N.B. there might (or might not) be spoilers in this article!
It took a bit of a dip towards the end but the Key to Time season of Doctor Who was a return to the consistent good form we’ve come to expect from the show in the 70’s.
“It is not scale that counts, but skill.”
The Captain, The Pirate Planet: Part Three
A relatively unobtrusive season-spanning-arc, a balance of wit and action and the obligatory underwhelming “epic” finale have all made me wonder if the sixteenth season was the blueprint for 21st century Doctor Who.
The Key to Time season retained the ambition and scope of Graham Williams’ first in charge, but married that to a stronger set of scripts than season fifteen.
“It is rather a special sort of stick.”
Romana, The Power of Kroll: Part Four
It also introduced us to yet another great new companion. Romanadvoratrelundar, in addition to being more than a match for the Doctor intellectually, seems to shares the Doctor’s flamboyant sense of style (He may claim to be no fashion expert, but do we really believe him!). Throughout the Key to Time season, Romana sports a splendid array of outfits and footwear that goes to show that Time Lords really do ‘always dress for the occasion’.
With a disapprovingly arched eye brow never far away, the rapport and sparring between the Doctor and Romana has been one of the joys of this season. I can’t help but feel a little sad that Mary Tamm couldn’t be persuaded to stay with the part for more than a year. I might just have to check out some of the audio adventures she did with Big Finish before she sadly passed away.
All in all, though the sixteenth season was a fitting way to see in Doctor Who‘s fifteenth anniversary, 500 episodes and 100 stories milestones.
"My favourite Fourth Doctor stories so far are Genesis of the Daleks, The Seeds of Doom, The Deadly Assassin and The Androids of Tara."
"My least favourite Fourth Doctor story so far is Revenge of the Cybermen."
