or; does Steve Connolly have more secrets, or is he just a psychic? Probably that.
And one last suspicion, which I'm half hoping it was..
Could it have been DI Hardy..? Or even Chloe Latimer's boyfriend? Those would be real shocks. Especially the latter - I would be truly amazed. After all - Chloe Latimer's boyfriend doesn't have too much hair...
It definitely wasn't:
Paul Coates, that's too obvious, though maybe he knew something. And I'm pretty sure Nige and Susan are actually innocents in this case.
With the murderer, the clocks, and Danny's secret paintballing and pheasant trips with Nige and various others, still to be solved - HURRY UP NEXT WEEK!
In my previous Detective's Notebook I outlined some suspicions and questions - "who's the father of Beth's baby", "what link do Susan and Nige have", "why does Nige have a crossbow" and "what happened to Mark Latimer in those missing two hours". Three of those, well pretty much, have been answered. We know Mark's the dad, which is surprisingly sensible, Susan and Nige are mother and son (which I didn't see coming) and Nige is weird so he owns a crossbow. Oh and he does pheasant stuff and went out on trips with Danny, so. We don't know what happened to Mark in those missing hours... And we still don't know why the Latimer clocks stopped in episode one..
Considering the five minute mystery at the start of the episode one (with the missing oil from the tractor) has been solved - maybe the Latimer clocks are important. There also things to update concerning Jack Marshall. I said it definitely wasn't him, or Mark, and I expect I'm right. I hope so - 'cos Jack Marshall threw himself off a cliff at the end of episode five anyway.
So it's time to update the suspect list. I'd pick up on Nige and Susan being weird and having a connection - and they did, but now Susan says Nige dragged the body onto the beach.. So with that in mind; who are my suspects?
Suspect A - Joe Miller (with Tom)
Yes, Miller's husband is still my top choice. It has to be him. He's bald, Nige is bald (thanks to Twitter for pointing that out) so Susan could easily have expected to see Nige, knowing he'd be capable of that, but would have actually seen Joe. And there's definitely something going on, or there was, between Tom and Danny. Tom and Danny sent messages (which Hardy the Detective says "of course" to) to each other which Tom was frantically trying to delete. We know Tom and Danny fell out, and Reverend Paul Coates says that he thought Tom mother's, which is Miller the Detective, knew about the fighting and falling out. She didn't. So maybe her husband said she knew. Maybe her husband found out about some Tom/Danny trouble, possibly involving the £500 in Danny's bedroom, and Joe sorted it. Did Tom send Danny messages saying he'd meet him at the hut where the murder happened?
So - Joe Miller, because of Tom. Which is what I believed after episode four - "We know that Miller's son (Danny's best friend) is hiding something, and perhaps Joe found out about this and acted to stop his son getting found out? Joe would also have a more emotional impact if it turned out to be him".
Or it could just be Tom, with Joe dragging the body. Tom is "that much bigger" than Danny anyway, according to Rory (I mean Paul) the Vicar.
Other Suspicions:
To be honest, it is Joe/Tom, no doubt, in my eyes. But I'm hoping that there's a further twist to surprise me. And I still believe innocent reporter Olly Stevens could have something to do with it. Or; does Steve Connolly have more secrets, or is he just a psychic? Probably that.
And one last suspicion, which I'm half hoping it was..
Could it have been DI Hardy..? Or even Chloe Latimer's boyfriend? Those would be real shocks. Especially the latter - I would be truly amazed. After all - Chloe Latimer's boyfriend doesn't have too much hair...
It definitely wasn't:
Paul Coates, that's too obvious, though maybe he knew something. And I'm pretty sure Nige and Susan are actually innocents in this case.
With the murderer, the clocks, and Danny's secret paintballing and pheasant trips with Nige and various others, still to be solved - HURRY UP NEXT WEEK!
Monday, 1 April 2013
Broadchurch - The Detective's Notebook (Eps 1-4)
Aha, a non-Doctor Who post! Those who follow me on Twitter and actually read my Tweets will have seen a couple about the new 8-part ITV Drama by Chris Chibnall, Broadchurch. This is essentially a summary of who I feel are the most likely suspects in the murder of 11 year old Danny Latimer. (Note: This is clearly only going to be for people who have watched the show. If you haven't, you're missing out, watch it!)
