Review Series - 'Doctor Who' Season 16, The Key to Time

This is a series of mini-reviews of the 26 episodes of the sixteenth season of Doctor Who, aka "The Key to Time" season. There is a certain sadness tinged with this box set; it arrived on the day that the death of Mary Tamm (Romana I) was announced.

The Ribos Operation

Part One

I'd really forgotten just how haughty Romana could be. She's great in this episode. In fact, everyone is. Some slightly wobbly sets (not literally, but metaphorically), but Robert Holmes's script is superb, creating a rich universe.

8/10

Part Two

This should be called "The Ribos Job" – it's rather like an episode of Leverage that the Doctor and Romana have walked into. Very funny at points and with a rather good cliff hanger, although not quite as good as the previous episode.

7/10

Part Three

Some rather silly costumes in this story, but there's some great characters – Paul Seed (now better known as a TV director of some note) is hamming it up big time as the Graff Vynda-K. Good to see the tracer being used in the plot and also K-9 turning up after two episodes. In fact, I'd forgotten he was there.

8/10

Part Four

A highly enjoyable ending – poor Binro. There are some superb jokes – the Hackney Wick one stands out as a Londoner and the Graff completely losing it at the end is well played. That Freytus battle sounds worthy of a Big Finish story of its own.

8/10

Conclusion

I can really see why this was so popular back in 1978. It's good, clean fun for the whole family. The 'monster' may be rubbish (and ineffective), but it's a tiny part of a great plot.

8/10

The Pirate Planet

Part One

This is a little bit silly. Don't get me wrong – the Captain is superbly hammy, but Baker's not on form and the stuff with the locals is generally not engaging. The set looks cheaper here than the last one as well.

6/10

Part Two

This story is looking more and more over-rated. The film/video thing is distracting and a lot of the characters are not that great. Romana continues to shine though.

6/10

Part Three

Much better. Baker has improved, the guest cast are getting less annoying and the plot is starting to come to fruition. The battle between K9 and the Polyphase Avitron is as good as it really could be – I like the way he presents the dead creature to the Doctor.

8/10

Part Four

A satisfying conclusion with some great scenes, but the 'science' is weird even by this show's standards. Xanxia brought just as much ham to the party as the Captain.

7/10

Conclusion

An enjoyable story, although by no means a classic due to some weak supporting characters.

7/10

The Stones of Blood

Part One

An intriguing opener, boosted by the decision to shoot the exteriors on OB video. I'm starting to see why Mary Tamm left after one season – some of her material is a bit weak at time. Professor Rumford is a memorable supporting character, although the 1970s fashion really hasn't aged well. The cliffhanger isn't all that good.

7/10

Part Two

Another above average episode, in which the Ogri have a good presence (most of their activity is off-screen, for the obvious reasons that the tech wasn't up to it and you can't do that to someone's skull on most TV shows). Romana and Rumford are again good, although it seems that certain bits got lost in the edit – it's not the smoothest of episodes.

7/10

Part Three

A great one this, with Baker on fine form, a couple of pretty nasty deaths and the Megara not as bad as I seem to remember them. Mind you, evil laughing is so cliché.

8/10

Part Four

Another superb episode, with the trial scenes in particular standing out – it play a lot like something out of Hitchhiker's. Appearance of the Megara aside, there is little to complain about in this episode and everyone is very good.

9/10

Conclusion

An excellent dramatic tale with strong lashings of horror – a perfect 100th story and definitely a classic of mid-Tom Baker.

8/10

The Androids of Tara

Part One

The Doctor and Romana spend most of this episode apart and demonstrate that the whole here is really more than the sum of its parts – while their lines are good, they're not as good as the two of them together (I see Romana left the parking brake on). This one sets up the plot of the four-parter and while it has some good moments, it's nothing special. The Taran Wood Beast is dire and deserves its bad reputation.

6/10

Part Two

A good affair in a well-developed world with some good humour, combined with suitable ham from the main villain of the piece. It's all very stagey and non-naturalistic. While this isn't bad, it's not stellar either.

