‘THE FIVE DOCTORS’
Please feel free to comment on my review.
Let’s play the game of Rassilon! – Celebrating 20 years of ‘Doctor Who’
25th of November 1983
I really wish I can go back to 1983 and experience the celebrations of 20 years of ‘Doctor Who’! There was a lot happening back then with breakfast channel items; news reports; conventions; etc. It must have been heaven for the fans who have happy memories (or not as the case maybe, e.g. Longleat).
Of course, the main event was the 20th anniversary special called ‘The Five Doctors’. This, I love! ‘The Five Doctors’ is a tremendous celebratory adventure and it’s one of my favourite stories! It was a story that got me to knowing more about the show’s history, as I was a newcomer to ‘Doctor Who’ back then.
Be warned though! From the title, it doesn’t mean that there are actually the first five Doctors from ‘Doctor Who’ in this. As David Tennant states in the ‘Easter Egg’ DVD commentary; it’s ‘three Doctors, stock footage and a bloke in a wig’. I will explain more about this later on during my review.
I purchased the original 1999 DVD of ‘The Five Doctors’ containing the Special Edition version of the story. That DVD had few special features on it, except for a guide booklet and a ‘special music’ feature. I saw the DVD over one Christmas period back in 2006 and really enjoyed it again and again!
In 2008, 2Entertain re-released ‘The Five Doctors’ on DVD to celebrate its 25th anniversary. It was re-released as a 2-disc edition containing two versions of the story. There’s the original 1983 version on Disc 1 and the Special Edition on Disc 2. I prefer the Special Edition version, as it has more scenes.
I’ve now had the 25th anniversary DVD cover of ‘The Five Doctors’ signed by Peter Davison at the ‘Science of the Time Lords’ event in Leicester, January 2016; by Janet Fielding at the ‘MCM Birmingham Comic Con’ at the NEC Birmingham, November 2017 and by Mark Strickson and Paul Jerricho at the ‘Fantom Events at Memorabilia’ event at the NEC Birmingham, March 2016. I’ve also had signed photos of Turlough in ‘The Five Doctors’ by Mark Strickson from the ‘Time Warp’ convention in Weston-super-Mare, July 2014 and of the Castellan by Paul Jerricho from the ‘Acceptable In The 80s’ event in Chiswick, London, October 2011.
‘The Five Doctors’ is a 90/100-minute anniversary special by Terrance Dicks. It was produced by John Nathan-Turner and was directed by Peter Moffatt. ‘The Five Doctors’ is a story worth celebrating about ‘Doctor Who’; especially since we’ve moved on to celebrate over 50 years of the show’s history!
I really love how the story opens with a clip of William Hartnell as the First Doctor making his famous speech to Susan in ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’. This was a great way to start the story, since it pays tribute and homage to the actor who’d first played the role of the Doctor back at the very beginning.
The story begins and we find Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor with his companions Tegan and Turlough. They’re on the Eye of Orion and hope to spend some quality time there. But the Doctor gets a twinge of cosmic angst that grows worse, as his previous lives get stolen and taken out of time.
With help from Tegan and Turlough, the Doctor sets the TARDIS off to Gallifrey. They find themselves in the Death Zone, a place where deadly games are played to the amusement of the Time Lords. The Doctor faces his past, as his past selves and his companions come to play the games.
This was the second time I’d seen Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor. It was great to watch him and see him as the current Doctor for this 20th anniversary special. Peter excels in this, as I loved his meeting with the First Doctor in this story and him getting into the heart of things with the Time Lords on Gallifrey.
The First Doctor returns, but he’s now played by Richard Hurndall (to replace William Hartnell). Seeing Richard Hurndall as the First Doctor was interesting. It’s clear he’s not William Hartnell, but he brings the spirit of the First Doctor. Despite not looking like him, I was able to suspend my disbelief.
Patrick Troughton returns to play the Second Doctor. I had seen Patrick’s Doctor before in ‘The Invasion’. For me, it was a sheer delight to see Patrick’s Doctor again. He hasn’t lost his quick wit and charm in this and he’s still very funny and reassuring as ever. I enjoyed his scenes with the Brigadier.
This was the first time I’d seen Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor. I enjoyed watching him in this, driving his car Bessie and when he reunites with Sarah Jane. I also enjoyed him facing the Master in this tale; him and Sarah Jane facing the Raston Warrior robot and escaping hordes of Cybermen.
Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor appears in this, technically speaking. I’d only seen Tom before in ‘Genesis of the Daleks’ and didn’t know that he refused to take part in the anniversary special. Tom appears as film footage from ‘Shada’ with Lalla Ward’s Romana and punts on the Cam in Cambridge.
