Sixth Doctor Part II - The Twin Dilemma

Just as "The Caves of Androzani" had a reputation, "The Twin Dilemma" did as well. Only, "The Twin Dilemma," the story which introduced viewers to the Sixth Doctor had the reputation as being the worst "Doctor Who" serial ever made! So, you could see why I might be a bit apprehensive going into story, but is my opinion the same as many of the other Whovains out there? Well, let's begin and you'll find out.

Following his regeneration, the Doctor (Colin Baker) begins to act strangely, worrying his companion Peri (Nicola Bryant). After the Doctor tries to strangle her, the Doctor decides to go off and live the life of a hermit on the planet Titan 3. By sheers happenstance, the TARDIS arrives only minutes before a space ship crash lands, killing all aboard except for one man, who is murmuring something about kidnapped twins. Soon the Doctor and Peri become embroiled in a diabolical plan involving kidnapped twins, a renegade Time Lord and giant gastropods.

The story for "The Twin Dilemma" is perhaps the story's biggest problem. The whole plot is rather ludicrous once the real nature of the villain's plan has been explained. What's worse is that the titular twins are merely a plot device, and do not add much to the story themselves. While we're looking at the negatives of the story, we should turn to the villain himself. While the giant gastropod (in this story a half-human, half-slug creature) is interesting, the design of the monster is dreadful. He looks more like an owl than a slug and I couldn't over the dreadful design throughout the serial.

The Doctor marvels at his new coat of many colours

However, what truly saved the serial is Colin Baker's performance. I am perhaps the minority, but I loved Colin Baker's performance. I have also felt that the Doctor (like Sherlock Holmes) should be a slightly cocky, pompous and over-bearing figure. Colin's over-the-top performance in "The Twin Dilemma" is great, and truly at odds with his previous incarnation. What's more, the Doctor shows off his logical deduction side in this episode (a la Sherlock Holmes). Interestingly, in the novelization of the serial, the Doctor even believes that he is the great detective during one of his mental lapses. I don't think anyone else could have pulled off the somewhat ludicrous story of "The Twin Dilemma" better than Colin Baker.

I am certainly the minority, but I found "The Twin Dilemma" to be an enjoyable story. Despite the outrageous  nature of the story, Colin Baker makes a decent debut as the Sixth Doctor.

Coming Next Time: The Doctor and Peri find themselves in the present day dealing not only with gangsters but Cybermen. Will the Doctor escape alive? Find out in: "Attack of the Cybermen"

Sixth Doctor Part I - The Caves of Androzani

Here is the first in the review/analyses of the Sixth Doctor's tenure on T.V.

"The Caves of Androzani" has been considered the greatest "Doctor Who" serial of all time. Released over the course of two Thursday and Friday nights in 1984, Peter Davison made his last appearance as the Fifth Doctor. The episodes prove to weave a powerful story, and it obvious to a viewer why this particular adventure is a favourite of fans.

The TARDIS lands on the planet of Androzani Minor. The Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) and his new companion Peri (Nicola Bryant) soon find themselves in a midst of a perplexing situation. The government of Androzani Minor are waging war on Sharaz Jek, a Phantom-of-the-Opera-like menace who has created an army of androids who gives in the titular caves. In addition there's a corrupt government dealing with dangerous gun-runners. Soon the Doctor and Peri discover that they're dying and they must race against the clock to survive against a harsh backdrop of the Androzani war.

"The Caves of Androzani" is a very moving, beautifully constructed story. The Fifth Doctor proves to a very humane characterization and you really weep for him as a series of terrible circumstances stand in his way. It is completely by happenstance that the Doctor and Peri arrive on Androzani and find themselves in the midst of a terrible war. At first, I was rather apprehensive to accept this adventure as one of the best serials (having always considered "The Talons of Weng-Chinag" to be the very best), but I found "Caves" to be a wonderful story.

The acting was grand. This was my first experience watching the Fifth Doctor and when he regenerates in the end, it was still a saddening event. This is certainly a testament to Peter Davison's performance. He made the Doctor seem like such a nice guy. His entire goal throughout the story is to overcome the hurdles which are being thrown up before him and save a young lady that he hardly knows. In my mind, Davison deserves more credit for his masterful turn as the Doctor and really deserves the recognition of the others.

The newly regenerated Doctor

"Caves of Androzani" is notable for being the first and only time that the name of the newly regenerated Doctor was listed above the previous actor. Colin Baker makes his first appearance at the very end of the last episode after the Doctor has regenerated. Sitting up, the viewer can tell at once that the newest Doctor is very different than his previous incarnation. The obviously confused Peri stutters and the Doctor puts her in her place. "That's three 'I's' in one sentence," he says, "That makes you sound a very egotistical young lady." "But what happened?" she asks. "Change my dear," the Doctor rebukes, "And it seems not a moment too soon."

