The Five Doctors Review

The Five Doctors

The titular four Doctors



Story 129, Episodes 602, 20th Anniversary Special

Doctor: The First Doctor, The Second Doctor, The Third Doctor, The Fourth Doctor, The Fifth Doctor

Companions: Susan Foreman, The Brigadier, Sarah Jane Smith, K9, Romana II, Tegan Jovanka, Vislor Turlough

Doctor Who celebrates its 20th Anniversary in style, bringing back classic Doctors and probing deeper into Gallifreyan history.

The Review

The First Doctor and Susan meet the current team

Anniversary specials are a funny thing. We all want to see our favorite characters from the show return, but also don’t want something that is dumb and stupid. It would be exceedingly difficult to bring as many characters back as The Five Doctors does and come up with some killer emotional story, so it doesn’t really try. For the big reveals we return to Gallifrey and finally meet Rassilon, who for a decade has been spoken of as the legendary founder of the Time Lords. That at least makes the story feel special rather than tossing in characters. First off, we see shots from the unfinished Shada representing the Fourth Doctor and Romana, who we are told are ‘stuck the vortex’. It’s a shame Tom Baker didn’t return, as seeing him and Lalla Ward again was genuinely heart-warming. With William Hartnell having passed, Richard Hurndall is cast as the First Doctor, and he cuts a warmer figure than Hartnell. Susan is also back as a woman now, curiously the Fifth Doctor doesn’t seem too happy to see her. She then twists her ankle, which is honestly a cruel joke played on Carole Ann Ford.

The Third Doctor and Sarah Jane reunited

The Five Doctors smartly gives us some character pairings we haven’t seen in a while starting with the Second Doctor meeting the Brigadier, and the Third Doctor meeting Sarah Jane. Troughton is delightfully and completely himself, and despite his hair having gone completely white Pertwee still has his sharp edge. Sarah Jane doesn’t get as much to do as she deserves, there’s no really interactions with the Fifth Doctor and she falls down a hill. Turlough gets stuck in the TARDIS for most of it, but Tegan does get to hang around with the First Doctor which is quite a fun crossover. As for the Fifth Doctor he gets some time on Gallifrey taking to Lord President Borusa and other members of the high council, trying to figure out who brought them all here. It’s a good narrative structure to have all these pairings and bring them together at the end.

Rassilon makes an appearance at last

We of course get some villains, the Daleks are only represented by a lone entry while we get a lot of the Master and the Cybermen. The Master is tasked with rescuing the Doctor from the ‘Death Zone’ on Gallifrey, where Rassilon’s tomb is, but once again Ainley doesn’t get to do much despite putting in a good acting performance. I don’t know who expected a lot of the Cybermen in this story, but it is fun to see their silver suits out in the foggy Welsh highlands of the Death Zone. Certainly would take them over lots of EXTERMINATE! In the end, President Borusa turns out to the the villain, desiring Rassilon’s immortality, and he gets it as others before him, immortality as stone on Rassilon’s tomb. The First Doctor gets the pivotal line goading Borusa into it, a good decision by the script. As they all leave, the Fifth Doctor is appointed President of Gallifrey, so he jumps in the TARDIS and flees. After all, that’s how it started. Listen, The Five Doctors is just pure fun. We even get illusions of Liz, Yates, Jamie, Zoe to round it out. Classic characters, a good plot, and an ending ensuring the show continues.

It opens with William Hartnell’s monologue to Susan from The Dalek Invasion of Earth, and ends with the Peter Davison Doctor running away from Gallifrey. All told, it’s good fun. I just wish the companions other than the Brigadier got more to do.

9.25/10 A great template for future anniversary specials. Give us characters!

The Master in discussions with the Cybermen



The Third Doctor Review

Third Doctor

 

Third Doctor

Doctor: The Third Doctor

Companions: The Brigadier, Liz Shaw, Jo Grant, Sarah Jane Smith

Taking Doctor Who into a new more modern era, the Third Doctor era features tons of stories set in contemporary England and grounds the show for the first time.

