These EpisodesThe Full Circle
These EpisodesFrom the These Episodes documentary originally on the 2005 Network DVD boxset.
Zienia Merton was in a very interesting position on the show. Because, first and foremost, she was on the screen either in every episode or certainly in almost every episode. And so she became a sort of face everybody got to know. And a character that everybody's got to know. The interesting thing about her is that she was very much with the production. Wanted to help all the time. Did everything possible to make the scenes where she appeared to go well. So, nice person, reliable, couldn't have been a better choice.
Full Circle was the first one to be directed by Bob Kellett. And I think Bob was brought into kind of add new life and zest. And so decided that the way to get this was to go out; we had never been out, we'd been in studio all the time. Remember we started in November. By the time we got to fill circle it was October. That's practically a year that we had been inside all the time except for that one bit of rain in the car park.
Now going on location is fun. Always loosens things up. But its full of all kinds of problems. This is not a nice Indian summer, it was a rather miserable damp October. First thing Bob did was, he said you're going to be abducted. It was jolly nice, it was the lead one for me.
I go off with Nick on this reconnaissance flight, which makes Prentis jealous. So he's asking about me. And there's caveman and all his friends, and then there's Martin. I mean, gosh. Jolly nice, I say.
Bob Kellett, he gave me a little leopard skin. And it wasn't a very big leopard. And he said "right that's your costume". He said "now off to wardrobe and see Eileen, and make a costume out of that". And I thought "oh wow, ok". So Eileen and I looked at this thing and we thought the main body of it would drape over me, then bits of tail and ear were kind of flung over here. And I was given some very brief flesh coloured knickers. And I asked for some shoes, because I will be outside running out there in Pinewood.
Going out on location, well I know, I think all of us wanted to go, to get out, to get a change of scenery. I will certainly happy. It was jolly uncomfortable. I was slung on a poll on and then I said, "well you know, I think my back is going to break because the cavemen were la-lopping along, the Neanderthal walk. I thought this was going to be a bit stressful on my back. They said, ok, fine, we'll get you something. So they brought this kind of disgusting fishing net, I don't know how long it had been where. I think it had lots of animal life in it. And that strung up to vaguely give me a bit of rest. Bit it was fun, fun, good fun.
I knew for a fact that Bob Kellett wanted to open up the series by going on location, but I think the prime moving force was of course money, and he'd told me that they still had the ice palace from Death's Other Dominion, hanging about on L stage I think it was. So they said they thought right, making use of that, painted it brown and it became prehistoric Earth and the caves in Full Circle.
Guardian of Piri I was in danger of ending up in traction because Martin yanked my head with such force. He's a very physical actor. Well I then in Full Circle, in order to make my escape, had to bash him over the head with a rock. Which was not a real rock, it was a polystyrene rock. So good old heavy-rock-lifting acting was called for. So I bashed him on the head. Now Barbara then took me aside prior to this. She said "you will be gentle with him, won't you?" I thought "what?" Gentle with him? I mean, my neck nearly broke and now I have to worry about a polystyrene rock. So, anyway, yes, I was gentle with him.
Contents copyright Martin Willey