Doctor Who's Tragical History TourDoctor Who's Tragical History Tour
  • Nu-Who
    • Ncuti Gatwa
    • Jodie Whittaker
    • Peter Capaldi
    • Matt Smith
    • David Tennant
    • Christopher Eccleston
  • Tweeners
    • John Hurt
    • Paul McGann
    • The Master List
    • Regeneration X
    • The Mystery Guest
    • The Hand of Fear
  • Colo(u)r
    • Sylvester McCoy
    • Colin Baker
    • Peter Davison
    • Tom Baker
    • Jon Pertwee
  • Monochrome
    • Patrick Troughton
    • William Hartnell
  • Tour du Jour
    • On This Day
    • The House of Holmes
    • 50 for 50
    • The Randomizer
    • THT Rand-o-pix of the Day
    • The Feast of Steven
    • Tour Notz
    • The Watcher
    • Contact the Tour
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Doctor Who's Tragical History Tour
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  • Nu-Who
    1. Ncuti Gatwa
    2. Jodie Whittaker
    3. Peter Capaldi
    4. Matt Smith
    5. David Tennant
    6. Christopher Eccleston
    7. View All

    Who Told You There Wouldn’t Be Any Math?

    December 5, 2022

    The Next-iest of Doctors

    May 29, 2022

    Svelte 16

    May 8, 2022

    Who Told You There Wouldn’t Be Any Math?

    December 5, 2022

    B-Bye Bradley

    October 6, 2022

    Svelte 16

    May 8, 2022

    Now You Sea Devil, No You Don’t

    April 24, 2022

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (48→43)

    September 28, 2023

    E-Spaced

    August 4, 2023

    Svelte 16

    May 8, 2022

    The Dark Jacket Dimension

    November 13, 2021

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (48→43)

    September 28, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (54→49)

    September 20, 2023

    E-Spaced

    August 4, 2023

    Who Told You There Wouldn’t Be Any Math?

    December 5, 2022

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (54→49)

    September 20, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (60→55)

    September 15, 2023

    Who Told You There Wouldn’t Be Any Math?

    December 5, 2022

    The Next-iest of Doctors

    May 29, 2022

    The Dark Jacket Dimension

    November 13, 2021

    The (W)hole Ruth

    January 31, 2020

    Ten Days Till the Tenthiversary of the Tenting of the Tenth

    December 22, 2019

    The Last ‘Last Christmas’ Specials Rankings #3

    December 24, 2018

    Stotz v. Stotz: A Love Story

    October 1, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (48→43)

    September 28, 2023

    Toyz in the Good

    September 24, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (54→49)

    September 20, 2023
  • Tweeners
    1. John Hurt
    2. Paul McGann
    3. The Master List
    4. Regeneration X
    5. The Mystery Guest
    6. The Hand of Fear
    7. View All

    Hurt So Good: A Doctor and His Umbrella

    April 27, 2023

    Who Told You There Wouldn’t Be Any Math?

    December 5, 2022

    Svelte 16

    May 8, 2022

    Ten’ll Get You Five

    September 4, 2020

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (60→55)

    September 15, 2023

    McGann Before McGann

    May 26, 2023

    … And All That Yaz

    November 16, 2022

    Fivey at Forty: The First Companion Death of 1982

    March 16, 2022

    Stotz v. Stotz: A Love Story

    October 1, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (48→43)

    September 28, 2023

    Toyz in the Good

    September 24, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (54→49)

    September 20, 2023

    Ghost Re-Write

    November 16, 2021

    The (W)hole Ruth

    January 31, 2020

    Dup-topia

    January 29, 2020

    The Glue Guy

    June 24, 2018

    Doctor on Doctor ACTION!

    November 19, 2017

    The Wheel in Cheese

    August 10, 2014

    The Hurt Locker

    May 25, 2013

    Stotz v. Stotz: A Love Story

    October 1, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (48→43)

    September 28, 2023

    Toyz in the Good

    September 24, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (54→49)

    September 20, 2023

    Stotz v. Stotz: A Love Story

    October 1, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (48→43)

    September 28, 2023

    Toyz in the Good

    September 24, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (54→49)

    September 20, 2023
  • Colo(u)r
    1. Sylvester McCoy
    2. Colin Baker
    3. Peter Davison
    4. Tom Baker
    5. Jon Pertwee
    6. View All

    A Studio Film (or rather a film in the studio)

    June 9, 2023

    … And All That Yaz

    November 16, 2022

    Fivey at Forty: The First Companion Death of 1982

    March 16, 2022

    Roomba With a Prenumbra

    March 1, 2022

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (48→43)

    September 28, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (60→55)

    September 15, 2023

    Hurt So Good: A Doctor and His Umbrella

    April 27, 2023

    … And All That Yaz

    November 16, 2022

    Stotz v. Stotz: A Love Story

    October 1, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (54→49)

    September 20, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (60→55)

    September 15, 2023

    The Inevitable Adric

    July 14, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (48→43)

    September 28, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (54→49)

