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Classic Doctor Who, Season 11 Review
So I've finally reached the end of the road with the Third Doctor. Early last week as I was nearing the end, I'd lamented that I haven't gotten as far in Classic Who as I'd originally wanted to. However, I realized that i was roughly 380 episodes into a 700 episode show - more than halfway done! - it just doesn't feel that way because the first six seasons are twice as long as the subsequent one. It's more like I'm at the end of season 17 of a 32 season show.
That said, I'm glad I have another couple of years worth of Classic Who left, especially since a lot of the other shows I've been watching in my 20s are coming to an end. I'm gonna state a tentative goal of finishing all of Classic Who before I turn 30 years old in June 2021, but I guess we'll see how realistic a goal that is. It's entirely possible that future me will look back on this declaration and laugh derisively at my hubris. I am the same guy who wanted to get through all of the Third and Fourth Doctor eras this year.
This season feels somewhat disconnected from the rest of Three's era mostly because of the absence of Jo Grant and the introduction of Sarah Jane Smith. The dynamic is so different that it alters the feel of the show, though not in a way that's bad. I'm glad that UNIT got a couple of stories here, but I'm disappointed that the Brigadier and Benton largely faded to the back. The trade off is that the arc with Mike Yates is one of my favorite things the Classic series has done so far. Overall, I can definitely feel the show existing in a state of transition into the format of what a typical "Fourth Doctor" story would be, even though I haven't seen any of the Fourth Doctor so I can't say that definitively.
Like the previous ten seasons, the serials are available to watch via streaming on Britbox. This season had five stories, and due to the irregular way I watched this season over the course of nearly two months, I had some trouble making a truly informed call in creating my ranking.
The Characters
Jon Pertwee as The Third Doctor - Would it be too bold a claim to say that the Third Doctor is the first one to have a truly, explicitly defined character arc that stretched over his whole tenture? The First Doctor had a character arc where he became more amicable and willing to help others over the course of his run, while the Second Doctor seemed to dial in more on the First Doctor's character beat on how he was running away from the time lords. Pertwee, however, states directly the forces that lead to his own downfall - specifically an action he took the previous season when he and Jo were in the end stages of their partnership. It would have been very easy for the Doctor to abdicate responsibility and fly away in his blue box, as he had been trying to do for the early chunk of his run, but he decides to return the crystal knowing it would mean his death. Overall, I was very impressed by Pertwee's run and he might be my favorite of the Classic Doctors so far?
Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith - Sarah is the one classic companion I was already very familiar with before I even started Classic Who, both from her appearances in the modern series as well as her dedicated spinoff show. However, from the very beginning she blew past all the expectations I had for the character. A younger Sarah Jane is much more combatively outspoken right out of the gate, and she seems to have a confrontation with the Doctor nearly every episode. It's a type of dynamic we'd gotten in lighter shades before - most notably with companions like Barbara, Steven, and most notably Liz Shaw. The fact that Sarah has not only managed to survive but thrive on this show as perhaps its most iconic companion is a real testament to how far this show has come and how much further it's going to go. And I'm so excited to see the first true reckoning with a companion navigating a regeneration since Ben and Polly nearly ten years earlier.
Richard Franklin as Mike Yates - I'd spoiled myself to some degree to Mike's storyline this season, but I in no way expected it to have the impact on me that it did and for him to emerge as one of my favorite characters of this era. I know Franklin himself, understandably, likes to project a more competent, heroic image on his character, but I really love the messy journey this character has undergone in his four seasons on the show. (Not to mention that, as an openly bisexual man, I feel a great deal of affinity for the character due to some subtext that has not gone unnoticed.) I'm a sucker for a redemption arc, and just enough is telegraphed and left unsaid that it really allows the mind to wander. My only real complaint is that we never got to see any interaction between Mike and either the Brigadier or Benton in his final story, but I liked that he was still able to maintain a relationship with Sarah Jane and, by extension, the Doctor, even after everything that's happened. Perhaps the biggest testament to the character is that he's the first one that's made me want to actively seek out and consume EU content.
Nicholas Courtney as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart - I'm glad we'll be seeing more of the Brigadier in the future, because it kind of felt like, aside from Invasion of the Dinosaurs, the character was a bit short-changed this season with UNIT beginning to be slowly phased out of the show. I will say I was very happy he was present for the Doctor's "death" and regeneration, and added some much needed levity and context for the scene. I know he only pops up a couple of more times in the series, and from my limited knowledge I'm very much looking forward to it... and I'm also curious as to whether they'll bring up anything more about his relationship with "Doris".
