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Classic Doctor Who, Season 14 Review
I actually finished this season a few days ago - maybe close to a week, actually - but I've been wrapped up in other stuff so it's taken me a moment to sit down and actually write out a formal review for this season. I didn't dislike this season - I actually really enjoyed it! - but season 13 built up my expectations a bit too much, as I think this season falls short of it.
It's actually interesting to see how my take on this season stacks up against popular consensus, as two of the stories this season I feel are very highly regarded I just... didn't gel with that much? My bottom ranked serials in particular might raise a few eyebrows. Though this "season" also offers something additional in the form of audio stories, something which won't become a fixture of Doctor Who until much later, and I've included a separate section for them in this review as well.
I will say, the high point of this season for me was the departure of Sarah Jane Smith, and I'm really happy I timed it so it was fresh in my mind when they announced and released a belated finale for The Sarah Jane Adventures. I still have K-9 and Company and Downtime to look forward to down the line, but it's incredible how much ground I've already covered with that character that was such a major part of the classic show.
Like the previous thirteen seasons, the serials are available to watch via streaming on Britbox. This season had six televised stories, and two audio stories, which I've grouped into separate rankings as it feels too Apples and Oranges to lump them all together. Unlike last season, which I found incredibly difficult to rank, this one felt pretty clear-cut.
The Characters
Tom Baker as The Fourth Doctor - With Sarah Jane leaving, Tom Baker had to do a lot of heavy lifting in scenes by himself this season. This is no mean feat when you consider that some of the scripting in those scenes was very awkward, but Baker has so much charisma he's able to make them work. I said it last season, but it's incredible how strongly he's taken to the role, and how he's done so much to define the character of the Doctor in my head already. However, a game I was not expecting to be able to play is "guess which serial Baker was getting along with his costars" which is... something.
Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith - I'm really glad I slotted the audio adventures into this because it stretched out her tenure just a little bit longer. When all is said and done, it's obvious why she was one of the most - if not the most - important and influential companions of the show's run. Her chemistry with Baker is fantastic, and it's obvious that the two actors had a great time working together and were able to elevate every script they were in. As for her exit - especially knowing that we'll be seeing her again - I absolutely loved it. It feels like, while one journey is ending, there's a whole new one in the future just waiting to happen for both those characters. I was afraid her exit would wreck me, but it only made me so much more excited for what comes next.
Louise Jameson as Leela - When I started Classic Who, I already had some conception of what many of the companions were like - whether from fandom chatter or just my own research. Leela was one of the few blind spots where I knew almost nothing about her aside from the fact that she exists. So I was pleasantly surprised at how much I've ended up gravitating towards her character. Her relationship with the Doctor is starkly different from his with Sarah - whether by writing or the working relationship between the actors - and she's been incredibly entertaining to watch. While she's from a future civilization, she shares more in common with two of the companions from the past - Katarina and Jamie - and brings a rare dynamic to the stories that is especially entertaining for a contemporary audience. I'm excited to see where her story ultimately goes next season, and I'm glad I have a whole run of episodes with her to look forward to.
Peter Pratt as The Master - He was only in one story, and I'll expand on it more in it's respective ranking, but I appreciate that they brought this character back and reframed his motivations. This incarnation of the Master feels very in-tune with the most recent version seen in series 12 of the revival, and this season makes the developments that season feel almost inevitable. Really, it feels like a critical step in the progression of that character, and I look forward to his full return in a few seasons... with better make-up.
The Audios
I've ranked the audios based off my own personal preference which is only tangentially related to how good they are on a critical level. The ordering of the audio releases does not include Genesis of the Daleks (which Exploration Earth was packaged with) and is more indicative of overall continuity rather than release date.
2) 2nd Audio Release, 1 Part - Exploration Earth: The Time Machine
1) 1st Audio Release, 2 Parts - Doctor Who and the Pescatons
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.
