"There Should Have Been Another Way" Production 6M: "Warriors of the Deep" (January 5-13, 1984) Classic Doctor Who Season 21 Premiere Review

In the year 2084, the Fifth Doctor, Tegan, and Turlough materialize at Sea Base Four, a military installation staffed with personnel on high alert due to tensions that could trigger World War III. An unknown object lurking in the waters proves to be a Silurian battlecruiser seeking to revive suspended animation Sea Devil warriors stored in underwater chambers. The reptilian cousins plan to manipulate the base's weapon systems to start a nuclear war, wiping out humanity so they can reclaim Earth as their ancestral home.

Join podcaster John S. Drew and acclaimed writer/editor Jim Beard as they master time and space, delivering comprehensive reviews of every Classic Doctor Who serial. In this Season 21 premiere analysis covering this notorious production, they discuss:

Production Nightmare Behind the Scenes:

• Margaret Thatcher's election sabotage - The 1983 UK general election announcement created BBC studio space demands, costing Doctor Who two weeks of production time and forcing rushed filming with minimal rehearsal

• The infamous Myrka disaster - The creature costume was still being sculpted and painted an hour before shooting, with wet paint and adhesive fumes getting one operator high. The poorly-fitted suit left performers uncomfortable and unable to rehearse, resulting in slow-motion movements that destroyed any sense of menace

• Johnny Byrne's disappointment - The writer envisioned dark, Alien-inspired sets with the Myrka glimpsed briefly in shadows, not brightly-lit corridors showcasing every flaw. He vowed never to work for Doctor Who again

Character and Story Analysis:

• The Doctor's uncharacteristic violence - Jim questions Byrne's characterization showing the Fifth Doctor as naive, foolish, and suddenly engaging in unnecessary hand-to-hand combat

• Tegan and Turlough's evolving dynamic - The companions finally bond over eye-rolling about the Doctor, though both still don't want to be traveling in the TARDIS. Tegan suffers through another story of being trapped, taken hostage, and reduced to damsel-in-distress after her previous action hero moments

• The moral dilemma arrives too late - Part 4's ethical debate about genocide feels rushed when it should have been developed earlier. Jim controversially argues the Doctor was wrong to hesitate using the hexachromite gas with billions of lives at stake

• Base Under Siege formula exhaustion - After 21 years, this well-worn plot structure offers no surprises: the paranoid commander, the likable female officer, the traitors within, the invaders, the giant creature. Viewers who've watched for two decades have seen it all before

Design and Direction Problems:

• Moon Base Alpha aesthetic - The overly-bright, sterile sets fail to convey an underwater atmosphere despite occasional model shots of the Silurian ship

• Dr. No radiation suits - The guards' helmets appear identical to the 1962 Bond film's radiation gear (the wiki claims they're the actual costumes, though Jim remains skeptical)

• Laughable battle sequences - No muzzle flashes or laser beams, just actors pointing rifles in extreme slow motion. Quick cuts could have salvaged excitement, but Roberts' clumsy direction makes conflicts feel like rehearsals rather than life-or-death struggles

• Skirt Gate - The famous blooper where a falling door clearly weighs nothing as Janet Fielding's every tiny movement lifts it

• Ingrid Pitt's karate vs. the Myrka - The former Hammer horror star (playing Dr. Solow) deliberately aged herself up and performed unconvincing martial arts against the creature in an obvious first-take

Reptilian Reunion:

• First team-up of Silurians and Sea Devils - Despite being "cousins," the two reptilian species look nothing alike, with Sea Devils acting as subservient warriors to Silurian scientists

• Redesigned Sea Devils - New helmets with Asian-influenced design reminiscent of Buck Rogers' Draconians, with illuminated third eyes solving the mouth-movement problem

Jim argues this represents Doctor Who's aging fanbase problem - like 1980s comics, the show wasn't attracting new young viewers, leaving only "cranky old fans" who'd seen every trope before. The hosts debate whether the Doctor's final moment of regret will carry into the next serial, with John insisting it must affect the character going forward.

Extended Listener Mail Segment: The episode features six emails discussing The Five Doctors, providing retrospective thoughts on the anniversary special, Tom Baker's absence, Richard Hurndall's performance, and various behind-the-scenes details.

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