Now that we’ve finished reviewing the stories individually, we take a look at Season 7 of Doctor Who as a whole. Why does it continue to stand out as one of the stronger seasons of the Classic Series?
Season 7 of Doctor Who might be one of the greatest seasons ever made in the history of the programme. Certainly, it’s one of the very best debut seasons a Doctor’s ever had. Not only did it help to establish Jon Pertwee as a brilliant new Doctor. It also helped to establish a brand new team, while giving us some brilliant stories.
Earlier this month, I wrote about how The Ambassadors of Death was “frustratingly forgettable”. If I’m really being honest, it’s not even a bad story, just one that’s very hit and miss, at times. It also stands out as the weakest story of the whole season, which is a very strong indication of just how brilliant Season 7 truly is.
Admittedly, there were only four serials in the whole season. After opening with the four-part classic Spearhead from Space, we then had Doctor Who and the Silurians, The Ambassadors of Death and Inferno, which were seven episodes long each.
The most surprising thing about this fact is that, while Ambassadors has issues with pacing, both Silurians and Inferno manage it extremely well. Each story unfolds nicely, and there’s usually a key element introduced every couple of episodes that gives the story a good shakeup. On top of that, they also feature a huge number of well-written and brilliantly performed characters. As a result, neither of these two long stories feel like they outstay their welcome, which is a huge achievement, in either case.
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The new team
This opening season also did a great job of establishing the new team. From the very beginning, Jon Pertwee is absolutely fantastic as the Third Doctor. He had a huge task when he had to take over from Patrick Troughton, a hugely popular Doctor in his own right. But Pertwee just made the role his own. He brought both charm and a strong sense of authority to the role, thus giving us a very different but very strong new Doctor.
It was also brilliant to see Nicholas Courtney’s character of the Brigadier be promoted from recurring character to regular in this season. This is a key part of his relationship with the Doctor, as they go through some major ups and downs in these stories – particularly in The Silurians. It’s great to see a friendship explored where two people are on the same side, but their extremely different methods often put them at odds. Their friendship gets easier over time, but it’s still in its early stages at this point, making it interesting to explore.
Lastly, Caroline John is great to watch as Dr. Liz Shaw. It really is a shame that she was only in this season, as she was a great fit for this unique team. What was particularly fantastic about John’s performance was, while she always gave Liz a sense of class and intelligence, she also knew when to play the drama and when to give her a touch of humor.
With a great team, consistently strong stories and a very unique tone, Season 7 continues to stand out as an extremely strong season of Doctor Who. We might not have a season this gritty or politically complex ever again. An excellent debut season for a much-loved Doctor, and one that will always have its fans.
Are you a fan of Season 7? What is your favorite story? Do you think the longer serial format worked well for it? Let us know in the comments below.