Doctor Who: The Five Doctors

LABEL: BBC/2Entertain
RUNNING TIME: 90 mins approx.
RATING: PG
VIDEO FORMAT: 4:3 Non-Anamorphic
AUDIO FORMAT: English 5.1, English 2.0
SUBTITLES: English HOH, Production Notes
DVD REGION: 2
AVAILABLE: Out Now


Synopsis
The Doctor's past incarnations are being kidnapped and placed in a forbidden land known as the Death Zone, forcing the Fifth Doctor and his companions to return to Gallifrey in order to track down the culprit. In the shadow of the fabled Tower of Rassilon the Time Lord meets old friends and foes alike, locked in a battle destined to have a deadly outcome...

Review
Allegedly, “The Five Doctors” is New Who Mogul Russell T Davies' least favourite DOCTOR WHO story, and in many ways it's easy to understand why. Unmistakably a product of its time, this 1983 anniversary special manages to cram in every Classic Who cliché alongside the old heroes and villains, and all in the name of celebration. The thing is, despite all of that (or perhaps because of it), Terrance Dicks' infamous tale comes up trumps to produce what is possibly the finest tribute that the show could have received.

For a start, there's fantastic performances from all of the Doctors, not one excluded. Almost certainly this is due to friendly rivalry and a subconscious desire for one-upmanship, but who cares if the results are good? The late Richard Hurndall does an admirable job of filling in for the even later William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton has perhaps never been on fine form, Jon Pertwee reminds everyone just why he embodied the Doctor so well, and Peter Davison – often thought to be the weakest actor to play the role – holds his own beside these icons wonderfully. Each Doctor is paired with an appropriate companion, too, helping to revive those wonderful, nostalgic feelings no matter which era of the series you grew up with. True, it's fairly obvious that Liz Sladen's Sarah Jane Smith was originally meant to be appearing alongside Tom “Sir Not Appearing in This Film” Baker, but the reshuffle to Jon Pertwee (forcing production to pair Nick Courtney with Patrick Troughton in turn) works equally well, and younger viewers won't even notice the difference.

Next you have the Spotter's Guide of Villains. The Master, Daleks, Cybermen... even a Yeti makes a cameo, proving that DOCTOR WHO was into fan service as far back as 1983. Like the companions, each has their own part to play in the greater story, and none (saving perhaps the Dalek, who seems to be there mainly to explode) are included purely for cosmetic value. It should also be noted that the story introduced two memorable villains of its own, one of whom – the suspiciously-bulged Raston Warrior Robot – has been nominated by man fans as being a prime candidate for a New Who revival. And finally there's the sets – richly-dressed, expertly created and highly impressive for a eighties' BBC special. With the exception of one embarrassing incident involving the most gentle sheer drop ever invented, nothing ever breaks the spell and screams “this is a set”.

Yes, it's cheesy. Yes it's derivative. Yes, some of the dialogue is completely atrocious (“No! Not the mind PROBE!”), but underneath it's a delightful, traditional adventure that's bound to make to you smile. Russell may have dismissed it, but let's not forget this is the man who thinks that “Love & Monsters” is a masterpiece. Worth buying even if you own the original version.


Picture
Another marvellous clean-up job on offer here, and more impressive given it covers both versions of the story. Watch it upscaled and you'd swear it was a modern TV broadcast.

Audio
The 5.1 remix from the SE version is present and correct, as is the original broadcast stereo track. Both are great pieces of work. There's also (as usual) an isolated music score, which is well worth listening to as it highlights just how much work went into giving this anniversary special its own voice.

Special Features
A veritable dumptruck's worth of features are on offer here, including two documentaries, raw studio footage, vintage interview clips and three commentary tracks, including one hidden track from current Doctor David Tennant and New Who producer Phil Collinson. The usual DVD-ROM features also appear.




Matt Dillon