Suspect A - Joe Miller
Yes, it's happy husband of Detective Ellie Miller, or "Miller", depending on how good with first names you are. He's, so far, made friends with Alec Hardy (the only person to make friends with the moody detective), kissed his wife, looked after his children, and done a really good job at just being nice. And so he's a suspect. We know that Miller's son (Danny's best friend) is hiding something, and perhaps Joe found out about this and acted to stop his son getting found out? Joe would also have a more emotional impact if it turned out to be him.
Suspect B - Reverend Paul Coates (thanks Wikipedia for reminding me of all these names...)
A half-suspicious half-very nice man, I feel it might be a little too obvious to be Coates. Surely his insomnia and his late night walkings about are too obvious? Yet, he knew the kids, and he's the one that no one can seemingly think of a motive for. He also knows about a lot of things - did he act on someone else's instructions? Maybe. Maybe not.
Suspect C - Olly Stevens
The news reporter. Started off looking a bit annoying in Episode One, and has now faded into the background to support the storyline of fellow dodgy journalist Karen White. He still could have been the one to set it up, and again, there's no clear motive (except his evident desire to move up in the world of journalism).
Suspect D - Steve Connolly
The psychic phone engineer, who's clearly up to something, even though I'm fairly sure it isn't murder.
also: What about other suspicious people?
Well everyone's suspicious, and the four I've picked are perhaps the most 'odd' choices, which is why they're there. But other characters like the mad caravan lady with the skateboard, Susan Wright, and Mark Latimer's best buddy with a crossbow in his van, Nige Carter, know something's happening. Doubt they actually did the murder though.
and lastly: People it Definitely Isn't:
-Jack Marshall, creepy shop owner, is definitely looking the most likely with increasing connections to the case. But it's only episode four (at the time of writing this), so it isn't him.
-Mark Latimer, he may be a little bit creepy, but he's near enough been cleared. He was missing during the time of the murder, I think - but again, he's been raised as a suspect a little too early.
Other Mysteries:
-Whose the father of Beth Latimer's new child?
-Why does Susan Wright have a skateboard, and a secret with Nige Carter?
-Why does Nige have a crossbow in his van?
-Where was Mark Latimer between 1 and 3?
Oh and of course.. Anyone remember in the first episode? Where Beth notes that the clocks have stopped...
Episode Five of Broadchurch airs tonight!
Suspect A - Joe Miller
Yes, it's happy husband of Detective Ellie Miller, or "Miller", depending on how good with first names you are. He's, so far, made friends with Alec Hardy (the only person to make friends with the moody detective), kissed his wife, looked after his children, and done a really good job at just being nice. And so he's a suspect. We know that Miller's son (Danny's best friend) is hiding something, and perhaps Joe found out about this and acted to stop his son getting found out? Joe would also have a more emotional impact if it turned out to be him.
Suspect B - Reverend Paul Coates (thanks Wikipedia for reminding me of all these names...)
A half-suspicious half-very nice man, I feel it might be a little too obvious to be Coates. Surely his insomnia and his late night walkings about are too obvious? Yet, he knew the kids, and he's the one that no one can seemingly think of a motive for. He also knows about a lot of things - did he act on someone else's instructions? Maybe. Maybe not.
Suspect C - Olly Stevens
The news reporter. Started off looking a bit annoying in Episode One, and has now faded into the background to support the storyline of fellow dodgy journalist Karen White. He still could have been the one to set it up, and again, there's no clear motive (except his evident desire to move up in the world of journalism).
Suspect D - Steve Connolly
The psychic phone engineer, who's clearly up to something, even though I'm fairly sure it isn't murder.
also: What about other suspicious people?
Well everyone's suspicious, and the four I've picked are perhaps the most 'odd' choices, which is why they're there. But other characters like the mad caravan lady with the skateboard, Susan Wright, and Mark Latimer's best buddy with a crossbow in his van, Nige Carter, know something's happening. Doubt they actually did the murder though.
and lastly: People it Definitely Isn't:
-Jack Marshall, creepy shop owner, is definitely looking the most likely with increasing connections to the case. But it's only episode four (at the time of writing this), so it isn't him.
