Episode #89 : The Face of Evil

"Now drop your weapons or I'll kill him with this deadly jelly baby."

Episode 89:   The Face of Evil.
Companions: 4th Doctor and Leela.
Air Date:        Four episodes. 1st to 22nd January 1977.

The TARDIS arrives on a planet where a savage tribe called the Sevateem worship a god called Xoanon. The Doctor discovers that Xoanon is in fact a spaceship computer that he tried to repair at some point in his past and inadvertently drove mad by giving it a multiple personality.

The Face of Evil is another classic science fiction trope. In this case it is a deranged computer with multiple personalities caused by the fourth Doctor in a previously untelevised story. I'm guessing there is a big gap of adventures following the Doctor departing Gallifrey in the previous story as I can't see when he could have done it otherwise. Although the insane computer backstory is central to the adventure, it also deals with the power struggle in the Sevateem tribe and their struggle against the Tesh who serve the computer. All in all, not a bad little story.

The Doctor is joined by a new companion, Leela, a primitive female warrior of the Sevateem played by Louise Jameson. I like Leela quite a lot. She is another strong female companion but with the right amount of vulnerability to be believable. Unlike Sarah Jane Smith, Leela remains a strong figure throughout her tenure on the show. I think she was included, skimpy outfit and all, to keep the dad's watching after the Saturday afternoon football.

Leela is quite a violent character for an afternoon tea time family show. She kills two members of her own tribe very early on in the story. It is kind of nice to have such a character as normally the Doctor and companion are so nice - not counting the amount of Venusian Akido that the third Doctor used to do. It's just a very different approach.

As I said earlier, this isn't a bad story but at the same time it is missing a little something to give it that push towards a good story. It floats along at a nice pace with some good character interaction and humour but I am sure there is something that could have made it a better story.

Episode #88 : The Deadly Assassin

"Through the millennia, the Time Lords of Gallifrey led a life of ordered calm, protected against all threats from lesser civilisations by their great power. But this was to change. Suddenly, and terribly, the Time Lords faced the most dangerous crisis in their long history..."

Episode 88:   The Deadly Assassin.
Companions: 4th Doctor.
Air Date:       Four episodes. 30th October to 20th November 1976.

The Doctor arrives on Gallifrey, where he is accused of the assassination of the Time Lord President. Investigating with the aid of Co-ordinator Engin and Castellan Spandrell, he discovers that this is part of a plot hatched by his old adversary the Master.

The Deadly Assassin is the story that sets out exactly how the Time Lords would be presented from here on out. This story sets up their appearance, politics, culture and gives us the first reference to a twelve regeneration limit. At the time of original broadcast it appears to have upset a number of fans because of the depiction of Time Lord society. Specifically that prior to this the Time Lords are set up on a high pedestal as a race of super powerful beings with master over time itself, can make entire planets vanish and whatever else they choose to do. Following this story they seem to be no different to mankind in pretty much every way. Personally I like this portrayal as it makes them easier to identify with. Plus, I like the costumes.

With this story we have the return of the Doctor's arch nemesis the Master. This time round though he has reached the end of his regenerations and his living purely by force of will alone in his own corpse. Following the events of this story he achieves some sense of renewal, though not a fresh regeneration, and escapes as always to fight the Doctor another day.

There is, for me at least, a small problem with the flow of this tale and that is that a good chunk of it takes place inside the Matrix - the Time Lord's computer system. This gives us a very surreal engagement between the Doctor's mental self and that of the Master's minion (a traitorous Time Lords). Filmed entirely on location somewhere we have the Doctor facing a biplane, a train, a big game hunter and other aspects of the first World War. It just doesn't quite work very well. It looks out of place with everything else.

Though not a great story it is enjoyable and gets bonus thumbs up for giving us our first proper look at Time Lord society.

Episode #87 : The Hand of Fear

"I must be mad. I'm sick of being cold and wet and hypnotised left, right and centre. I'm sick of being shot at, savaged by bug eyed monsters, never knowing if I'm coming or going... or been... I want a bath, I want my hair washed, I just want to feel human again... and, boy, am I sick of that sonic screwdriver. I'm going to pack my goodies and I'm going home."

Episode 87:   The Hand of Fear.
Companions: 4th Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.
Air Date:        Four episodes. 2nd to 23rd October 1976.

The TARDIS arrives on contemporary Earth, where Sarah comes into contact with what appears to be a fossilised human hand. This is in fact the last surviving fragment of a Kastrian called Eldrad, who was blown up in space as a punishment for attempting to wipe out his own people.

The Hand of Fear is another tale that upon first watch seems rather bland, but upon repeated viewings has a lot of potential. The story deals with an exiled Kastrian scientist believed destroyed by his own people for perceived sabotage. Sarah becomes possessed by the surviving hand, forced to go around repeating "Eldrad must live" and seeking a way to restore Eldrad. When the Doctor and Sarah take Eldrad home they find that he isn't the well meaning scientist they think he is.

This story is especially noteworthy for being the farewell story for Sarah Jane Smith. She has come a long way from the feisty no-nonsense woman she first appeared. She ends her run as a typical female companion who frequently gets captured/hypnotised/possessed and screams a lot. She is still by far my favourite companion. She leaves the series having grown annoyed at what happens to her in recent adventures. Goodbye for now, Sarah Jane.

At the end of this story the Doctor receives a summons from Gallifrey. Since outsiders are not allowed on the home world of the Time Lords he is forced to leave Sarah behind. It then runs on to the next story, The Deadly Assassin.

The Hand of Fear is a fair story but could have been better.

