Best Doctor Who Stories Ever
Please note that this list contain spoilers.
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- DirectorGraeme HarperStarsPeter DavisonNicola BryantChristopher GableThe Doctor and Peri get involved with drug running after landing on the twin planet of Androzani Minor and getting arrested as gun runners and targeted for execution. Not before Peri stumbles into some highly toxic and lethal plant life.Doctor Who: The Caves of Androzani is the second story to star the first American traveler, Peri Brown played by the not so American Nicola Bryant, and is also Peter Davison's last regular appearance as the Doctor.
The story begins on the unhabitable planet known as Androzani Minor, the Doctor and Peri decide to explore a set of tracks that lead into a nearby cave. Now something you may notice about the Doctor's behaviour with Peri Brown, that the Doctor seems distant from her, almost irritated by her, this may be due to a rumor I heard about Peter Davison and Nicola Bryant not liking each other. It's not that they didn't get along or hated each other, but it's that they just couldn't really stand each other. There are some evidence to this, one is the fact that the Doctor didn't seem too bothered about Peri, and the second is at the beginning of episode one, when Peri is complaining about not going for a swim, which the Doctor replies in an irritated slightly demanding voice "come on". This is probably why Peri Brown was only in two stories that star the Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison).
Anyway back to the story now, Androzani Minor is the only source for a powerful drug called 'Spectrox' created by bats that inhabit the planet's caves. Spectrox is highly valued by the population of nearby Androzani Major (A twin planet of Androzani Minor) due to its capacity to extend one's life. The Spectrox mining interests are controlled by chairman Trau Morgus (John Normington), a business conglomerate leader on Androzani Major, but the operation has been threatened by the masked Sharaz Jek (Christopher Gable) and his army of androids, causing public tension on Androzani Major due to limited supplies. Morgus has publicly funded a military operation by the Androzani Major's government against Jek's androids, but at the same time has secretly backed a gunrunning group Led by Commander Stotz (Maurice Roëves) to deliver weapons to Jek to profit from the war. During this conflict, the Doctor and Peri are captured by General Chellak's guards and they are sentenced to death without trial. Lucky Jek creates two look alike androids to cover up the fact that the Doctor and his companion Peri has escape to Jek’s base. The Doctor and Peri complain about rashes and cramps in their bodies when they touched the sticky substances, realises they have been subjected to the first stages of spectrox toxemia from exposure to unrefined spectrox, and that while there is an anti-toxin, it requires the milk of the queen bat. Unfortunately, due to the mining activity, all the bats have migrated to deeper levels of the caves where there is no oxygen.
Skipping towards the end, the Doctor manages the get to the queen bat in a limited amount of time. During this mud-bursts begin to start, which distracts a battle, killing Chellak and his entire army and also wipes out Jek's army of androids leaving Jek completely defenseless. Commander Stotz and the now debar Chairman Trau Morgus arrives on the planet Androzani Minor, Trau Morgus finding that his shrewd secretary Timmin (Barbara Kinghorn) has deposed him from power. Morgus quickly deals with Stotz to kill all the remaining gunrunners, and then plot to secure Jek's private stash of spectrox so they may disappear quietly to another planet. The two make their way to Jek's base, lured by fans that Jek is using to try to keep the base temperature cool for Peri (who is dying from spectrox toxemia which is now in it's final stage). A brief fight breaks out, and Jek, Morgus, and Stotz are killed. The Doctor arrives just after the battle and takes Peri back to the TARDIS on the surface as the planet erupts around them. While unlocking the TARDIS, the Doctor accidentally spills some of the bat's milk.
Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor gives Peri the remaining bat's milk and collapses. Peri quickly recovers and finds him lying in pain on the floor. The Doctor explains that there was only enough bat's milk left to cure her, the Doctor begins to hallucinate images of his past companions urging him to continue to fight for his life, followed by The Master laughing at his state. The Fifth Doctor's last word is 'Adric' a companion he couldn't save, and regenerates into the Questionable Sixth Doctor, his first words are "You were expecting someone else?" following by "There are three I in one breath, makes you a rather egoistic young lady..." when Peri asks what is happening, the Doctor replies, "Change, my dear, and it seems not a moment too soon..." and the story ends.
