1) The Dominators (Second Doctor: Patrick Troughton; Season 6; Story 044)
The Dominators has its fair share of problems, but by no means does it belong in the bottom ten of the original 159 Doctor Who stories. In fact, I find a lot to praise in this modest, formulaic tale of tyrants versus pacifists. The Dominators themselves are pretty effective as sort of Flash Gordon styled villains while their servants the diminutive Quarks are easily predecessors to droids as seen in Star Wars nearly twenty years later. The leads are at the top of their game in this story, as well. The Doctor is forced to behave like an imbecile so that the Dominators won’t see him as a threat and Troughton pulls this off with comic aplomb. Both Jamie and Zoe get a chance to shine on their own in several episodes, too. At five episodes The Dominators is slightly overlong and it’s hard to really care about the badly dressed Dulcians (whose very name is an apt pun), but this story is significantly better than its reputation.
The Dominators has its fair share of problems, but by no means does it belong in the bottom ten of the original 159 Doctor Who stories. In fact, I find a lot to praise in this modest, formulaic tale of tyrants versus pacifists. The Dominators themselves are pretty effective as sort of Flash Gordon styled villains while their servants the diminutive Quarks are easily predecessors to droids as seen in Star Wars nearly twenty years later. The leads are at the top of their game in this story, as well. The Doctor is forced to behave like an imbecile so that the Dominators won’t see him as a threat and Troughton pulls this off with comic aplomb. Both Jamie and Zoe get a chance to shine on their own in several episodes, too. At five episodes The Dominators is slightly overlong and it’s hard to really care about the badly dressed Dulcians (whose very name is an apt pun), but this story is significantly better than its reputation.2) The Web Planet (First Doctor: William Hartnell; Season 2; Story 013)
The Web Planet is like an imaginative but naïve child who is inevitably the subject of much bullying and ridicule. This is a well-written story that far exceeds its meager budget and is thus judged mainly on its stagy exterior. To be fair, The Web Planet does contain a great deal to laugh at and some of the costumes are terribly amusing, but for me the scope of the narrative and the committed performances of the stars make it all worthwhile. How often do we encounter a planet in Doctor Who that has more than one form of intelligent life on it? Even a hint that there are multiple cultures such as one might find on Earth? Not often enough, I say. The Web Planet, aka Vortis, offers three distinct races of sentient beings (and at least one sub-race) each with their own function in the story and that sort of thing should be applauded. The dedication of the actors here is amazing, really, because it’s their ability to take the story seriously that makes the whole thing work. There are some marvelously simple techniques used to give The Web Planet a true sense of otherworldliness, too, such as the Vaseline-on-the-lens trick when they’re on the planet’s surface. Like The Dominators, The Web Planet could stand to be an episode or two shorter, but all things considered it’s hardly the worst thing to come out of the second season and better than pretty much everything that survives from the third.
The Web Planet is like an imaginative but naïve child who is inevitably the subject of much bullying and ridicule. This is a well-written story that far exceeds its meager budget and is thus judged mainly on its stagy exterior. To be fair, The Web Planet does contain a great deal to laugh at and some of the costumes are terribly amusing, but for me the scope of the narrative and the committed performances of the stars make it all worthwhile. How often do we encounter a planet in Doctor Who that has more than one form of intelligent life on it? Even a hint that there are multiple cultures such as one might find on Earth? Not often enough, I say. The Web Planet, aka Vortis, offers three distinct races of sentient beings (and at least one sub-race) each with their own function in the story and that sort of thing should be applauded. The dedication of the actors here is amazing, really, because it’s their ability to take the story seriously that makes the whole thing work. There are some marvelously simple techniques used to give The Web Planet a true sense of otherworldliness, too, such as the Vaseline-on-the-lens trick when they’re on the planet’s surface. Like The Dominators, The Web Planet could stand to be an episode or two shorter, but all things considered it’s hardly the worst thing to come out of the second season and better than pretty much everything that survives from the third.3) The Sensorites (First Doctor: William Hartnell; Season 1; Story 007)
Some consider The Sensorites to be the worst story of Doctor Who’s premiere season, but I don’t agree. Like the stories I mentioned above, I certainly don’t think it belongs in the bottom 10 percentile of all the original Doctor Who stories. Besides, the story which inspired the Ood can’t be all bad, can it? Episode one of The Sensorites is excellent stuff and the cliffhanger is chillingly convincing for a low-budget program in its infancy. The Sensorites are a well-conceived alien race, physically grotesque (from a human point of view) yet on the whole as complex and varied as human beings when it comes to personalities. It’s a true testament to the show that the first “scary-looking” alien race we encounter in Doctor Who (not counting the Daleks, because we never really see them) is not merely a collection of like-minded baddies out to destroy the Earth or conquer the universe. Instead, they’re a highly-civilized people who, like humans, consist of individuals who run the gamut when it comes to motivations and behavior. If The Sensorites has a flaw it’s the distinct lack of action necessary to fill six episodes, but despite that this cerebral story offers some wonderful moments and interesting ideas along the way.
