Horror of Fang Rock

The first three seasons of Tom Baker’s run as the Fourth Doctor, produced by Philip Hinchcliffe with Robert Holmes as the script editor, are considered by some to be the “golden age” of classic Doctor Who. And it’s not hard to see why. Ratings were at an all-time high and the show’s mix of gothic horror and imaginative science fiction appealed to a wide demographic. But, just like the Doctor’s appearance, things change. After Tom Baker’s third season, Phillip Hinchcliffe moved on and Graham Williams was brought on as the show’s producer. Additionally, Williams had been given instructions by the BBC to tone down the horror and violence after complaints from some moral watchdog groups. Some of these changes are evident in Horror of Fang Rock, the first story produced by Williams, most notably in the weak cliffhanger endings of each episode. Under Hinchcliffe, most episodes would ramp up to a fever pitch before coming to a climactic and enticing ending. Each episode of Horror of Fang Rock just kind of peters out at the end. It doesn’t help that the script is a little stale. Written by Terrance Dicks, a former script editor on the show and one of the major creative voices during the Third Doctor era, Horror of Fang Rock finds Leela and the Doctor facing off against a shape-shifting alien in a remote island lighthouse. Most of the action takes place in a few small rooms with a limited cast. It’s not bad, it’s just a little flat when compared to some of the previous serials.

Rating: I always find trouble%