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The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981)
It'll grow on you.
A housewife finds herself shrinking as the result of over-exposure to various home products. Before long she attracts the interest of a sinister organisation who plan to depopulate the world.
This is a great movie. There are homages to the Shrinking Man, but overall this is a completely new storyline. Lily Tomlin brilliantly plays two completely contrasting characters (and briefly appears as a snooty switchboard operator), makes Pat Kramer a genuinely charismatic and also sympathetic character, a One Sane Person in a crazy world. The movie absolutely nails it as a satire on consumerism and advertising, from the pastel-coloured backdrops and garish products to the almost cartoon-like twee neighbourhood. There's a nice appearance from a gorilla (think a camp King Kong) and there's the perfect line between hilarious comedy and tragedy piece (Pat's increasing despair and loneliness in a world becoming gradually bigger and more terrifying). The final message, that even the smallest and most insignificant of us can make a difference, is also quite charming.
Doctor Who: The Steel Sky (1966)
Interesting concepts, but....
The Doctor and his crew arrive on a gigantic spacecraft in the future and find it is transporting the entire human race to a new home. However, sidekick Dodo manages to cause an outbreak of the common cold (something long-forgotten by humanity and as a result they have no defence against it) and it's up to the Doctor to find a cure. This really is big concept sci-fi, and the scenes in the artificial jungle are great. Our heroes depart....and then something intriguing happens. They return to the same spacecraft many generations further into the future where they discover the statue which was under construction when they left has the head of a Monoid.
The Monoids were a mute servant class, but now they have voices boxes and have taken over. It is with the final two episodes I have serious issues with. Rather than deal with negotiations between the two groups, it just descends into "nice humans Vs evil aliens". It is further undermined by the fact the Monoids seem to be there to represent the working classes (they were never mistreated, but were obviously considered less important - the plague is only regarded as a serious threat when it starts affecting humans) and they have Beatles-like hair (at the time the Beatles were seen as the voice of working class rebellion). Not only that, but they are depicted as stupid villains (explaining their plans within human hearing distance, for example). So what is the moral of this tale exactly? Give the working classes a voice and they'll take over? Another problem is that the only human working class character, Dodo, is depicted as a moron whose carelessness causes the problems in the first place. Whether the "message" suggested above was intended is open to debate, but the story as a whole is a wasted opportunity.
Doctor Who: The Armageddon Factor: Part One (1979)
A whimper rather than a bang
At the beginning of the Key To Time epic, Robert Holmes (arguably the best writer the show has ever had) set up an intriguing premise in the opening story with the mysterious Guardians and a fragmented key to time which could alter the future of the universe. But who are the Guardians? What is the real motivation behind them?
We'll never know, because Robert Holmes was then told to go away and write a King Kong knock-off about a farting squid, whilst the all-important climactic story was given to the writing duo responsible for the previous season's two turkeys. Whilst Robert Holmes understandably gave up and did not contribute to the show for another five years, the duo did precisely what Holmes was expressly trying to avoid. They tried to make Star Wars on a BBC budget. So we have yet another cold war parable, K9 making silly bleeping noises every five minutes and a lot of faffing about with military types. It isn't all bad news, admittedly. The idea of one of the characters being a segment of the key to time is an interesting idea, the ever-reliable actors Tom Baker, Lalla Ward and John Woodvine do the best with what they're given and Valentine Dyall is an ominous villain in a sadly brief showdown. The story has a few memorable moments but it could have been something better. When the Guardians returned several years later they were reduced to stock goodie/baddie characters.
Doctor Who: Silver Nemesis: Part One (1988)
Last gasp for the 1980s Cybermen
It would be difficult to review this as a story, for the simple reason there is no story. These three episodes are little more than a selection of ideas that must have looked good on paper, realised as a series of set-pieces and bad comedy routines.
