CLASSIC DOCTOR WHO | The Deadly Assassin - Part 1 | REACTION *Swearing involved*

[@mattiow9664]

The 10 yr old me was very proud of my Time lord collar which I made from cardboard and added copious amounts of glitter , glued on in swirls with a new thing called a prit stick. I would prance around regally...i was never going to be a rugby player....🙄💕

[@Cyber_Smoke]

5:42 if you didn't notice the actor Bernard Horsfall was the timelord that sentenced the 2nd doctor to exile I like to look at him as playing the same character here.

[@cdman6106]

This is a special treat. Aired 1976, one year before Star Wars. Note the intro of this story.

[@frankshailes3205]

Yes - very 1930s Flash Gordon!

[@sharkdentures3247]

I absolutely LOVE the "dressing down" Spandrell gives the Guard Captain "Well done, Hildred. An antiquated capsule, for which you get adequate early warning, tranducts on the very perimeter of the Capitol. You are informed that the occupant is a known criminal, whereupon you allow him to escape and conceal himself in a building a mere fifty three stories high. A clever stratagem, Hildred. You're trying to CONFUSE him, I take it?" SO funny!

[@CountScarlioni]

At least here the Time Lords wear lots of nice colours, and don't have Nu-Who's obsession with dressing them all in drab, uniform burgundy! From what I can tell it looks like most of the robes have been run up from curtain fabric, and the collars made from fibreglass. Regardless, it's an incredible piece of TV design work and one of the most successful of the entire programme. Just the silhouette of a Time Lord costume is iconic, and unmistakeable for anything else. Glad to see you're really enjoying this story so far. It's definitely one of my favourites.

[@sixstanger00]

I think this was a case of NuWho's surface-level knowledge of the original series' mythos. This story explains that the Time Lord society is divided into "houses" or "classes," each indicated by their robe color. Bright red was reserved for security personnel. But numerous scenes in this story show Burgundy, Orange, Green, Gold, etc. The Doctor was a member of the Prydonian house, which is why he wore orange. But then this has been a common trope with NuWho - that is, skimping in the costume department. Nearly all native characters in future settings are wearing present-day Earth fashions. For example, _"Planet of the Ood,"_ is set in the far future on another planet, yet the businessmen and women are wearing contemporary Earth business suits, and the security guards in the compound are not only dressed like contemporary Earth security guards, but use contemporary Earth weapons. Another example was _"The Long Game,"_ where they visit Satellite 5 in the distant future. Yet everyone on the station appears to be plucked out of a contemporary Earth city. Unfortunately, NuWho was severely watered-down to appeal to a broader audience.

[@ShamrockParticle]

Modern Who has some great episodes and in ways is watered down, but it did reinvigorate the show and even got fans to explore the classic and original run. That's a win either which way.

[@sixstanger00]

@@ShamrockParticle *_but it did reinvigorate the show_* Yes, but it did this by appealing to general audiences, not sci-fi audiences. In effect, RTD watered it down for mass appeal. That was why it was reinvigorated; not because it rivaled the 60s/70s in quality storytelling. It gained a new mass following for the same reason JJ Abrams' 2009 Star Trek is the highest-grossing Star Trek film to date -- because it's tailored to cast the widest net. That's primarily what has led to it's sharp decline in ratings over the last 10 years. It started off appealing to trend-hoppers, and now can't figure out why it's audience evaporated. Trend-hoppers will only stick with it so long as it's trending. When something else comes along, they drop it like a hot potato. *_even got fans to explore the classic and original run_* Some, yes. But the majority of "new fans" have expressed little interest in watching "the old stuff." I've lost count of how many "fans" I've encountered that describe it as "dated," "boring," "slow," "cheap," "cringe," etc. These are the same fans that will attack you if you dare say anything negative about the revival. The revival setup unrealistic expectations for DW overall by deviating so much from the traditional formula. Many new fans are not even aware that the original series *_still exists,_* having been convinced by other uninformed noobs that the old episodes were "lost in a storm." Next time you're on FB, skim the comment section of any post on the Doctor Who official page. The ratio is typically about 9:1 for anyone mentioning anything pertaining to the first 26 seasons.

