Thank you all for watching Part 25 of my documentary series on the History of Doctor Who Viewing Figures! Please don't forget to leave a like, comment your thoughts on Season 25, and subscribe to the channel if you haven't already! It really helps us out 😊 See you next time for Season 26!
Season 25 is really good in my opinion Remembrance of the Daleks should have been the 25th anniversary episode, it was absolutely amazing. The Happiness Patrol was good aswell, helen A was a decent villain but the Candyman, Bertie Basset rip off. Silver Nemesis I feel is criminally underrated, the Neo Nazi subplot was really interesting, the Cybermen were just as menacing if not more, but lady Painfort I felt could have been better but I was really creeped out by her statue and the way she died. All in all, a good story. The Greatest Show In The Galaxy is a great story, the Chief Clown was creepy but great, the twist with Mags creeped me the fuck out, and the Gods of Ragnarok looked amazing and Menacing. Absolutely solid season, can't wait for the Collection Box Set.
I've noticed a trend: some of the best seasons of Doctor Who are also some of the least viewed - the McCoy era (specifically Season 25 and 26) I consider the best Doctor Who ever put to screen and it's a shame it was axed when the show was arguably on the top of it's creative game, Season 27 could've truly cemented it! but sadly we don't live in a world where Season 27 actually happened... and that makes me sad. Though thankfully Doctor Who did come back, (twice) in 1996 and then in 2005 and has been running ever since with no sign of stopping anytime soon, which makes me happy!
Ironically it wasn't officially axed after season 26, just put on hold for other reasons with the intention of being only a break of a year or two, but they didn't get back to it (ref. Special features on 'Survival' DVD). This is possibly why there wasn't another 'Doctor in Distress', as people thought it was coming back and by the time they realised it wasn't that passion had died down.
If they hadn't deliberately put S25 up against the mighty Coronation Street, we could have been looking at the best viewing figures since Davison's first season.
This is my era of Doctor Who. The 7th Doctor and Ace. Ah happy memories watching season 25 as a kid. I remember watching Remembrance of the Daleks and then talking about that part one cliffhanger with my friend at school the following day. We used to recreate that ending in the playground with the Dalek coming up the stairs around our school. The show really was entering another golden age here. Such good writing. It was a crying shame regarding the ratings and scheduling. With the surprising jump up to 6.6m(the highest of the McCoy era) for the season finale. Its a shame the season ended there. Would have been interesting to see if that increase in audience had stuck around if the season had carried on for another couple of weeks.
On e again, brilliant stuff Adam. It’s such a shame that yet again, the ratings weren’t great, but at least there were a couple of episodes that cracked 6 Million. But these videos are a highlight of the day when I watch them. They’re so informative and have made me want to do documentaries on Doctor Who things, such as filming locations which is an area I’m interested in.
Back in 1988 (another world, another time, in the age of wonder..) when I was but a teenage lad, I ADORED Season 25. I thought it had some of the best, most imaginative array of storylines and supporting characters I'd seen on "Doctor Who' in years! While my Dad had kept on video episodes stretching right back to the Tom Baker years, I'd only just begun getting "pirate" videotapes of much older episodes a couple of years before. While some "old" eras had become magical for me (Hartnell and Troughton) others had failed to raise any love at all (Pertwee...and...erm...Pertwee...sorry to those who love that era!) Having all these old/new episodes on tape made me realise how varied individual stories and seasons of the show could and should be. Season 25 was magical back then, and those feelings remain with me to this very day. "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy" will still rank in my own person top 10 of stories from 1963 to the present day - absolute classic - the direction, the incidental music, the clowns, Mags, Bellboy & Flowerchild, the Stallslady....ooh, it really brings that cold, glittering festive period of '88 right back to me!! Such a terrible, criminal wasted opportunity that the controllers and schedulers of BBC1 put this wonderfully imaginative series up against the ratings juggernaut of "Coronation Street'. "Doctor Who" really had no hope of winning in that battle...
