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.

Episode #10 : The Dalek Invasion of Earth

"One day I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine."

 



Episode 10:    The Dalek Invasion of Earth.
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Susan Foreman, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright.
Air Date:        Six episodes. 21st November to 26th December 1964.

The TARDIS returns to London; however it's the 22nd century. With bodies in the river, and quiet in the docklands, the city is a very different place. The Daleks have invaded and it's up to the Doctor to thwart them once again.

Here we have the return of the Daleks and this time they have invaded and defeated the Earth. Their plan is to core out the planet, insert an engine of some kind and pilot it about the galaxy. Just where are they doing the nessecary mining for this? Bedfordshire. Since I live on the Bedfordshire border I find this rather amusing.

The story itself isn't a bad one and has enough pacing to keep the viewer interested. Since the characters get split up almost immediately you get a lot of scenes in different places across London, the countryside and at the mine site. All of which prevents the monotony of a lengthy story run.

The Dalek Invasion of Earth also sees the first time that we lose a companion. In this case, Susan. I would love to know the reasoning behind it at the BBC because I can't think of any reason for doing so. Shame too though because Susan is one of the characters I quite like from the early days of the show and now with Doctor Who in its modern incarnation I keep hoping that they will bring her back. She has reappeared once in The Five Doctors, but I would really like to see her make an appearence and perhaps be a companion again for a while.

This story was also turned into a cinematic movie as a sequal to Doctor Who and the Daleks, both films starring Peter Cushing. As with the first film adaptation I think the movie does a much better job of carrying the story than a six part serial manages.

On the DVD release of this story there is a rather cool option to either watch it with the original special effects or with new CGI that replaces the old style Dalek saucers with the design from the current series of the show.

Episode #9 : Planet of the Giants

"I wonder what sort of a world could produce an insect that size."

Episode 9:      Planet of the Giants.
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Susan Foreman, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright.
Air Date:        Three episodes. 31st October to 14th November 1964.


The doors of the TARDIS open of their own accord just before it materialises, running out of control. On emerging, the travellers find the ship has been reduced in size and they are now only about an inch tall. As tiny people, they stumble across a plot by a ruthless businessman, Forester, and his misguided scientist colleague, Smithers, to launch a new insecticide, DN6 - a product so destructive that it would kill not only those insects harmful to agriculture but also those vital to it.


The thoroughly enjoyed watching this story. At three parts it was just the right length. It was also very well written both in plot and in interaction between the characters. At the actual story itself is a mixture of classic science fiction with the characters being shrunk and the dangers presented, and a plot relevant even more in the modern day; the impact of insecticides. In this case it is blended very well. Due to the science elements of the story Ian gets a chance to shine, much like Barbara did during The Aztecs.

One thing I find unusual is during one episode Barbara comes face to face with a "giant" fly. The model is animatronic (sort of) and looks very realistic. Jump forward to the 3rd Doctor story The Green Death and we have yet another giant fly but then the models effect is fairly poor. Just strikes me as odd as that an earlier story can pull of the effect better than a later one.

Episode #8 : The Reign of Terror

Our lives are important — at least to us — and as we see, so we learn... Our destiny is in the stars, so let's go and search for it.

Episode 8:     The Reign of Terror.
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Susan Foreman, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright.
Air Date:        Six episodes. 8th August to 12th September 1964.

The TARDIS materialises not far from Paris in 1794 - one of the bloodiest years following the French Revolution of 1789. The travellers become involved with an escape chain rescuing prisoners from the guillotine and get caught up in the machinations of an English undercover spy, James Stirling - alias Lemaitre, governor of the Conciergerie Prison.

The Reign of Terror is a story that I have not been able to watch thus far. I believe that some of the episodes are still missing, so I have resorted to reading through episode guides to put this one together.

Unfortunately I think that this is another historical story that is just a little too long. By the episode guides it feels that the writer tried to showhorn as much as he could about the French Revolution into this story. Hopefully, if I get the opportunity to watch this episode in the future I may change that mind set.

What sets this story apart from those that came before is that it is the first episode of Doctor Who to be filmed partially outside of a studio, with Buckinghamshire and the Isle of Wight doubling up for France.

Episode #7 : The Sensorites

"It all started out as a mild curiosity in the junkyard, and now it's turned out to be quite a great spirit of adventure."

Episode 7:     The Sensorites.
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Susan Foreman, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright.
Air Date:        Six episodes. 20th June to 1st August 1964.

The Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan arrive in the TARDIS on board a spaceship. Their initial concern is for the ship's human crew, who are suffering from telepathic interference from the Sensorites, but Susan communicates with the Sensorites and finds the aliens fear an attack by the humans and are just defending themselves. Travelling to the Sense Sphere (the Sensorites' planet) the Doctor seeks to cure an illness the Sensorites and Ian have succumbed to, but finds it has been caused by deliberate poisoning.

The Sensorites is a very good story with a well written plot. Like a lot of science fiction it revolves around a familiar story. In this case it is human greed, desiring to capture a planet to mine it for a rare mineral. Coupled with some political intrigue among the Sensorites and you have a rather good tale. Also, as a story that has plenty of sceneary changes it doesn't get too dull.

