Doctor Who, Season 21

I've committed a small crime by including The Five Doctors in this season even though it's a special, and not technically part of any season. It's a crime which I'll repeat many, many times for my own convenience, I promise.

Season 21 is quite the interesting beast, boasting a few very high quality stories mixed in with some relative duds. At the very least, none of them were forgettable. This last stretch of the Davison era has been a roller coaster, including the great stories, the misses, and the one-by-one departures of its TARDIS team until we're left with Colin's Doctor and Peri in a very curious coda.

On the whole, this mixed record gave the season a noticeably lower score average than the two seasons before it, but I still think I'll remember this experience fondly, if only because it marked the time where I managed to get back into the swing of this marathon. Finally!

Here's the score breakdown:

The Five Doctors - 9.00

Warriors of the Deep - 5.25
Part One - 6.00
Part Two - 6.00
Part Three - 4.00
Part Four - 5.00

The Awakening - 7.50
Part One - 7.00
Part Two - 8.00

Frontios - 9.00
Part One - 9.00
Part Two - 9.00
Part Three - 9.00
Part Four - 9.00

Resurrection of the Daleks - 5.00
Part One - 6.00
Part Two - 4.00

Planet of Fire - 6.25
Part One - 7.00
Part Two - 5.00
Part Three - 6.00
Part Four - 7.00

The Caves of Androzani - 10.00
Part One - 10.00
Part Two - 10.00
Part Three - 10.00
Part Four - 10.00

The Twin Dilemma - 5.75
Part One - 6.00
Part Two - 6.00
Part Three - 5.00
Part Four - 6.00

Best episode: The Caves of Androzani, Part Four - 10.00
Runner-up: The Caves of Androzani, Part Three - 10.00
Worst episode: Resurrection of the Daleks, Part Two - 4.00

Season 21 average: 7.16

Best guest appearance: Christopher Gable as Sharaz Jek (The Caves of Androzani)
Best special effect: The petrified Time Lords (The Five Doctors)
Best musical score: Frontios (Paddy Kingsland)

Before we move on to Season 22, our 1984 Cities Made of Song post is coming up next.

(Modified from the original posted at Gallifrey Base on 6 May 2024.)