Brilliant! If any story ever reenergised a fast failing telly programme (I loathed season 24), it was Remembrance of the Daleks, a show looking like it had a shedload of money thrown at it. I literally screamed with gay fan boy joy at the end of the first episode, ringing my friend Mickey to tell him Dr Who has saved himself. A wonderful season and a return to adventurous/clever storytelling. Great as usual Adam. Gx
I adore this series. Great to see it as always. I think Season 25 goes from strength to strength and the show really ought to have received a 1990 Season, at the very least. With all the time that's passed, I think history shows that the show was hitting a new vein of storytelling possibilities.
This season showcased the greatest Doctor Who companion ever.....Ace!!! Can you imagine any other companion beating a Dalek to death with a baseball bat? I rest my case. 😁 Remembrance of the Daleks also features Dursley McLinden who died tragically young.
Mostly agree with opinion on the Happiness Patrol, I found the goofier elements added to the unsettling and imposing setting. It's a shame it wasn't talked about more afterwards as it's a great example of classic DW and the Candyman had a brilliant design and one of the best realised costumes in the program, new and old!
Remembrance of daleks deserved WAAAAY more than that.. I had no idea... Even my mum watched it with us (allowing us to not watch coronation street for a change)
Another fantastic addition to your series, which could equally be said of Season 25 itself to the main show. I adore this Season. Sure, Silver Nemesis could have done with trimming the skinhead and Remmington scenes to allow for further development elsewhere, but it's still a blast. McCoy and Aldred are simply wonderful together and I never tire of any of these four adventures. I often wonder what the figures could have been given better scheduling, or if there had been a way to take into account those VHS home recordings.
Great series Adam. I vividly remember watching season 25 in the Autumn of 1988 when I was 13. I remember having a heated debate at the end of Silver Nemesis episode 1 with my best friend, about how the Cybermen save Ace's life . I also remember being blown away by Remembrance and how atmospheric & creepy the Greatest show was. Great memories.
I was on holiday when this vid was uploaded and I forgot to watch until now so here’s my delayed comment: Another great video Adam. I love Season 25 but it’s a shame that it had low viewing figures. Whilst I’m not a fan of Silver Nemesis and the Happiness Patrol is too weird for me however I adore the other stories! I’m not looking forward to Season 26 though Bloody Corrie
I have three questions about the future of this series: Question 1: Will you continue this series into the era of New Who? Question 2: Will you also make a video on the 1996 movie? (if Q1 is a yes): Question 3: Will your intro continue to change and grafically "improve", as you go through the seasons? Fact 4: I'm very thankful that you are reviewing all the (classic) Doctor Who episodes and their viewing figures. It partly feels like a history lesson to me 😃
With the show put into a box so much and the circumstances it was up against, there was just barely any room for audience growth by now. Season 25 is a good one, probably the best for six or seven years. It deserved better but it was nice to see the ratings recover a little. I've held on to my VHS copy of Silver Nemesis all these years due to that American documentary. It's pleasingly frank and detailed. A Making Of before the range did Making Ofs. I hope they get the rights cleared to it for the eventual Collection blu-ray.
