Destiny of the Daleks
Written by Terry Nation
Directed by Ken Grieve Starring Tom Baker, Lalla Ward, David Gooderson, Peter Straker, Suzanne Danielle and Tim Barlow
Released on 26th November

There's a flash of light, a pillar falls, crushes the Doctor and strangely, he's okay with it.  It's an early moment in Destiny of the Daleks and not even an especially important one, but it has a very personal, very pivotal role to play, for me at least.  That tiny sequence, barely thirty seconds long, is the very first exposure I had to Doctor Who.  Aged, maybe, five, drinking lemonade out of an antique pint glass whilst my Mum tended to one of her private patients, I watched that tiny little scene and was completely and irrevocably hooked.  I'm delighted to report that not only has the story made it's way onto DVD (Both here and as part of the upcoming Davros Boxed Set) but it's also aged strikingly well.  Whilst the special effects are, inevitably, dated (As have the Movellans), it's fascinating not only to see how well the story hangs together but how clearly the Baker era has influenced the new series.    The opening scene alone is very nearly worth the price of admission, if nothing else for the controversy it continues to cause to this day.  Whilst the Doctor diagnoses K9 with laryngitis, largely because there was no way the robot could have worked in the quarry the story is set in, Romana regenerates.  Then does so again.  And again.  And again. This scene continues to drive elements of fandom into a frenzy as Romana tries on different forms like we'd try on a new coat.   Whilst I can understand the need for continuity to be maintained, it's a very funny, very light scene made all the more entertaining by Ward's cheerful fencing with Baker and the glorious moment where the Doctor finally diagnoses K-9 ('You've got laryngitis! But WHY?! WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH IT?!')    When the TARDIS lands on a mysterious planet, they naturally investigate.  When they find evidence of a civillisation and subterranean mining they naturally investigate even further and when they see a strange spacecraft come into land they find themselves drawn into a conflict between the Daleks, the mysterious Movellans and a group of humans caught in the middle.  Terry Nation's script manages to balance the traditional tropes of the series (I can't have been the only person to let out a cheer when the quarry finally made it's triumphant return in Utopia) with a surprisingly complex Dalek plot that neatly sets up the next few years of continuity and is completely in keeping with their nature (The moment where the Doctor mocks them for not being able to get up a ramp is made all the funnier by the knowledge that the same scene has a very different outcome in Remembrance of the Daleks for example) and some great turns by the entire cast.  Of the supporting cast, Tim Barlow does great work as Tyssan, one of the prisoners and David Gooderson finds a stillness, a glacial calm in Davros that's far more unsettling than the characters' later histrionics. The moment where he's revealed, covered in dust but somehow still alive, is surely one of the series' highpoints and if, as rumoured, he's set for a return in the new series' fourth year then this will surely be one of the stories those episodes will be measured against.    However, the true stars here are Baker and Ward.  Baker's Doctor is nothing short of revelatory, a Satyr-like figure who seems completely disconnected from his surroundings and yet remains four steps ahead of everyone else.  From passing the time under the pillar reading an Oolon Colluphid book (A nice in-joke inserted by new script-editor Douglas Adams) to the world's most dangerous game of tic-tac-toe, this is a Doctor at the height of his powers and clearly revelling in them.   He's ably supported by Ward who, whilst it's clear in the commentaries is under no illusions about whose show it was, does fantastic work as Romana.  She's witty, charming, distinctly alien in a very similar way to Baker but at the same time manages to show genuine compassion without seeming weak.  Romana is the Doctor's equal, and is quite happy to never let him forget that and the slightly antagonistic nature of their relationship is far more entertaining than the increasingly tired (And now, thankfully, benched) unrequited love of the new series.  It's interesting to note, despite this, that there's a very clear narrative line between this era and the modern show.  There's the same sense of fun, the same blase response to danger and the same quick, witty exchanges between the Doctor and his companions.  These are all key elements in the new show and it's fascinating to see how well the two eras fit together.    Whilst there are problems, not the least of which are the Movellans, this is a tremendous story that sets out to do absolutely nothing but entertain the viewer.  It succeeds admirably and is a welcome addition to the BBC's growing Doctor Who DVD library.     It should also be noted that this is also another extremely well put together DVD.  As well as the series you get a fantastic commentary across all four episodes with Lalla Ward, David Gooderson and Ken Grieve that's funny, honest and focusses on the ingenuity the cast and crew relied on to cover the miniscule budget (For example, they only had one metal piece of wreckage which makes an appearance in countless different scenes and locations), optional CGI special effects (Which are surprisingly in keeping with the original material), a documentary about the Daleks' creator Terry Nation, a featurette with Ken Grieve recalling his time on the show, BBC1 trailers and continuity announcements for the show, a photo gallery, Radio Times listings and a series of Prime Computer Adverts from Australia starring the Doctor and Romana.  All in all, it's a packed disc, a great story and whether you buy it seperately or as part of the Davros Collection, one no fan should be without.