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Classic Doctor Who, Season 17 Review
I have to say, I came into this season with high hopes because this seems to be a slice of the show that Classic Who fans like a lot, but it absolutely blew my expectations out of the water. I've added the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy franchise to my list of things to tackle because I particularly enjoyed Douglas Adams' contributions to this season both as script editor and as a writer. In all honesty, it's probably one of my favorite seasons of the show and I think it's Graham Williams' best season as producer even though it was apparently hell to make.
It's really encouraging that, six season in, the Fourth Doctor era still feels really fresh and exciting. This season marks the end of 1970s Doctor Who and it really went on on a high note, and overall I think it's the strongest decade of the show overall that I've watched so far. I'm very excited to see what the controversial 80's era will bring, even though that means I'll have to say goodbye to the Fourth Doctor soon. It's a bit unreal to think that I've watched so much Classic Who this year, and it's all been the Fourth Doctor era. Iconic.
Like the previous sixteen seasons, the serials are available to watch via streaming on Britbox, though I had to purchase Shada separately. This season had six stories (including Shada), and because I really loved this season overall it was very weird to rank it and some of my takes are, dare I say it, hot.
The Characters
Tom Baker as The Fourth Doctor - It's possible that this season may have given us peak Tom Baker™? While I don't think anything can replicate the chemistry he had with Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, his performance this season and double act with Lalla Ward really makes him feel like a Doctor at the height of his powers. He knows the character intimately and knows how to sell a dramatic scene and a comedic scene (and ones that turn into the other on a dime). If it wasn't evident before, it's obvious now why he's arguably the most popular Doctor. This season especially struck just the right tone where all of this Doctor's strengths got to be on the forefront. Even if next season is crap (which, for the record, I don't think it will be), we at least have this season as a late stage high note for this incarnation of the character to go out on.
Lalla Ward as Romana - Last season, Ward's turn as Princess Astra didn't leave much of an impression on me because, frankly, there wasn't much to the character. So it was with great joy I saw how much of a great recast this was. Ward's turn in the role feels very much in the vein of the Doctor's regenerations, where there's a certain essence that's carried over even as the personality shifts. The character still feels like the Romana from last season, but one whose personality was formed by her now warmer relationship with the Doctor. Shipping goggles aside (and boy do I have them with these two). Romana really serves as a great companion because in many ways she's as knowledgeable as the Doctor, but their knowledge doesn't always overlap. She's the more rational one while he's the more eccentric thinker, and Ward and Baker have great chemistry that especially shines when they're shooting on location.
David Brierley as K9 Mark II - This is a recast that felt slightly more jarring at first. While there was a gap between appearances as K9 doesn't really have a role in the first two stories, I still remember laughing out loud at his first line of dialogue in The Creature from the Pit. That said, I think this recast worked fine because I did get used to it and it still felt like the same character from last season. While this recast was explained by "robot laryngitis", I'm curious to see what explanation, if any, is given when Leeson returns to the role next season. As far as K9 himself goes, the show continues its streak of knowing when to use him and when to leave him in the TARDIS, and this season he felt a lot more active and engaging as a character rather than a plot device.
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 4, Episodes 13-16 - Nightmare of Eden
Most of my resentment relates to the fact that this follows up on, and bungles, concepts that were first introduced in a story that I loved - season 10's Carnival of Monsters. The invention showcased in this story was so cool and they could've done so many interesting things with it both plot-wise and theme-wise but instead it just became a plot device to smuggle drugs and spit out monsters. I thought the monsters themselves were fine, though apparently this is the aspect that people actually take issue with for some reason. It also didn't help that I really, really loved every other story from this season and it felt like a kind of betrayal. This serial does deliver on a technical level, I'll give it that, but it fails to live up to the standard set story-wise by it's contemporaries. That's not to say there aren't moments I enjoyed. I thought the Doctor and Romana were serviceable enough in this, but moments like the Doctor coldly rebuffing Tryst at the end don't land as well as they could have because the other parts of the story aren't up to snuff.
