Classic Who day by day

[Starkers]

Yeah I wondered that. I assumed either the Doctor retrived them, or else they ejected before it shifted back in time (my memory's fuzzy on the timing)

But yeah, Nyssa's lovely but sometimes you wonder why she's there! I think she gets more to do now Adric's vacated the Tardis...at least until Turlough shows up!

 

[OmahaStar]

Yeah I wondered that. I assumed either the Doctor retrived them, or else they ejected before it shifted back in time (my memory's fuzzy on the timing)

But yeah, Nyssa's lovely but sometimes you wonder why she's there! I think she gets more to do now Adric's vacated the Tardis...at least until Turlough shows up!

Time-Flight 1
Written by Peter Grimwade
Directed by Ron Jones

In the aftermath from the previous adventure, the Doctor has returned the survivors from the doomed freighter to their proper time.

At Heathrow, the control tower has lost contact with one of their Concords. As we watch, the airplane disappears from the sky.

Something goes wonky with the Tardis (doesn't it always?) and it materializes just above a landing strip at Heathrow, before moving inside the airport at Terminal 1.

They are quickly spotted by authorities. The Doctor name-drops UNIT and the Brig. Moments later, they are given all but royal treatment.

The Doctor suggests a plan - put the Tardis on another Concord and have it fly the exact same flight the previous one had gone through. He'll use the Tardis to take readings and see what happens. They agree, and the plan is put into motion. The Tardis is put into the hold, Tegan, Nyssa, and the Doctor are the passengers, and there are three pilots. Well, a pilot and two co-pilots.

They land at Heathrow. At least, they think they do. Back at the real Heathrow, they've lost the airplane in the exact same manor as the first one.

On the tarmac, Nyssa sees a group of four corpses, just for an instant. This gives the Doctor an idea. It's all an illusion. If they concentrate hard enough, they'll be able to see reality. And they do. It is the same location as the airport, but about 140 million years in the past.

The Doctor and Tegan spot the first plane and head off with Nyssa and the crew staying behind.

They spot a group of people from the first plane carrying the Tardis. They're under some kind of spell or hypnosis.

The Doctor is enveloped in some kind of bubbles as we fade out.

* * *

Are the Ice Warriors back? What, wrong kind of bubbles? Ah well.

It's a fun little story so far, but it makes me wonder how the heck they filmed it. As we all know, the budget was less than satisfactory for this series, but they managed to film on a plane, and use actual planes and such during the episode?

However they did it, kudos to them. Cuz it's pretty rather marvelous.

It was nice to have an explanation for the freighter survivors. They don't do this very often anymore, reference the previous story. It was a nice throwback to the earlier eras.

 

[OmahaStar]

Time-Flight 2

The Doctor is quickly released. Soon after, the group meets a professor, who was a passenger on the first flight. He leads the party towards the camp. Ok, a city or something inside a cave, but I'm calling it a camp.

In the camp, a genie-like creature is in command of the passengers. He speaks in riddles, and tries to get into the Tardis.

The Doctor walks away from the others and finds the Tardis. And the genie, who gives his name as Kalid.

The Professor and Captain work to free some of the passengers from their mental prisons. Nyssa and Tegan head for the center of the camp. On the way, they are shown illusions of Adric, Melkur, and Bowie's Boss, in an attempt to stop them. It doesn't work.

For what may be the first time since she joined the crew, Nyssa actually does something useful. She destroys the power control box that gives Kalid all his "magic powers."

Kalid melts down like someone threw a bucket of water on him, then sheds his clothing to reveal he's been the Master all along.

* * *

Really? Yet another fake out of the Master? Why doesn't he just sit back and twirl his mustache? That's about all he's good for. That, and having the producers invent what they think are creative anagrams for his name. I'm beyond tired of this character now. He can go away.

So they brought Adric back eh? I know he's back briefly for the regeneration sequence along with the other then-departed companions, but I can't help think the actor must have been under contract so they brought him in for one last episode to give a couple lines of dialog before they kill him off all over again.

