Classic Who "Warriors of the Deep" Parts 1&2 Reaction

[@Faction.Paradox]

Turlough immediately giving up on the Doctor after a millisecond in the first cliffhanger never fails to make me laugh my head off

[@domsquared9878]

Face it, he’s drowned 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@AndyRossism]

In many ways he's a classic English Public School Boy, despite being Alien. Oh look my friends in danger, oh no too late, how sad, never mind, he would want me to go on 😅

[@TheElderBlotch]

As a kid seeing this I thought Turlough was still working for the Black Guardian.

[@drwhotvwam]

Tegan should really say "yeah but if we wait 30 seconds another bloke will come out of the water" 😂

[@KSilverlode]

Turlough is definitely the guy who knows he doesn't have to outrun the bear, only his friend.

[@deebeedaydreamer]

The Doctor: *stubs his toe* Turlough, dramatic b*tch: "He's going to DIE!!"

[@darthken815]

A certain Decepticon would be proud. (Megatron takes minor hit) Starscream: "Megatron has fallen in battle!"

[@TONES44]

@@darthken815 "I'm the leader now!"

[@darthken815]

@@TONES44 All Hail Starscream!

[@BrodieVickers-tk9sd]

The cast commentary for this story is hilarious. Just Peter and Janet rippin' the whole thing to shreds, though that's not exactly out of the ordinary with those two😂

[@seamusburke639]

Peter caught hypothermia because they didn't warm that pool he got thrown in. He can say whatever he likes.

[@CarriadEagerHobden]

I'm looking forward to watch the Behind the Sofa for this when it comes out on blu ray 😂

[@resiseven7407]

FACE IT TEGAN, HE'S DROWNED!!!

[@DrTenochtitlan]

"HE'S BEEN IN THE WATER AT LEAST THREE SECONDS, THERE'S NO HOPE!!!"

[@paulhammond6978]

It's the best example of "cliffhanger acting" in Dr Who.

[@jonathanmurphy3141]

Oh, Ingrid Pitt, who portrays the older scientist (who me be a foreign Spy) -if you remember Pertwee's "The Time Monster" where the played the Queen of Atlantis, under the influence of The Master. She survived WW2, and time in a camp during The Holocaust, in Poland, for being held-Jewish. She moved to England. She became known for roles in Hammer Horror films. She was in a film with Jon Pertwee, "the house that dripped blood" Other acting, and she was a Writer too. She wrote a script for the Sixth Doctor, that was later adapted for audio. She lived 73 years.

[@jonathanmurphy3141]

Spellcheck: 🤨half-Jewish, not "held" -and I wrote "she may be a foreign spy" -spoilers,....and it gets "me"

[@AndyRossism]

He and Pitt were also married for a time, talk about a glamour couple!

[@Tyrconnell]

@@AndyRossism Are you saying Pitt and Pertwee were married? I don't think so. Maybe you're confusing her with Pertwee's second wife Ingeborg?

[@MarvelLady-3]

​@AndyRossism no they weren't. Jon Pertwee was married to Jean Marsh in the early 60's

[@MarvelLady-3]

Met Ingrid Pitt 3 times, such a strong lady. Beautiful.

[@yorkshirespider-man]

I’m enjoying seeing sassy Turlough - you’ve opened up a new side of him that I never caught on multiple viewings!

[@ValueNetwork]

The doctor: touches water for 0.01 milliseconds: Turlough: “FACE IT TEGAN! HES DROWNED!”

[@ericreese7792]

Legendary.

[@Wannabe_Baby]

Hope everything is going okay with Rocco, Jess. ❤ Love that look of betrayal at the cliffhanger of the first part. Your reactions make these episodes so much more enjoyable, like pointing out the sass between the companions (and I don't hate this like others seem to).

[@Wub-t5o]

I met Ingrid Pitt (Dr Solow) at a Who event just months before she died. She was a total pro and gave her all for the fans despite double pneumonia and a stroke.

