Classic Capitology ‘closes out’ another classic era of Doctor Who with a new set of caps for Attack of the Cybermen. By any measure Colin Baker’s true first story, Attack of the Cybermen comprises the back half of the Lytton doubleheader along with Resurrection of the Daleks (capped last time), this was the first story of the fairly controversial Season 22.
Attack achieved very high viewing figures which belied the pastiche nature of the story, replete with all sorts of continuity signposts which had so riddled the series back at the time. Look there’s IM Foreman Scrap Merchant, there’s some Telos (from The Tomb of the Cybermen) thrown in for good measure, and even some chameleon circuit hoo-hah to round off that age-old fan discussion point. It’s not so much that Attack of the Cybermen doesn’t work rather that it feels far too ‘constructed’ and calculated for fan reaction.
And then there are the TARDIS scenes. So many TARDIS scenes. Nicola Bryant probably had more concentrated TARDIS time than any companion in the classic era.
In any event Attack of the Cybermen is the last Colin Baker story to be fully capped (by Tour standards) and in so doing ‘completes’ the era. Of course new images will always be added in as they come along but for now it’s a deep-six for six.
Classic Capitology bears down on a planet (not Skaro we hasten to add) which featured in two separate stories. Muskrat love anyone?