Eventually, all the Doctors (except Tom) meet up in the tomb of Rassilon in the Dark Tower. It was great to see these Doctors interacting with each other. I do love the moment when Doctors 1, 2 and 3 try to set Doctor 5 free from the villain’s control by putting their minds to it and make them as one.
Watching the Doctor’s companions in this story was also a great pleasure! It is a shame that they couldn’t get all the companions to appear. Certainly companions like Sarah Sutton as Nyssa (who’s my favourite ‘Doctor Who’ companion) and Katy Manning as Jo Grant were worthy to be featured in this anniversary special.
Janet Fielding as Tegan is with Peter Davison’s Doctor. She gets to take part in the adventure, as she joins the First Doctor. It was interesting to watch Tegan, who I’d seen for a second time after ‘Earthshock’. Not sure about the footwear she wears for those rugged conditions of the Death Zone.
This was the first time I encountered Mark Strickson as Turlough, who is also a companion to Doctor 5. It took a while for me to realise what a dark and shifty character Turlough was, as I found him pleasant at first. He doesn’t get to have many scenes in this story, as he’s mostly stuck in the TARDIS.
So does Carole Ann Ford as Susan, the first companion and granddaughter to Doctor 1. I’d seen Susan before in ‘The Beginning’ DVD box set and had seen her leave in ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’. She doesn’t get much to do, but I did enjoy it when she’s reunited with her grandfather as Doctor 1.
It was also great to see Nicholas Courtney as the Brigadier. I’d only just seen him in ‘The Invasion’. The Brig pairs up with Doctor 2 and together they go into a cave; face a Yeti and eventually end up in the tomb of Rassilon. I did like the Brigadier’s line about the Doctors: “Wonderful chap! All of them!”
It was equally lovely to see Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, who I’d seen already in ‘School Reunion’ and ‘Genesis of the Daleks’. She’s so surprised by why the Doctor is Jon Pertwee and not Tom Baker. I enjoyed it when the Doctor and Sarah Jane faced Cybermen, the Raston Warrior Robot and all.
Lalla Ward as Romana also appears in this story, although it’s actually stock footage from ‘Shada’ with Tom Baker in this. This was literally the first time I’d seen Lalla Ward’s Romana in this ‘Doctor Who’ story. It would take a while for me to get to know Romana and who she was during the series.
There are also cameos of other companions in this. They’re either ghosts from the past or fleeting appearances. There’s K-9 (voiced by John Leeson); Richard Franklin as Captain Mike Yates and Caroline John as Liz Shaw for Doctor 3; and Frazer Hines as Jamie and Wendy Padbury as Zoe for Doctor 2.
The rest of the guest cast for ‘The Five Doctors’ are members of the High Council of Time Lords. They are as follows. There’s Phillip Latham as President Borusa; Paul Jericho as the Castellan (who appeared in ‘Arc of Infinity’) – “No! Not the mind probe!” – and Dinah Sheridan as Chancellor Flavia.
A Dalek makes an appearance in this anniversary special. It chases the First Doctor and Susan down a lot of corridors, shouting “Exterminate!” a lot before it eventually gets blown up by its own gunfire. We get to see the inside of a Dalek for the first time, with the mutant creature wriggling inside its casing.
The Cybermen also appear in this story. These are the ‘Earthshock’ Cybermen with their Cyber Leader (played by David Banks) who says “Excellent!” a lot. They don’t do well, as lots get blown up by the Raston Warrior Robot and they fall foul in an alliance with the Master who leads them astray.
The Raston Warrior Robot is an inspired creation by Terrance Dicks. The ‘perfect killing machine ever devised’ that kills you when it senses any movement and moves like lightning. It’s a frightening creation and there’s an exciting and violent sequence where the Raston Warrior Robot kills off the Cybermen.
This story was also the first time I saw Anthony Ainley as the Master! I didn’t know who the Master was until I discovered he was an evil Time Lord and the Doctor’s enemy. Anthony Ainley is tremendous as the Master. I love his elegant evil and when he chuckles, full of mischief and delight.
There’s also a Yeti that makes an appearance in this story. It threatens Doctor 2 and the Brigadier in the cave. The Yeti appeared twice in ‘Doctor Who’ in the classic stories ‘The Abominable Snowmen’ and ‘The Web of Fear’. It was great to see the Yeti in this, especially for the 20th anniversary special.
The DVD special features of the 25th anniversary Special Edition DVD are as follows. On Disc 1, there’s a commentary on the original 1983 version of the story by Carole Ann Ford, Elisabeth Sladen, Mark Strickson and Nicholas Courtney. There’s also an Easter Egg commentary by…David Tennant, new series producer Phil Collinson and new series script editor/writer Helen Raynor. I love both DVD commentaries! There’s also a ‘Celebrations’ documentary that focuses on the making of ‘The Five Doctors’ and the 20th anniversary celebrations with behind-the-scenes cast and crew interviews. There’s an isolated music option by Peter Howell and an info-text commentary option on the original 1983 version of the story to enjoy. There are also trailers and continuity announcements; a photo gallery of the story and a ‘Radio Times Listings’ PDF of the story.
