On the Occasion (part 19)

Well, the Marathon continues at 10:10 AM PST with The Monster of Peladon (episodic version.) Once again the Doctor shows up in a time of great trouble on Peladon, but it’s decades later and this time the trouble is not only Peladonian politics but also external influences. Excellent sequel and returns the Ice Warriors to the status of nasty… 3.5/5

1:00 PM PST Planet of the Spiders (episodic version.) When it’s time to go, you got to go out with a bang and not a whimper. This six-parter is all excitement, and is a fitting end to the reign of the third Doctor. The Doctor, in the end, must take responsibility for his actions – and with this responsibility comes a price. It’s also fitting to tie up the Mike Yates storyline with a spot of redemption. Truthfully this is not just the end of the third Doctor, but it is also the end of UNIT, and of a truly exiting era of Doctor Who. 5/5.

4:10 PM PST Robot (movie version.) In the first outing for Tom Baker as the Doctor it is evident that they were going after a less active person for the part (as the Doctor doesn’t do much physical activity, and Harry Sullivan having been brought in to fill that role…) Still, it is classic Doctor Who and no one can deny that this Doctor is here to stay. This story also, in a way, foreshadows the following series with it’s pastiches of horror films – this on has a little King Kong in it… 4/5.