Horror of Fang Rock

Quite possibly the best story of its era, "Fang Rock" is knocked out as if writing decent Doctor Who adventures could be done by working methodically down a checklist. The confined historical setting means it looks great, doesn't cost much and is frightening (at least in theory... we'll come back to that in a moment). Magnificently refined characters are quite literally drafted in when needed to replace those disposed of by the central menace. Tom's splendidly moody Doctor is the only serendipitous aspect to proceedings, everything else is the result of writing so skilfully it makes you want to weep. Robert who?

This feels like some classic lost BBC historical drama that's as good as you remember it was; Adelaide may be slightly one-dimensional, but the mini-drama between Skinsale and Lord Palmerdale is instantly compelling and, later, utterly shown up for what it is as the Doctor points out that this petty feud over money will be responsible for all their deaths. And what a Doctor Tom is here, scowling "get her out of here!" at Skinsale, standing up as if making a grand announcement before saying "we haven't been introduced" and promptly sitting down again bored, and RELISHING telling everyone that the light-house is in the control of a hostile alien force. They should have separated Tom from his beloved pubs more often.

And it's a story where everyone dies! Hooray! It wouldn't be half as effective had, say, Skinsale survived and last been seen waving the Doctor off from the rocks of the Lighthouse with a hankie. Skinsale's death is one of the most just in Doctor Who - if he'd only done as he'd told and stuck with the Doctor instead of grabbing greedily for those diamonds, he'd have been okay. But when the Doctor and Leela make their way back to the TARDIS, they Leela leave a mystery behind them with nothing but dead bodies as clues for whoever finds it.

Only two things spoil the "Fang Rock" party. Firstly, it doesn't end up being that frightening - it should be, in a "Sapphire and Steel" type way, yet the menace doesn't manifest itself in quite the haunting way it should do - dead men walking is fine, but they should be seen through the misty fog or in a ghostly light, not clumping up some stairs as if slightly groggy. The possession is too evident, and neither as scary and fantastical, or as real and creepy, as it might be. Perhaps if the suggestion of a haunting, rather than a beast on the rocks, had been relayed by Ruban, it might have been more effective. The second thing is the Rutan itself, which works best in the context of Leela hunting it (a character better drawn here than in any other story) and worst when required to be an actual Doctor Who monster. Here's where the Lighthouse setting becomes a double edged sword - the narrow, winding staircases don't make for a very useful battleground and the Rutan can barely get up them in its depressingly realised non-human form.

"Fang Rock" remains though, a page in the textbook of how to write a great Doctor Who story. The inessential gloss is mined economically (sets, actors) leaving the writing to shine marvellously through the production and take centre stage. No other story depends on "Fang Rock", and it has bred no true sequels ("Shakedown" aside), so it sits as a hidden gem to be enjoyed on its own. There are no strings attached, and that's exactly what you want.