(667) Dragonfire - Part 3

The final episode of this season manages to salvage some of the problems that this season has had. For the first few minutes it didn’t seem like much was happening. This was made clear by the fact that there was a scene where Mel wants to play Eye Spy and the look on Ace’s face pretty much says everything that needs to be said. I want Ace and Mel to be getting stuck in not playing a child’s game.

The little girl that appeared in the first episode returns in this episode and is given an awful lot of screen time and at one point seems to befriend the dragon. I really don’t see what she has to bring to the story considering she had been a peripheral character and so the reason for her to appear so much time is a mystery.  

I like the model that appears when the colony is revealed as a spaceship. It’s one of the few model shots in the serial and it looks rather good.

The death of Kane is quite possibly one of the most gruesome deaths in Doctor Who. It’s very similar to the one that happens in the first of the Indiana Jones films. It’s one of those things that if it had happened in the Colin Baker era then it would have really caused controversy but its not given the same reaction nowadays. I think that its somewhat foolish for Kane to look out of a window rather than a computer screen.

Mel’s goodbye does come a bit out of the blue. Quite why she chose now to leave. The Doctor’s reaction is rather sad and it’s the first time that McCoy’s Doctor has had the opportunity to show this side. Mel decides that she is going to be travelling with Glitz for no clear reason. It’s a shame that this happened because it seems to be similar to how Leela left in The Invasion of Time. Ace’s start in the TARDIS happens quite close to the end but that’s perfectly fine.

As an episode, it was one that was took an awfully long amount of time to get going. Once it did then it was a lot of fun and this three part adventure is easily the best thing in the 24^th season but that is sort of damning with faint praise. In any other season, this would still be a good story. Yes it has some serious problems in terms of narrative and character development but I would be lying if I said that I didn’t have a soft spot for it.

Season 24 has been the disappointment that I was expecting. This is the worst part of the McCoy era over with an now I can look forward to some really good stories and this is where Sylvester McCoy shows us what he can do as the Doctor and the show’s slow improvement starts now. The change of companions is the last that would occur in the original run and it’s weird to think that there is just three weeks’ worth of the classic era left. It’s starting to fly by.

(666) Dragonfire - Part 2

The thing I didn’t point out in yesterday’s review and that is this is the 150^th story of Doctor Who. Technically its not, technically it’s the 147^th but I count the four parts of the Trial season as separate stories so this is the 150^th and that’s the end of it. Today is the 666^th episode of Doctor Who so this is the episode where bad things should happen.

The way that the Doctor’s silly decision to go over the railing to produce the shows first real cliffhanger takes about four minutes to solve thus proving that it wasn’t quite as dramatic as it should have been. The decision was made even more ridiculous when Ace comes along a few minutes later with a far more practical roll up ladder.

Ace and Mel’s troubles come from trying to hide from the zombie like mercenaries that follow them around everywhere. There is a nice scene between Ace and Mel when we learn a bit more about Ace. I like it because we have learnt more about Ace in these two episodes than we have ever learnt about Mel. She also reveals that here real name is Dorothy which is why she calls herself Ace. Nothing wrong with Dorothy in my opinion but everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I am impressed with how good Sophie Aldred is because her performance has a nice mixture of freshness yet familiarity. Contrast that with the performance that Bonnie Langford which doesn’t seem to have much life to it. I think back to her debut story and just how much energy and vitality there was and how much has changed in such a short amount of time.

Belazs is a rather contradictory character because she wants to be rid of Kane and away from Iceworld but then points a gun at Glitz and the Doctor. Her death at the hands (literally) of Kane was a bit of a disappointment. I think that it would have been good for her to be free in the next episode or even sacrifice herself to help the Doctor. That is perhaps the thing that doesn’t quite work in the episode.

The Dragon which turns out not to be a dragon is visually an impressive design. The headpiece alone is impressive. It is more important to the story that previous thought. It’s clear that a lot of time and money went into it and it shows.

The production values have been rather impressive in this serial which after being let free with the outdoor story of Delta and the Bannermen. The sets are impressive because I believe that they are in a cold environment although its not cold enough for it to show when they are breathing.

The cliffhanger obviously going to be better than episode one’s but only just the episode ends with Kane announcing to no-one but himself that “After 3000 years, the Dragonfire will be mine”. This was another episode where the show took a step in the right direction. Two episodes in and my ratings are the highest of the McCoy era and at the moment it’s the first McCoy story get in the top 100. As a season it is tied with season 2 as worst so it will be interesting to see how the final episode of this story will affect that.

(665) Dragonfire - Part 1

Dragonfire is the final story of what has been the worst season ever in Doctor Who. To be frank there is very little in the way of positives that I can talk about. Even though the season is fourteen episodes, its felt like more than that. This story won’t have to do very much to be the best of the season but things look good when I remember that Sophie Aldred joins the show as Ace. Ace is the template for what Billie Piper would play in the new era. The opening scene already showed that things were going to improve. It was lit right, it had the right amount of tension and it was just better than the previous three episodes combined. Kane is a good villain. His first appearance sees him kill someone by placing his hands on their face. His treatment of Belazs is something that somehow makes his totally loathsome. It was smart to cast Edward Peel in the role because he plays it pretty much spot on and like Don Henderson in Delta and the Bannermen, is one of the best things in this serial.

There is talk of a dragon which seems to excite the Doctor although I don’t quite know why. Another thing that is slightly confusing is the café which has a weird amount of different alien races. Two people appear in this set which have some involvement in this serial.  Glitz makes a return in this episode. I don’t quite know why Glitz has been bought back but I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t glad to see him back. Tony Selby brings a nice bit of comedy to the serial. He has a map that everyone is interested but I am more interested in his unexpected chemistry with Sylvester McCoy because they work very well together. Ace is introduced in a rather understated way but as the episode progresses we get a nice bit of back story and we learn that she is feistier than a lot of companions we have had recently. She says Ace a lot and calls the Doctor Professor which is pretty much are the things that Ace is remembered for. It’s a very confident performance from Sophie Aldred and she sort of shows how low the character of Mel has sunk in such a short space of time.

