Back for more Who: Patrick Troughton teams-up with Colin Baker in an on-set publicity shot for The Two Doctors.
"When you travel around as much as I do, it's almost inevitable that you'll run into yourself at some point."
When the Doctor (Colin Baker) lands on a space station in the Third Zone, he suspects he's been there before and when he discovers his old assistant - Jamie - he's certain.
Accompanied by Jamie and his present assistant Peri, the Doctor follows himself (Patrick Troughton) to 20th Century Seville. There he discovers his old enemies, the Sontarans, about to dissect him in a genetic operation.
But just why are they operating on the Doctor? And how will their findings aid their enslavement of the Universe? Deadly questions to which the Doctors must find answers in order to escape their own excruciating death...
Original BBC Video sleeve notes - 1993
Six years on from his last contribution to the series in 1978/9, I never really truly appreciated the talents of Who's greatest writer, Robert Holmes, until I reached general maturity, and via the supreme masterpiece that is The Caves of Androzani. With that all-time classic, Holmes was back with a vengeance, at a time when the series really did need an extra boost with his returned imagination, fine grasp of creating memorable characters and wittily dark humour. By Season Twenty-Two, and Colin Baker's first ambitious season in the role, we all eagerly waited another legendary return too alongside the confirmed Holmes in the welcome form of Patrick Troughton's Second Doctor, who was amazingly announced for a special comeback beyond his excellent prior appearance in the Twentieth Anniversary year. And as fan anticipation built for it, the idea of the three-part adventure The Two Doctors looked set to be an another all-time classic in such rapid succession to Caves, especially with the further triple whammy news that Holmes' very own monster creations, the clone warrior Sontarans, would be back to threaten our hero in regenerations that had not previously encountered them...
Great Target Books tribute art by Philip James Allison.
On its one and only original transmission, however, the realisation of The Two Doctors, through no fault of Holmes, who'd delivered a fine script, ultimately suffered from a lack of atmosphere and directorial verve, of which even the show's heavy dose of Spanish location work failed to effectively add to the tale's quirky flavour. A story that was put into a well regarded 'safe' pair of experienced directorial hands with the always-amiable Peter Moffatt, who had worked well with four Doctors in 1983, that were not quite good enough to handle such an intriguing adventure, when it needed someone more in the caliber of Graham Harper or Peter Grimwade operating the show from both the studio floor and the gallery. I recall the general flatness of Part One's cliffhanger within the wrecked space station Camera's lower levels and the aforementioned blandness of the later location filming in its third episode. And who wasn't disappointed that the Sontarans' first appearance in Spain didn't see at least one of them take their helmet off/reveal their Humpty Dumpty faces in close-up, so as to scare the kiddies, like the Humpty-Dumpty-ish monsters did back in the Pertwee/early Baker days!
In counterbalance though, the main cast for the story would prove exceptionally well cast by Moffatt and producer John Nathan-Turner - even if the aforementioned Sontarans should never have been that tall in a major continuity cock-up - of which everyone made the most of Holmes' scripting talents, amidst a basic idea of the Doctor being kidnapped for his time travel symbiotic nuclei, previously considered by the writer for his aborted version of The Six Doctors, that was a good one. Tom Baker era producer Phillip Hinchcliffe had prior rejected Holmes other idea used in The Two Doctors, of a race of alien cannibals come to Earth, as being too dark and potentially tasteless (forgive the pun) for that era of the series, but later Colin Baker era script editor Eric Saward, had no such qualms, having always had a bit of a dark heart in his story choices, enjoying the macabre ideas and the even more macabre creating of the cannibal Androgum creatures, notably personified by John Stratton's loathsome but great fun to watch Shockeye the cook. At the time, I wasn't surprised there were viewer complaints against Shockeye by viewers - he wasn't for the feint of heart, but overall I thought the salivating chef was one of the best villains of Colin Baker's opening season and gave the story a big boost in the antagonist stakes. Beyond the acting, let's also not forget some great, if over-lit, set design work from Tony Burrough, plus another evocative and stylish score from Peter Howell at the Radiophonic Workshop- showcasing a great military theme for the Sontarans. With all these elements that did work, I was saddened that the ratings response was so weak for the story - the lack of any real publicity (strange for the John Nathan-Turner era) being highly noticeable-perhaps as Troughton didn't like too much publicity when playing the role, just as he had been back in his sixties era.
