Story #157 - Rose (2005)

Harry -
I will never, never, never forget my 30th birthday.

There I was, at my desk at work, clicking around the Internet. I randomly wandered over to the BBC news website, where the most electrifying headline of all time awaited.

The rest of the day must have passed in a daze. I have no recollection of how the rest of it went. I do remember emailing every human being I knew to share the incredible news. All that mattered that day was that DOCTOR WHO WAS COMING BACK.

Where were you when you heard the news?


Sarah -
I don't remember the exact moment, but I do remember the combination of joy and dread I felt. DOCTOR WHO WAS COMING BACK! But, wait, it came back before and it was amazingly disappointing. Would I get my hopes up just to have them crushed? Could I survive another Doctor Who disappointment?


Harry -
Two years later, we watched "Rose" with millions of other giddy Whovians.


Sarah -
And the sigh of relief was heard around the world! I'm pretty sure I held my breath for the first five minutes.


Harry -
Watching it again 11 years later, I remember the thrill of it all. Seeing the TARDIS again, being scared witless by the Autons again, marveling at this brash new Doctor, revelling in the story and the London setting and all the landmarks and the sheer modernness of it all. As the closing credits rolled, I sat there -- then as again now -- with a manic grin and tears, breathing the heavy breaths of someone utterly besotted.


Sarah -
I never get tired of watching "Rose". It's undoubtedly the new Who story I've watch the most and I love it more every time. The moment when the Doctor tells Rose to run is the moment when I knew everything was going to be ok.


Harry -
Russell T. Davies remembered all the hard lessons of the ill-fated "Movie", and used "An Unearthly Child" as his first episode template instead. Rather than drowning viewers new and old with a tidal wave of explanatory continuity, he made Rose the central character. Through her, we meet this strange man who calls himself the Doctor. She asks a lot of questions and the Doctor seems to know more than he's letting on, and he turns out to be an alien-fighting spaceman who travels in an amazing blue box. That's basically all we learned about him in the first episode in 1963 as well.


Sarah -
RTD made so many right choices with this episode. Rose was the perfect entry character for new viewers -- relatable, smart, funny, and ready for adventure.


Harry -
It was a great way to introduce new viewers to the show. For lifelong Whovians, there was enough continuity to reassure us that the show was in a reliable set of hands. 

Autons! Freaking Autons from the word go! I loved it.


Sarah -
Starting with the Autons was a brilliant move. Its callback to "Spearhead from Space" was immediately reassuring for us old folks. At the same time, mannequins coming to life is a nightmare everyone can relate to, so there was no need for an info dump to explain them.


Harry -
Even when the Doctor got around to explaining the Autons, all he said was that they were plastic-based aliens looking for a new home after they lost their planet in "the war". Just enough info to move the story along, but also little enough to leave you wanting to know more.

But let's talk about the Doctor. The new Doctor! My mind was blown when they cast Christopher Eccleston in the role. A well known face from cinema, this was serious stuff. In this first story, he's not as dark as his image seems to have become over time. He's lively, witty, almost fun to be around! That is, when he's not dashing off to do something very important, leaving Rose trailing behind.


Sarah -
Eccleston's casting gave the series a credibility that I found reassuring and he lived up to my expectations. The Ninth Doctor is properly alien -- big ears and all.


Harry -
His clothes are very straightforward and nondescript. Black leather jacket, black trousers and boots, dark coloured jumper. Sometimes I have to look twice whenever someone cosplays the Ninth Doctor at Chicago TARDIS, he blends in so well.


Sarah -
The costume Colin Baker wanted! It's the least costume-y Doctor costume ever and a perfect no-nonsense outfit for a Doctor who has just come through a war.


Harry -
This Doctor is cool without being aloof, and makes an instant connection with Rose. Not so much with Mickey, who starts the story as the adorable boyfriend, but ends it as a gibbering wreck. Not TARDIS material, the Doctor decides.


Sarah -
Poor Mickey, so abused and unappreciated. He doesn't deal with the situation as well as Rose, but then, she wasn't swallowed by a trash bin and cloned as an Auton.


Harry -
Auton Mickey, however, may have been my favourite part of this story.


Sarah -
Right? And how clueless is Rose to not realized that something's a bit off with her boyfriend? Self-absorbed much?


