'The Gunfighters'

THE GUNFIGHTERS
4 episodes

How bizarre. This was hardly like watching Doctor Who at all: rather, there was a nicely-staged reenactment of the days leading up to the famed Gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona in October 1881, which just happened to have the Doctor, Steven and Dodo wandering in and out of the action at intervals. The supporting players essentially took centre stage for most of the adventure, with particularly memorable incarnations of Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp having the most to do. The simple issue of the "Doc" being there on "holiday" causes a case of mistaken identity that ensures the TARDIS crew's entanglement in the rest of the story, but by and large events just play themselves out around them. There is a fairly high humour quotient, the Doctor has a tooth extracted and keeps finding people giving him guns, Dodo and Steven get to bash away at the piano and sing in the Last Chance Saloon, Steven remembers to use his Wild West accent at least half the time, two of the Thunderbirds voices turn up in person, the 'Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon' is sung at the beginning and end of each episode and at intervals inbetween to summarise the plot, and half the cast winds up shot dead. The recreation of a whole Western town set on Doctor Who budget is mighty impressive...sorry, very impressive, as well. This story has traditionally either been slated or adored by viewers and critics; clearly, I fall nearer the latter camp!

8/10

Episodes watched: 82
Episodes still to watch: 640