![]() La Fiesta del Mal documents the making of The Two Doctors in a simple but effective talking-heads format. Location Location Location follows Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant as they return to key filming locations for Season 22 (with one notable exception) it’s a lot of fun, with some lovely moments, and a nice showcase of the scope of this season. There are also optional updated effects for Revelation of the Daleks, taken from the 2005 DVD release, which could have probably done with some minor improvements for this Blu-ray. Timelash also now has optional replacement CGI effects, which look good but don’t exactly improve the story (a number of effects shots have also been left unaltered, perhaps for the worse). There are also extended edits of both parts of Vengeance, Part One of The Two Doctors and Part One of Revelation, although Vengeance’s new material is obvious as the quality dips considerably no 5.1 sound mixes are available to for any of the extended edits either, which is particularly annoying considering that this wasn’t the case with earlier collection sets. Attack of the Cybermen, Vengeance on Varos and Revelation of the Daleks all feature 5.1 surround sound mixes, which really do enhance the viewing experience. ![]() The episodes themselves have no doubt been presented in as high quality as possible, but the picture does vary quite a bit and isn’t a huge upgrade over the DVDs (the film sequences in Mark of the Rani look particularly soft for a Blu-ray release). This new Blu-ray Collection set from BBC Studios presents all thirteen, forty-five-minute episodes with new remasters alongside a whole TARDIS-worth of special features. Even if Doctor Who’s future was uncertain at the end of Season 22, Revelation makes a good case for its longevity. Ending the season on a high note is Revelation of the Daleks, an atmospheric black comedy that may not make a huge amount of sense, but does feature some memorable dialogue, creepy music, and excellent direction from Graeme Harper. The scripts are baffling, the performances even more so ( Paul Darrow as Laurence Olivier as Richard III as baddie Tekker is the sort of over-the-top acting one has to see to believe), the pacing is poor, and the production values are awful. Timelash is often cited as one of the worst Doctor Who stories ever (ironically broadcast after the show was cancelled), and I can’t exactly argue against that. Perhaps the greatest disappointment of this three-part story is that Colin Baker and Patrick Troughton barely share any screen-time together, although Jamie does become a temporary second companion for the Sixth Doctor (and one who surprisingly compliments the TARDIS dynamic very well). It’s always nice to see Patrick Troughton and Frazer Hines return as the Second Doctor and Jamie, not to mention the welcome return of the Sontarans, but Robert Holmes’ scripts are unnecessarily padded and lacking in stakes. Speaking of location filming, The Two Doctors takes the TARDIS to Seville, Spain for a rather curious multi-Doctor adventure. Mark of the Rani introduces Kate O’Mara’s malevolent Time Lady – a character I’ve never felt has been particularly well-realised on television – but is otherwise a fairly lacklustre historical story complimented by some nice location filming. The following story, Vengeance on Varos, represents the best of this era of the show: a satire of reality television, not to mention a commentary on contemporary ‘video nasties’, Philip Martin’s two-part tale puts its main characters through the ringer, resulting in a very dark and violent adventure that remains relevant decades later. The season opens with Attack of the Cybermen: a serial bogged down in various continuity references and fan service that don’t exactly aid the plot, yet still manages to be entertaining easily the worst aspect is the awful incidental music. She does have terrific on-screen chemistry with Baker, and I do find them both a very endearing TARDIS team, albeit one better served in Big Finish’s audio dramas. Alas, the scripts don’t often give Bryant much to do beyond the archetypal companion tropes – including standing still and screaming at silly monsters, rather than simply running away, or fighting back. ![]() And besides, who else could pull-off that ridiculous outfit? Joining him is Nicola Bryant as Peri, who had been introduced mid-way through the previous season and is here given the task transitioning in the new Doctor, both for him and for the audience. Even then, the Sixth Doctor never loses sight of his morals, and is always ready to face-off against evil when it threatens. Even if the writing can sometimes make ‘Old Sixie’ seem a little too pompous and mean, it’s refreshing to see such a flawed incarnation of the Doctor. Colin Baker is a brilliant Doctor, throwing himself into the role with a tremendous amount of energy and enthusiasm, elevating the material given. ![]()
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