[@MrUndersolo]

Ah, googly-eyes... One of my favourites!

[@awall1701]

The jaw dropping look on your face when you saw the 'zombie' said it all.

[@Eltonlaleham]

I missed Sarah Jane when she went and I cried big time Marie-Clare and also I always as a kid liked to imagine I was Sarah Jane

[@iansmith4023]

This story is a rollercoaster - and a surprisingly violent one,at that!

[@markbelsom3174]

One of Mary Whitehouse's favorites, 😂

[@custardtimelord5502]

'Swearing involved' Me: hell yeah cant wait for THIS

[@johnwhite8074]

Glad your Loving the Burgundy look.. The Time Lords had a similar look in new Who ' Hell Bent ' 4th Doctor looks good in Burgundy doesn't he 😄

[@julieeverett7442]

he does, and when you know why its even better

[@ftumschk]

2:33 I think this is the first time the TARDIS is referred to as a Type 40. Previously, the Meddling Monk's TARDIS, more advanced than the Doctor's, was identified as a Mark 4, which would make the Doctor's TARDIS at most a Mark 3. This continuity error - or "breach of canon", for the more dramatically inclined - was retconned in _Let's Kill Hitler,_ by labeling the Doctor's TARDIS a "Type 40, Mark 3" in the Teselecta database.

[@conscienceaginBlackadder]

If real life humans could muddle up the classification system, it's very plausible that the Time Lords' bureaucracy could too !

[@sixstanger00]

I wouldn't necessarily call it a continuity error, as "type" and "mark" refer to different things. "Type" would be roughly equivalent to a car manufacturer's "model," such as Mustang, Ranger, Explorer, etc. "Mark" refers to the production generation of the model, such as "1st generation," "2nd generation," etc. Even without _"Let's Kill Hitler,"_ it's not contradictory to say his TARDIS is a Mark III, Type-40.

[@ftumschk]

@@sixstanger00 True, but I didn't mean that "Let's Kill Hitler" was contradictory - only that it reconciled/tidied up what had gone before... and rather cleverly, too, I think :)

[@nigelmathewsnrm]

The Tardis is a Type 40 Mk1, according to a bit of official paperwork, but as with most of the things about Classic DW, it's probably now 'out of print'

[@lapelcelery42]

@@nigelmathewsnrm Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor states the same in the "Destiny of the Doctors" game from '97.

[@markbelsom3174]

Love this story, after Liz Sladen left Tom Baker suggested he didn't need a companion.

[@ftumschk]

He even went to the extent of saying that he could perform the role perfectly well with a talking cabbage/lettuce on his shoulder. I think it had to be explained to him that the Doctor's human(oid) Companion served a vital function by being a character with whom ordinary viewers could identify.

[@sharkdentures3247]

I understand that this is the ONLY Doctor Who episode / story where the Doctor does NOT have a Companion of ANY kind! Kind of a cool novelty.

[@eddherring4972]

@@sharkdentures3247 really Engin and Spandrel are companions or fill the role of companions with explanation etc so although Tom arrives and leaves on his own he sort of does have companions. I get your point though yes I agree he does not have a companion.

[@Shockeye00]

Technically, if an assassin wasn't deadly, he wouldn't be an assassin.

[@grfgtbhh34]

According to Robert Holmes, the title distinguishes a Deadly Assassin from an Incomptent one.

[@andrewsmith3622]

Technically technically, the Assassins were named after their use of hashish, ad the term implies nothing about their efficiency.

[@whobp8]

The Relatively Harmless Assassin wouldn't have been as compelling a title

[@Problembeing]

I don’t know... I’ve met some deadly cooks in my time, no fatalities yet, but do they qualify as ‘assassins’? :P

[@rowietappy187]

Your right, I think the costume designers had a extra few quid in their budget to go for it and it shows. Very well executed and impressive for a 70s small screen low budget show..... The mysterious character with the hard boiled egg eyes had me thinking it was Jack the Ripper on my first viewing, I think it was the cloak with all the skulking about in the shadows and the mist that gave me the thought.

[@Percyfan1998]

A myth, a legend! It's my second favorite Tom Baker story and I'm loving that you're loving it so far.

