Doctor Who: The Claws of Axos (1971)

You know what they say about gifts that look too good to be true? Well the golden "Axons" arrive on Earth and offer it's greedy scientists some of their mineral "Axonite". This could provide the answer to so many of the planet's problems but the suspicious "Brigadier" (Nicholas Courtney) wants the "Doctor" (Jon Pertwee) to investigate in case this is another cunning plan by an alien race to take over. It doesn't take him long to discover that there is a malevolent agenda being implemented here and that the conniving "Master" (Roger Delgado) is pulling the strings. With the future of humanity at risk, he has to work with "Jo" (Katy Manning) and the usual UNIT task-force regulars to thwart the evil plan. Bernard Holley joins the cast as the spray-painted "Axon" leader and comedy actor Donald Hewlett also shows up helping to combat a foe that the visual effects people have had some fun creating. Unlike so many of the adventures in series 8, this one actually does feature a combination of beasties, science, the menacing "Master", the TARDIS gets more of a look in and the story focusses much less on the red tape of British administration. The characterisation of his nemesis is also also a bit more sophisticated with Delgado offered a chance to show he's a bit more than a cartoon villain. These episodes do actually see a sense of tea-time menace build and with the writing also providing for a little light-heartedness too I think this might be my favourite outing for a Time Lord who might, finally, be ready to do some more intergalactic travelling and take us back into the realms of the space time continuum.