Story #38 - The Abominable Snowmen (1967)

Harry -
This was something unique. Not what I expected, yet even better. Enigmatic, eerie, even downright scary at times.

The story starts off on such a light note. The Doctor is delighted to be back in Tibet. He can barely wait to throw on his outrageous fur coat and go scampering down to the monastery.


Sarah -
I love his enthusiasm and that he's been here before. The snow and screaming at the beginning let's us know that all is not well, but the Doctor is so ready for adventure.

I love the juxtaposition of the Doctor rushing off all madcap with the Ghanta, and Jamie with the feeling that all is not quite right.


Harry -
I was thrilled because it felt like an old Hartnell historical.


Sarah -
It does, doesn't it? I almost expected Marco Polo to show up!


Harry -
As our friend Rob points out, the story moves very slowly, but that's not a bad thing. There are enough varied characters to keep it from feeling as though the story is being padded out. The Doctor is on form, and Jamie and Victoria both have lots of screen time.

Travers is the Edwardian hunter with a squint in his eye. Khrisong is the blunt and bullying monk. Songsten is the mysterious, enigmatic abbot. All three of them threaten to be revealed as the villain at any moment.

And yet... the story keeps leading us on. We wait and wait, but there seems to be something greater at work here. Even the Yeti are not what they seem - the Doctor reveals that they are just robots. That should be a big reveal, but it happens as early as episode two. What is going on here?


Sarah -
Unfortunately, this is one of those stories where the recon got in the way of my enjoyment of the story. I hate to admit it, but there were times when I had absolutely no idea what was going on and which character was which. I stayed with it through the first two episodes, but completely lost track of what the hell was going on for the rest of the story.

Mostly I just focused on the Doctor, Jamie, and Victoria, who all had some nice moments. Victoria seemed to have some especially good plotlines...I think.


Harry -
Rob touched upon the fact that this story did require some serious attention while viewing. Like "The Faceless Ones," it was a more grown up kind of Doctor Who. I liked it, but I don't think it would work on an ongoing basis.


Sarah -
Reading Rob and Toby's discussion, I found myself thinking, "Oh, that's what happened" quite often.


Harry -
In terms of being "grown up", there were several moments of horror that the recon did hinder, but were still effective. The reveal of Padmasambhava - basically an animated corpse kept alive by the power of the Great Intelligence - that was a great moment. His dual voices, his creepy hands, his chilling laugh all made for a memorable "villain."


Sarah -
The voice was definitely the most compelling and creepy aspect of the character.


Harry -
Another scary moment was Victoria's possession. This wasn't the now-standard companion possession, where they lurch about droning some brainwashed messaging. Victoria projected near-frantic levels of fear and urgency as she shouted at the Doctor to take her away. That was incredible!


Sarah -
It reminded me of Dodo's possession by WOTAN. The Doctor's panicked response to this possession made me really worry about Victoria!


Harry -
The story's strong suit seems to be the very uncertainty that it sows. We never know who the true villain is until late in the game. Even then, we never see it because it can only manifest itself in avatars.

Throughout, the Doctor seems to know what he's doing, but is not really convincing. His mental battle with Padmasambhava seems the critical moment - but was it just a distraction, long enough for Jamie and Thonmi to smash the true source of The Great Intelligence's power? We never really find out how much of the Doctor's actions were bluff and ruse, but that seems to go well with the entire story.

It's too bad this one was mostly erased, because in the absence of a big soundtrack, the visuals are critical. At least we got one episode out of six. How many of these damn recons are left, Sarah? I sense you are clutching your abacus with white knuckles over there.


Sarah -
Seven, Dear Harry, exactly seven!


Harry -
Bloody eck! I was hoping for a lower number. Well, let's put this one on ice (foreshadowing!) and press onward, shall we?


Sarah -
It's less than the eight we had going into this story, so that's something.

Onward!


Harry -
Best Line: Padmasambhava's wickedly slow delivery of the line "Come in my child - you have no al... ter... na... tive..."

Favourite Moment: Caught in a trance, Victoria frantically begs the Doctor to take her away.

Lasting Image: Those recurring shots of characters running up or down the mountainside. Wales looks so lovely!

8/10 (probably higher than it deserves, but I really liked the scary bits)


Sarah -
Best Line: The Doctor pulls out bagpipes while searching for the Ghanta:

Jamie: “I can fix these easily.”
Doctor: “Yes, I was afraid so.”

Favorite Moment: See above. It made me laugh out loud. What a team!

Lasting Image: Jamie and Victoria coming down the mountainside, looking for the Doctor. Ah, Wales!

6/10

Our marathon continues with Story #39 - The Ice Warriors...

Story #37 - The Tomb of the Cybermen (1967)

Harry -
We did it, Sarah! We finally reached the first full Troughton story. No missing episodes! No telesnaps nor subtitles! Let us revel in the moving pictures!


Sarah -
I cannot tell you how much I've been looking forward to this day!


Harry -
And yet, for all the enjoyment of the camera angles and wordless moments, this is such a simple story. Heck, the first two episodes could have been compressed into about ten minutes:

- Victoria receives her TARDIS orientation session
- TARDIS lands on a planet and our friends meet an expedition of archaeologists
- They break into a mysterious city and have a look round
- Cybermen!


Sarah -
Swap out the Cybermen and it could be so many other stories, don't you think?


Harry -
Hopefully not too many.


Sarah -
The opening scene in the TARDIS is refreshing. It feels so long since we were inside that Victoria’s introduction to the TARDIS is almost our reintroduction. We even get to find out the Doctor’s age – 450 years old!


Harry -
That was an unexpected revelation - I'm so used to the 900-something-years being tossed about by subsequent Doctors.


Sarah -
Time flies when you’re having fun, and all that…

I was amused at Jamie playing TARDIS tour guide for Victoria. He was just a bit too eager to help her find the wardrobe department, don't you think?


Harry -
Oh my word!


Sarah -
A quick slip into one of Polly's left-behind frocks and she's ready for adventure. I found myself wondering if a Victorian gal might not feel a wee bit exposed in 1960s clothes, when she commented on the shortness of the skirt. What do you think she's carrying in the purse? She can't have brought much with her from Skaro.


