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Sapphire and Steel is on Youtube, the episodes edited together into complete stories, and for some reason today I found myself watching "Assignment 4" and "Assignment 5" (Sapphire and Steel gives no spoilers when it comes to titles.) I liked both of these better than "Assignment 1" -- the pace is less glacial, the show isn't trying to pretend it's for children, and the humans are more convincingly confused by the time paradoxes as opposed to just really stupid. I looked the series up and its creator, Peter J. Hammond, also wrote "Small Worlds" and "Out of the Rain" for Torchwood, and it shows in "Assignment 4" with its spooky!children escaping from old photos at the whim of a man with no face, or sometimes a different face depending on who's looking.
I really liked "Assignment 5" though it's by different writers than the rest of the series. Usually the show's budget, which makes Dr. Who look like a Cecil B. DeMille production, restricts cast size as well as setting, but this one has about ten characters in a sort of deconstructed Agatha Christie plot. A wealthy industrialist decides to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of his company by redecorating his mansion as it was in 1930 and throwing a weekend theme party with everyone in period dress. In the world of Sapphire and Steel, where time incursions are triggered by things like reading old nursery rhymes, or keeping too many antiques in one place, this is like throwing a bucket of chum into shark-heavy waters and then taking a dip; but on top of this, it's also the anniversary of the mysterious death of the industrialist's business partner, and something's trying to actually set the clock back to 1930 so events can be rerouted. Interestingly, none of the actors are rejuvenated to match the time period, which adds to the creepiness as their memories are rewound. I'm surprised they aren't saved by the mens' anachronistic haircuts, though.
I really liked "Assignment 5" though it's by different writers than the rest of the series. Usually the show's budget, which makes Dr. Who look like a Cecil B. DeMille production, restricts cast size as well as setting, but this one has about ten characters in a sort of deconstructed Agatha Christie plot. A wealthy industrialist decides to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of his company by redecorating his mansion as it was in 1930 and throwing a weekend theme party with everyone in period dress. In the world of Sapphire and Steel, where time incursions are triggered by things like reading old nursery rhymes, or keeping too many antiques in one place, this is like throwing a bucket of chum into shark-heavy waters and then taking a dip; but on top of this, it's also the anniversary of the mysterious death of the industrialist's business partner, and something's trying to actually set the clock back to 1930 so events can be rerouted. Interestingly, none of the actors are rejuvenated to match the time period, which adds to the creepiness as their memories are rewound. I'm surprised they aren't saved by the mens' anachronistic haircuts, though.
