Doctor Who Club of Australia

ADAMK · Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 220 Location: Canberra

What do people make of this (Season 22) 1985 story written by Paula Moore?

This is the analysis from the official BBC website (WARNING! SPOILERS): http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/attackcybermen/analysis.shtml

Greg · Posted: Tue Dec 06, 2005 6:45 pm Post subject:

Allegedly written by Paula Moore. Supposedly written by some combination of Eric Saward and Ian Levine, with credit going Saward's then girlfrind, Moore, so she could include it on her CV when seeking other work. But who really knows the truth?

Attack of the Cyberman is largely a misplaced exercise in excessive continuity - between the TARDIS's chameleon circuit working, Cybermen, Telos, the Cybercontroller and Lytton, there's not that much room for a story. It includes Saward's excessive obsession with violence (the man plainly wanted to be doing Blake's 7 rather than Doctor Who) and the stupid addition of the Cryons, bad continuity with both the Totters Lane junkyard (which looks nothing like what was shown in 1963), Telos (again, looking nothing like it) and the Cybercontroller, who was updated for no reason to resemble the then-current Cybermen - not to mention put on a lot of weight, which is not a bad trick for someone whose body has been convertedmostly to metal and plastic.

The use of a lot of body-horror this season was a contributing factor to the show being 'rested' for a year, and so the display of cyber-conversion didn't do the overall program any favours.

And, seriously, we're supposed to feel some pity for Lytton, who spent all of his first story and most of this being a blood-thirsty mercenary? Personally, I didn't find the part of the actor warranted a second appearance in the show, let alone trying to make out that he was really a hero!

GIven that The Tomb of the Cybermen is a favourite of mine, trying to do a sequel to it and then doing it so badly guarantees that this story is one that I have no fondness for.

The Master_BeyondTheGrave · Joined: 18 Oct 2005 Posts: 41

SharazJek · Joined: 12 Aug 2005 Posts: 932 Location: Hobart, Tasmania

I quite enjoy this one. Particularly the scenes on Telos, which are done nicely.

I also have fond memories of being terrified of Stratton (or Bates?) ripping his glove off to reveal I Cyber arm.

Don't like the Chameleon circiut repairs. There seems to be no reason for it other than JNT wanting to tease the fans.

Dazza · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Posts: 106

I have a bit of soft spot for this one.

When it was first telecast there was criticism about the TARDIS changing shape and the fact that the Cybermen had become so fragile (destroyed by bullets etc).

I think violence works well with the Cybermen. No point shouting "Kill him" or "Destroy her" without backing it up with some violence.

The prisoners on Telos worked quite well and were my favourite scenes.

The production values are definitely up a notch on the Twin Dilemma.

meglos · Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 670 Location: Perth

I like this one as well. The Cybermen are one of my favourite enemies. Everything seems to gel better than The Twin Dilemma. Was there a break between the making of this and the Twin Dilemma? It could explain a few things.

SharazJek · Joined: 12 Aug 2005 Posts: 932 Location: Hobart, Tasmania

Yes there was a gap between the two stories. TTD was the last story of season 21. AotC was the first story of season 22.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4566

Personally I have no complaints about season 22 being shown by the ABC in the 25 minute format since I have seen all the season 22 episodes in the 45 minute format except Timelash which I only saw in the 25 minute format.

Attack of the Cybermen Part 1:
The TARDIS goes through a turbulence and like Lytton had previously been seen in the unseen on the ABC, Resurrection of the Daleks. Like Resurrection of the Daleks, this story was directed by Matthew Robinson. Terry Molloy who also appeared in Resurrection as Davros also turns up in this story as Russell.
Also making a return from Resurrection are the mysterious policemen.
The Doctor returns to Totter's Lane for the first time since the series very first story.
Nods to continuity as the sewer was also a setting in the 1968 Cybermen story The Invasion.
Part 1 of the 25 minute format ends with something lurking behind the Doctor and Peri. Not bad but the end credits still has credits to the Cybermen actors even though they have not yet appeared.

Attack of the Cybermen Part 2:
More nods to continuity as the Cyberleader mentions a ship on the dark side of the moon. A Cybership was on the dark side of the moon in The Invasion. The Cyberleader mentions a moonbase perhaps a reference to the title of the 1967 Cybermen story The Moonbase.
Russell mentions a raid on an electronics warehouse, perhaps a vague nod to International Electromatix which makes electronic stuff seen in The Invasion.
Michael Kilgariff reprises his role as the Cybercontroller which he had previously played in Tomb of the Cybermen (1967) as we see the return of their adopted home planet Telos seen in that story.
A sonic lance perhaps a sort of replacement for the sonic screwdriver.
Russell gets killed off as he is hit from behind by a Cyberman but Terry Molloy would bookend the season by returning as Davros in the season's finale Revelation of the Daleks which the ABC would not show.
Laughed at the closing shot of Peri because unfortunately it really looked comical.

