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Apparently Eric Saward intensely disliked Michael Robbins' performance as Richard Mace in The Visitation which is odd because I've always enjoyed it. More evidence, I suppose, that Eric Saward's taste in TV often isn't a great match for my own.

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From:

a_cubed

I'm with you. It's an excellent performance that brings the script to life.

From:

purplecat

Indeed! It's a decent story and Michael Robbins is one of the better things in it!

From:

liadt

I think Michael Robbins' performance is fine. Maybe Saward is being snobby because he was in 'On the Buses'?

From:

purplecat

It seems like he had a Falstaff figure in mind - he'd used the character before in a Non-Who radio play. But it seems unfair to blame the actor for not looking the way you imagined.

From:

vivdunstan

I need to rewatch this one. I haven't seen it since it first aired. Though I do remember him in it.

Not too long ago I read Eric Saward's Target book of the story. Which was good, but I'm guessing now may not be reflective of certain televised elements!

From:

purplecat

If memory serves, it's a decent novelisation - before Saward decided that he wanted to be the next Douglas Adams (which, to be honest, I think spoils his next couple of novelisation attempts). At least he seems to have given up on that idea by the time he got to the recent novelisations which, if memory serves, are decent enough but Saward's apparent idea that only he is good enough to novelise his own work leaves a slightly bad taste in the mouth - he's no better than Ian Marter and arguably no better than a decent Terrance Dicks attempt (mileage on Terrance Dicks seeming to vary across fandom).

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