Thankfully, despite the way the story was used in March 1985 as vital cannon fodder by former BBC 1 Controller with an axe to grind, Michael Grade, and his cronies at the BBC, as part of the corporation's decision to 'rest' (formerly cancel!) the series (further citing poor ratings, story tiredness and low production values), over the years The Two Doctors has become better regarded with fans and audiences (with Holmes own novelisation proving superb, showing the true potential that should have been successful on screen). And I'll take anything that adds to the aura of Patrick Troughton 's magical Second Doctor, especially in compensating for the fact that so much of his past monochrome era has been so tragically lost to us. Cheers, Pat!
From monochrome to colour, the Second Doctor and Jamie return, on a mission for the Time Lords.
Newly arrived at the Third Zone spacial region, Doctor Two and Jamie, acting as agents for the Time Lords, meet top scientist Dastari (Lawrence Payne) and try to persuade him to stop ongoing work by two of his scientists into dangerous time travel experiments.
The brutal Androgum chef that is Shockeye (John Stratton) proves to be one of Robert Holmes best and macabre creations, as he poisons the crew of Space Station Camera for Chessene before the arrival of the Sontarans.
Augmented to super genius level, the Androgum Chessene (Jacqueline Pearce) confers with Shockeye on their villainous plans ahead...
Meanwhile, Doctor Six and a very busty Peri (Nicola Bryant) are enjoying a spot of Gumblejack fishing on an unknown asteroid. Soon enough though, the Doctor has a psychic attack of one of his other selves being potentially put to death.
Doctor Six goes to Dastari, ready to ask for 'medical help' after experiencing a strange disturbance linked to his past, but soon discovering the scientist gone from his wrecked space station, and no sign of his other self, either.
The Doctor goes through Dastari's office looking for clues. The homicidal space station computer, now on automatic, blames the Time Lords for the space station attack and perceives Doctor Six and Peri as a threat to be neutralised.
The Doctor and Peri escape the computer and head into the station's unique interior.
A sequence that should have been more atmospheric and suspenseful than it actually turned out to be onscreen.
Peri gets an unwelcome surprise from a mystery foe.
They find the leftover shape of Jamie (Frazer Hines) who, once recovered, tells Doctor Six of the Sontarans' attack and their kidnapping of Doctor Two for so-far unknown reasons.
The Doctor discovers a glitch in the computer holographic system, left from the clumsy Sontarans, indicating that Doctor Two is very much still alive.
Now arived at a hacienda outside Seville, Spain, the Androgums and Sontarans will prepare the Doctor for unique surgery.
Now arrived on Earth, in Seville, Spain, the Sontarans Varl (Tim Raynham) and Styke (Clinton Greyn) plot with the two cannibalistic Androgum aliens, and Dastari, to discover the symbiotic secrets inside Doctor Two.
Proud of his super-intelligent, augmented Androgum, Dastari goes along with Chessene's plans to double-cross and destroy the Sontarans.
Following the Sontarans trail, Doctors Six and Two meet, and it won't be pleasant.
The greedy Androgum cook Shockeye (John Strattion) couldn't get a better choice of human tasting than Peri!
The Part Two cliffhanger. "Pretty, pretty!"
Dastari, with the ambitious Chessene's support, lure the Sontarans into an acid-blasting trap at their Spanish hacienda base.
Stike (Clinton Greyn) in the cellar.
Varl with his weapon before the duo are ambushed and left for dead.
Chessene has Dastari inject Shockeye's Androgum inheritance into Doctor Two, so as to make him her Time Lord servant.
