Ep 10x02 Smile - a homage to...?

[matthunter]

So, the synopsis for this story mentions:

Spoiler

A perfect city where it's said the secret of happiness has been found, cute white "emoji-bots" that are obstensibly there to help but may be more sinister, "something living in the walls"...

Paradise Towers? With perhaps a dash of The Happiness Patrol chucked in?

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Only if the citizens have really bad hair.

Honestly, I'm more reminded of the robots from "The Girl Who Waited," which is a shame because I love that episode and this feels like a cheap knockoff. Doesn't help the writer is Frank Cottrell-Boyce, who wrote "In the Forest of the Night."

 

[Professor Zoom]

Only if the citizens have really bad hair.

Honestly, I'm more reminded of the robots from "The Girl Who Waited," which is a shame because I love that episode and this feels like a cheap knockoff. Doesn't help the writer is Frank Cottrell-Boyce, who wrote "In the Forest of the Night."

I don't see how it could be worse that Forest of the Night--that's pretty rock bottom right there.

 

[kirk55555]

I'd like to think it can't get much worse then In the Forest of the Night, but after Series 8 in general I'm not discounting the possibility. Actually, I consider the Zygon two parter from Series 9 to be worse then that, but the ITFOTN writer didn't write that one as far as I know, so I'm still hoping for something better then their last episode.

 

[matthunter]

I'd like to think it can't get much worse then In the Forest of the Night, but after Series 8 in general I'm not discounting the possibility. Actually, I consider the Zygon two parter from Series 9 to be worse then that, but the ITFOTN writer didn't write that one as far as I know, so I'm still hoping for something better then their last episode.

Kirk, mate... I wouldn't look to you for positivity if you had a surplus of protons and a winning lottery ticket.

 

[kirk55555]

Kirk, mate... I wouldn't look to you for positivity if you had a surplus of protons and a winning lottery ticket.

Ah, yes, I knew I shouldn't have criticized the much beloved In the Forest of the Night. I guess saying something negative about such a classic Doctor Who episode was just going to cause trouble Sarcasm aside, both ITFOTN and the Zygon episodes were atrocious, and I'm hoping we don't get anything that bad in Series 10.

Also, I say more positive things on average then I do negative, but as with anything no one pays attention to the positive.

 

[The Wormhole]

Actually, I consider the Zygon two parter from Series 9 to be worse then that,

The Zygon story is heavy-handed and preachy, and suffers from an overly simplistic view towards very complex matters in our own world's current events. But nothing is worse than Forest of the Night. Seriously, that's special type of bad. Worse than Twin Dilemma, worse than Class.

the ITFOTN writer didn't write that one as far as I know

Indeed, the Zygon story was written by Peter Harness, writer of the infamous Kill the Moon. Part 2 of the Zygon story was co-written by Moffat.

 

[Mr Soak]

Worse than Twin Dilemma, worse than Class.

Worse than Timelash?

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Worse than Timelash?

Yes. Timelash has the benefit of featuring Paul Darrow.

 

[Lakenheath 72]

What I remember most from Season 8, besides the moon being an egg, is the dead rising up from the ground as newly created Cybermen. Yeah, that wouldn't work. Dead bodies don't have the capacity of being reanimated, for the cellular functions are kaput.

That season is notorious for me in its egregious treatment of science.

 

[Professor Zoom]

Yes. Timelash has the benefit of featuring Paul Darrow.

And HG Wells.
And the painting of the 3rd Doctor... right?
And Colin Baker.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

And HG Wells.
And the painting of the 3rd Doctor... right?
And Colin Baker.

Ah, yes, I forgot about the painting. I should watch that serial again, especially considering I hadn't even seen Blake's 7 at the one time I've watched that serial.

 

[Marc]

Yes. Timelash has the benefit of featuring Paul Darrow.

and which I'm sure is some-one's payback for the Blake's 7 ep City On The Edge of Forever

 

[The Nth Doctor]

and which I'm sure is some-one's payback for the Blake's 7 ep City On The Edge of Forever

Huh, I hadn't thought of that, but I believe you mean "City at the Edge of the World."

Pity Timelash isn't even remotely as good as "City at the Edge of the World."

 

[The Wormhole]

Worse than Timelash?

Yes.

 

[matthunter]

Denofgeek also mentions the two stories I referenced in their spoiler-free review...

 

[Lonemagpie]

Both of those 7th Doctor stories were greats scripts totally fucked by production values (and direction and acting), so hopefully this'll be third time lucky...

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Both of those 7th Doctor stories were greats scripts totally fucked by production values (and direction and acting), so hopefully this'll be third time lucky...

But then again, Frank Cottrell-Boyce...

 

[matthunter]

Both of those 7th Doctor stories were greats scripts totally fucked by production values (and direction and acting), so hopefully this'll be third time lucky...

Yeah I had the Target novelisation of Paradise Towers and it was a genuinely engaging read. All I can remember of the televised story is Richard Briers doing a bad zombie impression and the furore in the tabloids over the cannibal grannies and the kitchen knife.

Can't remember much about seeing The Happiness Patrol on screen (vaguely remember the Candyman but not much else) but I'll re-read that bit of the script where the Doctor faces down the sniper and gets him to drop the gun till the cows come home.

 

[StCoop]

Like a lot of the latter day stories in the Original Series (Warriors of the Deep, I'm looking at you) Paradise Towers would have been a lot better if they'd turned the studio lights down and taken the casting more seriously.

Oddly enough I've always thought that the minimalist sets and general air of artificiality works in The Happiness Patrol's favour, though.