The Invasion of Time The Paradise of Death The Sontaran Experiment |
BBC The Time Warrior |
|
| Episodes | 4 |  |
| Story No# | 70 | |
| Production Code | UUU | |
| Season | 11 | |
| Dates | Dec. 15, 1973 - Jan. 5, 1974 |
|
With Jon Pertwee, Elisabeth Sladen, Nicolas Courtney.
Written by Robert Holmes. Script-edited by Terrance Dicks. Directed by Alan Bromly. Produced by Barry Letts. |
| Synopsis: The Doctor investigates disappearing scientists, kidnapped to medieval England by a stranded Sonataran soldier, Lynx. |
A Review by Leo Vance 21/1/98
This is an excellent story. It has all the elements in it that make a pseudo-historical story, and Robert Holmes has done well with a good script.
Linx the Sontaran is a superb monster, both in character and design. Kevin Lindsay really brings the character to life, and his motivations are well=written. They are much better than, say, the Primitives, the Ogrons or the Axons in earlier Pertwee stories. Supporting Linx are Irongron and Bloodaxe, a truly magnificent Holmes double-act. Irongron is very over-the-top (OTT), and even though I like OTT performances, he sometimes goes too far even for me. Bloodaxe is a perfect villains lieutenant, and the story is worth watching just for him, he is so hilarious. `Yours is indeed a, a towering intelligence, Captain'.
The Wessexes are less effective. The Lord and the Lady are not very well played, despite the fact that they are generally well written characters. Hal the Archer is the worst performance and character in the whole story. He is boring and awful. The luck he has in shooting Linx in the probic vent (without knowing about it) is unbelievable. The Squire who Linx hypnotises is better acted, but his role is simply unimportant and this disappoints, as there are not enough speaking parts on either side and thus the general population is fairly faceless.
Elisabeth Sladen was the big surprise as Sarah Jane Smith, putting in a tour de force. The only bad part is her ludicrous discussion with the Cooking Woman in Irongrons castle, but the subplot about her believing the Doctor to be evil is excellent.
Jon Pertwee is excellent. This is very well written for him, and the scene early on where he humorously suggests to a clearly "Liberated" girl (Sarah) that she fetch the coffee for them is excellent, and his small smile tells the audience he is not the chauvinist he appears.
All in all, a good start for both Sarah and the Sontarans. Also, Jon Pertwee gets a brilliant start to his final season. 8/10
Irongron's Star by Tom May 26/1/98
"A long shanked rascal with a Mighty Nose...."This pseudo-historical romp is, without doubt, the only season eleven saga that stands up to close scrutiny. Pertwee, uninteresting in the extreme during this era of Doctor Who, is passable in this, and Lis Sladen is enticingly credible as Sarah-Jane.
The main triumph of The Time Warrior is Holmes' superbly defined characters. Commander Linx, Bloodaxe and good Captain Irongron are all typically marvellous Holmes creations. The tone of the story is light, and amusing, exemplified by Irongron. David Daker's performance is distinctly OTT, yet far more enjoyable, and believable than Alan Rowe's Edward of Wessex. The raport, or lack of it, betwween Linx and Irongron is intensely pleasing, and manages to distract the viewer from some padding.
As the first Doctor Who video I acquired, this story holds some affection for me. There is little wrong with the story, apart from, possibly the predictable sword-fight at the end. A shame that Irongron perished, as he, along with Count Grendel of The Androids of Tara, deserved a return much more than the Master ever did.
A Review by Joseph Nunweek 25/4/98
The Time Warrior does stand out in Season Eleven, mainly because it was held over from Season Ten. It is undeniably one of Robert Holmes' best stories.
It has lavish location filming a good monster for once. The Sontarans are one of those rare alien races that can actually suspend my disbelief, and are especially well designed for an era that gave us the Gel Guards and the Giant Spiders. The face mask and suit are very convincing. But Kevin Lindsay makes the part what it is. He gives Linx personality. The scheming Sontaran plays off Irongron superbly, helping him when it is suitable and the rest of the time arrogantly ignoring him.
Holmes, who makes the story what it is with fantastic dialogue, chooses not to focus on Sir Edward or Hal The Archer, but instead prefers to write for Linx's partners in crime. You can see how much he enjoyed writing The Time Warrior in the scenes between Irongron and Bloodaxe. While they are almost wholly comic characters with little dramatic impact, the unpleasant warlord and his trembling sychophant are the best part of the story.
Jon Pertwee, while not in finest form in this story, is still good, and Liz Sladen gives a great performance. New companions are usually suspicious of the Doctor, but the concept of Sarah aiding and abetting the Doctor's capture and believing him to be responsible for the vanishing scientists is a great concept. Professor Rubeish, while completely superfluous to the plot, is still very fun, and plays off the Doctor well.
This story is light and cheerful without getting too silly, and it's a total delight.
A Review by Keith Bennett 5/5/98
Doctor Who is often at its best when travelling into the past, as British television/cinema is usually at home with historical drama. With The Time Warrior, this is certainly the case, but the real highlight of this highly entertaining and amusing story is the wonderful dialogue, particularly that of the villains Irongron and Bloodaxe, superbly played by David Daker and John J. Carney respectively.
Bloodaxe's "Yours is indeed a towering intelligence" to his master, Irongron's "With poltroons like these, it were ill work to lay siege to a hen-coop!" and Lady Eleanor's marvellously gleeful, "You will mix a potion and poison the dog?" to the Doctor are only a few of the classic lines in this, one of Robert Holmes' best scripts. Enjoyable, too, is Irongron's alliance with Linx. One can almost sense the Sontaran's pain at having to put up with lowering himself to the level of these Earthlings of the middle ages, although this feeling might be helped by reading Terrance Dicks' excellent novelisation. Elizabeth Sladen stands out straight away in her debut story as the Doctor's new companion Sarah Jane Smith, and the action is fine swashbuckle.
