"Did Webster give you a message for James Stirling or not?"
In which the Doctor goes shopping for a new set of clothes...
He's going up in the world too, choosing the insignia of a Regional Officer of the Provinces. They're on 20th Century coat hangers, but we'll overlook that because of this exquisite colour photo.
The highlight of this episode for me is the rather flouncy, it has to be said, arrival of Mr. Meaker from Rentaghost. In this story he seems to be called Leon. Anyway, Edward Brayshaw is fab as always and livens things up considerably. He certainly puts a spring in Barbara's step. Perhaps it's the tights.
I hope you're all impressed that I've resisted using the phrase 'gallows humour' through all this so far. Bugger.
Apparently when it came to recording, the director Henric Hirsch had an attack of the vapours and so John Gorrie directed it instead using Hirsch's shooting schedule. Coincidentally, I was struck by a marked improvement in picture quality for this episode on the DVD.
Anyway, next week get ready to meet....
Next episode: The Tyrant of France