Harry -
Perhaps a paper fan and a bottle of opium?


Sarah -
One does want to be prepared. Also, it’s a handy place to store a cybermat!

In any case, we soon find ourselves in a quarry – and, as any Doctor Who fan knows, there’s nothing like a quarry to set the mood. All we need to complete the scene is a multinational team on a mysterious scientific mission and we’ll be set for adventure. Unfortunately, the one thing you can count on when a large team is introduced is that there are going to be casualties. A lot of casualties.


Harry -
A bit morbid, but in my notes I started tracking when and how people were getting killed off. It was "ten little Indians" at first, and I was really looking forward to Cyril Shaps' inevitable demise. Oh I love Cyril and his recurring performances as The Frazzled Neurotic Who Soon Meets His Inevitable Demise. I haven't seen what Toby had to say about him, but I hope he likes Cyril as much as I do!


Sarah -
He nailed the part, didn’t he? Cyril was clearly doomed as doomed could be.


Harry -
I checked.  Turns out neither Toby nor Rob had anything to say about Cyril.  Alas...


Sarah -
We’ll find out more about the rest of this band of adventurers as the story progresses, but I’d like to give a special shout out to Captain Hopper for giving what just may be the broadest performance in the series thus far – and that’s saying something!


Harry -
CERtainly the BROADest aMERican ACcent we've heard so FARRRR.

I love BBC Americans.


Sarah -
It may be the novelty of a complete episode, but Troughton is especially delightful in this story, isn’t he? Despite the danger, he just can’t resist adventure. Neither can he resist demonstrating how smart he is, helping Klieg open the doors to the tomb even when it’s clearly not a good idea.


Harry -
It could be argued that this story demonstrates the prototypical Troughton Doctor. He's often quiet and thoughtful, sometimes skittish and anxious, yet always in control. Rather than leaping into the fray, he lets others do what needs to be done, and throws the odd switch when necessary. A manipulative little clown, that fellow!


Sarah -
Manipulative and funny! His pun about the cybermats having a complete metal breakdown and Jamie’s pained reaction will be one of the moments I’ll remember from this story. What a team!


Harry -
As I said earlier, there isn't much to this story, but there isn't that much character development either. A lot of time gets taken up in just giving so many characters something to say.

The Cybermen's resurrection scene is iconic, of course, as the familiar timpani-woo-woo Cyber theme fades in.


Sarah -
Now that was cool. The cybermen stirring in their tombs was wonderfully creepy!


Harry -
Something new to this story, unless I've missed it before, was the addition of the sounds that Cybermen make when they attack someone. They all make a kind of gremlin noise, which is both fun and decidedly odd. After all, they are so proud of having eliminated fear and yet there they are trying to spook people with their boogedy-boo noises.


Sarah -
Even super-villains need to move with the times, My Friend. Can’t sit around waiting to be out-done by the Daleks!


Harry -
The Cyber Controller is particularly menacing here. He is both physically imposing and frighteningly single-minded. He constantly utters the "We will survive" refrain, and it was chilling when he stated: "Now you belong to us - you will become like us."


Sarah -
Well, at least his agenda’s on the table, I guess.


Harry -
We haven't said much about Klieg and Kaftan, but as secondary villains go, they were terribly predictable.


Sarah -
Oh, they were awful – futuristic versions of Maxtible from the Evil of the Daleks. Klieg’s attempts to rationalize the Cybermen’s behavior and reframe his plan to control them whenever he’s thwarted was pathetic. Kaftan is just odd. She looks mad as a hatter with those crazy eyes, and what’s with her “servant” Toberman? The relationship between the two of them was uncomfortable to say the least – and just a bit too reminiscent of Kemel and Maxtible’s in the Evil of the Daleks.


Harry -
Toberman's character is very dated. I was appalled when, after he sacrificed himself to stop the Cyber Controller, everyone went their separate ways and left his body lying in the dust. Appalling!


Sarah -
“Thanks, Buddy. Catch you later. No really, we’ll see you soon enough, marching around St. Paul’s. Until then, it’s been a laugh riot. Byeeeeeee.”

Victoria was actually the nicest surprise of this story. I was prepared for panicked screaming from her, but she was funny, smart, and kind of endearing. Her scenes with ship’s crew were particularly good.


Harry -
Victoria is delightful! The Doctor has clearly found a new surrogate grandchild to watch over. Their private conversation was wonderful to watch.


Sarah -
It was so touching. I felt all warm and fuzzy on the inside.


Harry -
And so we come to the end of a story that wasn't really about anything. Some folks found a tomb, some Cybermen got loose, then they got put back again. The end. This might have worked better as a more energetic two-parter.

The story rates highly among fandom, but a lot of that is probably because it's the earliest surviving Troughton story and the act of watching it is a joy in itself. There have been better Troughton stories before this one, and better ones to follow.

This one does have its moments, so I can't be all down about it.


Sarah -
It definitely benefits from having survived, but has some wonderful moments for Troughton and the companions. Also, Cybermen are cool.

Best Line(s):
Klieg : "How did you know in the first place?"
Doctor : "Oh, I used my own, special technique."
Klieg : "Oh, really, Doctor... and may we know what that is?"
Doctor : "Keeping my eyes open and my mouth shut!"

Favorite Moment: The Doctor consoling Victoria on the loss of her family and explaining how he deals with the loss of his.

Lasting Image: The Cybermen emerging from their tombs.

7/10


Harry -
Best Line: "I think perhaps your logic is wearing a little thin."

Favourite Moment: Toberman hurls "the Cyber Controller" into the main control panel. Classic BBC props work.

Lasting Image: The Cybermen emerging from their tombs.

7/10

Our marathon continues with Story #38 - The Abominable Snowmen...

Story #36 - The Evil of the Daleks (1967)

Harry -
Well, there's no surprise to this adventure when the baddies are featured in the title. It was a surprise, however, to see the first episode played almost entirely as a comedy.


