Story #77 - The Sontaran Experiment (1975)

Sarah -
From the claustrophobia of Nerva to the desolation of Earth in one quick transmat hop!

Watching the first two-parter in more than 10 years, I found myself enjoying the economy of storytelling. The padding that goes into so many of the six-parters is exposed by the efficiency of "The Sontaran Experiment". Telling the story in two episodes means non-stop action. I can only wish there were more stories this tight.


Harry -
At just under 50 minutes, this story clocks around the same time as one from the new series, and it shows. The pacing is brisk and there's very little time for anything else than plot, plot, plot. Funny enough, the same things we complain about in the new series could be glimpsed here: lack of character development, not a single pause in the action to catch one's breath, and a hastily concocted conclusion. I suspect "The Sontaran Experiment" would have been pelted with tomatoes in the Internet age.

But, as we mentioned before, the relentless slow march of 6-part stories in the Pertwee era almost derailed our marathon. They were generally too long to sustain interest, especially when the padding came on heavy.

So would you agree that the ideal Doctor Who story is the classic 4-parter?


Sarah -
Absolutely. As we've discussed in the past, my local public television station ran Doctor Who in the movie format back in the day. Four-parters were perfect for the 90 minute time slot, which is probably why they seemed to air Tom Baker's stories over and over. Still, it seems to be just about the right amount of time to tell the story without extended cliffhanger wraparounds.

I say this, of course, knowing that we're about to go into a six-parter that is one of my all time favorite Doctor Who stories. There are always exceptions to the rule.


Harry -
Which show breaks its own rules more than Doctor Who?


Sarah -
As our friend Toby says, "It all matters, except when it doesn't."


Harry -
"The Sontaran Experiment" is the only two-parter of the Tom Baker era, so it's unique unto itself. I think of it as a quickie cutaway, slotted between the to-ings and fro-ings at Nerva this season.


Sarah -
As filler goes, it's not a bad use of time.


Harry -
The location is unique. I love the vast empty hillsides surrounding the one spot on Earth where so many people happened to congregate all at once. So glad they didn't fall back to the same, overdone quarry setting. There were still plenty of nooks and crannies for everyone to fall into and climb out of without it being an old grey quarry.


Sarah -
It's lovely to be in the countryside. Even after several centuries, I don't buy that they're in Central London -- but who cares, the heather is lovely!


Harry -
Because of the short running time, it took our three heroes almost no effort at all to become separated from each other. The Doctor shooed Sarah and Harry away while he worked on the transmat conduits, Harry promptly fell down a hole, the Doctor vanished, and Sarah found herself all alone in a barren place. It was all done within the first seven minutes - ruthless storytelling efficiency!


Sarah -
I felt a bit desolate on Sarah's behalf when she found herself all alone. Lis Sladen struck just the right balance of terror and resolve as she set about trying to find her companions.


Harry -
Lis Sladen does anxiety very well. Meanwhile, Harry spends half of part one climbing out of that pit with his chipper Old Boy resolve. I wonder if by this point, Philip Hinchcliffe decided that the new Doctor could handle the heavy lifting on his own, and Harry became surplus. He could have easily been given the task of sparring with the Sontaran while an older Doctor nipped over to his ship to tinker with the works. Instead, it ended up the other way round.


Sarah -
Poor Harry, always left to be the bumbling oaf. Still, The Doctor's sparring with Styre does give us some of the worst body-double work in Doctor Who history. Tom Baker broke his collarbone during filming, so a significantly shorter stunt man had to fill in for the fight scene. I imagine Jon Pertwee feeling ever-so-slightly smug about that.


Harry -
It looked odd how the Doctor suddenly swaddled his left arm with his scarf for the later part of the story, but they had to improvise.

I'd say more about the supporting cast, but there isn't much to say. It looks like the South African space program will survive thousands of years into the future, featuring all white astronauts (awkward!). Other than that, it was amusing trying to track just how many of them there were, since we kept meeting a new member of the crew every five minutes. For the record, Vural confirmed that there were nine of them in total.


Sarah -
The sweaty men did tend to run together a bit, didn't they? So these are the descendants of those who didn't run away on Nerva. It's easy to understand their contempt for those who left.


Harry -
The fact that we were already familiar with the character of a lone Sontaran nasty made this story flow well, since we didn't have to go through all the who/what/where business. A quick moment of shock from Sarah was all we needed. Although one thing we learn in this story is that the Sontarans are locked in an endless war with the Rutans (whom we shall meet in the future).