John Levene as Sergeant Benton - Benton kind of faded into the background during the season closer - aside from a small, meaningful moment with the Doctor involving coffee that I quite enjoyed - but his role in Invasion of the Dinosaurs more than made up for it for me. Him taking down Mike Yates was easily one of the highlights of this season, though I do wish we'd gotten another scene with them after that, since I've really loved the dynamic they've built throughout their run on the show. Like the Brigadier, I'm glad we'll be seeing Benton a couple of more times after this, but as far as where his story goes I'm pretty much in the dark. Here's hoping he gets some nice things!
I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention a character whose presence was still felt despite their absence. I had not been spoiled for the moment in the Third Doctor's final story where they receive that letter from Jo so it was an extremely welcome surprise that made me way more emotional than I expected it to. In the end the only two characters from the Third Doctor's run who really got short-changed in this final run of episodes were the Master (which I understand from a practical standpoint and in no way fault them for) and Liz Shaw (which I will be bitter about forever).
The Serials
I've ranked the serials based off my own personal preference which is only tangentially related to how good they are on a critical level.
5) Serial 4, Episodes 15-20 - The Monster of Peladon
The Monster of Peladon rehashes a lot of the same beats from the previous Peladon story, but takes the elements that story subverted and plays them straight here to... 'meh' effect. The point of the story itself is lost in a series of changing allegiances and plot reveals. (x)
The more I really sit and think about this story, the more dissatisfied with it I am. In revisiting this setting, they had the opportunity to examine aspects of its societal situation that the previous season's The Curse of Peladon glossed over in favor of it's wonderfully executed political intrigue story. To wit, the beginning of this story seems to indicate that this is what it's going to do. And then it treads water for two episodes to reveal that, actually, this is all being randomly engineered by a splinter group of Ice Warriors that had been there the whole time! Not only does this nuke the existing story - they even kill off key players to make sure those aspects are at an end - but the story they sub is in uninteresting and makes little sense when held up to scrutiny. It also serves as a very unsatisfying follow-up to Curse's wonderful deconstruction of the Ice Warriors, and doesn't even commit to it in any meaningful way. Even Sarah Jane encouraging the Queen to stand up to the misogynistic forces in her society (that exist for some reason?) is rendered moot by the fact that the characters that uphold those beliefs are killed off halfway through the story. Really, it just felt like a poor showing all around.
4) Serial 5, Episodes 21-26 - Planet of the Spiders
It breaks my heart to rank this serial so low because I honestly adore it, but the other three serials are simply so strong and this has too many flaws for me to overlook completely. Two of my three biggest complaints are probably that the Brigadier and Benton disappear early on in the story, and it swerves into a rehash of the "frontier settlers in peril" story beat this show keeps going back to. The latter I wouldn't have much issue with if it didn't eat up screentime for aspects I personally found more interesting. The biggest sin this serial commits, and maybe the grossest thing this show has ever done, is that it "cures" guest character Tommy of his handicap. It was extremely disheartening to see, and its a reminder that the show still has a long way to go despite how far it's already come.
All that said, there is a lot I really love about this story, and it's place as the Third Doctor's final serial. I love that it not only connected to the Doctor's larger arc, but directly to The Green Death and, tangentially, the character Jo Grant with the reintroduction of the crystal from that story. The same impulses that led to the end of their partnership there are the ones that lead to his his downfall here. I also loved that Sarah's role as an investigative journalist probably got it's most prominent role to date, and literally everything involving Mike Yates was a highlight for me. I also enjoyed the deeping, however silly, of the lore of the Time Lords. The Third Doctor's regeneration scene was a brilliant testament to not only the character but Pertwee's performance.
3) Serial 3, Episodes 11-14 - Death to the Daleks
2) Serial 1, Episodes 1-4 - The Time Warrior
Despite taking place in the middle ages, this story feels distinctly modern in a way that other stories haven't quite. I'm not sure how to explain it, but it feels like a story that could've easily been filmed in the '90s or early '00s in syndication, and it really hit a nerve for me nostalgically that I wasn't expecting. The Sontaran is also the most exciting new villain the show has introduced in years, as evidence by their enduring presence in the show moving forward. But really, the best aspect of this story is the introduction of Sarah Jane Smith, and how it's almost the antithesis of every other companion introduction. Sarah sees the inside of the TARDIS and travels through time (though she's not convinced by the latter) and concludes that the Doctor is the villain of this story and spends a large chunk of it's runtime working against him. It establishes a type of dynamic and a type of companion that was wholely unique, and gave the story a heightened sense of importance and stakes despite it serving as a fun romp to introduce a new main character.
