The Horns of Nimon [TV/1979.12.22 ~ 1980.1.12]

★★★★☆

  The Horns of Nimon never once takes itself seriously, features one of the most over-the-top villainous performances in the history of Dr. Who, and has the Doctor (or in this case, Tom Baker) at his most irreverent. Naturally, this means that the general opinion on it is that it's nor very good... and that I think it's absolutely marvellous.

  See, when a Dr. Who serial goes to such lengths to adapt an ancient Greek myth (the labyrinth, the Minotaurs and Theseus) and makes it a fun little adventure, there's a pretty good chance that I'm going to love it. With a Tom Baker who cannot be arsed to go with the stage direction, being the most entertaining menace in the history of television, and Lalla Ward giving her absolute best performance as her time in the show as Romana, the whole serial becomes ridiculously fun. Enter Graham Crowden with one of the most memorable, hilarious and brilliant performances ever as Soldeed... and the rest is history.

  Everything from the running gags ("weakling scum!") to the detailed sets to the costumes (one of Romana's best outfits, for sure), The Horns of Nimon is a prime example of the kind of Dr. Who only the Graham Williams era could have pulled off. Either it speaks to you, or you're utterly appalled by it. Me, I absolutely love the wackiness and boundless creativity of the Williams era, and so naturally Nimon appeals to my fancy with its heightened comedy and insanely entertaining cast.