The Invasion of Time

The Invasion of Time
by David Agnew
Originally Broadcasted: February 4th-March 11th, 1978

The Doctor and Leela land on Gallifrey were the Doctor immediately tries to claim the right to the Presidency. And so, the Doctor becomes President. But why does he want to be President, and just why is he acting so strange? Turns out there's more than just politics at hand...

The first few episodes of The Invasion of Time have to be some of the most mysterious ever shown on Doctor Who. The Doctor right from the get-go is mysterious and almost appears to be acting slightly villainous. He rightfully becomes President (in a manner that is hastily explained) and starts barking orders at any Time Lord he can find. Well it turns out he's been working for the Vardans, a shiny alien race apparently made out of tin foil, who end up being nothing more than screaming humanoids. Fortunately, the Doctor was just putting on an act, as as a way to lure in and destroy the Vardans. One thing The Invasion of Time is great at though, is throwing a few surprises in. Just when the Vardans are defeated, the Sontarans appear! Turns out they were ordering the Vardans all the time. A first time viewer of this serial certainly wouldn't see that twist coming! Other than the reappearance of the Sontarans, this serial is also memorable for the departure of Leela. Turns out during this whole life or death situation on Gallifrey, she developed a relationship with Time Lord guard Andred. Sadly, their progressing love is not shown on screen. This story was really the first time the inner depths of the TARDIS were explored. Sadly the inner depths of the TARDIS are not futuristic sets, but rather a disused mental hospital... It's cheap, but it actually does add a rather creepy tone to Episode Six. The Invasion of Time was actually written as a last minute replacement by Producer Graham Williams and Script Editor Anthony Read, so it's surprising to see just how good this story is. Most six-parters start to drag a little bit towards the end, but with the constant curveballs this story throws at you, you're in for an entertaining ride from start to finish!

Luke's Rating: 8/10

Closing Time

Closing Time
by Gareth Roberts
Originally Broadcasted: September 24th, 2011

The Doctor tries out social calls and drops in on his old friend Craig Owens and his new son Alfie. Together they investigate some odd going-ons in a local department store that The Doctor just so happens to get a job at. Deep beneath the store lies an army of Cybermen, looking for the perfect candidate for Cyber Controller...

After the smashing success of The Lodger the previous year, funny man James Corden returned to Doctor Who for another go-around in Closing Time. This time, instead of battling the unknown enemy upstairs, The Doctor and Craig are up against the Cybermen! Closing Time is one of the funniest and most heartwarming episodes of Doctor Who. It's a great example of the opposing emotions that this show provides. My personal favorite gag in this episode is how we learn that The Doctor speaks baby, and that Alfie's real name (according to him) is Stormageddon, Dark Lord of All. The Doctor knows he's near the end of his life, for he's about to be shot at Lake Silencio in Utah, so he really doesn't want to get tangled up in things. We see him trying to decide what to do, and then all of a sudden he has a job at the toy section of a department store! Craig joins him to investigate (and as another running gag, the two are seen as a gay couple) and they find a Cybermat running amuck. Cybermats haven't previously been seen since 1975's Revenge of the Cybermen. They're used as plague carriers and energy thief's by the Cybermen. This leads The Doctor and Craig to the evil beings themselves, and they actual try to convert Craig into Cyber Controller. But through the sounds of Alfie's crying, Craig manages to break free and reverse the conversion process, the first time we've seen this successfully done in the history of Doctor Who. The Doctor gets deep with Craig, and we see a true, strong friendship. Truly mates. Amy and Rory are not featured in this episode, as they had previously left The Doctor, but they do have a wonderful cameo though. The Doctor sees them walking through the same store, and someone asks Amy for her autograph. The camera then pans to her face on a giant billboard for a makeup line. Looks like the Ponds are famous! But as things are tied up here, we cut to River Song, who's given the task of killing The Doctor. "Tick tock, goes the clock, 'til River kills The Doctor."

Luke's Rating: 8/10

The Time Warrior

The Time Warrior
by Robert Holmes
Originally Broadcasted: December 15th, 1973-January 5th, 1974

Scientists are disappearing at a rapid rate from a UNIT research facility. The Doctor, along with a stowed-away Sarah Jane Smith land in medieval England and he discover the scientists have been taken by a Sontaran. This Sontaran is giving advanced weapons away to medieval men, and Sarah Jane seems to think The Doctor is behind it all...

The Time Warrior is an important Doctor Who story, as it introduces one of the most memorable companions and one of the most memorable villains of all time. This is the first story for investigative reporter Sarah Jane Smith. Many Doctor Who companions before her were popular, but if you ask any fan of classic Doctor Who, they'll probably say Sarah Jane is their favorite companion. She brought a feminist spunk that the show had never really gotten that into before. It was interesting how in Episodes Two and Three she was shown to not really trust The Doctor. In fact, she thought he was doing all the evil things that Linx was. Only when she captured The Doctor (with the help of Boba Fett...) did she realize that The Doctor is really a great man. Sarah Jane went on to star in a further two seasons and two episodes with Tom Baker, then came back in 1983 for The Five Doctors, and even returned in new Who, in four episodes with David Tennant. In fact, her character was popular and enduring enough to spawn two spin-off shows (although K9 and Company heralded nothing more than a pilot). Behind the Daleks, the Cybermen, and The Master, I think the Sontarans are the next greatest Doctor Who enemy. Even back in 1973, they were so brilliantly realized. The costume worn by actor Kevin Lindsay is one of the most convincing alien species ever seen in classic Doctor Who. Their love of war and their weak spot at the back of the neck were all invented by Robert Holmes for their first story. Another important part of The Time Warrior was the first mention of The Doctor's home planet, Gallifrey. His race, the Time Lords had been created in 1969's The War Games, but this was the first time a name was given to his home planet. And I'd love to mention just how much I love Jon Pertwee's Doctor. He's one of the most instantly likable Doctors to me. Everything about his performance in this story just made me smile, which is especially poignant considering this was the first story of his last season as The Doctor. Robert Holmes created a wonderful script for The Time Warrior, bringing new elements to Doctor Who, while also bringing new life to the scarcely touched upon historic genre.

Luke's Rating: 8/10