A great behind the scenes of Patrick Troughton being made up as an Androgum hybrid.
Doctor Six and the Androgum influenced Doctor Two.
Looking for some great eateries in downtown Seville, Shockeye and Doctor Two make quite the pair!
Having survived the prior attack, Stike has the misfortune of using Dastari's imperfect time travel device...
... and is soon killed when the device blows up at the hacienda.
Doctor Six, Jamie and Peri begin their search for Doctor Two and Shockeye.
As does Dastari, who is now shocked by Chessene's recent actions.
Our heroes are captured by Chessene and Dastari.
The Androgums are finally defeated, Shockeye by the Doctor and Chessene killed via the unstable Kartz and Reimer Time Module. The Two Doctors depart, as Number Six and Peri decided to go on to become vegetarians!
The cast and crew enjoy the hot weather on location filming.
At Acton rehearsals for the story, with Patrick Troughton near the TARDIS console prop.
Classic Doctor Who Magazine cover - Issue 161 June 1990.
The cover of Doctor Who Magazine 195 in January 1993.
Another cover for Issue 198, April 1993.
The striking frontage for In-Vision magazine's coverage of the story.
Colin Howard's memorable art for the UK VHS release from 1993.
UK VHS release sleeve.
Front and back sleeve art for the UK DVD release. Cover composition by Clayton Hickman.
UK DVD release advert promotion.
The US DVD release cover.
The UK DVD Files cover.
Original Target Books cover art by Andrew Skilleter.
Get the BBC Audio adaptation, read by Colin Baker, here:
As the planet is bombarded by an incredible swarm of asteroids, the Doctor and his companions have no choice but to come to the aid of the troubled last survivors of Frontios, now facing near extinction from mysterious alien invaders...
A classic scene showcasing Peter Davison at his best as the Fifth Doctor, making the most of the splendid idea conceived by former series script editor Christopher H. Bidmead that his incarnation should have the air of an old man trapped in a young man's body about him.
I was very sad to hear of the recent passing of Christopher H. Bidmead, who devised such a great and memorable final Season Eighteen for Tom Baker (including his own unique drama/regeneration epic in Logopolis), brought hard scientific concepts back into the series, fused within the show's unique storytelling, and gave Peter Davison two intriguing adventures with Castrovalva and Frontios. R.I.P.
The Doctor, with Sarah and Harry, returns to Space Station Nerva (the scene of the Ark in Space adventure) to find that the Tardis has drifted back a few thousand years in time. Plague is raging through the Nerva which is being manned by only a handful of frightened survivors. Sarah falls victim to the mystery virus. The Doctor discovers that the Cybermen have taken over the station in order to use it to destroy the planet Voga where there are extensive gold mines. They wish to destroy all the gold in the solar system as it is a deadly metal to them. Will the Doctor manage to defeat the Cybermen and find an antidote to cure Sarah?
Original BBC VHS Video synopsis - 1983
My memories of seeing the Cybermen for the first time in 1975, having now properly reached my fifth birthday, are not as potent as they were with the previous Dalek story, which had made such an impression on me - this was probably because I had seen the Daleks in the Pertwee era and had no real prior visual referencing for the Cybermen (who hadn't been seen properly in the series for six years). Nonetheless, of the overall story I recall the opening discovery of the dead bodies on the space station, the moment where the Cybermat attacks Sarah, the Cybermen boarding the space station and attacking our heroes, and their later battling the Vogans within their home cave system. But that's about it really. It wasn't until the story became available on BBC rental tape in 1983 (the first release, and one selected by the fans), that I got to fully enjoy Revenge of the Cybermen, it was great to see it following on from the recent success of their return against Peter Davison's incarnation in Earthshock, and having seen the classic clip from the story (of Baker confronting the Cyberleader) shown to audiences as part of Cyber history. Yes, we can all agree that Revenge is not an all-time classic, but there's still lots of great stuff in it- the story idea, from Cyberman co-creator Gerry Davis (re-shaped by script editor Robert Holmes), is a good one, the cast are fine, I like the re-designed Cybermen (even if their leader, as played by Christopher Robbie, is a bit too emotional and hip holding at times) and there's some great location work at the legendary Wookey Hole caves system directed by the ever-popular Michael E. Briant. The story is pure nostalgia in the history of Who on so many levels and, like Death to the Daleks, has since proven to be great comfort watching to me in many ways...
