Brain of Morbius

Developing the unseen history of your TV program is very much a two-stage process. Elements of the past have to be woven together (the resulting web is what some call 'fanwank') but it must be to the ultimate end of forming something new with that back-story. This new plot must be of equal worth to the old and strong enough for future writers to use it as their own 'back story'. For a lesson in how NOT to do it, see the last episode of 'Only Fools and Horses', which some of you may have witnessed me harping on about in another column last year. The story is fine for those unfamiliar with the history of the show, but unfortunately for them (and given the scant number of new episodes, torrent of repeats and the recent DVD release of 'The Frog's Legacy') we must assume a healthy knowledge of the series past. The latest episode attempted to develop the 'Frog's Legacy' plot, but ended up doing little more than recounting it. There was nothing more to it, and so the chance to create something new from the old wound up as the simple re-hashing of an old plot.

"The Brain of Morbius" is a perfect example of how to get it right. In fact, so much of the story is told in terms of past events that the four episodes themselves barely have to do any work at all; all the interesting stuff is skilfully alluded to as having happened long before, and thus attains a healthy, mysterious and nostalgic feel as a bonus (as well as the obvious advantage that a back-story doesn't eat into the budget!). The execution of Morbius, the arrival of the Sisterhood on Karn, the trial, the followers of Morbius and his hiding in the Castle of Solon are all events that we now keep in mind, and all associated with "The Brain of Morbius". It's worth noting that there is also a difference between developing another's work and creating your own 'false' history. Whilst you might consider that some viewers would be unaware that "Brain" isn't endlessly referring to some Season 12 Robert Holmes adventure they'd not yet seen, the fact is that neither those in the know
or the uninitiated can associate this story as resting on another's work, because the story of Morbius trial doesn't exist on video or in the (real) memory. You cannot help but view "The Invasion of Time" as cribbing mercilessly (and cheapening) a fondly remembered earlier story, but there is no such problem with "The Brain of Morbius".

As a result, the story attains a mythic and lavish history which is intertwined with the new story (which is itself cleverly really just the end of the old one) which in addition doesn't need to be told with a lot of expense; basic sets, no location filming and a small cast. Unlike the unseen first part; I don't know about you but when I think of it, I envisage huge crowds of cheering people swarming around Morbius' "dispersal chamber" (even Maren notes that "many came to Karn back then"), a vast stormy location and an action-packed adventure far beyond Doctor Who's usual budgetary allocation. Yet because "The Brain of Morbius" depends on these scenes, they naturally become a part of it; try explaining the plot of the story without recounting how Morbius was hunted for his crimes, or how he came to be in Solon's brain tank.

This is not, of course, to take anything away from Terrance Dick's adventure; he created the wonderful concepts and characters it uses, the Sisterhood, Morbius and Solon and his servant Condo. Again unlike certain other sequels he takes full authorship of everything. What the writer is effectively doing is utilising all the benefits of the sequel (not having to tell the earlier story, having a ready made set of characters with colourful and interesting histories) without having to risk sullying the memory of another writer's success. In a way he repeats the trick later with "State of Decay", the narrative of which also depends greatly on events we didn't see happening. Both this and "The Brain of Morbius" tell exciting stories in their own right, and stand as two of the best Tom Baker tales. Yet both skilfully add-to and take-from the myth of the series at the same time to do it. Smart.