Dr Martin King

Ronald Binge · Post by **Ronald Binge** » Tue Jan 28, 2014 1:27 am

I'm now a happy owner of the full box set, and enjoying my romp through it.

Was Jon Rollason only a stopgap in the first three episodes produced in S2? Whatever about Mission to Montreal, which I haven't warmed to, he was extremely good in The Sell-Out and Dead on Course. Was there significance in producing the first three episodes of S2 with him, when they had already decided on the character of Venus Smith by the end of production of S1?

Timeless A-Peel · Post by **Timeless A-Peel** » Tue Jan 28, 2014 1:23 pm

I think that all his stories were leftover Keel stories that weren't filmed with Ian Hendry due to the strike. Rather than discard them, they created another doctor character that they could sub in for Keel. I assume they were the first three to be produced simply because they were already written, and it gave them something get "in the can" while they worked out what they were going to do with Venus and Cathy, neither of whom really had the right skill set to be slotted seamlessly into the Keel plots.

Given than he was meant to be a Keel clone, Jon Rollason did an excellent job of giving King his own personality, and I really enjoy his brief stint. I actually wish we had a bit more of him.

Frankymole · Post by **Frankymole** » Tue Jan 28, 2014 5:34 pm

I agree - one of my favourite characters and we didn't get enough of him. Though he's still got more screen time than Dr Keel, at the moment!

http://www.theavengers.tv/forever/bio-rollason.htm

mousemeat · Post by **mousemeat** » Tue Jan 28, 2014 7:01 pm

Frankymole wrote:I agree - one of my favourite characters and we didn't get enough of him. Though he's still got more screen time than Dr Keel, at the moment!

http://www.theavengers.tv/forever/bio-rollason.htm

i concur and good point...

Timeless A-Peel · Post by **Timeless A-Peel** » Tue Jan 28, 2014 11:00 pm

Frankymole wrote:I agree - one of my favourite characters and we didn't get enough of him. Though he's still got more screen time than Dr Keel, at the moment!

http://www.theavengers.tv/forever/bio-rollason.htm

And he doesn't let Steed get away with anything, which is good, because Steed needs keeping in line in seasons 1-3.

Johnny O · Post by **Johnny O** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 4:45 pm

Timeless A-Peel wrote:I think that all his stories were leftover Keel stories that weren't filmed with Ian Hendry due to the strike. Rather than discard them, they created another doctor character that they could sub in for Keel. I assume they were the first three to be produced simply because they were already written, and it gave them something get "in the can" while they worked out what they were going to do with Venus and Cathy, neither of whom really had the right skill set to be slotted seamlessly into the Keel plots.

Given than he was meant to be a Keel clone, Jon Rollason did an excellent job of giving King his own personality, and I really enjoy his brief stint. I actually wish we had a bit more of him.

It's always been said (and written) that many of Cathy Gale's early scripts were also leftover Keel scripts. Hence the characterisation being inherently masculine and being the equal of the male characters.

Charlie Parker · Post by **Charlie Parker** » Mon Feb 03, 2014 9:05 pm

I believe that the scripts for Dr. King were so heavily medically involved that they needed another Doctor Character to do the part.

Timeless A-Peel · Post by **Timeless A-Peel** » Tue Feb 04, 2014 1:07 pm

Charlie Parker wrote:I believe that the scripts for Dr. King were so heavily medically involved that they needed another Doctor Character to do the part.

I suspect that was the case as well. They were made for a doctor character, and couldn't have been retooled for Cathy without heavy editing (which would have defeated the purpose of using them in the first place).

Lhbizness · Post by **Lhbizness** » Tue Feb 04, 2014 11:19 pm

I've just finished watching all THREE of King's episodes and...I'm sorry, there's just no actual chemistry between him and Steed. It isn't even an issue of the character being uninteresting in and of himself; it's as though he and Steed are constantly talking past each other rather than engaging. Steed owns him, from start to finish; King only pays lip service to giving him hell. Cathy's her own woman, but King is very much not his own man. Even Venus has more initiative.

Anyways, that's just what I think. They were obviously trying to get a Hendry replacement and didn't quite make it work.

Frankymole · Post by **Frankymole** » Wed Feb 05, 2014 11:06 pm

Ouch.

Have you seen all the Venus episodes? Her characterisation changes massively (as does her background, it seems). In some episodes she's terribly passive, in others she's a prototype Tara-style independent "swinging chick".

Dr King has one advantage though - none of those godawful songs that stop the drama dead for five minutes in the middle of an episode (sometimes twice!).