What ruins this episode is one of the worst cliffhangers ever in Doctor Who. It is literally a cliffhanger because for no reason the Doctor decides to go over a railing and hand off the edge of a cliff hanging onto just his umbrella. This is just totally bizarre and no matter how many times I watch this story, I just don’t know what the purpose of it was. That said it still better than some of the episodes that I have seen during this season. There are steps to introduce Ace and phase out Mel but the thing that stands out for me is the big improvement in quality.

(664) Delta and the Bannermen - Part 3

I am grateful that this wasn’t a four part adventure because I don’t think I could stand another episode of the antics at the Shangri-La. I am getting slightly bored of pointing out the same problems that have appeared in each of the three episodes.

Billy had been taking something to turn him into a Chimeron. He ends the episode by going away with Delta and the kid who looks about 13 or 14 and just goes off with them. Kohll could easily have dropped Billy from the story and it wouldn’t have made much difference. What made it even worse is that Ray is left pretty much heartbroken. This is not perhaps the best ending to an episode there has ever been.

Gavrok doesn’t get to be very good in this episode because he spends the entire episode looking rather foolish. First of all he is defeated by stumbling into the force field that he created that comes after he and his guards are attacked by bees and honey. I think that Don Henderson deserved a better ending because he has worked very well during the three episodes.

The incidental music is normally something that works quite well in these stories but on this occasion it just doesn’t work. It’s possibly the first time that Keff McCulloch has put a foot wrong. When I remember how he saved the day with the in the previous story but that means that this story suffers.

There is a bit in the episode where there is about 10 of them working together. So much for the Doctor looking like the one that saved the day in Paradise Towers yet somehow falls short during these three episodes. I think I remember watching a documentary on Paradise Towers and McCulloch said that he was told to put this story to one side and that shows.

Delta and the Bannermen is only the second story of the 1980’s to be rated in the 6’s. At the moment it was ninth from bottom. The other 1980’s story was The Horns of Nimon so its in pretty good company. This story has been a bit of a disaster. Very little worked in this serial and I think that some of that should be placed at the feet of the writer because he hasn’t got a grip of what a Doctor Who story should be. Yes they deserve some credit for trying to do something different but they just messed up with this. Thankfully

(663) Delta and the Bannermen - Part 2

You know how I was saying that with the serial being three episodes it means that there is less padding and more opportunities for the pace to pick up. Well this episode pretty much blows that theory up in to thousands of pieces. This episode is about 90% padding and 10% relevant narrative. For the first time in a few episodes, Bonnie Langford wasn’t the most annoying aspect of the episode. But that is because of the facts that she had very little to do and also the fact that there were far more obvious annoying aspects of the episode.

The baby that looked gross at the end of the previous episode looks even worse when it sitting in Delta’s arms. There is a scene where Billy walks in and seems to accept the situation when he walks in. A few minutes later the baby had turned into a real baby that has the bad luck of having its face painted green. It’s the acceptance that Billy has that is something that doesn’t make any sense. I like the character of Delta and Belinda Mayne plays the role very well and I believe that she is a Queen. It’s just a shame that she is forced to spend the episode being mother and having to deal with Billy who is one of the worst characters in the entire serial and possibly even one of the worst supporting characters in Doctor Who.

I think the root of the problem with this serial is that there is an uneven mix of humour and non-humour. Weismuller and Hawk continue to be annoying in this episode and their only good moment comes when they meet Gavrok. Sadly Gavrok doesn’t wipe them out. Speaking of Gavrok, I think that Gravrok saves this episode and Don Henderson was a masterful piece of casting. His final scene where he is munching away at a piece of meat is a great moment in the episode.

Of the central performances, Sylvester McCoy has the better time but only just. He spends a little bit of time showing Burton inside the TARDIS for no real reason. Then he gets on Rachel’s bike and spends an awfully long amount of time riding around looking for Delta and the dopey one. His best moment comes when he encounters Goronwy played by the wonderfully delightful Hugh Lloyd. I wonder if Hugh Lloyd counts as stunt casting considering he appearing in countless episodes of Hancock’s Half Hour and lots of other shows between 1957 and this point.

The final scene with the Doctor and Gavrok is by far the best scene in the entire episode. It’s the first time that I have felt that it was Doctor Who which is a worrying thing considering that the show is suppose to be showing its good side. There seems to be way too much time given to bike trips and nonsensical relationships. At least there is only one episode left.

(662) Delta and the Bannermen - Part 1

After being somewhat disappointed with Paradise Towers, I wasn’t looking forward to this story because it’s never been one of my favourites. One of the arguments that people use to critisce John Nathan Turner is the use of ‘stunt casting’. One of the examples used for this argument is this story where it features the appearance of Ken Dodd. This is the first three part story since Planet of Giants (1964) and the three episode format will become commonplace during this period of the show and an advantage of the three episodes is that there isn’t going to be a much padding and that will mean there is a faster pace to proceedings.

The action starts pretty much from the moment that the titles finish. There are explosions and there is a nice gun battle. Sadly there are some green creatures who look like the toy soldiers from the Toy Story movies. That does somewhat devalue the moment. What does work in these scene is Gavrok. Gavrok is played by Don Henderson and was perhaps the big name in this serial and definelty not considered to be stunt casting.

The Doctor and Mel arrive in a huge hanger deck and I like how this freaks the Doctor out and he wants to leave but then trouble appears. Whilst I don’t agree with the argument that Ken Dodd was stunt casting, I do think that his first appearance is rather poor. It is just cheesy and totally not what the show should be about. Somehow the Doctor and Mel are the 10 Billionth people to visit. Even the Doctor is surprised that 10 billion people have use the shuttle. The introduction of the pilot leaves me rather downhearted because I think that this is an example of just how tired the show appears because it’s hard to believe that this would have taken place even just a few years ago. When they start singing Rock Around The Clock, I start to get frustrated because it just seems to add fire to people’s arguments against JNT. Hawk and Weismuller are a double act that appear quite early on. They are a couple of Americans. I know that they are American’s before they open their mouths because Weismuller is wearing a New York Yankees jacket. Then they proceed to look like a couple of inept spies. Imagine Jago and Litefoot but without any of the charm and they are treated as a duo that are being kept out of the way. Sadly they are in our way.

Delta escapes from her planet and leave on a ship and lands by the Doctor then manages to get on the coach before it takes off which seems rather odd and then blurts out who she is when she is supposed to be keeping a low profile.

