The second story in “Classic Doctors, New Monsters: The Stuff of Nightmares” is once again not anything of nightmares, instead it’s the Tivolians, the race from the Eleventh Doctor era that is infamous for have no backbone to the point where they’re happy to be conquered by invading races. A funny concept and they fit well into a Fourth Doctor story (though maybe a bit later in his run?) but that’s two in the row that doesn’t live up the subtitle, meaning it’s literally referring to the creatures in the last two tales… Anyway, let’s have a look at this one!
At the title hints the story is a send up of the spy genre as the pathetic Timble Feebis (Robert Daws) is enjoying his holiday on Earth until a fellow Tivolian approaches on its dead bed and hands him a data chip, telling him to keep it away from his pursuers. Feebis has no idea what to do so runs before getting caught by “Mr. Quave” (Daniam Lynch) a fellow Tivolian who is not so feeble. Timble is saved by The Doctor (Tom Baker) and Leela (Louise Jameson) who happened to also be on holiday in Rome and happened across the scene. A policewoman named Leticia Giallo (Emily Casey) arrives but is too late to save Leela from being kidnapped. The Doctor and Feebis give chase, much to the latter’s distress, and arrive at the villa of local mob boss Carmine Sanguinetti (Anthony Howell) who ends up ALSO being a Tivolian, in this case a criminal mastermind known as Volen Steasel.
The Doctor is captured this time but is saved by Leela, Feebis and Leticia, who as it turns out is an intergalactic officer and is after Steasel specifically. We find out the data chip will let down the barrier on a planet that’s keeping its crazed and murderous population at bay so they can invade Tivoli, giving Steasel a big pay day but actually killing his admittedly pathetic race as these aliens won’t enslave them, they wipe them out. It all ends with a big showdown in the coliseum, because of course it does!
It’s a fun script and Tom Baker is clearly having a whale of a time. It’s worth a listen just for that, honestly!
The Continuity:
Hands up who likes purple? …. Man, if I’m out of ideas now, what’s it going to be like writing under this cover for a fourth time? Stupid multiple era boxset making it too annoying to review two stories at once!
Not a lot, beyond the obvious use of Tivolians who first appeared in Eleventh Doctor TV story “The God Complex” and later made a smaller appearance in Twelfth Doctor two-parter “Under the Lake / Before The Flood”.
Overall Thoughts:
The Tivolian Who Knew Too Much is a really fun script where the cast is clearly having a ball recording it. It’s the second story in a row that doesn’t live up to the subtitle of the box, but that’s okay, it’s still a good laugh!
Not a lot to say here, as you’d imagine the bad guys get beat, specifically Mr. Quave is killed and Steasel is arrested, and Timble Feebis manages to do something brave at the last moment and gets a feel for it, quitting his boring bank job and becoming an Earth agent much like the one who gave him the data chip in the first place.
Hogan Reviews 