[@TheElderBlotch]

From a conceptual standpoint Warriors Of The Deep could have been a classic - old fan favourites the Silurians and Sea Devils teaming up and commanding a giant sea serpent, besieging an underwater base? Awesome premise! But the script, production values and overall execution...yeah.

[@ImpossibleCaseEdits]

The story being rushed into production with little to no rehearsal and the Myrka not being ready did not help matters.

[@sadako24]

Conceptually I believe it was always a terrible idea to bring those adersaries back. The point of the original Malcolm Hulke stories was the tragic ending to both. Drawing out a sequel only undoes that poetic ending, and then the story has to carry the weight of getting across both races' complicated backstory. And unlike the backstory of the Daleks or Cybermen, the story depends on getting across a backstory that evokes total sympathy for the reptiles as the wronged party in spite of their evil deeds, and synpathy for the Doctor's turncoat behaviour against the humans. And because it's referring back to past events in another story that showed rather than told, all the story can resort to is a lot of tell rather than show. The result is a preachy headache that has the script insist on the nobility of the Silurians whilst the onscreen action tell a completely different story. Then factor in that this is Davison's Doctor here. Pertwee's Doctor gave you reverence for the idea of the Doctor as an ambassador for peace and gifted mediator between warring enemies. Davison's Doctor can't even keep the peace between his bickering companions on a good day. Which instantly makes it seem so obvious he's going to fail that he looks like an annoying idiot for trying. Thus there is no tragic 'might've been' to his efforts or the ending. The script doctoring by Saward makes things far worse of course, but even before we get to that it looks like conceptually a doomed venture. Ironically I actually think the sets, modelwork and music are what gives this a disconcerting sense of artful professionalism that's sadly gone into a script that's barely fit for a fanfiction site.

[@Danbutch24]

This is the first story I have a 100% definite memory of watching live on TV at the time on a Saturday evening on BBC1 in January 1984.

[@stickytapenrust6869]

Doctor Who was on Thursdays and Fridays in 1984. It returned to Saturdays in 1985 and 86.

[@therealpbristow]

@@stickytapenrust6869 [NODS] I was a keen young DW fan in my first year at uni, and watching this one in a common-room full of cynical young students was mortifying! =:o1

[@robalexander8065]

Unless you recorded it on Thursday and Friday after Sixty Minutes and saved it for Saturday, I'm afraid your memory is cheating.

[@Danbutch24]

I was 5 at the time so weekend was an assumption. Lol.

[@alexfletcher5192]

Peter Davison's shorter hair is an indicator that he's just returned from his other iconic role as a Yorkshire Vet in the 'All Creatures Great & Small' Christmas Special. And he seems to have brought one of the writers with him. Johnny Byrne may have helped to turn the bucolic Sunday night drama spot on British TV into a thing, but he also had a grounding in sci-fi; writing for Gerry & Sylvia Anderson (whose 1960s puppet shows are a cult of their own) on the pre-Star Wars drama 'Space: 1999'. But where his previous scripts for Doctor Who had reintroduced villains in a modestly successful fashion (The Master in 'The Keeper of Traken' - Omega in 'Arc of Infinity'), this one is a bit of a dog. Or perhaps a pantomime horse....

[@baybarsedturner2]

Got to love Turlough's unerring instinct for self-preservation. Most companions: 'We've got to go back for the Doctor', Turlough: 'F*ck him, let's get out of here'.

[@cruelangel8689]

Indeed. From the get go that has always been his first priority- look out for himself.

[@Problembeing]

Just here for the pantomime sea horse.

[@petersvillage7447]

Just here for the samurai cockatiels, myself.

[@williammcnirlan4820]

If your mansion house needs haunting just call.... the Myrka

[@OldManFerdiad]

@@williammcnirlan4820 hahaha that's a deep cut and I'm here for it

[@OldManFerdiad]

just here for the green paint it smears over the set and extras because it wasn't dry when they started shooting

[@Problembeing]

@@williammcnirlan4820 Rent-A-Myrka 🤣

[@cameronmonaghan6883]

This episode gets a load of grief bur I enjoy it. Especially the fact it features both Silurians and Sea Devils. Plus the Cold War storyline. I also love how both human villains are horror veterans. Ingrid Pitt from Hammer horror and The Wicker Man and Ian McCullagh from Italian horror films such as Zombi 2.

