Mastodawn

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…”

#DoctorWho

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

HELLO SEXY 😍 #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…

#DoctorWho

Gavin Winters

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

Cheer up Borusa! You might still have “a bit of a love life…”

#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

“Face it Tegan! He’s drowned!” says Turlough after the Doctor’s been in the water for seconds. Yeah… don’t ever get a job as a lifeguard Turlough!

At least elsewhere he gets a bit of character development and becomes much braver than we’ve ever seen him be before. #DoctorWho

Some prime examples here of characters in #DoctorWho having no peripheral vision. The Doctor steals the uniform of a knocked-out guard, then two others walk across at the end of the corridor and don’t notice the unconscious man lying on the floor in his long johns. 😄

As often happens in this era, random people just wander into the TARDIS for a nose around.

There’s something that just fundamentally feels a bit ‘off’ about the TARDIS not being a separate, safe haven for the regular characters, isolated from the rest of the story. #DoctorWho

Look I think we can all agree that television in the twentieth century peaked at this moment. #DoctorWho

The Awakening: if The Sea Devils is “the one where the monsters come out of the sea” then this is the other #DoctorWho story memorable for being thought of with a Friends-style title - “the one with the giant face in the wall”.

So that’s Tegan’s aunt, cousin and grandfather who’ve all popped up, mostly for no particular reason. Family reunions must be fun, as they swap stories of all the crazy shit the Doctor got them involved in. #DoctorWho

It’s often been said, but this is broadly speaking The Daemons all over again, isn’t it? Right down to the destruction of the church at the end. At least the Malus isn’t defeated by an inability to grasp a person sacrificing themselves for others. #DoctorWho

Once again half the guest cast end up strolling into the TARDIS. Some not even reacting to the interior at all. It’s coming to something when there’s so many people filling the console room that it doesn’t look big *enough* on the inside. #DoctorWho

There’s a particularly “English” quality that comes through strongly in this era, with its medieval castles and cricket pitches. Its sleepy villages and old churches. All in other eras too of course, but it fits Davison well.

This even ends on a line about liking tea! #DoctorWho

Gavin Winters Jun 17, 2023

Frontios: I’m now well into the era of stories I remember strongly from childhood. At the time, the episode one cliffhanger of the TARDIS apparently being destroyed was the Most. Exciting. Thing. Ever. 😄 #DoctorWho