Episode #61 : The Curse of Peladon

"I don't understand you! One minute you're condemning the Doctor to death

and the next you're proposing to me!"

Episode 61:     The Curse of Peladon.
Companions:   The 3rd Doctor and Jo Grant.
Air Date:         Four episodes. 29th January to 19th February 1972.

The Doctor and Jo make a test flight in the TARDIS and arrive on the planet Peladon. Seeking shelter, they enter the citadel of the soon-to-be-crowned King Peladon, where the Doctor is mistaken for a human dignitary summoned to act as Chairman of a committee assessing an application by the planet to join the Galactic Federation.

The Curse of Peladon is another excellent story from the Jon Pertwee era. It has an excellent plot full of action, mystery and intrigue. The story deals with an attempt to thwart the planet Peladon from entering the Galactic Federation so that an other civilisation (and Federation member) can strip mine it for the vast natural resources that it holds. With three other Federation delegates attending, including the Ice Warriors, it can only be one of them despite an undercurrent of dissatisfaction from some elements of the Peladon rulership. All of which is skillfully woven together into a great storyline. Supposedly the story is based on the events of the time with the United Kingdom about to enter the EC at the time.

As mentioned, this story sees the return of the Ice Warriors as Federation delegates from Mars. They seem to have given up on their violent ways since last the Doctor encountered them though I still wouldn't trust them. There is no mention of their inability to handle heat so I guess castle Peladon is rather a cold place.

Both the Doctor and Jo get plenty of limelight in this story even though the Doctor seems overly harsh towards her at times. Jo gets some good screen time with King Peladon (played by David Troughton, son of second Doctor Patrick Troughton) and the Ice Warriors.

One question remains unanswered, even unasked in the story itself, if the Time Lords have removed the Doctor's knowledge of how to operate the TARDIS how did he and Jo get to Peladon? Did the Time Lords interfere to ensure that Peladon gets admitted to the Galactic Federation? Who knows? Yes, pun intended.

The events of this story continue, somewhat, in an upcoming sequel, The Monster of Peladon.