History Recap / DoctorWhoS24E1TimeAndTheRani

[[TheTeaser Without even an opening title sequence]] [[ColdOpening to kick things off]], this sequence features an impressive (for the time) CGI shot of the TARDIS randomly flying around as it gets zapped with lasers. Why it's zapped with lasers, what's going on, who's doing what, that's unimportant[[labelnote:note]]...Unimportant to ''this'' story, that is. For those who are curious, read the following, but beware {{spoiler}}s if you haven't bulked up on the Big Finish audio series, "The Sixth Doctor: The Last Adventure". [[spoiler:The Sixth Doctor has just piloted his TARDIS to Lakertya after trying to steer away from the planet in response to a warning that there's a radioactive presence nearby, because a subliminal command from his future self has jolted his mind and caused him to forget that. His future self in the same incarnation has enacted a [[BatmanGambit risky gambit]] that will result in his past self crossing paths with the Rani (neither Doctor realizing she's skulking about the planet and the source of the danger, just that there's something dangerous in its vicinity), whose lasers are comprised of this deadly radiation, which harms Time Lords and excludes humans (all it does to Mel is lull her to sleep). In doing so, his past self will be forced to regenerate and cancel out a timeline where his nemesis, the Valeyard, achieved total victory, winking the Valeyard into oblivion in the Matrix and causing the future Sixth Doctor to [[RetGone be overwritten with the result of his regeneration]], which is starting to take place.]] At the end of it all, the following happens:[[/labelnote]] the TARDIS is being zapped and forced to land on an [[BBCQuarry exotic alien planet]] as a day-glo lizard guy watches. The [[Recap/DoctorWhoS22E3TheMarkOfTheRani Rani]] steps in and gloats while one of her henchmen rolls over someone in the Sixth Doctor's outfit, revealing [[FakeShemp a guy in a wig]] who then [[TheNthDoctor regenerates]] into the Seventh Doctor right before our eyes.[[note]]That's right, no fantastic ending to Creator/ColinBaker's Doctor (at least not here), they just... DroppedABridgeOnHim. Colin Baker declined to shoot a real regeneration story as initially offered, so the producers juryrigged an abrupt scene where Creator/SylvesterMcCoy would wear a blonde wig and play the Sixth Doctor just long enough to show him turn into the Seventh. Kinda sucks hard, doesn't it? At least until Big Finish Productions retroactively turned this into the ending scene of a big epic audio final adventure a good 28 years later and salvaged the bridge and used it to connect the missing bits into something wonderful.[[/note]]

The title sequence is now finally shown, the first one to ever use CGI in the series, equally as impressive for its time as the opening scene of the teaser. Not so much can be said on the theme arrangement accompanying it, though, being an unusual departure from the instrumental tracks composed on the show, but the synthesizer beat's still pretty nifty. And trust us- it ''will'' grow on you. It's one of the first compositions by newcomer Keff [=McCullough=], who will be providing the soundtracks for the remainder of the classic era, and lathering every story hereafter in poppy late 80's synth.[[note]]Synthesizer-driven scores had been the norm since season 18 and had been experimented with numerous times since the Second Doctor's run, but this is where the show's synth-driven scores started sounding less like novelty "Moog music" singles and Music/{{Vangelis}} knockoffs of varying quality and more like [[Music/{{Yazoo}} Vince]] [[Music/{{Erasure}} Clarke]] on methamphetamine.[[/note]]

It's worth noting that this story was originally intended for Colin Baker's [[TheNthDoctor 6th Doctor]] by Pip and Jane Baker (old hands at writing for him by this point), but was sent through the re-write cycles once Colin was fired. It's notable for the final appearance of the Rani in the series (not counting Recap/DoctorWho30thASDimensionsInTime), as well as the first appearance of the 7th Doctor.

* AmnesiacHero: The Seventh Doctor spends most of his first story as a dupe of the Rani - though this was the fault of her amnesia serum, not random happenstance.

* BatOutOfHell: The Rani's Tetrap {{mook}}s.

* BeeBeeGun: Those bug spheres.

