BFI, 16 September 2023

A big-screen showing of the newly-restored Doctor Who 20th Anniversary special, attended by members of the cast.

The BFI Doctor Who events are hot tickets within the fan community, and this was no exception, having sold out before booking was available to the general public. These events follow a tried and tested formula, with audience members ready to call out regular catchphrases – presenters Justin Johnson and Dick Fiddy clearly relishing their elevated status.

After a brief chat with production designer Malcolm Thornton and the producer of the new visual effects for this version (there are over 100 of them) The Five Doctors played out in its 4:3 glory in a beautiful, new transfer. I won’t linger on the story itself – I’m pretty sure we’ve all caught it at some point over the past 40 years. As an audience, we chuckled at Sarah’s ridiculous rescue from the mildest of slopes, Susan twisting her ankle on the smallest of rocks and some daft Cybermen action, but we also thrilled at the wonderful rapport between Patrick Troughton and Nicholas Courtney and all the references to the show’s then 20-year legacy.

The updated visual effects look great, the time scoop and multiple materialisations / dematerialisations being the standouts, with improvements to Rassilon’s Tower and Tomb. The new audio mix also creates a more immersive experience. The feature was followed by Pete McTighe’s excellent Season 20 trailer The Passenger, and then we were treated to around 20 minutes of highlights from the new boxset, which frankly I could have done without – surely everyone would already have their own copy in the post or already in their hands, wanting to explore the new features in their own time?

Dick Fiddy interviewed Cyber Leader David Banks and Cyber Lieutenant Mark Hardy, the latter raising the question about just how many Cybermen were in this special, and the number of times they get killed. Hardy recalled being particularly cold in the Welsh quarries used for the Death Zone location filming and missing the warm ‘moon boots’ previously worn in Earthshock.

Justin Johnson then welcomed Sarah Sutton (Nysa), Janet Fielding (Tegan) and Peter Davison (The Doctor) to the stage. The usual aggravated banter between Janet and Peter ensued (the crowd love it, as I assume do they) but there were also serious moments around Sutton’s sadness at the way she was dismissed on her last day. Peter drily added: ‘At least you didn’t turn into Colin Baker!’

Verdict: A speaking new transfer of the classic anniversary story in the company of key cast and a welcoming crowd. 9/10 

Nick Joy