@@AdamMartyn Excellent news!! I hope (and I say this as a VERY old (well, 48)) fan of long-standing that you'll be as fair and objective towards the series since 2005 as you've been with every era of the old series. (I continue to notice a worrying trend amongst certain elements of 'Fandom" to always put the boot in, and ignore objective deductions of success/failure/competition/range of channels in the TV landscape of the 21st century when it comes to the "newest" series "Doctor Who"!! :)
This is one the better seasons in classic Who, Remembrance of the Daleks is the best story written since Terry Nation's Genesis of the Daleks, I enjoyed the rest of the stories in this season but we were spoiled by the opening story The spot where the Silver Nemesis lands is now the 02 arena
Mccoy is at his best in this season, perfect balance of silly and serious. Been re watching the mccoy era ovr the past couple months, and recently watchd remembrance. Hadn't seen it in yeeears and forgot how good it is, it just is the best mccoy serial imo. great cast, especially Pamela Salem as prof rachel jensen and a great moment in the cafe when she stands up to the brigade leader saying the situation is out of there depth and ONLY the doctor can help because he's the ONLY one who understands. She was also 'toos' in robots of death and one of the voices of xoanon in the face of evil. Happiness patrol is ok but my least fave, silver nemesis is really silly but i enjoy it because of that. great when lady peinforte travels to the future and her home has become a cafe! gsing is really dark and enjoyable too, with a great soundtrack. Remembrance of the daleks - 9/10 Happiness patrol - 4/10 Silver nemesis - 6/10 Greatest show in the galaxy - 7/10
24 was a mess, with Cartmel stepping in late, but 25 was such a huge improvement... Even with the Dalek in Remembrance changing voices for no reason between episodes, hehe... that can't be the reason for the drop in viewership. I do recall fans hating Skaro being blown up at the time... ans fans hated it when a later novel retconned it! Bertie Bassett has a square chest and the circle hips go the wrong direction. No knees too. Kandyman had no hat or nose and, as Ace mentioned, has something of a problem with acne... was it really such a close comparison? And if DW led to more holiday candy sales, how many kids got acne afterward? Amazing that Silver Nemesis started out so high. Sad it lost 0.9m viewers. And the Doctor's big secret? He's the Kandyman who can make November look like July! 😁 the story cruises along, but seemed to force the "who are you?" bit with as much tact as Moe throwing a pie into Larry's face. Peinteforte and Remington do excel (the novel has the latter as "Hackensack", but this story needed and deserved another episode or three to really work. There's much to enjoy and to want to see more done with. Greatest Show is the most bald-faced allegory of the show regarding its production and audience ever made, but for some reason it holds its own and feels like its own thing first and foremost. Between this and the next season the beautiful console room set would slowly be demolished, Battlefield has part of the console and a roundel-pattern drape for close-ups only... :(
This was a great season it may not have high viewing figures it had brilliant stories the only two duds in this season was silver nemesis a poor cybermen story and the happiness patrol which had bizarre acting and poor villain but the other 2 stories are brilliant so sad the Dr had only one more classic season left
Thank you all for watching Part 25 of my documentary series on the History of Doctor Who Viewing Figures!
Please don't forget to leave a like, comment your thoughts on Season 25, and subscribe to the channel if you haven't already! It really helps us out 😊
See you next time for Season 26!
When you do season 26 when you do the curse of fenric tell them this was part of the time lord victorious on dvd.
Season 25 is really good in my opinion
Remembrance of the Daleks should have been the 25th anniversary episode, it was absolutely amazing.
The Happiness Patrol was good aswell, helen A was a decent villain but the Candyman, Bertie Basset rip off.
Silver Nemesis I feel is criminally underrated, the Neo Nazi subplot was really interesting, the Cybermen were just as menacing if not more, but lady Painfort I felt could have been better but I was really creeped out by her statue and the way she died. All in all, a good story.
The Greatest Show In The Galaxy is a great story, the Chief Clown was creepy but great, the twist with Mags creeped me the fuck out, and the Gods of Ragnarok looked amazing and Menacing.
Absolutely solid season, can't wait for the Collection Box Set.
I've noticed a trend: some of the best seasons of Doctor Who are also some of the least viewed - the McCoy era (specifically Season 25 and 26) I consider the best Doctor Who ever put to screen and it's a shame it was axed when the show was arguably on the top of it's creative game, Season 27 could've truly cemented it! but sadly we don't live in a world where Season 27 actually happened... and that makes me sad. Though thankfully Doctor Who did come back, (twice) in 1996 and then in 2005 and has been running ever since with no sign of stopping anytime soon, which makes me happy!
I dunno. If it's true that Ace would become a time lord... the retroactive Fenric issue was nicely done but I can't imagine how they'd wiggle her in.
Sometimes time can be the best thing for a good ol' bit of telly! Definitely the case for Season 25 it seems!
Yea season 25 and 26 are some of my favourite seasons
On trend. Like your socks
Ironically it wasn't officially axed after season 26, just put on hold for other reasons with the intention of being only a break of a year or two, but they didn't get back to it (ref. Special features on 'Survival' DVD). This is possibly why there wasn't another 'Doctor in Distress', as people thought it was coming back and by the time they realised it wasn't that passion had died down.
