Orange Whip, Orange Whip, Orange Whip - "The Five Doctors"

"Orange Whip, Orange Whip, Orange Whip" - Production 6K: "The Five Doctors"
(November 23/25, 1983) - Classic Doctor Who 20th Anniversary Special Review

The ultimate Doctor Who celebration arrives! To commemorate two decades of time travel adventures, all five incarnations of the Doctor are mysteriously pulled out of time and transported to the Death Zone on Gallifrey - the ancient forbidden wasteland where Time Lords once staged gladiatorial games. The First Doctor (Richard Hurndall) and granddaughter Susan, the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) and Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, the Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and Sarah Jane Smith, and the Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) with companions Tegan and Turlough must navigate deadly traps, face classic enemies including Daleks, Cybermen, and a Raston Warrior Robot, and ultimately reach the Dark Tower to discover who has orchestrated this temporal kidnapping. Meanwhile, the Fourth Doctor remains trapped in a time eddy. The Master receives a presidential pardon to help, Lord President Borusa harbors dark secrets about immortality, and the fate of all Gallifrey hangs in the balance in this 90-minute anniversary extravaganza.

Join podcaster John S. Drew and acclaimed writer/editor Jim Beard as they master time and space with an incredible lineup of special guests! From The Flopcast, the Mayor of Chickentown herself, Felicity Kusinitz returns to claim the Second Doctor. From The OSI Files podcast, artist extraordinaire Jerry Lange champions the Fourth Doctor (despite Tom Baker's controversial absence). And from the late Doctor Who Gives a Bleep podcast and current host of The Bat77 podcast, JB Anderton takes on the First Doctor role.

In this comprehensive anniversary special analysis, the hosts discuss:

• The Tom Baker controversy - Why the Fourth Doctor was reduced to archive footage from the unfinished "Shada" serial, theories about his refusal (too soon after leaving, not wanting to share the spotlight, conflicting theatre commitments with "Educating Rita"), and whether the public knew beforehand

• Richard Hurndall's remarkable performance - How the replacement First Doctor exceeded expectations and created wonderful chemistry with both Carol Ann Ford's Susan and surprisingly, Tegan

• Robert Holmes' rejected script - The original "Six Doctors" concept featuring a robot First Doctor and Cybermen becoming "Cyber-Lords" (a concept Chris Chibnall would eventually use)

• Perfect companion pairings - Sarah Jane with the Third Doctor and the Brigadier with the Second Doctor as happy accidents that became highlights

• Production challenges - The Eye of Orion footage damage requiring Mark Strickson's emergency recall ("Strickson phone home!"), the abandoned hang glider sequence replaced by the zip line, and Elizabeth Sladen's unfortunate costume choices

• Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee's minimal aging - Both looking remarkably like their original incarnations despite years away from the role

• The balance of multiple Doctors - How the script successfully gave each incarnation meaningful moments without anyone overpowering the others

• American vs. British viewing experiences - PBS broadcasting it two days before the BBC on the actual anniversary during the Chicago convention

Jim declares this "a lot of fun" and "almost everything I wanted" - a breath of fresh air with excellent character interactions, though Tom Baker's absence remains the only significant downbeat. The panel agrees that all actors played their roles straight without mugging or winking, creating a sincere celebration rather than a farce.

This landmark special aired November 23, 1983 on American PBS stations (part