On Disc 2, there’s a commentary on the Special Edition version of the story by Peter Davison and writer Terrance Dicks. There’s an isolated music option by Peter Howell and an info-text commentary option for the Special Edition version of the story to enjoy. There’s also ‘The Ties That Bind Us’ documentary that focuses on the continuity elements featured in ‘The Five Doctors’ story. There’s ‘Five Doctors, One Studio’ that features behind-the-scenes footage; ‘(Not So) Special Effects’ that focuses on the special effects; out-takes and a selection of publicity items from ‘Blue Peter’, ‘Nationwide’, ‘Saturday Superstore’ and ‘Breakfast Time’. There’s also an Easter Egg to be found on this disc as well as a ‘coming soon’ trailer for ‘The Invasion of Time’ with Tom Baker.
‘The Five Doctors’ is a tremendous anniversary special to celebrate 20 years of ‘Doctor Who’. The story has a legacy of its own and has continued to provide a line of anniversary specials such as ‘The Light At The End’, ‘The Day of the Doctor’ and ‘The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot’ spoof by Peter Davison.
For me, ‘The Five Doctors’ is a great way to introduce new ‘Doctor Who’ fans to the classic series. I highly recommend this classic TV adventure to anyone who is new to the classic series or to ‘Doctor Who’ altogether. You won’t be disappointed, as it’s a love letter to the show’s past and to its future.
By the end of ‘The Five Doctors’, Chancellor Flavia offers the Fifth Doctor to have the chair of the President of the Time Lords on Gallifrey. The Doctor however runs away with Tegan and Turlough and they have more adventures in a ‘raggedy old TARDIS’. After all, that’s how it all started, isn’t it?!
‘The Five Doctors’ rating – 9/10
‘DOCTOR WHO – THE FIVE DOCTORS’
Please feel free to comment on my review.
Revisiting the Death Zone with Five(ish) Doctors and Companions
I purchased ‘The Five Doctors’ audiobook in Bath in November 2017!
I enjoyed reading/listening to ‘The Five Doctors’ novelization/audiobook by Terrance Dicks very much. I have wanted to read this novelization since ‘The Five Doctors’ in one of my stories from the classic series to celebrate 20 years of the show. This was a rewarding and very intriguing experience.
The audiobook for this novelization was released in November 2017. I purchased it a day after attending the ‘MCM Birmingham Comic Con’ where I saw Peter Davison, Janet Fielding and Sarah Sutton. It was at Waterstones in Bath where I purchased the audiobook. I was looking forward to it.
I later purchased the novelization from Amazon and received the 1990s paperback edition in the post. I was disappointed that I didn’t get the original 1983 paperback edition of ‘The Five Doctors’ novelization. But so long as the audiobook followed what was in the novelization already, it was fine.
I think its common knowledge that ‘The Five Doctors’ novelization was released in 1983 before the actual transmission of the TV story. I’m not sure how fans coped resisting the temptation of reading ‘The Five Doctors’ novelization before the TV story, but it must have been a great struggle for them.
I like how Terrance Dicks has novelized ‘The Five Doctors’ for the Target range of ‘Doctor Who’ books. Instead of matching the novelization to the TV story that was transmitted in 1983, he adds in all the extra scenes included in the Special Edition version, as well as a new scene and new dialogue.
The book is divided into 12 chapters, although ironically the divisions don’t match the cliff-hangers for the four-part version of the story when it was repeated again on TV. Thankfully ‘The Five Doctors’ was never a four-part adventure anyway. The audiobook has the story spread out on a 4-disc CD set.
The audiobook is read by Jon Culshaw. I am disappointed that none of the original actors from ‘The Five Doctors’ TV story were chosen to be the narrator for this audiobook. It would have been nice if Peter Davison read this audiobook instead. But I don’t mind Jon Culshaw, as he’s very good narrator.
This wasn’t the first time I’ve heard Jon Culshaw read a ‘Doctor Who’ audiobook. The first time I heard him was when he read the novelization for ‘The Pirate Planet’ by James Goss, which I enjoyed. I’ve also met Jon Culshaw in real life at ‘The Capitol II’ convention at the Arora Hotel, Gatwick, May 2017.
Jon Culshaw is a very good voice impersonator. So in a sense, he was ideal to be the narrator of ‘The Five Doctors’ audiobook. In this audiobook, Jon provides the voices for the Doctors as well as the companions and the other supporting cast. Some aren’t exact recreations, but they’re close enough.
