Battlefield

Premise: Warriors from another dimension have come to Earth. Arthur's spaceship is lying under Lake Vortigern and Morgaine will do anything to face him in battle one last time...

Notes: This serial saw return of Nicholas Courtney in the role of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart , his first appearance since the twentieth anniversary special, the Five Doctors. It also saw the return of the Doctor's car Bessie (albeit with a different number plate) which had also been seen last in that special. Sophie Aldred was involved in a near fatal accident when the glass in the water tank cracked open and water went all over the studio floor which had live wires running across it. She was lifted out before this happened and only received minor cuts to her hands. An early version of the script featured the death of the Brigadier.

Verdict: A bit of a mess, but nevertheless it's very enjoyable to watch with the Brigadier at his best. It's just a shame that the Destroyer does absolutely nothing 7/10

The Greatest Show in the Galaxy

Premise: The Doctor takes Ace to visit the Psychic Circus on Segonax. However the performers are under the influence of a malign power that thrives on amusement and entertainment...

Notes: An asbestos scare at the BBC left this story without a studio to be shot in which meant it was at risk of having the same fate as the uncompleted Shada. Luckily, the circus theme of the story meant that the interior scenes could be shot in a tent put up in a BBC car park. In many ways the Psychic Circus (and the story itself) can be seen as a parody for where the show was at at the time, not as popular as it used to be with the Gods of Ragnarok representing the BBC executives and Wizz Kid the obsessive fans.

Verdict: Proof that this was not a show that had outstayed its welcome, this story embraces childhood fears and creates new ones. The cast are on top form with particular praise going to Ian Reddington who makes what could've been a rather dull villain extremely memorable. The cliffhangers lack any sort of impact though 9/10

Silver Nemesis

Premise: The Nemesis Statue was built from the living metal, Validium. Cybermen, neo-Nazis and time travellers all want to control it. And Nemesis knows all the Doctor's secrets...

Notes: The 'silver' in the title has more than one meaning, not only does it link in which the appearance of the Cybermen but also the fact that the show is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary. Permission was refused to film at Windsor Castle so scene were instead shot at Arundel Castle. The Cybermen's costumes in this story were made from modified helmets and chest pieces last used in Attack of the Cybermen along with new bodies made from WWII parachute G-suits.

Verdict: Undeniably a mess, but the story does feature some great action scenes and has such a pace that it flies past. It might not be the twenty-fifth anniversary special you'd hope for but it's still great fun 7/10

Remembrance of the Daleks

Premise: The Doctor and Ace are caught up in a fierce battle on Earth between two violently opposing factions of Daleks, who will stop at nothing to destroy one another.

Notes: True to it's name, the serial is full of continuity references about both the Daleks and the Doctor. During the scene where Ace attacks a Dalek with a baseball bat, Sophie Aldred accident hit the real Dalek rather than the stunt one. This scene was then re-shot to the version seen in the actual episode.

Verdict: An action-packed romp from start to finish, Remembrance of the Daleks has practically everything you could ever want from a Dalek story. The reveal of Davros is nicely held back until the last possible moment which allows the Daleks to dominate their own story for once. Easily one of the best Doctor Who stories ever made 10/10