The Review

Here’s the scores for the stories

The Claws of Axos: 10/10

The Curse of Peladon: 10/10

Doctor Who and the Silurians: 10/10

The Sea Devils: 9.5/10

Planet of the Daleks: 9.5/10

Colony in Space: 9.5/10

The Evil of the Daleks: 9.25/10

Spearhead from Space: 9/10

The Ambassadors of Death: 9/10

The Dæmons: 8.75/10

The Three Doctors: 8.5/10

The Green Death: 8.5/10

The Time Warrior: 8.5/10

Terror of the Autons: 8.5/10

The Mind of Evil: 8.5/10

Planet of the Spiders: 8.25/10

Invasion of the Dinosaurs: 8/10

Death to the Daleks: 8/10

The Monster of Peladon: 8/10

Inferno: 8/10

The Time Monster: 7.75/10

Frontier in Space: 7.5/10

The Mutants: 7/10

Carnival of Monsters: 7/10

Compared to some of the formulaic stories of the previous era, Pertwee’s era knows when the UNIT stories have ran out their welcome and ventures into a more sci-fi direction. The Season 7 stories are long thrilling epics, and all of Season 8 featuring the Master seems not to grow old because of the variety of plots. When the show finally returns to the future and outer space, we encounter the Daleks and more exciting foes to battle. Liz’s effectiveness as a companion wears off, but Jo and Sarah Jane’s never do. The Brigadier and the UNIT ‘family’ are a constant beneficial presence, finding just as much success in aiding the Doctor as they do in disagreeing with him. While some might feel Pertwee’s era to feel out of step with later eras, I think its homebound philosophy finally grounded the show in our day and age.

Now, Pertwee’s best moments.

5. “I had to face my fear. That was more important than going on living.” After meeting his teacher K’anpo Rimpoche, the Doctor realizes that he is responsible for the crisis in Planet of the Spiders and that fixing it will cost him his life. Facing his fear of failure, the Doctor lays dying and comforts Sarah Jane.

4. “Right. Cut it open!” The head-spinning epic of The Ambassadors of Death gets even freakier when the Doctor tries to communicate with the astronauts supposedly in a recovered spacecraft. When they appear to not respond to his questioning, the Doctor demands the hatch cut open. It is a moment of drama where anything could happen.

3. “They were intelligent alien beings. A whole race of them.” The Doctor’s shock and dismay as he watches the Brigadier and UNIT kill all the Silurians is a poignant and dark ending to an absolute classic in Doctor Who and the Silurians.

2. “I want to see the universe, not rule it.” The best of the Doctor’s verbal spats with his arch-enemy in the Master comes in Colony in Space. The Doctor explains that the universe is better to be seen, not ruled, and turns down another villainous ‘join me’ offer.

1. “It was the daisiest daisy I’d ever seen.” Locked up with Jo in The Time Monster, the Doctor gives us a rare look into his Gallifreyan past. He describes the blackest day of life, and how his monk teacher on a mountain got him past it. By having the Doctor focus on the color and beauty of the daisy, the Doctor started seeing everything more beautifully. It’s a sweet, truly touching moment.

For five whole seasons, Pertwee supercharged Doctor Who into the color era with the help of all the fabulous iconic actors that did it with him: Nicholas Courtney, Katy Manning, Elisabeth Sladen, and Roger Delagdo the principal heroes of the time. This is an era that should be remembered fondly.

8.271/10 The Pertwee era was a success for Doctor Who and ensured that the show would continue for decades to come

Season 11 Review

Season 11

 

Season 11

Doctor: The Third Doctor

Companions: The Brigadier, Sarah Jane Smith

In Pertwee’s final outing, we meet the legendary Sarah Jane Smith and get a string of consistently solid but not great stories.

The Review

Here’s the scores for the stories

The Time Warrior: 8.5/10

Planet of the Spiders: 8.25/10

Invasion of the Dinosaurs: 8/10

Death to the Daleks: 8/10

The Monster of Peladon: 8/10

I think it is not such a bad things that so many stories scored out as 8s. This season was just consistently solid from start to finish. Sarah Jane was not the completely fierce independent woman I was expecting, but maybe she was for the era. Nevertheless Elisabeth Sladen was tons of fun to be around. Pertwee’s Doctor was getting a bit crochety with age, but his cool demeanor and calmness under pressure were suave until the end. The special effects were a bit dodgy, but I have a high forgiveness understanding this was low-budget 70s tv. Thematically, this season worked.

