Story #11 - The Rescue (1965)

Sarah -
Well now, that was a sprightly little thing. Not the greatest story ever told, but very effective character-driven storytelling to introduce us to our new companion!


Harry -
After the wild action ride of "The Dalek Invasion of Earth", this two-part quickie lets us all catch our breath. It's a nice little bridge between the Susan and Vicki eras.


Sarah -
It’s a nice little palate cleanser, isn’t it? We begin with the TARDIS landing, but cut quickly to the view of a crashed ship. In the ship, we meet Vicki – V-I-C-K-I – and could she be more adorable? Well, no, of course she could not!


Harry -
I agree. She's fab!


Sarah -
She’s cute, spunky, adorable and enthusiastic, with a great sense of style.


Harry -
And fab!


Sarah -
Very fab! Unfortunately, the only other human around seems to be a major crank named Bennett and we know we don’t like him! (That being the Royal We and all…)


Harry -
There's something about Bennett that rubs us the wrong way immediately. You can almost see the cloud hanging over his head.


Sarah -
Vicki is excited because it seems their rescue ship has landed.


Harry -
If someone was coming to take me away from Bennett, I'd be excited too!


Sarah -
Bennett warns her to watch out for Koquillion, but we haven’t met Koquillion yet.


Harry -
Seriously, this guy projects "ulterior motives" like nobody's business.


Sarah -
Meanwhile, back at the TARDIS, the Doctor seems to have slept through the landing. Barbara and Ian wake him and he’s sleepy and flustered, which leads to one of Hartnell’s most charming scenes yet. I just wanted to hug him when Barbara tells him that the trembling has stopped and he responds “My Dear, I’m so glad you’re feeling better.”


Harry -
That was comedy gold!


Sarah -
Barbara’s solicitude when he starts to give Susan a direction to open the door is so sweet. As a bonus, she finally gets to learn how to open the door. And then the Doctor is all charming again when he reminds Barbara and Ian that he can hear everything they’re saying!


Harry -
The old fellow will be fine. Look at his one-on-one moments with Vicki in the ship -- he's already assuming the mantle of grandfatherly protector.

As for Bennett, our suspicions prove true. The guy is warped! My favourite moment of the story is the Doctor's confrontation with "Koquillion" in the Didonian Hall of Judgement. The production crew managed to make the space look vast and mysterious. I love the quick cut from the close up of the Doctor as he calls out Bennett, to Bennett emerging from the darkness behind the Doctor. The end is rapidly approaching for one of them!


Sarah -
That was a great scene! All the sets were wonderful, but the Hall of Judgement was particularly effective. I loved that the Doctor gets to play the action hero, even if he does need the Didonians to save him in the end.


Harry -
What did you think of Koquillion's getup? It seemed terribly impractical, unless you just wanted to shuffle around freaking people out.


Sarah -
It’s a pretty violent costume for a people to whom violence is an alien concept.


Harry -
Could be worse. You could be the poor soul who had to haul themselves around in the Sandy costume. Poor Sandy!


Sarah -
Poor Sandy, indeed. The exciting watch-the-Doctor-and-Ian-try-not-to-fall-off-the-edge scene was a little less than exciting, no?


Harry -
When they did the cutback to the wide shot, I laughed out loud at the "dangerous" 5 foot drop to Sandy below. From the Slyther to Sandy, this is a bit of a weak patch for monsters.

I wish we had been keeping a count, but Barbara is becoming something of a killing machine. Keep the guns away from her!


Sarah -
How can she ever go back to the classroom?

And the Doctor, after telling Vicki she looks a mess, becomes appropriately solicitous of her. Vicki and Barbara even make up for the killing of Sandy. So, our new companion is invited aboard the TARDIS!


Harry -
I'm looking forward to Vicki's stories. She seems more sure of foot than Susan.


Sarah -
All is well until the TARDIS materializes on the edge of a cliff. Onward and downward to our next adventure!


Harry -
Overall, this was a neat little vignette. I can't rate it too highly because it didn't particularly blow me away, but at least Vicki's on board now. Onward! And downward!


Sarah -
Lasting image: Barbara shooting the gun.

Favourite moment: The Doctor confronting Koquillion/Bennett in the Hall of Judgement.

Best line: "My Dear, I’m so glad you’re feeling better.”

Rating: 7/10


Harry -
Lasting image: Koquillion's first appearance beside the TARDIS.

Favourite moment: The Doctor-Bennett showdown.

Best line: "You wiped out an entire civilisation just to save your own skin. You're insane!" The Doctor's disgust was palpable.

Rating: 6/10

 



Our marathon continues with Story #12 - The Romans...

Story #10 - The Dalek Invasion of Earth (1964)

Harry -
Is it possible to summarize this entire story with a single word?  Is "WOW" strong enough?  Is "EPIC" too cliché?  "CLASSIC?" "SENSATIONAL?" "MONUMENTAL?"

Obviously, I like it!

Right from the start, there is a different feel to this story. Rob and Toby noted it too. You just know -- from the title and the opening location shots and the music -- that this story is going to be big. And it is.


Sarah -
Bigger than big! The biggest! What’s not to love?


Harry -
We have seen nothing like this before. The TARDIS team scrambling around a ruined London. The foetid Thames, the crumbled Battersea Power Station, the ominous poster under the bridge. It's too late for the Doctor to stop the apocalypse, it has already happened.


Sarah -
My notes are full of exclamation points: Battersea! Thames! Dalek Ship! Poster!

The shot of the “It is forbidden to dump bodies into the river” poster while the Roboman walks into the river was brilliantly chilling. We don’t know what’s going on, but we know it’s bad.


