Battlefield is a bit unloved isn’t it? Even its author, a talented writer, isn’t happy with how it worked out – blaming himself, but also, I think recognising the limitations inherent in making Doctor Who in the BBC of 1989. It is the opener of 1989’s season 26 and stands out really, the other three stories feel of a piece – themes of natural selection, change, adaptation and survival and an arc resolving Ace’s story. Where as this feels muchmore standalone.
It is a useful story to look at, as it contains many of the highs and lows of the era rolled into one 4-episode block. Like many a season 25/26 story, it has a number of cringeworthy moments (boom being the main one, Mordred’s interminable laughing, there will be no battle here, handmaidens in hell! and others), but there are also some more positive aspects and well, I thought I would attempt that rarest thing a positive review of Battlefield.
Missile convoys, magic and churchyards
Battlefield is season 26’s tribute to The Daemons isn’t it? An archaeological dig, isolated village, a pub with a suitably horrific name (Cloven Hoof vs The Gore Crow!), scenes in a churchyard, an ensemble cast involving UNIT, Bessie, a helicopter exploding, a witch, a horned foe with the visage of a devil or demon and magic as science/science as magic. Clarke’s Third Law is even referenced in the dialogue. Add in a missile convoy and it could only be more Pertwee if we had a peace conference, the Doctor rubbing the back of his neck or stroking his chin as he is thinking and Ace in a mini-skirt.
A graveyard stench
I know others will disagree on the effectiveness of this, but I don’t mind it when the story delves into the politics of the time with regard to nuclear weapons. Whatever your views on a nuclear deterrent, most would agree that they are ‘a bad thing’and that it is also something that the show and its lead character should decry? So, it really comes down to how it is handled. One potential problem with this, is that under this same team we have already seen this Doctor trick his opponents into using another doomsday device to destroy their own planet. This Doctor has become ‘hawkish’ himself – using pre-emptive strikes against the Daleks and Cybermen. So, it is walking a fine line. Cartmel wrote the following speech and complains these days that it is too long, whilst it isn’t subtle, I actually think it isn’t too bad:
DOCTOR : All over the world, fools are poised ready to let death fly. A spark could turn into an inferno.
MORGAINE: What do I care? This is war.
DOCTOR: Is it? Death falling from the sky, blind, random, anywhere, anytime. No one is safe, no one is innocent? Machines of death, Morgaine, are screaming from above, of light brighter than the sun. Not a war between armies nor a war between nations, but just death, death gone mad. The child looks up in the sky, his eyes turn to cinders. No more tears, only ashes. Is this honour? Is this war? Are these the weapons you would use? Tell me!
MORGAINE: No.
DOCTOR: Then put a stop to it, Morgaine. End the madness.
My mother…
Another thing that I really like, is its treatment and portrayal of one of the main protagonists Morgaine. Jean Marsh plays her beautifully and the script gives her some lovely moments to work with. One that I’ve always loved is her eulogy for Arthur:
DOCTOR: He died over a thousand years ago.
MORGAINE: Arthur, who burned like star fire.
DOCTOR: Gone.
MORGAINE: And was as beautiful. Where does he lie? I would look at him one final time.
DOCTOR: He’s gone to dust.
MORGAINE: Then I shall not even have that comfort. I shall never see him again. Arthur. We were together in the woods of Celadon. The air was like honey.
DOCTOR: I’m sorry, Morgaine. It’s over.
We also have her honouring the war dead of the past, and paying for her sons drink by curing the blindness of Elizabeth, just after killing Lavel. It gives us a foe who is merciless, but has her own code – it has a complexity and at times almost a lyrical quality that for me represents some rather decent writing.
And then we have Mummy’s boy Mordred – actually, let’s not bother. The relationship between him and his mother is interesting though and gives the Brigadier the chance to say ‘Just between you and me, Mordred, I’m getting a little tired of hearing about your mother‘. The success of the Arthurian legend aspect of this rests on Morgaine, the long dead Arthur and the location by the lake. The Doctor as Merlin and the rest of it I could probably do without.
Don’t worry, Brigadier. People will be shooting at you soon.
Let’s concentrate on another aspect that works – the treatment of the Brigadier. The story updates UNIT, manages to poke gentle fun at the Brigadier (‘good man is he?‘) and then effortlessly makes him the hero of the story. Dragging him from a trip to the garden centre with the rather wonderful Doris, to front line action. His confrontation with evil at the end really just sums up the character:
DESTROYER: Pitiful. Can this world do no better than you as their champion?
BRIGADIER: Probably. I just do the best I can.
You can never have enough Nicholas Courtney to watch and I’m glad that he returned for this, but I’m also glad that his story doesn’t end here. Baker & Martin had attempted to kill him off in 1976, Ben Aaronovitch in 1989, in the end only time catches up with old soldiers.
Of the other Brigadier, Bambera is simultaneously an interesting addition to UNIT, a statement from the show on how the world was changing for the good and then in some ways almost as ‘unpromising’ as Crighton as a Brigadier replacement. Which is clever – she isn’t a saint as a black, female character in authority, she, like everyone else in this, has her flaws. Her developing relationship with Ancelyn is also rather fun.
UNIT looks after its own
There is also a thread of remembrance through the story – the scene with Morgaine honouring the dead of the World Wars in the churchyard, the scenes in the aftermath of the battle and another where the Brigadier thinks that Ancelyn and Bambera are dead. He looks at the remains of Lavel and says ‘UNIT looks after its own, alive or dead, and I want these ashes buried with honour.’
On a BBC budget…
So, the production values let this down? Well yes they do, but it is more complicated than that. On the downside, the location filming looks pretty low budget. I reviewed ‘Downtime’ a while ago, it doesn’t look significantly worse than this. The direction is OK, but would obviously benefit from someone like Graeme Harper – but then so would most things. The music however is absolutely dreadful. Mark Ayres does some really good work in Fenric/Ghost Light, but here we are lumbered with Keff McCulloch – which I’m sorry to say automatically cheapens anything. I watched the SE version this time around, but even the updated effects now feel a little dated now – so cut some slack to those from 20 years earlier. However, there is one outstanding piece of work in this – the sculpt for ‘The Destroyer’ still one of the finest in the shows history for me – including the new series. It is terrific work from Sue Moore and Steve Mansfield. So, like the script, there are good and not so good elements from the production side.
The performances are also mixed, I’m not really a fan of Sophie in this one, especially when she is paired with Ling Tai. Ace is very much in stroppy teenager mode here, there was better to come from her later in the season though. By this time, it is fair to say that Sylv though has come a long way since ‘Time and the Rani’. He isn’t perfect – he is still limited in some respects, but there are some scenes that he plays very well, including some great physical comedy that also manages to very Doctor-ish (walking through the sword fight, defeating Mordred with a crooked umbrella). The rest of the guest cast are also pretty decent – James Ellis, Angela Douglas, Marcus Gilbert, June Bland and Noel Collins – it is a nice ensemble.
Overall though, like seasons 25 and 26 as a whole, I am left with the impression of clever, young people attempting to make good, interesting, modern ‘Doctor Who’ whilst tipping their hat to the past, wanting update it to make it relevant and reflective of their political and world views and to move the show on in a Britain that was changing. And then fighting two main things – their own inexperience and a BBC hierarchy that didn’t care. It doesn’t really work, but give ‘Battlefield’ another chance, try to come to terms with those aspects that are a bit ¤¤¤¤ and learn to stop worrying and love the bomb. If nothing else works for you, it at least contains this line, delivered with a wry look by the incomparable Nick Courtney:
Are you any good with a lawn mower, Ancelyn?
A Journal of Impossible Things 