Revisiting Old Doctor Who: The Mind Robber

[Broomstick]

The Mind Robber
(Minimalist Show About Fictional Characters in the Land of Fiction Writing Fictional Accounts - ow, my head hurts)

Thank you, Netflix, for feeding my hunger for more Doctor Who. "The Mind Robber" was from the days of multi-part serials, in this case 5 parts, and Netflix showed the uncleaned-up version, not some digitally remastered one. This is the old film with all the defects (both visual and sound) in black and white and mono sound. Ah, I remember those days!

The first episode of this serial was just... minimal. Seriously, this is probably THE most minimal Who episode ever filmed. Everything takes place in the TARDIS control room or a featureless white "void" which was clearly an entirely empty sound stage of some sort. It actually does work, though. (Well, if you ignore the soap-suds lava).

After that, it gets weird. Yes, folks, the 60's were different. In order escape Death by Lava the Doctor flings the TARDIS and company out of reality itself into a mysterious and weird place that turns out to be the Land of Fiction. You know, when I first read a synopsis of this serial I just thought it bizarre. Seeing it, it worked better than I thought it would although really, fans of NuWho should stop whining about ridiculous plots already because clearly they were doing this 40 years ago, before a lot of the whiners were even born. Hell, maybe before some of their parents were born. Anyhow... we are treated to a unicorn, minotaur, Medusa, Gulliver, Rapunzel, the Karkus (a fictional superhero from a fictional comic in a fictional future... oh, nevermind), Cyrano de Bergerac (who, actually, wasn't a fictional person but really did exist though I'm being generous to the show's writers and opting to believe they were going for the semi-fictional Cyrano in Edmond Rostand's play of the same name), D'Artangnon, Sir Lancelot, cardboard robots, windup soldiers, and the infamous BBC quarry. And I probably forgot something in there.

Oh, and that bizarre regeneration face change Jaimie went through, which then reversed (actual story is Fraser Hines caught the chicken pox and was replaced with another actor for the duration, which, possibly, wouldn't have worked in any other episode but made a bizarre sort of sense in this one).

And guys - check out Zoe draped in a spangly unitard all over the TARDIS console. You're welcome.

I liked it, even though it was waaaaaaaaaaaay out there even for Doctor Who (was it a reminder that in the 1960's people did lots of drugs or not?). I don't think it was as good as "Tomb of the Cybermen" or "The War Games", but more in line with something like "The Celestial Toymaker".

[mr friendly guy]

I have this on DVD. IIRC the actor who replaced Hines was in reality Hine's Cousin or some such. The version I heard was due to the actor's guild or contracts where they needed x number of days for holidays, so they got another actor to play Jamie for an episode or so.

The Mind Robber wasn't that bad, although for some reason I don't seem to remember that Zoe drapped unitard scene you talk about.

[Broomstick]

Does your DVD have a digitally cleaned up version? Because the Netflix one is pretty deteriorated. Still enjoyable, of course, but I've gotten spoiled over the years.

[mr friendly guy]

Cleaned up version I think, but its been a while since I watched it. However I will say even cleaned up versions look grainy on larger televisions, which are quite common these days. The King's Demons looked grainy, but I think it wouldn't be a problem if I watched it on say a laptop.

For the continuity buffs, the Land of Fiction in the novels was later explained as the personal space time continuum created by the Gods of Ragnorak (those villains from the Sylvester McCoy story, The Greatest Show in the galaxy). I guess it makes sense, since the Gods of Ragnorak demanded entertainment from their victims, and the land of fiction makes fictional characters come alive.

[The Imperator]

For the continuity buffs, the Land of Fiction in the novels was later explained as the personal space time continuum created by the Gods of Ragnorak (those villains from the Sylvester McCoy story, The Greatest Show in the galaxy). I guess it makes sense, since the Gods of Ragnorak demanded entertainment from their victims, and the land of fiction makes fictional characters come alive.

Interesting, that's an interesting idea.




I liked the Mind Robber. I thought it was a fun little adventure, and the Zoe and the Doctor were fun to watch as they explored.

[Broomstick]

Cleaned up version I think, but its been a while since I watched it. However I will say even cleaned up versions look grainy on larger televisions, which are quite common these days.

Among other features, my current TV allows you to change the size of the image, so you can reduce a program down to original broadcast size which usually takes care of the graininess. It does help. This serial, however, had contrast problems, film defects (clearly was from an old analog film or tape), sound drop-outs, and all the other features of something that's been sitting far too long in a closet somewhere prior to rediscovery.