Story #75 - Robot (1974-75)

Harry -

I have often seen it said that "Robot" is one of those classic Doctor Who stories that we should show to new viewers. It's got so much to recommend it: the classic UNIT setting, Sarah Jane at her investigative best, the Brigadier, Benton and the troops shooting at a giant rampaging robot, and a new Doctor at his most manic and irresistible. This story has got it all, which makes it great for fans both new and old.

 

 

Sarah -

"Robot" is one of those stories that I never get tired of watching. It's always wonderful.

 

 

Harry -

By maintaining all the trappings of a classic Pertwee story, Terrance Dicks allows us to take in The Tom Baker Experience in a comfortable setting. The new Doctor is utterly bonkers, all wide-eyed, wild-haired and with three rows of teeth. It was a brilliant move to introduce this sheer force of nature in a comfortable setting, rather than having him shoot off to some bizarre planet in the 4th universe right off the bat.

 

 

Sarah -

It's brilliant that Terrance Dicks invented a tradition that the outgoing script editor is in charge of writing the next season opener, so he could pad his resume and make sure the series had continuity.

 

 

Harry -

It also gave him great material for DVDs and convention appearances.

 

 

Sarah -

Which is where the real money is!

This is also Barry Letts' final story as producer and the last appearance of UNIT and the Brig for a while. It's nice to have one more story before we have to say goodbye.

 

 

Harry -

And I must say, this new naval doctor that they've introduced is quite the smashing chappy, wouldn't you say Sarah?

 

 

Sarah -

That he is, Old Boy!

Ian Marter was cast before the producers knew who would be the next Doctor, and was envisioned as being a bit of an Ian Chesterton-type character -- the young man who could muck about if an older actor was cast. Needless to say, things didn't quite go that way, but I like having more than one companion back in the TARDIS.

 

 

Harry -

I very much like this TARDIS team: a madcap Doctor counterbalanced by two plucky, mature companions. All action, no friction.

 

 

Sarah -

I love teams in the TARDIS. I have a soft spot for any era that has more than one companion.

 

 

Harry -

This story also sees the beginning of the Hinchcliffe horror era. Philip Hinchcliffe was tabbed to succeed Letts as show producer, and their transition overlapped on this story and some subsequent ones. I've never really kept track of how many homages to classic horror films the Hinchcliffe era produced, but we start this one with an obvious nod to King Kong. I loved Sarah Jane's Fay Wray moment when the giant robot scooped her up.

 

 

Sarah -

It's an obvious homage, but how can you not love it? Everyone's on the Robot's (and Kong's) side. The world just doesn't understand them.

 

 

Harry -

Was not so wild when they cut to the Sarah Jane doll in the robot's metal pincer. Its legs were flailing as if she'd broken every bone beneath the waist.

We might as well address what I think is this story's one major negative: epic prop failures. The Sarah dolly, the toy tank, even the robot itself were well intentioned, but I had to cringe. Poor Michael Kilgarriff looked like he was about to topple over in every scene - that or the robot costume threatened to fly apart if he made a sudden move.

I don't know, maybe you found these things more charming than me?

 

 

Sarah -

At moments like this, I find that resorting to finding the charm in the moment is usually the best plan. I mean, it is what it is, right?

When they bring folks back for the DVD extras, this is the sort of thing that they're always the most embarrassed to talk about.

Speaking of Michael Kilgarriff, what a voice! I would listen to the Robot say anything!

 

 

Harry -

He does have a voice with great presence - and we'll see (or rather hear) him one more time in a Cyberman story many moons from now.

But of course the best guest role in "Robot" has to be that crazy-haired, muttering ball of nerves Professor Kettlewell, played by Edward Burnham. Now that's an unforgettable character.

 

 

Sarah -

Oh, that hair. You know, no matter how many times I see Robot, I'm always surprised when Kettlewell is revealed to be the leader of the baddies!

