The Three Doctors

Fans had been suggesting for years that the Doctor should encounter a previous version of himself. And, for just as long, the show's writers and producers had been telling the fans that it was a terrible idea. But, when it came time to commemorate the show's tenth anniversary, it suddenly wasn't such a terrible idea anymore. The timing seemed right and the previous Doctors all seemed eager to participate. And so, we got The Three Doctors. The trouble was, William Hartnell (The First Doctor) was too ill to properly join in on the adventure. His scenes were shot separately and he mostly appears on a monitor screen. So, in that sense, the serial doesn't quite live up to its title. A problem that it will eventually share with the twentieth anniversary special, The Five Doctors, but I digress. The rest of the serial is entertaining enough, with the other two Doctors running around confusing and confounding the Brigadier. Apparently, Pertwee and Troughton (The Second Doctor) didn't get along at first, which seems terribly appropriate given their onscreen friction. At the end of the serial, all is right in the universe again and the dashing Doctor of the 1970s says goodbye to his predecessors. As an added bonus, the Time Lords provide the Doctor with the necessary parts and knowledge to repair his TARDIS, effectively ending his exile on Earth.

Rating: Pass me a silicon rod%