Funny and fun, The Time Warrior is right up there with Jon Pertwee's best stories, and is indeed one that a fan might decide to show a friend to convince them what it is that makes Doctor Who so special. 8/10
Time's Running Out by Andrew Wixon
There are many significant firsts attached to this story - first story
of the season (obviously), first use of the diamond logo, first Sarah
story, first Sontaran story, first story to feature the word Gallifrey...
but it's also the first story in the home straight of the Pertwee
Doctor's era. And some might say it shows. He loses a straight fight with
an adversary. He looks visibly older and more tired. In places he even
verges on a parody of himself. Clearly Jon went at just the right time.
But that aside, this is another fun, undemanding Bob Holmes romp. It's
not taxing, it's not deep, it's just an enjoyable collision of
ridiculously incongruous characters and actors, with plenty of spicy
dialogue, and a terrifically well designed and acted alien bad guy. And
just look at how fast it's paced. The whole complex set-up of a stranded
alien raiding the future for technical assistance and forced into an
uneasy alliance with a robber baron is established inside the first
fifteen minutes, tops. You're bombarded with jokes, images and ideas so
persistently you don't have time to ruminate on the implausibilities of
the storyline.
It has the Holmes trademarks - the Irongron-Bloodaxe double-act (David
Daker gets some of the fruitiest lines I can remember), the trapped alien
stealing the resources of others, the ability to sketch out a plausible
alien motivation in only a few lines of dialogue. Of course, this doesn't
rank as one of his major works - we all know what they are - but most
other writers would kill to be able to write this way.
Pure hokum, purely to entertain the audience. Therefore, practically
perfect Doctor Who.
Well it's no Carnival of Monsters but - by Mike
Jenkins
12/12/01
While not on par with his last 10/10 effort, The Time
Warrior is nonetheless a classic. It is one of Elizabeth Sladen's
best performances on the show and some of her best chemistry with
Pertwee. The historical setting works well and the Sontarans and the
incidentals are both well characterized. What is so colourfully ironic is
that although Linx likes to think of himself as a superior being, he is
really just as savage and bloodthirsty as Irongron or Bloodaxe. The
effects used for the time travel by Linx are particularly well realized.
The idea of getting the world's leading scientist together is not so much
contrived as it is an interesting and funny pun of how Lethbridge-Stewart
and his boys like to deal with things. The scences where Sarah poses as
her aunt are also quite humourus and well handeled. As much credit goes
to Alan Bromley the director of this story as does to Robert Holmes. It's
a solid 9/10. The only downsides are that Bromley didin't do more
work on the show and that this would be the last truly classic story
presented by Holmes in Doctor Who for the next decade. So this
story is as tearful as it is funny and interesting.
Good ideas but a poor setting by Tim Roll-Pickering
22/4/02
The Time Warrior is like a curate's egg, with some good parts
but also many bad parts. The idea of setting part of a story in medieval
England is an interesting idea that allows for comparisons between a
Sontaran and a human knight, but unfortunately the entire historical
setting comes off poorly as it is little more than a backdrop for the
story and the period is not a particularly fascinating one anyway.
Equally weak are some of the characters, with Professor Rubiesh coming
across as so laughable that it is wonder how he became a professor at
all. It is also disappointing that there is no explanation for why the
Doctor is still serving as UNIT's scientific advisor now that his ability
to travel in time and space has been restored and Jo has gone.
However there are also some very good points to come out of the story,
most obviously the introduction of both the Sontarans and Sarah-Jane
Smith. Lynx is an extremely well defined character, coming across as a
truly noble alien with a clearly defined set of values and thus a worthy
opponent for the Doctor rather than as a mere monster from space.
Although he seems to wear his helmet far more often than would be expect
to, he nevertheless makes such a strong impression that any return
appearance by the Sontarans is much deserved.
Also introduced in this story is Sarah Jane Smith. Elizabeth Sladen
gives a very strong performance for her first story and Sarah comes
across as a strong character, inquisitive and sceptical as any good
journalist is and prepared to stand up for herself. Her strong feminist
values and attempt to liberate the women in the castle kitchen doesn't
come across too well, but otherwise she bodes well for the future.
Plot wise the story is well constructed but the whole medieval setting
results in many weak characters who are somewhat clichéd, although Robert
Holmes' script gives them many good lines. The sets are good and
directionwise there's little to complain about in the story but it
doesn't especially leap out. Ultimately The Time Warrior is a
reasonable story that just fails to ignite enthusiasm for some reason.
6/10
A Review by Terrence Keenan
11/4/03
Ahh, The Time Warrior. It's brilliant, a comic historical feast
with decent characters, a brilliant debut, and Pertwee's last great go
round.
Jon's Doc is given the Holmes touch. Gone is the arrogant gasbag and
pompous moralizer. Instead, we get a hint of what Big Tommy B would do
with the role, a sense of the Doc being moral without being preachy, a
hustler and con artist who loves a good fight, if done right. There's a
point in part two, where Linx asks why the Doctor is on Earth if he a Time
Lord. Instead of some pompous reply, we get "I'm a tourist. I like it
here." It brilliant and funny. Then we have the moment in part three where
Sarah and The Doc are chatting about Irongron upcoming attack which sums
up exactly where Holmes thought the Doctor¹s character should be:
Sarah Jane Smith -- the Uber-Companion -- makes her first appearance.