1) Serial 2, Episodes 6-10 - Invasion of the Dinosaurs
Final Thoughts
Going into it, I knew virtually nothing about the era of the Third Doctor other than it was the one where he was working with UNIT (and Jo Grant and Sarah Jane pop up as companions). I knew nothing about Pertwee's portrayal, or about how the story itself progressed or the types of stories it would tell. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. As much as I adore the first two Doctors - and I do! - the Third Doctor is probably my favorite of the classic Doctors so far, and I was genuinely heartbroken watching his regeneration scene. This season specifically was especially strong, which was a relief given how much of a mixed bag last season was. Even at it's lowest (Peladon) it was still saved by the shot of adrenaline the addition of Sarah Jane added to the show, and it was hard to miss the hints that the Third Doctor wasn't much longer for this world towards the end. With UNIT and this group of characters, Doctor Who truly felt tethered to a home - to a point in time - for the first time in a way that the Revival series has become more known for.
I can't put into words how excited I am to meet the Fourth Doctor. After all the years of hype, and from what I do know of what's going to come next, the next era of this show has a lot of live up to, and Tom Baker has some big shoes to fill.
That said, I'm glad I have another couple of years worth of Classic Who left, especially since a lot of the other shows I've been watching in my 20s are coming to an end. I'm gonna state a tentative goal of finishing all of Classic Who before I turn 30 years old in June 2021, but I guess we'll see how realistic a goal that is. It's entirely possible that future me will look back on this declaration and laugh derisively at my hubris. I am the same guy who wanted to get through all of the Third and Fourth Doctor eras this year.
This season feels somewhat disconnected from the rest of Three's era mostly because of the absence of Jo Grant and the introduction of Sarah Jane Smith. The dynamic is so different that it alters the feel of the show, though not in a way that's bad. I'm glad that UNIT got a couple of stories here, but I'm disappointed that the Brigadier and Benton largely faded to the back. The trade off is that the arc with Mike Yates is one of my favorite things the Classic series has done so far. Overall, I can definitely feel the show existing in a state of transition into the format of what a typical "Fourth Doctor" story would be, even though I haven't seen any of the Fourth Doctor so I can't say that definitively.
Like the previous ten seasons, the serials are available to watch via streaming on Britbox. This season had five stories, and due to the irregular way I watched this season over the course of nearly two months, I had some trouble making a truly informed call in creating my ranking.
The Characters
Jon Pertwee as The Third Doctor - Would it be too bold a claim to say that the Third Doctor is the first one to have a truly, explicitly defined character arc that stretched over his whole tenture? The First Doctor had a character arc where he became more amicable and willing to help others over the course of his run, while the Second Doctor seemed to dial in more on the First Doctor's character beat on how he was running away from the time lords. Pertwee, however, states directly the forces that lead to his own downfall - specifically an action he took the previous season when he and Jo were in the end stages of their partnership. It would have been very easy for the Doctor to abdicate responsibility and fly away in his blue box, as he had been trying to do for the early chunk of his run, but he decides to return the crystal knowing it would mean his death. Overall, I was very impressed by Pertwee's run and he might be my favorite of the Classic Doctors so far?
Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith - Sarah is the one classic companion I was already very familiar with before I even started Classic Who, both from her appearances in the modern series as well as her dedicated spinoff show. However, from the very beginning she blew past all the expectations I had for the character. A younger Sarah Jane is much more combatively outspoken right out of the gate, and she seems to have a confrontation with the Doctor nearly every episode. It's a type of dynamic we'd gotten in lighter shades before - most notably with companions like Barbara, Steven, and most notably Liz Shaw. The fact that Sarah has not only managed to survive but thrive on this show as perhaps its most iconic companion is a real testament to how far this show has come and how much further it's going to go. And I'm so excited to see the first true reckoning with a companion navigating a regeneration since Ben and Polly nearly ten years earlier.
Richard Franklin as Mike Yates - I'd spoiled myself to some degree to Mike's storyline this season, but I in no way expected it to have the impact on me that it did and for him to emerge as one of my favorite characters of this era. I know Franklin himself, understandably, likes to project a more competent, heroic image on his character, but I really love the messy journey this character has undergone in his four seasons on the show. (Not to mention that, as an openly bisexual man, I feel a great deal of affinity for the character due to some subtext that has not gone unnoticed.) I'm a sucker for a redemption arc, and just enough is telegraphed and left unsaid that it really allows the mind to wander. My only real complaint is that we never got to see any interaction between Mike and either the Brigadier or Benton in his final story, but I liked that he was still able to maintain a relationship with Sarah Jane and, by extension, the Doctor, even after everything that's happened. Perhaps the biggest testament to the character is that he's the first one that's made me want to actively seek out and consume EU content.
