Episode #31 : The Highlanders

Episode 31:   The Highlanders.
Companions: The 2nd Doctor, Polly Wright, Ben Jackson and Jamie McCrimmon.
Air Date:       Four episodes. 17th December 1966 to 7th January 1967.

The time travellers arrive in Scotland just after the Battle of Culloden. The Second Doctor gains the trust of a small band of fleeing Jacobites by offering to tend their wounded Laird, Colin McLaren. While Polly and the Laird's daughter, Kirsty, are away fetching water, he and the others are all captured by Redcoat troops commanded by Lieutenant Algernon Ffinch.

Other than a handful of screenshots this story is also lost in time and space. The Highlanders was also the last purely historical type story until we get to the 5th Doctor tale Black Orchid. I'm pleased with that because although time travel is a good base for the show, it really is the science fiction and almost horror elements that ultimately make the show what it is for me. I assume others at the BBC felt the same way hence the change in stories.

The Highlanders introduces us to the character of Jamie McCrimmon who becomes the longest serving male companion in the show's history thus far. He is a popular character and certainly one that is fondly remembered. He is also unqiue at this time in the show as he is a character from the past rather the contemporary modern or the future, so he gives us a different pair of eyes to look through in the Doctor's travels.

As for the story itself, reading the sysnopsis makes it out as a rather tame and dare I say bland tale. Much like many of the previous historical stories that the show has produced at this time.

Episode #30 : The Power of the Daleks

"It can do many things, Lesterson. But the thing it does most efficiently is exterminate human beings."

Episode 30:   The Power of the Daleks.
Companions: The 2nd Doctor, Polly Wright and Ben Jackson.
Air Date:       Six episodes. 5th November to 10th December 1966.

Following the Doctor's regeneration into a new, younger body, the TARDIS lands at an Earth colony on the planet Vulcan in the far future. Mistaken for an official Earth Examiner, the Doctor discovers that a scientist called Lesterson is attempting to reactivate two inanimate, subservient Daleks found in a crashed space rocket. The colonists refuse to heed the Doctor's dire warnings that the Daleks are dangerous. Once reactivated, the Daleks secretly begin to reproduce themselves in a bid to seize control of the colony.

Unfortuantely the majority of the Patrick Troughton's stories have been lost by the BBC and this one is no exception. An audio recording does exist though from what I have read. I would have loved to see how the Doctor was portrayed following his first regeneration.

It is interesting that his very first story should involve the Daleks. These ones more resemble the static based ones from the very first Dalek story though if you have ever read the 8th Doctor novel War of the Daleks, you'll know where these ones came from.

As I mentioned above only a handful of the second Doctor's stories survive so other than those my experience with this incarnation comes the three multi-Doctor stories of the 1970's and 1980's. I much prefer the characters new personality and energy over the grumpy grandfather that William Hartnell played.

Hopefully one day this story will come to light intact and we can get to see it.

Episode #29 : The Tenth Planet

"We are called Cybermen. We were exactly like you once, but our race was getting weak. Our life spans were getting shorter, so our doctors and scientists devised spare parts for our bodies until we could be completely replaced."

Episode 29:    The Tenth Planet.
Companions:  The 1st Doctor, Polly Wright and Ben Jackson.
Air Date:         Four episodes. 8th to 29th October 1966.

The Doctor's TARDIS lands at the Snowcap space tracking station in Antarctica in December 1986. A routine space mission starts going wrong. When the base personnel's suspicions are roused, the Doctor informs them that the space capsule is being affected by the gravitational pull of another planet - a tenth planet in the solar system.

The Tenth Planet is missing the fourth part but it exists as a stills and audio fan made piece online. I believe that the same company that animated the 2nd Doctor story The Invasion have also made an animated episode to finish it off.

The Tenth Planet is a very well done story that although it feels lengthy doesn't come across as boring or distracting. This is the story that introduces the Cybermen to the Whoniverse though they are somewhat different to what they would ultimately become. In this story they come from Mondas, Earth's twin planet lost in the depths of space for millions of years, and now have come back to raid our world for energy. These Cybermen need that energy to live and ultimately is their downfall. They are also less armoured or machine-like than when we see them in the future and it leaves me with the impression that these were the early Cybermen, the original survivours of Mondas and the later Cybermen are more "evolved".

This really is the perhaps the first time that we get a real sense that the Whoniverse is not our universe, not counting the events of The War Machines which could have been partly covered up. In this story it is 1986 and everyone around the world sees Mondas. Not to mention that Cybermen do land around the world. Where was U.N.I.T. for that? By this time they would have dealt with Cybermen before... but that is for another time.

This is the final story for William Hartnell. The Doctor's body has grown tired and regeneration sets in. This was the first use of regeneration, though it won't be refered to as such for some time, and it allowed the BBC to keep the show going by replacing actors when they wanted to move on.

