Episode #129 : The Five Doctors

"A man is the sum of his memories. A Time Lord even more so."

Episode 129: The Five Doctors.
Companions: 1st Doctor, 2nd Doctor, 3rd Doctor, 4th Doctor, 5th Doctor, Susan, The Brigadier, Sarah Jane Smith, Romana, Tegan, and Turlough.
Air Date: 25th November 1983.

The Doctor's past incarnations are taken out of time by a forbidden time scoop device. The fourth Doctor becomes trapped in the vortex but the others find themselves, together with a number of their old companions, with the fifth Doctor and his companions in the Death Zone on their home planet Gallifrey. Here they face a Dalek, a Yeti, a quicksilver Raston Warrior Robot and numerous Cybermen. Also present is the Master, who has been summoned by the High Council of Time Lords to help the Doctor. It turns out that President Borusa is the mysterious operator of the time scoop. He aims to use the Doctors to breach the defences of the Dark Tower - Rassilon's tomb - so that he can enter there and claim immortality.

The Five Doctors was commissioned for the show's 20th anniversary and the BBC pulled out all the stops with this one. We get four out of the five Doctors taking part (the 4th Doctor and Romana get stuck in the time vortex for the duration of the story), cameo's by a Dalek and a Yeti, and the Cybermen with the Master as a major element of the story. Lots of Who elements and references, even spectral former companions, coupled with a fast punchy script makes this story just awesome for any fan of the show. There are so many references I could write a whole page just about them.

The interaction between the different incarnations of the Doctor are just awesome. You get a strong vibe that the different versions really don't like one another, and their banter comes off as a familial grieving which anyone with siblings can relate to.

By the time of the 20th anniversary William Hartnell had passed away so the role was given to Richard Hurndell who did such a good job as the 1st Doctor that I think he did better than Hartnell. Some may consider that heresy but that's how he comes across to me.

The 4th Doctor and Romana only appear in shots from the the unfinished Shada. Tom Baker felt that it was too soon since his departure from the show to make a return even for the anniversary episode. A great shame but four Doctors were enough really. had he taken part I wonder whether the script would have allowed enough screen time and dialogue for all of them.

I really cannot shout the praises of this story enough. If you haven't seen it hunt it down on DVD and watch it. I'm sure you will agree how good this one is.

Tegan: "You mean you're deliberately choosing to go on the run from your own people, in a rackety old TARDIS?"
Fifth Doctor: "Why not? After all, that's how it all started."

Episode #65 : The Three Doctors

"Well Sergeant, aren't you going to say that it's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside - everybody else does."

Episode 65:   The Three Doctors.
Companions: The 1st Doctor, 2nd Doctor, 3rd Doctor and Jo Grant.
Air Date:        Four episodes. 30th December 1972 to 20th January 1973.

Time itself is in peril! The Time Lords find themselves besieged by a mysterious enemy, the legendary Time Lord, Omega. Omega has been inhabiting the anti-matter universe on the other side of the black hole from which the Time Lords draw their power.
They enlist the Doctor in his first three incarnations to battle this foe, who turns out to be a legend from the Time Lords' remote past.
But vital cosmic energy is draining into a black hole and the Time Lords are under siege. The Doctor is their only hope but, trapped in the TARDIS, he's powerless. The only way out is to break the First Law of Time to let the Doctor help himself - literally.

The first of the multi-Doctor stories and a rather good one to boot. Although called The Three Doctors, it is primarily Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee. William Hartnell was rather unwell at the time of filming so he is shown only on the TARDIS display screen giving advice to his other selves. Sadly, he would pass away only a few months after this episode. It does however set up the possibility of other stories where multiple Doctors can meet and interact. Other than the presence of multiple Doctors, what makes it work so well is how their interactions together are written and how you get the impression that different incarnations don't really get along with one another.

The villain of the piece is a former legendary Time Lord named Omega. He has been trapped in an anti-matter universe since giving the Time Lords the ability to travel through time and space. Driven somewhat mad by his isolation he wants to return to our universe. Although defeated, Omega will return much later during Peter Davison's time as the Doctor in The Arc of Infinity.

The Brigadier shows his usual lack of thought in this story, refusing to believe anything the Doctors tell him, and insisting that the anti-matter universe is in fact somewhere near Cromer in East Anglia. While it may work for the story it does make his character seem awfully thick.

Upon the completion of this adventure, the Time Lords forgive the Doctor his transgressions and free him to travel in time and space once more.

The Three Doctors is a great piece of entertainment that every fan of the show should watch.

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...

Episode #21 : The Daleks' Master Plan

"I am a citizen of the universe, and a gentleman to boot!"

