Classic Doctor Who - Season 11 - The Time Warrior (1974) - Review

Starring: Jon Pertwee, Elisabeth Sladen, David Daker & Kevin Lindsay

Written By: Robert Holmes

Directed By: Alan Bromly

 

The Time Warrior will always hold a special place in my heart. If I had to sum it up in one word, I'd probably say “firsts”. Indeed, it's the first appearance of perhaps the Doctor's most famous companion, Sarah Jane Smith, the first appearance of the Sontarans, and the first time the Doctor's home planet gets named – Gallifrey. On a personal level, what makes The Time Warrior so special, is the fact that it's the very first story from the classic series I ever watched. I first sat down to watch it at the age of nine, and at that age, I remember not expecting much, mostly due to its age. Oh how wrong I was, and to this day, The Time Warrior remains one of the show's best stories. 

 

Following the disappearance of several scientists from a top-security research centre, the Brigadier calls in the Doctor to investigate. The Doctor discovers that the missing scientists have been kidnapped and sent back in time to the reign of King Richard I. When he follows the scientists' trail, he is unaware that young journalist Sarah Jane Smith has stowed away onboard the TARDIS. The Doctor soon finds the kidnapper – a Sontaran Commander, Linx. Crashed and stuck on a primitive planet, Linx will stop at nothing to repair his ship and return to his battle fleet.

 

Of all the firsts in this story, the introduction of Sarah Jane Smith is by far the most important. Watching The Time Warrior, it's little wonder why she has become the most iconic Doctor Who companion, to the point where she has made re-appearances in the show in 2006, 2008 and 2010, not to mention getting her own spin-off show – The Sarah Jane Adventures. Back in 1974, Sarah Jane must have been such a welcome relief. While there have been great companions before her (e.g. Barbara, Jamie, Zoe etc.), Sarah Jane is the first companion to properly hold her own, and she's far more than just another screamer for the Doctor to save. You can tell that she isn't going to be ordered around by other characters, frequently standing up to, and at one point even going against the Doctor. Sarah Jane is a strong, charming character, and with Elisabeth Sladen working so brilliantly with Jon Pertwee, this is a fantastic start for an equally fantastic companion.

 

We also have the first appearance of a Sontaran, perhaps Robert Holmes' most enduring contribution to Doctor Who villains. Commander Linx is a brilliant creation, and I find it strange to think that in the Sontarans' first appearance in the show, this is where all the make-up and prosthetics work was at its strongest. Seriously, in all their future appearances, the Sontarans never look this good again. Credit has to go to Kevin Lindsay for giving Linx such a great presence, even with his facial movements restricted by the prosthetic head. From a writing perspective, Robert Holmes makes Linx feel like a constant threat, particularly with his disturbing love of war, but also takes the time to establish elements of what is now key Sontaran culture.

 

Away from all the new stuff, there's still an incredibly fun story to be found in The Time Warrior. From beginning to end, it all feels like a quick, enjoyable romp through medieval England. A big part of what makes it such a hearty journey through history, are the performances from David Daker and John J Carney as characters like Irongron and Bloodaxe. The acting all round the board is incredibly hammy and exaggerated, and in a lot of stories, this would be a problem. But as far as The Time Warrior's concerned, this really isn't the case, as the Middle Ages setting just about lets them get away with it. Not to mention, the parallels between Irongron and Linx allow for such a great relationship between the two characters. You can tell that both of them want to be the alpha in every scene they share, but at the same time you see that Irongron can't hope to compare. Grounding all the over-the-top performances is Jon Pertwee as my favourite Doctor. Five series in, and the 3rd Doctor is still just as charming and witty as ever, and still just as much the action hero. If anyone ever wants to know just why the 3rd Doctor is my favourite, just watch the scene where Irongron and his men use him for target practice – even when being shot at, he can still make quips, spring about on his feet and even swing across the room on a chandelier.

 

This is Doctor Who's first proper attempt at the pseudo-historical, and for a first attempt, the historical setting works really well with the more modern elements of the story. It's a great image – a medieval castle filled with soldiers and archers, and underneath in the basement, a deadly Sontaran warrior makes repairs to his space capsule. Seeing Irongron interact with future technology such as robotic knights and guns, makes for quite an interesting watch, especially when you think about the implications of guns being used hundreds of years too early. The historical elements are put to equally good use, with sword fights, servants, “magic” and even one great scene that sees Irongron and his men unsuccessfully try to storm Sir Edward's castle. There's also some nice outdoor location work to be found, with the real castles being put to good use and blending seamlessly with the brilliant indoor sets. But while the filming locations look great, the way that they're shot isn't as successful. During more active and exciting scenes, the direction is decent enough, but unfortunately there are times where it falls a bit flat, meaning some scenes can feel dull and uninvolving.

 

As a whole, The Time Warrior is up there as one of Robert Holmes' many fantastic entries to the show, along with stories such as Pyramids Of Mars and The Deadly Assassin. It's definitely his funniest script, but it can also boast wittiness, a sense of threat, and clear love for its historical setting. Elisabeth Sladen hits the ground running as Sarah Jane, working really well with Jon Pertwee, and characters like Irongron are really exaggerated, but in the best possible way. With the frequent re-appearances of Sarah Jane and the Sontarans over the next forty years, The Time Warrior clearly got something right, and if you've never watched the classic series, but would like to, this would probably make for a good starting point.

 

The Time Warrior



9/10