A nice (and incredibly thorough) article on Ian Levine's production to finish the story. My hope for "Shada"'s DVD release is that it would include the animated Paul McGann version, if only for ease of comparison.
I would be one of those fans who would cry "sacrilege" to anyone other than Tom Baker playing The Fourth Doctor. I'm all for this version of Shada and I applaud Ian Levine for his initiative but it should not be done without Tom Baker himself. If something last second happens and Tom Baker does decide to lend his voice to the project, then I'll be thrilled, but until such a time occurs, I'll be perfectly content with the Paul McGann version.
I was actually surprised to read that this restoration was unauthorized. Didn't 2 Entertain announce a few months ago that it was preparing Shada for DVD release? I head about Levine's project soon after and I assumed it was being done for 2 Entertain. Remember any such restoration would simply be an approximation anyway, and the McGann version (which I agree should be included in any future DVD) was condemned by some fans as well who felt Baker should have done it back in 2003. Levine has pretty strong connections (considering he used to work with the Doctor Who Production Office) so I'd say we're likely to see this show up in some form before long. As for hearing Baker do a version, I'd say cross your fingers that Big Finish manages to talk Tom and his ex-wife Lalla Ward into doing audios together. If they manage that trick, expect a Lost Stories version of Shada to be announced pretty darn fast. Alex
No, Levine's plan was always to present the completed animation to 2|Entertain as a fait accompli -- "Take it or leave it." 2|Entertain had no interest in doing this on their own; it wouldn't have fit their budget.
That was indeed a superb article. I hope Levine's efforts are rewarded with a release. I must admit, I'd be unlikely to buy it, just as I'm unlikely to check out the McGann version (really, I'm a tv-only fan) but it would be just reward for his had work and all those who would want to see it would get to do so. Do those who are familiar with the story think it could be re-worked as a story for the Eleventh (or even Twelfth!) Doctor?
There's nothing about "Shada" that is fourth Doctor-specific. That's why it was able to be reworked so easily into an eighth Doctor story for Big Finish. "Shada" could work in a post-Time War setting, sure. Make Professor Chronotis a Time Lord who went to ground during the Time War.
^ Thanks. Well, with them having adapted a Seventh Doctor novel for Ten and with the likes of Neil Gaiman writing for the new show, here's hoping someone sees the wisdom of adapting a Douglas Adams script.
Would BF actually do another version of the same story after the McGann/Ward one just so Baker could do it?
The only way I'd see them doing it is if Baker rerecorded the Doctor's lines, and they were edited into the extant audio production in places of McGann's. But I don't see the point of this. I don't think it makes financial sense for them to spend the time and money to create this. I certainly don't think it makes sense for them to attempt a full remount of "Shada." And why should they? They have a perfectly acceptable "Shada" that they've been selling for much of the last decade. I don't know what new Tom Baker would bring to another audio production.
I don't think "Shada" will work without Romana and K9. Actually I take it back, River could replace Romana and since K9 is masterless right now, the Doctor could pick him up again.
What makes you believe K-9 is Master-less (Well, Mistress-Less). In the Classic Series, K-9 stayed on Gallifrey with Leela, K9 Mk II stayed at the CVE with Romana. The Audio Series Gallifrey Adventures doesn't make either one available to be picked up.
I think he's talking about Mark IV (the replacement for Mark III, which was destroyed in School Reunion). Mark I - Stayed behind on Gallifrey with Leela Mark II - Stayed in e-Space with the fake Romana Mark III - Given to Sarah Jane as a gift by the Doctor (K9 and Company: A Girl's Best Friend), died in School Reunion Mark IV - Also given to Sarah Jane by the Doctor
Ah, thanks, I had forgotten about Sarah Jane and her K9s (Mark I and II being so fresh in my head from Gallifrey Adventures and Classic Tom Baker, which I have just completed watching this weekend).
Tom's given it his blessing, he had his chance. Everyone else puts in great performances, Daniel Hill in particular raves about the project. And the sound-alike is pretty good. It shows when you keep going between the two in earlier episodes (which were mostly recorded) but in the longer gaps, its very easy to forget its not Tom. He's backtracked a little on that now. He now doesn't oppose reasonable changes. Just what the world needs, another Shada! Be pretty hard though. Its somewhat Timelord dependant. The remote control version's instructions call him the IIIa. Same memories perhaps (The master rebuilt me) The problem is the BBC don't own the audio. And Big Finish don't own the animation. So whilst none of the webcasts are impossible it wouldn't come cheap. He also has a strong history of burning his bridges. He used to do documentaries for the range - Genesis Of The Daleks, Edge Of Destruction, Inferno - but they found him too difficult to work with. He gets on with some of them better than others (so has been interviewed) and theres one or two interesting projects lined up he may be involved with. On their terms. They wouldn't even have to work together. Apparently Mary's had other commitments and had to record her lines for her next stories separately. Lalla's not opposed to the idea of working with Tom, but I wouldn't like to bet on it happening. They haven't spoken to each other in 20 years. They don't want to upset Tom.
Article sounds rather defensive if you ask me. Anyway, check out the Doctor's legs in that last picture, they look hilarious.
I have to say, that looks (if I may fantastic. Is there anyway we could sign up with our credit card info as a type of pre-order to give them some idea of how many units this would sell? And the McGann should certainly be included as the poor guy has so little screen time as it is.
OK, so I've finally seen it (a friend sent it to me, kindly enough). And, I have to say, for an amateur effort, this was rather good. The animation could obviously still be improved, but I think the animated sequences realized the, well, unrealized Shada wonderfully, and the VO work for most of the characters is superb. The ones that noticeably stand out are the actors doing the voices of Chronotis and, of course, the Doctor. Chronotis, in his very limited time, sounds absolutely nothing like the late Denis Carey, and I'm not sure if that was the intention, but I chose to take it as that being the real voice of Salyevin, so it didn't take as much out of context. Its rather thankful I guess that most of Chronotis' work was already finished back then, I suppose. The guy doing the voice of the Doctor, however... well, at times he's really good. There are in fact a couple of instances where he really DID sound like Tom Baker would have. There are some other instances where he sounds like a Tom Baker impersonator, and it kinda takes you of the experience. Its not a substantial difference, mind you, but it could be improved upon, certainly. That said, the rest of the voice acting is top notch, particularly the returning Daniel Hill as Bristol (lol), who sounds virtually the same as in the finished footage. And Christopher Neame as Skagra is, arguably, more threatening in the animated sequences than in the live-action segments, but he did do well, overally. As for the story, I think its rather wonderful, actually. In my humble opinion, its very nearly as good as City of Death - though the latter does have a better pace than this one, which I think should've been an episode shorter. That said, they're both rather exemplary Doug Adams material, despite both being allegedly hastily written - I hate to imagine the wasted opportunity that a fine-tuned, well-prepared-in-advance DW story of his would've been like, cause he SHOULD have written for the series again. In any case, this was rather good a story, and I liked it a lot. Certianly a lot more than all of Tom Baker's last season, and thats a shame for that season, obviously. As for the Ian Levine work... Well, kudos to him for actually realizing this as authentically as possible. I'm sorry this wasn't picked up by 2 entertain, because it'd have boosted their sales substancially I think - despite owning this "pirate" copy, I refuse to obtain the 2 entertain release because I will hold out for a release and, hopefully, update of this little gem. I regret that this adventure had to be pirated in order to be enjoyed by so many people.
Douglas's hasty stuff tended to be far better than the stuff he agonized over, endlessly. If he'd stayed at 'Will work for beer' he'd have written 100 things, 50 of them brilliant. Instead we have a dozen or so :-(