The Doctor and Ace return to Earth to find a time--travelling 17th century sorceress, a secret organisation of neo nazis and a meteor containing a mysterious statue which has been causing disasters for many years. It sounds like the set-up for a class tale, but what we are instead given is a rather limp rehash of Remembrance of the Daleks (ancient Time Lord relic hunted by old Doctor Who enemy, destroys them). Lady Sorceress is given every melodramatic cliche in the book and goes insane in the space of a few moments. The neo nazis are just comic book soldiers (they may as well have been UNIT troops) and their only function is to be shot by the Cybemen. With the big battle taking place at the start of episode two, the various surviving characters have nothing to do but kill time for the rest of the story, wandering about before a rather rushed conclusion. It goes without saying everything that once made the Cybermen disturbing or scary is long forgotten. They are now nothing but chrome-painted tin men in cricket gloves who are constantly outwitted and defeated by the human villains. And a word about cameos from guest stars. Watch "City of Death" for how to go about this. It was short, to the point and didn't de-rail the story. In fact it was the cherry on a very tasty cake. Here, however, we have a long, tedious, unfunny comedy routine which not only stars a "big name" nobody's ever heard of, but also eats up vital time which would have been better spent on the rather abrupt climax.
If you switch your brain off it entertains, because it's all twinkly and frothy and clearly meant to be aimed at undemanding children who can hopefully be trusted not to point out the plot makes no sense whatsoever, but it's a serious weak link in an otherwise strong season.
Doctor Who: The Planet of Decision (1965)
"The Chase" is a misunderstood gem.
The Doctor builds a TV which can show any event in time and space, but it isn't long before it tunes into the Daleks who are plotting the destruction of the Doctor and his crew after his previous two brushes with them. What follows is a pursuit across time and space.
This story is dismissed as silly, but in truth it's a fun knockabout whose constant moving from one situation to another keeps it fresh and briskly-paced. It also has a genuinely emotional ending and the arrival of Steven (it's tempting to believe that guy on the Empire State Building, played by the same actor, is a distant ancestor of his). Anyway, the story is not without its darker moments. The tale of the undersea people whose planet has dried up is a tragedy piece, whilst the shots of people fleeing the ship is genuine disaster movie material, and the city ruled by robots who keep humans as exhibits is a real dystopian nightmare-future vision. Also, the horror movie set wouldn't be out of place in a Universal or Hammer production (and the idea of the animatronic characters going out of control was years before Westworld).
Yes, this story looks kind of creaky in places now, as a clearly active imagination comes up against a low budget, but still a great evening's entertainment.
Minder (2009)
More a curio than anything
I am a fan of the original Minder series and think the Terry and Ray years are both examples of real quality television. I have to confess I watched this re-boot/sequel series out of pure interest.
As with the "Yes, Prime Minister" re-boot, you're given the impression nobody involved in the making of this actually bothered watching the original series. Or if they did, they failed to see the point of it. Shane Richie (who I've always thought was a one-note actor) is completely mis-cast. The script is clearly calling for somebody similar to George Cole's character, but Richie just looks and sounds far too tough. By contrast, his minder is half his size and lacks any of the wit, charm or on-screen presence of Arthur's minders. The scripts are uninvolving and, worse still, lack the quirks which made the original Minder such a unique show. The Minder of old was about surviving in the grubbiest wilds of inner-city London. This, on the other hand, is all fancy office blocks, spotless streets and designer apartments, making it look more like an episode of "House of Cards". Even the appearance of guest stars like Rik Mayall and Meera Syal can't lift this from the level of the decidedly humdrum.
Meet the Applegates (1990)
Great rare treat
The most normal family in a peaceful town turn out to be a group of giant shape-shifting praying mantids who plan to unleash nuclear hell on humanity for destroying their rainforest homes.
This is a very difficult movie to find. As far as I'm aware it's not available on DVD, which is puzzling because it's a gem. It contains plenty of dark and wacky humour, memorable larger-than-life characters and never hits you over the head with its ecology message. Sci-fi comedy at its best.
