COMMENT  Spoliers ahead


For many years Skaro’s (the legendary fanzine) Editor, Simon M Lydiard provided hours of DOCTOR WHO video gems for the York based DWAS Local Group meetings. Copies of then not-yet-released videos, such as THE TENTH PLANET, THE ICE WARRIORS etc were regularly mailed from the West Country to North Yorkshire.

However, a tape that we never borrowed was the seven part action-packed, hardware filled, Pertwee mystery THE AMBASSADORS OF DEATH. Though it has been over 32 years since it’s first transmission, for all intent and purposes, for me viewing the story today was like a new (even though I knew the storyline inside-out) DOCTOR WHO story. Compared to the eighties banality of PARADISE TOWERS or THE HAPPINESS PATROL, AMBASSADORS is akin to the cinemascope action movies than a two-Bob children’s television show that it basically was.

This is not DOCTOR WHO.

Many critics have commented that the story was styled to emulated the British James Bond brand, employing elements of science fantasy-action, but I feel that its roots lie in fifties American ‘B-movies‘. Homely, worthy and limited only by the imagination of the Director’s use of a gravel pit and dry ice or the Set Designer’s relationship with a roll of aluminium foil.

Like many of the Third Doctor’s adventures, the audience (whether casual or dedicated aficionados) has its patience sorely tested as the episodes elasticise over the weeks. The production team were either keen to exorcise their own dramatic expectations or reduce the expense of having to write/produce another story. Pertwee’s first season was incredulously imbalanced with episode/story ratio values of 4,7,7,7; this would have been better as 4,4,4,5,4,4.

Pertwee seemed blissfully sidelined theoughout as the wider theme of institutionalised xenophobia is challenged, in a method of storytelling that has become synonymous with American TV dramas (notably THE X-FILES), teasing us with the expectation of alien contact and governmental conspiracy.

However, even for its seven episodes, AMBASSADORS is a perceptive period piece that excelled in parts (the cliffhangers are of a high order) yet coasted downhill in others (Nicholas Courtney’s haemorrhoidal attempt at hand-to-hand combat is worth the £12.99 RRP itself, as is the very wobbly staircase within the safe house).

It may not be on your ‘best WHO story’ list but it is a worthy addition to the collection. The only shame is that we are now getting closer to the inevitable release of THE HORNS OF NIMON.

Read the BBC AUDIO original soundtrack release (2009)