Harry -
And you can sense the Doctor's anxiety early on. He's not relaxed at all. He's sniping at Susan, he's being snarky to Ian, and these moments of tension stoke the viewing experience.


Sarah -
I can’t disagree with The Doctor when he tells Susan, "What you need is a jolly good smacked bottom!"


Harry -
I always laugh at that line. Old school.


Sarah -
Who else would bring the bridge crashing down on the TARDIS?


Harry -
And twist her ankle AGAIN? As our heroes separate and explore, the reality of the situation becomes more evident. Robomen, spacecraft (delightfully wobbly spacecraft!), and, as the first cliffhanger arrives... Daleks!


Sarah -
Not just Daleks, but Daleks in the Thames! I nearly fell off the sofa with excitement! One might ask how Daleks can be underwater, but who’s going to split hairs when there are DALEKS IN THE THAMES!

The Doctor and Ian are taken captive by the Daleks, while Barbara and the limping Susan ally themselves with the resistance fighters. I loved Barbara’s chase after the man carrying Susan (Can you recall his name? I’m not sure anymore.) -- it looked and felt like a Goddard film, as did Barbara’s run around London with Dortmun and Jenny. So much great location work in this story!


Harry -
The "flight across London" sequence is one of my favourites in all of Doctor Who. Three-and-a-half minutes with no dialogue and loads of tension. The empty city looks amazing, especially with the Daleks creeping around. I'm not saying this just to big it up, but my heart starts to race whenever I watch that sequence. It's either that good, or I need more exercise.


Sarah -
The Daleks ruling over London was one of my favorite scenes. I couldn’t help thinking that they looked like tourists checking out all the sights!

Having already taken a swipe at Susan – albeit one of my last – I have to give her credit for the best line of the story, when Barbara says she can cook and Susan is asked, “What do you do?” Her cheeky response, “I eat” made me laugh out loud.


Harry -
That was cheeky fun. I wish Susan could have been more like that. Less scream, more snark.

There is so much going on in this story outside the main plot that I almost missed William Hartnell's absence from the fourth episode. While the absence was injury-related, it was a bit of luck in that it allowed the Susan-David relationship to develop in a believable way (in comparison to Leela's relationship with Red Pants Boy in "The Invasion of Time").


Sarah -
I agree about Susan and David. Their scenes were sweet, especially that smoochie fireside scene! I liked when Susan called the Doctor out and he responded by supporting David’s proposal – and then David diffuses the bomb and saves the day. Hooray!

I also didn’t realize that Hartnell didn’t appear in that episode until I read about it afterward.


Harry -
It's astonishing how much action they crammed into this story. Ian battling the mutant Slyther, Barbara plowing a truck through a line of Daleks, Susan being menaced by a baby reptile, etc. Even the Doctor puts a bit of stick about (literally!) when he clubs one of the Robomen with his walking stick.


Sarah -
Don’t forget Barbara the bomb thrower!


Harry -
The constant barrage of action exposes the fact that the story itself is a bit "style over substance." In fact, it's daft. The Daleks have invaded Earth with a scheme to hollow out the planet's core and install an engine so they can boot around the universe. What the hell?


Sarah -
The script really is rather weak, but Richard Martin’s direction saves the day. We also need to give a shout out to Francis Chagrin’s excellent music, especially during the flight across London. Not what you’d expect on Doctor Who!


Harry -
The only other weakness in this story was that everybody was guilty of some stilted acting at some point. The switch from contained studio to open locations gave the actors a lot more room to work with, and sometimes they seemed to not know quite what to do.


Sarah -
Excellent observation and spot on! I kept thinking that William Russell look uncomfortable, but couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Still, Ian did manage to thwart the Dalek plot in his suit and tie – you’ll never find a contemporary companion doing that.


Harry -
But this is minor quibbling. I could watch our heroes run, climb and battle all day. This six-parter was well filled in.


Sarah -
I loved seeing them out of the studio. It was exhilarating!


Harry -
Who exactly was the titular "Waking Ally" of the fifth episode? All I can think of is that it was the Robomen emerging from their mind-control, but that doesn't really happen until the next episode.


Sarah -
I was wondering that myself, but have no idea.

Other great moments include Barbara responding to a moment of crisis by making tea and, later, manipulating the Daleks, the Dalek attempting to question the mannequin, perhaps the lamest Doctor Who monster of all time (and that’s saying something!), the Slyther and – most importantly -- our first quarry!!!!!


Harry -
If there was any lingering doubt about Barbara's sheer excellence, this story should dispell it. Having been terrified in her first encounter with the Daleks, she is now jerking them around brilliantly.

And yeah, the Slyther looked like something they assembled from some rubbish found behind the studio.


Sarah -
It also had its touching moments, like Larry and his brother killing each other; and delightfully laughable moments – the Robomen chanting “Pull, Pull,” and Barbara and Jenny holding their manacles in place, Barbara and The Doctor imitating the Daleks giving orders to the Robomen.


Harry -
Sometimes you've just got to fight daft with more daft!


Sarah -
Exactly!

It’s interesting that Jenny’s character was originally considered as a replacement for Susan. I liked her gruff dependability.


Harry -
Not a fan of the pokey balaclava. Again, minor quibbles.


Sarah -
That was quite the look, wasn’t it?

And then, alas, it’s time to say goodbye to Susan. It’s been great, Kiddo, but I can’t say I’ll miss you. But, I did get a little teary-eyed at their separation. She was so determined to take care of The Doctor, despite her love for David. Now she gets to help rebuild a planet from the beginning, as she wished. But first, she’ll have to find some shoes.

The Doctor’s final words to Susan are that one day he will come back. And he did! Sort of…


Harry -
The Doctor's farewell to Susan has been replayed so often and I've seen it so many times it may have lost a bit of its impact. Seeing it here though, at the conclusion of the complete story following after a long buildup, dammit if I didn't get teary!