The early bits with the "don't trust the Doc" are a bit heavy-handed, but
she shines in the scene with Irongron and Bloodaxe where she prattles on
about where she might be. By the end of four episodes, Lis Sladen has
established her character quite well, the working class girl who won't put
up with anyone's crap. Yeah, the feminism is heavy-handed as well, but not
to the point of obnoxiousness.
Linx is a prick. I mean that as a compliment. A warmongering Sontaran
with a practical rationale -- like many a Holmes villain -- he's
belligerent, duplicitous, militant and not without a sense of honor. He
can also be savage when needed. One of the best villains ever.
What is a Holmes story without a double act? This time we get Irongron
and Bloodaxe. In a story filled with solid performances, David Daker and
John J. Carney steal every scene they're in. Daker's Irongron is sheer
delight, but Carney gets a couple great lines as well.
Even if you hate Pertwee, you have to love The Time Warrior.
It's one of the funniest and well acted stories in Who.
A Review by Stuart Gutteridge
5/10/03
Kicking off Jon Pertwee`s final season, The Time Warrior is
something of a mixed bag. On the plus side it introduces Sarah Jane Smith
who is a breath of fresh air; similairly the Sontaran Linx is visually
impressive (even if he is just another alien hell bent on war), thankfully
Kevin Lindsay`s portrayal elevates this. The historical setting is also
refreshing, although despite the fine location work, it lacks any of
period charm or characterisation. This is unfortunate, because as a result
The Time Warrior comes across as somewhat lacklustre.
Time swapping in medieval England and not a rapper in
sight by Steve Cassidy
2/3/04
I usually find time swap films to the middle ages slightly
proposterous. They consist generally of a Hollywood star being sent back
to 'Merry Olde England', complete with Californian hygiene and badly
envisioned medieval architecture whilst teaching the misguided souls how
to make French fries or breakdance. And there stands the poor medieval
peasant in wimple or smock open-mouthed at this vision from the future
while he raps at them and laughs at them for not having Walkmans (the
worst of these was definitely in the eighties). While I shake my head and
wish I had been born back then - at least 11th Century Manchester would
not have to cope with the the smugness of tinseltown.
The Time Warrior blends not only one 'cultural clash' but three
- the Doctor and Sarah, Irongron and Linx the Sontaran. Visitors from
1973 clash with those of 1073 plus an alien from beyond the stars. It
takes the usual 20th century man meets 11th century man and gives it a
new twist by injecting a deadly alien menace. For the most part it works,
although this one gives the impression that Doctor Who is a
children's programme more than most, and its four episodes are packed
with enough adventure and escapism to keep even the most demanding
Who fan captivated.
Journalist Sarah Jane Smith impersonates her virologist aunt Lavinia
Smith in order to gain access to a research centre where top British
scientists are being held in protective custody while UNIT (United
Nations International Task Froce) investigates the disappearance of their
colleagues. They have in fact been kidnapped by a warlike alien, a
Sontaran, and transported back to England's early Middle Ages where they
are working under deep hypnosis to repair his crashed spacecraft. In
return for shelter, Linx has provided the local rampaging warlord,
Irongron, with advanced weapons to take on and plunder the surrounding
castles.
The Doctor and Sarah follow him back to this time and help repel an
attack on the castle of Sir Edward Wessex. Linx just wants to escape
Earth but in the meantime tampers with the time by providing Irongron
with advanced weapons. The Doctor must stop Linx interfering, Irongron
rampaging and get back to his own time with the scientists. They must do
this before the spacecraft is repaired and it takes off from the castle
where the after-blast will kill all the inhabitants.
Jon Pertwee and Lis Sladen
Part of this must be the performance of Jon Pertwee. It was his last
season and while I find he sleepwalked a little through Death to the Daleks and Planet of the
Spiders - in this one he is top-notch. The devil behind the eyes is
most apparent in this Doctor and he truly does seem to enjoy himself.
Part of that is probably the companionship of Lis Sladen in her first
appearance, who, despite himself he really takes to. And she really
shines in this adventure. 1973 may seem a long time ago now but feminisim
and rascism were big on the agenda and instead of Dr Who having
yet another bubbly airhead it tackles one of the Doctor's main criticisms
straight on and makes his companion a strident feminist. We all know
Sarah Jane mellows to become the Uber companion but in this one they
attempt someone new - a firebrand who takes on everyone and strives to
become the equal of the Doctor.
Actually, Sarah Jane could been seen as rather dislikeable in this
one. To start with she is a liar as she infiltrates the UNIT where the
scientists are being stored. And of course she gets the wrong end of the
stick believing the Doctor to be the kidnapper of the scientists instead
of Linx. But the key scene where she is won over is at Sir Edward's
castle. While the Doctor sits down to make his little bombs she sits with
him and he slowly reveals who he is. You can watch her fascination and
interest unfold and by the end of the conversation she is absolutely
hooked. She could never believe such a life could exist and from then on
in she never leaves the Doctor's side. Talking of the 'bomb scene' this
was the only scene where I felt I was watching a children's programme -
the stinkbombs dislodging Irongrons men and their ladders - well, I felt
I was watching the Children's Television Workshop circa 1973 - and before
you say it - yes, I was....
Irongron and 'Linx' the Sontaran
But the thing could not hold together without its villains and with
this one we have two of the strongest. Robert Holmes invented one of the
worst of the galaxy's races with this one - the Sontarans. The thing with
the Sontaran is that until The Invasion of
Time we never really seen them in force. In The Time Warrior
and the chilling Sontaran Experiment we only get to
see the stranded Sontaran - the alien on a mission away from his race.