Episode #28 : The Smugglars

"How dare you follow me into the TARDIS!"

 

 

Episode 28:   The Smugglars.
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Polly Wright and Ben Jackson.
Air Date:        Four episodes. 10th September to 1st October 1966.

 

The TARDIS arrives on the coast of seventeenth century Cornwall - much to the astonishment of Polly and Ben. Pirates led by Captain Samuel Pike and his henchman Cherub are searching for a hidden treasure, while a smuggling ring masterminded by the local squire is trying to off-load contraband.

 

I believe this is another story that has been all but lost. I think a handful of scenes, stills and the audio recording survive. It is another that I have never seen though this time I wonder whether it would be an early historical tale worth watching.

 

I'm not going to go through the synopsis this time as there isn't much to the story doing so but I will make mention of a reference that comes back to us in the show under Matt Smith's run as the Doctor. The characters in the story reference Henry Avery of the sailing ship Fancy, who reappears in the story The Curse of the Black Spot.

Episode #27 : The War Machines

"Doctor Who is required."

Episode 27:   The War Machines.
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Dodo, Polly Wright and Ben Jackson.
Air Date:        Four episodes. 25th June to 16th July 1966.

The TARDIS arrives in London in 1966 and the First Doctor and Dodo visit the Post Office Tower. There they meet Professor Brett, whose revolutionary new computer WOTAN (Will Operating Thought ANalogue) can actually think for itself and is shortly to be linked up to other major computers around the world.

The War Machines is the first story that I can truely say feels like a Doctor Who episode, based on how the show would turn out. It has everything that makes the adventures so compelling. Prior to this the situations that the time travellers found themselves in where mainly just fall into danger and try to scrape a way out of it. Not here. The TARDIS returns to London in 1966 and the Doctor immediately senses that something in terribly wrong, sets out to investigate and deal with whatever it is. You have a much more proactive Doctor from here on.

We lose Dodo as a companion in this story and sadly it is a bit of a weak ending for her. After bring hypnotised she is sent to the country to recover and we never see her again, though at the end there is mention that she plans to remain in London.
Instead we get two new stowaways, Ben and Polly, who help the Doctor throughout the episode (though Polly gets controlled for most of it) and then sneak on board the TARDIS just as it takes off. Polly comes across as a good character but Ben is very much a man's man which comes off a tad hard at times.

The story has an interesting twist that is never explained. The computer WOTAN knows what TARDIS stands for and refers to the Doctor as Doctor Who. At the time this probably wouldn't mean anything to viewers but as time has gone on it does make me wonder how it knew and why it knew enough to refer to him as Doctor Who.

War Machines is a really good story and on my list of stories to watch. Thumbs up.

Episode #26 : The Savages

"Do you not realize that all progress is based on exploitation?"

"That, sir, is protracted murder!"

Episode 26:   The Savages.
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Steven Taylor and Dodo.
Air Date:       Four episodes. 28th May to 18th June 1966.

The TARDIS has arrived on a far-distant and seemingly idyllic world. Yet the Doctor, Steven and Dodo learn it hides a terrible secret: the apparently civilised Elders maintain their advanced society by draining and transferring to themselves the life-force of the defenceless Savages.

The Savages is another story that thus far I have been unable to watch. It is also largely missing though a version exists with photo stills and the audio recording I believe. I have read the story synopsis and it is difficult to say whether this story would have been any good or not. I hope so as by this point the stories do seem to be getting better as the show carries on.

The important thing about this story for me is that it sees the departure of Steven as he stays behind to teach the people of the planet how to be good and decent people. I really can't stand the character at all. He just seems argumentative and opposing all the time. None of which are good characteristics for a decent companion in my opinion.

Episode #25 : The Gunfighters

"He gave me a gun, he extracted my tooth. What more do you want?"

Episode 25:   The Gunfighters.
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Steven Taylor and Dodo.
Air Date:        Four episodes. 30th April to 21st May 1966.

Arriving in the town of Tombstone, the First Doctor finds himself involved with gunmen out to kill Doc Holliday.
If ever there was a time zone that would, or should, work perfectly for a time travel adventure series, the Wild West is it. The Gunfighters almost pulls it off. It is a good fun story that doesn't take itself too seriously but I find myself wondering if had it been made several years later would it have worked even better. But I can't argue as William Hartnell swaggers around Tombstone as though he belongs there and it is great.

The only downer to this story is the "Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon" which gets played over and over again, with some occasional variaton, throughout all four parts of this story. It gets a bit much to be honest.

