📝5/10

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"Delta and the Bannermen: A 50s Fling with Flawed Execution"

Delta and the Bannermen brings a quirky mix of nostalgia, alien threats, and strange plot points to the table. At its best, it’s charmingly creative and lighthearted; at its worst, it’s sluggish, bizarre, and tonally uneven.

The story opens with a unique and fairly enjoyable first episode. The idea of a space thug team (the Bannermen) chasing a fugitive to 1950s Earth is a simple but serviceable premise. The setting—Wales in the late 1950s—oozes warmth and authenticity, with its rock ‘n’ roll vibes and mid-century charm. The music pushes hard to recreate the period, and while it’s an admirable effort, it sometimes overdoes the “50s rock” motif to a distracting degree.

Unfortunately, the plot slows considerably after the introduction of the key players. The middle episode drags, lacking momentum despite the promise of an intergalactic chase. The Bannermen themselves don’t really hit their stride as villains until the latter half, and by then, much of the tension has fizzled. When they do finally start rampaging in earnest, they come across as creepily over-the-top but also disappointingly underdeveloped. Their leader, Gavrok, is a prime example—he’s forgettable, lacking any unique or memorable qualities to make him stand out.

The subplot involving the Chimeron Queen, her green baby, and the baby’s strange musical powers is perhaps the story’s weirdest angle. While imaginative, it feels too bizarre and underexplained to resonate, and the resolution—simple and, frankly, stupid—fails to satisfy.

The acting is hit-and-miss. Sylvester McCoy finally feels like he’s settling into the Doctor. Here, he ditches much of the clumsy clown persona from earlier stories and strikes a more heroic balance: quick-thinking, selfless, and ready to risk it all for others. McCoy shines, proving he’s capable of leading the series in this new era. Bonnie Langford does well with what she’s given, but Mel is again sidelined, separated from the Doctor for much of the story. She feels underutilized, which continues to be a recurring problem.

Guest performances are serviceable but unremarkable. Don Henderson and Belinda Mayne are fine, though their characters feel somewhat stripped-down and uninspired. The American tourist characters provide comic relief but feel completely unnecessary and shoehorned into the narrative, as if to pad out the runtime.

The pacing is uneven. The story slows to a crawl in Part Two before picking up speed for a final episode that, while faster and more exciting, never quite reaches the level of tension or payoff it promises. The build-up to the climax lacks punch, and the resolution feels anticlimactic.

The production design works well enough for the setting, though it’s nothing groundbreaking. The 50s period detail is genuinely lovely and helps ground the story in its nostalgic atmosphere. It’s clear that effort was put into capturing the era, even if the sci-fi elements clash awkwardly at times.

Overall, Delta and the Bannermen is a story of missed opportunities. It boasts some creativity, an evocative period setting, and a Doctor who’s beginning to hit his stride. However, its sluggish pacing, underdeveloped villains, and bizarre narrative choices prevent it from being anything more than middle-of-the-road. It’s a harmless, forgettable adventure that doesn’t demand a rewatch.