Two stories left of Season 19 and I still haven’t got to my favourite of the Season yet. I wonder which one of these last two it could be????!!!

Well since I would have to have my head examined for it to be Time-Flight, you would be right in assuming it would be Earthshock. Second best story of the Davison era and the best Cybermen adventure ever imo, but only just ahead of Tomb Of The Cybermen which runs it a close second.

There so many things to love about this story but watching it in hindsight, the first episode really gets it of to a relatively slow start considering what is to follow. What makes it more frustrating to watch is that The Doctor and co don’t appear for ages and it seems a standard runaround in the tunnels with a strange adversary who kills without a qualm. However, things gradually start to pick up and it is clear from the off that this is be Adric’s story and for once it is him rather than Tegan who has a big argument with The Doctor. I love all the continuity references back to the previous Season with Romana and E-Space. Never before had the show been so explicit about adventures from the past.

Once the TARDIS appears in the caves the story changes gear again as they detected by the troopers. What I love here is that the setup for the final episode is superbly done as The Doctor speculates with Tegan and Nyssa how the Dinosaurs were wiped out by a mysterious object from outer space. Then they captured and there is a scene here I wish to draw attention to.

I’ve mentioned this a few times over the last few days and that is the fact that Peter Davison’s Doctor has quite unfairly been called a wimp; I often wonder if it’s because of the way he reacts to Scott's treatment of him when they first meet in this story. Here, he pushes him about and The Doctor just seems to take it. Very rarely during the rest of this era do I recall him reacting this way after such treatment when he is usually quite authoritative. I firmly believe it was deliberately done during this story to make him as vulnerable as possible for when it comes to the last episode and saving Adric. Unfortunately, imo, people see this scene and make an assumption about Davison’s Doctor as a whole when clearly this is not the case.

Back to the story and the first cliffhanger is an absolute corker. I don’t recall this at the time for some reason but it must have been one hell of a surprise to see the Cybermen at the end of the episode.

Following this, the next episode shows that the New Cybermen are far better than their last appearance in Revenge Of The Cybermen. David Banks is superb as the Cyberleader and the story picks up more pace with all the stuff with the bomb. Adric and The Doctor make up and then everything transfers to the freighter and we are introduced to one Beryl Reid as the Captain. Surprise choice for the role but I really did think she made it work. (And I loved that tale that she thought Warp Drive was an actual road!)

Part 3 things really do gather pace as the Doctor realises The Cybermen are back and I love the musical cue for this as well. I also love the way he tries to stop them boarding the bridge and fails and the cliffhanger again is just absolutely brilliant as the Cyber Army goes on the march, seemingly unstoppable.

Part 4, what an episode. Tegan does her mouth on legs line, gets captured and then gets used against The Doctor as the Cybermen expose his weakness. I just love that speech by The Doctor about the well prepared meal etc and I also think that if we didn’t know what was coming, perhaps we should have done as Adric and The Doctor shake hands and say goodbye for the final time. That shot firmly on the handshake was a massive clue really!

Then it really kicks of as The Doctor fights the Cybermen on board the TARDIS as Adric tries to save the ship from crashing into Earth. Even then, the link to the Dinosaurs extinction is not immediately obvious, it was so cleverly done. Then bang! The Doctor realises what is happening but despite defeating The Cybermen he cannot save Adric. I think the music and shots used for Adric’s final moments were just superb, it really had impact(the CGI version on the DVD is good as well). It really is one of those scenes that no matter how many times I watch it, it gives me goosebumps it’s that good. The very last scene is superbly done with Nyssa and Tegan in tears and we see The Doctor's stunned reaction.

The silent credits as the titles really roll, nicely done and very effective. I honestly don’t recall watching this at the time though I know I definitely must have done so I can’t recall my initial reaction to Adric’s death. No doubt at the time of transmission it would have been really shocking but after watching all his stories, and seeing how annoying he was, it’s hard to sort of feel any sorrow for the character in the same way as if it had been Tegan or Nyssa. You could say right at the death(forgive the pun) he did come good as a character and had an almost heroic death but what went before sort of reduces it’s impact somewhat IMO.

However, those last ten or so minutes were just an amazing piece of drama. I think what makes Earthshock is it’s pace, the direction, the incidental music, which was superb and the revamped Cybermen being as effective as they ever were in the 80’s. What little faults there were(such as gossiping Cybermen in one scene) are irrelevant because it is such a good story.

So there is only one way to sum up the story…..

'Excellent'

*Clenches fist*

One of my favourite stories ever. This was my era of watching doctor who and I was really scared of the cybermen back then! Its really well written and peter is so good in it. Adric death is well handled too. But somehow brushed over in the next ep!

I too always liked Earthshock. In those (far-off) days of no spoilers (if only nowadays) nobody had any idea that the Cybermen were coming back...

