Episode #144 : Mindwarp

"Today, prudence shall be our watchword. Tomorrow, I shall soak the land in blood!"

Episode 144:    Mindwarp.
Companions:    6th Doctor and Peri.
Air Date:          4th to 25th October 1986.

The Valeyard's prosecution continues as he presents damning evidence of the Doctor's interference on the planet Thoros Beta. Dangerous experiments are being carried out there that could affect the future of all life, and they must be stopped. But why is the Doctor so determined to help his former enemy - the greedy, opportunistic Sil? And why has he turned against his companion, Peri? One thing is certain: someone will die.

The Trial of a Time Lord story line continues with another case presented by the Valeyard to prove the Doctor's guilt. In this one the Doctor and Peri arrive on a strange almost psychedelic planet home to the Mentor's - Sil's people. Here they find a plot to transplant the mind of Sil's boss into another body, and the evil bio-experiments that led to this development. They team up with King Tyrcanos, played by Brian Blessed of all people, leader of a barbarian people to overthrow them. It seems that Peri is captured and used to as the vessel for the new Mentor's mind. Before the Doctor can rescue her, he is snatched from time by the Time Lords to take his trial.

Mindwarp is a pretty bad, not to mention dull story that doesn't really go anywhere. It is set up to end Peri's time on the show and bring the Doctor into the court. Sil isn't even presented as well as he was in his prior appearance. Likewise, the Doctor is presented as a rather evil individual though we later learn that this adventure has been tampered with to make him appear just so.

Whilst investigating Crozier's lab, the Doctor picks up and inspects a specimen jar that appears to contain a preserved Xenomorph embryo specimen (specifically a chestburster) from the Alien films.

Mindwarp is a poorly done story that spoils the whole Trial arc.

Episode #143 : The Mysterious Planet

"Whereas yours is a simple case of sociopathy, Dibber, my malaise is much more complex. A deep-rooted maladjustment, my psychiatrist said, brought on by an infantile inability to come to terms with the more pertinent, concrete aspects of life."

Episode 143:   The Mysterious Planet.
Companions:   6th Doctor and Peri.
Air Date:         6th to 27th September 1986.

The Doctor is on trial for his life. Plucked out of time and space by the Time Lords, he is charged with transgressing the First Law of Time. He must defend himself against the prosecution led by the sinister Valeyard. The trial begins as the Time Lords review an adventure from the Doctor's recent past. The setting is Ravolox, where the Doctor and Peri find themselves caught in the conflict between a warrior tribe, a pair of intergalactic con-men, and a god-like robot. But deep below the surface of the mysterious planet lie secrets that threaten the very fabric of the universe. And to protect them, drastic measures have been taken that will shock the Doctor to his very core.

After a year and a half hiatus the show comes back with another season long arc similar to the Key to Time. This time however the Doctor is plucked out of time and space by the Time Lords again and put on trial for violating the First Law of Time. The first case presented by the Valeyard is an adventure on the planet Ravolox. The opening sequence where the camera weaves its way across the surface of a space station is excellently done and sets up the trial atmosphere very well. The story then alternates between the court room and the adventure.

The court room scenes prove to be quite amusing as the Doctor relies on humour to poke fun at the Valeyard and the proceedings. Who is the Valeyard and why does he seem to have an aggressive desire to see the Doctor dead? All will be explained in time.

The actual adventure on Ravolox revolves around the mystery of why planet, in fact Earth, has been moved across space into a whole new galaxy and renamed. Even the computer records of the Time Lords have it listed as Ravolox. The planet is supposed to be dead, scoured clean by a fireball, but is actually alive and well, with survivors living a sort of Celtic existence on the surface, and others living underground under the rule of an "immortal" robot. Add to that a pair of immoral space pirate types, Sabalom and Dibber, who seek information hidden somewhere in the underground settlement and you have an interesting tale.

Episode #142 : Revelation of the Daleks

Davros: "This part of the galaxy is developing quickly. Famine was one of its major problems."

The Doctor: "You turned them into food?"

Davros: "A scheme which has earned me great acclaim."

The Doctor: "But did you bother to tell anyone that they might be eating their own relatives?"

Davros: "Certainly not! That would have created what I believe is termed... "consumer resistance."

Episode 142:    Revelation of the Daleks.
Companions:   6th Doctor and Peri.
Air Date:          23rd to 30th March 1985.

The Doctor and Peri arrive on the planet Necros where, in a facility called Tranquil Repose presided over by Mr Jobel and his assistant Tasambeker, the wealthy can have their newly-deceased bodies cryogenically frozen until such time as medical science can cure whatever killed them. The Doctor wishes to pay his last respects to his friend Professor Arthur Stengos, and also to assuage some nagging suspicions about the man's death. His suspicions prove justified, as it turns out that this is just a ruse to lure him into a trap. The Great Healer masterminding Tranquil Repose is Davros, who is using the organic material in the cryogenic storage units both as the raw material for the synthetic food that is Necros's biggest export and also to create a whole new army of Daleks with which to take control of the universe.

The story of Davros and the Daleks continues in Revelation of the Daleks. A decent adventure but one with a handful of issues that do spoil it just ever so slightly for me. As a story by itself it is quire reasonable and includes a few things that will reappear much later on in the new Who series, such as Daleks made from human flesh, levitating Daleks and Davros having a ranged electrical attack (though how and where he got that is another matter). There is no explanation for how he survived the Movellan virus but he obviously did.

The real issues that spoil this are length and padding. Revelation is made from two episodes each 45 minutes in length. While the same as a modern episode in this case both suffer horribly from padding to stretch the story out. Part one is horrible for this and it is a wonder that viewers didn't switch channels out of boredom. Even now, watching this adventure for the blog I found myself fiddling with my phone or looking for something to pass the time. Had it been better fleshed out I think this story could well have raised a rating.

The last issue and this does bug me somewhat is the inclusion of quest celebrity Alexi Sayle as a weird DJ for the dead. If you don't know who Alexi Sayle is, he was a well known anarchic comedian in the 1980s. Unfortunately he carries his zanny act into the role of the DJ and it really grates on my nerves because it just doesn't fit in the story.

