Doctor Who - Ghost Light Reviews

Rating		Votes
10	21%	21
9	26%	26
8	28%	28
7	16%	16
6	4%	4
5	3%	3
4	1%	1
3	0%	0
2	0%	0
1	0%	0
Average Rating 8.3
Votes 99

Synopsis

http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide

The Doctor brings Ace to Gabriel Chase, an old house that she once burnt down in her home town of Perivale. The year is 1883 and the house is presided over by Josiah Samuel Smith, who turns out to be the evolved form of an alien brought to Earth in a stone spaceship that is now in the basement. Others present include the explorer Redvers Fenn-Cooper, who has been driven mad by what he has seen there, and Nimrod, Smith's Neanderthal manservant.

Smith intends to use Fenn-Cooper's unwitting help in a plot to kill Queen Victoria and restore the British Empire to its former glory. His plans are hampered by Control, a female alien whose life-cycle is in balance with his own. Ace inadvertently causes the release of the spaceship's true owner - a powerful alien being known as Light.

Light originally came to Earth to compile a catalogue of its species but, on discovering that his catalogue has now been made obsolete by evolution, he decides to destroy all life on the planet. He disintegrates when the Doctor convinces him that evolution is irresistible and that he himself is constantly changing.

Control has meanwhile evolved into a lady and Smith has reverted to an earlier, primitive form. They leave in the spaceship, along with Nimrod and Fenn-Cooper, heading for new adventures.

Has Prerequisite Story

1 out of 25 (4.0%) raters say this story requires a previous story.

Extended Ratings

Plot

8.0

(32)

Acting

8.4

(32)

Effects

8.0

(32)

Replay

8.2

(32)

7th Doctor

Ace - Dorothy McShane

Eternals

Cast

The Doctor - Sylvester McCoy

Ace - Sophie Aldred

Control - Sharon Duce

Gwendoline - Katharine Schlesinger

Inspector Mackenzie - Frank Windsor

Josiah - Ian Hogg

Light - John Hallam

Mrs Grose - Brenda Kempner

Mrs Pritchard - Sylvia Syms

Nimrod - Carl Forgione

Redvers Fenn-Cooper - Michael Cochrane

Reverend Ernest Matthews - John Nettleton

Director:

Alan Wareing

Writer:

Marc Platt

Reviews

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Latest Community Reviews

Doctor Who

Classic TV Series

Ghost Light

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Reviewed By: BrainofMorbius23Review Date: 9/5/17 12:58 am

1 out of 1 found this review helpful.

This story is oozing with primordial soup! I mean atmosphere sorry!
It may be a mess especially on first viewing but you have to admit it's a good mess. Great acting. Dark and weird. It's story's like this and curse of fenric that I think stand best in the late eighties. I still to this day think the show got axed just as quality was on the mend!
Ah well who can complain now though with ten modern seasons so far.

Do watch this one if you want a claustrophobic ghost story that in typical doctor who fashion isn't that at all !

9/10 might be a over score but I can't say 8.5

Other Recommendations

9.0

(113)

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Reviewed By: adamelijahReview Date: 6/4/15 2:18 am

0 out of 0 found this review helpful.

Ghost Light features one of Sylvester McCoy's performances as the Doctor and continued to portray the strong bond between this Doctor and Ace. The story is atmospheric with a lovely Victorian setting and so many great spooky scenes.

However, this story suffers from some bizarre editing that makes it hard to follow at times. Any time to make sense of a story you have watch a commentary or read a novelization to just find out what went on, you have a problematic story. Same thing if a story is too long or too short. Some Pertwee stories might have been better an episode or two shorter but that's not the story we actually have. I really empathized with the Doctor when he started to get confused by the goings on in the final episode.

However, despite its faults, this is held together by everything strong and wonderful about it, namely the performances from the leads and the fascinating characters who will hold your attention even if a hard to follow storyline tempts your mind to wander.

Doctor Who

Classic TV Series

Ghost Light

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Reviewed By: Dave_136Review Date: 4/20/14 7:35 am

0 out of 1 found this review helpful.

If only this one was 4 episodes! Ghost Light is very complicated but it is hugely enjoyable and very atmospheric. "The cream of Scotland Yard" always cracks me up...

Doctor Who

Classic TV Series

Ghost Light

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Reviewed By: LadyHawkeReview Date: 5/2/13 1:11 am

1 out of 1 found this review helpful.

I had to watch the Commentary to fully understand Ghost Light. Ghost Light should have been extended to 4 episodes instead of 3. All the editing made Ghost Light very confusing. Once I read up on it and understood who the characters were and their roles, I really enjoyed this story.

I wish they made more period pieces during the McCoy era. The BBC did a better job with costuming and the set with period pieces than with futuristic shows.

I really liked the dark side of the Doctor in this story and how he manipulated people like chess pieces to win out in the end.

On a side note, I'm sad that Sylvester McCoy as the 7th Doctor and Ace had such a short run. The background story about Ace was starting to become interesting. It seems unfinished. It's too bad they canceled the show.