Enlightenment (Fifth Doctor Story)

[FalTorPan]

Last night I found a dusty old videotape on which I'd recorded the fifth-Doctor story "Enlightenment" from PBS some 15 or 20 years ago. With the exception of "The Five Doctors," last night's rewatch of "Enlightenment" was my first viewing of a Davison story in many years.

I like this story. The "space ships" are bizarre, but that's part of what makes them fun. The Eternal who had a fondness for Tegan was fairly sympathetic, and his "banishment" into nothingness reminded me somewhat of the fate of Charlie Evans in Star Trek's "Charlie X."

What do you think of this story?

 

[Starkers]

Love it...

And not just for Tegan in that dress

Wonderfully daft story, sailing ships in space is a fantastic notion.

 

[bok2384]

Enlightenment was a fantastic story, one of the rare jewels of the Davison era. Great companions, some brilliant music and the whole set up is amazing. Plus, you've got to love the outrageous Linda Baron as Captain Rack

Even now I can here the Black Guardian's warning to Turlough: "You are doomed, boy!".

 

[arch101]

I was always amused by the scene where Tegan hopes to at least get a tiny bit of approval from the Doc when she shows herself off in the fancy dress, but receives the most slight recognition. He's definitely not the man he was.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Love it...

And not just for Tegan in that dress

Wonderfully daft story, sailing ships in space is a fantastic notion.

More daft than Spitfires in space?

Haven't seen any classic Who since PBS was airing it, so I don't remember this one at all.

 

[Bones2]

Aye, good story. One of the Fifth Doctor's best. It's an example of what DW should be at its best - imaginative. Eternals sailing ships around in space in a race for Enlightenment is certainly imaginative. I've always liked Turlough as well. Wasn't quite so sure about that Eternal falling in love with Tegan though. Maybe he liked whining Aussies with the haircut of a young boy. Personally, I'd be more interested in Lynda Baron.

 

[Starkers]

Ok Arkwright, you can have nurse Gladys, I'll take the stewardess any day!

 

[Tom]

Last night I found a dusty old videotape on which I'd recorded the fifth-Doctor story "Enlightenment" from PBS some 15 or 20 years ago.

Ha! I have the same thing, videotapes of almost all the 5th and 6th doctor stories recorded from PBS in the 80's. I watched Warriors of the Deep for the first time in 20 years this past week to refresh myself on the Silurians

 

[C.E. Evans]

I was always amused by the scene where Tegan hopes to at least get a tiny bit of approval from the Doc when she shows herself off in the fancy dress, but receives the most slight recognition. He's definitely not the man he was.

He was a younger Time Lord back then. Still had some more lives to go through yet...


But yeah, "Enlightenment" was one of my favorite Fifth Doctor stories and I consider it one of the "must sees" to get a real good sense of this particular incarnation...

 

[Cutter John]

I should find a way to watch this again sometime. All I remember was being terribly bored by it. Like most of Davisons first two seasons.

 

[23skidoo]

I should find a way to watch this again sometime. All I remember was being terribly bored by it. Like most of Davisons first two seasons.

It's on DVD, and if you were bored by it you might want to check out the shorter "movie edit" included as a bonus feature.

I remember liking the story the first and only time I ever watched it, which happened to be on New Year's Day 1989. But I haven't been able to bring myself to watch it again because it was right after the show ended (well, an hour or so later) that we got word that my grandmother had died, so I've always associated it with great sadness, I'm afraid.

Alex

 

[Cutter John]

I should find a way to watch this again sometime. All I remember was being terribly bored by it. Like most of Davisons first two seasons.

It's on DVD, and if you were bored by it you might want to check out the shorter "movie edit" included as a bonus feature.

Possibly. I guess my problem with a lot of Davisons era is that JNT tried too hard to make it a serious SF drama (same with Pertwee's first season). Sure I take the show seriously. But its the faint undercurrent of larger-than-life, OTT silliness that keeps it fun and entertaining. Imo it wasn't until Davison's final series that the show got its sense of adventure back.

I remember liking the story the first and only time I ever watched it, which happened to be on New Year's Day 1989. But I haven't been able to bring myself to watch it again because it was right after the show ended (well, an hour or so later) that we got word that my grandmother had died, so I've always associated it with great sadness, I'm afraid.

Alex

Oh man, my sympathies. I have similar trouble with The Brain of Morbius. I had a very upsetting break up with a good female friend, and shortly afterwards, she turned up during a PBS pledge night built around this episode. The bad feelings stirred up everytime she turned up on camera totally ruined that episode for me.

 

[DWF]

I loved Enlightenment, Turlough's choice at the end was well played, Captains Wrack and Marriner were iinteresting characters, Striker's feelings for Tegan was an intersting anology of love. Tegan did look good iin the dress. The Eternals were an interesting concept it's shame we've never seen them again.

The only real drawback of the story was the visuals of the ships, in my mind they were alittle too stiff looking onscreen. But I'm really looking forward to getting around to seeing the entire trilogy on DVD, I have the DVDs I just haven't gotten around to seeing them yet.