Production 6D: "Snakedance" (January 18-26, 1983) - Classic Doctor Who Season 20 Review
The Fifth Doctor discovers that Tegan Jovanka has been involuntarily manipulating the TARDIS coordinates, steering them toward the peaceful planet Manusa - homeworld of the Sumaran Empire Federation and the historical site where the malevolent Mara was supposedly destroyed centuries ago. But the snake-like entity was never truly vanquished, and it once again seizes control of Tegan's mind in a terrifying possession, threatening to plunge the unsuspecting civilization of Manusa into chaos and darkness as it prepares for its prophesied return during the ceremony celebrating its ancient defeat.
Join podcaster John S. Drew and acclaimed writer/editor Jim Beard as they master time and space, delivering comprehensive reviews of every Classic Doctor Who serial. In this chilling sequel to Season 19's "Kinda," they analyze the Fifth Doctor's deepening concern and protectiveness for the traumatized Tegan following her previous Mara possession, celebrate Nyssa's stunning new costume that finally gives Sarah Sutton a more practical outfit, spotlight the television debut of British comedy legend Martin Clunes in his very first professional acting role as the spoiled Lon, and explore the fascinating thematic parallels between "Snakedance" and earlier Doctor Who stories involving mind control and ancient evil. Writer Christopher Bailey returns to expand his Buddhist-influenced mythology with director Fiona Cumming bringing psychological horror to life.
The countdown to Doctor Who's monumental 20th anniversary continues as Season 20 follows producer John Nathan-Turner's mandate to bring back classic monsters and villains from the show's illustrious history. The Mara returns as part of the nostalgic callbacks celebrating two decades of time travel adventures!
Subscribe to The Doctor's Beard Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and all major podcast platforms. Connect with our passionate Whovian community by emailing us at thedoctorsbeardpodcast@gmail.com or joining our active Facebook and BlueSky discussions for exclusive Doctor Who content, character analysis, and fan theories.
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Hashtags: #DoctorWho #ClassicDoctorWho #FifthDoctor #PeterDavison #Snakedance #Season20 #TheMara #TeganJovanka #JanetFielding #Possession #Nyssa #SarahSutton #MartinClunes #ActingDebut #ChristopherBailey #FionaCumming #Kinda #SequelStory #Manusa #SumaranEmpire #DoctorWho1983 #JohnNathanTurner #20thAnniversary #ReturningMonsters #DoctorWhoReview #DoctorWhoPodcast #TheDoctorsBeardPodcast #TARDIS #Whovian #BuddhistThemes #PsychologicalHorror #MindControl #AncientEvil #BBC #BritishSciFi #DoctorWhoFandom #CompanionTrauma #ClassicWho #DoctorWhoVillains #DoctorWhoHistory #SciFiTV #DoctorWhoMonsters
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