Well, those Daleks have been sent packing and the Earth can rebuild. Susan has got a new life ahead of her, and the TARDIS team are off. This has been the first great epic of Doctor Who. It almost felt like a 10-parter. I wouldn't have minded if it was. Big thumbs up to Richard Martin for bringing this amazing story to life.

Lasting image: the Dalek emerging from the Thames.

Favourite moment: Barbara, Jenny and Dortmun's flight across London.

Best line: I'm torn between the ridiculous ("What you need is a jolly good smacked bottom!") and the sublime ("One day I shall come back, yes, I shall come back...").

Rating: 9/10


Sarah -
And we’re off to our next adventure!

Lasting image: The Daleks touring London

Favourite moment: Can only be the flight across London.

Best line: I’ll give this last one to Susan, with, “I eat.”

Rating: 9/10

 


Our marathon continues with Story #11 - The Rescue...

Story #9 - Planet of Giants (1964)

Harry -
We've made it, Sarah! We've made it to Season 2.


Sarah -
Season 2! Imagine that!


Harry -
Can we agree that this might have been the one Doctor Who story we knew the least about going in? I'd never seen it before, and couldn't even tell you how many parts there were to it.


Sarah -
It was a surprise for me, too. I only learned after watching it that it had been edited from four to three episodes, which explains some of the awkward transitions in the story.


Harry -
It looks like the Doctor and Ian enjoyed some time in the TARDIS wardrobe during the break. Ian has got some natty threads on, and check out the Doctor's flash cape. New hair too.


Sarah -
Everyone is looking fresh and ready for adventure. Well, except for Susan in those silly overalls.


Harry -
But some things do not change, and before the theme music has barely faded, the TARDIS console overheats. Danger! The doors open in midflight -- not long enough to jettison some of those clunky TARDIS furnishings, but enough to alarm the Doctor. It looked like "The Edge of Destruction" all over again. And things were going so well, those first few seconds...


Sarah -
Alarms blasting! Doors opening! Susan screaming! The Doctor mopping his brow! Chaos has returned to the TARDIS!


Harry -
And so our Travelers find themselves on a strange new planet, which turns out to be Earth, only they've gotten themselves miniaturized during the emergency landing.


Sarah -
You can’t go wrong with a story about folks shrinking down to size. Doesn’t every child imagine exploring the world in a miniaturized body? Absolutely classic.

The Doctor even seemed rather delighted about being shrunk; at first, anyway.


Harry -
Those "giant" sets. Let us admire them!


Sarah -
Oh yes, let’s!


Harry -
Matchboxes and attaché cases, telephones and sink plugs. The design crew really knocked it out of the park.

But I guess the highlight for viewers would be the "monsters." Giant ant! Giant bee! Giant dead guy!

The giant fly was revolting and terrifying. Flies are creepy enough in small size -- I can appreciate Barbara's horror at having a giant one land beside her and start giving her the eyes.


Sarah -
The sets were spectacular – and even more so, because we know how small the budget must have been.

The image of Barbara facing off the fly was wonderful. Still, I had a more extreme reaction to the dead ant Susan found. I find ants to be the creepiest of all insects, due to my suspicion that they’re the ones actually running the planet. But that’s another story…


Harry -
Had there been a giant spider, I may not have finished watching. I hate spiders!

Not sure if I liked the "film noir" storyline that played out while our tiny heroes scampered around. I was not impressed to see the man from the ministry get killed. And the Doctor's scheme to start a fire seemed utterly mad!


Sarah -
I’m still not clear on why The Doctor decided starting a fire was a good plan, but the explosion did foil the bad guys, I guess.

That whole story was a bit of a non-starter, but it gave us some nice moments – especially scene where The Doctor, Ian and Susan shout into the phone. That was genius.


Harry -
Geniusly kooky!


Sarah -
The nosey telephone operator saving the day was a nice touch, too.


Harry -
Barbara hiding her illness from the others struck me as uncharacteristic. Knowing how intelligent the Doctor is, surely she would have sought his help?


Sarah -
I was thinking that it was typical of Ian to not have been listening to Barbara when she touched the wheat. Still, it was surprising that Our Barbara kept it to herself – and no one seemed terribly concerned about the fact that she was doing so poorly.


Harry -
Well, it all turned out alright in the end. Overall, this was a light, fun story to kick off a new season.


Sarah -  
I found it somewhat disappointing and unsatisfying, despite some nice moments. Even Dear Dudley Simpson’s incidental music didn’t work for me; it was jarring and intrusive.

On a side note, it was interesting to watch this story in the “movie” format. (The only version we could locate.) Having grown up watching Doctor Who in the movie format on public television, it felt unusual when I saw my first story in the original serialized version on home video. I’ve not seen a movie version since “Survival” in 1989. In the meantime, I’ve gotten so used to the serialized format that the movie format seems just wrong. Perhaps that contributed to my disappointment in the story.


Harry -
Good ol' TVOntario used to broadcast Doctor Who in episodic format, but I have some old VHSes in "movie" format. The cliffhangers are usually obvious, but sometimes the editing dampens them, as it seemed to here.

Lasting image - Tiny Ian standing beside the murdered Mr. Farrow's face.

Favourite moment - the aerosol can explodes.

Best line - "Can! You! Hear! Us! Put! Us! Through! To! Police!"

Rating: 7/10


Sarah - 
Lasting image: Barbara facing off the fly.

Favorite moment: Ian, Susan and The Doctor shouting "Can! You! Hear! Us! Put! Us! Through! To! Police!" into the phone.

Best line: The Doctor’s final line – “Perhaps I shall know now where we are.”
(No doubt because I’m positively giddy about where were going next!)