7/10

Part Three

The Count is superbly hammy and the Doctor gets some good scenes, but the separation of the Doctor and Romana for most of this episode does hurt this. It's good, but not brilliant. These Taran bowmen can't  shoot straight to save their lives – if the planet ever got invaded, one fears the worst.

6/10

Part Four

A dragged out climax – the sword fight in particular is a bit too long and not exactly up to the standards of some I've seen. The Count's sense of fair play and his departure are good, but this feels a bit insubstantial.

6/10

Conclusion

While not bad, this tale is really lacking something – like a real sense of threat or a decent alien. A light fluffy work that you can watch and quickly forget.

6/10

The Power of Kroll

Part One

A very 1970s looking serial, especially the hair and the poor model shots (water doesn't scale!), with a strong 'Empire' influence. The Swampies let the side down badly, but it's nice to see John Leeson in front of the camera for a change. Tom Baker is on fine form.

7/10

Part Two

We see Robert Holmes in full flavour in here – it's a largely talky episode, but the talking is superb with the overall style reminding me, perhaps wrongly, of Heart of Darkness (although that never had a giant squid). When we get to the action, however, the acting is bad and the special effects worse.

8/10

Part Three

Thawn is a great villain (especially his 'tache) and while Baker sends much of his episode tied up, he continues to demonstrate some of the classic quick-fire wit of the Fourth Doctor. However, when they're not on screen, things get a bit worse – the Swampies aren't interesting and Rohm-Dutt has outstayed his welcome, so gets eaten by Kroll.

6/10

Part Four

A strong script here is let down by bad acting and more dodgy effects, especially when the two combine i.e. Kroll attacks people. It does remind me considerably of the perception of 1970s Doctor Who in the popular mind. While there is some good stuff here, it's just above average.

6/10

Conclusion

My average is 7/10, but I've got knock this down a point for some really bad effects work. Anthony Read should have taken a proper look at a script involving a town-sized squid and asked Holmes to do a major rewrite. It's a good attempt at something impossible on the budget. Finally, full credit to the late Philip Madoc as Fenner; he does a great job here.

6/10

The Armageddon Factor

Part One

For the relative cheapness of this tale (a "oh, no the money's run out" situation combined with industrial action), this first part is mostly pretty strong. While it's a somewhat sanitised for the audience view of nuclear war, compared with something like Threads, the Marshal's continued boasting of imminent victory as his planet is being destroyed reminds me strongly of the sort of thing that dictators about to lose a war spout. Shame about the cliffhanger.

7/10

Part Two

Merak is massively wet and while Astra isn't that bad, she fortunately spends much of this episode unconscious, when she's dragged off by a man in a black painted Santa mask. The Doctor sparkles in his scenes with the Marshal and Mary Tamm is also good, but K9 is a complete idiot when he ends on a conveyor belt. The space battle, relayed via a radar screen and Major Shapp's commentary, is a very good part (these "bombers on the screens" things can work better than even a good SFX sequence when done right).

Cliffhanger stinks though.

7/10

Part Three

A lot of plot development, but some bits go on too long and we still have 75 minutes to go... The Shadow is menacing but it is clear the budget isn't there - especially the mind control devices... K9 gets something really useful to do.

6/10

Part Four
An episode with further story development and Lalla Ward getting to show off her possessed acting (although she can be as good as the late Lis Sladen) - we get some good lines and a good cliffhanger, even if K9 is being a bit dumb at times. Negative points for the cave set - the floor is clearly too flat.
7/10
Part Five
Mary Tamm (whose low-cut dress is distracting through much of this story) gets tortured in what some fans have attributed as an alternative cause for Romana's regeneration, we get a Sarf London Time Lord turn up who isn't that bad and the Shadow makes his move. The cliffhanger isn't bad either, but the sixth part might end up being a bit rushed.
7/10
Part Six
Not over-paced, but at times rather overacted; the Shadow in particular. The climax (and the production) is a bit too low key, betraying a clear lack of budget. This said, it's fairly enjoyable and there's some decent performance going on here; the final denouement is totally consistent with the Doctor's character.


7/10
Conclusion
The best of a bad situation regards to the budget; but to be honest, while this isn't bad, it could have been done much better with some proper planning. Notably this is the final aired six-parter; "Shada" of course never being completed.

7/10