-Mark Latimer, he may be a little bit creepy, but he's near enough been cleared. He was missing during the time of the murder, I think - but again, he's been raised as a suspect a little too early.
Other Mysteries:
-Whose the father of Beth Latimer's new child?
-Why does Susan Wright have a skateboard, and a secret with Nige Carter?
-Why does Nige have a crossbow in his van?
-Where was Mark Latimer between 1 and 3?
Oh and of course.. Anyone remember in the first episode? Where Beth notes that the clocks have stopped...
Episode Five of Broadchurch airs tonight!
Thursday, 21 March 2013
World Poetry Day
Twitter tells me it's World Poetry Day - and so here is a poem I wrote in August 2012. Be lovely and comment or tweet thoughts to @trilbyauton, or just nod in appreciation behind your laptop screens. I'm imagining in you nodding in appreciation already.
FAMILY ALBUM
by JR Mortimer
Is this really necessary?
Am I really here?
Is the sky the black I expected?
Where are all those I hold dear?
Is this really right?
Can we make all the people cry?
Is the war the game I expected?
Is 'everything's ok' a lie?
Is this really important?
Can we do this to ourselves?
Do I get the pride that I expected?
Into the sand he delves.
Is this really ok?
Can I write this down with truth?
Maybe it's not meant to be
Maybe I want proof
Is this really it?
There must be more to come
I don't take things for granted
I just look what I've become
This mirror is just twisted
In my head it's just a mess
But my heart tells me who I am
I want to be no less
The helicopter's got to be landing
There has to be some escape
Clean the sand from your fingers
Don't show all this on tape
This isn't for the family album
It's not something to hold quite close
At least I'm getting home now.
And this is my last post.
ALSO COMING TODAY ON THIS BLOG: The revelation of the first Unbound Doctor
FAMILY ALBUM
by JR Mortimer
Is this really necessary?
Am I really here?
Is the sky the black I expected?
Where are all those I hold dear?
Is this really right?
Can we make all the people cry?
Is the war the game I expected?
Is 'everything's ok' a lie?
Is this really important?
Can we do this to ourselves?
Do I get the pride that I expected?
Into the sand he delves.
Is this really ok?
Can I write this down with truth?
Maybe it's not meant to be
Maybe I want proof
Is this really it?
There must be more to come
I don't take things for granted
I just look what I've become
This mirror is just twisted
In my head it's just a mess
But my heart tells me who I am
I want to be no less
The helicopter's got to be landing
There has to be some escape
Clean the sand from your fingers
Don't show all this on tape
This isn't for the family album
It's not something to hold quite close
At least I'm getting home now.
And this is my last post.
ALSO COMING TODAY ON THIS BLOG: The revelation of the first Unbound Doctor
Sunday, 17 March 2013
Doctor Who Unbound - Full Fathom Five Review
Even that didn't prepare me for this.
Full Fathom Five is one of those 'dark' Doctor Who stories. Which is good, I like those. I like ones which push the Doctor Who range a bit further, as you don't get that on TV (probably a good thing, you couldn't show this on TV). This story is not for children, basically. Don't sit your ten-year-old, Curse of the Black Spot-loving Doctor Who fan to listen to this. Because people will die violently, the Doctor will be horrible, and there is actual swearing. You have been warned.
And a quick note - I am gonna try and leave spoilers out of this review for once...
Let's discuss the story briefly. The main question for this Unbound (as they all pretty much go around a 'What if' scenario, and by the way if anyone ever wants to resurrect the range - get in touch, I have the most awesome ideas) is What if the Doctor believed the end justified the means? That's enough to get your minds thinking. Because normally, the Doctor's very much a man who wants to save everyone... But what if he thought the ultimate goal was more important than the steps along the way? Just this change within his character really pushes him and the story further. Basically, the Doctor is going to DEEP (why they didn't just say 'deep' and referred to D - E - E - P every time though I don't know) to find out the truth about what happened to Ruth's father, and clear his name. Ruth is almost his adopted daughter, who's false surname doesn't last very long at all, and DEEP is an underwater base where they're looking for alternative energy. So the set up is fairly standard Doctor Who. Except when they get to the DEEP - it becomes clear that the DEEP project wasn't that straightforward, and the Doctor's reasons for returning weren't that straightforward either. The mystery is slowly and cleverly revealed, as the tracks alternate between 27 years ago, and the present day. The change in time feels natural, and it's written brilliantly.
