Review: Doctor Who Classic: Planet of Fire

Peri... makes an impression.

Doctor Who - Season 21, Story Five - Planet of Fire

Peter Grimwade was used to having to juggle ideas. After the dreadful Time-Flight in Season 19, Saward used Grimwade's script to create the very plot-divided Mawdryn Undead in Season 20. Now that he'd brought Turlough in, it was time for him to write him out. Soon after, Grimwade was also tasked with introducing a new companion, facilitating a trip to Lanzarote, having The Master as a villain and then using and killing Kamelion. It's no wonder that he gave up the script to Saward. Planet of Fire has a lot on its plate, and at times it struggles to find a plot to call its own.
    Something that really strikes me about Planet of Fire's plot is that the main story involving Turlough and the revelations behind his history and his people seems to climax in the third episode; the Master/Peri subplot rumbles along throughout and is left as clean-up in the final episode. The two storylines are united in tone but it would have felt so much more investing and deep had both of the storylines merged.
     Kamelion is once again influenced by The Master, and sends the Tardis to Lanzarote. There, student Peri is stranded on a boat by her archeologist step-father, who has just found a ruin bearing the mark of Turlough's people. Turlough, saving Peri from drowning, keeps her in the Tardis to recover and discovers the ruin, becoming very worried about it. Kamelion, now with the details of his destination, takes the Tardis to the planet Sarn, where the indigenous population have waited for the Tardis as a sign of their God, Logar. Kamelion, as the Master, tries to have The Doctor burned as a heretic, but he is soon defeated and he takes Peri back to his Tardis. Peri discovers that The Master wants to use Sarn's large resources of healing Numismaton Gas to heal him; he was experimenting with his shrink-ray and ended up tiny. The Doctor arrives at the chamber and manages to disable Kamelion before euthanising him. The Master recovers, but The Doctor allows the natural fires of the Volcano to consume him. Turlough decides to stay with his people, and Peri is allowed to travel with The Doctor.

The Master gets a burning sensation.

     Location filming in Lanzarote is utilised here much better than it was in Arc of Infinity's Amsterdam, although in some early scenes there is very little difference between the two locations. Despite this, having the more real landscape instead of cardboard set makes Planet of Fire appear that much more atmospheric. It's only now that we really get a new look at the Tardis console, and the expansive shots here give it a much more epic feel.  There's something about Planet of Fire's characterisations and its tropical setting that shows real charm. The Sarnite Trions aren't the first cult on Doctor Who, but they are very different in that the vast majority of them are incredibly skeptical about their leader's claims. It's a very refreshing attitude to see in Eighties Who, and the story does portray faith in a powerful and realistic way.
     I like Peri. I really do. But the American accents in this episode are atrocious. It's laughable sometimes; I got so used to Peri during my time having seen the Sixth Doctor that her less experienced first appearance is just painful. Even worse is the late Dallas Adams, who is utterly unconvincing as Foster but is surprisingly humane as Kamelion. The prop here is out of action but for a single scene, and the rest of his time is split being either Anthony Ainley (popping his eyes to appear abnormal) or as Dallas Adams with a silver face-covering.
     This was to be Anthony Ainley's final story as The Master, as his contract was running out. Thus, he burns to death at the end of the story that I think rather exposes the effect that Saward's callous writing had on the script. To his credit, Ainley's performance is a lot more serious than previously - or it would have been, had the Master not been tranformed into a Borrower. Seriously? Had this actually been Ainley's final story, this would have been one of the most preposterous departures in the series.

Kamelion, as The Master, gets a nice suit.

      Planet of Fire does have a few issues, particularly in how much it had to do at once, but I think it was produced with a great love behind it, no doubt encouraged by the stunning environment they filmed in. Despite its inner confusion, the story is a fitting end for Turlough's often dull character and a promising introduction for a companion who would go on to be in all but one of Colin Baker's stories.

Thanks.

NEXT WEEK: He wrote a positive review of Warriors of the Deep, didn't he? I wonder what he'll make of The Twin Dilemma...