This allows the writers to individualise them and the racial
characteristics then stand out and in this case they invented a real
monster in Linx. He is not interest in enslaving the inhabitants of
Irongrons 12th/11th Century castle all he wants is to escape and rejoin
his fleet by any means possible. If this means kidnapping scientists from
the 20th Century then so be it and there are traces of the sadism shown
in The Sontaran Experiment here in allowing the
scientists to slowly starve and collapse of exhaustion. He is brought to
life by Kevin Lindsay and works very well with Jon Pertwee. There is real
animosity between the hissing Linx and the appalled Doctor in the scenes
where they clash. Both actors do excellent work with their characters.
But the most memorable of all the characters has to be Irongron and
his worshipping lieutenant Bloodaxe. David Daker bellows and bullies
across the four episodes trying to bend Linx to his will like his other
underlings in role that would have been perfect for Brian Blessed. I was
trying to put a timeframe on this adventure and I would say it falls into
either two periods of medieval history which involved such anarchy. The
first is from 1082 to 1100 and King Rufus who bullied his way across the
land and the second was the anarchy of the civil war between Maude and
Stephen from 1114 to 1150 which allowed petty tyrants to flourish and
bully their neighbours. Irongron falls into either two timezones and the
thing about Irongron is that he never mellows. He is a child of his time
and knows no other life but war and pillage. For a soft-side to be shown
of Irongron would be to make the entire story implausible. He and Linx
are kindred spirits - both warriors who glory in the life.
As for the others Jeremy Bulloch is memorable as Hal the Hunter and
soon, in a few years, to be the galaxies most feared Bounty Hunter in
Boba Fett. And Sir Edward and Lady Eleanor are adequate, providing a safe
refuge for the Doctor and Sarah. And June Brown was a good choice as the
'narrow hipped vixen' Eleanor. June Brown playing a sallow faced
buck-toothed harridan? Surely not? Oh sorry, I forgot about Dot Cotton.
And a note must go to my favourite scene - the castle kitchen - where
feminism collides with the middle ages. I kept wondering if Meg's
reactions were accurate. In many ways they are - I expect women in the
middle ages were just as scathing of their menfolk as they are today, but
probably more resigned.
Anyway, a good adventure and worth buying. It actually gets better
after each viewing with the little gems of dialogues slipping out. My
favourite is the Doctor's description of Irongron: "Well, I certainly
wouldn't invite him to the Royal Society..."
I tried to find the appropriate medieval adjective to end this piece
of writing: but I'll settle on just one - vintage stuff!!!
"Not the weakest Linx" by Jason A. Miller
27/3/04
Finally, a Doctor Who story told from the point of view of the
bad guys. Through ten seasons we never saw an episode that spent more
time behind enemy lines than with the Doctor. If Power of the Daleks or Tomb of the
Cybermen had been turned inside out, this may have been the result.
Irongron is a struggling bottom-tier medieval war lord, squatting in
someone else's castle. The food is scarce and the wine is sour. Linx, a
potato-headed clone warrior from a distant galaxy, crash-lands in the
fields, and allies himself with Irongron in exchange for shelter. Soon,
Linx has kidnapped a team of fuzzy-headed 20th century rocket scientists,
and Irongron has lawyers, guns, and money. Well, just guns. And a
homicidal robot knight. Working together, Linx and Irongron cause serious
headaches for that neighboring sissy, Edward of Wessex.
This is great stuff. Robert Holmes was the one Doctor Who
writer who instinctively realized that it's fun to root for the bad guys.
Terry Nation never learned this lesson with the Daleks; David Whitaker
made Daleks scary, but he couldn't make them cool. Meanwhile, 20 years
before Quentin Tarantino gave us smart, hip hit-men like Jules and
Vincent, Robert Holmes gave Irongron about eleven of the niftiest
put-downs you'll hear on TV. Every time the redhead in my life complains
about some chain-smoking, underweight Manhattan girl in her office, I
reply: "That narrow-hipped vixen!", and she has no idea I'm even quoting
Doctor Who. Now, I just need to find someone to call a
"long-shanked rascal with a mighty nose". That would have been me, if I
had longer shanks, but I don't.
Linx is pretty clever, for a clone warrior. I find it neat, too, that
he's played by the same guy who would play Mild-Mannered Tibetan Monk in
Planet of the Spiders that same season. He insults
the Time Lords, he insults Irongron's men, he insults his slave
scientists... and, when Irongron won't listen to his warnings, he suddenly
gets philosophical: "By your dawn I shall be 700 million miles from here.
Can I be concerned with the fate of primitives?". That's actually
poignant. The only problem with this is that Linx has set the bar too
high: the Sontarans showed up in three later DW stories, and a few
largely unmemorable books, but were never again this compelling.
All this is not to say that Holmes achieved villainy goodness at the
expense of the Doctor. In Pertwee's fifth season, Holmes writes him at
perhaps his most Doctorish since The Ambassadors of
Death. This is the story with the quote about the straight line and
the shortest distance between two points. I had forgotten which story
that was in. Also another line, which I hadn't remembered, but which
makes as good a credo as any for the Doctor (apart from "Never cruel or
cowardly") is: "[I'm serious] about what I do, yes. Not necessarily the
way I do it."
