Well clearly the Three Doctors & Five Doctors were anniversary specials. But despite what I recall that was simply suggested at the time there is nothing as such to suggest that there was anything stand out or special about Silver Nemesis as an anniversary story at all.

So was we robbed of a genuine 25th anniversary story or do others feel it was in fact an anniversary special and see it as such.

I thought Remembrance of the Daleks, with it's many references back to the first series was the 25th anniversary special?

I recall it being Silver Nemesis though and the broadcast dates and tv advertising at the time suggest it as so?.

Well I guess it was called Silver Nemesis and the Cybermen were all shiny and silver but other than that I can't think of anything particularly special about that story.

The DVD for Remembrance of the Daleks states it as being the 25th anniversary special.

The final episode of TSN was broadcast on the 25th anniversary, and although it featured a significant enemy, it wasn't exactly a celebration. However, I'd say it's more appropriate to view Series 25 as an anniversary series, that way you can include ROTD and the references to the first episode.

Had not thought of the entire series 25 being an anniversary series. Checking it seems ep 1 of Silver Nemesis was broadcast on the 23rd and that series was actually broadcast over xmas & new year which id totally forgot about.

My mistake, yes the first episode of Silver Nemesis was on the anniversary..

According to the Wikipedia article for Remembrance, JNT wanted to start the 25th series "with a bang". And what a story - certainly worthy of an anniversary special (especially compared to anything in the preceding series), and it's not at all surprising that the DVD would be marketed as the 25th anniversary special.

A 25th anniversary is deemed a silver anniversary so Silver Nemesis was rather apt.

It's a shame the 50th doesn't have the word "gold" in it.

Episode one was broadcast on 23 November 1988, and it is also the 150th story of the series, and the last appearance of the Cybermen in the original run of Doctor Who.

According to Wikipedia: Season 25 was originally supposed to have been broadcast in production order, with The Greatest Show in the Galaxy second. However, the expected start of the season on 7 September was delayed to 5 October because of BBC coverage of the Seoul Summer Olympics. John Nathan-Turner still wanted to lead off the year with Remembrance of the Daleks and have episode one of the twenty-fifth anniversary story, Silver Nemesis, broadcast on 23 November – the actual date of Doctor Who's 25th anniversary. This left only three weeks in between the two serials. Consequently, the original season finale, The Happiness Patrol, was exchanged with The Greatest Show in the Galaxy.

I agree, though. that its not really written as a 25th anniversary special, but is just special enough.

I agree also, it was certainly written with the 25th anniversary in mind and as you say broadcast around the 25th anniversary itself. I suppose it was more of an acknowledgement of 25 years than a celebration in itself.

Indeed.

Originally I believe it was simply called Nemesis and did not feature the Cybermen.

The Cybermen and the 'Silver' in the title were added to reflect the anniversary.

Rotten story though, not much of a celebration.

Looking back (without resorting to actual broadcast dates) I thought Remembrance was the more fitting 25th anniversary episode, especially after the scene in the B+B when the BBC continuity announcer starts to mention new Saturday evening serial "Doc........"

"Silver Nemesis" changed by life forever. No longer did I think of the Queen as our monarch, but rather as an extra in Doctor Who.

Actually, while we're on the subject of The Silver Nemesis, does anyone know if the version that was released on DVD was the broadcast version or the extended one that was released on VHS?

I'm not a big fan of the story but I did prefer the VHS version.

You know they almost got Prince Edward to make a cameo. Almost!

Murray Gold..

Yeah alough I think what did for 5 doctors was a proper anniversary.

My impression was that JNT was trying to push the 25th anniversary by any means possible to garner the programme as much publicity as possible, including calling Silver Nemesis the anniversary story. However, the powers that be at that time in the BBC weren't interested in making anything of the 25th in the slightest, and just wanted to ignore the programme by that stage so JNT's efforts just ran into a brick wall.

Unfortunately, it is the broadcast version on the DVD, with the additional material relegated to a "Deleted and Extended Scenes" extra, and no sign of the American documentary that was on the videotape (possibly for copyright reasons). This is the one DVD release that I feel actually gives the viewer less than the VHS did [room for a "special edition" here, one would have thought].

Remembrance was the 25th anniversary of the Daleks. Maybe...

That documentary was AWESOME with Gary Downey shouting "Let's make magic!" in a way that John Inman would have deemed too camp. Also, we got to see the full majesty of Tonedeaf Keff playing with his organ in the back bedroom.

A fitting accompaniment to a story which has 17th Century time-travellers mistaken for social workers by the crappest skinheads since the Weetabix adverts.