5) Serial 3, Episodes 9-12 - The Creature from the Pit
4) Serial 1, Episodes 1-4 - Destiny of the Daleks
However, aside from that I actually really loved this story. It acts as a sequel to Genesis and has a similar fresh feeling that that one did. Dalek stories during the eras of the first three Doctors, even the "fresher" ones like The Evil of the Daleks and Death to the Daleks, all tended to reuse the same type of story beats, so it was nice to see this story continue the Genesis arc with Davros and allow the Daleks to take a different kind of role within the story. I also really liked the Movellans and how they were just as much the antagonists as the Daleks were even though they were at war with them, and made for more interesting foils than the Thals were. Also, even though it was a quarry story, I quite liked this story visually. The Doctor and Romana's costumes really stand out against the sets, and the story has a kind of open air feel and movement that may be partially attributed to the show's first use of steadicam? Overall, this was a very strong opener to the season, and definitely made me excited for this season of the show.
3) Serial 5, Episodes 17-20 - The Horns of Nimon
2) Serial 6, (Originally) Episodes 21-26 - Shada (the feature-length 2017 Animated Reconstruction)
As far as the story itself goes, I really loved it and felt myself getting more and more into it as it progressed. The guest cast in this is very compelling, and each easily hold their own against Baker and Ward. The characters feel more fleshed out than one-offs usually do, and by the end I found myself wanting see more adventures with them in it. I also appreciated how the plot progressed and continuously raised the stakes. I genuinely didn't see any of the reveals with the Professor coming and was genuinely riveted by each one, and I loved the type of worldbuilding this story did with both in terms of the Time Lords and Gallifrey, but also in terms of the Doctor's relationship with Earth and the UK in 1979. A lot of it was giving me flashbacks (or flashforwards?) to the Twelfth Doctor taking a job as a college professor in series 10 of New Who. I loved the reveal and design of the Professor's TARDIS, I loved the reveal of why everyone had forgotten Shada's existence, and I loved the really bizarre ultimate plan of the villain. It was also just really fun seeing the Doctor hang out with human characters again, and I really liked his dynamic with Chris in particular. The Four/Romana shipper in me also loved all their interactions, especially the boat scene at the very beginning. Basically, I'm really happy I had the opportunity to experience this story the way I did, and I definitely want to check out the Dirk Gently books after this story specifically.
1) Serial 2, Episodes 5-8 - City of Death
At it's feet though, the ones that really sell this story are the Doctor and Romana. Their chemistry (and very obvious and, I suspect, unintentional romantic undertones) absolutely elevates this story to new heights. This story would not have been the same with any other Fourth Doctor companion, and its what cements Ward into the role of Romana. All of their scenes, from when they're prancing out and about, to when they're chatting in a cafe or skulking around the villain's lush lair, they are a double act that feels so comfortable even though this is only their second story together, and it certainly help that there's a visual flair to their outfits that works extremely well in a Parisian setting.
I'd also be remiss not to mention how clearly influential this story was on the series as a whole. Major worldbuilding aspects of this story have been reused in major ways in New Who, such as in Series 7 when Clara is scattered throughout the Doctor's personal timestream using a similar device. The way it's setting is featured and woven throughout also feels more reminiscent of New Who's style than Classic Who's. Going into Classic Who, I don't think I ever expected to get a story quite like this, and I'm very excited to see what knew heights the show manages to achieve and how it informs the revival.
Final Thoughts
After some trepidation following the very uneven season 15, I feel like I can confidently call the Graham Williams era just as much of a success as the Philip Hinchcliffe era. I'm sad that he faced so many production troubles with this season, as I think he and Douglas Adams were very underrated assets at the time that helped infuse the show with a lot of humor and a lot of heart. Though I'm also very thankful I have one more season with Baker as the Doctor and Ward as Romana. I finally get why I've seen so much of these two within Doctor Who fandom, and I love that they both seem to still have enthusiasm for this franchise after all these years. Seeing an older Tom Baker in that newly shot ending scene of Shada warmed my heart in a way I never would've expected only a few months ago.
With this season I also say goodbye to the 1970s - arguably the high point of Classic Who? - and head into the controversial 80s era. There's a small amount of dread that comes with that, just being informed by the way fandom is during this current, similarly controversial era, but more than that there's excitement. Next season I'm going to meet the Fifth Doctor's companions who I've seen name-dropped so much, as well as the Fifth Doctor that many people - including David Tennant - really seem to love. I've also heard too many positive things about the Seventh Doctor and Ace not to be excited for the end stretch of the show as well, not to mention all the drama surrounding the Sixth Doctor and the Trial storyline. I'm excited, really, but a part of me is also kind of sad that I'm heading into the final third. Even though I started watching Classic Who in late 2017 (dear lord) it all still feels like it's flying past rather quickly.
