Doctor Who: Season 34 (1998)

 

Introduction

Season 34 of Doctor Who would be seen as a major departure and seen as the end of an era. With it being along with Season's 6, 17 and 24 and act as the end of an era. This season's departures and endings would be Simon Shepherd as the Doctor, Susannah Harker as Reiven, Colin Brake as script editor, Diana Barton as producer and finally. This would be the last season produced by World Productions with the BBC ending the production deal with the company for specific reasons.

With Shepherd, Harker, Brake and Barton all on the way. With a brand new production team from the ground up coming in for the new season to air in the spring of 1999. It was decided to phase out the Gallifrey serials that were quite popular in recent years and to make normal Doctor Who again. With only the opening and concluding serials of the season featuring Gallifrey and it's cast.

With this. All of the Gallifrey regulars from the previous two seasons were dropped as regulars and from the title sequence. With the title sequence to be shortened down to only include the Shepherd and Harker's names included. Also, the finale of the season acting as a possible conclusion to the storylines for the Gallifrey cast. But, did leave it open-ended if any future     Who production team, or a possible spin-off floated by BBC Head of Drama Mal Young, to continue the storylines and characters later on down the road.

Serial One (Ep. 1): DOMESTIC CRISIS

Written by Paul Cornell
Directed by Alrick Riley
Air Dates: 14 March 1998

The opening serial would be the most political of the season with the Gallifrey timeline now being in March 4536. With it being only a few months after the previous season's finale. And not much has changed on Gallifrey.

The serial deals with a political scandal with Gallifrey's Home Office, which Reiven is assigned to. The scandal being that due to several computer errors, a ton of prisoners were released too early than their sentence was completed. Which backfires even more as it seems that the one who was responsible for the computer glitch. Was actually the Doctor.

Despite vehemently denying any wrongdoing. Romana is forced by the hardliners in the Cerulean chapter to dismiss the Doctor from the government. The Doctor, disgraced, heads into the TARDIS with Reiven and the two of them leave Gallifrey for the time being.

Serial Two (Ep. 2-3): A STUDY IN BLUE

Written by Mark Gatiss
Directed by Joe Ahearne
Air Date: 21-28 March 1998

This serial has the TARDIS land in the Victorian age. With the Doctor and Reiven investigating strange murders that are committed by an alien race called the Redions, with the murders from the Redions being something from a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novel.

The main event is a historical figure. That being Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who ends up during the serial writing the book of "A Study in Scarlet" which Doyle takes the Doctor and Reiven as inspiration for Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. And Doyle making the leader of the Redions becoming the character of Jefferson Hope.

This serial would be very light hearted compared to the rest of the season. With writer Mark Gatiss adding in a ton of references to the Sherlock Holmes series of novels.

Serial Three (Ep. 4-5): GODENGINE

Written by Craig Hinton
Directed by Simon Meyers
Air Dates: 4-11 April 1998

This serial begins with the TARDIS landing on Mars in the year 2198. The Doctor and Reiven arrive in an Ice Warrior colony, which has been attacked from a ship hovering around the planet. Which at the halfway point of the first part of the serial, is revealed to be the Daleks.

The Daleks are attempting to invade Mars to take Ice Warrior technology and merge it with Dalek technology. The Daleks intend to build a weapon they call the "GodEngine" which is able to wipe out entire solar systems.

The Doctor and Reiven are able to defeat the Daleks by tampering with the Ice Warrior GodEngine parts. When the Daleks put the machine together and activate it, the Dalek ships all implode and disintegrate into atoms.

Serial Four (Ep. 6): THE HOLY TERROR

Written by Robert Shearman
Directed by Alrick Riley
Air Date: 18 April 1998

This serial is set in what appears to be a medieval castle. The serial sees the Doctor and Reiven arriving in a castle, after the crowning of its new emperor, Pepin the 6th. Wanting to learn more about the place they’ve arrived in, the Doctor visits a man named Eugene, who is responsible for writing the new bible. However the Doctor notices that all the old bibles of previous emperors appear to have been written by Eugene.

Interacting with some of the locals, the Doctor and Reiven find them to be odd and poorly written characters. This leads the Doctor to investigate, where he discovers a secret room underneath the castle. He finds that where a man named Childeric has his son locked in a small room, cut off from human interaction, as he hopes by raising a person who's never interacted with someone or even heard someone speak, he’ll become a god, who speaks the language of the gods. Eugene is terrified of the boy, as he believes he’s seen the face of the boy before.

Eventually the boy is released. However when he is, he’s like an evil god and wants to kill everyone. He begins to look for his father and after scanning Childeric, he discovers that Childeric isn’t his father, and this results in the boy using his powers to destroy Childeric.

The boy then begins shifting around the castle, searching for his father. And anyone who isn’t ends up being killed. We eventually learn from the Doctor and Eugene that Eugene is the boy’s father. It turns out that the entire castle is a prison created by Eugene for himself after he murdered his son. He made the castle and filled it with generic stereotype characters in an attempt to escape his guilt for murdering his son. However, his son has become a part of the dream. We also learn that Eugene has been reliving the same events for a long time, where his son goes in search for his father, before Eugene is forced to kill him again, which would restore everything back to normal and everything repeats over and over again.

Eventually, the Doctor helps Eugene break free of the cycle by convincing him not to kill his son, but instead Eugene lets the son kill him, which results in everything around them fading from existence, leaving only the Doctor and Reiven. With them departing in the TARDIS.

Serial Five (Ep. 7-8): DAMAGED GOODS

Written by Russell T Davies
Directed by Harry Bradbeer
Air Dates: 25 April-2 May 1998

This two part serial is primarily set in 1980s London. The story sees the Doctor and Reiven investigating a new drug named Smile, which is being sold by a dealer named the Capper, who apparently died many years ago. It turns out that a Gallifreyan machine named N-Form has bonded with the Capper's corpse and took on his identity. We find that the N-Form was created for the war against the Great Vampires and is looking for a vampiric waveform, which it finds in a boy named Gabriel Tyler and his long lost twin brother that his mother gave away in 1977.

The mother, Winnie, sold one of her children, named Steven, to the Jericho family as money was low. However, Gabriel had a low-level Glamour, which made people view him however they wished, as well as being mildly telepathic. We find that the twins were psychically linked, and their separation damaged the connection. Which caused Gabriel to unknowingly drain energy from Steven.

