It was the longest wait between seasons and to say appetites were whetted would be an understatement - we'd had repeats of 'Full Circle' and 'Keeper of Traken' over the summer, then 'the 5 faces of Doctor Who' had shown stories of Doctors we'd never seen before. Just after Christmas there'd been the dubious delights of 'K9 and company' (Brendan - is he even more of a git than Adric or what?). The papers (even the Yorkshire Post!) were full of articles about Davison, accompanied by some lovely location shots of him, Janet Fielding and a heart-stopping Sarah Sutton. And there was even a glimpse of the new Tardis crew wishing viewers 'a Happy New Year' as part of the BBC's new season promotion. And it was on Tuesday Evening - right at peak viewing time on BBC1 - this wasn't some kiddies' show anymore - this was serious tv drama. By God, the BBC got you absolutely hooked even before it started and then - totally without precedent - a pre-credit recap of the regeneration and a revamped title sequence - I can still remember turning to my elder sister and saying - 'Forget Blake's 7 - this is going to be good!'
And by goodness wasn't it just. Daringly written - the Doctor barely appears in episode 2 - no monsters - more sparkling dialogue - ('He doesn't know who he is or why he came here' - 'oh, I like a man with an open mind') - great costumes and set design and virtually no Adric at all (to be honest, by the time he reappeared in episode 3 I'd totally forgotten he existed - it was a nice feeling).
Why do I like Castrovalva quite so much? Perhaps because it isn't typical 'Doctor Who' and I was getting a bit old for monsters in rubber suits by this point. The Doctor, Tegan and Nyssa get things wrong, get a bit cross with each other, are seen to be enjoying everyday things (watch Sarah Sutton play the scene where she's sitting by the window as Tegan sleeps) and even read books!!! The plot revolves around character - the Doctor's is still developing, Tegan and Nyssa's friendship is growing, which of the seemingly innocent characters in Castrovalva is actually the Master? (Sounds silly, having seen it x million times, but I did think it was Shardovan at the time!) And it's full of all those wonderfully light touches that only Doctor Who can get away with such as 'which is the quickest way out of here?' (the women point in wildly differing directions) 'ah well, that's democracy for you' and the fabulous sight of the Doctor, that scientific genius, trying really hard to remember how to count to three. Best of all, speaking as a history lecturer, the Doctor solves the puzzle not with a gun, or with superhuman ability, but with a history book and a bit of common sense. Incidentally, do you think Chris Bidmead was trying to say something by creating one of the most believable alien societies in the series (with a history, rituals, distinctive dress and architecture, a library, a pharmacy, structures of authority and gender) and then exposing it all as a fake?
If only a story with such elegant pace, writing, committed acting and concentration on character had won the season survey instead of the bombastic, crude 'Earthshock', we might have avoided JNT and Saward's disastrous 'fan-pleasing' tactics of seasons 20, 21 and 22 and thus still have the series with us today. Although it feels like a fresh start, Castrovalva actually marks the beginning of the end of the show, as it is the last significant contribution of the last script editor who understood what made the series work.
