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Snakedance (TV story): Difference between revisions
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|companions = [[Tegan Jovanka|Tegan]], [[Nyssa]], [[Chela]] | |companions = [[Tegan Jovanka|Tegan]], [[Nyssa]], [[Chela]] | ||
|enemy = [[Mara]] | |enemy = [[Mara]] | ||
|setting = [[Manussa (planet)|Manussa]], [[Manussan year]] [[ | |setting = [[Manussa (planet)|Manussa]], [[Manussan year]] [[3426]] | ||
|writer = [[Christopher Bailey]] | |writer = [[Christopher Bailey]] | ||
|director = [[Fiona Cumming]] | |director = [[Fiona Cumming]] | ||
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'''''Snakedance''''' was the second serial of [[season 20]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]''. A sequel to ''[[Kinda (TV story)|Kinda]]'', it featured the return of the [[Mara]] and [[Nyssa]]'s first direct contact with the [[Mara]]. Three decades later, a sequel to this story — though not the one [[Christopher Bailey]] had attempted — was created for audio in the form of [[Big Finish]]'s ''[[The Cradle of the Snake (audio story)|The Cradle of the Snake]]''. | '''''Snakedance''''' was the second serial of [[season 20]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]''. A sequel to ''[[Kinda (TV story)|Kinda]]'', it featured the return of the [[Mara]] and [[Nyssa]]'s first direct contact with the [[Mara]]. Three decades later, a sequel to this story — though not the one [[Christopher Bailey]] had attempted — was created for audio in the form of [[Big Finish]]'s ''[[The Cradle of the Snake (audio story)|The Cradle of the Snake]]''. | ||
The show had a noteworthy cast. It was one of [[Martin Clunes]]' earliest television roles, though not his debut. His outrageous costumes and youthful appearance make it a story often sampled whenever the multi-award-winning actor appears on television chat programmes. ([[DOC]]: ''[[Snake Charmer]]'') ''Snakedance'' also featured [[Brian Miller (actor)|Brian Miller]] — husband of [[Sarah Jane Smith]]'s actor, [[Elisabeth Sladen]] | The show had a noteworthy cast. It was one of [[Martin Clunes]]' earliest television roles, though not his debut. His outrageous costumes and youthful appearance make it a story often sampled whenever the multi-award-winning actor appears on television chat programmes. ([[DOC]]: ''[[Snake Charmer]]'') ''Snakedance'' also featured [[Brian Miller (actor)|Brian Miller]] — husband of [[Sarah Jane Smith]]'s actor, [[Elisabeth Sladen]] — in a [[Dugdale|significant role]]. | ||
Writers involved in the production of the [[BBC Wales]] version of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' have expressed affection for this [[serial]]. In 1995, [[Steven Moffat]] was a participant in a wide-ranging, public discussion about ''Doctor Who'' with [[Andy Lane]], [[David Bishop]] and [[Paul Cornell]]. He ranted about the "crap" nature of the majority of the 1963 version of the show, but called ''Snakedance'' "one I couldn't really fault".<ref>[http://nzdwfc.tetrap.com/archive/tsv43/onediscussion.html "Four Writers, One Discussion"] a record of a conversation held on 17 January 1995. ''Time Space Visualiser'' #43. New Zealand Doctor Who Fan Club. March 1995.</ref> He would build upon this opinion in a 1996 essay, in which he called ''Snakedance'' and ''[[Kinda (TV story)|Kinda]]'' "the two best ''Who'' stories ever".<ref>[http://doctorwhoforum.com/showthread.php?t=194947 Moffat, Steven. "Season 19 Overview".] ''In-Vision'' #62. 1996. Posted to doctorwhoforum.com. Registration required.</ref> Likewise, [[Robert Shearman]] has called ''Snakedance'' "my favourite" ''Doctor Who'' story. He is heavily featured on the DVD release, explaining why. | Writers involved in the production of the [[BBC Wales]] version of ''[[Doctor Who]]'' have expressed affection for this [[serial]]. In 1995, [[Steven Moffat]] was a participant in a wide-ranging, public discussion about ''Doctor Who'' with [[Andy Lane]], [[David Bishop]] and [[Paul Cornell]]. He ranted about the "crap" nature of the majority of the 1963 version of the show, but called ''Snakedance'' "one I couldn't really fault".<ref>[http://nzdwfc.tetrap.com/archive/tsv43/onediscussion.html "Four Writers, One Discussion"] a record of a conversation held on 17 January 1995. ''Time Space Visualiser'' #43. New Zealand Doctor Who Fan Club. March 1995.</ref> He would build upon this opinion in a 1996 essay, in which he called ''Snakedance'' and ''[[Kinda (TV story)|Kinda]]'' "the two best ''Who'' stories ever".<ref>[http://doctorwhoforum.com/showthread.php?t=194947 Moffat, Steven. "Season 19 Overview".] ''In-Vision'' #62. 1996. Posted to doctorwhoforum.com. Registration required.</ref> Likewise, [[Robert Shearman]] has called ''Snakedance'' "my favourite" ''Doctor Who'' story. He is heavily featured on the DVD release, explaining why. | ||
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* [[Jill Bennett]], [[Eleanor Bron]], [[Judi Dench]], [[Elspeth Gray]], [[Sheila Hancock]], [[Jean Marsh]], [[Anna Massey]], [[Kate O'Mara]], [[Barbara Shelley]], [[Joan Sims]], [[Elizabeth Spriggs]], [[Wanda Ventham]] and [[Fiona Walker]] were considered for Lady Tanha. | * [[Jill Bennett]], [[Eleanor Bron]], [[Judi Dench]], [[Elspeth Gray]], [[Sheila Hancock]], [[Jean Marsh]], [[Anna Massey]], [[Kate O'Mara]], [[Barbara Shelley]], [[Joan Sims]], [[Elizabeth Spriggs]], [[Wanda Ventham]] and [[Fiona Walker]] were considered for Lady Tanha. | ||
* [[Peter Davison]] joked that he saw the story as a bit of rest, so that [[Janet Fielding]] could do her "heavy, evil" acting. | * [[Peter Davison]] joked that he saw the story as a bit of rest, so that [[Janet Fielding]] could do her "heavy, evil" acting. | ||
* [[Sarah Sutton]] | * [[Sarah Sutton]] and [[Janet Fielding]] disliked their costumes, with Sutton going so far as to say it made her look fat. [[Peter Davison]] says on the DVD commentary that it looks worse than [[Colin Baker]]'s costume. | ||
* According | * According to [[John Nathan-Turner]], the staircase in the Chamber of Lom was used for <em>A Song for Europe</em>. | ||
* The BBC's Head of Serials read thought the script and thought the storytelling was obscure and confusing. He felt it was mistake to pursue this line of storytelling, but [[John Nathan-Turner]] and [[Eric Saward]] disagreed because they liked the originality and promised more conventional storytelling for the rest of the season. | * The BBC's Head of Serials read thought the script and thought the storytelling was obscure and confusing. He felt it was mistake to pursue this line of storytelling, but [[John Nathan-Turner]] and [[Eric Saward]] disagreed because they liked the originality and promised more conventional storytelling for the rest of the season. | ||
* [[Fiona Cumming]] got the directing job when she told [[John Nathan-Turner]] that she preferred character-driven stories. | * [[Fiona Cumming]] got the directing job when she told [[John Nathan-Turner]] that she preferred character-driven stories. | ||
