For the past year, I've been enjoying a great deal of Tom Baker's era in Doctor Who. This has gone beyond just enjoying his TV adventures, as I've also squeezed in plenty of audios and comics, too. With Dec 2024 marking 50 years since Tom Baker made his debut in "Robot", I felt it was worth experiencing as many stories as possible this year.
The most recent season I've finished is Season 17 on Blu-ray. This is a fascinating season, at least as much for the behind-the-scenes drama as it is for the stories themselves. This was the season when Douglas Adams - yes, that Douglas Adams - took over as script editor. In fact, the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy novelization was published in 1979, the same year that Season 17 began, which gives you an idea of how incredibly busy he was during this time.
So it's perhaps unsurprising that the two stories that stand out from Season 17 - "City of Death" and "Shada" - are the stories that Adams wrote or heavily re-wrote. These stories are hilarious, have great ideas, and feature truly memorable villains.
Season 17 - What didn't work
The rest of the season, though? It doesn't quite live up to it. The other stories include humor, but it's not quite as effective as it is in Adams's stories, which is no great surprise. Some of the villains could be really over the top - yes, even for Doctor Who - and this would often work against the comedy as much as play into it. As for the monsters, well...the less said about "The Creature from the Pit", the better!
It's honestly a shame. Because Season 17 has two of my favorite stories from Baker's era - one of which wasn't even finished properly! And yet, at the same time, it's possibly one of my least favorite seasons from Baker's era due to how inconsistent it is. If all of the stories had been as amazing as the ones Adams wrote, I think that Season 17 would've been regarded as one of the greatest seasons of Who ever made.
The novels
This is why I love expanded media. Over the many years, we've been given countless stories specifically designed for distinctive eras. Unsurprisingly, there have been a lot of stories set during Season 17 - many of which I've enjoyed greatly.
While I've yet to read the original novels, the audio adaptations based on Gareth Roberts's Fourth Doctor stories - "The Romance of Crime", "The English Way of Death", and "The Well-Mannerred War" - have all been a joy to listen to. First of all, they feature quirky, distinctive characters and a lot of comedy. (The PI Frank Spiggot constantly talking about "Angie and the kids" in "Romance" brilliantly stands out.)
But the comedy and quirkiness doesn't undercut how horrific the villains are. The monster in "The Well-Mannered War" is particularly horrific and gruesome. The fact that these stories can find the right balance between comedy and horror is what makes them so strong. Honestly, each of these stories is as good as the very best of Season 17, which is the best compliment I can give.
The Fourth Doctor Adventures
Roberts wasn't the only writer who understood the best elements of the era. In 2016, Big Finish released the fifth series of The Fourth Doctor Adventures. Currently, this is the first and only season in the series meant to emulate Season 17's style. While series six also featured Tom Baker, Lalla Ward, and John Leeson as K9, six was meant to be closer in style to Season 18, complete with the use of Peter Howell's version of the theme tune and a slightly more serious tone.
Relistening to series five, I'm amazed at how well it captures the spirit of the original era while still giving us plenty of great stories. "Wave of Destruction" is a gloriously fun opening story. "The Paradox Planet"/"Legacy of Death" is a clever timey-wimey story depicting a planet at war with its own past/future.
But the absolute highlight of the series, combining excellent comedy with incredibly clever ideas, is "The Trouble with Drax". I'll be honest, I wasn't a big fan of Drax when he was introduced in "The Armageddon Factor", but "The Trouble with Drax" uses the character so brilliantly, in a way that provides both a great story and plenty of comedy. In fact, "The Trouble with Drax" is one of my favorite ever Big Finish stories. Every time I listen to it, it's an absolute joy.
As I mentioned, I enjoyed Season 17. I'm particularly grateful for the unique style of humor, clever ideas, and great villains that it brought to the series. But I'm even more grateful for the many stories it's inspired.