Whilst this story is conceited to be the Greatest Doctor Who story ever, it is definitely much more darker and grimer then Genesis of the Daleks (which was made nines years prior to this). However, unlike other Doctor Who stories, this story has a lot of Adult themes so much so that you begin to forget that this is a children's program. Themes of Death, Greed, Corruption, Drugs, Politics, Revenge, Murder and even Suicide are all enlisted in this story. Because of this, Producer John Nathan-Turner realise this and decided to make more child friendly stories , starting with Colin Bakers first story as the Doctor "The Twin Dilemma" which is conceited to be the Second Worst Doctor Who story ever. Personally, I prefer more Dark Adult stories for Doctor Who, and the Caves of Androzani is one of the best if not the best story of Doctor Who. - DirectorJonny CampbellStarsMatt SmithKaren GillanTony CurranThe Doctor and Amy travel back in time to meet Vincent Van Gogh and face an invisible monster that only the painter can see.Doctor Who: Vincent and the Doctor Is the third historical story of Matt Smith's tenure as the Doctor (the first two been Victory of the Daleks and The Vampires of Venice), it is also the 10th episode to have the 11th Doctor.
The story begins in 2010 at the Musée d'Orsay museum in Paris, France. The Doctor (Matt Smith) and his Companion Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) are visiting a Van Gogh's art exhibition, however, the Doctor and Amy notices that something is wrong with one of Van Gogh's artworks (The Church at Auvers), in the artwork they see a non human face, the Doctor decides to go back in time (along with Amy of course) 120 years in Paris to investigate what is the mysterious creature in the painting. They find the Danish Artist himself Vincent van Gogh (played by the Scottish actor Tony Curran) been kicked out of a cafe. The Doctor and Amy meet Van Gogh and talk to him about the monster in the painting which Vincent dismisses, they then talk to him about letting them stay a few nights and they return to his home. The next day Amy, Vincent, and the Doctor are attacked by a the monster in the painting that only Vincent can see. The Doctor ask Vincent to paint the Creature he sees, which the Doctor identifies it as a Krafayis, (An Bird like Sloth creature that comes from something called Dark Time "Before Our Reality") it is the last of its kind.
The Doctor comes up with a plan, the trio goes to Church at Auvers, there Vincent will paint, and will tell the Doctor and Amy when the creature comes. Vincent begins creating the painting of the church and soon spots the Krafayis inside the church. The Doctor and Amy tries to catch it, but Vincent fill with anger and frustration, kills the Krafayis which dies. After the creature dies, the three return outside the church and Vincent describes the night sky as he envisions it. The next day, the Doctor and Amy prepare to leave. Vincent asks Amy to return and marry him should she leave the Doctor. As Vincent turns to leave, the Doctor offers to show him something. The Doctor and Amy take Vincent in the TARDIS to the year 2010 to show him he's work. Vincent is stunned at the display and becomes emotionally overwhelmed when he overhears art curator Mr. Black (a uncredited Bill Nighy) say that van Gogh was "the greatest painter of them all" and "one of the greatest men who ever lived". They return an emotionally changed Vincent back to the past and say their final goodbyes. As the Doctor and Amy return to the 2010 Amy is confident that there will be hundreds of new paintings by Vincent waiting for them, but is then crushed to learn that Vincent still committed suicide at the age of 37. The Doctor explains that life is a mixture of bad and good, and while their brief encounter with Vincent couldn't undo everything wrong they added some good to his life. The story ends with the painting of the church at Auvers no longer having the Krafayis face in it, and Vase with 12 Sunflowers bears the inscription, "For Amy".
It's not uncommon to take historical figures (like Winston Churchill and Charles Dickens) and make them characters of their own, but this is the first time they tried to give some heart to a real person. I never thought I could care so much for a person who died 103 years before I was born, but there you go, that's Doctor Who. - DirectorDavid MaloneyStarsTom BakerElisabeth SladenIan MarterThe Doctor and his companions are sent to the planet Skaro by the Time Lords to prevent the creation of the Daleks.Doctor Who: Genesis of the Daleks was the first time you see the Daleks creator Davros (played by Michael Wisher) and is the third time you see the planet Skaro, The First Dalek story AKA "The Daleks" and the second being "The Evil of the Daleks" which was the first story to have a Dalek Civil War.
The story begins with the Doctor (Tom Baker) on the war-torn planet of Skaro, he is introduced by a Time Lord who looks and sounds like Liam Neeson, he instruct him to interfere in the creation of the Daleks either by killing them (Genocide) or by infecting the Daleks' genetic code (Mutilation) making them less aggressive creatures. The Doctor agrees to this and is given a Time Ring to use to return to the TARDIS when the task is completed. The Liam Neeson look alike vanishes before the Doctor can ask he's question about his companions Sarah Jane Smith (played by the late Elisabeth Sladen) and Harry Sullivan (Played by Ian Marter), who he later meets up.