In all, "The Caves of Androzani" is a wonderful serial. Peter Davison delivers a fantastic performance and it successfully ushers in Colin Baker who will have some rather large shows to fill as the next Doctor.

Coming Next Time: The Sixth Doctor, dressed in his outrageous mis-matched coat, makes his first real appearance in "The Twin Dilemma."

Sherlock Holmes on BBC Radio

Michael Williams (left) and Clive Merrison (right)
as Holmes and Watson on BBC 4's Sherlock Holmes Series

Sherlock Holmes has always been tailored for radio. Since the days that Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce starred on screens as the detective duo, they also lent their voices to the roles on radio. Since then there have been countless radio broadcasts featuring the world's greatest detective. Perhaps some of the best emerged from BBC 4's series which emerged during the late 1980's, and holds the distinction of adapting every single one of Doyle's stories and novels.

While perhaps lacking the same atmosphere of the Big Finish audio dramas which followed some twenty years later, the BBC adaptations have a more authentic Doylean feeling. Adapter, Bert Coules transferred a great deal of Doyle's original dialogue into the audio adaptations.

Perhaps the BBC series' greatest assist is the performances provided by Clive Merrison and Michael Williams. Merrison is one of the greatest actors ever to take on the role of the detective. Merrison may be a bit cold in his performance, causing his overall performance to come across as rather prickly, but for the most part he delivers a very solid performance. The same applies for Michael Williams, the late husband of actress Judi Dench. Williams' performance is a perfect balance of intelligence and humaneness which really comes across as the perfect portrait of Doyle's original character. In addition to the two recurring cast members, a number of guest stars turn in wonderful performances. Judi Dench appeared as Mrs. Hudson during the dramatization of "The Hound of the Baskervilles" and Desmond Llewellyn (famed for playing Q in the James Bond films) turns up in "The Adventure of the Three Students."

Following the brilliant run, the BBC returned with another series. Following the tragic passing of Michael Williams, Andrew Sachs (best known for his role on "Fawlty Towers") took over the role of Watson opposite Clive Merrison. In "The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes," Bert Coules adapted a number of the stories that Doyle eluded to during the short stories (i.e. "Colonel Warburton's Madness which acts as the series' first installment). Again, a number of wonderful guest stars shared the mic with Merrison and Sachs including "Doctor Who"'s, Tom Baker.

All in all, BBC 4's Sherlock Holmes adaptations are some of the very best offerings out there. These underrated adaptations and pastiches really deserve a wider audience and should be widely appreciated. The entire Arthur Conan Doyle canon has been transferred onto CD for posterity.

The Sixth Doctor Challenge

Some fans love him - others despise him. Perhaps no more actor has ever caused as much controversy on a show than Colin Baker taking over the role of the Doctor on "Doctor Who."

Baker made his first appearance as the Doctor in the final minutes of the Fifth Doctor's story, "The Caves of Androzani." Almost at once this slightly conceited interpretation of the Doctor created some controversy. Things didn't become much better for fans when the Doctor showed up in his next episode dressed in a horrendously coloured mis-matched coat (worthy of Joseph's techincolour dreamcoat).

Whether it is actually Colin Baker's performance or if its is the dip in the quality of writing which occurred around this time in the show, the Sixth Doctor has come to divide fans of Classic "Doctor Who." So I have decided to plunge headlong into this controversial era of the show by watching each episode that the Sixth Doctor has made an appearnce (beginning with "The Caves of Androzani" and ending with "Time and the Rani"). It shall be an interesting experiment to see if I can get through the entire tenure.

Review - "Sherlock Holmes and the Whitechapel Vampire"

The combination of the world's super sleuth and the world's most notorious multiple murderer is not exactly a new one. By the same token, a combination between Sherlock Holmes and vampires isn't really a new one either. So, what might you think when the two are put together? I know to some at first glance, "Sherlock Holmes and the Whitechapel Vampire" may seem like a bad combination. Don't disregard this novel all at once for it has a very interesting premise.

The Baron Antonio Barlucci is the novel's main character. A century's old vampire, Barlucci has moved from France to London where he meets and falls in love with the niece of Sir Charles Warren, the commissioner of Scotland Yard. Wanting to cure himself of his vampire disease, the Baron hires an American doctor to help cure him. And all the while, to satisfy his lust for blood, the Baron is committing the murders attributed to Jack the Ripper.

