108) THE HORNS OF NIMON

The Horns of Nimon is one of those good-bad Doctor Who serials which cannot be put to bad writing or bad direction. The main problem is it tries too hard for its own good and often falls short on a number of levels. The humour is very forced with constant unfunny funny sound effects and fire and explosion special effects coming out of every episode and corner. The acting is pretty poor, the late Simon Gipps-Kent and blue-peter presenter Janet Ellis are subpar and the rest of the Anetheans extras are no better. Seth is as emotionless as Romulus and Remus from The Twin Dilemma. The Anetheans do not even react upon seeing their fate or watching in horror as one of them is zapped by the Nimon. Graham Crowden is overdramatic as Soldeed, shouting his lines and being over expressive, he cannot even die with dignity. Baker also seems a little out of place and rather uncomfortable. The story is nothing special and the similarities to Theseus and the Minotaur is about as subtle as Seth and Teka’s love relationship. The sets are more akin to construction sites and jumble sales than a planet awaiting planetary conquest. The Nimons are a let-down and very inconsistent and not that frightening. You can almost see the actors struggling in the big, lumbering costumes. One moment the Nimons are toddling along like drunken bulls and then they are marching like military bullies. There is no tension if the towering, monsters lumber along with no chance of getting the heroes. There are good concepts and ideas from the shape-changing corridors and the Nimon’s backstory is original but they are let down by poor production choices. It would have been nice to see a ravaged Crinoth than watching recycled sets for half an episode.  Considering that this was the last story to be broadcast in the 70s does not reflect the last 10 years well in good light. **​