The story takes place in a holiday village which doesn’t look like the nicest place to visit. I have never visited such a place and have never really seen the appeal of them. Then there is a ‘getting to know you dance’ which just seems horrible to me.

Billy is a rather bland individual who for some reason decides to fall for Delta instead of Rachel. This is just what the story doesn’t need, a love triangle. Rachel could have been a companion if JNT had not chosen Sophie Aldred. I don’t think that she would have worked as a companion but in the context of this story I thought that she worked quite well. There was something rather charming about Sara Griffiths’ performance.

Delta’s baby is perhaps the most disgusting thing that I have ever seen in Doctor Who before or after. I know that I have commented on how horrible some effects look when an aliens head ooze but this is way beyond what I think is acceptable in a Doctor Who story.

This isn’t a story that I truly hate but I am really struggling to find something positive in this episode. I think that this being three episodes long is something that is going to work in the serial’s favour but as I continue through this season I am convinced that nothing will change my opinion of this season and at the moment it’s the worst season in terms of average ratings. Season 2 has the lowest average rating which shows how bad this season has gone so far.

On a ratings note, this episode was watched by 5.3 million people whereas 16.3 million people were watching Coronation Street. That’s the widest margin since the season started.

(661) Paradise Towers - Part 4

The final episode of this story again starts off with that stupid shot of the tower. I do wonder why they went to the trouble of setting this on another planet because it could easily have been set on earth in the future. To be honest that is just a minor problem with a story that starts off slightly frustrating before becoming more frustrating and that frustration receding a bit in this episode.

I had forgotten that Richard Briers isn’t killed by because he becomes the body for the monster. I didn’t think I would like the new Chief Caretaker would be any fun but after a while I sort of got use to it. I think that it was a mistake for this to happen but writer Stephen Wyatt has admitted that this is one of the things wrong with it. The performance that Richard Briers gives is something that I have enjoyed but in this episode he sort of goes into zombie mode and that is disappointing. It’s not often that someone of Briers’ calibre comes into Doctor Who but he did very well and was the best thing about this serial.

Mel seems to have forgotten about the troubles because she starts the episode by taking a swim and within seconds is attacked by a yellow thing and also has the double misfortune of being stuck with Pex. Despite this being the episode where Pex shows us he is a hero and even when he has given his life pushing the Chief Caretaker to the explosives. To be honest I just wasn’t fussed about the loss of the character.

A good portion of the episode takes place in the pool. The Rezzies (Maddy), The Red and Blue Kangs, Pex, Mel and The Doctor have a good scene where they all seem to join forces to fight the Chief Caretaker. This is the first time that people have worked together to try and defeat someone. It feels like a plan is forming and its actually building up to something. There have been several groups yet there has been no real connection between them. Also I found the introduction of the Rezzies in the pool scene to be rather ill thought out because there must be more than three rezzies in Paradise Towers.

I am really glad that I this serial is over. Admittedly this episode is by far the serial so far but to be honest its too little too late. There was pace, there was some drama and more importantly there was something to like. Watching one of the documentaries on the DVD, writer Stephen Wyatt revealed that he wrote the final three episodes in two weeks which shows in episodes two and three but the necessity to tie things up means that we don’t have people meandering around. Paradise Towers will be remembered for wasted opportunities and just want to move on.

(660) Paradise Towers - Part 3

Today is the 660^th episode of Doctor Who. 60 episodes ago I was watching The first episode of the Kings Demons, it’s surprising just how much a decline there has been in quality of stories. There is a distinct lack of energy in this episode than in the Kings Demons. I regularly visit the Den of Geek website which looks at a report from 1988 which gave Bonnie Langford an appreciation index score of just 34 (out of 100). Whilst I think that the character has taken a step backwards in the last few episodes but I think that she deserves a better score than 34. The willingness in which she decides to stay with Tilda and Tabby is probably part of the reason why 56% of people surveyed in the 1988 survey say that they wished that Mel had been eaten in this story.

I do like how Tilda and Tabby do the menacing thing quite well. Tabby is killed by whatever came up in the waste disposal chute although I do find it slightly implausible that she ca be pulled through in. Tilda is slightly more plausible. It’s amusing that Pex tries to make it seem like he saved Mel when in effect he had very little to do with it. Mel finally makes it to the top floor with Pex and it’s the nicest thing in the entire Tower.

The two standout supporting performances came from Judy Cornwell (Maddy) and Richard Briers (Chief Caretaker). They get a nice scene together where the Chief Caretaker bribes Maddy with Tilda and Tabby’s flat in exchange for remaining quiet. The performance that Cornwell gives is very similar to what she would play in Keeping up Appearances. Briers’ performance is brilliant from start to finish although his demise is somewhat disappointing. He was one of the best things in this story. I suppose that it’s a good thing that there is just one episode left.

I think that this episode was the first time since Sylvester McCoy became the Doctor that we saw the Doctor as most people remember his Doctor to be and like. There is a distaste for what is going on in Paradise Towers. It seems that McCoy is starting to get to grips with his role and what he wants to achieve with it. Even Bonnie Langford seems to be better in this episode although I do think some of this is sympathy because she is stuck with Pex.

It’s been a more watchable episode but I will still be glad when this serial is over with. It just hasn’t lived up to any of the potential. I still don’t like the shot of the tower at the beginning of the episode and think that they made a mistake getting rid of the Chief Caretaker but the worst thing apart from that about this episode is that it just isn’t connecting with me.

(659) Paradise Towers - Part 2

I think that any goodwill that I had with this serial has well and truly gone. My heart started to sink when the first thing that is shown is a picture of what Paradise Towers is suppose to look like. The inside definelty looks better than the outside. The Doctor is about to be killed by the Chief Caretaker but as luck would have it the Doctor is spared whilst the Chief goes somewhere else. There is a funny scene with the Doctor and the Deputy Caretaker. The Doctor uses his intelligence to outsmart him and the other guard. This is one of the few enjoyable moments in the entire serial.

The incidental music is rather good. This was apparently a last minute addition from Keff McCulloch as a previous contribution proved unpopular with JNT. I haven’t been a fan of McCulloch’s contribution in the past but the theme tune and the music in this episode have made me change my mind.