 

 

Harry -

It's so unexpected, and his demise is so tragic, that I forget too. And we haven't even touched on the other baddies yet. Revenge of the Nerds, aka Hilda Winters and the Scientific Reform Society! I love the whole neo-fascist look and feel to the SRS - complete with rallies and uniforms. Fancy! Just the sort of people who would attempt to trigger a global holocaust.

 

 

Sarah -

That little SRS dweeb that meets with Sarah is perfect casting. He looks like he's never actually conversed with a woman before, the little worm.

 

 

Harry -

Everyone loves a good monster, but I like it when we get good Earthbound human villains in Doctor Who. Salamander, Tobias Vaughn, and parallel-universe-Brigadier-and-Liz were all memorable. You can add Ms. Winters and her cronies to that lot.

 

 

Sarah -

The bad humans are my absolute favorite baddies -- so much hubris!

 

 

Harry -

It's too bad the robot is the titular character and sort-of-menace that everyone ends up having to deal with. But my gosh it's great that the new Doctor got to take one more rollicking spin in old Bessie with Harry at the wheel. I love that scene. At that moment, the new Doctor wins a place in our hearts. He's younger and wilder, but still smart and heroic. With Sarah and Harry by his side, the future has never looked brighter.

 

 

Sarah -

He may not use Venusian Aikido, but he'll gladly hop over the top of a jeep to give chase!

We've finally reached the era of Our Doctor. As many times as I've seen every Tom Baker story, I can't wait to watch them all again!

 

 

Harry -

I hate to cut it short, but I want to watch the next one, like right now! Shall we declare "Robot" an untouchable triumph from every angle (epic prop failures excused) and see where our trio of friends are off to next?

 

 

Sarah -

Onward!

Would you like a jelly baby?

 

 

Harry -

Why thank you dearie!

 

 

Sarah -

Best Line: "There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes."

Favorite Moment: It's hard to pick one, but I'll go with the Doctor's post-regeneration antics.

Lasting Image: The Doctor offering Sarah a jelly baby just before hopping into the TARDIS.

8/10

 

 

Harry -

Best line: "James Bond!" Sarah's sarcastic commentary on Harry's espionage skills.

Favourite moment: the Doctor trying on new clothes.

Lasting image: the Doctor and Harry jumping rope.

8/10

 

 

Our marathon continues with Story #76: The Ark in Space...

Story #74 - Planet of the Spiders (1974)

Harry -
A tear, Sarah? Me too.


Sarah -
A tear? I don't know what you're talking about. *grabs a tissue to wipe face*


Harry -
I always take regeneration stories hard. We watch the Doctor die, and because of the way the classic endings are structured, we only get a moment's glimpse of his new self. It's always so sad. They've addressed that in the new series, giving the new Doctor a minute to introduce himself before the credits roll. It's a little easier to swallow that way.


Sarah -
I was trying to imagine watching this back in 1974, not knowing who this mysterious new Doctor will be. It's bittersweet, but also quite exciting.

Here we are at the end of the Third Doctor Era, which seemed so far away when we started this project. Disappointingly, the Third Doctor doesn't get a story as smashing as the first two Doctors to end his era. There are things I like about "Planet of the Spiders", but, overall, the story gets a bit bloated and tedious.


Harry -
This is the weakest regeneration story so far. I thought we might have a row over this one because I found the story itself to be a pile of cockamamie hogwash, pardon my language!


Sarah -
I was trying to stay positive with bloated and tedious.

It starts off interestingly enough, with good old Mike Yates visiting a Buddhist monastery to help himself cope with the fallout from the events of "Invasion of the Dinosaurs". Something not-quite-right seems to be going on, so Mike calls in Ace Reporter Sarah Jane Smith to do a bit of investigating for Metropolitan Magazine.


Harry -
It was an interesting start, but I really disliked how Buddhism was presented as something mysterious, sort of creepy, and maybe even downright evil. Some shady looking characters sat around a mandala and employed chanting as a means to achieve not peace but power. No explanation, no backstory. Chant until a giant spider appears. Oh dear, what will the kiddies think?


