The Dalek Masterplan - existing episodes reviewed

 

With two further episodes of this story having been recently found and now available to watch on BBC iPlayer, we can get a broader impression of `The Dalek Masterplan` though there is still more than half of it missing. The lengthy gap since any other missing episodes were found raises hopes that it may still not be too late for more from this story to be found. Given the speed with which characters and locales change there’s still a fair amount of significant material we’ve not seem. Nevertheless we now have the first three episode plus part five giving us a large portion of the first half. Let’s be optimistic that some more of the second half might be found to join the only later episode available. Anyway, this does seem an opportune moment to review the episodes we do have, in sequence.

Season Two@60 The Crusade

 

The early years of Doctor Who did seem to like wholly historical stories which in theory were easier to produce than sci-fi ones. While there would be no issue with the Tardis landing amongst ordinary or fictional people, constant encounters with well-known historical figures creates limitations on the storylines. The BBC’s educational remit could be tested by depictions of the likes of Marco Polo or Nero interacting with the Doctor while not all stories are as strict about the effect the travellers have on history as `The Aztecs` is. Its probably why the wholly historical adventures were replaced by pseudo historical ones mixing supposedly real history with some alien antagonist. Though generally intelligently written and made `The Crusade` harbours these issues. All the way through you do get a sense that the production would be more interesting without the Doctor and his companions in it at all. It sits at the point where adherence to facts crashes into the need for some drama.

 

Good Times! #4 The Anniversary Party 1983 & Interface 3 1984

The Doctor Who Anniversary Party (review published in `Shada` 1984) 

Who would have thought that when Doctor Who began all those years ago in grainy monochrome as a children's show that, some twenty years later it would have provided the impetus for an event like the Anniversary Party, held at the Grand Hotel Birmingham on September 3/4 1983. It's one of the greatest achievements of television that it has brought together as many people from different areas of the country who might not have otherwise crossed paths and if I'm getting unusually philosophical its probably because I'm still recovering from the sheer gut wrenching horror of the Demon Driver, Steve Mercer, speeding out of Brum at the weekend's conclusion as if we were being chased by a dozen homing missiles; hapless onlookers diving for cover. Not that I exaggerate, though if I told the truth about some of the things which went on that weekend, you wouldn't believe a word. So here goes with the (relatively) censored version.