The Tiger Who Came To Tea: Vengeance on Varos

And press play... NOW!

Love how the DW logo starts out in a diamond shape and opens out to the 80s neon logo in Colin's titles.

In a dingy TV studio somewhere Jason Connery's chained to a wall and having a tiny spotlight shone on him.

Mark Walker@Mark_Walker an apparently painful spotlight

50dw50@50dw50 a lovely shirtless Jason Connery, what ever happened to him he was massive in the 80's

Elsewhere, Madge off of Benidorm and Sevrin from Genesis of the Daleks are watching him on telly.

"When did they last show something worth watching?" Sevrin's waiting for the new series of Robin of Sherwood to start.

Paul Cooke@paulpcooke brave of the production team to (potentially) let the characters second guess the audience.

50dw50@50dw50 has to be said this is such a clever idea, Greek Chorus On Varos

Etta would squeal if Arak made her vote on his behalf.

Arak and Etta are probably actually my favourite part of the story!

Mark Walker@Mark_Walker mine is when Peri just leaned on the TARDIS console...

"Oh, the Doctor and Peri, yeah, I suppose they *have* to be in this, don't they?" Saward pulls his finger out.

50dw50@50dw50 with Peri's outfit and a shirtless Robin of Sherwood this story has something for everyone!

Family viewing; the family that drools together, stays together.

50dw50@50dw50 I adore Colin Baker and love this story, Series 22 is one of my favourites, i am out of step with fandom!

I like Colin but think the era has big problems in front of and behind the cameras that badly let him down.

Meanwhile intergalactic slug Sil plots to rip Martin Jarvis off.

What a fantastic creation Sil is. Massive credit to Nabil Shaban, his performance totally makes it.

Varos shows the punishment, torture & execution of its dissenters in compulsory broadcasts to the population.

Phillip Martin's novelisation includes more humorous mishaps with Sil's translator unit.

50dw50@50dw50 Sil is an amazing creation, actually alien in appearance.

Mark Walker@Mark_Walker I'm not sure if I had been watching back then if I'd have found him creepy or funny! Possibly both.

The TARDIS has stalled. The Doctor and Peri might have to get out and push.

A naff blue and pink 80s chair appears in the console room as if by magic so the Doctor can sit and have a sulk.

50dw50@50dw50 ‏even the Doctors chair has clashing colours!

Simon Pittman@LibraryPlayer Left over from the Leopard Print TARDIS console desktop theme perhaps? ;-)

Urgh, a party political broadcast. What else is on?

Martin Jarvis proposes a course of action that will benefit the many but the populace vote according to selfish interests.

Simon Pittman@LibraryPlayer Not at all like recent real world events. *cough cough*

The Governor loses a vote and so has to take a blast from the Cell Disintegrator.

Mark Walker@Mark_Walker then does his 'when Harry met Sally' bit

I *won't* have what he's having, thanks...

As a political system it's not without its merits.

It's a common criticism that 80s stories are overlit but these scenes in the control centre look bizarre.

There's a really overpowering cold white light at least in the centre of the room.

Sulky Colin isn't interested in the TARDIS manual but at least he manages to look Peri in the eye.

Mark Walker@Mark_Walker also amuses me how small the TARDIS manual is considering... And how the Title is in English!

Maybe it's bigger on the inside? And, er... self-translates? Ahem.

He springs into action when there's a flicker of life from the console.

Areta's 80s poodle hairdo is quite something.

50dw50@50dw50 nice to know 80's blusher makes a return in the far future.

Love it when Colin strokes his cat badge for good luck. A minor victory, getting a little "Doctorishness" in.

Paul Cooke@paulpcooke I think Colin is like Matt Smith, working his pants off to cover for script deficiencies (although I do like Varos)

I like Varos but prefer some other s22 stories I think. I usually liken Matt to Davison in that respect, but agree the point.

We're now fully 20 minutes into the story and the Doctor is not involved AT ALL.

50dw50@50dw50 Saward never got his strangely haired head around the fact that a 45 min episode should not be an overly padded regular one

Yes, it always seemed to me that he stretched a 25min part 1 out to a 45min part 1, then crammed parts 2-4 (25mins) into a 45min part 2.

50dw50@50dw50 the BBC were doing better domed cities in the 70's to be honest

Budget's a big problem for this story. The terrible lazily painted walls, the go karts, the rubbish laser FX. It's lucky the world building is so strong & the performances sell the atmosphere of oppression.

