Episode 47

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Twilight, glitter guns, and clams?! Has Bigger on the Inside turned into horrible slash fiction? No! Dan and Mike are talking about "Genesis of the Daleks," "Revenge of the Cybermen," and the end of the 12th season. [ 1:26:02 || 39.4 MB ]

The above is from: http://www.earth-2.net/podcasts/biggerontheinside/episodes/bigger_047.mp3

[Koete]

Genesis of The Daleks is so brilliant, it could have farting Raxacoricofallapatorians doing the can-can and it would still be one of the greatest Doctor Who stories of all time.

This was one of the first classic Doctor Who stories I saw along with An Unearthly Child and The Two Doctors and it knocked my socks off. Davros is a fantastic villain, but like Dan said, he was never as effective afterward as in Genesis. I think the recent Season 4 finale came closest to re-capturing the greatness of Davros. The conversation between The Doctor and Davros and The Doctor's monologue are two of the greatest moments in Doctor Who, maybe the greatest.

No mention of Nyder? I thought he was a good supporting character.

Speaking of the Season 4 finale, I like it less and less the more I watch it, but something I'll give Davies is having the angry, unfocused, half-human Doctor essentially commit the genocide that The Doctor could not bring himself to in Genesis.

[Dan]

Whoops. Lawrence Miles didn't write Lungbarrow. I always make that mistake. My bad.

[jakob1978]

Just listening to it now. Only a bit in, but the comments about actors appearing in small roles made me think of the obvious one, given you're watching Genesis and Revenge. Ian Marter who plays Harry, appeared a few years earlier in Carnival of Monsters (and was Barry Letts original choice for Captain Yates).

I'll comment on the rest of the podcast when i've finished listening to it

[jakob1978]

OK, heard the Genesis part, so i'll comment on that :-)

Genesis is a great story (although I wouldn't have it in my top 5, but probably in my top 10). I thought you'd like this, cause it's such a Comic Book story. It's basically a retcon/reboot/Year One Dalek story, taking the facts we were told in the first story, and ripping it up and rewriting it as a new story.

Michael Wisher playing Davros is brilliant. His voice, and dalek voice is partly because he'd been voicing Daleks for the previous story. He is the best Davros (for me followed by Terry Molloy, Julian Bleach and lastly poor David Gooderson).

Baker's acting is an interesting point. Stephen Moffatt once wrote an article saying that Tom Baker's best acting is in this season, because it's before he's been seen on screen as the Doctor. After this, when he knows he's been accepted as the Doctor, he relaxes into the role, and i think it can be argued that he does become a bit lazy at times (although he still has some stunning moments).

[jakob1978]

Revenge is pretty awful. The Cybermen are just terrible in this, with their standing with their hands on hips and their terrible voices. When they return their voices are more robotic, but still easy to understand (more of a happy medium between this and their old voices).

Did you notice that the old Vogan is played by the same actor (Michael Wisher) as played Davros in the last story.

BTW...There is one more recurring villain in Hinchcliffes tenure (in The Deadly Assasin)

The first release of this story on video was notorious for the cover which had every element wrong...a Cyberman from Earthshock, the logo from Peter Davisons season, and a photo of Tom Baker from Season 18, in his different costume.

[Dan]

Did you notice that the old Vogan is played by the same actor (Michael Wisher) as played Davros in the last story.

Not only that, but Kevin "Tobias Vaughn" Stoney makes a reurn here. Picture the old Vogan saying "Packer..."

BTW...There is one more recurring villain in Hinchcliffes tenure (in The Deadly Assasin)

Ooh, yeah, you're right.

[slothian]

Who'd have thought that the Cybers were allergic to Dustin Runnels?!?

[StacyD]

Genesis of the Daleks remains an all-time favorite and I'm glad it met with acclaim from both you fine gentlemen. As to Revenge of the Cybermen. . .yeah. I always found the problem with gold to be a little. . .off. I mean, there's nothing to indicate the makeup of the Cybermen would have a problem with this particular element. As a weakness for a Green Lantern it's fine, but not for a cybernetic marauder.

[Stavros]

I do love Genesis of the Daleks, my all time favourite story. Fine job gentlemen!

Minor quibble, Dan you mentioned that the Daleks become Davros' minions from here on out but that's not strictly true. Most of the Dalek stories involving Davros either depict the Daleks attempting to capture Davros so he can help them or involve the civil war between his own white and gold Dalek factions and the traditional grey ones. This storyline was referenced in the new storyline when the Doctor points out that Davros has once again been overthrown by his own creations and forced to work for them instead of lead. It's certainly true that non-Davros Dalek stories don't come around again until Dalek, but for the most part they are not merely his minions.

[StacyD]

Minor quibble, Dan you mentioned that the Daleks become Davros' minions from here on out but that's not strictly true. Most of the Dalek stories involving Davros either depict the Daleks attempting to capture Davros so he can help them or involve the civil war between his own white and gold Dalek factions and the traditional grey ones. This storyline was referenced in the new storyline when the Doctor points out that Davros has once again been overthrown by his own creations and forced to work for them instead of lead. It's certainly true that non-Davros Dalek stories don't come around again until Dalek, but for the most part they are not merely his minions.

Yeah, I remember that being expanded upon with the Daleks need to resurrect Davros to combat the threat of the Movellans in Destiny of the Daleks; the Daleks most certainly did not view Davros as an equal, merely a tool that would enable them to introduce a random element to break the stalemate. Later Davros would escape and begin work on his 'Imperial' Daleks (they of the cream and gold) with himself as the Emperor (the not the Emperor of the Time War. . .or maybe he was. Wibbly-wobbly. . .). The Daleks evolving from his original creation were 'pure strain' Daleks lead by the Supreme Dalek/Black Dalek. This division was most clearly illustrated in the Seventh Doctor serial Remembrance of the Daleks.

StacyD

[jakob1978]

I'm looking forward to the discussion on Terror of the Zygons. I think it's a cracking storyand despite appearing in only this story, the Zygons remain one of the most effective monsters who appeared in the original series (and i'd be astounded if they didn't return at some point). Sadly, Geoffrey Burgon who composed the incidental music for that story, passed away today (he's more famous for scoring "Life of Bryan", the original "Brideshead Revisited" and My fave of his music is the theme to the BBC "Chronicles of Narnia").

[ShaunKL]

Mike, don't diss the glitter gun till you've seen Colin Baker go "cowboys & indians" in Attack of the Cybermen.

(But feel free to rant on the gold weakness come Silver Nemesis.)