Nicholas Courtney as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart - I'm glad we'll be seeing more of the Brigadier in the future, because it kind of felt like, aside from Invasion of the Dinosaurs, the character was a bit short-changed this season with UNIT beginning to be slowly phased out of the show. I will say I was very happy he was present for the Doctor's "death" and regeneration, and added some much needed levity and context for the scene. I know he only pops up a couple of more times in the series, and from my limited knowledge I'm very much looking forward to it... and I'm also curious as to whether they'll bring up anything more about his relationship with "Doris".
John Levene as Sergeant Benton - Benton kind of faded into the background during the season closer - aside from a small, meaningful moment with the Doctor involving coffee that I quite enjoyed - but his role in Invasion of the Dinosaurs more than made up for it for me. Him taking down Mike Yates was easily one of the highlights of this season, though I do wish we'd gotten another scene with them after that, since I've really loved the dynamic they've built throughout their run on the show. Like the Brigadier, I'm glad we'll be seeing Benton a couple of more times after this, but as far as where his story goes I'm pretty much in the dark. Here's hoping he gets some nice things!
I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention a character whose presence was still felt despite their absence. I had not been spoiled for the moment in the Third Doctor's final story where they receive that letter from Jo so it was an extremely welcome surprise that made me way more emotional than I expected it to. In the end the only two characters from the Third Doctor's run who really got short-changed in this final run of episodes were the Master (which I understand from a practical standpoint and in no way fault them for) and Liz Shaw (which I will be bitter about forever).
The Serials
I've ranked the serials based off my own personal preference which is only tangentially related to how good they are on a critical level.
5) Serial 4, Episodes 15-20 - The Monster of Peladon
The Monster of Peladon rehashes a lot of the same beats from the previous Peladon story, but takes the elements that story subverted and plays them straight here to... 'meh' effect. The point of the story itself is lost in a series of changing allegiances and plot reveals. (x)
The more I really sit and think about this story, the more dissatisfied with it I am. In revisiting this setting, they had the opportunity to examine aspects of its societal situation that the previous season's The Curse of Peladon glossed over in favor of it's wonderfully executed political intrigue story. To wit, the beginning of this story seems to indicate that this is what it's going to do. And then it treads water for two episodes to reveal that, actually, this is all being randomly engineered by a splinter group of Ice Warriors that had been there the whole time! Not only does this nuke the existing story - they even kill off key players to make sure those aspects are at an end - but the story they sub is in uninteresting and makes little sense when held up to scrutiny. It also serves as a very unsatisfying follow-up to Curse's wonderful deconstruction of the Ice Warriors, and doesn't even commit to it in any meaningful way. Even Sarah Jane encouraging the Queen to stand up to the misogynistic forces in her society (that exist for some reason?) is rendered moot by the fact that the characters that uphold those beliefs are killed off halfway through the story. Really, it just felt like a poor showing all around.
4) Serial 5, Episodes 21-26 - Planet of the Spiders
Planet of the Spiders has most of the elements to comprise a satisfying sendoff for the Third Doctor era but it doesn't quite gel as well as it could have. An excellent outing for The Doctor, Sarah Jane, and Mike Yates. Wish Benton and the Brigadier were in it more. Jo call-back! (x)
It breaks my heart to rank this serial so low because I honestly adore it, but the other three serials are simply so strong and this has too many flaws for me to overlook completely. Two of my three biggest complaints are probably that the Brigadier and Benton disappear early on in the story, and it swerves into a rehash of the "frontier settlers in peril" story beat this show keeps going back to. The latter I wouldn't have much issue with if it didn't eat up screentime for aspects I personally found more interesting. The biggest sin this serial commits, and maybe the grossest thing this show has ever done, is that it "cures" guest character Tommy of his handicap. It was extremely disheartening to see, and its a reminder that the show still has a long way to go despite how far it's already come.
All that said, there is a lot I really love about this story, and it's place as the Third Doctor's final serial. I love that it not only connected to the Doctor's larger arc, but directly to The Green Death and, tangentially, the character Jo Grant with the reintroduction of the crystal from that story. The same impulses that led to the end of their partnership there are the ones that lead to his his downfall here. I also loved that Sarah's role as an investigative journalist probably got it's most prominent role to date, and literally everything involving Mike Yates was a highlight for me. I also enjoyed the deeping, however silly, of the lore of the Time Lords. The Third Doctor's regeneration scene was a brilliant testament to not only the character but Pertwee's performance.