At this time point, Skaro is at its final stage of a generational war of attrition between the fascist Kaleds and the equally brutal Thals, due to this thousand year war (AKA Thal-Kaled War of Attrition), Thals' and Kaleds' weapons became more primitive in design, the planet became more toxic and mutations was beginning to occur on both sides these they call "Mutos". In the last one hundred years, Davros a crippled, Sociopathic scientist of the Kaleds, creates machines which he calls "Daleks" (an anagram of Kaleds). Under the nose of the Kaled Council and the Kaled Military, Davros uses both dead and living Kaled Mutos to create the Dalek embryos, which he would use in his Mark III Machine (Dalek's Machine). However, due to the Doctor's interference Davros establish a second plan; Destroying the Kaleds' Dome and City stopping the Kaleds from interfering with he's work. To do this, Davros along with he's loyal comrade Security Commander Nyder (Peter Miles) covertly provides the Thal leaders with a chemical to weaken the Kaled dome in order that their rocket will penetrate it.Davros will then use twenty Daleks under computer control to attack survivors of the Kaled Dome, as well as the Thals who has declare a Pyrrhic Victory over the Kaleds.
The Doctor fails to change or kill the Dalek embryos, the Daleks take over the Kaleds' Dome and City, and kill their creator Davros along with his loyal servant Nyder and other Kaled scientists. The Thals and Mutos have prepared to detonate explosives to seal the Daleks inside the bunker, and have little time to escape. The Doctor returns to destroy the Kaled mutants; a Dalek inadvertently completes the circuit and destroys the room. The Doctor, Sarah, and Harry escape just before the Thal explosives detonate. The Doctor, Sarah, and Harry say goodbye to the surviving Thals and Mutos. While the Doctor did not stop the Daleks, he does believe he has hindered their development for some centuries, and was thus successful in his mission. The three use the Time Ring to return to the Tardis.
Whilst the darkest story of the Fourth Doctor's era, Genesis of the Daleks is heavily based on Nazi ideology in particular the Kaleds are intentionally resembling Nazi Germany. The Kaleds dress in uniforms reminiscent of the Nazis and display "fascist salutes". The Kaleds also look to "keep their race pure" by banishing the Thals and Mutos. Commander Nyder is based on Heinrich Himmler; aside from the resemblance, both wear insignias and spectacles. As for the Thals their ideology is not mentioned or shown as much as the Kaleds, but they do have Slave Labour, resembling of Gulags, you could say that the Thals represent Communism and the Kaleds represent Fascism, either way it's a good story and it's worth a watch - DirectorAndrew MorganStarsSylvester McCoySophie AldredSimon WilliamsThe Doctor and Ace travel back to London in November 1963 and are caught in the middle of a Dalek civil war.Doctor Who: Remembrance of the Daleks was the final appearance of the Daleks in the original run of Doctor Who and was also the last time you see Terry Molloy as Davros.
The Story is set on Earth on 23rd November 1963 (which is around the time the first story of Doctor Who was broadcast), a cold opening show a large Dalek mothership heading towards Earth, however the Daleks intentions is not to invade Earth but rather to find the Hand of Omega, a super weapon designed by a Time Lord name Omega and is use to create the supernova, which would be the power source for the Gallifreyans' experiments and subsequent mastery over time travel.
A Civil War has erupted between the lower class original Daleks known as 'Renegade Daleks' and the newer, smarter, more powerful Daleks known as 'Imperial Daleks' both Dalek factions are the same but with slight differences, the so-called Renegade Daleks were created by Davros on Skaro during the Thal-Kaled War of Attrition, and their metal shell is a dimgray colour with black metal balls. The Imperial Daleks were also created by Davros but not on Skaro, they were created on Necros, their metal shell is a cream colour with golden balls, golden gun stick, golden primary manipulating appendage (plunger), golden eyestalk and golden eye discs. Likewise Imperial Daleks are genetically altered Kaled mutants with Necroian tissue (humans native to planet Necros).
On Earth, the war has become incredibly unilateral with the Imperial Dalek faction near a point of victory having already seize control of Skaro, Renegade Dalek faction (while very few in numbers) have one final attempt to win—using the Omega device (the Hand of Omega) to create a Time Hole and kill Davros before he can create the Imperial Dalek faction. They're plan is fooled by the Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) who uses the device to destroy the Imperial Dalek Mothership as well as Skaro's sun. Davros escapes the Mothership and heads back to Skaro, as for the single remaining Renegade Dalek leader, it destroys itself, convinced of its disastrous defeat. After the extermination of the Renegade Daleks and the end of the Daleks Civil War, Davros upgrades the Imperial Daleks to the more scarier Supreme Daleks, during this time the Daleks establish an empire and soon declares war on the Time Lords which started the more devastating Time War. This part of the story is never mentioned.