Sarah Jane gets off to a flying start as a companion. Even more so
than Liz Shaw, or Ian and Barbara, this is truly the most reluctant
companion of them all. Who else, in their debut, gets to raise an army
against, and kidnap, that long-shanked rascal with the mighty nose? Not
Turlough. Not Ace. Maybe Compassion, but let's not lose focus here.
Once the Doctor and Sarah join forces, they make serious with the
merry. Is there a funnier scene, ever, than the one where they dress up
as friars in order to walk right into Irongron's castle? The sentry, that
most Holmesian of common men, gets the last laugh: "'Tis be hoped the two
friars are fleet of foot, or the Church will have two new martyrs 'ere
long."
Meanwhile, shades of Caves of Androzani, the Part
Three cliffhanger actually ends with the Doctor being shot in the face.
The episode doesn't end on a gun barrel; it actually ends on the blast
hitting the Doctor. Radical and funny, all in the same story. Could this
have been by anyone else but Holmes? If you've had enough of Jon Pertwee,
this is the story to get you back into it. And if you can't get enough of
Jon Pertwee, this is the story to watch every day for a week.
"Because I'm very fond of delta particles!" by Joe
Ford
7/4/04
Don't you just love it when the Doctor travels back in time? There is a
little extra thrill for me every time I see the Doctor walk from the
TARDIS into the past, influencing events that had nothing to do with him
in the first place. The historicals always had more atmosphere, more charm
and quite often more drama than the outer space stuff, the restricted
setting might fire the imagination of the writers and I for one firmly
believe that you do not need aliens and planets to create an inventive
tale, there is plenty of drama here on Earth through the years to
capatilise on.
But I still have trouble with the idea of the Pertwee era enjoying a
historical tale simply because it is so damn unusual. And what's worse,
his character really, really works in the Middle Ages. Rather than feeling
out of place there is a real sense of belonging as he sets up as chief
magician to Sir Edward. There is nothing incongruous about the Doctor ("A
long shanked rascal with a mighty nose!") sitting at Sir Edward's table in
a velvet smoking jacket, tossing bread over his shoulder and devising
schemes to capture the enemy's castle. Pertwee seems to relish the action
quota the historical tale offers him and seems as vibrant and witty as
ever, I don't know just where this rot was supposed to set in in season
Eleven but there are no signs of it here. The story and the Doctor ("Young
girl? I'd have thought he was too old for that sort of thing!") both feel
fresh and invigorating, the loss of Jo proving for the show's gain after
all.
The Doctor ("Just some eccentric scientist!") never seems to stop in
this story and at no point do you feel his motives are anything other than
heroic. This is the character Jon Pertwee wanted to play, someone who is
ruthlessly inventive (his stink bombs and Robot disguise are both great),
active (dashing through the Great Hall dodging bullets, running through
the courtyard avoiding the sharp edge of a sword) and a right eccentric
("I'm in no great hurry I assure you!" he says as knaves are about to
shoot him). He has terrific chemistry with Sarah ("There are two species
on this planet?") whether he is fighting her ("This isn't a rescue Doctor,
it's a capture!") or helping her ("You can look upon my people as galactic
ticket inspectors."). This is my third Doctor ("These wizards and warlocks
were ever a treacherous breed, we best be wary of him"), one who risked
his life for others and always came through in the end. Pertwee looks very
dashing and I love him.
The story enjoys three bravura performances that light it up like the
sky in the middle of firework night. The one everybody remembers so
vividly is Kevin Lindsay's Linx ("He is a toad! Who knows what a toad
thinks?") and quite rightly too as his lonely Sontaran warrior proves to
be an extremely memorable creation. The mask is extraordinary; it looks
genuinely alien and even better, it glistens with the feel of real flesh
making the transition to believe this is a real alien threat all the more
easy. There is too much to admire about Robert Holmes' introduction of the
Sontarans ("Nasty, brutish and short just about sums him up"), this is
another example of his ability to pluck plausible monsters out of thin
air.
Linx ("Are they all so fair amongst the stars?") proves remarkably
resourceful once crash-landing in the Middle Ages, seeking shelter with
Irongron for his ship and using his equipment to project himself as far
into the future to steal whatever help and devices he might require to
escape the Earth. He has an extremely short fuse ("Primitives! Childish,
squabbling primitives!") that provides some wonderful moments, especially
as his relationship with Irongron begins to falter ("Threaten me once more
and I will destroy you!"). But also he walks and thinks Sontaran, wanting
nothing more than to return to battle, regarding the human race as a list
of statistics ("You have a primary and secondary reproductive cycle. It is
an inefficient system - you should change it" and "I doubt you would have
the capacity to be a truly military species") and completely oblivious
(and uncaring) to the danger of offering modern weapons to a thug like
Irongron and permanently altering the web of time. It shows something of
his character when he wishes to see the raid on Sir Edward's castle ("He's
just like a little boy stirring up the red ants and the black ants. Its
something to keeping him amused, to stop him from getting bored.") and his
scathing criticism on their retreat suggests much about the Sontaran
tolerance. We discover much about their species, the cloning, the War with
the Rutans, the probic vent weakness... and Linx ("A warrior from the
stars!") proves to be one of the best alien characters of the era.