Episode #86 : The Masque of Mandragora

"Had it not been you, there would have been other travellers drawn into Mandragora's Helix. Earth had to be possessed and checked. Man's curiosity might lead him away from this planet until, ultimately, the galaxy itself might not contain him. We of Mandragora will not allow a rival power within our domain."

Episode 86:   The Masque of Mandragora.
Companions: 4th Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.
Air Date:       Four episodes. 4th to 25th September 1976.

An encounter with the living energy structure known as the Mandragora Helix leads the TARDIS to 15th century Italy. Between palace intrigue, the machinations of a sinister cult and a rogue fragment of Helix energy, the Fourth Doctor and Sarah have their hands full. There is not much time, for when Mandragora swallows The Moon, it will be time to strike.

There hasn't been a historical story for some time and this time we return to 15th century Italy though the Doctor hasn't come alone. He has been followed by part of the Madragora Helix, a sentient energy storm in space, and for reasons largely unknown it fears mankind's advancement and seeks to stop us in the past. It is nice to have an historical story again, even if only partly.

Unfortunately this story is another let down. The elements with the Mandragora energy don't make much sense when you stop to think about it and the story is once again dragged out over four episodes, making it too long. I found myself rather distracted about half way through because nothing was really happening. When the end comes, it just ends. No real explanation for how it was defeated. Very odd.

This story is the first to explain that it is a "Time Lord gift" (later the TARDIS) that allows everyone, companion and others alike, to understand one another even though they may not speak the same language.

The Masque of Mandragora is a fairly bland story. You can see that it is trying to capitalise on the recent horror approach to stories but it falls very short this time.

Episode #85 : The Seeds of Doom

"I suppose you could call it a galactic weed, though it's deadlier than any weed you know. On most planets the animals eat the vegetation. On planets where the Krynoid gets established, the vegetation eats the animals."

Episode 85:   The Seeds of Doom.
Companions: 4th Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.
Air Date:      Six episodes. 31st January to 6th March 1976.

When scientists in the Antarctic uncover two mysterious seed pods, the Doctor is called in to investigate. He soon realises they are extraterrestrial and extremely dangerous. At the same time, however, ruthless plant-lover Harrison Chase has learnt of the find and decides he must have the pods for his collection of rare and beautiful flora. And the pods themselves harbour intelligent life with sinister plans of its own.

I love this story even though some elements, such as Chase's bizarre love of plants, seem overly exaggerated. This classic appears to have it's roots (pun intended) in the Day of the Triffids and the old black & white version of The Thing. Here we have alien plants travelling to Earth through space looking for a new home and animal life to feed upon. Foolish human arrogance and greed lead to one Krynoid being brought back to England, thawed and led lose upon the world.

The story moves along nicely, starting in Antarctica for a good chunk of it before coming back to the UK. The characters are portrayed well though the Doctor does come across as a lot more violent than he normally is. He doesn't kill anyone but he certainly gets into a couple fisticuffs. We know the Doctor isn't entirely pacifistic as we have seen him fence before and don't forget Venusian Aikido, but this time around it is certainly more than we are used to but it doesn't spoil anything by it.

The Krynoid as the monster is quite memorable. In places it is a resprayed Axon costume, then a man with a rubbery sheet over his head and finally the giant rubber monster in the picture above. I like the concept of an intelligent carnivorous plant creature and this story does it well. The defeat of the Krynoid is a little weak and UNIT without the Brigadier seems rather bland, simply there to blow the giant plant up.

The Seeds of Doom is another example of good Who and a watch is well recommended.

Episode #84 : The Brain of Morbius

"You can't really go on calling yourself Morbius. There's very little of Morbius left! Why don't you think of another name? Potpourri would be appropriate!"

Episode 84:   The Brain of Morbius.
Companions: 4th Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.
Air Date:        Four episodes. 3rd to 24th January 1976.

The planet Karn is home both to a mystic Sisterhood, whose sacred flame produces an elixir of life, and to Mehendri Solon, a fanatical scientist who is using the remnants of spaceship crash victims to put together a new body for the still-living brain of the executed Time Lord criminal Morbius. When the Doctor and Sarah arrive on the planet, Solon decides that the Doctor's head is just what he needs to complete his work.

The Brain of Morbius is a fantastic retelling of the Frankenstein story complete with mad scientist, an assembled from body parts monster, a an Igor-like henchman and at the end a group of flaming torch wielding sisters to defeat the creature. The writer has taken all the classic elements of the original story and given them a Whovian spin.

This is another story that gets a big thumbs up from me. The plot and pacing are spot on and it so adds to the atmosphere of the story. The characters and the acting also fit very well. For most of the story Sarah Jane is blinded and she pulls off that condition brilliantly and realistically. As for the Doctor, after the last couple where the character seems to have been a grumpy mood, here he is back to his lovable eccentric self.

The setting for this story is the planet Karn, which may be in the same system as Gallifrey or a neighbouring one. It is home to a mystical order known as the Sisterhood of Karn who keep the sacred flame capable of producing an elixir of life highly valued by the Time Lords. This is not the last time we see them as they have a part to play much further into the Doctor's life time.

In this story there is a mental struggle between the Doctor and Morbius (in his new body). In this struggle they pit the power of their minds against one another. On a screen appear images of past incarnations, including the first three Doctors. But there are four or five other faces that appear. It has caused discussions among fans ever since as it initially implies that the Doctor has had more incarnations that we know of. Of course, where we are at the moment with modern Who, we know that this isn't the case. However, it has always been my thought that these other faces are simply images of Morbius in his prior incarnations. It seems strange to me that that has not been mentioned before (though some corner of the Internet must have raised it) and it explains that mystery.