I like how Jon Culshaw provides the voices for Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker Doctors, since they sound exactly like the actors playing them. I don’t think Jon provides exact recreations for the Second Doctor, the Brigadier and other companions, but he manages to get the tones for these characters.
My favourite is the voice Jon Culshaw provides for the First Doctor. Instead of creating Richard Hurndall’s performance in the audiobook, he recreates William Hartnell. That for me makes the First Doctor authentic and I could easily hear William Hartnell’s voice in the story when Jon provided that.
Jon Culshaw is also joined by Nicholas Briggs who does the voices for the Dalek and the Cybermen in this audiobook. As ever, Nick provides a great voice for the Dalek that chases the First Doctor and Susan in the corridor. It’s a shame there are only a few scenes with that Dalek, but what can you do?
The Cybermen however are a different story. I was disappointed with how the Cybermen made their appearance in the audiobook. Instead of the new series Cybermen voices I love, they had Nick Briggs do the ‘Earthshock’ Cybermen instead. And I know it’s supposed to match the dialogue in the book.
But this is the issue I have. In the ‘Earthshock’ novelization/audiobook by Ian Marter, the Cybermen sounded like new series Cybermen. Couldn’t they have matched what was in the ‘Earthshock’ audiobook for this one? It makes the continuity in the ‘Doctor Who’ novelizations very inconsistent.
In terms of what’s different in the novelization compared to the TV story, there aren’t a lot of changes to the plot. Bear in mind, Terrance Dicks novelized this story before it was transmitted on TV. So he more or less had to match what was already in the TV script as he didn’t see the story first.
But there is a brand-new scene featured in the novelization that wasn’t shown in the TV story. This is the scene where Susan gets abducted by the time-scoop. I wish we could have seen that scene, as I like how Susan gets captured and that this is set years after her time in ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’.
I also like how the novelization highlights that the First Doctor is on his way towards the end of his first regeneration. It makes sense to highlight this, considering that all the Doctors would be at their end of their regeneration points for this story. This also fits in to my timeline for the First Doctor. 😀
In the novelization, there are points when Susan addresses her grandfather as ‘Doctor’ in the story. This is especially when they’re being chased by a Dalek and Susan calls him ‘Doctor’. The Dalek is supposed to realise that ‘it is the Doctor’ when Susan calls him that in the original script of the story.
But during the shooting of ‘The Five Doctors’, Carole Ann Ford refused to call her grandfather ‘Doctor’ since that’s not what she called him in her era of the show. Surprising that Terrance Dicks never took note of this when novelizing the story and kept that scene where she called him ‘Doctor’.
A significant aspect to the novelization is the Fourth Doctor and Romana punting on the Cam scene in Cambridge. This is actually derived from the abandoned TV story ‘Shada’. So this is the first time where Terrance Dicks actually novelized a scene from a ‘Doctor Who’ adventure by Douglas Adams.
Now I know that Terrance Dicks’ novelization of that scene doesn’t match to the one featured in the Gareth Roberts’ novelization of ‘Shada’ in 2012. I’m surprised Gareth Roberts didn’t follow it in Terrance Dicks’ novelization. But the fact it’s there in ‘The Five Doctors’ novelization is very intriguing.
I like how the Fourth Doctor and Romana are restored back to their proper place and time after the crisis with Rassilon has finished. Instead of having the scene of the Doctor and Romana restored featured in the original 1983 version of the TV story, it matches more to the Special Edition version.
The Doctor and Romana are put back on their punt on the Cam from where they were last picked up. The Doctor is even given a line of dialogue after he and Romana are put back which wasn’t in the Special Edition version. It works better compared to the extra scene in the 1993 version of the story.
There’s one disappointment I have about this novelization. The “No! Not the mind probe!” scene with the Castellan is not the same as the TV story. The Castellan doesn’t even say the line as Paul Jerricho says it. He just says “No!” in the novelization. What the heck?!!! Is this some kind of joke?!!!
The most memorable scene in the TV story where the Castellan is terrified about having the mind probe used on him! And it’s all reduced him just saying “No!” (Pause) FAILED!!!!!! (Pause) Novelization! You FAILED!!!!!! (feeling absolutely gobsmacked) HOW DO YOU SCREW THIS UP?!!!!!!!!!! 😀
I do like how Rassilon is voiced at the end of the story in the audiobook. Jon Culshaw’s voice for Rassilon is given a treatment similar to the Special Edition version. This is scarier and deeper compared to the original 1983 TV version. It makes him sound less like Jon’s voice in the audiobook.
I like the novelization has Sarah Jane being upset about the Fourth Doctor’s absence in the story. This is when she has a conversation with Tegan about the Fourth Doctor in the Tomb of Rassilon. The original dialogue was in the TV script but it is sadly not featured in any versions of the TV adventure.