[@whobp8]

The water tank the Doctor takes a header into had not been filled far enough in advance for the water to warm up. It was in fact, extremely cold, so while the Doctor didn't drown a half a second after he went in, Peter Davison probably wished he were dead at that moment.

[@GeordieJoe1892]

"If the Doctor had intended to destroy it, it would be lying in pieces at your feet." Sassy Turlough beats paranoid Black Guardian Turlough hands down.

[@fatwolf]

The Myrka or known to kids in the 80's as Dobbin the panto horse.

[@AndyRossism]

Thank you , I don't expect a post today knowing your having a bit of a awful week , you've given me something to look forward to every Fri for ages now. Best wishes to you and the Furry friend. I like this story, it's a bit of a 60s throwback, but I like it and still prefer it to any Silurian or Sea Devil story in the modern era. Like Earthshock it has actors trying to be terribly tough and manly and commanding, which of course makes it extra Camp. Everyone in this work place makes sure their eye make up is on point before they leave their room , even when WW3 might be breaking out. That's dedication to fashion!

[@spiderboris79]

This was my introduction to Doctor Who as a little kid. I was genuinely so scared by the cliffhanger. I don't know the exact episode but it was was mainly Peter looking so haunted that the entire world was about to end. I had to go and hide behind the sofa.

[@jacobhogan3208]

I love how every time Turlough gets captured he’s immediately sick of it.

[@OldManFerdiad]

He's just so savage to anyone who annoys him, underrated diva energy right there haha

[@itsame_k]

Even though he's far from my favorite Doctor, rewatching 5's era with you has made me realize it might actually be my favorite era of Classic Who and just how great/underrated 80's Who is in general. Every story is just so damn entertaining. Even this story is so bad it's freaking hilarious and a fascinating watch.

[@sauvixcustoms]

While it has it's issues (like most stories), I really like Warriors of the Deep. It's one of my favourite 5th Doctor stories.

[@scottboswell6406]

If you count The 5 Doctors (even if you don't) this is my favorite series/season of The Fifth Doctor! Like the crew, amazing stories, and Tegan looks WOW!!! This particular story is underrated, for . . . reasons. A Cold War feel, returning monsters, and Turlough being Turlough! Hey, where's the shape changing- - - nevermind.

[@andrewroberts299]