After ten years, Eva Jericho brought the sickly Steven to Winnie, asking her to exchange the "damaged goods" for a healthy son. The proximity of his twin caused Gabriel to draw the remaining life from Steven, which killed him and resulted in the activation of N-From. The N-Form eventually merges with Steven's mother, Eva and Gabriel go out on a killing spree. However, the Doctor and Reiven are able to deactivate N-Form by causing Eva's death, which leaves Gabriel in a vegetative state. With the Doctor and Reiven destroying the N-Form in the TARDIS.

Serial Six (Ep. 9): BLINK

Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Alrick Riley
Air Dates: 9 May 1998

This serial would follow a woman named Sally Sparrow as she investigates a strange house at night. There, she finds the garden to be filled with strange, stone statues. She finds a message written under some old wallpaper addressed to herself, telling her to beware the Weeping Angels. The message also constantly tells Sally to duck. She eventually ducks and narrowly misses a vase being launched at her from an unknown assailant. She tears away the rest of the wallpaper to see the end of the message. "Don’t blink, the Doctor".

Following this, Sally travels to her friend's house, Kathy Nightingale, where she meets her brother, Larry, who’s watching a VHS recording of the Doctor talking seemingly nonsense to the camera. The following day, Sally and Kathy go back to the house to do some further investigation. There, Sally remarks that the statues appeared to have moved, as well as finding one of them holding a Yale key. Kathy begins to explore upstairs where, unbeknownst to Sally, she’s touched by an angel, zapping her back into the 1920s.

Sally then hears a knock at the door. She opens it up, where she meets a man who tells her that he was instructed to deliver a parcel to this exact house in this exact moment in time to a Sally Sparrow. He also reveals that he was instructed to do so by his Grandmother, Kathy Nightingale. Upon opening the parcel, she finds a series of old photos of Kathy living throughout the 1920s to 1990s, as well as a letter to Sally - saying that she’ll be dead by the time she reads this and to give her love to her brother, Larry.

Sally heads to Larry’s work, a video renting place, where he finds him still watching the video of the Doctor. Larry explains that the recording is an Easter Egg which appears at the end of seventeen different films on VHS and no one, not even the manufacturers or the publishers, knows how it got there. This Easter Egg being the Doctor sitting in front of a camera and making random remarks; as if we’re only hearing half a conversation. Larry gives Sally a list of all seventeen films, before leaving.

Following on from this, Sally goes to the police to see if there’s been any other strange cases involving the house. There, she meets a police officer named Detective Inspector Billy Shipton, who both take a liking to each other. Billy then shows Sally a collection of cars which were abandoned outside of the house, as well as the crown jewel in the collection. An old police box, which is of course is the Doctor's TARDIS. He says that it’s presumably a fake and that it can’t be opened. Billy then charms Sally into giving him her mobile number before she leaves. However, after she leaves, Billy finds the Angels stone statues from the house surrounding the police box and filling the room. We then see Billy blink, before cutting to blackness. Then we cut to Billy in a dark alley at night, where he’s approached by two people, the Doctor and Reiven. They explain that he’s now in the year 1969 and that he was touched by a Weeping Angel, a creature that looks like a statue that, if it touches you, zaps you back to the past, with the Angels feeding off the energy of the days that never were. Which is also how they ended up in 1969. The Doctor then tells Billy that he needs him to deliver a message to Sally, but that it’s going to take a long time to do so.

We then see Sally receiving a phone call from an unknown caller, who tells her to meet her in the nearby hospital. She goes to the hospital, where she finds Billy - much older and weaker. There Billy explains what happened to him and how he ended up marrying another woman named Sally. Billy also reveals that he was the one who put the Easter Egg on those seventeen films, before telling Sally to ‘look at the list’ - referencing the list of seventeen VHS' and says that they all have something in common. We then see Sally staying with Billy in his final hours, as he reveals he is soon to die, before heading off back to the house, now realizing what the tapes have in common.

Sally then phones Larry to meet her at the old house & to bring a VHS with the Easter Egg on it, a VCR and working TV, whilst also revealing that the list is of every VHS she owns. Larry eventually arrives and they turn on the Easter Egg. There, we discover that the Doctor in the Easter Egg has been talking to Sally all this time, since he’s from the future and has a manuscript of everything Sally will say and does say. Larry begins to write down what Sally is saying, which the Doctor reveals is what he’s reading off. He explains the Weeping Angels to the duo, explaining that they can only move when they aren’t being observed, as well as explaining that the phone box is his TARDIS and the Angels have it.

When the video ends, the duo are surrounded by a swarm of angels. We see the duo making their way to the basement, where they find the TARDIS. They quickly unlock the TARDIS and get inside just before the Angels can zap them. Inside, a hologram recording of the Doctor instructs the duo to pull a few levers on the console. The duo does what the hologram says and the TARDIS begins to dematerialize. However, to their horror, the TARDIS is leaving them behind. We see the walls fade away, as they’re replaced by the basement & the Angels surrounding the duo. They huddle together, before realizing that they’re safe. The Doctor tricked the angels into surrounding the TARDIS, which, when it vanished, caused the Angels to look at each other, meaning they’ll never move again.

The story then ends one year later, with Sally and Larry now running the video rental shop as a couple. We see Sally making records of their encounter with the Angels, after realizing that she never learnt how the Doctor knew all about Sally and the Angels. She then sees the Doctor and Reiven from outside her shop. She rushes after him, only to discover that he doesn’t know who she is, causing her to realize that it’s still in the Doctor's future and that it was her who set the whole thing into motion. She then hands him the folder containing all information of the Angels, as well as explaining what’s going to happen to him.

Serial Seven (Ep. 10-13): THE CHOICE OF TIME

Written by Colin Brake
Directed by Sallie Aprahamian
Air Dates: 16 May-6 June 1998

The finale to the season and the Simon Shepherd era begins with the Doctor and Reiven sitting in the console room. The two of them discuss where to go for a holiday. The two of them talk about possible locations with the two of them leaning mostly on sometime on Earth. However, out of nowhere, the TARDIS' emergency light has started blinking, the ship starts to shake and the cloister bell starts ringing.

The TARDIS eventually grinds to a halt and the Doctor and Reiven peek their heads outside of the box and see that they landed in the outskirts of the Capitol with a bunch of CIA agents surrounding them. They politely ask for the two of them to go to the First Minister's residence.

