DOCTOR WHO: SEASON-BY-SEASON - SEASON THREE

And the Season Reviews continue! Just finished watching what still exists of Season Three. While it's  fresh in my head, I thought I would write about it.   

The biggest problem that runs through Season Three is something I like to call "The Thread of Mediocrity". There are several tales that came out that year that really did feel like the production team were starting to "phone things in." a bit. They weren't, by any stretch of the imagination, awful stories. But there wasn't anything all that particularly outstanding about them, either. 

I think the changes that were going on behind-the-scenes were probably instrumental in causing this problem. Producers and Script Editors were choppin' and changin' on a regular basis. Which probably caused some of the work on the show to be not as well monitored by those in charge. Standards probably dipped a bit because key people were too busy settling into new jobs and couldn't keep an eye on details as much as they should have. Or that's my theory, at least! 

The Season's Opener, Galaxy Four, is a great example of this. Technically, the central premise of "Beautiful Aliens are Evil and Ugly Aliens are Good " is new to Doctor Who. But, even in the 60s, we'd seen this sort of thing before in quite a bit of the other sci-fi stuff that was out there. So the story does come across as being a bit plain. 

The Savages has a similar problem. The "Advanced Culture Vampiring off of a Primitive Society" trope was also in fairly common practise, by this point. So, once more, it all feels fairly flat. 

There are other stories that start off quite well but then descend into something more mediocre. The Ark has an awesome first two parts. And that second Cliffhanger is something truly special (I even talk about it here: https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2020/06/book-of-lists-ten-amazing-cliffhangers.html). But those last two parts turn the Monoids into standard-issue intergalactic tyrants. The whole plot shifts to a "rebels must overthrow their conquerors" storyline. In this instance, we've even seen this on the show quite a bit, already with stuff like: Dalek Invasion of Earth and Space Museum. 

Whereas The War Machines engages in a trope that, again, is new to the show. The "Supercomputer Gone Mad" premise, however, had been around quite a bit already, elsewhere (and would come back endlessly in Doctor Who over the next few years - but we can't fault War Machines for this). But this story does score a lot of extra points for the fact that it is the Doctor's first full adventure on Contemporary Earth (okay, technically, Planet of Giants is the first story of this nature - but they were miniaturised in that one so it, sort of, doesn't count!). The way we see the Doctor working with the military makes us think of his Days to Come with UNIT. And it's very cool to watch. Even if the plot to the whole thing is an already well-trodden path.    

If we start doing the math, though, these stories that are either completely or, at least, half-mediocre chew up a pretty high percentage of the overall content. Which causes this to be yet another season that is definitely inferior to the first one. It's not completely awful, either. But it is sad that the show still hasn't been able to match the quality of  Season One, yet. 

THE CENTERPIECE 

Having gotten most of the negatives out of the way, let's move on to some strengths.

Season Three definitely has a jewel at its very centre. A long sprawling saga that totally draws our attention more than anything else in the season. Made notable not just by its sheer number of episodes - but also for its scope. This is the first time the Doctor is dealing with a problem that could, if left unchecked, have a huge consequence on the entire Universe. We've never really seen him face a menace so big. The high stakes definitely lend an epic quality to the whole thing. 

But what really makes The Dalek Masterplan so enjoyable is the fact that it resists the temptation to just feed Dalekmania some more and really offers us something with a solid plot. Yes, there are still a few episodes that feel a lot like The Chase. But there is an actual story being told, this time. On this occasion, the Daleks are more than just a hit squad as they pursue the Doctor. A much larger event is going on within the context of their hunt. Whereas The Chase is a Guilty Pleasure, Dalek Masterplan almost qualifies as the best Dalek Tale of the 60s (there is, in fact, only one Dalek Story I like better from this decade). 

It's refreshing to see these recurring foes working, once more, to the show's advantage rather than detriment. They deserve the impact that they made on popular culture. Their sense of menace is truly iconic. But, once again, writers are remembering to make them more than just something fearsome to behold. They're also giving them useful things to do as they work to some greater sinister goal..This season, the Daleks are back to doing more than just coasting around and trying to inspire fear. 