Doctor Who: The Dæmons: Episode One (1971)
Not a classic, but entertaining
For the climax to a season of Doctor Vs The Master stories, this sees the Doctor's arch-enemy attempt to invoke none other than the devil itself.
There are genuinely good moments in this story, there is an interesting idea involving ancient astronauts, and as ever Roger Delgado is the greatest Master. But other things let it down. There is an episode where virtually nothing happens, and then the ending in the final episode feels rushed and kind of weak. Bok the gargoyle come to life looks great when we see the model version - very gothic. But then he is required to move about and so is suddenly transformed into some bloke in a leotard. The 'devil' is a far more impressive-looking creation. Though this adventure drags in places it's still entertaining and worth watching.
Doctor Who: The Pilot (2017)
Where the rot set in.
After a great season and an okay season, Peter Capaldi's Doctor becomes a wasted opportunity for what could have been one of the all-time great incarnations of the famous Time Lord. By now he is a university lecturer whose appointed task seems to be to come among all us silly little people and lecture us. Whereupon we have a season of episodes which are either uninteresting (like the three-part story starring the bland Evil Monks), or are just there to grandstand wearisome moral 'lessons' (like the episode where the Doctor shows how ethnically aware the show is by, er, beating up a racial stereotype). Several of this season's episodes, in fact, seem to have been made to show everybody how horrible English people are, but they just seem more like Monty Python sketches (look at the daft posh people). You almost expect Graham Chapman's military officer to appear and tell them it's all becoming silly. The best episodes in this season by far are Smile and the Cyberman finale. But the problem is, time and space no longer feels threatening or awe-inspiring. Even the Daleks and the Master became comic relief by this point. The real shame of this season is it had the potential to be great. Capaldi is charismatic whatever he is given to do, Bill is the first likeable companion since the RTD years (despite being saddled with scripts which often seem more interested in her sexual preferences than her character), and Nardole is the character Kameleon should have been.
This series is at least worth a look. At this point it was still written by professional writers rather than student union bigots, and it never descends to the depths of Season 11 onwards.
Doctor Who: The Pilot (2017)
Where the rot set in.
After a great season and an okay season, Peter Capaldi's Doctor becomes a wasted opportunity for what could have been one of the all-time great incarnations of the famous Time Lord. By now he is a university lecturer whose appointed task seems to be to come among all us silly little people and lecture us. Whereupon we have a season of episodes which are either uninteresting (like the three-part story starring the bland Evil Monks), or are just there to grandstand wearisome moral 'lessons' (like the episode where the Doctor shows how ethnically aware the show is by, er, beating up a racial stereotype). Several of this season's episodes, in fact, seem to have been made to show everybody how horrible English people are, but they just seem more like Monty Python sketches (look at the daft posh people). You almost expect Graham Chapman's military officer to appear and tell them it's all becoming silly. The best episodes in this season by far are Smile and the Cyberman finale. But the problem is, time and space no longer feels threatening or awe-inspiring. Even the Daleks and the Master became comic relief by this point. The real shame of this season is it had the potential to be great. Capaldi is charismatic whatever he is given to do, Bill is the first likeable companion since the RTD years (despite being saddled with scripts which often seem more interested in her sexual preferences than her character), and Nardole is the character Kameleon should have been.
This series is at least worth a look. At this point it was still written by professional writers rather than student union bigots, and it never descends to the depths of Season 11 onwards.
The Black Scorpion (1957)
Fun monster movie
The fact that Willis O'Brien never had the chance to make another movie on the scale of King Kong is one of the great tragedies of cinema. The good news, however, is that he at least helped in the making of several low-budget but fine stop-motion monster movies.
After a volcano erupts, giant scorpions emerge from deep under the ground to terrorise Mexico. Some great stop-motion scorpions make for a tense, thrilling storyline and certainly one of the better "giant bug" movies of the 1950s and 60s. Included is a scene in which the heroes go underground into the heart of the scorpions' lair where they also come across two other giant bugs. At least one of these was previously used in the long-lost King Kong "spider pit" sequence, and this genuinely exciting scene gives you a real insight into what that might have been like.
