"The Power of the Doctor"

"The Power of the Doctor" is one of the longest individual episodes of Doctor Who ever made. As the story was made in the year that the BBC celebrated its centenary the story has one eye on the past, with more callbacks to the programme's 59 year history, than in the previous 17 years combined. This is also an ending, with the final regular appearance of Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall's swansong as showrunner. It is designed to be a spectacular, a brief that it certainly fulfils, with memorable sequences aplenty to feast the eyes on. The problem is, it appears that Chibnall appears to have written arresting sequences – The Master as Rasputin, the raid on the space train, the child/Qurunx, the volcano plot – and then contrived a plot to connect them together. As the Master's Dalek Plan is to blow up the Earth with volcanoes, everything else is really only window dressing. Some sequences are cribbed from better stories produced under the aegides of his predecessors and with less effect.

As a nostalgic look back, the story is somewhat more successful. The return of Tegan and Ace are very welcome – as someone whose memories of the original run are from the 80s, they were my Jo and Sarah Jane. Both Janet Fielding and Sophie Aldred put their all into their roles and it is truly wonderful to see them together for the first time. Then there are the returning Doctors. Colin Baker's role is rather small but Paul McGann again puts more Doctorliness into his performance in a few minutes than he did in his début. The interaction between Davison, McCoy and their old companions is something special. The scene with the companions' support group is sublime and it is a true joy to see so many familiar faces, with Ian being a particularly wonderful surprise. Kate is back, hopefully to be as constant a presence as her father.

The current roster are not to be forgotten. Dan has a more considered version of Tegan's leaving scene and we have a great performance from our other leading lady. Mandeep Gill has taken Yas way beyond the way she was written and the indescribable contradictory feelings stirred up by the shot of Yas and the Doctor eating ice creams sitting on the TARDIS, is a moment to treasure. Sacha Dhawan has an absolute blast as the Master, bonkers plan or not.

The production is startlingly good, masking the haphazard jigsaw of the plot. Jamie Magnus Stone is probably the stalwart director of this era, so it is fitting that he closes it. Rehashed though some of the concepts are, Stone and the production team make them work.

The Chibnall era was not the utter disaster that I was fearing and yet it can't be denied that the programme is not a patch on what it was from 2005-2017. There were some very good stories, but no real classics which, in hindsight, makes one appreciate all the more that in the RTD and Moffat eras, there were at least two stories per series that were amongst the best examples of television produced in that year. This curate's egg of a story is watchable, but doesn't stand up to repeated viewings, which is typical of Chibnall. Plotting is not his strongest asset as a writer, neither in resolving them or keeping an eye on the subplots. His strength was in quieter character moments and, in his choice of lead, he was helped immeasurably. Jodie Whittaker's charisma and talent papered over many cracks and, in her final moments, Chibnall's writing and her performance harmonise to perfection. After a sequence of potential portentous last words, her parting shot is a flippant quip and the gorgeous visuals of that regeneration give the viewer the ASMR it deserves.

However, I look forward to the return of one of the finest writers in the world to the helm, as he steers Doctor Who into uncharted waters with the casting of the utterly unique Ncuti Gatwa – after he goes into very familiar territory with Whittaker's immediate successor!

NEXT: "The Star Beast"/"Wild Blue Yonder"/"The Giggle"

"Ascension of the Cybermen"/"The Timeless Children"

For the past two years I have repeatedly made one observation about the current lead writer for Doctor Who. He is following in the footsteps of two of the finest writers in the world and the fact remains that he is not only not in the same league, but has another league in between his league and their league. This will inevitably affect the direction and quality of the programme. The lack of sheer poetry in Chibnall's dialogue, when compared with his predecessors is evident, but not, in the end, too damaging. Critically, however, Chibnall still exhibits a lack of care when it comes to resolving plots, something that was of particular concern when before watching "Ascension of the Cybermen"/"The Timeless Children", because it builds on the revelations of "Fugitive of the Judoon" to form the greatest reformatting of Doctor Who's mythology since The Deadly Assassin, if not "An Unearthly Child" itself.

The driving force is the reintroduction of the Cybermen – bold, considering that the two previous Cyberman stories were the best ones ever made, in my opinion. We see the return of the memorable Ashad, the tortured half-convert from the previous story, who is now the leader. Again, as with the two Moffat Cyber-stories, we have the Master thrown into the mix as well. We are also given the concept of a fugitive remnant of humans fighting extinction. These form a strong framework to hang the story on, which is a good thing, as there is some of the lack of attention to detail that has cropped up before. The characterisation of the remnant humans are sketchy, the Death Particle is a pound shop version of the Daleks' Reality Bomb that is dropped into the plot a bit too conveniently. Critically, we are never sure what the actual Ascension of the Cybermen is – the aspect that seems to point the way to it, the image of the awakened Cybermen made to scream by Ashad's lieutenants is memorable, but unexplained. Most critically, we have the portrayal of our leading lady. The characterisation raises some big issues, most notably the fact that the Doctor is willing to cut a moral Gordian Knot by allowing someone else to sacrifice himself.

And yet , while there are issues with how Chibnall writes the character, he also sets out to rewrite the Doctor's history and that of the Time Lords; and the ideas and de- and remythologisation work well. The new origin story for the Time Lords manages to be memorable, disturbing, and, crucially (and in the best possible way) raises more questions than answers. In revealing more about the Doctor's past, we are left with a figure as mysterious as the one in the junkyard in Totters' Lane. As one of the many people who know what the final revelations of the Cartmel Masterplan were, Chris Chibnall's bombshell is a considerable improvement over what would have been revealed in Sylvester McCoy's fourth season. The, at first, entirely disconnected story of Brendan the Irish policemen shows Chibnall reaching for a Moffat level of conceptual ingenuity – and succeeding to a very welcome degree!

The story is realised with epic flourish, with flotillas of attacking cyberdrones and warping battle cruisers materialising on an immaculately shot battlefield location. The supporting actors make their hastily written characters really work – Julie Graham's character Ravio, realising that she is on the planet where her race originated on is a surprisingly powerful scene. The fam are as utterly delightful as ever, with Ryan finally making the shot that he missed and a wonderful scene between Graham and Yas, showing the difference between Cockney and Yorkshire 'sharing'. The more proactive role that Yas has been taking of late, is wonderful, improving the fam's chemistry, no end. Patrick O'Kane spits venom again as Ashad and his ultimate destruction is unexpectedly sudden. At this point we must address one thing – the Cybermasters. The design is ridiculous, bordering on the New Paradigm Daleks, especially when compared with the other Cyberman designs in the story. It would have helped no end for the Doctor to have pointed out how silly they look.

Sacha Dhawan effectively shows the pain and fury of his new-found relationship between the Master and his best Enemy. The enemy in question, the Timeless Child is a huge task for Jodie Whittaker as an actress and she is more than up to the challenge. After a memorable pep-talk from her unknown former-self, we are treated to the magnificent sequence where the Doctor blows the matrix with her memories, realised magnificently as a drop beat to the Doctor Who theme music. The Doctor is still with us, bigger and more magnificent than ever before.

Chibnall, as I've said before is a lesser writer than his predecessors. Yet, despite its faults, "Ascension of the Cybermen"/"The Timeless Children" show him increasing his reach by striving to be better than anyone thought he could be. He fails, of course, but what we are left with is a very good story, although not the classic that the Chibnall era has been lacking, so far. I look forward to what's coming next.

NEXT: "Revolution of the Daleks"

Spyfall

Doctor Who returns for the third decade of its revival with this epic action-fest. The name of this two-parter has obvious echoes of the other great British icon that has survived due to the lead actor being changed every few years, but Bond is not the only drawer that Chris Chibnall gleefully plunders from. The various time zones, the Doctor setting up problems and solutions for herself and her Fam in the future, all have echoes of the timey-wimier Steven Moffat adventures and The Fam as fugitives is a situation reminiscent of "The Sound of Drums". There is still a degree of woolliness, but the dialogue is more polished than before and, although it comes close to emulating the pat conclusions of his work for Moffat and RTD, the resolution doesn’t feel like a cop-out.- to be honest, it is probably not too unfair to posit that Chibnall came up with the title and constructed a story from there. A more major caveat it's that Chibnall hasn't fully thought about the full implications of using historical characters - whilst drawing attention to all-but-forgotten women of the past is laudable, using Noor Inayat Khan does raise uncomfortable questions, when one considers how she died in real life.

The slight vagueness, however, becomes a strength when it comes to the story’s realisation. One of the strongest aspects of Whittaker’s debut story was the effectiveness in which it conveyed the alien. The monsters in question, the Kasaavins are visualised as alarming apparitions, like something out of an Usborne Paranormal book and their ‘realm’ is as unexplained at the end as it is inexplicable at the beginning. The use of two directors works in the story’s favour as each episode has a separate pace and feel. The guest cast are first rate with Stephen Fry making an all-too brief appearance as ‘C’ and Lenny Henry being menacing in a very restrained performance as Barton, a very believable character, whose revelatory speech is all-too close to reality. Sylvie Briggs and Aurora Marion are great as Ada Lovelace and Noor Inayat Khan, and we mustn’t forget the brief Lovelace/Babbage double-act! Even the duo who form “O”'s Aussie security detail are fun throwaway characters.

However, the main guest star is Sacha Dhawan for, sooner than I expected, the Master is back. After the revelation of his identity, we are treated to the surprising return of the TCE – but Dhawan is definitely taking the Master into unknown territory. Dhawan burns with a raw fury that exceeds his predecessors. In particular, the moment when he asks the Doctor to kneel and call him by name is truly spine-tingling – although it did seem as if the Doctor was going to launch into a rendition of Metallica's greatest song! Another example of Chibnall not fully thinking things through is the Doctor using the Master's appearance as an Asian man against him with the Nazis – Third Reich pan-Aryan pseudo-anthropology notwithstanding.

Refreshingly, however, Chibnall seems to have ironed out most of the kinks of his crowded TARDIS and the Fam(ily) dynamic works much more smoothly with Cole, Gill and Walsh being more than up to the challenge, their impromptu spycraft being both funny and fun. Our leading lady relishes each challenge – there is betrayal and joy around every corner and Jodie nails every turn. The close-up of her surveying the ruins of Gallifrey is wonderful.

