Story: The Five Doctors
Written By: Terrence Dicks
Length: 90 Minute TV Movie
Year: 1983
While the actual 20th season ended with The King's Demons, this special event TV movie is sort of the actual conclusion. It aired months later, on the actual anniversary date of the show, and we get all five of the Doctors back, sort of.
William Hartnell had passed on not long after the airing of "The Three Doctors", so in order to bring the First Doctor back we had to bring in another actor. Richard Hurndall fills in, and he only really captures the grumpy side of things, so I find him missing my favorite aspects of our first Time Lord, the odd eccentric grandfather.
Tom Baker refused to join in, claiming it had been too soon after leaving to make his return. I think his own animosity toward JNT played a factor in his not returning as well. No matter why he didn't return, Baker is worked into the story by being stuck in a time loop, and clips from the lost story Shada were used to bring him back.
So with Pertwee and Troughton returning, a faux first Doctor, an MIA fourth Doctor, and our current Fifth Doctor...I don't know if "The Five Doctors" is the most appropriate title in the world...its actually "The Three Doctors, an Impostor, and some Recycled Footage". I guess "The Five Doctors" is catchier.
Now long before I saw the new series or became a fan of Doctor Who, I had heard of it in the 90s, due to this sci-fi merch magazine I was getting (my mom bought me a Star Trek phone, and the subscription came with it). So I had sort of heard of the show in this magazine. Around 2000 I saw this story in my local library, and curious I got it. I felt that if I had any idea as too what was going on, I might like it.
Well then the new show came, I fell in love, and I went back and watched all of the classic series...and I watched this again. Eh, its good fun for an anniversary kind of thing but its mostly just fluff. "The Three Doctors" is better. Still it is fun to see the Doctors together, even if it isn't all of them (or the real ones at that).
Besides Returning Doctors we also get returning: Sarah Jane, Susan, K-9, The Brigadier, Daleks, Cybermen, Jamie and Zoe, and Yeti. We also meet Rassilon. I think a big flaw in the writing of this episode is that some of these characters just sort of show up for no reason. Like Sarah Jane and Susan are brought into the Game purely because they are either popular (Sarah) or important to the history of the show (Susan). Originally when they were writing with Baker's return in mind, Sarah was to be with him, which made sense. The Brig was also meant to be with Pertwee, instead of Troughton (and Troughton with Jamie). This also made sense. But when Baker refused to join in the fun, and Frazier Hines was unavailable for much more than a cameo, things got all mixed around.
With those forced changes I might've kept the Troughton with the Brig (or maybe make Jamie's cameo him with Troughton while Troughton gets sucked up, leaving Jamie behind), put Sarah with Pertwee (hell put the Brig in the car with them), and just have Susan with the First Doctor...who cares if she looks older (maybe putting your Hartnell clip of "one day I shall come back", to actually mean something, have him COME BACK to visit her).
Sure this is a clusterfuck of plot and characters, but it is a fun way to celebrate 20 years of the show. Don't think too hard about the episode, because it is pretty dumb, but if you just enjoy what a Reference City it is, than you should enjoy it. Maybe.
NEXT TIME: Season 20 Recap
Written By: Terrence Dicks
Length: 90 Minute TV Movie
Year: 1983
While the actual 20th season ended with The King's Demons, this special event TV movie is sort of the actual conclusion. It aired months later, on the actual anniversary date of the show, and we get all five of the Doctors back, sort of.
Tom Baker refused to join in, claiming it had been too soon after leaving to make his return. I think his own animosity toward JNT played a factor in his not returning as well. No matter why he didn't return, Baker is worked into the story by being stuck in a time loop, and clips from the lost story Shada were used to bring him back.
So with Pertwee and Troughton returning, a faux first Doctor, an MIA fourth Doctor, and our current Fifth Doctor...I don't know if "The Five Doctors" is the most appropriate title in the world...its actually "The Three Doctors, an Impostor, and some Recycled Footage". I guess "The Five Doctors" is catchier.
Now long before I saw the new series or became a fan of Doctor Who, I had heard of it in the 90s, due to this sci-fi merch magazine I was getting (my mom bought me a Star Trek phone, and the subscription came with it). So I had sort of heard of the show in this magazine. Around 2000 I saw this story in my local library, and curious I got it. I felt that if I had any idea as too what was going on, I might like it.
Well then the new show came, I fell in love, and I went back and watched all of the classic series...and I watched this again. Eh, its good fun for an anniversary kind of thing but its mostly just fluff. "The Three Doctors" is better. Still it is fun to see the Doctors together, even if it isn't all of them (or the real ones at that).
Besides Returning Doctors we also get returning: Sarah Jane, Susan, K-9, The Brigadier, Daleks, Cybermen, Jamie and Zoe, and Yeti. We also meet Rassilon. I think a big flaw in the writing of this episode is that some of these characters just sort of show up for no reason. Like Sarah Jane and Susan are brought into the Game purely because they are either popular (Sarah) or important to the history of the show (Susan). Originally when they were writing with Baker's return in mind, Sarah was to be with him, which made sense. The Brig was also meant to be with Pertwee, instead of Troughton (and Troughton with Jamie). This also made sense. But when Baker refused to join in the fun, and Frazier Hines was unavailable for much more than a cameo, things got all mixed around.
With those forced changes I might've kept the Troughton with the Brig (or maybe make Jamie's cameo him with Troughton while Troughton gets sucked up, leaving Jamie behind), put Sarah with Pertwee (hell put the Brig in the car with them), and just have Susan with the First Doctor...who cares if she looks older (maybe putting your Hartnell clip of "one day I shall come back", to actually mean something, have him COME BACK to visit her).
Sure this is a clusterfuck of plot and characters, but it is a fun way to celebrate 20 years of the show. Don't think too hard about the episode, because it is pretty dumb, but if you just enjoy what a Reference City it is, than you should enjoy it. Maybe.
NEXT TIME: Season 20 Recap
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