That was.. certainly one of the most bizarre experiences I've ever had. Not sure what else to say, other than that was the first time I've ever cringed watching any Who.

Ice hot! This story is full of tonal whiplash and can't seem to decide if it's trying to be a comedy or a serious commentary on social conditions in tower blocks, but that's part of its charm. The side cast is delightful; the Kangs, the Rezzies, Pex, all wonderfully bizarre and eccentric (though perhaps "eccentric" is doing some heavy lifting in the case of the cannibal grannies). The only ones who don't quite cut the mustard are the caretakers; the Doctor managed to trick them with something a child could've seen through. On the whole, a highly enjoyable romp with the evergreen message that we have more in common with our neighbors than we think, and that community-building is the best way to oppose totalitarianism.

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

Previous Story: Red

There's just something immediately different about both this story and the last from the rest of Classic Who. For the very first time since, I'd say the 60s, Doctor Who has a clear creative direction. Everything from the soundtrack, performances, camerawork and even general plot has been fresh and revitalised so far.

This story is especially fresh. Paradise Towers is such a unique setting and the story that's been crafted here is excellent. You've got so many moving parts, the Kangs, the Rezzies, the Caretakers. It's brilliant worldbuilding. Very rarely do Classic stories feel like the Doctor has shown up in the middle of an ongoing story - it normally takes ages for the plot to get going even after he's arrived.

McCoy is hitting it out of the park! No offense to Colin Baker (who I find brilliant on audio) but his Doctor could be outright annoying to watch in contrast to 7 over here who you can't get enough of. I absolutely love the campy feeling of this era so far and McCoy's siller take on the Doctor fits perfectly with that.

The end is a bit abrupt and I would have like atleast a scene or two explaining what the residents of Paradise Towers were going to do now but that's not enough to detract from a really solid, really fun story.

Next Story: We Are The Daleks

📝4/10

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time! 

"Paradise Towers: Towers of Trouble"

Paradise Towers takes a bizarre swing at social commentary but lands somewhere between overcomplicated and childish, resulting in an uneven, often frustrating story.

The premise revolves around a dystopian tower block governed by absurdly convoluted rules, a satirical take on bureaucracy run amok. It’s a concept with potential, but the execution falters. The factions—Caretakers, Kangs, Rezzies, and Pex—are presented in an overly convoluted manner, and their childish dialogue feels like the writers forgot Doctor Who wasn’t just for children. Worse still, the story’s attempts at pretension don’t mask its lack of truly engaging substance.

Sylvester McCoy begins to settle into the role of the Seventh Doctor here, showing glimpses of the fiercer, more serious side that will eventually define his incarnation. While the “goofy clown” aspects linger, McCoy feels more confident and enjoyable than in Time and the Rani. Bonnie Langford’s Mel also fares slightly better, though her intelligence and capability are sidelined by pairing her with the woeful Pex—an utterly uninspired “hero” who drags every scene down.

The guest cast is a mixed bag. Richard Briers brings some energy to the role of the Chief Caretaker, but his performance collapses into farce after being possessed by Kroagnon. Elizabeth Spriggs, Brenda Bruce, and Clive Merrison feel out of place, their delivery stilted. Howard Cooke’s bizarre attempt at channeling Bruce Willis makes Pex unintentionally laughable rather than sympathetic.

The Caretakers, clearly modelled as caricatures of authoritarian regimes, are almost comically ineffective, led by a Hitler-lite figure. The Cleaners—slow, clunky machines—are embarrassingly poor imitations of the War Machines, and Kroagnon, the villain of the piece, feels like a recycled Xoanon or Macra. A mad computer brain that’s little more than a plot device, Kroagnon fails to bring any real menace.

On the production side, Paradise Towers is serviceable but uninspired. The sets are functional, if unremarkable. The visual effects, while passable, lack impact, and the music—though marginally better than Time and the Rani—bafflingly insists on sampling the theme tune throughout, to diminishing effect.

The pacing begins at a steady clip, and while the second half picks up speed, the repetitive plot prevents it from fully taking off. What begins as a strange political allegory shifts awkwardly into low-budget B-movie horror. While there are moments of tension, the wooden direction and lacklustre production sap the story of its credibility.

Ultimately, Paradise Towers suffers from its tonal inconsistency, lacklustre acting, and underdeveloped ideas. While McCoy shows improvement as the Doctor, the story fails to provide the series with the fresh foundation it desperately needed. Despite a few interesting glimpses of potential, Paradise Towers is another misstep, leaving little desire for a repeat visit.

Random Observations:

• The Doctor mentions the TARDIS swimming pool being jettisoned, but it miraculously reappears in his eleventh incarnation.
• Kroagnon’s concept is reminiscent of Xoanon from The Face of Evil (1977).

This story is ice hot! It's fun, it's camp, it has interesting concepts and great costuming - everything I could want in a story! It was the first time I actually enjoyed a serial in full in, oh, eight seasons? Not a dull moment. I'm not even sure where to start with this review.

At the beginning, I suppose. From the first moment we see Paradise Towers we're clued in on the kind of story it's going to be. The corridors are eery and provoke and instant sense of unease, especially as we see the last yellow Kang running for her life. There's a quick tone shift, but that sense of unease remains for the rest of the story as it becomes clearer and clearer that there's something wrong with every single part of the Tower.

I love the Kangs. I really like the colour-coded costuming and their fun names. I think the slang is realistic and natural (hell, people today have started using unalive!), and considering we see older people use the same terms I suspect it was a general shift of language between the 1980's and the 21st century, when this is set. I think it's perfectly reasonable.

I also really like the old ladies. It's made clear that they're all cannibals, and while that does make me question where the Kangs get their food if they don't know how to work a vending machine and the Rezzies have resorted to cannibalism, I think it's an interesting touch. It adds to the general uneasiness but as it leans pretty heavily on the fairytale image of a witch fattening up children to eat, it remains lighthearted.

The Caretakers are also an interesting concept. You'd think that sticklers for the rules who follow them to a T would be dull and no fun to watch, but somehow they make it work. The Chief Deputy's change of heart towards the end is great.

Then there's the weak link, and the reason I couldn't rate this story 5/5. I don't like Pex. I find him grating for most of the story. Neither his false bravery nor his cowardice is endearing, and for the most part the only thing I could think when he died was "Good riddance."

The villain is also a bit of a weak point. The machine the Great Architect is trapped is doesn't have a particular interesting design and mostly feels like a knock-off Audry II the first time we see it. Once he takes over the Chief's body there's a bit more personality, but for the most part he feels like a generic villain with a side of zombie.

But that doesn't take away from the rest of the story for me. The sets are jam-packed with details and the whole place feels lived in. The atmosphere is expertly crafted. I would happily recommend this serial to all my friends. Maybe I could get a Kang cosplay group going....