The Doctor's Companion Blog

Mawdryn Undead

I was given the Black Guardian Trilogy for my birthday recently, and tonight we watched the first one, Mawdryn Undead.

Sort of mixed views about it really. It was great to see the Brig again, I had heard about his teaching job so it was nice to see what that was all about.  I also liked the way they had two of him (shades of Inferno), and used this in the plot.  But on the other hand shouldn’t the Doctor have known what would happen when the two Brigadiers met and touched, and why didn’t he think of sorting the problem that way himself, rather than have it happen by accident?

It was also interesting to see how Turlough was introduced to the Tardis, having met him in later episodes, and also having heard about how he had been a secret assassin. I thought he overacted a bit when talking to the Black Guardian though.  I also did not like the way he acted with the crystal particularly, although after listening to the commentary and hearing about how he had a wire up his arm and down his leg with a car battery at the end held by a man who had to keep out of shot, with the crystal burning hot after a few seconds, I realise they were not the ideal acting conditions!

I also found the Black Guardian a bit unbelievable somehow, not sure why (although it could have had something to do with the bird on his head).  I think I would have preferred to see another actor in the part as he did not fit my mental image of the Black Guardian, although he had a great voice.

The spaceship was a rather fabulous set, although in reality apparently it was rather small.  It was a shame it had to blow up in the end, although our son said he thought that was the best Doctor Who episode ending ever!

The original appearance of Mawdryn in the Tardis was a bit scary, and I must also confess to being a bit nervous when the undead were walking around the ship, before I knew who they were – the unknown is always more scary that the known.  I quite liked the way they all glided along – was that a sort of echo of the Daleks, who always glide smoothly, do you think?

This episode is important, by the way, as being the one where it is confirmed that Timelords only regenerate twelve times.  How are they going to get over that one, when the actor after the actor after Matt Smith decides to hang up his sonic screwdriver?

The commentary was great fun (Peter Davison – the Doctor, Mark Strickland – Turlough, Eric Saward – script editor, and Nicholas Courtney – the Brigadier), you really felt they were all enjoying themselves, as well as watching the show.  Nicholas Courtney was right however, I didn’t notice his bald patch until he mentioned it.

Mawdryn Undead is sold as part of Doctor Who – The Black Guardian Trilogy [DVD] [1983] and so far as I am aware, is not available on its own.