me! I would like to express my thanks to every contributor. And on that note, regular readers of DWAS publications may note a number of new names amongst the contribu- tors. Regular, reliable writers are always the backbone of any such project but a request made via our The Celestial Toyroom Annual is Facebook pages resulted in a lot of becoming a tradition. This is the new (or new to DWAS) contributors third in the series, and once again, coming forward, which I am delight- we are concentrating on a specific ed about. I hope that this will go to Doctor’s era. The First Doctor was further demonstrate that you do not an obvious pick, as it was in 2018 need to be part of any mythical ‘in that as fans, we raised the funds crowd’ to take part in DWAS. necessary to place a blue heritage plaque to honour William Hartnell at On that note, I shall leave you to Ealing Studios. This era of the show travel back to 1963, the beginning seemed the natural choice. of the show, and the man who for many people is still ‘The Doctor’.. This book follows the usual format; an item on each story from the era, along with a few others such as ‘The Three Doctors’. We gave seri- Paul ous thought as to how far we should go, as in recent years, the first Doctor era has expanded quite significantly with the Big Finish ranges (both The Companion Chronicles and the David Bradley series) adding a great deal to the story. This is in addition to the many novels published over the years by the BBC and Virgin. Eventually, we decided to limit the content to pro- grammes that actually featured Wil- liam Hartnell, with the one addition of ‘An Adventure in Space and Time’ which although Hartnell was not actually part of, still concentrat- ed on his role in the programme.

A book like this relies very heavily on those who contribute. Without people writing for us, the annual would either not happen, or might just have content exclusively by

1 2 the moment. But I do not think that merchandise, despite what they they are comparing like with like. may think of some of the Doctors. Until the advent of the video record- er you simply had to be there at the To be honest I see the version of It was the day that really changed time when the schedulers decreed the programme in its earliest days my life, and all these years later I that a programme should start, oth- to be a very different show to what remember it well. It was not the erwise you missed it completely. it is today. Yes there is the Tardis, twenty third of November 1963, but And for that you had to be dedicat- the Doctor and the companions but rather a week later. I had heard a ed - otherwise you would miss epi- to my mind the stories and the way lot of good things about this new sodes. Perhaps that commitment they are told are very different. serial that had just started on the meant that the original watchers of BBC and that unusually the channel Doctor Who became so passionate Back when it first started it was very was repeating that first episode police box in time? They did – but I about the programme because in much seen as one long story and along with their first screening of wondered whether they would al- order to see it, it usually meant they while the travellers had adventures the second episode the following ways be that lucky! had to make sacrifices as regards in different times and places for a week. It sounded most interesting other parts of their lives. time they were the same travellers. and I sat down to watch the pro- Unfortunately, a Sunday School In the beginning Doctor Who was gramme with my father. party meant that I missed the first I have often wondered if I would very much about four characters episode of the next story which have become a fan if I had started having adventures. Between them Having enjoyed the first episode meant that when I caught up with watching the show at another peri- these characters spanned three very much with this mysterious the four characters they were al- od of its life. Nowadays I really en- different generations. In the early Doctor and his granddaughter I ready in the Dalek city. By that time joy watching the Pertwee adven- days Ian and Barbara were the hero watched the second as well. With this new show had become my fa- tures but at the time I never enjoyed and heroine while the Doctor was the hero sharing my name and both vourite programme replacing Badg- them as much as the original sixties that ‘strange other character’ who my parents being teachers, I sup- er’s Bend the Animal Hotel which series. And even now while I have was much more difficult to fathom pose I found that I connected very had been my favourite up until then. all the surviving episodes on my out. well with this new serial. But I was There was something about this shelves it is to the monochrome era puzzled about the Doctor and I re- adventure show which was special. that I return again and again – es- For me of all the Doctors the first member asking my father whether Something about it that gripped me pecially these Hartnell adventures. Doctor was the most complex. He he was a goody or a baddy. He unlike any other programme before The BBC nowadays I think. wants could be charming, amusing, abra- resembled the character of the it or since. to have it both ways. It wants us to sive, thoughtful, wise, strong, trans- Grandfather in The Old Curiosity see the show as one continual un- parent, mysterious… the list could Shop a serial I had enjoyed watch- I remember always hating missing folding story from November 1963 go on and on. One never quite ing the previous year. It was a Sun- an episode of any serial that I was to the present. But at other times it knew where you were with him. He day classic serial starring Patrick watching. However with Doctor is quite happy to see it as a collec- has been described by some as a Troughton and it was one of the Who I tried to make a real effort to tion of different series all with the ‘wizard’ but unlike so many of the programmes that we watched as a ensure that no matter what, I was same overall title, but as different recent Doctors he had not got a family. Many of these classic seri- next to a television at whatever time versions of the programme accord- wand (i.e. sonic screwdriver) to get als were set in the past and I re- the programme was scheduled to ing to who is playing the Doctor. himself out of difficulties. He had to member very much enjoying any start each week. I was not always This means that it is acceptable to use his brains to get himself out of programme which had an historical successful and I missed no fewer like some Doctors much more than problems. He also suffered quite a background to it. than seven episodes of the first others. With the recent, to my mind lot during his adventures and one season of the programme. But radical change with the thirteenth thing you could not say of the early I eagerly awaiting the next two epi- none after that! Doctor, I can understand the BBC days was that it was ‘all jolly fun.’ sodes and the chase through the wanting to keep Doctor Who fans The Tardis transported her occu- forest was exciting. Would the four There is much talk about the huge on board particular as regards the pants to many dangerous places travellers be able to get back to that ratings that programme is getting at 3 4 and it was not always easy for them But I find all the Tardis occupants in had the Tardis crew moving from there are some Hartnell episodes to extricate themselves from their the Hartnell years likeable. I have place to place, as they did in The that I know better than others as a problems. to admit that I was sad every time Keys of Marinus. There were jour- result of re-watching them on video one of them left and hoped that one neys in The Romans and in the and then DVD. I could never say Back then Doctor Who was filmed day I would see them in the pro- Reign of Terror. In some more re- that the best episodes are the ones more like a stage play than a film. gramme again. But sadly it never cent times an adventure has tended that survived. If I was asked to sin- The range of special effects that we happened. The only character who to take place in a small region of a gle out which two episodes of this have now was not available. That left and returned in the Hartnell planet. But in the early days adven- era were the most interesting I meant that the emphasis back then years was the Meddling Monk. And tures took place over quite a large would say Bell of Doom from The had to be on the stories and on the for me one of the wonderful thing geographical era in addition to them Massacre which has the brilliant acting. Both were exceptionally about the Hartnell years was that being set over a large period of speech by the Doctor about all his strong from the beginning. The four there was such a variety of different time, which for me made the ad- former companions and the episode Tardis occupants were all experi- kinds of adventures. ventures somewhat more realistic. of Masterplan called ‘The Traitors’ enced actors. William Hartnell him- which had the shock deaths of both self had been in many films prior to Sadly with the exception of The Doctor Who became famous of its Katarina and Bret Vyon. taking the lead in this science fiction Highlanders after the second Doc- alien creatures. Of course the most serial. tor took over the historical adven- famous were the Daleks in the sec- I often ask myself what was it about tures were removed from the pro- ond Hartnell story and the Cyber- this show that made me such a For me William Hartnell played a gramme. I really enjoyed them and men in his last adventure. While I great fan. So much so that I contin- huge part in the success of the se- I particularly liked it when one was liked the Dalek stories I must say ued to watch it during the years that ries. In a short space of time he set in an historical period that we that I enjoyed the Daleks as part of shall we say, I was not enjoying it became my all-time favourite actor. had been studying at school. I the programme. To me they were so much. I would say that first of all I have been lucky to have seen him have always maintained that Doctor never the main reason that I en- it was a jolly good adventure. At in many of the films that he made Who encouraged my love of history joyed the show. All the Hartnell Da- the time I enjoyed reading books over the years and I must say that so much so that I ended up teach- lek stories are very enjoyable in about people having adventures. he always comes across as being ing the subject for a time myself. themselves but I am particularly sad And this series was about interest- exceptional. He is always compel- that my favourite one is the one ing characters having interesting ling when he is on the screen and I also rather liked the ‘sideways’ which is incomplete. The Dalek adventures. You never knew where he plays many different kinds of stories which I would list as being Masterplan like many of Terry Na- the Tardis would land next - characters. He is an extremely ver- Edge of Destruction, Planet of Gi- tion’s stories is quite modern, in that whether it would be in Earth’s past, satile actor. He is by far and away ants and The Celestial Toymaker. it has a number of mini adventures Earth’s future, some strange planet my favourite Doctor and always will Planet of Giants was one of my all in it rather than having one long ad- or some other dimension. be. time favourites and I was somewhat venture which most of the other sto- surprised when I later discovered ries from this period were like. It In the early 60s for many of us that its original length had been four was good that within its science fic- school was not a great place to be episodes. It was an interesting sto- tion form Masterplan had time to go in and I certainly used to dream of ry to begin the second season with into the past as well thus making it how great it would be to be whisked because it was quite unlike any- very much an adventure in space away from my present life into a thing that had gone before. It had and time. real life Tardis and visit lots of inter- two contrasting elements to it. esting places in space and time. I There was the fantasy one with the One of the great drawbacks to the would have liked to have been that crew being shrunk set beside what Hartnell era is that not all the epi- fifth member of the Tardis having was a traditional thriller. sodes still exist now. As that era is the exciting adventures that Ian, really one long story it is a pity that Barbara, Susan, Vicki, Steven, Do- Some of the adventures stressed there are missing parts of the jig- do, Polly and Ben had. Perhaps the theme of travel. Marco Polo saw. This means of course that one day someone would discover

