Doctor Who: Time and the Rani

Another month, another Doctor Who DVD from the "classic" series. And, like last month's offerings, the most recent release is widely regarded as one of the series' all time clunkers. Seriously, Time and the Rani languishes towards the bottom of nearly every fan poll - and sometimes even manages to hit the bottom spot. To many, it makes Revenge of the Cybermen and Silver Nemesis look great. But I don't agree.

I frickin' love Time and the Rani.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not unaware of the story's weaknesses - it would be difficult not to be aware of them, as they are so numerous. Sylvester McCoy is still figuring out how to be the Doctor, and his decision to prat about rather than act for a lot of the story is misjudged. Bonnie Langford's Mel - easily one of the weakest companions in a show that has been around for nearly half a century - is never worse than here, where she runs around in a costume that insults even the tasteless eighties and does little more than scream or whine. The Tetraps are most effective when they are not seen, and the tedious Lakertyans are next to impossible to sympathise with. The plot is bland, and the CGI of the pre-title sequence looks like a bad cartoon, not a bold new start for the show. But - worst of all - the "death" of the Sixth Doctor appears to have happened because he fell off an exercise bike. This is the same Time Lord who died the last time from a virulent disease that he had the antidote for, but decided to give it to his companion instead. It is an insult to the Sixth Doctor - a Doctor already much insulted by the costume he had to wear and the generally low quality of scripts he had to wade through.

So yeah, there's a lot not to like about Time and the Rani. And I know this - the only reason why I like it so much is for reasons of nostalgia. See, this story is perhaps Doctor Who at its most childish - a story written for children, rather than for all the family. And - unlike so many other fans - I had the fortunre to watch this story when I was eight years old. I was a child, so as far as I was concerned, this was one of the most exciting things ever! There was a new Doctor, there were monsters, decent cliff-hangers, and a simple plot. The special effects were good (and some of them still stand up to this day) and there was a sense of palpable excitement to the whole thing. I watch Time and the Rani and revert back to the days when I could watch Doctor Who for what it is, rather than critically evaluating it and also assessing its commitment to continuity.

Don't get me wrong, this is a poor introduction to the Seventh Doctor and not even close to the genuinely great post-regeneration stories (The Power of the Daleks and The Eleventh Hour if you're interested). Most people won't be able to see in it what I see. But that's one of the things that's great about Doctor Who. You can have stories you love because they are great, and stories you love because they seemed great when you were a kid.

Oh, and even if you're not a fan of the story, it is worth buying this DVD anyway for the extra features. In particular, seeing the video audition for Sylvester McCoy shows why he was cast, and shades of the portrayal that would later make his Doctor genuinely great even if that side of his performance was missing from his debut story.