8.15/10 The Pertwee era’s quality lasted through the end. An excellent era of Doctor Who

Planet of the Spiders Review

Planet of the Spiders

Time’s Up

Story 74, Episodes 377-382, Season 11 Episodes 21-26

Doctor: The Third Doctor

Companions: The Brigadier, Sarah Jane Smith

The Third Doctor faces his fear, and finds it mored important than living in a farewell to his era that just misses the mark of greatness.

The Review

We get the Brig in a suit looking quite charming

The original final tale for the Third Doctor would’ve had a final showdown with the Master, unfortunately Roger Delgado’s death scrapped that idea. Instead we get Planet of the Spiders, bringing back the running Metebelis III gag from last season and infusing it with deadly seriousness. Let’s get across the main story: Yates gets a redemption arc after trying to kill all of humanity by learning compassion at a monastery. A group of men, led by Lupton, are instead trying to find power and not inner peace. This leads them to the Eight Legs, a race of intelligent large spiders on Metebelis III. Years in the future a human colony ship crash landed there, and some stowaway spiders ended up in the Cave of Crystal, becoming large and possessing psychic powers. Their connection to the Doctor’s crystal (mailed back by Jo) kills an actual human psychic before we learn why he developed psychic powers. Lupton steals the crystal, and off we go.

The Whomobile FLIES. The green screen is obvious but I didn’t know Doctor Who had a “we don’t need roads” moment

There is a lengthy chase using a helicopter, the Whomobile, Bessie, and hover boats that is completely ridiculous but apparently the wish of Pertwee so I’ll allow it. The monastery has some good characters, including the mentally disabled Thomas who is ‘cured’ by the psychic energy of the crystal. His innocence allows him to resist the psychic power of the Eight Legs, who reside hidden on people’s backs letting them fire off force lightning. Sarah Jane is accidentally teleported to Metebelis III, but the Doctor follows in the TARDIS. There is some palace intrigue with Lupton’s spider trying to rebel against the Queen, who also rules the ‘Two Legs’, with the Eight Legs regularly devouring people. However, the real power was always the gigantic almost deific spider, the Great One, who just needs the crystal the Doctor stole to project her power across the universe. The spiders are all female, and with quite menacing voices, which help their uncertain special effects. The Great One’s sneering is particularly menacing.

The Third Doctor faces death, dignified

We first heard K’anpo Rimpoche mentioned as the man who helped the Doctor on his blackest day, though unnamed. It turns out he is the abbot of the monastery, projecting his next regeneration as ChoJe, his assistant. The Doctor does not recognize him at first, but feels humbled in his presence. It turns out that there is a spider on the Doctor’s back, but unlike the Queen on Sarah Jane it is greed. The Third Doctor has always been so dashing, heroic, and unstoppable, his biggest fear is what if he is responsible for a tragedy. Knowing the crystal room will poison him, the Doctor returns the crystal and watches the power overwhelm the Great One and destroy her. To atone for his sins, the Doctor must die, and he does so next to Sarah Jane and the Brigadier. “A tear, Sarah Jane? Don’t cry. When there’s life, there’s–“. Maybe the dashing exterior of the Third Doctor was always a cover for fear, fear that he was responsible for Jamie and Zoe’s banishment, fear that one day he couldn’t save the day. Fear not Doctor, you did.

The Planet of the Spiders doesn’t hit all the right notes, and has maybe one too many plot lines. It takes until the end for it to develop into a true Pertwee farewell. Goodbye Doctor, hello Tom Baker.

8.25/10 Added points for poignancy

The Fourth Doctor

The Monster of Peladon Review

The Monster of Peladon

The sleuthing gang

Story 73, Episodes 371-376, Season 11 Episodes 15-20

Doctor: The Third Doctor

Companions: Sarah Jane Smith

It is unusual for Doctor Who to have a direct sequel to an earlier story, but that’s what we get in a return to Peladon that can’t quite live up to the first trip.