Rating: 5/10

Our marathon continues with Story #10 - The Dalek Invasion of Earth...

Story #8 - The Reign of Terror (1964)

Sarah -
Citizen! Perhaps we were a bit too light-hearted at the end of “The Sensorites,” forgetting The Doctor’s decision to unload Barbara and Ian. Did we not understand the pain Ian’s affront caused The Doctor? How could we treat his delicate and sensitive ego so carelessly?

He’s so injured, he even lands the TARDIS with nary a sound.

But wait! Our travelers know the way to a Time Lord’s hearts is to flatter his ego and they lay it on until The Doctor nearly purrs with delight. Still, facts must be faced and it’s back to 20th Century England…or not!

Hooray! Another adventure!


Harry -
Here we are, Citizen -- the end of the first season of Doctor Who.


Sarah -
The end of the first season. It's hard to believe.


Harry -
It has been quite the thrill ride, and how better to wrap up an unforgettable journey than for the Doctor to finally bring Ian and Barbara back home?

It took several tries, but the Doctor kept at it. It's funny to remember that this Doctor is the youngest of them all -- while his future regenerations will make him appear progressively younger, this Doctor was the one who could barely pilot the TARDIS, and still had much to learn.

But let's not jump too far ahead. For now, after some brusque moments, our present Doctor agrees to go out for a goodbye drink in London with his Earth friends. A charming and poignant moment.

Woops! It's France, and the adventure continues. Welcome to the Reign of Terror!


Sarah -
Watching everyone preparing to say goodbye was touching. It was hard to imagine seeing this 1964 and thinking that it could be the end of Barbara and Ian’s time in the TARDIS. Fortunately, we don’t have to say farewell yet – and who doesn’t love a chance to play dress up?


Harry -
No sooner has the TARDIS team sorted out where exactly they are, than they are hurled into the whirlwind of history. Events, my dear Sarah, events are about to overtake them!

According to Susan, this is the Doctor's favourite period in the history of Earth. Seriously? For all his admiration, the Doctor gets off to a poor start, knocked out and then trapped in a burning farmhouse while his companions are whisked away by French soldiers. Not the most auspicious of beginnings, but we have five more episodes ahead of us.


Sarah -
One would expect The Doctor to be better prepared for his favorite period in Earth’s history, no?

That said, Hartnell is spectacular in this entire episode! After the unfortunate burning farmhouse incident, the scenes with the small boy are charming. The Doctor is at his avuncular best. He happens upon the road crew without any papers to prove his identity – if there was ever a time he needed psychic paper! – and sets about lying to, stealing from, and assaulting the overseer. And the whole scene is hysterical!


Harry -
We’ve never seen the Doctor so violent before. He brains the “Road Works Overseer” with a spade (!) and later will brain the jailer with a bottle. Even though it was supposedly played as comedy, the Doctor comes off as a violent bastard. Perhaps he got caught up in the spirit of the times.


Sarah -
Well, one does like to fit in.

Of course, the comedic highlight has to be the jailer, but I jump ahead of myself. We haven’t even reached Paris yet!

The story takes a while to let us know where it’s going. D'Argenson and Rouvray seem like they might be important, but are quickly shot by the revolutionaries. Honestly, I can’t blame them for shooting Rouvray after his obnoxious assertion of is upper-class twitishness. Next time, one might want to avoid dismissing the folks with guns as “peasants.”

Our Travelers find themselves behind bars yet again, and even take a moment to remember tales of previous incarceration. I was delighted by Barbara’s spunk as she reminds Susan that they have to make their own opportunities, as Susan settles into despair yet again. There was a point when I yelled, “Pull yourself together, Susan!” just before Barbara said the same thing. Great minds think alike, although I may have also slugged Susan just to shut her up!


Harry -
Good grief, Susan and her whining! I yelled at the telly too, but with much stronger language than you.


Sarah -
Barbara's poise when dealing with the loutish jailer is commendable. Can you remember any other companion being so harassed by sexual predators while traveling with The Doctor? Fortunately, Barbara is more than up to the challenge of dispatching the oafs.


Harry -
It's astonishing how much shit Barbara has had to put up with -- from all sides!


Sarah -
It seems it was William Russell’s turn to go on holiday, which explains all his stand-alone scenes in jail. I found myself holding my breath during the key-retrieval scene; oh the stress!


Harry -
What I like most about this story is that there is no one real villain to the piece. Not a constant one, anyway. The TARDIS team continue to get swept along by the tide of history. Events, dear Sarah, events! They encounter soldiers, revolutionaries, and anti-revolutionaries. I liked how they were just on the periphery of things, not close enough to influence history, but close enough to watch it unfolding. They weren’t there to stop something from happening, or to change the course of history. For these six episodes, their greatest goal was simply to survive and be reunited.


Sarah -
This was one of my favorite things about the story, which will be reflected in my final rating. Bring on the ambiguity! Of course, it may just be my History degree talking.


Harry -
Poor Barbara -- even Ian got on her nerves, leading to a wonderful line:

"You check your history books, Ian, before you decide what people deserve."

The passion of the history teacher!


Sarah -
This was my single favorite moment. (See previous reference to History degree.) Ian attempts to sort her out, but I’m firmly with Barbara on this one!

I did disagree with Barbara’s willingness to let the doctor use leeches on Susan. Hello, Barbara, remember that whole 20th century thing? Leeches, indeed!


Harry -
The Doctor finally makes his way to Paris and acquires the provincial officer’s disguise. Fancy! Made him look stylish during his encounter with Robespierre. It was a nice little set piece, in an adventure that felt like an ongoing series of set pieces.