As well as Tabby and Tilda, we are introduced to Maddy who is played by Judy Cornwell. I know Cornwell from playing Rose in the BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances. They are happier to see Mel return and I thought that this was slightly annoying because Mel has spent a long time running around trying to find the Doctor and just missing him. The backwards trend that the character is taking continues to frustrate me.

The Chief Caretaker seems to be working for a monster that has neon lights for eyes. It’s very much a 1980’s idea and one that doesn’t work. I think that they would have been better to not show him at all and just have the voice. Sometimes less is more.

Pex starts off the idea that he is an annoying prat but we learn that he is a bit of a scardey cat which makes sense. No one likes Pex and so I really cant understand why we are suppose to find him interesting or feel sorry for him when the Kang’s start to pick on him. I think if she had the chance, Mel would try and get rid of him. I think sitting with Tabby and Tilda would be preferable to spending time with Pex.

The cliffhanger is rather disappointing. It’s not just because its Mel but because I don’t feel like there is any danger or tension in the cliffhanger. It’s been an episode with lots of potential but sadly it is wasted. For a moment I thought that I was further in the story than I actually was and so was disappointed when I realised that I still had two more episodes left to endure. I am sure that at some point there will be something in this season that shows me that I was wrong about my original ideas about the twenty-fourth season.

(658) Paradise Towers - Part 1

Paradise Towers is a story that like most in this season isn’t one that I rate very highly. I don’t know why and hope that watching this serial over four days might shed some light on it. The Doctor and Mel are on their way to Paradise Towers which seems to be a lovely place to go but we get to see that it’s not as nice as they think. What I find amusing about the state that they find it in is that you have Mel as a perky bubbly person and yet finds herself in such a dump.

The Kangs are really annoying. The Red Kangs are the first group that we meet and the noticeable thing is that they are all women which isn’t something that has been seen in the show before. There is a bit of dancing that wouldn’t have come straight from Adam Ant’s Prince Charming music video if I didn’t know better. Another thing that doesn’t look quite so well is the cleaner which doesn’t seem to be interested in cleaning the tower block up but more interested in killing people and disposing of their bodies. Pex is introduced quite late in this episode and seems to be a sort of Rambo style character but unfortunately Howard Cooke who plays Pex is nothing like Sylvester Stallone and so I don’t believe that he is a tough guy. Even Mel isn’t impressed with him. It’s slightly disappointing the way that the role of Mel has been devalued in the past five episodes. She was quite inquisitive with Colin Baker’s Doctor and yet seems to have taken several steps back.

There are things that I think did work well in this episode. Firstly there is the idea that there is a tower block that has become a rather unpleasant place because it seemed to mirror the feelings of tower blocks at that time and perhaps even today. Richard Briers is another good thing for this serial because at first we don’t see him but just hear him and the character sounds like rather soulless individual. Briers is perhaps best known for appearing in the BBC sitcom The Good Life (1975-78) and an appearance in Torchwood. The Chief Caretaker assumes that the Doctor is the Great Architect.

Something that has changed in my opinion is that of Tilda and Tabby who seem like two nice old ladies but have a rather sinister dark side. A first clue is some bones on a table that Tilda tells Tabby to get rid of before Mel comes in. A question is raised when its clear that they are living in a rather nice apartment whereas everything outside of that apartment is horrible. How are they able to live like this and seemingly have a normal life?

As an episode it was a slightly (just) better than I remember it. There are things that are going to bring this story down and there are things that are going to maintain my interest. After being very underwhelmed with the last story, its good to report that things have got better. To be fair they couldn’t get any worse but there is a long way to go before the show can get back to where it was even at the previous series. I mentioned in a previous review that Doctor Who was now up against Coronation Street. The ratings for the first episode of Time and the Rani was 5.1 million whereas Coronation Street got 14 million. Now for this episode it was watched by 4.5 million and the Corrie episode was being watched by 15.5 million so it was clear who was winning this ratings war.

(657) Time and the Rani - Part 4

It’s a welcome relief that this is the final episode of the story. Despite this being the final episode, there isn’t the sense of it being the big ending and that is due to the writing really but that isn’t the fault of Pip and Jane Baker but unfortunately its their names on the credits.

The Tetrap’s design is still something that I find impressive. This is the episode where they start to turn against the Rani. This leads to a rather amusing scene at the end where they have the Rani tied up in her TARDIS. It does seem odd that they haven’t made an appearance in a Big Finish story because I think that there is something good about them.

The Doctor is using his mixed sayings to annoy the Rani and so doesn’t spend too long in the cubicle.  I think that Sylvester McCoy plays the Doctor in the way that perhaps the way that the Doctor should be straight after the regeneration and the only thing that stops me from writing of Sylvester McCoy is that I know how good he becomes in future series. Bonnie Langford was rather disappointing in this story because I am struggling to think of what she did that was noteworthy. After the good start that had in the previous series, it is somewhat disappointing that she was reduced to pretty much supporting status.

The Rani finally reveals that she want to put right what went wrong with civilisations which doesn’t seem the sort of thing that the Rani had a better plan in her previous story. I think that this wasn’t the best story for Kate O’Mara but she still manages to give an entertaining performance. There aren’t many people in television that would shun sunny Hollywood and want to spend time in a wet grey quarry in Britain.

Despite all the problems with this story there are some positives. Firstly there is the music. Keff MucCulloch’s incidental music is rather good in this episode and even though its very much of the period, it still seems a lot more modern than the music that had been used the previous series.  Another thing that worked quite well were the models. The models used towards the end of the episode are rather good but I wish that there were more in this story.

The scene where the Doctor is in the TARDIS is one which is unusual because I cant recall many scenes that Sylvester McCoy would have in that set. It’s an odd thing to point out but McCoy’s Doctor is the one spends more time out of the TARDIS than in it.

It’s fair to say that this isn’t the greatest Doctor Who story that there has ever been and I wish I could write that this was the only blip in the season but things are about to get worst. There is always the possibility that now the opening story is over and done with that things can start to settle down but at the moment I don’t think so.

(656) Time and the Rani - Part 3

The first few seconds of the theme tune always get me excited but then I remember that I am watching Time and the Rani and that excitement goes away a bit. Admittedly the problems that there were in the previous episodes weren’t as evident in this episode but the problem that is now on screen is that I just find myself bored with what is on screen which is surprising when you consider that the Rani’s plan is starting to take shape. Kate O’Mara does do a good job in still performing in a rather underwhelming character. The Doctor is more active in this episode and seems more like the Doctor that McCoy would play. It’s a rather comforting performance from McCoy and even though the Doctor is easily fooled with a fake Mel.