Warriors of the Deep could have been a classic. It had all the elements to be one: two returning monsters teaming up for the first time, the classic base under siege trope (so beloved during the 2nd Doctor’s era), a Cold War situation (still very relevant in 1984) and enemy agents trying to sabotage the base. Unfortunately the concept was better than the actual realisation. I remember seeing it on first transmission and being upset as to how radically re designed the Silurians looked, with their chubby bodies and their third eye now acting (as the Dalek dome bulbs did) as a means to show the audience which one of them was talking at any one time. Their voices weren’t as menacing as their original counterparts, coming over flat and one note. Also their movement was slow and very stiff which reduced any menace they might have had. Talking of stiffness, the same could be said of the Sea Devils. Gone were their natty net coverings, replaced instead by tight fitting samurai outfits which severely restricted their movement, and prevented them from moving in the athletic way they did in their 1st 3rd Doctor story. The one thing which was kept from their original story was their voices, which begs the question why were one set of voices changed but not the other? This brings me on to the Myrka which, as a costume design is flawed for obviously showing the audience that there are two operators inside it. It was also too short and too slow moving to convey any sense of urgency or power. Perhaps if the costume design had been longer, with more operators underneath it (like a dancing Chinese Dragon) it could have been made to swish its body left and right as it moved quicker. Ultimately, the decision to show too much of it was down to the director, when he could have used shots of it more sparingly and given the audience a “less is more” vibe. The three regulars are perfect as always but the supporting cast less so. Tom Adams played the commander in a very British stiff upper lip way and did his job as well as the script would allow him, and horror stars Ingrid Pitt and Ian McCulloch went through the motions of playing steely eyed foreign agents in a menacing tone. I thought Martin Neil was probably the best of the bunch, playing Maddox as an angst ridden man with the terrible responsibility of pressing the button which would ignite World War III. The script by Johnny Byrne, whilst not as good as the one he did for “The Keeper of Traken,” was probably on par with his script for “Arc of Infinity” the season before, and “Warriors of the Deep” did have its fair share of duff lines, of the “Nilsson, we must talk,” variety. The story itself is far too slow to get going, not helped by the fact that the Silurians, Sea Devils and the Myrka are equally slow in getting from the bulkhead to the control room, that it takes up all of episode 3 for that to actually happen! The incidental music by Jonathan Gibbs was passable but it lacked the variety of a Roger Limb or Paddy Kingsland score which would have elevated the tension and horror of the story’s situation so much more had either of them had been hired. The direction by Pennant Roberts is pretty flat and is standard shot, with nothing out of the ordinary to elevate the script into something more visual and powerful as Graeme Harper achieved on his first story in season 21. All in all, Johnny Byrne’s script for “Warriors of the Deep” wasn’t too bad as a season opener for Doctor Who, but the list of other writers in season 21, the likes of Eric Pringle, Christopher H. Bidmead, Peter Grimwade and the returning Robert Holmes would IMO, write much better stories, elevating Doctor Who’s 21st season to a slightly higher level than those stories that featured in the show’s previous 20th anniversary season!

[@nocturne8333]

This story was a nightmare to produce. Margaret Thatcher had called an election for June of 1983 (which she won in a landslide) and disrupted the production, causing them to lose two weeks. The Myrka costume still had wet paint, and the story is all over the place. This is sadly where the BBC starts to lose faith in the Classic era. I personally think Season 21 is pretty underrated on the whole though.

[@stickytapenrust6869]

I don’t think they lost faith in it *quite* yet. This is the point where they started taking it for granted. That was the vacuum in which Michael Grade arrived (later in 1984) and it was his attitude that made them start to lose faith in it.

[@bradbobhayhurst8604]

So it was Margaret Thatcher’s fault it went to shit… of course

[@nocturne8333]

@@bradbobhayhurst8604 It usually was Thatcher’s fault as a rule of thumb.

[@bradbobhayhurst8604]

@@nocturne8333 mhmm

[@stickytapenrust6869]

@@bradbobhayhurst8604 She did call a snap election quite suddenly so yes it was as it threw the BBC’s studio allocations out the window and made them re-schedule everything.

[@ryanpollard1166]

And so, we have arrived at the rather infamous Warriors of the Deep. This story had a pretty troubled production, and it wasn't completely to do with the very flawed script. Early in production, Margaret Thatcher announced the 1983 UK general election and this created a sudden demand for BBC studio space and, as a result, the production schedule for the story unexpectedly lost two weeks. The hurried and rushed nature of the production was incredibly blatant with many scenes having little to no rehearsal, and many scenes received only one take. However, one of the biggest problems came with the Myrka costume, which was only finished about an hour before it was scheduled to be used, meaning the two operators inside the suit could not be fitted properly and had absolutely no time to rehearse in it. By the time they started filming the Myrka's scenes, the paint on the costume had not dried and tended to rub off on the sets and other costumes, which can be seen in several scenes. Even worse, the two operators ended up complaining that the Myrka costume strongly smelt of adhesives and it felt like they were sniffing glue while they were inside it. Writer Johnny Byrne was apparently unhappy with the numerous alterations and edits that script editor Eric Saward made to his script, and many involved in the cast and production crew have expressed disappointment with the end quality of the finished show, particularly from Peter Davison. Personally, in my opinion, Warriors of the Deep might be my least favourite Doctor Who story to date, with virtually no redeeming features whatsoever: incredibly limp script, lifeless direction, phoned-in performances, slow pacing, overlit sets, laughably sluggish monsters, tinny music and awful cliffhangers, not to mention that the downright bleak and troubled atmosphere behind this production just bleeds out into the finished show. For me, this truly was the beginning of the end of Classic Doctor Who.