Sarah -
There are some things one can count on from a story with “…of the Daleks” in the title, but comedy usually isn’t one of them.


Harry -
First there's Jamie's confrontation with Hall at Gatwick - complete with jaunty music - then some delightful moments of Troughton and Hines playing it up for the cameras as they search for the TARDIS.


Sarah -
“TARDIS is a Gaelic word.”


Harry -
I like how they take turns playing the foil to each other's schtick. A classic comedy partnership!


Sarah -
There’s a reason Hines stuck around so long. I laughed out loud when he asked, “Do you think this is some kind of trap, Doctor?” and the Doctor responded with an almost-giddy, “Yes.” Then we get to hear “Paperback Writer.” Best coffee bar scene in Doctor Who ever!


Harry -
I never knew this many Beatles references existed in classic Who.


Sarah -
Did you notice the detail of the TARDIS having been signed for by J. Smith? The first John Smith of the series!


Harry -
Yes, it was subtle.

But wait, isn't this a Dalek story? Ah yes, one of them fades into being at the end of part one and launches into a furious interrogation of Kennedy, who is not long for this world...


Sarah -
It’s really an odd and clever first episode, which doesn’t go where we expect. The scenes at the airport and coffee bar set us for an extended visit in 1966, on what has to have been the most exciting day in Earth’s history – WOTAN defeated, a brokered peace with the Faceless Ones and now Daleks.

Nor are the humans we meet the baddies we expect them to be. Curiouser and curiouser…


Harry -
No kidding. No sooner do Jamie and the Doctor find their way to Waterfield's antique shoppe, than they are whisked away to the home of Theodore Maxtible in 1866... and this suddenly becomes a steampunk story!


Sarah -
All Maxtible needs is a pair of goggles and his look will be complete.


Harry -
"The Evil of the Daleks" is steampunk before such a thing even existed. The classic elements are there: Victorians tinkering with the fabric of time, bubbling laboratories and analog experiments, aliens from the future come to wreak havoc in the 19th century, fantastic stuff.


Sarah -
Plus, a sliding bookcase! Really, is there anything more exciting than a sliding bookcase and secret room?


Harry -
The Doctor sorts out the mystery and Maxtible confirms that the TARDIS plot was all a trap to bring the Daleks' greatest foe before them. This time however, they don't want to destroy him, they want him to make them extra superior. They want the so-called "human factor".

(I didn't really buy why the Daleks would not want the "Doctor factor" instead, but I went along with it.)


Sarah -
Best not to dwell too much on the science, especially in this story.


Harry -
Especially when it turns out that the Daleks have promised Maxtible the secret formula for turning iron into gold. What a rube!


Sarah -
I love the Doctor’s reaction when static electricity is mentioned and suddenly all the pieces fall into place.


Harry -
I love Patrick Troughton's acting throughout this story. Fraser Hines was great too.


Sarah -
And so begins Jamie’s Dalek adventure. His reaction to finding out they were dealing with Daleks is classic, almost rolling his eyes at the Doctor for having gone on and on about the Daleks. One imagines the Doctor in front of a TARDIS fireplace, recounting tales of his old foes over a cup of cocoa.

This time out, they want to understand humans so that they can conquer them more effectively. The Doctor appears to go along with their plan to help Waterfield get his daughter, Victoria, back from the Daleks. Unfortunately for Jamie, the plan involves using him as a guinea pig to help the Daleks understand human nature – and he’s having none of it!


Harry -
If "The Faceless Ones" was where Jamie became the acknowledged main companion, this story thrusts him into the lead for a couple of episodes completely.

While the Daleks, the Doctor and Maxtible observe, Jamie does battle with the mysterious Kemel. Having knocked each other around the house for almost five minutes of dialogue-free screentime (crazy!), they then team up to search for Victoria. This show is now The Adventures of Jamie McCrimmon and his silly friend the Doctor.


Sarah -
I kept thinking of the games in "The Celestial Toymaker" during these scenes -- I knew something exciting was going on, but wasn't quite sure what it was.


Harry -
By the time we get to Part Five, Jamie and Kemel thwart the Daleks and rescue Victoria Waterfield. The action-adventure component of the story comes to a happy conclusion, but the Daleks are still demanding the human factor and the Doctor obliges, with unexpected results!


Sarah -
The human-factor-infected Daleks were brilliant! Their reaction to being given names was priceless and their playing was the last thing you would ever expect from Daleks!


Harry -
Again, Troughton is magical here, playing "trains" and "roundabout" with the Daleks who coo like babies.

But the fun comes to an end quickly, as all Daleks are summoned back to Skaro. Everyone is either dragged along in their wake, or forced to flee as Maxtible's house is blown up. The fun never stops, does it?


Sarah -
Never ever!


Harry -
(And before I forget, one thing that bugged me throughout this story, and was never explained: why was a painting of Waterfield's wife hanging above the mantel in Maxtible's home?)


Sarah -
(Yeah, what was that?)


Harry -
Part Seven is a very dark episode. Skaro is as nasty a place as we remember. The Emperor Dalek is a new and ghastly menace.


Sarah -
It feels like both forever ago and just yesterday that we were last on Skaro.


Harry -
Poor Maxtible finally gets his payoff from the Daleks in the form of the Dalek factor. He was such a willing collaborator and total fool that I did not totally feel sorry for his demise.


Sarah -
Maxtible’s willing blindness to the utter evil of the Daleks was infuriating.


Harry -
The Doctor relies again on the art of deception, as well as the human factor, and he sows rebellion in the heart of the Dalek world. The reward for viewers (or audio listeners, or eternally-suffering recon watchers) is an unforgettable scene. The Daleks turn on each other in the Emperor's control room. What a battle! This outdoes the Daleks-Mechanoids fight scene in "The Chase".


Sarah -
I love that when the Daleks get the human factor, the first thing they do is start questioning their orders and refusing to obey.


Harry -
It was a thrilling conclusion to a wild, rollicking adventure. I think this is Troughton and Hines's best story so far, and one of the best Dalek stories ever.


Sarah -
And so ends season four.