This story (Remembrance of the Daleks) is written by Ben Aaronovitch who wrote one other Doctor Who story called 'Battlefield' who starred Nicholas Courtney. Unlike the other Davros stories from 1979 to 1985, the story make sense, and is perfectly written for both Action and Storytelling not like Resurrection of the Daleks. In Resurrection of the Daleks the atmosphere, style and action are all done well but the story, plots and character development are done very poorly, even the title doesn't make sense when you think about it, Resurrection? Who are they resurrecting? Davros? He has already be resurrected. Revelation of the Daleks is better written, but it lacks in action, plot and even acting at times, Jenny Tomasin (who plays Tasambeker) and Clive Swift (who plays Jobel) are both irritating. And Destiny of the Daleks doesn't even bother giving us a good story, boring story, bad sets designs, Badly damaged Daleks that don't move properly, wooden acting and so on. - DirectorPaul BernardStarsJon PertweeKaty ManningVera FusekThe Doctor and Jo discover the Master and the Ogrons are the masterminds behind the Galactic war between the Earth Federation and the Reptilian Draconian Empire. The Master has framed the Doctor and Jo as spies working for the Draconians. The Master is also working with the Doctor's greatest enemies, the Daleks, who are also behind the galactic war.Doctor Who: Frontier in Space is the first time you see the Draconians (Reptilian humanoids that live on the planet Draconia) it is also the second story to feature the Ogrons (the Daleks only allies) and is also Roger Delgado's last regular appearance as the Master.
The story starts with an Earth Cargo ship in the 26th century, the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and Jo Grant (Katy Manning) arrive on the ship just before Ogrons (disguise as Draconians) attacks the ship from the inside robbing all goods. After the attack the Doctor and Jo are believed to be mercenaries aiding the Draconians with their attack, and they are sent to Earth for trial. On Earth, anti-Draconian riots break out of control, calling for another war with the Draconian Empire. The Draconian ambassador (who is also the Emperor's son) and the President of the Earth (Vera Fusek) accuse each other of attacking the other's ships and violating the frontier established by treaty between the two empires. General Williams (Michael Hawkins) believes the Doctor and Jo are human agents planted by the Draconians to sabotage any war effort by Earth. Williams's hostility against the Draconians is well known — it was his actions that started the original war between the two sides and the Prince believes Williams wants war again, a war the Prince warns the President that they will see Earth destroyed.
After two escapes attempts (one involving the Draconians and second involving the Ogrons) and no proof of the Doctor's claims, The President of the Earth orders that the Doctor be sent to the Lunar Penal Colony where political prisoners are exiled for life, while Jo remains on Earth. On the Moon, the Doctor meets Professor Dale (Harold Goldblatt) who shows him around, together they plan to escape from the moon and head back to Earth to stop the a another war with the Draconians. However their plan is too good to be true, as they find the oxygen tanks for the suits are empty, the room begins to depressurize. Fortunately, the Master arrives and restores the room's atmosphere. The Master obtains custody of the Doctor, and gets the Doctor to come along quietly by revealing that he has Jo, the two reunite in a cell on the Master's Ship. As the Master is setting his cordinance to Ogron's homeworld, the Doctor escapes his cell leaving Jo behind as a cover up, He meets up with the Master and then both fight. As the two face off, a Draconian battleship approaches and docks. Jo, the Master and the Doctor are arrested for violating Draconian space. All three of them are brought to the Draconian homeworld of Draconia, there they face trial for their actions. However, the Master secretly activates a device whose signal is picked up by the Ogrons. The Ogrons attack the council killing several Draconian guards and nearly killing the Emperor of Draconia (John Woodnutt).
The Master escapes with the help of Ogrons, however, during the crossfire, a unconscious Ogron is left behind, as the hypnosound fade the Emperor sees the Doctor was telling the truth. The Emperor determines that the Ogron must be shown to the Earth authorities, and sends his son along with the Doctor, Jo Grant and a couple of guards to Earth on the Master’s Ship. Unfortunately, they are attacked by a Ogron ship, by the time they identify it as a Ogron ship, the captive Ogron breaks out of its cell, overpowering its Draconian guards. The Ogron ship docks and the boarding party captives Jo Grant and rescuing the Ogron prisoner, the Doctor and the Draconian Ambassador/Prince heads to Earth without the Ogron prisoner, there they explain about the Master's plot. Even though there evidence is inconclusive, the President of the Earth believes them, she sends General Williams along with a posse and accompanied by the Doctor and the Draconian Ambassador/Prince to the Ogron's homeworld (which looks identically like the planet Uxarieus) so they can stop the Master's plan and to rescue Jo Grant. After landing on the planet, they are attacked by Ogrons who are then scared off by a orange slug-like blob creature.