5 6 how to construct a real life Tar- probably believe it was the first have caught the imagination of the dis…? screened episode from 23rd Novem- public? Susan is hard to identify ber 1963). I remember getting my with, not just when she draws that Like all good imaginative fiction first look at it on a dodgy VHS copy odd picture in the classroom but in Doctor Who was a programme that Most fans know about the ‘pilot’ epi- – back in the 1980s that was how her attitude towards the school- fed and inspired the imagination. sode these days. We know that you saw old Doctor Who episodes, teachers later on. The Doctor, And what was so good about these there were two versions of the sec- unless of course you were in any whilst not exactly loveable in the early days was the programme took ond sequence inside the Tardis, we country other than the UK! early parts of the first season, is itself seriously. Yes, there things in know that Susan was deemed too plain nasty at points in the Pilot. it that made you smile. But these ‘weird’, that there were problems But what of it? Well, the very name Hartnell would soften the character came from character interactions with the inserted film sequences, we now assign to the programme – as the show went on but had this and seemed perfectly natural. and that in the opening minutes the ‘The Pilot’ is probably wrong. Aside been the true start of the series, he There was never the feeling that the camera hit something. We know from the fact that we now have a would have had a longer road to programme was talking down to that the character of the Doctor was Capaldi era story called that, this travel. you. A trait shared with the Sunday deemed too harsh and of course, one from 1963 was never intended classic serials of the time as well. some of the sound effects were just to be a pilot in the true sense. It And so, at the behest of Newman too loud. We even know, or at least was the first episode, and not in- and Wilson, we got something we think we know, how Sidney tended as a teaser for an as yet un- much better. The cast and crew get If these early days had not been so Newman and Donald Wilson react- commissioned series. It is just that more time to become familiar with successful then it is unlikely that a ed to it. But whilst the existence of it was viewed, critiqued and reject- the material, leading to a more show called Doctor Who would still the pilot and the subsequent re- ed. And quite right too because competent piece of direction from be on television today. Right from mount were never actually a secret, frankly, it is not very good. It has Waris Hussein. Susan becomes the beginning it got people interest- they were not exactly widely known some nice touches – I like the thun- more human but with some nice ed and talking about it. Something about for a long time either. My first derclap in the opening titles and I touches (such as her comment on that they have never stopped doing memory of knowing about the un- wish they had left it in. I like the the French Revolution book) let in, ever since…… screened pilot’s existence was point of view shot of the junkyard and the Doctor becomes more like- reading the in-depth article about gates in the fog with the policeman able. More minor changes also take the state of the holdings in the BBC checking the lock. I really like the bit place. The more familiar Tardis de- Archives, back in Doctor Who when the Tardis door opens and materialisation sound is heard (just Monthly in the early 1980s (and Ian and Barbara hear Susan’s radio what were they thinking before with what a shock the facts contained in playing. But there is so much those oscillating beeps?), the ori- that were). wrong. The camera crash, the loud gins of the Doctor and Susan are sound effects, the mistimed inserts, no longer the 49th century and we Initially I do not think many fans the good old Tardis doors in the first get what turned out to be some thought they would ever see this Tardis sequence (then reshot) and ‘classic’ Doctor Who dialogue – unscreened episode – after all, the a few lines seemingly fluffed. Addi- ‘The children of my civilisation recent ‘Five Faces of Doctor Who’ tionally, the cast do not seem very would be insulted’ being one exam- series had been quite an extraordi- comfortable and whilst it is tricky to ple. nary event, but nonetheless the put your finger on why, the narrative programme was subsequently does not seem to flow at all well. It I am glad that they remounted this made available for screening at a seems a bit ‘under-rehearsed’ and episode. ‘An Unearthly Child’ re- DWAS convention. It later appeared probably was. mains a superb piece of television on various VHS and DVD releases to this day. The pilot, really is not and finally, in 1989, made it onto It is still an interesting piece of TV though. the TV (although without any expla- but I do wonder if this show would nation leaving many viewers to

