Doctor Who - The Black Guardian Trilogy: Mawdryn Undead / Terminus / Enlightenment [DVD]

Common knowledge and perceived wisdom has it that the Peter Davison era was when things started to go wrong for Doctor Who, but while he never made as much of an impression in the role as his predecessor Tom Baker and was saddled for most of his tenure with the deeply obnoxious `mouth on legs' Tegan, many of his stories were no worse - and some were considerably better - than the latter season Baker efforts. Mawdryn Undead is an example of the latter, an ambitious plot-led story that sees the Doctor and his companions separated in two time zones - 1977 and 1983 - with two Brigadier Lethbridge Stewarts and a new addition to the TARDIS' company in the form of Turlough, who's being bribed by one of the Doctor's many old enemies, The Black Guardian (previously seen in The Key to Time sequence that made up the show's 16th season), to nobble the Time Lord once and for all. With one of the Brigadiers unable to remember the Doctor, a group of aliens who've stolen Time Lord technology in a botched attempt at immortality and a threat to our hero's ability to regenerate (and therefore his existence as a Time Lord), it's a surprisingly clever little number that manages to fill in most of the potential plot holes without insulting your intelligence too much (even if it does take one Deus ex Machina to do it) and looks rather stylish doing it. Even Tegan manages not to be annoying for a change.

Thanks to a bit of TARDIS-sabotage from Turlough, Terminus sees the Doctor and his companions stranded on a leper ship run by alien slaves based on Norse gods, albeit drug-dependent ones. To make matters worse, the ship may have caused the Big Bang that created the universe and is gearing up for a repeat performance that might destroy it... Written by Stephen Gallagher, who also wrote the strikingly ambitious Warrior's Gate, the production was plagued by technical problems, there's a nice balance of ideas and character, with Turlough's discussion of the relative merits of charm versus brutal honesty with Tegan showing that at least someone on the show was aware of her limitations as a character. But it remains perhaps more interesting than successful, though it does include a nice and touchingly compassionate send-off for one of the companions who finds a much better reason than mere homesickness to take their leave of the Doctor, and the audio commentary - particularly when Nyssa sheds her skirt - is enjoyable.

Enlightenment is one of those rare cases of a silly idea that's done rather well, in this case a race between various sailing ships from periods throughout human history, from Greek galleys and pirate ships of the Spanish Main to an Edwardian schooner, that takes place not in the sea but around the Solar system, with Enlightenment the ultimate prize and the Doctor despatched by the White Guardian to make sure the wrong group of `Eternals' doesn't win it. Not that he knows which group that is... It shouldn't work: Disney's Treasure Planet wasn't able to pull the idea of tall ships sailing the solar winds off with a budget a thousand times higher, but the quality of the writing - by Barbara Clegg, the first solo female writer in the series' history - carries it. The Eternals are a particularly interestingly uninteresting bunch, used up by time and relying on the imagination of `ephemerals' for diversion, not simply existing between dimensions but beyond morality. Neither good nor evil, merely bored, they just are, and there's a dark ambiguity that hangs not just over them but over the look and feel of the whole story as it unfolds to the creaking of the ship's hull. The Black Guardian/Turlough plot is also finally played out, though by this time it feels almost like a distracting side issue so it's no wonder that the promised third encounter with him has yet to materialise. It's not a great story, tending to lose traction at times, but it is a good one. Unfortunately, the re-edited and much shorter director's cut also included with the original TV version doesn't improve the faults so much as magnify them, and isn't helped by cropping the original fullframe image to widescreen.

As usual, there's a good range of extras on this three-disc set from audio commentaries, documentaries and featurettes to outtakes. The Black Guardian may not be the most interesting foe the Doctor encountered - and in Valentine Dyall's melodramatic incarnation he's like a hammy music hall pastiche of The Master for much of the time - but it's a decent collection of stories.

This trilogy falls in the middle of Peter Davison's penultimate season as the Doctor. By now he has fully settled into the role and puts in a corker of a performance here.

The three stories here are a loose story arc linked by the involvement of the Black Guardian, portrayed by Valentine Dyall in villainous form, and his attempts to get the Doctor killed. As well as the welcome return of Dyall, these stories are notable for the return of the Brigadier and the introduction of Vislor Turlough, one of my favourite companions.

Davison's era was poorly served by his companions, I always found Adric and Tegan to be really annoying, and while Nyssa was a watchable and likeable character, the scriptwriters made her so bland she never really made an impression. Turlough, the wily, untrustworthy sneak, was just right. Character flaws aplenty so he made an impression, but still likeable. And never better than here, struggleing with some rather large moral problems.