The Brain of Morbius is another big thumbs up from me. It isn't one of the best but it certainly is worth a watch. Enjoy.

Episode #83 : The Android Invasion

"The androids will disseminate a virus. It will cause a contagion so lethal, the Earth will be rid of its human population within three weeks, then it will burn itself out and the world will be ours."

Episode 83:   The Android Invasion.
Companions: 4th Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.
Air Date:       Four episodes. 22nd November to 13th December 1975.

The TARDIS arrives on the planet Oseidon where the alien Kraals have created an exact replica of the English village of Devesham and its nearby Space Defence Station and populated it with androids in order to rehearse for an invasion attempt. A human astronaut, Guy Crayford, has been duped into collaborating with them.

The first few times I watched this story I have to say that it left me very cold. But as time has gone by I find that it has slowly grown on me. The story is a mix of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Stepford Wives. The general idea isn't very original and has probably been seen in every science fiction television series at one time or another.

We get the final appearances of Harry Sullivan and John Benton in this one though mostly as their android duplicates. It feels as though their inclusion was tacked on as neither actually make any real difference to the story and it's outcome. It would have been nice to give them both a decent send off from the show.

I find it very difficult to write anything good about this episode as there just isn't any thing that makes it stand out. The story is unoriginal, the effects are poor and even the lead actors seem to be having a hard time with it. It isn't as bad as it seems but it has little to really support it.

Episode #82 : Pyramids of Mars

"Deactivating a generator loop without the correct key is like repairing a watch with a hammer and chisel. One false move and you'll never know the time again."

Episode 82:    Pyramids of Mars.
Companions: 4th Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.
Air Date:       Four episodes. 25th October to 15th November 1975.

The TARDIS materialises on Earth in the year 1911 inside an old priory owned by Egyptologist Marcus Scarman. Scarman has been possessed by Sutekh, last survivor of the god-like Osirans, who is held prisoner inside a pyramid in Egypt by a signal transmitted from one on Mars. Sutekh desires his freedom and instructs Scarman to construct servicer robots - which look like Egyptian mummies - to build a missile with which to destroy the Martian pyramid.

Pyramids of Mars is an absolute gem of story, one that blends elements of science fiction and horror perfectly. Make a few minor tweaks and this could have been a classic 70's horror movie in the style of Hammer films. The story itself deals with a god-like being, Sutekh, the last of his kind who we can assume influenced the ancient Egyptians. Sutekh is trapped beneath a pyramid in Egypt and desires release so that he can reign over the universe. The key to his prison resides within a pyramid on Mars and it must be destroyed if he is to regain that freedom.

I cannot praise this story enough. It is just that good. However, there are a couple niggles that I am going to raise. The first is Sutekh himself (see picture above). When the Doctor Who team can do such well made masks as they did in stories like The Sea Devils, why oh why can they not do the same for Sutekh in this story? His true appearance just likes terrible. Secondly, and a much less of a niggle, I feel that there is a small continuity issue here as how does the pyramid on Mars influence the Ice Warriors? Surely they know it's there? Do they know what lies within? Some sort of reference would by the Doctor would have been a nice touch there.

There are a couple of interesting time travel elements that come up in this story. One is that contrary to how I always thought the TARDIS works, it seems it is possible to travel forward from an event and see how it plays out even though you know from past travels that it never happened that way, and then return to the point you were at. I had always worked under the assumption that once part of events you couldn't just move away and return as you will. Secondly, events seem to occur before you do them (timey-whimey!). The house where this story takes place burns down and would be rebuilt in the future as UNIT HQ in the UK. Did it burn down before or did the Doctor and Sarah actually do it before they went on this adventure? Sometimes I am glad that time travel isn't real.

The story features the late Michael Sheared as a short lived ally of Sarah and the Doctor. He had previously appeared in The Ark and The Mind of Evil, and would go on to feature in three more stories. Star Wars fans will remember him as Admiral Ozzel in The Empire Strike Back. He was also Mr Bronson in children's drama Grange Hill.

Pyramids of Mars is another classic story that I fully recommend.

Episode #81 : Planet of Evil

"Here on Zeta Minor is the boundary between existence as you know it and the other universe which you just don't understand. From the beginning of time it has existed side by side with the known universe. Each is the antithesis of the other. You call it "nothing", a word to cover ignorance. And centuries ago scientists invented another word for it. "Antimatter", they called it. And you, by coming here, have crossed the boundary into that other universe to plunder it. Dangerous..."

Episode 81:   Planet of Evil.
Companions: 4th Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.
Air Date:       Four episodes. 27th September to 18th October 1975.

The TARDIS picks up a distress call and the Doctor and Sarah arrive on the planet Zeta Minor. There they discover that a Morestran geological expedition has fallen prey to an unseen killer and only the leader, Professor Sorenson, remains alive. A military mission from Morestra has also arrived to investigate. The culprit is revealed to be a creature from a universe of antimatter, retaliating for the removal by Sorenson of some antimatter samples from around the pit that acts as an interface between the two universes.

There is a line in this story where the Doctor tells Sorensen "You and I are scientists, Professor. We buy our privilege to experiment at the cost of total responsibility." That pretty much sums up the apparent construct of this story; whether science has the right to meddle in things that should be left alone. In this case it relates to matter and anti-matter, but you can see that that very question is extremely relevant to today's world of nuclear energy, chemical weapons and cloning. Unfortunately this thought provoking concept doesn't save the story.