Not as fast as the Creature from the Pit wrapped a web around moving Sun, but still.
It's really encouraging that, six season in, the Fourth Doctor era still feels really fresh and exciting. This season marks the end of 1970s Doctor Who and it really went on on a high note, and overall I think it's the strongest decade of the show overall that I've watched so far. I'm very excited to see what the controversial 80's era will bring, even though that means I'll have to say goodbye to the Fourth Doctor soon. It's a bit unreal to think that I've watched so much Classic Who this year, and it's all been the Fourth Doctor era. Iconic.
Like the previous sixteen seasons, the serials are available to watch via streaming on Britbox, though I had to purchase Shada separately. This season had six stories (including Shada), and because I really loved this season overall it was very weird to rank it and some of my takes are, dare I say it, hot.
The Characters
Tom Baker as The Fourth Doctor - It's possible that this season may have given us peak Tom Baker™? While I don't think anything can replicate the chemistry he had with Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, his performance this season and double act with Lalla Ward really makes him feel like a Doctor at the height of his powers. He knows the character intimately and knows how to sell a dramatic scene and a comedic scene (and ones that turn into the other on a dime). If it wasn't evident before, it's obvious now why he's arguably the most popular Doctor. This season especially struck just the right tone where all of this Doctor's strengths got to be on the forefront. Even if next season is crap (which, for the record, I don't think it will be), we at least have this season as a late stage high note for this incarnation of the character to go out on.
Lalla Ward as Romana - Last season, Ward's turn as Princess Astra didn't leave much of an impression on me because, frankly, there wasn't much to the character. So it was with great joy I saw how much of a great recast this was. Ward's turn in the role feels very much in the vein of the Doctor's regenerations, where there's a certain essence that's carried over even as the personality shifts. The character still feels like the Romana from last season, but one whose personality was formed by her now warmer relationship with the Doctor. Shipping goggles aside (and boy do I have them with these two). Romana really serves as a great companion because in many ways she's as knowledgeable as the Doctor, but their knowledge doesn't always overlap. She's the more rational one while he's the more eccentric thinker, and Ward and Baker have great chemistry that especially shines when they're shooting on location.
David Brierley as K9 Mark II - This is a recast that felt slightly more jarring at first. While there was a gap between appearances as K9 doesn't really have a role in the first two stories, I still remember laughing out loud at his first line of dialogue in The Creature from the Pit. That said, I think this recast worked fine because I did get used to it and it still felt like the same character from last season. While this recast was explained by "robot laryngitis", I'm curious to see what explanation, if any, is given when Leeson returns to the role next season. As far as K9 himself goes, the show continues its streak of knowing when to use him and when to leave him in the TARDIS, and this season he felt a lot more active and engaging as a character rather than a plot device.
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 4, Episodes 13-16 - Nightmare of Eden
Nightmare of Eden has a really interesting setup and plot that feels weirdly unfocused and never quite gels as well as it should. Has some really great character moments for the Doctor. The Effects work, while obviously of the time, still looks rather impressive for the budget. (x)
While watching something, have you ever felt yourself actively turning against it. Not because it does anything specifically bad, but because of little things that just irk you until it slowly builds up into bull blown resentment? Basically, it wasn't until a couple of hours after I finished watching it that I realized that I actively hated this story. I don't think it's an objectively bad story, but all the same, something about it just got under my skin and more than anything I kind of resent it for squandering a lot of potentially interesting story concepts on what's essentially a lukewarm "don't do drugs kids" PSA. The hilarious part of that last bit is that it also completely fails at that bit, as it (rightfully) goes out of it's way not to condemn drug addicts, and instead puts it's focus on the drug pipeline, so the message ends up becoming "don't become a drug dealer kids" which is such a dumb and useless message to build a story around. It doesn't help that, despite being actively and vocally hated by the Doctor and Romana, I actually weirdly liked the villains in this story because the actors were engaging and their characters were interesting? It didn't help that the "sympathetic" characters - particularly Della and Stot - were so flat and were portrayed very poorly by their actors that I was kind of rooting for them to die the whole time.Most of my resentment relates to the fact that this follows up on, and bungles, concepts that were first introduced in a story that I loved - season 10's Carnival of Monsters. The invention showcased in this story was so cool and they could've done so many interesting things with it both plot-wise and theme-wise but instead it just became a plot device to smuggle drugs and spit out monsters. I thought the monsters themselves were fine, though apparently this is the aspect that people actually take issue with for some reason. It also didn't help that I really, really loved every other story from this season and it felt like a kind of betrayal. This serial does deliver on a technical level, I'll give it that, but it fails to live up to the standard set story-wise by it's contemporaries. That's not to say there aren't moments I enjoyed. I thought the Doctor and Romana were serviceable enough in this, but moments like the Doctor coldly rebuffing Tryst at the end don't land as well as they could have because the other parts of the story aren't up to snuff.
