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...
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