The Doctor, as I've said, is played by David Collings, otherwise known as Poul and Mawdryn. Oh and Silver, for Sapphire & Steel fans out there. I'm gonna review those one day too. Collings gives an incredible performance as this on-the-edge, dark, aggressive Doctor. I expected him to be quite trademark Collings, quite smooth and sophisticated. He's nothing like that, and nothing like a Doctor that's been on TV. It is very much his take on the role, and most of the time it felt like I was actually listening to the Doctor, not Collings playing the Doctor. That's how it should be. His performance and relationship with the other characters, as well as sharp personality changes and the occasional swear word, make him his own Doctor - and he is one of the best things about it.
Ruth is a stereotypical companion - which is fine, because in this story she serves a purpose. Her character is developed more by the story and by other characters, and so her dialogue doesn't really show any great change 'til the end. She is very much an 'asks questions' companion. She reminded me of the companion from The Curse of Fatal Death in a way. There to be significant, and a good character - but ultimately just asking a lot of questions. This, as I said, didn't bother me. Her character effectively creates the story, so she doesn't need to be as strong throughout because the story carries on because of her rather than with her, if that makes sense. The one time her character really changes is towards the end, when events spiral out of her control, and a quite emotional performance is given. I'm not sure if it's as emotional as it could be, perhaps it's a little too calm (especially considering her extreme reactions to some stuff earlier on), but it is a good performance at heart. Even if you don't like her, the story is too gripping to let that get to you. But I liked her. She felt real.
Other characters include General Flint, Lee, Hoskins and Vollmer. Hoskins is possibly the best supporting part, played with real authenticity. Flint is very good, even if he gets a bit stereotypical Doctor Who army man at times. Vollmer and Lee are also good, and Lee's purpose as a character gives the story an extra edge. It's nice to have a story where all the characters are there for a direct purpose, and they all have their own lives, their own motives, and their own importance. It is a character play - and this makes it all the more dramatic, dark and emotional.
Then comes the shocking stuff. I've told you about how good the cast and the story is - and the shocking stuff doesn't actually surprise me, it fits in with the tone. But SPOILERS NOW FOLLOW, so if you want to listen on the basis of what I've said - leave now before it's ruined.
The Doctor's dark performance really does shock at times. It fits in, as I said, well with the tone of the story and in a strange way seems unsurprising - but all the same. The Doctor is killing people. He is actually pulling a gun and shooting them, in cold blood. His murder of Lee (I told you there were spoilers from now on) comes quite unexpectedly. His cold "Wrong answer" when Lee goes back against his own 'end justifying the means' speech is shocking - and then just shoot him is almost vile. The Doctor is doing this - and from that point on, Collings' performance becomes stronger, and the Doctor turns into something we haven't heard before.
Yet there's something uncomfortable in how nice he is to Ruth, despite his history of killing people her father worked with. Despite the history of killing her father! That was the bit I knew was coming, but the Doctor using people felt strange and dark.
Even the story itself is grotesque, with experiments on babies and clones being manufactured into super soldiers. Flint's alien at the end is another stereotypical Who moment, but in a play that seems so un-Who, it challenges the listener when old school Who ideas are thrown in. There is a sense of reality. Vollmer's convulsions - things you'd never seen on TV, yet would happen. This story is very real, and that makes the Doctor's uncharacteristic performance seem real.
Oh and one other dark thing to talk about. The bit with the key, where Flint chokes or forces the Doctor to swallow it (it didn't seem too clear which one but I think it was the latter) was horrible. Yet, when Ruth says something along the lines of "You murdered my father, you bastard", you can't help but feel he deserves all he gets. All the same though - this is the Doctor... You have to feel sorry for him almost.
It's a play that challenges the listener, and this certainly won't be like any Doctor Who you have ever heard before. But ironically - it makes you ask that question even more. Because if the Doctor can kill people, if he degrades into a swearing, violent, aggressive, dark Doctor, who will kill and destroy secrets and lie, who will call a man 'expendable' - who is he?
