Right so time for a new post with new content (well so to speak!) and its another Doctor Who story again and again its the Cybermen once again! And the Cybermen story in question is the only Tom Baker story to feature the silver cyborgs: Revenge of the Cybermen.
So let's dawn the silver suits and helmets and that dodgy voicebox thing and give this story a closer look.....
And the same old thing applies: SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
STORY
Right so the story begins with the Doctor (Tom Baker) and his two companions, Sarah (Elisabeth Sladen) and Harry (Ian Marter) spinning through the vortex of space (this carries on from the end of Genesis of the Daleks) using the time ring until they materialise back on the space station Nerva from the earlier story, The Ark in Space. Sarah however notices that the TARDIS isn't there and the Doctor tells her that the TARDIS is drifting back through time and they will have to wait for it to catch up. Also upon opening one of the doors onboard, a dead body drops out and as they make their way around outer corridors of the space station they find more dead bodies. Meanwhile onboard the station in a communications room, a crewman Warner (Alec Wallis) warns away an approaching spaceship due to an outbreak of a plague onboard the ship. The other surviving crewmembers onboard are Professor Kelman (Jeremy Wilkin), Commander Stevenson (Ronald Leigh-Hunt) and another officer, Lester (William Marlowe). Kelman asks Stevenson how can they carry on manning the station with only three officers but Lester seems to think they can manage. It is also revealed that Nerva's mission at this point is to warn away ships from Voga, a new asteroid which the station orbits until its presence is updated on all the starcharts of inbound ships.
Meanwhile the Doctor deduces that they have arrived thousands of years before the event of The Ark in Space when the crew of that time had been waiting thousands of years in suspended animation for the Earth to recover from solar flares that devastated the planet. As the Doctor, Sarah and Harry however make their way through the ship a metallic creature is seen moving around the dead bodies: a cybermat. Meanwhile on the surface of Voga, one of the native lifeforms, a Vogan is shot when trying to make outside contact with Nerva. The body is soon taken to a Vogan leader, Vorus (David Collings) who is informed by his aide, Magrik (Michael Wisher) that the Vogan shot was frightened by Vorus's plan as he is working with unnamed agent onboard Nerva. In the meantime however Warner is attacked by the cybermat and his skin ends up with glowing scars as a result. And just about this time the Doctor, Sarah and Harry are discovered by Stevenson and Lester and Kellman alerts them of Warner's condition. The Doctor offers to help them and Harry looks at Warner leaving the Doctor to go with Stevenson who tells him about Voga, which the Doctor instantly recognises as the planet of gold and that they are up against the Cybermen. Meanwhile this goes on Kellman is shown to be the agent that Vorus mention as he spies on the Doctor and Stevenson from his room using a device after this he communicates a message to the Cybermen onboard their ship.
Meanwhile Harry tells the Doctor that Warner has died and the Doctor on examining Warner's body finds two puncture marks which suggest he was injected with poison which the Doctor then concludes that it was no plague that caused the deaths. The Doctor then senses something else is wrong and he spies on Kellman's quarters finding the comms equipment, but he hides himself as Kellman returns, who is aware of the Doctor's presence and sets a trap for him to make it impossible for him to leave. The Doctor however manages to escape just as Sarah is attacked by the Cybermat, after which the Doctor disables by throwing gold at it and he tells Harry to take her to the station's teleporter as Sarah can be cured if she is teleported it will disperse the poison in her body. The Doctor then manages to repair the broken teleport beaming Sarah and Harry down, Sarah is cured of the poison but they are both captured by Vorus's men and taken to him. Vorus's questioning is interrupted by the chief councillor Tyrum (Kevin Stoney) and Sarah and Harry is chained up. The Doctor meanwhile confronts Kellman and uses the Cybermat to threaten him to find where the drive is to activate the teleport, which he gives up. However the Doctor is a bit too late as Kellman has bought enough time for the Cybermen to board Nerva, where they knock out the Doctor and the others leaving Kellman. And its from here the Doctor must try and find a way to stop the Cybermen from their plan to destroy Voga and rescue Sarah and Harry in the process.....
