Written by Paula Woolsey, Sydney Newman, and Eric Saward
Directed by Matthew Robinson

Doctor Who is a British science fiction television series that has been around off and on since 1963. The main character is just known as “The Doctor” and is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. This means he travels through time to various places. One of his favorite places to visit is Earth. Typically, he has a companion traveling with him, usually female, sometimes male, sometimes one of each. He travels in a time machine known as a TARDIS, which is disguised as a British Police booth.

A Time Lord can regenerate if fatally wounded, which has accounted for all the different actors who have played The Doctor throughout the years.  In this story arc, the Doctor is portrayed by Colin Baker.  He is traveling with Peri, portrayed by Nicola Bryant. Peri was supposed to be American to draw a bit on the growing audience for the show on this side of the pond, but she is portrayed by a British actress trying to lose her British accent.

Attack of the Cybermen was the opening story arc for the 22nd season of the show.  Peter Davison had just left the role as the Doctor, and he regenerated into Colin Baker. Through the years, I’ve heard many differing opinions on Baker’s run as the Doctor, but there is a general consensus that this was not a high point in the series’ history.

After his recent very unstable regeneration, the Doctor is trying to fix the TARDIS as he lands in London in 1985.  This is at the same time that there have been two workers attacked in the sewers, and a gang of jewel thieves are planning a major heist. The gangsters are being led by Lytton (portrayed by Maurice Colbourne), last seen as a mercenary in the employ of the notorious Cybermen.

The Cybermen have already attacked the sewer workers as well as exerted a form of mind control on two men posing as police who tail the Doctor and Peri.  Through events, the Doctor learns that the Cyber Controller, whom he thought was dead, is actually still alive and well on the planet Telos.  Ready for a confrontation, the action switches to there.  Peri and the Doctor are separated, find both allies and enemies on the planet, etc., etc.

There are issues aplenty with Attack of the Cybermen, the main one being that the story doesn’t know what it wants to be. For such a short story-arc (two 45-minute episodes), it tries to cram in too much. It is introducing the new Doctor and trying to get the audience acquainted with him, while at the same time trying to be an involved story about the Cybermen.  I think it would have been easier to trot out the disposable alien-of-the-week scenario and leave a Cybermen plot for when the newest incarnation of the Doctor was more established.

It also goes against the history of the Cybermen with their perceived indestructibility. Here, they are repeatedly slain fairly easily.

All my past criticism of Peri as a whiny, annoying companion pales in comparison to her here.  She seems to do nothing except whine at the Doctor and walk around in a tight spandex neon pink top and matching shorts that make it appear that she bathed in Pepto Bismol.  In the commentary, she states it was a “spray-on” outfit. I feel for Nicola Bryant, I really do. I think part of what made her whiny was trying to portray an American, as her voice doesn’t seem as grating in the commentary.

There are a few good moments, but these can’t shake what was wrong with Attack of the Cybermen.  Colin Baker probably did some of his best work of the series here.  He’s funny at times while also being a convincing foil for those around him. One of the best, most unexpected scenes was where he actually disarms his opponent and beats the crap out of him – so un-Doctor-like!  The Cryons were a good new alien species who deserved more than the little we see of them here.  Unfortunately, they don’t build on the potential created in this episode.

The DVD release is actually pretty good, like most of the Doctor Who serials.  I keep saying the American studios could take a page from them in adding material to make even a bad story-arc worth checking out.  In addition to the usual commentary track, which I thought was quite funny and enjoyed listening to more than viewing the story alone, there are featurettes and television specials to set the tone for the time.  There is also plenty of background information on developing the story and the limited special effects here.

Where I have the biggest problem with the episode, and it’s indicative of what Colin Baker’s run as the Doctor would be like, is that there was so much right with Attack of the Cybermen, the fact that it’s as awful as it is makes it tragic. I certainly don’t fault Baker for that, as many other fans do. A look at these episodes with a critical eye reveals much more than just his acting ability at fault.  Here he’s actually pretty good, but a plot that just tries to do too much in too short a time and doesn’t build on the potential that’s created kills the story-arc.


SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Commentary with Colin Baker, Nicola Bryant, Terri Malloy, and Sarah Berger
• Isolated Music Track
• Information Text
• The Cold War
• The Cyber Story
• Human Cyborg
• Photo Gallery
• The Cyber-Generations
• Trails and Continuity
• Radio Times Listings
• Coming Soon