This is part of a series of reviews of Doctor Who in chronological timeline order.

Previous Story: Frontios

A simple premise executed perfectly. There's been a lot of teasing throughout the show about the Doctor's technical presidency, ever since The Deadly Assassin. And now, it's finally gotten a follow up. I like how this follows on from Frontios by having the Doctor concerned that he's been recalled for them to put him on trial again, only for the Time Lords to force him into being president. Lots of hijinks ensue, the way this story is formatted is almost like a collection of short one-part stories rather than one cohesive narrative.

That's not to say it doesn't have one, just that each part is distinct and tells its own stories about different events. The first part is good fun, we get to meet up with Leela again. I've always liked Leela but felt she was a bit suffocated around 4 and there was a power dynamic there that I really didn't like. With 5 they're almost on equal standing and it's a joy to hear. Peter Davison and Louise Jameson have excellent chemistry right off the bat and prove to be a great pairing. As someone who really likes Turlough, his absence was disappointing but it makes up for it by bringing the spotlight to Tegan who becomes Earth ambassador for the Time Lords, a role she's surprisingly good at.

The second part deals with the consequences of one of the Doctor and Leela's previous adventures. I won't get into the details but it's a very fun addition to Time Lord history and gives Tegan an excellent moment to shine. The third part features a Time Lord stealing a TARDIS and escaping Gallifrey, much like the Doctor. He brings Tegan along with him who rather aptly calls him a "tribute act" of the Doctor. This was a really great moment that shows just how much the Doctor has progressed as a character since he left Gallifrey and a funny little reflection of the Doctor as a character.

The final part loses most of the surreal and silly Time Lord-yness that I really enjoyed throughout this story. But I can't have expected it to all be comedy, I just think by this point it loses it's steam. Overall it's an excellent story that you'll be glad to have spent two hours on.

Next Story: The Auton Infinity