Things I've Learnt from Watching My Favourite Doctor Who Stories Part 32: The Two Doctors

32: The Two Doctors

I don't know much about art but I know what I like!

I'm going to be thoroughly contrary with this one. Anyone who read my entry on the Caves of Androzani may be thinking I'm a bit hypercritical of putting this on my list after saying Caves' success led to Eric Saward crafting a more violent style for Season 22. Yes. The Two Doctors is quite violent, gruesomely so in some bits but it is also a lot more fun than, say Vengeance on Varos which has a cruel streak I'm not too fond of.

Tonally the Two Doctors is all over the shop. Violent and very funny, sometimes in quick succession. But Robert Holmes delighted in that. I don't think it's any more violent than Caves or Talons, it's just not as well directed. But it's fun and was the story from Season 22 I videoed. I was only allowed to tape one story and I choose this one because it was there episodes not two and I loved the second Doctor! 

Also, we have two Doctors, both of whom are a delight to watch. Colin Baker has huge charm and presence that offsets his Doctor's more abrasive nature. He and Nicola Bryant have a great chemistry that's often having material that works against that. We have a little bit of that in this story, but when Colin says the line I've quoted above, you sense a genuine warmth between them there. In part two, Peri mouths "Is that so!" behind the Doctor's back and I've often thought it does unfortunately look as though she's telling him to p*** off! Which she isn't, of course! 

Then there's Doctor no.2, with Patrick Troughton returning plus Frazer Hines as Jamie. As much as I adore they're back, I can't help thinking Saward suggested Holmes write an extra Doctor in because he didn't approve of Colin's appointment in the role. He's completely wrong, you only have to work through Colin's Big Finish work to see he's a great Doctor. Both Troughton and Hines are great value as always, and Jamie works well alongside Six and Peri. 

It's fair to say that of the Blake's 7 regulars making guest Appearances in season 22, Jacqueline Pearce gets the better deal and gives the better performance. But unlike some fans, I don't think she's just playing Servalan in a wig. I don't think she's rehashing her Blake's 7 performance, it's laziness on the fans part for not noticing the subtle differences.

Yes, both are ruthless and dispatch anyone who's no use to them anymore, but Chessene lacks Servalan's sense of humour and sensuality. The former is alien to her, the latter because she's been surgically augmented to suppress those base desires. There's a coldness to Chessene, if she was playing - and if it was written to be - like Servalan, she'd be trying to seduce either of the Doctor's! Chessene also lacks Servalan'd femininity, whivh is ironic given that Servalan was originally written as a male character. 

John Stratton's Shockeye is a character I don't think you'd never get away with nowadays. The implications of his cannibalistic tendencies are too much for family viewing, especially with the part two cliffhanger. I realise he's an Androgum but they should have gone a bit further make-up wise to differentiate him from humans. That said, Stratton is very funny when alongside the augmented second Doctor in their scenes filmed in the streets of Seville. 

A big shout out too for Peter Howell, who's often overlooked in the annals of Doctor Who music compared to Dudley Simpson and Murray Gold. Howell's work is both varied and superb, from the awesome wall of sound in The Leisure Hive to that menacing horn motif for the Five Doctors. Here his music is augmented by a Spanish style guitar and works really well, especially the scene where the Doctor, Peri and Jamie have to duck into hiding from Chessene and Dastari. 

So, the Two Doctors makes the list as despite it's faults I have a lot of fond memories of watching it over and over again. Plus, how can you not like a Doctor Who story that features 2 Doctors, Jacqueline Pearce and mentions Shepton Mallet?

Next Time: How many Nimons make three