Doctor Who (TV Series) The Feast of Steven (1965) User Reviews

This episode leaves you quite speechless.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 23 October 2015]

Transmitted on Christmas Day 1965 The Feast of Steven was a Christmas cracker set slap bang in the middle of Master plan. An episode regarded by some as a Turkey and by others as a humorous interlude.

The TARDIS has landed in a poisonous atmosphere, turns out it's Northern England, Christmas 1965. The Doctor leaves the TARDIS and encounter the Police, they take the Doctor in for questioning believing him to be a bit of a crank. Steven pinches a Police uniform out of a patrol car and heads for the station planning to release the Doctor. Sara is the last one to leave, the Police talk to her, believing she's in fancy dress and she's taken in. Steven manages to get them both out and they escape to the TARDIS. The TARDIS lands on a film set and some crazy shenanigans go on.

This episode is utterly bonkers, it stands alone in the show's history for many reasons, the Doctor turns to wish the viewers at home to wish them a Merry Christmas. It's really the only episode that's purely there as farcical fun, it's almost a stand alone show. Even Sara manages to have a bit of fun, she had the immortal line 'A strange man kept telling me to take my clothes off.'

There are a few dodgy jokes, some of the acting is a little over the top, but for a reason, this went out on Christmas day, it served as fun, nothing more. 7.9 million tuned in.

It's crazy, bonkers fun. 7/10

The Daleks' Master Plan: Part 7 - Humorous Christmas Special in the middle of a brilliant epic adventure.

[A_Kind_Of_CineMagic · 7/10 · 19 August 2014]

Review for all 12 parts:

This is an epic 12 part story from writers Dennis Spooner and Dalek originator Terry Nation, beginning with the episode The Nightmare Begins.

This adventure continues the story introduced in the episode Mission To The Unknown and features the Doctor trying to thwart the Daleks evil plans to conquer the solar system. It also features Nicholas Courtney (later to play Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, a series regular), as Bret Vyon. He, along with the regular cast, Kevin Stoney as villainous Mavic Chen and most other cast, perform superbly. The Daleks too are at their peak in many ways and are great villains for this epic. In addition there are the other interesting alien characters and even the return of the Meddling Monk (Peter Butterworth) from the Doctor's home world! The story even has the shocking deaths of no less than 3 of the Doctor's 'companions'!

The word epic is absolutely right for this mammoth story and it is incredible how the quality and interest is kept over an unprecedented 12 episodes. The only slight drop in quality being the 7th episode The Feast of Steven which is a Christmas special of a far more light- hearted and whimsical kind. To compare that episode and criticise it as a blot on the story is very unfair, you have to take it on its own as a special episode more comparable to the kind of comedy spoof used for charity telethons in later years. On that basis it is successful. The other 11 episodes are brilliant, exciting and well made.

A classic.

My Ratings: Episode 7 - 7/10, all other episodes 10/10

The Strange Special

[icewarrior-26727 · 7/10 · 13 January 2017]

Erm.....what? So this is the final episode written by Terry Nation and for better or for worse you will be questioning EVERYTHING by the end of this episode.

So it's the first Christmas episode and since this story is so long and it's Christmas they decide to relieve us of the tension for a week which I think was a good move and worked within the context of the broadcast so unlike later episodes I'm not going to complain about it being out of place in this story. Basically the entire plot is they land in Liverpool on Christmas Day have one of the most minor run-ins with the police I've ever seen before gallivanting off to Hollywood where they cause a lot of confusion and shouting, especially shouting.

Yeah this episode is utterly bonkers but it has a certain mad charm to it and it's something I'd want to watch on Christmas, more so than the terrible new who specials at least. Overall, get your madness here, after all Hartnell does one of the first TV fourth wall breaks unscripted wishing us a happy Christmas!

There are no words to describe what I have just seen.

[zacpetch · 10/10 · 14 October 2015]

The Daleks' Master Plan is a 12 part epic Doctor Who adventure starring Billy Hartnell as the 1st Doctor. The story is dark, daring, unpredictable and has a twist hidden round every single corner. But the 7th part of the epic is none of those things because it aired on Christmas Day.

The story takes a break here. Instead we see the Doctor with companion Steven and hanger-on Sara arrive outside a police station where the TARDIS is mistaken for an actual police box. There's a bit of farce as the trio try to get back inside it and leave.

Then they arrive on a film set and... God only knows what the hell happens then! There's stuff happening and people doing things and lots of running around with words accompanying the action on screen akin to the silent films of old.

At the end the group are back on the TARDIS and the Doctor breaks the fourth wall by pouring out drinks for everyone and wishing a "Merry Christmas to all of you at home!"

That done, it's off to the next part of the story. The Daleks and Mavic Chen aren't done with our heroes yet – There's still 5 more episodes to go!

Insane, crazy and breaking the fourth wall.

[mbellfield · 4/10 · 8 August 2021]

Part 7 (nothing to do with the Daleks so watch it on your own conscience) : BBC never learn do they, why can't we have the daleks at Christmas? Here I can slightly understand due to most family's on Christmas wouldn't watch TV back in the 60s and it stops the risk of children with those kind of parents having to miss any part of the main dalek story. The main problems with this story is it's so hard to enjoy because it's a recon/narrated audio. Even then it's just the doctor/Steven and Sara running around places and shows with references almost 80% of people won't get nowadays. But I do admire and appreciate the effort to try something new, it is at the end of the day harmless fun. In a way it feels just like a children in need special. There are some good stuff here at times, I bloody love Hartnells quote "I'm a citizen of the universe and a gentleman to boot". Plus we get the amazing fourth wall break "merry Christmas" from Hartnell which alot of fans believe it was an improv but many of the script writers saying it wasn't so who knows. I do honestly think this story would very easy to remake/update today, get David Bradley and a few lookalikes and make a new version of it, make a few jokes about them not being the originals or Doctor who as awhole, hell even a few cameos from future Doctor who actors etc.

Rating: 2/5 4/10.