6) Serial 6, Episodes 21-26 - The Talons of Weng-Chiang
The saving grace of this story for me was Leela. It was all worth it to see her in Victorian-era garb eating a whole roast chicken with her hands, ignoring the Doctor to confront the enemy on her own, and befuddle every contemporary person she encounters. Really, she stole the show this whole story from the Doctor - and considering how formidable Baker's Doctor is, that's no mean feat.
5) Serial 3, Episodes 9-12 - The Deadly Assassin
That brings me to the Master. His design in this story was... a choice. I guess it's a good thing regeneration exists because this feels like such a major departure from what Delgado was doing in the Third Doctor's era. That said, I did appreciate how this take added to The Master's mythos, and how it sets everything up nicely for his eventual return as a mainstay in a few years. The final episode where the Master fakes his death and then has his ultimate confrontation with the Doctor was a definite highlight of this story for me, and feels like a real contrast of these two characters and the relationship their previous incarnations had. I loved the reveal at the end with the grandfather clock.
4) Serial 1, Episodes 1-4 - The Masque of Mandragora
It's nice to have pseudo-historical serials back, and this story is a really good showcase for that format. I'm pretty sure, aside from the passing references to Galileo and DaVinci, the "historical" characters were all fictionalized inventions, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment whatsoever. Honestly, I'd forgotten just how much fun it was to see a companion done up in period clothing in the midst of some political intrigue. I wish the Mandragora had been a more interesting villain though, as it felt more like a plot device than an actual threat. The court astrologer, Hieronymous, as the secondary villain along with Count Federico is what makes this story work. Not to mention that Giuliano is a charismatic and compelling ally, and the set and costume work really makes it feel immersive. Suppression of Peasant revolts aside, this seems like a pretty nice place for the TARDIS to be dropped into.
3) Serial 4, Episodes 13-16 - The Face of Evil
I'd be remiss not to point out that Leela is immediately interesting in her debut, holding her own against the Doctor even as he admonishes her for her violence. I particularly loved the bit at the end, where the Doctor tries to slip away as he always does in stories like this, but she chases him down and demands to go with him, running inside the TARDIS when he tries to dissuade her. It felt new and unexpected, and added a flavor to the role of the companion that we haven't really seen before.
2) Serial 5, Episodes 17-20 - The Robots of Death
The design of the robots is very cool, and is "human-like" enough to serve one of the underlying themes of this story: the line between robot and human. Poul's robophobia also directly feeds into this theme, as does the backstory involving Zilda's brother (though that element ends up functing more as a red herring than anything). I also liked how, even with the solution essentially revealed, the remainder of the story proceeded like there could be another shoe to drop, adding to the heightened tension. My only complaint at the end is that, as soon as the robots are defeated, the Doctor and Leela leave while everyone is unconscious, making things feel somewhat unresolved.
1) Serial 2, Episodes 5-8 - The Hand of Fear
The thing that lifted the whole story to the top of the heap though was Sarah Jane Smith. While not written as an exit story, it has some top notch material for her and the Doctor to play off each other, including a very touching scene where Sarah refuses to listen to the Doctor and the other characters and accompanies him back into the power plant anyway. Her exit sequence at the end was just as funny and emotional as I'd hoped, while also feeling a bit more open than previous companion exits like Jo Grant, which dovetails nicely with the character's continued existence in the franchise past this point. The Doctor and Sarah Jane are parting ways for now, but they'll meet again.
Final Thoughts
Like I alluded to above, Leela is a companion I went into knowing essentially nothing about, so more than usual the next season is a bit of a black hole for me (as I have a rough idea of what the following Romana seasons are like structurally). I know next season introduces K-9, and I'm curious to see how he fits into this show as a regular as opposed to one geared more heavily towards children like The Sarah Jane Adventures. With Sarah Jane gone, I may have left what might be my favorite "era" of the Classic Show so far where he has a sort of Earth found family, I'm excited to see where he goes from here (and what inevitable improved production values may bring to the show's stories).
As for the "Hinchcliffe era", while I found this season uneven, I appreciated his willingness to take on darker themes in a more overtly dark way. Sure, violence is a component, but so is atmosphere. Tension is a vital part of storytelling in shows like this, and it was something this era was able to capture in spades. I'm excited to see what a fresh voice will bring, but I'm glad to see what the show was able to accomplish under his reign.