One of the few successes involve the Tetraps. I thought that the idea that they are quite vocal which isn’t something that I would expect from a monster in this situation. Normally they would have grunted or stayed silent. I also like that the eyes moved around and one had an extended tounge as this has to be one of the best created monsters for quite some time.

A new set is used in this story. Centre of Leisure is where the Lakertyans relax but it seems to be not the nicest place to be. This is made evident when the Rani unleashes a weapon which kills several. After being somewhat impressed with the sets and the use of the quarry I was quite disappointed with this centre set because it just rather lame and it doesn’t look like much thought went into it.

We finally get to see what was behind the door seen I the previous episodes and it is a giant brain. I don’t know whether many people were disappointed with this or not but it makes sense because it would have to be something unusual for the Rani. This is why I think that the Rani is in some ways better than the Master because the Rani has a specific purpose which seems throughout whereas the Master’s plans tend to be not as well thought out and usually designed to destroy the Doctor.

The episode ends with the Doctor’s brain about to be used to help the giant brain and that is about it. To be honest it’s a case of one step forward and two steps back because the fact that there wasn’t much to like about this episode. This was the second episode in a row that scored in the low 7’s but as a story its still in the 6’s. Now its 6.99 as opposed to the 6.90 at the beginning of this story. At the moment it’s the lowest scoring of the opening Doctor stories which doesn’t come as much of a surprise.

(655) Time and the Rani - Part 2

The thing I didn’t mention in yesterday’s review was that the show had been moved from its traditional Saturday night slot again and placed on Mondays against the little watched show Coronation Street. Sorry, when I said little watched I meant to say ratings juggernaut. If you wanted to bury a show, this was the best way of doing it. It was nice also in the previous episode that didn’t have a close up of the Doctor’s face and so the reprise started off in a better way than usual.

Sadly the problems that appeared in the first episode continue in this episode. Ultimately the problem is that the Lakertyans aren’t particularly interesting and so I find myself wondering why I should care about their current predicament. Despite Wanda Ventham (Image of the Fendahl and Benedict Cumberbatch’s mom) and Donald Pickering (The Faceless Ones), best efforts the character are hampered by their rather silly movements and also the fact that the Lakertyans don’t seem to have a backbone and just seemed to crumble at the power (or perceived power) of the Rani.

All the time that Kate O’Mara and Sylvester McCoy were on screen, I was interested in the story but whenever they weren’t on screen then I found myself just watching all the problems with the serial. Mel finally gets to interact with Sylvester McCoy and the Doctor thinks that Mel is the Rani. Their first interaction is a mixture of comedy and frustration. Mel also thinks that the Doctor isn’t the Doctor because she didn’t see the regeneration. Once they realise that both of them are who they say they are it leads to a lovely bonding moment.

The Rani’s attempt at being Mel thankfully comes to an end in this episode because once the Doctor twigs what is going on the ruse is ended. It must have been slightly frustrating for Kate O’Mara. She went from being the quite interesting character in The Mark of the Rani to having to be Bonnie Langford. Despite having to dress like Mel, Kate O’Mara does her best but its not the best use of the character.

The cliffhanger does feel a bit silly because whilst in terms of drama it works quite well, he basically puts himself by going into the situation. It has been a much better episode than the first one but that isn’t much of a compliment due to that episode being rather poor. I have rated this episode 7.07 which as an average still has this story in the 6’s which at the moment places it 11^th from bottom (137^th place). I feel more confident about this story improving in the final two episodes than in the previous episode. It’s not a perfect story by any means and its current placing is deserved but I can’t help think that the transition period had been better handled that this story (and series) would have worked out differently.

(654) Time and the Rani - Part 1

Ok so I enter the final stage of the original run of Doctor Who. This has come really fast because at the beginning of the year I was halfway through the Peter Davison era. It’s weird to think how much the show has changed in that short amount of time. During the 1970’s we only had one regeneration and during the 80’s we have now had three. So with Colin Baker having being sacked by JNT Michael Grade, the search was on for a new Doctor and JNT chose Sylvester McCoy. Unfortunately McCoy’s time doesn’t get off to the best of starts because Colin Baker refused to film a regeneration scene which is fair enough but it means that the ‘regeneration’ scene is one of the worst.

The way that Andrew Morgan managed to avoid showing us Colin Baker’s face is well done right up until the point where we see Sylvester McCoy in a blond wig. I suppose some credit should go towards production team for at least giving it a go. When McCoy has his first speech it starts off ok but I think the buffoonery to be rather ill-judged. Bonnie Langford is also badly served in this episode as she basically spends the entire episode either tied up or running everywhere.

We get new a new title sequence in this episode which is really good and is a breath of fresh air after six years of the same star filled one. One of the many problems with this serial is the preposterous idea that the Rani decides to pretend to be Mel to try and fool the Doctor. The purpose of this is that the Rani needs the Doctor’s help but thing is that it requires Kate O’Mara to dress, talk and act like Bonnie Langford which is a huge stretch of believability. The only good moment came when the Rani tries to convince the Doctor that Mel is dressed the same as her.

There are things that worked quite well in this episode. The bubble that is created whenever people trip an explosion is rather well done and one of the few effects that work well in this episode. Another good thing are the Tetraps which look good as a design and also serve a purpose in serving the Rani. The idea that Rani needs the Doctors help is something that works on a narrative level but I  don’t think that this was given enough screen time which is a shame.

The traditional trying of new costumes for the Doctor is something that seems to be as humorous as when Tom Baker costume change in Robot. We saw the costumes from Tom Baker, Jon Pertwee, Peter Davison and Patrick Troughton’s coat before we get the costume that McCoy wears. I think that it’s a much better outfit than the one Colin Baker wore and the only thing I would change is the question mark jumper. His performance is perfectly fine given that the material he is given isn’t the strongest. It’s never a wise thing to judge a new Doctor on their first story because it is usually the weakest of their stories.

