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...

Story #31 - The Highlanders (1966-67)

Sarah -
Ah, here we are, good old Earth. Ben knows immediately that's he back in the United Kingdom. Home Sweet Home -- or is it? Sadly, he's not arrived just in time for the Cup Final. Rather he's found himself in the aftermath of the battle of Culloden in 1746. Polly's comment that he never gives up hope is particularly endearing, given the circumstances.


Harry -
What an opening. The tumult of battle, the bloodshed and anguish, where else would we be but Earth, unfortunately?


Sarah -
Troughton tears into the role in this story. He's a wild man -- redefining and remaking the Doctor before our eyes. He can't wait to begin the next adventure and inserts himself into history with no concern for the havoc he may cause. He dons the Tam o'Shanter, dismisses romantic piffle, directs Ben to cock a pistol and Polly to confiscate swords, and impersonates a German doctor all in the first episode. I love spending time with the Second Doctor!


Harry -
I love how Patrick Troughton leaps into the role with the zeal of a character actor. He was much more restrained and mysterious in the previous story. Defeating the Daleks seems to have unleashed this Doctor at last.


Sarah -
The Daleks will do that to you.


Harry -
I think the production team's creation of some gimmicky characteristics for this new Doctor seemed a bit forced. Most notably the obsession with headwear. He's said "I should like a hat like that" at least thrice in his first two stories.


Sarah -
Let’s not underestimate the importance of some good headgear, Dear Harry.


Harry -
Then there's the "master of the half-arsed disguise" gimmick, but more on that later.

This is quite the wild and wooly opening episode. The atmosphere and pace of events are frantic. Battle, death, capture, even a mini-cliffhanger at the makeshift gallows. The Doctor and his friends are being thrown every which way.

There was even time for a brief moment of Pythonesque humour to remind us that this is still Doctor Who and not just any old period drama. It's the scene where the Redcoat sergeant captures the Doctor and Ben:

SERGEANT: Surrender in the King's name!

BEN: Blimey, it's good to hear a London voice again.

SERGEANT: Silence, you rebel dog!

BEN: Rebel? What are you talking about? I'm no rebel! Me and the Doctor here, have just arrived.

SERGEANT: Deserter, then. You'll hang just the same.

...at which point the Doctor bursts in with that absurd Dr. Strangelove accent. Hilarious!


Sarah -
Loved it! When you find yourself in a sticky situation, there’s nothing better than whipping out the German accent!

Polly and Kirsty get their own subplot when they land in a pit. She had one of my favorite lines when Kirsty started crying yet again – “Do the women of your age do nothing but cry?” The scenes with Ffinch were priceless – Polly was completely in charge of the situation, that little 20th Century minx.


Harry -
This is Polly's best story by far. She really takes the initiative when you'd think the tough Scottish lass would have been the one to do so.


Sarah -
And then we meet the corrupt Solicitor Grey and his Gentleman’s Gentleman Perkins.


Harry -
Boo!  Hiss!


Sarah -
It’s pretty clear he doesn’t have the Scottish prisoners’ best interests at heart when he saves them from the gallows, but we’re not sure what he’s up to until the prisoners are loaded on the ships for passage to the West Indies. Ben is the first one to figure out that they’re to be sold into slavery – staying awake during history class has finally paid off for Our Ben!

I quite liked Perkins. His impudence towards Grey is almost endearing, “A little wine for your cold hear, Lawyer?” I appreciated that he ended up on the boat to France with the Highlanders – at least until the political winds shift.


Harry -
Incredibly, the majority of the story is all about rescuing the rebels from the slave ship. The story is so simple, but the rapid rotation of different scenes and characters gives it a fast-paced feel. The atmosphere in the ship's hold was well done -- lots of groaning and coughing, and everyone projecting the sense that it was a rank and awful place. Despite the awkwardness of watching a recon, "The Highlanders" has that "big period drama" sort of air to it.


Sarah -
It does, and it will be our last one for a while.


Harry -
Sadly so. This historical was decent, but far from being the best of them.

One character who seemed really out of place was the exaggeratedly piratey Captain Trask, who felt like a leftover from "The Smugglers." His telesnap facial expressions were comical, rather than menacing.


