Doctor Who’s 10th series had opened with three Doctors joining forces to defeat Omega. The show’s 20th anniversary saw five Doctors teaming up to raid Rassilon’s tomb. And, in 2013, its 50th anniversary would see thirteen Doctors band together to save Gallifrey and the lives of every Time Lord. Doctor Who is famous for its spectacular, high-stakes birthday parties.
But, in 1988, with the series having lost some of its popularity and shine, the 25th anniversary failed to make anything like the kind of splash The Five Doctors had made just five years before. Silver Nemesis almost feels apologetic, stuck in a position in the middle of its season (when it was meant to be the grand finale), turning up a few weeks after a Dalek story that felt like a much more fitting birthday bash.