Sarah -
I quite enjoyed this scene. Hartnell was delightful – clever and manipulative, and perhaps a little too smart for his own good. I loved the tailor telling The Doctor that his clothing was little better than fancy dress. SNAP! And, honestly, have we seen a better hat in all the years of Doctor Who?

The Robespierre scene was disappointing, as was Napoleon’s. I can’t help but think that it would have been better to leave these historical figures out of the story if their appearances were going to be so perfunctory.


Harry -
Robespierre and Napoleon were both diminished by their appearances here. Neither actor was able to make his character seem larger-than-life -- they should have been chewing the scenery. They might have been served better by either not being seen at all, or only given brief non-speaking cameos.

It was a bit disappointing, though, that we never got a resolution to the ongoing gag about how the Doctor escaped the burning farmhouse. He brushed aside both Barbara and Susan when they asked him, building the anticipation for a great Hartnellian yarn at the end (ie. total BS on the fly), but we never got it.


Sarah -
Good point. The Doctor’s scenes with the jailer almost made up for it. I nearly fell out laughing when The Doctor told the Guard, “It’s a pity you’re surrounded by such fools,” and the jailer thought he had at last found an ally. The tradition of low-level employees as comic relief continues as the jailer quickly adjusts to the changing waters.


Harry -
I guess we'll have to assume that the Doctor managed to stagger outside to safety before the roof collapsed, then passed out. Although it wouldn't have been surprising if the young boy dragged him outside and the Doctor didn't want to own up to it.

I wasn't so much a fan of the buffoonish jailor, and his scenes were the ones I enjoyed the least. Maybe in a story that was packed with betrayals and double-crossings, I found his predictability uninteresting?


Sarah -
Didn’t you love it when Ian told Colbert the truth about time travel? I guess Ian was fortunate that Colbert didn’t live much longer.


Harry -
Ian's revelation to Colbert was stunning. I imagine he expected to be scoffed at, but Colbert's quick demise was tidy end to it -- no consequences for Ian's action there.


Sarah -
Oh, we haven’t mentioned Lemaitre yet, have we? I imagine there’s a good reason for that. He was a bit on the dullish side, but I became slightly fond of Jules.


Harry -
Lemaitre was neither truly villain nor hero, like everyone else in the story.

I loved the TARDIS team coping with the swirling maelstrom they were caught in. This may not have been their best outing, but this is still a great historical. I'd so love to see the present Doctor, Amy and Rory in a pure historical like this. The Nu Who tendency towards "celebrity historicals with an SF monster" is starting to grate on me.


Sarah -
I have to agree.  The formula is wearing thin.

Lasting image – The Doctor’s first appearance in his plumage!

Favorite moment – Barbara telling Ian, "You check your history books, Ian, before you decide what people deserve."

Best line - “We can’t stem the tide, but at least we can stop being carried away with the flood.”

Rating: 8/10


Harry -
Lasting image - Beautiful plumage, mais oui!

Favourite moment - the Doctor's nasty and violent encounter with the Road Works Supervisor.

Best line - "Paris, eh? Hmm. A hundred miles or so, either way is to be expected. After all it's only a fraction of the distance we've covered. It's quite accurate, in fact." Some fantastic BSing from the Doctor when they discover they aren't in London.

Rating: 7/10

 

Our marathon continues with Story #9 - Planet of Giants...

Story #7 - The Sensorites (1964)

Sarah -
It all begins with such promise as our group of traveling chums share a moment of reflection on their many adventures. Barbara assures us she's "got over all that" kerfuffle with the Aztecs, The Doctor tells a mildly amusing anecdote about Henry VIII (I'm telling you, The Doctor and his Royals obsession -- will it never end?), and we're on to the next adventure!


Harry -
The First Doctor and Susan met Henry VIII: this makes me want to take up fan fiction just to write that adventure!

Susan also mentions an adventure with some telepathic plants on the planet Esto or something like that. This leads to revelations that she and the Doctor both possess telepathic abilities, as we will see demonstrated as the story goes on. An interesting new characteristic, though one that didn't get much play after this story.


Sarah -
Our Travelers find themselves on a space ship littered with what seem to be dead bodies and overly dramatic music. When Barbara said she "can sense something," I assumed it was the heavy hand of composer Norman Kay. When Ian pronounces Maitland dead, the Bahm-Bahm of the music nearly knocked me off my sofa.


Harry -
The musical stings in this story were a bit overdone. BAHM-BAHM!


Sarah -
But wait, they're not dead after all, and Our Heroes spring into action, lending support where they can -- and decided to bugger off when they conclude that, oh well, there's really not much they can do. If only someone hadn't absconded with the TARDIS lock.

OK, I'm being a bit glib. In retrospect, so much happens in this first episode that I'd almost remembered it as two parts.


Harry -
A lot happens, but the best moment of the first episode is when nothing happens at all. There's that long silence as everyone anticipates the first appearance of the aliens. And there's one now! Peeping into the ship! BAHM-BAHM!

I'm struggling to imagine how I might have reacted to the Sensorites if I was seeing them for the first time, in 1964. Men in bodysuits with awkward circular feet, with furry faces beneath egg-head craniums. Creepy? Goofy? Somewhere in between?


Sarah -
I kept thinking that the they looked like the Whos-down-in-Whoville, but that's my jaded modern sensibility. There were so many references to them looking exactly the same, except that the didn't really, did they?


Harry -
After the reveal, the action moves down to the Sense-Sphere, which appears to be the set of a 1960s game show -- huge drapes and arches, big polka dotted panels, and a kiddie pool fountain. I love how everyone acts around the pool, glancing at it, but never saying anything about it. They all do their own silent take: "Oh, here's a random kiddie pool fountain, nice."

The story. Is there much to it, beyond the obvious themes? By that I mean... xenophobia and racism, BAHM-BAHM!

