Review of The Five Doctors

By David Parkinson




Written by: Terrance Dicks
Directed by: Peter Moffat/ John Nathan-Turner(uncredited)
Starring: William Hartnell (footage), Richard Hurndall, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tomb Baker (footage), Peter Davison, Anthony Ainley, Nicholas Courtney, Janet Fielding, Mark Strickson, Elisabeth Sladen, Philip Latham.


Doctor Who was twenty. That in itself needed celebration, but how? Well, you bring back the first 4 Doctors to join your current 5th one, and see what happens. of course, by this time the great William Hartnell was dead, so Richard Hurndall took his place. Hurndall tries to convey Hartnell's personality, and does it a bit bad, but good at the same time. And of course, if you're going to have the Doctors, you're going to have the best of his enemies. Which, in this case, consists of one Dalek, who kills itself almost immediately appearing to challenge Hurndall and a rather mature Susan. Let's call it the Skaro redshirt. Also among the group of atagonists are the over relied on Cybermen, a lone Yeti who is the remnant of the original games of Rassilon, and The Master, although he doesn't get snippy until the climax, where he's rather awesomely floored by Nick Courtney. By rather awesomely, I mean amazingly greatly, and an amusing and awesome move from the Brig.

But the real villain of the set-piece is Borusa, who wants to be immortal so he can rule Gallifrey forever. Here's where the plot hole comes in. If Borusa wants immortality, and he offers the Master a new set of regenerations, therefore he himself could just get a new set of regenerations and not bother to set out the Doctors to retrieve it for him. And, contrary to fan belief, it was never going to be Omega who was behind it all. Never, ever, ever.

But, in the end, Borusa gets his just deserts, forced to live as a stone bust thingy forever. This climax also gives the Brigidier a chance to get re aqquainted with Sarah Jane and Tegan, thankfully without the weird Hair curtains, and a chance for the Brig to floor Anthony Ainley.

Of course, the very obvious exclusion is Tom Baker. Baker, famously, declined to return to the role, a decision he would later regret very much. So, just like Hartnell in the Three Doctors, he's said to be in a time eddy, this time in the Vortex. So they took a publicity photo with a waxwork Baker, but you can hardly see any difference

Although I don't remember Tom Baker looking like a Hispanic Tom Jones.

The ending, which isn't intended to be a sombre, just makes me, I don't know about you, feel a bit sad.

You'll love

• It's most of The Doctors!
• It's like a Doctor Who wet-dream
• The sublime acting
• Nick Courtney flooring Anthony Ainley

You'll hate

• Tom Baker not getting involved properly
• The worst use of the Daleks since Daleks in Manhattan
• Over-reliance on Cybermen

Rating: 4.6/5