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The Talons of Weng-Chiang (TV story): Difference between revisions
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* During production of ''The Talons of Greel'' Hinchcliffe's successor, Graham Williams, gradually took over the reins, his first concern being the character of Leela. Williams approached Louise Jameson with an offer for the actress to stay on for Season Fifteen. This was a decision at odds with a promise Hinchcliffe had made to Tom Baker that Leela would be written out of the show at the conclusion of Season Fourteen. Baker was of the opinion that the character was too violent for the show, and would have preferred to carry on without a companion at all. Jameson was initially reluctant to continue, mainly because of her frosty relationship with Baker, but also due to the brown contact lenses she was compelled to wear. When Williams offered to relinquish the need for contact lenses, Jameson agreed to sign a contract for the whole of season fifteen. | * During production of ''The Talons of Greel'' Hinchcliffe's successor, Graham Williams, gradually took over the reins, his first concern being the character of Leela. Williams approached Louise Jameson with an offer for the actress to stay on for Season Fifteen. This was a decision at odds with a promise Hinchcliffe had made to Tom Baker that Leela would be written out of the show at the conclusion of Season Fourteen. Baker was of the opinion that the character was too violent for the show, and would have preferred to carry on without a companion at all. Jameson was initially reluctant to continue, mainly because of her frosty relationship with Baker, but also due to the brown contact lenses she was compelled to wear. When Williams offered to relinquish the need for contact lenses, Jameson agreed to sign a contract for the whole of season fifteen. | ||
** The lenses were removed at the end of ''Horror of Fang Rock'', when Leela's eye pigmentation is changed from brown to blue (Jameson's natural eye colour) when she watches the [[Rutan Mothership|Rutan mothership]] explode. ([[TV]]: [[Horror of Fang Rock (TV story)|Horror of Fang Rock]]) | ** The lenses were removed at the end of ''Horror of Fang Rock'', when Leela's eye pigmentation is changed from brown to blue (Jameson's natural eye colour) when she watches the [[Rutan Mothership|Rutan mothership]] explode. ([[TV]]: [[Horror of Fang Rock (TV story)|Horror of Fang Rock]]) | ||
* This is not the only historical story of the Fourth Doctor's era (E.g. ''The Masque of Mandragora'', ''Horror of Fang Rock''). After the two-pronged approach of "historicals" set in the past and science fiction stories set in the future was abandoned (when Patrick Troughton was the Doctor, after ''The Highlanders'') fewer historical stories were made. This is one of those few. Jon Pertwee, whose stories were frequently set in the present, had only one story set in real history: ''The Time Warrior''. Peter Davison had a pair of two-parters: ''Black Orchid'' and ''King's Demons''. Colin Baker had one in ''The Mark of the Rani'' and Sylvester McCoy had several including ''Delta and the Bannermen, Remembrance of the Daleks'' and ''The Curse of Fenric''. | * This is not the only historical story of the Fourth Doctor's era (E.g. ''The Masque of Mandragora'', ''Horror of Fang Rock''). After the two-pronged approach of "historicals" set in the past and science fiction stories set in the future was abandoned (when Patrick Troughton was the Doctor, after ''The Highlanders'') fewer historical stories were made. This is one of those few. Jon Pertwee, whose stories were frequently set in the present, had only one story set in real history: ''The Time Warrior''. Peter Davison had a pair of two-parters: ''Black Orchid'' and ''The'' ''King's Demons''. Colin Baker had one in ''The Mark of the Rani'' and Sylvester McCoy had several including ''Delta and the Bannermen, Remembrance of the Daleks'' and ''The Curse of Fenric''. | ||
* The later comic book story ''[[The Time Machination]]'' revealed that the Doctor and Leela's arrival in London occurred immediately after the departure of the [[Tenth Doctor]], who had just shared an adventure with [[H. G. Wells]] against the [[Torchwood Institute]]; according to the comic, Wells witnesses their arrival. | * The later comic book story ''[[The Time Machination]]'' revealed that the Doctor and Leela's arrival in London occurred immediately after the departure of the [[Tenth Doctor]], who had just shared an adventure with [[H. G. Wells]] against the [[Torchwood Institute]]; according to the comic, Wells witnesses their arrival. | ||
* This story has garnered controversy in recent years for its stereotypical portrayals of the Chinese. Aside from character actor John Bennett, an Englishman, playing the role of Chang in yellowface (a practice where yellow makeup & prosthetics are applied to make an individual appear Asian), the story has been criticised for portraying its Chinese characters as either "coolies" (locally sourced labourers, often Chinese) or tong members. Most of this controversy is in the US and Canada, where racial stereotyping and yellowface fell into disfavour many years earlier than it did in the UK. Indeed, TV Ontario refused to air it after consulting with local Chinese-Canadian groups, and multiple stations in the US and Canada also declined to air it. | * This story has garnered controversy in recent years for its stereotypical portrayals of the Chinese. Aside from character actor John Bennett, an Englishman, playing the role of Chang in yellowface (a practice where yellow makeup & prosthetics are applied to make an individual appear Asian), the story has been criticised for portraying its Chinese characters as either "coolies" (locally sourced labourers, often Chinese) or tong members. Most of this controversy is in the US and Canada, where racial stereotyping and yellowface fell into disfavour many years earlier than it did in the UK. Indeed, TV Ontario refused to air it after consulting with local Chinese-Canadian groups, and multiple stations in the US and Canada also declined to air it. | ||
