Story #101 - The Androids of Tara (1978)

Sarah -
So, here we are, on our way to finding the fourth segment of the Key to Time. Oh, look, it's on the lovely planet of Tara. Romana will pop off to find the segment while the Doctor treats himself to a spot of fishing. It's just a short stroll to locate the segment, which is part of a statue, transform it, and back to the TARDIS before you can say Bob's your uncle!

Oh wait...this is Doctor Who. It wouldn't be fun if it was that easy!


Harry -
No kidding. I looked at the clock and Romana had recovered the segment seven minutes into the story. If this was a contemporary story in the Steven Moffat era, who knows where it might have gone next.


Sarah -
There would be much running down corridors, to be sure.


Harry -
It would be MAD! It would be AMAZING!

Fortunately, the Doctor didn't spend the remaining 3 3/4 episodes dozing at the fishing hole while Romana registered the segment with the minerals authorities at Castle Gracht. Which reminds me, two out of the first four stories this season have been set in a kind of alternate-Tsarist Russian planet. One was wintry and the other was summery, so it must have been a happy coincidence -- that or they spread out the costumes and props over two stories.


Sarah -
The Beeb, as we know, was all about budgetary efficiencies at the time so it could have been either case.


Harry -
I was fascinated by that giant clock on the wall outside the coronation room. It looked like a 16-hour clock.


Sarah -
I'll have to go back and have a look. I missed that.


Harry -
Peter Jeffrey as Count Grendel carried himself with the air of a Famous Guest Actor, so I looked him up. Turns out he was a very familiar face to British viewers, having made numerous appearances on stage, film and telly throughout the 60s and 70s. He was reportedly also considered for the role of the Doctor back in 1966. Imagine that.


Sarah -
While I quite like "The Androids of Tara", one has to credit Jeffrey for single-handedly raising it from a good story to a very good story. He's positively smashing as Count Grendel and steals every scene he's in -- which is a hard thing to do with Tom Baker on the set.

The sword fight scene between the Doctor and the Count made me positively nostalgic for the Doctor's sparring with the Master in the Pertwee era. It's been a while since the Doctor had a nemesis as hearty has Count Grendel.


Harry -
That fight scene went on long enough to earn its coordinator a screen credit. It was that long!


Sarah -
It did go on a bit. I love the moment when the Doctor allows Grendel to regain his sword. So sporting!


Harry -
In addition to the swordfight, the Doctor ended up having to punch his way out of confinement a couple of times with K-9's help, as well as run through a corridor -- of trees -- to effect a getaway. No wonder he kept that scarf quadruple-wrapped around his neck most of the time.


Sarah -
He had to keep it wrapped up to keep more if it from getting chopped off by Farrah!


Harry -
He really liked whipping out that sword, did Farrah.


Sarah -
Classic compensating gesture.


Harry -
I've never read The Prisoner of Zenda, nor am I wild about doppelganger stories, but the android twist made it more interesting.


Sarah -
I've not read it, either, but I've seen the 1937 movie with Ronald Coleman -- and was extremely amused that they cast an actor who bore such a striking resemblance to Coleman to play Prince Reynart.


Harry -
Neville Jason was a very dashing, Balkanesque Prince Reynart. When Reynart's android twin was first revealed, I flashed back to the Sarah Jane android from "The Android Invasion". Those eyes!


Sarah -
The faceless android eyes is one of the most disturbing images in the entire history of Doctor Who. I feel uncomfortable just thinking about them.


Harry -
Seeing Romana almost get "disassambled" when mistaken for an android was also a chilling moment, and it was shocking to watch the Doctor club Strella with a sceptre at the end of Part Two.


Sarah -
Lots of scary images to frighten the children in this one.


Harry -
Going into this story, my previous impression was that it was the weakest of the Key to Time season. I remembered being bored for long stretches the last time I'd watched it years ago. However it was a lot breezier this time around.


Sarah -
When you think about it, being the weakest story in the Key to Time series can still put you head and shoulders above many other stories in Doctor Who!


Harry -
It was better than I remembered it. Surely you can't go wrong when Cyril Shaps appears! Unless I'm mistaken, this is the only story in which a character he played didn't die horribly. Hurrah for the Archimandrite!


Sarah -
Also, he has a most excellent hat. As does Romana. This is a story with the most excellent haberdashery!


Harry -
Armoured helments, spiked helmets, this story had it all.

In my notes, I, er, noted that this was a story with lots of mini-plots within the larger framework. I think that's what made it more interesting this time around. We are seeing a different kind of storytelling this season. Instead of rampaging monsters and prolonged chase scenes, there's a lot more plotting and conniving going on among the characters that our friends encounter. The heroes and villains spent a lot of time together in the same room, instead of being separated by great distances. The dialogue has been cracking in every story so far.


