History Recap / DoctorWhoS24E1TimeAndTheRani

Written by Pip & Jane Baker. This serial first aired September 7-28, 1987.

The one where the Sixth Doctor 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]] and we are introduced to [[Creator/SylvesterMcCoy the Seventh Doctor]]... first via a wig, since [[Creator/ColinBaker Colin]] declined to show up for the trade-off, considering he'd been fired.

[[TheTeaser Without even an opening title sequence to kick things off]], this serial 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 ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'' audio series, "[[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWhoSpecialTheLastAdventure 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 the unconscious Sixth Doctor (played by Creator/SylvesterMcCoy [[FakeShemp with a blond wig]]) [[TheNthDoctor regenerates]] into the Seventh Doctor (played by Sylvester [=McCoy=] without a wig).

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]] and we are introduced to Seven.... first via a wig, since Six refused to show up for the trade-off.

This story is set after the events of the final chronological Sixth Doctor story, the ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'' audio [[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWhoSpecialTheLastAdventure "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.

In "The Last Adventure", 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.

After the departure of Creator/EricSaward near the end of the previous season, ''Doctor Who'' got its final script editor of the classic series, Andrew Cartmel. His first script, however, was inherited from the previous team. 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). Although BBC executives had ordered John Nathan-Turner to dismiss Colin Baker from the role, they were amenable to let him appear in this serial in full, with the Doctor regenerating at the end. Baker, worried about the work he might miss out on if he was still considered the Doctor even though he wasn't actually filming the show, refused to return for anything less than a full season; the BBC refused, and the story was sent through the re-write cycles. 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.

* 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 wears braces with his costume for the first and only time.

* EvilLaugh: Kate O'Mara [[{{Camp}} goes all-out]] with the Rani's evil laugh.

Written by Pip and Jane Baker. This serial first aired September 7, 1987.

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. The theme arrangement 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]]

* RearrangeTheSong: Keff [=McCullough=] handles the soundtrack from now on, meaning layers of synths.

%%* BeeBeeGun: Those bug spheres.

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]]

Eventually, the Rani's diabolical scheme is revealed: she's been kidnapping the smartest people throughout space and time in order to create a gigantic artificial brain. By blowing up the Strange Matter asteroid, she will expose the brain to radiation that will cause it to grow bigger and bigger until it engulfs the entire planet, and give it the power to control time anywhere in the universe. Yep. Since the Rani really loves dinosaurs, she's going to retroactively replace Earth's population with them. And possibly some other stuff. ''Evil'' stuff. However, her plan involves hooking the Doctor up to the giant brain together with the likes of Einstein and Pasteur, who of course all immediately proceed to not listen to the Rani. The Doctor rescues the lizardmen, straps their bombs to the giant brain instead, and taunts the Rani into activating said bombs. He drops the geniuses off back home (promising Einstein he'll show him how the TARDIS works later. [[Recap/DoctorWho2011StSSDeathIsTheOnlyAnswer He'd later have trouble with this]].) and runs off for more adventures with Mel in the TARDIS. As for the Rani, she's left (literally) hanging with the Tetraps, who are a little peeved that she intended to let them get fried by the asteroid explosion, as she vows her revenge. She's still not very good at her job.

After the acrimonious departure of Creator/EricSaward near the end of the previous season, ''Doctor Who'' got its final script editor of the classic series, Andrew Cartmel. His first script, however, was inherited from the previous team. 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). Although BBC executives had ordered John Nathan-Turner to dismiss Colin Baker from the role, they were amenable to let him appear in this serial in full, with the Doctor regenerating at the end. Baker, worried about the work he might miss out on if he was still considered the Doctor even though he wasn't actually filming the show, refused to return for anything less than a full season; the BBC refused, and the story was sent through the re-write cycles. 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.

----

After the acrimonious departure of Eric Saward near the end of the previous season, ''Doctor Who'' got its final script editor of the classic series, Andrew Cartmel. His first script, however, was inherited from the previous team. 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). Although BBC executives had ordered John Nathan-Turner to dismiss Colin from the role, they were amenable to let him appear in this serial in full, with the Doctor regenerating at the end. Colin, worried about the work he might miss out on if he was still considered the Doctor even though he wasn't actually filming the show, refused to return for anything less than a full season; the BBC refused, and the story was sent through the re-write cycles. 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.

Once it ends, the Rani then takes the Doctor off to her secret laboratory, where he wakes up and deduces that she's going to do something horrible with a nearby asteroid made up of Strange Matter. Before he can do anything else, one of her bat-like mooks, the Tetraps knocks him out again, and she doses him with amnesia juice, while leaving the companion Mel back in the TARDIS to stumble around the exotic alien landscape with that day-glo lizard we saw earlier. The Doctor awakens to see the Rani disguising herself as Mel and acting like Mel for... um... we're never really told why. Maybe the Rani simply wanted to be the Doctor's companion for a while.

