altariel | Doctor Who: season 10

The Three Doctors

mraltariel: Isn't it lovely to see William Hartnell again, even if he is obviously very ill indeed?

altariel: Yes, it is lovely, and I think he actually does a smashing job, you can see how much this part meant to him.

mraltariel: It also serves to show just how much Doctor Who has changed over the last ten years. I miss the breadth of imagination of the Hartnell stories, but these are much better than the nadir of Troughton's repetitive plots.

altariel: There's definitely new energy to the storytelling, but you feel that the show has now settled into a particular idiom. I also miss the variety of material from Hartnell's earlier seasons.

mraltariel: Plus, blobby aliens! Making blobblobblobblob noises. What's not to like about this story.

altariel: Only a cad could dislike it.

Carnival of Monsters

mraltariel: This story is hilarious.

altariel: I hadn't seen this one before. It's fucking brilliant. I'd hand this one out as a gateway drug.

mraltariel: Bob Holmes gives us some brilliant low-level scheming functionaries.

altariel: They are legendary minion.

mraltariel: Not to mention the carnie polari! Vada the bona polone!

altariel: I just couldn't believe that bit! This is a classic. Also, does one of my favourite things, making the action continous. You feel like these events all took place over about ninety minutes.

Frontier in Space

mraltariel: I was slightly dreading this, but it turns out to be another goodie in a great season. They've really worked out how to package a nugget of story in twenty-five minutes, and turn the whole thing into a six meatball stew.

altariel: What?

mraltariel: If you just scarf the meatballs, it would be a bit boring. But taking one meatball and a bit of sauce, then having a bit of water and maybe a bit of breadstick, and you're ready for the next meatball which, despite being the same ingredients as the previous meatball is still delicious...

altariel: And advances the plot.

mraltariel: Yes. You've got it. These are plot meatballs.

altariel: Gristle-free.

mraltariel: And action sauce.

altariel: Heh you said sauce. Anyway, I like this one too. Cool aliens, great sets, prison planet.

mraltariel: Goodbye Roger Delgado. You will be missed.

Planet of the Daleks

mraltariel: Terry's written a Dalek story!

altariel: I wonder what will happen? Will there be semi-sentient plants?

mraltariel: A character called Taran?

altariel: A character called Rebec?

mraltariel: Will there be a sequence where the Daleks chase people in a lift?

altariel: Will there be invisible aliens?

mraltariel and

altariel: YES!

mraltariel: However, all this is saved by the army of Rolykins Daleks.

altariel: That is a high point of my life. The world's cutest alien death squad.

mraltariel: Plus, although we've seen it before, it's actually quite a good version of Terry's Dalek story. And it might even have been time for it again.

altariel: A curious flashback to Hartnell-era storytelling.

The Green Death

mraltariel: Goodbye Jo. I'd almost grown fond of you and your irritating whiny voice.

altariel: Yes, she's been the real surprise of these past few seasons. I thought I'd hate her, but she's really quite sweet, and the dynamic between her and Pertwee is lovely.

mraltariel: Still glad to see the back of her though.

altariel: Ooh, be careful what you wish for! Who knows what companion they'll force on us next?!

mraltariel: This actually has two of my favourite things about this season: the camp computer BOSS and his sidekick from Sandbaggers. There's also mad dressing up from Pertwee, although I'm not sure whether the actual charlady wasn't a less convincing woman than him. Welsh milkman is a particular triumph.

altariel: Those maggots were revolting. They really put me off my Coco Pops. But, yes, good solid story, lots of plot, lots of good characters. All six episodes went to a full twenty-five minutes and it didn't feel padded at all.

Ranking
Carnival of Monsters
Frontier in Space/The Green Death
Planet of the Daleks
The Three Doctors

mraltariel: The best season in a very long time. Funny, assured, exciting, and not a duffer amongst them.

altariel: Nearly enough to make you pay your licence fee.