Sarah -
Well noted! The story is full of castle intrigue and, as a viewer, it feels as though we've just stumbled into the middle of someone's family feud.


Harry -
Sure, it's a story without any bug-eyed monsters (androids excepted), but it fits well within the way this entire season has been structured. And they found enough material to fill 3 3/4 episodes after the fourth segment was recovered!


Sarah -
Spot of luck the Count happened upon Romana, isn't it? We've have been in and out in a flash and missed all the fun!


Harry -
Too bad Count Grendel revealed himself to be Coward Grendel at the end, swimming away in defeat. I'd forgotten how this one ended, and it was quite the happy scenes all around. Reynart and Strella together at last, the Doctor and Romana free from peril with the fourth segment in hand, K-9 floating happily in the moat, and most importantly: Cyril Shaps lived!

Best Line - "That's the trouble with chess, it's all so predictable."

Favourite Moment - Romana betraying her lack of equestrian skills. "Go Charger, start. Start!"

Lasting Image - Romana's purple and green ensemble.

7/10


Sarah -
A hearty laugh from the Doctor and we're on our way to the fifth segment!

Best Line: "Would you mind not standing on my chest, my hat's on fire?"

Favorite Moment: The swashbuckling sword fight!

Lasting Image: Continuing the fashion theme, the Archimandrite's headgear!

7/10

Our marathon continues with Story #102 - The Power of Kroll...

Story #100 - The Stones of Blood (1978)

Harry -
Halfway through the Key to Time season and I'm ready to declare this one of the best seasons ever! What say you, Old Girl?


Sarah -
Absolutely! It's even better than my memory of it!


Harry -
In "The Stones of Blood" we are treated to a classic folk horror story right out of the late 60s/early 70s, complete with stone circles, hooded cultists, glaring ravens and bloody sacrifices.

Well, that's the first half anyway. Things go all science fictioney after that. What an abrupt course change!


Sarah -
One of my favorite things about the Tom Baker era -- my favorite era of Doctor Who -- is all of the stories that start out as gothic horror and then end up being science fiction. They're absolutely brilliant and "The Stones of Blood" is a particular favorite.

Beatrix Lehmann as Professor Rumford is responsible for no small part of my love for this story. She joins an esteemed list of character actors who have graced Doctor Who while portraying lovable eccentrics. She reminds me a bit of one of my college English professors and I'd love to share a cup of tea with her.


Harry -
Professor Rumford is more than just a long-winded academic, she's charmingly feisty, and she loves a good sandwich.


Sarah -
Who doesn't?


Harry -
Susan Engel as Vivian Fay is a total counterpoint. As warm as Professor Rumford -- may we call her Amelia? -- is, Vivian is icy cold. Maybe I've seen this story too many times, but it's so obvious that there's something shady about her right from the start.


Sarah -
I had that same repeat-viewer feeling that she was evil, but I'm pretty sure I had that feeling the first time I watched it, too! The power of Engel's performance is all down to her voice -- so mellifluous that she can only be up to something!


Harry -
Back to the beginning. The Doctor announces he has a surprise for Romana: their next stop on the Key to Time search is 20th century Earth. To her mind, that means Burberrys and open-toed heels. I liked the hat, but the shoes proved terribly impractical for the English countryside.


Sarah -
Impractical for any situation, really, but quite stylish.


Harry -
K-9 is initially left behind to "guard" the TARDIS. I liked the moment when he offered to explain tennis to Romana, she told him to forget it, and he took it literally.


Sarah -
That was an excellent K-9 moment.


Harry -
Is there any setting that's more English than an ancient stone circle?


Sarah -
If there is, I can't think of it! We've certainly encountered neo-pagan/druid types in the past, but I'm fairly certain this is our first stone circle!


Harry -
As for the neo-pagan/druid type in this go-around, we meet Nicholas McArdle who plays De Vries, and in fact often overplays him during the ritual scenes. Another crazy shouter! But he and poor Martha quickly fall victim to the mysterious moving stones that can propel themselves at will.


Sarah -
I'm not really clear on why the stones turn on them. Was it their failure to sacrifice the Doctor? The stones are so unforgiving!


Harry -
Maybe they got thirsty. As we learn in the second half of the story, the stones are blood-drinking alien creatures brought to heel by Vivian, who is actually a criminal from outer space. She has been trapped on Earth for almost four thousand years, and the hyperspace prison ship she was in is moored in another dimension, just above the stone circle. I didn't catch what type of alien Vivian is, but she hasn't seemed to have aged a day during her time here. She zaps Romana aboard the ship, and it's left to the Doctor, Amelia and K-9 to rig up a device with which to follow.


Sarah -
And the resulting scenes give Our Amelia so many opportunities to be plucky, resourceful, and fabulous!


