The Time Warrior

"A straight line may be the shortest distance between two points, but it is by no means the most interesting."

Writer: Robert Holmes 

Format: TV

Broadcast: 15th December 1973 - 5th January 1974

Season: 11.01

Featuring: Third Doctor, Sarah

Synopsis 

The Doctor is called in by UNIT to investigate when a number of scientists go missing from a top security institute. Following the kidnappings back in time to the Middle Ages, he is unaware that investigative journalist Sarah Jane has stowed aboard the TARDIS.

As events unfold, the Doctor discovers a sinister alien, intent on alerting the future of mankind.

Verdict 

The Time Warrior is a simply wonderful television story. It certainly ranks as one of my all time favourites and it holds a special place in my heart as it was actually my first ever story with Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor. I loved it then and I love it just as much now. It seems like such a long time ago now that I was going around the shops and buying Classic stories on DVD and although I haven't got around to completing the collection (I certainly aim to get there gradually!), I have seen every television story that there has been. This one is a story filled with milestones and with it comes a brilliant story. This story introduces us to Sarah Jane Smith as the new companion and I think she's tremendous in her first story. She immediately catches the interest of the Doctor by pretending to be someone she's not and then she ends up becoming a stowaway on the TARDIS! It's quite an eventful episode for Sarah because at firs she thinks the Doctor is the person responsible for bringing the scientists to Linx. That was far from the truth of course. The second milestone that occurred in this serial was the introduction of the Sontarans. They are one of my all time favourite enemies and I love how their debut is actually just one member of the race. It's actually not until The Invasion of Time that we see more than one of them together which I think goes to show how successful the Sontarans really are if just one of them can make an impact that warrants a return. It's interesting that the Doctor has met them before encountering Linx here but I can't wait for the Early Adventures audio, wonderfully and simply called The Sontarans, in which that previous meeting will be depicted. I really can't wait for that one as it has all the makings of a classic. Finally, the third milestone in this story is the Doctor finally naming his home planet as Gallifrey. It's quite amazing that it takes until the eleventh season for us to know exactly where the Doctor comes from but it is what it is. There were opportunities in The War Games and The Three Doctors but they didn't come and that kept a little bit more of a mystery about the Doctor. The story that accompanied these milestones is also magnificent and after rewatching here I do feel I should also try and order the Target as I think I'll love the novelisation just as much as I enjoyed the televised format. Irongron was a brilliant character and I think the setting of a medieval castle works tremendously well. It's such a simple but brilliant setting as it provides the historical element but also a lot of room for action which we got. Rubeish provided a lot of humour with the Doctor and you could tell that the latter was having his patience tested. He did catch on to the comment about the one weakness a Sontaran has though which was marvellous. Bloodaxe, a name I really like, was also a fantastic character. I thought the cliffhangers were strong which always helps a story and I felt each one made me want to watch the next part right away which is something I always look for. Linx's tampering with time was very good and I liked how the plot that unfolded meant we had a really exciting climax. Linx didn't get away alive after a well placed arrow to the probic vent but the great explosion meant human evolution would continue on its natural course. Overall, simply wonderful! A new companion, brilliant debut for the Sontarans and an excellent story!

Rating: 10/10