7 8 ness of the vast past. I got the nov- Road was built sometime in the el from Obelisk Books in Virginia 1960's and my family moved to the Galleries, Glasgow. It was at Christ- parish in 1981. I attended the boys mas time and the school was club run out of the church hall and An Unearthly Child was not my first closed. I started reading it in the was an altar boy in the church. As a encounter with Doctor Who. That evening and on what I remember as result of this I would be around the would have been Tom Baker, the first page it describes a police- church hall a fair bit and from time Logopolis part four when we had a man walking about the exterior of to time on a Sunday afternoon there regeneration and on my part won- the Tardis while thinking about get- would be band rehearsing. Most der, fear and confusion lifted only ting home and having a cup of tea were heavy metal or hard rock and by the promise of an extra fish fin- and a sausage sandwich. I put the almost all would be playing covers. ger and the reassurance that this book down and went to the kitchen One Sunday afternoon there was a was par for the course with the a wall as a band played. to prepare tea and square sliced. I sign on the noticeboard that there Doctor. The first time I was made can't remember anything else in would be a visit from The Tribe of aware of An Unearthly Child would Susan Foreman is listening to the relation to reading the novel, not Gum at 4 pm on this day. The use have been at the Woodside Library radio. Some pretty cool tune is play- like I can for say Power of Kroll, of the word visit intrigued me as meetings in late 1989. I had invad- ing. Susan is rocking to the beat which was read on a bench across usually it would be the performers ed the group aged 13 with friends just like any other teenager on the from the wee cafe at the back of the name, but a visit? It marked it as and family from outside of Glasgow. telly. But Susan is not human. She Atlantic Apartotel in Bundoran dur- something that might be worth hav- People spoke of stories that I was is probably not even a teenager. ing the fair fortnight. The way that ing a look at. I could tell from the only aware of from looking up the This otherness catches the atten- Susan shouts at her Grandfather, noise that it must already be 4 pm microfiche files in Motherwell Li- tion of Barbara and Ian. They are she knows what is going down, so I opened the door and entered brary. Lots of stories with the word Susan's school teachers and are these poor wee creatures whose the Tardis so to speak. The Tribe Dalek as part of the title. A few pure baffled by her, so much so that curiosity led them to enter a dimen- were comprised of four percussion- struck me in the way that the name they stalk her to her home and spy sionally transcendental object are in ists playing a heavy relentless pulse of the tale gave away little to what on Susan and her Grandfather. At for a real trip, even more out there with two synth players. In the mid- one could expect be going on within this point we can but speculate on than the Owsley Sunshine that dle of all this were another four, the story. Some of the names that the relationship between Ian and would be consumed at Grateful playing bass, guitar, sax and stood out and fired up my imagina- Barbara: did they often spend an Dead happenings over the next few drums. The synths were holding a tion out were The War Games, In- evening following students in the years. These two are getting taken long-sustained chord droning on for ferno, Edge of Destruction, and An dark or was this a onetime only into the land of fantasy and imagi- eternity with one of the players us- Unearthly Child. I finally saw the deal? Any thoughts of sinister moti- nation. All points in space time are ing a box that generated insane ar- first episode sometime in 1990, and vations behind their clandestine ob- possible locations and destinations. peggios that floated in and out of then later once the video was re- servations are laid to rest when we They could die in ways that they the wall of noise. The bass, sax, leased, I was able to watch the oth- er 3 episodes that make up the sto- spend time with them and learn that would have never considered. And drum and guitar sounded like they their actions arise from a curiosity the Doctor takes them without con- were playing off whatever they ry. It seemed strangely familiar, and possibly misplaced concern. It sent or warning. Curiosity moved could hear in the synth mix and the very much in the style of television is safe for us to assume we are the teachers to stalk Susan and I percussionists, playing a mixture of programmes of its time but none- dealing with two good eggs. Next, feel that it is an anger at their intru- marimba, wood block, bongo, bells, theless enjoyable, and it felt like a they blow their cover and are inside sion that motivates the Doctor to a giant hotel kitchen soup pot being pivotal moment in my Doctor Who the Tardis. abduct them and take them into the beaten with a rolling pin. I loved it. It fandom. Then something really unknown. From this point the show was the moment when I understood strange began to occur to me. It And that is how the show begins. can now begin. From Foreman to that you could find patterns of com- was about halfway through the epi- The episode An Unearthly Child before man mastered fire. plexity and spirituality within an all- sode three the penny dropped. I feels like smog and cold. In a junk- enveloping sound. Years later I had seen this footage before, yard almost all the space is occu- St Bernadette's church on Logans think this was the trigger that ena- around 1986 at an afternoon con- pied, not so in the barren wilder- cert in a church hall projected onto 9 10 bled my entry into albums such as the video and read the book 3 episodes, I realised that yes, I opened it to the possibilities of won- Charles Mingus Presents or Miles though. But now 30 years on from had seen this footage before, but it drous things! Davis On The Corner or bands like then it has so much more meaning must have been in an edited form Sonic Youth. I then became aware in what we go through in the story. as they could only have played for Over this summer I got back into after a few minutes that there was a We see glimpses of ideas that we half an hour at most. There was a watching the Classic show by way projection on the wall behind me will go on to explore, the French staircase leading from one road to of the Twitch stream. I had been that the band were watching. The Revolution book, the idea that another near the church that had a away since 1992 when I sold al- images worked so well with the someone reading about a historical wall at the side and this was full of most all of my Who collection to buy sound that I assumed that the band event might not be how it was re- bands names. It was the Band Wall albums and instruments, playing must have been responsible for membered by someone who was and along with Beatles, Lou Reed, and making music that bore a lot of them also. It was black and white present at the time of the event. Cream, Jackson 5, Motörhead was influence from the incidental music and really fuzzy. There were primi- The story ends on a cliff-hanger some local names: Blue Kanues, featured in the show. I have fallen tives and for some reason there that will result in us being intro- DioBane, Comic On The Shore (like in love with Doctor Who again! were also people wearing what duced to a character that becomes Pet Shop Boys fronted by Madon- Watching the stream brought back seemed like contemporary clothing. arguably bigger than the show and na, I saw them twice and thought so many memories and feelings of The footage seemed to be cut up that would eventually play a pivotal they were the best thing ever!) and exploring the universe of Doctor and I could gather no discernible role in defining the mythology of our also in slightly faded white paint Who first time around. I tuned in to plot or direction to the action accept pal the Doctor. there was The Tribe Of Gum. I have the first episode of the Whittaker that it was directing and being di- enquired with old friends if they Doctor and it hooked me the same rected by the roar from the band. I continued to watch the footage knew what might have been going way the classic show did what now and glance round at the band. In on. The only information I have is seems like a long time ago. I am The Cave of Skulls, The Forest of the projection, the mouths silent, that a girl called Clemson Marian anticipating watching all the doctors Fear and The Firemaker. These black and white flickering. The band from the area was at the Glasgow and episodes I have never seen so three episodes make up the first were transfixed to the wall. The per- School of Art had a weird band and in a way it is almost like those early Doctor Who adventure. We can formance went on for another 10 would put on performances during days when there was so much still now follow the Tardis through our minutes and then stopped. There the mid-eighties. No one I spoke to to see! I keep hoping that one day i avatars of Barbara and Ian. The must have been about eight people knows what happened to her be- will find in a record fare a cassette Tardis goes to the stone age to see in the room, I recognised none of yond that she moved to Costa Rica labelled The Tribe of Gum and final- some people who are attempting to them. No reference to Doctor Who in 1989. Cheers Clemson. You ly get to listen to that huge noise make fire. We can move through was made by the band and they might just have blown my mind and again. time and space and meet humans just stopped as the footage ended. who can't even keep warm. The The audience clapped, and the mu- helplessness of Barbara and Ian as sicians started taking apart the they are now very much far from stage set up. I went outside and off home contrasted with the stone age on my bike feeling good and full of human desperation in the dark, wonder at what I had experienced grabbing out for the future. This though I really had no idea what it show takes us right into the past of was I had just seen. humankind to a place of unknown location beyond this. We are at the I asked the caretaker of the church point when human evolution is hall years later when I discovered about to make a leap, like the what I had seen that day, but no wheel, the printing press and the one could remember The Tribe of internet. This story really sets up Gum, though it was known that the next 50 plus years in a fantastic sometimes people would just phone way. I don't think for one minute up to use the hall for a small fee. that I held this view when I watched When I watched the video of those 11 12 lished in the first story is incredible. imposing, implacable threat of the Jacqueline Hill’s performance. It The odds are stacked highly Daleks, as a race, can only be over- ups the expectancy and, could have against our heroes – and from what come by the Tardis crew accepting backfired seriously if what we even- ostensibly counts as their own side, and utilising each other’s skills and tually saw the following week wasn’t A new science fiction series has too. Add to that the xenophobic, abilities, and by looking out for one up to much. But the bottom line is started on television. It’s been run- mechanical horrors they find living another. On a darker level, the fact they don’t disappoint, and because ning for four weeks already, forming in the city and a knowledge of what that the Tardis crew actively cajole Barbara was so terrified of them we roughly one story, although the nar- Skaro’s exterior has actually been the Thals into risking their lives to are already scared of them too. rative appears to be continuous. doing to them, and you have an al- help them shows that, when push Our heroes, Ian and Barbara, most insurmountable problem. comes to shove, we can all be as The story could and would have caught up in a world outside the single-minded as the Daleks are, worked with the Thals and Kaleds norm of 1960s Britain, have man- Never again are the odds so entire- and as the Doctor has been. It’s a that Nation eventually gave us in aged to escape from the cavemen ly stacked against Ian and Barbara ‘do or die’ situation for everyone. Genesis of The Daleks years later, through sheer, adrenaline-fuelled, – but that’s partly because during because the moral stance is essen- bloody-mindedness and an adapta- the course of this story the Tardis Daleks are an integral part of Doc- tially a basic black and white, ‘good’ bility above and beyond. Their self- crew becomes much more of a co- tor Who, now. Their influence and versus ‘evil’. And it could be argued ish, single-minded captor, the Doc- hesive team. By the end of the sev- presence has expanded so much that having the Daleks as totally tor, rather than pausing to consider en weeks we, the viewers, have since this first appearance that it’s non-humanoid mutants with a nasty his next action, activates the con- taken the strange, alien Doctor and virtually impossible to see them as voice in a personal battle tank very trols of his amazing machine to get his granddaughter Susan much they were originally intended, and much leads the audience, underlin- the travellers away from the cave- more to heart and the two school- not as some scheming supervillain ing the story’s moral to an excess men and their spears, and we go teachers are no longer our sole fo- hell-bent on universal domination. before it has time to put forward its forward into the world of the Daleks. cus. After The Daleks, Doctor Who When we meet them here they are arguments. But, regardless, the Da- becomes a story of thrills and ad- a colloquial people, scared; little lek as a coherent whole is a huge The first trip was a disarming voy- venture for the Tardis crew – and more than raging bullies comforta- symbiotic success; it captures the age back in time. The second takes by then they are a crew; whereas bly at home in their metal shells audience’s imagination in a way everything we’ve seen so far and up to now it has been an uncomfort- within their mechanised city. The that mere humanoid characters cranks it up to another level. Doctor able tale of captor and hostages on Thals are like Gypsies or Travellers could never achieve (and which the Who isn’t going to be a simple a voyage of jeopardy and unwilling to them, settling somewhere they’re series would never do so success- ‘there and back again’ fairy story for discovery. For any viewers who’ve not wanted. The Daleks are, basi- fully again until the Cybermen in Ian and Barbara. The Doctor can’t missed this organic growth and de- cally, NIMBYs with guns. 1966). Are we that interested in the control his Tardis for one thing, so velopment over these seven weeks, pacifist Thals and their jazzy will our heroes ever get home? The and the four weeks prior, there’s a It is not difficult to see the immedi- cloaks? Really? No, it’s the Daleks Tardis controls themselves don’t two-part summary after The Daleks, ate appeal of the Daleks, but I’d like all the way. They are pure night- appear to be reliable, giving a false set inside the spaceship, which re- to suggest that our acceptance of mare creatures in their stuffy, clini- radiation reading at first. Then the views and confirms all of that for them owes a great deal to Jacquel- cal, unnatural environment, living Doctor shows himself to be implac- good measure. But in the main it’s ine Hill’s performance of that iconic their manufactured lives out of ably stubborn. He creates a further all laid out here. episode one cliff hanger. In every touch with nature. But they are also fault in the machine in order to force possible way she sells the horror of concurrently the stuff of fun, be- his hostages, even his own grand- There’s so much solid character the Daleks before we see any more cause they can be copied, imper- daughter, to explore a distant city work and development in this story. of them than a tentative plunger. sonated, mocked – and yet simulta- that they’ve spotted, in the hope The Daleks form a single character Her scream is one of sheer terror; neously feared. It is no wonder the that the city contains mercury – in themselves. They have minimal she can’t even bear to keep looking viewing public fell in love with them simply because he is curious about variation within their ranks. But, first at the horror that is approaching and clamoured for a re-match. the place. The level of jeopardy this and foremost, they are a catalyst; her, and in that physical gesture, story piles on to the premise estab- they bring the crew together. The that turn of the face, lies the integri- The Daleks are as one with their ty both of Barbara’s reaction, and of environment. In fact, set design, 13 14 costume, sound design all work to- Polo where the series changes great deal after this - and we do gether brilliantly – it feels as if there slightly) its success with the viewing learn much more about the ship was an overarching design concept public made it the linchpin of the and its possible consciousness - for this story, rather than an acci- show’s coherency, the milk that forty-seven years before The Doc- dental coming together of various sustained Doctor Who’s birth. It has tor’s Wife removed any ambiguity. BBC production strands. There’s a since become the default template We could have endless discussions sense of solidity, of scale, of robust- for alien planet stories – which is about the correct title for this story I am not entirely sure about the sto- ness to these episodes. Yet also somewhat unfair, since if you look couldn’t we? The 10th Anniversary ry itself. It is known that the cast there’s an intimacy which, coupled at what the story does to develop Radio Times Special called it ‘The had some initial difficulty under- with the integrity of the performanc- the regular characters, it is clearly Edge of Destruction’ but then again, standing the early parts of the script es, really draws the viewer in to that so much more than just an alien it gave a number of stories titles with the ‘amnesia’ affecting the small screen. It is easily the best planet / alien race story. But, as the based on the first episode, resulting crew. The method of communi- realised of the sci-fi stories in Doc- big screen version shows, if you do in the mammoth ‘The Daleks’ Mas- cating by ‘giving us time and then tor Who’s first season. At seven away with much of the grittier, more ter Plan’ being billed as ‘The Night- taking it away because it is running episodes it looks pedestrian on pa- personal character detail, then yes, mare Begins’. For a while it was out’ - well it seems a bit convolut- per, to our modern eyes. But if you what remains is very much that ‘The Brink of Disaster’ and then, ed. However there is a real sense follow the character journeys the template – and in the case of the quite incorrectly, ‘Beyond the Sun’, of peril towards the end, even when story is very well paced from start to film, much the poorer for it, too. actually Malcolm Hulke’s aban- it is apparent that there are no mon- finish. All this consistency is even doned script. I am going with ‘Inside sters aboard - unless you count the more surprising when you consider Whether we remember the story the Spaceship’ dull though it is. Doctor of course! the serial had two directors, swap- better, or prefer the story, as a col- ping over after a few episodes ourful feature film, or as a strikingly But how did this story come about? Written in a bit of a hurry, having each, as both Richard Martin and personal novelisation, we cannot Much has been said over the years two directors across two twenty-five Christopher Barry were being escape the true brilliance of the suggesting more scope was need- minute episodes, only stock inci- trialled on the show. original television serial. An Un- ed for character development , that dental music and no additional sets earthly Child may have given us viewers wanted to see more of the or cast, the story could have gone Earlier in 2018, on a whim I decided Doctor Who, but The Daleks ship, or just that Marco Polo was quite wrong. It doesn’t though, and for the first time ever to watch all of changed the world. not ready to go. However a closer whilst it is not the finest example of the extant 1960s Doctor Who epi- reading of the situation (and I refer early Doctor Who, it is a milestone sodes in order. I’ve always been you to the excellent ‘The First Doc- in many ways in our understanding fond of The Daleks but I was struck tor Handbook) suggests a more of the Tardis, of the Doctor and his this time, in particular, by the story’s mundane reason. Doctor Who was companions. It also cements the brilliant consistency and realisation. commissioned in thirteen week show as being not a children’s pro- It really is great TV of its period, blocks, the cast usually being con- gramme, but a programme for chil- well-made within its restrictions, tracted as such, with an option on a dren of all ages. and from an ongoing narrative per- further thirteen. Having almost been spective it offers challenges and axed after just four episodes the scenarios to the Tardis team which first block of thirteen was confirmed help galvanise them into that very with an option. So lets see - four team that we, as fans, associate episodes, plus seven episodes is with that period of the show. And, of eleven. That leaves two to fill the course, in the Daleks themselves block. There is no money and so the show gave the world a new cul- David Whittaker writes this story on tural icon. As the middle act of the the cheap. And it genuinely does initial, three-act series launch for allow for substantial character de- Doctor Who (leading up to Marco velopment - the Doctor changes a