4) The Power of Kroll (Fourth Doctor: Tom Baker; Season 16; Story 102)
Some consider The Sensorites to be the worst story of Doctor Who’s premiere season, but I don’t agree. Like the stories I mentioned above, I certainly don’t think it belongs in the bottom 10 percentile of all the original Doctor Who stories. Besides, the story which inspired the Ood can’t be all bad, can it? Episode one of The Sensorites is excellent stuff and the cliffhanger is chillingly convincing for a low-budget program in its infancy. The Sensorites are a well-conceived alien race, physically grotesque (from a human point of view) yet on the whole as complex and varied as human beings when it comes to personalities. It’s a true testament to the show that the first “scary-looking” alien race we encounter in Doctor Who (not counting the Daleks, because we never really see them) is not merely a collection of like-minded baddies out to destroy the Earth or conquer the universe. Instead, they’re a highly-civilized people who, like humans, consist of individuals who run the gamut when it comes to motivations and behavior. If The Sensorites has a flaw it’s the distinct lack of action necessary to fill six episodes, but despite that this cerebral story offers some wonderful moments and interesting ideas along the way.4) The Power of Kroll (Fourth Doctor: Tom Baker; Season 16; Story 102)
Somehow The Power of Kroll is considered one of the two worst stories from Tom Baker’s seven year run as the Doctor, but here’s a list of half a dozen stories I enjoyed less: Planet of Evil, The Invisible Enemy, The Armageddon Factor, The Nightmare of Eden, The Horns of Nimon, and Meglos. I didn’t even mention Underworld, which really is Tom Baker’s worst story. I can see why people find so much to dislike in The Power of Kroll what with a bunch of guys painted green running around and, of course, Kroll himself…a giant squid/Not-So-Great Old One. I actually think Kroll looks pretty good for a television show of 1978, especially as the writer, the masterful Robert Holmes, received pressure from the script editor to feature “the largest monster ever to appear in Doctor Who." It’s a gritty story for the most part and features some fine actors like Philip Madoc (best known for his role as Solon in The Brain of Morbius) and John Leeson (the man behind the voice of K-9). The penultimate story of The Key to Time season, The Power of Kroll is judged almost entirely on its surface appearance. It’s still better than some people would have you believe and a veritable masterpiece when compared to The Armageddon Factor which ended the season.5) The Krotons (Second Doctor: Patrick Troughton; Season 6; Story 047)
Ah, The Krotons. Usually, the kindest thing I hear said about The Krotons is “at least it’s not The Dominators.” Well, I’m here to tell you you’ve been mislead. The Krotons is actually a very enjoyable story filled with some of Patrick Troughton’s best moments as the Doctor. From his initial emergence from the TARDIS with umbrella in hand to his mirthful envy of Zoe’s superior intellect when they both find themselves subjected to the Teaching Machine, Troughton really shines all the way through. The Krotons themselves are big, ungainly crystalline beings, but they’re a refreshing change from flesh-and-blood aliens and robots that generally dominate Doctor Who. It bears mention that this was Robert Holmes first story for the show and, while it’s by no means his best contribution to the series, it certainly shows promise. The Krotons may not be as good as The Invasion or The War Games, but I prefer it to The Dominators and The Seeds of Death and I'll likely pick it up when it's released on DVD.6) Dragonfire (Seventh Doctor: Sylvester McCoy; Season 24; Story 151)
Known as the best story of the otherwise dreadful 24th season, Dragonfire still suffers from a great deal of criticism…and most if it is reasonable. Iceworld isn’t terribly convincing (though it might have been twenty years earlier in black & white), Bonnie Langford is ready to annoy as companion Melanie Bush, and Doctor Who as a whole was in serious jeopardy of becoming a parody of itself (see the infamous literal cliffhanger at the end of episode one). Perhaps the best reason for watching Dragonfire is the introduction of Ace (Sophie Aldred), who eventually becomes my favorite companion since Leela was at the Fourth Doctor’s side almost a decade earlier. It’s interesting to see Ace here at her most unrestrained and troubled and it makes her maturity by the time of Survival (the final story of the original series) all the more apparent. Sabalom Glitz, possibly the best thing about The Trial of a Time Lord season, returns for another run-in with the Doctor and this gives the story an added layer of humor and charm, as well. While it’s no classic, Dragonfire provides a fitting departure for Mel and serves as an interesting prologue for Ace. Furthermore, at only three episodes long there’s no worry of it overstaying its welcome.7) The Creature from the Pit (Fourth Doctor: Tom Baker; Season 17; Story 106)
