Le Panda du Mal
Well-Known Member
This is actually my first time viewing this story. Back in the 90's I somehow missed it if/when it aired on American public TV, so I only got to hear about it second hand. I had heard at the time that it was one of the most hated Doctor Who stories but my interest was piqued enough to read the novelization, which impressed me with its goofy fun and black humor. And it seems more Whovians have warmed up to this serial with the passing years. So I was excited to finally get a chance to watch this thing streaming, and I wasn't disappointed. It quite possibly beats out Curse of Fenric as my favorite Seventh Doctor story, if only because it has none of the Doctor-as-god stuff in it, and is just a classic case of the Doctor and his companion romping through a world with nothing but wits and bravado to get them out of danger. The Kandy Man is one of the most effective villain costume designs in the history of the show and is just a delight to watch. The various other villains (Helen A, Silas P, etc) are all really well played, the sets are fittingly garish yet gloomy, and the campy fun co-exists well with genuine creepiness. I remember finding the fondant surprise execution both hilarious and horrifying when I read the novelization as a kid and that feeling holds up watching it on screen. I remember that, in the novelization, one of the villains (Helen A's husband maybe?) actually swipes some fondant off the victim's corpse and tastes it, exclaiming, "Strawberry, my favorite!" I feel like this scene may actually have been filmed but removed, because at the very end Helen A's husband is seen touching the victim's head before it cuts to another scene. Too twisted for TV, perhaps? Anyway, a great serial and proof that there was still a spark in the show even in the late 80's when the quality had taken a dip.