THOUGHTS
Its fairly safe to say that Revenge of the Cybermen is a fairly entertaining and solid story but next to the other stories in Tom Baker's first season as the Doctor, it remains a bit of a letdown as it lacks the outright quality that the others had and feels like a comedown after the heights set by Genesis of the Daleks that went before it. The story however written by the co-creator of the Cybemen, Gerry Davis, still stands head and shoulders over some of the more inferior Cybermen stories that followed during the 1980s (especially Silver Nemesis during the Sylvester McCoy era!). And it was also the first story to feature the Cybermen since Patrick Troughton's second Doctor story, The Invasion back in 1968. And the reason for the hiatus being that the script editor, Terrance Dicks during the entire Jon Pertwee era, hated the Cybermen and refused to do a story involving them!
PERFORMANCES AND NOTABLE SCENES
As for the performances they are all pretty good for the most part and the supporting cast are all pretty solid.
But as usual I will look at the regular cast first with Tom Baker putting in another fine performance as the Doctor and by this time he was starting to get to grips with his character pretty and starting to nail the fourth doctor's quirky sense of humour and alien nature. Tom has plenty of good moments in the story and for starters there is the scene where the Doctor taunts the Cybermen once they have boarded Nerva by saying "You have no home planet, no influence, nothing! You're just a pathetic bunch of tin soldiers skulking about the galaxy in an ancient spaceship!". And in the same scene the Cyberleader becomes riled and grabs the Doctor by the throat and says "Cybermen can function more efficiently that animal organisms! That is why we will rule the galaxy!" and the Doctor says "Loose thinking! The trouble with Cybermen is they have hydraulic muscles and hydraulic brains to go with them!".
Another good scene and a good line from Tom comes in the scene when the Doctor, Stevenson and Lester have bombs strapped to their backs and one of the Cybermen pushes the Doctor toward the transmat device and the Doctor quips "Careful, careful, I might explode!". Then there is the scene where the Doctor, Stevenson and Lester once on the surface of Voga make their way toward their target and the Doctor says to Lester he has a better idea than waiting around and when Lester asks what it is he says "I don't know yet. That's the trouble with ideas. The only come a bit at a time!". Then there is classic moment in the story where Harry inadvertently causes a rockfall in the shaft area of the caves which knocks out the Doctor (and kills Kellman as a result). And as Harry sees the Doctor he tries to unbuckle his bomb strap but is stopped by Lester and the Doctor comes to and asks Harry "Were you trying to undo this?" and Harry says "Well naturally" and the Doctor continues "Did you make the rocks fall, Harry???" and Harry sheepishly says "Well yes I guess I must have done". And the Doctor then laughs out loud and yells at the top of his lungs "HARRY SULLIVAN IS AN IMBECILE!!!!" before passing out! And lastly there is the moment where the Doctor and Sarah onboard Nerva towards the end manage to avoid Vorus's rocket after it is launched and Stevenson redirects it to miss the station. And the Doctor says over the mic "Cogito ergo sum!" and Sarah asks "What?" and the Doctor says "I think therefore it missed!".
Elisabeth Sladen also does great in her role as Sarah Jane-Smith, the Doctor's companion (and possibly the most popular companion of all time). Liz also has some good moments in the story such as the scene when after she has been poisoned by the Cybermat, the Doctor saves her by beaming her down to Voga along with Harry. And Harry who carries her is delighted to find out that it worked and he says "It worked, Doctor! It worked!" and Sarah groggily says "Stop bawling down my ear. You've got a voice like a foghorn!" and she suddenly notices that Harry is carrying her and she says "Hey! What's going on here?!". And then in another scene where Sarah and Harry are chained up by the Vogans, Harry tries to prise open Sarah's chains and he says "Tibias, or rather fetlocks like a carthorse!" and Sarah taking offence says "My ankles aren't thick!". Another good moment from Liz comes when the Doctor says to Stevenson "I smell a rat!" and walks out, and Stevenson says "You know I sometimes wonder if that friend of yours is right in the head!" and Sarah says "If the Doctor smells a rat, he'll find one!". And lastly later on there is a nice little moment between the Doctor and Sarah as they are reunited on the space station and Sarah says to the Doctor "Doctor? Its good to see you" and the Doctor says "Is it?" and Sarah smiles saying "yes" and the Doctor looks at her for moment and smiles "Oh, right. Come on, quickly then".
