"Oh, we have a small number of men - as many as we need. The rest we kill. They consume valuable food and fulfil no particular function. And these are not what you would call human! They are cultivated in test tubes. We have very good scientists. I am a living being. They are products - and inferior products! Grown for a purpose and capable of nothing more."
Episode 18: Galaxy 4.
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Vicki, and Steven Taylor.
Air Date: Four episodes. 11th September to 2nd October 1965.
The Doctor, Vicki and Steven arrive on an arid planet where they meet the beautiful Drahvins and the hideous Rills. Each has crash-landed after a confrontation in space. The Rills are friendly, compassionate explorers. The Drahvins are dull-witted, cloned soldiers, terrorised by the intelligent, warlike matriarch Maaga.
Galaxy 4 is another story that I have been unable to watch, though I believe that some elements of it have survived. Once again I am doing this review from reading episode synopses.
From the episode guides I have read I get the feeling that this isn't a very enjoyable story partly because it seems to take on a very feminist approach which leaves me cold. The attractive female Drahvins are evil fascist types who have eliminated the need for men on their world. Meanwhile the Rills are a hideous but friendly race of aliens, throwing a spin on the usual ugly equals evil approach. In other words it is a very cliched story. Throw all that together on a planet about to explode at any moment and you have your conflict.
Although this is a bit of a throw away filler story, the Drahvins do get a mention in The Pandorica Opens as one of the races whose ships appear in that episode.
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