It is true to say that, whilst I enjoyed the previous season a lot, I had resigned myself to the fact that the programme’s best days were behind it. However, the past has been learned from and Spyfall gives us hope that the Chibnall era might be capable of true greatness in its future.

NEXT: "Orphan 55"

"World Enough and Time"/"The Doctor Falls"

Time is coming to an end for our leading man and the person responsible for guiding him in the programme. The stickers on the banner are certainly impressive – The original Cybermen! Two Masters! It seems that this event finale will certainly not disappoint in terms of spectacle. To limit the appeal of the Series 10 finale to this, however, is doing it a serious disservice. Stephen Moffat has written better stories, but that does not, in any way, take away from the triumph that is "World Enough and Time"/"The Doctor Falls". The headline attractions are arresting enough, but we also have the setting of a 400 mile long colony ship slowly escaping from the gravitational pull of a black hole. The way in which these flavours complement, rather than clash with each other show Moffat as a master chef. It is striking how many long, quiet scenes there are and their punctuation with shocks and awe are expertly constructed. There is a fascinating sci-fi concept at the heart of the story, with the time dilation occurring along the vast length of the ship, but the way in which this is used in so many ways in the story is masterful – a moment at one end lasting a month at the other, the micro-communities at different levels, the Cybermen’s accelerated evolution.

Ah, yes, the Cybermen. Fond as I am of "Rise of the Cybermen"/"The Age of Steel", this story is in a different league from its predecessor. The stages in the creation of the Cybermen are alternately disquieting, disturbing and horrific in a way subtly different from any other mood in the programme’s past. The ‘scarecrows’ as the proto-Cybermen are sometimes called are both pathetic and horrifying and the dispassionate functionality of the medical staff creating the Cybermen is far more shocking than Lumic’s megalomania. I have said before that, in many ways, the original Cybermen have a quality that their successors didn’t manage to emulate and the design team do little more than tidy up the edges around Sandra Reid’s superlative original designs. The production throughout is hugely impressive and, again, Rachel Talalay shows that she is the person to handle the spectacle and the emotion. It is hard to dazzle purely with special effects any more, but the opening shot of the ship is the closest the programme has come to emulating the awe the average viewer would have had, when watching the opening of The Trial of a Time Lord. The quiet moments, the funny moments, the scary and disquieting ones – all guided with an expert hand.

The supporting cast is first rate. Paul Brightwell and Alison Lintott as the Surgeon and Nurse give unshowy performances, which makes the horror of what they are doing all the more acute. The incredibly versatile Samantha Spiro is a delight as Hazran who finds an unlikely friend, with hopes for more, in Nardole, played with effortless charm again, by Matt Lucas. Then, we come to the Masters. The interplay between the two incarnations is delightfully twisted in every way and Michelle Gomez and John Simm pull out all the stops. The final act of suicide is merely the culmination of their perverse relationship and would be a fitting end for the character – although I do not, for a moment, believe that this is the end for the Master.

Which brings us to the regulars. Pearl Mackie impressed me from the get-go and she only improved as the series went on, but the sheer passion of her performance in this story is breath-taking. I have loved each of the companions since the programme came back, so it is not lightly that I say that there has never been a better companion than Bill this century, and there has never been a better actor playing a companion than Pearl Mackie. It would be fantastic if she could carry on, but if not, the wonderful Ms Mackie has a very bright future ahead of her. However, this is still Peter Capaldi’s show and his portrayal of this cantankerous, yet kind warrior for right is as archetypal, yet unique, as all the best performances in the role have been. Fighting against what is inevitable, Capaldi wins the hearts that he will soon break.

It is hard to rein in the hyperbole when assessing this story, so I will only state what I am absolutely confident of. This is in the league of "Army of Ghosts"/"Doomsday" and "Heaven Sent"/"Hell Bent" as far as season finales go and is, in my opinion, the finest Cyberman story of them all. Everyone involved with this story deserves a pat on the back.

NEXT: "Twice Upon a Time"

"The Eaters of Light"

"The Eaters of Light" is, at its simplest, a story of a monster threatening a village with an inter-dimensional rift and Picts and Romans thrown in. The background is the famous disappearance of the Ninth legion – generations of children in Britain and elsewhere read Rosemary Sutcliffe’s The Eagle of the Ninth, as Bill did and the mystery has intrigued many before then. The story of how the Doctor, Bill and Nardole help the Picts join forces with the Romans is not surprising in its broad strokes, but we are dealing with a writer of subtlety and intelligence and the devil is in the details. The ‘gift of the TARDIS’ is explored more fully than it has ever been before, where the Picts and Romans are suddenly able to understand each other, and see each other as people. The story explores concepts of folk memories and oral histories and turns a typical Doctor Who joke (crows being in a huff and not talking any more) to something genuinely moving. The Picts and Romans are given understandable motivations which make their actions seem natural. The guest cast form a very capable ensemble with Rebecca Benson standing out as Kar.

The team of writers that Andrew Cartmel discovered in the final era of the Doctor Who’s original incarnation were bursting with talent and the one who has gone on to the most acclaimed career is Rona Munro and so, after 12 years, a writer from 20th Century Doctor Who has returned to pen a new tale; perhaps fittingly it is the one who penned the swansong. Munro clearly has her own ideas on who the Doctor is – he is keen to help, to sacrifice himself, even, but he has no patience for blind hostility and self-pity. Peter Capaldi excels when portraying this interpretation and his backup is well up to the challenge. Charles Palmer comes back to helm a very assured production, dripping with atmosphere. In the very best way, the feel is like a first rate BBC children’s drama – only the scene about Roman sexual orientations would look out of place in one, and perhaps not even that. The monster attacks are genuinely disorienting and the Doctor’s trick with the popcorn utterly joyous. It goes without saying that the march of Kar and the remains of the Ninth into the portal is genuinely moving. The production is flawless, with Munro’s evocative use of Pictish monument carvings forming an integral visual aspect of the story. Note also, that the Roman costumes are not recycled from "The Pandorica Opens"/"The Big Bang".

"The Eaters of Light" just shows what a brilliant writer can do with a few bullet points for a brief and is a story that will surely reward repeat viewings. There is not one ounce of fat in the story, but that is because it takes up less than 40 minutes. We conclude with a remarkable coda with Missy and the Doctor perhaps realising that their relationship will change in the future. But, as we all know, the past will catch up before then…

NEXT: "World Enough and Time"/"The Doctor Falls"

"Empress of Mars"

If there is one thing which can be said about Mark Gatiss's considerable output under the Doctor Who banner, it is that he loves a pastiche. From the Dickensian Yuletide Ghost story to the found footage horror story, Gatiss has a fascination with reworking the old – and on "Empress of Mars", we see a patchwork-pastiche of even greater complexity. We finally have an Ice Warrior story set on the Martians' home planet, but, in addition, the title recalls the tales of Barsoom, the Mars of Edgar Rice Burroughs. The conflicted colonialist attitudes of the humans recall Malacandra, the Mars of C.S. Lewis. The humans in question seem to have arrived on Mars just after the Battle of Rorke's Drift – as immortalised in Zulu. And, they bring an Ice Warrior back to his native land, ostensibly as a servant, but hiding his own agenda – which is, of course, a major part of the plot of King Solomon's Mines. And we have not even started on the references to Doctor Who itself. The set up again relies on the resurrection of an Ice Warrior and in other ways, the story brings to mind the first two episodes of Tomb of the Cybermen. References are made to the Tythonian Hive – either a (misspelled) reference to Pyramids of Mars or to the title character in a rather less well-loved story. And, of course, there is the cameo for another Brian Hayles creation...

The story, unoriginal though it is, works because it creates a constructive ending rather than a destructive one. Themes of redemption and honour drive the plot through the clichés. The examination of British Imperialist attitudes is not as detailed as in "Thin Ice", but there are some nice touches – the fact that the Ice Warriors are clearly more advanced than Victorian Britons does nothing to temper colonialist arrogance. However, the characterisation never rises beyond the basic – disgraced commander, ambitious junior officer, cheeky NCOs. Aiding this enormously is a very talented supporting cast. Anthony Calf makes Colonel Godacre very sympathetic, whilst Ferdinand Kingsley shows a lot of the charisma and raw talent that made his dad a star. Ian Beattie is great fun as Cockney chancer Jackdaw – a far cry from his most recognisable role, the loathsome Ser Meryn Trant in Game of Thrones. On the Martian side, Adele Lynch chews the scenery gloriously as Iraxxa, the titular empress. It is a bit of a shame that the Ice Warrior voices have moved even further from their original sibilant hiss, but, as they have a lot more dialogue, this is a necessary sacrifice for character over effect. The regulars are on reliably wonderful form. Nardole is removed for most of the episode, but we have, again, a great showing from Peter and Pearl – the Doctor has never seen The Thing, Terminator or The Vikings, but, like seemingly everyone on Earth, he is very familiar with Frozen. Of special note is the scene between the Doctor and Missy, which hints at so many hidden depths.

Wayne Yip holds it all together very well. It must be said that the fact that the fact that this is a very studio bound story is clear, more so than any other story this century. Increase the shot length and reduce the shot number, and you would have something very similar to a Doctor Who story from last century. It still looks fantastic, being painted in contrasting primary colours, the ochre of the Martian caves, the red of the army tunics, the green of the Ice Warriors. Yip also manages to make the effect of the Ice Warriors' sonic guns look shocking, when it could easily have come across as ridiculous.

"Empress of Mars" will never go down as a classic. It is, however, tremendous fun and well worth a rewatch.

NEXT: "The Eaters of Light"

"Extremis"/"The Pyramid at the End of the World"/"The Lie of the Land"

The longest collective title since 1979 heralds the arrival of the longest story since 1979. Like "The Girl Who Died"/"The Woman Who Lived", this is the work of more than one director and more than one writer but it does tell a more linear story than the tale which introduced Me, in this tale of the sinister Monks. However, each episode has its own particular qualities which should be addressed separately.

