Season 26, Story 4/4, Serial 7P: 3 x 25min episodes, 22nd November to 6th December 1989, Writer: Rona Munro, Director: Alan Wareing, Script Editor: Andrew Cartmel, Producer: John Nathan Turner
LOUIE FECOU@LOUIEF2000Survival was definitely the template for new who, I love this story. Last of the original 1963-1989 run of course. I think Survival would always have closed season 26 but The Curse of Fenric was intended to go out before Ghostlight (in fact Fenric would have opened the season hence hiding Sylv's "new" darker jacket under the duffle coat at first!) which would have made a nice little Perivale duet of Ghostlight & Survival, but I do prefer the catharsis of Fenric coming later.
Car wash man's being stalked with weird yellow vision that then rises up and blasts him into nothing.
Turns out black cats are bad luck for car wash man.
Then Ace says there's nowt on TV on Sundays.
Not a Downton fan then.
Perivale is "Boredom Capital of the Universe" according to Ace, and the Doctor's brought her there on a Sunday!
Bek Hobbes@Greebobek Clearly she has never been to Penge. Although I hear it is quite nice there.
Mark Walker@Mark_Walker those were the days, when naff all happened on a Sunday! it's the same as any other day now - shops are open, people have to work..."Nothing ever happens here." Famous last words or what!
Nothing but tin cans and stray cats.
And horses...
Deep voiced green eyed villain in the shadows sees through the eyes of the cats.
Hell's teeth, look at the fashion disasters on this lot at the self-defence class.
The implicit condemnation of Patterson's "Art of Survival" flies in the face of what Chessington taught the Thals, doesn't it?
Great "love to hate him" performance from Julian Holloway as Sgt.Patterson.
Green Eyes clocks the Doctor through his remote cat viewer...
More of Ace's history.
She's got far better character development in one season than Rose did in 2+.
And that's one season of 4 stories, not 2 of ~10 stories each.
"Doctor, eh? You're not in the best of shape yourself, though, are you?"
The Doctor's rumbled that there's something up with the cats, so he goes to buy catfood from Hale & Pace. As you do.
Bek Hobbes@Greebobek Hale and Pace were demigods of comedy in the 1980s. Or so the greybeard historians tell us nowadays. 
James Cooray Smith@thejimsmithTheir show was massive. Shite. But massive. They were a big deal. Unfortunately. 
"This is the brand preferred by your cat Conna-sewer!"
For what is a rather underwhelming piece of guest casting, Hale & Pace do make much of a gem of a scene.
"Haven't you forgotten something?"
"Yes."
"Money!"
"No, it wasn't that."
Ha ha, great. Ace pays from the fruity.
RIP Tiger. We hardly knew ye. What a way to go. Alas, poor Tiger. I knew him, Horatio. He preferred cheese.
"Oh, hi Ace, thought you were dead?"
Mark Walker@Mark_Walker seems almost disappointed she's not! Crikey, this mate of Ace's is a bit like death not-quite-warmed-up, isn't she?
Notice Ange is collecting for "Hunt Saboteurs", which is what provokes the Doctor's dialogue.
Chris Cwej@chriscwej for some reason I love her. I want the Doctor to kidnap her, and watch her sniff disinterestedly at alien planets!"Davros, eh? Wouldn't fancy seeing what 'appened if they cut 'im open, know what I mean?"
Chris Cwej@chriscwej Hahaha! I also like the extra bit of her line from the Survival novelisation: "hay fever, although it's more likely glue."All of Ace's old mates seem to have been disappeared like Car Wash Man.
Green Eyes wants Robo-Cat to catch Gym Loser.
Not surprised he's catching naff all, that food looks rank.
That's JNT's dog, Pepsi (occasional star of All Creatures Great Small!), with a walk on part, apparently. I don't know, jobs for the boys, nepotism etc. etc.
Ace tries to take a Cat on the swings, and a cheetah on a horse appears.
JUST LIKE IN REAL LIFE.
Ace tries to outrun a horse.
Not the brightest, is she?
Woah, she's appeared on another planet - a pink skied quarry planet where a black cat is eating Car Wash Man's face.
Not keen on the Doctor's wierd super-powers this season; hypnotism in Battlefield "Stun finger" in this.
The Cheetah pursues Ace, but is distracted by Gym Loser.
Having decided to chow down on Gym Loser, the Cheetah lets Ace go, and purrs off into the pink sunset.
Then her mates turn up.
Chris Cwej@chriscwej for all the mocking it gets, lines like the "white kids" one in Ghost Light tells us volumes without a lot of exposition. 
Now Robo-Cat has led the Doctor and Patterson to the pink quarry...
Deep Voiced Green Eyes turns out to be...
...the Master!
Special mention for Dominic Glyn's incidental music on this, by the way. Another step in the right (away from Keff) direction.
One of the Master's better reveals there.
Actually makes a decent cliffhanger for once. But that typical McCoy era bugbear - an elsewhere scene shoved in before resolving the cliffhanger. Ugh.
The Master's new outfit is much less "costume" like, and vastly superior for it. His performance is much less insane too.
Mark Walker@Mark_Walker shame it was his last appearance, they were just starting to get it right 
Kosmic Kris@KosmicKris this is the great tragedy. The Cartmel Plan was coming into effect and if we'd had one more season.. :) 
I'm not too sorry we were spared that, to be honest, especially all the looms/"Other" stuff.
