The Five Doctors

[Deleted]

What do you think of it? I think it's good myself.  It isn't my favourite anniversary special but it's a nice celebration all the same. I enjoy the return of the Cybermen as well as Troughton and Pertwee. 

[Brian MK.II]

It's a good celebration of 20 years but I personally find it the weakest of the multi-Doctor episodes of the classic series. Not helped by the fact it gets a free pass for sharing the same faults that people slate The Two Doctors for. Namely the lack of interaction between the Doctors (Colin and Pat have a great double act for the last 45 minutes whereas Davison and folks only get a few minutes before buggering off), Slack direction (fair enough that applies to Two but Five was just as dodgy in that regard) and dullard villains (Chessene and Shockeye are much more memorable and entertaining than Borusa MK.4)

It's fun and doesn't at least fall into the self aggrandising bollocks of the 50th but I've lost quite a lot of affection for it.

[iank]

100% CLASSIC.

[Monster X]

I like it but much prefer 'The Three Doctors'. There does seem to be an awful lot of wandering around, waiting for stuff to happen in 'The Five Doctors'.
Special mention for the Raston Warrior Robot attack on the Cybermen - I remember watching it at the time and thinking - "That's weird and really violent!".
Many years later, I bought the VHS Box Set Collector's Edition, (alongside 'The King's Demons') and a postcard album.  Still got that.

[Deleted]

I think Enlightenment is a better story than The Five Doctors personally.

[Bernard Marx]

Aug 5, 2021 15:21:57 GMT Brian MK.II said:

It's a good celebration of 20 years but I personally find it the weakest of the multi-Doctor episodes of the classic series. Not helped by the fact it gets a free pass for sharing the same faults that people slate The Two Doctors for. Namely the lack of interaction between the Doctors (Colin and Pat have a great double act for the last 45 minutes whereas Davison and folks only get a few minutes before buggering off), Slack direction (fair enough that applies to Two but Five was just as dodgy in that regard) and dullard villains (Chessene and Shockeye are much more memorable and entertaining than Borusa MK.4)

It's fun and doesn't at least fall into the self aggrandising bollocks of the 50th but I've lost quite a lot of affection for it.

Yep, you've echoed my assessment of the story word for word. Entertaining and nostalgic, but certainly flawed in its own right. I'm unsure if I'd rate it above or below The Three Doctors myself though.

As for the direction, that's a trend amongst Peter Moffatt. Most of the stories he directed had very good scripts (State of Decay, Mawdryn Undead, The Five Doctors and The Two Doctors are all very solid outings) but he never seemed especially dynamic.

Having said that, I do think the direction for the 80s stories is overstated in terms of supposedly being consistently bad. The Leisure Hive (as divisive at it may be, and it *is* heavy-going), Full Circle, Warriors' Gate, Kinda, Black Orchid, Earthshock, Enlightenment, Awakening, Resurrection, Caves, Attack, Revelation etc are all solidly helmed in their own right, and certainly characterised by either a creative flair of surreality or a sharp eye for spectacle and long-shots, mainly with Graeme Harper, who's NuWho work, whilst by no means appalling, seemed significantly less inspired and more prosaic.