The reality bending "Extremis" is an episode that must surely rank with the finest Moffat penned stories. It is scary, thought provoking, human and genuinely laugh-out-loud funny. The concept of the Veritas and the Haereticum hints at what The Da Vinci Code would have been like, had it been written by someone who could write coherent sentences, and the way in which a covert collection of cardinals can crash Bill’s attempt to have a date is farce of the most exquisite variety.¤ A story that hinges on suicide moves the programme into potentially very dark areas, but Moffat is easily skilful enough to make it work, as the very notion of epistemological reality is brought into question. When we realise that none of what we have seen is true, we are not disappointed because we are given the irresistible notion that a computer simulation of Doctor Who has made an episode of Doctor Who for Doctor Who to watch!

"The Pyramid at the End of the World" takes us into the real(ish) world with the juggling of the accidental release of a potential genetically engineered pandemic with the modus operandi of the monks all wrapped up in the cosiness of a UNIT story without actually having UNIT there. Moffat’s collaboration with Peter Harness, whilst lacking the flagrant inventiveness of "Extremis" is an exciting and fresh way in harmonising two quintessential Doctor Who plotlines – the man-made threat to Earth and the alien invasion. The treatment of international politics is simple without seeming simplistic – a hard line to walk and we have an all-time classic scene to conclude the episode – where the battle is lost because our heroes succumb to both their best qualities and their worst judgement.

The dystopia of "The Lie of the Land" has hints of both "Last of the Time Lords" and "The Impossible Astronaut"/"Day of the Moon" and, for the most part holds its own in its story of a renegade Time Lord holding sway over a world ruled by cadaverous creatures who can bend our perception of reality. However, we know this Time Lord all too well and it is clear the Doctor has a plan to defeat his enemies. The plan involves a key phrase that has formed a rather egregious nodule in the 2017 zeitgeist – 'fake news' and, it could be argued that the solution seems strangely lightweight (although perfectly sound) for such a long story and, skilful as its execution is, one is left feeling slightly unsatisfied - perhaps, inevitably, it is the only episode that would not work as a stand-alone story with a few tweaks.

The direction is excellent throughout, with Daniel Nettheim and Wayne Yip doing sterling work. "Extremis", in particular, is a wonder of dynamic pacing and variant tones like a visual Cardiacs song. In the whole story, sequence after sequence sticks in the mind - the pyramid neutralising the threats against it, the reality boosts that the Monks broadcast, and, of course, the nail-biting sequence that concludes "The Pyramid at the End of the World". Even when spectacular effects are commonplace, this story contains sequences that impress - the pyramid capturing the bomber, the montage of the Monks throughout history and prehistory and, of course, the horrifying appearance of the Monks themselves. There are real scares in the story - the disintegration of Douglas is genuinely shocking. The three regulars are spectacular, with Matt Lucas showing a range that few knew he had - his horror at discovering he is only a simulation is palpable. Pearl Mackie is fast heading towards making Bill my favourite companion with another arresting performance. And then, there's our leading man. Capaldi never lets us go and the sequence where he seems to confirm to Bill that he has joined the Monks is breath-taking. Michelle Gomez makes a very welcome return, solving the mystery of who is in the vault and her performance leaves us guessing as to what Missy is truly up to. We have a fine selection of guest actors. Tony Gardner is always a welcome addition and we have great turns by Ivanno Jeremiah, Corrado Invernizzi, Rachel Denning, Togo Igawa and many others.

This very ambitious story promises a lot, but, ultimately, is very slightly less than the sum of its parts, which is a real shame as it could have ended up as one of the crowning achievements of Moffat's Doctor Who. However, each episode is, at the very least good and, at best, brilliant. The Monks are defeated rather quickly but, I doubt we have heard the last of them...

NEXT: "The Empress Of Mars"

"The Magician's Apprentice"/"The Witch's Familiar"

If there has ever been a greater hook for the fans than the pre-titles sequence to "The Magician's Apprentice" I have yet to see it. As written, however, it serves to anchor the purpose of the story, for, before the main course, we are given a sweeping entrée through the known universe as we are used to from a Moffat two parterbefore two random amuse-bouches of Doctor Who story types - the UNIT story that reintroduces Missy and the wacky pseudo-historical that marks the Doctor's re-entry into the story. We are taken further 'into the Dalek' than we have ever been before - free will apparently means nothing inside a Dalek and the reason for the constant repetition of their most notorious chant is that it is the only vocalisation permitted towards any non Dalek - a good way to reload. We are expressly told what happens to senescent Daleks; immortal they may be, but not ageless (it is good, incidentally, that the more cloacal aspects of the Skarosian slime are addressed and the word 'sewer' used, as the intimations would have been there anyway).

However, this is the tale of the Doctor and Davros and the creator and the created. We are taken to earlier in Skaro's history than we have ever been before and to the apparent end of Davros's life. A goodly portion of "The Witch's Familiar" is taken up with a remarkable conversation between Davros and the Doctor. Davros's seeming deathbed repentance is one of the most shocking moments in the programme's history and only someone blindly subservient to the programme's past would deny that Julian Bleach exceeds Michael Wisher's high mark in his performance in the role. He is helped by the best make-up job for the character yet - recognisably the same, but utterly convincing as simply the face of an old man, so the opening of his Kaled eyes (helped by the framing of the shots) doesn't seem jarring. In addition, we finally find out just how much of Davros's Kaled body is left, as the Doctor literally unseats his arch enemy! Hettie Macdonald puts in stellar work and marshals an outstanding job from the production team, such as the retro, but utterly convincing Skaro and the trips to UNIT and mediaeval Essex, which are treated with as much care as if they had been the centre of the story.

It is testament to the skills of Moffat, Bleach and Michelle Gomez that the first story to feature both Davros and the Master doesn't have one swamping the other. Missy is brought back (the method of her survival, lovingly detailed in the pre-credits sequence in "The Witch's Familiar". Gomez's psychopathic flightiness makes Missy genuinely unpredictable and genuinely frightening, notwithstanding the fact that for the vast majority of their screen time together, the Doctor and Missy are allies. Indeed, Clara is pretty much Missy's companion in the story and Missy is quick to make Clara very much the fall guy in their double act. This makes her apparent betrayal of Clara both totally expected and incredibly powerful. Jenna Coleman effortlessly makes Clara noticeably more mature, as she should be, following the loss of Danny. Capaldi is on fire throughout, whether belting out 'Mickey' on his Yamaha SGV800 (with an invisible wah-wah pedal!) pleading for Clara's life or regenerating the Struldbrugs of Skaro.

The dénouement, brings all these strands together. Embodying a Dalek Empire that has literally been reborn, Davros is triumphant - yet he has forgotten that all his children have been renewed; including the abandoned elder ones. The sewers are, indeed, revolting. Most crucially the Doctor saves the young Davros, answering the question 'Who Made Davros?' with the only acceptable answer 'Skaro'. People who have kindness shown to them when they were younger sometimes still become monsters.

The ninth series opener is a storming piece of work that seems contemporary, retro and timeless at the same time thanks to sterling work on all aspects of creation and production. The Doctor and Clara are again free to wander time and space together. We are, however, left with the promise of a horror awaiting our heroes in the future...

NEXT: "Under the Lake"/"Before the Flood"

"Dark Water"/"Death in Heaven"

There are a fair few things that are a bit dodgy about the two part finale to Capaldi’s first series. Some of the explanations for certain concepts are a bit woolly, the motivations for pivotal characters in relation to the events depicted require something of an imaginative leap on the part of the viewer. However, "Dark Water"/"Death in Heaven" is so engrossing that these observations are totally blown away when one is watching it and the real impact of the ideas and emotion of the story ensure that they cannot even come close to ruining it. Rachel Talalay brings her considerable experience to bear in a very assured production with epic action scenes working hand in hand with more intimate sections, combined with some stunning visuals, especially the technological vault of the firmament that features early in the story.

The Cybermen of 21st century Doctor Who may physically revamp themselves less than their 20th Century forbears, but conceptually, it is another matter. They started out (as did their predecessors) as humans who took spare part surgery a step too far. In "Nightmare in Silver", they were a cyborg collective controlled by a central intelligence. Now, they are nothing short of being a cybernetic undead plague controlled by a hive mind – for the first time ever, the Cybermen seem genuinely unstoppable. Conceptually, the Cybermen’s effectiveness has always been driven by the fact that they are based on the fear of death and nowhere has this been more chillingly explored than in this story. The afterlife that we have been teased with (or 'NetherSphere' as it is dubbed) is simply a reservoir of minds that have been harvested throughout human history, to be installed into Cybermen. The existential horror of the Three Words would be arguably going too far for a programme made for children, if it were not part of the story’s aim of death and how we can deal with it.

However, although the Cybermen are central to the plot, the heart(s) of the story are the characters in it. The key event in the story is the totally unexpected death of Danny in the opening scene of the story. It occurs in an all too common way, making the loss seem more real than others have been. Clara’s reaction to Danny’s death is as unexpected as it is believable and the scene where Clara tries to blackmail the Doctor is completely convincing thanks to Jenna Coleman's astonishing performance. She is complemented by great work from Samuel Anderson as Danny, showing real grit combined with vulnerability. UNIT make a very welcome return with Jemma Redgrave’s brilliant Kate Stewart and the sad demise of Ingrid Oliver’s Osgood. Sanjeev Bhaskar’s Colonel Ahmed isn’t as lucky as his wife’s character was four years ago, but it is always good to see him, as is Chris Addison. However there is another very important returnee. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who had guessed that Missy was the Master. Michelle Gomez’s is, physically, as close as one can get to a female Roger Delgado - both possessing 'demonic' good looks – and her unhinged, yet controlled performance makes her great fun to watch – yet we do not forget the sheer wanton sadism of her murders. It proves, without a shadow of a doubt, that changing the sex of a regular character can work perfectly well, if the right actor is found...

