Sixty for Sixty presses on with another half-dozen …
#54 — A Good Man Goes to War — Reverse recency bias at work here. Rated much higher in 2013 when Series 6 was much more resonant, this mid-series climax seems so much less important now than it did then. It doesn’t help that the ambition attempted in Series 6 ultimately withered away, so all the maneuvering and set-up which led to it are more of a shrug now. Still it was memorable, right?
#53 — The Android Invasion — The last UNIT story in the Pertwee sense of the word occurred during Bakers second season. The odd English village as story trope is well handled here. Eventually, the plot holes simply can’t be ignored. But it was fun, and Sarah Jane’s face fell off at the end of episode 2. I mean, come on!
#52 — The Ark — The Tour loves stories which play with conventional story structure, and The Ark is an early case in point for why Doctor Who was the most flexibly formatted show in TV history. Really it is 2-two-part stories strung together separated by time, but not place. As with many Hartnells, the pacing can be a problem for modern viewers, but the scope of ideas is what holds sway.
#51 — The Androids of Tara — The Fourth Segment to the Key to Time is found almost immediately, so the story is really all about court intrigue and ultimately how to get away. But who would want to? There’s a lightness to the proceedings which carries the viewer along, a hallmark of David Fishers scripts and one of the best examples for taking the horror out of Doctor Who (as dictated) whilst keeping the fun in.
#50 — Enlightenment — Again a story which highlights big ideas. Sailing ships in space powered by bored demi-gods. Executed to perfection. Easily the highlight of Season 20.
#49 — School Reunion — Amongst all of the charms of this story, perhaps the most important thing this story does is that it cements in the mind of the viewer that nu-Who and the classic series were all part of the same show, not something with the same name but the same continuous line. Then there is the Sarah Jane of it all. Elisabeth Sladen was simply luminous. The smart thing about the story though, is how the Doctor is made fun of at various points. Sentiment and smiles all around.
Another set coming soon(ish) …
