Lost Stories 2.5: Animal

[Si Hunt]

Doctor Who - Animal!

Ace, Raine and the Doctor investigate man-eating plants with the help of... Brigadier Winifred Bamberra!

Bamberra's return is very welcome, although initially she seems to be a whole lot more jolly than we remember. Is Ace really still around? Well, yes, which seems unfair as surely Raine deserves to shine (ouch) with the Seventh Doctor on their own.

This is, so far, an enjoyable political thriller!

Si.

[stuartdg]

Its my favourite of the McCoy Lost Stories,it recreates the era yet also feels fresh

[Si Hunt]

This is all a bit of a mess. The first part of the story goes to great lengths to set up the threat of the carnivorous plants (a great idea rarely used in Doctor Who) then they go unexplained and are thrown away as a cheap deux machina to a new plot, an episode spent inside a spaceship with weird aliens. This feels very un-McCoy like, and one can't possibly imagine this story ever having been made as part of the original Season 27.

I also think that, although Sophie Aldred is very good, it's very unfair on Raine that she never gets to share a story with the Seventh Doctor on her own. She doesn't even get a proper first trip in the TARDIS - they walk off in the last adventure, and by the start of this one the TARDIS has already arrived. She feels very short-changed.

Si.

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

Presumably they hadn't got round to rebuilding the TARDIS set then (that's very in keeping)

I have to admit I did find the resolution of this one a little weak although overall it was quite fun. I shall be very interested to hear what you think of Earth Aid Si.

[Junkyard]

This one does feel like two stories; parts 1 & 2 (carnivorous plants) followed by parts 3 & 4 (odd aliens). Apart from this I found it quite fun. McCoy and Aldred are good, Chalmers is still working on developing Raine. Angela Bruce seems to be having a great time as Brigadier Bamberra. Favorite Line: The forty-second born is in great pain!