Revelation of the Daleks continues elements of the Dalek civil war plot that started in their last appearance with the 5th Doctor. Davros is seeking to create a whole new race of Dalek which will be loyal to him and allow him to conquer the universe. He may have succeeded had others on Necros not contacted the Dalek empire and alerted them to Davros' presence on the planet. It doesn't fit in too well because surely the Daleks would have just exterminated everyone on the planet and then taken Davros away to Skaro?

Revelation of the Daleks is not a bad story providing you can sit through it fine and not worry about plot holes.

Episode #141 : Timelash

"The stories I've heard about you. The great Doctor, all knowing and all powerful. You're about as powerful as a burnt out android."


Episode 141:   Timelash.
Companions:   6th Doctor and Peri.
Air Date:         9th to 16th March 1985.

On the planet Karfel a high ranking official, Maylin Tekker, uses threats against Peri to force the Doctor to go to Earth and bring back a young woman called Vena who, while holding a precious amulet, has accidentally fallen into the Timelash - a time tunnel through which the planet's tyrannical ruler the Borad banishes all rebels. The Doctor also inadvertently brings back Herbert, a man from the 19th Century, who stows away aboard the TARDIS.

Timelash at first glance is a story with potential but other a few elements really doesn't live up to it. The whole story appears to be an homage to the writings of H.G. Wells even going so far as to have the young Wells stowaway on board the TARDIS and experience the very things he would write about in his books. It just seems a gimmick story to get all of that in one place rather than to tell an interesting story.

The story ties in to something that the 3rd Doctor talked about -  taking Jo Grant on a trip to Karfel, but was never seen on screen. In Timelash we learn that they did indeed come here and defeated the Borad much earlier. It is hinted that he had more than one companion so who did he bring?

Most of the effects seem even more basic than usual which feels like a let down. However, the facial make up for the evil Borad (see the picture above) is superb and when seen it action does not seem at all like a dodgy BBC make up effect.

Timelash, just like The Two Doctors, features a well known actor from Blake's Seven, this time Paul Darrow who played Aven. Just as then, he plays a bit of a villain.

While I rate this story as being below average it isn't so bad that I don't suggest watching it. Just don't expect much.

Episode #140 : The Two Doctors

"Do try and keep out of my way in future and in past, there's a good fellow. The time continuum should be big enough for both of us. Just."

Episode 140:    The Two Doctors.
Companions:   6th Doctor, 2nd Doctor, Jamie McCrimmon and Peri.
Air Date:          16th February to 2nd March 1985.

Time and time again, the Doctor has teamed up with himself to save lives. This time, he must save his past self in order to ensure his own existence in his present. What could Chessene and dim-witted lackey Shockeye have planned with the Sontarans? Only one thing is known for sure: time will tell.

The Two Doctors is one of the best, if not the best, adventure for the 6th Doctor era. Following the success of The Five Doctors it was decided to team up two Doctors for an adventure and the choice of Patrick Troughton was spot on. The dialogue is great between them, and you get a real spark from it. If you haven't seen this one, check it out.

It isn't perfect however. The Sontarans though good to see them return, seem like a tacked on addition to the story, and there is a whole segment where the 2nd Doctor starts to become an Androgum and goes on an eating spree with one of the villainous androgums in Seville. Especially that second issue, which really seems to exist just to pad out the story. But those elements aside, The Two Doctors is a worthwhile viewing.

Unfortunately this was the last appearance for Patrick Troughton in the role before his death in 1987. This was the story that coloured my perception of the 2nd Doctor over his original run in the show. I think that better writers and script standards have influenced that considerably.

Chessene is played by Jacqueline Pearce who science fiction fans may remember from fellow BBC sci fi drama Blakes Seven, where she played the main villain Servalan.

Episode #139 : The Mark of the Rani

"He'd get dizzy if he tried to walk in a straight line!"

Episode 139:   The Mark of the Rani.
Companions:   6th Doctor and Peri.
Air Date:        2nd to 9th February 1985.

In 19th century England, the Doctor finds himself facing two competing enemies: his old adversary, the Master, and the Rani, another Time Lord with a sinister plan. The local population is turning violent and unpredictable. With a major meeting of the brains of the Industrial Revolution due to happen in the village soon, the Doctor must work out what exactly is causing all the problems. Only the Doctor can stop the Master and the Rani's evil plans.

The Mark of the Rani is the sort of story that quite frankly is terrible but at the same time has a certain something that prevents you from just outright hating it, and there is a lot to hate. To start with we have the return of the Master who again is playing the short game and just trying to interfere in Human history, when we are used to him playing the bigger game. Also, just how did he survive his last encounter with the Doctor? Second we are introduced to the Rani, another renegade Time Lord who at least has motivations that we can understand even if she seems as useless as the Master at them. Then there are the historical inaccuracies and the weirdness... the Rani's minefield which turns living tissue into trees. Strangely rubbery and slightly animate trees.

The Rani, as I mentioned, seems a lot easier to identify with than the Master. With the Rani it isn't power or destruction that she craves. She is simply a scientist who has little to no ethics and just wants to stay out of the way and continue her experiments. Only this time she has been caught up in the feud between the Master and the Doctor. The interactions between all three are quote well written and hammed up just right by the actors.

If you are the sort of person who likes complete accuracy in your historical stories you may want to skip this one or risk pulling your hair out. Dates are wrong, characters about who wouldn't be and Luddites in completely the wrong era. I'm not a history buff so it never bothered me but I can imagine that it would some.

I see this as a fun story rather than something to take too seriously which is why I don't rate down like I should do. If you can just watch this adventure for the time travel fun then go for it, just don't expect too much from it otherwise.

Episode #138 : Vengeance on Varos

"Oh, I thought you were my mirror image — Until I realised I wasn't the one holding a gun."

Episode 138:     Vengeance on Varos.
Companions:     6th Doctor and Peri.
Air Date:           19th to 26th January 1985.

Seeking the rare mineral Zeiton-7 to repair his TARDIS, the Doctor arrives on Varos, a world where political prisoners and their guards are all subjected to sadistic tortures and executions which the colony's inhabitants view and vote on through interactive television. Accused of being alien infiltrators helping the colony's rebel factions, the Doctor and Peri find themselves the latest unwilling subjects in this most extreme form of reality TV.