Sarah -
That we shall!


Harry -
Basically, part two finds Styre conducting an array of sadistic "experiments", seemingly for his own amusement, while a Sontaran battle fleet hovers over the Earth ready to invade. I loved the image of the Sontaran Marshall up in his ship, drumming his fingers while Styre kept stalling so he could go back to his tortures. The Sontarans have always been a kind of comedic villains - all brawny bluster, but ultimately quite silly and ineffectual.


Sarah -
It's hard to take anyone with that head too seriously. Speaking of Sontaran heads, the imagine of Styre's head deflating was, well, icky.


Harry -
That's definitely the lasting image I take away from this one. That, or the Sontaran robot. For such a cheery and fragile-looking thing, it glided with great menace.

Like I said above, this story was an amusing cutaway. A bit of light fun before the extreme gloom our heroes are about to head into next.


Sarah -
I'm in the mood for a bit of gloom. Let's have at it!

Best Line: "Foresight. You never know when these bits and pieces will come in handy. Never throw anything away, Harry. Now, where's my five hundred year diary. I remember jotting some notes on the Sontarans... It's a mistake to clutter one's pockets, Harry."

Favorite Moment: The Doctor's lecture on cluttering one's pockets.

Lasting Image: Sarah alone in the heather.

6/10


Harry -
Best Line:
"Alright, now talk."
"Certainly. What would you like me to talk about?"

Favourite Moment: I liked whenever Styre emerged from his ship to see what the robot had brought him, and he gave a little "AHHH!" of delight.

Lasting Image: Styre's head deflates like a punctured volleyball.

7/10

 


Our marathon continues with Story #78 - Genesis of the Daleks...

Story #76 - The Ark in Space (1975)

Sarah -
Recently, I had a discussion with the cousin who started me watching Doctor Who, oh so many years ago. A new-to-Who friend of his asked for a classic story to start with and, after much discussion, it was decided that "The Ark in Space" was a perfect place to begin.

Really, it’s got everything a good story needs. For a start - base under siege! It’s been a while since we’ve had a proper base-under-siege story, hasn’t it?


Harry -
Jon Pertwee's Doctor was not one to be besieged lightly, so yes.


Sarah -
Add a newly regenerated Doctor, two plucky companions, frozen humans waiting to return to Earth, creepy space insects looking for a place to sustain their larvae, and an oppressive sense of claustrophobia and you’ve got a brilliant Doctor Who story.


Harry -
"The Ark in Space" certainly has much to recommend it. Part One is one of the single best episodes in all of Doctor Who. It's so radically different. First, the Doctor has no idea where they've landed (clumsy Harry!). He seems baffled and lost as impediments keep rising up. The power is out and so is the oxygen. Sarah and Harry start gasping for air, and the Doctor struggles to help. Then Sarah gets herself trapped in a cryogenic chamber (echoes of "Invasion of the Dinosaurs" and "Tomb of the Cybermen").


Sarah -
I completely agree on the first episode. It's absolutely perfect. The tension, the pacing, the brilliant chemistry between the actors. I think I'm going to go watch it again!


Harry -
I love the clean, sterile sets and future-analogue computers aboard space station Nerva. They really stand out early on, as our friends move about exploring from room to room.


Sarah -
The set and costume design for the entire story is absolutely perfect. It has a wonderful futuristic feeling, with just the right level of 70s fabulousness!


Harry -
There's something about the design of the future-70s that's so perfect. I loved that clear orange medical kit that Harry carried around. Creative design mixed with nostalgia, I reckon. And who knows, the future may still look that way!

The strength of Part One is that the entire episode unfolds with only Sarah, Harry and the Doctor on camera. The absence of any supporting cast for so long added to the claustrophobic feel.


Sarah -
There's nothing I love more than a good bottle episode! I might have been disappointed by the introduction of new characters, if they weren't all so interesting.

Med Tech Vira is the first to be revived, so she can supervise the revivification of the rest of the crew. Hopefully, she can also revive Dear Sarah.

We learn that the ship is filled with the last vestiges of humanity, who were evacuated from Earth centuries earlier, when solar flares threatened all life on the planet.


Harry -
Another strength of "The Ark in Space" is the strength of the supporting cast. Each of the future humans is quickly fleshed out and given a personality of their own (Bob Holmes, no surprise there). I like the stilted future-English that they speak, making them somewhat haughty if not alien to us the viewers.


Sarah -
I love how they refer to the Doctor, Sarah, and Harry as "regressives" because of their use of colloquialisms.

