Who Reviews Time and the Rani by Matt Rabjohns

When any TV show is beset with the problems of emerging and recovering after an imposed hiatus, it is always going to struggle. Especially when a lead actor in the role is rather unceremoniously dropped from the role for no readily good reason in the case of Colin Baker. Problems like these can become insurmountable. With regards to the regeneration scene pre-opening titles sequence it is jarringly obvious that Colin Baker is no longer in residence. Sylvester McCoy has the tricky job of convincing us that at first this is the sixth Doctor. But some rather dodgy effects work totally hampers his efforts, to make this the poorest ever regeneration sequence in the show's history. The reason for the regeneration is also left rather ambiguous and not explained well in the story. In the Target Book we are told it’s the TARDIS's tumultuous buffeting that causes his regeneration. This then begs the secondary question of how Mel is then also still alive and soon is shown to be unharmed by the experience.

If a wonderful show though can get past a slightly stumbling start, and then produce a rather splendid and fun story for Doctor Who, then one simply has to applaud it. Time and the Rani actually possesses much that is very good. For starters, the performance of Sylvester McCoy once he has actually assumed his mantle as the Seventh Doctor is remarkably polished. There is no "Let's see how long he takes to settle into the role" at all. He is immediately a totally new and fresh incarnation of the Doctor. Of course, his performance would be further developed over the course of his three-year stint, but for a first stab at being Doctor he succeeds admirably.

There are two distinct aspects to the Seventh Doctor. His clown act, and his devious master manipulator act. During his era these aspects of his character emerge at different times. Time and the Rani is definitely focused on the former of these two aspects. The Doctor in Time and the Rani is actually very similar to the Second Doctor, in that he is bumbling, and that he mashes up his proverbs horrendously. Yet the darker tones do emerge, especially in his first meeting with the Rani before he is drugged by the Rani. His scathing and unrelenting downers on the Rani's past actions are delivered with great aplomb. Yet there are also all the common traits of the Doctor present. He is always against the evil plans of his foe, and he is always protective of his companions.

Bonnie Langford seems to be a person few people remember from the series. Her character of Melanie Bush certainly could have been written far more respectfully, but with the material she was given Bonnie always does well.  But the fact that she is supposed to be a keen computer programmer never really is shown within her stories she shared either with Colin Baker or Sylvester McCoy. Melanie does have the tendency to quick panic as well, which can be just a tad wearing with her very severe high-pitched screaming.

To be joined by Kate O'Mara as the Rani is also much to the story's benefit. Time and the Rani can be said to possess a high amount of rather implausible science inherent in the scripting. But if you can give the main adversary's character to a sublime and respected actress like Kate, then you know that despite some of the plotting silliness along the way, you will get a professional and highly watchable performance. Kate O'Mara deals incredibly well with the Rani. She has a certain charm that makes one feel beneath all this mad, self-centred scientist, beats the hearts of a proper three-dimensional character. So many evil baddies in shows such as Doctor Who can become run of the mill and stilted and dull so easily, but Kate never falls into this trap. She is one actress who does deserve the mantle of scene stealer. She catches the eye. Kate deserved to come back to the show, a whole lot more could have been made of the Rani.

Also helping things no end are the other castings within this story too. Donald Pickering turns in a very understated and respectable performance as the tortured leader of the Lakertyan race. Wanda Ventham also directs a superb amount of emotion into the role of Faroon, the mother of Sarn who is callously murdered by the Rani. The scenes of her discussing the prospects of life without their daughter with Beyus are moving and charged.

The Tetraps are not the most well realised monsters to have appeared in the show. But they are utilised better than many alien races have been in the show before this story. That they are able to turn the tables on the Rani at the story's final hurdle does make for an amusing ending. Hanging upside down had to have been extremely uncomfortable for the men who had to act in this manner for the story.

Script wise solely, it may never be a good idea to pick apart this story. It’s got some very very strange science that will not hold up to any kind of scrutiny. It’s sometimes convoluted, sometimes wacky. Yet the sense of joyous introduction to the new Doctor overrides the shortcomings in the science in every minute of this narrative.

So, Time and The Rani does suffer from its fair share of problems, some of them unavoidable. With the weight of Doctor Who's very insecure future hanging over this story it is good that any decent kind of story emerged at all. Inspite of these problems though, the story has many very good sections. Kate O'Mara as the Rani is one, with her zany dressing up as Mel to achieve her own devious ends. Any actress who can plausibly deliver a line like "I have the Loyhargill, nothing can stop me now" without inducing fits of giggles has to be applauded. The characterisation of the Lakertyans is another decent aspect to the story too. Despite the flimsy regeneration, there are also some rather impressive effects. Particularly the Rani's spherical death traps look credible and work extremely well on screen.

The cliff hangers in this story too are definitely dramatic and well done. Mel's falling into one of the Rani's traps is a very diverting and certainly perilous moment. The Doctor being surrounded by the Tetraps in their dank under cave in Part two is suitably claustrophobic. Sylvester McCoy deals well being surrounded by so many ugly tongues flicking towards his face. Part Three with the Doctor subdued and plugged in to add to the superbrain in the Rani's centre of operations too seems very cinematic and superbly driven.

Time and the Rani will never once win Doctor Who's most wonderful story award. But it is still worthy of revisiting if only for its sense of mischievous fun and for watching Sylvester McCoy just step into the role of the Doctor like it is the easiest thing in the universe. The Seventh Doctor would go on to have more memorable and epic adventures, but as a base one story, Pip and Jane Baker managed to make an effective yarn that is simply full of wonderfully bonkers theories and concepts. Amidst the good fun though there are some effecting and very well played scenes indeed. Time and the Rani will also never deserve the mantle of Doctor Who's worst story ever transmitted. It has far too much rich performance in it for it to be labelled thus so. If you can accept that this is Doctor Who done primarily for light relief and good humour, then you should love this story.