Vengeance on Varos is an exceedingly dull story that appears at first glance to be a satire on politics, reality TV and the TV generation as the 1980's saw them. We are presented with a culture where politics is decided by a live or die approach that ensures that while the population are given political control they are also keep poor, hungry and addicted to some disturbing television. By itself now a bad back story but then we find a second plot that deals with mining concerns and corporate manipulations. There is too much and not enough time to do an adequate job with it.

This story tends to get some fan grief because of the Doctor's somewhat violent and uncaring approach. Guards are vaporised without knowing the situation and two others are dissolved by acid with just a sarcastic joke from the Doctor. Personally I find this all rather good as Colin Baker is playing a very different persona to what has gone before. A darker Doctor has been long in coming. This time he really is the anti-hero.

Sil, as the overall villain, is quite a nice addition to the foes that the Doctor has overcome. Played by excellently by Nabil Shaban, Sil is a slimy, uncaring and quite repulsive character. The evil gurgling laugh he gives the character is just inspired. Sil doesn't do much in the story but he is remembered where as Vengeance on Varos is best forgotten.

Episode #137 : Attack of the Cybermen

"The TARDIS, when working properly, is capable of many amazing things. Not unlike myself."

Episode 137:   Attack of the Cybermen.
Companions:   6th Doctor and Peri.
Air Date:         5th to 12th January 1985.

The TARDIS is lured to Earth in 1985 by a distress call sent by Lytton, who has made contact with a group of Cybermen based in London's sewers. The Doctor and Peri are then captured and forced to take Lytton and the Cybermen in the TARDIS to the Cybermen's home planet Telos. The Cybermen have stolen a time vessel from another race and plan to change history by crashing Halley's Comet into Earth and obliterating it before it can bring about the demise of their original home world, Mondas, in 1986.

Contary to popular opinion, there is a lot to like about Attack of the Cybermen especially if you are a fan of the classic show. This story acts as a sort of prequel and sequel to the 2nd Doctor adventure Tomb of the Cybermen and the 1st Doctor's final adventure; The Tenth Planet, and carries lots of references to enhance the story. Some feel that that is a bad thing but for me the continuity (such as it is) is what makes this story something more than your typical Doctor Who adventure. Attack of the Cybermen explains more about the tombs discovered on Telos, has the return of Lytton and the Cyber-Controller. It also sees the return, albeit brief, of the TARDIS with a functioning chameleon circuit and Totter's junkyard where everything first started.

The Doctor has come a ways since we last saw him. No more psychotic, a little more sedate and back to being a personality that we can relate to as the Doctor. There is a little violence that wouldn't normally be there such beating up one of Lytton's fake police and blasting some Cybermen, but you get the sense this is part of who this personality is now. It doesn't bother me and makes a change.

These Cybermen seem a bit weaker than what we are used to as well. Some seem to die easily to bullets and others have their heads knocked off rather literally. Oddly, the Cyber-Controller has put on a few pounds since we last saw him and it looks a bit odd. There is also the incidents of mouldy, insane Cybermen on Telos which are never explained as far as I could see.

There is much more to this story than most fans see I think, and with the intervening years this one is quite a gem. Just ignore any small plot holes and enjoy.

Episode #136 : The Twin Dilemma

"Well, look at me. I'm old, lacking in vigour, my mind's in turmoil. I no longer know if I'm coming, have gone, or even been. I'm falling to pieces. I no longer even have any clothes sense... Self-pity is all I have left."

Episode 136:   The Twin Dilemma.
Companions:   6th Doctor and Peri.
Air Date:         22nd to 30th March 1984.

A race of giant gastropods has taken over the planet Jaconda. Their leader, Mestor, now intends to cause an enormous explosion in order to spread his people's eggs throughout the galaxy, and he kidnaps juvenile twin geniuses from Earth to work out the necessary mathematical equations. Space fighters led by Lieutenant Hugo Lang are dispatched to get the twins back, but they come under attack and Lang is the sole survivor when his ship crashes on the asteroid Titan 3. The Doctor and Peri become involved and help Jaconda's elderly former ruler Professor Edgeworth, who is really a Time Lord named Azmael, to defeat Mestor and free the planet's bird-like indigenous people from the gastropods' reign of terror.

Colin Baker takes over as the Doctor in this story and his performance tends to split fans. The gaudy costume and rather nasty approach does not sit well with many but I think they are missing out. Colin may not have been one of the better classic Doctors but he plays the character in a far more interesting way. The post regeneration weirdness is a standard thing now, and it is just a case that in this story he is more unstable than usual.

The problem with The Twin Dilemma is that Colin's acting is the best thing in it. The story falls flat, has nothing really to deal with the twins, and has far too many plot holes to count. It is four episodes of nothing special. In fact, the story may have been better if rather than creating yet another race of giant slug things, they just used the tractators again and saved themselves the design issues. They would also have been a far better option considering the plot than the villainous Mestor.

If it wasn't that this being a post regeneration story I might well suggest you skip it.

Episode #135 : The Caves of Androzani

"Is this death?"

Episode 135:   The Caves of Androzani.
Companions:   5th Doctor and Peri.
Air Date:         8th to 16th March 1984.

The TARDIS arrives on Androzani Minor, the source of a life-prolonging drug refined from a substance called spectrox. Production of the drug is controlled by Sharaz Jek, a facially deformed madman in self imposed exile, who blames Morgus, a powerful industrialist on Androzani Major, for all his misfortunes. Jek is fighting government troops sent to liberate the drug. His weaponry is being supplied by gun-runners secretly employed by Morgus, who receives payment from Jek in refined spectrox. This gives Morgus a monopoly of the drug on Major.

Peter Davison's time as the Doctor comes to an end with a rather disappointing tale. Many fans see this as a rather good exit for the Doctor but I find it a rather boring adventure. It simply feels as though the writer (experienced writer Robot Holmes) had seen Phantom of the Opera and far too many Shakespearean plays before he sat down to do this one. I'm not going to give it a low rating as it does sort of fit in where I feel the show is typical but for a regeneration story it should have been a hell of a lot better.