Also it re-visited one of my favourite Tom lines "You've no home planet, no influence, nothing. You're just a pathetic bunch of tin soldiers skulking about the galaxy in an ancient spacecraft"

And Adric's death was well-handled - again with no spoilers nobody saw it coming.

So yes, I'll join the Earthshock fanclub!

One of the best Who stories ever!

JNT is often knocked for some of the decisions he made during his tenure at the helm of Who, but when he got it right - he *really* got it right. The surprise return of the Cybermen and managing to keep the whole thing secret was remarkable.

I absolutely love this story - the opening scenes in the caves (studio rather than location, but the sets are so convincing it works really well), and the tense scenes on the freighter: the story has a wonderfully claustrophobic feel about it. Even the lighting is amazing throughout - which was rare during this particular era of Who - subtle and adding to the eerie feel in the caves scenes, and making the freighter seem creepy and dangerous.

Beryl Reid is surprisingly good in this, considering (according to the DVD commentary) she didn't have a clue what was going on. I suppose people forget she *was* a serious actress in her day (though admittedly that day had passed by the time she came to do 'Earthshock').

The Cybermen are genuinely menacing here - unlike in the previous story story ('Revenge'), or the following one ('Attack'). The viewer is left in no doubt whatsoever that they are fully prepared to kill anyone to get what they want.

Adric's death at the end was inspired - going out with a bang: literally!

Incidentally, the DVD commentary is well worth listening to - the cast are *very* entertaining, and their constant p*ss taking of Beryl Reid (though a tad cruel) is extremely funny.

Really fantastic story. Dont think it's as good as Tomb and THAT cliffhanger probably isnt as effective as it would be as we all know who the villain in this is, but overall, it is really brillinat and fast paced, quite a NuWho feel about it. The Cybermen make a cracking return and it's clear the end of this story has a lasting effect in the 5th Doctor i.e. when he regerates he shouts Adrics name, showing he's obviously still really guilty. Plus, Adric dies! YAY!!!

I think Beryl was great in this story and get really cross with the 'accepted' line (often repeated in interviews and commentaries by cast and crew) that she was miscast.

This is my favourite Davison story - creepy, surprisingly gory (people puddles!) a shock return for the Cybermen and an even greater shock when a companion dies. Oh those wonderful spoiler-free days . . .

Davison's 2nd best, I agree. Also the first 20 minutes of this one rank amongst the most atmospheric and frightening sequences in DW, ever. Cue my 6 year-old (now desensitised to Dr Who monsters after multiple DVD sessions) who still crapped it during this bit. Only episode 1 of Death to the Daleks was scarier....

And they killed Adric. Thank God. Sorry I disliled the char intensely, and MW's acting talent is non-existant.

Actually Beryl Reid's serious acting days weren't completely behind her at that point, she won the Bafta award for best actress that same year for Smiley's People. I like her in this, without her that role would be a lot less interesting.

Earthshock is flawed but still a classic, a lot of it doesn't really add up when you think about it but the sheer drive of the story carries it through. Decent performances all round, good effects for the time and better lighting and directing than usual for this era. It also has a fun commentary!

Yes, as gslam2 says - the plot really doesn't hold up to more than a cursory look, (how did the Cybs plant their bomb? how did they get the androids in place? and why, as the androids drew FAR more attention to the bomb, than the bomb itself did... why was that freighter stuffed with Cybermen anyway? how on earth can a Cyberman control over-ride gizmo suddenly make the freighter start traveling back in time for no readily apparent reason? and loads more...) but the whole thing is played out with such verve that the viewer is simply carried along with it.

The first episode is very good example of how to misdirect the audience, and provide some very icky thrills along the way. The first cliffhanger was a total surprise at the time - pre-internet it was very difficult for fans to find out anything much prior to transmission, but to make doubly sure the surpise was kept JNT even turned down a Cyberman Radio Times cover. I'm glad he did as I can still remember my exhilaration when the Cybs finally appeared.

Special mention must go to Malcolm Clarke's excellent (sorry...) clanging metallic music. Perfect for these new Cybermen. Love the redesign too. Arguably my favourite Cyb style. David Banks got some criticism back in 1982 for not being the slightest bit emotionless - but very few Cybermen before him had been truly emotionless anyway, and Banks was clearly relishing the part and created a very memorable adversary for the Davison's Doctor.

And Adric's demise. Well it didn't bother me at all at the time, and still leaves me unmoved today. The silent credits try to force us to be sad, but initially it simply made me wonder if the sound guys had forgotten to dub on the music...

what's so funny about his death is when he's tapping away at the key board just before it blows up you can clearly see Matthew trying very hard to keep his fingers as far away from the key board as he can so as not to get them burned..