15 16 There is also the point that back Something that was never really well. But all the companions had then I saw Doctor Who as a contin- attempted again. something interesting to do in this uing serial – like a soap opera alt- serial. hough unusually set in many differ- Unlike many modern versions of the Marco Polo is the ‘missing adven- ent places and times – and so the programme in this serial all the There were some quite grownup ture’ of Doctor Who that I would episodes of Marco Polo to me were main guest actors had important themes throughout the narrative. most like to be found. The simple just part of the bigger story. I prob- parts to play, and in many ways There were many deaths and the reason for that is that its seventh ably saw these episodes as epi- these seven episodes were very idea of Ping Cho being married to a and last episode – ‘Assassin at Pe- sode fourteen to twenty of Doctor similar to some of the classic serials seventy five year old man was quite king’ is the only Doctor Who epi- Who more than anything else. of the time which were screened on an interesting part of the story. Be- sode that I have never seen. Sundays. The story could have fore seeing the story I did not know What is very obvious about many of substituted the Doctor and his much about Marco Polo and his In these early days of the pro- the early series is that they contin- friends for another group of people travels, but throughout the serial gramme it was quite easy to miss ued to emphasise the programme who had some precious thing that there were various educational an episode now and again because as a ‘journey.’ The Tardis lands on Marco wanted to give to Kubla points made which did not sound the only way of seeing it was to be the ‘Roof of the World’ in the first Khan (as opposed to the Tardis) forced, but were part of the story. beside a television at the time that it episode and it dematerialises in Pe- and there would not have been too was transmitted. Unfortunately I king, many miles away from there. many differences made to the Derren Nesbit and Mark Eden were was in London when the episode During the course of the adventure script. excellent in their roles with Tegana was shown staying in a hotel. They the travellers have done a great having a believable reason for be- had a television but unfortunately at deal of travelling via Marco’s cara- The only time that the Doctor really having in the way that he did. the time it was tuned to an episode van, and a lot of time had passed, saves the day is when he finds the Marco was also depicted as a multi of ‘The Buccaneers’ and I was not unlike some of the more recent ad- condensation in the Tardis and layered individual and you could confident enough to ask those ventures of the Doctor. therefore provides much needed understand his point of view as well whose hotel it was to ‘please water for those travelling in the car- as being somewhat frustrated with change the channel.’ One of the interesting things in avan. him for denying the Tardis crew Marco Polo is the role of the Doctor their spaceship back. Zienia Mer- This meant it was much later that I himself. He was not in it for much I have always liked it that this ad- ton (Ping Cho) was also very likea- learned through a story synopsis of The Singing Sands and it is not venture unfolds naturally. The trav- ble and impressive in her first major from the DWAS, just what I had the Doctor who wins the day in the ellers have to keep moving and as TV role, before she went on the missed. At the time I had not real- end because of something amazing they do so they encounter various greater success in Space 1999 and ised that Assassin was going to be he does. The climatic sword fight at problems which are overcome in later on in East Enders. the final episode of the Marco Polo the end of Assassin at Peking is not realistic ways. No magic sonic adventure. It was later the follow- resolved by the Doctor triumphing screwdriver here! I remember be- Throughout the serial not only was ing week when reading the Radio in some way or another. ing particularly impressed by the the Doctor was shown as being vul- Times that I discovered that a new sandstorm in The Singing Sands adventure for the time travellers The villain of the story, Tegana, ac- and wondering whether Susan and was to begin. Nowadays with ad- tually dies by his own hands rather Ping Cho would survive their or- ventures of a shorter length and than by one of the heroes. The tale deal. Susan’s friendship with Ping with all the means of catching up of of Marco Polo is more about the Cho was an interesting aspect of episodes that you missed on their battle between Marco and Tegana the serial and played an important original transmission, Doctor Who than it is about the Doctor and his role in the unfolding narrative as fans can never really miss out on friends defeating some evil force. seeing new adventures. When I watched these episodes Marco Polo is often hailed as a clas- originally I enjoyed them immense- sic adventure - as indeed it was. ly. I did find it somewhat unusual Back in 1964 younger viewers had that there was someone doing a various chances of watching dra- voiceover to explain some of what mas set in various historical eras was going on as well as revealing with the ITC action adventure series something about Marco’s character. and the BBC classic serials.

17 18 nerable but the Tardis was too. In previous adventures the Tardis was voord falls over its own flipper, the safe haven. The place to es- which had to stay in given the con- cape to – away from all the prob- sequences of halting studio record- lems of whatever place or time they ing sessions back then. Having said had ended up in. Now it had not that, some of the model shots, in- only been captured, it was also not ‘The Keys of Marinus’ is where a cluding the marvellous opening se- working properly and had to be number of pieces of accepted quence to part one when the Tardis fixed before the time travellers ‘Doctor Who wisdom’ are either arrives on the island, are very good. could make their escape. made or reinforced. There are les- Raymond Cusick also uses the Looking at the surviving stills from sons to be learned from the story same method to create perspective the serial one can see the inside too - the most obvious one to my on the island as he did in ‘The Da- sets were very impressive. The mind being ‘don’t make a six part leks’ - namely photographic blow- outdoor (but studio-bound) scenes story for which you do not have the ups rolling into the distance. In the at times look less so, but in 1964 time or resources’. That lesson had days of 405 line television (as op- that was the norm for many taped apparently been forgotten by the posed to 1080i HD) the effect would drama series and the viewers of the time The Web Planet came along. have been quite convincing. The time would think nothing of it. I cer- If you bear in mind that in the scene of the voord falling through a tainly didn't because I was so 1960s Doctor Who was largely rec- caught up in all the drama. The secret door into an acid pool was words that were spoken, the acting orded ‘like a play’ - that is in story also expanded upon when Cusick and the storyline made it an adven- order one episode at a time, you persuaded the director that, other- ture that I enjoyed watching at the again – or in the case of the last can see why The Keys of Marinus wise, the use of the hidden door in time and would really like to see episode, see for the first time! was such a burden on the available the set would look like the guy fall- production facilities. The lead de- ing into a cupboard. Simple tricks to signer was the ever-reliable Ray- make the production look more ef- mond Cusick, who in later years fective. remarked to DWAS that he was completely exasperated when he saw the script - a new set to be de- signed and built every week! It must have been very hard work. Some of those sets were later re- used by ‘Out of the Unknown’ in the 1965 episode ‘No Place Like Earth’, (If you have the DVD, see if you cant spot them) The drama depart- ment clearly got the best value out of its investment.

When making a story like this, in There are some nice explanations the studio at a facility like Lime about how the sea of acid has cre- Grove (though some filming was ated an island of glass and the done at Ealing), trying to present script also does well in the scenes something on the scale required by when the Doctor and friends specu- the script must have been very late about the glass mini- tricky. Everyone remembers the submarines they have found, one of amusing scene where one of the which is cracked. It is also quite

19 20 amusing to think the monsters that example of Doctor Who’s habit of look like men in rubber suits are producing scripts that cannot be genuinely supposed to be men in effectively realised on the resourc- rubber suits! ing and schedule available.

The consciousness machine is also Talking of Terry Nation, The Key of an interesting idea although the Marinus presents us with a number explanation of how it worked and of Nation trademarks in what is only the resistance that some people his second script for Doctor Who. built up are a bit strained at times. The quest the travellers embark on The missing operating keys of the is a concept he uses many times in story title are of course the method the future, most notably in the jour- used to drive the treasure hunt the control of brains in glass jars. ney across southern England in the not difficult to understand why. along, and this is what enable us to Dalek Invasion of Earth and then visit the different cities on Marinus. The script was written in a hurry more explicitly in The Chase. We We can only guess what an AARU And very different they are too. when Malcolm Hulke’s story have the travellers split up in order big screen version of the story ‘Beyond the Sun’ was abandoned. to drive the narrative on (and on would have been like, which was The screaming jungle and the ice- Terry Nation and David Whittaker this occasion to allow William Hart- something seriously considered by bound scenes are a bit run of the decided upon the treasure hunt nell to go on holiday) and of course, Gordon Fleming and Milton Su- mill (and a bit adult in places, again theme as it would allow a short access to the Tardis is denied until botsky until it was realised that it distancing the show from the sug- number of ‘mini-adventures’ to be the end of the serial. was the daleks that the cinema au- gestion that it is just for children), written relatively quickly. This did of diences wanted to see, but it surely but the city of Morpheus is a lot course add pressure to the design Ray Cusick was not a fan of ‘The would have been better than this! more fun. The sequences where department and by the latter part of Keys of Marinus’ for the reasons the place is seen through the eyes the adventure, the scripts are start- outlined, and he was not particularly In summary, this is a story that was of Barbara and then the rest of the ing to show it too. By the time the enthusiastic about it in the DVD probably better in development than cast almost at the same time must travellers arrive in the city of Millen- documentary he took part in either. realisation, and may be best en- have been difficult to achieve and nius and Ian is accused of murder I Looking at the achieved production joyed in book form. the result is very effective. By this get the impression that Nation just values and the demands made it is point, any suggestion that Doctor wanted just to get the scripts writ- Who is going to respect Sidney ten and submitted regardless, be- Newman’s ‘no bug eyed monsters’ cause the whole concept of the dictat is completely gone with the investigation and trial, under the revelation of Morpheus being under somewhat bizarre ‘guilty until prov- en innocent’ rule is all pretty ‘pulp sc-ifi’ stuff. This continues into the final episode where the resolution hinges in part on Sabetha not real- ising that the man pretending to be her father Arbitan, is in fact another man in a rubber suit hiding under a cloak and putting on a funny voice.