The climax of the story did feel rushed with everyone saying goodbye to each other. Even the Third Doctor’s comeback to the Second Doctor insult where he calls him ‘scarecrow’ is removed in the novelization. There isn’t any dialogue with the Doctors talking about their dress sense and manners.
But at least the story ends with the Doctor escaping in the TARDIS with Tegan and Turlough and giving Chancellor Flavia the ‘Deputy President’ powers until he returns. And also it wouldn’t be ‘The Five Doctors’ novelization without the Fifth Doctor saying, “Why not? After all, that’s how it all started!”
‘Doctor Who – The Five Doctors’ has been enjoyable read/listen for me. I’m glad I read/listened to this novelization/audiobook and Jon Culshaw does a terrific narration of the story. I’m disappointed with the Cybermen voices and a few other things, but this was a very good purchase for me as a fan.
By the way, a Dalek and a Cyberman have been watching me read and listen to this novelization/audiobook of ‘The Five Doctors’. I hope I won’t get exterminated or deleted by them. 😀
‘Doctor Who – The Five Doctors’ rating – 8/10
‘THE FIVE DOCTORS’ ALTERNATIVE SCENE
Originally posted on May 10 2021.
TEGAN: Doctor, you’ve changed the TARDIS console!
DOCTOR: Yes Tegan, I have. Looks rather splendid, doesn’t it?
NYSSA: Doctor, we seem to be heading for Gallifrey.
ADRIC: And there are four other TARDISes nearby.
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The previous story For the First Doctor was For Susan was
For the Second Doctor was
For the Brigadier was For the Third Doctor was
For Sarah Jane was
For K-9 Mk III was
For the Fourth Doctor was For Romana was For the Fifth Doctor was
For Tegan was
For Turlough was
For the Daleks was |
The next story For the First Doctor is
For Susan is
For the Second Doctor is For the Brigadier is
For the Third Doctor is
For Sarah Jane is
For K-9 Mk III is
For the Fourth Doctor is For Romana is For the Fifth Doctor is For Tegan is
For Turlough is
For the Daleks is |
| Return to The First Doctor’s Timeline | |
| Return to Susan’s Timeline | |
| Return to The Second Doctor’s Timeline | |
| Return to The Brigadier’s Timeline | |
| Return to The Third Doctor’s Timeline | |
| Return to Sarah Jane’s Timeline | |
| Return to The Timelines of K-9 | |
| Return to The Fourth Doctor’s Timeline | |
| Return to Romana’s Timeline | |
| Return to The Fifth Doctor’s Timeline | |
| Return to Tegan’s Timeline | |
| Return to Turlough’s Timeline | |
| Return to The Daleks’ Timeline | |
| Return to The Doctors’ Timelines Index | |
| Return to The Companions’ Timelines Index | |
| Return to The Monsters’ Timelines Index | |
| Return to Doctor Who Timelines | |
| Return to Doctor Who | |
| Return to Sci-Fi |
Bradley's Basement 
Awesome review Tim, i really like the photos of you with various actors mate & you have given a wonderful detailed review on this story my friend & the bonus features on this release are great.
I remember watching this as part of Children In Need night wayyyy back in 1983 with a can of cola, some crisps & chocolates yummy, i was gutted Tom Baker didn’t take part as his Doctor would’ve been the icing on the cake for me.
My only gripe is I’d have liked a interaction scene between the third doctor & cybermen because he never encountered them in a story before.
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I could understand, from Tom Baker’s interview once, why he chose not to be part of The Five Doctors (except for the Shada material). He had just recently relinquished the role he played for seven years and needed to move onto new things. Consequently it made his final return in The Day Of The Doctor all the more rewarding.
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Hi scifimike,
Yes, it’s understandable why Tom Baker chose not to appear in ‘The Five Doctors’, having not long left the TV show. I’m glad he’s represented in this story by the ‘Shada’ footage and it was nice to see him make a return as the Curator in ‘The Day of the Doctor’. I’d like to think that won’t be last we’ll see Tom Baker in TV ‘Doctor Who’ (Don’t know who else is going to appear in the 60th anniversary specials by this stage), but I’m pleased he’s still doing the Big Finish audios.
Many thanks for your comments.
Tim 🙂
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Hi Simon.
Glad you enjoyed my review on ‘The Five Doctors’. This is definitely one of my favourites from the Peter Davison era and a great celebratory adventure on 20 years of ‘Doctor Who’. Glad you like the photos of me meeting Peter Davison, Mark Strickson and Paul Jerricho. I’m pleased I got to meet them and have my DVD cover signed by them.
