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With the BBC having already issued the 10th and 20th anniversary stories on DVD, it's not much of a surprise to find the only other multi-Doctor story released on DVD. And, of course, it handily allows the Beeb to tick both the Second and Sixth Doctor boxes once more, a task made all the more difficult by the low number of complete Troughton stories and the even lower number of decent Colin Baker ones. As well as seeing the return of the second Doctor and Jamie, The Two Doctors also saw the return of the Sontarans for their fourth appearance overall but their first since 1978. Unfortunately, despite the story having been written by their creator Robert Holmes, the "potato heads" aren't really at their best here. Despite being given some reasonable lines, they're pretty much reduced to being Dastari and Chessene's shock troops. To be honest, Dastari and Chessene are hardly much better. Laurence Payne seems to be making little effort as Dastari, while Jacqueline Pearce seems to be under the impression she's still playing Servalan in Blakes 7. Other aspects of the production are less than satisfactory. As with many returning Who monsters, the Sontaran costumes seem to have been cobbled together from bits and pieces, with the result that the creatures look somewhat less effective that in their previous stories. There's also a massive plot change towards the end of the story which sees Chessene's motive completely change. Initially she's after the Doctor's symbiotic nuclei but then she decides to change him into an Androgum instead! Another aspect of The Two Doctors that has always annoyed me is Peri's line about how "stifling" the space station is when it appears to be having absolutely no effect of her or the Doctor. Surely the production team could have sprayed them a little to give some impression of heat? It's interesting to see Colin Baker teamed with more than one companion, as he spends a lot of the story with both Peri and Jamie. Given Troughton's age, it would be unrealistic to expect to see him running up and down corridors, but it's slightly disappointing to see him spending quite so much time strapped to a trolley. With three 45-minute episodes to cram in, this is another of the BBC's 40th anniversary 2-disc sets, although I do suspect that some of the extras have only been included because there were two discs to play with than because we really needed to have them. Anyway, the first disc contains the story itself, with the usual commentary and production subtitles. There's also a music-only option. The commentary features Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, Frazer Hines, director Peter Moffatt and guest star Jacqueline Pearce. Pearce is a waste of time, having no memories of making the story and an inability to follow the story. Her constant questions about what's going on quickly prove annoying. The disc also contains the Jim'll Fix It mini-adventure In A Fix With Sontarans, which you'll probably watch once and never bother with again. Disc two: Behind the Sofa: Robert Holmes and Doctor Who is a 45-minute documentary about probably the series' best ever writer. Despite some ommissions (The Space Pirates, The Power of Kroll), a enjoyable look at Holmes' work on Doctor Who, although I'd have liked to have learned more about some of his non-Who writing as well. Beneath the Lights and Beneath the Sun are compiiled from the studio recording and location shoot (albeit sourced from non-broadcast VHS) respectively. Both provide a look at how the story was made, but it's unlikely you'd bother with them more than once. Adventures in Time and Spain - production manager Gary Downie explains what the role entails and his work on The Two Doctors in particular. It's quite interesting but, as you'd expect, Downie isn't a natural in front of the camera and it might have been better had he been interviewed instead of presenting the feature himself. Wavelength - an episode of a Radio 4 schools programme from 1984. These sort of contemporary interviews are usually interesting, with the production fresh in everyone's mind and no time for their experiences to develop into "and they were all wearing eyepatches!"-type anecdotes. Like a lot of eighties Who, The Two Doctors sees the writer saddled with a lot to include - a previous Doctor and companion, an overseas location and the return of an old monster. That Robert Holmes doesn't totally pull it off is hardly a surprise. The mid to late 1980s were hardly a golden era for Doctor Who and the story also suffers from two of the main faults of the era - gratuitous violence and an obsession with the series' own past. That it stands out from many of the stories around it says as much about the series' decline during the decade as it does about the story's own merits. Of course, there are far worse stories still to come, which is one of the main disadvantages of releasing the series on an individual story basis. To be honest, even if it meant fewer extras, I'd happily trade this release structure for some sort of boxed set release, especially the quality of stories we'll be getting in three or four years' time. back to the top |
THE TWO DOCTORS |