Sarah -
I can only agree about the beginning of the story, but things are slightly more nuanced by the end.

While Sarah and Mike are investigating, The Doctor and Brig are attending a variety show -- apparently with the aim of studying ESP. Do we actually even find out why they're doing this, or is it just a way to move the plot along?


Harry -
We did get to see the eternally harried Cyril Shaps make a brief appearance before snuffing it, so there was that.


Sarah -
There is that.


Harry -
Once the unfortunate Professor Clegg is removed, the blue crystal from Metebelis III becomes the driving force for the rest of the story. What a timely coincidence that Jo Grant popped her wedding present into an envelope and returned it to the Doctor.


Sarah -
One can't have that bad JuJu around when One is hunting for fungi!


Harry -
It's quaint how back in the 70s, returning companions didn't simply stroll back in front of the cameras, they wrote letters.

Before we really dive into the heart of the Metebelis III story, Lupton steals the crystal from a rather shabbily defended UNIT HQ, and we get the most incredible chase scene in Doctor Who history. A glorious 12-minute epic involving the Whomobile, Bessie, a gyrocopter, a police car, a powerboat and a hovercraft. Wow! It's as if Barry and Terry had promised all these toys to Jon Pertwee and had to deliver in his final story. Pertwee must have loved filming this sequence.


Sarah -
Watching this sequence, all I could think about was how much Pertwee must have loved it. It's so long that it becomes silly, but he looks like he's having such a wonderful time, and I was inclined to forgive Barry and Terry -- until we saw half of it repeated in the next episode.

Was it just me, or did we have the longest-ever cliffhanger reprises in this story? Yet another six-parter that could have been told in four weeks.


Harry -
So it wasn't just me who was fast forwarding through the ridiculously long reprises?


Sarah -
They were infuriating!


Harry -
It didn't help that after the breathtaking chase scene in part two, and everyone making their way to Metebelis III in part three, the story suddenly ground to a halt in part four. I mean seriously, everything stopped.


Sarah -
The humans on Metebelis III were clearly the result of too many generations of inbreeding. There's no other possible excuse for being that boring.


Harry -
After being zapped by one of the spider queen's guards, the Doctor spends the entirety of part four lying unconscious, rousing himself long enough to sip some broth with the locals and analyze some stones. Sarah spends most of the time stuck in a cocoon. The real highlight of part four was watching the blue crystal transform Tommy (did you think Flowers for Algernon?) I liked how the first thing Tommy did was race to the library and read William Blake.


Sarah -
From nearly illiterate to Blake in under a minute! I have to say I was rather fond of dear, loyal Tommy.


Harry -
Meanwhile, Sarah's still in that cocoon and the Doctor has finally roused himself to visit. Oh, and he's brought some guards with him. Calmest cliffhanger ever?


Sarah -
There was very little hanger in that cliff. I don't think we even got near the edge.


Harry -
BAHAHA!

I fear it didn't get much better in the final two episodes. The treachery among the eight legs became uninteresting, Lupton's whingeing became tedious, and we still had to sit through the longest start-of-episode reprise to start part six.


Sarah -
I'm pretty sure half of part six was a reprise. I started to wonder if everyone had collected their final paychecks and headed home by then.


Harry -
As you said, the Buddhism became a little less spooky once the Tibetan characters came to the fore - only for us to discover that K'anpo is a Time Lord and Cho-je is a projection of himself. Say what?


Sarah -
Oh, those wacky Time Lords -- the things they can do!


Harry -
My last gripe because it feels like I'm doing nothing but...


Sarah -
Please, continue your rant...


Harry -
The Doctor being killed by exposure to the Metebelis crystals didn't seem to be explained beyond one quick line from the Great One. Over time, it's become accepted that the Doctor suffered fatal radiation exposure, but it wasn't explained clearly. Or maybe I'm just thick.