Even if you ignore the terrible set designs (and as Who fans we love our wobbly sets), this story just doesn't hold the viewers interest I find. The acting is off from pretty much everybody, though as always that could just be down to the script. The effects are quite poor though they do work with regards to the anti-matter monster that is hunting down the people on the planet. But some of the ropey transformation sequences for Sorenson are too reminiscent of the Primoids from Inferno. Some fans love this story but for my money I cannot see how.

Episode #80 : Terror of the Zygons

 

"You can't rule the world in hiding. You've got to come out on

to the balcony sometimes and wave a tentacle."

Episode 80:    Terror of the Zygons.
Companions: 4th Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan.
Air Date:        Four episodes. 30th August to 10th September 1975.

When the Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry arrive in Scotland, having received an urgent request for assistance from the Brigadier, they discover that the mysterious force which has destroyed three oil rigs has left giant teeth marks on the wreckage. The mystery deepens, leading them to the shores of Loch Ness where they find that the legendary monster really does exist – and is the murderous tool of the Zygons, aliens intent on overpowering the planet.

For reasons that I can't quite put my finger on, this is one of my favourite early Tom Baker stories and the Zygons are a particular favourite. I think part of it comes from my childhood. Although too young to remember the airing of the episodes, I do recall seeing an old Doctor Who magazine which featured a black and white photograph of Zygon attacking Tom Baker. It has stuck in my memory ever since and must go someway to explaining my love of this story.

The show has in recent stories touched upon a number of mythical tales from Atlantis, the minotaur and the yeti. This time we get an explanation for the Loch Ness Monster in the Whoniverse, the Skarasen - a monster used by the Zygons in the plans. It is another touch that excites me when watching the story. Sometimes the writers got things so spot on that it works despite any other failings of the episode.

The Zygon costumes are definitely of the man in a rubber suit variety but are extremely memorable. The Skarasan on the other hand has it's detractors. I think that the stop-motion style of movement when you see the monster in it's entirety is really good but there are plenty of fans who think it is just terrible. Watch and decide for yourself.

With the completion of this adventure we lose Harry Sullivan who decides to return to UNIT rather than continue travelling in time and space. As much as I love Harry, you can understand it from what he has just experienced in the last few stories. Sarah Jane Smith however, thankfully stays with the Doctor. The Brigadier seems to have mellowed somewhat by this story as he doesn't feel like the old stick in the mud that he did previously. Thankfully, this won't be the last time we see the Brigadier.

Terror of the Zygons is an excellent story and for my money, the last of the truly excellent Tom Baker era. That is not to say that what comes next are poor stories, just that nothing seems to live up to the writing nor the appearance of the show after this. But for now, Terror of the Zygons is up there in the top stories of the classic era.

Episode #79 : Revenge of the Cybermen

"You're nothing but a pathetic bunch of tin soldiers skulking

about the galaxy in an ancient spaceship."

Episode 79:    Revenge of the Cybermen.
Companions:  4th Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan.
Air Date:        Four episodes. 19th April to 10th May 1975.

Expecting to be reunited with the TARDIS following a secret mission for the Time Lords, they instead find themselves on a plague-stricken space station orbiting the remnants of Voga, Planet of Gold. The Doctor, Harry Sullivan and Sarah Jane Smith have stumbled into the last battle of an ancient conflict between humankind and one of its most terrifying foes — the Cybermen.

At last we have the long awaited return of the Cybermen to the show. We last saw them in The Invasion, story of the 2nd Doctor. The appearance of the Cybermen has been improved and they now look much closer to the excellent 80's Cybermen design. These ones even sport weapons in their foreheads which is somewhat odd. The voices are now supplied by the actor in the suit and we can finally understand what they are saying properly. Unfortunately this is the only on screen appearance for the Cybermen for the 4th Doctor and we have to wait several years until they return.

The reason for the Cybermen's revenge is the fabled moon of Voga which is made of gold. The Cybermen have been given a new weakness which doesn't make too much real world sense, but then I am no scientist to explain it. Supposedly because gold is noncorrosive substance it can block their breathing apparatus. Why does a machine like being need a breathing apparatus? I have no idea. But you can just go with it.

This story concludes the Nerva Beacon arc which started with The Ark in Space, and we get to see what the Nerva Beacon looked like before the solar flares. The only disappointing element to this story is how closely it resembles The Moonbase. Both stories feature a Cyberman attack with Cybermats and a plague to strike down the human crew. While it may have been a staple mode of operation for the future Cybermen it just comes across as reusing the same old plot elements from an older story.

But saying that I can't complain about this story. Revenge of the Cybermen is a good piece of entertaining Who made better by the return of the Cybermen. The plot is straight forward but we get some good acting from our regular actors and Harry Sullivan gets to shine once again. Sarah Jane though seems to have continued the trend of being a screaming female companion.

At the culmination of this story our companions are reunited with the TARDIS and discover that the Brigadier has summoned them back to the Earth.

Episode #78 : Genesis of the Daleks

"Today, the Kaled race is ended, consumed in a fire of war. But, from its ashes will rise a new race. The supreme creature. The ultimate conqueror of the universe. The Dalek!"

Episode 78:   Genesis of the Daleks.
Companions: 4th Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan.
Air Date:       Six episodes. 8th March to 12th April 1975.

The Time Lords intercept the transmat beam taking the Doctor, Sarah and Harry back to Nerva and deposit them instead on the planet Skaro at an early point in its history. There a Time Lord gives the Doctor both a mission to prevent or alter the Daleks' development so that they become less of a threat to the universe and a time ring that will enable him and his companions to return to the TARDIS once this is done.

