I just finished watching the Loose Cannon reconstruction of Mission to the Unknown aka The Dalek Cutaway. Considering it was a) a one off story/teaser for the epic The Daleks' Masterplan and more importantly b) it doesn't feature the Doctor or his companions I was rather intrigued to see this before the epic that followed it.
I was rather surprised how good it was. Considering that the whole story revolves around two characters it was amazing to see just how well those two characters (Space Security Agent Marc Cory and crew member Gordon Lowery) were brought to life by actors Edward de Souza and Jeremy Young respectively. The Daleks also get some good use as they not only pursue Coy and Lowry but make plans of their own which lead into Masterplan.
The story has very effective moments. In particular is the use of the Varga plant and its effect on the third member of the ship's crew Jeff Garvey (played briefly by Barry Jackson). While the Varga plant is a definite piece of sixties BBC wizardry and not quite convincing the concept wins out. The story also features a very nice jungle set as well that when combined with both the black and white filming of the era, the Varga plant and the Daleks makes for great atmosphere. Sadly that isn't the case with other aspects.
As with many sixties Doctor Who stories it is the technology that dates the story. The linchpin of this story (and in fact its real link to Masterplan is a message on an audio tape. One can't help but wonder why (even in 1965) nobody would have realized that the audio tape would be practically extinct forty years after broadcast let alone by the year 4000. But that could just be a modern-day fan looking on the past...
As a teaser Mission to the Unknown works well. It has interesting characters in an interesting situation and wets the appetite for what is sure to come. While it isn't perfect it sure is fun to watch.
I was rather surprised how good it was. Considering that the whole story revolves around two characters it was amazing to see just how well those two characters (Space Security Agent Marc Cory and crew member Gordon Lowery) were brought to life by actors Edward de Souza and Jeremy Young respectively. The Daleks also get some good use as they not only pursue Coy and Lowry but make plans of their own which lead into Masterplan.
The story has very effective moments. In particular is the use of the Varga plant and its effect on the third member of the ship's crew Jeff Garvey (played briefly by Barry Jackson). While the Varga plant is a definite piece of sixties BBC wizardry and not quite convincing the concept wins out. The story also features a very nice jungle set as well that when combined with both the black and white filming of the era, the Varga plant and the Daleks makes for great atmosphere. Sadly that isn't the case with other aspects.
As with many sixties Doctor Who stories it is the technology that dates the story. The linchpin of this story (and in fact its real link to Masterplan is a message on an audio tape. One can't help but wonder why (even in 1965) nobody would have realized that the audio tape would be practically extinct forty years after broadcast let alone by the year 4000. But that could just be a modern-day fan looking on the past...
As a teaser Mission to the Unknown works well. It has interesting characters in an interesting situation and wets the appetite for what is sure to come. While it isn't perfect it sure is fun to watch.