All in the all the basis of the story is pretty sound, as with all of Terry Nation’s writing, but it is an early

21 22 tle, will be Ian. When the Doctor stone, Ian finds in horror that the later learns of this news from Bar- water level is beginning to quickly bara he is arrested before he can rise in the darkness. Ian eventually warn Ian of the danger and so the makes his lucky escape from a wa- Six stories into the broadcast of the fight to the death commences. Ian tery grave and ascends to the top first season of Doctor Who on Sat- is scratched by a poised thorn given of the temple and emerges in the urday the 23rd May 1964, we arrive to Ixta by the Doctor. Tlotoxl the tomb chamber where he tries to at the temple of Yetaxa during the high priest of sacrifice continues to prop open the door of the tomb for time of the Aztec civilisation in Mex- be suspicious of Barbara, who he is his friends to make their escape ico. Our time travelling friends have now calling her ‘the false goddess’, through. This is carried out towards found themselves transported back with her new rules and planned the end with much better success into the past once again. Barbara’s changes to their society and way of with the inventive help from the thorough knowledge of Earth’s an- change the course of established life. With the help of others he Doctor and his newly designed and cient history places her at an ad- history and in one scene unleashes plans to destroy her. constructed wheel and pulley sys- vantage to the rest of her group his thunderous anger at her. tem. After being set up and ac- when she is immediately mistaken The fight contest has ended with cused by Tlotoxl of attacking Aut- for the reincarnation of the Aztec This is very much Jacqueline Hill’s Ixta not having won in his battle loc the high priest of knowledge god Yetaxa. This occurs when she story and she gives a great perfor- with Ian who has luckily survived. with his own hand weapon, Ian is found wearing a bracelet from the mance over the course of the entire Later, after an attempted poisoning once again has to fight Ixta on the burial chamber when the Tardis ar- adventure with some of her best on Barbara by Tlotoxl, the history top of the temple; whom he even- rived by Autloc the high priest of Doctor Who scenes. William Rus- teacher from Coal Hill School tually defeats. Our heroes finally knowledge, played by Keith Pyott. sell is given some great material too bravely reveals to him that she is make a tense escape back through with plenty of good action and fight not a god. Having shared cocoa the tomb as another sacrifice is Right from the start, the Doctor, Su- scenes throughout by having his with Cameca in the temple garden, made during an eclipse outside. san, Ian and Barbara are trapped character Ian Chesterton become the Doctor plans to access the tomb and isolated from the ship as the an Aztec warrior who has to fight a via the water course which comes With the original Doctor Who se- sacred tomb door has barred their local soldier named Ixta, played by from the lake in the hills. William ries outline by Sydney Newman way back to safety of the Tardis, Ian Cullen. The victor of the fight Hartnell shares some touching and realised under the watchful and we follow them throughout the contest will lead the Aztec army of scenes with the Aztec lady Cameca guidance of Verity Lambert, it is entire four episodes in their quest soldiers into battle. Meanwhile, Su- played by Margot van der Burgh evident here that they are present- and desperation to obtain access to san is now Barbara’s handmaiden and it is interesting to see here how ing a historical history lesson and a the time vessel and escape. The and is sent to learn the Aztecs cus- these scenes are handled in the glimpse into the fantastic future of acting from beginning to end not toms and traditions. In the peaceful early days of the programme com- the nineteen sixties from the just by the four regulars but also the gardens at the base of Yetaxa’s pared to the occasional romantic cramped but creative confined guest cast is played to the audience temple, the Doctor has befriended story telling of later years. During space of a small recording studio. truthfully; helped along by the beau- an elderly lady called Cameca her punishment for speaking out On first viewing the Hartnell era, I tiful costumes and detailed sets. whom he learns may be able to put against the Aztecs teachings, Su- loved the unfolding and thrilling Appalled by the Aztec rituals of bar- him touch with the descendant of san rejects her intended husband adventure stories that the Doctor baric sacrifices, Barbara attempts to the man who had built the temple ‘the perfect victim’ who is to be sac- and his companions got up to in bring an end to all the killings in her which now houses his precious Tar- rificed during the next solar eclipse. each instalment and I have to say new commanding position and by dis. While meeting with Ixta, the With the Doctor’s help, Ian manag- that I enjoyed them all and contin- doing so alerts the suspicion of the Doctor attempts to assist him in his es to enter the tunnel to the pyra- ue to do so to this day. When Tlotoxl the high priest of sacrifice battle with his opponent in ex- mid temple via the gardens below asked back in 2013 what would be played with fine relish by John change for a viewing of the temple that they have both discovered. a perfect surviving story to repre- Ringham. The Doctor is of course construction plans; unknown to him Having had his return path blocked sent William Hartnell's period in the appalled that Barbara is trying to that Ixta’s opposing warrior in bat- after Ixta has replaced the entrance programme I immediately picked

23 24 “The Aztecs” in my fantasy version ularly good. The early historicals phen Dartnell (John) has by far the of a imaginary BBC4 retrospective are in my opinion just as gripping best material to work with. The season of Doctor Who that would as the adventures set in the distant stumbling, zombie-like John, who have showcased fifty years of the future and it was a pity that they (very slowly) stalks Barbara and long running programme. were phased out not long after Wil- Some stories are loved whilst oth- Susan through the corridors creates liam Hartnell's departure. ers are loathed. And then you have a decent moment of tension – What comes across throughout The Sensorites, which seems to be which is then nicely dissipated “The Aztecs” is another well re- Perhaps when the definitive ac- largely ignored. I can rarely recall it when we realise that he's a victim searched piece by John Lucarotti count of Doctor Who’s entire history ever stirring any particular emotions not an aggressor. with terrific dialogue and imagina- has been finally written, the William from the majority of fandom (other tive direction by John Crockett. All Hartnell years will be documented than a faint sense of boredom) It's just a shame that both Barbara four episodes stand up very well as being a prime example of one of which is a shame as there's plenty and Susan are shown to be a cou- today as a perfect example of the the most consistent and well pro- of interest to be found across its six ple of limp lettuces during this sce- William Hartnell era with superb duced eras of the programme re- episodes. ne (for example, attempting but fail- performances by all. We are lucky gardless of budget. ing to move a filing cabinet in order we can still enjoy this story given Yes, the plotting and characterisa- to block the door). The message how many of the sixties episodes Any true devotee of the show can- tions are somewhat simplistic, but initially seems to be that they're lit- have been lost since their original not fail to enjoy “The Aztecs” or this then it was still very early days for tle more than a couple of damsels transmission. period of the programme and in the series. Exactly how early is in distress who need the brawny Ian particular the performance of it’s demonstrated by the way that the (stuck on the other side of a locked It is worth noting how important the lead actor. We should never forget Doctor is remarkably keen to nip door and shaking an impotent fist at weekly end of episode cliff hangers or disrespect Doctor Who’s early back to the Tardis at the earliest Maitland) to rescue them. were in those early episodes and years. Not one line. possible opportunity. He expresses the ones in “The Aztecs” are partic- mild sympathy at the fact that Carol But they do form a connection with and Maitland have been kept un- John, something which it's harder to conscious prisoners in their own imagine Ian or the Doctor doing ship by the Sensorites, but he'd (especially Ian, who early in the sto- clearly sooner be just about any- ry appears to be suffering from an where else. overdose of testosterone).

Even allowing for the cavalier atti- Jacqueline Hill’s holiday leave dur- tude of the season one Doctor this ing the middle episodes is one rea- seems a little harsh, but no matter – son why Carole Ann Ford has a ra- once a sneaky Sensorite steals the re crack of the character whip. Su- Tardis lock this forces the Doctor san’s conflict with the Doctor and and the others to stick around. I've her telepathic connection to the never quite understood where this Sensorites offers Ford a more inter- Sensorite was hiding (or why he esting role than Susan’s normal never pops up again). That seems hysterical fare. Indeed, in this story to be a little plot loophole which Da- it fell to Carol to be cast in the role vid Whitaker forgot to tidy up. of kidnapped damsel in distress ra- ther than Ms Foreman. The spaceship bound episodes are a little stilted, which is mainly down Doctor Who has no shortage of to Lorne Cossette (Maitland). Ilona lightly sketched civilisations of Rogers (Carol) is better whilst Ste- which the Sense Sphere is one of

25 26 the earliest. It's a fairly unreal caste of the water earmarked for the “now, now, now, don't be absurd. pity that we’re denied a final con- society where the three classes all rank and file Sensorites and keels There's not an ounce of curiosity in frontation scene with him, instead apparently live together in perfect over in a dramatic fashion, things me”. Possibly my favourite is his we have to be content with the First harmony. “The Elders think and start to become clearer. Mmm, response to Maitland’s shocked Elder’s comment that he’ll be ban- rule, the Warriors fight, the Senso- since the Elders have their own comment that John’s hair had ished to the outer wastes. But it's rites work and play. And all are hap- extra special crystal spring water turned almost white. “There's noth- some compensation that we have py”. (another little touch which empha- ing wrong with that!” the appearance of the beardy hu- sises their elitism) do you think the mans who’ve been hiding in the If this sounds a little too perfect, water might possibly be the prob- He might be slow to get involved in aqueduct for the last few years and then Ian is on hand with a well- lem? the story, but once the Doctor does slowly poisoning the Sensorites aimed Orwell misquote (“but some commit then he throws himself into with a supply of deadly nightshade. are happier than others, eh?”) I’m inclined to be generous with events with gusto. Whether it’s pi- Given the quality of John Bailey’s which floats the suggestion that this and float the conjecture that loting the spaceship, tinkering with other Who turns, it’s no surprise things may not be quite as idyllic as the poison affects the Sensorites test tubes in order to find a cure for that he brings a tattered nobility to the two senior Elders suggest. at a much slower rate. If a Senso- Ian or venturing down into the aq- the role of the Commander – it’s a Since the Elders are shown to be rite started showing symptoms ueduct to investigate the poisoned brief but very nicely judged perfor- fluent politicians it wouldn’t be sur- several hours after drinking this water, he’s in great form. And even mance. prising if they were being a little water then the connection would when Hartnell doesn’t have any economical with the truth when de- be far less obvious. lines he still catches the eye – the I’ve always had a substantial soft scribing life on the Sense Sphere. cliff-hanger of episode four (the spot for The Sensorites since first The other story beat which seems Doctor hears the roar of a decided- acquiring a wobbly pirate video of it Indeed, if conflict is unknown, why to offend many is the notion that ly unfriendly monster) is chiefly no- back in the late eighties. If you’ve do they have a warrior class and a the Sensorites have difficulty tell- table for the range of emotions not seen for a while, then you could powerful weapon like the disintegra- ing each other apart (the City Ad- which silently play across the Doc- do a lot worse than plucking it down tor? And although it’s possible to ministrator is able to masquerade tor’s face. from the shelf for another watch, as argue that the City Administrator as the Second Elder simply by it’s a key story in the development only became a scheming murderer stealing his sash). But I don’t real- Story-wise, things do fizzle out a of the series. Basic it might be, but due to the arrival of the humans ly think this is too much of a prob- little in the final episode as the City it's also possessed of a great deal (the event which triggered his ex- lem as the script has already paint- Administrator just fades away. It’s a of charm and conviction. treme xenophobia) it’s just as likely ed Sensorite society as a remarka- he was always an unstable loose bly rigid and isolated one. The El- cannon. Peter Glaze is good value ders – with their fancy spring water as the evil Administrator, a part and all their other little perks – are that’s a world away from his lovea- no doubt very rarefied figures, so ble Crackerjack persona (although it’s likely that the lower orders had he not been wearing a mask it would run into them very infre- might have been harder to take the quently. After all, nobody bats an character seriously). eyelid when the Master imperson- ates a high level Naval officer in Several sections of the plot have The Sea Devils (the principle is long been derided. If the job of the exactly the same – it’s the clothes Elders is to think, then they haven’t rather than the face which is im- done a very good job over the last portant). few years as they’ve been power- less to prevent a steady stream of William Hartnell’s gifted some love- deaths. But once Ian takes a slurp ly lines during the story such as

