The King's Demons Part One

The one where the TARDIS interrupts a jousting match...

We've arrived at Doctor Who's 600th episode, in its 20th year, which seems fitting. It's also the last classic series story title to feature a punctuation mark (there's also Warriors' Gate and Time-Flight, as well as a handful of Hartnell episodes such as World's End and Devil's Planet).

The now traditional Davison two-parter kicks off with money on the screen. The opening scene of Sir Ranulf's dining hall is a splendid mix of set design and glass shot. It's populated with plenty of extras, costumes and set dressing are spot on, and there's even a couple of wolfhounds to add colour. In fact, throughout this episode I feel as if director Tony Virgo is trying his hardest to spend what was probably a modest budget as aesthetically as possible. It just looks gorgeous, thanks to the talents of set designer Ken Ledsham (echoing his work on The Ribos Operation) and costume designer Colin Lavers.

The location filming at Bodiam Castle (which in reality wasn't built until the 14th century, more than 150 years after The King's Demons is set) gives the story an expensive sheen, although it is a shame the weather was so inclement when the production team travelled there in December '82! There's also something smudgy and indistinct about the general picture quality of this story, as if filmed through Vaseline. Hopefully when Season 20 is released on blu-ray it can improve upon the DVD.

To the story proper: Ranulf Fitzwilliam is playing host to none other than John, King of England, to whom he has already donated all of his riches through fealty to the crown. But it's not enough for the greedy monarch, who demands more. When Ranulf's son Hugh stands up for his father, the King's champion Sir Gilles Estram (ahem) challenges him to a duel. Ranulf then offers everything else - his land, his possessions, even his clothes - to save the life of his only son, but the King's having none of it. There shall be a joust to the death on the morrow.

Gerald Flood is magnificent as John. He has the most commanding, piercing voice, perfect for the part, although he does seem to be enjoying the role rather more than everybody else, and at times performs as if he's in a Shakespearean play at the National, rather than a teatime family drama. That wouldn't be out of place if the rest of the cast followed suit, but they don't, leaving Flood rather incongruous, but never less than marvellous. His delivery is astute and considered, and he pretty much acts everybody else off the screen through sheer presence alone.

The morrow's fateful joust arrives, watched by King John and a teeming bevy of extras (there's more than 50 supporting actors listed in the production paperwork for this episode). One extra who intrigues me is the woman who sits to the King's right. It's tradition that the monarch should always sit to the right of lesser ranks, so this lady is questionably placed. If she were John's wife of the time - Queen Isabella - she ought to be sitting on his left, but then seeing as this King John may turn out to be an imposter, perhaps it's not Queen Isabella at all. Having said that, if it's a mere serving wench, she's sitting in a very privileged position!

I adore the fact the TARDIS materialises in the middle of a jousting match, and interrupts proceedings! Too often we see characters marvelling at the end of a story when the TARDIS dematerialises, but there's so much more mileage to be had in seeing people react to the sudden appearance of the Ship at a vital moment (such as in the path of an oncoming aeroplane!). While his subjects cower in fear and awe at the sudden arrival of this blue engine, King John himself is unswayed, and welcomes the Doctor, Tegan and Turlough as his "demons". Turlough is understandably disappointed they've landed on Earth and not his home planet, while Tegan expresses just how damn cold it is (this may have been in what's known as the Medieval Warm Period, but it still looks teeth-chatteringly nippy!).

Writer Terence Dudley, one of Doctor Who's most sedate scribes, does seem to like lacing his stories with scenes where people sit and watch things. In Four to Doomsday there were the various entertainments provided by the likes of Villagra and Kirkutji, and in Black Orchid we had that interminable cricket match. Here, we have both a jousting match (much more exciting than cricket) as well as a couple of musical interludes on the lute.

Throughout the story, Tegan seems disconnected from the main plot. She's not at all interested in the fact she's in England in the year 1215, just weeks away from the signing of Magna Carta and in the presence of none other than King John himself. Any normal person would be impressed, excited even, but all Tegan can think about is how cold it is, and returning to the TARDIS. It's in character I suppose, but it underlines what a reluctant traveller Tegan is, despite her having chosen to stay with the Doctor. Dudley does write Tegan well though, and there's some nifty interplay between Peter Davison and Janet Fielding ("Makes a nice change for you not to take everything in your stride, I must say"; "Must you?" the Doctor queries; "Too right," Tegan replies).

As for Turlough, it's as if the production team has completely forgotten he exists. It's not long after they arrive that he's locked up in the dungeon by mardy Hugh Fitzwilliam, who seems terribly upset that Sir Gilles didn't kill him. I really feel for Mark Strickson, who was such a vital, energetic actor but too often overlooked during his time on the show. Here we see Turlough looking thoughtfully out of the castle window, possibly contemplating how wrong his life has gone lately, and something could have been made of that, and his craving to get back home. But instead he's banished to the dungeon, clapped in irons and given nothing to do. Even the Doctor doesn't seem bothered where he is.

The Doctor begins to realise something's not quite right, that King John should be in London on March 4th, 1215, not seizing chattels at Fitzwilliam Castle. When Ranulf's cousin Sir Geoffrey de Lacy arrives, claiming to have left the monarch in London just four hours earlier, suspicions are raised. Geoffrey is played by none other than Michael Jackson, but not that Michael Jackson. This Michael Jackson has added an extra J to make sure people don't think he's that Michael Jackson, who at the time this story was recorded was busy releasing a little album called Thriller.

Which leaves me with one final subject: Sir Gilles Estram. Director Tony Virgo does well in the story's first five minutes to keep the character either at a distance, or suitably obscured, so that we cannot see his face clearly. But it's not long before we get a proper look at the French knight's visage, and it becomes painfully obvious that it's Anthony Ainley aka the Master! Ainley had very distinctive mannerisms which leap out at you, and no amount of dodgy wigs and make-up can disguise the fact it's him. And as for Ainley's French accent, it's appalling! At no point does it ever sound French. It's just a weird dialect invented by Ainley, often sounding more Indian than Gallic.

We're treated to a pretty convincing sword fight between the Doctor and Estram, although I'm puzzled as to why the Doctor so readily incites the duel by offending Sir Gilles. Does he already suspect the Master's intervention? Perhaps, but when Sir Gilles shimmers into the form of the Master, the cat is out of the bag. "You escaped from Xeraphas," the Doctor states. Oh Doctor, you have been naive...

First broadcast: March 15th, 1983

Steve's Scoreboard
The Good: Tony Virgo's direction works hard to make the most of the resources. The camera shot where Hugh falls off his horse, and we see Sir Gilles dismount and approach in the background, is marvellous.
The Bad: Anthony Ainley's attempt at a French accent.
Overall score for episode: ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

NEXT TIME: Part Two...

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

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.

The King's Demons is available as part of the Kamelion Tales BBC DVD box set. Find it on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Kamelion-Demons-Planet/dp/B002SZQC6Q