Stories Television Doctor Who Season 24 Classic Who S24 Serial: 1 2 3 4 Time and the Rani 1 image Overview Episodes Characters How to Watch Reviews 14 Statistics Related Stories Quotes 5 Transcript Overview First aired Monday, September 7, 1987 Production Code 7D Written by Pip and Jane Baker Directed by Andrew Morgan Runtime 100 minutes Story Type New Doctor Introduction, Regeneration Time Travel Future Tropes (Potential Spoilers!) Cold open, Companion Doppelgänger, Environmental Message, Monster Vision, The Doctor Falls Inventory (Potential Spoilers!) Spoons Location (Potential Spoilers!) Lakertya Synopsis The Rani has returned after her last encounter with the Doctor, with yet another malicious scientific scheme. Taking advantage of the post-regenerative trauma the recently regenerated and unstable Doctor is going through, the Rani hopes to achieve control of an approaching asteroid composed entirely of strange matter. Watch Watched Favourite Favourited Add Review Edit Review Log a repeat Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Owned Save to my list Saved Edit date completed Custom Date Release Date Archive (no date) Save 4 Episodes Part One First aired Monday, September 7, 1987 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Pip and Jane Baker Directed by Andrew Morgan UK Viewers 5.1 million Appreciation Index 58 Synopsis The alien world of Lakertya. With the aid of the savage Tetraps, the Rani has conquered this planet to allow her to continue her depraved biochemical experiments. But she finds herself needing the Doctor's assistance... Part Two First aired Monday, September 14, 1987 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Pip and Jane Baker Directed by Andrew Morgan UK Viewers 4.2 million Appreciation Index 63 Synopsis The Rani's impersonation of Mel backfires badly because Urak can't tell the difference, while the Doctor attempts to learn the secret of the Loyhargil. Part Three First aired Monday, September 21, 1987 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Pip and Jane Baker Directed by Andrew Morgan UK Viewers 4.3 million Appreciation Index 57 Synopsis The solstice nears, making it time for the Rani to bring her plans into fruition. The Doctor's sympathies for Beyus, ruler of the Lykertyans, are rather qualified. Beyus' heart is for his people yet something prompts him to collaborate fully in helping the Rani reach all her objectives. The answer, he's told, lies within the Center of Leisure. Part Four First aired Monday, September 28, 1987 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Pip and Jane Baker Directed by Andrew Morgan UK Viewers 4.9 million Appreciation Index 59 Synopsis The Rani, at last, links the Doctor into her great brain machine, the crowning jewel in her component packet of geniuses brought together to turn Lakertya itself into one vast cerebral mass capable of redirecting time anywhere in the universe, giving her absolute power over all creation. Show All Episodes Characters Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy First Appearance Melanie Bush Bonnie Langford The Rani Kate O'Mara Albert Einstein First Appearance Hypatia First Appearance Louis Pasteur Lakertyans Show All Characters (7) How to watch Time and the Rani: Watch on iPlayer Blu-Ray The Collection – Season 24 DVD Regeneration DVD Time and the Rani VHS Time and the Rani (VHS) Reviews Add Review Edit Review Sort: Date (Newest First) Date (Oldest First) Likes (High-Low) Likes (Low-High) Rating (High-Low) Rating (Low-High) Word count (High-Low) Word count (Low-High) Username (A-Z) Username (Z-A) Spoilers First Spoilers Last 14 reviews 26 February 2025 · 49 words Review by jiffleball Honestly fell apart in the final episode. The acting was bad, the writing and delivery very clunky. And at the end of the day, I'm not sure it has anything interesting to say. It's a shame; I was excited to see where we went with Lakertyans and the Tetraps. jiffleball View profile Like Liked 0 19 February 2025 · 56 words Review by whitestar1993 Spoilers This review contains spoilers! To start my watch through of the Seventh Doctor, this was my least favorite post-regeneration episode so far. The costume design was bizare, and the Rani and the aliens were quite boring. Originally I rated it 2/5. However, now that I've started Paradise Towers, I bumped it up a star. This is much better than PT lol. whitestar1993 View profile Like Liked 0 19 February 2025 · 127 words Review by 6-and-7 Spoilers This review contains spoilers! A pretty poor way to start out McCoy's run, unfortunately, and probably the weakest of his stories. The side characters were decidedly lacking, the evil plan was pretty weak, and even the Rani felt a little flat (a shame given it's her second and final TV appearance). That being said, it wasn't completely without charm; Seven was delightfully funny, and Mel got fleshed out a bit beyond "mysterious companion from the future". (I quite like Mel. Anyone who complains about her screaming too much can pipe down until they've been launched into the air in an exploding bubble, see how well they cope with it.) It's all a bit too much of a farce for my liking, with a flimsy plot, but there are some enjoyable moments. 