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The Visitation is probably the most 'trad' story you could think of (modelled very much on Pertwee's The Time Warrior, with bits of The Silurians, and a story that'd feel right at home in Season 14), and probably one of the more 'sobering' stories of Season 19.
But in a way, Season 18 and 19 were so far out there in their high concept material, that The Visitation does feel like a much needed kiss of familiarity from a long lost era.
But also as an Eric Saward story, it seems to curiously defy most of the cliches usually associated with his work.
Aside from the opening scene, there hardly any deaths in it, which is a far cry from the excess collateral he later became notorious for.
The Doctor is mostly central to events and an unambiguous hero who can be counted on to do what's right.
Richard Mace, in some ways seems a prototype for Revelation's Orcini and other preferred mercenaries. But notably he's a peaceful man who usually abhors the use of deadly force, and is characterized as a coward in contrast to the brave Doctor who has to inspire him to heroic courage (rather than taking the lead over the Doctor).
It's also rooted firmly in the historical in a way none of Saward's later more futurist stories were.
In a way it almost feels like one of Eric Saward's more innocent stories from him, and a brief glimpse of him as a writer before he became the Eric Saward we all know today.
Back when his concern was just being a guest writer, penning his instinctive folk memory of what the show was once like (and perhaps interspersed with a sense of what Hammer Horror cinema was like), rather than before he became full-time story editor, and seemingly felt the responsibility to push the franchise to compete with a more violent modern zeitgeist.
In that sense it's quite an anomalous story from him, that betrays very little of his later show vision, or indeed his later controversies. It's funny how some Who writers start out compared to how they end up.
But in a way, Season 18 and 19 were so far out there in their high concept material, that The Visitation does feel like a much needed kiss of familiarity from a long lost era.
But also as an Eric Saward story, it seems to curiously defy most of the cliches usually associated with his work.
Aside from the opening scene, there hardly any deaths in it, which is a far cry from the excess collateral he later became notorious for.
The Doctor is mostly central to events and an unambiguous hero who can be counted on to do what's right.
Richard Mace, in some ways seems a prototype for Revelation's Orcini and other preferred mercenaries. But notably he's a peaceful man who usually abhors the use of deadly force, and is characterized as a coward in contrast to the brave Doctor who has to inspire him to heroic courage (rather than taking the lead over the Doctor).
It's also rooted firmly in the historical in a way none of Saward's later more futurist stories were.
In a way it almost feels like one of Eric Saward's more innocent stories from him, and a brief glimpse of him as a writer before he became the Eric Saward we all know today.
Back when his concern was just being a guest writer, penning his instinctive folk memory of what the show was once like (and perhaps interspersed with a sense of what Hammer Horror cinema was like), rather than before he became full-time story editor, and seemingly felt the responsibility to push the franchise to compete with a more violent modern zeitgeist.
In that sense it's quite an anomalous story from him, that betrays very little of his later show vision, or indeed his later controversies. It's funny how some Who writers start out compared to how they end up.