Harry -
It was a wild one.


Sarah -
I hadn’t realized this was meant to be the final Dalek story. Troughton’s line, “I think I’ve seen the end of the Daleks forever,” could have been the end of the Daleks.


Harry -
I didn't know this either.


Sarah -
It will take a while, but I’m really glad they’ll be back.


Harry -
In keeping with the oddball entrances and departures of 1960s companions, Victoria is now along for the ride. I haven't seen many of her stories, so I'm looking forward to getting to know her. She doesn't seem to be rated highly among companions. I guess we'll soon find out why.


Sarah -
Well, there’s something to look forward to.


Harry -
Best line: "Hellooo friennnnnd!"

Favourite moment: The Doctor urges Jamie to be careful inside Waterfield's antique shoppe, then almost topples a table himself.

Lasting image: The Emperor Dalek

9/10


Sarah -
Best line: “I will obey, but not without question”

Favorite moment: Jamie calling out the Doctor for not telling him the truth.

Lasting image: The Daleks playing with the Doctor

9/10

 

Our marathon continues with Story #37 - The Tomb of the Cybermen...

Story #35 - The Faceless Ones (1967)

Sarah -
I like getting straight to the action – Police Box on the Runway! One can’t help but wonder, if an airplane was coming straight at you, wouldn’t one be safer in the TARDIS than dashing across the runway?


Harry -
Well, the Doctor decided that "Scatter!" was a better option, so everyone obliged. I love the opening minutes of this story - in fact, the entire first episode is a rush of action. Everyone scampering around Gatwick, with Bobbies and police motorcycles in pursuit, and 60s action music full on. Classic stuff.

It's interesting to contrast the pacey opening to the remarkably tepid finale - but I'm getting ahead of myself.


Sarah -
I'll resist the urge to get both of us ahead of ourselves.

In any case, the action begins and our heroes are immediately separated. Poor Polly encounters a bloke with a death ray and apparent alien overlord. Has no one told this guy that killing a cop is never a good idea and always dooms you in the end?


Harry -
It's poor Polly's turn to be separated from her friends and brainwashed. At least the writers kept a rotation going.


Sarah -
It's inevitable when you travel with the Doctor, isn't it?


Harry -
Indeed. Wasn't that Captain Blade a chilly bastard? His henchman Spencer too. Even though their plots seemed improvised and incoherent at times, at least their tone was consistent. They never strayed into histrionics - these were very "grown up" alien villains. Mysterious too - their secrets were teased out to the audience at just the right pace.


Sarah -
I love the calm, cool, and collected tone that all the aliens use. Positively menacing.


Harry -
My favourite 60s DW stories are the ones set in contemporary (for its day) London. The look, the sound, the classiness of it all - and the fact that they are now historicals in their own right. Wild.

Even though this adventure takes place at an aeroport, there is still an intimate feel to the story because everything takes place in only a handful of rooms. What I'm trying to say is, I really like this story!


Sarah -
I love this story! After the drudge of "The Macra Terror", I was more than ready for a great story and "The Faceless Ones" more than delivers!


Harry -
It's also an important story because of the big companions shift that takes place. After part two, Ben and Polly vanish and Jamie has the spotlight all to himself - that is, until the lass from Liverpool bursts onto the scene.


Sarah -
Remember, this is my first time watching "The Faceless Ones".


Harry -
Mine too.


Sarah -
I nearly jumped off my sofa when she first appeared…


Harry -
Me too!


Sarah -
...but more on that later.


Harry -
One of the most striking images of the story comes right after Polly is snatched away by Spencer, and the Doctor and Jamie are seen strolling amiably away, as if they've always been best mates. It's one of those moments where you suddenly realize that the show has made a Big Shift.


Sarah -
They’ve always been best mates, haven’t they?


Harry -
It was interesting to read Rob and Toby's notes on this story. I was unaware that Samantha Briggs was all-but the next companion, had Pauline Collins not turned the opportunity down. I'd love to hear her thoughts today, to find out whether she regrets the decision or not.


Sarah -
Oh my, I’ll have to dash off and read that. (Sorry, Rob and Toby, I try not to consult your work until I’ve gotten my thoughts down – don’t want to be unduly influenced.)


Harry -
Anyway, when Samantha first appeared at the Chameleon kiosk to question Polly, there was something familiar about her. It was driving me nuts until I realized where else I'd seen her (and no, I'm not talking about Shirley Valentine).


Sarah -
Because obviously you’re thinking of her dynamic performance as Sarah on Upstairs, Downstairs! That little minx! First Jean Marsh, then Pauline Collins! We’ll have to go more than two decades to see Simon Williams in "Remembrance of the Daleks" but it will be well worth the wait. Pauline Collins is a positive spitfire and brings all she’s got to the role of Samantha, she would have probably kicked the Doctor out and stolen the TARDIS eventually, so it’s probably best that she didn’t stick around.

Oh…wait…I suspect you were referring to an appearance Collins will make forty years hence, which merely backs up my point that she’s a absolute firecracker in any role she assumes!

Sorry, we were discussing something else, weren’t we? I get a little distracted when the subject of Upstairs, Downstairs comes up.


Harry -
A brilliant digression, Sarah!


Sarah -
If we had an Upstairs, Downstairs blog, I would probably digress about Doctor Who. (Hmm, now there’s an idea. We’ll need a project when we finish this one in ten or so years.)


Harry -
Hah! And yes, I was referring to Pauline's grand return to Doctor Who as Queen Victoria almost four decades later. I love seeing actors who return to DW.


Sarah -
It’s loads of fun.


Harry -
But we'll get to that story eventually (I hope!). Turning back to "The Faceless Ones" you can totally see how the combination of Jamie and Samantha was being positioned as the Doctor's companions moving forward. Both are strong characters who will go to the wall for people they care about, and they definitely have an eye for each other. A peck on the cheek from Jamie, and a full on kiss at the end. The Doctor might have had to pry those two apart every time the TARDIS landed. Oh my word!


Sarah -
Oh my smootchies! Even with the telesnaps, things were getting a little heated! Nice touch picking Sam’s pocket during a kiss.