Sarah -
If you are, that makes two of us!


Harry -
You'd be forgiven for expecting Jon Pertwee to bounce back to normal health as in the previous story, explaining that he'd shut down his skin pores or something.

Instead, he suddenly collapses and dies. Quite a gut punch to end the Pertwee era.


Sarah -
Jon Pertwee deserved so much more, but even he seems a little done with the whole thing by the end.


Harry -
A disappointing finale to an action-packed era. Let's delve into the Pertwee era in more detail in our next post.


Sarah -
I look forward to it!


Harry -
One last thing: did you feel a surge or adrenalin when those dark, curly locks appeared?


Sarah -
Oh, did I! Doctor, My Doctor!


Harry -
Best Line:
"Doctor, he's got away."
"No he hasn't."

Favourite Moment: the 12-minute chase scene.

Lasting Image: the assembly of the eight legs on Metebelis III.

6/10


Sarah -
Best Line: "The old man must die, and the new man will discover to his inexpressible joy that he has never existed."

Favorite Moment: It can only be the epic chase!

Lasting Image: The spider on Sarah Jane's back.

5/10

 



Our marathon continues with Story #75 - Robot...

Story #73 - The Monster of Peladon (1974)

Sarah -
Here’s a change of pace – the Doctor MEANT to land on Peladon. Unfortunately, he didn’t quite manage to land in the Citadel as he planned. To quote Sarah, “It’s not your precious citadel at all. It’s another rotten gloomy old tunnel.”

A tunnel that happens to be the center of political intrigue!


Harry -
Metebelis III... Peladon... at least the Doctor has figured out how to land on the right planet. Baby steps.


Sarah -
You can't rush these things.

As you’ll recall from our last visit to Peladon, the planet had joined the Galactic Federation. It’s now 50 years on and things are heating up on Peladon once again. Queen Thalira, the young daughter of King Peladon, of blessed memory, now sits on the throne. Meanwhile, the Federation is at war with Galaxy Five and needs Peladon’s trisilicate to end the war.


Harry -
In many ways it's as if the Doctor never left. We have a tentative monarch being bullied by their chancellor, we have the local populace being menaced by the curse of Aggedor, and we have a colourful cast of aliens getting caught up in the affairs of the planet.

Sabotage? Paranoia? Just in time for the Doctor and Sarah Jane to step right into it.


Sarah -
Timing really is everything -- especially in television.


Harry -
I kind of wish this one had been written by Malcolm Hulke. Imagine how much fun he'd have had with the anxiety of Peladon joining the Federation (European Union?) and a bona fide miners' strike. This story is almost telegraphing real events that would unfold in England in the next decade.

Instead of searing political commentary, we instead get a bit of a goodies vs baddies runaround that feels very similar to "The Curse of Peladon."


Sarah -
Mac would have certainly kicked up the political allegory of the story. Still, the miner's situation certainly has a ripped-from-the-headlines feeling.


Harry -
There are some visual differences that make this story stand out from its predecessor. Not the least of which are the badger headed miners. That's an unforgettable look to be sure.


Sarah -
I think I'm going to use that as an insult: "You badger head!" has a certain ring to it.


Harry -
Did you spot Roy Evans among the badger heads?


Sarah -
Of course! I nearly shouted, “It’s Bert!” I love our regular guest actors.


Harry -
If there is a subtext to the story, it's certainly sexism. Every female character gets tutted at, or spoken down to, or rudely dismissed. At times, the Doctor is guilty of it too. Sarah will have none of it - she stands up for herself and encourages Queen Thalira to be a more assertive monarch. It was nice to see Alpha Centuri come around to the concept of equality, even if the men of Peladon had a harder time with it.


Sarah -
The Doctor leaves Sarah with Queen Thalira specifically so she can have a word with the Queen about how “There’s nothing ‘only’ about being a girl.” It’s a great scene as the Queen considers for the first time that she can actually assert her authority.