[@Jamienomore]

The Zombie thing you saw looked like me after a heavy nights drinking. I Loved your confusion.

[@whobp8]

One might assume that Goth, the Time Lord played by Bernard Horsfall is the same Time Lord who exiled the Second Doctor to Earth in The War Games.

[@custardtimelord5502]

Such a goooooood cliffhanger

[@artron6833]

I strongly recommend reacting to every episode of the The Sarah Jane Adventures. It wasn’t made solely with just kids in mind, and makes no attempts to water anything down. For a CBBC show it pushes a lot of boundaries. You wouldn’t regret it.

[@robalexander8065]

Another great reaction, Marie Claire! I especially enjoyed the way you greeted the goggle eyed character. Another great serial.

[@damiankarrassj9225]

Hi there.... i think the last time we saw the Time Lords ...... was that in The Three Doctors? Great channel and always look forward to watching your reactions.

[@johng5859]

Damian Karras SJ We last saw a Time Lord (though not on Gallifrey) in Genesis of the Daleks.

[@damiankarrassj9225]

@@johng5859 i forgot that time lord.

[@keithsolley]

that trick the Doctor plays on the Chancellory guards to escape from the Tardis comes from a Sherlock Holmes story

[@owenwildish331]

I've been so looking forward to this one, it's a story you'd definitely need to pay attention to :)

[@chrisbrooker7260]

One of the key (and best) stories of Who history. Genius on so many levels The Time Lords never again would be so colourful

[@ianbarnes9192]

Great reaction,as ever. I had the subtitles on,and they mistranslated 'castellan' as 'custard ...!?.. The Deadly Pudding, anyone..

[@mudcrab3420]

What is interesting here is the little things that are not said. The media guy - Runcible - who the Doctor starts chatting to remembers the Doctor from their earlier years together, despite the fact the Doctor has regenerated several times. The implication here is that Time Lords recognise each other at some more profound level than simple visual appearance. If you take into account NuWho you could argue that Time Lords are in fact energy beings and their appearance is simply a physical shell they occupy. Or something... :D

[@joshuajoshua2732]

Yes they are indeed on Gallifrey and yes they are indeed Time Lords. The last time the Doctor was on Gallifrey was The final second doctor story The War Games though the planet was unnamed at that time, the Time Lords were seen briefly throughout the third doctors run in Colony in Space and The Three Doctors. The reason why Sarah Jane was not aloud was because humans were not aloud to go to Gallifrey back then. This is also the first episode that the TARDIS was revealed to be a Type 40 and no companion in this story.

[@TheZodiacz]

If she wasn't aloud could she just have gone quietly? Spellcheck is a bigger.

[@joshuajoshua2732]

Yeah I might have missed a word or two there.

[@johng5859]

Great reaction, and I can't wait to see your response to the remaining episodes. It is no exaggeration to say this is one of the most important stories in the show's history, being the first to have Gallifrey as its principal setting and greatly enriching the mythology of the Time Lords in the process. It was actually quite controversial with fans on first broadcast in 1976, because Robert Holmes, in one of his finest scripts, effectively changes the Time Lords here from all-powerful god-like beings to petty, politicking, past-their-best bureaucrats. Nowadays, however, it is broadly accepted as a classic and one of the best stories to come out of the Hinchcliffe-Holmes era. You are right that the Doctor was last on Gallifrey in The War Games, though the last time we saw it on screen was in The Three Doctors. Bernard Horsfell, playing Chancellor Goth, was also a Time Lord in The War Games, though it is not made explicit in this story whether that was the same character. Another returning guest actor here is George Pravda as the Castellan - he had previously been in The Enemy of the World and The Mutants. Loved your reaction to the shadowy, cadaverous villain - I know you know who he is now, but I will say no more for the time being...

[@ftumschk]

Of course, on both previous visits we didn't know it as Gallifrey. It was merely the "planet of the Time Lords" or "my home planet" (etc) before The Time Warrior came along :)

[@johng5859]

ftumschk Indeed. I think we do also get a very brief glimpse of it - still unnamed at that point, of course - at the start of Colony in Space.

