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peabody · Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 1:58 am Post subject: 6.29 - Thingumajig

Discuss, review and rate Thingumajig.

Written by Terry Nation
Directed by Leslie Norman

norw27 · Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 7:48 am Post subject:

I actually quite enjoy this episode even for its faults. I believe Linda was ill during filming hence her diminished role but she does at least get quite an exciting battle in her flat against one of the boxes. Nothing amazing but certainly not as awful as often made out IMO.

cyberrich · Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 8:08 am Post subject:

When I first saw this one in the 80's I found it ludicrous. In a bad way. My least but one fave Tara, after you know what! Wink

I have to say that I find myself enjoying it more and more with each successive viewing. It's risen from 32nd to about 27th in my Tara list. I still think it's ludicrous, but now in a charming way Exclamation

I don't mind the plot at all. The characters are all wonderful, the church setting is nice. The tunnels add suspense. Best of all is Tara's climactic scene with the box. Brilliant use of a vacuum cleaner Exclamation

I will probably give this one more in the future, but for now it rates a good 7/10. Rich.

Darren · Site Admin Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 1791 Location: UK

7/10

I like the atmosphere in this one. It feels really cold. It's a shame it didn't have a bit of a broader local like Steed staying at a pub - cliché for the show but it would have taken it away from being so heavily based in the church, which is a very good set (later appearing as Happychap's office in Bizarre) but gets a bit boring.

I love Tara's scenes with the sneezing professor and her fight with the box.

There was real potential for this episode but it never quite delivers. Effective direction from new comer Leslie Norman (father of Barry).

anti-clockwise · Posted: Sat Oct 26, 2013 12:08 pm Post subject:

I am not thrilled with this episode. It had some interesting moments like when Tara's cake was blown away with a sneeze but other than that it seemed very out of place.
linda did say that she got sick during the filming of this episode. Maybe she got it from being sneezed on.
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Charlie Parker · Little Wonder Joined: 08 Sep 2008 Posts: 181

Oh dear. The plot can't quite make up its mind if its a Hammer parody or a satire on the Daleks. However the early scenes are quite atmospherically directed and the build up is quite good, but then it kind of fizzles out and the scene with Tata and the Box is incredibly undramatic, difficult to sell a threat when your damsel in distress keeps nipped across to talk on the phone. Ah well Iain Cuthburtson makes the whole thing watchable as he is clearly relishing the part of nutty scientist.

Lhbizness · Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2014 9:03 am Post subject:

The Good: The plot is a sort of amalgam of From Venus with Love and The Positive Negative Man, but once it gets going it's perfectly serviceable. I enjoyed Inge, the female archaeologist that Steed gets to (slightly) flirt with. There are some charming little jokes and asides, mostly from Steed or the sneezing professor, who is also a nice secondary character.

The Bad: Almost everything else. The black boxes might be menacing if they weren't so silly, and they might be funny if the episode didn't take itself quite so seriously. As it is, it has a serious tone at odds with the total madness of the premise, and a central villain who has one minute of cackling and is never developed into a proper character. Steed does all the work, but Macnee looks bored and delivers lines like he's going through the motions. The first twenty minutes feel like filler. There's just not much there. Tara also appears to forget that she's got two exits to her apartment.

Not a bad episode, but so mediocre that I can't summon much strong feeling for it.
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Rhonda · Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 11:57 am Post subject:

7 from me. Like the spookiness.
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MikeR · Epic Joined: 19 Jul 2009 Posts: 1100 Location: UK

This intrigues me and although I have read Terry Nation’s shooting script titled Little Boxes, of which I noted the differences to the finished episode in Bowler Hats and Kinky Boots, I would love to see the first draft script.

We know that the screenplay was heavily rewritten to allow Linda’s role to be reduced as she was suffering from a virus, but logically (although I have no proof of this), she must have played a larger role in Nation’s draft script.

Its speculation on my part but I would not be surprised if originally Tara accompanied Steed to the quarry and found the van with the empty slots for the mechanical box devices, and not the character of Inga as it was in the episode.

Darren · Site Admin Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 1791 Location: UK

I've always assumed Inga's role was massively reduced originally and that she was essentially given Tara's stuff.

MikeR · Epic Joined: 19 Jul 2009 Posts: 1100 Location: UK

Darren

I agree with what you're saying.

However, I think that the only chance of proving this is if someone knows where Terry Nation's paperwork went.

Ian Wegg · Have Fingers... Will Type! Joined: 15 Sep 2011 Posts: 298

Avengerholic · Epic Joined: 01 Sep 2008 Posts: 1165

I flippin love it
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