The two Doctors (1985)

Review
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Review

This is a three-part serial that was first broadcast between 16th February - 2nd March 1985. A brief and somewhat spoiler-ish summary of the plot: together with companions Peri and Jamie the sixth Doctor sets out to save the second Doctor, and the earth…

Of the multiple-Doctor serials, this is the best by far. Writer Robert Holmes uses the two Doctors, the two companions and various villains well, and adds a welcome dose of black humour.

The good bits:

the two Doctors. Both Patrick Troughton and Colin Baker are good here, and for once the interaction between the Doctors in a multiple-Doctor story actually works. This is partly because there is more chemistry between the two of them than there ever seemed to be between Pertwee and Throughton, and partly because the script doesn't repeat the mistake made in 'The three Doctors' of attempting to shoehorn both Doctors into the hero role
the interaction between the four leads, and their fairly equal contributions to the resolution of the plot
Shockeye. He's is an excellent villain, and the scene with him and the second Doctor sampling the local cuisine is hilarious
Oscar Botcherby, the unfortunate moth hunter and maitre d'. He's a great supporting character with some of the best dialogue and a poignant-but-yet-painfully-funny death scene

The somewhat less good bits:

the uneven quality of the three episodes. Most of the best bits are in part three
the story. There are some very good scenes, some great characters and some excellent dialogue, but the story as a whole is nothing to write home about
the visuals. Visually there's not a great deal to enjoy here, apart from the Spanish scenery and the absence of the sixth Doctor's clown coat

And there are the puzzling bits that plague every multiple-Doctor story in one form or another:

the dialogue indicates that, for the second Doctor and Jamie, the events in this story take place at some time before 'The seeds of death' and 'The mind robber'. We're supposed to ignore the fact that both actors look too old for this to be credible
if the events of the story did indeed take place in the second Doctor's past, it's unclear why the sixth Doctor wouldn't remember them. This is something else that we're supposed to ignore

My verdict:

Quite good, actually.

An actually enjoyable multiple-Doctor story.

More about Doctor Who

An introduction:
Doctor Who reviews: introduction

More "quite good, actually" Doctor Who:
Doctor Who reviews: quite good, actually

More from the Colin Baker years:
Doctor Who reviews: 1984 - 1986

Original version of this review:
06/09/19

More about this serial

Episode guides:
BBC Cult

Serial reviews:
Outpost Gallifrey

DVD reviews:
Outpost Gallifrey

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