[@flaggerify]

And bad costumes.

[@Wub-t5o]

Clunky recycled monsters aside, this is an underrated pacy little tale. I love the spy subplot

[@jonathanmurphy3141]

This story has been called "Warriors on the cheap" -it had a number of production problems. BBC Studio' was under pressure to allot time for PM Maggie Thatchet's re-election, during this production. Some say the studio should have been darker, than this bright. The redesign of the Earth-Reptile-peoples wasn't "great". It was 1984, and the Cold War, so paranoia!!! Some elements work, others are wonky. When The Doctor is knocked into the water -it was a military training airlock he gets into to recover.

[@joshuajoshua2732]

First appearance of the Silurians in 14 years and 12 with the Sea Devils. I believe this serial is considered lowest in the fandom which I never understood why I personally rather enjoyed it. This is also the final serial with the Fifth Doctor in his original costume.

[@TONES44]

Yea I never realised people disliked this one, I think it's great, Time flight usually gets a lot of grief but again I enjoy it

[@stickytapenrust6869]

Ah, Warriors On The Cheap…

[@BrodieVickers-tk9sd]

👏👏👏👏😂Nice one.

[@kemmdog4444]

When my dad and I would watch classic Who we would say “I smell a cliffhanger coming!”

[@Chillmax]

I've just watched a few older videos, from 8 years ago, and the transformation is quite marked, unrecognisable would be appropriate, in both looks, voice & style!!

[@GavinBollard]

This was a nice attempt to bring back some great old monsters. The writing isn't particularly tight but it's the effects that really let it down. It's best watched as a comedy.

[@alexfletcher5192]

I think Mark Strickson was terribly underrated at the time and here he seems to be really buying into what the script demands in a way that some of the guest cast are not. I also much prefer his cynicism to the wild-eyed loon in fear of the Black Guardian every week.

[@timaustin2000]

A great Idea ABYSMALLY realised. But it's quite a good script.

[@sadako24]

Nah. The script is the worst. Preachy, morally confused, misanthropic fanfiction trash.

[@LightLife4]

Interesting how The Doctor says that the Silurians are a noble, peaceful race when a lot of them a willing to start a war

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

I suppose he tends to say similar things about humans!

[@LightLife4]

@andrewgwilliam4831 it's more that he forgets why Humans can get into conflict

[@icantthinkofagoodusername4575]

Classic Doctor Who sure had some weird Cliffhangers

[@CP-bx6xw]

Youve always said, you love a slow moving villain. Well now you have them in abundance. JNT made this for you.

[@lasseehrenreich5502]

interesting fact the head of the BBC said this episode was a big reason for canceling Doctor Who

[@AndyRossism]

To be fair , he was against in principle, he's on record saying he doesn't like Sci Fi and arrogantly thought others think the same. And he visited the set during filming of Terminus, which also starred Liza Goddard, there is something between her and Grade and Colin Baker which may have influenced him as well. He basically wanted the show gone and replaced with American shows and Variety nonsense.

[@jtomlin1uk]

@@AndyRossism And EastEnders

[@lasseehrenreich5502]

@@AndyRossism Yes I heard something about it but it was still one of the bigger reasons for it

[@stickytapenrust6869]

He wasn’t the head of the BBC, he was only the controller of BBC1 from 1984 and the controller of the BBC’s TV output from 1986 until he left for Channel Four in 1987. He did become the head of the BBC Board of Governors many years later, shortly before the new series started.

[@stickytapenrust6869]

@@AndyRossismHe didn’t visit the set during the filming of Terminus, he was still working in the US when Terminus was made.

[@robalexander8065]

Imagine this with low level lighting, dark and scary. Instead the BBC floods it with the default setting used on lighting rigs for light entertainment. Thus exposing the many flaws.

