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The Myth Makers Format Reviewed: CD Review The Myth Makers sits neatly between Mission to the Unknown and The Daleks' Masterplan which are linked stories, whith the former being a prequel to the latter. With the Dalek epic to follow, one could be forgiven for expecting something rather weak in between these stories, but with the promise of a trip into history at the battle of Troy in the best traditions of Doctor Who, one would be mistaken. The Tardis lands on a dusty plain, and the Doctor and Steven Taylor emerge only to be captured by the attacking Greek army. After this, the Tardis is taken into Troy by the Trojans and Vicki then becomes part of that story. The regular crew are then pitted against each other albeit unknown, as they are challenged by both sides to win the battle. The Doctor, on behalf of the Greeks, eventually comes up with the wooden horse plan so popularised in the myth surrounding this historical tale, and the Greeks do win the battle. Vicki is then replaced in the Tardis crew by katarina who helps Steven back to the Tardis from the battle, while Vicki has fallen in love with Troilus and stays behind. Included along the way are all the figures you would expect around the battle, including Achillies, Paris, Hector, Odysseus etc. The story is typical of the early historical adventures in Doctor Who, taking a well known story, myth or legend and integrating the Doctor and his companions into the tale. This is skillfully done in this story, and The Myth Makers is an excellent example of a well thought out plot integrating with historical events as they are believed to have taken place. What is particularly well done here is seeing both sides of the story, as we have Vicki in Troy and the Doctor and Steven with the Greeks, so both sides can be played out through the actions of the Tardis crew. It also gives a good chance for all to be heavily involved, something that sometimes isn't the case. The story also translates very well to audio. There is a real feeling of scale that would probably be lost if the video still existed, and the story was seen on studio bound sets. Also, the narration by Peter Purves doesn't cut in too often, so that is a good indicator of how well this story translates to the audio. The main cast of William Hartnell as the Doctor, Peter Purves as Steven Taylor and Maureen O'Brien as Vicki all put in good performances. It is probably as well that Vicki is separated from the very strong characters of the Doctor and Steven and she really shines in her role here. The guest character list is resplendant with legendary figures, and most put in very good performances. Barrie Ingham as Paris is perhaps a little too camp and overacted, and James Lynn as Troilus perhaps sounds too old to be his character, but in general they all come accross wery well. Overall, The Myth Makers is an excellent example of a historical myth given a Doctor Who twist. Vickis departure and Katarinas arrival as a sort of 'one in one out' scenario is also skillfully managed. What really comes out well though, is how all the myth surrounding this battle has been carefully woven together to give us a cracking Doctor Who story. Excellent Stuff. Rating:  |