Odnet · Joined: 22 Nov 2005 Posts: 61 Location: Mudgee

I was really surprised with this one. I had read so much about Colin Baker being rubbish that I had not expected anything above that. But while I though that he wasn't great in the Twin Dilemma, I've really been impressed by him in this story. He just seems to be far more "Doctorish" than Peter Davison ever was and while I thought that Davison was still great, I think Colin fits the role better (even with the HORIBLE coat) As for the story, I felt that it was fairly good. Not brilliant, but better than I had expected. But it's not finished yet so maybe it will all go downhill. Oh and Peri is terrible most the time.

Darth Sidious · Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 105

Personally I think it's better than Earthshock (and miles ahead of the appalling Revenge of the Cybermen and Silver Nemeis)

And Tomb of the Cybermen is a bit overrated For mine anyway.
The violent aspects to this story works in it's favour I think.

Kerr Avon · Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Posts: 478

I liked the Doctor in this one.

didn't like the Cybermen. too emotional, and head-wobbling-to-show-which-Cyberman-is-speaking is ridiculous.

the Cryons seemed uninspired and I found their exaggerated hand movements cliched and irritating.

it was interesting seeing Terry Molloy out of his Davros mask.

for a much better (in my opinion) Sixth Doctor/Cybermen conflict see Killing Ground

John Lucantonio · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Posts: 58

This gets fair and its pretty lucky I think. The Cybermen were rubbish enemies ever since Pat Troughton's time, now all of the sudden they can be killed by a simple bullet or two, or a good club to the head. Once they moved like robots, and towered over mere humans. In this there were several times when the doctor and Lytton were taller than their Cyber-enemies, and they wobbled about and waved their arms constantly. Colin Baker, however, is sorely underrated based on his performance in this one, so it is saved from Turkeyness

SharazJek · Joined: 12 Aug 2005 Posts: 932 Location: Hobart, Tasmania

I'm glad to see Colin Baker getting the credit he deserves.

Theta Sigma · Joined: 26 Jun 2005 Posts: 4566

Part 3:
Love the red outfit that Peri changes into.
Got a jump in my system when that rogue Cyberman punched another Cyberman's head.
The music is quite good.
Intriguing revelation that Bates and Stratton were Cybermen that had failed to be fully converted.
Part 3 ends with Rost saying that rescuing of the Doctor was out of the question.

Part 4:
The significance of Halley's Comet in this story is revealed as the Cybermen intend to use it as part of their plan to destroy Earth in order to save their original home planet of Mondas.
Given Producer John Nathan-Turner to get rid of K-9 and the sonic screwdriver from the series as it provided an easy solution for the Doctor, it is perhaps not surprising that as soon as he gets the sonic lance back from Lytton, the Doctor gives it away to Flast. The sonic lance like Cyber Control is then destroyed.
The Doctor activating the Cyber signal from the dead rogue Cyberman made me think of Star Trek: First Contact when Picard accessed a dead Borg's system to find out the Borg's plan.
Felt sorry for Flast the moment she said that she does not have any instrument to measure time as the Cybermen exposes her to the heat that killed her.
Distressing to see Lytton in the conversion process to become a Cyberman.

Although Peri clearly did not know anything about the Cybermen before the events in this story, former script editor Terrance Dicks was either unaware or forgotten about this story when he wrote the Fifth Doctor/Peri novel Warmonger which featured the Cybermen.

In the DVD commentary of Resurrection of the Daleks, director Matthew Robinson says that one of the Cybermen in Attack was claustrophopic!!!

This was Matthew Robinson's second and last story that he directed on the series, although he was assigned for the abandoned season 23 story The Nightmare Fair.

Before appearing on Doctor Who, Maurice Colbourne was one of the stars of the BBC version of Day of the Triffids produced by former Doctor Who director and Blake's 7 producer David Maloney. In the case of bizarre timing just a few days before Attack of the Cybermen's screening, found out on Thursday December 1 that the BBC's Day of the Triffids had been released on DVD months ago and the following day on Friday December 2 found out that it is available as a video rental at one of my local video libraries.

charlie · Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2005 5:44 pm Post subject:

It reminded me of DW and the Web planet which I really like.
The first doctor is my fav

The Master_BeyondTheGrave · Joined: 18 Oct 2005 Posts: 41

charlie · Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2005 9:12 pm Post subject:

That is the most wretched coat in the world

It actually ruins the show for me when I look at it and I have to avoid it all episode

Odnet · Joined: 22 Nov 2005 Posts: 61 Location: Mudgee

I think the coat could have worked well in the whole Big and Loud context of the Sixth Doctor if it had be made up of only four different colours and not twenty. I like the idea of the look but the execution is all wrong. Especially in Colin's second season when he looks a bit heavier, scruffier and even more like a mad clown.

Wester · Joined: 04 Aug 2005 Posts: 610 Location: Brisbane

Well I loved the biffo in this one and it was so good to see the Cybermen back! 7/10 from me! Razz