Rate and Discuss: Four to Doomsday

[brandynigma]

7/10 for me, but I found that the Doctor's reduced need for oxygen being represented by Davison hyperventilating is a bit weird.

And I really like the version of the Fifth Doctor we get here.

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

Janet Fielding hasn't learnt subtle acting yet either. She's terrible in this!

I really wanted to slap her by the end of episode 3 tonight.

However a slightly generous 6/10 from me.

I think Matthew Waterhouse's reputation for not being very good stems from this story featuring some atrocious dialogue for Adric especially the sexism.
I know I'm one to talk but the mentions of the Eye of Harmony and Rassilon had me shouting "Continuity Galore!" in mock horror.

[SiHart]

You can see the influence of Ian Levine in this one can't you? The continuity references are shoved in with no subtlety at all. They're all so unnecessary- they add nothing to the story at all, they're just there to make fans go "Ooh!" Except that they don't...

[Rob McCow]

The continuity is wretched to hear now and it was definitely shunted in with a laser key, but (oh dear am I really about to defend this?!) at the time it probably made sense. With Tom just gone they needed to establish that this was still Doctor Who, so making these references in Peter's second story isn't too unreasonable. Plus Adric is exactly the kind of person who would point out that the TARDIS has cloisters.

These continuity references get totally out of control in Season 20, however!

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

I think you make a very valid point about reinforcing the Doctor's and the show's identity Steve, especially when we remember this was the first Davison story to go in front of the cameras.
I can't help wishing that Messrs Levine and Dudley couldn't have come up with a way of doing it without making Adric look like a complete burk though.

[Si Hunt]

People in real life are all about the continuity though. It doesn't make sense that you wouldn't talk about things that had gone in days past.

Si.

[SiHart]

I just can't quite see the Doctor and Adric standing around chatting about Rassilon though. That feels forced to me.

[Si Hunt]

Well we do, Si.

Si.

[J.R. Southall]

It's not very good. But it's bags of fun! (Partly because it's not very good...)

[MacNimon]

After the freshness of Castrovalva, this looked like being a much more traditional type of story, the sort that I tend to enjoy so much. Unfortunately this one is simply so dull...stories such as this shouldn't be allowed so early in a new Doctors reign! 4/10

[Ian Lethbridge-Stewart]

I've always rather liked this one. It may not be all that exciting but I love the feel of the place. It appears so vast and all the rooms look quite different so it doesn't feel like its all taking place in one location. I like those scenes where the Doctor is up on the balcony while the different dances are taking place in the recreational - I also love the word 'recreational' being used as the title of an event or type of event!

It just works quite well for me - Davison does very well considering he was just finding his feet at the time of shooting.

The behind the scenes stuff on the DVD where they shoot the first few scenes of the story are really interesting.

I'll give it a 7 out of 10

[Stuart Wallis]

I also love the word 'recreational' being used as the title of an event or type of event!

Bearing in mind her reputation for smoking like a chimney, can you really see Janet taking part in the "recreational"...?