The Doctor and Reiven are escorted to the First Minister's residence and office. Which is a lot like 10 Downing Street. With it just being some government building and isn't a massive complex like the Presidential and Vice Presidential estates.

The Doctor and Reiven enters the office of the First Minister of the Panopticon. And they are shocked to see Azmana sitting behind the desk. Azmana says that due to recent Panopticon elections. The Ceruleans won a majority of seats in the Panopticon. Which, is odd. Considering the state of the chapter.

Reiven is distressed over the fact that she wasn't there in their home world when the election happened. Azmana rolls her eyes and says, "Even with you on Gallifrey. You weren't on your way to make any gains, Reiven." Reiven fires back, "Says the woman who controls the chapter where about 50% of Cardinals are from a very homophobic continent where racism used to be an everyday practice." The Doctor stops them both and asks Azmana what the problem is. Azmana, loudly states that she is the First Minister. Polls leading up showed no change... except for a decrease in Arcalian seats and a rise in Prydonian seats. But, this is something nobody saw coming.

Azmana says that she has stuff piling up. She has to try and get a grip on the toxic members of her chapter, has a lot more duties as First Minister and finally, she has to handle her divorce proceedings. The Doctor is shocked and asks her, "You and Higgiof are getting a divorce?" Azmana says that he said he was done with how close she is with Roiyden and handed her papers to sign. And, she is not gonna fight it and just go through the proceedings.

The Doctor and Reiven decide to look at some of the swing seats electoral counts. Hoping that maybe it will help shine a light on these electoral problems. Azmana decides to get involved as she wants to prove that someone rigged the votes in her chapter's favor. As she knows that it wasn't her. And someone wanted to do so that Gallifrey could eventually fall into anarchism.

The Doctor, Reiven and Azmana visit one of the local election offices in the Capitol. They pour through mountains of data. They try to find an anomaly. Azmana finds a simple number miscalculation in one of the regions that the Cerulean chapter won. A computer glitch from the voting machines. Something that ends up switching the first and sixth places on the count. And the Ceruleans ended up winning the seat. And not the chapter that actually won the seat, which was the Scendeles chapter.

The trio hand over this information to a meeting of Romana's inner circle. Diewp gets angry and yells at Azmana for being a corrupt politician. For clearly rigging the vote into her chapter's favor. Romana tries to calm Diewp down. Diewp doubles down. And demands that Azmana is to be arrested for her crimes.

Romana sighs. And asks for two CIA agents posted outside of her office to come in. Romana apologizes to Azmana. And says that this is out of her hands. It needs to be handled by an independent inquiry. Romana orders the CIA guards to arrest Azmana for conspiracy to commit political fraud. Azmana surrenders. And then turns to the Doctor and asks him for his help.

Azmana sits in a jail cell with the Doctor, Reiven, Romana and Roiyden visiting her. They say that they are gonna prove her innocence. The five of them talk about who would want to frame Azmana and they come to the conclusion that Higgiof obviously is involved. Maybe a way to strong-arm Azmana into signing divorce papers. Azmana dismisses the idea saying that despite them not being on the best terms. He knows that he wouldn't need to go this far to get her to sign papers. And that, there has to be something else.

Romana, Roiyden and Reiven head to the Panopticon so that Romana can make a speech about a general election being called sooner due to electoral fraud allegations. Meanwhile the Doctor goes to Diewp and asks her why accuse Azmana directly. Electoral fraud isn't something that Azmana is really capable of. Diewp says that it's either Azmana, or someone close to her in the Cerulean chapter. And even if she didn't commit the fraud. She obviously knew about it. And allowed it to go through.

Romana makes a speech in the Panopticon about the recent allegations of electoral fraud brought on by the Scendeles chapter towards the Cerulean chapter. Romana says that she personally thinks the allegations are nothing. As such, Azmana will not be formally charged with electoral fraud and can stand as the Cerulean chapter leader in the Panopticon elections. But, due to a new system of voting taking place. Romana declares that there will also be a Presidential ballot along with a Panopticon ballot in the election. And any chapter wishing to break away from her coalition is willing to stand against her as President. She welcomes the challenge. Romana smiles and asks, "Any takers?" Someone begins to clap at the end of the Panopticon. Diewp steps out of the shadow and declares that the Scendeles chapter will withdraw from the coalition and will run against the coalition in every single possible seat.

Romana holds a meeting in her office with Roiyden, Azmana (who is now released from jail), Reiven and the Doctor. Romana says that she thinks that Diewp was behind the electoral fraud. And is trying to take power for herself. The Doctor says that he is going to investigate Diewp and see if anything comes up. About her or her political ambitions.

Romana's computer beeps and Romana looks at a message sent to her. She is shocked. She asks Roiyden to turn on the television. Roiyden turns the television on. Higgiof is standing next to Diewp proclaiming that Lady President Romana and Health Secretary Azmana are completely corrupt. And they must be removed from power at any possible cost. And as such, he is pulling the Dromeians from the coalition and will be standing in the election as Diewp's running mate.

Azmana goes to confront her husband over his actions. Higgiof says that he is mainly doing it to get rid of her. Azmana rolls her eyes calling him a naïve politician. Saying that Diewp is just someone clamoring for attention. She will flame out and become yesterday's woman after the election. Higgiof smirks and says, "Oh. I don't think that will be the case."

Azmana goes to the other four and tells them what Higgiof has said. And she thinks that Diewp and Higgiof are gonna rig the new election into their favor. Maybe even wiping out the Prydonian, Patrex, Cerulean and Arcalian chapters off the political board. The Doctor smirks. Stand up and say, "Well we can't let that happen now. Can we?" Romana smiles and says, "Let's finish this."

Romana and Roiyden start the campaign trail of the 4536 election campaign in the Capitol region. Which is both of their home regions. With Diewp and Higgiof starting off in the neighboring region of Arcadia. With them both campaigning hard and posting election advertisements in the region and doing door knocking for some local seats in the Panopticon.

The Doctor scans through one of the voting machines in the TARDIS. He reports back to Romana and company that someone had tampered with it a week before the election. But, Diewp was off-world at a treasury conference at the time. Azmana says that she thinks Higgiof is responsible for all of this. So that he can ruin her career. The Doctor says that he is unsure about that theory. Due to him only really wanting a divorce from her.

