Things I've Learnt from Watching My Favourite Doctor Who Stories: Part 7 - The Power of the Doctor

 7. The Power of the Doctor 

You're never to old to cry at goodbyes...

From the very first Doctor Who story I saw to what is the latest, at least until Saturday 25th November 2023. The Power of the Doctor was made to celebrate the BBC's Centenary, and was an unashamedly enjoyable and poignant celebration of the series in all its forms. And it was a goodbye to a Doctor I adored but didn't think I'd like!

Sunday 16th July 2017 - the Durrington Vehicle Show. It's hot and I'm carrying my eight month old son round a load of old cars when my wife shows me her phone. The BBC website says "Jodie Whittaker has been announced as Doctor Who's 13th Time Lord - the first woman to get the role."

And I'm afraid I rolled my eyes - they'd actually gone and done it! They'd cast a female Doctor... 

Now before you accuse me of being a knuckle-dragging NMD, I had not seen Broadchurch, the drama Jodie was perhaps most famous for, nor had I seen the video reveal. Also, as someone who works with children and young people, I thought it was important for the Doctor to be a strong male role model and it wasn't as if modern companions weren't strong female role models in their own right. 

However, when I saw the reveal I was impressed and quickly looked online for more of this actress called Jodie Whittaker. A clip of her crossing swords with a certain Christopher Eccleston in the National Theatre production of Antigone blew my socks off and enough to convince me to be confident for her as the new Doctor.

And I think she was great. By the end of the Woman Who Fell to Earth, she'd convinced me that we'd be alright. So it irritates me to see so many comments about she wasn't good, or "she was good but the scripts are rubbish!" Really? 

Maybe I've been working in schools for too long but I want to shout "Show your working! Give examples! OK there are some stories that aren't great but the whole history of the show is littered with badly written stories! I've gotten fed up of seeing meaningless social media posts whining about bad writing by nameless keyboard warriors who are probably just throwing their toys out of their pram, simply because the Doctor no longer has a penis!

OK, rant over. I was sad when it was announced Jodie would be leaving after only three series, most of which I had enjoyed. And it would be a feature length special, a full ninety minutes, the longest new series episode yet. The trailer at the end of Legend of the Sea Devils made me shout out loud. Tegan! Ace!

I'd always had an inkling that Chris Chibnall would possibly bring an old companion back and that it would probably be Sophie Alfred but after years of keeping her distance from the series, I was gobsmacked Janet Fielding would be back. (to me about as likely as Bonnie Langford returning...) And it was wonderful to see them back and not losing any of their spark and charm. It was lovely to see them back and both of them were well served by the script.

This could have been another Magician's Apprentice (a story that's not on this list by a long chalk!) A lot of fan pleasing elements thrown together and sprayed up the wall to cause an absolute mess. Fortunately, Chris Chibnall crafted an intricate plot involving the Master, the Daleks, the Cybermen and UNIT as well as past companions, present companions and guest characters. There are laugh out loud moments (the Daleks and Cybermen reacting to Rasputin!) exciting moments (Tegan and Ace shooting at the Cybermen) scary moments (Kate at the hands of the Cybermen!) and moments that broke your heart (everything else!)

I'm not ashamed to say that I had tears in my eyes as the old Doctors appeared in the afterlife, plus Tegan and Ace making their peace with their respective Doctors in beautifully written and acted scenes. I was hoping for more of Jo Martin's fugitive Doctor and maybe a full explanation of whether she is a pre-Hartnell Doctor but maybe that's something Russell T Davies will tackle?

The Doctor and Yaz have one final date before she regenerates and then Yaz encounters Dan and Graham and gets taken to meet up with more of the Doctor's old friends. Jo! Mel! Ian Chesterton! William Russell was heartbreaking when he said "Excuse me, did you say her?" more tears... 

And then to the regeneration itself. No long speeches, no interminably boring angst about I don't want to go... just "Doctor Whoever you are.. Tag, you're it!" I have never cried at a regeneration. Tom Baker falls off a radio telescope? I was one dry eyed eight year old. Peter Davison poisoned into regenerating into Colin Baker? not a tear! Capaldi, nope I like pears! Tennant? Get on with it... But for Jodie, I blubbed like a baby because I really didn't want her to go. I must be getting soft in my old age... 

For me, The Power of the Doctor did what the Day of the Doctor should have done; celebrate the whole of the history of the show, not just the modern era. It was a glorious emotional roller-coaster from the hair-rasing train sequence to the blossomest blossom. Tag, you're it! 

Next Time: Necessity is the mother of invention if you can't go down the tube!