The Caves of Androzani

The TARDIS brings the Doctor and Peri to Androzani Minor. The planet is nothing special to look at but under the surface a war is raging between the military forces of Androzani Major and the android army of Sharaz Jek. Minor has the distinction of being the main source of an anti-ageing chemical called spectrox, and Jek is holding the supply ransom unless his demands are met. Caught in the middle once again, the Doctor and Peri face death on all sides, although this time they're not going to get away as easy as in the past.

Yes, we're back to the televised adventures once more. AT it's original broadcast Caves followed directly after Planet of Fire, with no suggestion of any time having passed by Peri's clothes still being the same. Now the gap has been split wide and a second companion has come and gone (but obviously there is not going to be any mention of her here), but it seems to work here; Peri emerges from the TARDIS engaged in some playful teasing with the Doctor as if they have been friends for a while, but Nicola Bryant's performance is a bit less than spectacular with Peri stuttering and whining here and there (something she never did in the audios). The Doctor, good natured fellow that he is, is either oblivious to her teasing or just lets it slide.

Caves of Androzani is one of those nearest-to-perfect adventures we ever saw in the classic series, the only real flaws being visual ones such as the roll and bounce Peri does when falling off a ledge (to be seen to be fully appreciated; Jay and I watched it three times before we moved on) and some unconvincing monster costume (I still say it looks like it's wearing a cape and its floppy fingertips are reminiscent of Admiral Ackbar). Everything else, though, shines. Robert Holmes penned one of the tightest most enertaining scripts of his career with the show complete with his usual set of double acts (The Doctor/Peri, Morgus/Timmin, Stotz/Krelper, Chellack/Salateen) and grim moments of meance underscored by the atmospheric music, the vast sets that were the caves, and directing unlike anything before including the slow dissolve between scenes. And at the centre of it all is the brooding meance of Sharaz Jek; a brilliant mind gone mad, disfigured and isolated from his peers, wanting justice with a big side of revenge.

This is also the end of the road for the fifth Doctor. As with Logopolis there is a flashback sequence of sorts as the Doctor "dies", with specially shot footage of the Doctor's companions urging him to survive and carry on (Adric, Nyssa, Tegan, Turlough, and Kamelion, but no Erimem of course), and then flash of light, *boom*... we have a new Doctor.

NEXT EPISODE : THE TWIN DILEMMA