The campaigning continues with Romana, Roiyden, Azmana and Reiven campaigning on their images. Romana being the non-political politician, Roiyden being the smooth talking charmer, Azmana being the expert manipulator and Reiven being the fighter. The Doctor also makes a few campaign stops. Where he is booed at each stop. The Doctor then decides to take a look at the scandal that hit him and Reiven earlier in the season.

The Doctor notices that several of the released felons have been standing as candidates in Panopticon seats for either the Scendeles and Dromeian chapters. The Doctor thinks that Diewp orchestrated the release of the prisoners. At least the ones who agreed to side with her to remove Romana and Azmana from power and establish a new government on Gallifrey.

The Doctor confronts Diewp and Higgiof about their actions. The Doctor accuses Higgiof of attempting to embarrass his soon to be ex-wife. The Doctor then accuses Diewp of simply wanting power. Power to do whatever she wants. Diewp simply laughs at the accusation. Saying that not only she is innocent. But she has done nothing wrong. And she is just trying to win power. And she has done nothing wrong. Higgiof forces the Doctor out. Telling him that he is an idiot and that he is throwing around wild conspiracy theories to protect Romana as well as his girlfriend, Reiven. Higgiof ends, "I think it's more than Roiyden that is getting something from Azmana."

The election comes around and a record number of turnout in the election happens. Everyone in Romana's inner-circle waits with bated breath with the exit polls. And, much to everyone's surprise. The exit polls predict what can only be seen as a wipeout for the Scendeles and Dromeian chapters. With the combined only getting twenty-seven seats out of the one thousand, one hundred and fifty seats.

After counts and counts of the seats. It has shown that the exit poll is accurate. Moreover, the vote is seemingly not rigged. As the voting was done by a paper ballot and not an electronic computer like the previous election. And Romana wins a landslide in the presidential electoral college. And the Prydonian won a majority of seats in the Panopticon with Romana not needing her coalition. Even though Romana publicly states that the coalition will maintain in the Panopticon.

Diewp and Higgiof watch from their election headquarters. They smile and says, "It's time." Diewp gives a speech to their candidates that have failed to win seats. She says that it is clear that Romana had rigged the votes against them. And as such, the only way they can do what they earn. Is to do it by force.

The Doctor pours over the data from the election. And he is completely surprised by the results. It's clearly shown that it wasn't rigged. And he questions why everyone turned against Diewp and Higgiof. Reiven makes the Doctor enlightened about Romana. How she was able to pull Gallifrey out of the dark ages. And make the planet be a part of the universe and not look down on other races and species.

In a meeting with her closest advisors at the Presidential Estate. Romana says that they need to prepare for a new inauguration ceremony. Something she wants to happen as soon as possible. Roiyden, Azmana and Reiven agree that one needs to be held. But, they think tensions should die down before Romana is re-inaugurated. She should just keep her head down until Diewp and Higgiof concede.

A huge explosion erupts at the gate. And the gangs and criminals on Diewp and Higgiof's side storm the Presidential Estate. And Diewp then steps forward. And demands Romana steps outside and understands who is in charge.

Romana steps outside. She says that this is a blatant attempt at insurrection. Diewp says, "Maybe. But... Gallifreyan's are finicky on who they want as their leader. They simply don't care." Romana, disgusted by Diewp's response. Decides to walk back into the Presidential Estate.

Romana comes up with a plan of defense while they wait for the Chancellery Guard to be able to storm in without Romana, Roiyden, Azmana, Reiven and the Doctor dying. Romana comes up with a plan to have Diewp's group splintered across the Estate. To confuse and disorientate them. All they need to do is hold out.

The group is able to hold out, but a small group led by Higgiof is able to breach into the cellar of the Estate. Azmana goes to confront the group. She manages to gun down all but Higgiof in the group with a staser. She aims at Higgiof and he drops his weapon and surrenders. Azmana for a second, pauses. She then walks over to him and knocks him out with her staser. She then drags him upstairs where he is restrained.

The Chancellery Guard (which are now portrayed as Gallifrey's police force) then arrives and a shoot-out occurs between the Chancellery Guard and Diewp's group and the Guards manage to win. However, Diewp disappears. The Doctor roams the Estate looking for her. And out of nowhere, a shot is heard. And the Doctor drops to the ground with Diewp emerging from the shadows. She says to him, "You know. You would have survived this. If you kept your nose out of this."

Another shot is heard as Diewp then falls to the ground. Reiven runs over to the Doctor with Romana not that far behind. And Roiyden and Azmana are seen hand-in-hand standing from afar.

Reiven holds the Doctor as he is trying to gasp for breath. He is telling Reiven that he deeply cares for her. But, he feels that it is the end. For several things. And he does not want to upset her. He begins to tear up as he says, "Reiven, the change coming. I'm afraid you will not like it." With that, he dies. And a golden glow surrounds his body. Reiven smiles as a tear drops down her face. She says, "Goodbye my close friend."

The glow grows more and more and eventually, the glow dissipates.

And we see... the Tenth Doctor. Andrew Lincoln.

The Doctor sits up in his new body. He hugs Reiven and stands up. He turns to Romana. With a smile he says, "I'm sorry Romana. I must go now." He then runs out of the Estate to his and Reiven's flat in the Capitol. And enters his TARDIS. Reiven walks in and asks him, "Is this goodbye? Are you... not wanting a stable life here?" The Doctor, still smiling, says, 'Yeah. Gallifrey is not for this body."

A tear drops down Reiven's face. As she silently says, "Goodbye... Doctor." She then exits the TARDIS and sees Romana standing outside. Roiyden and Azmana walk in and ask when the Doctor will be back. Reiven walks out of the room silently. As the TARDIS dematerializes. Romana follows her. But, Roiyden and Azmana stay in the room. Roiyden says to her, "Now that he is arrested and going to jail..." Azmana stops him and kisses him. She says, "We'll see." And, with that. We cut to the end credits.

Season Conclusion

So that was Season 34 of Doctor Who.

This season was received more positively than the two previous ones. But still maintained a mixed reception with general audiences, the fandom and critics. Which sums up the general overview of the Simon Shepherd era.in whole.

The Shepherd era was seen both as boundary pushing and an era restricted by the age demographic. Over time, the Shepherd era had improved with the fandom and some critics. It was still seen as the lowest of the 90s era with the late McCoy era and the McCallum era.