Harry -
During most of the Tom Baker era, Dudley Simpson's music scores have been reliable accompaniments to the action on the screen. I thought he really stepped it up here, throwing in some moody strings during the scenes in De Vries' manor home, and hitting us with futuristic synth drones when the Doctor arrives on the hyperspace ship. It really stood out.


Sarah -
It's been a while since we've acknowledged the steady reliability of Dudley Simpson. Season after season, he brought his best to Doctor Who.


Harry -
Speaking of standing out, did you think the Megara stole the show, or were they too silly? Or did they steal the show by being so silly? These anal, humourless justice machines had Douglas Adams all over them, as the Doctor danced them around in circles.


Sarah -
I always find them so annoying. Still, they may make a good backup costume if Mr. Smith decides not to cosplay the Vardans this year.


Harry -
Hah! I was going to suggest that very thing. He could kit up a string of flashing lights and place them on his head. Instant justice machine!


Sarah -
The simplest cosplay is often the most effective!


Harry -
For all their silliness, the threat posed by the Megara was frightening, because there was no reasoning with them. The Doctor did his best to delay his execution long enough to fling them to another part of the universe. We'll see if they catch up to him in 2,000 years time.


Sarah -
Dashing a note to Steven Moffat right now.


Harry -
I wasn't sure how everyone suddenly reappeared on Earth, but Vivian received her due punishment and Amelia was given a whole new opportunity to survey the remarkably fluid ancient stone circle. Hurrah!


Sarah -
Another quick wrap up to an excellent story!


Harry -
That's three great stories in a row. The third segment of the Key to Time is in hand. Let's keep this party going, shall we?


Sarah -
Onward, Old Boy!


Harry -
Best Line: "Well you know how it is, Professor. I often get tied up in my job."

Favourite Moment: Amelia rescues the Doctor from being sacrificed at the stone circle.

Lasting Image: the Doctor admiring the empty places on the wall as De Vries describes the paintings that once hung there.

8/10


Sarah -
Best Line:
Professor Rumford : "But I still don't understand about hyperspace."
The Doctor : "Well, who does?"
K-9 : "I do."
The Doctor : "Shut up, K-9!"

Favorite Moment: It's not quite a favorite moment, but the scene when the stones attack the campers is so chilling that I won't soon forget it.

Lasting Image: The Doctor's trial on the spaceship and the Doctor's wig!

8/10

Our marathon continues with Story #101 - The Androids of Tara...

Story #99 - The Pirate Planet (1978)

Harry -
Moons of madness, Sarah! This is the second story in a row in which a spectacularly shouty character steals the show!


Sarah -
I'M SORRY, HARRY DEAR, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU FOR ALL THE SHOUTING!

Oh wait, the Captain seems to have piped down, perhaps calmed by his nurse...


Harry -
Season 16 continues its strong opening with the "The Pirate Planet", written by none other than Douglas Adams. He would of course go on to greater fame than any other Doctor Who writer. When one describes something as "Douglas Adamsy," you can point to this story for examples. There are loads of wit and cracking dialogue, characters who are larger than life or grotesque parodies, moments of humour and interesting sciency bits too.


Sarah -
It's all so Adamsy. It's a short leap from demolishing the Earth to build an Interplanetary bypass to materializing a hallowed-out planet around another planet to pirate its resources. There's so much concept going on in this story and it's a tribute to Adams' talent that it's so enjoyable!


Harry -
His concepts have always been wonderful. A planet that materializes around smaller ones and mines them for minerals; compressing the remains of these plundered planets into little spheres and suspending them inside a pressurized container; a queen who seeks immortality by rematerializing into a younger body, and so on, and so on. Adams is bursting with ideas as always.


Sarah -
Apparently, he wrote the script for "The Pirate Planet" at the same time as the radio play for Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and the scripts share the same domestication of the fantastic.


Harry -
And there's his storytelling too. You mentioned the nurse above. Look at how slyly he introduced her, and how Rosalynd Lloyd underplayed the role in the first half of the story. By the end, she seizes control of the story and leads to the demise of everyone on the bridge, including poor Mr. Fibuli -- another classic toady character. There's a lot of the harried civil servant in Mr. Fibuli, haha!


Sarah -
Oh, Mr. Fibuli -- another fabulous Adams' character. He is forced to be a toady, but clearly believes the Captain is a megalomanic nincompoop! In the end, the Captain is heartbroken by Fibuli's death and swears to avenge him. It was a surprisingly tender moment.

Amusingly, the first time I saw the story (and keep in mind, this was 1983), I got it in my head that Mr. Fibuli resembled Trevor Horn and I haven't been able to shake that image -- even when Mr. Smith insists they bear no resemblance whatsoever.


Harry -
This is another case where I would have loved to see the actors who played the three baddies in more Who. Unfortunately, this was the sole appearance for Lloyd, Bruce Purchase and Andrew Robertson.