5) Serial 3, Episodes 9-12 - The Creature from the Pit
The Creature from the Pit rises above what is an average story and plot with a great execution. Great guest characters, fantastic utilization of K-9, and the Doctor and Romana each take turns driving the narrative forward. The astrologist randomly being a major character is great. (x)
This is where I start to run into the same problem I had with season 13, which is that the season as a whole is so good that great stories end up ranking pretty low simply because there are so many others. On paper, this story is extremely average, but it's execution is very good, and only ranks so low because the few lowlights do drag it down a bit. The scavengers are easily the weakest element of this story, and their portrayals aren't impressive though they do their jobs as a plot device. The scientific advisers from the beginning are completely dropped as a story element and are never mentioned again, and the ultimate solution to the story feels rather silly. That said, I think this story is really elevated by some really great acting both by the regular cast and the guest cast. Despite being the first serial she filmed in the role, Ward is still very compelling as Romana and is very active in the story, and the Doctor gets a lot of fun stuff to do as well. While the recast was jarring at first, K9 was actually probably the regular who stood out the most in this, playing a central role in the plot for the first time in what seems like ages. The guest cast is also brilliantly realized, from the delicious Lady Adrasta to the fun and ridiculous Organon. Even the titular creature ended up being very compelling, and proved to be more than a one-note performance which was helped by the fact that it "borrowed" the voices of the other actors. All around, this is a story that ended up being much more than the sum of its parts.4) Serial 1, Episodes 1-4 - Destiny of the Daleks
Destiny of the Daleks serves as an underwhelming introduction to Romana II, but is an excellent (albeit goofy) follow-up to Genesis of the Daleks. It breaks away from the usual Dalek story format and crafts an easy to understand yet compelling conflict for the Doctor to resolve. (x)
Okay, honestly I'm shocked that this one ranks so low, especially since if this list was more about which serials were objectively the best this would definitely be higher than The Horns of Nimon, but it's not that I didn't like this story. I really liked it, actually. I just have a couple of surface level complaints that bumped it down a bit. Namely, Romana II's introduction didn't quite work for me. Especially knowing that Mary Tamm was willing to return briefly for a regeneration, I kept imagining an alternate version where Romana I appears in the first episode, and it ends with the cliffhanger of the Daleks revealing themselves and immediately shooting her, causing a regeneration. Instead what we get is fine, but the extended joke quickly loses it's charm, and it really feels out of place with the rest of the story. It doesn't help that Romana feels weirdly damsely this whole story, which isn't a great look for this new incarnation's first outing. Like, it's fine, but it's why Mary Tamm left the role in the first place. I also wasn't hugely enamored with David Gooderson's performance as Davros. Him not having that Dalek-like voice from Genesis of the Daleks was a real letdown in an otherwise great use of the character. (Also apparently the beat up look of the mask bothered some people but I was fine with it? He was sitting there collecting dust for thousands of years of course he looks like crap.)However, aside from that I actually really loved this story. It acts as a sequel to Genesis and has a similar fresh feeling that that one did. Dalek stories during the eras of the first three Doctors, even the "fresher" ones like The Evil of the Daleks and Death to the Daleks, all tended to reuse the same type of story beats, so it was nice to see this story continue the Genesis arc with Davros and allow the Daleks to take a different kind of role within the story. I also really liked the Movellans and how they were just as much the antagonists as the Daleks were even though they were at war with them, and made for more interesting foils than the Thals were. Also, even though it was a quarry story, I quite liked this story visually. The Doctor and Romana's costumes really stand out against the sets, and the story has a kind of open air feel and movement that may be partially attributed to the show's first use of steadicam? Overall, this was a very strong opener to the season, and definitely made me excited for this season of the show.