I had the realization in this story that one of the things that makes Sarah Jane one of the strongest companions of the entire series is that she’s not overly impressed by the Doctor. They’ve only been together a while, but she’s not afraid to tease, question, or even criticize him. He’s not a fatherly or grandfatherly figure for her. He’s a colleague more than anything. A senior colleague, perhaps, but still a colleague. When the Doctor is captured, she doesn’t panic, she simply completes his mission for him. Sarah Jane Smith knows how to get things done!


Harry -
Liz Shaw may have been too unimpressed, and Jo Grant might have been too much in awe. Barry and Terry got it just right with Sarah Jane.

At the end of part three, the Ice Warriors storm onto the scene and promptly declare martial law. Azaxyr is perfectly lizard-like in the role of dictator. It was nice to see the Ice Warriors turn heel again - their sort-of-friendly appearance in "The Curse of Peladon" didn't feel true to the Ice Warrior character.


Sarah -
I love that they’re back and badder than ever!


Harry -
Perhaps an unintended consequence of martial law was to unite the squabbling Peladonians against a common menace. Threats of summary executions always have that effect.


Sarah -
The Peladonians putting aside the differences to unite against the Ice Warriors is one of my favorite things in this story. It finally gives Thalira the chance to lead her people.


Harry -
Sure enough, we discover that the Ice Warriors are in cahoots with mild-mannered, keep-to-the-background Eckersley. They are all traitors in league with Galaxy 5.


Sarah -
Donald Gee’s performance as Eckersley was perfect. He underplayed every scene until his inevitable exposure.


Harry -
Unfortunately, there were still two more episodes to slog through and I must confess Sarah, my attention waned. If "Invasion of the Dinosaurs" is one of the best Pertwee six-parters, "The Monster of Peladon" might be one of the worst. It's overlong and it felt like they ran out of story after four parts.


Sarah -
While it was over-long and would have been stronger as a four-parter, I really enjoyed “The Monster of Peladon.” Also, we get to see the sonic screwdriver used as, well, a screwdriver. That’s always a highlight.

And, in another first, the Doctor is actually bested in a fight by Ettis. That certainly turned the tables – even if things didn’t work out for Ettis in the long run.


Harry -
One thing I did like about "The Monster of Peladon" was some of the cliffhangers. Part one actually ended with a double cliffhanger: first, the miners blew up a cave opening after the Doctor and the Queen's Champion had entered. It turned out they both survived, only for Aggedor to appear. Nice double whammy. I also liked the end of part four, in which the sonic lance blew up in very close proximity to the Doctor. Terrific puff of smoke and bang by the props department.


Sarah -
It may not be the strongest story of the season, but I still quite like “The Monster of Peladon.” Sadly, it’s the penultimate story of the Pertwee era. Are we ready for our next regeneration, Old Boy?


Harry -
Right before the end, this one almost felt like a regeneration story. The Doctor appeared to be killed by the refinery's psychedelic defence system. Turned out he'd only shut himself off for a time. It worked, but it's not a trick he can pull too often, as he will soon find out...


Sarah -
Best Line: “My Dear Sarah, there’s nothing I’d like more than a quiet life.”

Favorite Moment: Gebek being appointed the new Chancellor at the end of the story. “There’s nothing ‘only’ about being a miner.”

Lasting Image: The Ice Warriors entrance. We won’t see them again for 39 years!

7/10


Harry -
Best Line: "Don't sound so aggrieved. Anybody'd think you preferred me dead."

Favourite Moment: Alpha Centauri regrets that its appearance disturbs Sarah, but she gently reassures it that she's okay.

Lasting Image: the badger heads.

5/10

 


Our marathon continues with Story #74 - Planet of the Spiders...

Story #72 - Death to the Daleks (1974)

Sarah -
By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea! Oh, wait, this is Doctor Who and we never really get to take that beach holiday we’ve been promised, do we?