Are we both being glib with this one? I've focused more on the kiddie pool than anything else.

One other point I wanted to make was that The Sensorites is the first story that really felt stale. We've seen myriad alien races on DW and other shows, and the Sensorites look terribly dated even if they might have been new and weird for 1964.

Same goes for the story. It is really of its time, lacking in nuance, and, like the images themselves, very black and white. By the time we got to the bonkers Earth crew living in the aqueducts, I'd kind of switched off.


Sarah -
That was odd, wasn't it? I have to give props to John Bailey for his wonderful turn as the Commander. That, and the return of the lovely Barbara and her stunning outfit gave the story a bit of a lift at the end.


Harry -
The roaring standoff between Susan and the Doctor was pretty wild, though.


Sarah -
This was perhaps the most interesting development. Our Little Susan is growing up and Grandfather is not ready for it so she turns to Barbra as her natural ally. It was a nice scene.


Harry -
Nice foreshadowing too.  We found the one bit of depth in this story!


Sarah -
And now I'm ready to move on!

Lasting image - The Sensorite at the window in episode one.

Favorite moment – The superior officer twit commander in the aqueducts.

Best line - "I learned not to meddle in other people's affairs years ago."
Of course you did, Doctor, of course you did!

Rating: 5/10


Harry -
Lasting image - I want to say the kiddie pool, but let's go with John's constant face of trauma.  That was hella trauma.

Favourite moment - the 30 seconds of silence before we first see a Sensorite

Best line - "Your story is a tissue of lies."
Haven't heard that term before.  Must be an old Sensorite saying.

Rating: 5/10

 


Our marathon continues with Story #8 - The Reign of Terror...

Story #6 - The Aztecs (1964)

Harry -
Let’s get right to it, there’s a blizzard about to hit and I need to move some canned goods down to the cellar.


Sarah -
The Upper Midwest is gripped by Stormageddon 2011 and I'm already missing the balmy setting of "The Aztecs."


Harry -
To borrow a sporting parlance, “The Aztecs” is a tale of two halves.

I found the first two episodes slow-moving with surprisingly little going on after the main and secondary plotlines are first introduced. The camera work was shoddy at times.


Sarah -
Wait, isn't that part of the charm?


Harry -
True, but it can still be jarring at times. The final two episodes more than make up for it. Riveting stuff, interestingly shot, and the story brought to a brilliant conclusion. It felt like they switched not just directors but the entire production company in mid-story, the contrast was so striking.


Sarah -
Sorry, but how have we gotten this far without the mention of Tlotoxl? John Ringham just may have turned in the best Doctor Who performance ever. Oh, I was skeptical at first – convinced that he was merely a frustrated thespian who never had the opportunity to show the world his Richard III – but he soon won me over with the depth and consistency of his most excellent performance.


Harry -
Speaking of mean old Uncle Dicky... in keeping with the varied and experimental nature of Season 1’s stories, “The Aztecs” offers us Doctor Who as a BBC Shakespeare teleplay. It had that feel to it. Tight sets, a small cast always in each other’s faces, and a great moral quandary at the heart of it.

The story revolves around Barbara and her attempt to alter history on a grand scale by overturning the fundamental religious beliefs of the Aztecs. Her intentions are met with disapproval from all sides, with only Susan and Ian offering (somewhat passive) support.

The Doctor is adamant – history cannot be rewritten, despite Barbara’s good intentions.

Sarah -
Barbara, Barbara, Barbara, what were you thinking? History cannot be rewritten … except when the viewers don’t know the history. (Take the Thals, for example.) Still, has Barbara rewritten their history, or just confirmed it? Might the Aztec empire still exist today if it weren’t for a meddling English history teacher?


Harry -
Autloc is respectful but puzzled, trying to understand why the reincarnated High Priest Yetaxa would return to refute their age-old beliefs and rites.

Tlotoxl is utterly contemptuous of this newcomer, who dares to challenge the ways of the gods, as well as his own standing as the High Priest of Sacrifice.


Sarah -
But, as Ian points out, Autloc is the outlier. Tlotoxl’s behavior is entirely appropriate for his culture. And, have I mentioned he’s utterly fabulous?


Harry -
It is a dangerous game that Barbara plays and it would have been fascinating to watch the story progress. Only, it didn’t. Once the players were introduced, the story seemed to drag. Scenes were overly long, and often marred by poor camerawork. During the first human sacrifice – a critical moment – there is one whopping great camera wobble that pulled me right out of the story, back to the BBC set, wondering how in hell they wouldn’t have re-shot such a pivotal scene.

Another pulled-me-out-of-the-story moment was Ixta donning what appears to be a cheetah mask. Were there cheetahs in ancient Mexico? Maybe some similarly spotted jungle cat? I have to do some Googling.


Sarah -
It is a dangerous game and she plays it so boldly. I loved the moment when she tells Tlotoxl that she’s not a god and there’s not a damn thing he can do about it. The way she plays everyone off against each other is quite cunning, coming from Our Barbara.

The first episode was a little too similar to the Velvet Web – Barbara showing up before everyone else and settling into the moment with nary a blink. Still, she looks great in the costume. The Aztecs had some awesome headgear. Even Ian got in on the action.

On a technical note, I’m sure the black and white helped, but I found the sets quite excellent. The backdrops were clearly backdrops, but they looks fabulous and sold me on the story.


Harry -
The third and fourth episodes of this story are something else. Each of the one-on-one moments feature some crackling lines. There’s even a moment of humour to break the tension, played perfectly by Hartnell and Russell:

“Where did you get hold of this?”
“My fiancé.”
“I see. [beat] Your WHAT?”

