Logopolis

Logopolis

I honestly don't remember being sad at the end of 'Logopolis' Part Four. I do remember being unsure about Peter Davison being quite so young, but I knew there had been other Doctors and it's handled in the story as being fairly matter-of-fact. Yes, you've got the companion flashbacks as a fan-pleasing exercise, but even this didn't seem to be intended to make the viewers bawl their eyes out.

There's a lots of Maths in this story and although I wasn't familiar with some of the deeper stuff at the time, it wouldn't be long before I'd experience the joys of programming computers using hexadecimal. In fact, today I managed to dig out a copy of 'Cambridge Colour Collection : 20 Programs For The ZX Spectrum' which ironically has a version of the 'Mastermind' game which uses a big chunk of machine code.

For some strange reason, I ended up doing both Maths and Further Maths at A-level; clearly I was a glutton for punishment. Once you throw Physics and Chemistry into the mix, it meant that every time I came across the term 'entropy', I was reminded of ionic columns and the Barnet Bypass.

That litter bin at the start seems to serve no purpose as the sign effectively orders you not to use it, which is a little odd. I also wonder what the policeman is doing on the phone - if the first episode of 'Z Cars' is anything to go by, he's probably putting a bet on a horse or something.

The Master's message to the universe troubles me as to how he expects to work in practical terms. All I can think it that he intends to hang around the Pharos Project and use a colour-coded spreadsheet on their computer, detailing which planets have agreed to his terms and which have just accused him of intergalactic trolling.

But as Tom Baker says, Anthony Ainley is very good at showing he's Putting Evil into control panels with his stiff little fingers.

In technological terms, 'Logopolis' is very much of its time, of course. The chameleon circuit keyboard is wonderfully clunky, but at least it has proper keys, unlike some home computers that would be coming out shortly.

The destruction of waste portions of the cosmos* is a suitably grand problem for the final hours of the Fourth Doctor, but we observe it from afar. I shall also not question too deeply as to how fast the entropy field is spreading, though compared to the speed of light, it certainly seems to have its skates on...

As well as the old companions flashback, we also get a reminder of some of the great evils that the Doctor has fought. Though that coloured surround to the picture isn't the only place you'll see that particular trick being done...

So farewell Doctor, you were great!

One thing I do remember is thinking that surely 9 months was too long to wait for the New One!
Thank heavens for 'The Five Faces Of Doctor Who' and th glory that is 'K9 And Company'...

(By Andrew Trowbridge)

* Thanks to Dominator Rago for noticing this slip - it should, of course, read "vast portions of the cosmos", but we're leaving it like this, as it's so wonderfully dismissive of the fate of Traken and its associated neighbourhood...