"Time-Flight"The Doctor decides to take Tegan and Nyssa to the Great Exhibition to help them take their minds of the death of fellow companion Adric. Instead they end up at Heathrow airport just after a Concord has disappeared from its flight plan. Just for a change the Doctor and his companions aren't blamed. Instead, thanks to UNIT, they are recruited to help. Going along the same path they end up in prehistoric Earth which someone is trying to hypnotise them into believing is still Heathrow. They come across the mysterious Kalid and the Doctor is determined to find out just who he is and what he wants with the TARDIS.
This story was heavily criticised by fans as amongst one of the poorer in the series. Whilst not exactly the best I didn't mind it either. Yes, the sets are poor and the effects are bad even for Doctor Who. I think that I have a soft spot for it though because it features the Master and I do think there was a lot of potential there in the story. I do feel though that it was a poor way to end the season. They did try to turn it into a cliffhanger by making everyone believe that Tegan had left the show. I think though it would have been far better to have ended it with "Earthshock" and the death of Adric.
"Arc Of Infinity"
The Doctor and Nyssa are making some long needed repairs to the TARDIS. Suddenly the Doctor is attacked by a force trying to take him over from another dimension and he is recalled back to his home world Gallifrey. Instead of trying to help him the Timelords believe that the Doctor is guilty of helping this creature and so he is arrested and sentenced to death. Meanwhile Tegan has arrived in Amsterdam and is searching for her cousin who has went missing. The creature who is responsible turns out to be the same one who is trying to use the Doctor. Inadvertently that same creature discovers Tegans link to the Doctor and decides to use it to get what he wants. Which is to move from a dimension of pure anti matter to live in our dimension despite the disastrous consequences if he were to fail.
This episode is famous for a few reasons. First it was televised during the year Dr Who would be celebrating its 20th anniversary. It saw the return of nemesis Omega who last featured in the 10th anniversary story "The Three Doctors". It was also filmed overseas which hadn't been done in Dr Who in four years. Lastly it also guest starred Colin Baker as Timelord Maxil who later became the 6th actor to play the Doctor. This one was never one of my favourites. I just never saw the attraction of watching the Doctor run about the streets of Amsterdam after a copy of himself. Since then I have grown to appreciate it. But then maybe that has more to do with the fact that I love the city of Amsterdam than the story itself. I especially enjoyed watching it this time round as I had just come back from Amsterdam. Funnily enough this was one of my sisters favourites when she watched the show. Very rarely did we share favourite episodes. I think "Robots of Death" may have been the only one.
2 comments:
The BBC seem to be releasing a lot of the stories which are regarded as poorer by the fans. I guess the problem with "Time-Flight" is juxtaposing something as expensive looking as Concorde with cheaper-than-usual sets and it just ends up looking a bit odd!
Another thing "Arc of Infinity" is famous for is the return of Michael Gough to "Doctor Who", this time as Councillor Hedin though perhaps the actor is better remembered as The Celestial Toymaker. Interestingly, Michael shares his birthday with the programme itself!
I honestly don't remember watching these stories as a kid,though I did used to watch around this period ! Maybe I was on holiday or something !?
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