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Post by Kestrel on Mar 27, 2021 19:50:37 GMT
So I've been listening to a bunch of the early MRs, now that I've finally finally managed to pick up all the ones people have recommended to me over the the past few months, and this is the first one that doesn't already have a discussion thread--almost like people don't want to talk about it! And, erm... yeah. Maybe so. I can certainly see what they were going for with this one, but this story just... does not work for me. At any level. - The exposition in the first scene is so incredibly clumsy, and the performances of the supporting characters so artificial, I immediately assumed that the big twist of this story would be that the Doctor was not in a "real" universe – but, rather, it was the set of a fictional show, or some alternate universe structured around popular SF tropes.
- The best thing I can say about this story? The narration is very effective. It allows the story to maintain a quick pace with a minimum of exposition. Too often, I think, narration is underutilized in contemporary fiction.
- Still not sure whether or not the supporting cast is deliberately trying to come across as bad actors or not. Potentially this is meant to be a parody of many things—Star Trek, Babylon 5, Space 1999, etc. But I'm not really seeing it. They certainly reference a great many things from those properties... but reference and parody are two totally different things (and neither are inherently humorous). Maybe it's works as a Space 1999 parody? I haven't seen that show, so I can't say.
- The big problem with this story is that it doesn't work. It's like it's trying desperately to be funny with the reveals that the Doctor and Professor are both totally incompetent and are just making shit up, but at the same time the Doctor treats their deceit as being very, very serious. We're also told they've been doing this for decades, and have managed to survive multiple big threats, despite not knowing what they're doing... which just doesn't make any sense. That might work if they struck a more absurdist tone similar to Douglas Adams' or Red Dwarf, but they... just don't.
- Definitely not fond of this one.
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Post by grinch on Mar 27, 2021 20:25:24 GMT
Good to see someone finally bit the button and made a thread on this one.
To sum this one up I’ll simply say there’s nothing worse than a comedy that just isn’t funny.
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Post by Kestrel on Mar 27, 2021 23:06:01 GMT
At least with regard to the attempt at Star Trek parody, it felt very much like something written by someone who had never watched so much as a single episode.
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Post by grinch on Mar 27, 2021 23:10:03 GMT
One could almost make the argument that one of its main failings as a story is that it tries to satirise too much. Eurovision Song Contest, Star Trek, Space 1999, it’s all too much. Just stick with one and go full throttle.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2021 7:10:42 GMT
I liked it. The actors were definity trying to act like bad actors. As for what they were parodying, I took that as being the whole genre of twentieht century television, rather than any particular show. And yes, the story, despite everything, tried to take itself too seriously, but again, I felt that was deliberate - desperately earnest but badly acted was a trope of twentieth century television.
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ljwilson
Chancellery Guard
It's tangerine....not orange
Likes: 5,062 
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Post by ljwilson on Mar 28, 2021 10:12:42 GMT
I used to think it was naff, but after repeat listens I quite like it nowadays! It gets an enjoyable 6 out of 10 from me.
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Post by slithe on Mar 28, 2021 11:29:35 GMT
Sorry... I thought this was awful. It could have been an excellent satire but just falls flat. There are some interesting touches, but it just is not enough. Bad Wolf does it far better (but then is able to parody a lot of famous TV shows of the time).
The One Doctor was much better. A rare dud from BF.
I've listened to it several times to see if it gets better, but still reached the same conclusion.
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Post by whiskeybrewer on Mar 28, 2021 12:21:55 GMT
I just love the absurdity of the story and how for so many years the crew of the station has survived due to blind luck.
Then The Doctor turns up
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Post by mark687 on Apr 3, 2024 15:24:28 GMT
I think after multiple listens I can finally work out what their attempting their going for Sci-Fi and Eurovision can be naff but we love it, but they almost forget we love it part.
Regards
mark687
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Post by number13 on Apr 3, 2024 20:26:41 GMT
I love it! I came across it in my tour through the (to me) ancient MR, knew it was a comedy but that was all. Then... I realised it was a ' Star Trek' comedy and that made me very happy! 
I love the style, the over-obvious - well, the over-obvious everything really, from sound effects to exposition, the definite and hefty nods to 'Elaan of Troyius', the characters are also mostly overdone and thus perfect (some are wildly overdone and even better!) and there is actually a plot. Somewhere.
Did I mention, I love it?  |
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