Sarah -
That old heartbreaker and his wicked charm! As much as he’s clearly manipulating Cameca for information about the temple, I don’t doubt that there’s something there. I love that he was constantly being shuttled back to the garden with all the other plus-52s. Talk about being put out to pasture!

Ian, meanwhile, gets to put his fighting skills, which one assumes he picked up while doing his National Service, to the test.


Harry -
Indiana Chesterton!


Sarah -
His fight scenes with Ixta have to be among the least interesting in television history. That said, I appreciated when he stood his ground in the final episode, knowing that he must face Ixta before leaving in the TARDIS.

Susan has the strangest storyline of all. Wisked away to the seminary, she once again excels as the excellent student. Then she almost gets married off to Ixta and inadvertently slags off the entire Aztec empire. Oops.


Harry -
Yes, Susan’s seminary plotline was weird. I mean seriously, her entire adventure consisted of being kept in a small room by herself, with the occasional spot quiz from Autloc. Weird!


Sarah -
Apparently, it was Carole Ann Ford’s turn to be on holiday and her scenes in the second and third episodes were pre-filmed.


Harry -
You are Toby to my Rob!


Sarah -

I'm clearly the Toby in this relationship!


Harry -
As the various conflicts in the story race to their resolution, this story surprises with an ending where the goodies end up suffering the most, and the baddies come out on top.

Cameca, having been used and mislead by the Doctor, suffers a broken heart.

The Doctor, realizing what he has done to her, is saddened and guilty.

Barbara is depressed, her optimistic efforts having been crushed. (I loved how, after she was repeatedly berated by the Doctor, Ian put it to her more gently: “You can’t fight a whole way of life, Barbara.”)

Most tragic of all is Autloc, a gentle soul who ends up losing his faith, left to wander the wilderness.

Tlotoxl wins the day! The hunched, sneering antagonist, who – like Tegana before him – was merely playing out his role in that culture at that time. As the Doctor concludes, Tlotoxl had to win in order to preserve history (which is the one bit of hypocritical rubbish throughout Doctor Who – the most important rule, yet the one that is most often broken).


Sarah -
There wouldn’t be a show if that rule weren’t broken!


Harry -
Do you wonder if the Doctor ever thinks about Cameca?


Sarah -
Of course. Perhaps he went back for a visit…


Harry -
I’m sure there’s a fanfic for that.

Do you think this is the story where Barbara starts thinking about going home again?


Sarah -
It would be hard not to after all that, don’t you think?


Harry -
I could write on and on about this story, but let’s wrap things up before the power cuts out.


Sarah -
Lasting image - The Doctor’s face when he discovers he’s engaged!

Favorite moment – Every moment Tlotoxl is on screen.

Best line - "Yes, I made some cocoa and got engaged..."

Rating: 8/10


Harry -
Lasting image: Barbara resplendent as Yetaxa.

Favourite moment: the Doctor and Cameca’s sweet courtship in the garden.

Best line: “Was ever such a potion brewed? In bliss is quenched my thirsty heart.” Cameca, sipping cocoa with the Doctor, delivers a line right out of Shakespeare.

After a slow and wobbly start (6/10), “The Aztecs” comes to life at the midway point and gives us a great finish (8/10).

Rating: 7/10

 

 


Our marathon continues with Story #7 - The Sensorites...

Story #5 - The Keys of Marinus (1964)

Harry -
No sooner has the TARDIS crew survived the trek across Cathay than they stumble into another quest story, this time on the planet Marinus.

I love the opening shot of the first episode: a nice bit of model work featuring the building where we will find Arbitan and the Conscience machine. From a contemporary point of view, it looks like a mega-resort on some Caribbean island.


Sarah -
One would expect that beginning with an awesome miniature and THE SEA OF DEATH across the scene can only lead to further awesomeness, however, one could also be easily mislead.

Trapped by cavemen, imprisoned by Daleks, driven mad in space, kidnapped by Marco Polo -- and now blackmailed by Arbitan and sent on a scavenger hunt to find his keys. A promising start that devolves into a Scooby-Doo episode.


Harry -
Marinus is a strange place: beaches made of glass and seas of acid. Despite the evident dangers and a close call with an acid pool, Susan rather stupidly wanders off, all the way to the distant building. Watching these stories in quick succession reinforces to me why I never really liked Susan. When we first met her in "An Unearthly Child," she towered over her fellow students, but in these subsequent adventures, she's very accident prone and immature.


Sarah -
As I've mentioned before, I do not get Susan. I understand that her role is to get into scrapes that will lead us to further adventures, but she was introduced to us as a much more interesting character. With the exception of a few scenes in "Marco Polo," I find her to be most tedious!


Harry -
Definitely.

Anyway, the crew all make it to the building, where they encounter Arbitan and the Voord (and some BBC TV crew who strayed into shot, yikes!).


Sarah -
I think half the crew makes a special appearance in this episode...not to mention the boom mics that seem to be a permanent fixture in the story. They should have slapped wet suits on them and made them Voord.


Harry -
The boom mic shadows are so ubiquitious in classic Who that I just accept them as part of the story -- think of them as being caused by some kind of overhanging devices attached to the TARDIS ceiling.

By this story, William Hartnell has settled into his portrayal of the Doctor. This is the curious, serious and whimsical Doctor we remember him as.


Sarah -
Having taken two weeks off for a vacation in the middle of the story, Hartnell was tan, rested and ready by his return in the fifth episode of the story. He's positively feisty by the fifth episode!

Speaking of, The Doctor seems to have acquired a new wig for this story. The locks were decidedly less-flowing.


Harry -
You'd think they'd have gotten matching wigs for the man, but there's the BBC budget for you (obligatory BBC budget dig!).