Harry -
The Doctor confronts Auton Mickey, ripping his head off in front of horrified restaurant goers, and makes a run for the TARDIS. For the first time, we hear the TARDIS door squeak. I love that that sound effect has been there since day one. This sequence also gives Rose the opportunity to deliver her version of the classic "it's bigger on the inside" moment.


Sarah -
Rose running outside to make sure the exterior of the TARDIS is the size she thinks it is cracks me up every time. 

When she reenters the TARDIS, Rose demands to know what happened to Mickey and the Doctor's reaction is so callous. I can imagine the First Doctor not sparing a thought for Mickey, but not any of his successors. In retrospect, it makes sense for a Doctor who has been through a war and it really emphasizes his alienness.


Harry -
Thanks to Steven Moffat, John Hurt and Big Finish, we have the luxury of a lot more Time War backstory to colour our interpretations of the Ninth Doctor's post-war adventures. Apart from that quick reference to the war earlier, he doesn't delve into it in this story. But it's clear that even without any backstory, he'd have no time for Mickey after that meltdown.

The Doctor traces the Nestene Consciousness to somewhere beneath the Thames. The London Eye (squee!) has been harnessed as a gigantic transmitter, allowing the Consciousness to trigger an Auton rampage across the city. This scene always stands out for me because of the London Eye, the Auton rampage, and the fact that most of this story takes place at night -- so many of my favourite things all at once.

When Autons seize the Doctor, Rose takes action and swings to his rescue. Her training with the Jericho Street Junior School under-7s gymnastic team paid off!


Sarah -
Rose's pep talk to herself before swinging on a rope is so endearing, as is her care of the rescued Mickey.


Harry -
I guess Mickey was destined from the start to be a character who wouldn't fit into the TARDIS mindset, and we'll see that played out for the next couple of seasons. Mickey will prove his mettle in the end, but let's not get too ahead of things.

Thanks to Rose's gymnastic skills, the Consciousness is wiped out by a vial of anti-plastic, and the Auton rampage is halted. Among the survivors is Rose's mum, Jackie Tyler. Hello Jacks!


Sarah -
But poor Doctor-hunter Clive has not survived the rampage. I couldn't help think of Whizz Kid, the last fan surrogate to be killed off. A moment of silence for Clive, please.

Harry -
I confess you did far better than me to remember his name. One thing I found odd in this story was that the Doctor had a moment when he spotted himself in a mirror and commented on his new face and ears, but Clive already had evidence of his appearances throughout time: the Kennedy assassination, the Titanic, and Krakatoa. This would imply that this Doctor has already spent a lot of time visiting different moments in the Earth's history. Maybe that's the first instance of timey-wimeyness we encounter in the new series. I don't know.


Sarah -
So, let's talk about Jackie. I know this is just the beginning of her arc, but I've always been bothered by the way she's portrayed. The script feels very contemptuous towards her and I can't help but think that it could have been handled better. Knowing she's just the first of many horrible mothers in RTD's era, I can't help but point in his direction on this one. 

Harry -
I guess since RTD included Rose's family and friends in her story, he decided that Rose should come from a decidedly imperfect family. This would include the absent dad and the gossipy mum, but isn't every mum a bit gossipy?


Sarah -
Seriously, you’re going with “moms are gossipy?” Speak for yourself.


Harry -
Every family has its flaws and that's where RTD goes, instead of painting an idyll. I did laugh during the scene when the Doctor arrived chez Tyler and Rose presented him as someone from the inquiry to the events at the shoppe. He spots Jackie through an open doorway...

JACKIE: I'm in my dressing gown. 
DOCTOR: Yes, you are. 
JACKIE: There's a strange man in my bedroom. 
DOCTOR: Yes, there is. 
JACKIE: Well, anything could happen. 
DOCTOR: No.

Sarah -
This is exactly the scene I hate. We know Jackie is being setup for future character growth, but the contempt she’s treated with by the script has always gotten under my skin. RTD has some seriously misogynistic mommy issues, which we’ll see over and over for the rest of his era.  

There are also class issues playing out here. I've always felt that the script is dismissive of Rose's working class background, which is best illustrated by the way Mickey and Jackie are treated. Mickey and Jackie both have better days ahead, but I'll never be happy with their treatment in this first story.