Ian Marter is also very good again as Harry Sullivan, the Doctor's other trusty, yet clumsy companion. Ian also has some good moments in the story such as the scene at the start just after they arrive back on the space station, Harry says to the Doctor of the time ring "I'd rather like to have it" and Doctor smiles saying "Well you take very good care of it, Harry". However as Harry reaches for the time ring it suddenly vanishes and Harry looks at the Doctor "You knew that was going to happen, didn't you?" and the Doctor smiles and nods. Then there is the scene when Harry and Sarah beamed down to Voga and they find gold everywhere and Harry says "I'm rich! I can buy myself out of the navy, buy a quiet little practice in the country, sold gold stethoscope!". And lastly there is the moment where Sarah frees Harry from his chains and he graons as his chains break loose and Harry says "Maimed for life!" and Sarah sharply says "Honestly I don't why you are complaining! I got you free!".
As for the story's supporting cast, Ronald Leigh-Hunt does very well in his role as Commander Stevenson and he also has some good scenes. For starters there is the one where Stevenson speaks bitterly of Professor Kellman "I've lost most of my crew in these last months, some good friends among them, yet a thing like that is still alive!". Then there is the scene where Stevenson and Lester spring a trap on Kellman as Stevenson pulls a gun on him in the corridors of the station and Kellman has a gun on him also. And as Kellman tries to back away Lester comes from behind and grabs him and seizes Kellman's gun and Stevenson says to Lester "Well done, Lester. You walked right into it!".
Jeremy Wilkin is also very good as the double agent, Professor Kellman who is working both with the Cybermen and the Vogans. Wilkin's good scenes include his first one where Kellman says to Stevenson and Lester of their futile manning of the space station due to the plague by saying "You deserve a medal for self sacrifice beyond the bounds of stupidity!". And later on after Kellman shows Warner to the others once the Doctor, Sarah and Harry arrive, Stevenson tells them to take Warner out of the room but the communication room must be left operational, which annoys Kellman and he spits out "Oh yes, at all costs!!" before storming out. Then there is the scene where Kellman beams down to Voga and he is taken captive by Tyrum's aide, Sheprah and Kellman demands to speak to Vorus and Sheprah says "Vorus is no longer in charge here. Take him away". And Sheprah's guard grab Kellman and take him away as Kellman protests "Oh no, you don't understand. I must see Vorus! You're in danger, all of you!". And in the scene where Kellman is taken to Tyrum he reveals his plan as he has been working with Vorus all along to defeat the Cybermen. And Kellman says "We were working together. We wanted to lure the Cybermen into a trap!" and Tyrum asks "What trap?" and Kellman shouts "The beacon of course!! Vorus has a rocket aimed at the beacon!". And when Kellman finally meets with Vorus he warns him that they are too late "The Cybermen have already landed!" and Vorus angrily says "What?! Have you betrayed us?!" and Kellman yells back "Well I tried to warn you!! Once they were on the Beacon, I couldn't delay them any further!". And lastly as Kellman notices that Sarah has gone missing and Harry tells him she has gone back to the beacon to warn the Doctor, Kellman concerned says "If that girl reaches the beacon and starts blabbing about the rocket, the Cybermen will explode their bombs!".
David Collings is also excellent as Vorus, the Vogan leader who get's involved in a plan to destroy the Cybermen but also get's caught up in a civil war between his own people. Collings's good scenes include when he meets with Sarah and Harry and he tells them as they don't his questions "If you refuse to answer, you will suffer, and then I will ask you again and you will answer! Do you understand?!". Then there is the scene when Vorus meets with Tyrum and they have a heated argument over their stance which ends with Vorus angrily saying to Tyrum "I shall have you removed from office for this!". Another good moment is when Vorus meets with Tyrum's aid, Sheprah, once the Vogan's civil unrest has started and Sheprah says "Tyrum has given fresh orders. My troops will hold their present positions and not attack your guild chambers" to which Vorus smugly says "He has shown sense! Your city scum would be badly beaten!". And lastly there is Collings last moment in the story where (SPOILER!!!!!) Vorus attempts to fire his rocket with the Doctor and Sarah still onboard and Tyrum shoots him but is too late as Vorus already has fired the rocket and in his dying breath says "My skystriker! My Glory!".
