Paradise Towers coming to DVD

[Whofan]

One of the more bizzare WHO stories is coming out-Paradise Towers.

It's from season 24, Sylvestor McCoy's first and probably the most hated of all classic Who seasons. Basically, it's kind of like a less refined, low budget version of Gridlock....this time set in a high-rise apartment ruled by weird gangs, cannibal old ladies, and weird robots. Of course the Doctor sort of saves the day, but there's a lot of weirdness involved to get there.

Stephen Wyatt, the writer, actually wrote a second Who story the next season that was still kind of silly but far creepier, the Greatest Show in the Galaxy.


This will be the third season 24 release after Time And The Rani and Delta and the Bannermen. Personally, I kind of like Dragonfire from the season, for all it's faults it's got Ace, a slight hint of the darker McCoy to come, and some OK FX here and there.

 

[The]

This was the first McCoy episode I ever saw. I was visiting my uncle in Dallas, and at the time, my PBS was still showing Colin. Thus, when I found Doctor Who listed in the Dallas channel area, I was shocked to suddenly "dip into the future". It was surreal, to say the least. Of course, it may be why I like Syl more than most.....I didn't have to start with Time and the Rani...

This wasn't the first time that had happened, though. Back when Who came on Saturday's at 4pm (and they would air the entire story in a single two-to-four hour block) Romana II had just entered the show. Yet, on weekday nights, they were also airing Peter's first season (as the show was in his second season in the UK, at the time). I accidentally stumbled onto PBS one night, and I caught a glimpse of those white, roundel walls. I knew none of the characters, and wondered where The Doctor was.....and why the blonde companion had question marks on his collar...

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

RED KANGS! RED KANGS! RED KANGS ARE BEST!!

This was also my first Seventh Doctor serial watched, and I quite liked it as well.

Though I was wondering throughout that for all the pools in all of time and space to be considered for the Doc to see Mel in a swimsuit, why the heck did they choose PARADISE FREAKING TOWERS?! The pool is about the most generic thing I've ever see on Television, and there are certainly hotel pools they could have used that looked better AND could house a robotic killer crab. Moreover, I was living in Edmonton at the time and the World Waterpark had recently opened; it was the biggest indoor pool of its kind on Earth and Mel, who is from the 80s and would almost certainly have known of it, wanted PARADISE FREAKING TOWERS?!

Mark

 

[ToddKent]

Was this the one that had the monster made out of candy?

 

[Andrew_Kearley]

Season 24 is probably my favourite season that Sylvester McCoy did. Apart from Dragonfire, which isn't as good.

 

[Shatnertage]

I've never seen this, but despite what's been said above, I can't wait.

 

[Cutter John]

Was this the one that had the monster made out of candy?

No, that ones not to the next season.

This is the one with the giant post-apokolyptic apartment tower, where Bonnie Langford gets accosted by a pool cleaner, there are goofy looking white cleaner bots, and the villain runs about in a white uniform with a Hitler mustache, talking like a gumby (the Monty Python, not the clay variety)

 

[Captain Pike]

Was this the one that had the monster made out of candy?

No no, that's The Happiness Patrol. There is a critical difference - The Happiness Patrol is actually kinda good.

Paradise Towers on the other hand. Well.. just be very afraid. Remember, what has been seen cannot be unseen...

 

[Bones2]

I saw Paradise Towers not long ago. Gave it 3.5 out of 5. Can't help liking it.

 

[Sketcher]

Paradise Towers coming to DVD

 

[Bones2]

Paradise Towers coming to DVD

Are you refering to my having said I saw it not long ago? Because for all you know, I have the VHS.

 

[Lonemagpie]

set in a high-rise apartment ruled by weird gangs, cannibal old ladies, and weird robots.

See, that makes it sound good, in a 2000AD kind of way.

Unfortunately it's nothing like that.

It's a perfect example of a very good script killed stone fucking dead by... well, absolutely *everything* else about the production. Design, effects, music, direction, lighting, editing, casting and most importantly acting* are all utter, utter, shit.

*- except Clive Merrison, who's great.

 

[StCoop]

It's a perfect example of a very good script killed stone fucking dead by... well, absolutely *everything* else about the production. Design, effects, music, direction, lighting, editing, casting and most importantly acting* are all utter, utter, shit.

It'll never happen but I've certainly thought in the past the Big Finish should remake it. As you say they wouldn't have to change much about the script; just do everything else better.

 

[Lonemagpie]

It's a perfect example of a very good script killed stone fucking dead by... well, absolutely *everything* else about the production. Design, effects, music, direction, lighting, editing, casting and most importantly acting* are all utter, utter, shit.

It'll never happen but I've certainly thought in the past the Big Finish should remake it. As you say they wouldn't have to change much about the script; just do everything else better.

Actually that's the thing about it - it'd be a great audio/radio show, with the right actors (i.e. only keep Merrison from the original. I suppose we'd be stuck with Sylv and Bonnie, though at least the latter is better on audio).

It'd have been a good original novel. Or a good 2000AD style comics series.

It's just so totally and completely in the wrong medium! It should never have been commissioned when it demanded such large-scale urban decay and so on that could never possibly have been achieved at TV Centre on a Dr Who budget. The old DWM comic End Of The Line did something similar far far better with Dave Gibbons' art than could ever be done on TV with the budget and technical limitations of the time.

Though getting some more actors who'd have actually given *good* performances would have gone a long way to glossing over that fact.

 

[Cutter John]

Season 24 is probably my favourite season that Sylvester McCoy did. Apart from Dragonfire, which isn't as good.

Strangely, I feel the exact opposite. To me Season 24 was one of the low points in DW history, with Dragonfire the only semi-bright spot.

 

[Piper]

Actually that's the thing about it - it'd be a great audio/radio show, with the right actors (i.e. only keep Merrison from the original. I suppose we'd be stuck with Sylv and Bonnie, though at least the latter is better on audio).

Now I'm curious... what did you think of Sylv's performance in Unregenerate! ?

 

[Bones2]

^
In addition to that, when submitting a script to BF, do you get told which Doctor/Companion you're gonna write for or do you get some choice?

 

[Lonemagpie]

Actually that's the thing about it - it'd be a great audio/radio show, with the right actors (i.e. only keep Merrison from the original. I suppose we'd be stuck with Sylv and Bonnie, though at least the latter is better on audio).

Now I'm curious... what did you think of Sylv's performance in Unregenerate! ?

Could be better, could be worse. I've never liked him as the Doctor (though he's great fun in real life) and thought that by getting him out of the way I'd avoid that problem...

 

[Lonemagpie]

^
In addition to that, when submitting a script to BF, do you get told which Doctor/Companion you're gonna write for or do you get some choice?

It varies - in the case of Unregenerate it was pitched for Colin with no companion, and the Daleks, and commissioned with the instruction it has to be Sylv and Bonnie and Timeys...

 

[Piper]

Now I'm curious... what did you think of Sylv's performance in Unregenerate! ?

Could be better, could be worse. I've never liked him as the Doctor (though he's great fun in real life) and thought that by getting him out of the way I'd avoid that problem...

I'd agree with that. He's one of my favourite Doctors but even I'll admit his performances are wildly inconsistent, often in the same scene... Shame it didn't end up as a Colin story, your Excelis Rising was superb, easily the best of that trilogy/quartet.

Re BF pitching, I believe these days the way it works for the main range is that, as each Doctor gets three stories in a row in miniseasons, the call goes out to writers "do you want to pitch for our Jan-Mar Seventh Doctor/Ace/Hex series?" rather than inviting pitches for random Doctors. No idea how the Companion Chronicles work though.