Production 6J: "The King's Demons" (March 15-16, 1983) - Classic Doctor Who Season 20 Finale Review

The TARDIS fails to reach Turlough's promised homeworld of Trion, instead materializing in Medieval England during March 1215 - the crucial period leading to the signing of the Magna Carta, one of history's most important constitutional documents. The Fifth Doctor, Tegan, and Turlough arrive at Fitzwilliam Castle to discover King John behaving extraordinarily out of character, acting with uncharacteristic cruelty and tyranny that threatens to derail the entire timeline.

The erratic monarch appears to be under the sinister influence of Sir Gilles Estram, a mysterious French nobleman whose features look disturbingly familiar to the Doctor. Investigating this temporal anomaly, the Doctor uncovers a devastating plot orchestrated by his oldest and most persistent nemesis - the Master (Anthony Ainley) has traveled back in time to prevent the Magna Carta from ever being signed, fundamentally altering Earth's democratic history and destabilizing the entire future of human civilization. At the center of this scheme is Kamelion, a shape-shifting android with extraordinary abilities who becomes a pawn in the Master's game and an unexpected addition to the TARDIS crew.

Join podcaster John S. Drew and acclaimed writer/editor Jim Beard as they master time and space, delivering comprehensive reviews of every Classic Doctor Who serial. In this Season 20 finale analysis, they dissect the complicated behind-the-scenes story of Kamelion - the ambitious shape-changing robot companion whose technical malfunctions plagued production and limited future appearances, critique how writer Terence Dudley once again relegates both Tegan Jovanka and Turlough to passive bystander roles with minimal character development or meaningful participation, and argue that this two-part story desperately needed additional episodes to properly develop its ambitious historical premise and Master plot.

This episode features a remarkably candid conversation about the Fifth Doctor himself. Jim comes clean about his ongoing struggle to connect with Peter Davison's interpretation - after twenty episodes, he still isn't feeling this incarnation and openly wonders if he ever will warm to the Fifth Doctor's gentle, vulnerable characterization. John empathizes completely with Jim's perspective while defending his own position: Peter Davison remains John's absolute favorite Doctor precisely because of the understated qualities Jim finds frustrating - his compassion, emotional accessibility, and fallible heroism rather than commanding authority.

"The King's Demons" concludes Season 20's uneven journey toward the monumental 20th Anniversary Special that awaits in November 1983.

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