27 28 ergerie. What elevates this poten- and taken to a place of safety. In tially repetitive story is its historical contrast, the overseer’s impulsive backdrop. The travellers’ move- capture of the Doctor leads directly ments are frequently mirrored in to his downfall. those of the French resistance. The Doctor’s masquerade as a Personal humanism besting an Development is a frequent sticking southern governor directly match- overbearing regime is nothing new point in Doctor Who. Personal es insurgent Englishman James in science fiction, but rarely is that growth tends to coincide with a Stirling’s turn as Citizen Lamaitre. regime built on such a similar plat- change to the regular cast; either a Ian finishes the mission of dying form. Supporters of the Revolution reaction to the change, or a notable fellow prisoner, Webster. The Tar- do, at times, attempt small mo- development in a character’s final dis’ location near a counter- ments of trust, only to break that story leading directly to their own revolutionary safe house gives the ment of relief. That the emotion is trust for their own ends. The tailor departure. Rarely does a single travellers the same path to free- felt through audio alone is a testa- who gives the Doctor his deputy group undergo grand, steady devel- dom as any other fugitive. Rather ment to Hartnell’s performance. outfit does so at the cost of the opment. One notable exception to than being outside observers, or Through natural growth, the travel- Doctor’s own clothes and signet this is the original group, introduced wary guests of the period, the lers have what the Revolution tried ring. Initially a moment of trust in a in An Unearthly Child. Unfettered by characters truly integrate with the and failed to achieve: brotherhood. fellow citizen, he reveals the ruse to decades of history, Ian, Barbara, French Revolution. This discrepancy between the Rev- the Conciergerie jailor by the end of Susan, and the First Doctor are all olution and the travellers permeates the day. Historical accuracy lends a treated as any other ensemble in With this integration in place, any the entire story. Early on, the Doc- unique strength to the serial. With- any other series. Their travels affect examination of the travellers’ de- tor meets a group of workers lorded out real events informing the world them naturally; their shared hard- velopment reflects onto the French over by an idle overseer. Though of the characters, the story would ships pull them together. The Reign Revolution itself. Friendship is these workers are labelled as tax collapse. Robespierre’s discussion of Terror pushes this bond to the treated as a hollow commodity by evaders, their only real crime is be- with the Doctor hinges on the for- forefront. The genuine friendship of the revolutionaries. The Conci- ing poor. The overseer, meanwhile, mer’s position as an aged revolu- the travellers blares out against the ergerie jailer pulls Barbara aside, is obsessed with gold. He constant- tionary, unable to realise he’s no twisted camaraderie of the French offering her better treatment “if we ly counts his wealth, and is eventu- longer the underdog. Should he be Revolution. This season finale is a were to be friends.” Robespierre ally defeated by his desperation for altered, turned into a raving, hateful capstone, examining the bonds himself holds no stock in the term, more. The very tyranny that the cartoon villain for the travellers to grown since first leaving that Lon- believing his allies to be plotting Revolution sought to erase contin- defeat, every other element would don junkyard, ultimately speculating against him at every moment. ues to thrive, enabled through a be knocked out of joint. The Terror on how far this newfound family France is a world of platitudes. twisted version of the movement’s would be a generic, oppressive fan- shall continue to travel. Terms such as ‘citizen’ are a fa- beliefs. A similar event occurs with tasy, rather than the soured force çade of equality and community. Barbara and Susan. Trapped in for good it truly was. The serial real- Falling foul of a revolutionary militia, Conciergerie, the two quickly find a ly would become the basic runa- the travellers are incarcerated in In contrast, the travellers display weak point in the cell wall. Susan, round suggested by the plot. Paris. The Doctor, evading capture, constant, honest warmth for each already frazzled due to the Doctor assumes the position of a provincial other, without the need for words. and Ian’s separation, can’t work for However, at the centre of the story deputy in order to free his friends, Susan bemoans how much better long after Barbara finishes her and all its discussions, rests the and return to the Tardis. The others she would feel about her incarcer- share. Instead of insisting on the Doctor. Though the travellers have join forces with the local resistance ation, should the Doctor and Ian importance of their escape, Barbara all grown together, none of them through necessity. The story is, on still be with them. The Doctor’s allows the girl to rest. This act of have seen such a profound change the surface, a simple six-part game own reaction to finding Barbara, immediate kindness is repaid on as he has. The serial presents the of musical jail cells. From Episode days after she was scheduled for their way to the guillotine. With Doctor with numerous mirrors of his Two to the final moments, at least execution, is an impeccable mo- them both together, they are res- own past. The aforementioned one regular is a prisoner at Conci- cued by counter-revolutionaries, overseer echoes the Doctor’s un- 29 30 willingness to help throughout the ters, the Doctor acts as a shining first few stories. Robespierre him- example of the power of common self carries the same withdrawn goodness. He defies the environ- paranoia that lead to the Doctor’s ment of fear and self-interest. Hav- kidnap of his granddaughter’s ing learned the importance of kind- Louis Marks' Planet of the Giants teachers. To each of these, the ness, the only enemies he makes in remains one of the most atypical Doctor succeeds through the les- France are those already given stories in Doctor Who's 55 year tel- sons of his friends. Most obvious is over to the terror. evisual history. For the first four or his disguise, which carries a similar so years of its run, the programme air to Barbara’s turn as Yetaxa. Ra- In its closing moments, The Reign alternated between historical tales ther than seek to change history in of Terror brings the crew together in and those featuring science-fiction that travelling in it brings its own any way, he instead uses his the console room. As the final story elements. But things could have dangers. Then, the console room knowledge of the period to freely of the recording block, Doctor been very different. At the very start scanner shatters, adding to the ten- move within it. All willing uses of his Who’s future was uncertain. With of Doctor Who’s history, CE 'Bunny' sion - as the Doctor points out, now newfound power are in service of William Russell’s agent already Webber had proposed a story they cannot see what lies behind freeing his friends. Robespierre’s seeking new jobs, and Carole Ann called The Giants which was very the Tardis doors. The seriousness paranoia is met with a calm trust Ford set to leave regardless this similar in concept to the later Planet of the situation causes the Doctor to and understanding. His fondness could have been the final scene of of the Giants and could have taken be bad tempered and there's a for Ian and Barbara is even shown the entire series. Together, they the series in a very different direc- lovely moment when he apologises through his more irritable side. His muse on the nature of their travels. tion. Perhaps, instead of the alter- to Barbara for his tetchiness. As churlish “Still here?” when Ian and Ian and Barbara react with amaze- nating past/present format we ulti- this story shows, the First Doctor Barbara take more than a few sec- ment, remarking on their unique mately got, we could have seen the was capable of sensitivity towards onds to leave demonstrates just position in history. Susan cheekily Doctor and his companions visit his female companions and was not how highly he holds them. After so disputes the suggestion that they other dimensions and have all sorts the sexist, out of touch dinosaur he much time together, he feels their could change events. The Doctor of bizarre, off-the-wall adventures. has sometimes been portrayed as - decision to leave is more a rejection warmly brushes aside their con- As it was, the production team take note, Steven Moffat. than a friendly parting. In a serial cerns. Stars fade over them all, and chose to play it safe and Doctor focused on the growth of its charac- they continue their travels together. Who was to remain firmly a time Arriving in strange surroundings, travel show. For that reason, Planet the Tardis crew employ their usual of Giants remains a real oddity and technique and split up into two as such is a highly unusual and groups of two. I'm not sure if this is very different Doctor Who tale. always the wisest strategy but it certainly adds to the drama! After As if to emphasise just how differ- encountering various clues such as ent this story is, the Tardis material- a giant worm and a giant ant, the ises silently in the opening episode time travellers finally realise what - the usual 'wheezing and groaning' has happened to them. “The space is absent. And there's a problem - pressure forced us to reduce!” con- the doors have opened before ‘the cludes Susan, a lovely bit of techno ship’ has properly materialised. I -babble that renders any further ex- love stories where the Doctor's planation unnecessary. The time problems have begun before he travelling quartet are no more than has even left the Tardis and this an inch high! adventure is a great example. It re- minds us that the time machine is The Tardis team's plight leads to a not an impenetrable fortress and highly unusual situation in Doctor

31 32 There are no aliens or monsters in modern standards, more like a this story (unless you count the cat Visually, it's a strong story. The set stage play, but that gives the char- as a monster, but it's far too cute to designer and prop makers have acters room to develop. Perhaps, be considered as such). And there clearly relished the opportunities though, it’s as well that it was cut are no intergalactic plots here - un- presented by the script. The insects from four episodes to three. As scrupulous business ethics are the and giant objects are all very well- mentioned above, it's a very atypi- motivation of the story's villain, in- made and the giant fly in particular cal story for Doctor Who, more like dustrialist Forrester (Alan Tilvern). is genuinely creepy, putting me in an episode of The Avengers in The McGuffin of the plot is DN6 - an mind of the classic Vincent Price many ways, with strange things insecticide which is highly effective film, The Fly (1958). Both directors, happening within an Earthly-setting. but indiscriminate in the insects that Mervyn Pinfield and Douglas Cam- It's not one of true classics of the it kills, destroying bees and worms. field, make some intelligent deci- Hartnell years, more of an over- Here is a Doctor Who adventure sions such as placing the camera looked gem, but if you're looking to Who - the regulars do not directly with a strong environmental mes- high up, looking down at the actors spend an enjoyable 75 minutes, interact with the guest cast at all. sage several years before Barry during the scenes in the sink. Some you could do worse than check this And strangely, the two sets of char- Letts and Terrance Dicks explored of the shots where the actors are out. If I was looking to introduce a acters do seem to act in a very dif- similar themes during the Jon superimposed against still photos newcomer to the Hartnell era, I ferent way. The guest cast, whilst Pertwee era of the programme. such as that of the deceased Far- would be more than happy to show good, seem to be acting in the style row are not quite as successful. them this. It has an appealing con- of a 1950s Sunday afternoon dra- The small size of the Tardis crew Overall, though, it’s a slick, good- cept which shows off many of the ma. The regulars’ style of acting means that they need a little help in looking story. programme strengths and is a seems much fresher and more con- solving the problem in this story. good, solid piece of science fiction temporary. Their performances are Hilda (Rosemary Johnson) and Bert On the whole, Planet of Giants is a as well as a strong character piece still compelling and interesting to (Fred Ferris) may initially seem like successful story. Its pace is slow by for the programme’s regulars. watch over 50 years on. One flaw is subsidiary characters but they play that Barbara does seem to be a bit a key role by recognising that For- weaker here than in other stories. rester is disguising his voice and She suffers the customary twisted pretending to be Farrow, prompting ankle and her reluctance to tell the Bert to visit the house. A happy co- others she has touched the insecti- incidence that Rosemary just hap- cide seems somewhat pointless. pens to be married to a policeman! Overall, though, the team are on good form and demonstrate just how good they are at problem- solving when they work together. That’s one of the advantages of having four regulars – the writers could set them challenges that only four people could overcome. In The Daleks, it was trying to escape from their prison cell in the Dalek city. Here, the foursome have to work out how to use an ordinary tele- phone which from their perspective now has giant proportions!

