The BBC television programme Newsnight screened a discussion on 80s Doctor Who – watch it in the player below. The piece, asking if the show was “a bit rubbish?” in that particular decade, features interviews with actor Sylvester McCoy, director Graeme Harper and writers Rona Munro and Andrew Cartmel. You can see more footage of their interviews on the BBC website HERE.
Newsnight: Steven Moffat interview
Newsnight: Doctor Who Vs. Mrs Thatcher
The 'conclusion' to this piece was a bit rubbish. They seemed to suggest that the only contribution 80s Who made to the show was that by being so awful, it helped raise the bar for NuWho. And that just simply isn't fair. Sylvester McCoy's last season, for example, has Curse of Fenric, Ghostlight and Survival – all excellent stories and well made. I also think Colin Baker's Trial of a Timelord was superb telly #BringBackTheValeyard
(Also, if you're going to mock 80s Who, I thought it was pretty low of Newsnight to use footage of the bleedin' Merka. Yes, yes, we all know the Merka was dreadful, no need to rub it in.)
80's Doctor Who was still good. Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy had more good episodes than bad. It's just the bad episodes were REALLY BAD so they stood out more.
It seems to me that NuWho and the BBC are setting themselves for a fall. All that glitters is not gold. The current series has been heavily criticised by the official magazine, who sometimes seem like a lone voice in a wave of adoration. The description of the dreadful Akatan being a favourite referring to its "swaying muppet choir" and half baked panto-like stories.