The only problem I have with this story is the length of it. Six episodes is just a little too long. As much as I enjoyed it, it could have easily been dropped down to a four part and the story would have benefited for it.

As a nod back to this story, later on in the modern incarnation of the show it appears that the Ood Sphere is in the same solar system as the Sense Sphere, or at least the systems are in close proximity.

Episode #6 : The Aztecs

"You can't rewrite history. Not one line!"

Episode 6:     The Aztecs.
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Susan Foreman, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright.

Air Date:        Four episodes. 23rd May to 13th June 1964.

The arrival of the TARDIS in 15th century Mexico leads the crew to the doomed Aztec people, a mixture of high culture and brutal savagery. Matters are further complicated when Barbara is mistaken for a god and the Doctor becomes engaged to be married.

Another reasonable historical tale dealing with a clash of cultures and mind sets. In this story we learn than Barbara is an expert on the Aztecs so we get some nice insight from her. Where this takes us is her idea of trying to prevent the downfall of their civilisation and it conflicting with the Doctor who warns her that she can't change history... not one line! This particular approach from the Doctor changes later on especially in the new series.

As much as this is watchable story it is let down somewhat by the pacing of the plot. There is a little too much going on around each character and things drag a little. Also I would guess that with The Aztecs we are looking at another attempt to use the show to teach history to children watching at home. Had the writers just worked this one as another time travel story it probably would have turned out better.

The best thing about this story is the focus on Barbara over the other characters. In The Aztecs Barbara comes across, even with the naivety of trying to alter established history, as a much stronger role model than the she has been before.

Episode #5 : The Keys of Marinus

 

"I don't believe that man was made to be controlled by machines. Machines can make laws, but they can not preserve justice. Only human beings can do that."

Episode 5:      The Keys of Marinus.

Companions: The 1st Doctor, Susan Foreman, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright.

Air Date:        Six episodes. 11th April to 16th May 1964.

 

The TARDIS arrives on the planet Marinus on an island of glass surrounded by a sea of acid. The travellers are forced by the elderly Arbitan to retrieve four of the five operating keys to a machine called the Conscience of Marinus, of which he is the keeper. These have been hidden in different locations around the planet to prevent them falling into the hands of the evil Yartek and his Voord warriors, who plan to seize the machine and use its originally benevolent mind-influencing power for their own sinister purposes.

 

The Keys of Marinus is a really good story for the era. The story is well written and I think still holds up now though six parts might turn modern viewers off from watching it. One of the reasons why I think it works so well is not just the writing, but that each part takes place somewhere completely different thus preventing the viewer from getting bored of the same studio backdrop. Watching all these episodes of the show has proven to me that a constantly changing back drop does do a lot to keep each story interesting.

 

The story does have something of a flaw for me and that is in it's world continuity. To start with we are introduced to an island surrounded by a vast sea of extremely unpleasant acid but it is never explained how or why. Secondly we seem to be introduced to a culture that is reasonably advanced technologically, having invented a machine to prevent criminal or violent thoughts across the planet and prevents it being invaded by the warlike Voord. But as the story unfolds we find that the planet seems to have a simple 20th century style civilisation as well as medieval knights which are never explained. However I find that it does not detract from the enjoyment of the story.

 

The Keys of Marinus is certainly a story I would recommend to a modern viewer interested in watching the better stories of classic Doctor Who. Not just because of the entertainment factor but because again we have excellent interaction and communication between our characters. We have reached a point where the agitation and distrust that they started out with has gone and though they are trying to get back to 20th century Earth, the companions are enjoying their adventures through time and space.

 

 

Episode #4 : Marco Polo

 

"We're always in trouble! Isn't this extraordinary - it follows us everywhere!"

 

 

Episode 4:      Marco Polo.

Companions: The 1st Doctor, Susan Foreman, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright.

Air Date:        Seven episodes. 22nd February to 4th April 1964.

 

Arriving in Central Asia in 1289, the Doctor and his companions join the caravan of the famous Venetian explorer Marco Polo as it makes its way from the snowy heights of the Pamir Plateau, across the treacherous Gobi Desert and through the heart of imperial Cathay.

Unfortunately I have been unable to watch this story as I believe that it no longer exists except in isolated fragments and stills. Even so I have read numerous plot and story write ups about it on several different fan sites.

The story is the first to feature an actual historical character in this case the titular Marco Polo. As I have mentioned previously the show was supposed to be an educational tool not just a science fiction story. In this case it tries to show some backstop to the character of Marco Polo. Thankfully there aren't too many historical stories as I find in general those from this era tend to be overly long and in general not all that interesting. The show works better when it incorporates some horror or science fiction into the historical.

Not having been able to watch the story I can only go by what I have read of it. If I am honest I think I would have been quite bored with this one as it seems that nothing much actually happens. There is no real plot other than Polo taking the companions and the TARDIS to Cathay and interactions with the Mongols.

Episode #3 : The Edge of Destruction

"As we learn about each other, so we learn about ourselves."