Despite it's length and too much filler elements, Genesis of the Daleks is a truly fantastic story for Doctor Who. In this one we learn the origins of the Dalek race and encounter their creator, Davros, for the first time. Previously the Daleks have simply been hateful cybernetic creatures out to exterminate the universe, but now we seen the how and why of their creation. I think it certainly adds more to the shows mythos than perhaps any other classic story.

In the original Star Trek series there were several episodes that featured planets where everyone wore a wore Nazi, Roman or 20's gangster outfits because it was what was on hand and cheap to use. The costumes in this story remind me greatly of those Trek episodes. The Kaleds resemble the Nazi's (in both costume and expected demeanour), and at other times we see characters running about dressed for the first world world. While I am sure that this was entirely intended for the tone of the story, it does tend to stand out more than perhaps it should.

Genesis has also been hinted at as being the first element of the Time War that is to come. The Time Lords sending the Doctor back to prevent their creation or alter them somehow. He doesn't really do either, just delaying their development for a few centuries at best. How the Daleks learnt that the Time Lords attempted this may never be known but seems like a fair reason to launch a war against Gallifrey.

Genesis of the Daleks really is a must watch story for fans.

Episode #77 : The Sontaran Experiment

"Foresight. You never know when these bits and pieces will come in handy. Never throw anything away, Harry. Now, where's my five hundred year diary. I remember jotting some notes on the Sontarans... It's a mistake to clutter one's pockets, Harry."

Episode 77:     The Sontaran Experiment.
Companions:   4th Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan.
Air Date:         Two episodes. 22nd February to 1st March 1975.

The Doctor, Sarah and Harry arrive on a desolate and apparently deserted Earth to discover that a group of shipwrecked astronauts from a human colony, GalSec, have been lured there by a fake distress call. One of their number, Roth, tells Sarah of an alien conducting gruesome experiments on him and his crewmates. The alien turns out to be a Sontaran, Field-Major Styre, who is compiling a report on human physical and mental capabilities as a prelude to an invasion of Earth.

The Sontaran Experiment is another excellent adventure story despite having some major plot holes if you were to really think about it. We know that the Sontarans have been in this corner of space before so why are they only know seeking to invade an empty planet? Why are they unaware of human capabilities when they must have encountered us in the past? Why do the Sontarans send a ranking member of their military to do this when he should be leading battle somewhere? These and many more questions filter through the mind when watching this story.

There is a lot of good character interaction in this one and you feel that they are bonding well together after the prior adventure. You get the same vibe that they must be bonding well as actors too. The only element here that I find lacking comes from Sarah Jane who seems to be sliding from the strong feminist reporter to a mere screaming, easily captured female companion.

The make up for the Sontaran has certainly improved since we last saw one though the costume budget seems to have taken a hit. It is good to see the return of the Sontarans even though they don't make many appearances in the classic show.

Being a two part story and coming in at just under an hour this feels like a modern episode and thus it is easy to watch. Where as a child and teenager I would enjoy the lengthy multi-part serials these days I find that a one or two part story (50 to 90 minutes total) is about right.

Just as The Ark in Space led us directly into this story, so too does this story lead us into one of the most famous stories in classic Who... Genesis of the Daleks!

Episode #76 : The Ark in Space

"Homo sapiens. What an inventive, invincible species. It's only a few million years since they crawled up out of the mud and learnt to walk. Puny, defenceless bipeds. They've survived flood, famine and plague. They've survived cosmic wars and holocausts. And now, here they are, out among the stars, waiting to begin a new life. Ready to outsit eternity. They're indomitable."

Episode 76:   The Ark in Space.
Companions: 4th Doctor, Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan.
Air Date:       Four episodes. 25th January to 15th February 1975.

The TARDIS lands on a space station orbiting Earth in the distant future. It's seemingly deserted, but the Doctor, Sarah and Harry soon discover that they are not alone. Thousands of humans are in cryogenic sleep, and while they've slept their Ark has been invaded. A parasitic insect race - the Wirrn - have taken control and threaten the very future of mankind.

The Ark in Space plus the next four stories are, to me, the pinnacle of the classic series. Nothing before or after - until the new series, is as good as this run of connected stories. Everything just fits so well together from the 1970's view of science fiction set dressing, to the characterisation of the time travellers, and for a change we have stories that are perfectly paced and written. The Ark in Space is perfect in these regards.

In this story, which is Harry Sullivan's first rip out into time and space, Harry does come across as a bit of simpleton. But when you finally realise that it is part and parcel of culture shock for him it makes sense and he becomes the companion that we as the audience can most associate with. Sarah has done a fair bit of travel with the Doctor and it's just day to day for her now.t

I have said before and I am sure to repeat that, despite being great science fiction television, Doctor Who seems at it's best when trying to do the horror thing. Ark in Space, with a little bit of a tweak could have been the forerunner to Alien. The story opens with a seemingly empty space station, only for the companions to find hundreds of humans in suspended animation and the presence of an alien insectoid life form that seeks to implant and breed from them. With a modern budget this could have been something truly scary, but it still works fantastically as is.

The Ark in Space is a must watch story for anyone seriously looking into the classic series.

Episode #75 : Robot

"You know, just once I'd like to meet an alien menace that wasn't immune to bullets."

Episode 75:    Robot.
Companions:  4th Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.
Air Date:        Four episodes. 28th December 1974 to 18th January 1975.

A newly regenerated Doctor joins UNIT in an investigation into the theft of top secret plans and equipment from supposedly secure premises. Sarah discovers that the raids have been carried out by a robot invented by scientist Professor Kettlewell while he was working for Think Tank, a body involved in developing emerging technologies.