 

 

Episode 21:    The Daleks' Master Plan.
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Katarina, and Steven Taylor..
Air Date:        Twelve episodes. 13th November 1965 to 29th January 1966.

 

In the year 4000, the Daleks conspire to conquer the Solar System. Their scheme involves treachery at the highest levels and a weapon capable of destroying the very fabric of time. Only the Doctor and his friends can prevent catastrophe — and there is no guarantee they will escape with their lives.

A massive twelve part story! Unfortunately only three parts of this remain in the hands of the BBC. The Daleks' Master Plan is a sequel, sort of, to the one off story entitled Mission to the Unknown. In this tale we find that the Daleks are working with a handful of aliens to destroy Earth's solar system using a device called the Time Destructor. Seems unusual for the Daleks to be working with non-Daleks but I guess the Dalek hatred for everything else wasn't quite in the show canon as yet.

The story follows a similar pattern as was used in The Chase with the characters pursued across space and time by the Daleks and their agents. Quite why this was done I can't say but the story synopses reads as a rather chaotic jumble that doesn't make a lot of sense anyway. We also have the brief return of the Meddling Monk, who has escaped Earth's past but his presence in the story doesn't add anything and he isn't actually part of the overall plot.

During this story we lose Katarina. The first companion to die while travelling with the Doctor. Apparently it was decided that her character didn't quite work so they killed her off very very quickly.

This story also features a rather odd and random element. One episode fell on Christmas Day 1965. At the time it was customary to make an episode that did into a comedy, and in this case the entire episode has nothing to do with the story at all. The Doctor even breaks the "fourth wall" to wish everyone at home a Merry Christmas!

All in all reading this story it just seems terrible. Only one interesting element to the canonical universe comes from it. The Doctor ends up being drained of life energy by the Time Destructor, and it has become part of the reason why his body is so worn out at the end of his run and a possible cause for his regeneration.

Episode #20 : The Myth Makers

"Woe to Troy!"

 

Episode 20:     Mission to the Unknown.
Companions:   The 1st Doctor, Katarina, Vicki, and Steven Taylor..
Air Date:         Four episodes. 16th October to 6th November 1965.

 

When the TARDIS arrives on the plains of Asia Minor not far from the besieged city of Troy, the Doctor is hailed by Achilles as the mighty god Zeus and taken to the Greek camp. He meets Agamemnon and Odysseus. Forced to admit he is a mere mortal - albeit a traveller in space and time - he is given two days to devise a scheme to capture Troy.Steven and Vicki, meanwhile, have been taken prisoner by the Trojans. Vicki, believed to possess supernatural powers, is given two days to banish the Greeks to prove she is not a spy.

The Myth Makers is another story that doesn't exist. It was a pure historical story explaining the battle of Troy and the legend of the wooden horse. In this case the idea is that of the Doctor's even though later on in his fourth incarnation he will deny the idea being his.

This story sees the departure of Vicki. Her character was beginning to grow on me a little bit even though she feels like a poor replacement for Susan. We do get the arrival of the companion Katarina though she isn't in the series for very long.

Unfortunately The Myth Makers does read in synopsis as another extremely dull historical tale.

Episode #18 : Galaxy 4

"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.

Episode #17 : The Time Meddler

"That is the dematerializing control, and that, over yonder, is the horizontal hold. Up there is the scanner; those are the doors; that is a chair with a panda on it. Sheer poetry, dear boy! Now please stop bothering me."

Episode 17:   The Time Meddler.
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Vicki, and Steven Taylor.
Air Date:        Four episodes. 3rd to 24th July 1965.

The Doctor, Vicki, and new companion Steven Taylor arrive in Saxon Northumbria on the eve of the Viking and Norman invasions. It is 1066, a pivotal moment in British history. The hand of a mysterious Monk is at work in the nearby monastery, intending that history takes a different course.

The Time Meddler is the sort of story that fits the show perfectly. A fellow time traveller seeking to alter the course of history in a significant way. In this case we are introduced to a new individual villain, a fellow Time Lord refered to as the meddling monk (though the term Time Lord isn't used for a few years yet). I am surprised that this sort of thing didn't crop up more often.

The Monk is somewhat different adversary for the Doctor in that really he isn't that much of a villain. He's a meddler trying to alter history to make things better and more interesting under his guiding hand. You can certainly see him as a precurser to the villianous Master later on in the show. The Monk was played by Peter Butterworth who would go on to become famous in the Carry On movies.

Despite all the references to non interference in the time line there is one small issue in the story that never gets resolved on screen and is thus open to interpretation. At one point Vicki and Steven find a futuristic atomic cannon set up overlooking the coast, but never tell the Doctor so there is every chance that it was left there.

