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.