Behind you! A great publicity image of Tom Baker with one of the returned Cybermen.
Returned to space station Nerva but in its past function as a navigational beacon, its crew now dead from an invasion of Cybermats, Harry and Sarah survey their grim surroundings. Phase One of the Cybermen's takeover plan continues.
Sarah is attacked by a dreaded Cybermat, from which the Doctor races against time to cure her of its lethal infection.
In their crude but efficient spaceship, the Cybermen begin the next phase of their take over of Nerva, helped by the human traitor Kellman.
Another interesting view of the Cyber vessel interior.
The small but lethal force of Cybermen board Nerva Beacon and subdue its remaining crew, plus the Doctor.
Our captured heroes are fitted with Cyberbombs and will be transported to the nearby planetoid of Voga, whose gold is lethal to Cybermen.
The headstrong Vogan named Vorus (David Collings) plans his own revenge against the Cybermen.
Now on Voga with a recovered Sarah, Harry confers with Vogan leader Tyrum (Kevin Stoney) and the human traitor Kellner (Jeremy Wilkin), who has been working as a double against against the Cybermen for Vorus.
The Cybermen, guiding the Cyberbombs, arrive on Voga, and soon bring murderous havoc to the populace. The Doctor soon has a plan to render the bombs useless.
The Vogan's defence against the metal tyrants is soon ineffective, but Vorus's rocket launch attack eventually destroys the Cybermen and their ship.
Reunited on the space station, and with the TARDIS returned, our trio return to Earth, having been mysteriously summoned back by the Brigadier.
UK W.H. Allen Hardback release cover jacket from 1976. Cover art by Chris Achilleos.
US Pinnacle Books cover art from 1979. Art by David Mann.
The story was chosen by fans as the first ever official BBC Video release in 1983.
Great advert for the first ever Doctor Who BBC video release in 1983.
UK re-release of the story on VHS, at a lower budget pricing, and with a more representative cover.
Australian VHS re-release cover from early 2000's.
The great cover to Doctor Who Magazine issue 97, back in 1985.
Reprint edition art by Alister Pearson.
Memorable cover for the In-Vision magazine covering the story.
Revised art by Alister Pearson for his earlier Target Books cover of the nineties.
US DVD sleeve. Photo composition art by Clayton Hickman.
DVD Files sleeve art from the UK.
German DVD release art.
Official UK TV music soundtrack release, from Silva Screen.
Gerry Davis's original version of the story, Return of the Cybermen, would be successfully adapted by Big Finish Productions.
Get the BBC Audiobook adaptation of Terrance Dicks' Target Book here:
Intrigue and danger haunt the dark and mysterious corridors of the Peladon Hugh Court castle, as the various members of the Galactic Federation, recently arrived there for a pivotal meeting, come under attack from the legendary curse of Aggedor, notably the recently damaged ambassador Arcturus, whom the recently arrived Time Lord has helped survive his deadly predicament. A great image from Season Ten's The Curse of Peladon.
The audio of this story, from Brian Hayles, is part of a recently released (July 4th, 2025) LP collection from Demon Records that specially celebrates the Pertwee era.
Their plans to stealthily take control of the Human's Weather control base thwarted, the Cybermen, now out en masse on the surface of the Moon, have no choice but to use even more brutal methods to gain access, so as to take over the Earth, as a heavy duty laser weapon is soon prepared for use. Another great image from The Moonbase, taken at Ealing Film Studios in early 1966.
Look out for the lovely new audio release of the classic story on LP from Demon Records. Available from September 19th, 2025.
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