If they hadn't deliberately put S25 up against the mighty Coronation Street, we could have been looking at the best viewing figures since Davison's first season.
I think you'd be absolutely right there!
Ditto!
And Star Trek the next generation (which was getting big ratings in the US) did no help either.
This is my era of Doctor Who. The 7th Doctor and Ace. Ah happy memories watching season 25 as a kid. I remember watching Remembrance of the Daleks and then talking about that part one cliffhanger with my friend at school the following day. We used to recreate that ending in the playground with the Dalek coming up the stairs around our school.
The show really was entering another golden age here. Such good writing. It was a crying shame regarding the ratings and scheduling.
With the surprising jump up to 6.6m(the highest of the McCoy era) for the season finale. Its a shame the season ended there. Would have been interesting to see if that increase in audience had stuck around if the season had carried on for another couple of weeks.
Well researched information thanks
Instant like... very much enjoy these videos.
Thank you Mickey!
On e again, brilliant stuff Adam. It’s such a shame that yet again, the ratings weren’t great, but at least there were a couple of episodes that cracked 6 Million. But these videos are a highlight of the day when I watch them. They’re so informative and have made me want to do documentaries on Doctor Who things, such as filming locations which is an area I’m interested in.
Back in 1988 (another world, another time, in the age of wonder..) when I was but a teenage lad, I ADORED Season 25. I thought it had some of the best, most imaginative array of storylines and supporting characters I'd seen on "Doctor Who' in years! While my Dad had kept on video episodes stretching right back to the Tom Baker years, I'd only just begun getting "pirate" videotapes of much older episodes a couple of years before. While some "old" eras had become magical for me (Hartnell and Troughton) others had failed to raise any love at all (Pertwee...and...erm...Pertwee...sorry to those who love that era!) Having all these old/new episodes on tape made me realise how varied individual stories and seasons of the show could and should be. Season 25 was magical back then, and those feelings remain with me to this very day. "The Greatest Show in the Galaxy" will still rank in my own person top 10 of stories from 1963 to the present day - absolute classic - the direction, the incidental music, the clowns, Mags, Bellboy & Flowerchild, the Stallslady....ooh, it really brings that cold, glittering festive period of '88 right back to me!!
Such a terrible, criminal wasted opportunity that the controllers and schedulers of BBC1 put this wonderfully imaginative series up against the ratings juggernaut of "Coronation Street'. "Doctor Who" really had no hope of winning in that battle...
I gave this a thumbs up, despite the anti-Pertwee sentiment!!!
He's my favourite!
What great research!
My 3 favourite McCoy stories are all in this season. The only one I found a bit dull was Silver Nemesis.
One more series and you done the Classic run.
I know I can't believe it 🙈
Brilliant! If any story ever reenergised a fast failing telly programme (I loathed season 24), it was Remembrance of the Daleks, a show looking like it had a shedload of money thrown at it. I literally screamed with gay fan boy joy at the end of the first episode, ringing my friend Mickey to tell him Dr Who has saved himself. A wonderful season and a return to adventurous/clever storytelling. Great as usual Adam. Gx
Thank you Gerry! 😁
I adore this series. Great to see it as always. I think Season 25 goes from strength to strength and the show really ought to have received a 1990 Season, at the very least. With all the time that's passed, I think history shows that the show was hitting a new vein of storytelling possibilities.
This season showcased the greatest Doctor Who companion ever.....Ace!!! Can you imagine any other companion beating a Dalek to death with a baseball bat? I rest my case. 😁
Remembrance of the Daleks also features Dursley McLinden who died tragically young.
A wonderful companion, a wonderful story, and a wonderful guest star who yes was taken far too soon!
With all those balls, Ace hit a home run for sure! 😁
it's the Silver Anniversary! Very good video Adam!
Celebrations! 🥳 Thank you Roger!
@@AdamMartyn Indeed and no worries Adam!
