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The Ribos Operation Format Reviewed: DVD Review The Ribos Operation kicks off a rather unique season in the classic Doctor Who era. The season is the sixteenth of the entire show, and the fifth of Tom Bakers tenure as Doctor Who. It is also known as the 'Key to Time' season, as there is a linking plot throughout involving the black and white guardians and the collection of the six segments of the Key to Time. Linking the stories throughout a season like this draws the viewer into each story more, and provides an edge to the cliffhangers, even between stories. The Doctor is asked by the White Guardian of space and time to find and assemble the key to time, and is given a new assistant, the Time Lady Romanadvoratrelundar or Romana for short, to help him. He traces the first segment to Ribos where a conman is trying to sell the planet to a deposed leader of another world, the Graff Vynder-K. The Graff realises the deception eventually, and chases the conmen who have his gold and the pretext for the sale of the world, a lump of Jethryk (a valuable mineral that is in fact the first key to time segemt), into the catacombs of the city they are in with The Doctor, Romana and K9. When they are found and captured, the local guards blow up the entrance to the catacombs killing The Graff's best friend and officer, driving him insane. He walks off into a trap he laid to destroy the catacombs leaving The Doctor and Romana with the first segment of the key to time, and the conmen with the Graff's ship, gold and money. The brave decision to have a linking story arc throughout the series is somewhat vindicated when you get into this story. The story itself is not massively original, but the additional intreague of finding the first segment of the Key to Time provides an additional element to the story. It is more of a mystery plot in the overall story, trying to work out what the first segment actually is, and it is a good side line from the main story. In successfully thwarting con-man Garroll, there is decent interest generated in the planet, and in the catacombs where there is an almost medieval feel to the beliefs of the locals. Given that Tom Baker himself, let alone the Character of The Doctor might not have wanted a companion, this storyline was played out well between Mary Tamm as Romana and Baker. Tamm provides a great straight man to Bakers more comical performance, and the two seem to gel well on screen. The choices of guardians are also good, with Valentine Dyal quite menacing as the Black Guardian, and Cyril Luckham playing a steely but benevolent White Guardian very well. Of the rest, a massively camp and showy portrayal of Garron by Iain Cuthbertson is a highlight, again nicely set against the cold and deturmined Graff Vynder-K. More good performances can be seen from Timothy Bateson as Binro, and Ann Tirard as The Seeker, despite being a little over the top. Above all, this story can be decribed as camp. Some of the acting goes a bit over the top, and the characters are somewhat caricatures in the story. Also, Tom Baker appears to be starting to slide into performing up for the camera, rather than playing the story to the script and direction. It is therefore very slightly disjointed in places, but this is balanced out by the introduction of the Key to Time story arc providing extra interest. I think that without the Key to Time, this story does not work well, with it it does. The story therefore cannot really be watched out of context with the rest of the series, which is a shame for any story to need its surrounding tales to give it context. Overall, The Ribos Operation is a massively camp story with some over the top acting and caricatures in the guest cast. This is balanced out by the excellent idea of providing the Key to Time story arc for the series, which really does draw the viewer in further. The story cannot really be watched out of context with the series, but when watched in context will be remembered well. Rating:  |