Why is The Happiness Patrol so underrated?

This is one of my favourite studio bound adventures. The camerawork is absolutely fantastic at times and I really like the realization of the distinctive city streets. I'm also a big fan of Dominic Glynn's innovative incidental music which is far and away his best work for the series. Characters such as Earl Sigma and Susan Q are infinitely likeable and add a lot to the proceedings. I even enjoy the Kandyman.

It may not be as good as "Remembrance" or "Greatest Show," but it's still a success and shows just how ambitious this era's writing team were. They should have left the TARDIS pink, though.

Pepsi Maxil wrote:This is one of my favourite studio bound adventures. The camerawork is absolutely fantastic at times and I really like the realization of the distinctive city streets. I'm also a big fan of Dominic Glynn's innovative incidental music which is far and away his best work for the series. Characters such as Earl Sigma and Susan Q are infinitely likeable and add a lot to the proceedings. I even enjoy the Kandyman.

It may not be as good as "Remembrance" or "Greatest Show," but it's still a success and shows just how ambitious this era's writing team were. They should have left the TARDIS pink, though.

I honestly completely agree with you on this story. I suppose it gets shat on due to the rather absurdist and quirky nature of it all- the Kandyman being a prime example. Although I don’t mind that in the slightest, personally- there’s a rather delightful weirdness to how its outrageous appearance contrasts with its sadistic personality. And yes, the music is delightful in this story, and the production team’s initial idea concerning shooting it in monochrome seems rather apt considering how oddly fitting it looks in Black and White (there’s a suitable noir vibe to it that I really appreciate). There are some lovely lines in it too “Happiness is nothing unless it exists side by side with sadness- two sides, one coin”.

If nothing else, even if it gets shat on, at least the Kandyman is somewhat creative at heart, which is more than can be said for any of RTD’s moronic creations (and most of Moffat’s, bar the Angels). This discussion may inspire me to start a “derided stories you like” thread.

It's different. And anything slightly different sends some fans all a tizzy.

The last time I watched it (about 10 years ago now) I didn't like it. But then, like I said in that Kangs thread, I just watched Paradise Towers for the first time in about 10 years, and liked it this time even though I thought it was shit back then. Maybe I'll give the Kandyman another go tonight...

I quite like it. It's basically Doctor Who meets Tim Burton with the horror atmosphere combined with zany humor. The Kandyman is a wonderfully saccharine villain that is one of the best realized monsters of the original series.

I tried to give it a go last night, but fell asleep during the second episode. The plot isn't bad, but the whole look of the thing just puts me off. Maybe I'll try it in B&W.

Fendelman wrote:I tried to give it a go last night, but fell asleep during the second episode. The plot isn't bad, but the whole look of the thing just puts me off. Maybe I'll try it in B&W.

Yeah the novelty of it gets a bit tedious and flimsy by episode two.

It isn't.

Ludders wrote:It isn't.

Was there more you were going to add or did you lose consciousness as a result of having your head up Hinchcliffe's arse for too long?

When I'm through cleaning the bones of Barry Letts' corpse with my tongue, I'll let you know.

Touché.

Fendelman wrote:I tried to give it a go last night, but fell asleep during the second episode. The plot isn't bad, but the whole look of the thing just puts me off. Maybe I'll try it in B&W.

I like the way it looks. One of my favourite colours is actually pink

It's probably as panto as "Paradise Towers", however at least "Paradise Towers" is coherent script-wise.

The bit with McCoy in the gantry with the snipers makes no fucking sense at all.

Could you imagine Tom Baker acting a prat like that with Scorbie with a gun at Sarah Janes head in "Seeds Of Doom"?

It's pretentious bullshit.

A shame because there is a vestige of some good ideas in "Happiness Patrol" but they aren't coherently conveyed, it marked the start of McCoys script writing becoming ever more neurotic and characters spouting gibberish.