The Keeper Of Traken is the 115th serial and it first aired January 31 and ran through February 21 1981. The 4 part story is the 2nd last serial of the 18th season and for Tom Baker as the Doctor. Lalla Ward is gone and Matthew Waterhouse is the only companion Adric. John Black is the director and Johnny Bynes is the writer. Johnny worked on the Space: 1999 series and did three Doctor Who serials. John will direct another Doctor Who serial and a good bit of British tv programing including K-9 and Company.
The Doctor and and Adric are crusing about in normal space in the Tardis when they get a visit from the Keeper of Traken. He's old and near the end of his career as the Keeper. He detects some evil on the planet and asks the Doctor for some help. He tells of the coming of Melkur and the evil in it. The Tardis lands in a garden of the palace across the walkway from the Melkur.
The Doc and Adric are arrested and brought to the Council. The Keeper appears just as Melkur sneaks in. The Council thinks he's talking about the Doctor and Adric when he says they are being visited by evil. Jail for our heroes once again. There's the usual running about, escaping and getting caught. The Council make bad decisions and some are corrupted by the evil of Melkur. The Doctor gets some assistance from Tremas, played by Anthony Aisley, and his daughter Nyssa. She's played by Sarah Sutton and she'd go on to become the new companion.
The Doc will sort things out. It was more entertaining than some of the other stories in this season. I liked to see the return of The Master. Anthony Ainley would go on to play The Master for the rest of the seriesl There are nice art deco inspired sets and costumes. Event he corridors look good. There are three good featurettes, a photo gallery, the 1982 Doctor Who Annual and the commentary with Mathew Waterhouse, Johnny Byrne, Anthony Ainley and Sarah Sutton. They forget to talk a bit but mostly it was interesting. I'm still no fan of Adric and I'm not sure if I will miss Tom Baker when he leaves.
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