doctor who bbv | The Daily P.O.P.

‘The Barnacled Baby’

Written by Anthony Keetch, directed by Paul Griggs
Released July 2001

Stranded in Victorian London, a Zygon becomes the centerpiece of a seedy freak show. Weak and confused, the creature becomes coddled by showman Jethro’s daughter, in a state of deranged grief over the loss of her stillborn child. Nick-named Bobby, the Zygon is seen only as an opportunity for monetary gain. A member of high society attempts to purchase the oddity from Jethro with no luck.

Greatly influenced by the plight of Joseph Merrick (aka the Elephant Man), the Zygon named Demeris survives the indignities heaped upon him by the dregs of humanity. Unlike Merrick, however, the Zygon vainly attempts to contact his people via a damaged communication device. Needing lactic fluid from a Sarasen, ‘Bobby’ is breast-fed by Doris in one of the weirdest and most disturbing moments I have ever encountered.

Doris’ beau Toby (played by author Anthony Keetch), is horrified to find that his love has fallen so far into madness. He also discovered that his stillborn child has been reshaped into another attraction, the cadaver sewn to the bottom half of a fish. Toby also sees an opportunity to gain substantial revenue from stealing both Doris and the Barnacled Baby from Jethro and hitting the road. Unknown to everyone, Demeris’ strength is returning, but he realizes that he must choose his moment of liberation carefully. A visit from Queen Victoria produces the ideal moment… but not in a way that anyone could predict.

Here’s a sample!

The Barnacled Baby is a dark and twisted story of human depravity and the horror of everyday suffering and desperation. The Zygon himself is surrounded by such spine-tingling characters that when he finally shows his hand, it’s the pinnacle of the gory tale.

On screen, the Zygons remain one of the spookiest and most striking of Doctor Who monsters, despite having only appeared once. One may think that their ability to shape-shift would form the backbone of this story, but it is rather their monstrous appearance and dedication to dominate all others that marks the Zygons here.

Barnacled Baby is one of several audio releases by BBV, a production company headed by Bill Baggs that followed the Doctor Who legacy after Survival aired in 1989. From video production as grand as the Zero Imperative that starred almost every living actor and actress to ever work in Who to small audio projects such as this, BBV was an innovative and bold company that paved the way to the future. By taking public domain monsters such as the Autons, Krynoid and Wirrn, BBV was able to further develop the mythology of Doctor Who without stepping on any very prominent legal toes.

Author Anthony Keetch has some lovely behind the scenes images at his personal site along with samples.

The cast and crew are top notch and the script is polished. Alongside the regular cast members is Deborah Watling (one time companion Victoria) playing the Queen and other character parts and she’s a real treasure.

Obtaining a copy of this story is not easy by any stretch, but Bill Baggs has been selling reference copies of the deleted audio catalog on ebay here. If you have a strong stomach and are interested in a more horrific and grim adaptation of the Doctor Who universe, it’s worth listening to.

It can also be ordered from Mike’s Comics.

Written and Directed by Nicholas Briggs
Produced by Bill Baggs
Starring: Michael Wade, Bryonie Pritchard, George Telfer, Verona Chard, and Reece Shearsmith
Released 1997
Two scientists in a classified U.N.I.T. facility unwittingly awaken a portion of the Nestene Consciousness (seen in classic programs Spearhead from Space and Terror of the Autons). Doctor Sally Arnold had been attempting to use traditional and her own improvised methods (using what appear to be bits of an old radio and Mechano) to crack the mystery of the ‘sphere’ as her assistant Graham Winslet searched for any other clues in overstuffed warehouse. When the spehere becomes sentient, it kills Arnold’s other assistant by exploding into a flurry of fragments. As the situation come undone, a hazmat team arrives from U.N.I.T. HQ to take charge of the problem. Led by the strangely distant Lockwood, the team seems to know far more than they let on, but in truth are far less qualified to deal with the situation.

Auton is part one of a trilogy exploring the threat of the dreaded plastic mannequins. The Nestenes were of course dreamed up by Robert Holmes for the introductory adventure for the Third Doctor, Jon Pertwee. A bodiless entity composed entirely of thought waves, there is a great resemblance to the creatures of the Cthulu mythos in the works of H.P. Lovecraft. In attempting to invade the planet Earth, the Nestene sent shards of itself in the form of spheres to be assembled into a larger form through which it could create a fully realized body. The two appearances in the classic program are highly regarded as classics and remain formative of the impact that Doctor Who had on the viewing public as a cult TV phenomenon in the 70’s. In 2005, they were brought back in the first episode of the newly revived program, more as a backdrop than the focus of the adventure.

The Autons, the physical servants of the Nestene Consciousness animated by its willpower, are outstanding monsters and Briggs’ script takes full advantage of their creepy quality as well as the opportunities that they bring with the ability to take on the likeness of anyone they wish. As an amateur production, Auton is simply outstanding. The main cast are strong with Graham Winslet as the defiant Doctor Arnold and the late Michael Wade as the terribly entrancing Lockwood making a unique combination on screen. I found it interesting to learn that Lockwood was a late addition to the script and that he had initially been written as the Brigadier. When Nic Courtney proved unavailable, a new character was created, one who held secrets close to his chest and held others at arm’s length. Filling out the cast as Lockwood’s assistant is Reese Shearsmith, who bridges the gap between the two characters with his own humanity and anxiety.

Auton is a superb production that has aged surprisingly well and is regarded as one of the finest spinoffs of Doctor Who (and there are many). Spawning two sequels that upped the ante and even gave fans their first and only view of a fully realized Nestene on screen, there is a lot to enjoy here.

Started in 1991, Bill Baggs’s BBV productions took full advantage of his film making resources and the absence of any new Doctor Who on TV. The BBV productions, along with the Reeltime films, are outstanding works that show a dedication to storytelling with a shoestring budget.