[@OldManFerdiad]

Imagine if they had the time to choreograph the myrka battle and shoot it from a decent angle with, as you say, decent lighting... could be genuinely creepy or menacing

[@sadako24]

None of that would've fixed the story. If anything, making the Sea Devils seem more threatening and deadly would only make the Doctor's harping on about their "nobility" and how the humans need to be more suicidally pacifist in this situation, seem even more incoherent and moronic.

[@moderndancingfool]

The Sea Devils move like me if I had an all night bender the night before & need a day to recover.

[@Concreteowl]

Warriors of the Deep, like Time Flight has... a reputation. Particularly with the Mirka, they had no money and the pain on the thing was apparently still wet. If Tom was around he would have probably had turned it's sheer awfulness to his advantage. But Peter played it kind of straight which made it even more silly.

[@fadikhoory5350]

I heard a fan say that if this was a Tom Baker story, he’d have taken the piss of both sides. This story and if you read what it would’ve hoped to have been, characters, sets, Myrka, it would have been something like a Hinchcliffe.

[@sadako24]

​@@fadikhoory5350 I think if Hinchcliffe were still producing the show he'd have turned his nose up to this script. He wasn't so keen on returning monsters. He didn't even like doing the Daleks anymore. Infact I think only JNT saw the value of turning the show into its own fanfiction.

[@ArthurChappell]

The heavy door they struggle to lift off Tegan is so obviously light bendy brittle polystyrene and the murkha just looks ridiculous - possibly the single naffest monster in Who history

[@Payne2view]

They had to call it "The Merka" because "Pantomime Horse/Lizard" would give the game away 🙂

[@adriansherlock3907]

Without a hint of irony, this is one of my favourite Dr Who stories of all time. To address the criticisms, Turlough is probably just yelling out the Doctor has drowned to help him escape and so Tegan will run off with him, too. While reformed, he remains a cunning character. Dr Who has always been about monsters and villains and hammy death scenes and I find it odd how this one is singled out so much for scorn. If I don’t want dodgy monsters, I don’t watch Dr Who. (Spoilers) The big reason I love this story is episode four, where the Doctor needs to shake off his own obsession with the guilt of the past and it takes his companions to finally get through to him. Episode four is one of the best single episodes of Dr Who ever, iMO.

[@markmitchener3813]

If you enjoyed the Myrka, it appeared in another show you could react to. It was called "Rentaghost"... 🤣

[@robalexander8065]

It didn't actually appear in Rentaghost but its operators were inside Dobbin the panto horse.

[@markmitchener3813]

@@robalexander8065 as the emoji attempted to show, that comment was slightly tongue in cheek...

[@dupersuper1938]

With the return of the Silurians and Sea Devils, this story really feels like part of last season.

[@paulhammond6978]

good point.

[@MrHawky007]

ahhhh nostalgia prob one of the first stories i ever saw on tv i was 12 :)

[@ImpossibleCaseEdits]

Invest in Maybelline now! It's going to be HUGE in 2084.

[@seamusburke639]

Oh lord. THIS ONE.

[@simoncolenutt5228]

Really looking forward to the reaction to 'The' story of this series!

[@ThomCurley]

Are the Sea Devils going to start an ASMR channel. Hahaha. Fab.

[@robalexander8065]

"What HAVE you been eating?"

[@kant12]

I've seen this one a bunch of times but I barely ever remember it. This is where things start going downhill I think.

[@sadako24]

As a wilderness era fan who was excited by the show's 2005 revival and excited anew to start rediscovering the classic show, I remember being blown away by The Seeds of Doom and Talons of Weng Chiang, and both left me hungry to see more, and feeling a sad sense of injustice about the fact the show was ever cancelled. Rediscovering Warriors of the Deep however was a big culture shock of seeing suddenly how bad the show could get, so quickly. How unfathomable it could be that this was from the same show or even had the same main character (Tom's Doctor was shrewd and capable and saves the day, but Davison's Doctor here is a criminally negligent incapable idiot & failure for no explicable reason). It quickly cemented my view that actually the classic show HAD been allowed to carry on for too long and become completely meritless and moribund. Suddenly I wasn't so hungry to see more, and infact I was now looking back for a far earlier head-canon end-point.