Peri gets a lot of the lime light in this one and that's not a bad thing as Nicola Bryant does seem to get a feel for her character in this one. Peri becomes the love interest for the disfigured Phantom type villain who must have her beauty at all costs when he should be worrying himself with those who want to see him dead.

We finally get an explanation for the stick of celery that the 5th Doctor carries around with him. Allow me to explain:

Peri : "Doctor, why do you wear a stick of celery in your lapel?"

The Doctor : "Does it offend you?"
Peri : "No, just curious."
The Doctor : "Safety precaution. I'm allergic to certain gases in the praxis range of the spectrum."
Peri : "Well how does the celery help?"
The Doctor : "If the gas is present, the celery turns purple."
Peri : "And then what do you do?"
The Doctor : "I eat the celery. If nothing else I'm sure it's good for my teeth."

As Peter Davison has said on many occasions while performing his regeneration sequence and giving possibly the finest acting performance of his career, the camera was aimed straight down Peri's cleavage. You may not have noticed that before but go back and watch it. You'll see what I mean.

This was the first regeneration sequence to have the final word of the story come from the new incarnation of the Doctor.

I grew up with the 5th Doctor so his adventures will always have something to them that I remember fondly. Many claim him to be the wishy-washy Doctor or the "wet vet" (Peter Davison starred in a vets drama before Who) but I think he wasn't so bad. Bit grumpy but then if you were stuck with Tegan and Turlough wouldn't you be?

Episode #134 : Planet of Fire

"I'm Perpugilliam Brown, and I can shout just as loud as you can!"

Episode 134:    Planet of Fire.
Companions:   5th Doctor, Peri and Turlough.
Air Date:          23rd February to 2nd March 1984.

On holiday in Lanzarote, a young American girl named Peri narrowly escapes drowning when she is rescued from the sea by Turlough and taken into the TARDIS to recover. The Doctor is on the island because the TARDIS has detected a mysterious signal being transmitted from an unknown artifact retrieved from the sea bed by Peri's stepfather, Howard Foster. The Master reasserts his control over Kamelion and gets it to bring the TARDIS, along with the Doctor, Turlough and Peri, to the planet Sarn, where he is hoping to use that world's supply of revitalising numismaton gas to restore his body - accidentally shrunken in an experiment with his tissue compression eliminator weapon - to its correct size.

By this point I am now fairly sick to death of the Master. He was over used during the Jon Pertwee era and since his return he has appeared far too often. I don't suppose you really notice when watching the show of the television but watching the stories in a quick succession he does seem to appear a little too often. Ainley is still just as good as the Master but once again I wish they would give him some better schemes that can't be so easily thwarted by the Doctor. At least this story has a fun twist where the Master is concerned.

Planet of Fire sees the death of Kamelion and the departure of Turlough. Kamelion was a poor choice for a companion and he wasn't able to appear more than twice so killing him off wasn't a bad idea. Turlough on the other hand I am going to miss. His character has matured and grown since he first joined the TARDIS crew as an agent of the Black Guardian. His story ends on a high note with him being able to return to his people on Trion a hero.

Instead we are joined by Peri "Perpugilliam" Brown an English actress playing an American student with a bad American accent.I never knew what to make of the character when I was ten and I still don't. In this introductory story she is just a whiney American teenager who just seems to have an attitude problem and the ability to get herself into all sorts of trouble.

There is a lot of character development in this story but not enough to the story. It is comes across as a tale about religious persecution and how alien visitors can be misinterpreted as gods. By itself this could have been an excellent "reading between the lines" sort of story but it is overshadowed by the Master chewing the scenary and the character interactions between our three time travellers. Planet of Fire is another story that isn't bad but could have been a lot better.

Episode #133 : Resurrection of the Daleks

"Once the Doctor has been exterminated, I should build a new race of Daleks. They will be even more deadly! And I Davros, shall be their leader! This time we shall triumph! The Daleks shall once more become the supreme beings!!!"

Episode 133:    Resurrection of the Daleks.
Companions:   5th Doctor, Tegan and Turlough.
Air Date:         8th to 15th February 1984.

The TARDIS becomes caught in a time corridor but the Doctor manages to free it and it then materialises in present day London within sight of Tower Bridge. Investigating some nearby warehouses, the travellers stumble into a trap that the Daleks have set for them. The Daleks also attack a space station orbiting Earth in the future. Their aim is to rescue their creator, Davros, who has been held there in suspended animation since his capture by humanity. They want him to help them find an antidote to an anti-Dalek virus created by the Movellans. In addition, the Daleks have constructed android duplicates and installed some of them in key positions of authority on Earth. They now intend to send duplicates of the Doctor and his companions to Gallifrey in order to assassinate the High Council of the Time Lords.

The Daleks return again and this time they plan on rescuing their creator in order to save their race from a Movellan virus. It suggests that the Movellons have been defeated but that the Daleks have no cure for this virus afflicting them. Davros uses this opportunity to turn some of the Daleks into loyal followers thus setting up the start if the Dalek civil war stories to come. For some reason though the Movellons hid their virus cannisters in 20th century London, which doesn't make a lot of sense.

This story also hints at being part of the Time War. The Daleks plan on replicating the Doctor and his companions, sending the replacements to Gallifrey to kill off the High Council. It would seem that in the background to the show the Daleks and the Time Lords are having a bit of a power struggle.

We are introduced to a new lesser villain in the role of Commander Lytton, a human mercenary serving the Daleks. He has brought with him the men under his command, Dalek Troopers, who look silly in Dalek style helmets. He manages to survive this adventure and reappear later on in an episode for the 6th Doctor. It seems odd that the Daleks would use human mercenaries but then it does fit since they need someone immune to the Movellon virus.

The Doctor gets somewhat trigger happy in this story, first by emptying an handgun into a Dalek mutant and then by having the intention of shooting Davros with a laser gun. We fans like to see the Doctor as a no gun sort of guy but the writers apparently forgot about that this time around. Speaking of guns there is an awful lot of gun related violence in this story for Doctor Who. Lytton's "police" guards shot anyone found around the 20th century end of the time corridor and it feels very out of place.

Having had enough of the darker side of adventures with the Doctor, Tegan has decided to leave and go back to her normal life. I'm going to miss her as she has been with the 5th Doctor since the start of his time. She may be the first companion to leave because of the unpleasantness that follows the Doctor.