Sarah -
Maybe it’s one of those performances better lost to the ravages of the BBC.


Harry -
Speaking of comical, our new Doctor seems to enjoy fancy dress. What did you think of his array of "disguises", if that's the proper term? German doctor, old woman, injured soldier... it seemed a bit over the top to have that many disguises.


Sarah -
He’s having a great time, isn’t he? Troughton is definitely game for whatever they toss at him.


Harry -
There's another thing I can't imagine William Hartnell ever doing. The First Doctor had a presence about him that didn't require elaborate costuming to make himself believeable. When he did take to period dress like Roman togas or cowboy hats, it was more to fit in with the local surroundings, not to deceive people.

But Patrick Troughton has so much fun with his little deceptions that it's hard to slag him for it!


Sarah -
And Polly got to play dress-up, too – her prostitute disguise was more than a little effective.

When he and Polly are finally reunited, the Doctor is disinclined to do anything to rescue Ben and settles in for a bit of a kip. It’s something we’ll see the Doctor do in the future, but it still feels a bit heartless.


Harry -
That was bizarre. This Doctor is nutty!

I wonder at what point it was decided to make Jamie a part of the TARDIS crew. He doesn't stand out all that much here, so his joining the TARDIS crew is something of a surprise. After all, it was Alexander who charged out to face the redcoats, and Ben who had to escape the episode three cliffhanger, and Polly who dominated the subplot.


Sarah -
I’d like to take a moment to point out that we’ve gotten this far in the story without mentioning Jamie. It all the restraint I could muster to not shout his name from the beginning of this post. It’s hard to imagine why he got to become the next companion, but I am ever so delighted that he did!


Harry -
I'm glad the production crew took a flyer and decided to throw him into the mix, because Jamie will turn out to be one of the Doctor's best companions. I'd love to see a historical character joining the current Doctor -- we're stuck in a bit of a "21st century British lasses" rut at the moment.


Sarah -
Aren’t we though? I would love a historical or alien companion next. I guess we’ll see where they go with Jenna-Louise Coleman, but I don’t hold out much hope.


Harry -
Patience, Dear Sarah. Have faith in the Moff!


Sarah -
Best line: The Doctor, when Polly sees his gun, "It’s not loaded; they’re dangerous things."

Favorite moment: Polly outwitting Ffinch.

Lasting image: The Doctor in drag.

7/10


Harry -
Best line: "I've never seen a silent lawyer before."

Favourite moment: the Doctor launches into his German disguise.

Lasting image: Trask's crazy pirate faces. YARRRR!

7/10

 

Our marathon continues with Story #32 - The Underwater Menace...

Story #30 - The Power of the Daleks (1966)

Harry -
Well. There it is.


Sarah -
There it is, indeed. Our first regeneration!


Harry -
Would the internet have survived it? Thousands of online posters screaming "I DON'T LIKE IT! CHANGE IT BACK!" which we see every time something new happens on our favourite show. I'm glad Doctor Who was allowed to grow in a simpler time. A calmer time.


Sarah -
I don't even want to try to imagine it. Everyone would be out on the ledge, waiting to be talked back in. Oh the drama!


Harry -
The post-regeneration scene is calm. Almost too calm, as if the actors didn't know what to do. There's Patrick Troughton, mucking about and behaving even more mysteriously than his predecessor. There's Ben and Polly, doing... well I'm not sure what they were doing for the most part, as the reconstruction I watched was hampered by long silences and very few screen images.

What did you think of Troughton's opening scene?


Sarah -
Every time I watch a regeneration scene, it's like meeting an old friend for the first time.


Harry -
That's kind of timey-wimey!


Sarah -
Isn't it, though? Every Doctor is so new, yet so familiar. I love Troughton's mystery, the way he refers to "The Doctor" in the third person, the 500-year diary. Ben and Polly's confusion is probably what the original viewers experienced. Who is this guy? What happened to the Doctor? What's going on?

Also, I love that the recorder appears within the first 8 minutes!


Harry -
The 500-Year Diary is one of my favourite props.