Next up is the lively and verbose Sarah Jane Smith ("For pity's sake
cease this babbling girl!"), my favourite companion by a long distance
making her striking first appearance. How can you not love this woman? She
smuggles herself into the Brigadier's security hotel, sneaks on board the
TARDIS, teams up with the local gentry and fires up their fighting spirit
and accuses the Doctor of being behind the whole sorry mess! She has an
extremely sharp tongue ("Why don't you take of that ridiculous gear and go
home to your butcher's shop!"), an extremely proactive attitude ("What's
wrong with you! You rush into the castle, knock out the guards, grab the
Doctor and away!") and doesn't suffer fools gladly ("He could just be
changing sides to save his own skin!"). Elisabeth Sladen makes an instant
impression, the best companion of the era yet; more dominant than Liz and
more interesting than Jo, Sarah proves irresistible companion material for
the Doctor. She doesn't always get on with him ("Kindly don't be so
patronising") but you know it's going to be a hell of a ride ("Look at
that great spider!") when Sarah's about.
And finally the phenomenally horrid Irongron ("Bother me now little
Toad and you will feels an axe in your skull!") played by the loud and
proud David Daker. What a performance! Rarely does a guest actor in
Doctor Who make such an impact, Daker plays every scene at about
seven hundred decibels, chewing up the scenery with a lust for the
material on offer. Holmes makes sure Irongron gets all the best dialogue
("I should have carved him into collops on the spot!") and the most
believable motives, hunger for power and fine wine and meat. What's more
he has an excellent comic foil in Bloodaxe, the extremely thick companion
who for once genuinely manages to amuse ("Yours is indeed a towering
intelligence!"). They make for a rowdy and engaging pair, a couple of
historical hard lads that Holmes has great fun with by commenting on the
action with violent metaphors.
And that's not even mentioning Hal the Archer, Lady Eleanor, Sir
Edward, the hysterically eccentric Professor Rubish ("Are you wearing a
hat?")... there is a list of memorable creations that populate the story.
As I have already demonstrated Holmes manages to dish out more than his
fair share of ultra cool dialogue and this could very well be his best
script yet, its very funny with a laugh out loud line every minute or so
and an extreme amount of entertainment is to be had.
What's even better the production seems to work in tangent with the
script and is has a very polished feel, the fact that they managed to
shoot in and around a genuine castle helps to sell the story enormously.
All of the location work is highly effective, especially the forest stuff,
Doctor Who always succeeding in getting the most out of such
verdant scenery. The sets also seem to fit the story well, the early
scientific research centre might be bare and dull but the castle sets are
a delight on the eye with some fine detail. There is lots of straw and
filth scattered around to show these were uncomfortable times and
Irongron's hovel is nicely contrasted with Sir Edward's luxurious
surroundings. Plus the design of the Sontaran ship is a work of genius,
simple and effective and seeing it outside in the woods never fails to
tickle me.
I don't know what David Howe and Stephen Walker are on about when they
say this story has a 'mid season' feel and that it not spectacular enough
to kickstart the season. Without treading on the other stories of the year
this is by far my favourite and one of my all time favourites of the
Pertwee era. It has everything a good Doctor Who story needs,
action, humour, a good alien, a fantastic companion, high production
values and an engaging Doctor. In entertainment terms it is a superior
Doctor Who story and I thoroughly enjoy it every time I watch it.
A Haiku by Finn Clark
Updated 3/5/20
Gormless director
A Review by Brian May
2/10/08
The Time Warrior is another story that has lasted the years
well. The witty dialogue, sharp insults and great characters still bounce
off the screen, a great testament to the marvellous Robert Holmes.
Ironically, it's a story he didn't want to write. He disliked historical
settings, but the finished product is of such high calibre you wouldn't be
able to tell.
Holmes has given us something other than the invasion of Earth staple
of the Pertwee years, yet maintains an ultimate threat, that of human
history being altered. It's been done before in Doctor Who, The Time Meddler especially, but Holmes puts a new
spin on it. The Monk interfered because he enjoyed it; Linx does so
because it's a means to an end. He's crash-landed on a primitive planet
and needs help to repair his ship. The course of history is threatened,
but he simply doesn't care. The Sontarans are my favourite Who
monster, and Linx is the original and best. I love an alien with emotions
written into them - as opposed to cop-outs like the Daleks and Cybermen,
who profess to have none but then make abundant displays of them. Linx
gets angry, he feels insulted, he shows pride, he even aims to please
(when asking Irongron if he's happy with the robot knight, his enthusiasm
is almost child-like). He also has a sense of honour: he provides Irongron
with a final batch of rifles to keep a promise, and even warns the robber
baron and his men to flee the castle.
Linx's realisation is marvellous. His armour and helmet are
particularly striking, making the first appearance of the alien as he
exits his golf ball craft a stunning visual, while his unmasked visage is
memorably grotesque. (And isn't it a delicious irony that the first word
we ever hear a Sontaran say should be "Peace"?) Kevin Lindsay gives a
fantastic performance, sharing the limelight with David Daker as they give
us another Holmes double-act. Daker makes Irongron a multi-dimensional
character. He's a source of much humour and the butt of many jokes, but he
also gets to make a lot of them, while at the same time he's shown for
what he really is - a dangerous, murderous thug who deserves his end.
Daker's balancing act is perfect. John J Carney is great in support;
indeed, in Bloodaxe and Irongron there's another double act. And the
henchman, not the boss, gets the best gag; "Yours is indeed a towering
intelligence!" always has me in conniptions.
These three performances tend to overshadow everybody else, but there's
an impressive pool of acting talent at work; Jeremy Bulloch, June Brown
and Alan Rowe are excellent in their smaller roles. I really like Jon
Pertwee here. He's very relaxed, by which I don't mean lazy, but he makes
his Doctor more easygoing and gently humorous than we've seen before.