Soon after that, the group are captured by the Daleks who then kill two of William's men. The Doctor finds out why the Master and the Daleks want another Human-Draconian War, the Doctor explains that the Daleks want to establish their own empire making them "Rulers of The Universe" and in order to do this, they must wideout both the Earth Empire and the Empire of Draconia (the two main empires of the universe), in any way possible.In the end the Doctor, Jo Grant, General Williams and the Draconian Ambassador/Prince escaped by using the stolen hypnosound, making the Ogrons see Daleks, the Doctor tells Williams and the Prince to get the word back to their respective governments and mount a joint expedition against the base on the Ogron planet. In the end the Doctor, Jo Grant, General Williams and the Draconian Ambassador/Prince escaped by using the hypnosound. The story end with the Doctor inside the Tardis using the telepathic circuits, sending a message to the Time Lords.
Rather the most complicated story of Doctor Who ever, Frontier in Space is written by Malcolm Hulke who wrote slightly below average Doctor Who stories like: The Ambassadors of Death, The War Games, Invasion of the Dinosaurs and Colony in Space (which I considered as the Worst story of Jon Pertwee's era, due to its dull plot and the way Jo Grant is portrayed). The story (at times) is like a Star Trek episode, with the Cold War between the Klingon Empire and the United Federation of Planets (or "The Federation" for short) is remarkably similar to the situation between the Empire of Draconia and the Earth Empire. Interestingly, both ideas are based on the analogy to the Real Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union.
Rumors: According to Terrance Dicks in the special feature of Frontier in Space, Roger Delgado AKA The Master was supposed to had a big send off ending, similar to The End of Time (which was made 36 years after Frontier in Space) in the story, the Master would sacrifice himself to save both the Doctor and Jo Grant. But, due to Roger Delgado's death in Turkey, this story was never written. This is one of many reasons why Jon Pertwee left Doctor Who in 1974. - StarsRichard E. GrantSophie OkonedoDerek JacobiThe Doctor, a time-travelling alien explorer, is sent by his people, the Time Lords, to liberate a small town in England from the tyrannical rule of a race of alien lava creatures called the Shalka. This full-length animated adventure, originally broadcast on-line on the BBC's official Doctor Who website, is the first adventure of the ninth Doctor, Richard E. Grant.Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka is a short lived flash-animated series based on the popular TV Show Doctor Who. This was the final attempt to revive the show before 2005 and is also the first attempt to use full animation on the show.
The story start off on Earth in Lancashire 2003. The Doctor (Voiced by Richard E. Grant) is locked out of the TARDIS by the Master (Derek Jacobi) and forced to examine his surroundings. After the Doctor finds out that he is on Earth in the early 21st century, he finds a homeless old lady, and asks her why the place is so quiet. As the woman is beginning to fill in the Doctor on what's been happening, a tremor strikes the area and the woman is killed by a mysterious force. Back at the TARDIS, the ground opens up and the Doctor's police box is swallowed up into the lava below.
Angered at the homeless woman's death, the Doctor tracks down Alison (Sophie Okonedo) and her boyfriend Joe (Craig Kelly) at their home and breaks in demanding that someone tell him what's been going on. Alison tells the Doctor that three weeks ago, strange noises began coming from underground. The townspeople have convinced themselves that they need to stay indoors and make as little noise as possible. The Doctor begins making noise to attract the aliens, who burst up through the floor in a pool of lava.
After escaping from the cobra like Shalkas, The Doctor contacts UNIT and explains that he is not interested in getting involved in this problem. He gives them all the information he has on the aliens and tells them that once he retrieves his TARDIS he is leaving.But after he finds out that the Shalka plans is to infect the humans with a parasitic worm which will control them, the Doctor decides to aid UNIT and it's up to them to save the world from the Shalka.
The story is written by Paul Cornell who also wrote numerous other Doctor Who stories including "Father's Day" (2005) "Human Nature" and "The Family of Blood" (Both broadcasted in 2007). Paul Cornell also wrote Novels, Comics, Screenplays and Audio plays for Doctor Who.
The Animation is a cross between South Park and Archer which works really well. There is also some nostalgic Doctor Who references like: Conor Moloney is based on Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, there are Six Episodes in this story and the Tardis looks like the Tardis from the TV Movie.
Richard E. Grant plays a decent Doctor and suited the Doctor better than Christopher Eccleston. It's a shame that he wasn't enlisted in Doctor Who TV Show as the Doctor, according to Doctor Who Magazine Executive Producer Russell T Davies never considered Grant for the role in the television series, because he thought Grant was terrible as the Doctor.
Where can I find this ?: Just log in at http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/webcasts/index.shtml, you will need Flash to see it. - DirectorPeter MoffattJohn Nathan-TurnerPennant RobertsStarsPeter DavisonJon PertweePatrick TroughtonThe Doctor and his previous incarnations are brought to the Death Zone on his homeworld Gallifrey as part of a renegade Time Lord's scheme.Doctor Who: The Five Doctors is the second Doctor Who story in which earlier incarnations of the Doctor returns to the show, Commemorating the 20th year anniversary of Doctor Who. It saw Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee reprise their roles of the Second and Third Doctors respectively, whilst Richard Hurndall portrayed the First Doctor, as the character's original actor William Hartnell had died since his last appearance on the show ten years previously in The Three Doctors, and unused footage of Tom Baker was used to portray the Fourth Doctor, as he declined to appear.
