The Five Doctors
- Episode aired Nov 23, 1983
- TV-G
- 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
1.5K
YOUR RATING
The Doctor and his previous incarnations are brought to the Death Zone on his homeworld Gallifrey as part of a renegade Time Lord's scheme.The Doctor and his previous incarnations are brought to the Death Zone on his homeworld Gallifrey as part of a renegade Time Lord's scheme.The Doctor and his previous incarnations are brought to the Death Zone on his homeworld Gallifrey as part of a renegade Time Lord's scheme.
Tom Baker
- The Doctor
- (archive footage)
William Hartnell
- The Doctor
- (archive footage)
Lalla Ward
- Romana
- (archive footage)
- Directors
- Peter Moffatt
- John Nathan-Turner(uncredited)
- Pennant Roberts(uncredited)
- Writers
- Terrance Dicks
- Douglas Adams(uncredited)
- Sydney Newman(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn April 2013, Carole Ann Ford revealed that producer John Nathan-Turner had initially insisted that Susan not refer to the Doctor as her grandfather: "You will not believe why. They said, 'We don't really want people to perceive him as having had sex with someone, to father a child.' I just screamed with hysterical laughter and said, 'In that case, I'm not doing it.'" The script was changed to include mentions of the characters' relationship.
- GoofsWhen the Master warns the First Doctor and Tegan Jovanka of the imminent arrival of his unfriendly associates, the Cyberleader turns the corner and reacts to the room while looking directly at the Doctor before he and Tegan manage to hide, his view unobstructed. The Cyberleader shows no sign of registering anyone other than the Master on his visual receptors.
- Quotes
[the second Doctor is peering around the office of Colonel Crichton, the Brigadiers replacement]
Second Doctor: You've had this place redecorated, haven't you?
[shaking head]
Second Doctor: I don't like it.
- Crazy creditsWhen the series was released on video in 1995, this episode has BBC VHS logo be consumed by the Time Scoop device.
This logo also appears on the series' 25th anniversary DVD.
- Alternate versionsIn 1995 a "Special Edition" was released on video. It contains many new lines of dialogue, extended scenes of Tom Baker (from Shada), updated and vastly improved special effects, and a new Stereo Dolby Surround soundtrack.
- ConnectionsEdited from Doctor Who: Flashpoint (1964)
Featured review
mildly diverting Doctor Who frolic with multiple selves
This TV special promises a lot, bringing past Doctors together with the current one (at that time Peter Davison).
However, in practice, there are really only two other genuine Doctors in evidence - the funny little one, Patrick Troughton, and the tall, sardonic one, Jon Pertwee. Brief inserts of unused footage allow Tom Baker to be seen - but blink and you might miss him. And as William Hartnell had passed on by the 1980s, the original Doctor is played by Richard Hurdnall (very well, it has to be said, but he isn't Hartnell, who appears at the very beginning in footage from an old adventure saying he'll be back!)
So much for the doctors - what about the plot?
Each Doctor is removed from their separate time streams and placed in Gallifrey, where they have to battle old foes (The Master and the Cybermen), and the hallucinations of old friends. All is of course not what it seems, and the villain of the piece takes time to reveal himself. In the meantime there is friendly banter between the Doctors, who are not best pleased at meeting their other selves in the same time and space - one always feels that the Doctor is an arrogant being who likes to revel in his own glory, not sharing it with others.
Nevertheless the camaraderie is pleasing and it is good to see familiar faces back again, including Sarah-Jane, the Brigadier, and other companions.
'The Five Doctors' may be breaching the Trade Descriptions Act a bit, but it is watchable, short, and of some interest.
However, in practice, there are really only two other genuine Doctors in evidence - the funny little one, Patrick Troughton, and the tall, sardonic one, Jon Pertwee. Brief inserts of unused footage allow Tom Baker to be seen - but blink and you might miss him. And as William Hartnell had passed on by the 1980s, the original Doctor is played by Richard Hurdnall (very well, it has to be said, but he isn't Hartnell, who appears at the very beginning in footage from an old adventure saying he'll be back!)
So much for the doctors - what about the plot?
Each Doctor is removed from their separate time streams and placed in Gallifrey, where they have to battle old foes (The Master and the Cybermen), and the hallucinations of old friends. All is of course not what it seems, and the villain of the piece takes time to reveal himself. In the meantime there is friendly banter between the Doctors, who are not best pleased at meeting their other selves in the same time and space - one always feels that the Doctor is an arrogant being who likes to revel in his own glory, not sharing it with others.
Nevertheless the camaraderie is pleasing and it is good to see familiar faces back again, including Sarah-Jane, the Brigadier, and other companions.
'The Five Doctors' may be breaching the Trade Descriptions Act a bit, but it is watchable, short, and of some interest.
helpful•83
- didi-5
- Jul 8, 2007
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
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- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 30 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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