Gavin WintersBit lazy of the Doctor to just start showing people the inside of the TARDIS as a way of getting out of trouble. Though I always laugh at the constable who enters and exclaims ‘Strike me pink! #DoctorWho
Earthshock: this story’s reputation is predicated almost entirely on the two big surprises - the Cybermen’s return and the death of Adric. Watching it now outside of that context, it does slightly lose something, but it remains one of the best stories of this season. #DoctorWho
Adric’s argument with the Doctor in Part One. #DoctorWho
A lengthy conversation about the fate of the dinosaurs. I wonder if that will be relevant later on…🤔
And you can see why Davison struggled to keep a straight face with the overly macho acting of Lieutenant Scott. #DoctorWho
Ah, here we go with JNT’s bizarre stunt casting in the form of Beryl Reid…
It’s all very well wanting to cast big names in #DoctorWho, the new series does it all the time, but surely it can’t be that difficult to put them in suitable roles? Rather than “Oh, this is available!”
The return of the Cybermen brings with it the return of the “idiot who thinks he can ally himself with them”. What exactly is Ringway’s plan? Do we ever find out? His reveal as a traitor is followed by his death minutes later. Erm… okay, that was a bit pointless then. #DoctorWho
Fair play - I’ve taken the piss out of the little twerp but his death scene is still remarkably well done, and remains a hugely significant moment in the history of #DoctorWho
(Can’t help but still snigger a bit at the imposed solemnity of the silent credits though! 🤭)
Time-Flight: I alway say about this one that the opening episode is at least pretty decent, with a good mystery of the disappearing Concorde. Plus all the location filming at Heathrow looks great. It’s only once we go back in time that it all starts to fall apart. #DoctorWho
It’s almost comical - the indecent haste with which they get over Adric’s death. “Oh he wouldn’t want us to mourn! Let’s go do something fun!” 😄 #DoctorWho
Oh god… the Master’s “Arabian” disguise… 🫣
It’s bad enough that he pointlessly does this anyway (just for an “Aha! It was me all along!” reveal) but why does he remain in character even when there’s no one else about?? #DoctorWho
The tiny, cramped set, with its fake sky that looks about two feet away and it’s forced perspective view of the model citadel recalls The Keys of Marinus, nearly two decades earlier.
Add the tiny Concordes and this really stretches credulity beyond breaking point. #DoctorWho
At times it seems like every second word of Professor Hayter’s dialogue is ‘hallucination!’
Elsewhere we get a lot of rushed, garbled technobabble (and some genuine instances of “I’ll explain later!”, made famous in The Curse Of Fatal Death!)
Oh boy. Next please! #DoctorWho
Arc Of Infinity: season 20 begins with JNT’s penchant for fan-pleasing continuity now in full flow, with a Time Lord story full of mentions of Romana, E-space, Leela, Bio-data extracts, the Matrix, etc.
Unfortunately Gallifrey’s never looked so dull and beige… 🫤#DoctorWho
I like how the Time Lord have random sofas in corridors. Perhaps they occasionally need a lie down due to being overcome with the boredom of all the beigeness. #DoctorWho
While the Gallifrey sequences are a bit of a chore, at least all the Amsterdam stuff is more interesting. It’s a bit of a cosmic coincidence how Tegan gets involved and ultimately ends up back in the Doctor’s life, but we’ll let that pass. #DoctorWho
Colin Baker inadvertently livens the whole thing up, not just due to the amusement of seeing the future Sixth Doctor here, but also because of the general pompous nature of his character.
And his stupid hat. #DoctorWho
Tegan is very trusting of Robin, when you look at it objectively:
“Hello, I’m someone you’ve never met, telling you your cousin has mysteriously disappeared in this foreign country. Now if you’d just like to follow me into this creepy crypt where he was last seen…”
We get a handwave explanation from the Doctor of why this all occurs in Amsterdam: “Of course! The Arc of Infinity had to be below sea level to, er, maintain pressure for fusion conversion, or something… therefore completely justifying JNT having a little holiday!” #DoctorWho
Overall not the greatest Time Lord story, and too reliant on expecting the viewers to know the lore about Omega and so on, but it has its moments.
Plus the final shot is hilarious - the look on the Doctor’s face as he realises he’s stuck with Tegan again… 😄#DoctorWho
Snakedance: This is an excellent sequel to Kinda, just as good as the original but told in a much more accessible way.
I always get the impression this is a bit underrated in fan-opinion. A shame, as for me it’s one of Davison’s best. #DoctorWho
Nyssa finally gets a full change of clothes after two years (she must have stunk!) leading to a funny bit where the Doctor spectacularly fails to notice, despite her repeated attempts to show him. #DoctorWho
In his first TV role, Martin Clunes is great as the spoiled, arrogant Prince. Not really a villain, just misguided and taken over, but with an eminently punchable face. 😄 #DoctorWho
Ambril really must be particularly thick not to get the whole ‘six faces of delusion’ thing and need the Doctor to explain it to him. #DoctorWho
The Doctor spends the whole of episode 3 locked up, with no sonic screwdriver to free him (even mentioned in the dialogue)
RTD must have had moments like this in mind when he decided to bring the sonic back, to stop the Doctor’s role in proceedings slowing to a halt. #DoctorWho
For the final ceremony, Lon wears the 1980s BBC weather map. Just off camera Michael Fish is reassuring the Manussans not to worry, there isn’t a hurricane on the way… #DoctorWho
Mawdryn Undead: the Brig! Two Brigs even! They did a good job making the younger Brig look just how he did when we last saw him.
This is where the Brigadier starts to be seen as a legendary, iconic character, rather than just ‘one of the cast’ when he was a regular. #DoctorWho
And hello, UNIT dating conundrum! As the previous, vague, “oh, they take place somewhere in the near-future” idea gets totally buggered up by the 1977\1983 setting, giving fans headaches for the next 40 years as they try to make it all make sense. 😄 #DoctorWho
The Brig’s comment about Ibbotson’s fitness and “disgusting” body is something that has… not aged well… 😬
Quite apart from the fact the actor is clearly not the Billy Bunter type the character is written as, it’s a terrible attitude to give the Brig anyway. #DoctorWho
A big welcome to Turlough, who’s brilliant at being sneaky and devious in these early stories. And Strickson is 1000 times the actor Waterhouse was. (Admittedly not difficult!)
You’d be forgiven for missing the brief hints at the character’s alien origins though. #DoctorWho
Another of this era’s lengthy flashback sequences, which actually works well in context to remind the viewers of the Brigadier’s previous appearances.
Although having Davison later say “reverse the polarity of the neutron flow” is particularly gratuitous and silly. #DoctorWho
The timey-wimey nature of the plot, with the two time zones intertwined via the Brigadier recalling to the Doctor what he did six years previously, is well thought out. I bet young Steven Moffat loved this. #DoctorWho
“Who is that person?” asks Nyssa, as the Brig enters the TARDIS.
“Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart of course!” replies Tegan.
Yeah Nyssa! I mean, come on, aren’t you a paid-up, card-carrying member of the DWAS, like the audience is expected to be? Honestly! #DoctorWho
Terminus: hard to muster up much enthusiasm for this one, it’s all a bit grey and dull. Only the regulars manage to keep things somewhat interesting.
The first appearance of the Lazars hints at the exciting prospect of a zombie apocalypse story, but no such luck. #DoctorWho
Why does Turlough think Adric’s old room “looks like a kid’s room”, when it’s full of leatherbound books and scientific equipment? Must be pretty advanced kids where he comes from.
And given the size of the TARDIS, why re-use an old bedroom for him anyway? #DoctorWho
I’m greatly enjoying Turlough’s arrival on this rewatch, especially how much his presence is winding up Tegan. 😄
Pity then that they both spend half the story sidelined and crawling around underneath the ship’s flooring. #DoctorWho
“Could you ever kill someone?” he asks Tegan, while stroking an iron bar and gazing into the middle distance.
Yeah, that’s not creepy and terrifying at all, Turlough! Run Tegan, run for your life! #DoctorWho
Even the hyperbolic cliffhanger of part three, with the melodrama of “the universe will be destroyed!” doesn’t really spark much excitement.
Funny that such a hugely significant moment in #DoctorWho lore (the actual creation of the universe!) is in such a forgettable story.
Bye then Nyssa, you were…nice. And pleasant, I suppose. Shame they never really developed much of a character for her beyond her scientific skills.
Davison always felt she was the one who worked best with his Doctor, but I think his relationship with the others makes far better telly.