Vira is startled by the new arrivals, but rolls with the situation much better than the suspicious Noah, who immediately worries that they'll contaminate the gene pool with their presence. He's not the friendliest of blokes -- and that's before his encounter with the Wirrn grub!


Harry -
Vira and Sarah quickly form a team, while Harry and Rogin pair up as well. The best acting job, I think, goes to Kenton Moore as Noah. The scene in the control room where human Noah battles with the Wirrn invading his body was mesmerizing. Who cares about the rapidly expanding layers of bubble wrap on his body, his metamorphosis was well acted and genuinely horrific.


Sarah -
So much of the story relies on Moore's performance. Noah is the lynchpin for the entire narrative and he definitely convinces us that Moore is fighting to maintain his humanity. I even find the bubble wrap charming.


Harry -
Getting a bit timey-wimey on the Hinchcliffe Horror tracker, but "The Ark in Space" reminded me of Ridley Scott's Alien - which didn't come along until 1979. I'm sure there's some tradition of base-under-siege science fiction that Hinchcliffe must have been paying homage to...


Sarah -
I have to also mention Richardson Morgan's performance as Rogin. When revived, he spends most of his time griping about how he just knew it would all go wrong and he was perfectly happy on Earth. But, when the chips are down he more than rises to the occasion -- sacrificing himself to save the Doctor and everyone else on Nerva. It was quite the touching moment.


Harry -
I'm usually not a fan of characters sacrificing themselves to solve a plot dilemma, but at least Bob Holmes built up Rogin's character just enough to make his final act believeable.

And speaking of well acted, Tom Baker took no time at all to establish his Doctor, didn't he? I think it was on the DVD featurette for "Robot", but he said that basically he played the Doctor as himself - something of an exhuberant personality prone to flights of mild madness. That's Tom Baker, and that's his Doctor, so readily evident in this story.


Sarah -
My favorite moment is when Noah is holding a gun on the Doctor and tells him to head back to the control room. The Doctor turns and urges Noah to hurry, as if it was all his idea. It's one of those madcap Baker moments that we all love.


Harry -
So many little moments in this story that one forgets over time, but are wonderful to see again. Sarah pulling faces at the Doctor and Harry, the start of the "don't call me Old Girl!" routine, Harry spending the entire adventure shoeless - it's these little things, plus the overarching story that make "The Ark in Space" special.

Yes, yes and yes: I'd certainly show this one to a new viewer. That's two in a row. Shall we try for a third?


Sarah -
Oh, yes, let's!

Best Line: "It may be irrational of me, but humans are quite my favourite species."

Favorite Moment: The Doctor pretending it was his idea to head back to the control room.

Lasting Imagine: The Doctor and Co. tromping through the Ark's corridors.

9/10


Harry -
Best line: "Gremlins can get into anything, Old Girl. First law of the sea."

Favourite moment: After being shot with a stun ray by Noah, the Doctor revives a few minutes later and continues in mid-sentence.

Lasting image: Noah looking at his bubble-wrapped hand.

9/10

 


Our marathon continues with Story #77 - The Sontaran Experiment...

Story #75 - Robot (1974-75)

Harry -

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

 

 

Sarah -

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

 

 

Harry -

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

 

 

Sarah -

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

 

 

Harry -

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

 

 

Sarah -

Which is where the real money is!

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

 

 

Harry -

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

 

 

Sarah -

That he is, Old Boy!

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

 

 

Harry -

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

 

 

Sarah -

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

 

 

Harry -

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

 

 

Sarah -

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

 

 

Harry -

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

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

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

 

 

Sarah -

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

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

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

 

 

Harry -

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

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

 

 

Sarah -

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

 

 

Harry -

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

 

 

Sarah -

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

 

 

Harry -

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

 

 

Sarah -

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

 

 

Harry -

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

 

 

Sarah -

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

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

 

 

Harry -

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

 

 

Sarah -

Onward!

Would you like a jelly baby?

 

 

Harry -

Why thank you dearie!

 

 

Sarah -

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

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

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

8/10

 

 

Harry -

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

Favourite moment: the Doctor trying on new clothes.

Lasting image: the Doctor and Harry jumping rope.

8/10

 

 

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

The Jon Pertwee Era - Final Thoughts

Harry -
I remember once reading a fan's memories of classic Doctor Who, and the fan explained that to him Jon Pertwee was "the Doctor with the frilly shirts."