Kevin Stoney who was always a solid dependable actor (and played Tobias Vaughan the main villain in the previous Cybermen story, The Invasion) does another fine job here as the Vogan chief councillor, Tyrum who Vorus falls out with. Stoney also has some good moments that include the scene where Tyrum meets with Vorus and they have an argument which ends with Tyrum warning Vorus "You're men are outnumbered and the troops have orders to crush any resistance. If there is any bloodshed, remember it will be on your hands!". Then there is the moment where Sarah and Harry and they discuss Vorus which leaves Tyrum worried "I wonder. Has Vorus in the madness of a vanity brought down the vengeance of the Cybermen upon us again?".
William Marlowe is also good as Lester, one of the surviving space station's officers and he has some good moments as well such as the scene where he watches over Warner, who is dying after being poisoned by the cybermat. And in that scene Lester says of Warner "Its always the same. They just seem to burn up. Warner's lasted longer than most" and Harry says "Strong constitution!" and Lester says "He's as tough as an old boot!". And lastly there is the scene where Lester sacrifices himself as the Cybermen managed to stop the Doctor and Harry from attacking them with the gold, so Lester unbuckles his bomb which blows himself and the Cybermen up.
Brian Grellis does well too as Sheprah, Tyrum head of the guards and he has some good moments too such as the scene where Sheprah desparately tells Tyrum "Councillor, the Cybermen are here!". And Sheprah says to Tyrum "They landed on the first level. We've suffered heavy casualties and we need reinforcements!". And when Tyrum how many of them there are Shep says "Two of them at least! Our weapons have no effect on them!". And lastly there is the moment where Shep warns Vorus about his men as the civil unrest between the Vogans has begun "Unless we are provoked, Vorus. Then we shall sweep you aside!". And quickly Michael Wisher also does well enough in his role as Magrik, Vorus's rather weak willed aide but it is a far cry from the fearsome and unforgettable performance Wisher gave in the previous story of Genesis of the dalek as Davros.
And last of all there is Christopher Robbie as the Cyber Leader who it has to be said is the weak link in the cast here as his portrayal of the Cybermen is far from logical and is far more emotional sounding and Robbie also appears to have a strange tansatlantic accent which seems a bit peculiar for a Cyberman! Regardless of that though Robbie still has some good moments in the story such as when the Cybermen first board the beacon and use their helmet beam weapons to knock out the Doctor and the answers and the Cyber Leader says "The beacon is ours!". Then there is the scene when the Doctor riles the Cyber Leader who stalks toward him and he says "We have enough parts in our ship to build an entirely new Cyber army. And this time, Doctor, it will be invincible!". And the Cyber Leader then grabs the Doctor around the throat and says "Cybermen FUNCTION more efficiently than animal organisms! That is why we will rule the galaxy!".
Another good scene is when the Doctor tries to attack one of the Cybermen aboard the beacon with gold but he is apprehended by one of the other Cybermen and the Doctor says "We surrender! We surrender!" and the Cyber Leader demands the Doctor to tie Sarah up "Now tie her up. Tie her up!". And last of all there is the moment where the Cyber Leader and the other cybermen are about to depart the beacon when they hear about Vorus's rocket. And the Cyber Leader says to the Doctor and Sarah "You two are especially privileged. You are about to die
in the biggest explosion ever witnessed in this solar system. It will be a
magnificent spectacle. Unhappily, you will be unable to appreciate it!".