I mentioned in my previous blog that City of Death was the best story from “the otherwise atrocious season 17,” so why am I now defending the story that immediately followed City of Death? It’s because some Doctor Who stories are so preposterous and ridiculous that they’re absolutely endearing and The Creature from the Pit is a perfect example of this category. This story is hilarious on a multitude of levels, both deliberate and inadvertent, and as a result it is one of my favorites. "The Creature" in question is a massive blobby being called Erato who pursues the Doctor and company around "The Pit" with what appears to be a giant green phallus. Then we have the wolfweeds, which look like a cross between tumbleweeds and testicles and function like a pack of rabid tribbles, glomming onto enemies and incapacitating them with their…um…glomminess. Myra Frances gives a deliciously over-the-top performance as the domineering Lady Adrasta while Tom Baker is at his zaniest. It’s also hard not to notice the hand of Douglas Adams at work as script editor in this story and I find The Creature from the Pit funnier than either The Pirate Planet or City of Death, stories which Adams wrote (or co-wrote) himself. Underneath all the delicious campiness, The Creature from the Pit contains an engaging plot with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing about what will happen next. All in all, a highly recommended story for when what you really want is a laugh.8) Terminus (Fifth Doctor: Peter Davison; Season 20; Story 127)
No, you’re not hallucinating; I’m about to stand up for a Peter Davison story even his fans don’t seem to enjoy. Terminus appears in the middle of a trio of stories often referred to as The Black Guardian Trilogy, but it does little to move that story arc along, instead focusing on the Terminus ship itself and the eventual departure of Nyssa. Because she’s my favorite Fifth Doctor companion and she gets a very proper send off I’m perhaps a bit more lenient with this story than I might be otherwise. Looking at it objectively, however, I still think Terminus is an atmospheric and well-plotted story. It’s true The Garm is reminsicent of Barf from Spaceballs, but I’ve seen worse creatures in Doctor Who. The guards on Terminus wear what looks like an ancient prototype for the Power Suit from Metroid and the space pirates obviously came straight from the planet Thunderdome, but it was the 80s. And while The Black Guardian/Turlough plotline takes a backseat, it still provides an ominous backdrop to the already grim events taking place center stage. A bleak story for the Fifth Doctor is a good thing in my opinion as it sufficiently counters Peter Davison’s uninspiring take on the character and Terminus is nothing if not bleak.
9) Death to the Daleks (Third Doctor: Jon Pertwee; Season 11; Story 072)
Death to the Daleks is without a doubt my favorite from this list. Surprisingly it’s considered the worst of the Third Doctor’s three Dalek stories according to the Outpost Gallifrey 2003 Reader Poll. In my opinion, this is one of the best stories of Jon Pertwee’s final season, second only to The Time Warrior. Sarah Jane Smith (Elizabeth Sladen), my all-time favorite companion, is relatively new to the show at this point, but you wouldn’t know it from her rapport with the Doctor. Although she is sidelined for a great deal of the story, she has some great moments in the first episode and later on when she meets with the Exxilons. The Exxilons are a strange, diminutive race, but quite charming in their own way. Like the the Sensorites, the Exxilons are more complex than your average alien race and are extremely well used in this story, particularly Bellal, who serves as the Doctor’s pseudo-companion for much of the story. You’ve also got human soldiers, mutants and…oh, yeah…Daleks! They’re somewhat overshadowed by the Exxilons and their sentient city, but it’s nice to see the Daleks trapped in the same boat with their archenemy—the Doctor. Fine direction and solid performances make Death to the Daleks well worth a second look.10) The Mysterious Planet (Sixth Doctor: Colin Baker; Season 23; Story 144)
Colin Baker was royally shafted on Doctor Who. He was forced to wear a patchwork quilt as a coat, stuck with a companion whose only redeeming feature was her cleavage, given the worst introductory story of any Doctor (The Twin Dilemma may be the worst Doctor Who story ever) and then cursed with a year and half hiatus between his only two seasons as the Doctor. His second and final season was a fourteen episode affair called The Trial of a Time Lord which consisted of four interlocking stories. The first of these stories was The Mysterious Planet and I personally think it is the best story of the entire season. It's clear that the Sixth Doctor and Peri have gotten closer in the time they've spent together. Peri has matured and the Doctor has mellowed somewhat in regards to her so there is little of the petty bickering that went on in the previous season. Sabalom Glitz, the mercenary and profiteer, makes his debut in this story and his repartee with his sidekick Dibber is an excellent example of Robert Holmes witty dialogue. Sadly, this was Robert Holmes final complete story for Doctor Who as he died not long afterwards. While it's hardly top shelf material, even Holmes worst stories make for better than average Doctor Who. If the remainder of The Trial of a Time Lord was as good as The Mysterious Planet, I'd have no qualms about recommending the entire season. Unfortunately, it goes downhill from here.So, there you have it. Ten Doctor Who stories spanning a quarter of a century that aren't nearly as bad as everyone says they are. Unfortunately only three are currently available on DVD (The Web Planet, The Power of Kroll and The Mysterious Planet) and two of them really only work as part of grander, season-spanning storylines. Still, if you can track any of them down they're worth seeing. They might not be The Talons of Weng-Chiang, but each one has something to offer the receptive viewer.
All of these stories sound pretty good to me... I defer to your wisdom in matters of Dr. Who, as the only one of these that I have personally seen is The Power of Kroll, which I thought was one of the best of The Key to Time series. Even though those dudes were totally wearing what appeared to be cut-up, green spray painted sweaters or mops on their heads. I need to see more of The first doctor, for sure.
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