Silver Nemesis

(Series 25, Episodes 8-10)

Summary: The Doctor gets a reminder on his smart watch that the world is about to end as Nazis, a 17th century sorceress and the Cybermen race to get their hands on “the nemesis”, a powered comet containing a statue made of living metal. They must reunite the statue with its bow and arrow in order to obtain unlimited power. The Cybermen appear to have upgraded to the Vader vocal package, the crazy sorceress drinks time travel juice and discovers how to hitchhike and the Doctor and Ace spend a lot of time hanging out in a wood. Ultimately, Cybermen weaponry is no match for Ace and her slingshot.

Watch it because: The Cybermen are introduced to jazz.

Original Air Date: 23 November – 7 December 1988.
Doctor: Sylvester McCoy.
Companions: Ace (Sophie Aldred)
Writer: Kevin Clarke.
Director: Chris Clough.
Producer: John Nathan-Turner.

The Happiness Patrol

(Series 25, Episodes 5-7)

Summary: The Doctor and Ace visit an earth colony on a distant planet in the future where unhappiness is outlawed, killjoys are executed and everyone is forced to listen to piped lift music. They’ve banned all my favourite things: listening to sad music, reading poetry and walking in the rain without an umbrella. And the lesson we all learn is that happiness can’t be forced upon us but crazy eighties’ hairdos can.

Watch it because: The Kandy Man – a baddy constructed from oversized liquorice allsorts who literally kills people by drowning them in liquid sweets. God, I love this show.

Original Air Date: 2-16 November 1988.
Doctor: Sylvester McCoy.
Companions: Ace (Sophie Aldred)
Writer: Graeme Curry.
Director: Chris Clough.
Producer: John Nathan-Turner.

Remembrance of the Daleks

(Series 25, Episodes 1-4)

Summary: Could that mysterious indestructible creature in the shed possibly be…a Dalek?! We’re back to where it all began, in a junkyard in 1963, where Daleks are appearing in the basement of Coal Hill school and searching for the hand of Omega. Ace experiences a bit of 1960s' sexism and it seems as if the Doctor has been playing a long game with himself. Personally, I ship Alison and Rachel and hope they are very happy raising begonias together.

Watch it because: Not since Barbara Wright ran them down with a truck has a companion attacked a Dalek with such vigour.

Original Air Date: 5-26 October 1988.
Doctor: Sylvester McCoy.
Companions: Ace (Sophie Aldred)
Writer: Ben Aaronovitch.
Director: Andrew Morgan.
Producer: John Nathan-Turner.

Dragonfire

(Series 24, Episodes 12-14)

Summary: The Doctor and Mel visit an ice planet where they bump back into the cheerfully immoral Sabalom Glitz who is in a spot of bother. The Doctor and Glitz go off in search of a dragon and some treasure and encounter a stranded psychopath who’s literally as cold as ice, dissatisfied and displaced waitress Ace blows a lot of things up and, since Mel decides to stay with Glitz, the Doctor offers Ace a ride home via the scenic route.

Watch it because: This happens for no apparent reason and accurately sums up the Seventh Doctor.

Original Air Date: 23 November - 7 December 1987.
Doctor: Sylvester McCoy.
Companions: Mel Bush (Bonnie Langford) & Ace (Sophie Aldred)
Writer: Ian Briggs.
Director: Chris Clough.
Producer: John Nathan-Turner.

Delta and the Bannerman

(Series 24, Episodes 9-11)

Summary: The Doctor and Mel win a trip to the 1950s but the tour bus makes an unscheduled stop after a collision with Sputnik and lands in a holiday camp in South Wales. There’s a monotonous hitman on board, along with Delta the Chimeron Queen who is on the run from the nasty Bannermen. Everyone rides around a lot on motorbikes, somehow two random Americans and a beekeeper get involved and Billy is so very cool about the sudden appearance of a green baby.

Watch it because: Helluva soundtrack.

Original Air Date: 2-16 November 1987.
Doctor: Sylvester McCoy.
Companions: Mel Bush (Bonnie Langford).
Writer: Malcolm Kohll.
Director: Chris Clough.
Producer: John Nathan-Turner.