[@toddbeilby6484]

Googley Eyes! 😂 Your Horror 😱 (not expecting to see yourself 😂😂😂 hilarious comment). You’d look great in one of those costumes! Lots of questions MC, which we love from a new adventure. Can’t wait for the next episode 😍

[@harleyhartley3168]

Technically they are all gallifreyans I think, only the dudes with the massive collars are the time lords bc it’s a rank

[@julieeverett7442]

time lord is an earned title like getting your masters at uni

[@julieeverett7442]

@tylerx2f01 probably, but its still an earned title

[@CRINOTH]

It's a great story but the title amuses me a bit. The Deadly Assassin - as opposed to the non-deadly ones I suppose. ;)

[@frankshailes3205]

Haha yeah. It's a term that's been used elsewhere though. Presumably like a deadly plague, as opposed to all the plagues that don't kill anything. Maybe the other kind are character assassins? :D

[@johnreid9959]

Bob holmes argued that the word assassin came from a race of dopes who would’ve produced many incompetent assassins

[@PandezPanda]

The deadly vengeance...of deadly...REVENGE *MANIACAL LAUGHTER*

[@frankshailes3205]

I was just playing the space game "Elite Dangerous" and, along with the "Mostly Harmless" rank and some other references it mentions that one of the engineer resources in the game was rumoured to have been "a deadly assassin" in a former career...

[@billthewhovian]

Don't you just love "googly eyes"? The actor who played him, Peter Pratt was a radio and stage actor who was hired because they felt he could push his voice through the mask which was very hot apparently and from a rumour I heard years ago poor Peter nearly passed out at least once from the heat under the studio lights, due to the combination of the mask, the lights and costume.

[@alexfletcher5192]

I think if you were to ask the writer of this story to jot down the first word that came into his head to use as the name of a character, 'Goth' would be the likely outcome. David Maloney first cast Bernard Horsfall as Gulliver back in 'The Mind Robber', and we'd seen him more recently as Thal leader Taron in 'Planet of the Daleks, but it's his role as the Time Lord prosecutor who exiled the 2nd Doctor to Earth that should be of interest here....

[@GrilloTheFlightless]

Tom Baker was adamant that he didn’t need a companion. Everyone knew how necessary a companion was, but decided to humour him for this story. They proved a point, as Tom had to talk to himself a fair bit to explain to the audience what was going on. I love the Time Lord costume designs here. I also love what Robert Holmes did with them. The Time Lord society that we’ve seen before, as conceived by Terrance Dicks, we’re an all-powerful super race. Holmes figured that to have been that powerful for so long without getting involved with the universe, you must wi d up being a bunch of old dodderers tied up with their own bureaucracy. When you see them presented this way, you understand why the Doctor wanted to leave Gallifrey in the first place. Terrence Dicks has said he much prefers this version of the Time Lords to his own. Did anyone notice the error? Borusa is a Prydonian yet they’ve dressed him in the robes of a Patrexes.

[@chrisboot2468]

Oh yes, it IS definitely going to be interesting!!!!!

[@kemmdog4444]

The actor playing Goth was in The Mind Robber as Gulliver.

[@frankshailes3205]

And in Planet of the Daleks with Pertwee, leading the Thals. And the Time Lord leading the Doctor's trial in The War Games. The common factor in all four cases is director David Maloney casting his favourite actors.

[@kemmdog4444]

@@frankshailes3205 Maloney casts very well.

[@themaestrosfolly]

Gallifrey has a sort of caste system. The soldiers will be largely common Gallifreyan apart from some high ranking officers. Where has Timelords are like a highborn upper class who will need to graduate from the Timelord academy it receive “Rassilon’s gift” or the ability to regenerate....

[@conscienceaginBlackadder]

Fan myth. In reacting to this topic on folks' sites, I have been relieved to discover that nobody evidences from anywhere this mean-spirited elitist idea about regenerations. They are obviously biological, too, which attaches them to the species.

[@themaestrosfolly]

@@conscienceaginBlackadder I don’t want to post any spoilers but I think I’m on safe ground saying the Timeless Child episode cannoned the idea that regeneration wasn’t a natural process for one. As for the rest there are hints to Timelord society in the show but so much of what we know actually comes from “beta canon” such as books and big finish.....

