The Story Neo-Nazis, Cybermen, and a 17th century sorceress all converge on 1988 England to try and take control of the Nemesis, a Gallifreyan superweapon. The Moment Time travelling sorceress Lady Peinforte and her servant Richard hitchhike and are picked up by an American tourist named Mrs Remington, played by Broadway actress Dolores Gray. Why It Hasnt Aged Well If you were to ask a Doctor Who fan Who is Dolores Gray, they most likely wouldnt know the answer unless they had a specific knowledge of Broadway stars of the 1940s and 50s. As well as this moment not aging well because of Gray falling out of the public consciousness, it also falls flat because the scene is utterly pointless. Grays character only appears once after this scene for several seconds with no other characters or dialogue. And the revelation that Peinforte killed one of Remington's ancestors (the only noteworthy dialogue between the two characters) is given no consideration by the characters and is never a factor in the battle for the Nemesis. It also doesnt quite fit in with the rest of the story which has Neo-Nazi villains and a living weapon of mass destruction. It may not be especially dark but it was written as a straight action story. Which makes this quieter comedy moment feel very out of place. Its definitely a scene that feels like it was added to say Look, we managed to get Dolores Gray to cameo. Impressive, right? And while that may have been something to write home about in 1988, Dolores Gray has long since passed away and lost her status as a well known actress. Which makes this scene a very odd little moment that hasnt aged very well at all.
JG Moore is a writer and filmmaker from the south of England. He also works as an editor and VFX artist, and has a BA in Media Production from the University Of Winchester.