Which brings me to the last point, and that is that the story is historically inaccurate. According to the Dr Who wiki:

The storyline of the serial makes several notable departures from the historical fact. In reality, Bat Masterson, Johnny Ringo, Warren Earp and Phineas Clanton were not present in Tombstone in October 1881. Consequently, neither Ringo nor Phineas Clanton participated in the Gunfight at the O. K. Corral and were therefore not casualties of it as portrayed here. Warren Earp did not die until July 1900, almost nineteen years after the events of this story take place. Phineas' brother Ike Clanton survived the gunfight whereas their father Pa Clanton had died the previous August. Conversely, no reference is made to four of the gunfight's actual participants: Warren, Wyatt and Virgil Earp's brother Morgan Earp and the Clanton brothers' fellow outlaw cowboys Billy Claiborne and Tom and Frank McLaury. Furthermore, Doc Holliday was only 30 years old in 1881 in real life whereas Anthony Jacobs was 48 in 1966.

Episode #24 : The Celestial Toymaker

"Make your last move, Doctor. Make your *last* move."

Episode 24:       The Celestial Toymaker.
Companions:     The 1st Doctor, Steven Taylor and Dodo.
Air Date:           Four episodes. 2nd to 23rd April 1966.

The travellers arrive in a strange domain presided over by the Celestial Toymaker – an enigmatic, immortal entity who forces them to play a series of games, failure at which will render them his playthings for all eternity.

This story is missing apart from the final part and a few bits here and there. I have seen it however made from production stills with the audio overlaid. I am sorry to sayit but I was very very dissapointed with this story. Throughout my childhood this seemed to be one of those stories that was often talked about and the villainous Toymaker was made out to be an excellent opponent. Sadly neither was true and the whole thing was a bit of a let down for me.

The Toymaker himself, played by the late Michael Gough, seems a very two dimensional entity. There is no real reason why he snatches the TARDIS and the Doctor away except to just play games with them. I do hope that at some point we see the Celestial Toymaker make an appearence in the current run of the show and that the the writers can do something with him.

It is a shame about this story but it just goes to show that you can't always accept the hype around anything. You have to make your own mind up.

The end of the story runs into the following one, with the Doctor developing toothache and needing to find a dentist.

Episode #23 : The Ark

"A long time ago, your ancestors accepted responsibility for the welfare of these Monoids. They were treated like slaves. So no wonder when they got the chance, they repaid you in kind."

Episode 23:   The Ark.
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Steven Taylor and Dodo.
Air Date:        Four episodes. 5th to 26th March 1966.

The Doctor and his companions Steven Taylor and Dodo Chaplet arrive some ten million years into the future, on board a generation starship which is carrying the last of humanity away from an Earth that is about to fall into the Sun. However, the cold that Dodo has could prove devastating to these future humans and their servants, the Monoids.

The Ark is one of the best stories I have watched for some time. Well written and taking a couple archetypal science fiction troupes and running with them. We see the destruction of the Earth (prior to it being rebuild by the National Trust), a generation ship taking humanity to a new home and the effects of a 20th century (and no extinct) illness on a future generation. Together it works very well.

The story starts off with the companions arriving on a generation ship. Dodo's cold is passed to the humans and their Monoid servants. The Doctor has to find a cure for the cold to save everyone. Once done, they make their goodbyes but the TARDIS takes them to the same spot seven hundred years into the future. In this future the Monoids have evolved to conqour the humans.

The new companion, Dodo, seems a little too eager and that makes her a tad annoying throughout this story. At least she doesn't feel like a replacement for Susan this time.

The Ark is another excellent story for those who want to watch the better tales from the classic days of the show.

Episode #22 : The Massacre of St Barthlomew's Eve

"My dear Steven, history sometimes gives us a terrible shock, and that is because we don't quite fully understand. Why should we? After all, we're too small to realise its final pattern. Therefore don't try and judge it from where you stand."

Episode 22:   The Massacre of St Barthlomew's Eve.
Companions: The 1st Doctor and Steven Taylor.
Air Date:        Four episodes. 5th to 26th February 1966.

The TARDIS materialises in Paris in the year 1572 and The Doctor decides to visit the famous apothecary Charles Preslin. Steven, meanwhile, is befriended by a group of Huguenots from the household of the Protestant Admiral de Coligny. Having rescued a young serving girl, Anne Chaplet, from some pursuing guards, the Huguenots gain their first inkling of a heinous plan being hatched at the command of the Catholic Queen Mother, Catherine de Medici.

This is another story that has been lost to us so this may be a very short review. It is also another purely historical story that once again, by the story synopsis, appears to fail in being interesting. it isn't even a well known period in history. Prior to learning about this story in the early 1990's I had never even heard of the events surrounding this. Certainly nothing that was ever covered in my history lessons at school.

Other than that there isn't much to say about this story sadly.

However at the end of the story the Doctor and Steven do land briefly in modern day London, accidentily picking up a new companion...