Doctor Who: Logopolis [VHS]

This story is a milestone in the original series of Doctor Who for one reason and one reason only: it was Tom Baker's last story. For this reason, it seems to be irrationally elevated to classic status in Who fandom. Sadly, Tom doesn't bow out in style at all.

It doesn't compare well with any of Tom Baker's classic stories, such as Pyramids of Mars, Genesis of the Daleks, Seeds of Doom, Ark in Space or City of Death. The main problems with Logopolis lie with the script, a lack of money, hammy and wooden acting and Tom's general lack of interest in proceedings.

The script - such as it is - has many daft ideas, such as the Doctor attempting to "flush out" the Master from his TARDIS by landing it in the Thames and opening the TARDIS doors! The Master speaks to the "people of the universe" on a transistor radio, and the Doctor needs to accurately measure [in theory to the atom] an old police box exterior to repair the TARDIS' chameleon circuit so he uses a tape measure! The police get very rattled about finding dolls [Tegan's shrunken Aunt] in a sports car, when they had no way of knowing they were shrunken humans and a more realistic response should have had them thinking it was a silly prank! All these from a man [script editor and writer Christopher H. Bidmead] who wanted to elevate the series into "sound science" and away from fantasy!

Doctor Who is renowned for cheap special effects, but these really do stretch the bounds of credibility. The planet Logopolis looks awful on camera, when it starts to disintegrate it looks like polystyrene is being chucked from the gallery onto the studio floor. The lighting is hideous and looks like the lighting engineer from the Playschool studio was let loose on Doctor Who for a day. The end scenes on the telescope for some reason also necessitated model and matte painting shots, neither of which tie in with the location footage at all. Some poor CSO on the radio telescope as Tom falls and the supporting cast looking in different directions as he does so adds to the unbelievably.

Then we have the panto acting. How anyone can rate Logopolis "classic" with all this hammy and wooden acting is beyond me - there is so sense of realism or believability to proceedings as a result so the Master's threat is diminished. Anthony Ainley could put in a great performance, as seen in his first and last stories, The Keeper of Traken and Survival, but presumably at JNT's insistence he hams it up for all his worth in Lopopolis, chuckling manically like Mick Muttley from the Wacky Races for the first two episodes. An interesting study into the motivations for his malice are never explored, so he comes across as one-dimensional throughout. The acting of the supporting cast is also dire: Sarah Sutton's reaction as Nyssa to her entire planet being wiped out by the master was memorable only for its woodenness and complete lack of empathy. Janet Fielding's Tegan is appalling acted throughout, being mouth and whiney throughout. You get the impression that Tom Baker wanted to be as far away from these characters as possible [and interviews with Tom confirm that to be the case]. Sadly, it really shows on screen.

Tom Baker's "funeral mood" is really him being thoroughly disinterested in the proceedings. He obviously wasn't on speaking terms to Matthew Waterhouse [Adric] by this stage in season 18, just look at their exchanges in the TARDIS and you'll see he never makes eye contact with him - a usual trick of his when he was none to pleased with someone.

In the story's favour, it does have the best regeneration scene in the series to date, and a wonderfully spooky scene in which the Doctor and Adric find themselves in an infinite regression of TARDIS-within-TARDISes. The regeneration scene itself is wonderfully handled, consisting of a series of flashbacks from adverseries and companions throughout Tom's long 7 year tenure. The actual transition to Peter Davison is excellent handled too from a visual perspective, Tom's face is gradually whitened as he merges with the Watcher to reveal a whitened Peter Davison which gradually fades to its more usual hue.

The story is historic, but a classic it is not. As a huge Tom Baker fan, there are many, many classic stories to choose from his era that are much better written and executed. He deserved much better. The moment certainly wasn't prepared for..

This is an excellent story.Tom Baker acts seriously for a change and does it with great skill.The Master, Anthony Ainley is excellent and plays the menacing character very well. I think he also adds a slight air of comedy into the role as well. He and Tom Baker seemed to work very well together. As a big Who fan I was very sad to see Tom Baker move on but at least he does so with style.

This episode marks the end of a long and truly breathtaking 7 years of doctor who with Tom Baker as the Doctor. The Dcotor, bound for Logopolis in search of a new Chameleon circuit for his TARDIS, with a dangerous stowaway on board is haunted by a shadowy watcher. The Master in his new body, (after killling Tremus Nyssa'a Father in The Keeper of Traken) is bent on Universe domination if he succeeds then he could rock Logopolis, the keystone of life. Could this mean the unravelling of the causal nexus and the end of the Universe itself? We shall see...