Harry -
It's odd feeling deprived by something that didn't happen in 1967, and we only found out about now.


Sarah -
Still, we’ll always have Paris…and China…and Troy…and Kembel…and Skaro…and, oh you get the picture.


Harry -
This recap is turning into a Salman Rushdie novel for all its digressions! Anyway, as the Chameleons' plot is revealed, the action picks up aboard their mother ship - which in keeping with the era looks like an aeroport cocktail lounge.


Sarah -
Loved the airplane turning into a space ship!


Harry -
This for me was where things got very interesting. Each side is suddenly at the mercy of the other, and a stalemate ensues. Instead of outwitting the aliens or relying on a stroke of blind luck, the Doctor negotiates with them. And instead of shrieking and blowing things up, the aliens negotiate with the Doctor. That's how shit is supposed to go down every time! And yet, this is one of the only stories I can remember that ended this way - not with a BBC bang, but with calmness and diplomacy (under the threat of a big stick, but still).


Sarah -
I found myself trying to recall a story that was ended so amicably. I liked how in charge the Doctor was. Troughton has spent most of his time as the Doctor flying by the seat of his pants, which I love, but which doesn’t inspire the calm and control Hartnell often brought to the character.


Harry -
Of course, if every story ended this way, Doctor Who would have been cancelled after one season.


Sarah -
You’ve got a point there.


Harry -
It is an action show, after all. But I'm so glad we got an ending like this, even just once, to show that it doesn't always have to be explosions and death for all involved.


Sarah -
So civilized.


Harry -
This is easily the most "grown up" story we've seen so far, don't you think?


Sarah -
It’s definitely not kiddie TV!

I’d like to sprint back a bit and talk about the humans at the airport. I started off being amused by the crankiness of the Commandant, but really liked him by the end of the story. He’s such a stereotypical bureaucrat – focused on the job, humorless, unimaginative.


Harry -
Oh gosh, he was the perfect miserable bureaucrat. I know so many like him!


Sarah -
He has his boorish moments, like when his charming assistant, Jean, takes the initiative to phone the hotels where Chameleon flies, he yells at her for spending too much on calls. Still, Jane’s detective work gives them the break they need to figure out what’s going on. Eventually, he evolves enough to accept that there is more to the universe and eventually goes along with the Doctor’s plan, despite his initial reluctance.


Harry -
This was a fantastic, well fleshed-out six parter.


Sarah -
It’s probably time to get to the issue of this being Ben and Polly’s last story.


Harry -
*cue sad 60s music, laden with strings and faux harpsichords*


Sarah -
It’s a pity they were treated so shabbily – both in character and on the set. Dispatching of them in the second episode is just adding insult to injury.


Harry -
Toby's recap of the actors' departure was sad to read.


Sarah -
Early on, the Doctor and Jamie brush off Polly’s concerns, promising to look after her and ignoring her concerns over Ben’s absence. Then they don’t even notice when she’s kidnapped!

Her rejoinder to Spencer, “You don’t think my friends are just going to forget me like that, do you?” made me wonder just a bit as they seem to have done just that. Just two blokes out for a stroll are Our Jamie and the Doctor.

Then Polly gets replaced with posh, snooty Polly, who doesn’t know her friends.

Ben at least gets a bit to do before he’s dispatched. The scene with the Doctor, Jamie and Ben in the photo booth, having a secret conversation and pretending to take a photo whenever anyone tried to enter may just be the funniest scene of the entire series so far!


Harry -
I loved that last bit of group zaniness.


Sarah -
Ben then finds himself immobilized and it’s “Cheerio, Mate!”


Harry -
At least they got a final scene - and a well-done one at that. It would have been maddening if they had only been spoken of at the end, someone telling the Doctor that they had been seen jumping into a cab for London or something like that.


Sarah -
They had to have a final scene after the Dodo debacle!


Harry -
The goodbyes were emotional and well-played. A great chunk of fanhood likes to believe that Ben and Polly ended up sticking together, and I'm part of that group. They were very cute together.


Sarah -
I believe the mention of Polly and Ben in the Sarah Jane Adventures makes it canon that they stayed together. At the very least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. They were both excellent characters and I want them to have a happy fictional future together.

While it was sad for us, Polly and Ben's departure may be the most positive since Barbara and Ian.


Harry -
And in keeping with this wild chase of a story, we end with the TARDIS gone missing. OH MY WORD!


Sarah -
Indeed! Let's dash ahead to our next adventure, where I suspect we'll run into some old friends...

Best Line: “Ben can catch his ship and become an admiral and you, Polly, you can look after Ben.”

Favorite Moment: Polly and Ben’s final look back at the Doctor. I got teary-eyed.

Lasting Image: Smiling in the photo booth. I'm giggling again just thinking about it.

9/10


Harry -
Best Line: "It's a flying beastie!"

Favourite Moment: The TARDIS lands, everyone scatters and the adventure begins.

Lasting Image: Jamie and the Doctor strolling away together, a classic imagesfrom the Second Doctor era.

9/10

 

Our marathon continues with Story #36 - The Evil of the Daleks...

Story #34 - The Macra Terror (1967)

Harry -
My word, it took forever to get through that one. Did I mention I'm developing a slow-boiling hate for recons?


Sarah -
Oh, My Dear Harry, it's like a slog through the thickest mud. It takes all my energy to stay positive.


Harry -
What struck me about "The Macra Terror" is that it is a feast for the senses. We were denied so many visuals here: the majorettes on parade, the Macra attacks, and Jamie's highland fling! Boo recons! Damn you BBC!

At least we had the full audio. And what a cacophony! Delia and Co. must have had a blast coming up with the incidental bits like the majorettes' music.


Sarah -
One suspects that 1966 is the year LSD hit the Beeb. The soundtrack is INSANE!

How I'd love to see the majorettes parade in motion.


Harry -
Looking beyond the frustrating stills and relentless noise, "The Macra Terror" is an interesting little adventure. At times, I found it a study in psychological terror, other times it was an anti-establishment satire.