There are very few positives to take from this episode and I have rated this episode 6.90 which is the first time that I have rated an episode in the sixes since episode three of The Horns of Nimon. I should say that I don’t think that the flaws with this story have anything to do with Pip and Jane Baker or Sylvester McCoy and Bonnie Langford. I think that circumstances behind the scenes meant that this story had zero chance of being anything other than poor. I do hope that the next three episodes will improve because things cant get any worse.

I am going to end on a stat by saying that this is the 129^th episode to be produced by John Nathan Turner and now overtakes Barry Letts as the longest serving producer in Doctor Who history.

(653) The Trial of a Timelord (Part 14): The Ultimate Foe (Part 2)

So we come to the end of this Trial series and also the end of the Colin Baker era. It is also the time that the current title sequence will be used. It has been used in pretty much the same style since the first episode of The Leisure Hive. I think that it’s about time that the titles were changed and the theme tune is thankfully going as well. This episode was supposed to be written by Robert Holmes but he was ill and Eric Saward had fallen out with JNT well and truly so it fell to Pip and Jane Baker to deal with the fall out and try and write a script that a) makes sense, b) finishes this portion of the season satisfactorily and c) wrap up the entire season in a way that doesn’t disappoint.

The effect of Colin Baker being lifter out of the sinking pit it a little bit dodgy because its clear that the image is being manipulated. The Valeyard keeps jumping around and this was a good effect and made even better by the reactions of Colin Baker and Tony Selby.

I like the Master’s TARDIS because it very much suits the Master’s persona. I forget that the Doctor and Glitz stumble across it and this leads to a nice end scene where the Doctor is hypnotised and is left to be taken out by the Valeyard. This then of course doesn’t happen but moments later the Doctor is taken by Mel and it leads to the courtroom to finish the trial. I like how it comes across as a proper trial and the viewer is led to believe that the Doctor is prepared to accept the guilty verdict that is given. It doesn’t take long for the viewer to be told the truth. What I like is that the Doctor appears to accept this but in truth is just going along with the lie.

I do like the scene where the Doctor and Mel are in the machinery room. I love going to that sort of thing so this bit amused me. What also amused me is a bomb that the Valeyard has created and Mel uses word like Megabyte and Modem which sound quite futuristic in 1986 but 2015 that is nothing.

The Doctor is successful in stopping the Valeyard’s bomb and that appears to be the end of it. The Doctor is found not guilty but during the scene with the Doctor and the Inquisitor the Doctor is informed that Peri didn’t die but is shacked up with King Yrcanos. I personally think that this wasn’t the best thing to do because it completely devalues the ending of episode eight.

This was the best episode for Michael Jayston because after spending the previous thirteen episodes popping up every so often with great lines and now he gets to show us what he is really made of. Jayston really enjoys himself from the very beginning.

Final lines are quite important aren’t they. William Hartnell’s were “It’s far from being all over”, Tom Baker was “It’s the end, but the moment has been prepared for” and Peter Davison left the show with “Is this death”. Colin Baker sadly wasn’t afforded the same luxury as due to Colin Baker not wanting to return for just one story refused to return and so his final words were “Carrot Juice, Carrot Juice, Carrot Juice”. It wasn’t the best way to end the Sixth Doctor’s tenure on the show. The final shot is also slightly frustrating because shows that the Valeyard has now taken the body of the Keeper of the Matrix. Sadly we never get another TV adventure with Jayston.

Pip and Jane Baker did a very good job considering the time constraints and other constraints that they couldn’t deal with. If you didn’t know about the problems then you wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference. Chris Clough also directed this episode rather well.

I think that the season has been better than I (and many) have given it credit. The Mysterious Planet was a bit of a let-down but the rest of it worked quite well and Colin Baker gave it a good go in this season and seemed to have toned down the madness that seemed to be rampant in the previous season. Nicola Bryant and Bonnie Langford did good jobs as the companions and I have commented on my new appreciation for Bonnie Langford now. Lynda Bellingham and Michael Jayston were superb supporting cast members. Trial is never going to be very popular with fans but I have learnt to love the season.

Now I am about to enter the final portion of the classic original run and if I had concerns with the trial season before I started watching it. I have even greater concerns about the upcoming season which I have always thought of as the weakest season ever. Maybe things will change.

One thing that I have come to a conclusion about is just how badly I have judge Colin Baker’s time as the Doctor. Ok so his first story was a complete car wreck and the less said about Timelash and The Mysterious Planet the better but apart from those stories Colin Baker really hasn’t put a foot wrong as the leading man. The stories have been largely good and as far as ratings are concerned, only three stories out of the eleven did were outside the top 60 that works out at just 27.3% of his stories. Here is the full list so far.

Colin Baker (27.3%)
Tom Baker (48.8%)
Jon Pertwee (50.0%)
Peter Davison (63.2%)
Patrick Troughton (71.4%)
William Hartnell (82.8%)

When it comes to the bottom 50 stories its still good for Sixie.

Jon Pertwee (12.5%)
Tom Baker (26.8%)
Colin Baker (27.3%)
Peter Davison (31.6%)
Patrick Troughton (42.9%)
William Hartnell (62.1%)

I had always thought that Big Finish had been the ones that re-invented the Sixth Doctor but in truth they have just woken everyone up to how good Colin Baker was a the Doctor and how much better his time on the show had been than previously thought. I have enjoyed the last month a lot more than I ever thought I would and I will genuinely miss watching the Sixth Doctor because after over 20 years of not rating this Doctor very highly, I have the opportunity to say I was wrong. Badly wrong.

(652) The Trial of a Timelord (Part 13): The Ultimate Foe - Part 1

So we are now at the business end of this trial which now in effect becomes the longest story in Doctor Who history. This is now one episode longer than The Daleks Master Plan which ran for twelve weeks during 1965 and 1966. This is where all the little threads of the past twelve weeks were going to become more significant and all the ‘evidence’ was gone. Sadly there is a great deal of sadness that goes with these two episodes. Not just that Colin Baker gets sacked at the end of this series but it is also the last to be credited by Robert Holmes. Holmes died just after giving the first draft of these two episodes and so Eric Saward worked on this episode thus meaning that this was Robert Holmes’ 64^th and final episode and goes down as the most credited writer in Doctor Who history at this point.

I love how at the end of the previous episode, it was shown that the Valeyard can change and add charges at his own pleasing. It does make the legal system on Gallifrey a bit of a laughing stock but I suppose that it pretty much sums up the Timelords.

