A classy return to political comment for Doctor Who...

If ever the BBC plans a repeat season of The 11 Faces Of Doctor Who, The Sun Makers would be a good candidate for the fourth Doctor’s era.

I only say that since, given the still-fragile economic state, The Sun Makers is worryingly close to home, some 33 years after it went out. Viewers in 2010 can only marvel at how Robert Holmes managed to predict a world which reduced its inhabitants to barely-concealed misery because of money.

So how does the world of Pluto compare with 2010 Britain? Overwhelmingly high taxes? Yes. Fat Cats sponging off the profits? For sure. A refusal to help the needy? Yet again. People being driven to suicide because there’s apparently no way out? That’s the most disquieting aspect of The Sun Makers, given some of the recent sad stories in the news.

Heck, even Gatherer Hade, from certain angles, resembles an older George Osborne. It’s all in those piggy little eyes, you see.

Doctor Who hadn’t got this political for a long time. Back in the Pertwee days, practically every tale dealt with some political grumble. Politicians and bureaucrats were lambasted in pompous authority figures that Pertwee’s Doctor got to yell at on a frequent basis. And the Pertwee years also contain many an attack on capitalist attitudes and greed. So with that in mind, The Sun Makers ticks all the boxes. However, what’s new is that this story takes more of a jokey, sardonic approach to getting the message across - all thanks to the pen of outgoing script editor Robert Holmes.

"Even at its most gritty, the Pertwee era was never as hard-hitting in presenting the grimy underworlds of society"

However, given Holmes’ penchant for the slightly mordant, The Sun Makers is also, at times, more hard-hitting in its direct approach. Less than 10 minutes in, and hapless worker Cordo is contemplating hurling himself off an umpteen-storey building. That’s a hell of a brave move, and like Image Of The Fendahl, belies the cosiness of the Graham Williams years by addressing suicide in such a matter-of-fact way. Fortunately, The Doctor succeeds this time around in stopping Cordo from taking his own life - but the sheer despair of the man practically leaks out of the TV.

Elsewhere in Holmes’ script, we learn that wrong-doers are brutally steamed, and worse still, on live TV. Mandrel’s mob are a right nasty bunch to begin with, threatening to kill Leela and attack The Doctor with a red-hot poker. And even Hade’s death, despite Richard Leech’s ridiculous comedy gurning, is still pretty brutal, as he plunges to his doom from the top of the Company building. Even at its most gritty, the Pertwee era was never as hard-hitting in presenting the grimy underworlds of society.

But The Sun Makers is vintage Holmes, and it’s easily one of his most amusing scripts. It’s got such an infectious sense of humour that will appeal to both young and old alike (the P45 references are very sly). It’s telling that Holmes chooses to make the politicians the real comedic targets. Gatherer Hade, for example, despite his high status, is written and played as a bumbling, fawning fool. Forever boot-licking his beloved boss, The Collector, Hade is always coming up with ridiculously OTT superlatives: “Your Enormity!” “Your sagacity!” “Your magnificence!” When he’s not praising the Company (which he does an awful lot), Hade occupies himself by screwing up practically every task that he’s given. He can’t keep tabs on The Doctor without this going wrong. He doesn’t bargain on The Doctor and his friends rescuing Leela out of the Steamer. And he makes the foolish mistake of not running away from the angry mob on top of the rooftop. Richard Leech may be responsible for more mugging than a month’s worth of Bill episodes, but it’s still an amusing performance, especially his reaction at having to pay in part three.

"The Sun Makers boasts the best ensemble cast assembled by director Pennant Roberts"

His master is also amusing, a sub-Davros type character with bald head and wheelchair. If the Gatherer is the smarmy politician type that never delivers on promises, then The Collector is the ruthless banker type who puts profits above everything else. He even has the archetypal banker appearance and voice, right down to the pinstripe suit and the nasal whine. Those who remember 1970s kids learning programme Words And Pictures may be amused at seeing presenter Henry Woolf (he of the oversized jumpers and blue friend called Charlie) appear as The Collector. It’s another good performance, containing the right balance of humour and menace.

