Doctor Who: The Sun Makers - Story 95

If nothing else, this Who episode makes me think of George Lucas' first feature, THX-1138, and I am sure that the producers and designers studied that film for ideas, such as the drugged, dehumanized work units and the use of sterile, pre-exitsing "modern" locales. Some of the hallways, subway tubes and of course the rooftop set were probably all located in the same factory or power plant. The familiarity of the settings, redefined for science fiction, produce an odd reaction within the viewer that work very well in serving the plot.

The contructed sets actually remind me of 3d game levels; the wall fixtures are decorated with flat, 2 dimensional slabs of "textures" that represent circuit boards and electrical conduits. While the illusion they present is incomplete in places, the result as a whole creates a very believable world. There is also a claustrophobic nature to the episode that nicely fits in with this futuristic plutocracy; the whole Megropolis is one big production machine, and the humans are merely expendable drones that service it -- echoes of Metropolis, THX-1138, Soylent Green, Logan's Run, Silent Running, et al.

The only part of the story that seems underdeveloped is that of The Others; They have a nice little pit with great looking duct fixtures to skulk about in, but where are they looting all of their provender from? Where do they plan to spend the 1000 telmars? Where did Mandrel get that bullwhip? I can buy into the idea of a group of malcontents living like rats in the undercity, but I wish some more time had been given to showing just how they make their keep. As is they just supply the plot with a readymade bunch of grungy, amoral roustabouts that The Doctor can use to ferment the rebellion against the Company, glory be to the Company. I'm willing to overlook it.

Doctor Who adventures pass or fail on the strengths of their villains, and The Sun Makers has two great villains in the form of The Gatherer ["Perhaps everyone runs from the Taxman."] and the slimy, gross, sneering Collector. I love the scenes where he sits at his control desk, fiddling with computations, issuing proclomations, mumbling figures and pressing levers that go BOINK. It is also interesting seeing The Doctor pit his wits against an Alien Menace that doesn't want to reduce the galaxy to ashes for a change, just make dividends, keep up production, and enjoy a proper Steaming every once in a while. My favorite line from the adventure is when The Collector describes The Doctor with the expression "He has a long history of violence and of economic subversion. He will not be sympathetic to my company's business methods." Contemporary PC sensitive viewers may be uncomfortable with a hunched over little villain confinded to a wheelchair, but the explanation of why The Collector can't leave the chair provides a great laugh. The only bigger laugh comes from watching the people tip The Gatherer over the edge of the roof at the end. Ha ha.

And then there is Leela ... Leela is my favorite of The Doctor's companions, and her role in this episode is pivotal to the plot rather than just penciled in to give The Doctor someone to explain things to. As a "degenerate unsported Telurian colonial savage" she is completely bemused by the culture she encounters but, as usual, adapts well to the situation and provides the spark that ignites the insurrection in her failed attempt to rescue The Doctor. My only question is, why do she and the rebel female character who wants her skins suddenly seemed to have bonded at the end, to the extent where they do some dopey combat buddy handshake? The last time they had seen each other they weren't exactly on the best of terms. But with her blue eyes, dusky skin and scanty costume [I think we see more of Louise's bod in this one than any other in the series] she provides a truly human "Girl Power" counterpoint to the sanitized, impotent futuristic world she is thrust into. Her little bondage scene in the Correction Center also suggests things that cannot be printed here ... ahem.

One thing that kind of raised an eyebrow when watching this again was the opening and closing segments in the TARDIS where Baker's Who is nothing short of rude and petulant to Leela and K9. Why? Was the screenwriter trying to show The Doctor on one of his crabby mood days or were they improvising, and was this Baker's idea of humor? Hearing him tell Leela to "Shut Up" just sounds wrong, though if I am not mistaken she soon left the series after this entry. Perhaps they were trying to set Leela up to where she would be ready to jump ship in the Invasion of Time, but I think a swift one to The Doctor's family jewels might have encouraged him to re-think the way he relates to his traveling companions when company isn't around. Being a super genious hero is no excuse for acting like a jerk.

Still, the satire of the episode shines through; it is not only one of the most humorous entries in Baker's Who tenure but amongst the most poignent. The dialogue, especially Gatherer Hade's scenes, is consistently amusing but still deals with some weighty issues. It also anticipated the ATM machine with it's ConSom bank, an interesting insight that turned out to be a reality of our world of today. But what really makes it work is that The Sun Makers is a story about people and the changes they go through during it's course, and Dr. Who is always it's most entertaining when dealing with humanity.

My favorite moment? The scene where Gatherer Hade and his "underling" Marn try to sneak up on The Doctor's "static loop" of himself ... they draw their pistols, creep up to the spot, and with a "Now!" turn the corner to a wonderfully comic staccatto of trumpet music. Totally stupid, but it works.

This interview is terminated.