Harry -
Alas, Sarah Jane was all suited up and raring to go. At least she's about to be initiated into the society of quarry scamperers.

It can't be a good sign when I find myself crawling through episode one of "Death to the Daleks" thinking: jeez how many more Terry Nation stories do we still have to slog through?


Sarah -
Don’t make me count. For the present, we seem to not be on Florana, something has sapped the TARDIS’s energy, the Doctor has vanished, creepy aliens have gotten themselves into the TARDIS, and poor Sarah Jane finds herself alone, only to be captured by Exxilon religious fanatics. Having typed that, it seems like the story should be much more interesting.


Harry -
I know! I took down so many notes, but upon review I was just writing down pointless plot-related notes like "this happened", then "that happened." Despite all those notes, this story took forever to get going.

It was interesting enough when the TARDIS "died" and the Doctor had to use the manual door opener, but he and Sarah spent almost the entire episode exploring that quarry.

To be fair, that quarry was a veritable canyon of mystery. Hills, valleys, strange mists, petrified statues and scary sand people; it's the quarry to end all quarries.


Sarah -
The quarry was epic. The folks in the quarry, not so much.

Is it just me, or are the Marine Space Corps expedition members among the most boring characters we’ve ever met? The thought of the fate of the galaxy being in the hands of these saps is just a little more than I can handle.


Harry -
I was put off by how colourless the production was. Everything was a washed out tan-grey colour. The locals wore drab rags. The Doctor and Sarah wore subdued hues. My hopes spiked when the Earth crew appeared in their bright blue spacesuits. Too bad they were mostly terrible actors. The only decent one of the bunch - John Abineri - got killed off halfway through the story. I may just go and count the number of Nation stories left.


Sarah -
Three more, it seems, but one is "Genesis of the Daleks", so there's something to which we can look forward!

Speaking of Terry Nation, you know what this story could use? Some Daleks to liven things up!


Harry -
Yes! Daleks! That would liven things up, and give the story title so much more meaning.


Sarah -
Unfortunately, they just manage to make things more tedious.


Harry -
It was fun to watch the Daleks get their metal arses kicked in this story, but it got old real quick.


Sarah -
The Dalek ship and their extermination abilities are impacted by the same force that disabled the TARDIS, so there goes the whole extermination plan.


Harry -
Just one example of how poor this production was: the part one cliffhanger has the Daleks starting to exterminate everyone - only it's clear that their weapons aren't working. Some cliffhanger!


Sarah -
It was hard not to laugh.

Turns out the Daleks are after the same parrinium – the only known antidote to the plague sweeping the galaxy – as the Space Corps and an uneasy alliance is formed. This is about the point when I started nodding off…


Harry -
Me too.  Can I just say the music was shite? There, I said it. As we learned in "The Silurians," woodwind instruments just don't belong in Doctor Who. That jaunty clarinet music was killing me.


Sarah -
Though it did help keep me awake.


Harry -
Once we got a closer look at the Exxilons, they were a bit more interesting. The skull-faced, goggle-eyed creatures would have fascinated me as a kid, and I would have loved to poke around their temple. With all that smoke and chanting, the temple was cool.


Sarah -
Bellal had a certain charm. One could almost imagine him hopping into the TARDIS at the story's end.


Harry -
Unfortunately, there was little else to recommend this story. The sets were dull, the cliffhangers were simplistic, the actors were sleepwalking through the performance, and the story was Nation by Numbers - which is fine if you like Terry Nation stories, I guess.


Sarah -
Fortunately, Sarah Jane is on hand to bring all kids of awesomeness to this story. Not only does she go from beach wear to day wear in the blink of an eye, but she gets to be the one to save the day! Huzzah! Sarah’s clever plan to swap the bags of parrinium with bags of sand was a huge success and the day is saved. Huzzah!