Thank you for sharing your memories of watching this story on Children in Need night back in 1983. That must have been really exciting for you to watch the story on its original transmission back then and enjoying it with coke, crisps and chocolates at the same time. That’s what I did when I watched ‘The Day of the Doctor’, ‘The After Party’ and ‘The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot’ back in 2013! 😀
Yes it is a shame Tom Baker didn’t appear in this story properly, apart from some footage from ‘Shada’ to fill in his absence. Yes it would have been nice to have had the Third Doctor encounter the Cybermen face-to-face, since he didn’t do that in his era of the TV series. I wonder whether Big Finish will get to do a Third Doctor story with Cybermen in it.
Many thanks, Simon. Glad you enjoyed this review on ‘The Five Doctors’ by me!
Tim. 🙂
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Awesome review Tim, loved reading your thoughts on the Target audiobook, i started reviewing this but if you check my G+ page i made a sad announcement which has lead me to go on temporary hiatus.
Jon Culshaw narrates well & voices the characters brilliantly, i agree with you on the Cybermen voices, it’s baffling why the production voiced them this was & not in tone with the transmitted story.
I also agree with Susan, she wouldn’t call him Doctor as she has always called him Grandfather, yes Grandfather meaning the Doctor is male lol.
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Thanks Simon.
Glad you enjoyed my review on ‘The Five Doctors’ novelization/audiobook. I’ve read your G+ page. Sorry to hear about your aunt. My prayers and thoughts go to you and your family. I can only hope that things will improve for you and your family.
I’m glad you enjoyed Jon Culshaw’s narration of this story. Shame he didn’t do enough of Tom Baker in this one. Glad you agree with me on my thoughts on the Cybermen voices of this audio. I wish it tied in with the Cybermen voices in the ‘Earthshock’ novelization/audiobook as I felt disappointed by the ones in ‘The Five Doctors’ novelization/audiobook.
Glad you agree about Susan calling the Doctor her ‘grandfather’ instead of ‘Doctor’ and…oh I see where you’re going with that. 😀
Thanks for your thoughts, Simon.
Tim. 🙂
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Great review Tim.
I had fun revisiting ‘The Five Doctors’. It’s become one of my favourite Fifth Doctor stories. This was my introduction to the Fifth Doctor, Tegan, Turlough, the first three Doctors, Susan and Romana. I had already seen the Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane and the Brigadier in ‘Robot’. I pleased to have seen more of these characters since. The version I just watched was the 1983 tv version. My upcoming review will be based on that. I will be doing separate reviews (on the same page as the original) of the 1995 special edition, and the Target novelisation/audiobook.
Regarding Tom Baker refusing to take part, that technically isn’t true. According to this webpage: http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/serials/6k.html, Tom Baker initially agreed to appear, although that would depend on the script. When he saw Terrance Dicks’ first draft, he changed his mind. This lead to Terrance having to rewrite the script. So Tom didn’t give John Nathan-Turner the two-finger salute, contrary to Timelord007’s belief.
It was good to see major Doctor Who antagonists in the story including a Dalek (albeit one), Cybermen, Yeti, and of course, the Master. Have the Raston Warrior Robots, assuming there is more than one, appeared in anything else. I was shocked to see a Cyberman vomiting. I believe JNT implemented that when Peter Moffatt wasn’t looking. 😀
I hope the Season 20 Collection set isn’t far away. I honestly wouldn’t mind if it was released in late 2022. ‘The Three Doctors’ was broadcast in late 1972/early 1973, 10 months before the 10th anniversary.
P.s. Time Travel TV are to be releasing a new ‘Doctors’ DVD in June. https://timetraveltv.com/programme/553
It contains Peter Grimwade’s ‘Myth Makers’ so I’ll be able to share my thoughts on it once I’ve seen it.
Take care, WF92.
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Hi WF92,
Glad you enjoyed my review on ‘The Five Doctors’. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the story. I prefer the Special Edition version of the story compared to the original 1983 one, but then the Special Edition version was the first one I saw and I like it when stories have more scenes in them.
Regarding Tom Baker, yes I knew he initially agreed to be in it but changed his mind later on, so it’s sort-of true he refused to take part in the story. I agree about Tom not necessarily giving the two-fingered salute to JNT.
I don’t believe the Raston Warrior Robots have appeared in many other ‘Doctor Who’ stories. The Raston Warrior Robot did appear in ‘The Eight Doctors’ book, but that was a continuation from ‘The Five Doctors’. I also think a Raston Warrior Robot appeared briefly in an episode of ‘Time in Office’, though I’ve yet to listen to that one.
I hope the Season 20 Blu-ray box set of ‘Doctor Who’ will be released soon in time for the show’s 60th anniversary. I’ve pre-ordered my copy of ‘The Doctors – The Peter Davison Years – Behind the Scenes’ DVD already.
Many thanks for your comments.