The first adventure for Tom Baker involves a robot and yet another conspiracy to take over the Earth. This time the villains are a bunch of scientists who feel that only the intelligent should rule, and to achieve this aim they are prepared to destroy the world with an arsenal of nuclear weapons. Which to me seems pointless because then there won't be anyone for them to rule. Otherwise a good start to the 4th Doctor's extensive run on the show.

Tom Baker brings a fantastic character portrayal to the screen from his first confused post-regeneration lines. I have always felt that the 1st Doctor was simply an eccentric old man but, depending on cause of regeneration, each subsequent one has been more mad rather than eccentric. The 4th Doctor, especially, certainly is not playing with a full deck and it works so well. I'm sure that it must have taken some getting used to by the audiences who had previously watched Jon Pertwee's more restrained performance only a few months previous.

The story itself isn't too bad but it does plod along in places making it feel much longer than it actually is. When I re-watched the story recently in preparation for writing this, at one point I thought I was on part 5 when it was the start of 4! That is how it felt. Another minor niggle is the continued references to green/environmental issues as part of the background. There seems to be a lot of that going around in stories recently and in this it had reached the saturation point for me (though I am watching these in quick succession to be fair). There comes a point where the writers do need to find something else to present as a contemporary point of reference.

On a high note however, the Doctor and Sarah are joined by a new companion, Harry Sullivan. Harry is a UNIT medic and helps them throughout this story, and is then tricked into the TARDIS when the the Doctor and Sarah take flight. Harry is one of my favourite companions so I'm looking forward to re-watching the next few stories.

Episode #74 : Planet of the Spiders

"The old man must die, and the new man will discover to his

inexpressible joy that he has never existed."

Episode 74:   Planet of the Spiders.
Companions: 3rd Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.
Air Date:       Six episodes. 4th May to 8th June 1974.

The blue crystal that the Doctor took from Metebelis III in a previous adventure is desperately sought by the Eight Legs, a race of mutated spiders, as the final element in their plan for universal domination. With help from an old mentor, the Doctor realises the only way to foil the plot is to make the ultimate sacrifice. The Doctor must risk death to return to the cave of the Great One and save the universe.

Planet of the Spiders is the final story in the Jon Pertwee era and while it has it's good and bad elements, it is a pretty good ending to one of the best Doctors (in my opinion) of the classic show. The story deals with a race of giant mutant spiders from Metebelis III who seek power to travel to Earth and enslave mankind. They need the crystal that the Doctor took from the planet a long time before their arrival to do so, and must use mantric time travel to achieve their aims.

Firstly, while the story is quite good, I am left with the feeling that the writer probably didn't watch the previous story where the Doctor picked the crystal up from Metebelis III. I say this because the planet as it appears in Planet of the Spiders in no way resembles the planet as it appeared in The Green Death. It now appears bright, earth-like and devoid of the giant monsters that the Doctor encountered before. Secondly, the one element that really lets the story down is the appearance of the giant spiders. I am sure that the BBC special effects department could have done a lot better even back then.

There is a lot of padding to this story and part of it comes from a lengthy James Bond-esqe chase involving cars, gyrocopters, speedboats and a hovercraft. Most of that episode was taken up with the chase and it all ends with a bit of a let down. Jon Pertwee may have liked his stunts and cars but it didn't need to find it's way into the story.

The story also sees the return of Mike Yates, who was discharged from UNIT following the events of Invasion of the Dinosaurs. Having retreated to meditation centre to contemplate what he had done, he becomes embroiled in the plot unfolding, and brings Sarah Jane and the Doctor into the story. Having really come to like the character over the last twenty-odd stories it was nice to give him a final send off.

At the end of the story after defeating the giant spiders, he regenerates into Tom Baker. Going through these stories in order I really do feel that I am going to miss Pertwee. His mannerisms and acting approach really have made him stand out far more than the two actors before him, and he has made his run the most enjoyable.

Episode #73 : The Monster of Peladon

"There's nothing "only" about being a girl."

Episode 73:   The Monster of Peladon.
Companions: 3rd Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.
Air Date:        Six episodes. 23rd March to 27th April 1974.

The Doctor returns to Peladon fifty years after his last visit, to find Queen Thalira, daughter of the late King Peladon, on the throne. A tense labour dispute between Pel nobility and miners is worsened when apparitions of their deity Aggedor attack and kill several miners. The Galactic Federation desperately needs trisilicate for its war against Galaxy 5 and sends in brutal Ice Warrior troopers to ensure production. The Doctor discovers a devious plot at the heart of Aggedor's appearances.

The Monster of Peladon is a sequel to The Curse of Peladon story but sadly it plays out as just a rehash of that earlier story just with a couple twists. The Travellers arrive and are captured as unwanted aliens, there is a high priest who distrusts outsiders, Alpha Centauri returns as do the Ice Warriors. The only real differences here are that we find Queen Thalira on the throne, and this time the Ice Warriors are behind it all!

The previous story on Peladon was a play on Great Britain's entry into the EU. This story deals with a version of the miner's strikes that plagued the country in the early 1970's, and it is easy to see the similarities if you remember those times (and I only just do).

Sarah Jane gets to put on her feminist trousers in this story. She spends a fair bit of time trying to turn Queen Thalira from a figure head (female) ruler into a strong woman willing to stand up to the men around her who try and direct her actions. It is nice to see Sarah Jane getting some character development here but it soon gets in the nerves.

On a continuity level this story has as it's background a conflict with Galaxy 5, who were the villains of The Daleks Master Plan way back in the day for the 1st Doctor. It really is nice to see these references coming up now and again.

Episode #72 : Death to the Daleks

"Inside each of those shells is living, bubbling lump of hate."

