Part II, Chapter XVI: "A Last Hurrah"
“Our third season was pretty melancholic for me. It always is when something you love is coming to an end. I considered staying on for more seasons, but it wouldn’t have been the same without Hugh. I’d watched a lot of Doctor Who when I was younger, so I knew that the show would live on. Although we didn’t appear in the same episode, I did get to meet the Eighth Doctor, and I knew that he would be a worthy successor to Hugh.”
- Tom Hanks, taken from
Becoming the Doctor, a 2011 documentary concerning the casting of the Doctor throughout the years. [1]
The release of a season of
Doctor Who was increasingly becoming an event for television. It was one of NBC and the BBC’s more popular shows, almost certainly guaranteeing its longevity. The knowledge that the season would build to an explosive finale and the regeneration of the Doctor built a level of hype that many other shows were unable to replicate.
As they had for the previous two seasons, all three main cast members would do publicity, such as interviews, together. As the fandom in the US had grown, conventions based around
Doctor Who were becoming more common, and the trio had started to appear as special guests at many of them, partially as publicity for the new seasons, but in some cases, due to their love for the show. [2]
Season 24 of
Doctor Who was first aired on Sunday May 13th 1990 and was the third of the revival seasons.
List of Episodes of Season 24 of Doctor Who:
- The Mysterious Planet (Part 1)
- The Mysterious Planet (Part 2)
- Blood and Iron (Part 1) [3]
- Blood and Iron (Part 2)
- The Hollows of Time (Part 1)
- The Hollows of Time (Part 2)
- A Familiar Face (Part 1) [4]
- A Familiar Face (Part 2)
- Terror of the Vervoids (Part 1)
- Terror of the Vervoids (Part 2)
- Desertion (Part 1) [5]
- Desertion (Part 2)
- The Ultimate Foe
- Hostage (Part 1)
- Hostage (Part 2)
- Hostage (Part 3)
- Alixion (Part 1)
- Alixion (Part 2)
- For Your Consideration (Part 1)
- For Your Consideration (Part 2)
- Paradise 5
- Thin Ice (Part 1)
- Thin Ice (Part 2)
- The Valeyard (Part 1) [5]
- The Valeyard (Part 2)
- The Valeyard (Part 3)
Cast of Season 24 of Doctor Who:
- The Seventh Doctor – Hugh Laurie
- Ace – Denise Crosby
- Jim Baines – Tom Hanks
- The Master – Anthony Ainley
- The Valeyard – Gary Oldman
Season 24 was received well by critic and fans, though it was noted that the season was, at points, something of a mixed bag. The “Trial of a Time Lord” arc that dominated the first half of the season was praised, especially the reveal of the Valeyard, although some of the stories were considered weaker.
The finale gained special praise, with the Seventh Doctor proving that he did not need his companions, as Ace had departed in
Thin Ice and Jim had departed after
For Your Consideration. The departure of Hugh Laurie as the Seventh Doctor was described by one critic as “big, yet small, as he potentially saves his entire species, with nobody knowing.”
With the end of season 24, Hugh Laurie’s time as the Doctor came to an end, and the Eighth Doctor was revealed to the world… [6]
[1] This excerpt reveals a little bit about the Eighth Doctor, though not too much.
[2] The fandom in the US is growing, and as happened in the UK, the current and past cast are getting involved.
[3] While similarly titled to Gerrold's Blood and Fire, this script is penned by one Andrew Cartmel, who proposed the story for Doctor Who's unmade Season 27 in OTL.
[4] The premise for this episode comes from a good friend of mine, Martin, and it's only right that I give him credit.
[5] These two stories are the product of my good friend, and now user of this website, @Drorac, who has given me many ideas for stories going forward.
[6] But not quite yet to you, my readers, another update before we find out.
Sorry about the delay, but I've not been at my best, being ill and all. I'm pretty much better now, so I should be able to pose more frequently for the next week or so, until I go back to university.