Mostly agree with opinion on the Happiness Patrol, I found the goofier elements added to the unsettling and imposing setting. It's a shame it wasn't talked about more afterwards as it's a great example of classic DW and the Candyman had a brilliant design and one of the best realised costumes in the program, new and old!
RIP Graeme Curry.
May he rest peacefully. Gone far too soon
Excellently put
Cheers Mark!
Remembrance of daleks deserved WAAAAY more than that.. I had no idea... Even my mum watched it with us (allowing us to not watch coronation street for a change)
its a shame only 5 million saw one of best story in who history 'Remembrance' its just that good
Completely agree! The fact that no story this year could average over 6 million is such a crying shame!
@@AdamMartyn I was one of the 5 million so very lucky
Another fantastic addition to your series, which could equally be said of Season 25 itself to the main show. I adore this Season. Sure, Silver Nemesis could have done with trimming the skinhead and Remmington scenes to allow for further development elsewhere, but it's still a blast. McCoy and Aldred are simply wonderful together and I never tire of any of these four adventures. I often wonder what the figures could have been given better scheduling, or if there had been a way to take into account those VHS home recordings.
Great series Adam. I vividly remember watching season 25 in the Autumn of 1988 when I was 13. I remember having a heated debate at the end of Silver Nemesis episode 1 with my best friend, about how the Cybermen save Ace's life . I also remember being blown away by Remembrance and how atmospheric & creepy the Greatest show was. Great memories.
Thank you Damian! That must have been so cool to watch the season on broadcast, very jealous!
One of the better classic doctor who seasons, not as good as S26 and S13 but it's still a good one! Another great video
Thank you! 😁 one of my all time favourite Classic seasons this one!
Excellent as always
Thank you!
I was on holiday when this vid was uploaded and I forgot to watch until now so here’s my delayed comment:
Another great video Adam.
I love Season 25 but it’s a shame that it had low viewing figures. Whilst I’m not a fan of Silver Nemesis and the Happiness Patrol is too weird for me however I adore the other stories!
I’m not looking forward to Season 26 though
Bloody Corrie
I have three questions about the future of this series:
Question 1: Will you continue this series into the era of New Who?
Question 2: Will you also make a video on the 1996 movie?
(if Q1 is a yes): Question 3: Will your intro continue to change and grafically "improve", as you go through the seasons?
Fact 4: I'm very thankful that you are reviewing all the (classic) Doctor Who episodes and their viewing figures.
It partly feels like a history lesson to me 😃
Ahh, the best series of the JNT era...
I probably wouldn't disagree with you there!
You're right, I did enjoy this viewing figures episode 😄👏🏻❤
Great stuff dam nearly over
I know, can't believe there's only one classic season left!
@@AdamMartyn hopefully new series?
Did they paint Sylvester Mccoy silver for the opening, when he winks at us? He always looked silver to my eyes.
They did paint him silver yes! Can't imagine it was the most comfortable sequence!
@@AdamMartyn thank you, i always wondered :)
@@AdamMartyn It was the bloody cybermen wot did it, probably.
@@ftumschk lol that would make sense :)
Yup! The fun part is that the painting didn't need to be done as the photos could be desaturated and recolored with ease.
With the show put into a box so much and the circumstances it was up against, there was just barely any room for audience growth by now.
Season 25 is a good one, probably the best for six or seven years. It deserved better but it was nice to see the ratings recover a little.
I've held on to my VHS copy of Silver Nemesis all these years due to that American documentary. It's pleasingly frank and detailed. A Making Of before the range did Making Ofs.
I hope they get the rights cleared to it for the eventual Collection blu-ray.
I hope they get the rights for the doc too! It would make a S25 package feel that little bit more complete!
Season 25 was significantly better than season 24.
I feel like 25 was disadvantaged by the scars that season 24 left.
I’m loving this series will u be doing it up to series 13 or will u stop?
I hope u don’t I’m really loving these videos
Thanks Paul! I am planning on carrying on and covering the Wilderness Years, McGann and the revival too!
