Doctor Who - The Three Doctors [1972] [DVD] [1963]

The Tenth anniversary of Doctor Who kicked-off with this, the first televised multi-Doctor story. The Three Doctors introduces another rogue Timelord, Omega, after the sudden death of Roger Delgado meant that The Master could no longer be involved. The story is somewhat lacking in depth but a real treat for any fan of the 'classic series'.
After a rollicking start, where a mysterious and shapeless energy bubble begins terrorising the countryside and abducting random people, the story seems to settle into a classic Third Doctor Earthbound adventure. All goes well until we are properly introduced to Gallifrey, the Doctor's home planet, for the first time in the series, although the name is not used at this point. This could have been a fantastic plot device and given the fans a much-anticipated insight into The Doctor's origins, however it is simply presented as a load of crusty, hirsuite old men; the worst of whom is The President of the Timelords, played by possibly the most wooden and uncharismatic actor in the show's series (and yes, I've seen 'The Mutants'!) Still, it's good to at least see some more of The Doctor's people and it does give a good idea as to why he needed to escape!
The story's second episode is a somewhat stretched affair but Patrick Troughton is in fine form as The Second Doctor and gets all the best lines - before seeing this story I thought The Fourth Doctor was the originator of the jelly babies. The Third Doctor and Jo are transported to a world of anti-matter and we get to see the fabled Omega for the first time. Brief glimpses of The First Doctor (who is trapped in a 'time-eddy') show a clearly decrepit but still imposing William Hartnell and his line, "so these are my replacements, a dandy and a clown!" is pure joy. In fact, he turns out to be the linchpin for the story's resolution and it remains a fitting epitaph for the original 'Doctor'.
In the third episode we see the UNIT HQ transported to Omega's world, along with The Brigadier, Benton and The Second Doctor. The Third Doctor pits his wits against the renegade Timelord but there is a lot of filler in this episode - fortunately Jo's shapely legs help to sustain interest throughout...The unnamed, 'jelly-like' creatures who serve Omega, chase our heroes down lots of globule-encrusted corridors whilst Doctors Two and Three squabble in humorous fashion before uniting against Omega. The episode ends in slightly hallucinogenic fashion, with The Third Doctor slow-mo battling Omega's 'dark side' in the form of a hideous gremlin. This prompts the watching Timelords, in the final episode, to send The First Doctor into the black hole to help his future selves.
Overall the production qualities of this anniversary story befit its status. Apart from the feebly realised 'jelly monsters' the effects, locations and cast are all top-notch. Plot holes are excusable as it is a celebratory story after all, and I'm sure that the cast and crew had no idea of the programme's colourful future...

This is a wonderful four part romp from the middle of the golden Pertwee era. I loved the Patrick Troughton stories and it's simply magical when he appears out of nowhere in the Tardis towards the end of episode one. Troughton is probably the only actor not to have played the character anywhere near 'himself' and I think as a result is the best to have had the role.

I'd never seen an interview with Troughton before so the DVD extra from 'Pebble Mill at One' is fascinating and shows a nervous and quiet yet clever man in conversation. The other extras are worth seeing too including a superb half hour in the company of the third doc and Jo Grant at the 1993 Panopticon convention.

The commentary from Barry Letts, Katy Manning and Nick Courtney is satisfactory and the production subtitles make for interesting reading but these are indeed just bonuses to what is a great story.

"The Three Doctors" is one of the best programmes from the long-running TV series. Made for the beginning of the 1973 Jon Pertwee season, the 4 part story features William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee himself as Doctor Who. There is also strong support roles from Katy Manning as assistant Jo and the Brigadier. The acting is very good. The programme was also re-run on the BBC in 1981.

Effects-wise, the story stands up pretty well, especially as the programme makers really seems to have mastered colour separation and overlay techniques. The plot is also consistent and reasonably convincing.

The major selling point is the extras. They are very substantial and complete. It is clear that the Doctor Who restoration team have worked long and hard over it. There is an entertaining commentary, Blue Peter and Pebblemill at One footage from the early 70s (completely restored) and some great convention material from the early 90s. Certainly, the production couldn't be bettered.

Enjoy.