The inclusion of so many old monsters could have been handled better. What was the real threat they proposed? Other than the Cyberman and Ogron, nobody got off a shot. The Doctor shouldn't have much trouble outrunning them anyway. I can't remember the last time I saw a Cyberman or Ogron run. In fact, the baddies seemed to be moving slower than normal. The managerie made little sense to begin with, but why did the Rani have D84 in her collection if she was trying to control evolution? Equally, why were some of the alien races which were not necessarily evil "attacking" the Doctor? It was all just very forced. Most fans would have been satisfied to see a few cybermen and Daleks trolling about. Indeed, we didn't actually get to see the two species share a screen until some 10+ years later. The Rani's TARDIS was nicely done, though the floor could do with a sweep. The score was excellent and is a fine example of what Doctor Who's incidental music can do for a story. The style of score would be very different when the show would return in 2005. Many people, myself included, wish that the sometimes campy and frequently over-emphasized music of the 2005 revival would return more to its roots.

There is a longer review adressing different aspects and giving my overall impression of this story under part two, but I have divided my comments between the episodes since some elements are only applicable to one part.