The Review

Here goes Aggador again, killing people

I thought The Curse of Peladon was a classic about the tensions between an increasingly connected world and wanting to retain the old ways. When the Doctor (in a brilliant green suit) and Sarah Jane arrive on Peladon fifty years later, things are much the same. The King’s daughter now rules as a mostly figurehead Queen, early in the story she gets some daring moments but unfortunately fades as it continues. Hepesh is gone, but you wouldn’t know it as Ortron has taken over for him and is just as suspicious of the galactic federation. The miners are on the brink of rebellion, and the reasonable Gebek tries to stop them from falling prey to the extremist Ettis. When the new sonic lance is activated, a vision of the god Aggador appears and somebody gets evaporated on the spot. Nasty business. The mystery of who is behind it and why is quite intriguing, but things take a turn when the bubbly Alpha Centauri calls in Federation troops.

The Ice Warriors have never been more intelligible in their speech

The Ice Warriors swarm in, but the trick is some were already here: the Federation is in a deadly war with Galaxy 5 and needs the resources of Peladon. It is saddening to learn that the seemingly decent engineer Eckersley was actually murdering all the people with the vision of Aggador. Here is where the story stops becoming an interesting even more complex look at the difficulties of integrating different societies as the Ice Warriors present a common threat to be united against. Sure the Ice Warriors here are a breakaway group, but to see them reduced to villains again is a disappointing step after the subversion of the previous story. Sarah Jane also presumes the Doctor as dead about five different times in this story alone (not to mention the running season-long theme). Maybe it was intended as foreshadowing, but it gets tiresome here. Peladon did have some more to offer, but a chance at a great story is tossed away to take out some Ice Warriors.

For the Third Doctor’s last happy outing, a return to Peladon is a fine idea. I just wish the final product could’ve included some more complexity.

8/10 Season 11 has brought us a string of 8s, and is that such a bad thing?

The more things change…

 

Death to the Daleks Review

Death to the Daleks

Burning down the house

Story 72, Episodes 367-370, Season 11 Episodes 11-14

Doctor: The Third Doctor

Companions: Sarah Jane Smith

Death to the Daleks features the Daleks in a supporting role as the Doctor has to figure out the mysteries of the Exxilons.

The Review

The city!

In a bizarre bit of history, this is the final Dalek story not to also feature their creator Davros until 2005. You can see why a shake-up was potentially deemed necessary by the writing staff as there really isn’t much for the Daleks to do here. On the planet Exxilon, the TARDIS crew, some future humans, and the Daleks are forced in an alliance because something on the planet killed their power. The Exxilons are a race of creatures with splotchy grey skin and hooded robes that try to sacrifice Sarah Jane for touching their city. They escape of course, and meet other Exxilons who do not subscribe to the religion of the majority but recognize the city for what it is: a hostile organism that must be destroyed. The Daleks meanwhile take over the Exxilons after some effort in order to mine Parrinium to create an intergalactic plague (the humans actually need it as an antidote).

A simple maze puzzle

Sarah Jane is sidelined a lot of the story, and the Doctor and the Exxilon Bellal head into the city and face an array of puzzles that they must overcome. Bellal is kind of adorable, and the Doctor shepherds him through the puzzles until they reach the city center. There, he causes a meltdown in the city, turning the power back on. The Daleks escape, but one of the humans sacrifices himself to destroy their ship. Overall, it’s a fun little story, the four episode length is always a relief after some of the lengthier classic stories. You don’t really feel for the human faction because they’re not given much time to introduce themselves. For as independent as Sarah Jane is supposed to be, she doesn’t mess around challenging the Doctor’s authority very often. The Daleks are a pretty fun component of this story as not the main cause of it, but still feel underpowered.

Overall, it’s a good story, just wish there was some more fearsome Dalek action.

8/10 Into the city!

No beach time for Sarah

 

Invasion of the Dinosaurs Review

Invasion of the Dinosaurs

The greatest predator in Earth’s history

Story 71, Episodes 361-366, Season 11 Episodes 5-10

Doctor: The Third Doctor

Companions: Sarah Jane Smith, The Brigadier

In a story aired thirty years too early, Invasion of the Dinosaurs turns out to be about far more than ancient reptiles.

