Radio Free Skaro #411 – Kicking the Styres
< The classic commentary returns to Radio Free Skaro, in the form of a brief but enticing little number known as “The Sontaran Experiment”! Despite its quick running time, the adventures of Styre and Friends packs in adventure, spills, stunts, Terry Walsh in an unconvincing wig, and a pint-sized pugilist from another world who just wanted to make friends through torture and rigorous scientific villainy. The Three Who Rule were happy to lend their bon mots to this drama, sometimes even staying on point and discussing salient matters on screen! Next week, the return of the Miniscope, with Eccleston-era director Joe Ahearne! |
| Show Notes:
– Samuel Anderson is…new recurring character Danny Pink! Commentary (at 14:00): |
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2 Comments on “Radio Free Skaro #411 – Kicking the Styres”
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Seems to me that The Sontaran Experiment actually provides the best opportunity for contrasting Tom Baker and Jon Pertwees’ approaches to portraying the Doctor.Bob Baker and Dave Martins’ story is loaded with generic Pertwee scenes like the Doctor being more interested in tinkering with technology rather than acknowledging his companions and a physical confrontation with the stories’ monster at the conclusion but it comes across as something new because of Toms’ acting choices and delivery of his lines and the interplay with Sarah and Harry.I think Baker didn’t really approve of the idea of the Doctor overpowering his adversaries by force in this manner and it was phased out quickly when the stories were properly conceived for his version of The Doctor.
I think the story would have been better concluded with Harry physically fighting Styre while the Doctor slipped into the Sontaran ship to sabotage it. With Harry tiring out Styre and with Vural’s death, it would have played nicely upon the Doctor’s remarks on homo sapiens he made a story before in “The Ark in Space”: “… Puny, defenceless bipeds… They’re indomitable. Indomitable!”
Plus, it would have made production sense with Tom breaking his collarbone. Harry was cast as the heavy for Doctor anyway, in case an older actor was cast.