Tim 🙂
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We know from the BabelColour trailer that the Raston Robot will somehow feature in The Timeless Doctors. It was an interesting creation back in 1983 and seeing it totally wipe out a Cyber army was great, as payback for Adric.
It would have been nice to see Leela return and I remember Louise saying how upset she was to not be asked back for it. So much so that she said (as I remember) that she would only agree to return to the show if they made her the Doctor. That would have been interesting.
Most interesting for Richard Hurndall to be the first actor (before Geoffrey Bayldon for Unbound, David Bradley and Stephen Noonan) to be recreate the 1st Doctor as opposed to the tradition of totally reshaping the role with quite different actors. Susan’s return was nice although I’m happy for Carole that she can finally give Susan her best fruition in Susan’s War for Big Finish.
Thank you, Tim, for your review.
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Hi scifimike,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on ‘The Five Doctors’. Glad you enjoyed my review. I enjoyed the Raston Warrior Robot in ‘The Five Doctors’. I’m surprised there haven’t been more of them in more ‘Doctor Who’ stories since then. The only other time I’ve come across the Raston Warrior Robot in another ‘Doctor Who’ story is ‘The Eight Doctors’ book by Terrance Dicks.
Louise Jameson as the Doctor. That would’ve been interesting. Not sure how that would have worked, but it would be interesting all the same. I would have liked to have seen more companions return to ‘Doctor Who’ in ‘The Five Doctors’, including Leela and Nyssa. 😀 Don’t worry, Leela. You’re in ‘The Thirteen+ Doctors’ by me, coming soon to my blog.
I enjoyed Richard Hurndall as the First Doctor in ‘The Five Doctors’. He’s not William Hartnell and he’s certainly not like how David Bradley plays the character, but I enjoyed his take on the role nonetheless. I’m glad Carole Ann Ford as Susan got a follow-up in being reunited with her grandfather in the Big Finish audios with Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor in ‘An Earthly Child’ compared to her reunion with the First Doctor in ‘The Five Doctors’, which I still enjoyed even if their reunion wasn’t the focus.
Many thanks for your comments.
Tim 🙂
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Seeing Anthony Ainley’s Master with the Cybermen for the 20th Anniversary year was most interesting, in reflection of Roger Delgado’s Master appearing with the Daleks in a story for the 10th Anniversary year in Frontier In Space.
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Hi scifimike,
Interesting comparison you’ve made of the Anthony Ainley Master teaming up with the Cybermen for the show’s 20th anniversary in ‘The Five Doctors’ with the Roger Delgado Master teaming up with the Daleks for the show’s 10th anniversary in ‘Frontier In Space’. That’s a comparison I wouldn’t have made quite so readily, but I like it. 😀 I know the Master teamed up with the Cybermen again in ‘Birth of a Renegade’, which is a short story in the ‘Doctor Who’ Radio Times 20th Anniversary Special magazine in 1983.
Many thanks,
Tim 🙂
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I remember Birth Of A Renegade from the Dr. Who 20th Anniversary magazine. Very good story for Susan. Thanks for mentioning it.
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Hi scifimike,
No worries. I should do a review on ‘A Birth of a Renegade’ someday. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to when it comes to updating my review on ‘The Five Doctors’ based on a potential Season 20 Blu-ray box set.
Tim 🙂
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In one of those fascinating cosmic coincidences, Terrance Dicks’s final choice of Doctor and companion may have been forced by circumstance, but it also interestingly echoes his time with ‘Doctor Who’. Significant events and then-recent events, to boot.
Let’s start off with the more obvious. Dicks’s unbroken tenure with the Third Doctor. The incarnation most familiar to him is paired off with Sarah Jane Smith. A bit unusual when the instinct would probably have been Jo Grant. However, the Third Doctor and Sarah do mark a significant turning point for Dicks. His departure from the role of script editor. “Planet of the Spiders” would have been his last before moving on from the programme.
Similarly, the ghosts in the Dark Tower are reflections of that tenure. Doctor Liz Shaw was one of the first characters to appear in “Spearhead from Space” and Mike Yates was one of the last in “Planet of the Spiders” again. It’s interesting to note that the thing which perhaps tipped off the Doctor things were awry was Mike’s uniform. If they were taken from the same time-zone he’s been discharged from UNIT some months ago.
Next, is the Second Doctor and the Brigadier. Both abducted from UNIT HQ and pitted against the Yeti. Putting aside the similarities to “The Three Doctors”, Terrance Dicks first joined the programme during production of “The Web of Fear”. The fur coat looks to have been modelled on the one worn in the story immediately prior to that, “The Abominable Snowmen”. Dicks, however, didn’t assume the role of script editor until “The Invasion”, casting a different light on the Doctor and the Brigadier’s first encounter in the Death Zone. Who else, but a Cyberman?