It's actually interesting to see how my take on this season stacks up against popular consensus, as two of the stories this season I feel are very highly regarded I just... didn't gel with that much? My bottom ranked serials in particular might raise a few eyebrows. Though this "season" also offers something additional in the form of audio stories, something which won't become a fixture of Doctor Who until much later, and I've included a separate section for them in this review as well.
I will say, the high point of this season for me was the departure of Sarah Jane Smith, and I'm really happy I timed it so it was fresh in my mind when they announced and released a belated finale for The Sarah Jane Adventures. I still have K-9 and Company and Downtime to look forward to down the line, but it's incredible how much ground I've already covered with that character that was such a major part of the classic show.
Like the previous thirteen seasons, the serials are available to watch via streaming on Britbox. This season had six televised stories, and two audio stories, which I've grouped into separate rankings as it feels too Apples and Oranges to lump them all together. Unlike last season, which I found incredibly difficult to rank, this one felt pretty clear-cut.
The Characters
Tom Baker as The Fourth Doctor - With Sarah Jane leaving, Tom Baker had to do a lot of heavy lifting in scenes by himself this season. This is no mean feat when you consider that some of the scripting in those scenes was very awkward, but Baker has so much charisma he's able to make them work. I said it last season, but it's incredible how strongly he's taken to the role, and how he's done so much to define the character of the Doctor in my head already. However, a game I was not expecting to be able to play is "guess which serial Baker was getting along with his costars" which is... something.
Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith - I'm really glad I slotted the audio adventures into this because it stretched out her tenure just a little bit longer. When all is said and done, it's obvious why she was one of the most - if not the most - important and influential companions of the show's run. Her chemistry with Baker is fantastic, and it's obvious that the two actors had a great time working together and were able to elevate every script they were in. As for her exit - especially knowing that we'll be seeing her again - I absolutely loved it. It feels like, while one journey is ending, there's a whole new one in the future just waiting to happen for both those characters. I was afraid her exit would wreck me, but it only made me so much more excited for what comes next.
Louise Jameson as Leela - When I started Classic Who, I already had some conception of what many of the companions were like - whether from fandom chatter or just my own research. Leela was one of the few blind spots where I knew almost nothing about her aside from the fact that she exists. So I was pleasantly surprised at how much I've ended up gravitating towards her character. Her relationship with the Doctor is starkly different from his with Sarah - whether by writing or the working relationship between the actors - and she's been incredibly entertaining to watch. While she's from a future civilization, she shares more in common with two of the companions from the past - Katarina and Jamie - and brings a rare dynamic to the stories that is especially entertaining for a contemporary audience. I'm excited to see where her story ultimately goes next season, and I'm glad I have a whole run of episodes with her to look forward to.
Peter Pratt as The Master - He was only in one story, and I'll expand on it more in it's respective ranking, but I appreciate that they brought this character back and reframed his motivations. This incarnation of the Master feels very in-tune with the most recent version seen in series 12 of the revival, and this season makes the developments that season feel almost inevitable. Really, it feels like a critical step in the progression of that character, and I look forward to his full return in a few seasons... with better make-up.
The Audios
I've ranked the audios based off my own personal preference which is only tangentially related to how good they are on a critical level. The ordering of the audio releases does not include Genesis of the Daleks (which Exploration Earth was packaged with) and is more indicative of overall continuity rather than release date.
