The Keeper of Traken Part One

The one where infinite evil begins to infect a sanctum of goodness...

I firmly believe that Tom Baker and Matthew Waterhouse worked well together. I realise this overlooks the fact that Baker was a bit of a sod towards Waterhouse on set, but it does recognise that, when it comes to what ends up on screen (which is all that matters in the end), the Fourth Doctor and Adric make for a pretty good team. I'd even go so far as to say they're sweet together.

Just look at how physically close the two actors are in the early TARDIS scenes, with Tom draping his arm round Matthew's shoulder, and Matthew looking up at his mentor adoringly. Baker occasionally stands behind Waterhouse, gripping both shoulders, and the proximity between them is so close at times that you'd think they'd been working together for years.

They have a lovely interactive relationship on screen, with Adric knowing precisely how to tame the Doctor's mood swings, stroking his ego when required, but still remaining as precociously inquisitive and opinionated as ever. Adric might say something which annoys the Doctor, but the boy knows instantly how to burst that bubble and bring the grumpy Time Lord back around. Waterhouse has a wonderfully angelic way of looking up at towering Tom, like an admiring ward, which is kind of what this relationship is: a little boy lost being shown the universe by a crazy old uncle. It's not a perfect relationship, but then whose is? I reckon the Fourth Doctor and Adric are a forgotten dynamic duo, lasting for just the one (often overlooked) story, but showing so much potential.

The first half of this episode is almost all set within the TARDIS, with scenes not set in the Ship being replayed, like an old VHS, on the TARDIS scanner. The time machine is infiltrated by the kindly old Keeper of Traken, who sits slumped in his grand chair like a centenarian in a care home. He is played by Denis Carey, who was awarded this role to compensate for the fact his part as Professor Chronotis in the aborted Shada would likely never be seen. Carey would return to play another old dodderer as the human face of the Borad in Timelash.

Carey's aged make-up is effective, if not perfect, and I love how Tom responds to him saying "the passing ages have taken toll of me" with a slightly distant, rueful: "Yes, yes I know that feeling." Is it the Doctor saying that, or Tom Baker...?

The Union of Traken is a harmonious place, where the atmosphere is so good that any element of evil that visits there just shrivels up and dies. Traken is so unimaginably good and kind that anything bad simply withers. It's not explained how or why this happens, but in any case it's a lovely idea that there are such places where evil cannot exist because the very place itself is inherently 'too good'. However, evil - or "distorted creatures" as the Keeper puts it - seem oddly attracted to Traken because of the compassion its people show, but while sometimes the visiting evil is redeemed, at others it is transformed into what they call Melkur ("a fly caught by honey"), a calcified statue (gorgeously designed) unable to move or speak, and which is tended to in Traken's peaceful groves by the fosters. Melkur is more of a state of being, rather than any one thing, it seems.

The Keeper, who is nearing the end of his tenure after 1,000 years of overseeing Traken's peaceful existence, asks the Doctor to visit the Union to investigate the Melkur's "baleful, all-pervading evil". The Keeper warns that the Doctor will face unimaginable hazard, and confront a power that could obliterate him. He then says goodbye, and pops off. Charming.

Traken itself looks stunning. The design of the grove and inner sanctum is sumptuous and richly detailed, thanks to some thoughtful work from production designer Tony Burrough, who dresses every inch of the sets with texture and pattern, making it a believable place with its own aesthetic. Although the grove looks a little studio-bound, it is not detrimentally so, because the whole piece takes on the feel of a stage play, filmed for television (and lit beautifully for night by Don Babbage; sometimes it looks like a painting). Writer Johnny Byrne's dialogue is almost Shakespearean in its rhythms and structure, and delivered with due sympathy by actors such as John Woodnutt and Margot Van der Burgh, who obviously had stage experience of their own to apply.

Again, costume designer Amy Roberts plays a blinder with her work for the Trakenites, particularly the Consuls with their flowing velvety robes and patterned layers. These costumes would suit a multi-million dollar period movie. Norma Hill (who worked wonders in State of Decay) gives characters like Kassia and Nyssa a New Romantic edge, with plenty of colour around the eyes to accentuate the femininity. I'm not quite so sold on the medieval-style wigs the men wear, but at least it's a look. And I can't help seeing Sheila Ruskin's Kassia as Bonnie Langford playing Violet Elizabeth Bott attempting an impression of Kate Bush. There. I said it.

And let's not forget Roger Limb's melodic instrumental score, drawing upon the sound of the harp to evoke that feeling of peace and serenity on Traken. The piece of music played as the wedding party make their way through the grove is a little too comedically jaunty, however (it makes me think of the crazy music in The Macra Terror).

The harmony of Traken is in danger, for some force is taking possession of it, allowing pockets of disaster and evil to seep in at the edges. We learn that planets within the Union of Traken have experienced their crops failing, have suffered both drought and flood, and now there has been a violent death at the heart of the precincts of the court. A foster has been found dead, not from natural causes as the PR would have people believe, but as a result of a "high energy source". Goodness is beginning to fray at the edges, and it's something to do with that calcified statue Melkur.

Well, it's not that calcified, because as we soon see, it has become capable of speech, and movement, to the extent that it can focus an energy beam on the TARDIS and "disappear" it, and eventually walk across the grove into the inner sanctum, where it peeks round the door, witnessed by the fearful Keeper. "Evil! The sanctum is invaded," bemoans the Keeper. "Consuls, we are invaded. Eeeee-vil! Infinite evil!"

And lo and behold, everybody thinks the old codger's talking about the Doctor and Adric, not the Melkur, which has now scarpered out of sight.

This story has got off to a strong stylistic start, and has an interesting idea at its heart, making the eternal battle between Good and Evil into a physical state. I'm loving the relationship between the Doctor and Adric, and everything looks gorgeous.

First broadcast: January 31st, 1981

Steve's Scoreboard
The Good: The design team has really excelled itself once more.
The Bad: The Keeper's extended info-dump takes up a good half of the episode, much of it relayed on the TARDIS scanner like an episode of Look and Read.
Overall score for episode: ★★★★★★★★☆☆

"Would you like a jelly baby?" tally: 24

NEXT TIME: Part Two...

My reviews of this story's other episodes: Part Two; Part Three; Part Four

Find out birth/death dates, career information, and facts and trivia about this story's cast and crew at the Doctor Who Cast & Crew site: https://doctorwhocastandcrew.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-keeper-of-traken.html

The Keeper of Traken is available on BBC DVD as part of the New Beginnings box set. Find it on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Beginnings-Logopolis-Castrovalva/dp/B000LE1HLQ/