33 34 “extras” disc for the 2003 DVD re- and put Doctor Who in the top 10 splits the Tardis crew up and sends lease of the story), the iconic scene ratings for the first time and helped them on three separate quests to of the Daleks lined up in Leicester stoke the fires of 1960s Dalekmania get to Bedfordshire, the central Square came about because the into a full-fledged craze (not as big point of the villains’ master plan. operators needed to – shall we say as Beatlemania, but a genuine pop- – relieve themselves and Nick culture phenomenon). Despite this is has a superb open- found a handy grate that the Da- ing. That meandering shot of an This was the story that really ce- leks’ could be parked over while It’s also hugely important to the Orwellian sign reading “It Is Forbid- mented the Daleks, and Doctor their human occupants dealt with a show’s ongoing narrative - in their den To Dump Bodies In The River.” Who, into my life. I’d seen the Da- call of nature. first story, the Daleks were su- Shuffling zombie-like past the sign leks’ first appearance a year earlier premely evil but still a bit small- is a distraught man in a bulky hel- and sure they were scary, but the Jenny’s ridiculous balaclava came time, let’s face it they couldn’t even met - one of the Daleks’ enslaved sight of them trundling around iconic about because actress Ann Davies travel outside their own city. Dalek and mind-controlled humans, a Ro- landmarks such as Trafalgar was dark haired and the producers Invasion repositioned them as Doc- boman, who walks into the river to Square, the Houses of Parliament decided that they didn’t want anoth- tor Who’s first and greatest interga- commit suicide (can you imagine and the Albert Memorial somehow er strong female character with lactic threat this as an opening scene in today's made it all that more real and trig- dark hair (Barbara and Susan were post Mary Whitehouse gered nightmares about them hiding brunets) and that Jenny should be With a bigger budget than ever be- Whooniverse?). Then the Tardis in the toilets at the bottom of my blond. However Ann was appearing fore, bigger studios (this story saw lands on the same spot without school’s playground. in another show while they were the recording move from Lime even knowing he was there. filming the outdoor scenes and Grove to Riverside Studios) Dalek The now famous photograph of couldn’t change her hair until that Invasion and the series’ first exten- Even though it’s set 200 years in them crossing Westminster Bridge show had finished. Hence her head sive use of location filming which the future, Dalek Invasion doesn’t was and has remained one of my was encased in a woollen creation allowed real London landmarks to really try to show a futuristic society favourite images – even with the that even my mum would have give the Daleks’ takeover an uncan- - the humans drive ordinary vehi- shadow of the photographer in clear thought twice about knitting. ny realism and an epic feel. The cles, wear 20th-century clothing, view taking away a little of the men- story also has another milestone. and fight the Daleks with guns in- ace. In fact I have an original BBC One lunchtime Carole Ann Ford The departure of a companion. The stead of laser pistols. Press Office print hanging in my and Jacqueline Hill were standing original companion, the Doctor’s Whoseum. in the back lot by a couple of Dalek granddaughter Susan, which set a What Terry Nation was it’s really props having quite a “personal” precedent for how the series would trying to evoke here is not the fu- Some of the back stage stories that conversation about their boyfriends, work cast changes into the story- ture but the past, or at least a pos- have come from this tale are some as they finished their lunch the two line. sible past, of what it might have of my favourites as well: Daleks they had thought were emp- been like if England had lost World ty trundled away for filming. Having watched the series again War Two with the Daleks playing Filming of the opening scenes took recently it does drag a little at times. the role of the Nazi occupiers (take place at Hammersmith Bridge so Anyway to the story. Despite my Terry Nation’s script is frequently a loom at the scene of them cross- that the actors that played the sui- personal love of this tale it is fair to slow-paced and suffers from his ing in front of the Albert Memorial, cidal Roboman and operated the say that The Dalek Invasion of penchant for deliberately running plunger arms held aloft in a Na- Dalek that emerged from the waters Earth is way up there among the out the clock by throwing in long, ziesque salute. could be rushed to nearby Hammer- most influential stories in Doctor meandering subplots. smith Hospital and be stomach Who history. What happens to the humans is not pumped because the River Thames In The Daleks, he padded out the a pretty. They either become collab- was so polluted at this time It was commissioned almost imme- story by sending the characters on orators (the Robomen), outmatched diately after the surprise smash hit a long quest to get into the Dalek resistance fighters, or opportunistic According to Dalek operator Nick of the Daleks’ debut the year before city by surprise. In this one, he survivalists ready to sell anyone out Evans (when interviewed on the

35 36 for a bag of sugar. What the Daleks ment it was designed for – in fiction portrayed. If the Daleks are imprac- old man, two schoolteachers and a don’t destroy, they corrupt their home city on the planet Skaro, tically designed, at least they’ve got young girl that have turned up? in reality the TV studio where it was visual flair. With their ill-fitting, dorky In a similar way that the opening built. Putting them on location in the helmets you feel embarrassed for And you wouldn't get Eleven an- episode of The Daleks took its time London streets made their limita- them. guishing about all the friends he’s setting the scene with the first ap- tions hard to ignore. screwed up without the first Doctor pearance of the title monsters at Anyway, let’s go back to the Dalek slamming the door on Susan. The the cliff-hanger, the first episode of These days, with better special ef- who rises out of the River Thames, real reason Susan left is that Carole Dalek Invasion is mostly atmos- fects, the Daleks easily levitate or because The Doctor’s confrontation Ann Ford had grown tired of the phere and set-staging, as the Doc- fly. But that wasn’t an option in with it is a pretty big moment for role, feeling that Susan’s potential tor, Ian, Barbara, and Susan ex- 1964 so this script simply asserts him, and for the show. wasn’t being developed. plore the London of the 2160s, forcefully that, despite the evidence meet the human resistance fight- of your eyes, the Daleks are formi- During Doctor Who’s first season, This is probably true. The character ers, and see the effects of the inva- dably mobile. After all, if the Daleks he was more focused on basic sur- of Susan never really lived up to the sion before they know who’s re- can move around under water, who vival and escape - faced with cave- promise she showed in An Unearth- sponsible for it. knows what else they can do? And men or Aztecs, he was more con- ly Child with her combination of it works well enough that you do cerned with getting back to the Tar- youthful naivete and uncanny The main difference here was that believe it - well I did. dis and leaving than sticking around knowledge. Susan was awkward, everybody watching knew what to solve problems. In Dalek Inva- odd and emotional and didn’t seem they were going to see - the Da- Looking at the story now, 50 odd sion, faced with the return of his to fit in anywhere. It could have leks! In this episode the cliff-hanger years on, is seem though, that Na- arch-nemeses, he stands against been a really interesting character is about anticipation, not surprise. tion wasn’t really all that interested them, declaring that he’s going to arc to show her growing out of that You know a Dalek is going to show in the Daleks as characters, mostly defeat them. This is the first time and discovering herself. Instead, up, and the curveball Nation throws using them as little more than thugs The Doctor draws a line in the sand though, she was usually overshad- is how it shows up - rising from the and oppressors. They don’t even like this. He’s no longer a character owed by her co-stars and came murky waters of the River Thames, say “Exterminate!” until the fifth epi- that comes to town and defeats evil across as mostly passive and like Martin Sheen in Apocalypse sode! And in six episodes there because if he doesn’t he can’t bland. Now. Whatever my six-year-old self aren’t any new insights into how leave. Now he comes to town and might have expected, it wasn’t that. Daleks think or what motivates. Yes defeats evil because it needs de- So Dalek Invasion sets the stage Dalek Invasion was part of a larger there is the addition of a leader Da- feating, and only then does he for Susan’s departure by giving her strategy on the part of the BBC to lek with a black shell - but a paint leave. This is the birth of the Doctor a dilemma. Firstly she has a reason beef up the Daleks’ threat level and job is not the same as a characteri- who declares decades later “This to leave. Handsome rebel David give them an on-screen gravity that sation. We do get the delightfully planet is protected!”. You wouldn’t Campbell, who she falls in love with matched their presence in wider crazy ultimate motivation of hollow- get future Doctors scaring away over the course of the story. The a pop culture. If you want to give ing out the Earth so they can drive battle fleets with a long grandstand- reason to stay. Her grandfather, their return a real sense of shock it around the universe, but why, is ing speeches if it wasn’t for the who she worries can’t take care of and menace then make them the left unanswered. Hartnell’s acidic retort when the Da- himself without her. new masters of Earth. lek brags about being the master of The Robomen are also more inter- Earth, “Not for long.”. The idea is that she’s growing up, Conceptually it worked, but practi- esting conceptually than in execu- and will never have a real life of her cally not so well. Earth has too tion. Lobotomized, mind-controlled, All in all it is a pretty ballsy state- own until she gets out from under many stairs for a conquering race and robotically enhanced, they’re ment to make. The First Doctor has her grandfather’s shadow. But the with no legs. The Daleks’ tank like almost like an early prototype of the no reputation to fall back on, these dramatic impact of her decision is shape is iconic and evocative of Cybermen. But the Robomen’s po- Daleks don’t even know who he is, wasted, because she doesn’t get to their brutal nature, but it only really tential to be frightening characters why should they be worried by an decide. Instead, The Doctor, who’s works in the flat-surfaced environ- is diminished by the way they’re seen her dilemma developing, locks