[@conscienceaginBlackadder]

@@themaestrosfolly The Timeless Child episode that so conflicts with all previous canon of Hartnell as First Doctor that half of fandom does not accept it + regards the TV show as wrecked by it. Beta canon can safely be said to be debatable, not universally known, + less consistent than the TV run which itself has some consistency problems .

[@themaestrosfolly]

@@conscienceaginBlackadder I can’t give you a list of episodes to watch because it will be spoiler filled and not what Miss M-C wants. But dispute episodes you may like or not like it’s well established that all Timelords are Gallifreyan but not all Gallifreyans are Timelords and only Timelords regenerate....

[@conscienceaginBlackadder]

@@themaestrosfolly Calls a thing whose debating is easily googled "well established". Nothing is ever well established by macho rhetorical decree + shutting down of factual scrutiny. That is populism's approach to facts. To state a fact on principle for the sake of not letting it be shut down: safely New Who sourced. The bit about it coming from the Untempered Schism said from billions of years of exposure. Obviously longer than a lifetime, even after, let alone before, you have regeneration power. Only the biological exposure of a species, with its evolutionariily ancestral species, could be a process that long.

[@SGlitz]

Mary whitehouse's favorite episode 🤗

[@julieeverett7442]

Hi Marie Claire, yes we are on Gallifrey, and you have met the full high council for the first time. Costumes are great arent they! If they dont explain again what they we'll let you know later. Yes there are no companions in this story, the rule still holds. Jamie and Zoe had their memories wiped as no outsiders were allowed there (which is why he couldnt take Sarah) The zombie thing is great, you will find out about him later. To my knowledge this is the only story in who history that has no companions. (and I'm only answering your questions! no spoilers)

[@ftumschk]

This was the first story to feature the Doctor and no Companions; "Mission to the Unknown" had no Companions, but the Doctor wasn't in it either :) I'd say that some of the later Tennant Specials are "Companion-less"... I don't count Kylie Minogue, David Morrissey, Michelle Ryan or Lindsay Duncan as proper Companions, even if they got top billing. To me, they're just one-off guest stars.

[@julieeverett7442]

@@ftumschk I did say to my knowledge, i have no problems being corrected, thanks!

[@ftumschk]

@@julieeverett7442 Happy to help :)

[@conscienceaginBlackadder]

But there could have been a Time Lord companion, for which Susan is a precedent. Or the story's villain(s) could have smuggled an unauthorised human to Gallifrey for some purpose in the plot, who leaves with the Doctor in the outcome. Or the new companion could have been engaged with the story from somewhere else, e.g. in orbit + never lands on Gallifrey. So it was really a spoiler to rule out those companion scenarios.

[@mark-s]

A first been the first companion less story in dr who I was still upset when this came out in the 70s that Sarah Jane had gone and the dr was alone

[@philippaine2169]

Great reaction as always great stuff 😀

[@Problembeing]

You’re in for a treat with this story (like most of this season). Googly-eyes is one heck of a villain alright :D

[@Sisterspike1]

Ah good old Deadly Assassin. As to the superb costumes they were designed and made by Oscar winner James Acheson and helped by John Friedlander. You can see this design helped establish the whole look of the Time lord world. From attire to graphics. My friend Robert Allsopp was given the task of slightly redesigning and making them for the 40th special onwards. Back in the day I remember having a conversation with Philip Hinchcliffe during the recording of one of the episodes before this one, with me saying I was huge fan of the concept of the ever mysterious Time Lords, and him saying you're not going to like the next one I'm doing as I see them as being a load of doddery old men caught up in their own bureaucracy. LOL Sadly I never got to see any of this being shot which was a bit of a shame.

[@alexfletcher5192]

The design influence of this story continues today, with the Panopticon being visually reference as recently as 'The Timeless Children' - and what are we to make of the 'Celestial Intervention Agency' (which, in typically dry Holmesian manner, forms the initialism 'C.I.A.')?

