Forty of the Fourth #2: The Masque of Mandragora

I recall how I said there was going to be some difficulty in achieving what I wanted to do in regards to this fortieth anniversary celebration of Tom Baker's tenure as the Doctor. What I didn't realize was how grandly difficult the execution would be with stories that relied more on, well, the story than any grand epic scene, like "Image of the Fendahl" and the Fandahleen standoff.

"Masque" was one of the earliest Fourth Doctor serials I ever saw, and the one that sticks out most in my mind when I think of these three important elements of Philip Hinchcliffe's stewardship of the programme: the velvet frock coat with red/orange cravat, strong elements of gothic horror of the old Hammer tradition, and Sarah Jane. Heck, the image of the Doctor from this story is his Wiki profile image, which probably elevates its standing just a bit as an iconic image of the Fourth Doctor as the heroic incarnation. This is also Lis Sladen's next to last serial, as she leaves us for the next thirty years in "The Hand of Fear". I covered her face to hide the fact that this isnt the youthful Sarah Jane, but the one based on her appearance in "School Reunion". I learned Character Options had show interest in doing a Classic-era Sarah Jane, but Sladen wasn't pleased at all with any of the plastic incarnations of her and declined to have more made. Shame, as it's gonna be a little bit of a let down doing pieces from Tom's era without his trusted stalwart.

Achieving what I wanted out of the serial was tricky, given I hadn't made a suitable "masque" or had any sets or outside imagery to go on. I do have an area that doubles as the catacombs, and with some of my growing skills as a photographer and the spirit of Doctor Who's low budget nature, I came up with a simple solution that was pleasing to me and pushed the idea into actual doability.