3) Serial 5, Episodes 17-20 - The Horns of Nimon
The Horns of Nimon is a really fun story that allows the cast to be rather silly with a script that's honestly pretty solid? While it starts out as a reimagining of the Minotaur myth from Greek Mythology, it takes some creative liberties that helps it stand on its own. (x)
This story is so silly and I adore it. It begins as a scifi retelling of the myth of the Minotaur from Greek Mythology but ends up turning into something else altogether, complete with unconvincing Minotaur aliens and performances that are so deliciously over the top. But unlike a lot of other stories of this nature, all the parts come together and feel vital in building the whole story. No elements feel extraneous or were unceremoniously dropped, and all the major characters had some vital role in propelling the story forward. But the element of this story that stands out the most is definitely how campy it is. Romana taking a bunch of stupid pills and leaving her sonic screwdriver on a table with the episode 1 antagonist for no reason would be infuriating if the end result wasn't so silly. The exchange between Romana and Soldeed in episode 4 is basically high camp and is honestly iconic. Seth getting hero worshipped for doing the absolute minimum while he's on the verge of having a panic attack the whole time is perfectly executed. K9 bullying Sorak into helping him escape is just so jarringly funny. Like, to be honest there is no reason this serial should work but it absolutely does, and it works better than a lot of other stories in previous season. It even commits the cardinal sin of ending basically the instant the villains are defeated and only paying lipservice to the aftermath, but somehow it works here because I don't think the reality could live up to the Doctor and Romana described. Honestly, I could go on about all the weird, incongruent elements I loved in this story, but I think I've justified why I've ranked it so high, especially compared to the objectively better Destiny of the Daleks.2) Serial 6, (Originally) Episodes 21-26 - Shada (the feature-length 2017 Animated Reconstruction)
Shada is definitely worth the hype. A very well shot, atmospheric and high concept story that still succeeds despite, and sometimes because of, the chunks that are animated. All of the guest characters are standouts, and Tom Baker is clearly relishing every moment and shines. (x)
One of the silver linings to watching Classic Who now in 2020 is that I can watch this story for the first time placed in the show when it was originally meant to be seen - as the finale of season 17. While it's certainly a disappointment that this story wasn't completed as they would've liked, what's here is fantastic. Because all the location shooting had been completed, we're treated to these beautiful, cinematic shots that honestly make me nostalgic for college, even though my campus - while pretty - didn't look anything like this one. It gives the serial a kind of comfortable, nostalgic charm that makes you want to snuggle up under a blanket a watch it on a rainy day. The studio shooting that had been completed in the professor's quarters also looked great and had a great feel to it, and combined it's actually amazing how much they actually had shot before they were shut down. As far as the scenes that hadn't been filmed go, the animation is interwoven surprisingly seamlessly, and in a weird way adds another element of magic to this whole story. In some places, it actually improves that the show probably would've been capable of in live action, from the beautiful rendered drawings of locations such as the titular Shada prison to the effects shots of K9 attacking a monster. The only drawback is that they didn't recast cast members who'd died, such as David Brierley, so there are a couple of instances in the animated segments where K9 is weirdly quiet and it's noticeable. It's not a major complaint though, and it's hard to call this reconstruction anything short of a triumph.As far as the story itself goes, I really loved it and felt myself getting more and more into it as it progressed. The guest cast in this is very compelling, and each easily hold their own against Baker and Ward. The characters feel more fleshed out than one-offs usually do, and by the end I found myself wanting see more adventures with them in it. I also appreciated how the plot progressed and continuously raised the stakes. I genuinely didn't see any of the reveals with the Professor coming and was genuinely riveted by each one, and I loved the type of worldbuilding this story did with both in terms of the Time Lords and Gallifrey, but also in terms of the Doctor's relationship with Earth and the UK in 1979. A lot of it was giving me flashbacks (or flashforwards?) to the Twelfth Doctor taking a job as a college professor in series 10 of New Who. I loved the reveal and design of the Professor's TARDIS, I loved the reveal of why everyone had forgotten Shada's existence, and I loved the really bizarre ultimate plan of the villain. It was also just really fun seeing the Doctor hang out with human characters again, and I really liked his dynamic with Chris in particular. The Four/Romana shipper in me also loved all their interactions, especially the boat scene at the very beginning. Basically, I'm really happy I had the opportunity to experience this story the way I did, and I definitely want to check out the Dirk Gently books after this story specifically.
