4th November, 2022.
I have to admit: I’m feeling slightly rushed!
Dinner is on the point of ALMOST burning!
Frankly?
I’ve taken more time than usual, preparing this post.
Yes: it’s Monday night.
And yes: once I’ve had dinner I’m going to watch the first episode of classic Dr Who story, The Abominable Snowmen.
And, yes: I’ll have my written review up, tomorrow night.
I’ll see you then!
8th November, 2022.
Then shifts: showing us a camp site in the Himalayas, occupied by Professor Edward Travers (Jack Watling) … a heavily armed Professor Travers, who’s concern over the disappearance of — and screams* from — his travelling companion, John.
Something he can’t necessarily do anything about: as he trips and falls over a tree stump, before we see the silhouette of something.
A something that throws the mangled remains of Travers’ rifle carelessly on to the camp fire.
The scene shifts, showing us a majestic Himalayan mountain: seen through the scanner of the TARDIS.
The Doctor (Patrick Troughton) is thrilled to be back in the area: although Victoria (Deborah Watling) has to tell fellow companion, Jamie (Frazer Hines) where exactly the mountains are.
The reason for the Doctor’s excitement?
He recognises the area: and knows that he has a Ghanta, a ceremonial bell used at Detsen, the local Buddhist monastery.
The monks there would possibly like to have it back.
With that … ?
The Doctor decides to go scouting around, outside: leaving Jamie and Victoria to find the Ghanta … before sneaking out to see what the Doctor’s doing.
The first thing Victoria finds, literally the first thing Victoria finds … ?
Is a great big foot print in the snow.
A three-toed footprint … with claws … !
You can tell there’s going to be murder, can’t you … ?
~≈👨🏿⚕️≈~
Now …
Which did I make of this episode?
What do I think of the first episode that’s been lost for years?
Hell, what version am I watching?
That last question’s possibly the simplest one to answer.
Like most of the reanimated Troughton serials — The Power of the Daleks, The Macra Terror, The FacelessOnes, The Evil of the Daleks and Fury from The Deep — The Abominable Snowmen bluray has three distinct versions.
A black and white animated version, a colour version and a telesnap reconstruction: a reconstruction made from publicity stills taken at the time of recording.
I … ? Am doing what I’ve done with the earlier reconstructions: I’m watching the animated colour versions.
I think being brought up on colour TV has had an effect, there.
At any rate?
Visually, this first episode is quite something to watch.
The background the animators have used for Detsen Monastery are great, the colours are very rich, and the sound quality superb.
With pains taken by the animators to make sure characters were lit differently, when walking from dark to sunlit areas: or from sunlit ridges to dark caves.
We could see the change in lighting: and it was wonderful!
Talking of the colours?
The TARDIS set is quite something: the animators — or the colourists — have done the TARDIS console room out in various shades of light green.
It looks good, I should add.
And — from the little I know? — it mirrors the colours chosen for the original set.
They were painted in various pale shades of green in order — under the harsh studio lights, and with the cameras of the time — as white, on the black and white TVs of the time.
So … ? It’s a nice touch: a nice look.
Green is also the colour used for the second Doctor’s eyes.
I don’t know why that decision was made — Troughton’s eyes were blue — but it does look good.
As good as it did in Fury from the Deep!
Between that colouring, and the look of the thing? And the work Mark Ayres has put in — again — on the sound restoration?
We’re looking at, and listening to, a beautiful piece of work.
About the only possible downside to the animation? And please note I say possible downside
As far as I can tell from the little I’ve seen of the telesnap reconstructions?
The monks — in the original broadcast version of the episode — were played by white, English actors.
Something that wouldn’t — indeed, shouldn’t — be done today: the producers would try and hire East Asian actors, or British East Asian actors, to play a group of East Asian characters.
It’s something the animators have tried to correct: by drawing the relevant characters as East Asians looking.
I’m in two minds.
On the one hand? I like the idea of a certain amount of authenticity: I think making the characters look like the English actors playing them could have been nice.
On the other hand?
Were The Abominable Snowmen to be made today?
The producers would be casting as many British East Asian actors as they could find. If for no other reason than to avoid a backlash!
So I can understand why it’s been done: and am sympathetic.
But would’ve appreciated a little authenticity.
~≈👨🏿⚕️≈~
With all that said … ?
You’re possibly wondering about the actual story?
Suffice to say this is still only part one: out of six episodes.
So?
We have merely the introductory episode: one that sets up a murder mystery.
Who killed Travers’ companion?
The unseen Yeti?
The menacing things that has trapped Jamie and Victoria in a cave?
The Doctor, himself, driven mad by a hideously deformed fur coat?
I don’t know!
I’ll be finding out more, on Monday, 14th November: when I watch episode two†.
I’ll have my written and video review up, on Tuesday, 15th November.
I’ll see you then.
Episode 1★★★☆
* Just because you hear blood-curdling screams that freeze the very marrow in your bones … doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong.
† That post will go live after 21:30 on 15th November, 2022.
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