Harry -
It's so evident why Sarah Jane is the best companion. She may scream when frightened, but she doesn't keel over and wait to be rescued. She takes action - be it bludgeoning someone with the TARDIS door opener handle, or devising a plan to save the day. All her actions make it seem as if the only thing the Doctor did in this story was get confronted and run away from things.


Sarah -
Sarah was really doing the heaving lifting, wasn't she?

Oh well, it's time to bid farewell to Exxilon and return to a planet we've visited before. Next stop Peladon!


Harry -
At the end, the melting city on a hill was a cool effect, but by then I just wanted this story to be over with. The weakest Dalek story we've seen so far, I reckon.

After this dud, I'm really looking forward to a return to Peladon!


Sarah -
Best Line: The Dalek losing it had the best line of the story: "Human prisoner has escaped. I have failed. Self Destruct!"

Favorite Moment: Sarah telling the Doctor that the parrinium is safely stowed on the Earth ship.

Lasting Image: The Exxilon sacrifice ritual.

6/10


Harry -
Best Line: "A hit! A most palpable hit!"

Favourite Moment: the temple scenes.

Lasting Image: Daleks getting blown up.

5/10

 


Our marathon continues with Story #73 - The Monster of Peladon...

Story #71 - Invasion of the Dinosaurs (1974)

Sarah -
Let's get it right out there in the open -- the dinosaur effects are naff. There. It's been said. Now, we can move on to discuss an otherwise brilliant story!


Harry -
I didn't check if the DVD release featured updated special effects and CGI dinos, but I'd rather watch this story in the pure original.


Sarah -
I agree. I hate when effects are updated for contemporary audiences. *Shoots a dirty look at George Lucas.*


Harry -
*Shakes head in disgust at George Lucas*

This is probably the Pertwee story I have seen the least. I don't own it in any format and remember watching it only once online, a few years ago. So it was like watching a brand new story.


Sarah -
I thought I had seen it before, but quickly realized I hadn't. A new story! Huzzah!


Harry -
You know old girl, I think this might be the best six-parter of the Pertwee era. It was great stuff from beginning to end.

I'd forgotten most of the story, including the mysterious deserted London that the Doctor and Sarah encounter at the beginning. A nice eerie atmosphere was established immediately. Unfortunately, here in the 21st century I've been conditioned to expect a horde of zombies to come shuffling round a corner in this scenario. It had that feel to it.


Sarah -
It was brilliant. I love the image of Paddy Russell and a camera man going commando on the early morning streets of London to get those shots.


Harry -
There was an unexpected bit of gore too, when they flashed that shot of the looter who died in a car crash. Very grown up Who, this is.


Sarah -
Mac Hulke is not pulling his punches.


Harry -
Well, it felt very grown up until later on, and that spectacular model shot of a T-rex slowly smashing through a building. I loved that shot!

Overall, the first episode was one of the better ones we've seen. It created a great atmosphere, kept our heroes and us in the dark as to what was going on, and included some wild action scenes. Most importantly, the Doctor finally gets to encounter PREHISTORIC MONSTERS! What could be better?


Sarah -
Really, who doesn't love dinosaurs? They speak to the child in each of us.


Harry -
There's a juicy conspiracy unravelled as the story goes on. Certain elements of the government and military are using rogue scientists to deliver Operation Golden Age - a turning back of the Earth's clock to a "purer," pre-industrial time. There, a few thousand volunteers intend to launch a new, Luddite society. What a scheme!

So it turns out that the prehistoric monsters - really the highlight of the story - are merely a ploy to empty out the city of London so that the conspirators can do their conspiring in peace. It's insane!


Sarah -
I have to agree that the plot is completely mad, but I was completely riveted every step of the way!


Harry -
Good thing the cast of extras gave a believeable performance, from classic baddie Peter Miles as Whittaker, to John Bennett's lizard-like General Finch, and best of all, the kindly-yet-obviously-patronizing Minister Grover, played by Noel Johnson.