It starts off with the Fifth Doctor (played by Peter Davison who was the current Doctor at the time) on the Eye of Orion with his two Companions an Australian (Tegan Jovanka played by real life Australian Janet Fielding) and an Trion (Vislor Turlough played by real life Trion Mark Strickson), when suddenly the Fifth Doctor feels pains as his former selves are taken from their time streams, and returns his companions and himself to the TARDIS. During this time, the First, Second, and Third Doctors are brought to the Death Zone on Gallifrey along with their Companions, however the Fourth Doctor along with his Companion Romana (Lalla Ward) becomes stuck in the time vortex. Meanwhile on the other side of Gallifrey, the High Council of Time Lords, headed by President Borusa (Philip Latham) and consisting of Chancellor Flavia (Dinah Sheridan) and the Castellan (Paul Jerricho), learn of the reactivation of the Death Zone and the abduction of the Doctor's former selves from the time line. They reluctantly agree to call the Master (Anthony Ainley) to assist the Doctors in the Death Zone, offering him a pardon and a new set of regenerations should he cooperate. The Master agrees, and accepts a copy of the Seal of the High Council to prove to the Doctors that he is working for them, and a transmat device that he can use to escape the Death Zone.
In the Death Zone, the Master first encounters the Third Doctor, who accuses him of faking the Seal, and then the Fifth Doctor; when they are attacked by Cybermen, the Master is knocked out. The Fifth Doctor discovers the transmat device and uses it to return to the Capital, where he is informed of the situation by the Council. The Doctor, suspecting foul play, discovers that the transmat device included a homing beacon that would lure the Cybermen to it, and the Castellan is arrested on charges of being a traitor. A search of the Castellan's chambers reveals the Black Scrolls of Rassilon, purportedly containing forbidden Time Lord knowledge. Borusa burns the scrolls and orders the Castellan to be mind probed for interrogation, but the Castellan escapes and is shot down by a Citadel guard. Borusa considers the matter closed, but the Doctor confides in Flavia his doubts. When the two try to find Borusa in the Council room, they find him missing. The Doctor discovers a secret room, where he finds Borusa at the controls of the Time Scoop. Borusa is in his final incarnation and believes that Gallifrey won't survive without him, he seeks to immortality from the Tomb of Rassilon, which is hidden in the tower in the Death Zone. Borusa uses the Coronet of Rassilon to overpower the Doctor's will, taking momentary control of him.
Meanwhile, in the Death Zone, the other three incarnations of the Doctor have entered the tower through separate points, passed the various traps, and have converged in the Tomb, and reacquaint themselves with the various companions. They decipher a message in ancient Gallifreyan whilst inside Rassilon's Tomb, describing that anyone who wants immortality is free to take it by wearing Rassilon's ring, but warns that "to lose is to win and he who wins shall lose". The Master appears and tries to take the ring, but the Doctors' companions overpower him. Borusa and the Fifth Doctor transmat into the tomb, the other Doctors try to fight against the power of Borusa's mind with the Coronet, but they are interrupted by the voice of Rassilon.Borusa asserts to Rassilon that he is here for immortality, and while the other Doctors attempt to stop him, the First Doctor tells them to hold off. Borusa dons the ring, but soon screams out in pain as he is transformed into living rock as part of Rassilon's Tomb, the fate described by the riddle as the First Doctor had figured out. Rassilon's spirit returns the Master to his own time, and frees the Fourth Doctor from the Time Vortex; the other Doctors quickly refuse any further reward from Rassilon. The Doctors depart, leaving the Fifth Doctor, Tegan, and Turlough alone.
However, the Fifth Doctor is ask by the Council to be the next President of Gallifrey (which he cannot refuse by Gallifreyan law). The Doctor refuse and runs to the Tardis, when Tegan asks if he is really going to run from his people he states, "Why not? After all...that's how it all started...". - DirectorColin TeagueStarsDavid TennantFreema AgyemanJohn BarrowmanThe Doctor, Martha and Jack return to the 21st Century eighteen months after the Doctor and Martha left. They find they've missed the election, and the new Prime Minister, Harold Saxon, is someone they've met before by another name.The Doctor: The Sound of Drums is a three part story in which saw the Return of the Master who hasn't been seen since the Doctor Who: Scream of the Shalka, four years prior to this.
