First vs Last: Season 21

[SiHart]

Peter Davison bows out and Colin Baker arrives in this season from 1984.

Now the two stories this week could hardly be called classics, but which one do you prefer?

Firstly we have the return of the Sea Devils and Silurians in Warriors of the Deep, where they try and cause the next World War between the east and west blocks. Whereas the last story features twins, slugs a new Doctor and some of the most colourful costuming ever seen.

But which do you prefer, first or last?

[Andrew Curnow]

Both have their problems, but I don't hate either. And although it always seems to be rubbished, I'd say The Twin Dilemma has at least one thing in its favour - whatever else it may be, it's never dull. Warriors on the other hand is, and in fact I quite like TTD anyway. So I'm voting for Colin's debut...

...whether you like it - or not!

[Rob McCow]

I quite like The Twin Dilemma.

[Larry]

I quite like The Twin Dilemma.

me to JNT, tried to make the Doctor, radicaly different from the niceness of Peter Davison, and I've never had a problem with a post regenerative Doctor being emotionaly disturbed.

Warriors, ok it has it's problems , the Sea Devils panto feet, the flashing head lamps of the Silurians ,Dobin the Rentaghost horse and that kick by Ingrid Pitt, plus that huge signpost in episode 1 with the gas plus the sets being over lit but other than that it's not a bad story but I think over all my vote gose to Twin Dilemma.

[SiHart]

For all its faults, and there are more than a few, I prefer Warriors to Twin.

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

I really thought a few weeks back that when we got here I'd vote for Warriors but somehow despite being a generally poor story Twin is still the debut of one of *my* childhood Doctors and I really like the way The Doctor and Peri smile at each other at the end meaning they don't actually hate each other whatever the Doctor's controversial last line might imply.

[J.R. Southall]

Now that was tricky. When I saw Season 21 was up, I thought No problem, Warriors of the Deep. And then I thought to myself, But would I ever actually choose to put the Warriors DVD in the player? And the answer was no, although every now and again I do have a hankering for The Twin Dilemma. So that settled it, and the Giant Slugs got the vote!

[stuartdg]

Of the two The Twin Dilemma gets my vote,there's a new Doctor on board and the production team are clearly trying to take the show in a new direction,even if the script isn't really up to much

Warriors of the Deep however is slow and plodding and really doesn't make very good use of either the Sea Devils or Silurians

[MacNimon]

Now that was tricky. When I saw Season 21 was up, I thought No problem, Warriors of the Deep. And then I thought to myself, But would I ever actually choose to put the Warriors DVD in the player? And the answer was no, although every now and again I do have a hankering for The Twin Dilemma. So that settled it, and the Giant Slugs got the vote!

'Nuff said!

[J.R. Southall]

Curious how The Twin Dilemma is always voted the worst story in Doctor Who's entire run, and yet here, in a simple one vs one, it's beating the other story hands down.

[SiHart]

Well. This is very surprising indeed. How open minded you all are!

[Andrew Curnow]

Hurrah for The Twin Dilemma!!

[Stuart Wallis]

Both stories are padded and badly-designed; Warriors gets my vote on the grounds that the plot is slightly less nonsensical.

[Dirk Gently]

For all its faults, and there are more than a few, I prefer Warriors to Twin.

Agreed.

Well. This is very surprising indeed. How open minded you all are!

Or closed eyed.

Twa* Dilemma was never getting my vote. All time worst ever story...even if I do watch it*.






Well it does have a couple of points in its favour.

[Alex Me]

A rather tough one this, not a fan of either. Warriors wins it for nostalgica, I think it was one of the first videos I got as a kid, and I enjoyed watching it then . Twin I did not "see" till it came out on DVD, and it sent me to sleep.

[Martin Curnow]

Neither register much on the richter scale but gotta go for Twin Dilemma; a new Doctor and all that.

[J.R. Southall]

Wow, it's blooming tight now! Tighter than a Myrka's merkin!

[Dave Tudor]

Now I've only gone and made it neck and neck!

I always thought Warriors of the Deep was brilliant - as an eight-year-old who'd wondered about and thrilled to those classic monsters from days of old, I was delighted that the new series was to feature not one but TWO in one story! Silurians! And Sea Devils! Together! Wow! It had to be brilliant, and it was. I got the book soon after which confirmed its brilliance.

Than more than a decade later I watched it again and... well, I needn't say anymore.

Despite this, despite the Myrka, despite Ingrid Pitt's silly karate moves, despite the questionable costumes, make-up and set design, despite the silly Silurian voices, despite the iffy script, despite EVERYTHING, I think it still holds a bit of a nostalgic thrill for me, and maybe, deep down, my inner eight-year-old still thinks it's brilliant.

Besides, The Twin Dilemma is possibly my least favourite story ever, so there's no contest really.

[Andrew Curnow]

Aw, that's really nice. It just goes to show that for every story, even the (excuse me Dave) rubbishy ones, there's always somebody for who it is something special. Lovely!

[Terry Leptil]

Well, neither of them are very good.

After two great Jon Pertwee serials with two memorable monsters, Warriors of the Deep could have been a great comeback for them but alas it wasn't due to a wet-paint dripping pantomime horse and that stupid karate kick.

The Twin Dilemma has to be the worst opening adventure for a Doctor (along with Time and the Rani). It's also very dull.

Therefore, I'm choosing the former.