2 Week To 50: The Caves of Androzani
We're now almost finished with my 50th Anniversary countdown of aggregated poll results for Doctor Who Books, TV Serials & Audio Dramas reaching #2:
2. The Caves of Androzani
Doctor: 5th (Peter Davison)
Companions: Peri
Villains: Pretty much everyone is villainous in one way or another
Synopsis:
Spectrox, the most valuable resource in the system, can only be found on one world, Androzani Minor. A brutal war is being fought within the planet between the business leader Trau Morgus and the mad genius Sharaz Jek to control the drug supply. Can even the The Doctor and Peri survive in the midst of such carnage?
Why is it so well loved?
1. Robert Holmes puts together many of his classic tropes (smugglers, duplicates, corrupt business men, rebels in tunnels) and creates, arguably, his magnum opus.
2. Graeme Harper’s direction turns what could have been a flat studio story into an intense action movie.
3. As everyone has selfish motivations and android duplicates are everywhere, you can never be 100% sure who to trust.
4. After being forced to be inconsequential in many stories, the Fifth Doctor gets a chance to show just how powerful he can be when his friends are in danger (just watch the cliffhanger for episode 3).
5. The story takes a dark look at human nature and the brutality of drug wars. However, it defies the grimness of the rest of the era by allowing the Doctor to be a beacon of altruism against a backdrop of selfishness.
Statistical Snippet
This is the best loved story to contain androids. They are one of the most commonly appearing creatures in the show's history, though Earthshock is the only other story to contain them in the top 50.
You can find all the previous entries in this list
But what do people think will be number one? Answers on a postcard
2. The Caves of Androzani
Doctor: 5th (Peter Davison)
Companions: Peri
Villains: Pretty much everyone is villainous in one way or another
Synopsis:
Spectrox, the most valuable resource in the system, can only be found on one world, Androzani Minor. A brutal war is being fought within the planet between the business leader Trau Morgus and the mad genius Sharaz Jek to control the drug supply. Can even the The Doctor and Peri survive in the midst of such carnage?
Why is it so well loved?
1. Robert Holmes puts together many of his classic tropes (smugglers, duplicates, corrupt business men, rebels in tunnels) and creates, arguably, his magnum opus.
2. Graeme Harper’s direction turns what could have been a flat studio story into an intense action movie.
3. As everyone has selfish motivations and android duplicates are everywhere, you can never be 100% sure who to trust.
4. After being forced to be inconsequential in many stories, the Fifth Doctor gets a chance to show just how powerful he can be when his friends are in danger (just watch the cliffhanger for episode 3).
5. The story takes a dark look at human nature and the brutality of drug wars. However, it defies the grimness of the rest of the era by allowing the Doctor to be a beacon of altruism against a backdrop of selfishness.
Statistical Snippet
This is the best loved story to contain androids. They are one of the most commonly appearing creatures in the show's history, though Earthshock is the only other story to contain them in the top 50.
You can find all the previous entries in this list
But what do people think will be number one? Answers on a postcard