Resurrection of the Daleks is an excellent sequel to Destiny of the Daleks and will continue in Revelation of the Daleks.

Episode #132 : Frontios

"Frontios buries its own dead."

Episode 132:    Frontios.
Companions:   5th Doctor, Tegan and Turlough.
Air Date:          26th January to 3rd February 1984.

The TARDIS is dragged down to the surface of the planet Frontios and apparently destroyed during a meteorite bombardment. The Doctor is forced to help the planet's human colonists - refugees from a doomed future Earth - and eventually discovers that their problems stem from an infestation of Tractators, burrowing insect-like creatures led by the intelligent Gravis.

Frontios is a story that I remember fondly from my childhood. Unfortunately it is not one that stands up to those childhood memories very well. I think I must have just been enamoured by the giant underground monsters. But it isn't a bad story and in fact is very watchable if you can ignore the appearance of the Tractators.

Turlough gets some limelight and does a nice mental breakdown when confronted with the Tractators. It appears that these creatures have been on his world and were a major problem. About time we got some backstory from this character.

Frontios is a story that again plays into my Time Lords continuity concern from Arc of Infinity. TARDIS units are not supposed to be able to pass beyond Gallifrey current time and yet by the concern of the Doctor this story is set in the future beyond that barrier. We all know that the classic era of the show has limited continuity but by this time I expect the scriptwriters to have some guidelines to go by.

Again we are not looking at a bad story but unusually this one suffers from not having enough going on to fill out a four part story. Some of it simply drags especially in the middle. It is still entertaining but it needed fleshing out a little more. There is also an issue of what happened to Kamelion during this story but I we will never know.

Episode #131 : The Awakening

Sir George: "You speak treason!"

The Doctor: "Fluently!"

Episode 131:    The Awakening.
Companions:   5th Doctor, Tegan and Turlough.
Air Date:         19th to 20th January 1984.

An alien war machine, the Malus, is affecting the inhabitants of the English country village of Little Hodcombe in 1984 so that a re-enactment of a Civil War battle turns into the real thing. The Malus's aim is to gather sufficient psychic energy to activate itself fully. The TARDIS travellers arrive to meet Tegan's grandfather - one of the villagers - but become involved in the machinations of Sir George Hutchinson, who is in thrall to the Malus. The battle in 1643 becomes linked through time to 1984 and Will Chandler, a youth from the earlier time, finds himself in the present day.

The Awakening is a nice story that expertly blends historical, horror and science fiction together very much in the style of the earlier story The Daemons. In fact it does feel as though this one was heavily influenced by that very story. Some of the elements such as a daemonic presence beneath a church, and the destruction of said church could easily have just been lifted from The Daemons.

You may be asking why if I like this one so much that I only rate it as average? If there is anything wrong with the story it comes down purely on it's length. Normally I wouldn't grumble but it feels as though so much was dropped into a two part story that there wasn't enough time for it all and the adventure feels too rushed. Had this one been a typical three or four part adventure, it may have been even better.

The other problem comes from the Mallus itself. The plot doesn't really explain what it is. It uses psychic energy to project manifestations but is described as being a computer or a machine operating as a scout force for an invading force that never came.

The Awakening is a good story and I recommend it.

Episode #130 : Warriors of the Deep

"What is it about Earth people that makes them think a futile gesture is a noble one?"

Episode 130:    Warriors of the Deep.
Companions:    5th Doctor, Tegan and Turlough.
Air Date:          5th to 13th January 1984.

The Doctor, Tegan and Turlough arrive at an underwater Sea Base on Earth, where a scientific and military team led by Commander Vorshak are monitoring a rival power bloc. The team undergo regular missile launch test sequences to ensure that they are ready at all times to combat an attack. Three Silurians revive a colony of Sea Devil warriors in order to invade the base and use its weapons to attack the opposing power bloc, thus provoking a global war that will allow the reptiles to conquer the Earth.

Warriors of the Deep is an excellent story let down only by poor production values. The Silurian and Sea Devil costumes are well done but the human costumes, the pantomime horse-like Myrka (which isn't too bad really) and the bland white plastic set dressing let it down in that regards. Some of the acting from the extras isn't great either but so long as you can ignore that and just enjoy the adventure you don't notice.

While talking to the Silurians, the Doctor makes mention of the events from his encounter with them in his third incarnation. He also makes mention of other events that while probably just script errors, hint that somewhere there is an unscreened adventure for the 3rd or 4th Doctor with the Silurians.

It is an unusual story because at the climax, the only survivors are the Doctor and his companions. Everyone else, including the invading Silurians and Sea Devils are all killed.

Warriors of the Deep is an entertaining story providing you ignore the production issues, but even then, there is nothing to really dislike in this one.

Episode #129 : The Five Doctors

"A man is the sum of his memories. A Time Lord even more so."

Episode 129: The Five Doctors.
Companions: 1st Doctor, 2nd Doctor, 3rd Doctor, 4th Doctor, 5th Doctor, Susan, The Brigadier, Sarah Jane Smith, Romana, Tegan, and Turlough.
Air Date: 25th November 1983.

The Doctor's past incarnations are taken out of time by a forbidden time scoop device. The fourth Doctor becomes trapped in the vortex but the others find themselves, together with a number of their old companions, with the fifth Doctor and his companions in the Death Zone on their home planet Gallifrey. Here they face a Dalek, a Yeti, a quicksilver Raston Warrior Robot and numerous Cybermen. Also present is the Master, who has been summoned by the High Council of Time Lords to help the Doctor. It turns out that President Borusa is the mysterious operator of the time scoop. He aims to use the Doctors to breach the defences of the Dark Tower - Rassilon's tomb - so that he can enter there and claim immortality.

The Five Doctors was commissioned for the show's 20th anniversary and the BBC pulled out all the stops with this one. We get four out of the five Doctors taking part (the 4th Doctor and Romana get stuck in the time vortex for the duration of the story), cameo's by a Dalek and a Yeti, and the Cybermen with the Master as a major element of the story. Lots of Who elements and references, even spectral former companions, coupled with a fast punchy script makes this story just awesome for any fan of the show. There are so many references I could write a whole page just about them.

