(Classic) Doctor Who Historical Costumes: Black Orchid

I’ve looked at some of the best historically-set Tom Baker Doctor Who serials, and next up is what many call the last “pure historical” Doctor Who story. By that, they mean that there are no sci-fi or fantasy elements other than the Doctor and what he brings with him. That style of historical is was only done rarely during the first and second Doctor’s eras. Black Orchid (1982) is a short ‘n sweet two-parter where the fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) and his companions Nyssa (Sarah Sutton), Tegan (Janet Fielding), and Adric (Matthew Waterhouse) land in 1925.

At Cranleigh Halt railway station, the Doctor is mistaken for a cricket player — appropriate, due to his costume. Though I really wanted one of his space-born companions Nyssa or Adric to comment about why are all these other people dressed just like the Doctor? Tegan, being an Australian flight attendant from the 1980s, would already recognize the cricket whites. Basically, this extended scene gives Peter Davison a chance to indulge his love of the game.

As he’s such a good player, he and his companions are invited to stay at Cranleigh Hall, where they’re throwing a charity masquerade ball. Oh, and a murder has happened, which the Doctor will discover … and another murder happens, that he’ll be accused of. The murder-mystery is terribly obvious, of course, and it’s all an excuse for the characters to enjoy some fancy dress. Plus, one of the young ladies in the house is twinsies with Nyssa — actress Sarah Sutton gets to play a double-role as the posh young Ann Talbot. Double identities and masks then becomes a theme. It’s all quite cute and light and fun, with a bit of casual racism thrown in (was that lip-plated South American Indian necessary?), which seems par for the Doctor Who course of this era.

Dr Who, Black Orchid (1982) — Nyssa, on the left, meets her doppelgänger Ann, on the right. Ann is wearing a nice sporty 1920s dress with a dropped waist and sailor-style collar.

What about the costumes? The 1920s stuff is perfectly nice, as it should be when you’re drawing from the vast BBC warehouse of early 20th-century garb. The masquerade costumes are more “modern costumey” than “1920s-does-costumey” IMO, but it’s fine, especially in one notable case that I’ll get to in a sec. The costume designer for this Doctor Who serial was Rosalind Ebbutt, who has worked her way through quite a few of the Beeb’s TV shows, period and otherwise. She also did the costumes for The Buccaneers (1995), The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1996), Emma (2009), six episodes of Downton Abbey (2011), and currently Victoria (2016-).

The one costume especially worth pointing out is the fancy-dress outfit Lady Cranleigh wears. It’s a lovely yellow 18th-century gown that was later used on an extra in Annie Lennox’s “Walking on Broken Glass” music video in 1992 and again in the rebooted Doctor Who in 2006, “The Girl in the Fireplace,” worn by Sophia Myles as Madame du Pompadour.

Murder-mysteries rarely have happy endings, so it’s not a huge spoiler to see mourning garb. Plus, it’s more top-notch ’20s stylings.

Are you a fan of Doctor Who historicals? Do you remember Black Orchid?

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10 thoughts on “(Classic) Doctor Who Historical Costumes: Black Orchid”

I vaguely remember this one. Dr. Who us on my perennial rewatch list. I need to see them again. But the nonfrock series I’m streaming are The Windsors (hilarious) Lucy Lawless in Murder is My Life and Dublin Murders.

I adore this one. It’s so nice to see the crew, especially Tegan, just enjoying themselves for a change – before everything goes pear shaped. And the lip was necessary to add to the unbelievable quality of the Doctor’s story.
The looks on Adric and Nyssa’s faces as they watched the cricket match were uncannily similar to the looks on the faces of my American Who club as our sole English member tried to explain the game to us.

I could never bring myself to watch anything with sci-fi or time travel elements…never understood the premise of this show. But it sure gets its share of love lol

One of my faves of the Peter Davidson era, and poignant, as the next episode was “Earthshock” (which traumatized my 12 year old self). I wanted, and still want, Tegan’s rose fairy costume. Especially the shoes.

Link to the Lady Cranleigh dress: http://www.recycledmoviecostumes.com/stuartgeorgian007.html

Trystan L. Bass says:

February 27, 2020 at 9:19 am

It’s also linked above.

I remember it as being especially entertaining. I’ve seen a number of interesting historical outfits on the show, often with no especial historical context.

MoHub says:

March 1, 2020 at 12:54 pm

The original concept of the program was to teach children about history using a sci-fi framework. The first seasons included the Crusades and the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, in addition to the Aztecs, Rome, and the French Revolution.

You’re incorrect about the first two doctors not having historical episodes with few Sci fi reasons. most of them were erased or lost. but the first doctor was mostly history visits: the Aztece, Marco Polo, the French Revolution, ancient Rome, etc. the second Doctor had the Highlanders, and a few others, not at many as the first doctor. then Tom Baker had a few. but that was it until the new series. now THEY never go historic without an alien in it. which is tiresome and dull. they also VERY rarely dress correctly, which is bizarre as no one seems to notice a woman dressed for 2019 in 1850! at least the earlier doctors companions dressed correctly for the era!!!! the Doctor even referred to Sarah Jane Smith in Pyramid of Mars as Vicky!