All in all a very enjoyable tale. The mix of science fiction and historical combined works very well and is far better in my opinion than the pure historical stories.

Episode #16 : The Chase

"We're trying to defeat the Daleks, not start a jumble sale!"

 

Episode 16:   The Chase.
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Vicki, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright.
Air Date:        Six episodes. 22nd May to 26th June 1965.

 

The travellers learn from the Time-Space Visualiser taken from the Moroks' museum that Daleks equipped with their own time machine are on their trail with orders to exterminate them. They flee in the TARDIS.

The Chase starts off immediately after the events of the prior episode with the characters learning that the Daleks are chasing them down for extermination. Fleeing through time and space they land in one location after another and so on. This seems a little facical but it actually works in an odd kind of way.

No explanation is giving as to why the Daleks are doing this as chronologically all the companions have done thus far is thwart a handful of Daleks on Skaro and stop their conquest of Earth. Even for Daleks it seems a little extreme at this point in the Doctor's experiences with them.

The first landing point for the companions is the desert planet of Aridius. Once an ocean world the presence of two suns has evaporated the planet into a sandy desert. The natives having moved underground. This sequence plays out nicely expecially the interaction between the natives and the Daleks.

The second stop off point is atop the Empire State Building in New York 1966. This is a very silly segment that plays more for fun than anything else. The Daleks just end up wandering around asking the tourists where the time travellers are. Peter Purves who would join the TARDIS crew at the end of this story in the role of Steven Taylor plays a rather clueless American tourist character in this scene.

Thirdly, the time travellers land on the deck of the Mary Celeste and shows us that it was the sudden presence of Daleks on board that caused everyone to leap over the side. One historical mystery solved by Doctor Who. This is another scene that just plays out as a tad silly.

Then both groups land in a bizarre haunted house, home to Frankenstein's Monster, a ghost, and Count Dracula. Neither side realise that they have arrived in a fun fair haunted house in 1996. Once again, a very odd section of the story.

Finally they land on the jungle world of Mechanus and are rescued by the strange Mechanoids who go on to fight the Daleks. The companions defeat the Daleks. Ian and Barbara convince the Doctor to let them use the Dalek time machine to return home and after some argument, he agrees but they end up home two years after they first left. Meanwhile, Steven has snuck on board the TARDIS.

It is a real shame that we lose Ian and Barbara here as I have found them both to be excellent companions who grew on me quickly. With the departure of Susan a while back we now only have the Doctor as an original character.

This story is entertaining despite the silliness throughout, but could have been so much better.

Episode #15 : The Space Museum

"Time, like space, although a dimension in itself, also has dimensions of its own."

 

Episode 15:   The Space Museum.
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Vicki, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright.
Air Date:       Four episodes. 24th April to 15th May 1965.

The TARDIS jumps a time track and the travellers arrive on the planet Xeros. There they discover their own future selves displayed as exhibits in a museum established as a monument to the galactic conquests of the warlike Morok invaders who now rule the planet. When time shifts back to normal, they realise that they must do everything they can to avert this potential future.

The Space Museum puts the show back on course with some good old fashioned science fiction. In this case the companions end up arriving ahead of themselves where they must then undo what they have seen before it happens. Coupled with assisting a revolution to reclaim a planet and we have a really good story.

In this story you get more of a hint that the Doctor is beginning to see that time can be altered in small ways. Perhaps setting up for his future adventures.

This story features Jeremy Bulloch as one of the Xerons. He is more known to us as the body actor for Boba Fett in the original Star Wars movies.

The Space Museum is a good story that I recommend for new viewers looking to see the history of the show.

Episode #14 : The Crusades

"There's something new in you, yet something older than the sky itself. I sense that I can trust you."

Episode 14:   The Crusades
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Vicki, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright.
Air Date:       Four episodes. 27th March to 17th April 1965.

The TARDIS arrives in 12th century Palestine where a holy war is in progress between the forces of King Richard the Lionheart and the Saracen ruler Saladin. Barbara is abducted in a Saracen ambush and the Doctor, Ian and Vicki make their way to King Richard's palace in the city of Jaffa.

I have never seen this story as it is largely missing apart from a complete audio recording, so once again I am going by episode synopses and write ups.

The Crusades is yet another historical story this time dealing with the crusade for the holy land in the 12th century. The assumption again is that this was another attempt to teach children about history in a format that they might actually watch and enjoy.

