Fifth Doctor...
Episodes to Remember
Earthshock (Episode 121) - Inside a subterranean cavern the Doctor and his companions discover two androids guarding a bomb large enough to destroy the whole of Earth. After defeating the androids and disabling the bomb, the Doctor traces their signal to a freighter ship delivering cargo to Earth. Using the TARDIS to come aboard, he at first finds nothing out of the ordinary. However, unbeknownst to him or the crew, there are 15,000 Cybermen hidden inside the cargo hold, waiting to take control of the ship....
Earthshock is best known for its savvy production and its sophisticated story-telling. Although by modern standards it might appear slow, for a Doctor Who story it moves quickly and has a good tempo to it. The casting of Beryl Reid as a hardened ship captain is a bit of a head scratcher, but this problem interferes little with the narrative, and is more than made up for by David Bank's performance as the Cyber-leader. Critics in particular praise the new design of the Cybermen's costumes, and the special effects. All this, combined with having one of the biggest surprise endings in Doctor Who history, makes Earthshock one of the Fifth Doctor's best stories and a fine gem in the nineteenth season's crown.
Earthshock is best known for its savvy production and its sophisticated story-telling. Although by modern standards it might appear slow, for a Doctor Who story it moves quickly and has a good tempo to it. The casting of Beryl Reid as a hardened ship captain is a bit of a head scratcher, but this problem interferes little with the narrative, and is more than made up for by David Bank's performance as the Cyber-leader. Critics in particular praise the new design of the Cybermen's costumes, and the special effects. All this, combined with having one of the biggest surprise endings in Doctor Who history, makes Earthshock one of the Fifth Doctor's best stories and a fine gem in the nineteenth season's crown.
The Caves of Androzani (Episode 135) - The Doctor and Peri land on Androzani Minor where a guerilla war is being fought over a life-preserving drug between an android army led by Sharaz Jek and government troops. Jek becomes infatuated upon seeing Peri and saves her and the Doctor from a military execution after they are captured by soldiers while exploring the underground caves where the war is taking place. However, during their time alone in the caves the Doctor and Peri have contracted spectrox toxaemia, a fatal condition unless treated with milk from one of the great queen bats that live on the planet. With Peri rapidly fading and a war waging around him, the Doctor must put everything on the line to save her, except this time the costs might be higher than ever before....
"I owe it to my friend to try because I got her into this. So you see, I'm not going to let you stop me now!!" Easily the most dramatic and adult-themed serial in the classic series, The Caves of Androzani is flawless in almost every aspect of it production. The story is a creative one, and the actors play their roles to perfection. Peter Davison puts in an astonishing performance as the Doctor while Jek makes for an intriguing villain. The narrative is tightly knit, and with dynamic characters and superb direction, it makes for a very engaging experience. The Caves of Androzani is consistently voted in polls to be the best Doctor Who serial of all time.
Honorable Mention: The Five Doctors (Episode 129)
"I owe it to my friend to try because I got her into this. So you see, I'm not going to let you stop me now!!" Easily the most dramatic and adult-themed serial in the classic series, The Caves of Androzani is flawless in almost every aspect of it production. The story is a creative one, and the actors play their roles to perfection. Peter Davison puts in an astonishing performance as the Doctor while Jek makes for an intriguing villain. The narrative is tightly knit, and with dynamic characters and superb direction, it makes for a very engaging experience. The Caves of Androzani is consistently voted in polls to be the best Doctor Who serial of all time.
Honorable Mention: The Five Doctors (Episode 129)
Episodes to Forget
Time-Flight (Episode 122) - Tired. That's the word I would use to describe Time-Flight. It is just the end of the season, end of the budget, threadbare Doctor Who story. The plot is a bit of a yawn (or indiscernible), the writing is sloppy, and the sets are unconvincing. The production team should have known immediately they would be in no way able to pull off the central ideas in Time-Flight as soon as they laid eyes on the first draft.
All the characters are boring except maybe for Professor Hayter, but what makes this story particularly bad is that it is such a poor Master story. The Doctor and Master have very little reason to meet up, and the Master has no reason to disguise himself except to provide a cliffhanger for the second episode. Apart from this, the character does little else except cackle and lug around electronic equipment to various places. There's a complete lack of tension in the writing, and the players pick up on it. Certain devices like close-ups or having a lot of techno babble lines are used in the hope that the audience will be deceived into thinking something really exciting is happening, but it isn't. Time-Flight is dull and boring and is so void of action as to make the viewer think afterwards they must have just spent ninety minutes staring at a blank wall.
All the characters are boring except maybe for Professor Hayter, but what makes this story particularly bad is that it is such a poor Master story. The Doctor and Master have very little reason to meet up, and the Master has no reason to disguise himself except to provide a cliffhanger for the second episode. Apart from this, the character does little else except cackle and lug around electronic equipment to various places. There's a complete lack of tension in the writing, and the players pick up on it. Certain devices like close-ups or having a lot of techno babble lines are used in the hope that the audience will be deceived into thinking something really exciting is happening, but it isn't. Time-Flight is dull and boring and is so void of action as to make the viewer think afterwards they must have just spent ninety minutes staring at a blank wall.
Warriors of the Deep (Episode 130) - Those who anticipated a glorious return for the Silurians and Sea Devils were no doubt disappointed by what they saw when Warriors of the Deep aired in 1984. The whole thing is a mess; the script feels like a rough draft, and as filming was delayed for two weeks, the signs of rushed production are everywhere. Many of the scenes appear unrehearsed, and as such, much of the acting is wooden, making it impossible to connect with any of the characters outside the regulars. The script is convoluted and fails to capture the je ne sais quoi that made the reptilian races so successful as antagonists in the first place.
Warriors of the Deep is probably best known for the Myrka, a supposed large marine creature used by Silurians in war time. The Myrka looks not unlike a Chinese carnival dragon; it is quite clear that there are just two men underneath moving its head and feet back and forth. Due to the time constraints, the actors involved had no time to rehearse, and indeed, the costume was finished only an hour before its use. Of course, the thing looks awful, and the viewer can actually see where the Myrka has rubed fresh paint onto the sets and costumes. The whole affair is punctuated when Ingrid Pitt in-advisably tries to karate kick the beast but is then eaten by it. One can only solemnly agree with the Fifth Doctor's assessment of the situation when he grimly declares at the end of the serial, "There should have been another way."
Dishonorable Mention: The King's Demons (Episode 128)
Warriors of the Deep is probably best known for the Myrka, a supposed large marine creature used by Silurians in war time. The Myrka looks not unlike a Chinese carnival dragon; it is quite clear that there are just two men underneath moving its head and feet back and forth. Due to the time constraints, the actors involved had no time to rehearse, and indeed, the costume was finished only an hour before its use. Of course, the thing looks awful, and the viewer can actually see where the Myrka has rubed fresh paint onto the sets and costumes. The whole affair is punctuated when Ingrid Pitt in-advisably tries to karate kick the beast but is then eaten by it. One can only solemnly agree with the Fifth Doctor's assessment of the situation when he grimly declares at the end of the serial, "There should have been another way."
Dishonorable Mention: The King's Demons (Episode 128)