If this movie does have one real flaw, it's the use of close-ups. The props used for the scorpion faces look nothing like the faces of the models (or indeed the face of any real scorpion). But minor gripes aside, this is a treat for monster movie fans.
Doctor Who: The Woman Who Fell to Earth (2018)
A summary of Series 11 as a whole
If, in some future re-boot of Dr Who, a production team decide to cast a woman as the Doctor, they should watch this series. And do the complete opposite.
I have been thinking for a few years now how a female Doctor could take the show in a new direction, and this is a franchise which has always experimented. Unfortunately the task has been given to a team who appear to be a bunch of university lecturers who have no interest in Dr Who, sci-fi or even drama. This series is simply a vehicle for grandstanding a lot of soap-box political ranting. The historical episodes fall completely flat because they're so badly-researched (the female Doctor can gad about an Islamic country shouting at men, all white Americans are racist knuckle-draggers). When the new production team is asked to write sci-fi episodes we are treated to a tedious mess of pregnant men, base under siege stories without any kind of threatening monster, a talking frog, half-baked rip-offs of big US movies and episodes which seem more about filling up 50 minutes of television than actually making anything entertaining. There is no longer any sense of threat, wonder or adventure, and the new villains and monsters are so one-dimensional and uninteresting they would look naff in a kids' cartoon series. This is Dr Who as children's TV, and worse still it treats children as morons who will watch any old rubbish. "Kerblam" comes close to recalling Dr Who of old, but even that episode is hampered by the soap-box rants and the tedious soap opera misery which seems to be the bane of the series and of modern BBC shows in general.
This Doctor is not a "strong woman" as so many seem to claim. She is a dippy little girl who hates boys. Whittaker clearly has no interest in the show and no idea how to play the character. She pulls funny faces and imitates previous incarnations without ever bringing anything to the show herself. Of her companions, Bradley Walsh is the only one who convinces as a character. The others are the most unconvincing drip of a police officer in TV history and a potentially interesting male companion wasted by the fact that the Doctor and her sidekicks are more or less detached observers.
If you are a fan of Dr Who, sci-fi or drama in general this show is no longer for you. Who is it made for? Who knows? Who cares? Stick to 20th century Dr Who, 21st century Dr Who series 1 to 8 and the audio adventures, and let this sorry mess stumble back into the underworld of cancelled TV shows.
Ghostbusters (2016)
Worth a look
This movie started out with a big problem. It has to live up to being a follow-up to one of the great iconic movies of the 1980s. But that shouldn't have stopped it being a good film in its own right. It has a decent cast, nice-looking CGI effects and even cameos from several of the original's cast.
But then it ran into a problem so many re-boots and re-makes run into. It is being made by people who have no idea what made the original so great and who see it more as a quick buck rather than a chance to re-imagine an old franchise. Though it entertains, it's a lot better than most of the recent Hollywood re-boots and there's the odd moment of genuine humour, it's still just a typical cash-cow. Compared to the complex personalities of the original team, the four new Ghostbusters are all one-note characters (one of them seems to think "eccentric" means simply staring boggle-eyed through comedy-nerd glasses). Just about everyone else in the movie is there simply to be irritating. Most of the humour is just low-brow, and the horror is uninteresting. There are no images that come close to rivalling the memorable designs of the original two films, and you come away feeling nothing for the characters. Worth a look as a curio for fans of these kinds of movies, and the cast do the best with the spartan material they're given, but it's hardly the kind of thing for repeated viewings.
Doctor Who: Warriors of the Deep: Part One (1984)
Earthshock 2
After the success of "Earthshock" it was only a matter of time before Dr Who tried its hand at a follow-up. And this is "Earthshock 2" in all but name. We have the return of a past enemy in an action-packed base under siege story where a lot of people die.