2) 2nd Audio Release, 1 Part - Exploration Earth: The Time Machine
Exploration Earth: The Time Machine is a fun mini-journey inside the TARDIS that (obviously) leans much more educational than a normal story. The Doctor comes off a weirdly condescending in parts though, and it was probably a poor idea to frame the lesson as a lecture for Sarah. (x)
This was a neat idea and I'm glad it exists, but definitely feels like a tie-in promotion rather than an actual Doctor Who story - and I suspect most people regard it as that. Still, I thought the villain was cool and the story's structure around that was fun. What I didn't enjoy is that Sarah Jane was dumbed down in order to constantly ask the Doctor questions about the topic being taught - including material that the character would obviously already be aware of in-universe. The Doctor isn't much better, as he almost seems annoyed at having to deal with her questions and snaps at her at least once in a way that feels very uncharacteristic. 1) 1st Audio Release, 2 Parts - Doctor Who and the Pescatons
Doctor Who and the Pescatons pivots between an audio play and long strings of narration by the Doctor from his point of view. It compresses what would otherwise be a much longer (and very violent story) into 2 "episodes", and has an interesting enough premise to stand on its own. (x)
I actually enjoyed this story quite a lot, to the point that when it started I questioned why they didn't attempt to produce it as a televised serial. The answer becomes clear, however, as the production value required to produce it would've been too great, and parts were much too violent to be shown on screen in a children's program - particularly a part where the Doctor describes finding the corpses of those killed by a Pescaton. The format of this story is also interesting compared to the lost serials released on audio, as it relies a lot more on narration and has comparatively little dialog. What's there is fun to listen to, though, and it's nice to have Sarah take part in another adventure. The real charm of this story, though, is seeing inside the Doctor's thought process, and how his previous encounter with the Pescatons informs his approach in this story. It's definitely made me more inclined to explore other original audio stories in the franchise.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.
6) Serial 6, Episodes 21-26 - The Talons of Weng-Chiang
The Talons of Weng-Chiang is a story that clearly had a lot of care go into it's production, but so many elements have aged so badly that its hard to look past them to enjoy it - especially when the plot's foundation is very blatantly racist. Leela is great in this at least. (x)
So, this is the last Philip Hinchcliffe story, and I get that it's held in some degree of high regard by Doctor Who fans, and I went into it knowing that and hoping I would like it. I also really enjoy the aesthetic of Victorian-era mystery stories. But, overall I found this one a chore to get through. There were a few reasons for this, one of them being the poor effect of the giant rat that they just kept using over and over again (which apparently already looked dumb at the time it aired) but what really killed this for me was the racism that seemed to seep into every part of this story. Previous Classic stories have dealt with this issue before, which is to be expected with a show this old, but this is the first time it's been so bad that it's derailed a story for me. And, frankly, I didn't think the ultimate conceit of the story was all that interesting even setting all that aside. It certainly didn't feel like it merited the time of a six-parter. While I burned through other stories this season at a normal pace, this one took me four separate sittings to get through.The saving grace of this story for me was Leela. It was all worth it to see her in Victorian-era garb eating a whole roast chicken with her hands, ignoring the Doctor to confront the enemy on her own, and befuddle every contemporary person she encounters. Really, she stole the show this whole story from the Doctor - and considering how formidable Baker's Doctor is, that's no mean feat.
5) Serial 3, Episodes 9-12 - The Deadly Assassin
The Deadly Assassin has an interesting conflict and goes a long way to build major pieces of lore that would inform the franchise in a big way going forward, and the Doctor's unlikely time lord allies were engaging. However, the pacing felt weird, especially in the 3rd episode. (x)
This is another story I went into hoping and expecting to love and I never really got there. While the Doctor not having a companion to bounce things off of doesn't help, the major reason this story doesn't quite work for me is that I realized Gallifrey kind of sucks. Like, yeah the Time Lords have always just kind of sucked fundamentally, but I hadn't quite grasped until now that Gallifrey is just really boring, and it makes so much sense now why Davies and Chibnall have both separately gotten rid of it during their runs on the show. This is no Heaven Sent. I will say that I appreciate the importance this story plays in the lore of the show, at least. The plot itself is fine, but the "twist" felt very predictable and certain elements like the news reporter just felt extraneous and unnecessary. And this is probably an unpopular take, but I found the third episode to be incredibly boring, as I was waiting the whole time for the Doctor and the Master to finally cross paths again.That brings me to the Master. His design in this story was... a choice. I guess it's a good thing regeneration exists because this feels like such a major departure from what Delgado was doing in the Third Doctor's era. That said, I did appreciate how this take added to The Master's mythos, and how it sets everything up nicely for his eventual return as a mainstay in a few years. The final episode where the Master fakes his death and then has his ultimate confrontation with the Doctor was a definite highlight of this story for me, and feels like a real contrast of these two characters and the relationship their previous incarnations had. I loved the reveal at the end with the grandfather clock.