This series of Doctor Who has been seen by some as being darker in mood and having the Doctor himself as a darker character. The Doctor has less time for fools in this incarnation and certainly less time for tears. However, it is clear that this is still the man we love; if there were any doubts, his unconditional forgiveness of Clara silenced them forever. The Doctor has wondered whether he was a good man, has been called a good Dalek, but here, he embraces what he truly is – an idiot. His anger is still real, as his enraged frustration over Gallifrey show, but he is still that madman with a box. I never doubted Peter Capaldi for a second and his performance in this story caps an astonishing run.

Peter Capaldi’s triumphant first season makes me look forward all the more to a very Frosty Christmas...

NEXT: "Last Christmas"

The End of Time

The final adventure of the Tenth Doctor would always have been a significant story in of itself- David Tennant is the only actor to have successfully challenged Tom Baker for the title of most popular Doctor. And what a story it is- two and a quarter hours in length (a six-parter in old money) with cameos from every actor to have played a regular role and the return of the Time Lords. The plot is simple and just about works, albeit with an odd structure. There are a few problems with the script. The resurrection of the Master is presented as a necromantic ritual, a move which could work had the emphasis been different. However, mentions of ‘potions of life’ and ‘the secret books of Saxon’ are a bit too Harry Potter. The plot means that the critical characters of Naismiths are given short shrift in the second episode- a pity, considering David Harewood’s fine performance. The means by which the Time Lords escape, although comprehensible, is in danger of being misread. Donna’s ‘defence mechanism’ seems to have been constructed purely to season the cliffhanger.These are all valid criticisms all raised by perceptive critics of the programme (together with others raised by those who cannot tell the difference between a plot hole and something that they have failed to spot). However, like The Evil of the Daleks, like Logopolis, The End of Time manages to overcome these shortcomings to produce a story of real wonder and excitement.

However, once the Master is properly back after his Voldemortesqe resurrection, we are again blessed with John Simm’s electrifying take on the character. The Master started off being simply an evil opposite to the Doctor, but since The Keeper of Traken, he has become a Time Lord who is physically, as well as mentally 'wrong'. His return in "Utopia" was as a fully fledged Time Lord, but his botched rebirth here leaves him a nightmarish horror- his flesh repeatedly vanishing to reveal the skeleton beneath, able to fire lightning from his fingers; and all the time, he is ravenously hungry, as shown in scenes that must have caused Yuletide gastric discomfort in a few viewers. The relationship between him and the Doctor is as deftly written as ever. Both need each other on a visceral level- the Master instinctively holds the Doctor as he falls from his own assault. However, once he finds out what is returning, he is perfectly willing to let the Doctor die- his visceral feelings were grounded in his own selfishness.

The story starts off by an imposing voice narrating events in a rather florid manner (but who are the ones who have an infinite capacity for pretension?) which reaches a crescendo in the middle of the first episode- to reveal the face of the Narrator. The Master Plan with his Master Race is only a small part of the grand scheme- for the Time Lords have returned. We are treated to Gallifrey on the last day of the Time War- the dome of the Capitol shattered, the wrecks of Dalek saucers strewn around. The High Council are in session and it is clear that these are a grimmer, more ruthless race than we have ever seen before. The Lord President (as the Narrator turns out to be) deals out disintegration for dissent and, as they descend on Earth, bringing the raging inferno that is the dying Gallifrey with them, it is clear that the destruction of the Time Lords was no accidental side effect. Twisted by the Hell that the war had become, they chose to ascend to godhood- ripping space-time apart in the process, as the final act of the war. Davies’ depiction of the final days of the Time War prove that it is an event that should never be explored on screen- how can anything compare to the images in our minds of The Nightmare Child, the Horde of Travesties and, most wonderful of all, the Could-have-been King with his army of Meanwhiles and Never-weres? It should remain a series of images in our head that point to something we can never fully understand. The Lord President is played with relish by Timothy Dalton, arguably the best actor to play James Bond. He is actually named as Rassilon himself by the Doctor, which makes sense- if the Master was brought back as the ultimate warrior, it makes sense that the founder of Time Lord society be resurrected to lead his people- a people who become just as much the Doctor’s enemy as the Daleks. The Time Lords are truly awesome in their power, Rassilon overcoming the Master’s schemes with a flick of his gauntlet (The Great Glove of Rassilon?) but it is clear that they know that the Doctor is not someone to be underestimated, even with something as primitive as a service revolver in his hand.

Euros Lyn is often overlooked as a director, despite his amazing track record. As the revived programme’s longest serving director, it is fitting that he helms Tennant’s finale. The spectacle demanded by the script is easily realized by Lyn, from the stunning scenes set on Gallifrey to the wonderful Star Wars inspired sequence where the Vinvocci ship has to evade and shoot down seemingly every missile on planet Earth. The appearance of Gallifrey is as awesome as it should be (it seems to be as large compared to the Earth as we are to the Moon). Lyn makes sure every performance counts (even in minor roles such as the Visionary and Shaun, we have Brid Brennan and Karl Collins). I must also mention the incredibly likeable Sinéad Keenan as Addams and a cheeky role for the legendary June Whitfield, in the wonderful sub-plot of the ‘Silver Cloak’- Wilf’s network of OAPs who know everything there is to know in London. Then there is the appearance of the legendary Claire Bloom as a woman who guides events to try and help the Doctor. We never find out who she is (or indeed, her fellow partisan, whose face is never revealed) which is for the best- until we do find out, let us revel in our theories.

There is spectacle to be had, for sure, but there is a heart to the story- the relationship between the Doctor and his companion. Here, that role is taken by Donna’s granddad, Wilf. It is great to see his joy in seeing the Earth from space and to feel the thrill he has in finally sharing in the adventures his granddaughter had. It is in the quieter moments between the Doctor and Wilf that the characters really shine. Both are old men, reaching the end of their lives, which means the Doctor is more open, more emotional with Wilf than he has been with anyone else. Wilf’s decency comes through in every scene, from his refusing to be shamed by the fact that he never took a life as a soldier, to the scene where he immediately rescues a man he has never met from being sealed in the Nuclear Bolt chamber, even though it means he gets sealed himself. Bernard Cribbins is wonderful in the role, mixing his natural lovability with a really strong performance.

But he does get stuck, which leaves us with the Doctor. He has prevailed against the Master, against Rassilon and his Glove (and, no doubt, his Key, Rod and Sash). However, the four knocks come- Wilf in the chamber. The Doctor knows that this is why Wilf has figured so often recently- he is the bringer of his Doom. He will not give his life to save the Universe or even Earth- but to save one man. On Mars he was at his most arrogant, speaking in condescension of ‘the little people’. It is for such a little person that he will make the ultimate sacrifice. He rages like an alcoholic Welsh poet, but in the end, in a scene of genuine heart-wrenching emotion, he saves Wilf, while the old man begs him not to. The scene of the Doctor’s irradiation itself is shot simply- it would scarcely have looked different twenty years ago. Although he gets up, it is clear that the regeneration has started. In the short time given to him, he visits his friends- Martha, Mickey, Sarah Jane, even the descendant of Joan Redfern in a series of scenes that have been earned and therefore avoid being self-indulgent. Although he cannot speak to Donna, he does make sure that she is secure for the future, before taking a trip to the Powell Estate in 2005. But his time has run out.

David Tennant has made the Doctor his own in the hearts and minds of millions in a way no-one has done since Tom Baker. He never failed to put in a great performance and, in some stories, he put in the best performance yet in the role. In watching the entire programme from the beginning one thing is clear- William Hartnell finally has his match in this fantastic actor. It is fitting that the Tenth Doctor’s passing nearly rips the TARDIS apart, in a scene that is shot and scored immaculately. ‘I don’t want to go!’ are his last words- and I’m sure that no-one sane wanted him to go either. Matt Smith seems good enough in his short appearance as the end- but he has a hell of an act to follow.

"The Sound of Drums"/ "Last of the Time Lords"

"He who would Valiant be
'Gainst all disaster.
Let him in constancy,
Follow the Master."

The name ‘Mr Saxon’ has been cropping up all over the shop in this season and here, we discover his identity. The Master has returned and is now Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and it is here that the longest story the programme has had since its return, continues. "The Sound of Drums" has the TARDIS crew more helpless than they have ever been before- there are no old friends that they can rely on, no allies they can convert- they are on their own. The Doctor formulates a plan to stop the Master, but he is outguessed and the Master punishes the Doctor with a gleeful sadism, before opening the door to an invasion of Earth. There is no stopping this and the planet suffers under the Master’s rule for a year. In "Last of the Time Lords", the Doctor is humiliated on a daily basis and Jack is tortured and killed over and over again. The only hope is the legendary figure of Martha Jones, who wanders the planet armed with the knowledge that will finally defeat the Master. A very vocal minority of fans seem to regard this story as a travesty but in my opinion, they are so unbelievably wrong that I sometimes wonder whether they were watching the same thing as I was. This is a story that shows how effective an adversary the Master is- he seemingly has the Doctor outmanoeuvred at every turn. Russell T Davies makes him a match for the Doctor in every respect- he has the same wit and way with words, the same intelligence. This is clearly not your usual adversary, which is why Davies’s script doesn’t follow the typical finale pattern, but has surprises at every turn.

The effectiveness of this is due to Davies’s usual strong writing, most crucially in the characterisation. This is a story that paints images of humanity crushed, of floating killer spheres patrolling the skies, of entire countries being incinerated, of a fleet of spaceships stretching across continents, poised to hurl themselves into interstellar war. However, that is not what the story is about. The story is about the Doctor and the Master. From the start, it is clear that the Doctor’s attitude to his adversary is very different. The grim determination against an adversary is there, as usual, but there is something else- the Doctor actually needs the Master as a peer. The Master comes across as a truly awesome adversary here, a man who gasses the people who helped him into office, who obliterates Japan and piles humiliation on those he has defeated. Yet there is something else there. The Master is married, yet this is more than a sham and it is made obvious that Lucy has not been hypnotised or possessed. He calls the ‘Toclafane’ his ‘children’ and it is clear that they are not just a race he has allied himself with, or his pawns. The Master is a more rounded, yet more mysterious figure than ever before- even the ‘explanation’ for his motivation (with the beautiful flashback to Gallifrey) only adds to the character. The dynamic between the two characters is sublime, with their first phone call between them being a highlight. There is an undertone in the Doctor’s voice that the Master gleefully picks up on- ‘Are you asking me on a date?’, yet he freely tells the Doctor of his fears in the Time War. David Tennant and John Simm play the dynamic to perfection throughout and the final result is only evident in their last scene together. The Master has been shot and, while the Doctor cradles him in his arms, he refuses to regenerate, while the Doctor tearfully begs him (the first time the Doctor has actually cried). It is (to be pretentious) like David and Absalom and an immensely powerful scene. Throughout, Simm makes the Master gleeful sadistic and unpredictable, but he never seems one dimensional- this is someone who is capable of doing anything and probably would. Tennant’s performance is more restrained, as befits the writing for the character in the story and he is brilliant throughout.