Just two little problemettes. The Silurians and Sea Devils were not nearly as well-established a foe as the Cybermen. Plus "Earthshock" ended in the unexpected death of a companion, and whatever you may think of Adric it was, for a couple of generations, the first time a Dr Who regular had died and so upped the stakes.
This shouldn't have been too much of a worry as long as a good story was turned out. Instead we have a run-around which completely dumps on the original Silurian concept as interesting people. What were the production team thinking of with the new Silurian masks? Surely aliens such as the Draconians and Sontarans demonstrated how a far better performance could be achieved with a mask showing the actor's eyes and mouth. Instead we have static faces and flashing light 'third eyes'. The Sea Devils at least fare a little better, their fishnet vests now replaced by impressive-looking samurai clobber. Although at one point one of them looks as though it's nodding off. As for the Myrka, we have a pantomime horse lumbering around unable to actually harm anyone unless they throw themselves onto it.
True, there was very little time to make this story due to an unexpected early election in 1983 taking up BBC resources and studios. Hence the unfortunately floodlit base and the flat camera directing. But the secret to a good yarn is in the writing. The fact is "Warriors" was made purely as an attempt to cash in on "Earthshock" and cash in on the show's past. Fine if the story has a new angle on the reptile-people. This doesn't. After attempting to ingratiate himself into an undersea base by duffing up a guard and causing an emergency, the Doctor rants like some student union militant about how the reptile-people are a peace-loving cultured people and humans are basically fascistic for not trusting them. But why should they? A military unit of reptile-men who might as well be Cybermen break into the base, kill a lot of people and then try to wipe out the human race. If that's civilized then angels and ministers of grace defend us if someone a bit rough is lurking out there.
Hands up. As a fan of dodgy monster movies this entertained me. It has more of a story than most rubber beastie stomp-arounds, and Peter Davison is a great actor who brings conviction to even the ropiest of material. It's just that a return of the Silurians could have given us an intelligent thought-provoking tale.
Doctor Who: Battlefield: Part One (1989)
Entertains, but certainly not a great one.
The Doctor and Ace arrive a few years in the future to find knights armed with swords and blaster-guns arriving from the void and a spacecraft at the bottom of a lake. Nick Courtney gives another great performance as the old Brigadier, Angela Bruce as the new Brig is an interesting character and there's a strong performance from Jean Marsh as a Witch-queen.
So what went wrong? A story involving Arthurian legends, an alternative reality, the Doctor as Merlin leaving messages for himself and the fantastic Destroyer (even its shadow looks amazing) should have been a classic. Instead we have an oh-so-moral speech about the horrors of war after four episodes of battle and conflict as light entertainment. McCoy can be a great Doctor, but he spends this story having to deal with terrible material more suited to Colin Baker's loud incarnation. The fight scenes look ridiculous, there are characters of apparent significance introduced who then disappear into the wilds and the music (though it sounds nice if listened to in isolation) is far too up-beat and destroys any atmosphere that could have been salvaged. And when exactly is this story supposed to be set? There's a King (presumably Charles) on the Throne but the Russian UNIT soldier has emblems which were out-of-date even in 1989 when these episodes were made. The Destroyer is sadly wasted in what seems like an incidental role.
The DVD feature-length version reveals how vital details concerning the Arthurian legends' origin, the creation of the spacecraft and the real purpose of Excalibur were cut in favour of all the tedious run-arounds. Not only that, but the fact that this lightweight panto went out as Season 26's opening story makes you wonder what on earth those in high places thought they were playing at. Come to think of it, what is a feather-weight story bogged down with pointless self-references to the show's past doing in Season 26 anyway? We could have had a darker, thought-provoking tale more like Ghost Light, Curse of Fenric and Survival.
Doctor Who: The Monster of Peladon: Part One (1974)
The Peladon Adventure 2
The Doctor and Sarah visit the planet Peladon fifty years after his first visit with Jo. They discover political intrigue and a plot by enemy agents to steal valuable minerals. Not only that, but what seems to be the spirit of the god-like monster Aggedor is popping up to burn terrified locals to crisp.
