In our look back at the finest Doctor Who stories from each incarnation
of the Time Lord, Andrew Jero counts down five of the best from Peter Davison.
On the 21st of March 1981, the most prolific era in Doctor Who's history, the Tom Baker years, would come to a brutal end when the Fourth Doctor fell to his death. This would mark the beginning of a new age. Peter Davison, the youngest actor to ever secure this role in Doctor Who's original 26 year stint, would have to win over the audience and rise above the seven year shadow of Tom Baker. Davison's era would be riddled with production issues right from the start. Two script editors, the perpetual ban of Peter Grimwade as a director on the show, and the very difficult decision to kill off one of Davison's original three companions.
I feel a very strong personal connection to this
era of Doctor Who, Logopolis was my very first story. I can remember
sitting down and watching it 14 years ago, at
the age of four - Doctor Who entered my life. Generally people are very
mixed about the Peter Davison years, you have the classics, Caves,
Snakedance, Enlightenment, but you also have the clunkers by general fan
opinion, Time-Flight (which I love), Terminus, Arc of Infinity, and
Warriors of the Deep.
Peter Davison has since remained one of the most involved Doctors after his time, returning with McCoy and Colin Baker for the first Big Finish audio, and being the mastermind behind the absolutely hilarious, The Five-ish Doctors, anniversary special. He also made an appearance in 2007 alongside, arguably the most popular Doctor of the newer generation, David Tennant in Time Crash. For all the issues behind the scenes, the Fifth Doctor's era is in my heart the best and definitive era of Doctor Who, as I hope the following five adventures will prove.
5. Mawdryn Undead
A
story that had to introduce Vislor Turlough, bring back The Brigadier
and reintroduce us to The Black Guardian - with a lot of goals, it does
it's job marvelously. Mawdryn Undead is a fast paced, brilliant story with an interesting
villain, that seems to be one of those stories we just don't
talk that much about. Not that people don't like it, it's just that most
find it a bit 'eh'. I love everything from the costumes of Mawdryn and
his people, to the interior of the spaceship which looks very scary, (it
at least did the job when I was four) and generally very well made.
Davison and Strikson work very well together and the addition of
Turlough's mission to kill the Doctor gives us one of my all time
favorite cliffhangers! The scene where the Doctor is all wired up
willing to give his life for Nyssa and Tegan perfectly shows the
selflessness of the Fifth Doctor. With Davison's line, "Death is all
they wanted..." simple poetic justice to end the conflict in the story.
4. Kinda
Davison's
third story, with arguably the best script in the entirety of the
show's history. Christopher Bailey is possibly the most brilliant writer Doctor Who has ever had in terms of taking something we're used to, in
this case religion, and adding a monster and many familiar elements of
Buddhism, the demon called the Mara being one. Adric and Five work
pretty well together, but the limelight is without a doubt on Janet
Fielding for her best performance in the part of Tegan Jovanka. She
takes this weirdly cool script and raises it to a whole new level. She
encapsulates the Mara perfectly and gives the episode a very scary feel
to it. Simon Rouse gives such a brilliant performance, going from calm
to nicely insane over the Kinda not wearing their ties correctly. The
strongest moment is without a doubt Rouses', "You can't mend people."
One of the more powerful moments in Davison's time on the show.
3. Earthshock
Earthshock,
a story that never gets old for me. I can watch it time and time again
enjoying it immensely each time. As to what there is to enjoy, well,
there's the episode one cliffhanger, my third favorite of all time, so
shocking that even though there's a Cyberman right on the cover of the
DVD, and on the titles menu, it still shocks me every time. I forget in
the action of the first episode that they are going to be there, and
their upgrade is glorious. The silver moon boots, the heads, seeing the
chin moving in the Cyberleader's mouth, especially the guns. The
Cybermen are cool and nothing can stop them! They appear in the
thousands causing mass slaughter of the crew, and the eventual death of a companion. Adric's death, even though it is so early on in Davison's era is
where I draw the beginning of the end for the Fifth Doctor. It holds him
together, provides a source for his morals, his need to save. Because
this time, he didn't, he couldn't. He never forgives himself for Adric's
death even when his own eventually finds him.
2. Resurrection of the Daleks
Forever
in my top five all time stories, this one is epic! Davison finally gets
his turn against the Daleks! I've got to admit, even though there are
huge plot holes in the story, and the High Council assassination plot
may not be the best conceived idea by Eric Saward, this is without a
doubt his best story! It's the kind of story you expect to get with the
Daleks - death. Lots of death! This is the story with more on screen
deaths than "The Terminator". All but six characters die during the
episode. Resurrection of the Daleks is filled with so many high drama scenes. Colonel
Archer asking for the policemen's radio, "It's dead." with he policemen
pulling the gun to Colonel Archer's head. The Dalek battle sequences
look better than ever and Davros is better here than in Genesis of the
Daleks. The best scene for Davison is going into Davros' laboratory as
his executioner. Davison gets dark in this season and is at his darkest
in this story. "Perhaps I should mend my ways." This line summarizes it
all, and in his last story, he does nothing but mend his ways.
1. The Caves of Androzani
A
story that often fluctuates between my number one and two all time
spots. It has everything - the best two cliffhangers in the show's
history, my Doctor, and a story that sticks with you long after you've
watched it. Throughout the Fifth Doctor's time, he deals with a lot of
death and destruction corrupting his innocent appearance. Adric's death
is the beginning of the end for the Fifth Doctor, couple that with the
genocide of the Silurian triad in Warriors of the Deep, and the complete
destruction of many lives in Resurrection of the Daleks, a brand new
companion and the end of an era generally might not mix well. In this
case the Doctor and Peri don't effect the war around them. They're
trying to get out, and end up with a deadly disease by accident. Five's
selflessness really shines, which is ultimately his downfall. He grabs
the antidote, and when he gets just outside the TARDIS doors, he
crumbles. His downfall is imminent. Half of the milk spills leaving
enough only for Peri. The Doctor gives the antidote to her even though
he knows it will cost him his life. Adding to that story is the fact
that The Doctor and Peri don't even really know each other. The episode three
cliffhanger where he crashes the spaceship, possibly to his death, just
to save her is the strongest moment in all of Doctor Who. The Fifth
Doctor cares so much for the people around him that he has no choice but
to risk everything for everyone. In his death, we see and feel the
regret he has for the death of Adric, something that haunts him to his
last word.
So which do you think are the best Peter Davison Doctor Who stories?
Do you agree with Andrew's choices, or do you have a different top 5?
Why not give us your selection in the comments below.
Andrew Jero is 17, lives in Iowa and has been watching Doctor Who since the age of four. He enjoys acting and writing plays, television scripts, and short stories. He has a very strong love of Red Dwarf as well. Follow Andrew on Twitter.
Next time it's the turn of the Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker.
Previous features:
Colin Baker
Do you agree with Andrew's choices, or do you have a different top 5?
Why not give us your selection in the comments below.
Andrew Jero is 17, lives in Iowa and has been watching Doctor Who since the age of four. He enjoys acting and writing plays, television scripts, and short stories. He has a very strong love of Red Dwarf as well. Follow Andrew on Twitter.
Next time it's the turn of the Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker.
Previous features:
Colin Baker