DIRECTOR AND MUSIC
As for the director of the story, Michael E. Briant does a fine job here, having already directed the Sea Devils and The Green Death during the Jon Pertwee era. Briant handles the action and pacing of the story quite confidently throughout and his prior experience on the show clearly made for a good choice. Briant also made good use of the filming location of the Wookey hole caves in Somerset which were used for the shooting of the Vogan surface scenes and they help provide the story with some more atmosphere.
Getting onto the music well instead of using the series regular composer, Dudley Simpson, producer Philip Hinchcliffe went with Carey Blyton instead, who had already previously composed a couple of stories during the Pertwee era. Blyton's score is a bit of a mixed bag but overall its not a bad one and there are some good moments in it that add some atmosphere and tension to the story. The score however also features additional synthesizer music by Peter Howell, who later on composed the new Doctor Who title theme in 1980 as well as for various stories from the end of the Tom Baker era until Colin Baker's era and Howell's score here isn't too bad either but overall its nothing too special either.
FLAWS
As for flaws.......well yeah Revenge isn't quite perfect and for to kick off one of the main problems with the story is the potrayal of the Cybermen, which are far from menacing or being that effective especially as they have all of a sudden become far more emotional rather than logical beings especially the Cyber Leader. Their outfits are also just a bit silly looking aswell and if you look closely they seem almost be wearing silver fabric clothing that appears to flare at the bottom of their feet! Its almost like they want to keep the Cybermen in check with the period of the 1970s!
The program's budget also clearly didn't allow for that many Cybermen to be used as there appear to be only three or four Cybermen in the whole story! And the Cyber Leader also makes a silly suggestion as to how they have enough parts onboard their ship to build an entire Cyber army! OK but how can they?! And what just exactly what parts do they have?! If they have just armour and helmets and no actual bodies to put in them then it hardly makes any sense does it?! And if they are the only Cybermen in the cosmos at this point then they are hardly in any position to conquer the galaxy! In fact Lis Sladen during the DVD commentary for The Ark in Space poked fun at this story when the actor Brian Grellis, playing Sheprah said the line "The Cybermen are here!" and he joked by saying "The Cybermen are here! All two of them!". And that just about sums the Cybermen up in this story, there are very few of them in number to make any real difference to the big picture.
It also has to be said that while its a fairly decent story its still not one of the more interesting ones plot wise and the internal struggles of the Vogans comes a bit boring after a while as Vorus and Tyrum squabble. Admittedly their spats do provide some good moments of drama as both Collings and Stoney were and are (well Collings anyway as he still lives) fine actors. But the Vogan subplot does let the proceedings down somewhat.
Another problem I had with the story is even though Kellman is ultimately working towards destroying the Cybermen with Vorus it seems a bit excessive that they have to devise a plan to kill off most of the space station's crew with a plague. Surely they could have worked out another way that didn't involve killing so many crewmen onboard the station in the first place, e.g. evacuate them somehow and leave a minimal crew behind. So while Kellman is eventually working toward positive ends his means are really pretty nasty and as such its hard to even support him after he reveals that he is a double agent.
And lastly surely its a bit daft that a substance such as gold would have such a fatal effect on the Cybermen in the first place! And the Doctor only very quickly says that it somehow effects the Cybermen's breathing apparatus and it thereby suffocates them and that's basically it. And when you look at it the gold they use in the story when the Doctor tries to attack the Cybermen hand to hand, the gold has no effect whatsoever until the Doctor loads up the Cybermat with gold and reprograms it to kill one of the Cybermen onboard the beacon. But this also raises the question if the Cybermat is allergic to gold aswell then just how could the Doctor be able to get it working again in the first place?! It doesn't quite sit right.
Anyways that's it for the flaws.
SUM UP
So in summary the Revenge of the Cybermen is a bit of a curate's egg, it is far from a bad story but at the same time it isn't a great one, its somewhere in between the two. But despite that the story is still enjoyable and it is helped by a strong cast, some decent action scenes and the effective use of its film location in the Wookey hole caves. But in comparison to the other Doctor Who stories of the Philip Hinchcliffe-Baker era it doesn't quite stack up aswell as that era's very best ones.
Right well that's it for now and I will be back again sometime soon with another new post.
Until then bye for noww!
