Doctor Who (TV Series) Castrovalva: Part Four (1982) User Reviews

It ends well.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 25 July 2019]

I can understand why the reviews are pretty negative here, but this is why I feel the need to review episodes individually, Castrovalva one of the best cases in point. The variation in quality is vast, parts one and two are less then average, and the forth part is pretty good.

Pacing has thus far been an issue, but here we get some pace, some urgency, and we aren't stuck with laboured scenes of Nyssa and Tegan explaining everything in basic terms.

The big reveal of the Master isn't exactly a surprise, but it's forgivable as the Doctor is in a mixed up state. The characters are really rather good, and the fate of the Master at the end is intriguing.

Castrovalva is patchy, in terms of story and acting, but this final part is very good. 7/10

Great.. but an underrated post-regeneration four-parter.. :flushed:

[wetmars · 7/10 · 20 February 2020]

Oh boy, the characters in this four-parter was really great. The plot was interesting and the humor. Yeah.. Short review. :Harold:

S19: Castrovalva: Fairly unengaging story as it takes too long in the setup and offers too little in the delivery

[bob the moo · 30 August 2020]

Not quite sure of the media hype and fuss made back in this era when the Doctor changed hands, but certainly it seems to be far from the 'announcement show' and big 'special' episodes that we get in the modern shows. By contrast this serial feels almost apologetically introducing the new Doctor with soft touches and a generally open approach to who he is. He spends a lot of time pitched just below the previous Doctor in terms of manic running around, but still able to command a situation and resolve it; his cricket whites suggest a more 'controlled' character too - but we'll see. I don't remember how it goes, even though my earliest Who memories are of Davidson in the role as I started watching around this time.

As a serial itself, it seems to spend too long getting the Doctor on his feet (literally) and the plot is left too long to really flesh out. Some decent ideas in there, and a 'classic' villain too, but it didn't really engage or excite me as I would have liked the opening of a new Doctor to have done. Davidson is fine though, and ironically seems the most comfortable despite having all the pressure on him. Of the companions I don't really care for any - characters or performances; it also feels really cluttered having 3 of them kicking around. The supporting cast are so-so, and although it isn't really his fault Ainley is the Master in the same way as I have Rolex and Bell & Ross watches that I got in China - they look very much the same and they do tell the time, but they're really not the same quality as the original.

We'll see how the season settles into the new Doctor, but this first serial doesn't offer a great deal to get overly excited about, even if it does have some nice ideas and elements.

"I'm afraid one of us is deluded about geography." OK end to a disappointing first story for Davison.

[poolandrews · 5/10 · 6 March 2007]

Doctor Who: Castrovalva: Part 4 starts as the Doctor (Peter Davison), Tegan, (Janet Fielding) & Nyssa (Sarah Sutton) realise they are are trapped in Castrovalva & that the entire place is one big space time trap, they must find a way out of Castrovalva before it folds in on itself completely while the evil Master (Anthony Ainley) who created Castrovalva & everything in it as a huge trap for the Doctor will do everything he can to stop them leaving...

This Doctor Who adventure was episode 4 from season 19 that aired here in the UK during early 1982 & was Peter Davison's first story as the Doctor, directed by Fiona Cumming I didn't like Castrovalva that much. The script by Christopher H. Bidmead certainly tries something different with an artificially created city that exists purely as a trap for the Doctor, unfortunately it takes until Part 3 to get to this part of the script while up to that point Castrovalva had mostly been set entirely in the TARDIS without the Doctor having to do much. By the end of this episode he was pretty much back to his eccentric self & the pace picks up considerably so I'll rate Part 4 one star more than the previous three episodes. The twist that I have been predicting has indeed gone to plan & I'd have been more surprised if it hadn't to be honest plus the final confrontation between the Master & the Doctor felt rushed almost as if the makers deliberately kept it back as long as they could to stretch the twist right to the end of the final episode.

I'd say there was nothing scary or creepy in Castrovalva at all & there weren't any monsters or aliens either. By the end of Part 4 I was starting to warm to Davison as he finally snaps out being in a half awake state which was annoying me no end. I must also mention the supporting cast the male members of which all seem to sport some fine looking handlebar moustache's & then there's the head-wear they have on, one looks like he has a lampshade on his head! I quite liked the incidental music to Castrovalva though.

Castrovalva over it's four episodes only gets 4 stars out of 10 from me & I consider myself a Doctor Who fan, I've got nothing against Davison but I thought this story lacked fun & didn't entertain me that much. Not the best of starts to the Davison era I'm afraid...

116: Castrovalva

[Tom-Gentile8 · 19 January 2019]

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

It seems that post-regeneration stories never really hit the mark in the Classic Series, which is strange for me seeing that I've come from the New Series which has pretty much perfected the 'Doctor's First Story'. Unlike "Robot", which introduced Tom Baker by putting him in a situation perfect for his previous incarnation, this story introduces Peter Davison by having him sleep and act out of his mind. While the plot and mystery surrounding the location of Castrovalva is engaging to a point, its answer is almost too easy to guess from Anthony Ainley's theatrical disguise and the first half of the episodes's only location being the TARDIS corridors makes it seem padded for time. Sadly, while it definitely leaves me interested in seeing more, what it doesn't do is give me any sort of idea of The Fifth Doctor's character, leaving it to be some sort of failure.

Part One/Two - January 6th Part Three - January 8th Part Four - January 17th

Castrovalva Review (full story)

[Harlekwin_UK · 5/10 · 9 May 2023]

After a poor regeneration the Doctor needs to take extreme R&R and uses his Zero Room. Unfortunately, his companions trigger a trap left by the Master and his rest is very short lived indeed.

Avoiding this trap, but losing the precious Zero Room in the process, the Doctor needs to find another way of getting his Zs.

The TARDIS computer suggests Castrovalva, a peaceful planet to Tegan and Nyssa. Alas, they haven't learnt from the first trap and, yep, this is exactly what the Master ordered!

Lots of time for the companions to strut their stuff in this story but they don't half make a hash of things! Two of them spring two separate traps and the other, Adric, is held hostage, no actually used to power one of the traps!

There are some lovely concepts in this story but the budget and the effects let these powerful elements down a little. The planet Castrovalva's recursive, implosive destruction is represented by an odd split screen effect. I can't remember what I ought of it at the time but it's a fair bit ineffective now.

Watching Peter Davison imitating some of his predecessors is impressive.

Nice to see the celery again though.

Things to look out for: celery, impressions, the Master, Zero coffin Cabinet, imbecile companions,

This is a companions piece really, also allowing more time for the viewer to get to see what Peter Davison is about, recommended but weaker than it's two predecessors.