1978-03-11
N/A
150 min
The Doctor returns to Gallifrey, claims his rights and is inaugurated President. It soon turns out that he has led a group of aliens called Vardans to the planet to eradicate them completely. After they are destroyed, the Sontarans take their opportunity and follow them in their invasion until they are destroyed by the Doctor.
This isn't such a good outing for Tom Baker as the eponymous Time Lord. It's essentially two stories with the first part seeing him and "Leela" (Louise Jameson) arriving on his home planet of "Gallifrey" to assert his right to be President of the Supreme Council. This doesn't go down so well with his former tutor, and now Chancellor "Borusa" (John Arnatt) nor the slightly sneaky security chief "Kelner" (Milton Johns). We already suspect that the "Doctor" is up to something, and as he takes office the impregnable citadel is soon overrun by enemies bent on controlling the galaxy. The second trio of episodes introduces us to the real paymasters from the first three: a menacing militaristic race whom even K9's laser cannot harm. With the fate of their home on the line, what is the plan and what might the elusive "Key of Rassilon" have to do with anything? This was the last six-parter of the series and I felt maybe the writers (there were four) had run out of steam a little, as had Baker. Sure, there's still some mischief to be had and Johns, Arnatt and Chris Tranchell - captain of the guard "Andred" and the source of a little romance for the especially useful "Leela", all contribute well enough as we base much of the action in what looked like an old municipal swimming baths, but the story is much weaker and slightly over-written. It's perfectly watchable, just not so great.