Like other early episodes where it is impossible at this time to watch them in completeness, it is difficult to actually rate it. The problem is, as I have mentioned before, that for the most part purely historical stories tend to be a bit dull for me and I have no doubt that this is probably going to be the case with The Crusades. Hopefully though, one day I will be able to watch it.

As a side note, this episode was sold abroad like all others except to the Middle East where it was feared it may cause offence.

Episode #13 : The Web Planet

"I wouldn’t had thought it possible, but somehow we’ve materialised, for a split second of time, and been imprisoned in some kind of force. I simply can’t break its hold. Somewhere, somehow, we’re being slowly dragged down."

Episode 13:   The Web Planet
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Vicki, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright.
Air Date:        Six episodes. 13th February to 20th March 1965.

On the planet Vortis, the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki are swept up in the struggles of the butterfly-like Menoptera, the original denizens of Vortis who were forced to flee the planet for the moon Pictos to escape the encroaching web of the Animus and its mind-controlled minions, the ant-like Zarbi and their living weapons, the larvae guns.

Unfortunately The Web Planet is yet another story which is far too long for its own good. At six parts it feels horribly drawn out and you have whole sections that could have been cut back. It is a real shame because had it been shorter I feel it would have made a rather good story.

This is Doctor Who and I feel bad criticising anything that appears cheap and nasty (remember wobbling walls in some stories?) as that was the charm for me at least under classic Who but this story is quite bad. I can forgive the look of the set due to the era this was made but the alien costumes for the Zarbi, Menoptera, and Optera are just awful. They are children's fancy dress costumes and little else. I can appreciate that at the time making an insectoid appearence would be difficult but I am sure they could have done better.

One interesting addition to this story comes from the expanded universe of the novels - though there is reference in the animated story The Infinite Quest making the concept semi-canonical. That addition makes the Animus one of the Great Old Ones from the Cthulhu Mythos of HP Lovecraft. In this case the Animus is supposed to be an entity called Lloigor, though it bears little real resemblence to that fictional entity. This is not the last appearence or reference to a Great Old One in the show.

Ultimately I feel this is a story that could have been a lot better both in length and production efforts. A fairly dissapointing tale.

Episode #12 : The Romans

 

"Alright? Of course I'm alright, my child. You know, I am so constantly outwitting the opposition, I tend to forget the delights and satisfaction of the gentle art of fisticuffs."

Episode 12:   The Romans.
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Vicki, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright.
Air Date:        Four episodes. 16th January to 6th February 1965.

The four time travellers are enjoying a rare holiday, staying at a villa not far from Rome in the year A.D. 64. The Doctor soon becomes restless and sets off to visit the city, taking Vicki with him. In their absence, Ian and Barbara are kidnapped by slave traders.

The Romans is a historical story focusing really on Emperor Nero and the historical fire that he is supposed to have started. Of course in this tale it is the Doctor who gives him the idea to do it. As a historical story it isn't too bad. It works by splitting the companions up into two groups and each having their own adventures without interacting with the other. This by itself makes the story work.

The story does have a flaw though, and it is the introduction of a humorous element which is greatly unnecessary. While most of the story is quite serious and a little dark in places, the elements surrounding Emperor Nero come straight out of Benny Hill or the Carry On movies. In one chase sequence where Nero seeks Barbara it gets just painfully farcical.

The Romans features the first instance of a well known actor making an appearance. Derek Francis, who plays Nero, was a well known British movie and television performer at the time though I doubt any of now have ever heard of him. This is a trend however in later seasons that brings well known and household faces to the show, even if just as a cameo.

So in closing, The Romans is an OK story but let down by an infusion of unnecessary humour.

Episode #11 : The Rescue

"You destroyed a whole planet just to save your own skin. You're insane!"

 

Episode 11:    Planet of the Giants.
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Vicki, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright.
Air Date:        Two episodes. 2nd to 9th January 1965.
 

Having left Susan on Earth, the Doctor, Ian and Barbara land the TARDIS on the planet Dido in the year 2493. There they discover two humans, Bennett and Vicki, trapped in their spaceship, the only crew to survive death at the hands of the hostile Didonians. But the Doctor is baffled: the Didonians are a peaceful nation. What has happened to change them? Why have they murdered the crew of the spaceship? Why, apart from the mysterious Koquillion, are they strangely absent?

In all honesty, this is quite a disappointing story. Initially you have a bit of a mystery going on for the companions to uncover and investigate, but it is so transparent and obvious. Also, the story just seems to be a jumping off point for the introduction of Vicki as a replacement for Susan. I know I'd much rather have kept Susan for a while longer.

For those interested, however, The Rescue is the first story to feature the trademark wheezing-groaning noise for the materialisation/re-materialisation of the TARDIS.