59) THE DAEMONS

The Dæmons marks a unique creative shift within the confines of science-fiction storytelling, and mixes together black magic (albeit explained scientifically), and gothic overtones, to create over two hours of compelling, vigorous drama. Whilst it  would be too much to say that The Dæmons is controversial; it certainly pushes the boundaries for what is acceptable for family entertainment; it does know its limits, and respects those boundaries, keeping everything from getting out of control.
An intelligent script with many great ideas (the secret satanic cult, a stone gargoyle prowling the area, the isolated village, and not the base under siege, a race of aliens who are amoral and not downright ‘evil’), provide plenty material to keep everything together; even though it takes a while for things to get into second gear. The Master is given his best outing here, posing as a satanic minister, which gives him an uneasy edge; but does he really have the power to convince an entire village to do his bidding? His repetitious hijinks are as predictable as they can get, and the decision to finally have him arrested at the end was a smart move by the production team.
   The writing and in-jokes provide some macabre moments. It’s a little odd that The Doctor’s ‘corpse’ lies on a table, whilst people watch on enjoying their nightcaps, the place names on the signpost are as unreal as you can get, and the village folk seem uncomfortably eager to burn The Doctor as a witch; what’s not to like about these surreal moments? The scripts do however, have some questionable moments: Jo goes from bedbound to heroine in a matter of seconds, and the explosion of the church doesn’t seem to bother anyone in particular; perhaps a metaphor for the change of attitudes in terms of observation of faith. The rest of the scripts are generally strong, creating atmospheres of unrest and horror (another precursor for the renaissance era) before the general feel of the story is revealed later on. The opening minute is superb, possibly the best introduction ever. The practical and special effects are top-notch and credit must also go to the extensive location shoot, and the use of minimal studio-bound scenes.
   If The Dæmons falls short then it’s with the character of. Bok (who isn’t a Daemon) but just an effective little menace, who provides a distinctive take on the stone gargoyle monster of gothic literature, but people don’t care about him, Azal is all that counts. Yeah, he’s there, tucked away off-screen (mostly), and only really appears in the final episode (minus his other brief appearance). He’s an effective demon but ultimately flawed. He’s defeated by a simple act of illogicality, blows a fuse, and explodes. It’s a stupid resolution, and undermines the power of his race that’s firmly established in the first 4 episodes. Umm…
   The Dæmons is a great piece of television, with television movie qualities (a special omnibus 90-minute cut was released on the Season 8 Blu Ray boxset), and remains a firm favourite for Doctor Who fans; and as for Miss Hawthorne…….****