Which brings us to the other ending. The use of the faith of humanity to restore the balance is tied in with the plot excellently and whether you see it as being a wonderful affirmation of humanity or a sci-fi version of Peter Pan is up to you. There are those who see the ‘reset button’ as a cop out, some even saying it is a ‘deus ex machina’, which is wrong, unless ‘deus ex machina’ is Latin for ‘I don’t know what I’m talking about’. The cannibalising of the TARDIS to make the Paradox Machine made it obvious that this was something that was going to be reversed. Some have compared it unfavourably with Lay Down Your Burdens the season two finale of Battlestar Galactica (the excellent, if somewhat overrated remake). Here, there is a two-part finale with part two taking place a year later than part one but there is no reset. It seems that there are many people who still do not understand what type of programme Doctor Who is. It has to be grounded in a reality we can understand, meaning that the contemporary Earth that the Doctor visits has to be reasonably similar to the real one, which makes the strange worlds and periods the Doctor visits all the more effective. Lumbering Doctor Who with a permanently ravaged contemporary Earth is stupid. It is not as if there are no consequences- the Doctor is left alone once again and Martha has changed forever. Dramatically, it is no more of a cop-out than having the destruction of Earth occur in a fascist parallel universe in Inferno or the Doctor being brought back to life in "Father’s Day".

Colin Teague directs wonderfully with a plethora of great scenes- the sky cracking open to allow the Toclafane entry to the sound of the Rogue Traders, the aforementioned scenes between the Master and the Doctor, the wonderful Gallifrey flashback. There are moments of terror, of awe and of introspection, excellently handled by Teague. The best example is the death of Mrs Rook, a combination of terror, black humour and farce that works perfectly. The special effects are awesome throughout and help to give the story a truly epic feel. The performances are also excellent, with the Jones family being on fine form, particularly Adjoa Andoh as Francine. Alexandra Moen is very effective as Lucy- I love her Sloane-ey dance in "The Sound of Drums" and there are great turns by Tom Ellis as Dr Milligan and Ellie Haddington as Professor Docherty.

This is also Martha’s last story as a regular and Freema Agyeman is, again wonderful. In "The Sound of Drums" , Martha is wonderfully defiant of the Doctor when her family is threatened and her tearful departure is very well done. "Last of the Time Lords", however, has a Martha who is hardened but still compassionate- the moment where she laughs at the Master is truly brilliant. It also confirms one thing- Martha has responsibilities that Rose never did, which means her exit scene (again, beautifully written) gives her a great deal of dignity. At times, the shadow of Rose was cast a bit too strongly in the scripts for my liking, but Agyeman was so strong that this never really mattered.

Doctor Who again ends with a bold, yet ultimately very successful attempt to do something different for the finale. Ignore the naysayers and tuck in!

NEXT: "Time Crash"

"Utopia"

NOTE: "Utopia" is, of course the first episode in a 3-parter, but as it has so much that is unique to it, I will be dealing with it separately.

"Utopia" is about the last humans, clinging onto existence on the planet Malcassairo, 100 trillion years in the future when the Universe is dying. They hold onto one hope Utopia, where it is hoped that they can survive the end of the Universe. Professor Yana, an itinerant scientist, has built a ship to take them there, but life on Malcassairo is hard- only one of the original inhabitants has survived, the Professor’s assistant Chantho, and marauding bands of devolved humans hunt for human flesh. This is the situation that the Doctor, Martha and Captain Jack Harkness have stumbled on. It is rather straightforward and not particularly original, but it works as a story about the last humans. Only it isn’t. This is the story of how the Doctor finds out that he is not the last Time Lord- and if there is one other Time Lord who could have survived the Time War, we know who it would be. For me, this was a truly thrilling about-turn in the story that led to the final third being the most exhilarating 15 minutes of the programme’s history. The Doctor and Jack have succeeded in helping Yana to send the humans to Utopia- but Yana is dead and the Master has returned…

Russell T Davies’s dialogue has its usual spark and there is great thought to the world- building- the ‘rocket’ is actually a ship totally unlike anything even the Doctor has encountered before. The character scenes are first rate helped by the cast. It is somewhat redundant of me to say that Sir Sir Derek Jacobi (count the knighthoods!) is utterly superb- he is, after all, one of the finest actors of all time. He makes Yana a thoroughly lovable old man without making him overly dotty- there is an unmistakable touch of William Hartnell about him. His rebirth as the Master is utterly chilling- when he turns to look at the camera, it is as if the soul has been sucked out of him. In less than ten-minutes, Jacobi makes his incarnation of the Master as distinctive as Ainley or Delgado- sadistic and psychopathic, radiating hatred to all. Chipo Chung is wonderful as Chantho, who is literally the cutest, sweetest five-foot tall insect ever! Then, of course there is John Simm as the regenerated Master, bursting with the joy of rebirth, but still consumed with hatred for the Doctor. The regulars are on fine form- the newly formed Doctor/Martha/Jack dynamic is instantly effective and all three actors have great scenes.

The key to the story’s success is Graeme Harper’s direction- the twist in the tale would make the first two thirds of the episode skippable in lesser hands- yet even on rewatching it, it is still compelling. There are memorable scenes aplenty- Jack clinging onto the TARDIS, the brilliantly written and directed scene where the Doctor’s hand is revealed. Then there is the revelation of Yana’s true nature, which is flawlessly brought to screen in a breathtaking ten minutes. The production design and music are flawless, resulting in a hugely enjoyable episode that tells a story that has only just begun…

NEXT: "The Sound of Drums"/ "Last of the Time Lords"

"Doctor Who"

Doctor Who had been apparently dead for seven years when, unexpectedly, it returned for one night only. This was Doctor Who as we had never seen before- shot on 35mm film, boasting state-of-the-art CG effects and, most crucially, very American. These days, it seems that every new season in the US broadcast calendar produces a programme worth watching- some of the best TV dramas of all time have emerged from the USA in the last 15 years. However, I believe that, from the advent of colour television all the way to the early 1990s, American TV drama was nothing like as good as British TV drama. The writing was hampered by unadventurous house styles; the production was unimaginative, with shows being made on 35mm film that were so shoddily shot and lit that they might as well have been made on videotape. These factors, combined with (to us) puritanical broadcast restrictions severely inhibited real quality. There were a handful of notable exceptions, of course, but the considerable talent that has always existed in the US TV system meant that something good had to pop up from time to time. This had started to change in the early 1990s (if I was to credit any programme, it would probably be The Simpsons, strangely enough) and American TV drama was certainly improving by the time this story was broadcast. It was a huge success in the UK (much less so in the USA) and it is easy to see why. There was a generation of teenagers and children who had watched the show who had entered into young adulthood and they were presented with Doctor Who with the budget the programme had always deserved but never got. There were the not-so-young hardcore fans whose prayers had finally been answered- this was an event which needed to succeed, to prove that Doctor Who could live again. I remember loving this when it was broadcast, but when I inserted the DVD to watch it for this marathon something hit me- although I had seen various highlights of the story since, I had never watched the whole thing again. It is now time to look at it more objectively.

I tend to avoid excessive hyperbole, but I have to say that the script by Matthew Jacobs is one of the worst ever produced under the name Doctor Who. This may seem excessive, but let me take you through it. The basic premise is based on The Deadly Assassin (the Master seeks to be reborn by opening the Eye of Harmony) with a sprinkling of Spearhead from Space (the hospitalised Doctor). This leaves the wholly original parts- the Doctor regenerates and has to stop the Master by stealing a piece of an atomic clock. He is too late and has to go back to 'before he arrives'. The Master, however, has taken control of Grace, the Doctor's companion, but the Master eventually kills her and Chang Lee, his own companion. However, the Master is stopped and the Doctor brings Grace and Lee back to life. This is a lazily conceived and frankly dull plotline, made worse by the wholly predictable and clichéd situations the script creates, where too many things happen for no reason. Then there's the appalling structure- however nice it was to see Sylvester McCoy again, having him turn up simply to regenerate is terrible, in story terms, especially considering the utterly idiotic way he meets his end. Worse still is the dialogue- not so much the words said, but their placement. The Doctor randomly info-dumps for no reason and Grace spouts lines that seem to have been dropped into the script at random- her saying 'I finally meet the right guy and he's from another planet' apropos of nothing makes no sense in the context of the scene. An incredibly basic rule of writing is ‘things happen- people react to them’- and there are times when this is not followed. It is not surprising that characterisation goes out of the window- only the Master actually seems like a proper character at all. The fact that the Master is more memorable than the Doctor shows another of the many faults of the script- it is the Master who is treated as the main character. The Doctor is not a hero, a man who inspires others to be better- he's a wandering weirdo who is, let's not forget 'Briddish'.

