Beware The Tractators! This 80’s Doctor WHO classic was released in June 2011 and I finally got around to reviewing it. Perhaps because Peter Davidson is not my favorite Doctor Who. But then there was the delectable Tegan and “Ranga” Turlough. Very strong support cast members.
The setup for this story is something of a Who classic, with the TARDIS team landing on Frontios, home to some of the last humans left in the galaxy. Unsurprisingly, the Doctor and his companions haven’t landed on a settlement that’s prospering, but rather one seemingly under perpetual bombardment from their planetary neighbours and in the midst of a brutal and divisive civil revolt. To make matters worse, the settlement is also in the midst of mourning the recent loss of its leader, Captain Revere, while also coming to terms with the less than perfect rule of his son, Plantagenet. Coupled to this you also have the seemingly secretive and conniving security chief, Brazen, making his presence felt in the story. But as all of this plays out above ground, down below an ancient terror is hard at work bringing a long held plan to fruition.
In my mind the regulars really gave some foundation support to Davison, Mark Strickson (Turlough) and the marvelous Janet Fielding (Tegan). All three of them dovetail nicely with the vintage 80’s cast, and each has a decent role to play in the unfolding mystery of life below Frontios.
Why doesn’t it work for me? Not really. Direction or Production? Never once do you believe that what you’re looking at is anything other than a slightly poorly dressed soundstage. Then there are the Tractators. Supposedly highly advanced and genuinely scary creatures, the Tractators live underground and burrow through the soil using bizarre machinery.
In theory, they should be odd and unsettling aliens, with technology that reflects their underground lifestyle. But what we get is a load of spare parts lashed together, while the Tractators themselves have to make do with an alien costume that would make a Monoid feel sqeamish. Standing six feet tall, the Tractators have the mobility of a piece of cork and look, like an overdone prawn at a picnic.
Coming towards the end of his time in the TARDIS, Davison seems totally at ease with the character and brings a lovely line in dry humour to the part. His exchange with the Gravis about the captured Tegan is particularly memorable and has strong echoes of David Tennant’s Doctor and his rat-a-tat rapport with both Jackie Tyler and Donna Noble. It’s very well judged and further reinforces quite how ‘modern’ Davison’s Doctor was and continues to be.