You may have noticed that the name Sherlock Holmes were not once used in the above paragraph. That is because Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are fairly minor characters in the novel. The detective's role does increase as the novel progresses, but a number of plot points have to be set out to establish the characters more thoroughly. Despite the fact that Holmes is not a large character in the book, the portrayal of Holmes is well-done. Holmes is very close to his original characterization from the canon. The same can apply for Dr. Watson - who is presented throughout as a cool, calm and level-headed character.

For those interested in Jack the Ripper, this novel also has a great deal in store. Author Dean P. Turnbloom marvelously depicts the horrible murders in an interesting way. And the fact that his argument that a vampire could have committed the murders in the Autumn of 1888 really made me think. I know that sounds inane, but for some reason it almost made sense, before I was brought back to reality. Overall, the writing of the book was very tight and enjoyable.

My only gripe with the book was how many genres the book tried to cover all at once. In one story we had a Jack the Ripper novel, Sherlock Holmes pastiche, vampire thriller, Gothic romance and suspense. Sadly you cannot have your cake and eat it too Mr. Turnbloom, but aside from that I cannot really find many flaws with the book. While at first glance, "Sherlock Holmes and the Whitechapel Vampire" may seem like a campy, cheap thriller, it is actually a sophisticated and enjoyable read. It deserves a worthy 4 out of 5 stars from me. Hopefully in the future we can see more from Mr. Turnbloom.

Review - "Doctor Who: Sword of Orion"

Yet another instalment in Big Finish's "Doctor Who" series, "Sword of Orion," by Nicholas Briggs is an exciting and very enjoyable audio drama. Boasting fine performances from Paul Mcgann and India Fischer, the drama really unfolds quite nicely in another adventure of the Eighth Doctor.

The future is wild - at least the future that the Doctor and Charley Pollard have arrived in is. When the Doctor's TARDIS is accidentally loaded aboard the cargo bay of a junk shop, the Doctor and Charley give chase. Things go from bad to worse when that ship nearly has a disastrous run-in with another space craft. Once aboard the great star-ship, the Doctor and Charley discover a brutally beaten man on the verge of death. Accused of the man's murder, the Doctor and Charley are taken into custody. However one by one, the crew of the junk ship start dropping like flies, and that's when the Doctor runs into his old foe, the Cybermen.

Big Finish's second Eighth Doctor story (following on the heels of "Storm Warning" by Sherlockian author, Alan Barnes), "Sword of Orion" is a taught and imaginative thriller. Unlike Mark Gatiss' "Invaders from Mars," this audio recording is a more science-fiction driven plot than than historical drama. The setting is aboard an abandoned star-ship and features the semi-robotic alien species, the Cybermen.

Author Nicholas Briggs crafts a wonderful story which is ripe with suspense. The majority of the story is filled with unrelenting chills and thrills as the crew of the star-ship and the Doctor battle against a small army of Cybermen. In addition to writing, Briggs was also the director of the drama, and his directing foreshadows his wonderful work in charge of the Sherlock Holmes series. Briggs' directing makes the recording very successful in delivering excitement and chills. The writing also gives a chance for the relationship between the Doctor and Charley to blossom. Their interactions with each other are fun to listen to since both actors have a firm grasp of their characters. Again, Paul Mcgann delivers a powerful performance as the Doctor. He still delivers a calm, understated performance which makes more a humanized and believable version of the Doctor.

Once again, my only problems with the recording aren't really bad things. I have never really been a fan of science-fiction stories, so me taking a liking to "Doctor Who" is somewhat surprising. I decided to choose "Invaders from Mars" as my introduction to Big Finish's "Doctor Who" due to the historical setting. However, with "Sword of Orion," there was no historical setting and the story was purely science-fiction driven. This is my own personal view and it does not detract any from the overall quality which was put into this audio recording. Overall, a thoroughly recommended drama. I award "Doctor Who: Sword of Orion" 3.75 out of 5 stars.

A Plea for Help (Don't get Worried)

I hope that my readers out in Cyberspace shall act as my Baker Street Irregulars today! As thoroughly shocking and horrifying as it may seem, I am at a loss to find any Sherlock Holmes pastiches nowadays. I know that there are plenty out there to choose from, but I really have not heard anything good about anything lately. I suppose I have a full backlist of reading material to review and analyze on this blog, but I was really hoping for something new.

If you know of any worthwhile Sherlock Holmes pastiches, please (PLEASE) feel free to comment below. I will respond to you if I have read any, but maybe some suggestions will get the ball rolling. Thanks in advance for all those who comment.

P.S. I just felt like throwing in a picture of Jeremy Brett today. He is long overdue to have his picture on this blog.