Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start... 

Day 534: City of Death, Episode Four

Dear diary,

There’s something very, very, brilliant about the fact that this story - one in which so much humour has been centred around Duggen’s love of violence to get the job done - all comes down to the most important punch in history being thrown to knock out the alien bad guy. Doctor Who isn’t usually a programme which delights in violence, and indeed it’s unique standpoint is usually that the hero doesn’t use violence unless really necessary, but it’s always great to have a solution as simple as this once in a while.

I’m always impressed in this episode with just how well the studio set of the prehistoric landscape matches with the model work. There’s something really rather nice about the fact that this is the most-watched episode of Doctor Who ever on initial broadcast (16.1 million viewers - a fact often put down to ITV being on strike, but actually, by the time this episode aired they weren’t any more), and it’s one of the most accomplished. People talk of ‘classic’ Doctor Who being filled with dodgy sets, and acting, rubbish monsters, and poor model shots, and this episode manages to take each one of those things and shoot them down in flames one by one.

Quite aside from the great model shot and the matching studio set, you’ve got the design of Scaroth, which must surely be one of the most unusual and recognisable creatures from the full history of the programme. When they brought the toy out a few years ago, they made a decision to ‘shrink’ the Scaroth head compared to that of Julian Glover, to better give the impression that the human features were a mask to go over the green… thing. It never looked right, though, because it’s such a striking design that trying to change it in any way simply moves you in to the territory of spoiling things.

Then there’s the acting. Sticking with Julian Glover, it’s worth pointing out that he really does give a very good performance throughout this story. There’s a reason that he’s a known name in the acting world - and that’s because he’s very good at what he does. As if it’s not enough to have him cast as one of the major guest stars, you’ve also got Catherine Schell cast in the role of his wife! A veteran of films like On Her Majesty's Secret Service and The Return of the Pink Panther, she’s something of a coup for the show. Put these two in a scene together - as today, where the Count reveals to his bride exactly who he really is and berates her for never noticing, before leaving her dead - and you’ve really go something special.

The episode also features those famous cameos from Eleanor Bron and John Cleese - something which I never really appreciated when watching the story before, but now that I’ve grown to have a broader interest in archive television, it really means something to me. Plus, the gentle poking fun at the world of art critique is always welcome, and fits in so perfectly with the story.

Overall, City of Death has managed to justify its place among the programme’s greats. I don’t think I enjoy it quite as much as some people do, but I think it’s a tale I could watch again a year from now, and enjoy just as much as I have this time around. And again the year after. And the one after that, too. It’s a great example of what Doctor Who can be - and it’s no wonder that this is the story most people choose to use when introducing new viewers to the ‘classic’ years of the programme!