I guess you could say it’s grim duty for the lads over in Classic Capitology. Fresh off the previous disappointment they have now alighted on a story widely held to be the worst story in all of Classic Who, and Tour Honchos can’t help but agree wholeheartedly with that assessment.
Those with long fond memories of Season 17 do so primarily on the strength of one story, City of Death and the lost opportunity of another, Shada. whilst forgetting about historic low points such as Nightmare of Eden and the newest addition to Classic Capitology, The Horns of Nimon. What makes The Horns of Nimon such a particularly loathsome corner of the series? Indifferent direction, inflation making the shows iconic cheapness needlessly visible, but most importantly acting that was largely risible.
This was Tom Baker at his largest and most indulgent, bored and overdoing it. His famously expressive bug-eyes never used more emphatically than here. Joining him in the proceedings was Graham Crowden as Soldeed, ordinarily a decent enough character actor just joining in on the spirit of the piece. It could almost have been considered pantomime. K-9 got mouth-to-mouth recessitation during Nimon. Come to think of it Nimon was panto, just not very good panto.
Ah well. The Tour serves to cover both the sublime and The Horns of Nimon. The new caps look good though. Things must certainly improve next time. Must’nt they?