The interaction between the different incarnations of the Doctor are just awesome. You get a strong vibe that the different versions really don't like one another, and their banter comes off as a familial grieving which anyone with siblings can relate to.

By the time of the 20th anniversary William Hartnell had passed away so the role was given to Richard Hurndell who did such a good job as the 1st Doctor that I think he did better than Hartnell. Some may consider that heresy but that's how he comes across to me.

The 4th Doctor and Romana only appear in shots from the the unfinished Shada. Tom Baker felt that it was too soon since his departure from the show to make a return even for the anniversary episode. A great shame but four Doctors were enough really. had he taken part I wonder whether the script would have allowed enough screen time and dialogue for all of them.

I really cannot shout the praises of this story enough. If you haven't seen it hunt it down on DVD and watch it. I'm sure you will agree how good this one is.

Tegan: "You mean you're deliberately choosing to go on the run from your own people, in a rackety old TARDIS?"
Fifth Doctor: "Why not? After all, that's how it all started."

Episode #128 : The King's Demons

"Do our demons come to visit us?"

Episode 128:   The King's Demons.
Companions:   5th Doctor, Tegan, and Turlough.
Air Date:         15th to 16th March 1983.

The TARDIS materialises in 13th Century England during a joust held in the presence of King John. The King welcomes the Doctor, Tegan and Turlough as his 'demons', but his actions toward the family of his host Ranulf fitz William are decidedly hostile. The Doctor discovers that what appears to be the King is in fact a shape-changing android called Kamelion whom the Master found on Xeriphas. The Master has disguised himself as the King's Champion, Sir Gilles Estram, and is using Kamelion in a plot to discredit the King and prevent the signing of the Magna Carta, thereby changing the course of history.

The King's Demons is a nice short story played out well and gives the 5th Doctor the opportunity to refresh his sword fighting skills. A casual viewer may not notice the details but there are some plot holes in the telling. The most obvious and perhaps important one is the question why the Master wants to mess with something like the signing of the Magna Carta? As the Doctor points out this is small fry compared to what he is used to doing. Then at the end the Master simply runs off and escapes not even bothering to try and finish what he started. The second problem is more obvious. The Master is disguised as a French knight in service to the king, but he looks just like the Master with a beard. It's obvious that it is him and yet the Doctor and Tegan don't recognise their old enemy till the end of the first part.

At the culmination of the story Kamelion joins the time travellers but only ever makes one more appearance. Why he was included seems a bit odd but the reason for his disappearance is that the use of the robot prop was impractical and often malfunctioned.

This episode while entertaining is really just a filler episode to round out the current series. However it does lead directly into the next story which is far far superior.

Episode #127 : Enlightenment

"You are a Time Lord, a lord of time. Are there lords in such a small domain?"

Episode 127:          Enlightenment.
Companions:         5th Doctor, Tegan, and Turlough.
Air Date:               1st to 9th March 1983.

The White Guardian warns of impending danger and directs the TARDIS to what appears to be an Edwardian sailing yacht, the SS Shadow, but is actually one of a number of spaceships taking part in a race through the solar system, the prize being Enlightenment. The yacht's Captain Striker and his fellow officers are Eternals who feed off the thoughts and emotions of their kidnapped human crew - Ephemerals - in order to fill their own empty existences.

Enlightenment is a very strange story, almost surreal in fact. I can remember a lot of very similar weirdness coming out of the 1970's British science fiction so it isn't out of place. However, sailing vessels from Earth's history racing around Earth's solar system crewed by drugged/mind controlled sailors and commanded by beings from outside our space time continuum doesn't quite fit in with the Whoniverse we know of, but then in other ways it is the sort of thing I can see fitting in well with the 1st Doctor's adventures. This strangeness doesn't spoil the story but if it seems out of place you might not enjoy as much as you could do.

The Black Guardian is defeated this time though for how long we don't know. The White Guardian makes a reference to the Doctor having a third encounter but so far it has not happened on screen. It would be a nice idea to bring that into the current incarnation of the show. As it stands though watching my way through the classic show again, I'm glad that we won't see him, as just three adventures back to back and I'm bored of the villain already.

At the end of the story the Guardian is defeated and Turlough's activities are revealed though the Doctor seems to forgive him and he joins the crew as a proper companion. One thing we don't get often enough are male companions for the Doctor and even though Turlough does seem a whiny coward a lot of the time, it is nice to see a non-female companion.

"Be vigilant, Doctor. Once you denied him the Key to Time, now you have thwarted him again. He will be waiting for the third encounter, and his power does not diminish.... While I exist, he exists also... until we are no longer needed."

Episode #126 : Terminus

"If we don't do something quickly, the whole universe is going to be destroyed!"

Episode 126:   Terminus.
Companions:   5th Doctor, Tegan, Nyssa and Turlough.
Air Date:         15th to 23rd February 1983.

The TARDIS attaches itself to a space liner after Turlough, still under the Black Guardian's influence, damages its controls. The Doctor and Nyssa meet two space pirates, Kari and Olvir, who have come on board the liner in search of plunder, while Tegan and Turlough get lost in the infrastructure. The liner docks with what appears to be a hulk floating in space. This is Terminus, which claims to offer a cure for lazar disease. It is crewed by a group of armoured slave workers, the Vanir, while the cure is administered by a huge dog-like creature known as the Garm. Nyssa, who has contracted the disease from sufferers transported aboard the liner, discovers that the cure - involving exposure to radiation - does actually work. The Doctor and Kari meanwhile learn that the ship, once capable of time travel, was responsible for the creation of the universe when an ejection of fuel from one of its engines caused the 'big bang'. Aided by Kari and the Garm, the Doctor is able to disconnect a still active but damaged engine that is on the point of exploding - something that could result in the universe's destruction.

I rather enjoy this story even though in all honesty nothing really happens in it. The Black Guardian is up to his old tricks again although he seems rather impotent in this one. If he is so all powerful why does he need a weak willed scapegoat like Turlough to do his dirty work? The plot is solved rather too quickly though we do have some suspense as the ship nearly recreates the Big Bang!