6-and-7 View profile Like Liked 0 15 February 2025 · 7 words Review by AJwaderz Not good, but certainly not the worst. AJwaderz View profile Like Liked 0 1 February 2025 · 299 words Review by thedefinitearticle63 Spoilers 1 This review contains spoilers! This is part of a series of reviews of Doctor Who in chronological timeline order. Previous Story: The Brink of Death That was... alright? I've heard so much hating on it, that it's one of the worst if not the worst story of Classic Doctor Who and it just ended up being a passable if not enjoyable little adventure. It's definitely not great but it absolutely doesn't deserve it's reputation. There were a lot of things to like in this story, the soundtrack is brilliant, the direction is brilliant, Sylvester McCoy's performance is great (and really funny). Speaking of McCoy, he comes out swinging. His Doctor is so immediately different from 6 (and refreshingly kind (atleast compared to Sixie on TV)). I love his little gimmick of constantly quoting things but getting them wrong, it's really funny and it doesn't get old - especially when they start acknowledging it. The Rani's plot is a bit nonsensical but you definitely feel the stakes. "When the Rani dabbles, she dabbles on a grand scale." It was a bit odd having people like Einstein in the story and then hardly using them beyond the odd joke about relativity. I do think this story is quintessentially Classic Doctor Who, it's got all the hallmarks; set in a quarry, silly looking alien drama, hammy performances. But it does all those things a lot better than most; they atleast try to make the quarry look like an alien planet with the whole pink sky thing, the Tetrap props are genuinely really good, the effects for the traps are also really good. Overall, I can't say I understand the hate for this story. If this is the worst that McCoy gets on TV then I'm going to enjoy these next three seasons very much. Next Story: Unregenerate! thedefinitearticle63 View profile Like Liked 1 Show All Reviews (14) Open in new window Statistics AVG. Rating405 members 2.41 / 5 Trakt.tv AVG. Rating292 votes 3.19 / 5 Member Statistics Watched 723 Favourited 28 Reviewed 14 Saved 4 Skipped 1 Related Stories The Last Adventure • Episode 4 The Brink of Death Rating: 4.04 Story Skipped Audio Drama Reviews(4) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: The Sixth Doctor Adventures Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved DWM Brief Encounters The Useful Pile Rating: 3.33 Story Skipped Short Story More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Brief Encounters (Doctor Who Magazine) Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved BBC Books Spiral Scratch Rating: 3.43 Story Skipped Book More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Past Doctor Adventures Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Other adaptations of this story: We define an adaptation as a recreation of a similar story but on a different medium or with different characters. Target Collection Doctor Who: Time and the Rani Rating: 2.90 Story Skipped Book More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Target Collection Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Quotes Add Quote Link to Quote Favourite DOCTOR: Ah, well… Every dogma has its day. — Seventh Doctor, Time and the Rani Show All Quotes (5) Open in new window Transcript Needs checking Part One [TARDIS] (A series of energy bolts hit the TARDIS while it is in flight. We go inside to see Mel and the Doctor lying unconcious on the floor. The exercise bike collapses. An reptile-descended lifeform watches a rainbow swoosh across the sky then the TARDIS lands in a rocky landscape. The doors open and the Rani enters, carrying a ray gun.) RANI: Leave the girl. It's the man I want. Take him to my laboratory. (The Rani leaves, and her giant hairy bat servant rolls the Doctor over onto his back just as his features finish regenerating. Everyone say Hi! to my second-favourite Doctor - Sylvester McCoy.) Show Full Transcript Open in new window