Episode 72:      Death to the Daleks.
Companions:   3rd Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.
Air Date:          Four episodes. 23rd February to 16th March 1974.

An energy drain makes uneasy allies of the Third Doctor, Sarah, a Marine Space Corps expedition and a squadron of Daleks. All are trapped on the planet Exxilon with its hostile natives. The key to escape lies at the heart of a powerful and mysterious lost city, but only after a series of deadly traps.

Death to the Daleks is a fairly naff story unfortunately that might have served better had the Daleks not been added. It deals with a mysterious "living city" which drains power from the TARDIS, an MSC expedition, and a Dalek ship, leaving them marooned on a world with the primitive Exxilons. The city must be destroyed if anyone is to escape, so the survivors and the Daleks join forces to do so.

The biggest issue with this story is the length. It is only four parts but it feels so much longer as nothing really happens through out it. It plays out almost like a flowchart with A going to B...etc, with little input from the characters.

The Daleks in this story are really flimsy. One of them explodes when beaten by natives with wooden sticks! Poor writing there. These Daleks also are not much of a threat. The same energy drain that has trapped them on Exxilon have prevented their weapons from working. They end up adapting and using primitive firearms instead. Just doesn't feel like the Daleks at all. Disappointing.

I think this is one of those stories that can be quietly left to gather dust.

Episode #71 : Invasion of the Dinosaurs

"Look, I understand your ideals. In many ways I sympathise with them. But this is not the way to go about it, you know. You've got no right to take away the existence of generations of people."

Episode 71:     Invasion of the Dinosaurs.
Companions:   3rd Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.
Air Date:         Six episodes. 12th January to 16th February 1974.

The Third Doctor and Sarah arrive in 1970s London to find it has been evacuated because dinosaurs have appeared mysteriously. It turns out the dinosaurs are being brought to London via a time machine to further a plan to revert London to a pre-technological level.

Invasion starts with some wonderfully creepy scenes of a deserted London. It seems that our time travellers took a few months to get back from medieval England, and now dinosaurs have started to appear. All of it part of a plot to do away with the the modern world and return to a more primitive Earth, one without technology and pollution. If the entire population of mankind has to never have existed, well, the reward is worth it. Or is it?

We have here a really nicely thought out premise that involves time travel, dinosaurs (about time!) and some wonderful pseudo-science. Shame that the dinosaur models are just down right atrocious, as you can see from the picture above. If the models had been even half way decent this would have been just fantastic.

An odd addition is the surprise that Mike Yates, long time member of UNIT, has become disillusioned and is now a traitor. Maybe it is just me but it seems a bit far fetched considering everything he has seen and done in recent years. Another addition is the introduction to the Whomobile, the Doctor's new UFO looking car. This was a personal vehicle of Jon Pertwee, commissioned by him. Why it was used in the show rather than Bessie, I don't know.

I also feel that there is a lack of continuity in this tale. When using their time scoop technology to pluck dinosaurs out of the past, why do they not see Silurians? After all, they ruled the Earth back then and presumably had great cities. Doesn't help the story I suppose but some reference would have been nice.

In this story we get more of an impression that there is more to a Time Lord than just time travel. Similarly to events in The Time Monster, the Doctor seems able to see/sense time distortions and even be less effected by them.

If you can look past the awful dinosaurs, then this is a really good story.

Episode #70 : The Time Warrior

Sarah Jane Smith : "You're serious, aren't you?"

The Doctor : "About what I do, yes. Not necessarily about the way I do it."

Episode 70:   The Time Warrior.
Companions: 3rd Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith.
Air Date:       Four episodes. 15th December 1973 to 5th January 1974.

 

Journalist Sarah Jane Smith is impersonating her aunt, virologist Lavinia Smith, in order to gain access to a research centre where top scientists are being held in protective custody while UNIT investigates the disappearance of a number of their colleagues. The missing scientists have been kidnapped by a Sontaran, Linx, and taken back to medieval England, where they are working under hypnosis to repair his crashed spaceship.

 

Another excellent story that gets us away from UNIT and back into time travel. In The Time Warrior, a Sontaran officer has been forced to crash in 13th century England and using crude time travel techniques is abducting scientists from the 20th century to held repair his space ship. The Doctor with new companion, and stowaway, Sarah Jane Smith travel back to medieval England to stop him. This story is good classic science fiction and the OTT acting from the medieval inhabitants is so amusing that you can easily ignore any issues with the story.

 

In this episode we have the introduction of the most famous and arguably the most beloved companion ever, Sarah Jane Smith. In my opinion, no one will ever match her as a companion. Played by the late Elizabeth Sladen, Sarah Jane became an immediate hit and would remain about of Who lore right up until the current incarnation of the show. The character starts off as a tough no-nonsense feminist which is a big change to Jo Grant. There is immediate great chemistry between her and the Doctor.

 

This is our introduction to the Sontarans as recurring villains. A race of warrior clones at war with a race called the Rutans (who will eventually make an appearance). They seek to conquer the galaxy much like every other villain out there but in all of the show they never seem to actually get anywhere.

 

We also learn for the first time the name of the Doctor's home world: Gallifrey. Now that it has a name, we will be seeing it a bit more often in the future.

 

I have great fondness for this story because although there has been humour before, I think this is the first time that it is used so well by the Doctor and will become part of his make up from here on. The show is about time travel and for ages we do seem to have been bogged down with UNIT stories.

 

The Time Warrior is another great story that everyone should check out.

 

 

Episode #69 : The Green Death

"Stevens, listen to me. You've seen where this efficiency of yours leads. Wholesale pollution of the countryside. Devilish creatures spawned by the filthy by-products of your technology. Men... men walking around like brainless vegetables. Death. Disease. Destruction."