Sarah -
The bait and switch on the Queen is a nice touch.


Harry -
Adams had so much fun coming up with his slate of baddies, that he almost neglects the citizens of Zanak. Mula, Kimus and Pralix are undistinguished characters, but the cringing coward Balaton was memorable.


Sarah -
It's not the most interesting planet, is it? Seems to be a lot of sitting around waiting for the next golden age.


Harry -
Was it me or was K-9 all over this one? He seemed to be everywhere, his banter with the Doctor and Romana was fun, he literally ran his batteries down from all the tasks he performed, and of course he fought the famous battle with the pirate Captain's robot parrot of death. Very very very good dog!


Sarah -
A VERY good dog. If there's one thing Douglas Adams knows how to do, it's writing robot dialogue!


Harry -
I wonder if Douglas Adams was still around, would he have found a place in the new series? He could have had fun writing for any of the newest Doctors.


Sarah -
I can only think it would have been inevitable.


Harry -
Gosh, we've barely mentioned the Doctor and Romana yet. Did they get the shaft in this story? The Doctor seems to get spun in every direction, stumbling across a projection device that saves his hide before the explosive finale. Romana seemed to have even less to do. They did enjoy some flights in those aircars.


Sarah -
They were definitely sidelined once the story got going. I like their opening scene -- Romana reading the TARDIS manual while the Doctor takes umbrage, and, of course, she's right.


Harry -
By the time we get to part four, my notes reflected a slowing down of the story. The Mentiads took forever to get up that mountain. There was a lot of shouting on the bridge before the Queen tried to do away with everyone, and the Doctor delivered one corker of a technobabble resolution to it all. At least the Mentiads and the other citizens got their planet back. (It's always amusing when these things are presented in such a grand scope -- "We've got our planet back, hoorah!" -- even though we've only seen about a dozen of the planets' people in a very small area.)


Sarah -
There's an opening for some fan fiction: the inhabitants of the other side of the planet who are wondering what the what keeps happening!


Harry -
The next segment of the Key to Time isn't even in our friends' hands by the end -- they still have to go scoop it up after he credits have rolled. Ah well, never mind the details, it was a fun ride, no?


Sarah -
T'was. Who needs minor details like wrapping up on the story? Onward to the next piece!


Harry -
Best Line:
Captain: "YOU DARE TO LEAVE THE ROTTING FRUITS OF YOUR OWN INCOMPETENCE AT MY DOOR?"

Favourite Moment: The Captain's roaring outbursts.

Lasting Image: The Captain and Mr. Fibuli.

8/10


Sarah -
Best Line:
Kimus: "But I don't understand."
Doctor: "Exciting, isn't it?"

Favorite Moment: The Captain roaring "Mr. Fibuli!"

Lasting Image: The Doctor in the aircar.

7/10

Our marathon continues with Story #100 - The Stones of Blood...

Story #98 - The Ribos Operation (1978)

Sarah -
I have always and will always love "The Ribos Operation". It's the first Doctor Who story I ever saw, late on a Sunday evening in the autumn of 1983. My dear cousin Rich suggested that I watch the series, which I had heard about but never seen. I stayed up late on a school night and fell immediately in love with every single thing about Doctor Who. Thirty-one years later, I still get a chill when I hear the opening theme.


Harry -
Shout out to cousin Rich! Did you ever imagine where the show would take you and the people you would meet?


Sarah -
Who could possibly imagine? You know what else I never could have imagined? That Doctor Who would be so massive thirty years later -- never could have seen that coming!


Harry -
There's a local shoppe near my home that sells (for lack of a better all-encompassing term) pop culture stuff: t-shirts, toys, souvenirs, etc. The first display when you enter is a massive pile of Doctor Who goodies. Unbelieveable!

As for us here, it's the Key to Time season -- almost a kind of mini-reboot to give the show a kick. New companion Romana, new-old companion K-9, same old Tom, but the Doctor has been given a mission that will take all of Season 16 to complete.

We also learn of the White and Black Guardians, in an opening scene that was a throwback to those times when a random Time Lord would appear to the Doctor. But the Guardians seem much more powerful, possibly omnipotent. The desert scene with the White Guardian was odd -- not sure what they were trying to portray there. He did enjoy sipping that drink, whatever it was (even though it looked like mouthwash!). Maybe someone thought that's what a mint julep looks like?


Sarah -
The White Guardian scene is very odd. Is the life of the White Guardian a never-ending seaside cocktail party? Nice work if you can get it!

I love when the Doctor tells the White Guardian that he doesn't need an assistant; that he and K-9 can handle it. I'm pretty sure Robert Holmes just transcribed a conversation with Tom Baker for that scene. Still, after two seasons of the Doctor explaining things to a "savage," Romana is a refreshing change of pace.


Harry -
The show's writers and costume designers must have been thrilled with the new remit.


