1980s UNIT and other things from the past

[thisbluespirit]

I've been not posting again, sorry. There wasn't even any particular reason, for the most part.

I was talking about Image of Fendahl in passing, which reminded me of the ridiculous wordage I wrote after watching it the first time, back in the day, which in turn led me to reassessing UNIT: Transition. Aside from the fact that it does need the reader to have some idea of what went down in Image, it isn't actually bad. Nothing a little tidying wouldn't at least make passable, and that led me back to the question of whether or not to put my 1980s UNIT series that followed on AO3.

Anyway, after losing a lot of time to reading my old stuff, I am now in progress of making the whole series available there, with a little tidying, but no major alterations. I'm not sure how to handle the exact order once I do get everything across, but I'll post them in original posting order as far as I can (Transition aside), and worry about where to put the extras and the Christmas prequel with the puns and the mince pies later.

So, if you want to know how the hell Colonel Crichton managed to get on without the Doctor, or just enjoy the same old UNIT cliches* with a new team, and actual plot(s) (even if some of my other writing tics of the era leave room for improvement), and Torchwood being villainous, plus one stranded Victorian housemaid who isn't important at all, installment #1 (fully standalone) is here:

UNIT: Strange Weapons (34661 words) by thisbluespirit, vvj5
Chapters: 9/9
Fandom: Doctor Who (1963)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Charles Crichton & Sarah Jane Smith, K9 & Sarah Jane Smith
Characters: K-9, Sarah Jane Smith, Charles Crichton, Original Characters, Winifred Bambera
Additional Tags: United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (Doctor Who), Torchwood One, 1980s, 1980s UNIT, 1980s Torchwood, Original Character-centric, Original Character Death(s), Case Fic, Action/Adventure, Military, Aliens, Plot, Cliffhangers, Angst, Zombies (sort of), Infection, Peril, Explosions, Period Typical Attitudes, (here and there anyway), and one lost victorian housemaid
Series: Part 1 of 1980s UNIT
Summary: April 1985: Good scientific advisors are hard to find. Dr Webber discovers why when he's expected to deal with zombies, aliens and Torchwood on his second day, and his only help is a tin dog and a ghost. Colonel Crichton and Sarah Jane are planning an exit strategy of sorts, while Captain Bambera is trying to keep her men from joining the opposing forces. They'll all be lucky to stay alive.

The other thing I've been doing is a lot of hunting down radio plays using the BBC's Genome, which was part of what led to discussing Image of the Fendahl but I have now typed too much about 1980s UNIT again, so I shall go and have lunch and say things about that another time.


* Sergeants don't have first names, green slime is never good (or any shade of good, all of which is available), etc. etc.

Comments

[theseatheseatheopensea]

Ugh, noisy neighbours, I feel you!

I'm glad you're doing a bit better, and may it continue! <3

[thisbluespirit]

Thank you!

[liadt]

I hope the neighbours keep quiet:/

I've listened to 'The Prisoner of Zenda' now and was amused by Martin Jarvis' dastardly voice!

[thisbluespirit]

Aw, cool! I've listened to two old radio plays and enjoyed them a lot, but I was in the middle of the radio LotR, so I've gone back to that for a bit. But I'm looking forward to Zenda! <3

[liadt]

It's quite understandable you'd want to go through all of LOTR before going to Zenda!

[thisbluespirit]

After I've simply walked into Mordor, I'll be fine to get to fictional European countries! XD

And, heh, I plan to have breaks in LotR but I have the file on my mp3 player and I'm nearly at Rivendell, which means I have almost achieved David Collings.

[liadt]

Woo hoo! And woo hoo for almost achieving David Collings!

[thisbluespirit]

I got to the Council of Elrond and now I have Elf David Collings! \o/ I mean, it's great anyway, but David Collings makes it even better.

[liadt]

\o/ \o/ \o/

[singe]

In my old age the noise from my downstairs neighbors actually soothes me to sleep! Dog barking, music playing, a party, it's all good. But let them cook cabbage and onions and I'll want them dead.

[thisbluespirit]

I unfortunately have quite bad sound intolerance with the ME, so pretty much no noise is soothing any more! All of it is tiring and hurts.

Cabbages and onions I cook myself so I could hardly complain about that. XD

[romanajo123]

1980s UNIT? Hmmm..I'll take a look!

Is this with the Colonel mentioned in Five Doctors? Curious

[thisbluespirit]

Yes, that's right - Colonel Crichton from The Five Doctors!

[sovay]

so I shall go and have lunch and say things about that another time.