The root of the story is a colony fallen under the control of parasitic insects, who utilize Orwellian tactics to keep the human colonists under control.

Enter the TARDIS crew, who take a flipping great fly swatter to the whole thing.


Sarah -
On a mission to irritate the baddies of the galaxy since 1963!


Harry -
Our friends Rob and Toby declare this story to be a classic. I'm not quite there, but I do agree with much they have to say. The Doctor is brilliant here, tweaking the nose of authority, throwing spanners into the works, and even awarding himself 10 out of 10s for his mathematical skills. Cheeky!


Sarah -
Troughton's delightful performance helped me through the rather challenging recon. I laughed loudly at the Doctor's reaction to the grooming machine -- inserting himself into the muscle-toning machine to get properly messed up again!


Harry -
Madcap!

This time, it's Ben's turn to fall under the sway of the enemy via their nighttime brainwashing. I was genuinely angry with him for lacking the willpower of Polly and Jamie, but he still showed flashes of bravery, as when he rescued Polly from one of the Macra.


Sarah -
Poor Ben, always so solid and reliable. I felt so badly for him being the one to succumb to the Macra.


Harry -
And how about those Macra, eh? The stills and brief snippets of footage depict lumbering, claw-waving hulks with glowing headlights for eyes. I couldn't help but think of them as Volkswagons that had become sentient, not so much "crabs" as "bugs" if you know what I mean.


Sarah -
OMG, that's perfect. I guess they might be scary if one found oneself face to face...but not so much in the stills.


Harry -
I guess the pivotal scene was the "man behind the curtain" moment. This was when the Controller was revealled to be a confused old man, who was then attacked by a Macra. It's only the end of part two, and the façade of the colony has been ripped away. Yet the colonists are unfazed by what they've seen, and it's up to our heroes to overthrow the system once and for all.


Sarah -
It really takes a lot to get through to these colonists doesn't it?


Harry -
But not before Jamie gets caught in a gas-filled tunnel, Ben fights to overcome his subconscious indoctrination, and Polly and the Doctor figure out a solution.

I don't know. This is such a straightforward story, but the telling of it was so bizarre. Like Jamie making his way to the "glee club" practice room and dancing a highland fling. Crazy!


Sarah -
I kind of like the randomness of that whole thing.


Harry -
Kudos to the production crew for creating such a distinctly bizarre story! It was Doctor Who, The Prisoner and 1984 mashed into one.


Sarah -
I feel better knowing I wasn't the only one reminded of The Prisoner.


Harry -
Perhaps that could be our next marathon, sometime in the 2020s!


Sarah -
I'm not sure if it was me or the low-quality of the recon, but I just couldn't get caught up in this story. I was relieved when the "Stranger's Trophy" was presented and we could get the heck off that planet. We're not done with the Macra, mind you, but what's forty years between friends?


Harry -
Indeed!

I'm ready to wrap this one up.

Best line: In lieu of any particular zinger, I'm giving the award to Delia Derbyshire and her amazing score.

Favourite moment: The big party at the end. Everyone was in such great spirits before dancing away.

Lasting image: Ben and Polly clinging to each other in panto terror.

6/10


Sarah -
Best Line: I'll give this one to the Doctor : "Bad laws were made to be broken"

Favorite Moment: The Doctor getting cleaned up and immediately messed up again.

Lasting Image: The Highland Fling!

6/10

Our marathon continues with Story #35 - The Faceless Ones...

Story #33 - The Moonbase (1967)

Harry -
As we continue our calm, affable stroll along the corridor that is this marathon -- Rob and Toby having sprinted far off into the distance -- I love being able to revisit stories that I watched years ago. Like this one.


Sarah -
"Calm, affable stroll" makes me feel a bit less guilty for taking far too long to get through this story.


Harry -
Aye, it's no' a race, as Jamie might put it.


Sarah -
Not at our pace, Sunshine.


Harry -
What I meant to say was how the passage of time can create false impressions of Doctor Who stories not seen for a while. Like this one.

I was really looking forward to re-watching "The Moonbase", thinking it to be one of the most bestest Cybermen stories ever. Having watched it again, all those warm and fuzzy memories turned out to be deceiving.

That's not to say it's a bad story, it's just not the one I remembered.


Sarah -
This is my first viewing of "The Moonbase", but I know what you mean. I've had a similar experience with other Doctor Who stories.

It's not a bad story. A bit of a retread of "The Tenth Planet" in some ways, but not bad.


Harry -
A retread in many respects: TARDIS lands on the moon, crew explores and gets into the local moonbase, which is soon menaced by metal giants. Cue spacey-timpani score!


Sarah -
After the awful score of the last story, I have to say I thought "The Moonbase's" score was quite good.


Harry -
Unlike "The Tenth Planet," where the gruff General Cutler lorded over a stressed out crew, the crew of this moonbase is naive and overly friendly. Commander Hobson ("Hobby" to the lads) is like a baffled old uncle who can barely follow what's going on. The rest of the crew seem no less baffled at times.


Sarah -
Hard to believe these guys are in charge of the Earth's weather!


Harry -
Luckily the Doctor is there to... hold on, even the Doctor seems a bit quiet in the early going. Actually, this story seemed to take forever to get going. It's basically the Doctor and his friends welcomed to the moonbase with no alarm at all among the crew, an injured Jamie bleating on about the Phantom Piper, and a series of rather clumsy kidnappings. Not what I remembered at all.

I was shocked that the Cybermen didn't even speak until episode three!


Sarah -
That probably wasn't a bad thing. I couldn't really understand most of what they said, anyway. It was an improvement over their sing-songy voices in "The Tenth Planet", but hard to decipher at times.


Harry -
The new Cybervoices are evil! So evil! As a child, if I could make out what they were saying, I would have been terrified!

And I think that's what makes this the most kid-oriented DW story yet - the black-and-whiteness of it all, with loads of silliness. The Doctor does a lot of silly things here: crawling around and removing items of clothing from oblivious crew members, pretending to make awesome discoveries with science equipment, even having audible conversations with himself.


Sarah -
That was completely brilliant! I loved the Doctor's inner dialogue scene!


Harry -
The moonbase crew are assured of their silly status by way of those shower caps. Ben blends into the furniture while Jamie bleats on, so it's up to Polly to devise a concoction to thwart the Cybermen. It felt like watching the first season again, where some Actual Science featured in the story.


Sarah -
Benoit was my favorite member of the crew. If his outrageous accent wasn't enough to let us silly English k...niggets know he was FRAWNCH, the neck scarf was there to remove all doubt.


Harry -
I kept waiting for Nils, the so-called "mad Dane" to live up to his name, but it never happened, so Benoit's my favourite too.


Sarah -
Also, I could not get it out of my head that he looked like Mr. Bean and kept waiting for more silliness to ensue.

Ben's shirt is quite excellent.

Jamie is...well, he's Jamie, which is to say adorable.

It's Our Polly who rises to the challenge and saves the day. Barbara would be so proud! Who knew getting manicures could save the planet?


Harry -
The devising of the "Polly cocktail" was another great moment for her character. 


Back to the Cybermen. Unless I missed something, their whole plot could be summed up with the words "destroy everything." Such an unambiguous, kid-friendly story, it was practically panto.


Sarah -
Which is why Mr. Bean fits in so nicely.

Speaking of the set. Oh were we? I guess we are now.

Speaking of the set, I quite liked that modernist balloon sculpture that seemed to be an important part of controlling the Earth's weather. Speaking of the Earth's weather, I'm not quite liking this cold and wet Spring we're having so far. Those blokes on the moon are really shirking their responsibilities these days.

Oh, wait, we were actually talking about Cybermen weren't we? They've upgraded nicely in the few centuries since we last met them, haven't they?


Harry -
The giant headlamps have been steamlined nicely. I'm not a fan of those spikey gloves, or those wiffle balls attached to their bodies.

They are a tenacious lot, though their tactics leave a lot to be desired. For a race of "upgraded" beings, seeing them sneaking about like rats doesn't seem right. When they do attempt a frontal assault, their weaponry fails. As a final humiliation, the Doctor and friends send the Cybermen floating off into space. Hurrah everybody!


Sarah -
Some things just never turn out the way you plan, do they?

The Cybermen clearly need to work out some of the kinks and get back to us. It's nice to know there are always things we can count on in Doctor Who.


Harry -
Like wobbling sets... literally! I'm talking about the part two cliffhanger, when a Cyberman leaps off one of the beds in the medical room. Not only does the bed rock, but you can hear it go "WOB-BLE, WOB-BLEWOB-BLE, WOB-BLEWOB-BLEWOB-BLE" as the credits roll. Fantastic!


Sarah -
I was waiting for the bed to collapse and take the Cyberman with it!


Harry -
Overall, "The Moonbase" is a light romp with lots of fun moments, but not exactly a Cyberclassic.

Best line: The Cyberman's mocking "Clever, clever, clever."

Favourite moment: The sequence where, after a big buildup, the Cybermen's laser cannon fails to crack the moonbase dome, and they pack it up again with resignation.

Lasting image: Benoit working the gravitron controls in shower cap and scarf. Oh la la!

7/10


Sarah -
Best line: Jamie, having asked the Doctor to land someplace on purpose: "Oh, thank the lord for that. You know, Doctor, I'll never ask you to do that again."

Favourite moment: The Doctor's chat with himself.

Lasting image: It's got to be the shower cap!

7/10

Our marathon continues with Story #34 - The Macra Terror...

Story #32 - The Underwater Menace (1967)

Sarah -
Are there any two words that warm a Whovian’s heart as quickly as “surviving episode"?


Harry -
Hurrah!


Sarah -
After soldiering on through recons for what seems like ages, it’s a delight to have an entire episode of footage – the earliest surviving episode of the Second Doctor’s era – in "The Underwater Menace." I know we’re focused on the stories, but it’s so much easier to enjoy a story when I can see what’s happening.


Harry -
I'm trying not to hate the recons because we still have many more to soldier through.

Check this out -- someone's found a way to find some humour in it:

LINK 


Sarah -
Love it!

The story gets off to a slow start in the first episode. It’s time for Jamie to acclimate to the TARDIS. The moment where they all suggest what they’d like to do next is fun – prehistoric monsters for the Doctor – but things drag a bit from there.


Harry -
I love the childlike/maniacal glee with which the Doctor hopes to encounter prehistoric monsters!


Sarah -
The TARDIS crew separates, as they are apparently contractually obligated to do, and end up almost immediately back together in an elevator taking them farther and farther beneath the sea.


Harry -
That all seemed a bit of filler. But I guess it was there to build up the mystery of Our Heroes whereabouts, to the big reveal...


Sarah -
I don’t think we’re in Cornwall, Polly! But where are they? The future? The past? Clever Polly has the answer. Having found at bracelet from the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, she reckons they’re in 1970.


Harry -
That was so random!


Sarah -
But it’s the future! Disembarking from the lift, they’re given a dinner of plankton, which the Doctor eats with delight, prompting one the best lines of the story from Polly -- “I’ve never seem him go for food like this before; it’s usually hats.” It would be a pity to go an episode without a hat reference, wouldn’t it?


Harry -
I laughed.


Sarah -
Who wouldn’t? Speaking of tropes, it’s been a while since we’ve had a human sacrifice, so let’s toss in a high priest who has been alerted by the goddess that visitors are coming. What would Yetaxa have to say about the TARDIS crew being fed to a pool of sharks?


Harry -
Yeah, here's where the story suddenly accelerates into bizzaro land. Can I just say that the Atlantean fashions are my favourite costumes so far? Especially the fish-head masks. I loved them!


Sarah -
It was a good look.


Harry -
And did you notice who played the high priest Lolem? It was Peter Stephens, who played Cyril the naughty schoolboy in "The Celestial Toymaker." Now he's all grown up and leading sacrifice rituals!


