THE HAPPINESS PATROL
BY GRAEME CURRY

PLOT SUMMARY
(Taken from the Television Companion, 1st Edition, by David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker)
The TARDIS arrives on the planet Terra Alpha where the Doctor and Ace discover a society in wihch sadness is against the law- a law enforced with considerable zeal by the brightly uniformed Happiness Patrol. The planet is ruled by Helen A with the aid of her compnaion Joseph C and her carnivorous pet Stigorax named Fifi. The penalty for those found guilty of unhappiness is death in a stream of molten candy prepared by Helen A's executioner, the robotic Kandy Man, and his assosciate Gilbert M. The Time travellers help forment a rebellion amoungst the downtrodden population and the subterrian Pipe People- the planet's orginal inhabitants- Helen A is overthrown. Joseph C and Gilbert M escape in a shuttle, with the Kandy Man destroyed and Fifi killed. Helen A finally realises that happiness is nothing without the contrast of sadness.

PERSONAL REVIEW
BY BARRY STANTON
This has to be one of my favourite Doctor Who stories from the classic series let alone of the Sylvester McCoy era. It stands out in such a different way from the stories surrounding it and shows even in the last years of the classic series it can still created such varying styles with great sucess.
The story can be seen in two ways, the first being that it is a silly romp which anyone can pick up on, or secondly that it tries to address the situation of British politics at that time. The late 1980's was a time of great political pressure and change. The unions were being subdued after the miners strike 3 years earlier and Northern Ireland's troubles was at it's height. The Prime Minister of the time Margaret Thatcher is obviously being parodied by Shelia Hancock's portrayal of Helen A, something that the author Graeme Curry was trying to portray I feel. It was a period of boom and bust and the inhabitants of Terra Alpha are like the supressed British People, tired of what was becoming a social deline in the late 1980's.
The production is seen by some as tacky and very badly executed. Personally I feel it was meant to be like that. The scenery is deliberatly phoney and the lighting was bright to simualte the phoney happiness that Helen A was trying make the planet.
As for the acting Sylvester McCoy is growing in confidence with his portrayal of the Doctor and Sophie Aldred is already showing great promise as Ace. One scene for me is the scene with the Doctor on the balcony with the snipers and how he talks them round from shooting him. This to me is the start of the change in direction the series was taking with the 7th Doctor's character. Shelia Hancock plays the role of Helen A to perfection and certainly makes no bones about making her portrayal ruthless and selfish. Special mention should go to David John Pope who's portrayal of the Kandy Man made what was basically a man the suit into a very threatening and sadist psychopath of the Kandy Man, you could feel his passion for his job through all that candy.
I like this story on so many levels that a short review like this doesn't do it justice. Anyone I know who has casually seen it liked it and this is certainly one story I would use to introduce any new fan to the classic series.

RATING
9 out of 10