I’ll admit that this is an entry that surprised me. It’s a story that I’ve only passably enjoyed in the past, so to find it so high on the list wasn’t what I expected at all. There’s two things I can put this down to: the time of year, and the effect a good podcast can have on you.
If I made my list in Spring, or Summer, I don’t think this would have come so high. It has a quintessential Autumn feel to it: from the moment The Doctor & Leela step from the TARDIS into the swirling mist of Fang Rock, that feeling of damp November nights never leaves you. The atmosphere in this story is as thick as the fog that comes rushing in once the Rutan lands, and I think that its Season 15 bedfellow Image of the Fendahl is the only other story that comes close to capturing the feel of this time of year1 – although I’m sure there’s those that would make the case for State of Decay. It’s the perfect story to put on when you’re wrapped up & cosy on a cold November night, and I always think about it when I’m out walking the dog in the fog.
This story actually reminds me of The Masque of Mandragora, in that it’s actually a period drama from the BBC that just so happens to have Doctor Who in it. While Masque is a Shakespearean adaptation in all but name, Fang Rock is an Edwardian murder mystery in the finest traditions of Sherlock Holmes et al. The real story is Lord Palmerdale, his greed & the lengths he will go to for a quick buck. The Rutan is just a McGuffin to this, driving the plot forward much like The Joker does in The Dark Knight. Although it’s set a few decades before her time, there’s a very strong Agatha Christie vibe to this one, as the inhabitants of the lighthouse are picked off one by one – think of it as And Then There Were None but with amorphous green blobs2. There’s also a strong current of class commentary running through this story, as Palmerdale finds himself at the mercy of the lighthouse keepers as he tries in vain to make his fortune; watch the scene where, having just come ashore, Palmerdale is demanding brandy but Vince just coolly swats him aside – he has no authority here3. Terrance Dicks, stripped of the vampire story he wanted to write, has come up with something even better – just as creepy & tense as Dracula but with more to say about the time it is set in: I always think Uncle Terrance does his best work when he’s up against it. You could take The Doctor and the Rutan out of this story & still have something quite special4.
And I mean that literally. You could take Tom Baker out of this story and not miss anything, as – once again under the thumb of Paddy Russell – he has an almighty strop and phones his performance in. Or at least, that’s what I used to think, until I listened to Toby Hadoke’s superlative commentary on this for his Happy Times & Places stream of his podcast. If you haven’t listened to Toby’s podcasts yet, then you need to get among then – not just the commentaries but the Indefinable Magic strand, which is basically another one man show based around an element of Doctor Who, and Too Much Information for the stattos out there. The commentary for Fang Rock can be found here https://tobyhadoke.podbean.com/e/happy-times-and-places-601-horror-of-fang-rock-1/ with Episode One; just work your way down. You won’t be disappointed, and I can recommend signing up for his Patreon for bonus content too.
Shameless plug over, what this podcast did – and it’s the MO of Happy Times & Places to accentuate the positive – was to point out just how much Tom is actually doing. Sure, he’s surly; he’s brooding, and he’s missing the intensity of his last run out with Paddy5, but that actually fits the tone of the piece: sombre & atmospheric throughout. There’s still those flashes of energy – the way he picks up his bowler hat & delivers “In the morning we might all be dead. Anyone interested?” – and the Part 3 cliffhanger only works because of how he plays it. He didn’t last 7 years in the role for nothing, you know….
So why does this story come higher in my list than Pyramids if Tom is better in that story than he is here? Because of the other reason you can take The Doctor out of this story: because it belongs to Leela and not him. Louise Jameson is the best actor we’ve had in Doctor Who – ever. That’s a hill I’m dying on, and she shows it again here (Exhibit A: Showing how Leela uses a shovel for the first time). But it’s more than that: Terrance writes her properly, as a fully fleshed character and not just a 2D savage that the Bristol Boys & other have a tendency to do this season. Her slap to Adelaide’s face, stripping in front of Vince and the line “do as the Doctor instructs, or I will cut out your heart” all add up to give her depth, agency and impact that we don’t usually see in this period of the show. And how amazing does she look out of her leather skin leotard & into Vince’s jumper? I should like a jumper like that… I find a lot of the Season 15/end of Season 14 stories are better if you watch Leela and not The Doctor; again, take him out this story & Leela would do just fine.
Speaking of Season 15, I need to take a minute to sing the praises of producer Graham Williams. This is his first story as producer, but you wouldn’t tell: it has all the hallmarks of a Hinchcliffe production – not least as Robert Holmes is there as script editor – but he must take the credit for its success as much as anyone. Williams cops a lot of flack in his time, for bringing in a lighter tone and budget issues (especially later in this season). But he ultimately played the hand he was dealt; he was briefed by his bosses to make the show lighter, and inflation6 meant his budget was crippled no matter how he managed it. He played his hand very well though – he kept the lights on & delivered some entertaining episodes of Doctor Who. He deserves a lot more credit for what he actually did than he ever seems to get.
So a fantastic story by Terrance Dicks, an amazingly atmospheric set, a powerhouse performance from one of the leads & and an effortlessly engaging one from the other all help push this one into the Top 60. But having a skilled hand point out to me what I’ve missed, the gold that I couldn’t see, has pushed it to just outside the Top 40. So thank you Toby, thank you for making this story shine like a beacon in the fog for me. This is the power of positivity, and putting your talents to work building something up rather than tearing it down: having your opinion of something changed for the better is a great feeling 😊
COMING TOMORROW: “Hello, Doctor. It’s so very, very nice to meet you.”
Skies Full of Diamonds 