[@carlh429]

Did you recognise the Time Lord in the orange costume at around 5:40 in? He was the blond haired Time Lord in the Second Doctor's trial at the end of the final 'War Games' episode.

[@chrisboot2468]

As for Mr Googly-Eyes Zombie-Face.....you do know his name, as one of the other characters used it!

[@shadowwhosm]

She will find out as she watches on

[@alexfletcher5192]

The infamous 'WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE MAGIC OF DR WHO?' critique by Jan Vincent-Rudski, first President of the Dr Who Appreciation Society, has entered fan legend. But why? Even the 2nd Doctor admitted he left Gallifrey because he was 'bored'. But there's more to it than that. A race that was supposedly all-powerful, had conquered dimensional engineering and time travel, could interrupt Transmat Beams when the universe was less than half its present size, and even erase people from history, was suddenly reduced to domestic politics. The Capitol is now the House of Lords, mixed with an all-boys boarding school, mixed with the Vatican. This latter influence, manifest in the sudden occurrence of 'Cardinals' dressed in ornate robes, wouldn't have been lost on lapsed-Catholic Tom Baker. In some respects, he was on the run too...

[@conscienceaginBlackadder]

@@Trev359 Serve em right. Omega (3 Doctors) already had shown they were not that powerful, too.

[@robertbrown569]

No, not everyone there is a Timelord. Timelords are like the ruling class, but there are ordinary Gallifreyans working alongside them. None of the military are Timelords, for example.

[@michaellevenson2200]

Never thought about this before, but are the Gallifreyans all physiologically the same ? Can they ALL regenerate.

[@robertbrown569]

@@michaellevenson2200 No, only Timelords can regenerate. Makes it seem a bit unfair that they give the ordinary people the really dangerous jobs. Even the Castellan is only allowed one life. That's the aristocracy for you.

[@michaellevenson2200]

@@robertbrown569 I ask because Runcible recognizes the Doctor, then asks if he's regenerated, thus recognising him by some other method, and remembering he had a different face last time he saw him. The Doctor was last on Gallifrey in The War Games, and Runcible seems quite young. So either this is reasonably soon after by Gallifreyan time or Runcible and other plebian classes live long even without regeneration.

[@CountScarlioni]

@@michaellevenson2200 As far as I know, the ability to regenerate comes as part of obtaining Time Lord office but I don't think that's ever explicitly stated in the show.

[@robertbrown569]

@@michaellevenson2200 Runcible is certainly a Timelord, because he was at the Academy, being taught by Borusa. As far as I know, only Timelords attend the Timelord academy. Being a Timelord doesn't mean you're always going to end up on the high council or anything like that; some of them are probably under-achievers. Borusa is obviously very scathing of Runcible, who hasn't made much of himself. I'm sure many Timelords are teachers, scientists, historians and engineers.

[@neilmcdonald4113]

As I said previously he didn't want Sarah to end up like Jamie and Zoe...not all Gallifreyans are timelords (the guards aren't for example)🎩

[@frankshailes3205]

Humans aren't allowed on Gallifrey, unless the President invites them, and this President was too busy getting killed. Better to leave Sarah in her own time as she'd only be sent back there anyway if she did come!

[@genemrochjr8473]

you know you can watch all the titles when we first saw these episodes when they first aired we all sat in front of our television as the show started. remember back in the mid 70s there was no way to record these programs that was affordable to 95% of the viewers

[@andreww4473]

This is a great story!

[@randomfox7261]

not a spoiler because its never actually mentioned but the theory for why The Doctor won't take Sarah Jane to Gallifrey is because of what happened to Jaime & Zoe

[@JojoChampion]

Old fried egg face... ah yes. Keep watching :)

[@stimulusrespond]

This one is an oddity for me which I sometimes skip, but every time I get around to watching it I enjoy it. Strangely enough, as I was watching your video I realised that the scrolling text at the beginning of the episode has not been done before this episode. It reminds me a bit of the animation in Can You Hear Me? - in concept if not in execution - which was a similarly 'new-to-Who' attempt at getting the message and context to the audience quickly.

