Time's Up for This Time Lord

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• Publication: The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
• Date: 1982-04-25
• Author: Robin Oliver
• Page: 52
• Language: English

MOST of us have never owned a miniature color television set — by all accounts they can give a lot of trouble — but being portable this week would certainly have had advantages for viewers who normally miss out on early evening programs.

Dr Who, the long-lasting favorite from Aunty Beeb, has been in truly great form on Channel 2.

After a distinguished spell as everybody's favorite Time Lord, Tom Baker has spent the last few episodes preparing to hand over his space practice to new man Peter Davison.

Peter, better known as the amiable and accident-prone junior vet from All Creatures Great and Small, tomorrow takes over the controls of the police box Tardis and will bring a completely new dimension to the program that has now earned the BBC over $30 million in export fees.

For one thing, there will be no shabby old clothes; no woolly hair; no ankle-length coat; and no long scarf.

Dr Tom used the scarf for measuring things and that is why it was knitted in one-foot lengths of different colors.

The worthy Doctor may have employed superbly inventive scientific gobbledygook, but he trod the solar system with imperially-measured steps.

Peter has a different style.

For one thing, he will be Dr Who's best-dressed Time Lord, sporting Victorian blazer and cricket gear and the fun of all this should soon dispel the sadness at seeing an old friend depart.

Sensible adults who still treasure their childhood have been watching Dr Who for years.

Despite the renowned performance of Jon Pertwee, I believe there has been no better Doctor than that of Tom Baker.

The knowledge that the program was so succesful in attracting a mature audience persuaded the BBC to launch another, much more adult space probe in the form of Blake's 7.

Produced by Terry Nation, one of the creators of Dr Who, Blake's 7 is currently enjoying a late night revival on Saturdays.

The series is now nearing the end, but it is well worth watching and is unbeatable in its time slot.

British TV makers do not usually give programs an unlimited run, however popular, and Blake was not destined to spend more than 26 episodes cruising through the universe.

Not so the gallant Doctor. This week, dodging his old enemy, the evil Keeper of Traken, he has been cloning police boxes in front of bewildered London bobbies.

At the same time, he has been flying off to the planet Logopolis, where the mathematically-minded citizens scorn computers in favor of the abacus and sit in rows on the terraces clacking away at the shuttling beads.

Throughout a shadowy figure. swathed from head to toe in bandages and looking like a skinny Michelin man has been dogging the action. The new Doctor Who. I presume.

Meanwhile, welcome and bravo! to Dr Peter Davison. I'll be with you all the way to Castrovola, next stop in this superbly inventive and consistently witty adventure.

Caption: Tom Baker, the departing Dr Who, and Lalla Ward, who plays Romana in the series.

Disclaimer: These citations are created on-the-fly using primitive parsing techniques. You should double-check all citations. Send feedback to whovian@cuttingsarchive.org

• APA 6th ed.: Oliver, Robin (1982-04-25). Time's Up for This Time Lord. The Daily Telegraph (Australia) p. 52.
• MLA 7th ed.: Oliver, Robin. "Time's Up for This Time Lord." The Daily Telegraph (Australia) [add city] 1982-04-25, 52. Print.
• Chicago 15th ed.: Oliver, Robin. "Time's Up for This Time Lord." The Daily Telegraph (Australia), edition, sec., 1982-04-25
• Turabian: Oliver, Robin. "Time's Up for This Time Lord." The Daily Telegraph (Australia), 1982-04-25, section, 52 edition.
• Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Time's Up for This Time Lord | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Time%27s_Up_for_This_Time_Lord | work=The Daily Telegraph (Australia) | pages=52 | date=1982-04-25 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=18 September 2025 }}</ref>
• Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Time's Up for This Time Lord | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Time%27s_Up_for_This_Time_Lord | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=18 September 2025}}</ref>