Nyssa elects to remain behind on Terminus as her skills could help with the cure for the disease and so we lose her as a companion. She was a good companion to start with but as time as gone on, she has lost that spark that made her so good when she first joined the Doctor. It's a weak fair well right at the end of the episode and then she is gone.

The Doctor still doesn't seem to notice that Turlough is up to something even though Tegan seems to have him figured out already. You would have thought that he would listen to a long term companion when she raises concerns. Turlough is very much a coward not in keeping with the Doctor's usual companions.

Terminus gives us the main explanation for the Big Bang in the Whoniverse though it still has plot holes left unanswered, such as what existed before the explosion since we know there was a universe before hand? Was Terminus once part of that universe and then pushed forward into ours? These and other questions are just left hanging for those of us who pay attention to the minutiae.

Episode #125 : Mawdryn Undead

"Maybe the capsule's malfunctioned. I hate those transmat things. Like travelling in a food mixer and just as dangerous. I'd be afraid of coming out puréed."

Episode 125:   Mawdryn Undead.
Companions:   5th Doctor, Tegan, Nyssa and Turlough.
Air Date:         1st to 9th February 1983.

The Black Guardian recruits a young man named Turlough to assassinate the Doctor. Although outwardly an ordinary pupil at a boys' private boarding school, Turlough is in fact an alien who believes that the Guardian will return him home if he succeeds. The TARDIS meanwhile has its instruments jammed by a mysterious signal and is forced to materialise on board a massive spaceship in a fixed orbit. The Doctor discovers that the signal - a beam to guide the ship's transmat capsule - is being transmitted from Earth. He travels down to the planet in the capsule, leaving Nyssa and Tegan in the TARDIS with the co-ordinates pre-set to follow. Things go wrong, however, as the Doctor arrives in 1983 but the TARDIS materialises in 1977.

Mawdryn Undead is a very well written story utilising a plot element that has been ignored for the past twenty years of the show, that of the time travellers being split up into different years and how their actions affect the events in the later time zone. In this regard Mawdryn Undead is an excellent example of the sort of stories that could come out of the show if the writers put their minds to it.

The second well conceived element of the story are the villains. Mawdryn and his followers aren't villains because they want to kill, conquer or destroy the universe. They simply want to die but can't. Now that the Doctor has arrived they feel that they can both be freed from their eternal agony and get some small revenge on the Time Lords who did this to them in the first place. A villain who isn't out to be evil for the sake of it is a nice change.

The Brigadier returns to the show with this story, now retired and working as a maths teacher in a boys school. Bit of a departure from running UNIT but I guess retirement can do that. Mawdryn Undead does introduce the biggest continuity issue of the entire show, the infamous UNIT dating controversy. You can read about that here.

The character of Turlough is introduced in this story and by the end of it he has become a companion of the Doctor. Turlough is an alien for some reason not yet explained is being forced to stay at a private boys school though he longs to return home. He is coerced into aiding the Black Guardian in his desire to kill the Doctor for revenge following the Key to Time storyline.

Episode #124 : Snakedance

"Dreams are important... never underestimate them."

Episode 124:   Snakedance.
Companions:   5th Doctor, Tegan, and Nyssa.
Air Date:         18th to 26th January 1983.

Tegan falls once more under the influence of the Mara and directs the TARDIS to the planet Manussa. There the Federator's son Lon and his mother Tanha are preparing for a ceremony to celebrate the banishment of the Mara five hundred years earlier. The Mara takes control of Lon and uses him and Tegan to obtain from Ambril, the Director of Historical Research, the 'great crystal' - the large blue stone that originally brought it into being by focusing energy from the minds of the planet's one-time inhabitants. The Mara now plans to use the crystal during the ceremony to bring about its return to corporeal existence.

Snakedance is a sequel to the earlier story Kinda. Sort of. It uses elements of that story such as the possession of Tegan and some of the Hinduism but seems to forget where it came from before. Snakedance is definitely better than Kinda by a big margin but it doesn't feel like it really has much of a connection to its predecessor.

The biggest flaw I find is in relation to the Mara itself. Sometimes less really is more. In Snakedance the Mara goes from being some sort of dream spirit entity to being revealed as a psionic creature made up of the darker elements of mind from the old Manussan people. I found that this revelation weakened the concept of the entity and leaves me scratching my head when I look back at how it was shown in Kinda.

Lon is played by a very young Martin Clunes, many years before he would achive fame in Men Behaving Badly.

I cannot fault Snakedance in that it is esentially what I have come to expect from the show at this time. It is average in all regards though I give bonus points for some of the creepier possession scenes involving Tegan.

Episode #123 : Arc of Infinity

"You know how it is; you put things off for a day and next thing you know, it's a hundred years later."

Episode 123:   Arc of Infinity.
Companions:   5th Doctor, Tegan, and Nyssa.
Air Date:         3rd to 12th January 1983.

An antimatter creature has crossed into normal space via a phenomenon known as the Arc of Infinity but needs to bond physically with a Time Lord in order to remain stable. A traitor on Gallifrey has chosen the Doctor as the victim. The High Council, headed by President Borusa, decides that the Doctor's life must be terminated in order to avoid this danger. Tegan meanwhile arrives in Amsterdam to visit her cousin, Colin Frazer, only to learn that he has disappeared. She enters a crypt in search of him and is captured by a hideous creature, the Ergon.

Another classic villain returns... Omega! Once again he is trying to leave behind the anti-matter universe and return to our own. To do this he must bond with a physical entity and the Doctor has been chosen. There is no excuse given as to how Omega survived the events of The Three Doctors but he has, and this time with a much better costume design that makes him seem more menacing.

Tegan returns to the show after being fired as an air stewardess. We don't know why she was sacked and we never find out. My guess would be that she was vanished with the Doctor for a bit longer than she expected and couldn't explain why. Nyssa seems happy to have her back, the Doctor less so.

We get another look at Time Lord society and this time they live up to the corrupt reputation that later Doctor's would subscribe to them. They seem to have forgotten everything that happened the last time Omega showed up, or what good the Doctor has done, because they seem content to simply kill him rather than let him stop the menace that is growing. It seems very shortsighted of them really. One of the Time Lords, Commander Maxil, is played by Colin Baker who would eventually replace Peter Davison in the role of the Doctor.