The production values are very impressive- the set for the interior of the TARDIS is the only unqualified triumph of the whole story. However, the story manages to accomplish the feat of being well-shot, without being well directed. Apart from the wonderful montage that forms the prologue, memorable scenes are few and far between- there are lots of interesting shots, but they seem to only be there to look cool, not to serve the story. Some scenes are botched completely- look at the terribly rendered scene of the regenerated Doctor causing the orderly to faint. Beyond this, we have a car chase that completely fails to make an impression and scenes from the climax which only register because of the genuine wonder of the fantastic TARDIS set. Having praised the set, however, I must say that the revelation of the TARDIS’s dimensionally transcendental nature is totally botched by director Geoffrey Sax. When Barbara barged into the TARDIS in "An Unearthly Child", it was a jolt to both viewer and character. However, we are immediately shown the Doctor inside the ship (which must have confused the casual American viewer no end- there is no indication given that this is the interior of that odd blue box they have just seen). The moment where Chang Lee steps into the TARDIS should have been our first revelation about the ship, a real moment of wonder- yet, as the nature of the ship has already been artlessly revealed, it comes off as being merely a feeble comic double-take. In the end, the ultimate failure of Sax's direction can be seen by the fact that here are only a couple of scenes that would even qualify for what I would consider to be ‘Doctor Who moments’- the only one I can think of offhand is the discovery of the security guards that the Master has paralysed. Sax has proved a good enough director before and since, so I can forgive his mistakes and blame them on the travesty of a script and interference from The Man.

The minor cast consists of typically competent, if unspectacular American TV performers, a description that stretches to Yee Jee Tso's Chang Lee. Daphne Ashbrook is engaging enough, but is not helped by a script and a director that has no idea of who the character is. This leaves us with the Time Lords. Sylvester McCoy puts in a very good performance, but is wasted- his shooting by the gang members is stupidly directed as well as stupidly written. Paul McGann totally convinces as the Doctor- for a handful of scenes. Most of the time, he spouts what, to the average American viewer, must have seemed like absolute gibberish, conforming at all times to the average American TV Executive’s idea of what we crazy tea-drinking, left-hand drive, ‘Briddish’ are like. McGann has given some fine performances, but if he had it in him to play the Doctor, he doesn't show it here. Eric Roberts, on the other hand, relishes playing the Master and his flamboyant performance mixes urbane villainy with real bestial fury as effectively as Ainley at his best, but with a very different performance.

There are those who hate this story because of the kiss and/ or the revelation that the Doctor is half-human. The first doesn’t bother me in the slightest, the second is a little annoying, but really not too important. It is for far more fundamental reasons that this film fails both as Doctor Who and decent drama. It fails both as a continuation of the BBC series and as a good American version of a BBC original. It would really have been best if it had been ignored and then forgotten after broadcast. Unfortunately, McCoy's presence means that this uninspired 85 minutes has a guaranteed place in Doctor Who history that it does not, in any way, deserve.

Survival

Survival is a story of home- how our behaviour shapes it when we are there, how we cope when we leave it and what our leaving does to those we leave behind. It is also a story about how self-interest must be tempered by empathy for a society, indeed a world to survive. It does this, as only Doctor Who can, by having a race of humanoid cheetahs menace people in suburbia, transporting them back to a hostile alien planet to hunt them for sport. Rona Munro's script is short on explanations for the weird goings on. But that does not matter in the slightest- it is more about theme than plot and the story is full of them, some, more obvious than others- the meaning of the Cheetah planet breaking apart because the Cheetah People fight is blatant, yet it does not seem like it is being rubbed in our faces. Munro uses very ordinary people- Perivale teenagers, shopkeepers, housewives and a Territorial Army sergeant as characters, who have lives beyond the otherworldly chaos they are thrown into- yet this is also a Master story and the character is used well- a Time Lord who is a heartless killer makes perfect sense in the story.

Munro's script is very good, despite showing slight signs of padding (a bit too much running around in part 2). However, it is the Direction of Alan Wareing that really brings the story to life. Having given us the very stylised Greatest Show in the Galaxy and Ghost Light, he shows that he can work his magic in the more mundane setting of Perivale in 1989. Again, his eye for a memorable image is excellent- the POV shots for the unseen appearance of the Cheetah People; the image of one revealed in slow motion and the epic moment when, in mortal combat with the Master as the Cheetah Planet disintegrates around them, the Doctor bellows: 'If we fight like animals, we'll die like animals!'. The production is largely excellent, with the Cheetah Planet being excellently rendered. True, the Kitlings aren't that great, but neither are they awful, and the verve of the production easily compensates for their technical shortcomings.

The guest cast is competent at worst and outstanding at best. Julian Holloway makes Sgt Paterson a very memorable character with a very intelligent performance. Lisa Bowerman is fantastically feral as Karra. Hale and Pace work very well as the shopkeepers even though, one expects, they were included purely as an allusion to their most notorious sketch. However, the standout is Anthony Ainley's last performance as the Master. He is more subdued, yet far more menacing than he has ever been before and it is great that his last performance of a part he genuinely loved was his best. The regulars are on fine form- the relationship between Doctor and companion is more archetypal than in the rest of the season- we feel that this is a friendship that will continue.

Only, of course, it didn't. Although it was not meant to be at the time of shooting, this was the last Doctor Who story produced by the BBC in the 20th Century. The programme ended with one of the best seasons it had ever had, with a thrilling and memorable ride that proves that Doctor Who certainly did not go out with a whimper.

NEXT: "Doctor Who"

The Trial of a Time Lord

Indictment
For whatever reason, Doctor Who was off the air for over a year before returning in 1986. The season was shorter and the episode length was back to the usual 25 minutes. It has often been said that the programme itself was on trial for its life- so the wisdom of making a comeback season of one fourteen episode story seems a bit flawed to me. Of course it is not really one story, but four, but is does have a linking theme- the trial of the Doctor. I said, many moons ago in my review of The Keys of Marinus, that courtroom drama is, perhaps, the most constricting genre of all. Courtroom sets are constructed very similarly, the dynamics are similar, even the plot is dictated by the mechanics of the trial. The best courtroom dramas rely on performances and truly inspired direction. Even so, the best courtroom scenes I have watched occur in other types of drama- a good example are the astonishing court martial scenes in Kubrick's Paths of Glory. Which brings me to this season. A multi-camera videotaped production is almost certainly never going to match a feature film as far as visual creativity is concerned and, indeed, as soon as the lights go up, we see a perfectly average set and three main participants- the Doctor, the Inquisitor and the Valeyard. Whatever else the season might reveal, visually exciting courtroom scenes are not on the menu. I shall return to this aspect periodically but, I think it is useful to examine each of the separate epistopic interfaces of the spectrum before looking at the story as a whole. So…

The Mysterious Planet
The season opens with a four parter by Robert Holmes himself. Although it is by no means a 'Holmes classic' it contains much good dialogue and tells a reasonably effective story. The script is, indeed, skilful enough to make one forget that it is basically a retread of The Face of Evil- a human society split in two by an artificial intelligence, with a pallid group of humans living under the control of the AI and a savage group living outside it. Holmes creates some good characters; however, Glitz and Dibber (on the page, at least) are very similar to Garron and Unstoffe from The Ribos Operation. Despite having quite a few quibbles with the plot (water jars on display, two light years being nothing in galactic terms) the story manages to paint a believable environment and believable people to go with it.

The season as a whole opens with the most spectacular effects shot the programme had in the twentieth century. The shot of the space station is breathtaking and still impressive today. However from this story on, both location and studio scenes (bar a few effects shots) are shot on videotape, which gives a greater sense of visual unity to the programme. Unfortunately, Nicholas Mallett's direction, although not bad, is hardly inspired, with the overlit scenes in Marb Station being particularly unimpressive. The costume for Drathro is superb, but Mallett fails to shoot the robot with the requisite skill to make it appear like the vast automaton it should have appeared to be.

The best guest performance in the story is easily Tony Selby's Glitz and it is entirely due to his performance that the character is so memorable. Most of the other performances are sound, especially Adam Blackwood as Balazar, but Joan Sims is a major disappointment as Katryca- much as I love Maid Marian and Her Merry Men, it is not the thing I should be thinking of every time Katryca issues an order!

Colin Baker continues to impress as the Doctor. His greater affection for Peri and his more moral outlook is a joy to behold. Nicola Bryant is given some strong character material and she attacks it with relish.

The Mysterious Planet is a good run-of-the-mill story- something we hadn't seen for some time.

Mindwarp
Phillip Martin returns to Doctor Who with this fun story with a shocking twist. Like Vengeance on Varos, there is the slight feeling that Martin might drop one of the plates he is spinning- the script covers economic exploitation of less developed civilisations, genetic engineering, brain alteration, revolutions etc, whilst incorporating the possibility of an unreliable narrator. However, as before, Martin just about manages to pull it off- although there is the subplot about the Alphan rebels which is unnecessary (and probably not the work of Philip Martin). The central thread is the imminent death of Lord Kiv, leader of the Mentors and each plot thread is somehow connected to that. To bolster the plot, Martin brings back Sil, perhaps the greatest character of the Sixth Doctor era and he is accompanied by other great characters such as Kiv and Yrcanos. There are some instances of rushed scripting- Crozier’s move from brain transplants to mind transfers is rather sudden- but the story works well, with some choice dialogue- the financial conversations between Sil and Kiv, and later Sil and the Doctor are a delight.

The story is further helped by its excellent visualisation. This is the first use of paintbox image manipulation in the programme and the resultant Thoros Betan landscape is impressive (if typically gaudy for the era). There is great use of matte work and some highly effective lighting and the camerawork is very impressive. Ron Jones has been very inconsistent as a director but, with a good production team behind him, he does a good job here. The costuming and make-up are also first rate- the work for the Mentors is even more impressive than it was for Vengeance on Varos with great attention to detail- it is easy to forget that Christopher Ryan wears two similar, but not identical costumes. There is also the terrifyingly effective make-up for the Lukoser, a truly horrific creation. Jones clearly knows how to disguise the production’s shortcomings- the Raak doesn’t look very good, so it is never fully glimpsed. Overall, this is a highly impressive production.

It goes without saying that Nabil Shaban puts in another wonderful performance as Sil, a character he clearly loved playing, but he is ably supported by Christopher Ryan as Kiv, who amusingly treats Sil like an annoying illegitimate sprog who he has some regard for, finds occasionally useful, but is not above ordering the death of. However, there is one guest performance which cannot help to stand out- Brian Blessed as Yrcanos. Blessed is one of the very few actors who can go completely over the top and still make the character believable, which is exactly what he does with Yrcanos. There are wonderful little touches he gives to the role, like the throat singing he employs as a farewell. There is not enough room to fully do justice to Blessed here- he is a force of nature and the world will genuinely be a poorer place when he passes on. There are some other nice performances- Patrick Ryecart as Crozier is worth a mention- and a strangely poor one from Gordon Warnecke. Mind you, Ron Jones is no Stephen Frears.