Sarah -
A recent graduate from the Academy with a triple first, she's not impressed with the Doctor's 51 per cent ... in his second attempt.


Harry -
She's clearly a carry-over of the character Rodan from the previous story. Haughty but with the smarts to back it up, her distinct lack of awe throws the Doctor for a loop. It's a prickly opening scene for the characters, but enjoyable to watch. It's been ages since someone has made the Doctor so uncomfortable. Perhaps not since Barbara?


Sarah -
The Doctor always has trouble with the smart ones. Liz knew how to get under his skin, before her skirts got short and the character tanked. Zoe was clearly smarter than the Doctor but Jamie was there to balance her out, so things didn't get too difficult. That said, I think you're correct -- no one has challenged him this much since Barbara.


Harry -
At this point I'll add that "The Ribos Operation" is one of my favourites too. As the scene shifts to the curiously Czarist Russian setting on a distant planet, we meet one unforgettable character after another, brought to life by Bob Holmes' dialogue and some fantastic acting (and overacting!).


Sarah -
How fabulous is Iain Cuthbertson as Garron? Talk about a first-class charlatan! Robert Holmes continues his penchant for doubles acts in giving Garron the hapless Unstoffe for a partner. Add Paul Seed as the Graff Vynda-K and no scenery will be left unchewed on the Grade 3 planet of Ribos!


Harry -
It's great how Holmes slowly teased out Garron's plot. It first seems as if he and Unstoffe are conducting a dime-store jewel heist, but it expands into a deal for the sale of a planet involving millions of gold opeks. Garron is a loveable rogue bursting with Falstaffian charm. Unstoffe, with his open and honest face, is a master of voices and storytelling. His yarn about the scringestone was brilliant. I was going to say it was overdone, but nothing in this story is quite overdone as the Graff-- or should I say, THE GRAFF VYNDA-K!


Sarah -
The Graff is definitely all-caps sort of guy. The scringestone scene is a particular favorite of mine. Such an open and honest face!

The award for most endearing performance has to go to Timothy Bateson as Binro the Heretic. The scene when Unstoffe explains to Binro that his theory of the planet revolving around the sun is correct is perhaps one of the most touching in the series history. Poor Binro dies protecting Unstoffe, but happy in the knowledge that he was correct.


Harry -
Binro the Heretic, Ribos' very own Galileo. He's a throw-in character without much impact to the overall story, but very endearing and tragic. The same goes for the Seeker, hauled out to do the Graff's bidding only to lose her life too. Her costume is one of my favourites.


Sarah -
It's a good look. Who doesn't like a good bone shaker?


Harry -
The Captain of the guards was a familiar face -- none other than Prentis Hancock, making his fourth and final appearance on Doctor Who. I liked the smug satisfaction he projected, right up until the end when he decided to fire a cannon and bury everyone in the catacombs. That escalated quickly!

One thing I really like about this story is that despite the old Russian look and feel of Ribos -- with state jewels and curfews -- we never see or even hear about the ruler of the place. Yes, there are some fur-hatted guards stomping about, but aside from them we only meet the lower denizens who dwell in the Concourse, like Binro, or the Seeker, who gets panned for her "primitive mumbo jumbo".


Sarah -
I like that the ruler is irrelevant to the story. The Graff doesn't need to meet the ruler to buy the planet, he'll just deal with the broker and take control.


Harry -
I wonder if Paul Seed was directed to play the Graff over the top, or if it came naturally during filming. That's got to be the second-shoutiest character in all of Doctor Who.


Sarah -
To your point about things escalating quickly, I always feel that the story escalates quickly and then ends far too quickly. Every time I see it, I have that moment where I'm surprised it's over. It's a quick wrap up for a jaunty story.


Harry -
By the time we get to part four, everything is moving at breakneck speed, even though everyone is just running in and out of the catacombs. Ultimately no one gets what they were after except the Doctor and Romana. Binro too, I guess. He died, but sort of happily.


Sarah -
Poor Binro. The Doctor does pull a nice double-switch on Garron when he tries to pocket the scringestone...I mean Jethryk...or, rather, the disguised Key to Time.


Harry -
What a romp! I fear it might be all downhill after the first story of Season 16.


Sarah -
Oh dear. I'm trying to watch it with fresh eyes and take it as it comes.


Harry -
What do you think of the "Key to Time" set up? The White Guardian didn't really indicate what would happen to our friends once it was fully assembled.


Sarah -
It's all so unclear, isn't it. "Go find the pieces of the key, assemble it, you have no choice, here's an assistant." Thanks White Guardian, we'll get right on that.


Harry -
I still cringe thinking about that green stuff he was sipping.

Best Line:
Garron: "There's no comfort in dying. I've always said it's the last thing I want to do."

