062 The Sea Devils

  Started 6-Feb


We watched the 2008 DVD version which shows a noticeable jump in picture quality between ep3 and 4.

The Sea Devils is spectacular and iconic in the same way as The Daemons or Spearhead from Space. Lots of film and stunts and action, action, action. The plot moves rather slowly in ep 3 (mostly escaping from prison) and ep4 (moves from escaping Sea Devils on a beach to the diving bell).


The dialogue Master/Doctor is never better than in this story.

Clive Morton is was a very classy actor.His casting was a coup and his role became almost sympathetic in subtle ways. The man is a vain, ignorant fool. His patriotic vanity is exploited ruthlessly by the Master. His demise in ep4 is throat lumpening and possibly the best moment in Series 9.


The continuity problems
Generally charging about in boats and subs (and other vehicles including scooters and motor boats) in a few minutes/quick jump cuts all seems unlikely.

There is a particular problem with day/night in ep5 and 6. The initial Naval bombardment is reported by the Naval commander to be 'in position by 1350 hours' and then there's several trips to and from the Sea Devil base including by submarine, jet boat and hovercraft. These all take place before nightfall. Uhuh...

The Naval hardware, pictures of explosions and gun batteries is all stock footage (and some of it is obviously used more than once.)


The episode ends in this are problematic.

• Ep 1 a wheezing figure approaches Jo the Doctor in the dark on the sea fort... clunky edit to grams
• Ep2 after a long-ish sword fight (episode under-running is it?) treacherous and stunningly surprising knife thrown.
• Ep3 being chased by the Master and Trenchard and then their escape cutoff by prison guards, the Doctor and Jo are confronted by a Sea Devil as it rises from the waves on the beach. If this was the first reveal of a the Sea Devil and if it was edited properly this would be stunning. But it's not.
• Ep4 .That diving bell scene as an episode end is rather unsatisfying. It needs an edit to speed it up.
• Ep5 Doctor, Jo, Hart casually walk out of the HMS Seaspite office to go do what they're doing next. Suddenly a Sea Devil appears. Again the editing ruins the surprise as the previous few mnutes show the Sea Devils sneaking into the base unchallenged in broad daylight.

The Seas Devils is well remembered because of the monster costumes and the action sequences. It was one of the few DW's to get a second repeat in the 1970's in the UK. It was an early colour recovery of Pertwee's in the 1980's.

ABM Rating 3.04/4.00
LJM Rating 4.25/5.00
SPJ Rating 7.50/10   

No. 15 (out of 62)

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