1) Serial 2, Episodes 5-8 - City of Death
City of Death feels huge and influential both in terms of its on-site production in Paris and because it introduces world-building elements that the show would return to in major ways later. Great villain, an impressively constructed narrative, and a really well-rounded ensemble. (x)
This story is probably the most famous for achieving the highest ratings in Doctor Who's history... mostly because of an ITV strike that made Doctor Who the only game in town. That said, it definitely deserved this distinction based on quality alone. The location filming in this story was gorgeous, but it also added a kind of scope that, honestly, took my breath away. Last season's The Pirate Planet and this season's Shada also invoked similar reactions, and I can't tell how much of that success can be credited to Douglas Adams alone. It felt like the realized efforts of the entire production team for what this show could be. This wasn't the super airbrushed Paris of most Hollywood movies, but rather an on the ground look at what Paris may have really looked in 1979. The story, about an alien scattered throughout time committing art fraud sounds like it should be camp but is played straight in a way that feels intense and engaging. The supporting characters feel like something out of a classic movie or a James Bond film, and even the very silly detective character that tags along with the Doctor and Romana feels endearing.At it's feet though, the ones that really sell this story are the Doctor and Romana. Their chemistry (and very obvious and, I suspect, unintentional romantic undertones) absolutely elevates this story to new heights. This story would not have been the same with any other Fourth Doctor companion, and its what cements Ward into the role of Romana. All of their scenes, from when they're prancing out and about, to when they're chatting in a cafe or skulking around the villain's lush lair, they are a double act that feels so comfortable even though this is only their second story together, and it certainly help that there's a visual flair to their outfits that works extremely well in a Parisian setting.
I'd also be remiss not to mention how clearly influential this story was on the series as a whole. Major worldbuilding aspects of this story have been reused in major ways in New Who, such as in Series 7 when Clara is scattered throughout the Doctor's personal timestream using a similar device. The way it's setting is featured and woven throughout also feels more reminiscent of New Who's style than Classic Who's. Going into Classic Who, I don't think I ever expected to get a story quite like this, and I'm very excited to see what knew heights the show manages to achieve and how it informs the revival.
Final Thoughts
After some trepidation following the very uneven season 15, I feel like I can confidently call the Graham Williams era just as much of a success as the Philip Hinchcliffe era. I'm sad that he faced so many production troubles with this season, as I think he and Douglas Adams were very underrated assets at the time that helped infuse the show with a lot of humor and a lot of heart. Though I'm also very thankful I have one more season with Baker as the Doctor and Ward as Romana. I finally get why I've seen so much of these two within Doctor Who fandom, and I love that they both seem to still have enthusiasm for this franchise after all these years. Seeing an older Tom Baker in that newly shot ending scene of Shada warmed my heart in a way I never would've expected only a few months ago.
With this season I also say goodbye to the 1970s - arguably the high point of Classic Who? - and head into the controversial 80s era. There's a small amount of dread that comes with that, just being informed by the way fandom is during this current, similarly controversial era, but more than that there's excitement. Next season I'm going to meet the Fifth Doctor's companions who I've seen name-dropped so much, as well as the Fifth Doctor that many people - including David Tennant - really seem to love. I've also heard too many positive things about the Seventh Doctor and Ace not to be excited for the end stretch of the show as well, not to mention all the drama surrounding the Sixth Doctor and the Trial storyline. I'm excited, really, but a part of me is also kind of sad that I'm heading into the final third. Even though I started watching Classic Who in late 2017 (dear lord) it all still feels like it's flying past rather quickly.
Not as fast as the Creature from the Pit wrapped a web around moving Sun, but still.