[@dalekemperor1984]

There are quite a few reasons why he couldn't take Sarah. Mainly because the Time Lords didn't allow aliens on Gallifrey unless on trial or as witness to a trial. And secondly, well do I need to remind you of what happened to Jamie and Zoe?

[@joshbostock_2040]

Back when this aired fans hated it becuase it explored too much of the doctors past however thankfully over the years its appeared in peoples top ten 10 stories of all time.

[@grfgtbhh34]

I know I'm late to this, but it is impossible for me to impress upon you just how important this story is for what can be referred to as Doctor Who's "lore". Every stray line, every casually dropped in title, even the accent of the Castellan have been, in some way or another, mined for the development and construction of Gallifrey. It was extremely controversial when it came out, some saying it took away all the mystique from the Time Lords, but it is today regarded as one of, if not THE best Doctor Who story ever. Granted, the actual story is more of a riff on The Manchurian Candidate and the lore stuff is really random background flavoring Robert Holmes threw in there just because, but others writers grabbed it and ran with it, and its ripples are still felt today in Expanded Universe stuff, specifically Big Finish. It's a shame the New Series has never played with Gallifrey in any significant way, possibly due to budget or maybe fear of getting too weird, because it is a treasure trove of fascinating elements, details and mysticism. In terms of what matters for this episode, you may have noticed the words "Prydonian" in relation to The Doctor. In Gallifrey, there are the Great Chapters, whose representatives sit on the High Council and rule the planet. These are (by this story and a few expanded universe additions) the Prydonians, the Patrexes, the Dromeians, the Ceruleans, the Scendeleses and the Arcalians. The Doctor is a Prydonian, considered the greatest of the Chapters and the one that has produced the most amount of Presidents of the High Council. Edit: Also, while I'm at it and because it's never going to appear in the actual show, the Chapters are subdivided into the Great Houses, which were essentially the great Gallifreyan families. Now, this is probably not applicable anymore because Doctor Who's lore keeps shifting and moving about but, for the sake of trivia, The Doctor's House is the House of Lungbarrow.

[@julieeverett7442]

thank you, I didnt want to say too much, but yes the doctor is a Prydonian (the ones in the red robes)

[@stuartwho]

And some of those Chapters have never been named in TV stories.

[@julieeverett7442]

@@stuartwho I've only seen three

[@chrisboot2468]

YES WE ARE ON GALLIFREY!!!!!!

[@neilmcdonald4113]

The actor playing Goth also played a time lord in war games (not sure if that was Goth too)🎩

[@IG7799-c4u]

He also played as one of the Thals in Planet of the Daleks back in Pertwee's era.

[@nigelmathewsnrm]

All Time Lords are Gallifreyans, (except for the Doc, he/she is more than just a Time Lord), but not all Gallifreyans are Time Lords, some are outsiders, some are guards. Then we get into what was Susan, a Time Lady or just the Doc's granddaughter. Complicated innit?

[@frankshailes3205]

Sarah Jane couldn't go there because the Time Lords wiped the memories of Jamie and Zoe and sent them back to their own times; the Doctor didn't want her memory wiped.

[@frankshailes3205]

@@Trev359 It's also explained that aliens aren't allowed on Gallifrey anyway, "call" or no, so that's definitive.

[@kierenevans2521]

Can you tell Robert Holmes didn't like the Timelords? So I first got this one as part the Timelord boxset from WHSmith on VHS alongside The War Games and The Three Doctors. What a boxset!

[@Alfwin]

While this isn't my favourite story per se, I love just how much it adds to the Doctor Who lore. This is, by far, the most we've ever seen of Gallifrey, and it introduces so many new concepts. The Panopticon, the CIA, the Chancellery Guard, the different Time Lord chapters... all of which go on to be used in either later episodes, or the expanded universe. Heck, one of Big Finish's longest-running series is a political drama set on Gallifrey, and most of its core concepts were introduced right here. (Don't look that series up yet, though. It references stuff from later in Classic Who, so spoilers!)

