I find it hilarious that when Doctor Who comes to the 80s, it goes totally 80s. The score, the visuals, everything about it screams 80s. Also, those opening moments are ridiculously bad - a minute of panning along a beach. And I'm not joking; it's a full minute.

It's obvious that there's a clear difference in performance in Tom Baker from Part 1 to Part 4. He's still a bit joyous as he encounters Mena and the Argolins for the first time, but as he continually spouts technobabble that is rather hard to understand throughout, we can tell that he's starting to get bored. I'm not sure what to think on his outfit, I do like it but it feels a bit too big and baggy and we can barely see Tom in it, and it's more of a costume than just random clothes that you could wear on the street - which is probably JNT's intention, looking at the other Doctors in his run and what they wear. The cliffhangers surrounding the Doctor shocked me - Part 1's with it zooming in on his scream is terrifying, and then when he comes out of the Generator in the cliffhanger to Part 2 shocked me - I audibly screamed. Part 3's cliffhanger was really weird, but that wasn't to do with the Doctor and I'll talk about that later. I'm loving that they're adding weight to cliffhangers rather than just adding them for the sake of adding them. It's good to see Romana back on form, the chemistry between the two is excellent, especially considering they were going to be married a few months after this was broadcast - I love them bouncing ideas off each other and challenging the other's intellect. Also Romana is far stronger and more independent than she was in the previous series, yelling at the Argolins rather than being a screamy Dr Who girl. This is what I was expecting off her. Thank god John Leeson is back for this season as K-9- Oh, no wait, he got damaged chasing a ball in the sea. Oh, well. Nice to see him make an appearance.

The ending to the story was superb - it was so fast-paced and thrilling, with all of the Pangols coming out of the Generator, listening to what he says, like his own private army, and Romana's reaction to it just sold us on how bad the situation was. Pangol was a fairly interesting villain, rather stereotypical and it was obvious that he was the big bad of the story. However, the twists and turns surrounding him with the subplot of the Foamasi and the secret agent helped to keep it mysterious and develop Pangol's motivations as a villain. However, what were they thinking for the cliffhanger to Part 3? How on Earth did that Foamasi fit inside a human mask? Was it like a compression suit? Sure, it was shocking, but it looked really silly and I couldn't help but laugh. But the different villains contributed to one big story and kept it interesting throughout, which is good because a lot of stories do have trouble with pacing - this isn't one.

The visuals are SO MUCH BETTER! They just looked so awful in the Williams Era, but they've improved so much here - the first look we get of these updated graphics is the opening titles. It must have been a shock after six years of the same, iconic title sequence that we get something brand new, upbeat, full of flashing lights and zooming through space. Then the Doctor gets to Brighton at last - it's a bit grey and boring, so they decide to go to the Leisure Hive, with a really odd transition. I've never seen anything like it done on the show before - it's a testament to the unique direction of this episode. Then we see the exterior model shots of the Leisure Hive for the first time and it looks fantastic - the set itself isn't as good, but there's still a lot to take in - so many different places throughout, the generator, the boardroom, the bedrooms - it's really beautifully crafted. However, something I struggled with is working out what the Leisure Hive actually is - it's a holiday resort controlled by a Government who's politics primarily involve the Hive?

The Argolin culture is explored in great detail - the worldbuilding is established and set up efficiently, and Mena's death is incredibly impactful, and they all look really cool. The Foamasi, however, don't. Let's just leave it at that. I've already mentioned how their subplot of their investigation was interesting, and I do feel like it was a bit of a shame that they didn't just kill off the ambassadors, making it that much more exciting, but went with a copout at the end. Slightly disappointing - but all of the side characters were great.

So many synths! This soundtrack felt to different to what had come before, taking on an entirely different approach - I love Howell's take on the rather creepy theme, giving it a wildly contrasting feel and the score helps to build the atmosphere and tension - the beauty when the Leisure Hive is unveiled for the first time, and the action, exciting, dangerous feel when the New Argolins come out of the Generator.

This is an underrated story. Often surrounded in technobabble, but interesting and exciting. I'm really excited to see what's next for Season 18. David Fisher does it again!

The first part is funny-weird but the rest is merely boring-weird. It's got one of those eye-rolling villains who just sucks for no reason & it's never clear why anyone goes along with it when he starts hitlering at the mouth. The leisure facility setting has no bearing on anything beyond teeing up a pun on the word "recreation", & once the plot starts moving it may as well be any other generic Doctor Who space base.

2 stars = bad but I didn't completely hate it

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

“THE LEISURE HIVE – A LACKLUSTRE START TO A NEW ERA”

Season 18 marked a dramatic shift for Doctor Who, ushering in the 1980s with a striking new aesthetic and a harder sci-fi focus. With John Nathan-Turner taking over as producer, the show received a fresh theme tune (Peter Howell’s lovely electronic rendition), a sleek neon title sequence, and a more serious tone to contrast the whimsical nature of the Graham Williams era. Tom Baker’s Doctor was also given a revamp, donning a sombre burgundy coat and the now-iconic question mark motif that would persist into his successor’s wardrobe. Lalla Ward remained as Romana, alongside John Leeson as K9, while the season introduced new companion Adric in Full Circle.