The Review

One of them is a traitor

The first episode of this story has only survived in black and white, but it adds to the sense of horror and doom. London is completely abandoned, looking like the apocalypse has hit. The Doctor and Sarah Jane are arrested by looters and have to escape to reach UNIT, there they encounter the dinosaurs. The effects for the dinosaurs are bad, but it honestly works within the context of classic Doctor Who. I know this was made on a low 70s BBC budget, I’m forgiving of bad effects that don’t pretend to be any better. Sarah Jane and the Doctor get separated pretty quickly, and it’s a good showcase for Sarah Jane’s plucky tenacity. It is immediately obvious the narrow-faced General Finch is in on the plot, and the kind and congenial Minister Grover gives himself away too. Everything changes with one whopper of a cliffhanger: Sarah Jane is knocked out and wakes up…on a spaceship several months from Earth!

Time Lord force. Don’t have to explain anything

One of the more interesting aspects is Yates’ traitorousness, after he was a fake traitor in The Green Death I didn’t believe he was really on the conspirator’s side until the end of the story. The conspiracy was to use the dinosaurs to clear central London of only approved personnel (most locked in a fake underground spaceship, Sarah Jane hardly moved) then time warp the rest of the world back to before humanity ‘ruined’ it. Of course, billions would phase out of existence, something Yates apparently doesn’t mind even though murder of one person is fine. Yates’ downfall is a tragic fate for a character, and one I didn’t see coming. Thankfully Benton remains as perfect as ever, allowing the Doctor to nerve-pinch him after the Doctor is framed. The Brigadier too cleverly sidesteps Finch’s orders on technicalities to help carry the day. Dramatically, the project is activated, but because he’s a Time Lord, the Doctor resists the time freeze and saves the day.

London being abandoned would be even better on the new budget

This story works well enough in the 70s, but would have been perfect as a big budget RTD-era two-parter. The dinosaurs for one would look much better akin to Dinosaurs on a Spaceship. Sarah Jane waking up on a spaceship would be a true stunning way to end the first part of the episode, and Yates’ betrayal of UNIT would be not only surprising but somber. As it stands, the story is a solid one, as the classic series in the early going seems to have had trouble producing a string of true stinkers. What sells this story is how well the actor absolutely commit to the material, even with the terrible dinosaurs. The Brigadier is a key cog to this story, and I never grow tired of a bit of wryness breaking from underneath his straight-laced exterior. I was expecting a dumb romp with dinosaurs, and instead got something complex and fun.

It turns out to be about much more than dinosaurs, as the Doctor races to stop the end of one hell of a scheme.

8/10 Poor one out for old Mike Yates

RAAAA FIGHT

 

The Time Warrior Review

The Time Warrior

The Doctor and Sarah Jane take on Linx

Story 70, Episodes 357-360, Season 11 Episodes 1-4

Doctor: The Third Doctor

Companions: Sarah Jane Smith, The Brigadier

Doctor Who‘s most legendary companion is introduced to the show, and Sarah Jane doesn’t disappoint.

The Review

I think this was a promo photo but it’s a good one

It’s amazing how young Elisabeth Sladen looks after having seen her in the new series. The dynamic of a new companion coming in at the end of a Doctor’s run is always fun to me: the Doctor is often irascible and not expecting a new companion while the companion keeps pushing him. Reminds me of Bill and Clara. Sarah Jane is full of life, and refuses to be held down by anyone, not sexist middle age knights and certainly not the Doctor. The Doctor dropping a ‘fairer sex’ comment is cringeworthy, but I’m going to say it was just to wind up Sarah Jane a bit. Pertwee is my favorite Doctor so far of the classic series, and I expect him to stay high up on the list. The debonair man of action is at it again, swinging around a castle, getting into sword fights, and looking dashing while doing it. The partnership between Sarah Jane and the Doctor works so well because they’re constantly at odds with each other, but still learning to grow from one another.

The Middle Ages Robocop

The Sontaran Linx is an excellent villain, portrayed with tons of life. He is completely believable as an exiled soldier from a large intergalactic war, and is consistently regal in his demeanor. The scene where we first see his ugly potato head is perfect, and leaves the viewers actually feeling a sense of revulsion. The medieval characters are less successful, but probably a semi-accurate portrayal. I did like the gag of the robotic automaton soldier that Linx whips up for his hosts. The Doctor impersonating it is great fun too. Side character Rubeish, a brilliant, chatty, but completely blind (without his glasses) professor is an amusing presence in the story. Knowing that Sarah Jane will go on to be the breakout companion of the entire series, you can see it here. She’s strong, fierce, funny, genuine (and pretty too). For his first adventure, it’s a good one.

