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Battlefield Format Reviewed: VHS Review Battlefield is the first story of the final season of Doctor Who, as it appeared on BBC TV. Battlefield can therefore be seen as the beginning of the end for the series as was. For this story we have a pseudo historical tale, relating back to the events surrounding King Arthur, although the historical characters presented are from a parallel world and as such have differences from their counterparts legends in this world. The characters also know the Doctor, although not in his current regeneration. This is a similar state of affairs to that in Silver Nemesis in that presumed continuity is presented from events that havn't been presented on-screen. In Battlefield, the Doctor receives a distress call from a parallel world and travels to England where meteors bearing knights are landing and a nuclear missile has become bogged down in a convoy near Vortigerns Lake. The knights are grouped into Morgaines troops, led on the ground by Mordred who is Morgaine's son, and in opposition there is Ancelyn. UNIT call up Brigadeer Lethbridge-Stewartto help with the missile convoy, and several battles ensue between the military, Ancelyn and Morgaine's troops. Morgaine eventually travels to the area, and confronts the Doctor. After more battles it is revealed that Morgaine has The Destroyer, an alien with tremendous destructive power, under her control. She manages to get hold of Excalibur, and then releases The Destroyer who Lethbridge-Stewart eventually kills with silver bullets. Morgaine then breaks down upon learning that her foe, King Arthur, has been killed as it turns out she loves him. Battlefield is another story that I feel receives a lot of undue criticism. Above all, Battlefield grabs the viewers attention from the start and only releases it at the end credits. Any story that does this achieves its main goal, and can therefore be considered in a positive light. The inclusion of a semi-retired Lethbridge-Stewart, passing on the reigns to the new generation of UNIT troops, is positive. It means that the character can effectively be retired and stories involving new UNIT characters can be presented. With the military involved, there also is the opportunity for some battle scenes. These are done here with great aplomb, and really set this story up with amazing effect. The only member of the cast I have any criticism over is Angela Bruce who plays Brigadeer Bambera. This is not really because of her performance, but more because of the way she delivers the line 'shame' that I do not like. The regulars have really seemed to establish themselves now, and Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred give strong performances. The appearance of Nicholas Courtney as the Brigadeer is quite interesting though. It gives a real insight into the era in which he was a regular and the era in which this programme was made. It shows how time has moved on and that Courtneys time in Doctor Who rightfully came to and end. Of the guest cast, there are several strong performances. The best of these are Jean Marsh as Morgaine, Christopher Bowen as Mordred and Marcus Gilbert as Ancelyn. Ling Tai who plays Shou Yuing provides a very similar character to Ace. Her portrayal really serves to emphasize how good Sophie Aldred is in the role, as Tai does not shine as bright. My one real criticism is in the dialogue of Brigadeer Bambera. The fact that she wanders around cussing 'shame' instead of an obviously similar swear word is slightly cringworthy. Yes, the character is not in the least bit subtle and would probably have a mouth her Mother is ashamed of, but in such a programme as Doctor Who it would be best to avoid that area of language altogether I think. That said, the intereaction ebtween the various characters is pitched perfectly. The primative warrior posturing between Bambera and Ancelyn, the bluster of a stuffy Archaeologist and the demeanour of Morgaine's troops. With the sinister nature of Morgaine herself, the story is pitched perfectly given the context. Overall, Battlefield is a well planned and executed story that should rightly be held as one of the best stories of the 1980's. In particular, the battle sequences are spectacular and executed with great skill. The back story pertaining to the legend of King Arthur fits with the action perfectly to create a a tone that captivates the viewer from the start to finish. Rating:  |