Harry -
In just one episode of New Who, RTD has given a new companion more backstory than any previous. It was a deliberate move and represents a different approach to storytelling compared to the classic series. From now on, companions will do more than just ask pertinent questions and be there to be rescued, their lives will be part of the story.


Sarah -
The central role of companions is the most revolutionary aspect of Doctor Who's return. Making Rose the protagonist was brilliant and Billie Piper's performance made her immediately relatable.


Harry -
Back in 2005, I had no idea that Billie Piper was a young pop singer and that her casting in the new series was cause for consternation for some. I seem to recall Toby Hadoke's initial reaction was something like: "NOOOOO! THIS IS BONNIE LANGFORD ALL OVER AGAIN!" 

But there was no reason to be concerned. Rose was great from the get-go. For new viewers and old, she created a character with whom we could explore the Doctor's universe together. And that slow-motion moment when she throws all caution to the wind and joins the Doctor in the TARDIS, it's magical. (It's also mind-blowing that we are writing about Billie Piper in the year 2016 and she's only 34 years old right now!)

Like I said above, watching "Rose" always leaves me with a manic grin and tears as the final credits roll.

And here we are, in the New Who era. A huge sigh of relief after the first episode, and eager to see the next one. Shall we see what surprises RTD has in store for us?

Best Line: 
ROSE: So what you're saying is, the entire world revolves around you. 
DOCTOR: Sort of, yeah. 
ROSE: You're full of it. 
DOCTOR: Sort of, yeah. 

Favourite Moment: the Doctor is attacked by the Auton arm.

Lasting Image: the Doctor and the London Eye. It captured both the newness and the amazingness of the new series for me.

8/10 (although I probably gave it 10/10 on first viewing)


Sarah -
Best Line: Nice to meet you, Rose. Run for your life!

Favorite Moment: The Doctor telling Rose to run.

Lasting Image: The Doctor and Rose running down the corridor.

8/10

Our marathon continues with Story #158: The End of the World...

Story #55 - Terror of the Autons (1971)

Sarah -
If you don't mind, Harry, I'd like to take a moment to pay tribute to Dr. Elizabeth Shaw, who has been dispatched with not an ounce of ceremony. Honestly, Dodo had a better send off than poor Liz.


Harry -
Ugh, what a horrible send off, or rather lack of. Writing Liz out out of the show through a couple of lines of dialogue completed the end of her unfortunate character arc. She began season seven as a Cambridge-schooled woman of science with a healthy dose of skepticism and independent thinking. Four stories later, she'd been rendered into an errand girl, running messages between the Doctor and the Brigadier as her skirts got shorter and shorter. I'm sure Caroline Johns was glad to see the back of that job.


Sarah -
I really started worrying about her skirts!

As we know, the producers decided Liz was far too intelligent and, in the words of the Brig: "What you need, Doctor, as Miss Shaw herself so often remarked, is someone to pass you your test tubes and to tell you how brilliant you are. Miss Grant will fulfill that function admirably."

That quote pretty much sets up the premise of Doctor Who for most of the rest of its run, doesn't it?


Harry -
Enter Katy Manning, wide-eyed and clutching a message from the Brig to the Doctor. I've never been wild about Jo. I think of her as one of the few companion characters without any sort of character arc. She was announced as the Doctor's new assistant, she assisted him, then she left. Hopefully this rewatch of the Jo Grant era will provide us some new insights, or a better appreciation for her character.


Sarah -
This is really the beginning of the Doctor as the all-knowing Time Lord with a human companion along to ask the right questions. It's not that past companions didn't fulfill this role, but their relationships with the Doctor were different.

More than once, the First Doctor, had little grasp on what was going on and his companions were left to figure things out for themselves. The Second Doctor was always quite chummy with his companions -- he and Jamie were just a couple of blokes out on a lark.

As season 8 begins, the Third Doctor is clearly in charge and Jo is there to assist him.


Harry -
Unfortunately Jon Pertwee opens season eight in the same crabby mood where he left off. And the way he talks down to the people around him (which seems to be too often!) makes him slightly less likeable than I'd like the Doctor to be.


Sarah -
Watching the stories in order is really changing my perceptions. More than once I found myself thinking the Doctor was acting like a complete jerk. He managed to soften a bit towards Jo, but I felt so badly for her when she met him the first time. Rude Time Lord!


