The Production GuideScript To Screen: The Taybor
by Martin Willey
The Production GuideThe first revisions on 7th April added Dr Ben Vincent (introduced in the currently filming episode, Journey To Where, he was being promoted to a series regular). In the original script, there were just unnamed orderlies without any lines. His lines were brief, one line from Barbara in the solarium, and, in the Recreation Center trading his ship in a bottle, "Another Alphan".
Two of the Alphan sunbathers are named in the script: Karen (Laraine Humphrys) and Barbara (Sarah Bullen). Barbara isn't named in dialogue, and Helena calls her "Kate" at the end of the episode. Another sunbather is familiar from previous episodes: Chai Lee (in the first bed here). The girl standing who will sit by Barbara is Third Girl (Vicki Michelle), while the blonde who borrows sunglasses is Jenny Clare (both have short unscripted lines that sound dubbed).
A small correction was when Taybor showed his trading license on the screen (scene 21, page 10).
TAYBOR (V.O.)
Just had my Trading Licence
renewed ... valid anywhere in the
entire Stellar System for the
next four light years.
On the 7th April line amendments, the science terminology is corrected. If Taybor's license was only for a spatial area of 4 lights years diameter, it is perhaps a bit more practical than the arbitrary length of a planetary orbit.
Page 10 |
Sc.21 |
TAYBOR's speech to read: TAYBOR (V.O.) Just had my Trading License |
In the pink page revisions, Alan Carter is written out. He was originally in the meal with Taybor, Koenig, Helena, Maya any Tony (scene 23).
TWO SHOT MAYA and ALAN - INCLUDE TONY
TONY
It's my hobby, I'm getting closer
to perfecting it but this ... well,
on a scale of ten I'd give it six
for potency and three for flavour.
I'm glad you like it...
(looking pointedly at
MAYA and ALAN)
.. some people don't appreciate it.
ALAN
Who me? I appreciate it, like I
appreciate a hole in my stomach.
MAYA nods sagely.
On the pink 8th April revised page, Alan is removed from the stage directions, and new lines are given to Maya and Helena.
TWO SHOT - MAYA and TONY
TONY
It's my hobby, I'm getting closer
to perfecting it but this ... well,
on a scale of ten I'd give it six
for potency and three for flavour.
I'm glad you like it ...
(looking pointedly at MAYA)
... some people don't appreciate it.
MAYA
Who me? Well ... my Doctor's
orders ...
She looks appealingly at HELENA.
FULL SHOT
HELENA
(fights to hide a smile)
Medically speaking Tony, it
should be labelled 'unfit for
human consumption.'
TONY reacts with an injured look.
TAYBOR
I hate to disagree with two
such beautiful ladies - but
your beer is a delight to the
palate.
There are some lines during the meal scene that are not in the episode, but there are no explicit revisions. They may have been filmed but removed by the editor. The term "weft" (from the Old English word for "weave") refers to the horizontal thread in weaving. The word "warp" (as in Star Trek) originally referred to the vertical thread.
KOENIG
(most interested)
Anywhere?
(earnestly)
Could we build this jump-drive?
TAYBOR
My old '22 model? Pain in the
neck, that's what it is.
(drinks)
When they got weft-booster in
'26 my dear lady was obsolete.
As for now ... vintage, Skipper,
vintage.
KOENIG
(determinedly)
Could we build it? Can you
explain how it works;
TAYBOR
I don't know how it works - I'm
Taybor the Trader, not a mechanic.
So long as she takes me where I
want to go.
Alan Carter was later to be seen running into a travel tube in scene 45 with McDougall, and later in scene 59 both are driving the moonbuggy to look for the missing S.S. Emporium. The lines would be reassigned to Bill Fraser (John Hug). After a major role in Journey To Where, Alan Carter had a tiny role in this episode, and then got completely removed. Carter returns to a larger role in The Mark of Archanon, but is absent from The Rules Of Luton (the double-up episode).
Helena sculpts a replica of Maya in scene 65. The location is "Helena's Quarters", which seems to have a lot of electronics (it was filmed on Friday 23rd April with the location "Int Modelling Room"). The stage direction changed on a 13th April blue page. The original on 31st March:
65 INT. HELENA'S QUARTERS 65
We are on a close-up of an incomplete sculpted, yet
very definitely recognizable face of MAYA. The camera
pulls back to reveal HELENA sculpting MAYA who is
sitting in the room. The work is watched by TAYBOR.
TAYBOR
-a bit more of a smile
on her face...
65 INT. HELENA'S QUARTERS 65
A duplicate of MAYA is being built. (Details have
been worked out between Bob Brooks and Keith Wilson)
The work is watched by TAYBOR.
TAYBOR
-a bit more of a smile
on her face...
In the Recreation Center trading (scene 76), the Alphans were named "Alphan" (silver ball for roller skates), "Lady Alphan" (wool sweater for mirror) and "Another Alphan" (ship in a bottle). The 7th April pink page revises the first two Alphans to Yasko and Barbara (Sarah Bullen). Later, Yasko's trade will be changed to a bonsai tree, and "Another Alphan" will become Vincent.
Copyright Martin Willey