The other incarnations are a little trickier, but not impossible. The First Doctor and Susan feel like a natural addition to the Game of Rassilon, but they are also from another landmark for Dicks. His Target novelisations. The first novelisation he ever did of the First Doctor was “The Dalek Invasion of Earth”. Featuring both characters. The First Doctor’s guile and cunning, used against the Daleks, the Tower and even Rassilon himself, is also reminiscent of that earlier story. In fact, Susan’s spraining her ankle was explicitly Terrance’s homage to Terry Nation. One of the many tropes of the Dalek creator.
The Fourth Doctor and Romana come from a segment written by Douglas Adams. Not much crossover with the programme at that point. Not outside of a plethora of novelisations which consisted largely of Fourth Doctor tales. Nevertheless, the last adaptation to feature this incarnation before the broadcast of “The Five Doctors” was “Meglos. A story featuring both Time Lords trapped in a chronic hysterisis. Not unlike the trouble they encounter for themselves in the anniversary special.
And the Fifth Doctor? Well, he’s restricted by being current in the programme, but one of the closest novelisations to the special’s release written by Dicks was “Arc of Infinity”. Reflected in his transportation to Gallifrey and interference in Time Lord politicking.
In short, rather marvellously, “The Five Doctors” isn’t only an homage to twenty years of ‘Doctor Who’ but, in its own way, also fifteen years of Terrance Dicks. Tremendous.
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Hi Wolfie,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on ‘The Five Doctors’ and how you’ve identified Terrance Dicks’ choices in terms of the selection of Doctors and companions he had to work with when writing the script. In many instances, that’s how I felt when writing certain Doctors and companions in the upcoming ‘Thirteen+ Doctors’ story by me from having written certain-Doctor companion teams in the past for my blog.
With the First Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara, it was from writing them in the ‘Zorbius’ story ‘The Zondor Robbers’. With the Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe, it was from writing them in the ‘Zorbius’ story ‘The Deepening Rain’ and the Short Trip called ‘Brain and Heart’. With the Third Doctor and Jo, it was from writing them in the ‘Zorbius’ story ‘The Matter of Reality’. With the Fourth Doctor and Private James, it was from writing them in their Short Trips trilogy (including ‘The Dimension Serpents’, ‘Lady and the Soldier’ and ‘The Two Sarah Janes’). With the Fifth Doctor, Nyssa and Billy, well, my ‘Fifth Doctor’ series speaks galore. 😆
With the Sixth Doctor and Peri, it was from writing them in the ‘Zorbius’ story ‘The End Dilemma’. With the Seventh Doctor and Ace, it was from writing them in the Zorbius story ‘The Game of Delta’ and the Short Trip called ‘The Space Car’. With the Eighth Doctor and Jen, well, it was from creating a series of stories I did with my best school mate Stephen and I introduced them on ‘BB’ through the ‘Zorbius’ story ‘The Infinity Planet’. With the Ninth Doctor and Rose, it was from writing them in the ‘Zorbius’ story ‘The Child of Death’. With the Tenth Doctor and Donna, it was from writing them in the ‘Zorbius’ story ‘The Forest of Magicians’ and Short Trips including ‘The Vexo Knights Experience’ and ‘The Popiz’ (one of the Divergent Wordsmiths stories).
With the Eleventh Doctor, Amy and Rory, well, I’d written for Amy and Rory in ‘The Prime Factor’ whilst writing for the Eleventh Doctor in that and the ‘Zorbius’ story ‘The Horror of Time’ (‘The Thirteen+ Doctors’ must be the first time I’ve written for Eleven, Amy and Rory properly as a TARDIS team). With the Twlefth Doctor and Bill, it was from writing them in the ‘Zorbius’ story ‘The Saviour of the Daleks’. And with the The Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz and Dan, well, I’d written Thirteen and Yaz in the Short Trip called ‘Hank Prank’ and the ‘Zorbius’ story ‘The Two Salvadors’, but ‘Thirteen+ Doctors’ is the first time I’ve written for Dan actually.
A writer often feels comfortable with what he, she or they knows, and in many respects, I appreciate the Doctor-companion teams Terrance Dicks was familar with by this point when writing ‘The Five Doctors’, and this is especially the case when he’s more familar with the Third Doctor era compared to other eras. With that said, I think Terrance Dicks did remarkably well with embracing mostly everything that had gone on in ‘Doctor Who’ in the past 20 years in ‘The Five Doctors’. Thanks to Terrance’s writing over the years, ‘The Five Doctors’ is the source of inspiration for me on how to do an anniversary special, as I’ve done with ‘The Thirteen+ Doctors’ coming soon to my blog. Not sure if that’s going to be reflected in the upcoming three 60th anniversary specials by Russell T. Davies for TV, but it should be interesting to find out.
Many thanks,
Tim 🙂
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