Ben is notably cranky about the whole affair, but Polly's taking it in stride -- good on her.


Sarah -
Ben is the cranky fan complaining about the good old days -- Polly's the fan who's up for anything!


Harry -
Exactly!


Sarah -
I loved this exchange between Ben and the Doctor:

Ben: "Who are we?"
Doctor: "Don't you know?"

There are wonderful little comedic moments like this throughout the story -- lines that I can't imagine Hartnell pulling off as effectively.

“I never talk nonsense. Well, hardly never.” Can you imagine our First Doctor ever saying that?


Harry -
No, but I'm glad the new Doctor got off on a positive footing, despite all the initial mystery. It's crucial for any new Doctor to get off on a good footing with the audience. We'll see many hit-and-miss examples of this in the future.

For now, we soon settle into a more comfortable place. The Doctor steps out of the TARDIS to explore a strange gurgly planet, and on cue, his companions are separated from him. Then in quick order, we get violence and murder, mistaken identities, and A Mysterious Space Capsule (delightfully curvy and shiny). Hey, it's Doctor Who again!


Sarah -
With a whole new demeanor. The first Doctor would never say, "When I say run, run like a rabbit!" Or do it, for that matter.


Harry -
And to seal the deal with any remaining skeptics out there, we have Daleks. Is everyone down from the ledge now?


Sarah -
Honestly, unless it involves Manhattan in the 1930s, you just can't go wrong with a Dalek story.

Interesting aside, this is the first Dalek story not to be written or co-written by Terry Nation -- another change! It's also the first "... of the Daleks" title, and we know there are many more to come! I'll stop being all Toby now, but I'll have more to say later.


Harry -
What immediately grabbed me about this story was how many elements from it have been echoed in the Dalek stories of the new era:

• Daleks hidden inside a mysterious capsule -- we see this again in "Army of Ghosts / Doomsday", with the Genesis Ark.
• A Dalek being brought back to life by humans -- seen again when Rose lends her DNA to one in "Dalek."
• Sneaky Daleks pretending to be docile servants -- Yup, it's "Victory of the Daleks" all over again. Er... you know what I mean. Timey-wimey.

Sarah -
This is what happens when you let the fans take over production. Isn't it brilliant?

I started to amuse myself by imagining the Daleks' staccato chants as their affirming mantras:

I AM YOUR SERVANT
WE WILL CONQUER
WE WILL GET OUR POWER


Harry -
Everyone needs a mantra, even the diabolical.


Sarah -
All that's lacking is a Dalek guru telling them to believe in themselves and they can do anything!


Harry -
Speaking of rampant self-believers, why is it that the scientists - who you'd think they'd at least try to paint in a positive light - are once again shown as blinkered, gullible and inadvertently the bringers of destruction?


Sarah -
I think it's because everyone is so intent on their own agenda, with no sense of the larger issues facing them. They only hear what they want to hear. We know that a Dalek saying, "We are your...friends." should strike fear in their hearts, but they want to believe. At least I think Lesterson wanted to believe it -- I was slightly overcome by a fit of giggles at the line.

Anywho, the same thing happened in "The Tenth Planet" -- and will happen again and again as we roll along here.


Harry -
Every time Lesterson delights in the marvels of these servile Daleks, I want to reach through the screen and smack him. Every kid in Britain must have been ready to deal him a blow to the chops.


Sarah -
I'm sure when they watched it, they were yelling at the telly as much as we were yelling at our computers. Why won't they ever listen to us?


Harry -
Who knows. I was glad that midway through the story, Ben finally warmed up to the Doctor. This Doctor. Though, it did feel a bit odd for Jamie not to be around, didn't it?


Sarah -
Yes, but let's not get ahead of ourselves!


Harry -
As our friend Rob pointed out, this six-parter makes for some delicious character development. The middle episodes have very little action, but loads of petty squabbling and conspiring among the colony crew.

The only flaw to the side story of the rebel mutiny is that we don't really get a sense for why they are rebelling. So much of the story is in the immediate, that we are given little backstory about the colony to go on. At one point, even a Dalek seems baffled as to why humans would kill one another. That was a stinging jab.


