Whom are you calling lame looking?
The Doctor (Peter Davison), Turlough (Mark Strickson), and Tegan (Janet Fielding) find themselves in the middle of a battle between an underwater sea base called Sea Base 4 and the combined forces of the Silurians and Sea Devils. Trying to prevent the war, the Doctor finds himself at odds with Commander Vorshak (Tom Adams) and fighting to save all three races from destroying each other.
Doctor Who: Warriors of the Deep is first story of the twenty-first season of the long running BBC series. The serial aired in four parts from January 5, 1984 to January 13, 1984. Following Doctor Who: The Five Doctors, Doctor Who: Warriors of the Deep was collected as part of The Peter Davison Years as Story #131 (or Story #130 depending on how you count the unaired Tom Baker story Doctor Who: Shada).
Oh no! The Myrka! (a new comedy on BBC 1)
This is one of those Doctor Who episodes you wish was better. I like the Silurians and had wanted the Sea Devils to return…a “team-up” seems like a great concept, but unfortunately, this serial has a lot going against it and a problematic production didn’t help.
The story (like most Doctor Who) is a bit too long and takes a while to get going. With a promise of a Silurian/Sea Devil episode is bogged down in a story involving a world war and a sea base that already has too much going on inside of it (and could have probably been its own story). Ironically, the production time was cut down for this story due to an election in England that required studio space…I can’t imagine that more time would have helped smooth out this bloated script.
I do however still like the Silurians and Sea Devils once they show up. The lumber (and extremely non-threatening) Myrka doesn’t help ratchet up the tension, but in general I like how the two “villains” become the victims of the situation with the Doctor trying to save them from the humans…and failing.
I baked you this birthday cake!
This is also a bit better use of Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, and Mark Strickson who have never been my favorite combination of Doctor/Companions. The episode is a better balance for the characters and all of them are halfway likable. I do though enjoy how quick Turlough had Tegan abandon the Doctor as “death by drowning” when he fell into the water tank…come on Turlough…the Doctor doesn’t go out like a chump!
Doctor Who: Warriors of the Deep is an unbalance story that ultimate pays for it. IF the story had been rounded and tighter, it might have been one of Doctor Who’s better storylines, but instead it isn’t looked upon too favorably by fans or the people involved with the production. Both Davison and Fielding announced their plans to leave during this production and probably for good reasons. Doctor Who: Warriors of the Deep was followed by Doctor Who: The Awakening.
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Preceded By:
Doctor Who : The Five Doctors (Story #129)
Followed By:
