Story #129 - The Five Doctors (1983)

Harry -
It's the twentieth anniversary special -- we have watched 20 years' worth of Doctor Who. Time for a celebraish! Pop that champagne, Sarah!


Sarah -
Hang on, Chuck. The cork is sticking. *POP* Ah, there were go. Cheers, Old Boy!


Harry -
Cheers ducks.

Well, when it came to producing a fitting tribute to mark two decades of Doctor Who, JN-T followed the impulse that most of us would have, and he threw absolutely everything into it. He asked the legendary Terrance Dicks to pen the adventure and Peter Moffatt to direct it, and he managed to cram almost every Doctor and companion up to that point into the thing.


Sarah -
We Doctor Who fans do love to complain, but there's something here to make everyone (at least a little bit) happy.


Harry -
It continues the template from "The Three Doctors" and would be emulated in future anniversary specials. The story serves as a vehicle for a seemingly endless round of cameo appearances, each one delightful. So good to see characters like Jamie and Zoe, and Liz and Yates, even if just for a moment. Characters like Susan, the Brigadier and Sarah Jane get bigger billing in the story and Carole Ann Ford, Nicholas Courtney and Elisabeth Sladen step right back into the Whoniverse with ease.


Sarah -
It's like a school reunion!


Harry -
Best of all...five Doctors! Squee!


Sarah -
Well, five(ish).


Harry -
Technically, it was three actual Doctors. The late William Hartnell appears in a brief prologue, reciting his famous "One day I shall come back" speech. For the main story, his Doctor was played by Richard Hurndall. Tom Baker -- recently departed from the show -- chose not to appear in the story, so the producers made use of the punting scene from "Shada", which had not yet been broadcast. Both moves worked out for the best. Hurndall captured Hartnell's cantankerous feistiness, and the Doctor-Romana punting scene is one of my favourites. It's so sublime. We need to go punting sometime.


Sarah -
I'm game. Have you punted before? Do I get to lounge and read while you do all the hard work, or will we have to fight it out?


Harry -
We'll figure it out as we go, Doctor & Romana style.


Sarah -
That's the spirit! I love, love, love that the story opens with the Hartnell clip. It's reassuring to have the First Doctor inviting us into the adventure, isn't it?


Harry -
One of the best moments in Doctor Who's history, despite its sad context.


Sarah -
Only if you consider being abandoned by your grandfather on a planet that had been invaded by Daleks, after having lost your shoes, to be sad. Richard Hurndall really did a wonderful job. It was so good that Mr. Smith -- who is admittedly a casual viewer but has also been watching the show with me for more than 25 years -- didn't initially realize that it wasn't William Hartnell.

It sounds like there were weeks of back and forth between Tom Baker and JN-T -- he was coming back, he wasn't coming back, he was coming back, no he really wasn't coming back. Using the "Shada" footage was a brilliant way to have the Fourth Doctor in the story without having Tom Baker in the story.


Harry -
Once we've made the rounds and watched the first four Doctors getting scooped out of their time streams with varying degrees of success, the fifth and present Doctor collapses in pain. "I am being diminished," he says. Tegan and Turlough drag him back into the TARDIS, where he lies prone and fades in and out as if he himself is dematerializing. The TARDIS lands in a foggy wasteland. Whomever has been kidnapping the various Doctors has been plunking them down in the Death Zone. It's Gallifrey! It's time for another Time Lord conspiracy!


Sarah -
Oh, those Time Lords and their conspiracies!


Harry -
The high council of Gallifrey has been observing these events. In a strange turn, the Master is brought before them. President Borusa asks the Master to go to the Death Zone and rescue the Doctor in exchange for a new cycle of regenerations.


Sarah -
I quite like Anthony Ainley in this scene. He’s so wonderfully smarmy – like the class smart-ass called to the principal’s office. “What makes you think I want your forgiveness?” His reaction when they ask him to save the Doctor is priceless: “A cosmos without the Doctor scarcely bears thinking about.” This is probably Ainley’s best performance so far.


Harry -
Meanwhile, the various Doctors team up with their companions and head to a tall tower in the middle of the Death Zone -- the tomb of Rassilon.


Sarah -
The First Doctor and Susan get to dash down some quite stylish corridors, trying to evade a Dalek, before finding the Fifth Doctor’s TARDIS. I love when the companions all sit down to fancy drinks and snacks in the console room while the Doctors work out the problem.

Don’t you love the moment when the Third Doctor and Sarah meet the Master and the Doctor doesn’t recognize him? He’s so dismissive of the Master and even steals the seal from him. He gets the same reaction from the Fifth Doctor, who steals the recall device when they are attacked by Cybermen. The Master can’t catch a break when he’s trying to be good, which leads him to an faux alliance with the Cybermen.


Harry -
The First Doctor and Tegan take the high road, straight into the tower. The Second Doctor and the Brigadier take the low road, entering from beneath but not before a couple of scary encounters: first with a Yeti, then with Zoe in a bubble wrap costume.


Sarah -
Don’t forget our dear Jamie, who’s looking quite fetching in his kilt – sans bubblewrap – and Mike Yates and Liz Shaw!


Harry -
Great to see Liz Shaw get one more appearance after her abrupt departure from the show. After lifting Sarah Jane Smith from a perilous ditch of death, the Third Doctor takes her all the way to the top of the tower via zipline and they enter from above.


Sarah -
Speaking of Sarah Jane, what the hell is she wearing? That jacket makes her look hugely pregnant. It’s an absolute relief when she takes it off.


Harry -
The fashions of the 80s are something we shall never understand, even if we did live through them.


Sarah -
They weren’t all bad. I distinctly remember wanting Tegan’s dress when I watched this for the first time.


Harry -
In addition to the Master, there are brief encounters with some classic monsters (Daleks, Cybermen) and a new one: a Raston Warrior Robot, the most perfect killing machine in the universe. Is it terrible to admit that I get a kick out of imagining Terrance Dicks saying "Raston Warrior Robot" out loud?


Sarah -
It seems you haven’t watched the featurette, where you get to hear him say it! It’s brilliant!


Harry -
Hah!

I guess we could spare a moment to talk about the actual story here. "The Five Doctors" completes the informal Borusa cycle. We have seen Borusa four times over the years, each time played by a different actor. His rise began in "The Deadly Assassin", when he was a Cardinal. In "The Invasion of Time" he was Lord Chancellor and teamed (loosely) with the Doctor to combat the Vardans and Sontarans. In "Arc of Infinity" he was finally Lord President of Gallifrey, but something of a tired character while someone else's conspiracy played out around him. Finally, here in "The Five Doctors", Borusa's ambitions have been rekindled as he seeks the secret of true immortality and ultimate power from Rassilon himself. Thankfully, Philip Latham was not required to act with his hands for half the story.


Sarah -
Lantham is really brilliant as Borusa. The scene where he frames the Castellan, leading to his death, is chilling. What a bastard!


Harry -
Borusa was cool, calm and collected throughout the story. This is one of my favourite Borusas.


Sarah -
He's the most cunning Borusa, that's for sure.


Harry -
Eventually, everyone arrives at the tomb of Rassilon and the slow-moving story comes to a rapid conclusion. Borusa is unmasked as the conspirator du jour, having used virtually everyone else in the story as a dupe for his ambitions. He seeks the ring of Rassilon and the promise of immortality and never-ending power. Rassilon appears and offers it up without hesitation.

Naturally, Borusa is undone by his own wickedness and becomes imprisoned in the tomb for eternity. Having sorted that out, Rassilon gives a Brian Blessed-like laugh and fades away again.


Sarah -
Say what you will about the silly Great and Powerful Oz-like appearance by Rassilon, Borusa's entombment is horrifying. I feel absolutely claustrophobic just thinking about it.


Harry -
It's all in the eyes. Horrible fate. An eternity of living entombment is a chilling prospect.

Sadly for Borusa, no one felt too bad about what happened to him. That leaves our Doctors and their friends to make a big series of goodbyes as the story wraps up. I say "story" but "The Five Doctors" is more of a celebration, a greatest hits or whatever cliché you want to attach to it. This would be one of the first stories I would encourage new viewers to watch, just because it gives you a sampling of all the eras from the first 20 years of Doctor Who.


Sarah -
The story is a bit of an afterthought, which makes sense when you consider all the rewriting Terrance Dicks had to do as actors dropped in and out during the planning. Still, it's a delightful romp and a moment to pause and feel the love.


Harry -
Well, looks like the champagne didn't last very long. Shall we move on to Peter Davison's third and final season?


Sarah -
Final season? It feels like we just got started!


Harry -
I know, it's crazy!

Best Line:
SECOND DOCTOR: "And, er, and who is this?"
BRIGADIER: "That's Colonel Crichton, my replacement."
SECOND DOCTOR: "Ah. Yes, mine was pretty unpromising, too."

BAM! HAHA!

Favourite Moment: Really, every cameo was a favourite.

Lasting Image: The Doctors all congratulating themselves at the end.

8/10


Sarah -
Best Line: There are so many, but I have to go with the closer,

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

Favorite Moment: The Second Doctor meeting up with the Brig.

Lasting Images: All the Doctors together!

8/10

Our marathon continues with Story #130: Warriors of the Deep...

Story #65 - The Three Doctors (1972-73)

Harry -
With the hype starting to build for this year's 50th anniversary multi-Doctor mega-special, how fitting that we just watched the very first multi-Doctor mega-special from 40 years ago.

This is one of the few classic Who stories that I can watch in one sitting without even shifting on the sofa. What a jolly, breezy romp "The Three Doctors" is.


Sarah -
I absolutely love this story. It will always have a special place in my heart because it was my first glimpse of the First and Second Doctors. I remember seeing it for the first time in the 1980s and being so intrigued by these two new (to me) Doctors.

It's an utter delight!


Harry -
And so utterly light!

Some may argue, but I think "The Three Doctors" is the first time that the show takes a big step over the line into panto territory.


Sarah -
It does get rather broad at times, doesn't it?


Harry -
It's a celebration more than an adventure, almost like a "greatest hits" pageant. The actual plot of the thing is there just so everyone can hang their favourite lines and expressions on it, while hamming it up for the cameras. The bouncy glob monsters are funny, and Omega is so over-the-top even Brian Blessed might have urged him to tone it down.


Sarah -
Stephen Thorne is so wonderful as Omega. I love every moment he's on screen.


Harry -
Do you remember what your first impressions of these other Doctors were?

By the time I got around to watching this, I was already familiar with Hartnell and Troughton from old photos, and I recall accepting the notion that there was always more than one Doctor with childlike ease.


Sarah -
I'd certainly seen photos of the first two Doctors before this, but it was the first time I'd seen them in the series. I'd already been through my first regeneration -- Baker to Davison -- so the idea of many Doctors wasn't new to me.

Because of the vagaries of the broadcast schedule on my local PBS station, Tom Baker was my first Doctor, followed by Davison, and then back to Pertwee. I guess that makes the first and second Doctors my fourth and fifth Doctors!

I remember being so charmed by Troughton and wishing I could see more of him. Hartnell's appearances were so limited, due to his ill health, that I didn't know what to make of him. He seems so stern in the story and it was a delight to eventually discover the lighter sides of his character.


Harry -
Gosh, isn't Troughton's first appearance magical?


Sarah -
It was like being reunited with a long-lost family member! Watching Pertwee and Troughton together highlights how different their Doctors are. The moment when Omega asks the Third Doctor if he's sure that he and the Second Doctor are of the same intelligence is one of the best moments of the story. We know all the Doctors are the same Doctor -- but these two are just so different!


Harry -
It was great to be reminded why we love Patrick Troughton so much. He was diminutive in size, but his Doctor was a big ball of energy. Still excited about going to the beach for some fun, and I forgot he was the first Doctor to offer around some jelly babies.


Sarah -
His way of going about things indirectly and lulling the baddies into a false sense of superiority is one of my favorite things about the Second Doctor.


Harry -
His performance in this story really stole the show. I wish Troughton had broken his own First Rule of Playing the Doctor, and stayed on for another season.


Sarah -
That would have been wonderful, but there's always Season 6B to contemplate!


Harry -
Having Troughton bouncing around like a rubber ball also underscored Pertwee as the tall, serious Doctor with his own physical take on the role. Pertwee was known for doing all his own stunts, and while there wasn't much in the way of dangerous stunt acting here, he did get in a tussle with that pig creature that Omega foisted on him.


Sarah -
That was a trippy scene, wasn't it? As much as I love Troughton, I found that having him there made me appreciate Pertwee all the more. They're both such marvelous actors.


Harry -
The Troughton-Pertwee contrast is why I never side with fans who want a new Doctor to be just like the one before. It's the contrasts from one regeneration to the next that make the character fascinating.


Sarah -
Absolutely. How boring would that be?


Harry -
We haven't really mentioned Hartnell. His limited action in this story was more bittersweet than anything. It was great to hear his voice again, but sad that he wasn't able to appear in the TARDIS in person.


Sarah -
He definitely brought the First Doctor zing, didn't he?


Harry -
He went out with the "dandy and a clown" zinger, one of the show's most lasting quotes.


Sarah -
And one of the series most lasting quotes, too!


Harry -
While we weren't able to see much of the First Doctor, I liked how much action Sergeant Benton saw. This is the second story in a row where he rivals the Brig as the leading UNIT character.


Sarah -
I have such a soft spot for Benton. I love the moment when he enters the TARDIS for the first time and is rendered speechless. And then, we get to see the Brig on his first TARDIS trip -- if he only knew what he was getting into.

Speaking of the Brig, I adored his reaction to meeting up with the Second Doctor again -- "Oh no!"


Harry -
Another great comic turn in this story.

It was probably unintentional, but the Gallifreyan set reminded me of a kind of galactic tech support office. You had these technicians sitting at their consoles trying to resolve the nagging problems of black holes and energy depletion, while their managers bickered over what approach to take. It was all a bit comical, but totally in keeping with the atmosphere of the story.


Sarah -
We’ve seen so little of the actual Time Lords up to this point. Turning them into techies at ground control is a bit disappointing.


Harry -
And it was perfect that Troughton's recorder was the item that overcame Omega and sent him into oblivion, whilst returning everyone back to the universe of matter. Everybody lives! (not including Omega, but was he really alive anymore?)


Sarah -
The Second Doctor always knows what he’s doing – even if he doesn’t know he’s doing it…


Harry -
This story is probably the best of the multi-Doctor adventures in the classic series. It bounces along, keeps things light, and gives everyone a turn to shine. It has certainly stoked my interest to see what a Moffat-era multi-Doctor adventure will be like. Come on November 22!


Sarah -
It will be hard to top this. No pressure, Steven.


Harry -
For now, the Doctors have saved the day, and the Time Lords are grateful enough to give Pertwee a new dematerialization circuit. The Earthbound-era of Doctor Who has come to an end.


Sarah -
Hazzah!


Harry -
Shall we see where the Doctor and Jo will go first?


Sarah -
I can hardly wait!


Harry -
Best Line:
"Well, Sergeant, aren't you going to say it that it's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside? Everybody else does."
"It's pretty obvious, isn't it?"

Favourite Moment: Patrick Troughton first appears and reminds us why we love his Doctor.

Lasting Image: the look on the Brigadier's face when he sees the Second Doctor.

9/10


Sarah -
Best Line: I have to go with the classic, "So you're my replacements - a dandy and a clown!"

Favorite Moment: The Two Doctors confronting Omega together.

Lasting Image: The Second and Third Doctors reaction to being chided by the First Doctor.

9/10

 


Our marathon continues with Story #66: Carnival of Monsters...

The Hartnell Era - Final Thoughts

Harry -
Before we move on to "The Power of the Daleks", let's take one more look at the Hartnell era, for old times' sake.

I've grown quite fond of the First Doctor, probably because he is the most enigmatic of them all. In any given story, he could be brave, cautious, cranky, noble, passionate, sensitive or just plain giggly. Sometimes all in the same scene! But he always maintained an aura of mystery about him, which I love.


Sarah -
As I mentioned at the end of our discussion of The Tenth Planet, I had only seen the first three Hartnell stories going into this project, so watching these stories has been a wonderful revelation for me.

I don't recall WTTW ever showing Hartnell stories back in the 80s, so the only glimpse I ever got of him was from The Three Doctors. "So, you're my replacements -- a dandy and a clown" is still among my all-time favorite Doctor Who lines. The First Doctor was so mysterious and elusive for me -- and continues to be after finally watching all his stories. I positively love William Hartnell's Doctor!

And then there are the companions. I never expected to come out of this viewing with a new favorite companion, but it's hard to top Barbara Wright. There was no doubt about whom I was going to cosplay at Chicago TARDIS last year -- even if I knew most of the attendees wouldn't know who the heck I was! Hopefully I sold some folks on going back to get to know Our Barbara.


Harry -
Barbara was a fantastic companion and a great influence on the Doctor. They both seemed to open each other's eyes to new ideas and new ways of seeing things.

I wasn't much of a Steven fan before, but I have a new appreciation for him and for Peter Purves. In an odd way, the unevenness of Steven's character made him more fascinating. You never knew if the bold adventuring Steven or the passively observing Steven would show up from one story to the next.


Sarah -
I will always cling to your Dodo theory: "She is mad. Leave her be."


Harry -
I have already mentioned how much I love Ben and Polly, and I'm glad we still have them with us for the time being.

As the show found its footing, and before it settled into comfortable patterns, we were treated to some really wacked-out stories in the Hartnell era. I'm thinking of "The Edge of Destruction", "The Web Planet" and "The Space Museum." I'd love to see this kind of experimental weirdness brought to new Who.


Sarah -
I love seeing where so many of the conventions of the show began. This has been a fantastic experience and I'm so happy we got to share it!


Harry -
And so, as the enigma lies on the TARDIS floor and the TARDIS goes wild, the special effects kick in and a new era beckons!


Sarah -
Onward to the Second Doctor!


Harry -
Cue theme music!

Story #29 - The Tenth Planet (1966)

Harry -
Here it is, the end of the First Doctor's era. The final Hartnell adventure!

...and it seems our Billy was absent for a portion of the story again. How unfortunate.


Sarah -
A pity he fell ill during the filming and the writers had to scramble to rewrite episode 3. It gave Ben more to do, but it’s a bit of a letdown to get so little of Our First Doctor in his final story.

I’m experiencing conflicting emotions right now -- excited at the changes ahead and feeling nostalgic for all the good, and not-so-good, times we’ve had.


Harry -
Despite Polly's premonitions, there isn't much of a buildup for the big moment, and Hartnell's absence in part three actually serves to underscore that something is happening to the Doctor, physically. The producers did the best they could in uncharted waters.


Sarah -
His absence from so much of the story does lessen the effect of the regeneration. But let’s discuss the rest of story! We find ourselves at the South Pole in 1986. It’s not quite the 1986 I remember, but the title graphics more than make up for it.


Harry -
I like that they continued to experiment with new titles throughout the later Hartnell era.


Sarah -
Mama Mia, Bellissima! Despite Polly’s dishiness, the Snowcap Station blokes are more than a little confused to find themselves with visitors. Little do they know that trouble follows these visitors across the universe – or do they follow the trouble?

I really like the casting of the Snowcap crew and astronauts. They do a great job of immediately setting the scene and inhabiting their universe. I almost felt short of breath in the claustrophobic rocket scenes. Now that was some acting!


Harry -
The crew of the Zeus IV were great, even if they couldn't quite get their choreography right.


Sarah -
A minor detail when you’re trapped in space! Back at the South Pole, John Brandon’s American Sergeant was some crazy casting – getting an American to play an American? Daring casting.


Harry -
I love that his character is actually credited as "American Sergeant."


Sarah -
They should have called him “Joe” or something. Bringing in Canadian Robert Beatty, the Pride of Hamilton, Ontario, to play General Cutler turns it into an international extravaganza! (As a side note, it seems both Brandon and Beatty both had long careers in television and film, so good on them.)


Harry -
AAAAA!  I was born in Hamilton, Ontario!  How do you know all this shit??


Sarah -
a) I'm turning into Toby
b) I'm a librarian
c) all of the above


Harry -
Awesome!

Well, Part One of this story played out almost as a template. The Doctor and friends arrive somewhere interesting and they go for a look around. They meet up with some locals and plunge right into the situation, leading up to the cliffhanger reveal of the monster of the story.


Sarah -
It’s the classic Doctor Who template and it always works. Well, mostly.


Harry -
And here they are, the Cybermen! What a wild look. How did the actors manage to move around with those giant headlamps?


Sarah -
It was almost a little anticlimactic after all that build up, but they are fairly wild looking. The whole mouth staying open while they talked thing kind of freaked me out – even when they didn’t quite sync it up properly.


Harry -
There's an additional element of horror to these Cybermen because we can compare them to future models. These are more like prototypes that still have vestigial human hands. You can even catch a glimpse of human eyes through the eyeholes. That creeped me out, not to mention the sing-song voices.


Sarah -
Their early, more human, form is definitely more disturbing than the later high-tech models. The offer to take the human population of Earth to Mondas to be upgraded to Cyberfolk is so matter of fact. The Cybermen clearly think this is a great offer and can’t understand why everyone’s not signing up.

Still, what’s with the Doctor’s invitation to the Cybermen to “stay here and live with ‘us’ in peace?” Who’s “us” Timelord?


Harry -
I guess by this point the Doctor was feeling quite at home on Earth. He did break out the "Earth hat and scarf" once more for this adventure.


Sarah -
I’m going to miss the Earth hat and scarf.


Harry -
It is my mission in life to someday acquire and be cool enough to wear the First Doctor's Earth hat and scarf.


Sarah -
The rest of the planet’s reaction to the invasion is also interesting. Everyone seems terribly calm about a twin planet showing up, at least in the media.


Harry -
Maybe everyone chilled out by 1986, at least the world leadership and media?


Sarah -
I’ll look forward to finding out.

Speaking of the reaction, I really question the effectiveness of International Space Command, getting their information on the new planet from the news media. That said, the Secretary General is a perfect late 60s bureaucrat, doing a great job of stating the obvious in all his scenes. Without him, we might not be able to figure out what was going on!


Harry -
The analogue-equipped space command looks a bit clunky too, but I imagine this was cutting edge technology in 1966, or at least looked it.

My favourite moment is probably when General Cutler gives orders to prepare the Z Bomb. I loved everyone's shocked expressions. The only thing missing was one of the crew shouting "GENERAL! NOT THE Z BOMB!" with over-the-top horror. But these are professionals after all. Sabotage is more their thing.

What's that? Oh dear, the Doctor's just done a face plant.


Sarah -
And up steps Ben! What a resourceful chap, setting up the projector to blind the Cyberman and steal his weapon. His remorse at killing the Cyberman is so human and underscores the difference between the populations of the two planets.


Harry -
I really like Ben, not because he's a cute sailor bloke. Okay, not just because he's a cute sailor bloke. Too bad his and Polly's run as companions will be short lived.


Sarah -
Being a cute sailor bloke certainly doesn’t hurt.

Despite the Doctor’s absence, I loved the sabotage subplot. What’s not to love about a crawling-through-an-airshaft scene?


Harry -
The first of many!


Sarah -
Traditions have to start somewhere!

The bomb did look at bit like someone’s science fair project, but the actors sold the scene for me. I was more than a little stressed watching them try to diffuse the bomb. I was holding my breath when the countdown that ends episode 3 began.

Meanwhile, Polly gets to make coffee. Sheesh.


Harry -
Brutal!


Sarah -
In the end, of course, the Cymbermen are foiled and the Earth is saved.


Harry -
What a relief. But do you get the feeling this isn't the last we've seen of the Cybermen?


Sarah -
One can only hope.


Harry -
Sadly, this is the last we'll see of William Hartnell as the lead. I've watched this regeneration scene countless times and it remains one of my favourites. The quick cuts and closeups, the bizarre sound effects, and the TARDIS going haywire -- the connection between it and the Doctor evident so long ago!

Ben and Polly are just getting used to this "travelling through time and space" business, now their Doctor has vanished!


Sarah -
I’ve seen the clip many times, but it never carried as much emotional weight as it did this time. Before we began this little project, I had only seen Hartnell’s first three stories. I always meant to get around to catching up on these stories, but that plan wasn’t going very far.

I’ve grown to love the First Doctor more than I ever expected.


Harry -
Someday, when I grow up, I hope to be as cool as the First Doctor.  Overall, this a fun space exploration story combined with a base-under-seige drama, with soon-to-be-famous monsters and the critical first regeneration scene. Epic!

Best line: "I don't understand it, he just seems to be worn out." Polly foreshadowing what is to come.

Favourite moment: the crew reacting to the Z Bomb order, although it could have been even more over-the-top!

Lasting image: the Cybermen emerging through the snow.

9/10


Sarah -
A strong end to the era. Onward to the Troughton era!

Best line: "What did you say, my boy? It's all over? That's what you said... but it isn't at all. It's far from being all over..." I got a bit teary-eyed.

Favorite moment: Ben in the airshaft. It just made me smile.

Lasting image: Definitely the first Cybermen appearance.

9/10

Our marathon continues with Story #30 - The Power of the Daleks...

Story #28 - The Smugglers (1966)

Sarah - Well, here we are in the fourth season and at Hartnell’s penultimate story.

Unfortunately, the low quality of the soundtrack and still images really got in the way of my enjoyment of this story. I had to read a summary to be able to follow what was going on at some points.


Harry -
It seemed odd that a pirate adventure would be so unheralded in the Whoniverse, but watching the recon, I realized why. There's an awful lot of talking, and what little action footage there is has been lost.


Sarah -
It seems that quite a bit is going on in the action sequences, but who would know.


Harry -
It takes a long time to get to those sequences. By then, my interest had waned.

"The Smugglers" started off well, with stowaways Ben and Polly marvelling at the TARDIS and where it had taken them. The Doctor is bemused and happy to have company. I don't think he likes being alone.


Sarah -
When the Doctor says, “I really thought I was going to be alone again,” it's clear that he's happy to have them along. Polly and Ben are really quite smashing in this story. I like how they think they're just going to pop over to the station and get a train back to London. In for a bit of a surprise, aren't they?


Harry -
I love the normalcy and sense of fun that they convey after Dodo's weirdness.


Sarah -
The Doctor had some fun going along with their delusion. Nothing like messing with the newbies, I guess. I don't know if it was having to rely on sound without images, but Hartnell seemed to be doing more of his hooting than he has in recent stories.


Harry -
The Doctor certainly likes Earth, and the TARDIS does too. The old girl has brought us back again, this time to the beaches of 17th century Cornwall. Can't really see said beaches, but we can hear the sea at any rate.


Sarah -
It's a pity we don't get to see the footage of gorgeous Cornwall.

So, we meet Joe Longfoot, reformed pirate and keeper of secrets. As soon as Cherub showed up and killed Joe, I knew we were in for yet another mistaken-identity-the-TARDIS-crew-must-be-the-killers trope...and it made me want to lie down for a bit.


Harry -
It really is a story about concealing one's true identity. Starting with Polly-as-a-young-lad, the Doctor who tells the ex-pirate that they are travellers, Captain Pike who assumes the mantle of merchant gentleman, the rapacious squire who puts on airs, and so on.

And there's the problem I had with this story. It was screaming out to be an action adventure, but we got a lot of scenes of clever dialogue for too long.


Sarah -
Some of Polly and Ben's dialogue was a little too exposition-y for my taste. The role of the companion is to ask questions so the Doctor can explain everything to us. There were too many scenes of Polly and Ben explaining what was going on. It should have been helpful, given that we have no footage, but I just ended up feeling like I was watching an episode of Scooby-Doo.


Harry -
About midway through the story, I started getting annoyed with Ben (you'd think it wasn't possible!), the way he kept whingeing about getting back to barracks. What a way to flatter a girl! Polly must have felt like an old shoe.

Captain Pike was probably my favourite character in all of this. So full of himself, yet so transparent. Such pretensions, and such cruelty all in one package. I don't think we've seen a villain commit cold-blooded murder since Johnny Ringo back in the old west -- or is that, in the new west to come? Wibbly wobbly timey wimey...

I liked Josiah Blake too, the King's revenue officer with an almost fanatical sense of duty. He played it dead serious, but always on the verge of becoming a parody like the squire.


Sarah -
Did you recognize John Ringham, who played Tlotoxl in The Aztecs, as Blake? That man had presence, didn't he?


Harry -
Ohh! I did not know that! But I can totally see the presence and intensity carried over from one character to the other. Well spotted, Toby!


Sarah -
Oh, that may just be the nicest thing you've ever said to me!


Harry -
Overall, this story really is a mixed bag. Disappointing, to be honest.  At least the Doctor has some fun doing card tricks and fulfilling his moral obligations.


Sarah -
Oh dear, I seem to be out of things to say. Let's go to wrap-up.


Harry -
I agree, this review -- like the story being reviewed -- started with such enthusiasm, but ultimately we seem to have gotten bored with the whole thing.


Sarah -
Lasting image: The TARDIS on the rocky coast

Favorite moment: The Doctor letting Polly and Ben look for the train station.

Best line: "You may know where you are, my dear, but not when! I can foresee oodles of trouble!"

3/10


Harry -
Lasting image: Cherub's churlish faces.

Favourite moment: That random, Pythonesque moment when Josiah Blake falls from his horse and we never hear about it again.

Best line: "Sawbones! King Neptune's curse! Ye've laid a trap, and by that you DIE by the Pike!"

4/10

 



Our marathon continues with Story #29 - The Tenth Planet...

Story #27 - The War Machines (1966)

Harry -
Well, here's something completely different: an adventure that takes place in contemporary London! Although I wonder, because of the real-time that has elapsed between broadcast and present day, would "The War Machines" now qualify as a kind of historical? I wonder... I wonder...

Still, welcome to Earth!


Sarah -
It seems almost revolutionary for this point in Doctor Who, doesn't it? We know we’re going to spend a lot of time on Mother Earth from here on out, but for now it feels so fresh.

We need to give a shout out to the timely title graphics. How cool are they?


Harry -
A refreshing change. I always loved that "computer" font.


Sarah -
And then we get a gorgeous opening shot. The War Machines had my attention from the get go!


Harry -
Great establishing shot.


Sarah -
In the opening scene, it seems that they’ve come to Earth on purpose…or perhaps it’s just another happy accident. The Doctor’s manic response to the Post Office Tower sets our adventure in motion. I had a good laugh when Dodo asked “Daleks? Who are they?” For better or worse, Dodo, you’ll never have the chance to find out.


Harry -
The movement of time kept coming to mind as I watched this story. There are so many cuts from one scene to the next where a sizeable chunk of time seems to have passed. It was more jarring than usual, and it makes us miss out on moments that go unseen. How, for instance, was the Doctor able to just waltz into the Post Office Tower and be welcomed by all? Perhaps he flashed the Psychic Paper?


Sarah -
I was wondering that myself. They seem to have just wandered in.

Despite any problems I may have had with the continuity, I really enjoyed this story. It was so much of fun to watch.


Harry -
Absolutely. This is one of my favourites. It's a "diabolical supercomputer" story that was all the rage at the time, and I love the scenes in The Inferno club.


Sarah -
The Inferno Club! The Hottest Nightspot in Town! *Cue the swinging music!*


Harry -
We meet three fun new characters here: Polly the swinging 60s girl, Ben the moody sailor, and Kitty the bargirl whose Winehouse hairdo distracts from the fact that she doesn't seem to serve up one drop of alcohol the entire time. The crowd doesn't seem to mind. They look a pretty straight-laced set in their jackets and ties.


Sarah -
I guess that counted as swinging around the BBC at the time…

Could Polly be any cuter? Dodo should have seen it coming. I love that Ben is introduced with, “He’s not great advertisement for the most with it place in town, is he?” He and Polly have immediate chemistry.


Harry -
Am I going to keep bringing up the weirdness of time in this story?  Apparently.  How about that news conference hosted by Sir Charles, the one where he announces that all major computer systems will be transferred over to the control of WOTAN. Strange to be making such a monumental announcement in the middle of the night. The Doctor barely has time to pull some quizzical faces before he goes clubbing with the youngsters.


Sarah -
I kind of loved Sir Charles. He was perfect. The thing that confused me is that all the scientists pronounce WOTAN as “Votan.” What’s with that? Some wacky cold war thing? A running joke at the Royal Scientific Club?


Harry -
It might be one of those English things, like how they pronounce "St. John" to rhyme with "engine".


Sarah -
Actually, the whole WOTAN thing is a bit wacky. Why would any of the nations involved agree to have their computer systems linked up to some super computer? It wasn’t clear to me how WOTAN achieved conscious and got all the war machines placed. For a while I thought it was an alien lifeforce, but I guess WOTAN was just your run-of-the-mill evil supercomputer after all.

Still, it’s pretty amusing when the Doctor and Dodo are impressed by the computer’s ability to compute the square root of 17422 and define TARDIS. After all he’s seen, the Doctor is excited by square roots?


Harry -
The man loves his maths.


Sarah -
Don’t we all?

This bring us to the biggest controversy of this story: for the only time in the series, the Doctor is referred to as “Doctor Who” by WOTAN. So much for the alleged “supercomputer.”


Harry -
Rob and Toby opine on this and other oddities that the production crew inserted into the story. I think Toby's standard response to such things is "it didn't count." I'm fine with that!

Jumping all over the place here. It was great to see the Doctor back in his fur hat and cape too, which we haven't seen since "An Unearthly Child." It's his best look.


Sarah -
It’s a great look. I imagine him keeping it in a special cupboard marked “Earth.”


Harry -
Hah!

As for Dodo... the enthusiasm she generated in the previous story seems to have been all for naught. Here, she's got a headache, maybe hearing voices again, who knows? Rather than continuing to play detective, she's fallen under the mind control of WOTAN. Who will help the Doctor now?


Sarah -
I couldn’t help but think that the Doctor should have known that something was up with Dodo when she started acting so lucid.


Harry -
And "Hah!" again.


Sarah -
Poor Dodo doesn’t have the power to fight the voices in her head, as Polly does later in the story. We need our companions to be strong, not mad.

Having spent these many stories happily slagging Dodo, I felt kind of badly about how quickly she’s dismissed by the story. Dodo’s brain is taken over, she tries to lure the Doctor to WOTAN, gets hypnotized by the Doctor, is shipped off to the country – and it’s adios Dodo!


Harry -
Worst companion intro and worst companion exit to date. She was one strange duck.

But Ben and Polly fill the gap admirably. Ben takes on the role of "heavy lifter" when the Doctor dispatches him to investigate the goings-on at the warehouse. Meanwhile Polly literally steps into the role that Dodo has just abandoned. It was quite remarkable.


Sarah -
Wasn’t it? Companions usually get their little moment in the sun when leaving the Doctor. Dodo’s barely off-screen before Polly’s taken over the possessed-companion role.


Harry -
And now, a moment of tribute for the most well-known vagrant in London, whose death and photo made the papers within hours. Again, this is that weirdness of time that keeps bugging me about this story.


Sarah -
It was insane, but I loved it. What a performance by Roy Godfrey! Shear genius! Perhaps the tramp was a black sheep of the Royal Family who fled Buckingham Palace to live a life of freedom on the open road. That would explain the cab ride to his squat and not having the right change for the driver.


Harry -
At the warehouse, Ben discovers the war machines being assembled. This is probably the one big let-down of the story. The term "war machines" evokes something powerful and menacing, but these clunkers are just ridiculous -- like slower, dumber, clumsier Daleks in a way. Plungers already used up? Let's give 'em a comedy mallet! Yeesh.


Sarah -
The actual war machines are undoubtedly the most disappointing aspect of The War Machines. Even the knowledge that they can break tables and smash through stacks of crates is not enough to kindle our dread. Once again, WOTAN demonstrates that its supercomputer status is unfounded.


Harry -
To give credit to the production crew, you can see how they tried to make the war machines look threatening. They used lots of low angles, extreme closeups, and repeatedly showed the machines destroying those walls of crates with contempt.

But still... It's no surprise the Doctor so coolly stood one down at the end of Part Three.


Sarah -
This is the single best moment of the story and perhaps the best image of the entire series thus far. He didn’t even have to give the “I’m the Doctor and you don’t mess with me” speech. Brilliance!


Harry -
I loved that moment. Everyone flees in panic, but the Doctor not only stands his ground, but takes one step, then another towards the approaching machine. No dialogue either. It was an act of Total Badassery.

It did render Part Four a bit of an afterthought. Since the Doctor had already figured the machines out, it was just a matter of assembling the Most Obvious Trap Ever and snaring one. Again, not the most clever things, these war machines.


Sarah -
But it gives Ben a chance to shine. Ian and Steven would be proud.


Harry -
True.  He's picked up right where they left off.

And for the second story in a row, we get a lively smashup scene at the end, when the machines are turned on WOTAN. The way the Doctor vanished from the Post Office Tower without a proper goodbye is also something we'll be seeing more of.

In the final scene, we see the budding friendship of Ben and Polly continuing, as they scamper over to meet the Doctor outside the TARDIS. It's a bit obvious what happens next, but I'm so glad to be rid of Dodo that I don't mind. Welcome aboard to the cute couple!


Sarah -
I was wondering what Ben picked up while taking the Doctor’s cape for him. The TARDIS key, of course! Let the adventure begin!

There are so many reasons this story shouldn’t work, but I agree with Toby that everything’s important except when it doesn’t count. I loved "The War Machines." With good reason, it feels like a Troughton-era story and it’s just so much fun. We had a whole stretch of stories that just felt joyless and "The War Machines" brings the fun back to Doctor Who!


Harry -
I agree. Even though I've been a bit too nit-picky above, this remains one of my favourite Hartnell stories. It's all a bit odd, but it all comes together and works, flaws be damned!


Sarah -
Lasting image: The Doctor’s Standoff.

Favorite moment: The Inferno Club, followed closely by seeing WOTAN’s billing in the credits of the first episode.

Best line: From Sir Charles – “Well, we’ve tried the Army. What else is there?”
I’m not quite sure why this made me laugh so hard, but it did.

9/10


Harry -
Lasting image: Oh those rumbling, lumbering war machines.

Favourite moment: The Doctor takes a couple of silent steps towards the approaching war machine.

Best line: "I think she'll sleep for 48 hours." I burst out laughing when the Doctor said this after hypnotizing Dodo.

9/10

 



Our marathon continues with Story #28 - The Smugglers...

Story #26 - The Savages (1966)

Harry -
This is a First Doctor story that I had never seen before, and knew nothing about. It was a treat to watch "classic" Who totally cold.


Sarah -
I was a little anxious going in, fearing another Unearthly Child-type caveman story.


Harry -
And what a story! A far-future-totalitarian-morality-play-smash-em-up-heroic-adventure. With light guns!


Sarah -
All my fears were unfounded!


Harry -
The first few minutes of the Doctor and his companions roaming around a new planet reminded me of The Planet of the Apes. It was building up to a slow reveal, one that was hinted at by the story title. There was even a spear attack, but Our Travellers were instead approached and welcomed by the "civilized" locals.


Sarah -
And a welcoming bunch they were. Our travelers so often encounter hostility when they arrive on a new planet. What a change of pace to be welcomed with open arms!


Harry -
Strangely, the locals seem to have been expecting the Doctor, aka "The Traveller From Beyond Time." Everything seems so perfect in their city, almost sterile, and no one seems to question it, other than the Doctor and friends. They wonder aloud how this advanced civilization got to be so advanced. An ominous, almost sinister atmosphere is established from the get go. How could it not be, when the leader, Jano, pontificates about "the perfection of our race." Uh-oh...


Sarah -
Time to start worrying! The Doctor, of course, starts to wonder how they do it, while Steven and Dodo do a bit of touring.


Harry -
After the previous disappointment, I was glad to see Steven and Dodo both get an energetic story with lots for them to do. This time, it was Dodo who was the voice of reason and whose explorations uncovered the scientific vampirism that the Elders were perpetuating on the Savages. (Jano again: "Life preys on other forms of life, as you know, Doctor.")  Uh-oh...

Props to Detective Dodo! And as for Steven, after his initial dismissal of Dodo as "imagining things", he ramped it up and we got a great Angry Steven the rest of the way. Angry, decisive, sympathetic, and a bold man of action. Wow!


Sarah -
I was all, "You Go Girl," to Dodo and was happy that Steven finally got the chance to be the Man of Action we haven't seen since Ian left the TARDIS -- and then I started to wonder what the heck was going on here! A bit of research and I soon learned that this story was the first for the new production team of Innes Lloyd and Gerry Davis. I can only think that this explains the shift in what Dodo and Steven get to do. Imagine how much more interesting this season would have been if they'd been written this way all along.

I'll have more to say on these changes later, but back to the story...


Harry -
On the surface, the story is simple: one bunch of humans exploiting another bunch of humans. The historical allusions ("savages" herded onto "reserves") are obvious, and the levels of interpretation as many as one wants to read into them. Thankfully, the Doctor will have none of it! I loved his confrontation with Jano, where he declares he will oppose their regime, as he opposes the Daleks and other threats to common humanity. This might have been the first ever "I'm the Doctor and this is what I stand for" speech,  which has been reiterated by every Doctor since.


Sarah -
What a change from the Doctor we met three years before! He started off being self-serving and a bit unpleasant and has become the character that will last ten (and hopefully many more) regenerations. It's the moment that makes the viewer want to stand up and cheer and cast our lot with this cranky Time Lord!


Harry -
But what is this? The Doctor is attacked and is about to suffer the transference procedure with no one to help him. Horror!


Sarah -
I really liked this scene. It begins with Senta happily showing his lab to the Doctor, so proud of what he can do, and then realizing that he's being asked to do a transference on the Doctor. Norman Henry does an excellent job as the disengaged scientist who doesn't understand the repercussions of his work.


Harry -
Senta was almost too oblivious to what he was doing, but that always seems to be the way with these far future scientists.


Sarah -
Doesn't it just?


Harry -
His little subplot was one of many that made this story rich. There were the intertwined fates of Nanina and Exorse, there was the laughably short-lived military coup attempt by Edal, and of course the very compelling relationship between Jano and his newer self!


Sarah -
Ah, yes, Jano. The whole second-half of the story hinges on his realization of how wrong his entire society is. What did you think of his Doctor imitation?


Harry -
I found it a bit creepy at first to hear the Doctor's persona emerge fom Jano's mouth. Is our Billy little more than a high-pitched fusspot who goes "Hmm!" a lot?   Hopefully not.  It was good that Jano also absorbed some of the Doctor's conscience too, and once that happened, it really set the cat amongst the oblivious scientists.


Sarah -
It was a little broad, wasn't it? Toby and Rob speculate whether or not the new production team was trying out other actors to see if they could replace Hartnell. What do you think of this theory?


Harry -
It's certainly an avenue that the producers would have explored. What to do? They had a hit show on their hands, but a lead actor whose best days were behind him. We won't even hear the word "regeneration" for another couple of Doctors.  They were really flying without a map here.

Imagine if they did run with the idea presented here, and it turned out that the First Doctor's essence could be transferred to a new body. We'd have had ten other actors grasping their lapels and going "Hmm!" at a high pitch these past 48 years?


Sarah -
I doubt it would have lasted past 1967!


Harry -
No kidding.  And another tragedy of the lost Doctor Who episodes: we are denied seeing the epic laboratory smashup. Terribly unfair!


Sarah -
This is the scene I most want to see recovered! It sounded brilliant!


Harry -
Almost gleefully so. A smashing end to a neat little story. Hartnell was back on form, and the companions had a great outing. So glad to see Steven go out on a high note: rallying the oppressed, challenging the established order, and living up to the potential that often seemed wasted. I'm sure the people of Far Future Planet Without a Name were fortunate to invite him to lead the rebuilding of their society.


Sarah -
His reaction was so sweet. Wondering if he was up to it and if his friends thought he could do it. I'll miss Steven a little bit.


Harry -
Me too!

I even have to credit Dodo on having her best story here. What a surprising little tale! Sadly, this was the last remaining Hartnell story that I had never seen. I'm just glad it turned out to be a good one.


Sarah -
I knew nothing of the story. It was really an unexpected pleasure.


Harry -
Ready to wrap?


Sarah -
Absolutely!

Lasting image: Steven's reaction to being asked to stay.

Favorite moment: The Doctor's "I am the Doctor and this is what I stand for" speech.

Best line: "Oppose you! Indeed I am going to oppose you - just as in the same way that I oppose the Daleks, or any other menace to common humanity!"

Lumped in with the Daleks. SNAP!

7/10


Harry -
Lasting image: Dodo exploring the city alone.

Favourite moment: Definitely the Doctor's confrontation with Jano.

Best line: "Come on, soldier boy!  What are you frightened of?  You've got the gun."  Angry Steven goading Exorse in the tunnels.

7/10

Our marathon continues with Story #27 - The War Machines...