Colin Baker has a very tough challenge- he must make the Doctor look more dislikeable than he has ever done before which, considering The Twin Dilemma is really saying something. The juxtaposition of the Doctor acting his worst on Thoros Beta and his noblest in the trial room is very nicely done and baker acquits himself well. However, this does mean that the story is Doctor-less for long stretches and it is Peri who steps up to the challenge. This, Nicola Bryant’s final story as Peri, is also one of her best performances- and she is given one of the most shocking exits for any companion ever. It seems that her mind has been destroyed and the intelligence of Kiv now inhabits her skull. The last words heard from her lips are ‘Protect me! I am your Lord and Master’ with her staring at Yrcanos with infinite menace. The Doctor’s realisation of what happens is wonderfully effective- Baker is understated and then coldly furious.

Mindwarp may not be 100% successful, but it is extremely enjoyable throughout- a fine story!

Terror of the Vervoids
Pip and Jane Baker's second contribution to Doctor Who is a return to the simple monster tale, with a heavy helping of Agatha Christie. This is nothing new- The Robots of Death also had touches of the Dame of Detection. However, the earlier story used a Christie type plot merely as the framework for a thoughtful script that aspired to so much more and succeeded. Terror of the Vervoids is a very watchable story, but the trouble is, it is too much like Christie- puzzles are more important that emotion or characters and there are numerous badly thought out ideas- notably, why the Vervoids have a lethal capability if they were genetically engineered. There is also the question of the dialogue. The Bakers showed they had no ear for naturalistic dialogue in The Mark of the Rani, but that is nothing compared to some of the appalling lines the poor actors have to say! Also present are little educational nuggets- there were thousands of children who would forever know the difference between an agronomist and a thremmatologist, that plants had chloroplasts and what a Judas Goat was.

The money is obviously running out- the space sequences obviously look bad compared to the opening shot of the season. However, the design is very clever and the story doesn't actually look cheap. Even the costumes for the Vervoids are rather good- although I'm sure their look caused all sorts of adult neuroses for anyone who saw them as a child! Chris Clough does the best that he can with what he is given and does a pretty good job, helped by some effective lighting. He also helps give the story some excellent cliffhangers, most notably the terrifying revelation of Ruth Baxter, brilliantly shot and lit, with some superb make-up.

The performances are generally good, although Honor Blackman seems a bit listless as Professor Lasky. Maurice Tierney as Doland deserves special praise for making his character seem real, with a surprisingly nuanced performance. Mind you, considering what they had to say, it is a testament to the skill of all the actors that they emerge with dignity intact. Colin Baker is wonderfully energetic in this story, a true pleasure to watch. However, there is another regular present. Bonnie Langford is obviously a hugely talented individual but Mel is, to be frank, fingers-on-the-blackboard irritating. True, she's energetic and seems to be enjoying herself, but her voice and line readings are too mannered. Then there's her screaming… Still, early days.

Terror of the Vervoids is an enjoyable, if shallow entry which ends with the Doctor being accused of genocide…

The Ultimate Foe
So, the trial comes to its conclusion with a script that was only half complete when its author, the great Robert Holmes, died. Moreover, Eric Saward, who wrote the final episode based on what Holmes had told him, refused to allow its use, meaning that Pip and Jane Baker had to write a replacement in less than a week. So it is, in fact, a miracle that The Ultimate Foe works as well as it does. Holmes returns to the nightmare virtual reality of the Matrix and creates another memorable dream realm- the Christmas Carol influence of the whole Trial season is, appropriately, concluded with a heavily Dickensian setting. Upon the shock revelation of the Master (which is rather well done) it is revealed, in a very atmospheric moment, that the Valeyard is an entity created from the distillation of the dark side of the Doctor's personality and he can only gain a truly independent existence with the Doctor's death. Although the story lacks the depth and impact of The Deadly Assassin, episode 13 is a startling piece of television and, it has to be said, that the Bakers do quite well with their concluding episode (with the obvious caveat concerning their dialogue). Holmes creates the wonderful character of Popplewick, a Dickensian clerk whose belief in a circumlocutory 'procedure' is part of the Valeyard's evil plan. There are some problems, most of which I will address later, but there are a few things that annoy me- for example the Master thanking Mel for calling him 'utterly evil' undermines the character somewhat.

Chris Clough, while he is no David Maloney, works wonders with the Matrix scenes. The Dickensian courtyard is wonderfully atmospheric and the scene of the Doctor being dragged under the beach by chthonic arms is also very memorable. There are a few silly bits (Mel being tripped up by the Keeper, for instance) but they are minor. The performances are good, with Glitz making a welcome return and an excellent performance by Geoffrey Hughes as the Popplewicks. Anthony Ainley is also very effective in his return as the Master. Bonnie Langford is still annoying as Mel, however.

So, we have watched each separate story. But that is not all that needs to be said…

Verdict
If you ignore the linking theme of the season, what you have is four respectable stories. There are many moments of near greatness in them, in Mindwarp, particularly. However, the linking theme cannot be ignored as the trial scenes permeate the entire narrative. The first point that must be made is the bizarre nature of Gallifreyan justice- the prosecutor can add charges at will, the Doctor is held responsible for things he hasn’t done yet. It would appear that the most the writers had done was half-watch a courtroom drama and get a very basic idea of legal practice. This makes the actual stories far more streamlined, but it becomes increasingly obvious that trial sequences are sometimes inserted to pad out the running time. With its theme of unreliable narration, the trial scenes in Mindwarp are the most ’necessary’, but are far from the best part of the story. By the time we get to Terror of the Vervoids, the trial scenes are pointlessly intrusive- most notably the silly part where the Doctor is revealed to have trashed the radio equipment. As a whole, the trial sequences weaken the story. A notable example is the Valeyard using a series of incidents that directly point to the secret plan of the Time Lords and, rather than removing incriminating scenes, clumsily bleeps over them. In Mindwarp it is immediately obvious that anything that occurs after the Doctor is taken out of time is a fabrication, as there is nothing there to record incidents for the Matrix. And in Terror of the Vervoids, surely the fact that the incidents in question are from the future either means that the Doctor definitely gets off and the Trial is pointless, or it is only a potential future and therefore can hardly be seen as admissible.

As I predicted, the trial scenes are visually dull- it is a big step down from the stunning opening sequence to when the lights are turned on in the trial chamber. And, speaking of the opening sequence; it is stunning, beautiful- but strangely pointless. There is no sense of the trial taking place on a giant space station- indeed it could be on Gallifrey for all that it matters to the plot.

Apart from the Doctor, the only characters to appear in every segment are the Inquisitor and the Valeyard. The Inquisitor is basically characterised and her motivation, level of authority and, indeed, knowledge of the events shown is totally inconstant- most notably when she suddenly has full knowledge of the events leading to Peri’s apparent death. Lynda Bellingham deserves credit for making the character seem believable, considering what she had to work with. Michael Jayston’s voice makes him immediately memorable as the Valeyard and it is his masterful performance that makes the character so memorable. It certainly isn’t the writing- in fact, although we are told what the Valeyard is, we are never actually told who or what brought him into being and how (in the story’s defence, this is because the original idea- that the Valeyard is a future incarnation of the Doctor- was discarded at the eleventh hour). Nicola Bryant is, eventually denied her dramatic exit, but I am glad that Peri got to live, despite that- it would have been the most miserable exit possible, her mind being destroyed believing that the Doctor betrayed her. As I indicated before, Bonnie Langford does not agree with me, more due to irritation than incompetence.

This is, of course, the anticlimactic end of the Colin Baker era. One thing that I can definitely say in the story’s favour is how much I enjoyed his performance in this season and that he would have gone from strength to strength. Whatever the quality of the stories, he had what it took to play the Doctor and his firing (the first unwilling departure since Hartnell) was totally unwarranted.

There is a common cliché used when evaluating The Trial of a Time Lord, which I cannot improve on- it is much less than the sum of its parts. If you watch it, there is much goodness- but you will have to bite through layers of fat and gristle to get there.

NEXT: Time and the Rani

The Mark of the Rani

The Mark of the Rani tells its story efficiently and informatively- indeed it really does, inform, entertain and educate in a way that noted jazz-racist Lord Reith would certainly have approved of. Pip and Jane Baker effectively place us in a well-researched historical setting (very Hartnellian) and give an unusual, but effective sci-fi explanation for events. In addition, we are introduced to the very entertaining character of the Rani. Brilliantly, she is portrayed as ruthless and amoral, but not actually sadistic or evil. The Bakers use her to effectively comment on the obsession the Master has with destroying the Doctor and makes one actually welcome the return of the goateed villain. True, no explanation is given for how the Master escaped his apparent incineration in Planet of Fire, but that is a matter of continuity, not story. The interplay between the three Time Lords is wonderful and worth the price of the DVD alone. However, the Bakers have certain shortcomings as writers. Notoriously, they have difficulties in writing naturalistic dialogue and there are some absolutely atrocious lines. A problem here that would also arise in later stories is their inability to distinguish between quirky and silly- the Rani's trees are just a step too far!

However, the greatest asset the story has is its visualisation. The location filming at the Ironbridge Gorge Museum is astounding, every bit as good as that found in the most lavish costume dramas. The locations, costuming and the plentiful extras really give a sense of time and place and director Sarah Hellings shoots with great feeling and has a great eye for an arresting image. The studio locations mesh well with the location work and I must give a special mention for the wonderful set for the Rani's TARDIS- totally different from the Doctor (and the Master's) but still instantly recognisable. If there is a production gaffe, it is the trees; but they were stupid anyway. I was overjoyed when I saw this, to see my first Doctor Who dinosaur and, although the T. rex is hardly photo-realistic it is, unfortunately, the best realisation of a dinosaur that Doctor Who had in the 20th century!

