TV Club: Doctor Who, “Castrovalva”

“Castrovalva” (series 19, episodes 1-4; originally aired 1/4/1982-1/12/1982)

“Castrovalva” is far from the worst Doctor Who would ever inflict on the TV viewing public, but the decline and fall of the show is clearly in evidence. It’s not a story I would show someone if I wanted them to think Doctor Who was worth watching. It’s got its moments and a fine performance by new lead actor Peter Davison, but they don’t make up for its defects—chiefly an unclear and often dull storyline, poor costumes, and atrocious acting by some of the secondary characters. It’s unwelcoming to new viewers, and crammed overfull of fanboy trivia, particularly in the first couple of episodes.

The Eighties were not kind to Doctor Who. While I think there’s some merit to be found in the series in each of its incarnations and reinventions from 1963 onward, I don’t think I’m going out on a limb to suggest that the gold is very thin on the ground in the period we’re about to dive into, the age of the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Doctors. Don’t get me wrong, this was never a perfect show. It always struggled with low budgets, rushed production, and the limitations of ’60s and ’70s TV technology. But somewhere along the line, things started to spiral down. Star Wars has the prequels. Star Trek has Voyager. And Doctor Who has the 1980s tenure of producer John Nathan-Turner, a period starting with Tom Baker’s final year as the Fourth Doctor and covering a tumultuous period that may hold a record for the farthest fall from excellence in television history.

Originally published July 3, 2011 on avclub.com. Read the complete article.

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