CELEBRATING FORTY YEARS OF SEASON TWENTY: 'SNAKEDANCE'

The Mara has returned!

Defeated in its prior battle with the Doctor on the peaceful jungle world of Deva Loka, but nonetheless dormant inside its host Tegan Jovanka's mind, the evil Mara being has been trapped on 20th Century Earth for at least a year. Now, with Tegan back in the TARDIS family, it has become reemergent and plans a spectacular return for conquest via the place from which it was originally borne, on the planet Manussa, former homeworld to the dominant Sumaran Empire.

 

Can Tegan be saved from the building threat of the Mara? And can the Doctor find the inner mental strength linked to the mysterious Snakedancers of legend in finally destroying such tyrannical and mind controlling evil?

Certainly one of the best writing finds for the series during the eighties, Christopher Bailey's work on the parable-esque Kinda during Peter Davison's opening season impressed the production team enough to quickly commission him for a sequel. Snakedance more than proves itself as a worthy continuance of the Mara saga, giving the Fifth Doctor's era a unique regular new enemy of sorts. Janet Fielding shines once more as both the possessed Tegan and as the Mara, and there's a superb guest cast (an impressive young Martin Clines, alongside notable character acting support from John Carson, Brian Miller (husband of the late Elisabeth Sladen) and Colette O'Neill). 

Tegan is literally lost in the crowd physically and mentally as her friends try to help her, newly arrived on the world of Manussa.

Out of time, out of step in the modern world: Federator Queen (Colette O'Neil) and the greedy archaeologist Ambril (John Carson).

A controversial new look for Nyssa from designer Ken Trew.

The Doctor tries to warn the Federator's son Lom (Martin Clunes) about the Mara's return.

A great posed publicity image taken at Ealing film studios of Sarah Sutton, Peter Davison and Jonathan Morris, whose character of Chela helps the Doctor find the lone Snakedancer, Dokeen.

The Doctor discovers the power of the Snakedancers via the mysterious Dojeen (Preston Lockwood).

The ancient ceremony linked to the Mara legend gets a shocking new turn.

With Nyssa and the ceremonial guests enslaved by the Mara's power, the Doctor must fight alone with the power of mental control.

The final battle between the Doctor and the Mara/Tegan.

The story's all-studio production design (from Jan Spoczynski) is interesting in its world-building, though it's a shame that the story couldn't all have been shot on film as seen with the fascinating and atmospheric desert-set Snakedancer scene featuring Preston Lockwood as the self-exiled mystic Dojeen, captured at Ealing film studios. Though her work lacks the pacy quality of Peter Grimwade's tone seen with Kinda, Fiona Cumming clearly enjoys telling the sequel story's character-driven storytelling with unflashy but effective direction, for what was ultimately the first story shot, but shown second obviously, for Season Twenty. 

The Doctor wields the crystal still point.

The Doctor consoles a tearful Tegan. The Mara has been destroyed.

Original Radio Times listings.

Memorable Target books art by Andrew Skilleter.

VHS art by Colin Howard.

Art by Peter Wallbank.

UK DVD image composition by Clayton Hickman, adapted for the US release.