Doctor Who - City Of Death (1979)
400 million years ago, an alien known as Scaroth is stranded on a desolate planet. He's receiving a desperate message from his race, the Jagaroth who appear to depend on him to save them all from the verge of extinction. He fails, & is splintered through Earths history. Meanwhile, The Doctor & Romana II have landed in Paris, France, on Earth, ala 1979. More of a table wine, as vintages go, to The Doc. A few time disruptions that only they notice attracts them to Count Scarlioni who is conducting time experiments to save his people, mais a quelle prix? They join a private detective, Duggan, who is investigating Scarlioni & the threat of the theft of Mona Lisa from the Louvre. But, that is a very tiny piece of a much larger jigsaw puzzle as cosmic, grand scheme things go.
Julian Glover is Count Scarlioni/Scaroth of the Jagaroth conducting experiments in his basement (we all need hobbies!) to restore himself & his people by travelling to the point in time in which he screwed up. Catherine Schnell is his otherwise naïve other half, Countess Scarlioni. (Yes, Maya from Space 1999!). Dr Kelensky is the poor sap being used for slave labour by Scarlioni in perfecting a time device. There's something of a Manuel-like quality about Kelensky which makes the cameo of John Cleese at the Louvre all the more ironic. Duggen, meanwhile, the private detective, apparently, was meant to be a TinTin clone?! I'm biased! What's wrong with an Asterix clone? He looks more like that nasty Watcher, Horton from Highlander The TV Series!
That diabolical genius, Douglas Adams, author of Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, (or Monty Python in space, as I dub it.), writ this piece of calibre for Doctor Who among others. But, this one is considered top of the Who charts for many. My childhood imagination was spellbound for many years to come merely by Scaroth's appearance alone! The link between the beginning & the events that unfold were too much beyond my childhood comprehension to understand until that amazing cliff-hanger, where Scaroth/Scarlioni rips off his face to reveal the true, bug-eyed monster that he is! Que a childhood obsession, this brat was blown away & couldn't wait for the second coming of episode two!
I totally loved this one as a child. Of course The Doctor, Romana the 2nd, & yes, Duggan, with his historic punch, stop Scaroth, thus saving us all. Well, seeing as I'm sitting here, typing & proving the fact that we all still exist! But, time is relative (according to you 2nd Doc & Einstein.) & this still could happen right? Nope, haven't a clue either. I'm with Star Trek Voyagers Captain Janeway, temporal physics gives me a headache too. This caught my imagination for years to come. This is the first BBC budget story of this show to be filmed outside the UK. Afterwards, we get the Netherlands/Holland, Spain which was originally meant to be New Orleans featuring The 2nd Doc & Jamie. & of course, Cambridge (almost lost Shada, same year, same vintage.) & Windsor... Okay, does that count, Count? Doctor Who adventures with a tourist guide to boot! 1976's Masque Of Mandragora was filmed in Portmeirion (I'm a name not a number!) in Wales, despite it being set in Renaissance Italy, we'll get back to Renaissance Italy in a moment.
Scaroth's spaceship not to mention the primitive Earth are amazingly realised. Having typed this, I've realised that Ian Scoones was responsible for those amazing effects, how many Gerry Anderson related people are in this production?!
The Doctor makes a quick stop to meet his good pal Leonardo Da Vinci, in 1505, Renaissance Italy. With regards to oh, so many of his Mona's being 'photo-copied', a very hilarious scene. only to meet one of Count Scarlionis' splinters in time. Talk about a great con merchant. Get Leonardo to make copies for yourself to self off to crime-lords for an expensive gloat in the 20th century (what happens if they find out there are more, "original" copies?). Gotta admit, geez, wish I'd thought of that. Gotta dig the Docs admiration for this portrait!
We are treated to a majesty of a treat with this adventure. Scaroth wants to commit genocide on the mass scale not attempted since 1974's Invasion Of The Dinosaurs, wipe out all of history! I don't think Adam's other story, the planet destroying, The Pirate Planet counts, Count (ok, getting as old as time immortal, right, Scaroth?). He is the last of his race & will save his people at all costs. As I've yapped on, this caught my imagination for years to come. This is the first story to actually be filmed outside the UK. Douglas Adams had high ambitions, which unfortunately were too expensive for a BBC budget in 1978 to fill Wembley stadium with thousands of cat people & we got Leela's semi-Sontaron infested, swansong, The Invasion Of Time instead (a prophecy of 1989's Survival, here!). Still, we'll always have Paris!
City Of Death was part of La Nuit Doctor who on TF1 France a few years back. Et viola, a great vintage for such a tele-visual treat!
We're due for a Season 12, Jodie Whittaker era story set in Paris, 1943. Was this one filmed in France? The BBC budget managed the location scenery as far back as 1979, here.
Meanwhile, truly take the time to enjoy this classic whilst we're all still in existence.
Borgduck a la Stewart.
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