One small niggle that starts to grow on me around about this time is where in time is present day Gallifrey? I have always assumed that the present for there is somewhere far far away in the distant future since you can't go past Gallifreyan present in a time capsule. But they seem far too concerned with events in the past if you get my meaning since both this story and The Three Doctors is set on 20th century Earth. It is never really explained and that bugs me somewhat.

Arc of Infinity is a good sequel to The Three Doctors with a far pace and some OK story lines. It does feel though that if the story had perhaps had another draft or two it may have been even better.

Episode #122 : Time-Flight

The Doctor [about the Concorde ]: "It's amazing."

Nyssa: "What?"

The Doctor: "This thing is smaller on the inside than it is on the outside."

Episode 122:   Time-Flight.
Companions:   5th Doctor, Tegan, and Nyssa.
Air Date:         22nd to 30th March 1982.

The Doctor finally manages to deliver Tegan to Heathrow Airport, where he gets drawn into investigating the in-flight disappearance of a Concorde. Following the same flight path in another Concorde, with the TARDIS stowed in the hold, he discovers that it has been transported back millions of years into the past through a time corridor.

The first season of Peter Davison as the Doctor ends on a low note with this story. It's a weak story that never seems to get off the ground and simply crawls along at a slow pace. The idea is interesting, with the Master trapped in the Jurassic using a time corridor to steal Concorde and putting the passengers and crew to work as hypnotised slaves. But it has numerous plot holes and additions that seem somewhat superfluous.

At the climax of the story the BBC were slightly cheeky. The Doctor and Nyssa are forced to take flight to escape some awkward questions but they leave Tegan behind at Heathrow seemingly left behind. Has she been dropped? Not at all, and in fact comes back in the first story of the new season. A nice twist at the time but it loses something now.

The Master is once again a waste of space villain. Ainley plays him spot on as always but the writing for the character is flawed. Again he seems to have set himself up only to have his plans come crumbling around his ears. If he is so clever why do his schemes never work out? You know that the Doctor is going to defeat him but I'd like to see his schemes actually be properly thought out for a change.

There are some continuity issues I have with Time-Flight as well. When the time travellers arrive in the Jurassic it is rather cold with hints of an ice age on the way. Well, that is way wrong and the writer should have done his homework. Also, this is the time when the Silurian dominion of the Earth is at it's height not to mention the dinosaurs themselves, neither of which are even hinted at except for a warning about "maybe we'll see a brontosaurus".

Time-Flight isn't the worst story ever but it is certainly one that won't be missed if you skip it.

Episode #121 : Earthshock

Cyber Lieutenant : "A Time Lord. But they're forbidden to interfere."

Cyber Leader : "This one calls himself the Doctor - and does nothing else but interfere."

Episode 121:   Earthshock.
Companions:   5th Doctor, Tegan, Nyssa and Adric.
Air Date:          8th to 16th March 1982.

The TARDIS arrives on Earth in the 26th Century in a cave system containing numerous dinosaur fossils. The Doctor's party comes under suspicion from a military force, led by Lieutenant Scott, who are investigating the disappearance of a group of palaeontologists and geologists. They are all then attacked by androids - the true culprits - under the control of the Cybermen.

After an absence of several years the Cybermen return to the show in a rather excellent adventure. This time their plan to halt a conference where different alien empires are joining forces against them, by blowing up the planet Earth. Due to the interference of the Doctor and companions their plans are stopped but not without cost.

This is the first serial to feature the death of a major companion. In this case Adric is the unfortunate soul who fails to get out alive. Instead he is stuck on board a freighter hurtling into Earth's past, becoming the course of the dinosaur's extinction. At the time it was quite a shock ending and even today that final scene still carries some weight. There are many who dislike the character of Adric but I feel it to be very unfounded. While he was a negative or naive personality at times, he was a good foil for the Doctor who is used to companions doing what they are told.

Speaking of companions, in this story Tegan gets her game face on for a change. She becomes a little more action heroine, grabbing a cyber weapon and going a tad gung-ho on the cybermen. While it may seem a little out of character it is nice to see her getting some spotlight again.

Now, while Earthshock is certainly an excellent adventure it is not without problems in the form of plot holes. If the Cybermen can plant a bomb on Earth undetected why do they need to sneak onto the planet via a freighter? How exactly does tampering with a computer send you back in time? Lastly, the crew of the freighter don't know who the Cybermen are and yet the conference the Cybermen want to stop is to unite different empires against them. Cybermen must be known for them to be such a threat. I think the writer got caught up in his story and forgot to check himself.

Episode #120 : Black Orchid

Sir Robert: "Superb innings! Worthy of the Master."

The Doctor: [alarmed] "The Master?"

Sir Robert: "Well, the other Doctor! W.G. Grace!"

Episode 120:   Black Orchid.
Companions:   5th Doctor, Tegan, Nyssa and Adric.
Air Date:         1st to 2nd March 1982.

The TARDIS arrives on Earth in 1925 where, due to a case of mistaken identity, the Doctor ends up playing in a local cricket match. The travellers then accept an invitation to a masked fancy dress ball, but events take on a more sinister tone as a number of murders are perpetrated at the country home of their host Lord Cranleigh.

Black Orchid is just the sort of story that every time travel show needs to have. With this one we return to a purely historical story with no science fiction elements. In the past I did grumble about them but here we have one that is so well made that I can find nothing wrong with it all. Coming in at the length of a modern episode does help I think.

The black orchid of the title is a flower brought back from the Amazon. It has no role in the story itself but is the ultimate cause for the events that the time travellers have found themselves involved in.

The story is perfect for the actors as everyone gets something to do, though Adric is perhaps left out just a little. Everyone fits in well with a 1920's environment whether it be Tegan showing off her dancing skills or Nyssa having a double in the daughter of the household. Even the Doctor gets to partake in a cricket match. Speaking of the cricket match, Peter Davison is a keen cricketer and he in filming a scene where he was the bowler, actually bowled the batsman out on the first take.

Some fans find the story weak but I cannot for the life of me see why. It has a well written murder mystery, some good character dialogue and comes in at just the right length. Historical stories in Doctor Who don't get much better than this.