Harry -
Strangely, it came as a perverse sort of relief when a new adversary appeared to take on the Doctor, maybe put him in his place even!


Sarah -
At last, someone to out Time Lord the Time Lord! I couldn't stop myself from giggling with glee when the Master first appeared. How I've been anticipating this moment!


Harry -
How can you not love Roger Delgado as the Master? Suavely imperious, quietly menacing, utterly watchable. As he starts executing his evil scheme - and executing people - the show corrects itself. The Earth is under siege again, and the Doctor resumes the hero role.


Sarah -
Viewers can only be grateful to the Master for forcing the Doctor to get over himself and focus on the problem at hand.


Harry -
That scene where a bowler-hatted Time Lord appeared and warned the Doctor was brief, but offered a fascinating concept. Imagine if Barry Letts and Terrance Dicks made this a regular feature in the show - having an oddly costumed Time Lord pop up at the start of each story to warn the Doctor of imminent danger.

Hmm... maybe not.


Sarah -
Another reason to be grateful.


Harry -
But look who did pop up again: Michael Wisher, as wishy washy as ever!


Sarah -
The hardest-working man in the Whoniverse! (Check out this smashing graphic!)

Harry -
Hard to believe such a gentle soul could harbour the ultimate megalomaniac. A performance to look forward to!


Sarah -
Speaking of hard-working -- the Autons are back, yet somehow they're not quite as threatening this time. Is it the comical heads? The daffodils?


Harry -
The sudden ability to speak? The "haven't we seen this before" invasion plan?


Sarah -
The more I think about it, the less this invasion plan seems to make sense.


Harry -
Was it much of a plan at all? This is where we encounter some more of what began in the Troughton era: taking monsters that got a great reception the first time around and bringing them back without really thinking up something new for them to do. Here, it's the return of the Autons and the Nestene Consciousness, taking a second crack at trying to conquer the Earth. They have a nefarious accomplice in the Master, but it all gets muddled. How did the Master fall in with this lot? What will he get out of this? And was his own scheme really so flimsy that the Doctor could point out a glaring flaw in it so easily? Weird.


Sarah -
Not quite the cunning plan one would hope, is it?


Harry -
I rather liked the part of the story where the Master left traps for the Doctor to fall into repeatedly. Hah! Who's all arrogant now?


Sarah -
Hoisted by his own petard! (I think I've been waiting two years to find a place to say that.)


Harry -
Nice!

Oh, getting back to the daffodils. Bit daft, that. Although I did like the Autons with the boaters, yellow blazers and giant carnival heads.


Sarah -
The carnival heads were creepy. I'm glad I didn't see this one as a child -- they would have given me nightmares.


Harry -
Apart from Delgado's searing performance, they might be the other highlight of this story for me. Which isn't saying much, sadly.


Sarah -
There were some rather good lines, but they didn't add up to much.

Before we sign off, Harry, a quick shout-out for Captain Mike Yates -- who joins Jo and the Master by making his first appearance in this story. Interesting to learn from the featurette on the DVD that Ian Marter almost got the job. Good thing his schedule didn't allow it or we might be Sarah and some-other-bloke right now.


Harry -
Things have a way of working out for the best. Each story brings us closer to the Elisabeth Sladen / Ian Marter era!


Sarah -
Don't get ahead of yourself, Old Boy!


Harry -
Last season, the UNIT team was still taking shape. Now, we have the Brigadier, Captain Yates, Sergeant Benton, the occasionally arrogant but still dashing Scientific Advisor and his enthusiastic new Assistant all together. The UNIT family is ready to take on all comers. Bring it on!

To me, the real importance of "Terror of the Autons" is that it sets the template that Doctor Who will follow all through this season and into the next two. As a stand-alone story, it left me wanting. But I can't wait to see what that old rascal the Master will get up to next, and I'm eager to see more of the Jo Grant era as we move on to the next story. Shall we?


Sarah -
I can only agree. There are isolated moments of brilliance, but they don't add up to much in the end. Onward to "The Mind of Evil"!


Harry -
Best Line:
Jo - "Doctor, stop being childish."
Doctor - "What's wrong with being childish? I like being childish."

Favourite Moment: Captain Yates slams an Auton with his car, the Auton rolls down a long hill, lands at the bottom... and gets right back up.

Lasting Image: the yellow blazered Autons with the giant carnival masks.