4) Serial 1, Episodes 1-4 - The Masque of Mandragora
The Masque of Mandragora has a simple premise but has a fun, aesthetically pleasing historical setting and costuming, and an engaging cast. Horoscope superstitions? Scientific debates on whether the Earth is round or flat? Power struggle for the dukedom? A masked ball? Excellent. (x)
It's nice to have pseudo-historical serials back, and this story is a really good showcase for that format. I'm pretty sure, aside from the passing references to Galileo and DaVinci, the "historical" characters were all fictionalized inventions, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment whatsoever. Honestly, I'd forgotten just how much fun it was to see a companion done up in period clothing in the midst of some political intrigue. I wish the Mandragora had been a more interesting villain though, as it felt more like a plot device than an actual threat. The court astrologer, Hieronymous, as the secondary villain along with Count Federico is what makes this story work. Not to mention that Giuliano is a charismatic and compelling ally, and the set and costume work really makes it feel immersive. Suppression of Peasant revolts aside, this seems like a pretty nice place for the TARDIS to be dropped into.
3) Serial 4, Episodes 13-16 - The Face of Evil
The Face of Evil is a story that tries to do a lot and succeeds and most of it. The plot twist at the end of the first episode is particularly good, as is the worldbuilding around it. Leela is an engaging character from the start and the way she becomes a companion is very funny. (x)
While I said earlier in the review that this ranking was more clean cut, in all honesty all of my top three nearly took the top spot at various points writing this review. I feel like, compared to the other stories this season, this serial kind of falls by the wayside, which is a shame considering it felt like a particularly strong story. Not only does it have a compelling introduction and showcase for Leela, but it offers the (so-far) rare classic story where the Doctor's intervention ended up making things worse and he must fix it on a later adventure. (The other example that springs to mind is season 3's The Ark.) The Doctor actually "being" the Evil One was a twist I did not see coming, and the cliffhanger ended of the first episode was perfectly done. It makes up for the more underwhelming explanation at the end with the Tesh, though I did find Xoanon a successful character and threat, and the solution reached at the end felt satisfying.I'd be remiss not to point out that Leela is immediately interesting in her debut, holding her own against the Doctor even as he admonishes her for her violence. I particularly loved the bit at the end, where the Doctor tries to slip away as he always does in stories like this, but she chases him down and demands to go with him, running inside the TARDIS when he tries to dissuade her. It felt new and unexpected, and added a flavor to the role of the companion that we haven't really seen before.
2) Serial 5, Episodes 17-20 - The Robots of Death
The Robots of Death has a interesting premise that is executed in a way that's more complicated than it needed to be. Leela's role as a companion feels unique and fresh compared to previous ones. The design of the titular robots is an interesting aesthetic that's very effective. (x)
I'd like to amend the above post-serial hot take to clarify: I don't think the story was too complicated, but rather it had maybe one or two more moving parts than it needed. This is mostly because the ultimate reveal of the culprit felt underwhelming, as it was a character who felt too peripheral compared to the rest of the ensemble. That said, this serial is definitely one of the best of Hinchcliffe's run on the show, and moves at a fast clip without wasting any time hitting critical marks, but also allows for a lot of banter between the Doctor and Leela on her first TARDIS adventure. Some of the most satisfying moments in this story come from Leela trusting her instincts and coming up with solutions before the Doctor does, and she spends a fair amount of time acting on her own, as the Doctor is frequently paired up with D84, a character who is rather interesting in his own right.The design of the robots is very cool, and is "human-like" enough to serve one of the underlying themes of this story: the line between robot and human. Poul's robophobia also directly feeds into this theme, as does the backstory involving Zilda's brother (though that element ends up functing more as a red herring than anything). I also liked how, even with the solution essentially revealed, the remainder of the story proceeded like there could be another shoe to drop, adding to the heightened tension. My only complaint at the end is that, as soon as the robots are defeated, the Doctor and Leela leave while everyone is unconscious, making things feel somewhat unresolved.