The first episode titled "Utopia" starts off on the dying planet of Malcassairo, the Doctor (David Tennant), Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman), and Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman), all came to the dying planet through the Tardis, 100 trillion years from now, near the end of the universe. In this time, there are no suns and no stars, Creatures like the Daleks, Ice Warriors, Sontarans, the Oods, Zygons, Draconians and even the Cybermen, have all died out. There are only two planets now, Malcassairo and Utopia, and since Malcassairo is no longer livable for the Humans (the only race that is surviving in this time) Utopia is now the only hope the Humans have left.
After been chased by the vicious Futurekind (a tribal mutant animal like version of the Human race with sharp teethes) The Doctor and his Companions are lettered in a nearby camp. While inside, the Doctor helps Professor Yana (Derek Jacobi) with his rocket. with his rocket by using his TARDIS to help power up the engines. One of the Futurekind reveals herself and destroys some control panels, causing an overload that shorts the system out. A man attempting to remove the engine clamps is killed, and Captain Jack is enlisted to enter the highly irradiated room to finish the job.
During this, Martha Jones talks to Professor Yana who seems depressed, Yana talk to Martha about been old and useless, before holding up a fog watch, Martha begins to tremble in fear, terrified to see that Yana's fob watch is identical to the one that the Doctor possessed in a previous adventure. Martha rushes to tell the Doctor about it as the Professor is suddenly overcome by voices coming from the watch. The Professor opens the fob watch and it is revealed that this is the Master, Professor Yana was just a alias to hide his true identity. He then kills he insectoid assistant Chantho by an electric cable, stumbles into the TARDIS and regenerates.
In the second episode titled "The Sound of Drums" The Master (now played by John Simm) has adopted a new alias Harold Saxon, and runs as Prime Minister of Britain. Picking up immediately after the end of "Utopia", the Doctor along with Jack and Martha escape the Futurekind by using Jack's vortex manipulator to return to London in the year 2007. Quickly summing up this story, The Master has created a phone network called Archangel which subliminally influence the population to vote for him. After winning the vote, the Master introducing a unknown alien race he calls the "Toclafane" to the Human race. The Doctor created a perception filters using the TARDIS keys so they can move about unnoticed, Since they are now England's most wanted criminals. US President Arthur C. Winters (played by Canadian Colin Stinton) arrives in the UK and places the operation in the hands of UNIT (United Nations Intelligence Taskforce), taking over the meeting from Mr. Saxon and moving it to the flying aircraft carrier Valiant. The Doctor, Martha, and Jack teleport on aboard the Valiant. Once there, the Doctor tells Martha and Jack to try and get their perception filters around the Master to reveal who he really is to humanity. They enter the bridge unnoticed, and the first four Toclafane appear on the bridge and demand to see the Master. Mr. Saxon reveals himself as the Master and orders the Toclafane to kill the President. The Master also reveals that he can see around the perception filters, and uses his laser screwdriver to shot down Jack and age the Doctor's incarnation by 100 years, suspending his ability to regenerate. Jack gives Martha his vortex manipulator and tells Martha to get off the Valiant.
The third and final episode titled "Last of the Time Lords" is set one year after later on Earth. The Master has conquered the Earth and enslaved its population, while Martha has been travelling around the world telling people about the Doctor avoiding the Master's detection. Now for the plot, Martha has been contacted by a group led by Professor Docherty, it's there when they discover that the Toclafanes are infact people from Malcassairo 100 trillion years from now. The Master has created a Paradox Machine using the Doctor's Tardis so it would allow the Toclafanes to return to the past and kill their ancestors, while avoiding the grandfather paradox. The ending is a bit complicated but I'll try to explain it as best I can. Martha is captured by the Master, and is brought to the Valiant. The Master overjoyed with glory of the last few moments of the countdown and Martha begins to smile. She reveals that Martha has been preparing the surviving humans to concentrate their thoughts on the Doctor upon the completion of the launch countdown. The Doctor is revised, Time go back to 2007 before the Master become Prime Minister, the Master is shot by his wife Lucy Saxon (Alexandra Moen) the Master refuses to regenerate for the Doctor and dies in his arms.
Probably one of the better stories of David Tennant’s tenure since a lot of the stories were very complicated to understand, but not The Sound of Drums. Despite the ending, the story is very simple and isn’t that hard to follow. John Simm is a joy to watch as he plays the most flamboyant Master I have ever seen. I love the cameos in this; Ann Widdecombe, Sharon Osbourne and even the boy band the McFly all have short but funny election ads for the Master/Saxon. There is also a glimpse of Gallifrey as the Master and the Doctor talks about the Time War and why the Master was revised. - DirectorRon JonesStarsColin BakerNicola BryantMartin JarvisThe TARDIS makes an emergency landing on Varos, a planet that used to be a penal colony, and where the native Varosians are presently entertained by broadcasts of real violence and death. Mistaken for rebels, the Doctor and Peri learn that Sil, an evil delegate of the Galatron mining corporation, bids to rule Varos and to control supplies of Zeiton 7 ore, which is the TARDIS's only fuel source.Doctor Who: Vengeance on Varos is the second story to have two parts, rather than the traditional four or six parts. This continue for the remainder of Season 22, episodes were 45 minutes in length (as opposed to previous episodes which were 25 minutes long); for syndication, in some markets, this serial is re-edited into four 25-minute segments.
