Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

(For those unfamiliar with the Doctor Who television series, please consult my Doctor Who Primer )

In this story the Doctor and companion Leela return to the Doctor’s home world of Gallifrey. The purpose of the visit, and the Doctor’s strange recent liaison with a group of mysterious aliens he will not explain.

Upon their arrival on Gallifrey the Doctor proceeds to have himself made President of the Supreme council of Timelord’s, a position he is apparently automatically entitled to (this, like many other esoterica in this story are not explained but more of that later.)

The general impression here is that the Doctor is behaving in a very unusual manner…he is not his usual jovial self, instead yelling at everybody and remaining extremely secretive in his dealings with the mysterious aliens and the plan that he and K-9 are evidently sharing.

After his investiture, the Doctor reveals to the Timelords that he is relinquishing complete control of Gallifrey to the mysterious aliens, now revealed as the silhouette-like Vardans.

Following so far…? Great…on we go then!

Now, while the Timelords are adjusting to their new masters and their betrayal, the Doctor and K-9 are busy dismantling the defenses of Gallifrey, to permit invasion by the Vardans. Meantime, the Doctor has had his office decked out in pure lead, and will not discuss anything that has thus far happened with his former friend Borosa until this is completed.

Has the Doctor given his own world to an alien race?
Why is he acting so bizarrely?
What does he need a lead-lined bedroom for?

All these questions will be at least partially answered when you watch “The Invasion of Time!”

But wait! There’s more!

Unbeknownst to the Doctor, the Vardans, or anybody else for that matter the sneaky alien Sontarans have been lurking around in hyperspace waiting for just such an opportunity as this to invade Gallifrey themselves. As soon as the opportunity arises, the Sontarans send an invasion party down to Gallifrey. The Doctor manages to keep the uninvited guests from gaining planetary access for their invasion force by involving them in a runaround in the TARDIS for the length of two episodes.

Can the Doctor stop the Sontarans from invading the invasion of the other invaders?

Confused?

I utterly guarantee you will be after you watch this story!

So much for the plot. So how does this story pan out? Not well, I am afraid.

This six episode story has many problems. Firstly, in order to understand even remotely what is going on for the first three episodes, the viewer is required to have seen a prior Doctor Who story, an immediate obstacle to casual enjoyment for someone now viewing this thirty year old story on video. So from the very get-go, without further ado I am able to tell you that if you are looking for a Doctor Who story to buy as a one-off, this isn’t the one for you.

Secondly, the production values of this story are absolutely rock bottom. Do not look here for sets costumes or props which will excite your imagination, or even your sympathy. The Vardans are seen first as sheets of aluminum foil someone is obviously shaking around a bit, and then as what for want of a better term could be simply described as “just some guys.” The décor on the sets consists of a few lines of duct tape applied to rooms looking like school gymnasia or hospital corridors (they are indeed, in reality, hospital corridors, complete with old fashioned radiators and the windows blacked out with obvious black plastic bin liners. It is that bad. Really.)

The set and prop and costume departments redeem themselves only in the lead lined room, and the Sontaran costumes, both of which are very good actually. This will not suffice to offset the effect that the other “sets” will have on you however.

It becomes obvious when you watch this story that in fact it is two stories. The two episode Sontaran adventure tacked onto the end of the Vardan tale does not really fit at all, and should probably have been presented as its own completely independent two-parter with the help of even the slightest re-writing. This was of course the format with the previous delightful The Sontaran Experiment. As it stands you should be aware this six-parter is not actually that at all, unlike the fabulous The Talons of Weng Chiang

The cast it must be said do an almost universally excellent job in light of the surroundings and plot. All the principles, particularly John Leeson in the person of K9 and John Arnatt in the person of Borosa put in excellent performances. Also of note is the world class demonstration of acting an obsequious worm given by Milton Johns. If you already know Who fairly well, you would enjoy this story for the interplay of the players, if nothing else, that was where I got my strength to keep watching it from!

CAST

John Arnatt Borusa
Tom Baker The Doctor
Ray Callaghan Ablif
Christopher Christou Guard
Eric Danot Castellan Guard
Derek Deadman Stor
Dennis Edwards Lord Gomer
Max Faulkner Nesbin
Stuart Fell Sontaran
Michael Harley Bodyguard
Louise Jameson Leela
Reginald Jessup Lord Savar
Milton Johns Kelner
Tom Kelly Vardan
John Leeson Voice of K9
Stan McGowan Vardan
Charles Morgan Gold Usher
Michael Mundell Jasko
Hilary Ryan Rodan
Gay Smith Presta
Christopher Tranchell Andred

CREW

Gerald Blake Director
David Agnew Writer
Graham Williams Producer
John Nathan-Turner Production Unit Manager
Barbara Gosnold Designer
Dee Kelly Costumes
Maureen Winslade Make-Up
Colin Mapson Visual Effects
Richard Conway Visual Effects

My Reviews of Doctor Who:
Logopolis
The Brain of Morbius
The Pyramids of Mars
The armageddon Factor
The Ark in Space
The Ribos Operation
The Revenge of The Cybermen
The Stones of Blood
The Sontaran Experiment
The Genesis of The Daleks
The Destiny of the Daleks
The Pirate Planet
The City of Death
The Androids of Tara
The Talons of Weng Chiang
The Robots of Death
The Power of Kroll
The Leisure Hive
Terror of the Zygons
The Horror of Fang Rock


Recommended: No

Viewing Format: VHS
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12