Going back to the contemporary point of view, I like seeing Ian still wearing an Oriental shirt, like he's just come home from holiday and wants to show off a bit.


Sarah -
Ian’s rocking the Chinese leisure wear! Or is he in fancy dress as one of Adam’s Ants? In any case, he is SO ready for the next Con.

Amusingly, Mr. Smith HATES Ian. Quite passionately, which is more than a little bit out of character. He finds Ian too pompous, officious, terse, and inexplicably self-assured. I tried to explain his better points, citing his man-of-action role in Marco Polo, but Mr. Smith was having none of it.


Harry -
Ian is either the coolest science teacher ever, or the nerdiest action hero ever. Jury's still out.

The Voord: a nice try by Terry Nation, but nowhere near as memorable or menacing as his previous villains. How menacing can you be in a costume that involves giant hood ornaments coming out of your forehead, and speed-inhibiting flippers? (We will see one of the Voord almost do a face-plant later in the story.)


Sarah -
Those costumes looked positively claustrophobic.

Now, let us return once again to my favorite subject of this first season -- my new best girlfriend, Barbara Wright. Yet again, she proves her excellence by seeing through illusions, smashing the alien overlords, feigning fear as the lamest stakes in the history of television threaten to slightly bump her while trapped under a fishing net, fighting off a rapist -- And can I just say WTF? Has anything like this happened elsewhere on Doctor Who? Is this not a children's program? -- and figuring out that Kala is lying. She is truly a woman for the ages.


Harry -
Barbara is far and away the lead character in each of the mini-adventures in this story.

In "The Velvet Web", she sees through the mind-control façade foisted upon the others by the brain monsters, and she is the one who destroys them. In "The Screaming Jungle", she is the one who calms down Susan's hysterics, and (inadvertently) finds the hidden lair where the key is kept. In "The Snows of Terror," Barbara fights off the trapper (whose intentions of rape are clearly implied), and in the final two episodes she gets to team up with the Doctor for a spot of clever detective work. She rules this story!

What I really like about "The Keys of Marinus", despite it being mostly poo-pooed by Rob & Toby, is that it veers Doctor Who in yet another new direction. This time out we have a very fast-moving piece, and each episode serves as a self-contained adventure, like an old Saturday movie-house serial.

The story itself is not the greatest. It's a quest to assemble the pieces for a machine that will control people's minds -- a machine whose destruction is deemed appropriate at the end of the story, coupled with a little speech about the dangers of machines. Whaaa?

But as with so much Doctor Who, if you focus on the things you like, and conclude that the things you don't like don't count, then it's a winner!


Sarah -
The real problem with this story lies in the writing. I'm fine with the concept of each episode being an adventure, but it just never adds up in the end. Our Heroes are kidnapped and forced to find the keys to a machine that subverts free will and each has a scrape with death while trying to find them. When the machine is destroyed in the end, they all just shrug it off and move along.


Harry -
Maybe this Terry Nation kid should go back to writing Daleks. He might be on to something there...


Sarah -
Significantly, this is the first adventure for adventure's sake. There's no mention of Barbara and Ian trying to get back home; they're just off on another lark, it seems.


Harry -
Back to Ian again, this is not his best story. Though initially suspicious in "The Velvet Web", he ends up brainwashed and attacks Barbara. I'll give him "The Screaming Jungle" because he comes to Barbara's aid and sorts out the scientific code. In "The Snows of Terror", Ian does some more rescuing, but gets outwitted by the trapper more than once -- the same trapper than any five-year-old viewer would have concluded was "bad news" the moment he appeared onscreen. And he almost fell for Yartek's hoodie ruse. Come on, Mr. Chesterton!

A word on Altos and Sabetha. I really liked these secondary characters. More memorable than any of the Thals, they made a cute couple in the end. And I can't say I didn't enjoy watching Altos dash about in his cape and Y-fronts. I'm glad that as early as its first season, Doctor Who was providing something "for the uncles" too. Hah!


Sarah -
Poor Altos must have been freezing his stuff off in "The Snows of Terror"!

Altos and Sabetha were sweet. I really liked the final shot when Barbara says she'll miss them and Ian beckons her into the TARDIS. Watching their relationship develop out of the confines of school has been delightful.


Harry -
If you had a favourite single episode in "The Keys of Marinus" which would it be?


Sarah -
If I had to choose one favorite, I'd go with "Sentence of Death," which contains some excellent moments. I especially enjoyed Hartnell in this episode. The Doctor was downright spunky in his investigation of the murder and defense of Ian. And, it was nice to see him again after two episodes of Barbara and Ian taking the lead.


Harry -
I'd pick "The Snows of Terror" just above "The Velvet Web". The former is very grown-up and sobering, up until the keystone knights thaw out.


Sarah -
I also liked the shift in perspective in "The Velvet Web" -- Susan's dress being beautiful from her point of view, but tattered rags from Barbara's, and, of course, The Doctor admiring the lab that was an empty room containing only a rusty tin cup.


Harry -
Good point about the camera perspectives in "The Velvet Web." DW often gets knocked for wobbly sets and rushed productions, but not enough praise goes to the occasional director who adds some flair to the show. Props to John Gorrie on this one.

Lasting image - the opening model shot of the island and pyramid building.

Favourite moment - the Doctor's lively crime scene reconstruction with Barbara and Susan.

Best line - Ian: "In a moment I've got to go in there and face an accusation of murder. I need a man to defend me." Doctor: "I am that man."

Rating: 7/10


Sarah -
Lasting image - The Doctor holding his tin cup!

Favorite moment - Barbara lounging on the chaise, cool as a cucumber, when everyone else arrives in Morphoton.

Best line - "I am that man." Classic Doctor moment!

Rating: 6/10

 


Our marathon continues with Story #6 - The Aztecs...