Skip to content
TARDIS Guide

Overview

First aired

Monday, January 4, 1982

Production Code

5Z

Directed by

Fiona Cumming

Runtime

100 minutes

Time Travel

Past, Future

Inventory (Potential Spoilers!)

Cricket bat, Sonic Screwdriver

Location (Potential Spoilers!)

Castrovalva, Event One, The Doctor's TARDIS

Synopsis

The Doctor's latest regeneration has proven more unstable than his previous ones. His two companions, Tegan and Nyssa, help him recuperate on the tranquil planet of Castrovalva.

Adric has been captured by the Master, who is taking advantage of the Doctor's weakened state to ensnare him in an elaborate trap whose recursive nature threatens to destroy his mind.

Add Review Edit Review

Edit date completed

4 Episodes

Part One

First aired

Monday, January 4, 1982

Runtime

25 minutes

Directed by

Fiona Cumming

UK Viewers

9.1 million

Synopsis

Southern England, 1981. The universe has been saved, but at the cost of the fourth Doctor's life. The newly-regenerated fifth Doctor must rely on his friends to survive as the regeneration threatens to fail…


Part Two

First aired

Tuesday, January 5, 1982

Runtime

25 minutes

Directed by

Fiona Cumming

UK Viewers

8.6 million

Synopsis

The TARDIS is plunging toward destruction. But even if the Doctor can escape, is yet another trap waiting?


Part Three

First aired

Monday, January 11, 1982

Runtime

25 minutes

Directed by

Fiona Cumming

UK Viewers

10.2 million

Synopsis

The Doctor has arrived in the supposed safety of Castrovalva. But something is odd about the seemingly tranquil city…


Part Four

First aired

Tuesday, January 12, 1982

Runtime

25 minutes

Directed by

Fiona Cumming

UK Viewers

10.4 million

Synopsis

The TARDIS crew are caught in a space-time trap. Escaping will mean a final confrontation with the Master.



Characters

How to watch Castrovalva:

Reviews

Add Review Edit Review

8 reviews

This review contains spoilers!

What a marvellous team Nyssa, Tegan, Adric and the Fifth Doctor make - suddenly these companions make total sense with this softer, younger Doctor. The show needs to reset every so often, it’s part of its strength, it is exciting to be entering a new era.

Davison’s initial turn as The Doctor is excellent - he has emotion and range, especially impressive when mimicking the first and second Doctors, an excellent piece of fan service from Bidmead. Surely the most explicit nods to the past since The Three Doctors. His take on Troughton is particularly strong.

I’m surprised, once again, that Adric gets such a hard time from fans. Honestly, I think Matthew Waterhouse is a more natural and confident actor than our other companions. Ainley’s Master continues to receive mixed opinions from me. I'm not sure about how he pitches his performance, but I think I’ll get used to it. It might help to have a bit of a break from his character. The Master’s disguise in Castrovalva genuinely fooled me - so that’s a definite plus.

The story is quite pedestrian but it gives a great platform for Davison to stretch his muscles. I like how the locals to Castrovalva are revealed to be an intellectual book reading race after a rather uncertain introduction, only to then be revealed as an entirely false projection by The Master. Very cool. The M.C. Escher-esque reveal of Castrovalva being altered to fold in on itself is also brilliant.


15thDoctor

View profile


This review contains spoilers!

I'm going through the Davison era again with a friend now so what better time than to get reviews for all these stories up on this website. I absolutley adore this story, probably more than I should. Nonetheless I do think it holds up very well as both a cool story on it's own and an introduction for this new era. It was an interesting choice having the Doctor out of action for a lot of this story but I do think it works in showing what this incarnation is all about, especially in S19. The starting point of his character is someone who lacks the presence of what you'd expect from the Doctor; someone who is often overpowered and is very reliant on others. All in all this story does a great job of setting up what his character will be like for the rest of the season. Davison wonderfully portrays all the youthful energy, gentle demeanour and dry wit that will define this character.