A BOLD NEW DIRECTION FOR DOCTOR WHO

The season opener, The Leisure Hive, written by David Fisher, was his fourth and final contribution to the show. It leans more towards the sci-fi-heavy The Creature from the Pit rather than his gothic horror-inspired The Stones of Blood. The story begins with one of the strangest pre-credit sequences in Doctor Who history—K9 foolishly rolling into the sea and short-circuiting (a clear move by JNT to phase out the tin dog), Romana’s dramatic scream, and the Doctor lazing on a Brighton beach in that awful new outfit of his.

TOO MUCH TECHNOBABBLE, TOO LITTLE ENGAGEMENT

The story shifts to Argolis, a leisure planet designed as a holiday retreat, where the Doctor and Romana encounter the feared Foamasi species and an advanced rejuvenation technology known as the Leisure Hive. The narrative leans heavily into hard sci-fi, filled with dense technobabble and world-building. While the ideas themselves are compelling, they fail to translate into an engaging or dynamic story.

The first episode barely features the TARDIS crew, instead focusing on the Argolians and their technological advancements, making for a sluggish start. While believable sci-fi concepts are always welcome, a Doctor Who opener needs to hook its audience immediately—this one simply does not.

Part 2 doubles down on the excessive exposition, delving into regeneration technology and tachyon particles, all without establishing a clear threat. As a result, the supposed moments of tension feel oddly lifeless and fail to generate suspense.

FOAMASI, CLIFFHANGERS, AND MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

One of the story’s strongest elements is the gradual reveal of the Foamasi. Glimpses of their shadows and hands throughout Part 1 create intrigue, though it’s disappointing that they vanish for much of the middle episodes, only to be fully unveiled at the end of Part 3. Their cricket-like green design isn’t the most convincing, but conceptually, they work well.

The cliffhangers vary in effectiveness. The Part 1 cliffhanger, in which the Doctor is comically torn apart, falls flat—it’s more absurd than suspenseful. In contrast, the Part 2 twist, revealing an aged and withered Doctor, is genuinely unsettling. Part 3 sticks to the classic “monster attack” formula, which, while predictable, still lands effectively.

THEATRICAL ANTICS AND A LACKLUSTRE CAST

Part 4 suddenly shifts gears into full-blown melodrama, with Pangol delivering an over-the-top performance reminiscent of Graham Crowden in The Horns of Nimon. His grandstanding and the bizarre duplication sequence, in which he attempts to create an army of clones, feel wildly out of sync with the rest of the story. It’s as if Fisher decided to go for an epic finale, but the production struggled to match his ambition.

Tom Baker and Lalla Ward seem drained of their usual spark. Baker, in particular, appears weary—perhaps a reflection of his real-life growing disillusionment with the role, compounded by illness during filming. Ward remains a strong and independent Romana, but both leads feel underutilised, largely standing around while other characters drive the plot.

The supporting cast is hit-and-miss. Adrienne Corri (Mena), David Haig (Pangol), and John Collin (Brock) give solid performances, but the characters themselves are not especially engaging. The absence of a clear villain for much of the story further dilutes any real sense of urgency or stakes.

VISUALS, EFFECTS, AND MUSIC – A MIXED BAG

On a design level, The Leisure Hive has its moments. The Argolians’ makeup is simple yet effective, making them look convincingly alien. The sets, all sleek white surfaces and futuristic architecture, seem inspired by the Star Wars aesthetic. However, the model work and CSO effects are inconsistent, with some shots appearing particularly unpolished.

One highlight is the excellent ageing makeup on Baker in Part 3, which adds to the story’s eerie atmosphere. The Foamasi attack sequence in Part 4 is strangely edited—both disjointed and oddly compelling in its execution.

John Nathan-Turner also made the bold decision to overhaul the show’s incidental music, ending the long-running association with composer Dudley Simpson. Instead, the BBC Radiophonic Workshop provides a fully synthesised score. The result is a distinctly 1980s sound—otherworldly, ethereal, and fitting for the era, even if it feels somewhat intrusive at times.

VERDICT: A SLOW AND UNEVEN START TO A NEW ERA

The Leisure Hive is a fascinating case of style over substance. While it successfully redefines Doctor Who’s aesthetic for the 1980s, it fails to engage on a storytelling level. The excessive technobabble, sluggish pacing, and underwhelming performances make it a disappointing season opener. There are flashes of brilliance—particularly in the design work and certain eerie moments—but overall, it’s a lacklustre start to the John Nathan-Turner era.

📝47/100

A brilliant opener for Season 18. This one harbours so much ambition, and Argolis as a society feels like a world that's lived in, with so much depth. The special effects are among the strongest in the classic series, particularly the Fourth Doctor's old man make-up, and the Doctor and Romana's dynamic continues to be great.

However, the story does spend a little too long at Brighton beach, and the Foamasi are somewhat underused. It's a shame because they are an interesting species.

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

Previous Story: The Leisure Hive

This is such a drastic tonal shift from Season 17, I personally enjoyed it but it the differences are immediately visible.

I'll start with the good, production wise, this story is incredible. This is the debut of Peter Howell's Doctor Who theme and I can see why it's so well regarded. Sid Sutton's new logo is also a personal favourite of mine. The soundtrack is a much-needed change and the direction of the story leaves it much more fast-paced and enjoyable. The Doctor's new costume is striking and in my opinion, Tom Baker's best one.

Now, story wise, this story feels like a fever-dream. So much happens and while it all technically makes sense, it doesn't feel like it does. It had some very interesting concepts that I feel could have been explored but it just all feels like a mess. At the very least its not boring but it's no mystery why this story is not very well recieved.

Next Story: The Skin of the Sleek