There’s something to be said after all for JNT’s idea of having “interesting” companions, who don’t always get on perfectly well with the Doctor. #DoctorWho
Enlightenment: love this one. Great premise, great atmosphere, and the Eternals are a brilliant concept (another for the “bring ‘em back!” list). Part One’s cliffhanger reveal is an all-time favourite.
The only one, for me, to rival Androzani for top Davison story. #DoctorWho
Got to love Valentine Dyall giving a full on ‘NYAH-HA-HA!’ several times in this story. Proper panto villain. #DoctorWho
I don’t know if it was really the intention at the time, but from a modern perspective Marriner comes across as a crazy deluded stalker, what with his obsession with Tegan. #DoctorWho
There’s something about shooting physical models on film, against a black backdrop, that captures the cold stark look of real space footage in a way that CGI can never quite manage. #DoctorWho
You’d think Tegan would be a bit more confused about what’s going on at the end, as she didn’t know anything about Turlough working for the Black Guardian until that point. #DoctorWho
The King’s Demons: this is a harmless and mildly diverting little two-parter, which doesn’t outstay its welcome. In fact it seems to end about five minutes early, with an extended TARDIS scene at the end to pad things out. #DoctorWho
The Master’s in another one of his ridiculous disguises. Since he wasn’t expecting the Doctor to turn up, you again wonder why bother with the disguise and silly French accent in the first place? #DoctorWho
“Yoo eensult ze King!”
The entire court witness Sir Gilles revealed as the Master, but then bizarrely act as though he’s a brand new person they’ve just met.
Characters motivations and allegiances seem to change from scene to scene, especially Lord Fitzwilliam. The Master using hypnotism? #DoctorWho
The whole Magna Carta plot is more like the type of petty interference you’d expect from the Monk, rather than the Master.
Maybe he was just bored and twatting about with history, secretly hoping the Doctor would turn up to stop him, just for a bit of amusement. #DoctorWho
Well now Kamelion’s arrived I expect him to be a proper companion and fully active member of the crew over the coming stories/seasons… 👀
I wonder if the prop really could do all the amazing things it was supposed to be able to do, like actually walking? #DoctorWho
The Five Doctors: Pat! Jon! Footage of Tom! Someone who looks like Billy if you were ten years old and didn’t know better! Sarah-Jane! The Brig! K9! Susan!
The plot’s wafer-thin of course but who cares? This is a big dumb grin of a nostalgia fest. What’s not to love? #DoctorWho
In his most recent appearance in Mawdryn Undead the Brigadier had been going on about how UNIT was a super top secret organisation that the public couldn’t possibly know about…
The Time Lords have spent a bit of money giving Gallifrey a makeover for the anniversary. Swanky new sets and better robes. They even have random fountains in corridors now, rather than sofas!
Plus it’s a rare occasion where they hardly wear their big stiff collars. #DoctorWho
Funny how the line “the original, you might say!” is so strongly associated with Hartnell now, when it was actually Hurndall who originates it here. #DoctorWho
There are some fan-pleasing and box-ticking moments such as Pertwee finally getting to be on screen with the Cybermen, or him meeting the Ainley Master.
And of course how could you bring back Susan without her pointlessly falling and twisting her ankle? 😄 #DoctorWho
The script for The Five Doctors by necessity takes a few shortcuts with regards who knows what and when about what exactly is going on. The companions in particular really should have more questions. But Terrance deftly pulls it off in a way that you hardly notice. #DoctorWho
For example, when Ainley bursts in towards the end, how the hell does the Brigadier know that this is the Master, without being told? He just decks him! 😄 #DoctorWho
Is the Guard Commander who shoots the Castellan meant to be a regenerated Maxil, perhaps? He seems as much of a dick.
Anyway, here we go…
“NO, NOT THE MIND PROBE!!” #DoctorWho
I like how Borusa changes into all-black robes when he’s hiding in his secret evil lair and plotting. Just so he can feel like a proper villain. #DoctorWho
Warriors Of The Deep: we haven’t had a good old-fashioned base-under-siege story for what seems like ages. And in spirit at least, this recaptures the feel of those old stories, if not always in execution. The Seabase setting itself is very Troughton-like. #DoctorWho
The Silurians are just plainly introduced in the first few minutes. No attempt to have any kind of mystery or slow build up to a cliffhanger reveal or anything.
And what the hell did they do with those weirdly modulated voices? At least the Sea Devils sound the same. #DoctorWho