Doctor Who, exactly?
An excellent play, emotionally and realistically written, with good performances and an interesting range of characters who all serve a purpose. I would give this 10/10 if it was a drama.
But at the end of the day, this is a Doctor Who story. And so it's so unlike Doctor Who I can't rate it. Sorry.
Seriously though - buy it. And if anyone has a copy of the script, I wouldn't mind doing this as an actual fan film one day, so um, get in touch?
Sunday, 10 March 2013
Shada | A Review
I'd just like to say how confident I am about the following review. I honestly think it's going to be one of the best I've ever written. I'm writing it in my home town, and it's a wonderfully ambitious review, that naturally I'm writing last minute to an invisible deadline.
And I promise I won't be sarcastic about Shada at all. What do you mean what was that above? I don't know what you're talking about.
I guess, for all fans, Shada is the one you have to watch. It's the one you can't go through fandom avoiding. That and the Daleks' Master Plan, probably. And maybe The War Games. And Genesis of the Daleks... I'll stop there. But Shada is a necessary for all of us, and so sitting down to watch it today, the 10th March 2013, I felt that I was about to watch a piece of history. Well, a piece of history with linking narration from Tom Baker. Perhaps they should do that in history lessons. THIS IS THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS *cuts to Tom Baker* AND THEN HAROLD GOT SHOT IN THE EYE *cuts back to battle where Harold lies on the floor/grass*.
They could do that kinda thing. But anyway yeah, history. Shada. It has gained 'legendary' status because it was cancelled because of a strike, and it's something the fans have kinda always wanted to see completed. Apparently. I think that's probably more just to satisfy our fan curiosity, to see what it would have looked like all done. I'm not sure there's any great wish to see the story finished because we want to see the epic that probably wouldn't have been that epic Doctor/Skagra mind battle at the end. I might be wrong, though.
So anyway, the story itself. Part One is almost faultless. It was like watching City of Death, but in Cambridge. The lines were witty, Tom and Lalla are amazing, the Keeper of Traken (sorry, Professor Chronotis) was really quite good, and Chris wasn't too bad. But the episode was an absolute joy to watch. The other thing that was beneficial was that not too much was missing, and Tom Baker's narration was limited to a couple of lab scenes that were described well. So yeah. You should watch Shada purely for Part One people, it is wonderful.
Part Two is also wonderful. The Doctor gets some great lines (the No Cycling one is particularly surreal and brilliant), and Tom Baker is acting like he's back in his first season. Eccentric, marvellous, mad, brilliant, the best. Lalla Ward also gives a strong and confident performance. The chase around Cambridge with the Doctor on a bike and the ball mind stealing thing chasing him is great. The choir singing to it is great. Part Two is just wonderful.
And Part Three is where the missing scenes really start making a difference. The action in the Professor's college room becomes gradually less exciting through the remainder of the episode, and with only those scenes actually available to watch, apart from a few brief cut aways to Cambridge, which become more limited, the episode gets... almost boring. There isn't enough in the college room clips to keep your interest. And although the scenes Tom Baker narrates sound wonderful, you need to actually see them to really appreciate the episode. There are a couple of clever twists along the way, and the whole concepts of Shada and the ancient book really are quite good - but the college room seems don't work on their own. Even in the episode, though they would be accompanied by some scenes with good humour and action, I'm not sure there's enough in them. It's hard to tell how the episode would be balanced, because it feels too college heavy without the other clips ever being filmed.
To some extent, I guess the college room/TARDIS stuff feels a bit like you're a kid, playing Doctor Who and pretending your sofa is the control panel of your TARDIS. We've all done it - and it is in a way quite brilliant to see them actually doing it for real. But it is a little too limited for television.
So yeah. I imagine along with the other scenes, this would be a complete, funny, exciting episode of Doctor Who. The early parts certainly indicate this. But without all the clips it is really difficult to judge. And the college room clips aren't strong enough to carry the episode along with Mr Baker's narration. I found myself getting confused at which room was which and who was on what spaceship at certain points - could there not have been a CGI recreation of certain moments? Could there not have been a certain animation included, just to bring it to life a little?