50dw50@50dw50 I had always assumed the walls were supposed to look like studio sets? maybe me trying to excuse the production!

Sadly I think it's more of an excuse, plausible though it is. The script could do with highlighting it. This was supposed to be a prison planet originally.

"Who's this coming to welcome us?" is genuinely the end of the international (25 min episodes) version.

Mark Walker@Mark_Walker I like the look of indignation on Colin's face when the TARDIS is shot at.

The Doctor & Peri finally make it out of the TARDIS (24 minutes!) & upset Owen Teale...

...then they free Robin of Sherwood, before casually walking away from a go kart.

Paul Cooke@paulpcooke Laughable, and they didn't learn. Hello, Happiness Patrol

Slow-moving go-karts in Doctor Who are a particular bugbear of mine.

Johnny Spandrell@JohnnySpandrell Dear lord, yes. Varos and Happiness Patrol. Why did they bother? Just run! Or even stroll! #buggybugbear

Mark Walker@Mark_Walker they are always cringeworthy.

Madge likes the one in the funny clothes.

So is this supposed to be a splinter of Clara's gran, then? Does time-splintering run in the family?

Simon Pittman@LibraryPlayer Perhaps an older splinter version of Clara? She may have inherited her grans looks! :-)

CANON.
50dw50@50dw50 i think she will turn out to be the second from last of the jaggeroth

"Is he sane, this Doctor?"
"Sometimes."

This is like some weird double date now. The Doctor & Peri go with Mr. & Mrs. Sherwood into the "purple zone".

It's quite fun watching Sil watch the Doctor on TV.

50dw50@50dw50 i love the idea of the viewers commenting on the show

Bar Sil, they're probably the most compelling characters in this!

50dw50@50dw50 what drinks can you get at Bar Sil?

Marsh Minnow Mimosas? ;-P

Baying morons lapping up cruel entertainment is uncomfortably on the nose in the light of the Cowell-pats etc.

Paul Cooke@paulpcooke Maybe they are watching Kyle?

Of course, Kyle's is the "bear pit". "This week: Lover turned me into a bird, kids on acid."

As @thejimsmith points out...

50dw50@50dw50 TV voting was very prescient
James Cooray Smith ‏@thejimsmith Not really. Things like New Faces, Eurovision & so on had existed for a long time.

....they'd had TV voting before, but I think Varos forecasts the crueler, schadenfreude-driven version we have now.

The Doctor is separated from the others and finds himself in a corridor of illusion.

50dw50@50dw50 corridor of illusion sounds like an 80's synth pop duo

"Corridor of Illusion" with their hits "Cut it Now", "You Agents of Amorb Are!", "Marsh Minnow Mimosa" and "Keep out of my purple zone"...

The Governor buys himself a reprieve...

...with a winning vote that gives back some positive energy.

50dw50@50dw50 i love Sil, nice to have a villain with a sense of humour and who is not besotted with Peri

Mark Walker@Mark_Walker LOL! I can't blame most villains though...

The Doctor's tricked into believing he's dying of thirst in the desert...

"...and cut it NOW!"

Love the way Sil's laugh continues into the music.

That cliffhanger's rightly lauded as being a very clever construct.

Shame that 25 minute episode lasted 45 minutes, though.

The "dead" Doctor's body is taken to be dissolved in acid, which is also televised... this just gets nastier.

So the Doctor's alive really (shocker)...

...and appears to shove someone in acid when they attack him and end up falling in backwards.

Not made better by the fact that the Doctor then jokes about it...

50dw50 ‏@50dw50 ironic Colin being in a satire about reality TV before going into the jungle

Good job he refrained from shoving anyone in acid that time round!

50dw50 ‏@50dw50 Note the Doctor does not push the men in the acid despite what people claim

Darth Marenghi ‏@DarthMarenghi True but it's a terribly inappropriate scene for Dr Who regardless.

We don't see too much, thankfully, though what we see is bad enough. As I say, my problem is with his reaction. They fall after trying to push *him* in. The problem comes with the "you'll forgive me if I don't join you" line. Fine coming out of Jason's dad...

Darth Marenghi ‏@DarthMarenghi Well that's an even bigger issue! Was it a Saward addition?

Don't know, to be honest. I'm a little surprised Colin went along with that delivery though.

James Cooray Smith ‏@thejimsmith It's dissonant with the main body of Dr Who. A muddle of scripted/directorial/actorly intention.