1) Serial 2, Episodes 5-8 - The Hand of Fear
The Hand of Fear has a well constructed, twisty conflict that genuinely surprised me and kept me guessing, just as it had the Doctor playing it fast and loose more than usual. A strong final story for Sarah Jane, and her exit scene had just the right amount of humor and emotion. (x)
Okay, so objectively this isn't the best-constructed serial of this season (that's probably The Robots of Death) but this one had so much it absolutely nailed that I'm willing to overlook the few things it didn't - namely, the first half of the final episode where Eldrad regains his true form and unceremoniously falls off a cliff. Even then, though, I think those developments mostly work for this story. The slow unveiling about who Eldrad is and what their motivations are is extremely tense and compelling, and I genuinely had no idea where they would ultimately go with that plot which only made the stakes feel higher. It also helped that the Doctor felt uncharacteristically unsure of what to do, and his trepidation connects him with a similarly unsure viewing audience. The first Eldrad and her role in the story was also fascinating to watch, as well as the rapidly escalating and deescalating events unfolding in the nuclear power plant.The thing that lifted the whole story to the top of the heap though was Sarah Jane Smith. While not written as an exit story, it has some top notch material for her and the Doctor to play off each other, including a very touching scene where Sarah refuses to listen to the Doctor and the other characters and accompanies him back into the power plant anyway. Her exit sequence at the end was just as funny and emotional as I'd hoped, while also feeling a bit more open than previous companion exits like Jo Grant, which dovetails nicely with the character's continued existence in the franchise past this point. The Doctor and Sarah Jane are parting ways for now, but they'll meet again.
Final Thoughts
Like I alluded to above, Leela is a companion I went into knowing essentially nothing about, so more than usual the next season is a bit of a black hole for me (as I have a rough idea of what the following Romana seasons are like structurally). I know next season introduces K-9, and I'm curious to see how he fits into this show as a regular as opposed to one geared more heavily towards children like The Sarah Jane Adventures. With Sarah Jane gone, I may have left what might be my favorite "era" of the Classic Show so far where he has a sort of Earth found family, I'm excited to see where he goes from here (and what inevitable improved production values may bring to the show's stories).
As for the "Hinchcliffe era", while I found this season uneven, I appreciated his willingness to take on darker themes in a more overtly dark way. Sure, violence is a component, but so is atmosphere. Tension is a vital part of storytelling in shows like this, and it was something this era was able to capture in spades. I'm excited to see what a fresh voice will bring, but I'm glad to see what the show was able to accomplish under his reign.
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S15 is a little, er, mixed. Looking at which ones you prefer, I suspect you may not appreciate some of it!
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Honestly, aside from some preconceived notions about the quality of certain doctors/showrunners, it's been interesting to see which seasons have felt like hits and misses. From what I understand, season 26 is apparently good, which is something to look forward to I guess?
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There's often an uneven handover period, which is very much S15's big problem, I think. S16 is much more what Graham Williams was going for, but both S15 and S17 were beset by production nightmares and budget crises throughout. (Philip Hinchcliffe overspent hugely on Talons of Weng-Chiang before leaving, which left Graham Williams in a really difficult position, and then by S17 the economy generally was in big trouble, so he had the worst of it.)
But there are good things to come! They'll be different good things and whether or not you'll love them as much, only your future watching will tell. But while S17 is a mess, it has Douglas Adams's wit even in the worst eps, and S18 has its own unique feel, and I'm very fond of Five overall, and Six has his moments, despite more rl production nightmares, and S25-26 are obv. my favourites because of me being a Seven era girl. XD (Biased, me? Absolutely!)
So, yeah, and soon you'll be able to casually say, "What a wonderful butler, he's so violent!" and things along with the rest of us.
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