@@AdamMartyn Excellent news!! I hope (and I say this as a VERY old (well, 48)) fan of long-standing that you'll be as fair and objective towards the series since 2005 as you've been with every era of the old series. (I continue to notice a worrying trend amongst certain elements of 'Fandom" to always put the boot in, and ignore objective deductions of success/failure/competition/range of channels in the TV landscape of the 21st century when it comes to the "newest" series "Doctor Who"!! :)
Unlimited Rice pudding! Etc Etc etc!
One of the best quotes of anything ever!
This is one the better seasons in classic Who, Remembrance of the Daleks is the best story written since Terry Nation's Genesis of the Daleks, I enjoyed the rest of the stories in this season but we were spoiled by the opening story
The spot where the Silver Nemesis lands is now the 02 arena
Great video
Did you hear about season 17
Thanks Thomas! I did hear about S17 yes, very exciting news! I may do a video summing up the news and what we can expect on the set!
@@AdamMartyn ooooo
I'd definitely tune in
Mccoy is at his best in this season, perfect balance of silly and serious. Been re watching the mccoy era ovr the past couple months, and recently watchd remembrance. Hadn't seen it in yeeears and forgot how good it is, it just is the best mccoy serial imo. great cast, especially Pamela Salem as prof rachel jensen and a great moment in the cafe when she stands up to the brigade leader saying the situation is out of there depth and ONLY the doctor can help because he's the ONLY one who understands. She was also 'toos' in robots of death and one of the voices of xoanon in the face of evil. Happiness patrol is ok but my least fave, silver nemesis is really silly but i enjoy it because of that. great when lady peinforte travels to the future and her home has become a cafe! gsing is really dark and enjoyable too, with a great soundtrack.
Remembrance of the daleks - 9/10
Happiness patrol - 4/10
Silver nemesis - 6/10
Greatest show in the galaxy - 7/10
Legitimate eccentrics. Nothing forced or parroting loads of dialogue from previous incarnations.
We've got Season 26 next time! Surely the viewing figures can go better than this... right? 😬
We shall have to wait and see... 👀
Strangely gripping, watching this series even though it all played out decades ago!
24 was a mess, with Cartmel stepping in late, but 25 was such a huge improvement...
Even with the Dalek in Remembrance changing voices for no reason between episodes, hehe... that can't be the reason for the drop in viewership. I do recall fans hating Skaro being blown up at the time... ans fans hated it when a later novel retconned it!
Bertie Bassett has a square chest and the circle hips go the wrong direction. No knees too. Kandyman had no hat or nose and, as Ace mentioned, has something of a problem with acne... was it really such a close comparison? And if DW led to more holiday candy sales, how many kids got acne afterward?
Amazing that Silver Nemesis started out so high. Sad it lost 0.9m viewers. And the Doctor's big secret? He's the Kandyman who can make November look like July! 😁 the story cruises along, but seemed to force the "who are you?" bit with as much tact as Moe throwing a pie into Larry's face. Peinteforte and Remington do excel (the novel has the latter as "Hackensack", but this story needed and deserved another episode or three to really work. There's much to enjoy and to want to see more done with.
Greatest Show is the most bald-faced allegory of the show regarding its production and audience ever made, but for some reason it holds its own and feels like its own thing first and foremost.
Between this and the next season the beautiful console room set would slowly be demolished, Battlefield has part of the console and a roundel-pattern drape for close-ups only... :(
ACE
34:48 - Kerblam Man?
The 80's version!
@@AdamMartyn It's funny seeing that, because it makes you feel that these things already existed despite Chris Chibnall inventing Kerblam years later.
When will season 26 come out
In about 2-3 weeks time!
shouldnt bassets be thanking "Doctor Who"
look at all the free promotion the show gave to jelly babies ;)
I like remembrance of the daleks when you do season 26 and the curse of fenric is part of the time lord victorious and try and remember that.
This was a great season it may not have high viewing figures it had brilliant stories the only two duds in this season was silver nemesis a poor cybermen story and the happiness patrol which had bizarre acting and poor villain but the other 2 stories are brilliant so sad the Dr had only one more classic season left
When dr who was enjoyable. I don't like nu who.