This was definitely a Doctor who loved his seemingly bottomless wardrobe. A veritable clothes horse, he was. I'm pretty sure he wore something different in every story.


Sarah -
Pertwee's clothes-horse Doctor is a refreshing change from the uniforms the rest of the Doctors have. How can you not love his style?


Harry -
But Jon Pertwee was more than just the frilly shirts, velvet jackets and capes. He cemented the concept that each new Doctor would be markedly different in appearance, demeanour and style to the Doctors who came before him.  The non-pattern pattern continued.


Sarah -
He couldn't have possibly been more different than the first two Doctors -- and he even got to meet them to prove it!

I just love Jon Pertwee's Doctor. After two fatherly Doctors, he's a whole new breed - a debonaire action hero for a new decade.

Of course, much of the success of the Pertwee era rests on the shoulders of Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks. Their revamping of the series is certainly part of why we're all still watching.


Harry -
If Hartnell's Dalekmania was the first golden age of Doctor Who, then the full colour, earthbound action hero era of Jon Pertwee must qualify as a second one. (Although one might argue that there have been 11 golden eras with a 12th on the horizon (or is that 12 with a 13th?), and one would not be incorrect.)


Sarah -
I'm pretty sure the Doctor and Jamie era was fairly golden as well, so I'll stick with three so far. We'll see how the rest of the count goes.


Harry -
We'll probably tally 12. Or 13.

This was also the time of The Master. Roger Delgado appeared in one third of all stories in this era, and he created a character with staying power who has lived on in multiple future regenerations. I hope the Capaldi era might see the return of a more Delgado-like Master. Gloved fingers crossed.


Sarah -
The Roger Delgado portrayal of the Master is still the Doctor's greatest nemesis. Try as they might, no other actor has a chance of topping him. The chemistry between Pertwee and Delgado made every Master story a delight to watch.


Harry -
Autons and Silurians, Aggedor and the Drashigs...


Sarah -
Drashigs are COOL!


Harry -
...and of course Linx the Sontaran - we met many new and interesting monsters. The Daleks came back, perhaps once too often, and we never did get a Pertwee Cyberman story. That's a prominent hole in the show's history - for me anyway, because I love Cyberman stories. And will there ever be a more psychedelic story than "The Claws of Axos?"

Liz, Jo and Sarah Jane. I liked that there were three very distinct companions in this era: the scientist, the idealist and the journalist. I appreciate each one more, now that we've watched their companion arcs in order. Jo rose in my rankings more than any companion before.


Sarah -
They were all excellent companions and each played off the Doctor in a different way.

Brilliant Liz was the companion who has come the closest to being the Doctor's equal -- which, of course, meant she wouldn't stick around for long, even with the ever-shrinking miniskirt.

Jo is the companion who has most changed in my estimation during this marathon.


Harry -
Agreed!


Sarah -
Watching all her stories in order made me positively adore her -- and I still want almost every piece of clothing she wore on the series.

Fortunately, we don't have to say goodbye to Sarah Jane for a while. She was an excellent contrast to the Third Doctor, but her best stories are definitely ahead of her!


Harry -
Oh yes! And we're about to meet a certain splendid fellow too!


Sarah -
A dashing doctor, to boot!


Harry -
I love the Pertwee era for its explosion of colour, music, clothing, aliens, gadgetry and all manner of transport. In a nutshell, this era made Doctor Who into something bigger and bolder than anything before it.


Sarah -
So many wonderful moments. I'm feeling all warm and fuzzy about the Third Doctor Era and not quite ready to leave it behind. Still, change is the only constant in Doctor Who, so let's get on our way!


Harry -
Let's do it!

Story #74 - Planet of the Spiders (1974)

Harry -
A tear, Sarah? Me too.


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


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


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

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


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


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

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


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


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

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


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


Sarah -
There is that.


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


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


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

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


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

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


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


Sarah -
They were infuriating!


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


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


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


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


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


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


Harry -
BAHAHA!

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


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


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


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


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


Sarah -
Please, continue your rant...


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


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


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

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


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


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


Sarah -
I look forward to it!


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


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


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

Favourite Moment: the 12-minute chase scene.

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

6/10


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

Favorite Moment: It can only be the epic chase!

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

5/10

 



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

Story #73 - The Monster of Peladon (1974)

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

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


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


Sarah -
You can't rush these things.

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


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

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


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


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

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

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


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

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

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


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


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


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


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

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

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

7/10


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

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

Lasting Image: the badger heads.

5/10

 


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