The first few moments sees the Keeper of the Matrix summoned to the trial and it is basically to continue with the Doctor’s accusation that the Matrix has been manipulated. He then accuses the Valeyard and its at this point that things start to go a bit crazy. It doesn’t take long for the Master to make a shock return. The Master for some reason has spent the last twelve weeks of the trial watching from within the Matrix. It’s at this point that the Valeyard seems to be losing control and it is fun to witness. Sabalom Glitz returns and fills in a lot of blanks about what happened in The Mysterious Planet. The question about how Earth ended where it was found was done by the Timelords. It’s always fun to have the Master back although one of the problems with the pace that the story has, is that no reference was made to The Mark of the Rani and no question as to how either managed to survive what was going on at the end of that story.

The Valeyard turns out to be the Doctor. The Valeyard is between the bad parts of the Doctor between the Doctor’s 12^th and final regeneration. This was obviously at a time when the Doctor only had thirteen lives. It’s good when he flees the courtroom and it’s at this point that the episode really steps up a gear (not that it was really lacking a gear). All the stunts and attitude that the Valeyard has shown over the previous twelve episodes become understandable. He is the one that wants the Doctor’s remaining lives and was using the Master’s ‘skills’ to get this.

The Doctor gets pulled into a crate of water by mysterious hands. This was quite a shocking moment and this is the first example of things not being quite what it seems. Another example comes when Glitz is hit with an arrow. Yet more evidence of this comes with the introduction of Mr Popplewick (Geoffrey Hughes). He also plays Mr Chambers and Hughes manages to make the two characters very different. I would have liked more of Michael Jayston in this episode because after dashing out of the courtroom, we don’t see him again and he has been so good that he deserved more time. Also Bonnie Langford deserved to be more involved in the action (didn’t expect to be writing that one when I started this marathon). She was stuck in the courtroom to listen to the Inquisitor and the Master talking.

The Doctor finds himself in a wasteland which is in fact the Camber Sands and this leads to the cliffhanger which sees the Doctor pulled in quicksand. This leads us to our eleventh episode which ends with a close up of the Doctor’s face. On a positive note it’s only the second time that he has been animated when doing this as the other time came at the end of the first Mindwarp episode. I thought that despite the close up this was a very good ending to what was easily the best episode of the season. It started well and got better from there and I hadn’t realised how much time had passed by. This is always a good sign that an episode has worked and the only worry is that the next episode won’t deliver on what this episode has shown us. Anyone wondering if the show had lost its ability to produce good moments (I include myself in that) needs to watch this episode and then the will learn that the first was still burning. It might be burning as bright as it once did but it is still alight.

(651) The Trial of a Timelord (Part 12): Terror of the Vervoids - Part 4

I didn’t realise this until just now but this was the last story this season to be filmed and so that means that technically this was the final episode that Colin Baker recorded as the Doctor. I have commented on how well Colin Baker and Bonnie Langford seemed to be getting on and now it’s easy to see why. It will be interesting to see how their relationship comes across in the final two episodes of this season.

The Mogarians don’t really seem to have had much purpose in this story except for this episode where they enter the main control room and save the day. Saving the day is probably a stretch because it turns out that Rudge is also not quite as he seems as he turns on the Commodore and stages a hijacking. The Vervoids are much more effective as a villain as everyone else becomes a bit less effective and they have this wonderful habit of just popping out of every vent whenever people are walking past. They are killing people at quite a rate and it almost seems like Pip and Jane Baker are trying to make up for a lack of deaths in a story.

Doland is the one that committed the murders which is something that most people might have seen coming but I honestly didn’t and still don’t remember that it’s Doland. Malcolm Tierney has been very good in this serial and I have always been fan since appearing in House of Cards which was obviously filmed long after this serial but Tierney is a very good actor and managed to blend into the background which led to the good reveal.

The courtroom scenes don’t seem to impact that much into the episode as in previous episodes. A good scene comes when the Doctor acknowledges before the court that he was asked for help and the Valeyard reluctantly agrees with this. After all the good work that the Doctor does in showing us he’s a good person. It is perhaps unfortunate that this is the story where he basically commits genocide by wiping out the Vervoids. I think that this was an unfortunate but narratively necessary way to end the story. It leads to the Valeyard to wanting the Doctor charged with genocide. This leads to another close up in the cliffhanger. This is now the 10^th episode out of twelve which ends with the Doctor being the last thing we see in the episode. It’s starting to come across as a bit unoriginal and repetitive.

I haven’t commented on how good a job Chris Clough did on directing this story which I will try and correct now. He has done a good job in taking my mind off the fact that there isn’t any location filming. The lighting and sets have all worked very well and apart from a few CGI effects which don’t work quite so well the effect used to show the decaying leaves is another impressive moment that occurs in this season. The death of the Vervoids looks good and the effect of a leaf in the Doctor’s hand also look good even by today’s standards. Before I did this marathon, I wouldn’t have rated Pip and Jane Baker as particularly good writers but after being impressed with the Mark of the Rani and being impressed with this story, its time to re-evaluate them as writers.

I have really changed my opinion of Mel. Ok so the screaming is annoying and I don’t think that will change but as a companion I think that Bonnie Langford deserves more credit than she has been given in the past. I think that the character is a breath of fresh air from what he have seen in the companion role because she doesn’t try and annoy the Doctor or try and kill him but decides to be very active from the beginning so because of this and other things that have happened I am really looking forward to the final story.

(650) The Trial of a Timelord (Part 11): Terror of the Vervoids - Part 3

Today marks the 650^th episode of this marathon. 50 episodes ago I was being less than enthusiastic about the first part of The Kings Demons. I think that this episode is far better than the Demons episode. So far in this portion of the Trial season, there hasn’t been much in the way of terror from the Vervoids. That changes in today’s episode which is where things seem to be progressing more in the Vervoids story than the courtroom arc. The pulsating effect used on the infected woman named as Ruth Baxter is very impressive.

We get a proper look at the Vervoids in this episode but it takes place in a dimly lit room. When we do see them better lit I have to say that I do like the design of them. Ok so the face mask is a bit amusing but the rest of it does work quite well. There was always the possibility that the design would look a bit poor when Pip and Jane Baker created this monster but credit must go to the production for making this work.