Sarah -
It is not a good sign to have one's species called out on moral grounds by a Dalek, is it?

There was a point, which I believe was enhanced by the somewhat sketchy reconstruction, when I kind of lost track of who belonged to which faction and why they were all fighting each other.


Harry -
As the Dalek menace grew, the human factions grew more confused. Maybe the rebellion was purely lust for power? Bragen certainly radiates that.


Sarah -
Ah, Bragen. When my stream of thought started wandering, I found myself wondering why he looked so familiar. A quick trip to the TARDIS Index File answered my question -- he was Marcus Scarman in "Pyramids of Mars".


Harry -
Yes! Scarman!


Sarah -
With that off my mind, I did my best to re-focus on the muddled political intrigue.


Harry -
This story is all about people pretending to be what they are not. From the Doctor to the Daleks to the conspirators. The only honest person is the ill-fated governor, who dutifully tramped out to do his tours of the perimiter while all hell broke loose back at HQ.


Sarah -
Good point. I felt badly for the governor. He didn't seem a bad bloke.


Harry -
Here's where things really kick into high gear. Lesterson observes Daleks being assembled, he realizes he's been had, the Daleks are mass producing -- and he literally snaps. I can't remember someone falling apart quite so suddenly and dramatically in Doctor Who.

Having assembled a small army, or so those cardboard cutouts would have us believe, the Daleks run riot! The mantras are now a battle cry, ready to bring destruction to the entire colony. Will those foolish humans rise above pettiness to confront the menace that has been under their noses all this time?


Sarah -
Of course they will, but only with the Doctor and his companions there to lend moral support!

I loved the multiplying Daleks. It's the kind of cheap effect that always led to derision by non-fans, but is an important part of my love of the series.


Harry -
Whimsical now.  It's like something you'd see in a fan film.


Sarah -
The Daleks defeated, our heroes slip away in the TARDIS... just as a Dalek eye stalk rises to watch them go.


Harry -
Yes, we knew all along that the Doctor would be proven correct, but at a terrible cost. I can't remember another story where the Daleks go on that kind of extended rampage. Shot after shot of dead bodies, it was a bit overwhelming. But it was followed up with that fantastic Dalek destruction sequence and reasonably happy ending. What an exhausting story!


Sarah -
"The Power of the Daleks" is a wonderful start to the Troughton era.


Harry -
Yes, they really nailed it.


Sarah -
I'm so looking forward to the adventures ahead!


Harry -
Me too!  Did I get through this story without mentioning Jamie? Oh, guess not.


Sarah -
I would be disappointed if you hadn't!

Best line: "We are your...friends."

Favorite moment: "Run like a Rabbit!"

Lasting image: The multiplying Daleks.

8/10


Harry -
Best line: "Exterminate! Annihilate! Destroy!"

Favourite moment: Lesterson watches in horror as new Daleks are assembled.

Lasting image: Menacing massed cardboard Daleks.

9/10

Our marathon continues with Story #30 - The Highlanders...

The Hartnell Era - Final Thoughts

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

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


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

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

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


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

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


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


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

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


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


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


Sarah -
Onward to the Second Doctor!


Harry -
Cue theme music!

Story #29 - The Tenth Planet (1966)

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

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


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

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


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


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


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


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

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


Harry -
Awesome!

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


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


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


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


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


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

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


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


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


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


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


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


Sarah -
I’ll look forward to finding out.

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


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

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

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


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


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


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

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


Harry -
The first of many!


Sarah -
Traditions have to start somewhere!

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

Meanwhile, Polly gets to make coffee. Sheesh.


Harry -
Brutal!


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


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


Sarah -
One can only hope.


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

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


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

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


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

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

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

Lasting image: the Cybermen emerging through the snow.

9/10


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

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

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

Lasting image: Definitely the first Cybermen appearance.

9/10

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

Story #28 - The Smugglers (1966)

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

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


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


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


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

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


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


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


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


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


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

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


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

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


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


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

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

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


Sarah -
Lasting image: The TARDIS on the rocky coast

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

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

3/10


Harry -
Lasting image: Cherub's churlish faces.

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

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

4/10

 



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