♠DorothyAce ‏@WickedlyAce I like Vengeance on Varos... The Doctor only did what James Bond would have done in the same situation...

That's the problem with that bit for me - it's pure Bond, but not right for the Doctor.

Bond would say that line after dispatching someone he *meant* to kill, the Doctor momentarily looks disgusted but by no means bothered that he's just been involved in a struggle that led to a horrific death.

The lack of any sign of regret is totally wrong for the Doctor. But totally right for Bond, who is *supposed* to be a remorseless killer.

♠DorothyAce ‏@WickedlyAce well, the Sixth Doctor was always darker - despite the bright clothes - and they were trying to kill him and his friends

As I say, no quarrel with what happened & why, just his off reaction. Fine for him to be darker, alien, but the 6th was also a man of great compassion, which that reaction was at odds with for me.

♠DorothyAce ‏@WickedlyAce When you put it in perspective he was the right Doctor to face the Valeyard, his darker side ...

Definitely. He was perhaps in more danger of tipping over the edge into being like the Valeyard & he recognised that danger, which made the Valeyard a 'scarier' enemy for him. Though you could even say that the 7th went further that way afterwards.

50dw50@50dw50 he is trying to hide his guilt behind bluster

Oof; that's a very kind interpretation I have to say!

Peri inadvertently clues in the governor that their Zeiton ore is much more valuable than Sil has let on.

50dw50@50dw50 they cannot have wikipeadia or google on Varos apparently

"Your appeal has been turned down, I'm sorry"
"So would I be, if I'd asked for one!"

The Governor suspects the Doctor knows something that can help Varos, so only has a mock execution set up.

The Doctor's rumbled him, though and engages in a little brinksmanship.

"This Doctor must be eliminated; he smells the truth of things!"

50dw50@50dw50 you have to admire the naturalistic dialogue...

Mark Walker@Mark_Walker I wonder what truth smells like?

50dw50@50dw50 chicken

This week's budget Sharaz Jek is turning Areta and Peri into a lizard and a bird. As you do.

50dw50@50dw50 everyone needs a hobby

Mark Walker@Mark_Walker I could think of a better hobby involving Peri...

50dw50@50dw50 chess?

Mark Walker@Mark_Walker it's like you read my mind!

Steve Powner ‏@StevePowner Peri was spitting feathers time to put the kettle on lol

50dw50@50dw50 Peri joins Twitter!

Bond Jr. uses the distraction of Budget Jek's unmasking...

...to grab the guard's gun and he & the Doctor make their escape back into the dome.

They make it in time, and Peri's plucked. 

Having revived Peri & Areta...

...the Doctor & Bond of Sherwood hide behind a go kart.

Looks like it's stopped but that could equally be it's top speed.

Still dazed, Peri wanders into trouble and is recaptured.

The governor is condemned to a vote that could finish him off. 

In another grim moment, the governor begs Maldak to kill Peri rather than allow her to be mutated. Er, cheers.

"I think we're into what they call the End Game" Is it the gold run? Colin Baker, put yourself on the hot spot!

Sevrin commits voter fraud in order to see the back of Martin Jarvis.

"Your system is wrong! We sell ourselves cheaply for nothing to such as Sil & his like!" Ain't that the truth.

He's unexpectedly saved when Maldak's conscience finally puts in an appearance.

The Doctor, Areta and Bond of Sherwood are beckoned by ghostly apparitions of themselves. That's a great effect actually.

50dw50@50dw50 they do love their green lighting, they never got to grips with the 45 minute format. You would think that perm would make them flee in another direction.

The Doctor knows better, of course, and saves them from plunging to their deaths in th enick of time.

50dw50@50dw50

I wonder if the blokes in nappies have a table at comic-con these days?

Budget Jek & the chief officer have followed them into the dome, where the Doctor lies in wait with poisonous vines.

50dw50@50dw50 show us your tendrils

Sil thinks he's going to be governor, with a colonising force on the way...

...but Zeiton 7 has been found elsewhere and the invasion is cancelled.

Sil's superiors order him to pay any price Jarvis demands.

50dw50@50dw50 he wants payment in dinosaurs and butterflies

James Smith ‏@thejimsmith The invasion being cancelled because of the perceived laws of supply & demand is peak 80s, really.

Fantastic point. Varos is really *the* 80s political story, isn't it? Hard to think of any other that gives quite as much of a commentary on the time (the Happiness Patrol being the only other one that really springs to mind). I don't think we've had quite so topical a tale since Peladon.