Review Shada (1979)

Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
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Your thoughts on this story....

The story revolves around the planet Shada, on which the Time Lords have constructed a high security prison for some of the Universe's most dangerous criminals. Skagra, a flawed genius from the planet Dronoid, wishes to create a "Universal Mind" in which all the pooled knowledge of the universe's greatest criminals would be placed at his disposal and with which he intends to take control of the Universe. Skagra wants to go to Shada to extract the knowledge of the criminals who have been imprisoned there. Unfortunately for Skagra, knowledge of the location of Shada has been deliberately hidden by the Time Lords, but Skagra discovers that there is a Time Lord living on Earth in the twentieth century who may hold the key to its location. This Time Lord is masquerading as a professor at St. Cedd's College, Cambridge and calling himself Professor Chronotis. Sensing danger, Chronotis calls for the assistance of his old friend and protégé, the Doctor. The story climaxes in a battle for control of the Universal Mind.






On to the next story....

THE LEISURE HIVE

https://www.imdforums.com/threads/the-leisure-hive-1980.3688/


Back to the previous story....

THE HORNS OF NIMON

https://www.imdforums.com/threads/the-horns-of-nimon-1979.3701/
 
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michaellevenson

Member: Rank 8
Got the new DVD, I will save it for Xmas day, but had a quick peek. The animation looks fine but slightly disappointed that's it's not in the original six part format , but one 138 minutes feature. I wanted to check the titles at the end of a later episode to see who voiced the animated version of Chronotis, but no joy, I could work through straight to the end credits ,but I'll leave it, I've not got bluray , so it may be different on that format. Never mind, just 19 more days until Shada watching day for me.
 
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Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
I didn't know that about the 138 min feature. Yes that is disappointing. I would want it to be the six parter it was always intended to be.
 
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michaellevenson

Member: Rank 8
Watched Shada at Xmas.Very good, the soundtrack of the animation is perfectly integrated to the '79 material.
I've got the answer to what did they do about voicing Chronotis in light of Denis Carey's passing.
Very clever, what they did was;
Gave his lines to someone else! Simple really.
Most of Carey's filming was completed except in Shada, the prison itself. For Chronotis big revelation that he was Salyavin, the animated Chronotis ' eyes glowed in Skagra's direction and Skagra had the truth put in his head,
" So you're Salyavin...etc."
Then a line of Carey's from earlier was lifted , "yes that's right". And that's that. Clever, Carey may have had more lines originally on the Shada prison set, but they weren't used.
 
Doctor Omega

Doctor Omega

Member: Rank 10
I have yet to watch the animated SHADA. The general opinion seems to be that it should really have been made as six episodes, rather than a compilation feature length story. Do you think that yourself, Michael?
 
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michaellevenson

Member: Rank 8
Doctor Omega said:
I have yet to watch the animated SHADA. The general opinion seems to be that it should really have been made as six episodes, rather than a compilation feature length story. Do you think that yourself, Michael?
Click to expand...
Of course yes, I can't think of a reason why they didn't do that.
Did that with others, Power of the Daleks for example. Even so still excellently done.
It's not easy to detach yourself from the joy of having the story restored and just critically examine the story itself. However it's an okay one, but not great. Skagra plan is over ambitious and rather daft. To conquer the universe even with all he now has at his disposal would take forever , the sort of jokey plan that a baddie would have in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.
 
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