However, all of that was to change. In January 1998. It was announced by Mal Young that the show was moving forward. With a brand new team installed for the 1999 season. As well as a massive budget increase with more funding... coming from America.

Come Back Next Time for Doctor Who: Season Thirty-Five

Doctor Who: Season 33 (1997)

Introduction

Season 33 of Doctor Who, would be a continuation of the previous season and keep adding in Star Trek like elements into the show. With a two part serial in the season being a straight up Star Trek inspired story which was considered earlier in the 1990s.

In terms of cast and crew. No major changes would happen. With Diana Barton remaining as producer, Colin Brake remaining as script editor and Tony Garnett remaining as the show's executive producer. And the show still starring Simon Shepherd as the Doctor, Susannah Harker as Reiven, Paul McGann as Roiyden, Chloe Annett as Azmana, Nicholas Farrell as Higgiof, Harriet Thorpe as Diewp and Lalla Ward as Romana.

So, with that. Let's cover Season 33, airing in the spring time of 1997.

Serial One (Ep. 1): THE PANOPTICON VOTE

Written by Russell T Davies
Directed by Dermot Boyd
Air Dates: 8 February 1997

The opening story of the season advances the timeline by eight months, with the show now in October 4535. Rebuilding after the Dalek invasion has been completed and things have settled down. Both globally and for the main characters.

The plot of the episode would be Romana trying to work with hardliners in the Cerulean, Dromeian and Scendeles chapters to vote for an Outsider integration bill. In which, she is successful in getting it passed.

Along with helping out Romana on getting more Cardinal's onside. The Doctor and Reiven's relationship is shown off as they are now living together in a flat in the Capitol region as well as having a house in the neighboring region of Arcadia, one of it's Panopticon seats being Reiven's seat in the Panopticon.

Serial Two (Ep. 2-3): FOREST OF THE DEAD

Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Sallie Aprahamian
Air Date: 15-22 February 1997

For this two part serial, Romana sends the Doctor and Reiven to a library planet in the Gallifreyan Empire sector. In which, overnight every single resident of the planet had disappeared.

The Doctor and Reiven arrive on the planet and they come across a team of archeologists who are also trying to investigate the planet. Which annoys the Doctor and Reiven at first, but in the end. Do end up working together.

The monsters of the serial are shadow monsters by the name of the Vashta Nerada. Which eats humans except the bones, which are leftover.

At the halfway point of the serial, Reiven is plugged into the computer of the library planet. And she dreams a life with the Doctor without him wanting to travel the stars and wanting to be rid of the TARDIS and remain on Gallifrey.

During the second half of the serial, it's revealed that unlike what the Doctor and Reiven had believed. The inhabitants of the planet were not killed by the Vashta Nerada. They were all actually plugged into the computer to save themselves from the Vashta Nerada. And, in the end. The Doctor and Reiven are able to kick the Vashta Nerada off the planet and return the inhabitants to the planet.

Serial Three (Ep. 4): ORDER IN THE COURT

Written by Kate Orman
Directed by Morag Fullarton
Air Dates: 1 March 1997

The serial begins with a woman forced into a courtroom, chained in both her wrists and legs. A judge then sits at a massive bench and demands that there is order in the court. And as the judge reads out who the defendant is. We see it's Azmana. And that she is being charged with crimes of corruption and murder.

The serial plays out as a typical whodunnit mystery. With the Doctor, Reiven, Roiyden and Romana try to save Azmana from being executed for crimes she did not commit. Notably, one who does not try to help her is Higgiof, her husband. Saying she is extremely guilty.

The charges included Azmana working with oil tycoon on committing insider trading and the tycoon was found dead the next day after the trading was complete. Azmana also stands accused of cheating on Higgiof with the tycoon.

At the end of the serial, the Doctor and co. are able to prove Azmana's innocence and that she was framed by a Cerulean PR who is a junior minister in Gallifrey's energy department. And Azmana is given a full acquittal in court. With the cheating claim going the most unfounded out of all of the charges. However, Romana takes a hit in the polls because of the scandal.

Serial Four (Ep. 5-6): EARTH AID

Written by Ben Aaronovitch
Directed by Richard Standeven
Air Date: 8-15 March 1997

During looking through previous scripts considered during the early and mid 90s. Colin Brake came across a three part serial for Sylvester McCoy's tenure as the Doctor called Earth Aid written by Ben Aaronovitch, which was considered for Season 27 and was considered as the season's opening serial. At the time, script editor Andrew Cartmel turned down the script as with the budget at the time, it was deemed un-filmable.

During pre-production of the season, Brake came across the scripts for the serial. And thought that it would well with the season's Star Trek approach. And asked Aaronovitch to come back for a one-off return re-writing the serial from a 3x25 minute serial to a 2x45 minute serial and to integrate the cast of the season into the script. Aaronovitch agreed to come back.

The serial shows Roiyden taking command of a Gallifreyan starship as it needs to escort some grain to a Gallifreyan colony world outside of the Gallifreyan empire. Reiven is the ship's chief security officer and the Doctor is the ship's CMO (chief medical officer). Azmana is his XO (second in command) and  Higgiof and Diewp are on the ship. But just as people overseeing the operation and are not actively involved due to their positions in Gallifrey's government. Romana is shown in one scene with her in her office.

The serial, while having the budget in 1997 with World Productions then it did in 1990 with just the BBC. The serial still went down as one the weaker serials and was considered the worst serial of the Simon Shepherd era.

Serial Five (Ep. 7): LOCAL POLITICS

Written by Paul Cornell
Directed by Dermot Boyd
Air Dates: 22 March 1997

This serial takes the action back to Gallifrey as the six chapter leaders prepare for local elections on Gallifrey. But, most of the focus is on the regional election of the Capitol region which has a retiring Governor as well as several High and Low Council members. Which over the serial, it's portrayed as a highly contested fight. But, in the end, the Patrex Chapter continue their dominance in the region with them winning the governorship and maintaining both of their majorities in both the High and Low Council.

The serial acts as a Doctor-lite serial in a way with him only appearing with Reiven as her partner when she is giving political speeches and being at Arcalian Chapter rallies.

This serial would be the most political of the season and focus highly on fleshing out the local level of politics on Gallifrey.