    September 20, 2023

    Destiny of the Costume Closet

    September 1, 2023

    The Inevitable Adric

    July 14, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (48→43)

    September 28, 2023

    McGann Before McGann

    May 26, 2023

    The Warrior Before Time

    May 19, 2023

    Purple Shag Carpet

    May 11, 2023

    Stotz v. Stotz: A Love Story

    October 1, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (48→43)

    September 28, 2023

    Toyz in the Good

    September 24, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (54→49)

    September 20, 2023
  • Monochrome
    1. Patrick Troughton
    2. William Hartnell
    3. View All

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (60→55)

    September 15, 2023

    When Patrick (almost) Met Ian

    August 25, 2023

    When Patrick Met Verity

    August 11, 2023

    More For Letts

    July 25, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (48→43)

    September 28, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (54→49)

    September 20, 2023

    When Patrick Met Verity

    August 11, 2023

    The TARDIS whirled on it’s way again…

    December 23, 2022

    Stotz v. Stotz: A Love Story

    October 1, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (48→43)

    September 28, 2023

    Toyz in the Good

    September 24, 2023

    60 for 60 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — (54→49)

    September 20, 2023
  • Tour du Jour
    • On This Day
    • The House of Holmes
    • 50 for 50
    • The Randomizer
    • THT Rand-o-pix of the Day
    • The Feast of Steven
    • Tour Notz
    • The Watcher
    • Contact the Tour
Doctor Who's Tragical History TourDoctor Who's Tragical History Tour
50 for 50 Tom Baker

50 for 50 — The Greatest Stories in Doctor Who History — #32

By -- DSWApril 17, 201303 Mins Read
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Those of us who watched the original transmission of The Keeper of Traken may still retain a vivid memory of its initial impact during that wonderful, innocent time before trailers, spoilers, magazines and the internet told us far too much about what we should anticipate from each new serial before it aired. Those were the days when we would sit down on a Saturday teatime ready to be totally surprised and enthralled by the unexpected – a situation which helped create some of the magic of classic Doctor Who.

In this sumptuous multi-layered story, curiously pseudo-Shakespearian in style, a relatively unknown actor called Anthony Ainley portrayed the character of Tremas as a completely believable, thoughtful, gentle and likeable person who recognized the goodness in the Doctor and did what he could to help overcome a malevolent force that was slowly but surely eating into the peace and harmony of his world. People watching back in 1981 were given the treat of having absolutely no idea about what was to come – unlike anyone now viewing this serial retrospectively who is already familiar with Ainley and aware of the ingenious twist at the end.

Roger Delgado’s death 8 years previously was a great loss for Doctor Who and JNT’s classy re-introduction of the Master as a semi-regular adversary, now to be stylishly portrayed by Ainley with a deliberate echo of the Doctor’s archenemy from his original incarnation, was a piece of inspiration in terms of vision, timing and casting.

The Keeper of Traken is certainly memorable for the highly imaginative design of the intriguing calcified Melkur creature and the gradual unfolding of the evil secret that it holds within. Furthermore, the development of the main characters living within their cultured, hierarchical civilization, along with some well crafted incidental music and superbly detailed sets, skilfully created a striking backdrop to an idyllic, harmonious world under threat.

Without Romana and K9 in the Tardis, this is probably Adric’s finest hour prior to his heroic (and long overdue) demise in Earthshock. However, his time as a sole companion was to be very short lived since the character of Nyssa clearly showed promise, although not conceived as a regular when this story was written and filmed. Her future reappearance as a companion pulls another unforeseen legacy out of the Traken hat.

You had to be there at the time to fully appreciate the surprise and significance of this milestone story which both heralded the end of the Tom Baker era and brought back one of the Doctor’s most enduring foes. I was privileged to be there in 1981, and that is why Traken simply has to feature in my top 50.  — Alan

Andy’s #32 — Remembrance of the Daleks
David’s #32 — The Invasion
Steve’s #32 — The Parting of the Ways

Our inevitable countdown continues next week with #31.

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50 for 50 Tom Baker Roger Delgado Remembrance of the Daleks The Parting of the Ways The Invasion Earthshock The Keeper of Traken Anthony Ainley
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On This Day in Doctor Who History
  • October 2
    • 1976: The Hand of Fear [1]
    • 1965: Galaxy 4 [4--The Exploding Planet]
  • October 3
    • 2015: Under the Lake
  • October 4
    • 2014: Kill the Moon
    • 1975: Planet of Evil [2]
    • 1980: Meglos [2]
    • 1986: Mindwarp [1]
    • 1989: Ghost Light [1]
  • October 5
    • 1987: Paradise Towers [1]
    • 1968: The Mind Robber [4]
    • 1988: Remembrance of the Daleks [1]
  • October 6
    • 1979: City of Death [2]
  • October 7
    • 2018: The Woman Who Fell to Earth
    • 1978: The Pirate Planet [2]
    • 1967: The Abominable Snowmen [2]
  • October 8
    • 1977: The Invisible Enemy [2]

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