| Produced by |
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| Reeltime Pictures |
Sophie Aldred, Carole Ann Ford, Brian Croucher, Jan Chappell. Written by Terrance Dicks.
Nearly ten years after The Two Doctors, the Sontarans return.... Not a lot of money was spent on Shakedown, but it rarely shows. HMS Belfast doubling as the interior of the Tiger Moth and the Sontaran War Wheel are just two examples of this. The Sontarans themselves are redseigned, with new heads, uniforms, less bulk and more characterisation (both good and bad.)
Terrance Dicks' script is in the style of many Doctor Who tales, that of alien invasion. This is no bad thing, if relatively simple and undemanding. His characters are variable, the worst offender being the Sontaran Lt.Vorn. His stupidity begs the question of how he got to that position in the first place. More palatable,and more like a Sontaran than any other, is Steg, whose presence alone signifies authority.
The Humans: Mairi played by Sophie Aldred, a screamer and complete contrast to Ace. Zorelle played by Carole Ann Ford, an aristocrat and alcoholic--a complete contrast to Susan. (Isn`t that a surprise? Not really no, given the writer.) Two who come off better are Brian Croucher`s Kurt and Jan Chappell`s Lisa Deranne, two believable, uncliched and fascinating characters.
Coupled with great direction and excellent music, Shakedown is just as enjoyable as a piece of stand-alone science fiction as it is a Doctor Who spin-off.
A Review by Richard Radcliffe 11/9/04
An early spin-off effort was Shakedown - a collaboration between DW and B7 personnel, organized by Dreamwatch Magazine.
Starting very well with Mark Ayres fabulous music this promises to be pretty good. There's some great spaceship models too, and then the crew of the Tiger Moth are introduced to us. A diverse group full of DW and Blake's Seven actors, who don't really gel all that well - but that's probably the idea.
The characters are shown to be together, but not of the same purpose. There's some miscasting going on, and some real standouts too. Sophie Aldred initially stands out as Mari, princess, complete with slinky gown. But her relationship with the ordinary Nikos brings her character down. Carole Ann Ford is very convincing as a bitchy, self-obsessed socialite. But her acting is a bit over the top. Michael Wisher is the everyman engineer, a very small part - which is a shame, as he is the best actor on show here. Brian Croucher is the millionaire Kurt, and is the worst performer by far. He seems embarrassed to be there, and lacks conviction in every scene. The best part and performer, alternatively, is Jan Chappell as Captain Deranne. The owner of the yacht she oozes confidence and control. She is the one who you want to see again.
HMS Belfast doubles as the interior of the solar ship. It provides a rather cold, if unconvincing atmosphere to the production. It always looks like the interior of a sea ship, and there were many times I completely forgot I was supposed to be in space. The SFX is excellent, the solar ship and Sontaran vessel are wonderful models and look great on screen. The direction is good, the action scenes particularly standing out, especially when the Sontarans board the Tiger Moth.
The slightly redesigned Sontarans are the enemy. They look okay, but the voices leave a great deal to be desired. Steg (Toby Aspin) is fine, but Vorn (Tom Finnis) is terrible - just terrible. If there was a vote for "Worst Alien Voice", the one you don't want to hear in a Big Finish Production - then this is it. Like Brian Croucher's Kurt he brings down every scene he is in.
The story is a simple one, and not one of Terrance's best. Terrance Dicks plays to the confines of the solar ship pretty well. The Sontarans are also depicted well, even if they are not really that nastier and meaner than TV. But it is the dialogue that is so clumsy in places, the delivery of the actors doesn't help - but it's rather naff too much. The ending's a bit trite too, all that destruction then the happy couple go off on further adventures - didn't like that very much.
One of the real plusses of the story is the Rutan. With a claustrophobic setting the Rutan thrives. It moves between bodies, giving the production its main tension, as one by one the crew go down. The way the Rutan is presented is also good, that green light moving from place to place, body to body. It provides the production with the claustrophobic atmosphere so important to a closed set like this.
Of great interest too is the Making Of Documentary. These things really show the motives behind these productions. You have to admire the enthusiasm of everyone involved. There's a bit too much playing up to the camera (you can only laugh once or twice at a Sontaran picking his nose), but everyone seems keen to do their very best, in spite of the finished performances.
Shakedown in the end provides a quite entertaining hour of drama. Apart from Vorn and Kurt, there is enough to like within. The rest of the cast, the story, the FX and the music. A worthwhile, if flawed production. 6/10