With a companion far more independent than Jo, the dashing seriousness of Pertwee’s Doctor is challenged in entertaining fashion.

8.5/10 Sarah Jane is as intrepid as they come.

What a great duo

 

Season 10 Review

Season 10

 

Season 10

Doctor: The Third Doctor

Companions: The Brigadier, Jo Grant

Season 10 has us say goodbye to Jo Grant, and unfortunately goodbye to the original Master. Starting with the first multi-Doctor tale, Doctor Who‘s anniversary season is a success.

The Review

Here’s the scores for the stories

Planet of the Daleks: 9.5/10

The Three Doctors: 8.5/10

The Green Death: 8.5/10

Frontier in Space: 7.5/10

Carnival of Monsters: 7/10

Jo Grant’s character I’ve seen has been criticized for not being a feminist women of the times (which I believe will be rectified in style next season). However, her character was far from the shrieking sometimes hapless female companions of the past. A bit eccentric, and always in her own way, Jo was a capable and strong companion that solved an array of situations and will be missed. The Three Doctors featured some of the hammiest acting to date in Doctor Who history, but provided great fun. Carnival of Monsters and Frontier in Space were less successful, but their payoff in Planet of the Daleks was spectacular. It is shame Delgado’s last appearance left his character open-ended. The Green Death brings Jo’s story to an end, and makes us shed a tear seeing Jon Pertwee so shaken about it. Throughout the whole season, his icy-cold wit kept the show humming, and ensured that Doctor Who‘s first decade would be far from its last.

8.2/10 No problem Venusian Akido can’t solve. HYAH!

The Green Death Review

The Green Death

Nothing lasts with the Doctor

Story 69, Episodes 351-356, Season 10 Episodes 21-26

Doctor: The Third Doctor

Companions: Jo Grant, The Brigadier

The partnership of Jo and the Doctor comes to a close in a good story with a strong environmental message.

The Review

They used dead ferret heads for this, can you even imagine?

Like all good classic stories, the tale of The Green Death starts in one place and ends in quite another. An oil company, Global Chemical, is coming to replace the dying coal industry, but miners are turning glowing green and dying. The Doctor, Jo, and UNIT go to investigate and meet the protestors led by the charismatic Welshman Cliff Jones. Though the Brigadier obviously chafes at the house of hippie scientists, Cliff wins him over with fungus impersonating meat and being a brave man. Jo is on board right away, initially arriving early alone (meanwhile the Doctor goes to the blue world of Metebelis Three and we have quick amusing cuts to him dealing with extremely hostile wildlife). The Global Chemical workers respond to a mysterious boss with the power of mind control who turns out to be the BOSS, a supercomputer trying to learn from human brain patterns. BOSS is velvety and charming, and although the Cybermen or the Master could easily have been behind this, it is somewhat of relief they aren’t.

Jon Pertwee absolutely makes this work and it’s a miracle

Of course, it is Cliff’s mushrooms that are poison to the supersized maggots. The Doctor sneaks into the GC building multiple times, putting on an incredibly convincing milkman disguise and a less convincing but hilariously outrageous maid gown. He uses a sapphire from Metebelis Three to snap people out of their hypnosis, the main human villain Stephens destroying BOSS. Of course: the main twist is that this is the end of the road for Jo, as she and Cliff have fallen hopelessly in love. It is on the face of it problematic to have a female companion leave for love, but Cliff and Jo’s chemistry is immediately apparent and it is perfectly in character for Jo to run off with a brilliant environmentalist. The Doctor is much more wounded by this than he tells her, she quietly slips out during the party and drives home alone. It is a goodbye to Jo that stays true to her character, and makes us remember how much we cared for her.

Jo Grant leaves for adventures not far from her work with the Doctor, with a man that she loves. It is a happy ending for her, but a saddening one as it ends a great partnership.

8.5/10 Jo heads out in style, and gets one last round with all of the UNIT personnel plus her beloved Doctor.

The Doctor can hardly believe it: Jo Grant is gone