The Doctor sure likes to wonder off in the middle of a sentence, doesn't he? Sure is an explorer, that one.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

This is about the lowest point for The Master unfortunately. He does get a few good stories later on, but this one is godawful. There's absolutely no reason for him to be in disguise other than to temporarily fool the viewers.

 

[VDCNI]

They brought Adric back so he could be included in the cast list in the Radio Times that week so it wouldn't be obvious they were getting rid of him in the previous story.

Ah what innocent days!

 

[OmahaStar]

Time-Flight 3

The Master's Tardis went all 'splody. The parts around him are from it. He constructed the time corridor in an attempt to escape. He steals the Doctor's Tardis and leaves.

When the Doctor isn't looking, he comes back. Two of the pilots rush inside and hide before the Master return. They try to sabotage it. He realizes it, does something, then exits, leaving them to their fate.

For convoluted reasons, the Master has kidnapped a race of aliens to power his Tardis. They are struggling against him.

Nyssa and Tegan take a nap.

* * *

You know how sometimes in life, you'll see an accident happen in front of you and time seems to slow down, perhaps even come to a grinding halt as the vehicles involved slowly rush towards each other, and you're helpless to do anything about it other than watch?

That's this story.

Someone read this script and said "The Master, a genie, let's throw in some aliens for no reason, we'll let the companions take a nap, feature the Doctor for less than 3 minutes in a show that bears his name, and it'll be awesome!" That person should be struck upside the head with a large, blunt object.

The first episode was pretty impressive, with the location filming and such. Then it went downhill. And then somebody strapped booster rockets on, and it went downhill even faster.

This story sucks with a capital F.

 

[OmahaStar]

Time-Flight 4

The Doctor's Tardis shows up just when he needs the ship the most.

Everyone goes outside the camp, in small groups. We focus on each group for a short amount of time, not really moving the plot forward, but showing we have a ginormous cast.

The Doctor and the Master work together to fix both Tardises, because that always works so well.

Tegan gets put to work, shepherding the passengers onto the Concorde, then they return to Heathrow.

After they're back, Tegan accidentally stays behind. The Doctor and Nyssa depart.

* * *

Here we say goodbye forever to the Mouth on Legs, Tegan.

I can only imagine what live viewers thought when this initially aired. Only one story before this, they killed Adric. Now it looks for all to see as though Tegan has been left behind. And she's at Heathrow, in her own time zone, so she has what she kept asking the Doctor for, she'd be happy right?

It must have been a huge shock to see two companions gone back to back like that.

I'm trying to be in an all-positive mood today. In that vein, I'll only say I'm happy the story is over, and I look forward to Maxil in the next story.

 

[Peacemaker]

Yeah, Time-Flight was a bit of a letdown after what was a pretty good season. It doesn't help that it follows Earthshock, which, today, would likely be the finale.

 

[OmahaStar]

Arc of Infinity 1
Written by Johnny Byrne
Directed by Ron Jones

On Gallifrey, a Time Lord communicates with someone who seems strangely familiar. He sells out the Doctor, sending his bio-data to this other being. Other Time Lords notice the transmission and cut it off.

On Earth, in Amsterdam, two travelers discuss meeting someone the next day and try to decide where they will sleep that night.

On the Tardis, the Doctor sets about repairing things when a strange signal comes in. The Doctor freaks out and tries to pilot the ship away.

The traitor Time Lord enters a computer data room, the same room his transmission had been discovered. There is but one guard on duty, and the guard instantly recognizes the man. He trusts the man without question, they are friends. And that's a shame, because the traitor has no problem whipping out a gun and killing the guard in cold blood.

Something comes through the Tardis shields and chases the Doctor and Nyssa. It is the familiar stranger, and he/it bonds with the Doctor. They literally become one, for a brief period.

We hear the Tardis land in Amsterdam, close to the underground burial chamber in which the two travelers are sleeping. But we don't actually see it.

A weird creature exists and it appears to kill one of the travelers, one named Colin. It also tries to kill the other one, but he manages to escape by the cunning use of running.

In the data room, a handsome young Time Lord with striking features and impeccable fashion sense enters to question the guard's partner. He orders the guard to recall one specific Tardis - the Doctor's.