Episode 69:    The Green Death.
Companions:  3rd Doctor and Jo Grant.
Air Date:        Six episodes. 19th May to 23rd June 1973.

A death at an abandoned coal pit brings UNIT and the Doctor to the South Wales town of Llanfairfach when the body is found glowing bright green. Are pollutants from Global Chemicals responsible? Where are the giant maggots coming from? And who is the mysterious BOSS?

The Green Death is an excellent story that deals with issues just as relevant to us now in the 21st century as they were to us forty years ago; pollution and it's effects on the environment. In this story a mining company has closed down and started pumping vast amounts of chemical waste into the tunnels. The resulting mess has created a new form of life... giant, almost invulnerable, maggots that eventually transform into some monstrous fly-like insect. All of it orchestrated by the company's new machine BOSS - Biomorphic Organisational Systems Supervisor - which has achieved a form of sentience.

Throughout the current season of the show the Doctor has made a few references to wanting to visit Metebelis III, an apparently beautiful blue world famed for it's crystals. At long last we get a visit to that planet and it isn't anywhere near how he describes it. In fact it seems to be full of monsters, ranging from giant tentacles to enormous birds. We do come back to this planet in a few episodes time.

There is great chemistry between the characters in this story which has been lacking of late. Jo seems ever more ditzy than usual but it is endearing to see her fall in love with the local hippy scientist. Jo leaves the Doctor in this story to marry her new love and you get a real sense of conflicting happiness and sadness on the part of the Doctor. Even the Brigadier doesn't seem quite so trigger happy in this story.

The effects bring back a lot of memories of watching science fiction as a kid, and I really can't fault them in this story. The maggots seem a bit odd at times but they still give the creeps even now. The only element which I feel doesn't work is the giant fly. I mentioned this way back in the 1st Doctor story "Planet of the Giants". In that story there is a admittedly static model of a giant fly that looked awesome, but here we have something that truly does look like it was a rush job of paper-mache, bits and paint. When the BBC could do something that looked as good as it did in Planet of the Giants, it does beg the question why couldn't they do it here?

It is sad to see Jo leave the show and she is remembered with fondness by many fans. But it is time to get a stronger companion I think and we do that in the next story. Jo does make a re-appearance in the SJA adventure "Death of the Doctor" which I will cover later on.

I suggest The Green Death as one of the better Jon Pertwee era stories and well worth checking out if you haven't seen it.

Episode #68 : Planet of the Daleks

 

"Courage isn't just a matter of not being frightened, you know.

It's being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway."

 

 

Episode 68:    Planet of the Dalek.

Companions:  3rd Doctor and Jo Grant.
Air Date:        Six episodes. 7th April to 12th May1973.

 

Immediately after the events of Frontier in Space: the Third Doctor has been shot and gravely wounded by the Master. Jo helps him into the TARDIS, where he uses the telepathic circuits to send a message to the Time Lords before he collapses.

 

The Time Lords guide the TARDIS to the planet Spiridon where the Daleks have prepared an army ten thousand strong with which to conquer the Human and Draconian empires. A band of Thaals have also arrived to destroy the Daleks before they can release that army. The Daleks have also come to this world to take the natural invisibility of the native Spiridons.

 

It is interesting that since we last saw the Thaals on Skaro they seem to have achieved some advanced technology and even space flight. Have they fled Skaro to a new home world or have they somehow survived alongside the Daleks? This question is never answered.

 

At points in the story it feels very reminiscent of the original Dalek story. It definitively shares certain similarities with that story. Maybe that was the point since it was a very good introductory story for the Daleks.

 

As much as the previous story was quite bad, Planet of the Daleks makes up for it by being a very entertaining and enjoyable story. The plot works very well and there are some great moments of dialogue between the Doctor and the Thaals. If I have any grumbles with Planet of the Daleks it is simply that it could have been better handled as a follow up to Frontier in Space.

 

Episode #67 : Frontier in Space

"In a reminiscent mood are you, Doctor? Poor Miss Grant, you have my deepest sympathies."

Episode 67:   Frontier in Space.
Companions: 3rd Doctor and Jo Grant.
Air Date:       Six episodes. 24th February to 31st March 1973.

The Doctor and Jo are caught in the escalating tension between planets Earth and Draconia, and discover that the Master is secretly working to provoke the two into all-out war.

Frontier in Space is a rather long winded and drawn out story that starts off as a tale of two empires on the verge of war, then moves to a prison tale before introducing the Master and the Daleks! It feels like there is just too much going on and it the pacing is far too slow because of it.

The story is basically about the Master trying to drive a wedge between humanity and the Draconian Empire, so that they go to war and then his "allies", the Daleks, can move in and mop up whatever or whoever remains. Other than an odd sense that he hates Earth because the Doctor likes the planet (and us) there seems to be no real reason for the Master to actually be doing any of this.

The end of the story seems alsmost as pointless. Having defeated the Master's plans by allying Earth and Draconia, he sends a telepathic transmission to the Time Lords and then passes out. Frontier in Space continues on, although unconnected really in the following story, Planet of the Daleks. I guess it must have been a time of slow ideas for the show.

Unfortunately this story is also the last time we see Roger Delgardo as the Master. In June of 1973 he was tragically killed in a motor accident while filming a movie in Turkey. Although Anthony Ainley would continue the role in later years and very well, it is Roger Delgardo who I think carried the character best.

Sadly Frontier in Space is really not a very well written story and other than it continues immediately into the next story it would be one I would suggest viewers avoid. In this instance I really feel that I have to give a thumbs down.