Doctor Who Twitch Watch: recommendations of the day 07/16

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC.)

Today, we see the start of Colin Baker’s run on Doctor Who as the Sixth Doctor. What stories can we expect from his controversial era? And how well does his first story follow on from Peter Davison’s last?

The Fifth Doctor’s era ended with one of the greatest Doctor Who stories ever. So how did the Sixth Doctor’s era begin? It couldn’t have been that much of a step down? Could it?

The Twin Dilemma

Oh boy. Where to even begin? The fact is that The Twin Dilemma is generally considered to be one of the worst stories in Doctor Who history. It’s loathed by many, many fans.

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There are a few reasons for this, but I think the one that sticks out the most is how Colin Baker’s new Doctor is handled. He’s presented as incredibly rude and unlikeable.

Now, there’s nothing necessarily wrong with depicting the Doctor as a jerk. After all, the First Doctor was, at least in his earliest stories. Not in the simplistic, sexist way that Moffat depicted in Twice Upon a Time. But more as a selfish and stubborn old man who overall wanted to protect his granddaughter.

We also saw Twelve come across as rude and abrasive. But a lot of the time, not only was it funny, it also had a lot of depth. Sometimes, it could be taken too far, such as continually calling Danny a PE teacher in The Caretaker. But overall, the more aggressive attitude was refreshing.

A bad first impression

So what went wrong with Six? To me, it had far less to do with Colin’s performance and more to do with the writing. Especially in his opening story.

Even worse, the writers wanted to give him an unstable regeneration. Not necessarily a bad idea, but it’s definitely badly handled. Especially the moment when he strangles his companion Peri.

So this was the first impression that audiences had of the new Doctor. The final nail in the coffin? It wasn’t the first story of his new season. It followed directly after The Caves of Androzani.

Apparently, this was John Nathan-Turner’s decision, as he didn’t want audiences to have no idea what the new Doctor would be like in the long gap between seasons.

Honestly, this was a terrible decision that backfired in a big way. Instead of audiences willing to give him a second chance the following week, instead, they were left with the impression of a Doctor who would strangle his companion. Even when suffering regeneration trauma, it’s a bad impression to leave audiences with.

There are other reasons this story is so weak. The plot, the monster, the cheesy production (especially when following a story as brilliantly made as The Caves of Androzani). But the fact that it left audiences stuck with a bad impression of the new Doctor for months is The Twin Dilemma’s biggest problem. Definitely the weakest “new Doctor” story by far.

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC.)

Attack of the Cybermen

Attack of the Cybermen is definitely a huge improvement. Now that’s honestly not saying much, in some ways. The second half of the story is admittedly weak. (It also doesn’t have the most imaginative title, either.)

But it begins very well, at least. The action that takes place on Earth, focusing a group of criminals planning a diamond heist, is really intriguing stuff. Especially with one of them working undercover as a cop to investigate the mysterious Lytton.

This is when the occasional gap in this marathon becomes rather noticeable. You see, Lytton was a major character in the story Resurrection of the Daleks, working directly for them as one of their troopers. He was a great character then, and if I’m honest, he’s even better here. Unfortunately, Resurrection was skipped in the marathon, so a few of you would have missed his introduction.

One of the key reasons why Lytton is such a fantastic character is the very strong performance by Maurice Colbourne. He’s very deadpan and very dry. But he’s also effortlessly cool, too.

The script also helps, as Lytton gets a great deal of hilarious lines in this one. Lytton’s especially great with the character Griffiths, a criminal who rapidly finds himself in way over his head. Lytton’s continual insults towards him are one of the best parts of the story.

Telos

Where Attack of the Cybermen isn’t so strong is when it moves to Telos, particularly in the second half. The first half told an interesting contemporary Earth story with both Cybermen and criminals that worked surprisingly well.

The second half, on the other hand, features an alien world with a race that isn’t quite so interesting. The Cryons are ok, but the human characters come across as a lot stronger.

Even the ones that are not from the world we know are great to watch. Particularly with two prisoners trying to escape the Cybermen, using a plan that continually leads to problems.

One problem I do have with Attack of the Cybermen is that it does get unnecessarily violent at times. Even gory, in fact, with one man’s hands getting crushed by the Cybermen. Like I said in my review for The Caves of Androzani, sometimes, the violence can work. But not in this case.

Overall, while Attack of the Cybermen isn’t one of the best stories of the Eighties, it’s not a bad watch, and certainly a huge improvement from The Twin Dilemma.

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC.)

Vengeance on Varos

Now with this story, things get rather grim. We have the Sixth Doctor and Peri land on a world full of torture and violence. Worse still, all of it is done for pure entertainment, as everyone at home watches it on their screens.

There’s a lot that I really enjoy about Vengeance on Varos. Like many of the stories during this period, it’s violent. Possibly more so than others. One scene involving an acid bath certainly pushes the limits of good taste.

But at the same time, there’s a strong reason for the violence to be there. Made during the age of the “video nasty” in Britain (where a number of films released on home video were criticized for their highly violent content), Vengeance on Varos is a story that has a lot of commentary.

It’s not just with viewer’s fascination of violence, either. It also looks at elections, at how the ordinary citizens see their leaders, and how an elected leader is always a target. There’s a lot that Philip Martin includes in his script, and it pays off.

What also helps make Vengeance on Varos such a great story are the very strong performances. Martin Jarvis is great to watch as the Governor. A man who has a lot of dignity, but is at the same time very vulnerable, Jarvis plays both key sides to the character very well.

But the character who stands out the most is definitely Sil. Portrayed by Nabil Shaban, Sil is an utter creep who loves two things: himself and money. He’s a brilliantly amoral character, and Shaban’s performance really makes it.

Overall recommendation of the day: Vengeance on Varos

So with just three stories, we have a wide range in terms of quality today. I think most of us knew that I was never going to recommend The Twin Dilemma. Attack of the Cybermen isn’t without its strong points, but it’s not without its flaws, either.

But Vengeance on Varos really does stand out. In terms of originality and presenting a good Doctor Who story, it’s a really decent watch. Just make sure you have a strong stomach when watching it. (Seriously, the acid bath scene is really nasty.)

Next: Series Eleven teaser finally revealed!

Which story are you looking forward to watching today? Do you think The Twin Dilemma deserves all the hate it gets? What are your thoughts on Colin Baker’s Doctor? Let us know in the comments below.

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