Who Review: Paradise Towers
The luxurious apartments of Paradise Towers seem idyllic, and when she sees a picture of the rooftop swimming pool, Mel is sold. The Doctor would prefer something a little more adventurous, but nevertheless gives battle-weary Mel her wish and lands at the site. But things are far from as advertised. Paradise Towers has seen better days, and is now showing signs of neglect: litter, rats, graffiti, and gangs. Danger lurks around every corner, if not from one of the “Kangs” that roam the corridors, then from the officious Caretakers who are ready and willing to enforce rules precisely as written, or from the automated Cleaners which appear to have their own idea of what, or who, is “trash.” Even the “Rezzies,” or residents, take hospitality to sinister new levels. With the Doctor curious to know what happened, and Mel determined to find the swimming pool, it isn’t long before they fall into the hands of the Kangs, the Caretakers, the Cleaners, and the Rezzies. The Doctor soon discovers that the source of the trouble is with the Chief Caretaker, and whatever he has behind locked doors that instills fear in both the Kangs and the Caretakers, and keeps Paradise Towers from being the haven of rest it used to be. Can the Doctor and Mel discover the truth and set things right before they join the ranks of the unalive..?
SPOILER ALERT!! My comments may (and likely will) contain spoilers for those that haven’t seen this serial. If you want to stay spoiler-free, please watch the story before you continue reading!
“Paradise Towers,” though second in the season, is actually the first Seventh Doctor story proper. The Seventh Doctor’s official debut, “Time and the Rani,” was commissioned prior to the new script editor, Andrew Cartmel, joining, so his was a light touch on the helm. “Paradise Towers,” however, was Cartmel’s first commission, and it reflects much more the tone and feel he wanted to mark his time on the show: a bit edgy, with dark themes, and some black humor. He also wanted to inject a bit more mystery into the Doctor’s character, but that will come later.
Whether or not “Paradise Towers” delivers on the promise is debatable. The story has had mixed reviews from the day it first aired, with Richard Briers’s portrayal of the Chief Caretaker coming under the most severe criticism. For me, what saves “Paradise Towers” from the pit in which its predecessor, “Time and the Rani,” hides, is the fact that it is a good story. Generally speaking, the script works, and there are some good ideas. While the Kang chanting can get a little annoying, I like the idea of these color-coded factions with their own street language roaming the run-down corridors of this massive tower block, conducting non-lethal warfare against each other, trying to prove which is best. The competition between them is fierce, but when a Kang is wiped out, they come together to mourn. Indeed, their shared grieving over the “unalive” makes for some of the most moving scenes in the story.
Writer Stephen Wyatt has, in fact, created a whole subculture in a high-rise. There are the Kangs, the officious Caretakers, and the Rezzies, all trying to survive in their dystopian world of concrete walls and trash. Meanwhile, the Cleaners, large white robots on caterpillar tracks, patrol the streets, collecting what remains of humanity to feed to the monster in the basement.
It’s a pity so much of this fails on screen. The set design is good, but the robot Cleaners are not nearly as menacing as they probably sounded on paper. They don’t move fast enough to be a threat to anyone who can jog, and their pincers and choppers look as cheap and flimsy as they probably are. Tabby and Tilda, the cannibalistic Rezzies who capture Mel at the end of episode two (a good cliff-hanger, by the way), are creepy in their outward sweetness and hospitality, especially when we discover their ulterior intentions. But I thought waste disposal units were in the sink, not in the wall above the sink. And robot arms that come out, wobbling around like the arms of the robot from “Lost in Space,” don’t convince. Especially when we’re supposed to believe they dragged those women through that little hole!
Finally, Richard Briers, veteran actor, and quite a coup for Doctor Who. There are those, including Cartmel, who think his performance is marvelous. And it does have its moments. When Kroagnon, the Great Architect, takes over his body, Briers turns the Chief into a zombie, lumbering around like someone in ill-fitting clothes. Quite appropriate, I think. Prior to that, however, he rides a fine line between menace and send-up. The way the Chief struts around with his chin sticking out puts me in mind of Mr. Blake (“Blakey”) from the old British sit-com “On the Buses.” The mustache and hat only add to the effect. I know Richard Briers could have nailed that role more decisively, and I’m sure he gave it a good try. But whether he was having an off day, or he didn’t really get it, I don’t know. The performance falls short for me.
I think “Paradise Towers” has enough interesting elements to be worth watching, but it’s not the show’s finest hour. Maybe with more time and money, it could have been better. But it is what it is. Neither a classic, nor a Must-See. But not one to dismiss lightly, either.
