Episode #146 : The Ultimate Foe

"In all my travelling throughout the universe I have battled against evil, against power mad conspirators. I should have stayed here. The oldest civilisation: decadent, degenerate, and rotten to the core. Power mad conspirators, Daleks, Sontarans... Cybermen, they're still in the nursery compared to us. Ten million years of absolute power. That's what it takes to be really corrupt."

Episode 146:   The Ultimate Foe.
Companions:   6th Doctor and Mel.
Air Date:         29th November to 6th December 1986.

With the evidence complete, the Doctor learns that the Master has gained illicit access to the Matrix in his TARDIS. Glitz is now revealed to be the Master's associate and the 'secrets' to be information stolen from the Matrix. The Valeyard admits his identity as a distillation of the dark side of the Doctor's nature, somewhere between his twelfth and thirteenth incarnations, out to take control over his remaining lives. With the help of Mel, who along with Glitz has been brought to the space station by the Master, the Doctor defeats his future self - although, as they leave in the TARDIS with all charges in the trial having been dropped, it appears that the Valeyard has taken over the body of the Keeper of the Matrix and may not have been as completely vanquished as they had thought.

The Trial of a Time Lord season comes to an end with a rather disappointing two part story in which it is revealed who the Valeyard really is (see above). It then ends up being a repeat of The Deadly Assassin with the Doctor with Glitz in tow, entering the Matrix where he is at the mercy of what the Valeyard can throw at him. It then ends with the Doctor forgiven, though how you can try someone for the same crime twice (see The War Games) is beyond me. But as everyone goes home it is revealed that the Valeyard is still very much alive.

The addition of the Master into this story is pointless. He doesn't do anything and seems to be just there to gloat, and show off how clever he is. It smacks of lazy writing to me. Had the Master been to the one behind it all, having created the Valeyard in an attempt to kill the Doctor from behind the scenes, I think this story might have been better.

I really hoped that in the right spot in the new show that they might show the Valeyard or at least hint at his creation but they never do and the character has never reappeared in canonical Who.

One last thing, we do at least discover that Peri is very much alive, and living as a warrior queen with King Yrcanos. Why the Doctor doesn't go back for her we never learn.

Episode #145 : Terror of the Vervoids

"This is a situation that requires tact and finesse. Fortunately, I am blessed with both."

Episode 145:   Terror of the Vervoids.
Companions:   6th Doctor and Mel.
Air Date:        1st to 22nd November 1986.

In a desperate bid to clear his name, the Doctor presents his defence to the charges laid against him. In the year 2986, the starliner Hyperion III makes its way to Earth... but all is not well. The Doctor and Mel arrive in response to a distress call, although not in time to prevent a murder. And this will not be the only death: someone aboard will kill again and again to protect their secret. And while the murderer closes in above decks, in the Hydroponic Centre a terrifying new breed of creature is about to awaken.

By far the best of the adventures in the Trial of a Time Lord story arc. We are introduced to a new companion, Melanie Bush (Mel), who we never see the Doctor actually meet because this is all out of temporal order. Unfortunately Mel is a fairly terrible companion. Played by Bonnie Langford, famous for her stage and dance work, is so well out of her depth here and it shows. She just isn't companion material and it shows. She does her best to be fair, but it isn't good enough.

The story has plot holes that the canny observer may spot. If the Vervoids are genetically created life forms made to replace robots, why would you give them a poisonous sting? Or give them human intelligence for that matter? I can't fault their appearance though which I don't find laughable at all, even if they are the week's "man in a monster suit." I think they look pretty good for what they are.

In this story the courtroom scenes are a little unnecessary as the adventure on the Hyperion III is far more interesting. Bouncing back to the court starts to get irritating by this point. I'd rather focus on the story in front of me to be honest.

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.