[@SGlitz]

There are Time Lords, Gallifreyans and Shobogans (Gallifreyans)

[@chrisbrooker7260]

NewWho would use the Daleks in a story like this. In its greatest years Who avoided resorting to cliche and repeating itself too often. It’s one reason the three Hinchcliffe/Holmes seasons are so great, the originality and ingenuity quotient was through the roof New Who can do it - Blink, Midnight, Human Nature/Family of Blood, Mummy on the Orient Express etc, just doesn’t do it often enough for mine. And falls prey to crowd pleasing gestures and fan service far too often

[@tombaxter6228]

This one was famously attacked by the Doctor Who Appreciation Society, (Including a very young and geeky Chris Chibnall) for 'destroying the mystique of the Time Lords'. It also drew the ire of that notorious fun-sponge, Mary Whitehouse... They're both wrong, IMHO.. 😉

[@SGlitz]

And then Chibnall did it himself....😃

[@tombaxter6228]

@@SGlitz I get the feeling that La Chibs is working through a lot of issues he had with classic Who, at the moment.....

[@robalexander8065]

To be fair to Chris Chibnall, he was only six when The Deadly Assassin debuted, so I doubt he was in DWAS at the time. I think you are conflating Jan Vincent-Rudzki's famous 1976 diatribe with Chibnall's critique of a much later serial.

[@SGlitz]

@@Trev359 naw, the Timeless Children did that with nuclear sapository

[@apollo12002]

Re Timelords. Though Timelords are Galliiferyan I don’t think all Gallifrayans are Timelords, I believe (but can’t confirm) that only the higher echelon Gallifreyan's qualify as Timelords and they seem to be the ruling body of Gallifrey.

[@conscienceaginBlackadder]

There is no confirmation. They are different camps of fan views on it.

[@alansmith1989]

Puts you off Poached Eggs don't it? Incidentally; parts of the set-the greenish-blue hued plastic corrugated framing panels - were `cannibalised` from `Top of the Pops` sets. There are some surviving TOTP 1972 clips to prove this. And if Dr Who suffered heavy wiping in the 1960s-TOTP fared far worse!

[@johnreid9959]

This is the last time he wears that maroon coat first seen in Pyramids of Mars , he does have a couple of nice grey, one brown and one red one later In the bottom of the screen when it appears the doctor is firing there’s also a second person firing if you watch and the gun left for him is also shown to have its sight fixed wrongly ( like Lee Harvey Oswald gun in the book store where he was alleged to have shot JFK)

[@johnreid9959]

This owes to JFKs assassination where the Dr like Lee Harvey Oswald is manipulated into a area where he’s caught win a gun But the shot came from a different direction The body was altered police/ witness Journalists are killed and a camera film goes missing and the Celestial inteverantion agency the CIA are behind this as the Vice President wants to take over and wouldnt otherwise....

[@robalexander8065]

Spoliers!

[@TheGava4]

06:56 😂😂you....

[@tardisglitch547]

The reason Sarah Jane couldn’t go is because no other species can go to the planet since timelords see themselves as above everyone

[@stephensinclair3771]

Hi. Hope you are all doing good.

[@Cruithneach]

I love Bob Holmes, but, while he always maintained the title wasn't tautological, he was quite wrong

[@stuartwho]

Loads of firsts in this episode. First time the TARDIS is called a type 40 TT capsule. First time the chapters of the Time Lords are named - Prydonian, Arcalians and Patraxes. First time we see the Time Lord collars. First time we see a Castellan and the Chancery Guard and the Seal.

[@geoffmason7215]

the doctor at home...and in trouble again.....dont think he wants to stay long....waiting to see you find out who googly eyes is...

[@bcsr4ever]

I still just can't get into this story. Glad you did at least. lol

[@dalekemperor1984]

6:50 "My name... is The Master"

[@tommoore8884]

Sorry to be blunt but you're very fit ❤

[@gamegeek812]

One of Tom's best :)

[@feigekv]

it does seem a major flaw that these dignatories don't regenerate

[@ftumschk]

Perhaps they live such a cosseted life that their bodies don't wear out as quickly or as often as the Doctor's.

[@frankshailes3205]

If you mean when they're killed, it's because stasers are designed by Time Lords to kill Time Lords!. Also, in a previous story it was stated that a bullet could kill the Doctor if he was shot in the head.

[@sadako24]

Such unladylike language... :)