Round four of our knock-out competition sees Season 3 vie against Season 25.
At first glance this might seem a little unfair, as Season 3 comprises ten stories, whilst Season 25 only has four. On the other hand, we have all of Season 25 in the archives, and very little of Season 3, other than soundtracks and a few orphan episodes until we reach the second half. There are only three complete stories.
Season 3 comprises: Galaxy 4, Mission to the Unknown, The Myth Makers, The Daleks' Master Plan, The Massacre, The Ark, The Celestial Toymaker, The Gunfighters, The Savages, and The War Machines.
An experimental season, which coincides with a period of great change. Apart from William Hartnell, everyone in front of the camera at the start of the season will have gone by the end of it - with some companions coming and going within the season. Behind the scenes there are just as many changes, with three producers and two script editors during the period (with the first story having been commissioned by a third).
We have three historical stories, and two Dalek ones (though one is just a single episode prequel to the other).
Galaxy 4 is a straightforward sci-fi tale, using the old "don't judge by appearances" motto. The Ark was the sort of story new producer John Wiles wanted to tell, if he hadn't been lumbered with 12 episodes of Daleks and a star who didn't like him (the feeling was mutual). It's unusual in that you think the story has ended after two episodes, only for the viewers to learn that it hasn't. The TARDIS leaves, but materialises at the same location centuries later for more Monoid mayhem. The Savages is another standard sci-fi story, wherein it transpires that the race which the Doctor thinks are nice and cultured and civilised are really parasites, preying on their weaker neighbours. The Celestial Toymaker is an oddity - one of those "sideways" stories which were supposed to be part of the mix when the series was first set up. For years this was the great lost classic, but then people saw the surviving episode and re-evaluated it downwards. Two of the historicals are written by Donald Cotton - which means we have comedy for three episodes followed by a bloodbath in the fourth. The Massacre is based on what is, for many people, a relatively unknown period of history - Europe's wars of religion. It stands out especially as Hartnell plays two roles - the Doctor and the nasty Abbot of Amboise. The War Machines offers us a glimpse of things to come, with the Doctor arriving in contemporary London and allying himself with armed forces to defeat the story's menace. It sees the introduction of new companions Ben and Polly. We started with Steven and Vicki, passed through Katarina, Sara Kingdom and Dodo Chaplet, to get to them.
In deciding how good this season is, we do have to consider whether or not to count it as it was, or as it now is. Your attitude towards it would certainly change if all these episodes existed in their entirety. As we can no longer see them all, we have to go by the episodes which remain, and the soundtracks / photographs for the missing ones.
Season 25 is an anniversary season - the silver one, so it was almost certain that the Cybermen would appear. They get the anniversary story - Silver Nemesis - whose first episode was broadcast on the 23rd November 1988 itself. It's only three episodes long, and has to fit in three lots of villains, and yet there is still loads of useless padding (comedy skinheads and someone from Broadway who we are supposed to recognise but don't).
The season kicked off on a much stronger footing with Remembrance of the Daleks. This sees the return of Davros, but no longer swamping his creations, and we have a Dalek civil war. The story ties in with the first two stories back in 1963. Such a pity no-one bothered to check how to spell "Foreman" for the junkyard gates at 76 Totters Lane. Another problem is that the main plot here gets recycled for Silver Nemesis - Doctor has left ancient Gallifreyan super-weapon hanging around Earth, and old enemy turns up looking for it. Doctor allows old enemy to take it, because he wants them to use it and wipe themselves out. And the Doctor isn't just some ordinary Time Lord... As the stronger of the pair, Remembrance really ought to have been the anniversary story.
The other two stories this year have a certain fantastical, comic book feel to them - especially The Happiness Patrol. A monster based on a brand of sweets sits (awkwardly) within what should be a political thriller setting but manages to work. The circus-set The Greatest Show in the Galaxy has things to say about Doctor Who itself - not always complimentary (an anorak fan who thinks the show isn't as good as it used to be).
Unlike Season 3, we have some continuity of personnel - the same producer, script editor, Doctor and companion from start to finish. Three good stories, No embarrassing VFX.
The verdict? If Season 3 had been complete then I don't think there would be any competition. However, it's mostly the best bits of the season which are missing, so - even though it's far from perfect - I'm giving this round to Season 25.
Next time - it's Season 12 versus Season 20.
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