* DroppedABridgeOnHim: The not-so-pretty fate of the Sixth Doctor here. The ExpandedUniverse gives other explanations; either Seven, despite not being born yet caused the death so he could become Time's Champion, or the Doctor was already weakened from using up a lot of his energy to save creation. ''Finally'' averted with "[[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWhoSpecialTheLastAdventure The Sixth Doctor: The Last Adventure]]", the TrueEnding to his Doctor's life.

* EvilLaugh: The Rani plays it straight.

* FakeShemp: Colin Baker was either never asked to film his pathetic death and regeneration or didn't want to, reports differ. Whatever the case, Creator/SylvesterMcCoy had to wear a wig and the regeneration was done by obscuring his face with some Quantel blurring effects. Not good enough for you? Apparently, someone else with a computer agreed. [[EnhancedOnDVD The DVD release has an easter egg with a splendid CGI edit of Colin's face.]]
* FilmingForEasyDub: When Creator/ColinBaker refused to film his last scene of falling to the ground and regenerating, Creator/SylvesterMcCoy was forced to don a blonde curly wig and lie face down, before turning over just as the regeneration effects conveniently obscure his facial features with a bright glowing light. The truth is it doesn't even work: if you look closely you can see that it is [=McCoy=] under the glowy effect, and you can see the line between the wig and his head.

The one where Six suffers DeathByFallingOver.[[note]]In the context of the TV show alone, that is; Creator/BigFinish would give some much-needed context to this decades later.[[/note]]

This story is set after the events of the final chronological Sixth Doctor story, the Creator/BigFinish audio "The Last Adventure". If you haven't listened to it prior to watching this, we highly suggest you do, as it fills in a very important space between this television story and the last.

[[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWhoSpecialTheLastAdventure The Sixth Doctor has just gone through his final encounter with the Valeyard and has paid the ultimate price]]. As his regeneration draws near, the TARDIS comes under attack from an unknown enemy while he's dying, and he is unable to do anything to ward off his attacker.

[[caption-width-right:344:Meet Michael Grade's agent of [[DroppedABridgeOnHim bridge-dropping]] against the Sixth Doctor and his [[ImpossiblyTackyClothes heliotrope coat]].[[note]][[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWhoSpecialTheLastAdventure Big Finish had the last laugh, though, even if it took them 28 years for it.]] And okay, we broke our promise regarding the coat jokes from the previous story, but ''now'' we're done with them, at least for a good while.[[/note]]]]

-->--'''The Doctor'''

[[caption-width-right:344:Meet Michael Grade's agent of [[DroppedABridgeOnHim bridge-dropping]] against the Sixth Doctor and his [[ImpossiblyTackyClothes heliotrope coat]].[[note]][[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWhoSpecialTheLastAdventure Big Finish had the last laugh, though, even if it took them 28 years for it.]][[/note]]]]

The title sequence is now finally shown, the first one to ever use CGI in the series, equally as impressive for its time as the opening scene of the teaser. Not so much can be said on the theme arrangement accompanying it, though, being an unusual departure from the instrumental tracks composed on the show, but the synthesizer beat's still pretty nifty. And trust us- it ''will'' grow on you. It's one of the first compositions by newcomer Keff [=McCullough=], who will be providing the soundtracks for the remainder of the classic era, and lathering every story hereafter in poppy late 80's synth.[[note]]Synthesizer-driven scores had been the norm since season 18 and had been experimented with numerous times since the Second Doctor's run, but this is where the show's synth-driven scores started sounding less like Music/{{Vangelis}} knockoffs of varying quality and more like [[Music/{{Yazoo}} Vince]] [[Music/{{Erasure}} Clarke]] on methamphetamine.[[/note]]

