Doctor Who: The Ribos Operation (Story 98) (The Key to Time Series, Part 1)
by George Spenton-Foster
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Mary Tamm, Tom BakerDirector: George Spenton-Foster
Brand: Warner Brothers
Producer: Peter Bryant
Writer: Sydney Newman
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 99 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-10-01
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: BBC Video / Warner Bros.
Movie Reviews of Doctor Who: The Ribos Operation (Story 98) (The Key to Time Series, Part 1)
Movie Review: Forgotten gem
Summary: 5 Stars
This would be a sure contendor for my favourite Tom Baker story. What's that you say? How could it beat Pyramids of Mars, City of Death, Talons of Weng Chiang, Ark in Space...? Well in my not-so-humble opinion, it does.
I have wanted to rewatch this and rewatch this more so than the others I have mentioned upon getting the boxset and watching The Key to Time fully. If only the new series creators would realise that you don't need to have a "massive world-at-stake" plotline to make a story interesting. Just a highly entertaining story about double-crossing and con artistry. And for people saying Tom Baker gets too silly at this point in his era? No comprendo, senor. He still gets it perfect just like he did in the last two seasons before this.
The comedy and drama- genres that Robert Holmes perfected in his scripts, interplay together in this script perfectly, and there's so many of those instances that I could mention, most of which coming from another memorable "Double act" in the form of con artists Unstoffe and Garron. Unstoffe's touching speech to Binro that he was right about there being other worlds and that one day he will be revered, then trying to lie about what his two-way alarm system was, "Someone trying to make me happy!" Some that haven't been mentioned by other reviewers that I liked include "Oh, Unstoffe, I was going to make a touching speech- but my throat's too dry!" "I admit I had a struggle with my conscience- fortunately I won!" "I repeat-" "Don't bother I heard you the first time!" are just one of many and Iain Cuthbertson is perfect as Garron, a con artist in love with himself.
And then there's the Graff Vinda K. You learn so much about all these characters that it feels more like a feature movie than four half-hour shows when watching it straight through (believe me, some Doctor Who stories DO feel like that), and the Graff proves my point. Another forgotten villain when remembering Doctor Who by most fans, but during the course of the serial you practically get an autobiography as you hear of how he was cast out, a dictator sent into exile, now desparate to reposess his throne, and even exploring how the death of his officer and friend Sholakh seemed to have unhinged him. The last scene where the Graff seems to let his "last soldier" (actually the Doctor in disguise) live after the Seeker prophesises that "{All but one of them is doomed to die") stays with you and it doesn't beat you over the head about what happens.
Then there's Ribos, a world clearly set in superstition with talk about "the Ice gods" and "The Sun gods" deciding the seasons, hence the tormenting and persecuting of the previously mentioned Binro for his beliefs. It's somewhat strange to think that there's new layers of this world showing up in Episode Four, but it happens. Talk about "the catacombs" where the dead lie, and the exploration, all only happening in the last episode, and watching them go "deeper and deeper" (Not too bad for an entirely studio story!)
Don't worry, I haven't forgotten! How could I not review this story without mentioning Romana's introduction? I'd dare to suggest that this was actually a better introduction story than Rose's in the new series, at the risk of being lynched. Certainly, the fact that the Doctor could not choose his companion this time around to any degree, forced upon by the White Guardian, and for once, them both being Time Lords, they are equal (though the Doctor would probably have more "street-smarts"). Straight away, you know that you're in for a hell of a roller-coaster ride, with the first line "My name's Romanadvoratrelundar," "Well, I'm sorry to hear that!" There's a constant one-up throughout, what with the name game, "It's either Romana or Fred!" "All right, call me Fred!" "Good! Come on, Romana!"
All in all, a story that no one should miss. And I mean NO ONE. Not techinally a Sci-Fi story, noe could you really call it a Sci-Fi Historical. Possibly the most unique Doctor Who story.
Summary of Doctor Who: The Ribos Operation (Story 98) (The Key to Time Series, Part 1)
Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 09/06/2005 Run time: 99 minutes Rating: NrSimilar DVD Movies
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