This time we have Season 10 versus Season 24, so this shouldn't take long. McCoy fans might want to look away...
Both seasons represent a period of change in the programme, with a companion departure in the final story, and a rogue Time Lord in the first.
Season 10 marks the first big anniversary that the series celebrated. It opened with the first multi-Doctor story, which saw the return of both William Hartnell (his final appearance and the only one in colour) and Patrick Troughton. This was in The Three Doctors, which had as its villain a powerful Time Lord, Omega, and saw the termination of the Doctor's exile to UNIT-based stories. Considering its ingredients, it is handled like a normal four part story and isn't given any special "epic" treatment.
It is followed by the colourful Carnival of Monsters, which combines sci-fi and historical elements.
The following two stories were originally going to be a massive 12-part epic, but the last director to have attempted such a thing advised against this. Instead we get a set-up story featuring the Master and the Ogrons, plus some great new aliens in the Draconians. This is Frontier in Space, and marks the last appearance by Roger Delgado as the Master, before his untimely death.
The Daleks turn up at the conclusion - leading into the second story, Planet of the Daleks.
The season ends with the final "UNIT Family" story, as this is when Katy Manning departs. Jo Grant leaves UNIT to get married at the end of The Green Death. Even non-fans knew "the one with the maggots".
Season 24 is the first to feature Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor. After the sacking of Colin Baker, he declined to return for a regeneration so the first story - Time and the Rani - opens with McCoy in Baker's costume, wearing a Harpo Marx wig. It makes for an ignominious start.
It's a throwback to the Baker era, set up before new script editor Andrew Cartmel has established himself. McCoy looks lost and his performance is rather amateurish, lacking any subtlety.
Cartmel starts to make his presence known with the next story - Paradise Towers - and McCoy starts to settle into the role after that poor start.
These are four-part stories, and the next two are only three episodes apiece. These days the series consists of only 14 episodes, comprising four stories. Season 10 had been 26 episodes in length.
The third story is a real oddity - Delta and the Bannermen - which can't quite work out how jokey or how serious it wants to be.
The series ends with Dragonfire, in which companion Mel departs and Ace arrives - the final part of a jigsaw that will see the series finally getting back on track. But not yet.
It will come as no surprise to learn that I much prefer Season 10 over Season 24. The same would apply to all but the most die-hard McCoy fan. He did make for a good Doctor - but not here - whereas Jon Pertwee was at his height in Season 10, accompanied by Katy Manning as Jo, the UNIT regulars in two of the stories, and Roger Delgado in his final appearance. Daleks, Draconians, Ogrons, Omega, Drashigs and giant maggots beat the Rani, Richard Briers and an Alien knock-off hands down.
Next time: Hartnell's first versus Troughton's first...
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