“The Caves of Androzani” is an adventure of the twentyfirst season of “Doctor Who” classic series, which aired in 1984. It follows “Planet of Fire” and it’s a four parts adventure written by Robert Holmes and directed by Graeme Harper.
The story
The Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) and Peri (Nicola Bryant) arrive on the planet Androzani Minor. Very few forms of life can survive in the deserts of the planet but in its caves there is a kind of bat that produces spectrox, a substance that can greatly extend the life of the humans who live on the nearby planet Androzani Major.
Mining spectrox is already difficult due to the presence of the magma monsters in the caves but it’s made even more dangerous by Sharaz Jek, who has sworn revenge against Trau Morgus, the tycoon who controls the market for this precious substance. The Doctor and Peri find themselves in the middle of a war for the control of spectrox and are mistaken for spies by General Chellak, who’s trying to run the mining operations.
Extras
The original edition contains a fair amount of extras while the Special Edition contains a good amount of extras. In both editions there are typical contents such as production subtitles and a gallery of pictures from this adventure. The Special Edition also contains the Radio Times Listings and a promo of the “Doctor Who” DVDs to be published soon.
There are various comments in the adventure alternative audio track of both editions by protagonists Peter Davison and Nicola Bryant and director Graeme Harper.
The original edition contains:
Extended Scene. A longer version of a scene.
Original Opening Scene. The option to see the opening scene of this adventure in the original version. A new version has been created for this DVD eliminating some technical problems.
Both editions contain:
Behind the Scenes: The Regeneration. A video shot during the filming of the regeneration.
Creating Sharaz Jek. A short documentary on the creation of the character of Sharaz Jek.
News Report. The news about Peter Davison’s demise on the BBC.
News Feature. Peter Davison and producer John Nathan-Turner in the show “South East at Six” discuss the future of “Doctor Who”.
Music-Only Option / Isolated Score. The option to listen to the soundtrack especially produced in an isolated audio track.
BBC1 trailer. A BBC trailer for the broadcast the first episode of this adventure.
The Special Edition also contains:
Extended Scene. The longer version of three scenes.
Chain Reaction. A 36-minute long documentary on the production of this adventure.
Directing Who: Then & Now. Director Graeme Harper is the only one who has directed episodes of the classic series that the new series of “Doctor Who”. Therefore he has a unique perspective to explain the differences in the production of the two series.
The Russell Harty Show. Peter Davison and Colin Baker talk about the transition from one to another in “The Russell Harty Show” in March 1984.
In the Special Edition there’s also an “Easter egg” with the original version of the opening scene of this adventure.
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Script editor Eric Saward admired the adventures of “Doctor Who” written by Robert Holmes and wanted him to write a new script for the show a few years after his last time. Producer John Nathan-Turner preferred to have new authors but eventually agreed to that request.
A first attempt to involve Robert Holmes took place on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary special of “Doctor Who” but there were too many old characters to be involved for his taste so it all came to nothing. Finally, Eric Saward managed to have a new script by Holmes for the Fifth Doctor’s regeneration. That didn’t finish the season because John Nathan-Turner chose to immediately produce the first adventure of the Sixth Doctor to make easier for fans to get used to his new incarnation.
As a director Graeme Harper was the choice. In previous years he worked in “Doctor Who” as a floor assistant, an assistant floor manager and a production assistant and John Nathan-Turner knew him well. The two of them had to handle a strike which caused delays in the filming and forced them to cut some small pieces at the last moment.
Despite the difficulties, Robert Holmes’s screenplay, Graeme Harper’s energy and the high-level performances of most of the cast cast made “The Caves of Androzani” a “Doctor Who” classic. In the survey made by Doctor Who Magazine on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of the show it was voted the best adventure of all time and it’s always among the first in all the polls.
Personally, I think “The Caves of Androzani” is a bit overrated. Let’s be clear, I’m talking about a script by perhaps the best writer of the classic “Doctor Who” series but I prefer other adventures.
The first time I saw “The Caves of Androzani” I couldn’t help notice some similarities with “Dune” but that story is even more sophisticated with more narrative layers. Over time I was able to see more of the “Doctor Who” adventure but in doing so I noticed that it reworks elements already seen in previous stories written by Robert Holmes reshuffled in a different way.
In particular, Robert Holmes had to have a predilection for “The Phantom of the Opera” because he already took inspiration from that story when he wrote “The Deadly Assassin” and “The Talons of Weng-Chiang“. In “The Caves of Androzani” this element is even stronger in the creation of a memorable villain such as Sharaz Jek, who went mad after being almost killed by Trau Morgus.
Morgus’s monologues facing the camera derived from a communication error during their filming. Someone think they’re amazing, I always found them a bit weird. For the rest this character greedy and ready to kill anyone to increase his earnings is another excellent Robert Holmes creation. The author’s skill is also seen in Timmin, Morgus’s assistant who remains in the shadows for most of the story but ends up having her own importance.
The other protagonists are well-constructed characters as well with their motivations and their agendas. General Chellak has a conscience but he finds himself in a position in which he must act ruthlessly. Salateen, his second in command, has a secret and this makes the character more complex. The gunrunner Stotz does his dirty work without scruples.
The other characters are well-constructed characters and their motivations and their plans. The General Chellak has a conscience but is located in a position in which it must act in a fierce. Salateen, his second in command, has a secret and this makes the character more complex. The mercenary Stotz does its dirty work without scruples.
The Doctor and Peri end up involved in a story with very dark tones and dangerous that ends with a huge body-count. The two of them risk their lives on several occasions and this adds tension because the audience already knew that the Fifth Doctor would regenerate but there was a chance that this might happen during the adventure and not at its end.
One of the dangers is the magma monster. Unfortunately, it’s the worst element of the story, a typical monster of dubious quality of the classic “Doctor Who” series. Its comparison with the giant worms of “Dune” makes it look even worse. Luckily it’s only used in some scenes in the caves to add a little action.
In the classic “Doctor Who” series, often the problem was the padding, with characters going from one place to another just to spend some time. In “The Caves of Androzani” the pace is often much faster than the show’s average and in some occasions the characters who are moving do it in a situation of tension and sometimes there’s a firefight. Androzani Minor isn’t exactly the ideal place to go around unarmed like the Doctor and Peri.
The Fifth Doctor was the most vulnerable and in some ways the weakest version of the character. In “The Caves of Androzani” those features are put to their best use: involved in events over which he has no control, he tries in every way to save himself and Peri. When he’s forced to make a choice, he selflessly chooses Peri.
Peter Davison had the opportunity to give his best and later claimed that if there had been more stories of that level he would’ve kept playing the Doctor for at least another season. I think his era had many ups and downs but at least it ended with a bang.
The regeneration scene with the faces of the past companions was an idea of producer John Nathan-Turner, who was inspired by the Fourth Doctor’s regeneration. The last moments with Colin Baker in the role of the Sixth Doctor immediately show the contrast with his predecessor.
Although I have some doubts about the story, I think that “The Caves of Androzani” is overall excellent. The original edition of the DVD contained decent extras but wasn’t great, the Special Edition also contains new extras that definitely raise its level making it a must-have for anyone interested in “Doctor Who”.
In Region 2 nations, the Special Edition mini-box set is part of the “Revisitations 1” bigger box set – available on Amazon UK
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