Watching this now, one thing I have noticed is that Tom Baker looks really ill!

I understand this was his last outing as the doctor. Maybe he was ill at the time.

Is Teagan the new companion? Last one of Tom Baker's episodes I saw yesterday had Sarah Jane in it - or aren't these being shown in order?

There's about 5 years between Sarah and Tegan (though they sort of meet in The Five Doctors).

Sounds like whatever you're watching on they are not in order.

G

I don't think he was ill. I think it was just that he knew that it was his last story and he was moving on after 7 years. Also I thought he didn't seem to bothered and looked like he just wanted to finish and get it over and done with

Watch out for the great special effects later in the story

Excellent stuff.

It says in Mark Campbells Doctor Who pocket essential book that Tom had contracted an illness when he was in Australia in between Seasons 17 and 18 accounting for the gaunt look throughout the series.

I haven't heard this reported anywhere else but his gaunt appearance does suggest that this is probably true. He certainly never looked this ill again the few years after he left the series!

Is this on DVD?
I missed the start, and then i got to the bit where the 2 women enter the Tardis before my dad said there was rugby on!!

Sarah Jane Smythe was one of Tom Baker's first assistants, along with Harry Sullivan. After Smythe left we had Leela, Romana I & II, K9 and then somewhere near the end Adric and Teegan appear.

Yep - It is part of the New Beginnings Boxset along with Keeper Of Traken and Castrovalva. (As opposed to The Beginning boxset which has the first three WH stories)

Check out the Dr Who Restoration Team web site for all classic series releases.

LOL - The posh one!!

And don't forget Nyssa who was there just before Teegan

Tegan

one e!

Ooops!

I wasn't able to watch all of this episode, just the ending, and now I'm at work so won't be able to watch the repeat later, but could someone explain why the regeneration took place like that, it was different to the way JP regenerated into TB???? Or will I have to watch the whole episode for it to make sense????

up until the new series all regenerations where completly different.

The idea of a time lord merging with a future projection was also used in Jon Pertwee's last episode but for the regeneration of a different time lord

Oh okay.....that makes sense....thank you

John Nathan-Turner mentioned in the book "The Tardis Inside Out" that Tom was ill for a part of that season, causing considerable weight loss and also causing his naturally curly hair to go straight, which meant that for the first time they had to use curlers.

IIRC it was while filming "The Curse of King Tut's Tomb" earlier in 1980 that Baker fell ill. It was one of many problems on the production which was put down to the eponymous 'curse'.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080582/

G

He was troubled with his illness for many shows during that season:

Work began on Season Eighteen with The Leisure Hive's brief location material. This was filmed on Brighton beach in East Sussex on March 20th and 21st. Unfortunately, Tom Baker was very ill on these days, and accordingly his dialogue was reduced as much as possible.

http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/serials/5n.html

Serial 5Q was entirely studio-bound, being recorded in two three-day blocks. The first session began on Wednesday, June 25th, and the second on Thursday, July 10th. During this time, Tom Baker continued to suffer the same illness which had afflicted him throughout the season.

http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/serials/5q.html

The severe illness from which Tom Baker had suffered during the making of The Leisure Hive had not improved; in fact, his condition was so bad that his hair had gone flat and had to be permed to regain its usual curl.

http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/serials/5p.html

On-set tensions were particularly high around this time because of the illness which had afflicted Tom Baker all season (and was only now beginning to abate)

http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/serials/5s.html

Probably explains the huge bogey in the Keeper of Traken

I thought he just looked bored, and frankly after watching four episodes of this tripe I could relate to him.

On a slightly unrelated note, I've just realised what a bad idea it is to get an episode writer to do a commentary. I watched the Logopolis commentary, hoping that I could see some constructive criticism, but because Christopher "Science is Fun" Bidmead, who wrote the bloody thing, was on the commentary, the others had to mind their P's and Q's. I was just sitting there, thinking "Hang on, this is absolute tripe, say something Tom!"

And the amount of times in the commentary Bidmead started going on about what a wonderful script it was and how cleverly it was written! BLEGH!

I thought his middle initial was H?
Science is fun however

Sorry, I'm an English student.

But no matter how fun it might be in the classroom or workplace (for some people, at least), it certainly isn't for a Saturday tea-time drama. Particularly when the characters, humour and drama are shelved to make way for it.

I'm confused. If you know it is Tom's last story then surely you realise the Sarah Jane story was earlier. Or am I misunderstanding your question?

I knew it was TB's last outing but wondered what happened to Sarah Jayne.

Chris Bidmead really seemed to like the script, which is great as nobody else did.

Tom was a very grumpy chicken during his final shows - he admits this himself during DVD interviews. I suspect some of it may have been drink-related....

Ah ok. She had left many years before Logopolis.