The Time Warrior

I don't think I've ever been more shocked or surprised at reading the populist fan view of a story than when I found out that "The Time Warrior" was regarded as a bit of a clunker. When you also love "The Time Monster" you kind of expect it, but here was a story that seemed fresh, witty, adventurous, introduced the Sontarans in their most accomplished appearance and was penned by writing God Robert Holmes. It was an instant classic with me. But, sadly, "The Time Warrior" is as likely to be up with "Genesis" and "Caves" at the top of the fan polls (or even languishing mid-table with "Dalek Invasion" and "Revelation") as Barry Letts is to be named "Best Dressed Celebrity" of 2004.

Why? Well, I still honestly don't know. Or I didn't, until perhaps a recent viewing (must be my tenth or eleventh time). The story started marvellously as usual, with a strange glowy thing falling down outside David Dakers castle and some sumptuous location footage leading up to our first stunning glimpse of Linx the Sontaran. Then its back to the present day... I have to say at this point that my first thought here was how brilliant Nicholas Courtney was. He may be totally cliched by this time, but what a lovely tongue-in-cheek performance it is! Courtney seems to be playing the Brigadier with a constant borderline smile creeping up the corners of his mouth; he knows the whole thing is absurd but he's playing along anyway. In any other character this might betray a lack of realism, but if anyone reading has ever become entwined in the sort of red-tape beaurocracy that it's now been established the Brigadier must peddle, a difficult unofficial position somewhere between the Prime Minister and the public face of politics, they will understand completely.

No, it's the plot that made me laugh. Perhaps in-line with this incarnation of the Brig (last assignment - "this chap's bright green apparently! And dead!") we have a situation which sounds like it's been concocted by a nine-year fan writing their own Doctor Who adventure. I don't mean that to be as harsh a criticism as it sounds; it's just so charmingly naive. All Britain's top scientists are working on something top-secret, we don't know what ("most of it's so secret they don't know what they're doing themselves!" blusters the Brigadier, a statement that is just totally ridiculous!). So to protect them, they've all been locked away in cubicles to be guarded by soldiers. But not quite well enough to prevent a journalist with a stolen pass from strolling in. And the Doctor is there too of course, working on his own "experiment". He's "terribly interested old chap", even though he doesn't actually know what work's being done. It's like one of my jaunty old stories where the Doctor and Jo travelled time and space looking for some "lost files" and some Androgum's invaded a big radio telescope and kidnapped Liz Shaw. And let's not forget Professor Rubeish. He's a scientist, therefore he has a white coat, wild hair, glasses, is absent-minded and when no-ones talking to him he amuses himself by solving equations.

Still, this is all simply a means to a good adventure. What "The Time Warrior" has to its credit is an enthusiasm and a vibrant, infectious writing style. The Doctor's dialogue in those same opening scenes is magnificent, from "getting *myself* a cup of coffee!" to "no, but you're going to try aren't you!" and not forgetting his tongue-in-cheek "galactic ticket inspectors!". And Robert Holmes skilfully breaks up the various conversations by the interruption of interesting visual asides; just as Sarah is about to explain herself, the Doctor is torn away by the sight of Professor Rubeish scrawling on the TARDIS and later on the same device is used when the Delta Particle Detector is knocked over. In certain stories the tedium of explanation is broken by fluid movement of the performers; here it's by jarring incident that progresses the narrative. It's no wonder the script turns out to be such a joyful, masterful thing after all.

The moral of "The Time Warrior" can perhaps be applied to Robert Holmes writing in general - don't take yourself too seriously. If you're prepared to laugh with (and not at) the absurdity of a show as utterly absurd as Doctor Who, then you'll have no trouble enjoying a story as fun as this one. Perhaps it speaks volumes that so few people can.