Delta and the Bannermen is a poor story but its perfectly suited to the 24th Season which is the worst season in Doctor Who history. Written by Malcolm Kohll this story focuses on a civil war that has spread to Earth in the 1950’s. Doctor Who meets Hi-Di-Hi in this particular serial. This was the first three parter in Doctor Who since Planet of the Giants back in 1964. This would be a regular thing in the Sylvester McCoy era but I always think that a three parter is a good thing because it cuts out any padding and just gets to the action.
The opening scene is quite a good start with a battle sequence. Where Gavrok (Don Henderson) is trying to kill Delta (Belinda Mayne). Sadly the story throws away anything dramatic to insist that we engage in the scenario of a welsh holiday village in 1959. I’m sorry but I didn’t like the setting and thought that some of the characters just didn’t work. I honestly think that Weismuller (Stubby Kaye) and Hawk (Morgan) could have easily being written out and this could have been replaced with more Gavrok. Gavrok spends most of the story trying to kill Delta and not doing a very good job of it.
Famous faces wise we go from seeing Don Henderson to Ken Dodd. Yes, Ken bleedin’ Dodd. It’s staggers me beyond belief that he is in this story. Some of the so called Stunt Casting worked during the John Nathan Turner era but in this case it didn’t. Though I was glad to see the character written out pretty quickly after being shot in the back by Mr Henderson. Don Henderson is superb as Gavrok and is easily the best thing in this story. It’s the only thing that’s really worth watching in this serial. Sylvester McCoy isn’t very good in this story but its because he is given so terrible dialogue and things to do. Thankfully after this series his Doctor gets better but in this particular serial he’s just bumbling around not being very Doctorish. I do feel bad, joining in the Mel-bashing that regularly takes place but she wasn’t suited to Doctor Who because she is annoying throughout and the only time she contributes anything to the story is when she screams.
There is loads wrong with this story. For one the relationship between Delta and Billy is totalling stupid. It’s also mad how whilst trying to stay hidden form Gavrok, Delta decides to indulge with Billy in some bloody bee hiving. Also it doesn’t make sense how Billy just buys the fact that Delta is an alien and doesn’t get either freaked out or question it. He just buys it and goes along with it. Sorry but that just doesn’t work for me. Also the incidental music really got irritating after about 10 minutes, it fitted in with the style of the setting but there has to be a limit and Keff McCullouch should have used less of that style and more of the standard incidental music.
Despite my issues with the story there are somethings that are good with this serial. The bit where the Chimeron baby pops out of the egg towards the very end of episode one is quite grim even by today’s standards, so in 1987 it was totally gross. That said it was about the best bit in that first episode, though it is spoilt slightly by Mel screaming which is something that is badly wrong for the character. Also the explosions are quite impressive which is something that continues throughout the McCoy era. Apart from the casting of Don Henderson, I also thought that Hugh Lloyd was another good piece of casting. Never heard of him before this story but all of his scenes were superbly played with the right amount of comedy and it was right that he was the last thing that we see in Episode 3.
Delta and the Bannermen continues the poor start to Sylvester McCoy’s first season as the Doctor. The only mercies to this story were Don Henderson and the fact that it’s three parts. Thankfully the next story wouldn’t prove to be a total washout for Season 24.
The opening scene is quite a good start with a battle sequence. Where Gavrok (Don Henderson) is trying to kill Delta (Belinda Mayne). Sadly the story throws away anything dramatic to insist that we engage in the scenario of a welsh holiday village in 1959. I’m sorry but I didn’t like the setting and thought that some of the characters just didn’t work. I honestly think that Weismuller (Stubby Kaye) and Hawk (Morgan) could have easily being written out and this could have been replaced with more Gavrok. Gavrok spends most of the story trying to kill Delta and not doing a very good job of it.
Famous faces wise we go from seeing Don Henderson to Ken Dodd. Yes, Ken bleedin’ Dodd. It’s staggers me beyond belief that he is in this story. Some of the so called Stunt Casting worked during the John Nathan Turner era but in this case it didn’t. Though I was glad to see the character written out pretty quickly after being shot in the back by Mr Henderson. Don Henderson is superb as Gavrok and is easily the best thing in this story. It’s the only thing that’s really worth watching in this serial. Sylvester McCoy isn’t very good in this story but its because he is given so terrible dialogue and things to do. Thankfully after this series his Doctor gets better but in this particular serial he’s just bumbling around not being very Doctorish. I do feel bad, joining in the Mel-bashing that regularly takes place but she wasn’t suited to Doctor Who because she is annoying throughout and the only time she contributes anything to the story is when she screams.
There is loads wrong with this story. For one the relationship between Delta and Billy is totalling stupid. It’s also mad how whilst trying to stay hidden form Gavrok, Delta decides to indulge with Billy in some bloody bee hiving. Also it doesn’t make sense how Billy just buys the fact that Delta is an alien and doesn’t get either freaked out or question it. He just buys it and goes along with it. Sorry but that just doesn’t work for me. Also the incidental music really got irritating after about 10 minutes, it fitted in with the style of the setting but there has to be a limit and Keff McCullouch should have used less of that style and more of the standard incidental music.
Despite my issues with the story there are somethings that are good with this serial. The bit where the Chimeron baby pops out of the egg towards the very end of episode one is quite grim even by today’s standards, so in 1987 it was totally gross. That said it was about the best bit in that first episode, though it is spoilt slightly by Mel screaming which is something that is badly wrong for the character. Also the explosions are quite impressive which is something that continues throughout the McCoy era. Apart from the casting of Don Henderson, I also thought that Hugh Lloyd was another good piece of casting. Never heard of him before this story but all of his scenes were superbly played with the right amount of comedy and it was right that he was the last thing that we see in Episode 3.
Delta and the Bannermen continues the poor start to Sylvester McCoy’s first season as the Doctor. The only mercies to this story were Don Henderson and the fact that it’s three parts. Thankfully the next story wouldn’t prove to be a total washout for Season 24.
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