Classic Who "The Happiness Patrol" Parts 1&2 Full Reaction!

"Time to get really depressed.", Silas P, "The Happiness Patrol" What a bizzare premise of the story. It has been reported that JNT asked Andrew Cartmel in his job interview what he wanted to achieve as script editor for Classic Who - Andrew answered that he wanted to overthrow the government. Anyway, ... This bizzare story is a thinly disguised parody of the Conservative Government at the time - Helen A represents Margaret Thatcher. "Over crowding has been quite eliminated.", "No more queues at the Post Office.", Helen A and Joseph C, "The Happiness Patrol" With Joseph C taking the role of of Denis. "A horned dinosaur with a mouth like a beak? The Brigadier saw one in the London Underground once.", The Doctor, "The Happiness Patrol" Yes, we remember! - especially the dinophiles who watched "Invasion of the Dinosaurs". "Thank you, Trevor Sigma. Actually, my nickname at college was Theta Sigma.", The Doctor, "The Happiness Patrol" That's a reference to "The Armageddon Factor" ... "It is Theet, innit? Theta Sigma? Yeah, 'course it is. Remember me?", Drax, "The Armageddon Factor" ... where Drax called the Doctor "Theta Sigma". "Welcome to the Kandy Kitchen, gentlemen.", Kandy Man, "The Happiness Patrol" Ok - that's the most bizzare looking thing we've seen for a while - even the Myrka had a certain understandable design. But I really like the repeated use of the lemonade trick. "In which case I need a planet of origin.", "That's classified information. Name?", "What?", "I ask the questions.", Trevor Sigma, "The Happiness Patrol" The Doctor switching roles with his questioner reminds me of "The Idiot's Lantern" - I wonder if Mark Gatiss was deliberately recalling this scene in his script. There're some interesting things in these episodes - and I like the musician - but the story's not quite "crystallizing" for me - ho, ho. "I enjoy a good joke.", Helen A, "The Happiness Patrol"

Andrew Vignaux