Mark Walker@Mark_Walker I think there would've been some good stuff. However we'll never know. 
Chris Cwej@chriscwej I don't think it would have headed that way. The concepts in Lungbarrow evolved into Ghost Light. 
Ace's mates need "sorting out". That Midge is a cocky so and so, isn't he? Seems mildly obssessed with ketchup.
The Doctor & Patterson nick a horse and make a getaway, but the kitlings are watching...
So cool when the Cheetah's claws come out and it just breaks the wire.
Bob McCow@BobMcCow Twang! 
The Doctor & Patterson make their way through the desert...
Their passage doesn't go unnoticed, though...
The Kitlings on Earth are still gathering prey...
Ace has caught herself a Doctor, and the gang's all together.
Love the Master feeding and stroking the Cheetah. Cats suit him.
"Do you know any nice people?" It's a fair point.
Seems like the Master's not completely in control of this mind-link with the black cat. Interesting...
The Cheetahs & Kitlings are well characterised, "a fun loving species" but they "like to play with their food"!
Great guitar parts on the incidental music; acoustic for the barren world, with electric miaowing twangs for the Cheetahs.
I don't rate the Milkman's chances.
Mark Walker@Mark_Walker see a milkman in a TV show, you know they're going to either get killed or shag someone's missus. Or both. 
The Master is trapped. Did the Time-Lords dump him here after The Trial Of A Time-Lord? They've got form exiling people.
The Doctor's sussed out how to escape already, but seems like it could get messy for Ace, who's got something going on with Cara.
Midge has gone a bit psycho, and I don't think it's entirely Patterson's fault.
Mark Walker@Mark_Walker I blame his parents for calling him Midge 
James Cooray Smith@thejimsmith It's a Scottish diminutive for James. A reversal of "Jim".Not so surprising from Scottish writer Rona Munro!
The Doctor refuses to help the Master escape...
...but time is running out; not just because the planet is dying...
...but also because the Master is losing himself.
So is Ace...
The Doctor talks her down...
...but gives the game away to the earwigging Master.
Midge has already gone over the edge...
...and is snared by the Master.
Midge doesn't even know his name any more, but he can take the Master away.
With the Master and Midge gone...
...Patterson starts to suspect Derek will be the next to turn.
Uh-oh Ace has gone all Green Eyes! End of part 2!
I never used to be that keen on the 3 part format...
...but both Ghostlight and this have been very well served by it.
The Master has used Midge to get away. But only to Perivale, so I'm not convinced he's better off.
The oft-criticised Ainley is phenomenal in this. Genuinely scary but maintaining that smooth veneer of charm.
Steve Powner@StevePowner Ainley is just perfect in Survival; a great Master.
Kosmic Kris@KosmicKris The thing I love about Ainley in Survival is the mental decay... You see him descend and he is almost complicit 
Tim@parks8472 Definitely one of his strongest performances as the Master
John Mark Frankland@JMFrankland If only he was allowed to give this performance more often. I've heard rumours that AA was always asked to go OTT. But he's much better doing understated. 
Tim@parks8472 Mark of the Rani was a great a story, but it really didn't need the Master's presenceSteve Powner@StevePowner So true The Master of Logopolis and Castrovalva was great I like Mark of the Rani but portrayed poorJohn Mark Frankland@JMFrankland I like the way the Rani ridicules the relationship between the Doctor and Master. In 'Mark' but I suppose it demonstrated how unthreatening the Master had become by that stageTrue. I do think he picks up ever so slightly in Trial, and although he's only really there as Basil Exposition, it's in-character for him to be opportunist like that. 'Mark' did hammer nails into the character's coffin though, I think.
The Master is resigned to completely losing who he is, surrendering to becoming an animal whose only purpose is to kill the Doctor
No idea why the Cheetahs (like the Master earlier) are doing wolf-howls. That's a terrible cock-up. No cat makes that "Aroooooo!" noise no matter how yowly the vocalisation.
Simon Pittman@LibraryPlayer Perhaps he is auditioning for Wolfblood? :PTell you what, that's one hell of a performance through all that fur from Lisa Bowerman.
The Doctor calls Ace back from the temptation of the hunt, and Kara...
Trust me, Midge, trust me...
Ace can get them all home, but if she uses her new power she may turn Cheetah forever.
Her mind's made up...
...and they all return to Kansas, I mean Perivale.
Shreelagh and Derek are glad to be home but Patterson acts like it was all a dream...
Ace and the Doctor try to track down their enemy at Midge's flat.
Ace suddenly gets a vision, seeing through the Master's eyes at the youth club...
...where it soon becomes clear he's just the Master's puppet...
...as Patterson learns to his cost when he returns.
"Midge" no longer exists. His body is just the new Robo-Cat for the Master to see through.
The Doctor and Ace arrive too late to save him...
...but Ace sees that the scene has been set for a final battle.
Or a final motorcycle joust, at any rate. As you do.
The Doctor warns Ace to stay out of his fight.
The Motorcycle duel is actually quite exciting...
...but that flat shot of them colliding is odd.
The Master orders Midge to self-destruct.
When the self-defence class advance on Ace...
...Kara arrives to save her.
