| THE FIVE DOCTORS by Terrance Dicks |
| Story 129 Synopsis: The Doctor, Tegan and Turlough are enjoying some downtime at the Eye of Orion. But someone on Gallifrey is abusing great powers to send previous incarnations of the Doctor into the Death Zone. In the TARDIS, the Doctor finds himself in trouble, and sends out a distress signal to his previous selves. His first incarnation finds him, and the fifth manages to get into the Capitol by double-crossing the Master. Whilst the Cybermen try to blow up the TARDIS, the first, second and third incarnations enter the Black Tower, Rassilon's last repose. The fifth learns that the evil mastermind is Borusa, who wants to be President forever. The Cybermen get killed, the Master gets caught and released, the 4 incarnations of the Doctor unite to oppose Borusa, except that when Rassilon turns up, the first sells Borusa out. Borusa gets his immortality, though not as he would have wished. The incarnations get to go home. The Doctor is made Lord President, given Borusa's now permanant abdication. He makes Flavia his Vice President, and he skedaddles. |
| Disclaimer: I've seen the video, and read the book. |
| Review: Well, if ever there was one story that was more celebratory than any other, then this was it. I recently watched this on video for the first time in far too long, and I loved it. The plot, the locations, the acting, all are charming, and if there was proof needed that JNT pandered to fans, then this might well be enough. But that's no bad thing. So Tom Baker's not in it, so what? William Hartnell's not in it either. Doesn't become less good, you know. In fact, as I watched, I got the feeling that this is the closest that DW has to The Rocky Horror Picture Show experience. In fact, a musical without songs is a good way to sum it up. Most fans know the script backwards, and whole gangs could chant along with the dialogue at midnight screenings. This may already go on, but it's outside my field of experience. Rarely on television can slate quarries seem exciting, but they do here. The Raston Warrior Robot is a special one-off creation, akin to Kamelion, insofar as it's pointless as anything other than a plot contrivance, but it is so entertaining. The various ways into the Tower are a smug trick, but exciting all the same. The ghosts sequences are a little tedious, and do look unnecessary, but you can't have everything. The Doctors are all great, the Master is fun, the Cybermen get slaughtered twice, there's even a lone Dalek. There's even a harp, which has importance to the plot, so there! Borusa's play figures are enough to make any young fan sick with jealousy. Wales looks beautiful... Overall, I think it's great. |