Fakers. One and all. And it’s no one’s fault really, except perhaps for the ambition of the production involved. This is especially true for Hollywood-based productions where, no matter how hard they try, a show shot in Southern California just can’t fake winter. Token attempts at whitened patches of ground or plasticized flurries passing by the camera lens just can’t keep the illusion that the cast is sweating profusely in their skivvies.
This is just about the only complaint that can be lodged against the most recent Modern Recap-itulation for Planet of the Ood. The Ood are one of those quasi-monsters in Doctor Who lore, not unlike the Ice Warriors in this regard that while they can be monstrous, they can be equally considered as benign. That was certainly the case for The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit and is so again in Planet of the Ood.
The real monster here is Klineman Halpen, wonderfully embodied by Tim McInnerny, as the story, despite a few action elements, is more of a meditation on slavery. Just as in The Fires of Pompeii, Catherine Tate shows terrific sympathy which affects the Doctor, and in turn the audience.
The new caps for Planet of the Ood are kewl, far cooler than the cast undoubtedly was while making Planet of the Ood.
The next trip for the Tour is something we haven’t tried for three years. Hopefully we’re getting rather better at these short hops.