Mawdryn Undead is a decent bit of hard-core Sci Fi. There are several story strands which come together nicely into one complete whole. First there's the Black Guardian's scheme to coerce seeming schoolboy Turlough into killing the Doctor. There's the reintroduction of the Brigadier from two time periods (the older and younger Brig both played to perfection by the ever dependable Nicholas Courtney) running around and who must never meet. Then there's the story of the attempts of Mawdryn (played by David Collings, another star turn as one of Who's more sympathetic aliens) to finally find release, which may well cost the Doctor all his lives. There's a lot going on here, but some excellent script writing, attention to detail (time paradox plots are often full of holes, but not here!) and the very welcome return of the Brigadier makes this Who of the highest quality.

Terminus is a slightly patchier affair. The Black Guardian persuades Turlough to sabotage the Tardis, just before she breaks up she docks with a seemingly deserted ship. The Tardis crew get split up and we follow their various adventures as the ship docks at Terminus, the centre of the known universe, where the leprous like Lazars who have been concealed on the ship have come to find a cure. There are some good ideas on show here, especially the Vanir, who resemble Vikings, and the explanation for the origin of the Big Bang. However, the scripts aren't quite strong enough, and some of the special effects (the Garm must surely be the silliest Who monster of all time) let it down a little. This series will forever be remembered as the one where Nyssa starts taking her clothes off for no good reason, and where she leaves the Tardis crew. 4 stars for this story.

Enlightenment is a return to form. After a warning from the White Guardian, The Tardis crew land on what appears to be an Edwardian racing yacht. Not all is as it seems however... It's really a space yacht, involved in a race, the first prize of which is enlightenment. In this series Turlough really comes into his own. AS Nyssa has left he manages to get a fair chunk of screen time. He and the Doctor really work well together for the first time, especially in the scenes where Turlough is turning coats. There are some excellent guest actors here - as well as Valentine Dyall there is Lynda Baron as a wonderful Buccaneer captain, a part she attacks with some relish. Keith Barron, as the Edwardian captain, has some particularly good scenes. Lots of twists and turns here, leading to a satisfying conclusion where Turlough and the Doctor face the Black Guardian, and Turlough has to make a decision.

The DVD's are the usual excellent quality from 2Entertain. The picture is a decent quality, nicely restored. There is a wealth of extras on all the discs, and Enlightenment is a 2 disc special edition, with a 75 minute edit of the series with new CGI's and 5.1 surround sound on the second disc.

A great package, the best of the Davison years, with some great scenes from one of the best ever companions. Definitely one to get.

Mawdryn Undead:
This story is pretty good i find its an enjoyable way to introduce a companion and re-introduce an old enemy
Mark Strickson portrays a troubled young man, far far away from home, desperate to get off earth brilliantly
The return of the black guardian is aso worth mentioning with Vlentine dyall performance of the most evil being in the universe is stellar.
Peter Davisons Fifth Doctor is on top form again and puts across an innocence, completley oblivious of his new companions ties to the black guardian
Sarah Sutton's Nyssa is As usual gorgeous,intelligent and caring looking after who she thinks is the doctor and showing she'll do anything to help him
Tegan...what can i say? Janet Fieldings Tegan isn't my favourite more so in this set of stories because of her tendancy to moan and panic but she shows a more "been around the block" attitude in this story questioning Mawdryn's claims to be the doctor and there intentions.
Oh and We have the return of the Brigadier,after 8 years away, showing his implicit trust of the doctor and the friendship they share.
Damn good story

Terminus:
This is good story but it does tend to lull in parts where they do nothing or there is something going on but no plot expotition
Mark Strickson and Janet Fielding spend an enjoyable time crawling round air ducts together but it gives the characters of tegan and turlough a chance to gain a little trust.
Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton show how their characters of The Fifth Doctor and Nyssa have grown closer to each other by their need to find one another and that cute little hug in episode one!
speaking of Nyssa theres another moment,the dropping of a certain skirt,which can be desrcibed as....interesting
The black Guardian is somewhat in the background in this story and is sort of only there to keep turlough in agony over his choice
The only disapointing thing about this story is that Nyssa leaves! especially since the story is seen as a bit rubbish but the deparure seen is both sad and memorable and makes you wish that Nyssa would stay (and possible boot out tegan!)

Enlightenment:
For me there is a hole i this story as Nyssa is no longer there but apart from that it's an enjoyable romp with the return of the White Guardian and the introduction of The Eternals
The Final installment of the trilogy shows Turlough finally begining to break under the pressure of the Black Guardians demands and with his choice at the end shows the beginings of a trustworthy companion( if they could stop locking him up in the tardis!)
Tegan is a bit better in this story with less moaning and the little sub-plot of and eternal taking a deep interest in her
The Doctor is Brilliant in this story showing the couragous fifth doctor in the light he is always set in the brave but in someways tragic hero

Whilst having some problems with the stories they are overall pretty good eighties stroies