Things I've Learnt from Watching My Favourite Doctor Who Stories: Part 49 - Horror of Fang Rock

 49: Horror of Fang Rock

Sometimes even the best people can be wrong! 

Isn't Louise Jameson wonderful? She's absolutely one of the best actresses to play a companion and give life to a character who could have been a bit of a gimmick. She gives Leela such depth and emotion, and never gives a bad performance. Seriously, she's one of the best things about Underworld, especially when she tells Idas that the Doctor "has saved many fathers."

Louise has had an amazing career after leaving the show starring in Tenko, Bergerac and EastEnders and is currently in Emmerdale. She's also been a fantastic ambassador for Doctor Who, continuing to appear at conventions, taking time to meet fans and still answering the same questions that she has for forty years or more. She's been lovely when I've met her, although we did share a lift once at a convention in Swansea. It was like that scene in Friends where Chandler's stuck in the ATM vestibule with Jill Goodacre. And just like Chandler, I smiled for about 12 seconds too long and probably unintentionally freaked her out, for which I apologise! 

Still, lovely lady and a wonderful actress but when it comes to Horror of Fang Rock, she's got it wrong! OK, obviously she's entitled to an opinion but I don't think she's right when she says it's her worst story. She says she went through the script crossing out the line "Leela screams" and as I imagine she had to often do. But watching Horror of Fang Rock, I can't see where those parts would be. Throughout the story Leela is brutally pragmatic, brave, clever and endearingly innocent but never stupid. It's a great story for her, from her challenging Lord Palmerdale with the immortal line "You will do as the Doctor instructs or I will cut out your heart!" to her innocent stripping of her wet clothes in front of the embarrassed Vince. 

Tom Baker also gives an interesting performance. It's well known he and the director Paddy Russell didn't get on, but it seems their creative tension is the inspiration for Tom to give a performance that is light, yet still full of the gravitas of his early years. The relationship between the Doctor and Leela is well written by Terrance Dicks, including the Doctor's chiding of his companion for gloating over the death of their enemy. He's utterly in control, until the end of the third episode, when he realises his terrible mistake... 

Colin Douglas is the main guest star and goes from the curmudgeonly but kind hearted Reuben to the sinister Rutan with ease. The smile he gives as he's about to slaughter Harker and later when he kills Adelaide is horrible. The Rutan creature has its detractors but I think it looks great; a snot-covered Brussel sprout with tentacles. 

The production is well done, period drama is the BBC's forte and the Edwardian era Lighthouse and its occupants look authentic. This was the first and only time Doctor Who was recorded at the BBC's Pebble Mill studios in Birmingham and even though there were concerns about the inexperienced crews, the staff there were very helpful, going above and beyond the call of duty and it shows. The grimness of the story is rather in keeping with the Philip Hinchcliffe era of the show with only the Doctor and Leela escaping the lighthouse alive. Lighter times were ahead, with instructions to make the show more light hearted and less violent. This is probably the best story of Season Fifteen, it's tightly plotted and directed and Leela most definitely does not scream! 

Next Time : You are not Alone!