When you consider that Dalek Masterplan was created at the behest of a BBC Executive whose Mom wanted to see more Daleks, then you have to be even more impressed. This could have been sooo awful! Instead, it's actually a pretty gripping saga. 

It was also great to see the Monk back. Love that guy...

MORE HISTORICALS....

A very definite shift happens with the Historicals of this season. The Massacre is still a very serious piece, but the other two offerings go for High Comedy.  

It should be noted that The Massacre is not only a very solid drama but also an excellent showcase for Hartnell's acting talents. Apparently, he played his double role to absolute perfection. And the speech he makes at the end of Part Four where he contemplates abandoning his travels is probably his best. Thanks, BBC, for junking all of this story so that we can only experience the audio!

The Mythmakers, of course, is one of those stories that's there for the laughs. It follows a lot of the same patterns that Spooner established in the previous season with The Romans. Particularly the conclusion of the adventure. Once more, the Doctor is responsible for another famous disaster. 

The Gunfighters is also quite funny. But it goes for something really different. Not only does a Western seem like something very unusual for Doctor Who, but threading the narrative with a recurring song was a very unique way to tell the whole tale. Some would even say too unique. The audience had a hard time handling this story when it first came out. For quite some time, it was considered the worst Doctor Who Story Ever. Oddly enough, opinions on the story have changed greatly over the years. The Gunfighters is probably the first story in the history of the show where fans decided that "serious re-evaluation is required". Personally, I've always really liked it. Of all the occasions where Doctor Who went for something more comedic, this one makes me laugh the most. I particularly love the elements of farce that are used to get the Doctor mistaken for Doc Holiday in Part One. Some very clever writing. 

Once more, the Historicals offer a very solid spine to a season from the 60s. Admittedly, some of the sci fi elements can be hit-or-miss during this period. But when the Doctor dips into the past, it's always a treat. 

A FEW MORE FIRSTS

As we're still, very much, in the show's early days, there's bound to be some more ground that gets broken for the first time during Season Three. 

Mission to the Unknown is the first (and, thus far, only) episode of Doctor Who that does not feature any of the regular cast. Instead of the TARDIS Crew, we follow the deadly adventures of Space Agent Marc Cory on the planet Kembel. It was an extremely bold experiment on the production team's behalf. To their credit, it's also a very solid episode. Once again, the Daleks get featured but there's still an actual story going on, too. Mission mainly exists to build a prologue for Dalek Masterplan, but it's still quite good. 

And then there's The Celestial Toymaker. In my opinion, this is the very first Oddball Story the show ever made. While we wouldn't really see the term being used until many years later, an Oddball Story is defined as something that's intentionally going for a certain degree of campiness. The plot, itself, is quite odd (hence, the term). The setting and central premise are usually very absurd in nature, too. In general, we're required to suspend a fair amount of disbelief. But, in so doing, the adventure is allowed to do some very wild and creative stuff that steps outside the usual confines of the show.   

Toymaker meets these qualifications quite nicely with its surreal imagery and almost nonsensical storyline. The TARDIS arriving in a strange dimension run by a figure who brings toys to life and challenges his visitors to deadly games of chance cannot be anything but an Oddball Story. In my book, at least. I loved when this sort of stuff gets created in the Sylvester McCoy Era. And, quite naturally, I love it here, too.

FINAL VERDICT 

While the Thread of Mediocrity does have a significant impact on the entertainment value of this Season, it still contains more good material than bad. The show, however, does seem to be floundering quite a bit. It's still trying to find its feet - we get that. But we're three seasons in, now. It should be on more stable footing than it is. 

What's most disturbing is how everything seems to be degenerating slightly every year. Season One was quite amazing. Two dipped a bit. Three is even worse. Doctor Who still hasn't gotten totally bad, yet. But the production team really needs to pull itself up by its bootstraps. Or something truly awful will be on its way soon....