But you simply can't fault Earthshock for me the best Cyber story of the classic series - even if the whole bomb plot doesn't really make an awful lot of sense.

The surprise reveal of the cybermen! (fantastic because they'd hardly been seen for many years), the cybermen bursting out of their pods, the sense that they were unstoppable (something RTD repeated with the Daleks in the 2005 season) and Adric's death - the silent end with the broken star. At the time it was a knockout!

Also, why did Ridgeway (think that's the right name) make such a big deal about all the strange things going on and want everything to be done more carefully when he was in league with the Cybermen anyway!?

Imagine how it would have been at the time, though, for a monster who hadn't been seen for seven years suddenly pops up out of the blue at the end of an episode. The Production team did really well to keep the Cybermen's return under wraps. I'm absolutely sure it would be more difficult to do today but at the time...wow! I'm so annoyed I can't remember my own reaction to this but I didn't miss a single episode in the 80's, so I know I would have watched it.

The story also reaffirms my belief that spoilers are evil and are a total ruination of enjoyment of a story. I can't see how anyone could possibly have enjoyed Earthshock as much on original viewing had they known the double surprise this story had in store for them.

This has to be MY favourite Davison story! And also my second favourite cyber -story (Tomb is still No.!).
It was very fast-paced all the way through, after the slow build-up at the start.
Beryl Reid (bless her) played the captain beautifully - in true 'Reid' style!!
The DVD commentary is entertaining as ever with the 'gang' sharing their hilarious views!
I was shocked (originally) at Adric's demise. I'd never seen a companion actually killed before. The silent ending was a nice touch. TBH, I wasn't sorry to see Adric go though!

well we all know the story about JNT stopping Radio Times from having their original front page cover and the studio filming was done behind locked doors with security guards stopping unauthorized people getting in but even so it was a staggering achievement to of kept the Cybermens return a secret.


in today's mass media world of internet , face book and tweeting where if Matt Smith farted on set it would all over the web within minutes there is absolutely no way that Moff and the team could keep a massive return secret. I mean just think how jaw dropping it would of been if we had known nothing of the 9th Doctor's regeneration or the return of Davros.

I find this story ludicrously overrated, although the reason is clear: pure shock value. For me that is tawdry and not a substitute for good, dramatic writing.

Oh I dunno - they did a pretty good job keeping JLC's appearance on in 'Asylum of the Daleks' secret.


I thought there was plenty of good, dramatic writing - 'Earthshock' is no 'Horns of Nimon'.

Yet another story to add to my "don't see what all the fuss is about" list.

The only good thing was Adric's death, but as stated already that was just shock value.

I agree with gboy here.

I have no problem with people who don't like Earthshock, everyone to their own. What I do have a problem with is the fact people seem to think the story's popularity is based solely on the shock value but i totally disagree.

For me, the Cybermen could have appeared right at the beginning of Part 1, The Doctor could have got the TARDIS aboard the Freighter and rescued Adric and I still would have enjoyed this story.

Why? Because as Gboy says there was so much good, dramatic writing. I mean, The Doctor is rendered helpless and is the Cybermen's prisoner for a whole episode and a half. The Cybermen have absolute control over the situation. Adric is left on a doomed ship and tries desperately to stop it exploding into Earth. The tension just gets really unbearable. The will he-won't survive, how will the Doctor defeat the Cybermen thing was what made it such a good story and Adric's death was just an added bonus event which meant The Doctor won at a cost. If that doesn't make good drama I don't know what does.

Aside from Caves Of Androzani, I don't see any other Davison story comes close in terms of dramatic tension. So to say this story is popular based on shock value alone is something I totally and utterly disagree with.

I think you just about covered it. There are two things that really help Earthshock. Peter Grimwade's direction. I do love his directing style. He was so imaginative and talented that its so sad he died relatively young.

The other thing is there is quite a lot of sound in the caveswhether it is a clanking sound in the caves or beeping equipment which adds so much. The sounds compliment the action rather than drown it. When the Cybermen are marching through the freighter who can forget that theme.

Oh and someone remembered to turn downthe bright lights for once which helped!

That doesn't sound exciting; it sounds slow and boring. And isn't this, of all classic Who, the one story that is supposed to be fast paced and action packed?

To be honest, even if it were, it takes more than that to make an interesting story for me. Explosions don't excite me. Cybermen firing guns badly doesn't excite. What engages me in an episode of Doctor Who is the concepts, the ideas, good characters, good dialogue. The guy above me said 'it ain't no Horns of nimon' but that story had some interesting ideas in it; it tried to do something interesting. What ambition does Earthshock have? What interesting ideas does it offer? Notice how much i'm using the word 'interesting'? Because that is what Earthshock lacks so badly. Interestimg things. It's just 4 episodes of plot, plot, plot.

