(576) Time-flight - Part 1

So this is the first episode since Adric was killed and what better way to get over this and celebrate the end of season that having a story involve Concorde, which was in use from March 1969 until November 2003 (3 days after Doctor Who’s 40^th Anniversary). The thing about what happened in the previous story is that I would have thought that they would have started with that. Instead the first shot is of concorde and its rather drab if I am being honest. As nice as it is to see concorde in my favourite show, I do have to question the logic of having this in a Doctor Who story. Anyway when the story does get back the TARDIS, there is a few moments given to them trying to get over the grief about the loss of Adric with Tegan wanting the Doctor to go back and the Doctor wont do it. I thought that this was a nice part and they spend just enough time to show some respect to the character before their attention is turned to the current story and the running joke in this season has been to try and get Tegan back to 1981 and finally this is managed.

The sight of the TARDIS at Heathrow is a strange one but I like it. I also like the crew of the concorde because they are as camp as a row of tents. I think that they are fun and compared to the crews that we saw in ‘Earthshock’ this crew is a blast of fresh air. The shots of concorde are impressive but sadly if the production values aren’t as good then it doesn’t really matter whether concorde is there or not. Towards the end when they land in what they think is 1982 Heaththrow the CSO effect that is used to transform the background is pretty poor and that is when the production problems of this story really start. But there will be more time to talk about that in future episodes.

Peter Grimwade directed the previous story and has written this one and its fair to say that he is a better director than writer because if there wasn’t concorde in this story then there would be nothing of merit in this story. I think that the episode starts ok but soon loses steam and the only good thing about what happens in the latter stages of the episode is the inclusion of a figure which will turn out to be the Master but I think that the attempt to disguise the fact that its Anthony Ainley is done much better than in ‘Castrovalva’.

I have never been a big fan of this story and so far nothing has happened to make me think anything will change. Maybe this might change but I am worried that this season will end of a downbeat note.