Just Like Old Photographs
Okay, for those of you under twenty-five, cameras used a roll of film that had to be taken for development, which might take weeks. There, recent history explained.
Very well. If you've read this blog over any length of time then you ought to know that Conrad, a looooong time ago, used to post stories on the Fanfiction website, either complete novel-length "Doctor Who" tales or short stories about the UK branch of UNIT, which occasionally involved The Doctor. These rather died the death after I began blogging, because there are (and I have complained about this bitterly, to no avail) only 24 hours in a day*.
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3090919/1/UNIT-UK-23-A-Death-In-The-Family
There's a sample for you. All properly tied-in with the timeline of the series. Art!
Third Doctor, for your information
I've not written any of these for years and years, but to pass the time whilst walking into Royton, I was composing a scene when our first-person narrator and hero Lt. Walmsley walks in on the Doctor in his lab at UNIT HQ, to pester him about administration and paperwork. He catches sight of a folder with a UNIT marque on it entitled "Earthforce" and of course - obviously! - starts to ask about it even as it is whisked out of vision, before stopping his questions with ' - beyond my paygrade, I suppose.' "Beyond your century!" ripostes The Doctor, not explaining further. John (our hero's first name) goes a bit pale at this casual, even careless, approach to documents from the future. He warns The Doctor he's lucky that only a 'slug-witted subaltern' had seen it, because if Major Crichton had gotten a glimpse there'd have been trouble with the timelines -
Colonel Crichton, when he takes over as OC UNIT UK
At this point I was going to have The Doctor demonstrate one or two gimmicks to maintain security in his lab when he's not there, such as a hologram - which would involve John hilariously trying to shake hands with. It tickled me, anyway. And John would have recounted the tale of a sci-fi short story about a man who acquired an almanac from the future, and what potentially time-skewing information he might have deducted from same - except I couldn't remember the title or author <sad face>.
"The Towering Inferno"! I'd just finished watching this yesterday. The introductory scene for Steve McQueen is where a Fire Department car drives up to the camera, bumping over loads of hosepipes running from fire-engines, pulls up in the foreground and Steve emerges.
- yes I realise this is an abrupt shift of focus. It's how we rile at BOOJUM! and is terrifically good for your mental agility. Do keep up!
Even the flames are scared of Steve!
Who else was in films and good with cars? Conrad idly pondered. James Garner! What was that Western series he starred in? I couldn't remember, so I looked up his biography on Wiki.
Erk.
It's a good job I have armoured underwear because the Coincidence Hydra tried to take a chunk out of me. Art!
In 1957, he had a supporting role in the TV anthology series episode on Conflict entitled "Man from 1997," portraying Maureen's brother "Red"; the show stars Jacques Sernas as Johnny Vlakos, Gloria Talbott as Maureen, and Charlie Ruggles as elderly Mr. Boyne, a time-traveling librarian from 1997, and involved a 1997 Almanac that was mistakenly left in the past by Boyne and found by Johnny in a bookstore
With that, I found out that the author was the eminent Alfred Bester, of "Tiger, Tiger" fame.
Now, what are the chances of that happening?
Motley, time for lunch - oodles of sauerkraut for everyone!
The Sound Of The Underground
I lied**. More correctly it should be "The Sight Of The Underground" except that doesn't rhyme. For Lo! we are back to the BBC premier dramamentary "Doctor Who" again, because one can never have too much of The Doctor in your life. As mentioned a while ago, I got "The Web Of Fear" as a DVD and have decided to share a couple of photographs of same with you. Unfortunately I cannot use the Snip tool and these are real, actual photographs with <ahem> reflections. Sorry in advance. Art!
That's either a prop for miniature filming or a scale model to work from when creating the full-sized sets. David is the chap responsible for creating the London Underground sets when the BBC were filming TWOF at Ealing Studios, where he took advantage of their large studios. Art!
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| Ignore the reflections! Ignore the reflections! |
Don't forget, either, that this construction work would have been to a deadline for filming to begin, and with a strictly limited budget, knowing the BBC. Of course - obviously! - it looks convincing, because after all how many people go poking around the Tube between catching trains? Precious few. It was convincing enough to startle and alarm London Underground, who at one point suspected the film crew of sneaking in to the real tunnels between 02:00 and 05:00. Let's all point and laugh at London Underground!
It's The Pits
Ha! Fooled you. Although this colloquialism means "It is of execrable quality" whatever it is, the it in question is "Quatermass And The Pit" - the television series of course - which is indubitably of high quality. I did mention that part of it's effectiveness is the sound design, and have just arrived at that point in Nigel Kneale's biography when the sound design is mentioned. Art!
This work was undertaken by the BBC's new Radiophonic Workshop, who created a whole assembly of un-nerving sounds that heightened the frightening events on-screen. We shall come back to this remarkable television series because I've not finished with either it or you.
Finally -
Today, I'll have you know, is my day off, even if I've partaken in a couple of Team video chats with the office, because I like to get my oar in on a regular basis. You are still only getting one post: this one. Because I have other things to do than entertain, educate and inform you lot, is why.
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| Also, I am evil. And here's the proof |
* The late Brian Aldiss thought the same way, which is why he wrote "The Eighty Minute Hour". Perhaps.
** This is not unusual. Get used to it.
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