Pyramids of Mars

In doing this marathon, there are some stories I am encountering for the first time and others I am more familiar with to various degrees. There are a very few for which I have lost count how many times I have seen them and Pyramids of Mars definitely falls into this category. I love this story and want to have its babies.

One of the main reasons for this is the script, which is very well structured and believable. Because of the simplicity of the plot, it is easy to overlook the skill in the actual plotting. In journeying from point A to point B, in the plot, there is always something to see out of the window- the Doctor discovers the signal from Mars through a primitive radio telescope invented by Laurence Scarman. The small cast of characters are very well written- there are bonds of family and friendship between them that subtly make the events more real for the viewer. Also, this story manages to convey the alien in a way few others do. When Sutekh wants to know what planet the Doctor comes from, he asks for 'the binary location from galactic centre' as 'Names mean nothing'.

The guest cast are uniformally excellent, but there is one who stands out (no pun intended). Sutekh is a character created almost exclusively through voice, and what a voice it is! Gabriel Woolf makes Sutekh, for my money, the most awesomely powerful adversary the Doctor has ever faced. Hearing him intone 'Any further insolence and I shall shred your nervous system into a million fibres' is still chilling. Sutekh is utterly unforgettable, one of the greatest Doctor who baddies of all time. Bernard Archard is fantastic as the possessed Marcus Scarman and the wonderful Michael Sheard is almost heartbreaking as Laurence. The robot mummies look comical if one sees a clip, but they are genuinely chilling when seen in context in the story.

The emphasis on the alien leads to one of Tom Baker's finest performances as the Doctor. Here, for the first time since the Hartnell era, we truly see the Doctor as an alien with a human face. His rapport with Elisabeth Sladen makes this one of the finest performances from the regular cast. Paddy Russell directs with great dynamism and there are fantastic set pieces- the invisible force field, the poacher's death, Marcus Scarman expelling the bullet from his body. Good use of locations and some excellent set design are excellently blended together, with simple, yet very effective lighting and backed by one of Dudley Simpson's best scores.

The legend of the Mummy is taken and given a truly original spin with wit and intelligence. Yes, there are a few plot holes, but the story is so good, they can easily be ignored. This is a story that is not just worth watching, it should be watched and if I were to select one story as my absolute favourite, it would probably be this one.

NEXT: The Android Invasion