Doctor Who Twitch Watch: recommendations of the day 06/22

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC.)

Today, the Fourth Doctor faces Cybermen, Zygons, and a powerful Egyptian god, as the Doctor Who marathon continues on Twitch!

I hope you enjoyed the Fourth Doctor’s earliest four stories on Twitch yesterday. Particularly The Ark in Space and Genesis of the Daleks, two of the greatest Doctor Who stories ever made. Can we expect more classics today? Read more to find out!

Revenge of the Cybermen

The first story of the day begins with the last of Tom Baker’s first season as the Doctor. It also features the long overdue return of the Cybermen, who had their last appearance in The Invasion in 1968. Surprisingly, they hadn’t even shown up at all in the Pertwee era!

So it’s kind of a shame that Revenge of the Cybermen is a bit of a disappointment. It’s not terrible, and there are some interesting ideas.

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For example, the Doctor and his friends land on Space Station Nerva, as that’s where they left the TARDIS at the end of The Ark in Space. But they’ve arrived centuries too early, long before it seemed to be humanity’s last chance for survival.

However, the story itself has quite a few key problems. Not only are there some major plot holes, but the Cybermen are uncharacteristically emotional. Apparently, there were extensive re-writes by Robert Holmes on Gerry Davis’s original script.

Some of them were to adjust how Davis had written the new Doctor, to better match Baker’s portrayal. But some of them quite possibly cause some major problems. As a result, the story is a bit of a mess.

Overall, while it’s not terrible, it’s certainly a significant step down after three very strong stories. It’s also a disappointing return for the Cybermen, especially as it had been far too long since their previous appearance. A disappointing end to the season.

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC.)

Terror of the Zygons

Thankfully, things significantly improve with Terror of the Zygons, the opening to season thirteen. New Series fans are sure to be excited by this one. Particularly as it’s the only story of the Classic Series to feature the Zygons.

The story owes a strong influence to Invasion of the Body Snatchers. In fact, an alternative title that could work for this serial is Body Snatchers in Scotland.

It’s easy to see why the Zygons have endured. Design wise, they look fantastic, even at this point. There’s a reason why, when Steven Moffat brought them back for The Day of the Doctor, they weren’t radically redesigned like the Silurians were. While the makeup was updated a little, it still stuck as closely to the original look as possible.

With the Zygons being shapeshifters, there’s a strong element of paranoia in this story, too. No one can be trusted. Not even those closest to the Doctor.

Terror of the Zygons is sadly the last story to feature Harry Sullivan as a regular companion. It’s a real shame, especially as the whole team of the Doctor, Sarah and Harry worked brilliantly. But at least he’s given an absolute classic to leave in.

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC.)

Planet of Evil

Planet of Evil is a story with a gorgeous sense of style. It might be one of those stories that ignores how science actually works, but that doesn’t really matter. Because there’s quite a few things to enjoy about this one.

For one thing, the alien world we see in this story looks fantastic. It might be one of my favorite alien worlds of the Classic Series.

This is mainly because, for once, the production team didn’t just go to a quarry. Instead, a creepy and atmospheric jungle setting was created. It’s very impressive too, and one of the best set designs of the Classic Series.

The story also pays tribute to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This era of the series regularly paid tribute to classic horror stories. This might not be the very best example of it (we’ll soon get to what is), but it’s still a great and enjoyable horror story.

The Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane have to stop an ancient evil in the Pyramids of Mars.

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC. Image obtained from: BBC Press.)

Pyramids of Mars

We reach another story that I reviewed very recently. So once again, I won’t go into too much detail on this one. But I will say that Pyramids of Mars is an absolute classic, and one of the very best of its era. It’s atmospheric, stylish, with incredibly high stakes and great performances throughout.

In particular, Gabriel Woolf is magnificent as Sutekh. His character doesn’t even get to do much, due to being trapped and immobile for most of the story. But he has a rich voice that adds a lot of power to his performance. When you hear it, you completely believe that Sutekh is completely powerful and dangerous.

Overall recommendation of the day: Pyramids of Mars

Again, this was a really tricky choice to make. Especially when up against Terror of the Zygons. That story left a real impact on the series, and gave us an incredibly memorable monster.

But Pyramids of Mars is an absolute masterpiece. It beautifully captures the feel of classic Hammer Horror movies. It’s stylish, horrific, atmospheric and thrilling. With the Doctor trying to stop an incredibly destructive Egyptian god, it also has incredibly high stakes. And Gabriel Woolf is magnificent as Sutekh. An essential story to watch.

Next: Why the Third Doctor’s regeneration is the greatest

What’s your top choice for today? Which story are you most excited about seeing? Are you a fan of this era? Let us know in the comments below.

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