Favourite Moment: the slapstick glove-slapping exchange between the Doctor and the Graff.

Lasting Image: Romana's all-white ensemble.

9/10


Sarah -
Onward to the second segment of the Key to Time!

Best Lines:
The Doctor : "I'll call you Romana."
Romana : "I don't like Romana."
The Doctor : "It's either Romana or Fred."
Romana : "All right, call me Fred."

Favorite Moment: Unstoffe telling Binro that his theory is correct.

Lasting Image: Everyone listening to Unstoffe's Scringestone story in the reliquary.

8/10

Our marathon continues with Story #99 - The Pirate Planet...

Story #97 - The Invasion of Time (1978)

Harry -
After the awfulness of "Underworld", I was quite looking forward to "The Invasion of Time." There's so much on the surface to recommend it: it's a season-ending 6-parter, it's set on Gallifrey, it features a double alien threat, and there's also a double companion farewell. We also get to see much more of the inner TARDIS. So much win!

And yet when I watched it all in one go, it wasn't all that satisfying. Maybe I should have watched it in smaller portions?


Sarah -
I hear what you're saying, but I have a very different reaction to the story. Yes, it has its weaknesses. The story was written at the 11th hour and designed to be as inexpensive as possible, but I can't help loving the story. It's so much fun to watch -- as long as you don't think about the actual story too much.


Harry -
The most interesting thing here might be that we've finally found a story we don't completely agree on.


Sarah -
It had to happen eventually, I guess.


Harry -
I think this is one where the memories of it are better than the story itself. The opening scenes were intriguing, as we see the Doctor plotting an invasion of Gallifrey with some unseen cohorts. These are echoes of his erratic behavior in the opening of "The Deadly Assassin," but we know the Doctor too well to believe he'd get in league with anyone against his own people, doddering old fools they may be. And gosh there's a lot of doddering here.


Sarah -
We do agree on the doddering. The portrayal of the Time Lords in stories like "The Deadly Assassin" and "The Invasion of Time" is my preferred way to see them. In earlier stories, they're portrayed as god-like beings. Seeing the petty politicking of Gallifrey makes it easy to understand why the Doctor would choose to get the hell out of there.

Perhaps the story's greatest plot weakness is that we don't know why the Doctor is helping the Vardans in the first place. We don't know who they are, and neither does he. There's no indicating how or why they contacted him, we just sally forth into the story. I mostly chose to ignore the questions and enjoy the ride.

Fun fact: Mr. Smith has threatened for years to cover himself in plastic wrap and cosplay a Vardan at Chicago TARDIS. I should double-dog dare him to do it this year.


Harry -
That costume would be easy to make, and imagine how many people would ask him who he was!

When I started watching the story, it felt like we'd skipped an episode and walked into the middle of something already well underway. For a six-parter, the whole thing felt stitched together from odds and ends. There was the Doctor-betrays-Gallifrey angle, the Doctor-becomes-president angle, the Vardan invasion (which wasn't much of an invasion, as they got zapped away the moment they let their guard down) and finally the Sontaran runaround two-parter.


Sarah -
Yes, but: the TARDIS swimming pool, endless corridors, Storeroom 23A, Ancillary Power Station disguised as an art gallery!

Oh dear, I think I'm starting to talk myself down from my enthusiasm...


Harry -
Never curb your enthusiasm!

The TARDIS swimming pool was great, as was the art gallery. I wasn't as enthused by the corridors and staircases -- they seemed too grungy compared to the pristine white console room.


Sarah -
You're not the only one. There are plenty of disparaging comments about the Doctor's upkeep of the TARDIS from the visiting Time Lords.


Harry -
The show-runners also had to prepare a suitable exit angle for Leela. Now, I'm intrigued by a man in red tights as much as anyone, but was there enough in this story to make Leela's bonding with Andred believeable? I say nay!


Sarah -
It's one of the worst companion exits in the history of the series. Still, those were some tight tights.


Harry -
I wonder how much lead time "David Agnew" (hah!) got before he had to write Leela's departure. I know Louise had been clear about wanting to leave the show. Do you remember that video she played at our first Chicago TARDIS? It was a compilation of every time the Doctor had shushed Leela. And it went on and on! Who wouldn't have grown tired of that gig?


Sarah -
I do remember that. It was hysterical. Apparently, there was hope among the production team that Louise Jameson would stay on for another season, so they kept the ending open in case she changed her mind. She and Andred did manage to work in a few moments that at least hint at attraction, but they certainly don't lead the audience to expect her to stay with him.


Harry -
It would have been way more amazing had Leela chosen to stay and bond with Rodan. Their relationship was truly a case of opposites attract. I did like how Rodan evolved from being all haughty in her sheltered life inside the Citadel, to being shattered by the world outside, to donning animal skins and joining the Vikings as they stormed the Citadel.


