The Federation (Return to Home Page) Jennifer Adams Kelley as Peri and Steve Hill as the Sixth Doctor Jennifer Adams Kelley as Peri and Steve Hill as the Sixth Doctor
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Review by Chris Thompson

REALITYWARP
reviewed by Chris Thompson

The latest offering from The Federation is not only an affectionate tribute to Doctor Who, and a nod to a couple of the real-life people who contributed to the Who-niverse, but a highly original concept in its own right. The true protagonists of this story are not the Doctor and his companion Peri, but rather, an amalgamation of the characters and the actors who portrayed them. Steve Hill, a prominent name in Who fandom on the Internet, does a wonderful job as Colin Baker--approximating Baker's delivery very accurately. Jennifer Adams Kelley, listed first in the writing credits, plays Nicola Bryant (Peri).

The story begins as Nicola Bryant shows up at the BBC for an audtion, and soon notices a strange character there who seems to be following her. After the audition, in the parking lot, she glimpses the same mysterious figure attacking a man in the backseat of her car! Was it real, or not? Plagued by nightmares, she arranges a meeting with Colin Baker, her former co-star on "Doctor Who", and tells him what's been happening to her. Together, they unravel a mystery that threatens the fabric of reality itself!

After the sheer originality of the premise, the second most impressive aspect of this video is the quality of its production. There doesn't seem to be much generation loss at all, so I suspect the editing process took place in the digital domain. As well, the special effects work is marvelous. It is evident that great care was taken to insure realism, including a uniform use of accents by the actors, and footage that looks as if it were shot on location in Britain. The score is nicely done, and the camera work is simple and effective. The console room and TARDIS props were also of surprisingly good quality.

The supporting cast earns above-average marks, turning in good performances across the board. I was particularly impressed by George Zahora, who plays the gentleman in charge of wardrobe at the BBC--I found myself envying his ease in front of the camera. All these elements make for a surprisingly good video, and one definitely worth getting! The Federation is currently working on another serious release, and I will be among those chomping at the bit to get hold of it.

-CT

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