The title sequence is now finally shown, the first one to ever use CGI in the series, equally as impressive for its time as the opening scene of the teaser. Not so much can be said on the theme arrangement accompanying it, though, being an unusual departure from the instrumental tracks composed on the show, but the synthesizer beat's still pretty nifty. And trust us- it ''will'' grow on you. It's one of the first compositions by newcomer Keff [=McCullough=], who will be providing the soundtracks for the remainder of the classic era, and lathering every story hereafter in poppy late 80's synth.[[note]]Synthesizer-driven scores had been the norm since season 18 and were experimented with numerous times during the Third and Fourth Doctors' runs, but this is where the show's synth-driven scores started sounding less like Music/{{Vangelis}} knockoffs of varying quality and more like [[Music/{{Yazoo}} Vince]] [[Music/{{Erasure}} Clarke]] on methamphetamine.[[/note]]

The Doctor is very miffed to have regenerated, and even more miffed by what he thinks is regular old [[Recap/DoctorWhoS19E1Castrovalva post-regenerative amnesia]]. He refuses to do any work until his mind starts working again and goes off to pick a new outfit instead. The Rani, whose Mel disguise is working rather well, decides to go enslave some more lizardmen.

The title sequence is now finally shown, the first one to ever use CGI in the series, equally as impressive for its time as the opening scene of the teaser. Not so much can be said on the theme arrangement accompanying it, though, being an unusual departure from the instrumental tracks composed on the show, but the synthesizer beat's still pretty nifty. And trust us- it ''will'' grow on you. It's one of the first compositions by newcomer Keff [=McCullough=], who will be providing the soundtracks for the remainder of the classic era, and lathering every story hereafter in synth.

The one with killer CGI bubbles.

* IWasQuiteTheFashionVictim: When the Doctor sheds his predecessor's... interesting... clothing, he remarks "I'm glad to see I've returned to a sense of haute couture".

* TheTeaser: The story opens with the Rani attacking the TARDIS and the regeneration.

[[TheTeaser Without even an opening title sequence]] [[ColdOpening to kick things off]], this sequence features an impressive (for the time) CGI shot of the TARDIS randomly flying around as it gets zapped with lasers. Why it's zapped with lasers, what's going on, who's doing what, that's unimportant[[labelnote:note]]...Unimportant to ''this'' story, that is. For those who are curious, read the following, but beware {{spoiler}}s if you haven't bulked up on the Big Finish audio series, "The Sixth Doctor: The Last Adventure". [[spoiler:The Sixth Doctor has just piloted his TARDIS to Lakertya after trying to steer away from the planet in response to a warning that there's a radioactive presence nearby, because a subliminal command from his future self has jolted his mind and caused him to forget that. His future self in the same incarnation has enacted a [[BatmanGambit risky gambit]] that will result in his past self crossing paths with the Rani (neither Doctor realizing she's skulking about the planet and the source of the danger, just that there's something dangerous in its vicinity), whose lasers are comprised of this deadly radiation, which harms Time Lords and excludes humans (all it does to Mel is lull her to sleep). In doing so, his past self will be forced to regenerate and cancel out a timeline where his nemesis, the Valeyard, achieved total victory, winking the Valeyard into oblivion in the Matrix and causing the future Sixth Doctor to [[RetGone be overwritten with the result of his regeneration]], which is starting to take place.]] At the end of it all, the following happens:[[/labelnote]] the TARDIS is being zapped and forced to land on an [[BBCQuarry exotic alien planet]] as a day-glo lizard guy watches. The [[Recap/DoctorWhoS22E3TheMarkOfTheRani Rani]] steps in and gloats while one of her henchmen rolls over someone in the Sixth Doctor's outfit, revealing [[FakeShemp a guy in a wig]] who then [[TheNthDoctor regenerates]] into the Seventh Doctor right before our eyes.[[note]]That's right, no fantastic ending to Creator/ColinBaker's Doctor (at least not here), they just... DroppedABridgeOnHim. Colin Baker declined to shoot a real regeneration story as initially offered, so the producers juryrigged an abrupt scene where Creastor/SylvesterMcCoy would wear a blonde wig and play the Sixth Doctor just long enough to show him turn into the Seventh. Kinda sucks hard, doesn't it? At least until Big Finish Productions retroactively turned this into the ending scene of a big epic audio final adventure a good 28 years later and salvaged the bridge and used it to connect the missing bits into something wonderful.[[/note]]

* SignificantAnagram: LOYHARGIL = HOLY GRAIL. ("Holy grail," in this case, is a metaphor.)

