Four To Doomsday

An aside - physics be damned, the sheer fun of the Doctor using his cricket ball to propel him through space is worthy of praise. One really fun little scene that adds much needed gravitas.

Specific scene aside, FTD does relatively little to irritate by comparison with other stinkers. The set design is of great quality, with some refreshing verticality. Guest cast plays for laughs, but not to a pantomime exaggeration. Nyssa is a lovely presence throughout, and performances across the board of our main cast are solid.

The issue arises with the script - namely its horrific tedium. There's enough material to cover two episodes of the blandest serial ever produced and that's your lot. Aliens to conquer earth, androids, gullible characters as a source of drama. tick-tick-tick-checklist complete.

Even the antagonist, Monarch, seems aware of the total tedium. A villain whose self-proclaimed strength is his patience... does not an effective villain make. He allows our protagonists free reign to wander about (at what can't even be described as a leisurely pace) solving the plot. The solution, so simple as to be utterly persuasive to one character as to turn his loyalty in two lines of dialogue. The serial gets that bored OF ITSELF, it routinely devolves into tacky variety show.

Meanwhile the tardis is hijacked by Tegan (barely rising an eyebrow - thanks tension!) almost a welcome reprieve from the cowardly selfish character, screaming, moaning, reactive and generally irritating. At least Adric is only naive!

Minor gripes include the resolution (surely Monarch could change back co-ordinates) resplendent with callous murder (the Doctor lobbing the Toxin with glee) that makes little sense (the toxin.. that doesn't spread through the air.. this was what would kill the human race?!) albeit more than the thought of dumping androids from various timezones back on earth.

Inoffensive, just really really bland paint-by-numbers Doctor Who.

Four to Doomsday is actually the first story Peter Davison filmed and it's a production that has some big problems: wooden guest acting, an unconvincing villain, and probably one of the most absurd portrayal of physics in all of Doctor Who. However, there's a godo mystery through the first two parts and it's good to see the Fifth Doctor get direct with Adric in a way he rarely did, and the resolution is fairly satisfying. As a whole, the story isn't dull or stupid, but it does have a camp feel that may actually make it more enjoyable for some fans.