There's an air of resignation in Pertwee's manner; his era is coming to a
close and this is the beginning of the end. The funny voice he puts on as
he disguises himself as the robot is a bit of a misstep, but hardly the
"self parody" Who's Next so disdainfully labels
it. Of course, this is Elisabeth Sladen's debut as Sarah Jane Smith, and a
competent, albeit inconsistent, one it is. She's an attempt to counter
accusations of sexism against the series, but her headstrong feminism is a
very cliched and rather overearnest effort to reflect such a sensibility.
And, inevitably, in the last few episodes she's just the token companion
for the Doctor to explain things to. Nevertheless, it's interesting to see
the genesis of a character that would prove immensely popular and survive
into 21st century Doctor Who.
Naturally for an historical setting, the design and costumes are great.
Alan Bromly has come in for a bit of criticism, especially on the DVD
features and commentary, but I like his work. His theatre background is
obvious in the dialogue intensive scenes, but for the most part the script
insists on such direction. It fails in the action-oriented high shot of
the Doctor being chased round the castle grounds at the end of part two,
which is too static for too long, and there are a few too many zooms; the
closing in on osmic projector and empty table are quite bizarre and grate
with the production's otherwise smooth feel.
But, overall, The Time Warrior is a highly enjoyable and
deservedly memorable story. 8.5/10
When sci-fi meets the Middles Ages by Konstantin
Hubert
21/7/09
The Time Warrior is innovative in several aspects: it introduced
the great companion Sarah Jane Smith, the warlike Sontaran (an outstanding
alien) while the Doctor's home planet, Gallifrey, is named for the first
time. Moreover, for the first time "Episodes" were called "Parts" and a
new title sequence and logo are introduced. All these innovations are
enough to make it a reference story in the show's history. However, it is
innovative even in terms of plot, thanks to its intelligent and original
premise: an alien crash-lands on Earth (Middle Ages) and abducts
scientists from the 20th century in his effort to repair his damaged star
ship.
From the start, The Time Warrior sets itself apart from other
historical serials: we witness a peculiar alien's (the Sontaran Linx)
contact with people of the Middle Ages beside his damaged ship and then
the action is transferred to a 20th century scientific complex. Scientists
are kidnapped, while a quarrelsome and greedy bandit called Irongron
allies with Linx in his attempt to gather powers in the war against the
people of Wessex Castle. It is an amazing blend of historical setting and
science fiction, shot in the location of Peckforton Castle. This is not
the trite alien invasion that had characterized sci-fi movies in the 50s
or other DW serials. The Sontaran Linx seeks to repair the ship and
leave and not to conquer or research anything. Irongron and his men are
the ones that exhibit here their ambitions to conquer.
Thus, The Time Warrior shows us the alliances between men and an
extraterrestrial creature and the clash against their enemy: between
Irongron's army and the Sontaran (this alliance being shallow) and between
the people at Wessex Castle and the Doctor. It is a typical story of the
show's non-violent nature, because, although both the Sontaran and
Irongron are warlike enemies, the Doctor does not have recourse to use
force against them, neither he nor Sarah Jane get injured and even when
Wessex Castle is besieged no one gets injured and in fact no melee combat
occurs. The Time Lord serves at the same time as the mysterious defender
of this castle and as the saviour of the abducted scientists. He uses
various gimmicks to outwit his opponents and fulfill his goals, including
a strange gas he prepares to repel the enemies.
Elisabeth Sladen makes her debut here as reporter Sarah Jane Smith and,
along with the Sontaran and Irongron, she steals the show. Bold and
curious, charming and eccentric, she inadvertently finds herself in the
TARDIS and in the Middle Ages, thus taking part in her first adventure.
The scene in which she speaks to the Doctor and discovers the Time Lord's
nature is one of The Time Warrior's classic moments. The Sontaran
(Kevin Lindsay), with his toad-like brownish head, the great outfit, the
humanoid and yet so alien appearance, is a striking creature, wonderfully
conceived by Robert Holmes. It is no wonder that Sontarans were used again
and that they have made their comeback even in the new series (The Sontaran Stratagem/The Poison Sky). When it
comes to the bossy Irongron, perfectly played by David Daker, he is one of
the series' most memorable and imposing one-off characters, albeit
annoying at times, because of his irritable and vociferous disposition.
On the minus side, some of the story's action scenes appear funny
because of poor execution: for example, the Doctor's chase at the end of
Part 2 or the shooting scene in Part 4 in which, not to our surprise, the
Doctor doesn't get a scratch. The plot includes some basic flaws: why
doesn't the Doctor try to use the TARDIS to transport the scientists back
to the 20th century? Since men of the 20th century can repair the ship,
why does Linx negotiate and ally with some of the medieval people? Not
only he does not ignore them but he also very eagerly seeks to talk to
them, gives them guns, constructs a robot knight for them and makes
promises to them like a politician, whereas he knows they cannot help him.
It could be said that they give him a shelter, Irongron's castle, which
houses the ship, but this was pointless. In fact, in the end, the ship
takes off while still in the castle and it obviously explodes as it
crashes into its inner walls!
Despite a few flaws, The Time Warrior stands as a solid and of
course original title of the classic series. I recommend its DVD, which,
although not one of the richest ones in terms of extras, features extras
of the usual BBC quality.
"Oh, I could murder a cup of tea!" by Donna Bratley
3/11/19
Robert Holmes's deft dialogue and his ability to create the most engaging characters - even among the villains - joining forces with a new companion of instant charm and a Third Doctor who is witty, commanding and thoroughly mischievous. What's not to love about The Time Warrior?
It sits in a category with The Time Meddler, Invasion of the Dinosaurs and Robot of Sherwood (yes, really). I can put the kettle on, get the biscuits out and enjoy.