* IWasQuiteTheFashionVictim: When the Doctor sheds his predecessor's... interesting... clothing, he remarks "I'm glad to see I've returned to a sense of haute couture"

* AllThereInTheManual: The novelisation opens with a prologue explaining how the Sixth Doctor regenerated - he banged his head on the TARDIS console.
** Za Panato and Ari Centos are listed as two of the scientists kidnapped by the Rani.

Watch it [[http://www.dailymotion.com/playlist/x12i2e_tardismedia_time-and-the-rani here]].

* CharacterizationMarchesOn: [=McCoy=]'s performance as the Doctor is very cuddly and goofy, and he's not yet become the manipulative mastermind that Seven would later turn out to be. [[JustifiedTrope However,]] this ''is'' [[TheNthDoctor his regeneration story]], and he spends half of it drugged by the Rani. Also, he wear suspenders with his costume for the first and only time.

[[TheTeaser Without even an opening title sequence]] [[ColdOpening to kick things off]], this sequence features an impressive (for the time) CGI shot of the TARDIS randomly flying around as it gets zapped with lasers. Why it's zapped with lasers, what's going on, who's doing what, that's unimportant[[labelnote:note]]...Unimportant to ''this'' story, that is. For those who are curious, read the following, but beware {{spoiler}}s if you haven't bulked up on the Big Finish audio series, "The Sixth Doctor: The Last Adventure". [[spoiler:The Sixth Doctor has just piloted his TARDIS to Lakertya after trying to steer away from the planet in response to a warning that there's a radioactive presence nearby, because a subliminal command from his future self has jolted his mind and caused him to forget that. His future self in the same incarnation has enacted a [[BatmanGambit risky gambit]] that will result in his past self crossing paths with the Rani (neither Doctor realizing she's skulking about the planet and the source of the danger, just that there's something dangerous in its vicinity), whose lasers are comprised of this deadly radiation, which harms Time Lords and excludes humans (all it does to Mel is lull her to sleep). In doing so, his past self will be forced to regenerate and cancel out a timeline where his nemesis, the Valeyard, achieved total victory, winking the Valeyard into oblivion in the Matrix and causing the future Sixth Doctor to [[RetGone be overwritten with the result of his regeneration]], which is starting to take place.]] At the end of it all, the following happens:[[/labelnote]] the TARDIS is being zapped and forced to land on an [[BBCQuarry exotic alien planet]] as a day-glo lizard guy watches. The [[Recap/DoctorWhoS22E3TheMarkOfTheRani Rani]] steps in and gloats while one of her henchmen rolls over someone in the Sixth Doctor's outfit, revealing [[FakeShemp a guy in a wig]] who then [[TheNthDoctor regenerates]] into the Seventh Doctor right before our eyes.[[note]]That's right, no fantastic ending to Creator/ColinBaker's Doctor (at least not here), they just... DroppedABridgeOnHim. Colin Baker declined to shoot a real regeneration story as initially offered, so the producers juryrigged an abrupt scene where Creastor/SylvesterMcCoy would wear a blonde wig and play the Sixth Doctor just long enough to show him turn into the Seventh. Kinda sucks hard, doesn't it? At least until Big Finish Productions retroactively turned this into the ending scene of a big epic audio final adventure a good 28 years later and salvaged the bridge and used it to connect the missing bits into something wonderful.[[/note]] The title sequence is now finally shown, the first one to ever use CGI in the series, equally as impressive for its time as the opening scene of the teaser. Not so much can be said on the theme arrangement accompanying it, though, being an unusual departure from the instrumental tracks composed on the show, but the synthesizer beat's still pretty nifty. And trust us- it ''will'' grow on you. It's one of the first compositions by newcomer Keff [=McCullough=], who will be providing the soundtracks for the remainder of the classic era, and lathering every story hereafter in synth.