Episode 3:     The Edge of Destruction.
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Susan Foreman, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright.
Air Date:        Two episodes. 8th February to 15th February 1964.

The Doctor, while attempting to correct the TARDIS's faulty navigation circuits, causes a small explosion. The Doctor, Barbara, Ian and Susan are all temporarily rendered unconscious. After they awake, Ian and Susan appear to have slight cases of amnesia and everyone begins to act strangely. Unexpected events are happening in the TARDIS, the travellers are becoming suspicious of each other's motives, and the Doctor even accuses Ian and Barbara of sabotage.

The Edge of Destruction is the first story to be set entirely inside the TARDIS and featuring only the main characters. Through that medium we get to understand the characters a little more as they interact with one another and the crisis growing around them. For example, by the end of this story we have the Doctor go from the grumpy, paranoid grandfather to someone who realises what he has been like and now cares for and respects his new companions.

The story is essentially that the TARDIS seems to be breaking down around the characters and slowly time seems to be running out for them. The cause is eventually explained as the fast return switch has become stuck and is sending them into the explosive birth of a new star system. You also get more hints that the TARDIS is alive and aware due to this.

It is nice to have a short story in this era of overly lengthy ones. The acting seems a little off but I wonder whether that it is true or it is party of the story that isn't quite revealed. After all, some of the characters do go a little crazy during the events around them. But sometimes a spot of bad acting helps with the enjoyment.

Episode #2 : The Daleks

"I never fight against the inevitable, it's a vain occupation. But I would advise you to reconsider what you consider to be inevitable. It is amazing how often apparent defeat can be turned into victory."

Episode 2:     The Daleks.
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Susan Foreman, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright.
Air Date:        Seven episodes. 21st December 1963 to 1st february 1964.

The TARDIS lands on Skaro, a seemingly dead world with high levels of radiation. Seeing a deserted city, the Doctor deliberately sabotages his TARDIS in order to force Ian, Barbara and Susan to explore further. But the city is not as dead as it first appears. The TARDIS crew are captured by sinister metal creatures that silently glide through the corridors and walkways - Daleks!

A fairly lengthy story that was also turned into a popular movie of the 1960's starting Peter Cushing in the title role. It is a shame that the movie actually does a better job of telling this story in 90 minutes than the seven episodes presented here do.

This is the story that first introduces us to the Doctor's archetypal villains, the Daleks. There are some differences in this story the Daleks of later ones. For example, in this story the Daleks can only move on metal using static electricity something they must have learnt to overcome. Either that or the Daleks presented here were of a type no longer used and abandoned on Skaro. The other thing is that rather than exterminate people the Daleks use a type of weapon that paralyses the legs of the target.

As a story goes it isn't a bad one and thrusts the show firmly into the science fiction genre rather than the historical which was what I understand the show to have originally been (to teach children I suppose). A move that has done the show very well over the last fifty years. But with all that I find that the story doesn't lend itself well to seven episodes (just over three hours!) and this is something that haunts the show in my opinion for a good deal of the early episodes.

Episode #1 : An Unearthly Child

"Have you ever thought what it's like to be wanderers in the fourth dimension? Have you?... to be exiles? Susan and I are cut off from our own planet, without friends or protection. But one day we shall get back. Yes, one day. One day."

Episode 1:      An Unearthly Child.
Companions: The 1st Doctor, Susan Foreman, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright.
Air Date:        Four episodes. 23rd November to 14th December 1963.

Schoolteachers Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton are intrigued by one of their pupils, Susan Foreman. They visit her home address - a junkyard at 76 Totter's Lane. There they meet her grandfather, the Doctor. The Doctor and Susan are aliens who travel through time and space in their ship, the TARDIS. It looks like an ordinary police box but actually houses a huge, gleaming control room. The TARDIS takes them all to a Palaeolithic landscape where they encounter a tribe who have lost the secret of fire.

I first saw this story way back in about 1982/83 and then again a couple years ago. In both instances I wasn't much impressed. However rewatching it in preperation for doing this write up I found that my opinion had largely changed. Especially in regards to the first part of the story which has a great introduction to the characters and has some fantastic dialogue between them which makes up for some of the shortfalls in the story itself.

Unfortunately despite such a great first part, the story declines as it goes along into a standard set of rotes. The characters encounter cavepeople, get captured, escape, get captured again and so on. It feels like writer had some good ideas to start with but then had to pad out a further three episodes.

The best thing about this story other than the character interaction is the set ups for what would become standard canon in the show. Specifically that the Doctor and Susan are exiled or far from their home planet/time, and that the TARDIS is somehow alive. All things that would get explained or padded out as the show goes along.

The characters of Susan, Ian and Barbara are immediately very likeable. The Doctor on the other hand is far from. He is portrayed as a grumby, almost arrogant, figure far from what he would eventually become. In fact at one point in the story he seems quite willing to commit murder on a wounded caveman in order for everyone to escape back to the TARDIS. Very different again from what he would become but I suppose given the situation (he's no temporal adventurer yet) it makes some small sense.