Sarah -
I did not! How far Cyril has come. Unfortunately for Lolem, the story sprints past him. Fortunately for everyone else, the Doctor has heard the name of Professor Zaroff, the greatest scientific genius since Leonardo, mentioned and manages to get a serving girl to carry a message to him – a note that is signed Dr. W. (Just trying to stir up some trouble by bringing that up…)


Harry -
The showmakers were so inconsistent with how to reference the Doctor during these early years, it's no wonder the debate has raged on to the present day. But back to Zaroff.


Sarah -
Zaroff stops the sacrifice to avoid, in the Doctor’s words, having “a modern scientific mind like mine sacrificed to heathen idol.” Zaroff likes the Doctor’s sense of humor, and decides to let him hang around, revealing his ultimate plan to raise Atlantis from the sea. Meanwhile, Jamie and Ben are sent to the mines and Polly is to be converted to being a fish person.

Whew! I take it back, this story doesn’t get off to a slow start – it jams a whole story into the first episode!


Harry -
Yeah, the second half of this episode was non-stop weirdness. From the mystery setting and era, to the peculiar coupling of Atlanteans and modern scientists. Ancient rituals in one room, mad science operations in the next.

Is it any wonder Jamie says barely a word during all of this? I picture him standing at the back, brow furrowed, wondering just what the feck is going on here.


Sarah -
Oh, Jamie. I’m not going to lie – the highlight of the surviving episode for me was Jamie in the wet suit. I got a little light-headed, much as I did when Frazer Hines explained to me at Chicago TARDIS that he was wearing a shirt he had worn back on the series. I know he was saying words, but all I remember was a slight ringing in my ears. If I recall, that was when I passed out and you rolled me under the table out of harm’s way. I can’t thank you enough for the assist, Dear Harry.


Harry -
I'm there to help, Old Girl.


Sarah -
Don’t call me Old Girl!

Sorry, what were we discussing? Oh yes, Zaroff’s plans to drain ocean and blow up the world for the achievement of it. For a show that’s about a time-traveling scientist, there are some seriously wacked-out scientists mucking about. Still, Doctor is good at humoring them – or at least mixing gasses to overtake them.


Harry -
Zaroff is compelling in a "James Bond supervillain" sort of way, but also frustrating in that there seems to be so much delicious backstory to him, but we never learn any of it. I might have to check out the Target novelisation.


Sarah -
Have you got that one?


Harry -
No, but I'm tempted to fish around online for one.

Another compelling character is the servant girl, Ara. She's everywhere! Carrying messages, helping our friends, creating diversions, what an amazing person!


Sarah -
The hardest working maid in Atlantis!


Harry -
I still can't get my head around how bizarre this story is. Let's just backup a bit. The TARDIS lands on a volcanic island, where a seemingly modern elevator takes them down a shaft to Atlantis. Could the Atlanteans not ride the shaft to the surface? Could Zaroff or Damon not have arranged to bring them to the modern world? Why the heck did they remain sequestered down there?


Sarah -
And why did they have such bushy eyebrows?


Harry -
And why, despite the Doctor's warning, does King Thous have complete faith in Zaroff?

Then there's the plankton-farming Fish People. Utterly bizarro! I can't handle this!


Sarah -
And we haven’t even started discussing the Fish People ballet yet! If we only get one surviving episode, I’m so happy it’s the one with the ballet. It’s INSANE!


Harry -
This episode reminded me of "The Web Planet", where you have the writers coming up with amazing concepts, but the production crew unable to pull it off.

And I've never liked those fish-eyed costumes. They creep me out.


Sarah -
I liked shipwreck survivors Sean and Jacko, even if Sean was a walking stereotype – all he needed was a pint of Jameson’s to complete the role. “It will take a great gift of the gab to win them over.” “Well, you are Irish.” Thanks Doctor, after that he can sing them his version of Danny Boy!


Harry -
Oh my! Throw in Zaroff as the Balkan gangster and we've got something to offend everyone!


Sarah -
The Doctor gets to dress up again! His gypsy look with sunglasses was particularly fetching. It was perfect for the madcap little romp around the market.


Harry -
The story descends into complete folly during that scene. I couldn't take it seriously after that -- and I barely did before!


Sarah -
I have to call out the music in this story. It’s just awful – like a bad silent movie.


Harry -
Yeah, maybe it was overloud or something, but I found it interfered with the story.


Sarah -
It was horribly intrusive.


Harry -
And when I say "story", do we still have one by the time we get to episode four? "The Underwater Menace" has dissolved into a ceaseless romp round Atlantis, our heroes chasing and being chased by comic baddies.

And after all that, Zaroff suddenly pulls out the most evil looking pistol we've yet to see on Doctor Who. He had a gun the whole time! So while he was engaging in swordplay, and hauling Polly around, and faking heart attacks, he could have just pulled a gun the whole time. AARGH!


Sarah -
This story is completely INSANE and I kind of love it. I know it’s not terribly well-respected in fandom, but I really quite enjoyed it – despite all its failings. Or maybe because of them.

I desperately hope they will “build a new Atlantis without gods and without fish people.”


Harry -
Oh those Atlanteans, what a passive bunch of drips!

Hey Sarah, you know what would have made this story awesome?


Sarah -
What's that?


Harry -
Prehistoric monsters!


Sarah -
Fact!

So, Our Heroes find themselves back in the TARDIS, where Jamie says he feels safe, despite his suspicion that the Doctor can’t control it. The Doctor replies that he can make it go where he wants, but has just never wanted to. The words are barely out of his mouth before things go wrong…

Best line: Sean, on the beach: “I can’t believe it – flamin’ English police box.”

Favorite moment: The tussle in the marketplace

Lasting image: The wacky fish people ballet

6/10


Harry -
Best line: I was going to go with "NOTHING IN DE VORLD KEN STOP ME NIAOWWW!" but I almost teared up right at the end, as Ben and the Doctor made their way out of the tunnels and Ben said, in a heartbreaking tone: "Doctor, what about Polly?" The cockney sailor really does care!

Favourite moment: the Dance of the Fish People

Lasting image: the Atlanteans' costumes

5/10

 

Our marathon continues with Story #33 - The Moonbase...