Doctor Who Twitch Watch: recommendations of the day 07/13

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC.)

We reach the Fifth Doctor’s final stories in the Twitch marathon. Old friends leave while new faces are introduced, in more ways than one. How are Peter Davison’s last few Doctor Who stories?

Well that was quite a week. An entire era of Doctor Who in five days. We’ve definitely seen some ups and downs over the Fifth Doctor’s three seasons. While not perfect, his first season was very strong. His second was a little more hit-and-miss, though. So how were his final stories overall?

The Awakening

The Awakening is a nice little two-parter that uses a lot of Doctor Who‘s best strengths. There’s a really intriguing plot, set in the present but with an interesting use of time travel involved. There’s just the right amount of plot for this story, and it doesn’t try to do too much with it.

But at the same time, it’s not as throwaway as Black Orchid was in season nineteen. There’s a more serious tone, and the Malus is wonderfully designed. Simple, but very effective.

A story wonderfully told, with a mixture of great ideas and direction, The Awakening is certainly one of the highlights from Davison’s final season.

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC.)

Frontios

Frontios is a great little piece of science-fiction from Christopher H. Bidmead. Set far into humanity’s future, Frontios is a world where people are continually getting sucked down to their deaths. But why? And what’s causing it?

Bidmead wrote a pretty fresh take on the old humans versus aliens story with Frontios. There are a number of interesting ideas that are fleshed out, without being too dragged out. There’s a strong cast of characters, too. He also ensured that the regular cast got plenty to work with. All three give great performances as a result.

What’s especially notable is how it reveals just a little bit more about Turlough’s background. Not in terms of his own personal history, though. But more a general idea of what his own race’s history. Which is very fitting, considering the next story that’s shown today…

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC.)

Planet of Fire

In terms of mythology, Planet of Fire is a pretty major one for the Fifth Doctor. For one thing, straight after Tegan’s departure in Resurrection of the Daleks, (sadly not included in Twitch’s marathon,) we also say goodbye to Turlough.

More from Winter is Coming

Perhaps even more interestingly, we find out a lot about his origins. Knowing more about his past helps to flesh him out a great deal. It also explains a fair amount about why he is the way he’s been, ever since he met the Doctor in Mawdryn Undead.

However, as one companion leaves, another one enters. We meet Peri Brown in this story. She’s someone keen to travel, and when you meet her mom’s boyfriend Howard, you can clearly see why. Not an evil man, but definitely a controlling one.

She also gets quite a bit to do in this one. She really stands up for herself against the main villain, in one scene. Overall, her introduction isn’t the best one, but it’s far from the worst.

Kamelion’s end

Planet of Fire also resolves Kamelion’s story. Because he hadn’t been seen since The King’s Demons, his very first appearance, this doesn’t feel quite as big. Certainly not as big as Turlough’s departure.

There’s great location work in Lanzarote. For once, it doesn’t feel like a too much of a touristy episode, and the location doubles as the landscape of an alien planet really well.

Despite all of these interesting elements, however, the story doesn’t quite gel. Perhaps because there’s so many elements to include with this one. Planet of Fire really does cram in a lot, perhaps too much, at times. But considering what happens to the Fifth Doctor in the next story, it was probably better to resolve some key storylines sooner rather than later…

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC.)

The Caves of Androzani

We reach the Fifth Doctor’s final story with The Caves of Androzani. Even if you’ve never seen it, you may have heard of this one. It’s generally regarded as one of the greatest ever stories in Doctor Who history.

But what is it that makes it so special? No major enemies appear. No one makes a shock return appearance. The plot is actually pretty small-scale, focusing on an interplanetary war. It’s not even a war fought for freedom. Just for control over a valuable mineral. So what makes it so appealing?

A lot. So much so that I won’t be covering it in detail here, at least not yet. It’s far too much to cover. So I’ll just sum it up: great characters, deliciously evil villains, a strong production, incredibly tense moments and amazing dialogue for five. It also has some of the best cliffhangers in Doctor Who ever.

Like I said, expect me to cover a review that goes into even more detail on why The Caves of Androzani is as brilliant as it is. For now, just watch it and discover for yourself why it’s a fan favorite.

Overall recommendation of the day: The Caves of Androzani

Considering how hyperbolic my description is for the story, this probably isn’t too much of a surprise. In fact, this probably won’t be a surprise to anyone who knows how popular this story is. But it really is an essential story to watch.

It’s almost a shame that this is Davison’s last story, as it features him at his very best. Perhaps far better than he ever was. (Especially when it comes to dialogue. Seriously he gets so many great lines in this one!)

By the time the story ends, we get our first glimpse of the Sixth Doctor. How are his first moments? And how strong was his introduction? We’ll find out, next week.

Next: Carole Ann Ford to feature in the First Doctor Adventures with David Bradley

Are you excited to see The Caves of Androzani? Do you have fond memories of this serial? Or indeed, any other story today? Let us know in the comments below.

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