It starts off in the Tardis, the Doctor (Colin Baker) finds that the TARDIS has unexpectedly stopped in the middle of deep space and he can do nothing to fix it. Peri locates the TARDIS manual and presents it to the Doctor who quickly dismisses it, as he knows perfectly well that transitional elements within the TARDIS have stopped producing orbital energy only Zeiton-7 ore can realign the power systems. But as the Doctor explains, Zeiton-7 is exceptionally rare and only comes from one planet in the Cetes constellation: Varos. The Doctor soon discovers that he can make it to the planet Varos using the Tardis back up power.
Varos was once a prison planet, but is now a dystopian world where it's voters are ask to kill their own leaders if they don't like them, and torture and executions are televised. An Representative of the Galatron Mining Corporation named Sil (Nabil Shaban) is negotiating with Varos Governor (Played by Martin Jarvis) over the price of Zeiton-7 ore. Wanting a fair price for his people, unaware that his Chief Officer (Played by Forbes Collins) is in league with Sil, the governor addresses his people to vote if they should hold out longer for a fair price, which they vote against, as a consequence, the Governor is subjected to exposure to potentially lethal Human Cell Disintegration Bombardment. To please his people, he orders the execution of a rebel leader named Jondar (Jason Connery). The TARDIS arrives at Varos's Punishment Dome close to where Jondar is to be executed. The Doctor and Peri (Nicola Bryant) try to rescue Jondar from Death, but are court by guards. The Doctor is put in a cell, he enters a corridor that appears in his mind as a desert, and due to its psychological effects, begins to die from thirst. However, the Doctor has survived, and he escapes from the acid bath (with his escape being broadcast as entertainment to all of Varos) causing the death of two guards in the process, he is quickly arrested by Quillam (Varos's chief scientist). The Governor decrees that the Doctor and Jondar will be executed in an "old-fashioned" way, hanging from nooses, while Peri and Jondar's wife Areta (Geraldine Alexander) are to be subjected to undergo horrific scientific experiments at the hands of Quillam and his cell mutator. Quillam starts his machine, Peri begin to turn into a Brightly Coloured Bird, while Areta turns into what looks like a Klingon (Which Sil finds attractive).
After rescuing Peri and Areta from the cell mutator (which the Doctor destroyed) the Chief Officer and Sil make their final move on the Governor in hopes that losing the next vote will finally kill him, securing the way for them to control Varos and the Zeiton-7 ore. Meanwhile, the Doctor, Jondar, and Areta make their way into the End Zone of the Dome and the supposed exit. The vote starts and the bombardment begins, but the guard Meldak has a change of heart and stops the device, saving the Governor and Peri. The three then make their way to meet up with the Doctor. The Doctor's group is then chased by two cannibals, but loses them thanks to some deadly plant tendrils. The Chief and Quillam arrive on the scene but are entangled in the tendrils, killing them. The group then meet up with Peri, the Governor, and Meldak. They all make their way back to the control centre as Sil reveals the invasion force he had dispatched hours earlier to take Varos by force. However, Sil is mortified to learn that the invasion force has been called back, and a second Zeiton-7 deposit has been discovered, so his company has ordered him to obtain the Varosian ore at any price. The Doctor and Peri then bid the Governor farewell, taking some ore with them for the TARDIS. Soon after, the Governor issues a message to the citizens to abolish their government's injustice, torture, and executions. Citizens watch in disbelief, wondering what they should do now with their new-found freedom.
Vengeance on Varos is reminiscent of other Doctor Who stories especially with Bad Wolf (which is better written), it is also reminiscent of Stephen King's 1982 novel 'The Running Man' which was adapted into a film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Colin Baker's acting is beginning to get better and his acting does improve as the series progress, most of the actors are good in this, the only actors who don't do the story any justice is Jason Connery and Geraldine Alexander who played Jondar and Areta.
The story is written by screenwriter Philip Martin who wrote other Doctor Who stories as well as, The Trial of a Time Lord: Mindwarp and Mission to Magnus, which was never filmed and became a novel in 1990. Philip Martin also wrote the television series Gangsters (which lasted for two years), Star Cops (which lasted for two months), Virtual Murder (which lasted for two weeks) and Z-Cars (which lasted for two decades). The story itself is alright, and is my second favourite story of Colin Baker's era of the Doctor, but when it comes to quality, storytelling and action it's not the best, this is why it is on the bottom of my list.