[@Eltonlaleham]

I say having the Silurians and Sea Devils back in the same story, was a bit silly IMO and they worked better in the Jon Pertwee serials.

[@Shadoestar]

With the return of the Silurians and the Sea Devils, this should have been awesome. It wasn't. At least, we got some unintentional comedy out of it.

[@bjgandalf69]

Seaquest DSV/2032 with the Doctor in the mix...😂😅😊

[@Jaketherobonrd]

Warriors of the Deep is a story that suffers alot of problems but at the same time i kinda enjoy it. The new Silurian designs are ok but the performances are absolutely lifeless and the blinking light doesn’t help either. The Sea Devils on the other hand i quite like. I like the armour design but the biggest sin in this story is The Myrka. The Myrka i do quite like in terms of design but performance is laughable bad. The problem with this story is, it suffered production scheduling for unexpectedly two weeks. Thanks to a general election by Margaret Thatcher. So there wasn’t really any time for rehearsals and The Myrka was only freshly painted so it was leaving paint stains on the actors and on the set.

[@crustychris2]

I'd love to have a sea devil asmr channel ❤

[@javelldunn3379]

I hope Rocco is okay ❤

[@fergusalwin]

I like your idea of a sea devil ASMR channel. “Helllooo KZbin.. Like and sssubscriiibe… Ssss…”

[@mark-s]

This aint a bad story we have moved into 1984 times are a changing its a shame that since the original sea devils story in the early 70s there hasn't been a decent story with them in up until the present. As for the pantomime horse nuff said the better. Btw chameleon is helping a lot too this story as well Lol and who needs turlough as a friend 🤣

[@meropetied]

Release the Myrka! An anagram of... Kra...my. Well, if only it was a bit more Kraken-y.

[@alexfletcher5192]

The make-up is intense because this is 1984 and you had to take it seriously while wearing your best. 'The Five Doctors' may have lifted elements of an old Who classic called 'The War Games'. but this plugs into the paranoia fuelling a contemporary movie of the same name. Not sure I'd want to plug Matthew Broderick into the computer at this point.

[@JaredHildebrant-dp2uf]

Will you be reacting to season 2 of Arcane after you come back from your break?

[@BernardJKD]

The only Davison story that gets walloped by behind the scenes issues that undermine the final product substantially.

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

Fans routinely criticise this story for the brightly-lit sets, because of course futuristic military bases should be designed with moody lighting to emphasise the inevitable invasion by hostile prehistoric forces. 🙄 Other common criticisms are more justified; but despite minor flaws with the script, and some glaring if perhaps superficial flaws with how things were realised on screen, I feel this story gets an unfair hammering from fans. I'm influenced from the impact it had on me as a child, watching at the height of the Cold War, but even so I think it's a solid idea with a powerful ending. I don't know if I'm more frustrated with fans not giving the story a fair hearing, or all the sloppiness and mistakes made on the studio floor that robbed it of being the best version of itself! Not outstanding, but worth more appreciation than it gets from fandom (who are weirdly condemnatory of flaws in some eras while treating flaws in other eras with affection).

[@sadako24]

I think the story is irredeemably awful, but too often bashed cheaply for all the wrong, superficial reasons.

[@JohnSteed-ef7fl]

I know you are fearing the end of classic who, but try some of the spin offs in the 90s. Downtime from realtime pictures 1995 is worth a watch

[@BulbasaurRepresent]

My opinion on this story is that if this is commonly thought of as the absolute worst of the 5th Doctor... I think it shows a pretty remarkable standard of quality for the era!

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

Fandom opinions can be weird.

[@Redfern42]

Still, it could have been worse. They could have brought back the wretched kazoo music from "The Silurians"!

[@AndyRossism]

er.. you dissing the wonderful Crum Horn now?! Get underground with you!