Colin returns. He is a mindless zombie.

The handsome Time Lord holds the rank of Commander. He's obviously very high up in the chain of those running the planet, and he's named Maxil. He is rightfully pleased to see the Tardis when it arrives, almost as though it should be his.

The other traveler, named Stuart, is freaked out. He goes to a motel and checks in, despite the cost.

The Doctor and Nyssa, now on Gallifrey, rush out of the Tardis, and head towards the data room. The incredibly efficient Time Lord Commander Maxil and his guards, practical as they are, waste no time in finding the pair and stunning the Doctor. Nyssa is taken into custody.

* * *

I'd swear I've seen this Maxil chap somewhere before, wouldn't you? He's so brave, and efficient, and with such interesting fashion choices. I mean, not many could pull off a decorative feather, but he manages with brilliance. And when facing down a man as dangerous as the Doctor - a man who once stole the Presidency, of all things! - he shows cunning and refuses to back down. They should make this gentleman a series regular, don't you think?

Stuart and Colin don't seem to have much to do here. They haven't really been given anything to play with, in terms of characterizations or depth, but the actors manage to twist the words from the page and add their own spin to it, making both characters much better than they could have been.

There are a number of Big Finish audio stories set between the last story (Time-Flight) and this, with Nyssa as the Doctor's companion. I'm not sure how well that's going to work. His dialog, regarding the fight against the Cybermen and needing to repair the ship, ties directly into the recent stories. I wonder how they are going to handle you-know-who's return in the next episode? From Nyssa's perspective, will they have just left this person? Or will it seem like some time has gone by? I know from the other person's perspective it's been around a year or something.

One thing I probably shouldn't admit is, the cliffhangers usually don't work for me. The purpose of the cliffhanger is to get the audience excited for the next episode (or movie, or whatever). Leave them wanting more. Usually, it's "the Doctor is in danger, *yawn* see ya next week" or something along those lines. This one does work for me. I'm interested, I want to know more. Who is the familiar stranger? Will the Doctor survive, when his replacement is the one who shot him? We'll find out in the next episode.
​

 

[Starkers]

​

Colin returns. He is a mindless zombie.​

Actually I didn't think Baker was that bad...

 

[OmahaStar]

Colin returns. He is a mindless zombie.​

Actually I didn't think Baker was that bad...

Arc of Infinity 2

Unfortunately, the Doctor wakes up. The handsome, fit, trim Time Lord with luxurious golden locks orders his guards to take him away, then disables the Doctor's Tardis, before escorting the Doctor to the council room.

Back on Earth, Stuart goes to the airport to see Colin's cousin, a woman we're familiar with. Tegan. During conversation, she mentions the Doctor and we discover she has lost her job.

Without a trial, President Borusa orders the Doctor to his death. This will prevent the strangely familiar being from carrying out whatever dastardly plan he has.

The surviving guard, a man named Damon, is a friend of the Doctor's. He tells Nyssa about the traitor, and together they see a member of the high council, who is also a friend of the Doctor's.

The strangely familiar being is on Earth, and has his own Tardis. Colin is under his control.

Nyssa grabs a gun and goes off to the execution to rescue the Doctor. It does not work. While in the center, where he will be killed, someone appears - the strangely familiar being. Just for an instant. Lights flash, it looks like a transporter beam, and they both disappear. Maxil says that's it, the Doctor is dead.

* * *

My goodness, this Commander Maxil chap has such incredible fashion sense, is so regal and absolutely carries every scene he's in. I bet he'd make a good regular character in this series, don't you?

We get name drops of both Leela and Romana.

Yes, I know who the "strangely familiar" guy is, but it hasn't been revealed in the episode so far. I'm playing along with it. And damn, it's good to see Tegan again. She looks so much better with her short hair, too. Can't wait for the reunion.

 

[Starkers]

Colin returns. He is a mindless zombie.​

Actually I didn't think Baker was that bad...

Be fair you did walk into that!

I like Tegan with short hair...and long hair...basically I just like Tegan!