TV Reviews: Doctor Who: Logopolis (1981)

Doctor Who: Logopolis (1981) written by Christopher H. Bidmead and directed by Peter Grimwade

The Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) is finally going to fix the chameleon circuit on the TARDIS so that it can change into something other than a police box. He travels with Adric (Matthew Waterhouse) to Earth to examine a real police box as part of fixing the circuit. The plan is interrupted when they run into the Master and they accidentally pick up Tegan Jovanka (Janet Fielding) who clearly looks destined to become a new companion for the Time Lord. The biggest mystery is a strange white figure that follows them on their adventures, watching from a distance.

The show is a fairly standard Doctor Who story with a few standout features. The Master is always a fun villain--he's sort of equal to the Doctor (since they are both Time Lords) but with a decidedly evil bent. His evil scheme is a little underwhelming. Tegan has the makings of a good companion--she's feisty and willing to take the initiative, even if she isn't entirely competent (though I have to be honest, even the Doctor isn't entirely competent). The final standout is the finale, where the Doctor regenerates into the Fifth Doctor, Peter Davison. Like most regenerations, the new actor just shows up at the end of the episode. He doesn't speak and nothing about him is revealed.

Recommended.

TV Review: Doctor Who: Full Circle (1980)

Doctor Who: Full Circle (1980) written by Andrew Smith and directed by Peter Grimwade

The Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker), Romana (Lalla Ward), and K-9 are called back to Gallifrey. As often happens, the TARDIS goes off course and lands on Alzarious. The planet has a stranded colonist ship on it. The crew has been trying to repair their ship for forty generations. Every fifty years, they face the threat of the Mistfall, when creatures rise out of the local swamp and attack them. They usually retreat to the ship to wait out the danger, but some of the younger, rebellious ones stay out this time. Naturally, the Doctor shows up right before Mistfall and gets to participate in the highjinks.

The rubber-suited baddies aren't particularly menacing but that's okay since the colonists aren't particularly competent or resourceful. Their leaders are called the Deciders, a name which is strikingly ironic given how slow they are to make decisions. They like to gather a lot of information before acting, which is good in principle but not when swamp creatures are infesting your supposedly impregnable colony ship. The intentional mediocrity of the colonists is mirrored in the swamp creatures who have barely mastered the art of using sticks as clubs. The colonist have no particularly effective counter to this move--they basically run away. You'd think with fifty years' time and advanced technology, they could do better at protecting themselves.

The show has some interesting comments on procrastination and on treating other sentient beings with respect, especially when information about those creatures is scant. The mediocrity of the locals is, in a way, thematic to the story. Baker gives a good performance as usual. Ward is also good and her character is just as intelligent and gutsy as the Doctor.

Recommended, with allowances for the rubber suits and the tinny 1980s synth score.

TV Review: Doctor Who: Earthshock (1982)

Doctor Who: Earthshock (1982) written by Eric Saward and directed by Peter Grimwade

The Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) lands the TARDIS on Earth in AD 2526. Actually, he lands inside the Earth, in some caves where, naturally, trouble is brewing. An expedition of geologists and paleontologists were wiped out by a mysterious force. One survived and she is leading a military group back into the caves to find out what happened. After a typical misunderstanding (surely the Doctor and his companions must be guilty since they are in the caves!), the Doctor unites with the 26th century earthlings to fight the menace--the Cybermen. The Cybermen want to destroy the Earth, and when their first plan is foiled, they have a more subtle plan that will cost the Doctor dearly.

The Cybermen are an interesting opponent in this story. They have a history of losing to the Doctor, so once they recognize him, they look for vengeance as well as for the destruction of the Earth. The hyper-logical Cybermen taunt the Doctor for being emotional and therefore weak. The Doctor gives as good as he gets. The Cyberman costume is a little weird because their face's chin plate is transparent. Viewers see a grey chin as the Cybermen talk. While it's a reminder that they aren't just robots, it doesn't help them to be scary. Also, the leader is a bit shouty and does say "excellent" several times as if he were Mr. Burns from The Simpsons.

Peter Davison's Doctor has a fairly interesting relationship to his three companions in this episode. Tegan (Janet Fielding) and Nyssa (Sarah Sutton) provide some technical support and some humanizing moments for the Doctor. Young Adric (Matthew Waterhouse) is a mathematical prodigy from another planet who wants to go home. The Doctor at first refuses, though Adric plots a course anyway. Their interactions are interesting and come to a poignant ending.

Recommended.