I think it would be very easy to reel off a hundred Doctor who stories that have more interesting story ideas than Earthshock. It's mainly just based on action, which was never Doctor who's forte anyway, because it didn't have the means to credibly realize it. It thrived on its writing, it's storytelling - not a million fast cuts of nothing much.

Adric dies, but so what? His death has no pathos whatsoever because it is totally meaningless, and without any lasting impact. You might as well have him die crossing the road; there's no genuine drama because it doesn't mean anything. JUST dying isn't dramatic, especially when one chose to live a dangerous lifestyle. It's dramatic, sad, powerful when it has significance, when it evokes some insight in us, when it informs us of some fact of life beyond a restatement of mortality. Adric blowing up for no other reason than Eric Saward wanted to get rid of the unpopular character in a way that would garner maximum publicity and maximum viewer shock isn't worth crap artistically. There was no narrative reason to kill him. It was cheap.

To me, it's shocking to compare this story to 'Caves of Androzani'. Androzani has huge amounts of pathos, it has realistic, fascinating characters WHO ARE ALL BAD GUYS, all totally human and flawed and doomed; it is the Watchmen (not the film) of Doctor who. it shows us our futility, and the drama and humanity and strange poetry of that futility. It's written by a man who knows a lot about life and is cynical and is annoyed with the world for making him cynical. It wasn't written by a guy blowing up a central character just because. Everything has a purpose in a Robert Holmes script, just like it does in a steven Moffat script. It's not just an excuse for 20 odd minutes of action each week. That is a requirement, sure, but a good writer can get more in there besides that.

Saward can put together a good plot boiler for sure (though this isn't even his best effort at that: 'Revelation of the Daleks' is), but there's nothing in this story that made me stop for one second to actually consider anything of import or of any kind of value to my life. That may sound grandiose but there's a million ways an episode of Doctor Who can do that without being high faluting; many of them do... but this story doesn't manage to find any of them.

Seriously, what is it about? I don't mean the plot, what is it about? Drama is hollow if it isn't about anything. There needs to be a theme; there needs to be a reason they're all running around. Shakespeare put it better than i can so allow me to finish by misquoting him:

"Earthshock is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

It certainly was. I must be one of the few people who liked Adric, more than Tegan, anyway, and to see the Doctor's reaction, both to the Cybermen earlier on and to losing Adric, after all the goings-on in the tunnels, was rivetting. The focussing on Adric's star and the silent credits was very effective, I remember sitting there thinking 'what?'

Also Adric's demise wasn't long drawn out or telegraphed (until the very last minute) so was the more shocking for that as you expected him to be rescued as that was what we were used to.

It's weird how you and I always disagree over these things. I think what we both want and like in a story are two completely different things and that's why we have such differing views on several stories over these threads.

The Horns Of Nimon, it's funny, it has a good story but as with most of Season 17, barring City Of Death, it lacks any kind of the dramatic tension I like to see in a story. As I said back then, it feels like watching a Xmas Day edition of Morcambe and Wise. It hardly grips you and puts you on the edge of your seat.

That's where Earthshock comes into it's own. It grips me, I like stories that has pace and dramatic tension as I've said dozens of times on here. It's one of my main gripes of a lot of Moffat stories in New Who. they don't grip, they don't excite and the pace is crap. (Last Saturday's episode did though!)

My comparison to Caves Of Androzani was based burely on the tension aspect, it seems something we can actually agree on is that it is a better story and yes, I see where you're coming from on the whole pahos thing but that was special to that story(More of which I'll leave to when we get to that thread)

Grimwade was brilliant director, but a dreadful writer,,,


Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying there's anything bad with 'Nimon' - it's very entertaining in places. But - yeah, it's hardly edge-of-seat stuff.

'Earthshock' is a very different beast - as is the story before it. That's what makes Dr Who so great - the diversity of story types. OK, 'Earthshock' doesn't contain the intellectual scope of, say, 'Kinda', but it's got a fantastic atmosphere, great pace and genuinely scary moments.

Yeah, I think if we sat down and scrutinised every aspect of Earthshock, I'm sure there'd be, as one commentator put it once, 'a plot hole big enough for Briggs to drive her freighter through'

Sometimes though, you just have to overlook those things and enjoy a story on it's own merits. I thought on the face of it it made sense and I liked the fact that The Doctor was helpless and not in control for the majority of the last two episodes. I don't see that as boring, I see it as a nice way to keep the tension going . If an adversary is totally in control, the best part is finding out how, if at all, they will be defeated.

Look at The Master in Last Of The Time Lords. He was in control for 75% of that episode, almost as long in time terms as The Cybermen were in Earthshock. Again, part of the fun of that episode was discovering the chink of light that would bring him down and it was the same for the Cybermen here.