Sarah -
There isn't a bad performance in the bunch. The regulars and guest actors are all the top of their game.

Meanwhile, Sarah Jane settles in nicely as the Doctor's newest "assistant" -- asking questions and taking matters into her own hands when necessary.


Harry -
Throw in Captain Yates as one of the conspirators, and suddenly the UNIT family is no longer so cosy. Yates' experiences in "The Green Death" must have opened his eyes to environmental and industrial issues, making him a willing participant in the Operation Golden Age plot. But he can't quite cross the line, and remains torn between loyalty and idealism. I love this little subplot.


Sarah -
Richard Franklin is SO GOOD in this story. It's his finest moment in Doctor Who.

But what about Benton? Good old loyal Benton! He's always been a favorite of mine and this is his moment to shine -- asking the Doctor to knock him out so the Doctor can escape, fighting with the General, putting himself under arrest and setting off with the Brig to find the Doctor. He even gets his special heroic image moment with the really big gun in the Land Rover.


Harry -
Solid Benton performance.

Going back to the T-rex, the most impressive model work it got was when it was captured and chained down in the hangar. The crew produced a nice "breathing" effect that made the big guy look alive. I want one.


Sarah -
Does your condo allow pets?


Harry -
I might have to sneak it in.

My gosh, we haven't even talked about the episode three cliffhanger: Sarah wakes up on a spaceship that left Earth three months ago, headed to a new planet in another solar system. It's the ultimate "WHAAATTTTT!" moment.


Sarah -
Those poor, delusional people on the "spaceship!" So well meaning and so clueless. The moment when Sarah walks off the space ship was one of my favorites in this story. This is the Sarah Jane we know and love!


Harry -
Sarah is brilliant here, Sarah. She sneaks into the top secret base, repeatedly escapes from the conspirators, solves the mystery of the spaceship, blows the conspiracy wide open, and even crawls through her very first air shaft. Sarah cannot be stopped!


Sarah -
Go Sarah Go!


Harry -
One more point about the well meaning "space travellers." It was driving me mad wondering where we'd seen Ruth before. So I put on the old "Rob & Toby" cap (remember them?) and discovered that she was Toronto-born Carmen Silvera, who previously appeared in "The Celestial Toymaker" as the Queen of Hearts, among other imprisoned characters in the Toymaker's world.


Sarah -
At this rate, we'll finish our marathon before they finish theirs!


Harry -
Well... you mentioned it right off the bat. The dinosaurs are naff. Whenever they were onscreen, it pulled me right out of the story. Unfortunate. But good on Barry and Terry for trying to pull it off using mid-70s technology. Sure, kids these days, they get Dinosaurs! On a Spaceship! and all that jazz. They don't know how good they got it, do they?


Sarah -
They never do.


Harry -
Well, any parting thoughts before the Doctor whisks Sarah away to the planet Florinia?


Sarah -
I'd like to share my least-favorite thing about this story -- and, no, it's not the dinosaurs. It's the fact that this is Malcolm Hulke's final Doctor Who Story. I will miss his combination of political intrigue and human foible. This season truly is the end of an era.


Harry -
I didn't realize this is the last of the Hulke stories. One of the best writers the show ever had.  We'll have to drink a toast to him.


Sarah -
Best Line: "It's not the oil and the filth and the poisonous chemicals that are the real cause of pollution, Brigadier. It's simply greed."

Favorite Moment: Benton helping the Doctor escape.

Lasting Image: Sarah on the "spaceship."

8/10


Harry -
Best line:
SARAH: "It's probably been vandalised."
DOCTOR: "That's a very unfair word, you know, because actually the Vandals were quite decent chaps."

Favourite Moment: the part three spaceship cliffhanger.

Lasting Image: T-Rex.

Was going to give this one a 9, but those dinos were just so naff...

8/10

 


Our marathon continues with Story #72 - Death to the Daleks...