Serial Six (Ep. 8-9): BATTLE OF LAND AND SEA

Written by Mark Gatiss
Directed by Harry Bradbeer
Air Dates: 29 March-5 April 1997

For the first time since 1993, Doctor Who goes back to modern day Earth. The serial would have an opening that someone has been messing with time lately. And the person has lately been targeting Earth in the late 20th century. Specifically the region of Great Britain. With this, Romana asks the Doctor, Reiven and Azmana to handle the situation.

The three of them send them to Earth in the year 1997 and try to find a change in the timeline. But, all three are immediately separated. With the three of them each with a different group/race. The Doctor ends up with UNIT and a returning Brigadier Bambera, Reiven ends up with a group of Silurian's in an underground cavern and Azmana ends up with a group of Sea Devils in a underwater base off the coast of Scotland.

Throughout the serial the three sides are planning on wiping out the other two and the Doctor, Reiven and Azmana trying to prevent a nuclear war. With the Doctor being able to stop UNIT's weapons, Reiven sealing the Silurian's in their underground caves and putting them into a deep sleep. However, due to their makeshift base being a bit weak. A flood wipes out the Sea Devils and traps the bodies in the Earth's ground.

After everything is wrapped up, the Doctor, Reiven and Azmana head back to Gallifrey with Azmana sitting with the Doctor as he talks about Earth and how despite being completely flawed. The Doctor still loves the human race and what they represent.

Serial Seven (Ep. 10): MIDNIGHT

Written by Russell T Davies
Directed by Morag Fullarton
Air Dates: 12 April 1997

This serial would show the Doctor and Reiven taking a holiday on one of Gallifrey's holiday planets. With them visiting the diamond planet of Midnight. The two of them decide to take a tour bus around a diamond waterfall with them mingling with bus's crew and fellow tourists.

However after a certain point, the bus is ground to a halt and the cabin where the driver and most of the crew are destroyed. The bus falls down a cliff, leaving the Doctor, Reiven, the other tourists and one of the stewardess trapped. And not only that, a incorporeal entity breaches the bus and takes over one of the tourists.

The rest of the serial plays out as a horror serial with the Doctor and Reiven trying to take control of the situation. But with the tourists all being scared of the situation, it makes it hard for them. What makes it even worse is that at the beginning of the third act of the serial when the Doctor is possessed by the entity.

Reiven and the stewardess recognize that the entity was still controlling the tourist and making chaos. And the stewardess sacrifices herself to protect the Doctor from being vaporized by the planet's atmosphere.

On their way back to Gallifrey the Doctor and Reiven talk about the entity and we stay with them for a minute with the trauma they have gotten from this adventure. And it is even worse when they land back on Gallifrey and see it's a complete, radioactive wasteland.

This serial would be one of the more popular serials of the era and go down as a fan and critical favorite of the Simon Shepherd era.

Serial Eight (Ep. 11-13): THE CONSEQUENCES OF TIME

Written by Colin Brake
Directed by Joe Ahearne
Air Dates: 19 April-3 May 1997

The finale to the season begins with the Doctor and Reiven traveling across the irradiated wasteland that is Gallifrey. They end up travelling very far and even leave the region of the Capitol and end up in Arcadia. Where the they come across a few surviving Time Lords. With Azmana and Diewp leading them.

The two of them tell the Doctor that the only surviving Time Lords are ones that were not on Gallifrey at the time that several nuclear power-plants across the planet. The plants exploded with no warning and no apparent reasoning. The Doctor and Reiven then go and investigate one of the plants in Arcadia where they see that the plants detonated by a time bomb.

The Doctor and Reiven take the remains of the time bomb back to the TARDIS and analyze it with it giving off time energy. The Doctor and Reiven track the time energy to the Earth year 7681. The TARDIS then lands on the hull of a large starship. The Doctor looks at the scanner and smiles as the TARDIS dematerializes and then rematerializes inside the ship and asks a steward what ship they are on. The steward says that they are on the United Earth Ship Decker. The Doctor recoils in shock, he grabs Reiven's hand and they run down the ship's corridors as the Doctor tells her that they are on the largest starship crash in history.

The Doctor says that the time bomb was formed on the ship. Which leaves a ticking clock as the Doctor and Reiven try to find out who assembled the time bombs that destroyed Gallifrey. And we find out in a cliffhanger reveal. That it was none other, than the Meddling Monk (once again played by Rik Mayall).

The Doctor and the Monk have a battle of wits with the Monk revealing to the Doctor that he is going to destroy the Time Lords. So that he can play with time as much as he wants without the Time Lords or anyone else like them to stop him. The Doctor smiles and says that he is an idiot. As, he has not done it yet. So, he can still stop him. The Monk then presses a button and the ship starts to go wobbly and begins to crash into a radioactive planet. The Doctor and Reiven escape just before the ship crashes onto the planet and explodes.

The Doctor goes through Gallifrey's timeline to find when the Monk had planted the time bombs. The TARDIS lands back when the Doctor and Reiven left for their vacation to Midnight. The Doctor enters Romana's office and tells her to order the Chancellery Guard officers to go to all nuclear power plants and arrest a rogue Time Lord known as the Monk. As he is about to nuke Gallifrey.

The Doctor and Reiven join the guards and they come across the Monk. The Monk battles with the guards while the Doctor and Reiven defuses the main bomb that caused a chain reaction for the other bombs to go off. In which, they are successful. The guards arrest the Monk. But, before he is taken away. The Doctor tells him that... he is unsure why he does what he does. The two of them as well as the Master and the Rani all had ideas about going out into the universe and helping people. And now all he wants to do is play with time. The Monk smirks and says, "Of course because that is true fun." The Doctor then orders the guards to take him away.

The serial ends with the Doctor and Reiven laying down in bed in their flat in Arcadia. The Doctor talks about his days at the Academy. About his three best friends. On how they wanted to explore the universe together. But overtime. Got corrupted by ambitions of conquering, corrupted by amoral sciences or got corrupted by the power of the Time Lords. Only he has remained from what they wanted. Reiven comforts him saying that... at least one of them still has their morals and righteousness. The Doctor smiles and he turns off the light and then cut to the end credits.

Season Conclusion

So, that was Season 33. Apart from both Earth Aid and Midnight, the season received mixed reactions from general audiences, fandom and critics. Many considered it a step behind the quality of the previous season.

Not long after the conclusion of the season. It was announced on BBC News that both Simon Shepherd and Susannah Harker would be leaving the show at the end of the next season. Not long after that, in DWM, both Diana Barton and Colin Brake announce they will be stepping down from their posts as well at the end of the next season.

