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Originally Posted by iank  Quite. 
Pyramids is overrated; well-made but too humourless for my taste. The others are just plain unwatchable!  |
Hinchcliffe didn't always produce the "solid gold plated" Dr Who story. I found The Android Invasion, The Masque of the Mandragora and Revenge of the Cybermen were the weaker stories with some merits to each of the individual stories to be considered. I often wonder what Hinchcliffe would of done had he taken over from Russell T. Davies with the not-so-new Who?.
Hinchcliffe had the knack when it came to making Doctor Who, bringing a sort of gothic element to the story telling, plus having Robert Holmes guide the structure as script-editor. There's no doubt in my mind that Hinchcliffe understood the dynamic and creative nature that Dr Who can bring to TV. On the other hand, I would say that Graham Williams did develop some intresting stories along the way. Horror At Fang Rock, loved it!
Evoked the Hinchcliffe style. The Stones of Blood was intriguing. Also the legendary City of Death which always deserves repeated viewings. I do feel that Williams was trying to capture the Hinchcliffe vibe from his previous predecessor as producer. It's evidential to some degree in some of the stories from The Key To Time season, City of Death and Horror At Fang Rock. The less said about The Invasion of Time and the rather bland The Invisible Enemy with the King Prawn from hell.
Nightmare of Eden did demonstrate just how dire Dr Who could be with Williams producing. Personally, if it was me producing I would of dumped the entire story (Nightmare of Eden) and gone with something historical. The Mandrels looked like they had chronic constipation from the way they moved. Overall, I think Hinchcliffe touches base before Williams as producer. The constant durability of the Holmes/Hinchcliffe partnership is one aspect of Dr Who that to a degree remains solid gold Dr Who.