Sarah -
I really like Rodan. She's more flexible in her thinking than the rest of the Time Lords. She should be the next president!


Harry -
Funny enough, we are about to meet another Gallifreyan character who does just that!


Sarah -
I did find myself wondering if Rodan was the inspiration for Romana. I believe she's the first Time Lady we've met, so why not introduce another?


Harry -
Back to the story, I can't think of those "outsiders" as anything but Vikings. There was a strong vibe of recycled costumes going on there.


Sarah -
I love that "dropping out" of Time Lord culture involves becoming shaggy warriors!

Can we at least agree that Milton Johns' performance as the obsequious Castellan Kelner is a delight? Such a toady collaborator -- Johns milks it for all it's worth!


Harry -
Oh, Milton Johns! That Castellan was so oily I wanted to wash my hands after each of his scenes. Epic toadying.


Sarah -
He had me giggling through the entire story.


Harry -
Equally reptilian was John Arnatt as Borusa. What a cold lizard he was, although his "running through corridors" moment with the Doctor was hilarious.


Sarah -
He was perfect. The caliber of the actors in this story often put me in the mind of Shakespearean drama -- minus the brilliant writing, of course.


Harry -
Something I have noticed cropping up -- especially in this story -- is Tom looking and acting directly into the camera. These moments create a kind of hammy self-reverence that I'm not wild about, because they make it seem like it's "The Tom Baker Show" and not Doctor Who.


Sarah -
Tom was very TOM in this story, wasn't he? The first one is amusing, but it gets tedious very quickly.


Harry -
Okay that's enough grumbling from me. Let's talk about the Sontarans!

...oh dear.


Sarah -
So disappointing. Could the costume department not manage to design a helmet that allowed the actor to look out both eye slots at the same time? At first it was awkward. Eventually, it became so distracting I couldn't look at anything else!


Harry -
The one eye through the helmet was creepy. I don't know what happened here. Was it really that hard to reuse or replicate the look of the original Sontarans? They are a race of clones after all. Stor, with his two black eyes, bad teeth and cockney lisp, was a pale imitation of Linx and Styre.

Let's not spend this entire review whingeing, Sarah. Surely there's some good in "The Invasion of Time." The title is cool. There's that. It's always fun to get a glimpse at Gallifrey, because it reinforces why the Doctor left it and never wanted to return. The show-runners obviously wanted to throw everything into this season finale. On paper it probably sounded great. For a six-parter it's one of the fastest-moving ones, even if the final product left me feeling a bit meh.


Sarah -
Considering some of the six-parters we've endured, there's a lot to be said for "The Invasion of Time". It really never drags.

Sadly, it's time to say goodbye to another companion. What do you make of the Leela Era?


Harry -
For the longest time I believed that Jo Grant spent her entire time with the Doctor as just a one-dimensional stock companion. As we saw earlier in our marathon, that was not the case. Instead, the one-dimensional stock companion mantle may fall upon Leela. She didn't really show much character development from her introduction in "The Face of Evil" to her departure here. It may have been a term of endearment, but the Doctor never rose above calling her "Savage" in most stories -- and that seemed to cement her status. She did a lot of heavy lifting and showed a lot of personal strength, but I wish we could have gone deeper into the character. In the end, she runs off unexpectedly with a man in red tights. Did I mention I was quite fond of those tights?


Sarah -
I can only agree that Andred knew how to rock those tights!

I disagree about Leela's character development, but only a bit. I would say that there was some growth in her character, but I suspect the bad feelings between Louise and Tom kept them from developing the rapport that he had with Elisabeth Sladen. I often found myself admiring Louise Jameson's performance when it was clear that she was doing all she could with subpar material. The writers often seemed unsure how to handle her character, but Jameson made the best of it and never allowed Leela to be anything other than a strong savage warrior.


Harry -
The fierce loyalty she had for the Doctor is what I will remember most about Leela.


Sarah -
She never lost faith in him -- even when he had her thrown out of the citadel!


Harry -
Best Line:
Vardan - "We have suspected the Doctor since we first made contact. We shall deal with him soon."
Doctor [elsewhere] - "Well at least they don't suspect me."

Favourite Moment: Castellan Kelner bowing and scraping before the Vardans.

Lasting Image: Stor's loony face.

6/10


Sarah -
Best Line:
Borusa : "You have access to the greatest source of knowledge in the universe."
The Doctor : "Well, I do talk to myself sometimes."

Favorite Moment: The Doctor's induction as President

Lasting Image: The Doctor, wearing the Sash of Rassilon, holding the Rod of Rassilon, and sitting on the Sofa of Rassilon! Wait, I think that last one was just my imagination...

7/10

Our marathon continues with Story #98 - The Ribos Operation...

Story #96 - Underworld (1978)

Harry -
Um... did we just accidentally watch a fan film? That couldn't have been proper Doctor Who, surely?


