Overview of Season 23 of Doctor Who
Eye in the Sky
The Doctor, Jim and Ace return to 1989 America, where they learn of a Space Shuttle mission that will be delivering a payload of a “revolutionary satellite”, with technology that the Doctor recognises as anachronistic. Going undercover at NASA, they attempt to find out what has brought the technology, discovering the involvement of the Master. As the Doctors begins to suspect that this bay be his latest ploy at world domination, the team has a race against the clock to stop the Master’s plan.
Guest Star: Anthony Ainley as the Master
Vengeance on Varos
When the TARDIS breaks down, the Doctor realises that only the incredibly rare ore Zeiton-7 can fix the problem. The ore can only be found on Varos, a former prison planet where voting in mandatory and executions are a public spectacle. After the Doctor is able to repair the TARDIS sufficiently to get to the planet, he becomes embroiled in the political intrigue, based around the ongoing negotiations between the governor of Varos and the alien mining representative Sil.
The Fall of the Hour
The team arrives on the planet Lika, a planet where the inhabitants are forced to live their lives to a rigorous schedule that is given to them by the ruling body, known only as the “Chronal Council”. The arrival of the Doctor, Jim and Ace is quickly noticed, and after the three are split up, they must find a way back to the TARDIS, and to each other without falling out of line.
Overture
The TARDIS lands in Russia in 1812, during the Napoleonic invasion. There, they find the Russians doing worse than they are supposed to, according to their history. After being captured by a French contingent, they find that the French have weapons many years in advance of what they should, supposedly supplied by an “alien benefactor”. The trio work together to escape, then go back to stop the French from receiving extraterrestrial assistance in their war.
Time and the Rani
While in flight, the TARDIS is attacked by the Rani, crash landing on the planet Lakertya and all three inside are knocked out. The Rani enters and takes the Doctor, leaving the other two for dead. When they re-awaken, Jim and Ace must work together to find their way to the Rani, and rescue the Doctor, working with natives of the planet that are rebelling against the Rani’s rule.
Guest Star: Madeline Kahn as the Rani
Recursion
The TARDIS malfunctions, accidentally landing inside of itself. As the Doctor warns that the situation is not sustainable, and that they only have a short time before the TARDIS will be destroyed, they must find a way to return the TARDIS to normal space. [1]
Entropy
The TARDIS lands in a pocket universe, where entropy is rapidly increasing. The inhabitants have little hope for survival if the Doctor is unable to determine what the cause of the entropic acceleration is. The Doctor traces it back to its source, and finds that it is the Logopolis project, and that the universe he and his companions visited is one of the universes that the project is funnelling entropy into. He must face a difficult conundrum, leave his universe in a state where it may break down, or condemn other, smaller universes to the same? [2]
Revolution of the Daleks
The team arrive on the planet Talas, in the middle of the ongoing Dalek Civil War, between the Imperial Daleks (Davros loyalists) and the Renegade Daleks (Dalek Supreme loyalists). The planet Talas is of great strategic importance as it harbours a potential cure for the Movellan virus, which is affecting both sides. Faced with two seemingly insurmountable enemies, the Doctor may be forced to choose the lesser of two evils, or face the entire Dalek race. [3]
Seven Pillars of Wisdom
The TARDIS lands in Paris, 1919, during the Paris Peace Conference. There, the trio discover an alien plot to assassinate Faisal, who will become the King of Iraq. Discovering that the British and French delegations are involved, believing that it will give them a more free hand in the Middle East, the trio decide to work with Faisal and T. E. Lawrence to stop the plan, while not disrupting the ongoing peace efforts.
Guest Stars: Siddig El-Fadil as Faisal, Rowan Atkinson as Lord Curzon. [4]
Futureproof
The Doctor receives a summons via hypercube to a deserted planet, where he meets with an old friend, the Minister of Chance, known as the Minister. The Minister is a fellow Time Lord, who believes that he has discovered a plot by a coalition of alien species to overthrow the Time Lords, and end the Gallifreyan monopoly on time travel technology. The two Time Lords, along with the Doctor’s companions, travel to various planets to stop the plan before it can begin. However, Jim and Ace question whether it is the right thing and as to whether it will stop the coalition, or merely delay its formation.
Guest Star: Stephen Fry as the Minister [5]
Yellow Fever and How to Cure It
The TARDIS lands in modern Singapore, among an installation of various replicas of landmarks. There, the trio discover the Master and the Rani, who claim to simply be visiting. However, the Doctor knows better, and discovers that there are a large number of Autons present, that the two plan to use to take over the city, and then the rest of the world. The Doctor calls in UNIT for assistance, and works with them to stop the two Time Lords’ plan.
Guest Stars: Anthony Ainley as the Master, Madeline Kahn as the Rani [6]
Iceberg
In 2006, scientists at the North Pole are hurrying to complete a device that will stop the imminent reversal of Earth’s magnetic field, which they fear may cause an extinction level event. However, also present are the Cybermen, who are attempting to sabotage the device, in order to use the calamity as an opportunity to upgrade humanity. When the TARDIS arrived, the trio must work to stop the Cybermen, and save humanity.
Guest Star: Emma Thompson as Pamela Cutler [7]
The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
The Doctor, Jim and Ace are invited to the Psychic Circus on the planet Segonax. They quickly learn that, rather then being invited to see the show, they are expected to perform. The only audience members are a seemingly stoic family. The performers who do not impress the family are killed, and almost all of the invitees seem to have some secret. While the Doctor tries to keep the family entertained, Jim and Ace work with the other performers to try to find a way to escape.
Guest Star: Danny John-Jules as the Ringmaster [8]
[1] I think that my inspiration for this story was clear. It's the short CiN bit Space/Time extended to a whole episode, and played less for laughs. It's got a little bit of Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS as well, in the travelling to other parts of the TARDIS sense.
[2] While I can't recall if the question of "Where is the entropy going" was discussed in Logopolis, I bring an answer up here. It's going into other universes, many of which are inhabited. Something of a dilemma for the Doctor, can he save his own universe while not dooming others.
[3] I wanted to bring more of an arc in with the Daleks. It'll be short, finishing up next season, but I wanted to explore a bit more of the Dalek Civil War, and bring the Movellan virus back as a threat that affects both sides.
[4] Siddig El-Fadil, better known as Alexander Siddig, gets his big break a little earlier, though in the same role. This does mean no Lawrence After Arabia though, so Ralph Fiennes will be with the RSC for a little longer. He will have a career though.
[5] A character from the almost certainly non-canon Death Comes to Time, which I really like, and highly recommend (it's all on YouTube). He'll be a recurring character, more of a Doctor that intervenes a little more. Almost like a morally good version of the Monk.
[6] One of two stories this season based on an unproduced script, written by the late Robert Holmes. I thought about bringing the Brigadier in, but decided against it for now.
[7] The other story based on an unproduced script. Pamela Cutler is the daughter of General Cutler from the Tenth Planet, and the Cybermen here are remnants from the group that worked with Tobias Vaughn.
[8] The character seemed very Danny John-Jules-y, so I put him in.
Next update will be on something new, but very important.