6/10


Sarah -
Best Line: "I have so few worthy opponents. When they're gone I always miss them."

Favorite Moment: The Master's first appearance.

Lasting Image: The killer plastic chair!

6/10

Our marathon continues with Story #56 - The Mind of Evil...

Story #51 - Spearhead From Space (1970)

Sarah -
Oh my, Harry, look at that – color! Loads of color, from the very start. What do you think of the newly designed titles? Can you imagine how exciting they would have been in 1970?


Harry -
As exciting as our new-look blog!  New groovadelic titles, new Doctor, new companion, new hangout, new monsters... everything is new.


Sarah -
Even the format is new. "Spearhead from Space" feels more like a police procedural than an alien invasion story.


Harry -
The fact that the entire story was shot on film and on location lends it a cinematic quality. It's like watching a Doctor Who movie.


Sarah -
We have a strike at the BBC to thank for that!


Harry -
Might as well begin with the beginning. Unlike the Troughton stories we have become so fond of - with their fun, frolicky opening sequences - "Spearhead from Space" begins with a notable lack of fun. We see a concerned UNIT technician at a radar screen as he picks up a strange cluster of objects falling to the Earth. His supervisor questions his findings and there is an instant sense of tension - especially when we get that close up of the techie's sweaty face.


Sarah -
UNIT is immediately reestablished as a centerpiece of the series. There’s one more for the “new” column.


Harry -
Meanwhile, here's something familiar: the TARDIS! It lands in a field, the door opens... and a tall, grey-haired man topples to the ground, unconscious. Ouch. Oh dear, this isn't fun at all.


Sarah -
Good thing those cushioning plants were standing by!


Harry -
At least we have the soothing sounds of a jazz flute to put us at ease as Elizabeth Shaw checks in at UNIT. I love that Liz got her own theme music. And thank goodness the Brigadier is there. Things should get straightened out soon, no?


Sarah -
My faith in the Brig knows no bounds!

The music is perfect for Liz’s introduction, because if there’s one thing she is, it’s cool – cool as a cucumber. Her amused and somewhat incredulous reaction to the Brigadier’s admission that alien life forms have attempted to invade Earth made me love her. No screaming girl, Doctor Elizabeth Shaw is a natural progression from Anne Travers and Zoe Herriot.


Harry -
It's great that she's a sceptic whose opinions won't be influenced by mere military bluster.

There's an impressive maturation to the show here. In addition to the serious tone and refreshing new character, we see a weakened, almost fragile Doctor, not one who immediately leaps into action - although it doesn't take long. When he does leave his hospital bed, he gets put through the ringer right away. He's nearly abducted, he goes on a hair-raising wheelchair ride, and gets shot. Wild!


Sarah -
It’s quite the finish to episode one, isn’t it? And here’s another change – a Doctor who wants to do as many of his own stunts as possible.


Harry -
Well, what do you think of this new Doctor fellow then?


Sarah -
Watching the story, I did my best to put aside all I know about the Third Doctor and try to appreciate Pertwee’s performance as if I were seeing it for the first time.

When he stumbles out of the TARDIS, in the Second Doctor’s clothing – which has somehow magically stretched to fit his taller frame – we can see that this is a new Doctor, but it takes a couple episodes until we get to know him. Other than his conversation with the Brig and Liz, we don’t learn much about this new Doctor in the first episode.


Harry -
The slow reveal does leave us wondering.


Sarah -
I may be projecting, but the scene where the Doctor retrieves the TARDIS key from his shoe felt like a very Troughton-y piece of business.


Harry -
"Shoooes!"


Sarah -
The Third Doctor’s characteristics emerge more from the second episode on and I quite like him. What about you, Harry?


Harry -
I like the very loose concept that each new Doctor is a contrast from the one who came before, both physically and in personality. Once Pertwee's Doctor has recovered, we see a man who is tall and imposing, confident and quick with a quip. He's not content to bide his time in the background. He is a man of action. He is... The Doctor!


 

I quite like the change.  And that number!


Sarah -
He’s all confidence, isn’t he?


Harry -
For me, what I like best about this story is the multi-faceted evil that the Doctor must face. It begins with Channing, who first appears as a silent observer at the hospital, creeping around and glaring at people. It turns out he's more than just a weirdo. He has mental powers that are beyond human, as evidenced by his telepathic hold over Hibbert at the baby doll / plastics factory. Then, there are the Autons. Great bouncing Buddhas, but the Autons scare the hell out of me. It's always that moment - when a mannequin jolts to life - that freaks me out so much. AAAAAAA!