Irongron and Bloodaxe are a garrulous, if dim-witted, double-act to rival Jago and Litefoot. Linx is the finest of all the Sontarans. There's even lovely location stuff at Peckforton Castle.
The premise is preposterous, but a time-travelling "star man" plucking 20th century scientists from under the nose of UNIT (habitually incompetent, though I do love the notion of the Brig having his egg-basket nicked) and dragging them back to some carefully unspecified point in the early Middle Ages, is exactly my kind of hair-brained Doctor Who. Irongron's lair is suitably grotty and his "By the Stars!" exclamations and colourful array of insults, particularly when directed at his "toad" have real vibrancy, abetted by the gusto with which they're delivered. David Daker, ably backed by John J. Carney, is a total scene-stealer.
It's a long way off historical accuracy but do I care? Not in the slightest.
The colourful phraseology of the bandit leader does throw the pallid characterisation of his neighbours into sharp relief. Edward and Eleanor are painfully stilted, their formal speech patterns giving a wooden feel to their scenes (even once I've got over seeing Dot Cotton done up as a mediaeval matron). It's hard to engage with any sense of danger to them from Irongron's gang when they barely sound at all alarmed by it themselves.
Even the Doctor at his most mannerly doesn't soften them. There's not a great deal of Pertwee's era in my DVD collection, and whenever I watch The Time Warrior, I regret that.
What stops my finger above the "buy now" button can be summed up in two words. The difference in this serial takes three.
Sarah-Jane Smith.
She's straight-off-the-bat wonderful. Sharp, smart and sassy, an investigative reporter with the gumption to get herself into a secure establishment and the guts to take in her stride everything that deception throws at her, imbued from the off with everything that made her the archetypal companion. Behind Elisabeth Sladen's porcelain doll prettiness is all the steel, spirit and spark her species has to offer. She's wonderful, and she plays off Pertwee to perfection.
He's the coolly sarcastic patrician with all the knowledge in the universe; she's the no-nonsense, practical young woman with a very human touch. My dislike of Jo Grant isn't entirely down to her being an aggravating airhead. It's the effect she has on the Doctor, too.
With Jo, the Third Doctor has free rein to be overbearing, patronising and pompous. Challenged by the fierce intelligence of Liz Shaw or the strong will of Sarah-Jane, those tendencies are pulled back. His general rudeness becomes amusing; his intellectual superiority something to be acknowledged and admired rather than rubbed in my face.
I'm not convinced by Sarah's leap to the wrong conclusion, but I can make allowances. She's stowed away on an impossible machine; been confronted with a jacket potato in space armour; manhandled by a bunch of authentically chauvinistic beardy bandits. She's entitled to be disorientated, and she's honest enough to admit her mistake once her capture of the Doctor turns into a rescue
I could do without the sledgehammer feminism shoehorned into the kitchen scene. Her views are justified, but as she says herself "You're still living in the Middle Ages!", and I was advised by an excellent history tutor never to judge the past by modern norms. She's far better giving Irongron the rough edge of her tongue with advice about returning to his butcher's shop; and her final line in response to the Doctor's denial of magicianship is a softly-spoken gem.
Once won over her loyalty, like her courage, is unquestionable. Around Linx they need to be.
He may perform the crummiest ground-claiming ceremony in Earth's history (I hoot every time he solemnly pops those silly bits of bunting and proclaims my planet a possession of the Sontaran Empire) and he's typically hapless when it comes to the security, but he's the most persuasively nasty piece of work his species have produced, casually dismissive of opposition (any alien that uses the phrase "egalitarian twaddle" is all right by me) and brutally uninterested in any "primitive" as he works his captives toward death. I'm puzzled though. What was he doing with Rubeish?
The professor's introduction is as corny as the oft-repeated "Doctor who?", but roughly six billion times funnier. He's charmingly brilliant in his bumbling myopic way. But having abducted him, does Linx think he's got the man under hypnosis or has he completely forgotten the free agent skulking around his lab? It's probably the only plot point I can't explain away, and, while it doesn't detract from my enjoyment, it niggles.
The rest of the bonkers storyline hangs satisfactorily, and whenever there's a narrative lull, there's another manic chase/unlikely escape to pass the time, with Pertwee in full action-man mode. They're more comedic than menacing (although the rampaging robot's an unexpectedly threatening sight) but in keeping with the episode's tone. I particularly love his casual air as he lobs his stink-bombs.
Because yes, Linx's flag is hysterical, about as impressive as Irongron's scaling ladders. It's hard to believe that bunch of chicken-hearted knaves ever seized a castle from anything more alarming than a population of rodents. Genesis of the Daleks it ain't.
But it doesn't need the horror or the grand menace because it has wit, heart and masses of character. The Doctor is at his dry, authoritative best; his sidekick is bright, competent without smugness, bemused and alarmed but never cowed; and the supporting cast throw themselves headlong into the mayhem. As a weekend tea-time treat, what could be better?
Doctor: The Time Lords are keen to stamp out unlicensed time
travel
Cut to the battle, where Pertwee is casually lobbing his stink bombs over
the wall. It's a nice way to show that even this Doctor had a sense of
fun.
Sarah: You¹re serious about this.
Doctor: I may be serious in what I have to do, but not in how I go
about it. (Trumpets blow.)
Doctor (big ass smile) Aha! The Battle is about to commence!
"If you give rifles to them now by the 17th century they
will have atomic weapons....They'll destroy themselves before they mature
enough to handle the responsibility..."
Gets the tone wrong, which isn't
Robert Holmes's fault.