Mel is quite active in this episode and actually does something quite clever in using one of the headphones to record what was being said in the overhead chutes. There is a questionable suspension of disbelief comes when Mel gets chucked into one of the waste bins and manages to be saved by the Doctor in the same amount of time that he listens to what she’s recorded and runs to save her.

Another example of things being changed include the Doctor being smashed in the communication room. Sadly there isn’t much about the manipulation that is going on which is something that I would have liked to see more of in this episode. Apart from this there is very little reason really to have Michael Jayston and Lynda Bellingham in the episode. The courtroom scenes don’t bring anything to the episode.

Bruchner is the one that turns out is the dodgy one in the group. This is where the story gets really interesting because I don’t feel like the Vervoids have been terrifying enough. Due to the fact that Bruchner is human it’s easier to find him a better villain that the Vervoids. As a result I find myself more interested in his story than the Vervoids. I think that it was perhaps too obvious for Lasky to be the one that was the dodgy one in the group

I thought that this was a good episode that continues things along nicely in the story arc but also sets things up nicely for the final part of this Vervoids story. I am looking forward to not having to talk about two different aspects of the story in the same review. One thing I can say for sure and that is the dubious decision of whether to try and have art imitate life and have a trial in the season when the show itself is on trial doesn’t seem so dubious because I forget about all the troubles the show was facing then and just found myself engrossed with what was on the screen.

(649) The Trial of a Timelord (Part 10): Terror of the Vervoids - Part 2

It’s hard to think that I am now ten episodes into this season and that the ending is starting to get ever closer and even weirder that we are closing in to the final few episodes with Colin Baker as the Doctor. After the initial concern that it felt like the show was a bit lifeless, its good to report that those concerns are even were quickly erased as both the trial story and the evidence parts of this season are improving the overall feel. The explosion that takes place at the beginning of the episode look really impressive but it’s the scream that is the final noticeable thing about the cliffhanger and reprise.

It doesn’t take long for the regular story arc of manipulated evidence returns to the screen and I like how the Doctor decides that he needs to let the action play out to find out who is behind it. He gets to be quite smug in front of the Valeyard when he points out that one of the people pretending to be a Mogarian shows himself to be a fake because he didn’t switch on his translator. Of course the Doctor doesn’t jump for joy but it’s clear he sees this as a small victory.

Honor Blackman gets some very amusing lines in this episode and they are usually aimed at the Doctor’s expense. The Doctor may be a fool but he’s not a criminal was one that I found particularly entertaining. There was a bit of development about her character which I thought was quite interesting and in fact the whole scientific team she works with is something that I find interesting.

I am still impressed with how well Colin Baker and Bonnie Langford are getting on considering this is only their second episode together. Due to the structure of the episode, there is a Sherlock Holmes and Watson vibe to their performance. If only Bonnie Langford didn’t scream then I think people would think more highly of the character of Mel.

It’s good how we don’t see the Vervoids in full. We just see glimpses of their hands and see things from their POV. I think that it is probably wise for them to do it like this because the end result isn’t the greatest but that said here and now the Vervoids are quite a good villain.

The build up to find out what is in the isolation room is something that is done rather well and the big reveal forms the cliffhanger along with a zoom in and a Mel scream. The eyes opening I thought was a nice touch. It has been a good episode but it didn’t seem to have the same pace that the previous episode did. Don’t get me wrong, I still like this episode and there was plenty of positives to take from this episode. The next two episodes should hopefully be just as much fun as the previous two.

(648) The Trial of a Timelord (Part 9): Terror of the Vervoids - Part 1

Terror of the Vervoids is the beginning of the Mel era on the show and also the first opportunity that the Doctor has of defending himself. He picks a story in his future which does imply I suppose that it means he gets off in the trial but as any fan with half a brain knows, things can be re-written all the time so it is by no means a certainty that he would be freed by the end of this adventure. Pip and Jane Baker return to the show after their impressive debut in the previous season. Although you would forgive them for working under conditions which weren’t ideal bearing in mind that Eric Saward and John Nathan Turner have had a severe falling out at this point. This story is heavily influenced by several Agatha Christie stories as this is a whodunit.

The sombre Doctor that we see at the beginning of the episode is something that we haven’t seen from Colin Baker’s Doctor before. I buy that the Doctor is still not over the death of Peri and holds himself partly to blame for what happened to her. That is about as much time as Peri gets in this episode and I think that it’s a good move because its Mel’s time and things move on.

The story moves along and it seems like this is just another piece of evidence but then things change. There is another example of things being change. The Doctor speaks out after one moment where he tells Mel to basically go away is something that the Doctor doesn’t remember when he saw the film before.

Michael Craig plays Commodore Travers and he is the rather standard no nonsense captain. The thing about the Commodore is that it seems that he has encountered the Doctor before although few details are revealed. Hopefully this is an adventure that Big Finish decide to do in the future. Denys Hawthorne plays Rudge who is the security officer who is on his last journey in this story so its clear that he is going to be involved in some shape or form. Another clue is how he is undermined by the Commodore. Honor Blackman is the first person who speaks in the Hyperion III story. Blackman appeared in the best Bond film ever (Goldfinger) and previously appeared as Kathy Gale in The Avengers. I really like the character as she is driven almost to the point where she would step over a dead person to get to what she wants.

Bonnie Langford’s first appearance in the show isn’t particularly strong as we see her trying to get the Doctor into shape by riding an exercise bike and drinking carrot juice (more of that in future episodes). I think bearing in mind that it is the first story for the character, a bit more effort should have been made to make the viewer warm to her. Luckily that bumpy start is replaced with a character that is rather like Sarah Jane Smith. Firstly don’t start writing messages of hatred at me, by similar I mean that she is quite inquisitive and wants to try and solve the puzzle. Sadly she ends the episode in a less than stellar way because her screaming is rather annoying but at least it doesn’t involve the Doctor and/or a zoom in. As far as the relationship between the Doctor and Mel, its weird how the partnership seems to be working well already. It took several stories for the Doctor’s relationship with Peri to mellow (in fact it wasn’t until The Mysterious Planet that this happened).

It was an interesting episode and its weird how there seems to be a shift in the way the series appears on screen and as we reach the business end of the season its clear the best is still yet to come. I am feeling a lot more warmly towards the season than I was at the beginning and think that its starting to look like my opinion of the season as a whole might improve.