M3 - Conspiracy

As the episodes roll on, so does the hilarity. Well, sort of. The whole exercise seems like a lower budget version of a Carry On film with none of the subtle double entendres and dry wit that has characterized that film franchise over the decades.

And it still doesn't seem that funny to me. Vicki runs around laughing at everything, so, so I guess it must be funny. Oh, and she does end up getting the court poisoner killed, so that's naturally a hoot. The Doctor warns her that killing Nero would change the course of history, but what about the poisoner? Who is to say she would never have amounted to anything? After seeing the new series episode Father's Day, one can see that even the most insignificant person can cause the greatest of ripples in the timelines...

It's not all bad, mind. William Hartnell, although his high pitched giggling runs rampant through these four episodes, is a comic revelation, especially in his scenes with Derek Francis as Nero. The scene where he "plays" the lute silently to an enraptured audience (causing a jealous Nero to utter, in the episode's best line, "He's alright, but he's not all that good!") is hilarious...until The Doctor sits down and explains precisely why it was hilarious to Vicki immediately afterward. Note to Dennis Spooner - jokes are funnier when you don't have to explain them.

Is it wrong of me to find the most interest in the Ian and Delos storyline, aka the (intentionally) unfunny one?