I need a moment. Bear with me please.


Sarah -
I’m not sure that I’ve ever told you, but I’ve always found Autons to be amongst the scariest Doctor Who baddies ever. I nearly squealed with glee and cried with horror when they inaugurated the new series in 2005.


Harry -
OK, so we've seen Channing, we've seen the Autons, but on top of them there is still an even greater, unseen menace. The Doctor and Liz soon piece it together that the meteorites first spotted by the UNIT techie contain elements of a collective consciousness. I really like that kind of Lovecraftian "lurking terror" from the skies - Bob Holmes really did well in creating a slow-building horror here.


Sarah -
It’s quite brilliant how the story builds, adding layers of danger. The establishing shots of the factory where the dolls are made was almost frightening enough for me, but the story keeps piling it on! Speaking of the dolls, I think I had one quite like that back in the day.


Harry -
Evil baby dolls may have destroyed my psyche. Apparently Bob Holmes was no fan of plastics, which is why instead of a furry, lumbering monster, he made plastic into an element of horror for this story.


Sarah -
Turning an everyday object into a monster is always effective.


Harry -
I picked up that bit about Holmes from the entry in Outside In: 160 New Perspectives on 160 Classic Doctor Who Stories by 160 Writers.

This book is acting as a nanny for the time being, while we await the publication of the next volume of commentary and banter from Rob Shearman and Toby Hadoke, who guided us through the Hartnell and Troughton eras.


Sarah -
Not that we’re putting any pressure on Rob and Toby to get the damn book out already…or anything.


Harry -
I couldn't help but be amused by the scene in the wax museum. It opens on a cluster of statues of notable U.S. Presidents. Then the camera pans over to a completely anonymous group of statues. Who are those people? Without batting an eye, Liz reveals that these are top civil servants. Civil servants in a wax museum? Only in Britain! It is, after all, a country where one of the most beloved TV shows was all about civil servants. Hilarious!


Sarah -
That moment made me laugh out loud. “Hey kids, let’s pop down to Madame Tussaud’s and check out the new Ministry of Bridges and Wainscoting Exhibit!”

I found myself quite taken with the Seeleys – they’ve got an important part to play in the story and turn in excellent performances as bickering-but-loving couple. They should have gotten their own series!


Harry -
Ah, Sam and Meg Seeley - what a pair! Salt of the Earth. I'm glad they both survived. Can you imagine a Seeleys’ spinoff series? Sam the poacher eternally getting himself into fixes, with Meg having to save the day. It would be great, if I could only understand what Sam was saying. That has to be the thickest accent in all of Doctor Who.


Sarah -
It would have had a great theme song, wouldn’t it?


Harry -
Imagine them singing a song at the piano, like the opening of All in the Family.  Hah! 

As we leave the Seeleys to clean up their cottage for now, I've got a great sense of anticipation for Doctor Who moving forward. We've got an interesting new Doctor established, with a sharp new companion and the UNIT lads by his side. At this point, we don't know how long his exile is supposed to last, but he's certainly going to do what he can to get around it.


Sarah -
Thanks to the Brig, he’ll have everything he needs to make it through his exile and prepare for its end – facilities to repair the TARDIS, a proper wardrobe, and an automobile, having taken a shine to driving during his escape from the hospital. He’s a Time Lord who is ready for what lies ahead!


Harry -
"Spearhead from Space" is a fantastic "new Doctor" story and one of my all-time favourites. I can't wait to see what's next!

Best line: "Destroy. Total destruction."  Bit harsh!

Favourite moment: The Doctor meets Liz and they hit it off right away.

Lasting image: the Autons come to life.

9/10


Sarah -
Best Line: Liz, to the Brigadier as he is contemplating opening the TARDIS: “I think you should, there might be a policeman locked inside.”

Favorite Moment: The Doctor hiding in plain sight by taking a shower in the Doctor’s lounge, stealing clothes, and then making off with Dr. Beavis’ car.

Lasting Image: The Autons coming to life almost sent me scurrying behind the sofa!

8/10

Our marathon continues with Story #52 - Doctor Who and the Silurians...