The Five Doctors (1983) starring William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison
Doctor Who: The Five Doctors – an unknown nemesis kidnaps all five versions of The Doctor, two force them to breach Rassilon’s tomb for the secret of immortality. But as the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for …
Review
The Five Doctors is fairly short — only 90 minutes — but crams a fair amount in that time. It involves all five versions of The Doctor (to that time) and their companions, so it’s a fairly crowded affair. But, it does give all five Doctors time on screen to do their participation.
Second Doctor: So, you’re the latest model?
Fifth Doctor: Yes, and the most agreeable.
Second Doctor: Well, certainly the most impudent.
Third Doctor: And our dress code hasn’t improved much, has it?
First Doctor: Neither our manners.
Part 1
Someone is stealing the Doctor’s past incarnations from the time stream. The present Doctor must act fast to survive.
Part 2
The Doctors face the dangers of the Death Zone. The High Council of Time Lords recruits an unlikely ally to rescue them.
Part 3
Is there a traitor amongst the High Council? And what is the secret of Rassilon?
Part 4
The Doctors confront the traitor in Rassilon’s Tomb, but even victory will have consequences for the Doctor.
Rassilon: Others have claimed immortality throughout the ages. It was given to them as it shall be given to you. Your place is prepared, Lord President Borusa.
Borusa: Oh! Oh!
[Lord Borusa looks backwards at the space Lord Rassilon has prepared for him. His face appears etched in stone. Lord Borusa’s eyes twitch before turning to stone]
Rassilon: And what of you, Doctors? Do you claim immortality too?
First Doctor: No!
Second Doctor: No, no!
Third Doctor: No!
Fifth Doctor: That’s quite alright.
[last lines]
Tegan: You mean you’re deliberately choosing to go on the run from your own people, in a rackety old TARDIS?
Fifth Doctor: Why not? After all, that’s how it all started.
Cast of characters
First Doctor
- William Hartnell (Doctor Who: The Time Meddler) … The Doctor (archive footage)
- Carole Ann Ford (Doctor Who: An Unearthly Child) … Susan Foreman
- Richard Hurndall … The Doctor
Second Doctor
- Patrick Troughton (Doctor Who – The War Games) … The Doctor
- Frazer Hines (Doctor Who: The Seeds of Death) … Jamie McCrimmon
- Wendy Padbury … Zoe Heriot
- Nicholas Courtney (Doctor Who: Battlefield) … Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart
Third Doctor
- Jon Pertwee (The House That Dripped Blood) … The Doctor
- Caroline John (Doctor Who: Inferno) … Liz Shaw
Fourth Doctor
- Tom Baker (The Golden Voyage of Sinbad) … The Doctor (archive footage)
- Lalla Ward (Destiny of the Daleks) … Romana (archive footage)
Fifth Doctor
- Peter Davison (Resurrection of the Daleks) … The Doctor
- Janet Fielding (Doctor Who: Castrovalva) … Tegan
- Mark Strickson (Doctor Who: Resurrection of the Daleks) … Turlough
Everybody else
- Elisabeth Sladen (Genesis of the Daleks) … Sarah Jane Smith
- Anthony Ainley (The Land That Time Forgot) … The Master
- Philip Latham … Borusa
- Dinah Sheridan … Chancellor Flavia
- Paul Jerricho … The Castellan
- David Banks (Attack of the Cybermen) … Cyber Leader
- Mark Hardy (Doctor Who: Earthshock) … Cyber Lieutenant
- Richard Mathews … Rassilon
- David Savile (Doctor Who – The War Games) … Colonel Crichton
- Richard Franklin (Doctor Who: Planet of the Spiders) … Captain Yates
- John Leeson … K9 (voice)
- Roy Skelton … Dalek (voice)
- John Scott Martin … Dalek Operator
- Ray Float … Sergeant
- Keith Hodiak … Raston Robot
- Stuart Blake … Commander
- Stephen Meredith … Technician
- John Tallents … Guard
- William Kenton … Cyber Scout
Product Description
The Doctor’s past incarnations are taken out of time by a forbidden time scoop device. The fourth Doctor becomes trapped in the vortex but the others find themselves, together with a number of their old companions, with the fifth Doctor and his companions in the Death Zone on their home planet Gallifrey. Here they face a Dalek, a Yeti, a quicksilver Raston Warrior Robot and numerous Cybermen. Also present is the Master, who has been summoned by the High Council of Time Lords to help the Doctor. It turns out that President Borusa is the mysterious operator of the time scoop. He aims to use the Doctors to breach the defences of the Dark Tower–Rassilon’s tomb–so that he can enter there and claim immortality. When he does so, however, he is condemned by Rassilon to eternal existence in the form of a living statue.
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