In late 1997, the new Head of Drama at the BBC, Mal Young that come 1999. Doctor Who was gonna be bigger than anything that has came before.

Come Back Next Time for Doctor Who: Season Thirty-Four

Doctor Who: Season 32 (1996)

Introduction

Season 32 of Doctor Who. The first season of a brand new era for the show. And the biggest change up in the format of the season since the beginning of the Jon Pertwee era.

This season would be the first approached by the BBC and the production staff to make the show appealable to an American market. As the BBC was starting talks with big name networks in America. With this, Controller of BBC One, about to be made Head of Drama at the BBC Alan Yentob, ordered incoming producer Diana Barton and script editor Colin Brake to add some American elements to the show.

This came in several things. Including moving from a 20x25 minute production schedule to a 13x45 minute production schedule, a proper main cast and not just a Doctor/Companion duo, push the boundaries of what kind of storytelling could happen, recurring themes and elements throughout a season and not have it just be a group of serials and finally add in some elements that seem like it could come out of some of the most popular American science fiction shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Babylon 5.

The new main cast would contain the TARDIS team that the previous season had ended. With the new Doctor, Simon Shepherd and Season 31 companion, Time Lady politician Reiven, played by Susannah Harker. Joining the main cast of the season. Would be Season 31 recurring characters Roiyden (played by Paul McGann), Azmana (played by Chloe Annett), Higgiof (played by Nicholas Farrell), Diewp (played by Harriet Thorpe) and finally, former companion Romana (played by Lalla Ward).

With a main cast being built during the writing process of Season 31, it was decided to make Gallifrey be a regular setting during the season. With the story of the season being Romana, back as Lady President of Gallifrey, forcing the Doctor to remain in the year 4535 and work as a special member of her government. However, the Doctor would still be allowed to travel in space in the TARDIS, but only for diplomatic missions for Romana.

The title sequence would go over a major overhaul. From 1963-1995. The title sequence was made with it taking place in either the time vortex or a starfield. The title sequence for this season was a slow moving titles with the first time, the cast being credited on the opening titles with slow panning shots of Gallifrey and it's neighboring planets.

With all of this, let's dive into this new season of the show.

Serial One (Ep. 1-2): THE PLAGUE

Written by David A. McIntee
Directed by Richard Standeven
Air Dates: 17-24 February 1996

The opening serial to the season would take place several months after the finale of the previous season. With the Doctor now being forced to live in a flat with Reiven in the region of the Capitol. We learn that ever since the Doctor had regenerated. His and Reiven's dynamic has become... troubled. With the two of them bickering all the time.

The plot for the episode focuses on a factory explosion and releases an anti-regeneration virus into the air of the Capitol. Leaving Romana to quarantine the region while the Doctor figures out a cure.

Intercutted between that is the main characters talking about the mortality of the Time Lords and on how they rely on regeneration too much sometimes.

Serial Two (Ep. 3): BANQUET FOR THE IMMORTAL

Written by Steven Moffat
Directed by Sam Miller
Air Date: 2 March 1996

For the very first time since 1965, (and what will become a regular occurrence going forward), where a plot is told in a single episode. With the 45 minutes telling a whole story.

In this episode, the Doctor is dragged by Romana and Reiven to sit at a banquet being held for the Sisterhood of Karn to re-strengthen alliances following the Master acting as the puppet master to Roiyden. Cutting off support for Karn and other planets in the Gallifreyan Empire (which is the show's second allegory for the European Union).

Throughout the episode. The leader of the Sisterhood wants to completely withdraw the support of Karn from the Empire and go at it all alone. The Doctor, Reiven and Higgiof work with the leadership of the Sisterhood to hash out a deal. One that Romana is personally against as it means lifting some anti-religious practices on Gallifrey. But, she sees the long term gain for Gallifrey and signs the new deal with the leader at the end of the episode.

Serial Three (Ep. 4-5): THE DEAL OF MARS

Written by Mark Gatiss
Directed by Nigel Douglas
Air Dates: 9-16 March 1996

For this serial, Romana sends the Doctor, Reiven and Higgiof to Mars to work out a new trade deal with the new ruling empress. However, at the last minute, Azmana joins them on the trip. Talking to Higgiof and saying, "I thought that joining you to Mars would be nice. Since we've been apart lately."

In the serial, we see the return of the Ice Warriors with them being a crucial partner for Romana on the intergalactic stage. The Doctor (after previously dealing with the Ice Warriors) is untrusting of them. Whilst Reiven, Azmana and Higgiof embrace them and the new empress with open arms.

The Doctor being the one who is unsure about whether or not Romana is in the right to work with the Ice Warriors. Tries to make sure the deal isn't a foolproof deal. But, Reiven notices what he is doing and challenges him on his ideas and bigotry towards races who used have certain beliefs but don't anymore.

Reiven in the end becomes the hero and saves the trade deal and improves relations with Gallifrey and Mars even better than what they were before. After everything is done. Azmana takes Higgiof back to Gallifrey. Meanwhile, Reiven forces the Doctor to head to Earth. As their work is not fully done. As they need to work with another one of Romana's allies.

Serial Four (Ep. 6): THE CORRUPTION OF EARTH

Written by Gareth Roberts
Directed by Jim Gillespie
Air Date: 23 March 1996

The serial follows up on the previous one as the Doctor and Reiven travel to Earth. As Romana wants them to help out an old time ally. The President of Earth, who is trying to root out corruption in their government.

The Doctor takes the lime-light with him working out that Romana's friend is actually the corrupt one in government. With her selling off government institutions to corrupt businessmen for profit that she can have when she retires at the end of her term as President of Earth.

The Doctor and Reiven end up exposing them to the public and they are forced to resign as President. Something that Reiven does reluctantly. But, understands that it was the right thing to do.

On the ship going back to Gallifrey. The Doctor and Reiven continue to bicker about how Reiven has been acting since he regenerated. Reiven mostly saying that it is the Doctor not being the man who she thought he was.

Serial Five (Ep. 7): THE INCIDENT

Written by Steve Lyons
Directed by Sam Miller
Air Dates: 30 March 1996

This would be the first of a new type of episodes, known as "Doctor-lite episodes" which would not feature the Doctor much throughout the episode. With this episode focusing on the Gallifrey regulars (excluding Reiven as she is with the Doctor during the events of the episode).

