72%

This was probably the first story that was really written with the video recorder in mind. I grasped most of the story on original viewing but I still needed a second crack at it. The first episode is very well done with some wonderful moments. At the time it was even more memorable because the cellar was genuinely dark. This was a time when Doctor Who seemed to suffer from a fear of the dark - shows were usually too brightly lit. Some times it didn't matter, but generally it hindered the atmosphere of stories. Thankfully, Alan Wareing managed to ensure that the lighting was dimmed appropriately. The story also gave Sophie Aldred a chance to shine as Ace and Platt fleshed out the character a bit more giving us a character far removed from the usual companion. A number of the features on the DVD note that a lot of writers tended to focus on Ace more than the Doctor. While some people found this annoying, it always struck me as interesting, almost a return to first principles ie the Doctor is someone we see through the eyes of the companion(s).

The second episode maintains the pace and the atmosphere of the first. It is the final episode which sees the whole thing flag a little. The appearance of Light is quite disappointing and he never quite lives up the menace hinted at in previous episodes. Perhaps the fact that John Hallam (an excellent actor) tends to speak in a rather soft, almost feminine voice does not help. When his voice deepens, the character is much more believable and menacing - then again, that may be the point. One moment, Light is this rather fey, gentle seeming entity, the next he is anything but.

the see-saw between Control and Josiah doesn't ring true for me, nor does the ending in which Redvers and Nimrod happily prepare the ship for take-off. Overall though, I found Ghost Light intriguing, refreshing and quite innovative. It was also a vast improvement over the previous story, the lacklustre season opener Battlefield.