Who Review #131 - the Five Doctors

20 years of the show were celebrated on 23rd November 1983 and as part of the Children in Need evening too.

Sadly Tom turned down his part so we had to make do with previously unseen clips from Shada, which had been cancelled due to industrial action at the BBC. Not the same, of course, but it did make up for it a bit at the time.

The feature length episode opened with a clip from the Daleks Invasion of Earth (where the Doctor says farewell to Susan), so the late Bill was also represented. It was always going to be risky having another actor portray the first Doctor, however I think Richard Hurndell (who had played a cowboy in the Hartnell story The Gunfighters) pulled it off well enough. There are a few lines he delivered as though he was in a bad mood, not just tetchy.

Pertwee and Davison were OK; but it was Troughton, with Nick Courtney as the Brigadier, who carried the story.

The story isn't fantastic but with a Dalek, a Yeti, Cybermen, the Master,Rassilon, Gallifrey, old companions, mention of past events and some of the classic lines (Reverse the Polarity; No! Not the mind probe!), the Five Doctors had sufficient nostalgia for its aim as a celebration/ a party.

I prefer the Three Doctors though.
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