3) Serial 3, Episodes 11-14 - Death to the Daleks
Death to the Daleks is a Dalek serial that isn't centered on the Daleks and it's all the better for it. Sarah Jane feels like she's really hit her groove in this story, and the central conflict is relatively simple but very well-rendered. (x)
Dalek serials had already been trending to a story pattern that deviated from their normal formula... until Planet of the Daleks really, really didn't. So it was a pleasant surprise that this relatively simple story managed to accomplish that with a story that was relatively simple. I don't have a ton to say about it other that it was very well executed and Sarah Jane really got to shine in her first off-world story. The Exxilons had an interesting character design and story, and the sequence where the Doctor and Bellal enter the temple by solving a series of puzzles while the Daleks followed their trail shouldn't have been as entertaining as it was. The subplot with the humans didn't overwhelm the story like it has in previous serials, and the Dalek's quest for minerals was more interesting than the usual, single-minded drive that usually dominates their stories.2) Serial 1, Episodes 1-4 - The Time Warrior
The Time Warrior serves as a very unusual introduction for Sarah Jane Smith and feels very out of step with the Third Doctor era thus far, but has an incredibly interesting and well-executed premise with a genuinely fun atmosphere. The Sontaran is instantly memorable as well. (x)
Despite taking place in the middle ages, this story feels distinctly modern in a way that other stories haven't quite. I'm not sure how to explain it, but it feels like a story that could've easily been filmed in the '90s or early '00s in syndication, and it really hit a nerve for me nostalgically that I wasn't expecting. The Sontaran is also the most exciting new villain the show has introduced in years, as evidence by their enduring presence in the show moving forward. But really, the best aspect of this story is the introduction of Sarah Jane Smith, and how it's almost the antithesis of every other companion introduction. Sarah sees the inside of the TARDIS and travels through time (though she's not convinced by the latter) and concludes that the Doctor is the villain of this story and spends a large chunk of it's runtime working against him. It establishes a type of dynamic and a type of companion that was wholely unique, and gave the story a heightened sense of importance and stakes despite it serving as a fun romp to introduce a new main character.
1) Serial 2, Episodes 6-10 - Invasion of the Dinosaurs
Invasion of the Dinosaurs is a really solid story with a unique concept that adds more stakes to UNIT than there usually are with Mike Yates' betrayal. Seeing Sarah Jane Smith in action in the modern day was also a delight, even if the effects work left a lot to be desired. (x)
I'm honestly surprised that, in a very strong season, this is the story that I've ranked at the top. This serial has a lot of problems, most of them regarding the lackluster visual effects, but I have to commend the sheer ambition of this story and how much it is able to accomplish. This story takes a lot of big swings regarding thematic elements like climate change, though the villains take a completely unhinged approach to solving this problem. The willingness of the people aboard the "ship" to abandon Earth and establish a new civilization elsewhere is one that has a logic to it as well, even if it is one motivated by an extremely cynical outlook. Perhaps the biggest swing this story takes is having longtime ally Mike Yates betray the Doctor and UNIT. All of these elements resonated and landed, and combined with the Doctor being his usual capable presence and Sarah Jane serving a pivotal role in the story and figuring all out before anyone else really makes this one a winner. This is all despite the... very bad... special effects with the dinosaurs, and the honestly laughable existence of the Whomobile.Final Thoughts
Going into it, I knew virtually nothing about the era of the Third Doctor other than it was the one where he was working with UNIT (and Jo Grant and Sarah Jane pop up as companions). I knew nothing about Pertwee's portrayal, or about how the story itself progressed or the types of stories it would tell. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. As much as I adore the first two Doctors - and I do! - the Third Doctor is probably my favorite of the classic Doctors so far, and I was genuinely heartbroken watching his regeneration scene. This season specifically was especially strong, which was a relief given how much of a mixed bag last season was. Even at it's lowest (Peladon) it was still saved by the shot of adrenaline the addition of Sarah Jane added to the show, and it was hard to miss the hints that the Third Doctor wasn't much longer for this world towards the end. With UNIT and this group of characters, Doctor Who truly felt tethered to a home - to a point in time - for the first time in a way that the Revival series has become more known for.
I can't put into words how excited I am to meet the Fourth Doctor. After all the years of hype, and from what I do know of what's going to come next, the next era of this show has a lot of live up to, and Tom Baker has some big shoes to fill.