I think this is a fantastically creative story as well. It's a lot crazier than a typical regeneration story and I love it for that. Things just seem a little off in Castrovalva and the way the discrepancies are slowly built up is great and I love the sequences of the characters running around getting stuck in loops and trying to make sense and explain what is going on. Ainley is great in this story as always and as far as the companions go, Adric may get shafted a little bit but overall Castrovavla does a much better job of balancing the three companions then other stories in S19. I just love this story so much because it feels very cosy; it's got that light and jovial feel that a lot of early fifth doctor stories have before it all starts to go wrong. The fifth doctor's first Tardis team is unbelievably cracked and I'm really happy to be revisiting this era and reexperiencing the wonder of Five failing to be a surrogate parent to his three gay children. 9/10 / 4½ stars.


Gibbypg

View profile


Castrolvalva kind of blew me away, I had so much fun with it.  I very much enjoyed the Fifth Doctor post-regeneration.  It feels like it brings an edge and certain comedic flair I wish stayed true of the Fifth Doctor more in general, because this is some of the best Doctor I've ever seen Peter Davison perform.  I enjoyed the Master's scheme and various scenes with him having captured Adric really nicely played up the villain's evil plan.  Castrovalva was a very fun setting and I enjoyed the big twist around it.

So you have a fun little story and the new TARDIS crew really gives it all a strong sense of character.  You have creative ideas that nicely follow up on Logopolis and even add something new to the world of the TARDIS and Time Lords in the form of the Zero Room.  And you have the Doctor at his best, with a strong use of all three crew members.  The serial offers and lot and winds up being one of the better Fifth Doctor stories out of not just the televised set, but in general. Like I said, I really wish the Fifth Doctor acted a little more silly like he does here as I rather thoroughly enjoyed him on the whole in Castrovalva and he's a big part of what makes these episodes work so well.


dema1020

View profile


This review contains spoilers!

This is such a fun introduction to the Fifth Doctor. We get some great nods to previous Doctors with this Doctor suffering very badly from post-regeneration trauma (most notably the Second Doctor's 'When I say run, run' and the way the First Doctor would clutch his lapels and say 'Hmm...').

The space-time trap of Castrovalva that the Master and Adric create where whatever direction in the castle you go you end up back at the same square is very clever too, and quite a unique concept. It feels different to other Doctor Who stories past and present. There's a lot of time spent in the TARDIS before we even reach Castrovalva though, and it does feel like they could have either tightened that up a bit, or shown us more of the rooms inside the TARDIS.

The Zero Room is very cool, and it's a shame we have never seen it since, but the TARDIS is limitless and they could really have gone to ball with spending more time inside of it. How about a TARDIS zoo, for instance? Or a museum of all the items the Doctor has acquired on his travels?


WhoPotterVian

View profile


This review contains spoilers!

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

Previous Story: Logopolis


And the Fifth Doctor is here! This story doesn't start off as well as I'd hoped. Post-regeneration stories are very hit-or-miss and I don't think this one quite sticks the landing. Peter Davison does an okay job, especially considering his immediate predecessor is Tom Baker who is a tough act to follow for even the best of actors. Unfortunately, this is one of those regeneration stories where we need to see as much of the Doctor as possible and we don't quite get that.

I'm sure given the time Peter Davison will grow into one of my favourite Doctors but this introduction is definitely not a favourite. Tegan and Nyssa carrying the Doctor to Castrovalva gets boring fast. Luckily, this is all mainly contained to the first two episodes, after that things start to pick up.  There's a distinct lack of Adric in this story, even if he is crucial to the plot which is something I've heard will be unfortunately common with the companions in the season to come.

Once the story turns into a more traditional adventure, it definitely gets better. Specifically, Castrovalva being created through Block Transfer Computation by the Master is a great twist and aside from some gripes with the introduction of the Fifth Doctor this was a very fun story and I'm very excited to see where this all goes.


Next Story: Psychodrome


thedefinitearticle63

View profile


Open in new window

Statistics

AVG. Rating541 members
3.58 / 5

Member Statistics

Watched

985

Favourited

92

Reviewed

8

Saved

3

Skipped

1

Quotes

Add Quote

DOCTOR: That's the trouble with regeneration. You never quite know what you're going to get.

Open in new window

Transcript Needs checking

Part One

[Below the Pharos Project antenna]

(The Doctor is lying on the ground after falling from the antenna. He is badly injured.)

NYSSA: Doctor.
TEGAN: Doctor.
ADRIC: Doctor?
DOCTOR: It's the end. But the moment has been prepared for.

(The Doctor points to a ghostly white figure, that walks forward.)


Open in new window