The adaptation of The Unpleasantness of the Bellona Club was quite good!

I saw this post and thought of you.

[thisbluespirit]

The adaptation of The Unpleasantness of the Bellona Club was quite good!

Given that you were wary of Carmichael, I don't know for sure if that is a British quite or a US one in there, although I assume the latter. XD (So, either: Oh, well, not bad at least, then! or Yay, I'm glad! <- Insert as appropriate.)

I saw this post and thought of you.

Aww. My blorbo's not so much crumple-able (although he is), as can be folded up neatly and packed in a small 1960s car boot. Probably can also be easily stacked away in a corner somewhere and used as a hat stand as well. XD

[sovay]

Given that you were wary of Carmichael, I don't know for sure if that is a British quite or a US one in there, although I assume the latter.

I still don't love Carmichael as Wimsey, but the adaptation preserved most of the thematic stuff about the post-war that I care about if not all of the stuff about gender that I feel is really part of the same thing and I enjoyed Martin Jarvis very much as George Fentiman, so I think I meant "it came as a slight surprise to me, but I had a nice time listening to the entire thing as I lay flat on the couch last night in no shape to get anything else done and objectively it's a good version of the book." It did some neat things with the transfer and rearrangement of information in the process of getting it off the page. There was a moment near the end where I thought it was going to leave Martin Jarvis hanging and this was going to be hilarious in light of other conversations, but then it kept the tag from the novel assuring us that George actually is all right.

(I don't know why I don't love Carmichael as Wimsey, but it's longstanding: I encountered him first in high school, shortly after reading the novels for the first time, and he just never clicked. I may try one of the Harriet Vanes on radio to see if it changes how he appears to be, but he also may just not sound like the Wimsey inside my head.)

Probably can also be easily stacked away in a corner somewhere and used as a hat stand as well.

Aw.

[thisbluespirit]

I don't know why I don't love Carmichael as Wimsey, but it's longstanding

Tbh, while I have never seen or listened to him in the role, he's one of the reasons I've never even tried to, because I wasn't mad about him in the (admittedly very few - three?) things I have seen him in so far. It's hard to picture - but I can imagine how he handles the Harriet stuff would be make or break, wouldn't it?

There was a moment near the end where I thought it was going to leave Martin Jarvis hanging and this was going to be hilarious in light of other conversations, but then it kept the tag from the novel assuring us that George actually is all right.

Aw. I suppose it's just as well really!

but I had a nice time listening to the entire thing as I lay flat on the couch last night in no shape to get anything else done and objectively it's a good version of the book."

Well, I'm sorry yesterday was like that, but audio is a great last resort for such times. *nods*

Actually, I finished my Genome MJ journey today, and got a last nice surprise - turned out he was in an episode of Reluctant Persuaders, one of the radio sitcoms I listened to during summer 2021, which I did sort of vaguely remember (s2 was my least, but then it said he came back in a s4 episode and I was ???? But there is no series 4!

It turns out that pretty much immediately after I listened to it they made a fourth series, and I'd had no clue. I'm now reminding myself that it's not summer and I can't binge radio sitcoms like I can in summer, but my new phone allows me to listen to BBC Sounds, which is not quite as nice a method as my very old MP3 player for audio listening, but it is not a bad second-best option at all, so that was nice.

[sovay]

I wasn't mad about him in the (admittedly very few - three?) things I have seen him in so far.

He's charming in The Colditz Story (1955) where he and Richard Wattis are a pair of theatrical types whose routines worked up for the climactic diversion of the camp concert are superbly older than dirt, e.g. "What's a Grecian urn?" "Oh, about thirty bob a week.” He's never done much for me otherwise, which would be irrelevant if Wimsey weren't one of his signature and ubiquitous roles.

It turns out that pretty much immediately after I listened to it they made a fourth series, and I'd had no clue.

That's great! I am glad you got a bonus series and a decent method of listening to it.

[edit] Having not looked recently at BBC Genome myself, I see the 1970 Journey's End just got a seasonal rebroadcast. I could listen to that.

[thisbluespirit]

Having not looked recently at BBC Genome myself, I see the 1970 Journey's End just got a seasonal rebroadcast. I could listen to that.

You could! I noticed that, although, of course, I had already snaffled and listened to the SNT download version.

That's great! I am glad you got a bonus series and a decent method of listening to it.

It was a lovely bonus! I mean, I'm sure I must have noticed the fact eventually, but idk exactly how long it would have taken me. I look forward to guest Martin Jarvis (not an impression) turning up to annoy Nigel Havers at some point.