Attack of the Cybermen. Published in CT 279
The first full season of Colin Baker's Doctor, his only adventure partially set on Earth (present day), and the most violent Who story I have ever seen!
Yes, it's that tired out argument about Season 22: too violent. The rest of the season is not violent in the extreme, despite the large amounts of PG rating. Yet this story got a U. Why?? People die, Lytton's hands are crushed (incidentally, this isn't violent for me and helps make the Cybermen seem more deadly) and Peri and the Doctor seem rather too-acquainted with guns.
"All these things are irrelevant", to quote the Cybermen. No, what gets me is the way the Doctor deals with the first ex-Dalek policeman. He throws him down a hole, and then beats him up! What is going on? The Doctor doesn't do this, and from the sound of it, it was quite a severe beating. No! No! No! The Doctor may have a temper, he may blow Daleks and Cybermen apart like there's no tomorrow, but he doesn't do this! Luckily, there is no repeat of it, and when it comes to dealing with Lytton the Doctor has his compassion restored, but the tone was set and it is this scene that has given the 6th Doctor his "bloody" reputation. I don't know what Eric Saward (if it was someone else, then apologies) was thinking about when this was done, but it certainly wasn't sane or Dr Who.
The TARDIS changed shape for the first, and last time, which whilst did not further the plot, was fun and interesting (one for Mr Sandler to rant about).
Overall, a violent episode, but a good one and worthy of 79%.
Peter Witney