Refers To All Four Episodes . Spoilers On the Island of Lanzarote Professor Howard Foster is curious about a metal artifact containing a triangular symbol . A long way away on the Planet of Sarn this symbol has particular significance to those known as " chosen ones "
After the breathless and sometimes brainless Resurrection Of The Daleks this is a definite change of pace and doesn't feel the need to squash 20 billion ideas in to four 25 minute episodes . Plot wise it's no great shakes and features one of DOCTOR WHO's forays in to the realms of the dangers of religion . The lack of a radical premise shouldn't be taken as a criticism because the story's function is to introduce a new companion while getting rid of an old one . So hello Perpugilliam Brown an American botany student who is visual Viagra so any red blooded male member of the audience won't notice or care if Nicola Bryant can act or not and goodbye to ... hmmm that ginger bloke . Actually it's also goodbye to the robotic companion Kamelion but since everyone has forgotten he's existed in the first place it's very debatable if it counts as companion . There's also the need to bring back The Master once a season and nows as good a rime as any to bring him back
JNT loved his " Special guest star " casting and here he indulges it by bringing in well known Hammer scream queen Barbara Shelley and Peter Wyngarde who was a household name as the title character of JASON KING whose acting career was ruined by a visit to a public toilet . As you may imagine the characters are rather stereotypical with people portrayed as bland religious zealots or heretic victims . The cast aren't able to inject much towards the rather one note cyphers but no one is outstandingly bad . One noticeable aspect to the production is that it's obvious - far too obvious - is that the Island resort of Lanzarote doubles for the volcanic planet of Sarn . Why not have a story set in Lanzarote with an alien planet being studio bound and set another story in England cutting to Sarn ? This would be a much more effective contrast
Planet Of Fire isn't exceptional but is one of those consistent and engaging stories that made up the bulk of DOCTOR WHO stories over three decades . An average story from this period also shows how enjoyable the underrated Davison era was and with his finale a dark age for the series was about to begin
After the breathless and sometimes brainless Resurrection Of The Daleks this is a definite change of pace and doesn't feel the need to squash 20 billion ideas in to four 25 minute episodes . Plot wise it's no great shakes and features one of DOCTOR WHO's forays in to the realms of the dangers of religion . The lack of a radical premise shouldn't be taken as a criticism because the story's function is to introduce a new companion while getting rid of an old one . So hello Perpugilliam Brown an American botany student who is visual Viagra so any red blooded male member of the audience won't notice or care if Nicola Bryant can act or not and goodbye to ... hmmm that ginger bloke . Actually it's also goodbye to the robotic companion Kamelion but since everyone has forgotten he's existed in the first place it's very debatable if it counts as companion . There's also the need to bring back The Master once a season and nows as good a rime as any to bring him back
JNT loved his " Special guest star " casting and here he indulges it by bringing in well known Hammer scream queen Barbara Shelley and Peter Wyngarde who was a household name as the title character of JASON KING whose acting career was ruined by a visit to a public toilet . As you may imagine the characters are rather stereotypical with people portrayed as bland religious zealots or heretic victims . The cast aren't able to inject much towards the rather one note cyphers but no one is outstandingly bad . One noticeable aspect to the production is that it's obvious - far too obvious - is that the Island resort of Lanzarote doubles for the volcanic planet of Sarn . Why not have a story set in Lanzarote with an alien planet being studio bound and set another story in England cutting to Sarn ? This would be a much more effective contrast
Planet Of Fire isn't exceptional but is one of those consistent and engaging stories that made up the bulk of DOCTOR WHO stories over three decades . An average story from this period also shows how enjoyable the underrated Davison era was and with his finale a dark age for the series was about to begin