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, finally freeing himself-- and the viewers-- from two seasons of dressing up as animated clown vomit in the process. The Rani, whose Mel disguise is working rather well, decides to go enslave some more lizardmen.

* ForTheEvulz: The only explanation as to why the Rani would disguise herself as Mel. Averted later on in the story, when the Doctor says that blowing up the Strange Matter asteroid would obliterate all life in that part of the galaxy, but immediately dismisses the possibility of the Rani's motive being mass-slaughter for the sake of it, saying that it doesn't fit her MO.

Eventually, the Rani's diabolical scheme is revealed: she's been kidnapping the smartest people throughout space and time in order to create a gigantic artificial brain. By blowing up the Strange Matter asteroid, she will expose the brain to radiation that will cause it to grow bigger and bigger until it engulfs the entire planet, and give it the power to control time anywhere in the universe. Yep. Since the Rani really loves dinosaurs, she's going to retroactively replace Earth's population with them. And possibly some other stuff. ''Evil'' stuff. However, her plan involves hooking the Doctor up to the giant brain together with the likes of Einstein and Pasteur, who of course all immediately proceed to not listen to the Rani. The Doctor rescues the lizardmen, straps their bombs to the giant brain instead, and taunts the Rani into activating said bombs. He drops the geniuses off back home (promising Einstein he'll show him how the TARDIS works later. [[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E14DeathIsTheOnlyAnswer He'd later have trouble with this]].) and runs off for more adventures with Mel in the TARDIS. As for the Rani, she's left (literally) hanging with the Tetraps, who are a little peeved that she intended to let them get fried by the asteroid explosion, as she vows her revenge. She's still not very good at her job.

[[TheTeaser Without even an opening title sequence to kick things off]], this serial 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 ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'' audio series, "[[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWhoSpecialTheLastAdventure 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 the unconscious Sixth Doctor (played by [[FakeShemp Syl with a blond wig]]) [[TheNthDoctor regenerates]] into the Seventh Doctor (played by Syl without a wig).

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.

->"''Ahh! Thank goodness, this regeneration I've regained my impeccable sense of'' haute couture."

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/timerani_2258.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350: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]]]]

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). Although BBC executives had ordered John Nathan-Turner to dismiss Colin from the role, they were amenable to let him appear in this serial in full, with the Doctor regenerating at the end. Colin, worried about the work he might miss out on if he was still considered the Doctor even though he wasn't actually filming the show, refused to return for anything less than a full season; the BBC refused, and the story was sent through the re-write cycles. 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.

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]] and we are introduced to Seven.

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]] and we say hi to Seven.

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]]

* {{Technobabble}}: The Rani's description of how she intends to transform the planet and her giant brain into a time manipulating weapon.

[[TheTeaser Without even an opening title sequence to kick things off]], this serial 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 ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'' audio series, "[[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWhoSpecialTheLastAdventure 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 Creator/BigFinish 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]]

* TechnoBabble: The Rani's description of how she intends to transform the planet and her giant brain into a time manipulating weapon.

* ConspicuousCGI: The TARDIS being attacked and forced to land; the title sequence; the bubble trap.

* FakeShemp: Colin Baker was offered the chance to appear as the Doctor in this story; as originally planned, the Doctor would have stayed behind to make sure the strike on the Rani's base was successful and been mortally wounded in the explosion. However, Baker refused to return for anything less than a full series,[[note]]on the grounds that if he did one story, there would be several months where as far as the public were concerned, he was still the Doctor even though he had already left the show[[/note]] and the script was rewritten so the Doctor regenerates at the start of the story. 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.]]

** When considering the Rani controlling the universe, rather than bluster about it he quietly muses that "[[Creator/WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare]], [[Creator/MichelangeloBuonarroti Michelangelo]], Louis Pasteur, [[Music/ElvisPresley Elvis]], even [[Theatre/TheRivals Mrs Malaprop]] will never have existed". The Seventh would be the first Doctor in a while to actually ''enjoy'' Earth's popular culture, including jazz and rock'n'roll, and set grandiloquent plans for universal domination against life's small pleasures.
%%* EvilLaugh: The Rani plays it straight.

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: An arguably unintentional example, given that the character wouldn't really be taken in this direction until the following season, but the very first thing the Seventh Doctor does upon regaining consciousness after regenerating is start to organise his schedule ("That was a nice nap; now, down to business! I'm a bit worried about the temporal flicker in Sector Seventeen..."). Later series and the Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse would have the Seventh Doctor act as TheChessmaster who intentionally sought out particular conflicts rather than just happening to stumble across them as previously, and made a point of devising a plan for how to deal with the situation prior to arriving.