In the latter episodes of this story it's all Ice Warrior action. Alan Bennion, playing his third Ice Warrior commander, puts in another great performance, managing to make this cool customer subtly different from the previous two. In fact there are strong performances all round from the cast.
Unfortunately the Ice Warriors don't appear until the end of episode three. Before that the story is more or less faffing about and killing time with run-arounds and a rather heavy-handed message concerning the plight of the miners. It might have helped carry the moral message if the miners themselves in this adventure hadn't been portrayed as a lot of dimwits with silly hair. Considering this story is dependant on the viewer remembering the details of the first Peladon adventure, it's strange how it uses Aggedor rearing up at the Doctor as a cliff-hanger. Anyone who recalls the previous tale will know the Doctor only has to start crooning for the monster to transform into a lovely puppy. Also, at the end of episode four during a fight scene viewers must have been wondering why the Doctor has been replaced by a scruffy man in a strange grey wig. Yes, it's Terry Walsh, a stuntman, whose face is clearly visible in several shots. This and the fact the actor playing Aggedor's shoe is clearly visible in the beast's death scene makes one wonder whether the show ran short of time or nobody was really bothering to make an effort with it.
Still, the Ice Warriors save the story. Watch out for the Ice Warrior commander's Judge Dredd impersonation.
Doctor Who: The Curse of Peladon: Episode One (1972)
A fine tale.
The Doctor and Jo find themselves on the medieval world of Peladon just as there are negotiations going on concerning the planet joining the galactic federation. Within no time they're posing as Earth representatives, running into superstitious reactionaries and Ice Warriors, and stumbling over a plot to sabotage the planned treaty.
This is Dr Who at its most sophisticated, a tale of murder, intrigue and a romantic sub-plot. In fact it wouldn't be out of place in 21 century Dr Who. The aliens are treated as characters rather than simple monsters, the Ice Warrior commander being especially good. What with strong performances from the visiting cast, a superb-looking backdrop and a brisk pace this is an all-time great.
Doctor Who: Carnival of Monsters: Episode One (1973)
Fun
The Doctor and Jo arrive on a ship being menaced by a Plesiosaur. Meanwhile a showman and his assistant arrive on an alien planet to display their collection of monsters. What is the connection? This is one of the gems of the Pertwee era. It's fun, fast-paced and provides plenty of thrills. Not only do the Doctor and Jo find a world of hilariously tiny-minded bureaucrats but also a swampland filled with Drashigs, giant caterpillars with teeth who provide an effective monster (they're low-budget but they succeed where the giant maggots fail).
Not only a great story but also a witty satire.
Doctor Who: The Time Warrior: Part One (1973)
One of the greats
One of the last greats of Jon Pertwee, and Sarah Jane Smith's first story. We join them at a temporary shelter for scientists after a spate of disappearances involving such people. Before long the Doctor has detected an intruder from the past and is journeying back to medieval England for his first (on-screen) encounter with a Sontaran.
This is a fine adventure. Not only is it a fast-paced story full of strong characters, it's a satirical take on the military and empire-building (the Sontaran Lynx puts a flag in the ground and claims the Earth for the Sontaran Empire in the style of British or US imperialists). Lynx himself is a brilliant and inspired villain (played as a character who happens not to look human rather than as a stereotype alien) and his design is superb. He is even introduced as a dark flip-side of the Doctor. After something strange falls to earth, an alien in a crippled vessel joins a military group as their 'scientific adviser' and starts helping them deal with their enemies.
Doctor Who: The Trial of a Time Lord: Part One (1986)
Entertains, but it's a mess.
Back in 1985 Dr who was suspended for a year and the BBC made no secrets they were less than happy with it. So it was decided the next series of the show should focus around the Doctor put on trial, a way of reflecting the trial the show itself was on. Unfortunately this 14-part adventure gives no reason as to why the Doctor should be allowed to go on with his travels.