[@Redfern42]

@@AndyRossism Thank you! No, really! Your rebuttal allowed me to Google "crum horn" (or rather, "crumhorn"). The search return kinks to both articles and video demonstrating the reed based musical instrument. So that's what was actually used. Fascinating! Apparently, I've heard it many times before, but usually in conjunction with other period instruments. In that context, it sounds really neat. Alas, by itself as used in "The Silurians" along with the nature of the "melody", sigh, I still find it grating upon my ears. 🤥

[@antonmassopust568]

I really love this story I know everybody else doesn't like it but I like everything about it I like the monsters I like the sea devils and the Saint Lorians I like that this is a demonstration about cold war pain and suffering and the terrible decision that the doctor has to make

[@SuperWolsey]

There should've been another re-write

[@darachocathain1996]

Woeful story, I mean wow. But also very very entertaining from the disastrous production, inexplicably contrived cliffhangers and some choice actor decisions (the upcoming karate moves on some lumbering electrified chicken). The sheer level of delightful awfulness makes it hard to confine this one to the rubbish tip entirely.

[@Darren79]

Mark Strickson (Turlough) has some great mmoments in this story - which is just as well cause no one else does IMHO. One of my least favourite DW stories.

[@joshuajoshua2732]

Annoying is one way of putting it now you see why some people don't like or trust Turlough he was very quick to think the Doctor was dead. Classic Who is not suppose to be funny it's always meant to be a serious show.

[@russytherutan]

It’s not the best 5th Doctor but I still enjoy it. Peter is as good as ever. When you know the background to the making of this story, you can forgive it more. Maddox killing Karina his only friend was a horrible scene. This season overall for me is excellent. For me the next five stories shine.

[@benji274]

Ah, Warriors On The Cheap. A lot of production problems and it ended up being very rushed. Shame, because there’s a good story underneath the surface (no pun intended)

[@phantomsidious2934]

Warriors of the Deep fairs so much better now after that dreadful legend of the sea devil's story......

[@AndyRossism]

That excrement proves a bigger budget isnt always better. It redeems this story!

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

"Legend" baffles me. I think there's some sort of behind-the-scenes shenanigans yet to come out about it, because it felt like it was severely hacked down in the edit. But I liked a fair chunk of it.

[@markstirton]

‘Twas always bollocks.

[@NinjaboyAdam56345]

Can you react to The Warriorz Trailer zombie series

[@DOCTORFREEDOM]

It was a good story, but the props were horrible! The foam doors, the Myrka was basically a glorified horse costume, and slow moving Silurians and Sea Devils.. Oy vey...

[@NyderOfSkaro]

Under-rated story, though let down by some poor decisions and unfortunate events surrounding its production. Still a lot to enjoy, if you don't get caught up in the "cringe" which many older fans can't get pass. Interestingly I find reactors and younger fans can look past the problems much more! It's still not perfect, and there are flaws, but it's not as hated as it was, which is good.

[@Eltonlaleham]

The SIlurian voices in this tory are dreadful and very loud.

[@moviesrocks2]

merka. worst designed monster in all doctor who history. this is one of the worst received story in the 5th doctor era. only beat out by Time-Flight

[@flaggerify]

The Michael Jackson uniforms are so bad compared to the ones in, say, Warrior's Gate.

[@Eltonlaleham]

I have to admit this story is one I seldom watch, and it is not a classic like Earthshock and also the sets are awesome but the story for me in general is not great and also it does not coe up highly rated.

[@sadako24]

I despise this story. Frankly I believe it would've been better to just end the classic show on The Five Doctors than let this crap ever air or be canon.

[@gumdeo]

One of the worst stories comes directly after one of the best ones...

[@baybarsedturner2]

That's the Doctor Who way.

[@baybarsedturner2]

@@sg-zd8eb This needs a spoiler warning.

[@cooluncle4242]

​@sg-zd8eb that's a huge spoiler, please amend or put a spoiler warning

[@joshuajoshua2732]

@sg-zd8eb You might want to stop and think and be careful what you comment infact I'd delete it that's a spoiler.

[@sg-zd8eb]

@ I don’t give a shit. People need to grow up.