The guest performances are good, but the Bakers only really flesh out a few characters. Lord Ravensworth is excellently played by Terence Alexander and the great Gawn Grainger plays George Stephenson. The story has a strong regional feel although, it must be said, some of the Geordie characters border on 'Why-eye!' stereotypes. Kate O'Mara is outstanding as the Rani and Anthony Ainley hugely entertaining as the Master. Colin Baker puts in his best performance yet, helped, perhaps, by the Doctor being more stable and likable in the script. The interplay between the Doctor and Peri is both well written and played and Nicola Bryant gives a very engaging performance.

If you ignore those rubbish trees, this is a highly enjoyable story with a lot to recommend it.

NEXT: The Two Doctors

Planet of Fire

One of the problems Planet of Fire comes up against is the sheer number of things it has to incorporate on top of the story. Turlough’s origins are explained, before he is written out. Kamelion, too, makes an exit. Peri is introduced and the Master makes a comeback. The story itself is straightforward and unspectacular. The inhabitants of the highly volcanic planet Sarn worship the God Logar, but while Logar might have a mundane explanation, there is real power on Sarn, a power that the Master is keen to exploit. This is tied in with the fate of Turlough’s father, who may have crash-landed on Sarn a generation ago. As a script, Planet of Fire doesn’t do things that other stories haven’t done before. There is a religion that is based on a technological power (like in The Face of Evil). The Master has come to a planet to heal himself (The Deadly Assassin/ The Keeper of Traken). However, if the story is somewhat unoriginal, the script is competently written, if not as tight as it could be- the Numismaton gas concept could have been more securely tied in with the story, for example.

However, the story’s realisation is very impressive and Fiona Cumming puts in good work in the director’s chair. The location filming in Lanzarote is excellent, although it was, perhaps, unwise to make Lanzarote represent both itself and Sarn- the Canary Islands are a very popular tourist destination and Lanzarote’s volcanic plains are very recognisable. The studio scenes are also atmospheric and work well with the filmed segments. The presentation of the Master/Kamelion is suitably disorientating to have a real effect.

Characterisation is not the story’s strong point and most of the guest characters are forgettable. However, we have a truly outstanding performance by Peter Wyngarde as Timanov, who gives the character a real sense of dignity, despite his delusion. Nicola Bryant is instantly memorable as the sparky Peri, although her American accent is variable (the scene where she has to share dialogue with Dallas Adams must be excruciating for an American viewer!) We are also finally given an explanation for the mysteries behind Turlough’s character before he leaves. Turlough was hardly the most consistently written character, but Mark Strickson always gave an excellent performance and it is sad to see him go. The spectacular misfire that was Kamelion’s character is also written out in only his second appearance. Kamelion is effective in this story (mainly because the static robot prop is hardly used) but his removal is welcome. The Doctor isn’t as fully written as he usually is (outside Eric Saward scripts) but Davison fills in the gaps with his usual professionalism.

Planet of Fire is well made, though hardly essential, Doctor Who. In a considerable reformatting of the character dynamics, the Doctor is back to having a single companion- but more changes are to come…

NEXT: The Caves of Androzani

"The Five Doctors"

Doctor Who's 20th Anniversary was marked by this feature length episode. As expected, the story is primarily there to celebrate Doctor Who's history, of which there was a hell of a lot. Terrence Dicks's script was a last-minute rush job that juggled five Doctors and their companions and the usual array of guest characters, so it is a miracle that the story works so well. Dicks reuses a plot element from The War Games (kidnapping alien beings to do battle in a game) and uses it to give each Doctor breathing space in this convoluted affair and the quest aspect is well handled to bind the differing journeys together. The story is also a quest for the identity of the Doctor himself, something made explicit in the plot and also lying implicit in the story's aim to be a celebration. Gallifrey is again given a sense of history with great economy and Dicks includes a great deal of memorable dialogue in a script that shows his skill and consummate professionalism.

Peter Moffat is hardly the most visually adventurous director, but he does reasonably good work here. Despite Gallifrey having a similar look to Arc of Infinity, scenes are cut with more urgency which compensate for this. The locations are well shot, with some very atmospheric scenes in the caves, and there is some great matte painting work for the exterior of the Dark Tower and great set design for the interior. We get some of the series' most celebrated monsters, with the appearance of a Dalek and a Yeti, but the main 'monsters' are the Cybermen. These are of similar design to those in Earthshock but, unfortunately, the key touch that made this design so great (the silver jaw visible behind the face-plate) has been omitted. However, the Cybermen form part of perhaps the most memorable set-piece in the story, the Raston Warrior Robot. This is a shockingly violent scene, where a platoon of Cybermen are impaled and dismembered by the Robot. The Robot is instantly memorable in a scene that is immaculately shot and edited.

Of course, the main attraction is the appearance of the five Doctors themselves, although, in reality, this is really another 'three doctors'- William Hartnell had been dead for 8 years and Tom Baker declined to appear. Jon Pertwee and Patrick Troughton effortlessly ease back into their roles and their interplay with their companions is excellently written and performed. Tom Baker appears in the form of a scene from Shada, but the First Doctor has been recast. Doing an impersonation of the inimitable Hartnell would have been disastrous, so it is good that Richard Hurndall gives us his own interpretation- he doesn't giggle or go 'hmm', but we still believe in him as the Doctor. If it had been up to me, I would not have had the First Doctor in it, but Hurndall does a good enough job. The guest performances are good, with Phillip Latham's power-mad Borusa being a highlight. The characterisation of the Master as being thwarted in his attempts to help the Doctor is highly amusing and works well.

The Five Doctors is eminently successful in both celebrating the programme and entertaining the viewer. This is the first story where I have had to review two versions. In 1995, an extended edition was released with 'improved' special effects and extra scenes. However, there are only two actual improvements, in my opinion- the first entrance of Borusa and the Doctor going into Borusa's office are better edited, but, in general, the pace is lost in the new edit. Also, the iconic black trapezoid used to represent the time scoop has been needlessly replaced with what looks like a CGI ice cream. If you only have time for one, make it the original.

NEXT: Warriors of the Deep

The King’s Demons

In today’s TV climate, we are used to climactic series finales and Enlightenment certainly felt like one. However, it was not the finale, but was followed by this brief oddity. The story is somewhat uninspired- the Master is using a shape-shifting robot called Kamelion to impersonate King John, so that Magna Carta will not be signed. Given only 50 minutes to tell the story, it would be hoped that this will result in a lean script from Terence Dudley, who had written the great historical two-parter Black Orchid. However, what we seem to get is not a four parter with the padding taken out, but the plot, the padding and very little else. Characterisation is non-existent, with characters changing their attitude to the Doctor with each change in circumstances. It doesn’t help that the brief for the story seemed to be a grab bag for all the bullet points for the anniversary season that had not been fulfilled earlier- a historical, a Master story and the introduction of Kamelion. The story just stops with the regulars running into the TARDIS, which is a hardly the most inspired turn of events.

The production goes some way to healing the problems. The sets and costumes are of a high standard (the castle set is very reminiscent of the one in The Crusade) and Tony Virgo puts in a reasonably good job behind the camera. Frank Windsor makes Sir Ranulf seem more rounded than the script allows, although a fine actress like Isla Blair is given far too little to do. The ‘surprise’ of Sir Gilles being the Master is the least effective plot twist in ages- I instantly recognised Ainley at the time. King John (or the Kamelion version of him) is played wonderfully by Gerald Flood. However, the robot itself is something of a disappointment- well designed, but lacking in mobility, and the decision to keep it as a regular character was a bad one, as the production team would eventually realise.

The regulars put in great performances, with Peter Davison again elevating the mundane to the watchable. I love Tegan’s reaction to the Kamelion version of herself as well. However, The King’s Demons, although not terrible is totally inconsequential, and you will lose nothing by skipping it.

NEXT: "The Five Doctors"

Time-Flight

Of all the stories of Season 19, Time-Flight stands out the most, for one reason- it's bad. Time-Flight drives home how well the John Nathan-Turner era started- from The Leisure Hive to Earthshock, there was not a single story that was not wonderful on at least one level. Time-Flight breaks this remarkable winning streak. The first episode is actually quite good, very reminiscent of The Faceless Ones. However, as we carry on it is obvious that there is very little plot for the next 72 minutes. Basically, the Master (sorry to let the cat out of the bag) has been stranded on Jurassic Earth and has discovered the Nucleus- the collective intelligence of the people of the planet Xeriphas- is also there. To help him gain control of it, he kidnaps humans from 1982.

This could have been made into a run-of-the-mill Doctor Who story in the hands of a skilful writer. However, the script is overloaded with technobabble- there are times when you realise that the Doctor and the Master are, basically, intoning random collections of words at each other. The Master is disguised as Kalid- a mysterious magician. The trouble is, there is no more reason for a tubby conjurer to be on Jurassic Earth than a goateed baddie and there is certainly no reason for the Master to keep up the silly voice when he's on his own. The portrayal of the Nucleus as a collective intelligence with a split personality is an intriguing, if not very original idea, but it emerges too late in the narrative and is not adequately developed or even properly integrated into the story. There is also one criticism I have held since I first watched this story at the tender age of six- this is the second story where we are teased with mentions of dinosaurs, but none appear!

However, a patchy script can be invigorated by a good production and, again, the first episode looks great, with good location filming in and around Concorde. However, the production team was fighting a losing battle when the story had to portray Concorde crashing on Jurassic Earth. The sets have all the greyness of lumps of rock without any of the other features that would make it a convincing rocky landscape. The Plasmatons bring to mind the Gel-Guards with the added 'advantage' of also being a dull grey colour. Ron Jones's work in the first episode is very good- Nyssa's vision of the dead Xeraphin is a real 'behind the sofa' moment. However, he seems to lose interest in the story after the first episode and pretty much directs on autopilot.

The performances are competent enough, if a bit lifeless- only Nigel Stock is memorable amongst the guest cast. It is here, however that we see Peter Davison's tremendous strength in the title role. Davison plays it like he believes it and it is this that lifts the story from unwatchable to barely watchable. Janet Fielding continues to impress and Sarah Sutton puts in a nice performance.

There are worse stories than Time-Flight- but after typing this review, I have lost the motivation to actually name them.

NEXT: Arc of Infinity