The common gripe among fans is that the show needed more money. That is a valid argument during the later years of the 1980s when the creative head was back in place. But in the three series prior to the suspension of 1985 the production team blew half the budget taking the show abroad for no better reason than so they could have a free holiday at the expense of the licence-payer. Not only that, but it was clear that all too often the people behind the scenes thought the show should be trying to imitate big US movies. I'm sorry, but pre-CGI there was no way any BBC budget was going to make a Dr Who series of Universal proportions. The "Trial" series only seems to repeat past mistakes. A lot of money was spent on an admittedly great opening spaceship scene. But the ship is only seen for less than a minute in total. The all-important trial room looks like a half-finished set from a school play. Serious money was also spent on making one of the best-looking robots in the show's history, but it does little more than stand in a control room shouting. There's no reason to shell out more cash when nobody in the production team seems capable of using it wisely.
For what it's worth, the first four episodes entertain. They're written by Robert Holmes, arguably the show's finest writer, and though they're not his greatest work they're filled with his usual characters and witty lines. The second 'story' sees the return of Sil, the sea-slug yuppie, and this segment of the trial has some great moments. That's despite Eric Saward removing the original humour and replacing it with repeated jokes about Brian Blessed shouting, not to mention the insert of a sub-plot involving some feeble rebels. Then, after what is possibly the greatest departure scene in the show's history, we have the greatest cop-out in the show's history. Yes, folks, it seems Peri is not dead but is instead the consort of a misogynist warrior who spent his time bellowing at her. What pours acid into the wound is that the Doctor never bothers returning for her. The third 'story' concerns killer plant-people, the introduction of Mel (who is, despite her later improvements in McCoy's time, as awful in this tale as critics feared she might be) and a storyline which seems to think it's dealing with rather slow-witted children. Although it does admittedly have some great cliff-hangers. The final 'pay-off' story is a two-parter, the first episode of which is Robert Holmes' last and what seems to be a powerful build-up to something amazing. Then in the all-important finale episode we are treated to....a mess, frankly. Sub-plots become entangled, the Valeyard (for the most part superbly played by Michael Jayston) turns into a cackling villain and the finale sees Gallifrey descending into anarchy (off-screen) whilst the Doctor toddles off with a companion he's never met twittering on about carrot juice.
Given that the production team had an extra year to prepare the series (and the trial theme was thought up very soon after the suspension was announced) it's therefore dismaying that it seems "Trial" feels as though they were making it up as they went along. A 14-part complicated thriller needs to be planned in advance. Of course the team weren't to know Robert Holmes would die before he could finish his contribution. But only he and Eric Saward (who left after a disagreement) knew how "Trial" was supposed to end. Even Colin Baker, the leading man, was unable to find out from the writers or production team important information.
The evidence for the prosecution: In the first eight episodes the Doctor saves the universe but fails to save Peri due to the Time Lords abducting him. Strangely he never points any of this out. The trial scenes (which soon become irritating) are filled with bickering and boring continuity point. The defence: The Doctor shows a story from his own (possible) future in which he commits genocide. Not only that, but the fact that the Valeyard, apparently the Doctor from the future, tries to blow the court-room up should surely convince the Time Lords the Doctor isn't going to improve. Quite the reverse. It seems the trial was reflecting the wrong-headedness of the scripts.
In short, "Trial" entertains. But it's a mess.
Doctor Who: The Ark in Space: Part One (1975)
A masterpiece.
The Doctor, along with Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan, are shot into the distant future and find themselves on what appears to be a space station filled with the human race put on ice. Before long Sarah has gone missing, they have been attacked by an automated guard and they've stumbled across acts of sabotage.
This is the first great of the Tom Baker era, a claustrophobic intelligent thriller which pre-dates Alien. The first episode is more or less a two-hander, showcases the acting skills of the two male leads and the strong direction as they negotiate "old dark house"- type suspense. Whilst it's true the special effects were on a budget, the quality of the story means this can still hold its head up high as a classic piece of sci-fi.