Sarah -
I have no idea what that was, Old Boy. Now I understand how I've never seen this story before -- it has to be the nadir of the Tom Baker era.


Harry -
It's certainly a low point. [*laff track*]

One of the story's first images -- Leela standing at the TARDIS console looking utterly bored -- should serve as a warning to anyone venturing into this one.


Sarah -
She looked a little too bored, in fact. "The TARDIS -- so simple, a savage can fly it!"


Harry -
As the episodes rolled by in a ceaseless repetition of cavern chases and awkward closeups, I became astonished that the BBC allowed this to air. The production is shoddy beyond belief. Some effort was made to make the flight deck of the spaceship R1C somewhat different. Those cushy lounge chairs seemed out of place, and yet totally suitable for a 70s Sci Fi set. We meet another unremarkable space crew clad in ridiculous foil uniforms. Had I not written down their names I'd have forgotten them already.


Sarah -
You wrote them down? Overachiever!


Harry -
Once our friends arrive in the TARDIS (heard but not seen), things get a bit interesting. There's the usual suspicion and drawing of weapons, but at least the Doctor and Leela aren't accused of murder right off the bat.


Sarah -
That's a change of pace -- and perhaps the only surprise in the entire story. From there we head into a fairly literal retelling of Jason and the Golden Fleece, which somehow manages to make the story even less interesting than I remember from high school.


Harry -
Some of the concepts in "Underworld" were brilliant, like the Miniens who have regenerated a thousand times, the pacifist beam used to subdue hostile people, and the lost ship P7E which was the core of a still-forming planet on the edge of the cosmos.


Sarah -
The regeneration was particularly interesting, given the Minyan connection to the Time Lords. The Minyans recognize the TARDIS as the technology of "the gods" and we learn that helping the Minyans evolve faster and the the disastrous results lead to the Time Lords adopting a policy of non-interference. This may be the most interesting part of the entire story.


Harry -
It's got the makings of a fascinating story, but all we see for most of it is a bunch of unenthusiastic people running around in front of a blue screen, wearing awfully cheap costumes. We first saw the use of primitive blue screen technology during the Pertwee era. It was obvious onscreen, looked awkward more often than not, but at least they used it sparingly. Here, the entire underworld is blue screen. It looks okay for a few seconds, but it just wasn't capable of supporting prolonged visuals. The technology wasn't good enough yet.


Sarah -
The color separate overlay is an obvious cost-saving measure that cheapens the entire look of the story. Apparently, the budget was so tight that canceling the entire story and allocating its entire budget to "The Invasion of Time" was considered.


Harry -
The Trogs looked like unused extras from the live-action Flintstones movie. And what the hell were all the hooded security guards wearing? It looked like creepy mediaeval fetish costumes. Tom and Louise looked like they hated every minute of this one.


Sarah -
There's a great piece of footage in the bonus features where Tom's prattling on to one of the guest actors about how he was really born at the wrong time and should have been born during the Victoria Era...blah...blah...blah... Louise looks so epically bored that she's spending her time watching the tech who's just outside the shot with great absorption. I understand exactly how she feels.


Harry -
There was that one moment when Leela dragged Idas from the caverns into the body of the ship, and I wondered if they cast a particularly skinny actor so that Louise could haul him around easily. Wondering about casting decisions - that's how uninterested I was in the story itself.

The production was a letdown, the camera work was jarring, the acting was wooden, the overuse of repeat footage was terrible. The reprise at the start of part three clocked in at over two minutes. General awfulness throughout. Would you say this Doctor Who's Plan 9 From Outer Space?


Sarah -
This has to be our most disappointing viewing since "The Space Pirates" -- and that at least had the excuse of being a recon!


Harry -
In the end, our friends outwitted possibly the most dimwitted antagonists in all of Doctor Who, and they returned to the TARDIS. Calling Jackson "Jason" as they departed was sort of like breaking the fourth wall and pointing out to the viewers precisely which mythical retelling we'd all been through. By that point, I just wanted this hot mess to be over with. 

The final disappointment was that we never got to see the painting that the Doctor was working on.

Best Line:
DOCTOR: "Have you ever heard of the Flying Dutchman?"
LEELA: "No."
DOCTOR: "Pity, I've often wanted to know who he was."

Favourite Moment: the Doctor bursts into the console room wearing a painter's smock and hat.

Lasting Image: the cushy lounge chairs on the R1C's flight deck

2/10


Sarah -
Best Line: Re: the bombs
Jackson: What are we going to do
Doctor: I think I’d better get rid of them, don’t you?

Favorite Moment: The Doctor getting caught up in the moment, chanting, “The quest is the quest” along with the crew.

Lasting Image: The Doctor in his painting gear.

2/10

Our marathon continues with Story #97 - The Invasion of Time...