The Sun Makers boasts the best ensemble cast assembled by director Pennant Roberts. Roy Macready and William Simons are particularly good as Cordo and Mandrel respectively. Cordo’s gradual progression from downcast loser to optimistic freedom fighter works very well, thanks to Macready’s appealing performance - while Simons (he of Heartbeat fame as PC Ventress) gives Mandrel a suitably threatening edge. Mind you, having said that, it’s not quite clear as to why he has such a quick change of heart when choosing to help The Doctor.

On the whole, the supporting cast are very good, with notable cameos from Jonina Scott as Hade’s long-suffering second banana Marn, the impossibly tall David Rowlands as Bisham, and a pre-Blake’s 7 Michael Keating, who’s warming up for the cowardly Vila as Goudry. The only character that doesn’t quite work is Veet, which is odd since Adrienne Burgess gives a fantastic performance as Hanna in the Blake’s 7 episode called Shadow. However, in The Sun Makers, Burgess keeps resorting to melodramatic and over-emphasised screeching (“He won’t live long AFTER THEEEEAAATT!!”), which is a shame.

"The Sun Makers offers the best example of The Doctor and Leela double act, which had recently become in danger of getting stale"

Luckily, The Sun Makers offers the best example of The Doctor and Leela double act, which had recently become in danger of getting stale. The previous couple of stories hadn’t really seen a genuine rapport between the two, with constant bickering and sniping making for poor substitutes for the initial teacher/pupil concept. Whether or not this was a result of the scripts or the alleged friction between Tom Baker and Louise Jameson is open to debate, but the two work very well here. Baker seems to be enjoying himself hugely, and his Doctor is perfect material for leading the rebellion against the Company in real rabble-rousing fashion. The speech in which he gives to the Others about standing up for their rights as people really sums up the fourth Doctor, and is a good example of how this incarnation is always willing to help the downtrodden and vulnerable. Jameson also gets plenty of good material here, and the fighting character of Leela is again perfect for the revolution - Jameson has said that The Sun Makers is her favourite story, and that’s no big surprise, given that she gets a great deal to do.

K9 also enjoys his first proper story, and becomes a real asset to both The Doctor and Leela - the metal mutt is even prepared to analyse the heat levels of the Steamer at the cost of his own “life”. John Leeson does sterling work here, and makes the dog into a proper companion rather than an annoying cipher.

In fact, this is the first proper Graham Williams story after the two gothic stories and grab-bag Invisible Enemy. It contains the sophisticated use of humour and the common plot device of siding The Doctor and his companions with an oppressed race against an evil tyrant (think of The Pirate Planet, The Horns Of Nimon or The Invasion Of Time for example). In this case, the latter device works really well, and for all its political in-jokes and swipes, The Sun Makers is very much a good old fashioned tale of good triumphing over evil. There’s something rather uplifting about seeing a nasty band of oppressive leeches being toppled from power not just by The Doctor’s ingenuity, but by everyday people making a difference.

"The Sun Makers is Robert Holmes at his best. Plenty of witty jokes, but a surprising streak of compassion for your average Joe as well"

And it’s interesting to note that contrary to popular opinion, the production of The Sun Makers is not half bad. Yes, the Company interiors are dull corridors, but then they’re supposed to be. But elsewhere, the designs are quite ingenious with computer-style motifs and references to the Aztec period (the sun symbol, for example). Pennant Roberts’ direction is generally fine, with a generous amount of location filming to represent the top of the Company building and some of the grimy interiors, which add much to the oppressive feel of the place.

The Sun Makers is Robert Holmes at his best. Plenty of witty jokes, but a surprising streak of compassion for your average Joe as well. It’s genuinely funny with the usual Holmesian double acts (Hade and Marn; Hade and The Collector; Cordo and Bisham etc) and some killer lines: After Leela asks: “These 'taxes', they are like sacrifices to tribal gods?”, The Doctor replies with “Well, roughly speaking. But paying taxes is more painful”! The story paves the way for the new regime, which would, from now on, be totally established in the next couple of years. And in terms of predicting the state of the economy, Holmes’ vision remains disturbingly prophetic.

John Bensalhia limbered up for this mammoth task with a full four-series review of Blake's 7, and writes professionally and recreationally all over the web. Check out his portfolio of work at Wordprofectors.

Check out John's previous Doctor Who review, Image Of The Fendahl

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