Shada needs life. Currently it exists as an ailing Professor Chronotis, stumbling on, coming up with some good lines and good moments, but not quite all there. Imagine a young Chronotis, full of life. A hero. The best, to some. So imagine a complete Shada. Maybe not the best - but certainly very good.
I would comment on the documentary, but the doors appear to have been locked to Blogger, and there's talk of some kind of strike?
And I promise I won't be sarcastic about Shada at all. What do you mean what was that above? I don't know what you're talking about.
I guess, for all fans, Shada is the one you have to watch. It's the one you can't go through fandom avoiding. That and the Daleks' Master Plan, probably. And maybe The War Games. And Genesis of the Daleks... I'll stop there. But Shada is a necessary for all of us, and so sitting down to watch it today, the 10th March 2013, I felt that I was about to watch a piece of history. Well, a piece of history with linking narration from Tom Baker. Perhaps they should do that in history lessons. THIS IS THE BATTLE OF HASTINGS *cuts to Tom Baker* AND THEN HAROLD GOT SHOT IN THE EYE *cuts back to battle where Harold lies on the floor/grass*.
They could do that kinda thing. But anyway yeah, history. Shada. It has gained 'legendary' status because it was cancelled because of a strike, and it's something the fans have kinda always wanted to see completed. Apparently. I think that's probably more just to satisfy our fan curiosity, to see what it would have looked like all done. I'm not sure there's any great wish to see the story finished because we want to see the epic that probably wouldn't have been that epic Doctor/Skagra mind battle at the end. I might be wrong, though.
So anyway, the story itself. Part One is almost faultless. It was like watching City of Death, but in Cambridge. The lines were witty, Tom and Lalla are amazing, the Keeper of Traken (sorry, Professor Chronotis) was really quite good, and Chris wasn't too bad. But the episode was an absolute joy to watch. The other thing that was beneficial was that not too much was missing, and Tom Baker's narration was limited to a couple of lab scenes that were described well. So yeah. You should watch Shada purely for Part One people, it is wonderful.
Part Two is also wonderful. The Doctor gets some great lines (the No Cycling one is particularly surreal and brilliant), and Tom Baker is acting like he's back in his first season. Eccentric, marvellous, mad, brilliant, the best. Lalla Ward also gives a strong and confident performance. The chase around Cambridge with the Doctor on a bike and the ball mind stealing thing chasing him is great. The choir singing to it is great. Part Two is just wonderful.
And Part Three is where the missing scenes really start making a difference. The action in the Professor's college room becomes gradually less exciting through the remainder of the episode, and with only those scenes actually available to watch, apart from a few brief cut aways to Cambridge, which become more limited, the episode gets... almost boring. There isn't enough in the college room clips to keep your interest. And although the scenes Tom Baker narrates sound wonderful, you need to actually see them to really appreciate the episode. There are a couple of clever twists along the way, and the whole concepts of Shada and the ancient book really are quite good - but the college room seems don't work on their own. Even in the episode, though they would be accompanied by some scenes with good humour and action, I'm not sure there's enough in them. It's hard to tell how the episode would be balanced, because it feels too college heavy without the other clips ever being filmed.
To some extent, I guess the college room/TARDIS stuff feels a bit like you're a kid, playing Doctor Who and pretending your sofa is the control panel of your TARDIS. We've all done it - and it is in a way quite brilliant to see them actually doing it for real. But it is a little too limited for television.
So yeah. I imagine along with the other scenes, this would be a complete, funny, exciting episode of Doctor Who. The early parts certainly indicate this. But without all the clips it is really difficult to judge. And the college room clips aren't strong enough to carry the episode along with Mr Baker's narration. I found myself getting confused at which room was which and who was on what spaceship at certain points - could there not have been a CGI recreation of certain moments? Could there not have been a certain animation included, just to bring it to life a little?
Shada needs life. Currently it exists as an ailing Professor Chronotis, stumbling on, coming up with some good lines and good moments, but not quite all there. Imagine a young Chronotis, full of life. A hero. The best, to some. So imagine a complete Shada. Maybe not the best - but certainly very good.
I would comment on the documentary, but the doors appear to have been locked to Blogger, and there's talk of some kind of strike?
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