The episode begins with the main characters in different places. Romana and Diewp are in Romana's office discussing the recent government's budget surplus, Higgiof is sitting alone at a bar and Roiyden and Azmana are at a country estate, which we learn we learn is a family estate that he inherited from his father when he became of age at 125. And we see hints of Roiyden and Azmana being... intimate.

An alarm rings out in Romana's office and she looks at her scanner and says, "It finally happened. They did it." She then walks up to her her computer and types something in. Diewp says, "Cedin?" Romana nods her head. Diewp then tells her that she'll be heading to the bunker then.

Several minutes later. Several Gallifreyan's are brought into underground bunkers. Roiyden and Azmana are brought back into the city and brought into the Inner Cabinet Bunker where them as well as Romana, Higgiof and Diewp are at.

Throughout the rest of the episode. We learn that Gallifrey has been in a cold war with one of it's colonies since the Master took power. And that it has launched a nuclear warhead towards Gallifrey. And at the end of the episode, the nuke ends up going into a blackhole and missing Gallifrey completely.

Throughout the episode. The plot takes a backseat and the characters are at the fore-front as we develop Roiyden, Azmana, Higgiof and Diewp more and add onto Romana's life between leaving E-Space and becoming President.

At the end of the episode, everyone leaves the bunker. Romana goes back into her office to see the Doctor and Reiven sitting in her office asking her what had happened.

Serial Six (Ep. 8-9): THE INTERGALACTIC CONFERENCE

Written by Paul Cornell
Directed by Audrey Cooke
Air Dates: 6-13 April 1996

The serial would begin with the Doctor and Reiven sitting in the cabinet office with the TARDIS standing in the corner of the room. Romana enters the office and sits down with them. She says that she needs them to head to a political conference on Peladon in her stead. Reiven asks why she needs them there. Romana says, "I'm gonna need you two off world for a few weeks." The Doctor laughs and says, "We are being put in a time out." Reiven rolls her eyes at the Doctor's statement. Which Romana says, "You two need to get along better."

With this the two of them enter the TARDIS. And we see the TARDIS has redesigned itself. Giving it a more colder, metallic and futuristic look and feel to it.

The TARDIS lands on Peladon and the Doctor and Reiven are given a state greeting with the leaders then escorting them to a shared bedroom.

Throughout the serial, the plot then splits into two different sections that are intercutted between each other. To tell the story in a better fashion, I'll be covering them separately.

The main political plot of the episode is an Ice Warrior being poisoned during a banquet for all of the guests. The Doctor intervenes and is able to save the Ice Warrior's life. And several different assassination attempts on different members of specifically, the Galactic Federation. The Doctor and Reiven find out that a group of interplanetary extremists are trying to use assassination methods to destabilize the Galactic Federation. In the end, the terrorists are stopped and arrested by the authorities on Peladon.

The other main plot of the episode focuses on the Doctor and Reiven's relationship. With the two of them being at each other's throat's since the Doctor's regeneration. The two of them try and talk about how they now feel. And we learn that Reiven has always had a hard time accepting regenerations in her life. As almost everyone close to her has regenerated at least once in their life. But, she has not. She is still in her first body.

At the end of the second episode, the two of them finish their talk. And she thinks that her feelings about the Doctor are... completely different to what it used to be.

Serial Seven (Ep. 10): SIEGE OF THE SHIP

Written by Colin Brake
Directed by Jim Gillespie
Air Dates: 20 April 1996

The episode/serial begins with the TARDIS in-flight as the Doctor and Reiven head back to Gallifrey after the events of the previous serial. The two of them are silent. Not sure on what to say after the events that had just happened. All of a sudden, the TARDIS cloisters start ringing. And the ship starts shaking. The Doctor checks the console scanner and we see that the TARDIS has been boarded by pirates that live in the Time Vortex.

The episode/serial shows the Doctor and Reiven fighting off the pirates and getting control back of the TARDIS. Which because of the incident, the TARDIS gets stranded in space for several months due to the effects put on it by the Vortex Pirates.

While all of this is going on, the Doctor and Reiven are forced to sit down and talk about each other with the Doctor's new body. And the Doctor says that he is younger, slightly less mature. But, the Doctor wonders why Reiven would look at him differently because of it. Reiven says that. She's having a hard time... looking at him in nothing but a romantic way.

At the end of the episode, once the Vortex Pirates are defeated. The Doctor and Reiven talk. And the Doctor makes a confession. He... has kind of been looking at her in a very similar way. Which leads to the two of them kissing. And as soon as the TARDIS lands, they step outside and sees Romana, Roiyden, Azmana, Higgiof and Diewp standing in front of them. Asking where the hell they have been. The Doctor is confused. Before he hears in the background, "Exterminate the Time Lords!" The Doctor takes a step back and says to himself, "Daleks". As the episode/serial ends.

Serial Eight (Ep. 11-13): THE DALEK INVASION OF GALLIFREY

Written by Russell T Davies
Directed by David Hayman
Air Dates: 27 April-11 May 1996

To finish off the first season for the new Doctor, we get a big action packed Dalek finale with the Daleks invading Gallifrey. With the serial playing out as a big action blockbuster with tons of explosions and model and CGI shots all throughout.

This story would also conclude a small story-arc woven throughout the decades with the Dalek's invasion of Gallifrey being fallout from the Time Lord's actions in Genesis of the Daleks and Remembrance of the Daleks, the Daleks had decided to get revenge and take out the Time Lords. Which they are unable to as the Doctor is able to put a stop to them.

Also, as a B-plot, we conclude the Doctor and Reiven's arc of the season. Where they finally accept their romantic feelings for each other and decide to... do something minimal at least going forward.

Season Conclusion

So that was Season 32 and the first season for a new format of the show. General audiences and critics gave the season high praise with the new style. But, the fandom's initial reaction was one of mixed feelings, but overtime did improve and have a positive look on the season.

The fandom's biggest complaint at the time was that there was not enough of Doctor Who style episodes. In October 1996, Diana Barton confirmed in a interview with DWM. That Season 32 was made to be like Season 7. And that Season 33 onwards would be more like other seasons of the Jon Pertwee era. Where it would be a mixture of Doctor Who-centric stories and Gallifrey based stories.

Come Back Next Time for Doctor Who: Season Thirty-Three