37 38 her out of the Tardis and forces her he talks about the home he and vourite Hartnell, but my favourite to stay with David. What should Susan ran away from, and vows Doctor Who story of all. have been Susan’s first grown-up that “one day, we shall get back”. decision ends up her grandfather It’s a line that feels like a white lie, Everything about ‘The Rescue’ making decisions for her yet again. something he promises but knows For a television programme only should be inconsequential. It is just And doesn’t it seem odd to leave may never happen. And so does eleven stories in to have two major a filler story to introduce Vicki as her on a ruined and devastated his promise to Susan here. He nev- rewrites to the format seems sur- the new companion and nothing planet with a boy she just met? Es- er does come back for her. Susan prising and yet this was the case more. But it isn’t. It’s much more pecially as this is long before we becomes the first of a long string of with Doctor Who. After the initial than it should be and greater than knew of Time Lords and regenera- abandoned friends and compan- introduction of the Doctor in ‘An Un- the sum of its parts. It heralds a tion so to us viewers she’s still a ions. The Doctor’s good with jour- earthly Child’ the series clearly completely new direction for the school girl! neys, but he’s terrible at endings. couldn’t continue that way. The show in a mere fifty minutes of tele- Doctor in both this and ‘The Daleks’ vision. The Doctor’s final speech to Susan, Although it may not have aged well was almost the anti-hero with Ian promising that “one day, I shall I love this story, I love the imagina- taking the mantle of the protagonist. For such a transformation to take come back” is one of this era’s most tion it stirred in me, the birth of my Something had to be done. place and yet be subtle and earth- famous scenes. It was used in the love of all things Who and Dalek. shattering at the same time, it has opening of the 20th anniversary sto- Them memories I have of that era, It is in ‘The Edge of Destruction’ to be expertly done – and it is. Da- ry The Five Doctors and I challenge my grandparents buying me a Marx that there is a huge shift in tone be- vid Whitaker shows his adept hand anyone to watch the closing scenes Bump n Go Dalek which I still have, tween the Doctor and his compan- and proves why he is probably the of the dramatised documentary An my envy or friends in there Berwick ions. The story itself is just a char- greatest writer in the history of the Adventure in Space and Time and playsuits. And (and I know it’s con- acter piece, allowing the Doctor to show. still have dry eyes. tentious) I loved it when, two years be redefined and showing the later, the story exploded across cin- strength and determination in Bar- Up until this point Ian was the hero. It also echoes The Doctors first big ema screens in all its tacky, glori- bara who had been somewhat mar- He was the brave character who speech in An Unearthly Child when ous, Carnaby Street, technicolour. ginalised thus far. would fight and get the others out of trouble, while Barbara gave the em- For the rest of the first season this pathy for the audience to relate to. continues; Ian still plays the hero, The Doctor himself, may have mel- Barbara remains the voice of rea- lowed somewhat, but it didn’t son, the Doctor is less sharp- change the focus of the show or the tempered displaying a sense of hu- purpose of the companions. ‘The mour and the writers still haven’t a Rescue’ doesn’t just change these, clue as to what to do with Susan. it subverts them in a very clever way. In fact, this doesn’t just permeate the first year, it continues until the Ian’s role at the end of episode one departure of Susan at the end of is typically Ian. The spikes, which ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’. appear to be only there for cliff- hanger value, have another pur- With viewing figures in the tens of pose. By the Doctor Who book millions, this seems an unlikely thus far, Ian would have managed point for the format to be tweaked to escape all by himself – yet this again, but for me this is the first real doesn’t happen. Instead, the two Doctor Who story. Not just my fa- travellers work together to get past the extending sharp spikes and es-

39 40 cape the cave trap. This isn’t the tern is continued in (some) of the through a major transformation as first time that Doctor has worked to subsequent stories with the Doctor the ‘wind of change’ drive towards save Ian; but it is the most signifi- taking on his robot doppelganger in the independence of African Na- cant. The mantle of the hero is be- ‘The Chase’ (and win) and also best tions continued. The British Empire ing passed on to that of the Doctor. the Monk only a few stories later. It The so-called pure historicals were was coming to an end, even if on a It’s a slow process, naturally, but is true that the Doctor did take on never meant to be accurate and political level it was a movement the beginnings of it are here. the roadside digger in ‘The Reign of straightforward re-enactments to driven as much by economics than Terror’ but that was a mere comic teach children about the past. Their ethics. Britain itself was dealing Many argue that it is ‘The Dalek interlude and not essential for the educational merits were far more with increased overcrowding in its Invasion of Earth’ where Doctor plot. wide-reaching than a how we used cities, particularly London where Who changes and the Doctor ac- to live documentary. They offered plans to build overspill towns tively sets out to defeat the Daleks. There cannot be a good story with- variety to the Doctor’s adventures, (including Milton Keynes) were tak- This argument has flaws. It is true out a good bad guy and Bennett/ promoted a spirit of inclusivity by ing shape. On a cultural level, a that the Doctor makes clear his in- Koquillian is casual with his villainy. welcoming strangers from other cul- generation on from the first tent, but it is Ian who does all the In fact, he is probably one of the tures, and provided an opportunity Windrush immigrants, parts of Brit- leg work in that story and ultimately most irredeemable humans in the for writers to show the extent of hu- ain were becoming increasingly di- diverts the bomb into the magnetic history of the series. He killed the man evil. With monsters such as verse. 1964 saw the inaugural Not- field. crew of a spacecraft and then near Nero, who needs Daleks? ting Hill Carnival. A new spirit of wiped out the population of the liberalism was only just beginning Meanwhile, Barbara up to this point planet with barely a by-your-leave. History of course is never a com- to emerge, reflected culturally in the has provided the spiritual heart of It’s played so straight and matter-of- pletely objective enterprise. Even a rise of British pop (Top of the Pops the show. She was the one who factly that it is only in the final con- computer would not be able to first aired in 1964). Politically the would act with heart and emotion, frontation it begins to sink in exactly avoid an element of subjectivity in ground was slowly being prepared however it is that Doctor who un- what he has done to save his neck. that it must draw conclusions from for significant reforms later in the characteristically takes this role in Like I said, I love ‘The Rescue’. the unreliable accounts of eye- decade, including the abolition the this story. After Barbara kills Something that should be trite and witnesses and secondary sources. death penalty, the reform of divorce Sandy, it is down to the Doctor to inconsequential rises above its It is an interpretation, a narrative, laws and the decriminalisation of patch up the relationship (a role basic two part structure and story- for ‘we are all stories in the end.’ homosexuality. The new labour which had previously been Bar- line to become a sparkling jewel of Perhaps in this regards, history as government under Harold Wilson bara’s). ‘Doctor Who’. performance, as entertainment, is wanted to see Britain at the heart of arguably its most honest form. the technological revolution, but With Susan as a companion, it was whilst over 80% of households down to her to be a sort of referee The responsibility of a family drama owned a television set, one in four in the wars between her grandfa- such as Doctor Who is not to pre- still had no fixed hot water supply ther and Ian and Barbara, but with sent a series of hard facts that and one in five no inside toilet. Vicki a different dynamic is in play. leave interpretation entirely down to Instead of the confrontation, the the viewers. The writer’s task is to Doctor gangs up with Vicki against tell a story based on the past that the others in a much more jokey sheds light on the present and way – instead of to scold the others, helps to shape the future. It’s those to tease them. links between The Romans and the experiences of its core viewers in Similarly, the Doctor is the one that 1965 that lift it above the status of takes on Koquillian in combat here being an entertaining curio. and not Ian who had engaged in all the physical stuff before. This pat- In the mid-sixties Britain’s identity on the world stage was going 41 42 the perspective of the elite and the The humour is at its most effective almost certainly about to kill him. victorious, is regarded as question- in Spooner’s fondness for wordplay. Using flattery the Doctor makes Ne- able from the outset. Nero had his The Doctor takes great delight in ro think that it is in his interest not to fans, everyday folk passionate irony. “She keeps an eye out on all use his sword. A few scenes later enough to form cults in his name the lyres,” is a particular delight as and Nero cruelly poisons Tigilinus. and a popular belief that he would is the Doctor’s lengthy pun-filled The contrast between the Doctor come back from the dead. But the conversation with Nero, when he and Nero’s actions is undermined official line was that he was entirely makes the emperor realise that he because that moment is played for unsuited to a political career, and knows exactly why he’s been asked laughs. that the great fire of Rome, if not to perform at the colosseum. The started by him, was due to his lead- slapstick scenes are more problem- The Doctor is revelling in the ad- ership failings. Others had religious atic, especially those that involve venture, carried on a wave of in- A story that parodies the Roman motivations for discrediting him. In the mute hired assassin, the serv- trigue he is happy to play along with Empire, and highlights the gap be- some Christian circles he became a ant of the court, or Nero’s attempt the mistaken identity much to tween the rich and the poor was cipher for the devil, the anti-Christ to sleep with Barbara. Vicki’s admiration. Far from being one that would in theory have all and the beast. Some believed him concerned that he had acted reck- kinds of resonance and it’s no sur- be behind the deaths of Peter and More innocuous, and there simply lessly and placed his and Vicky’s prise that at the same time The Ro- Paul, and thousands of other follow- to tease the reader, is the albeit lives in danger, when he learns that mans was being made, Carry on ers of ‘the way’. And two years after overused trope of our heroes al- Maximus Pettulian was meant to be Cleo was in production. The social the great fire of Rome, in Jerusalem most seeing each other. It sets up a assassinating Nero he is even more commentary in The Romans is far the temple was destroyed under his lovely scene towards the end in excited. He clearly loves the idea from explicit, with the Doctor and watch, causing the Jewish historian which the Doctor and Vicki, who that he accidentally had a hand in his companions seemingly quite Josephus to warn his readers that came out it all very lightly thanks to the fire. The episode may well hold content to live in luxury, but as the he could hardly be objective about the Doctor’s ingenuity, assume that the record for the most times the story develops, and particularly with the emperor. Barbara and Ian have been living Doctor has laughed in a story. It is the characterisation of Nero, it be- the life of riley the whole time. It’s frequently contrasted with the psy- comes clear that the evil on display The Romans isn’t about correcting lovely, and yet it also highlights the chotic laughter of Nero. In the new is related to social inequalities and history. It unashamedly mines those biggest problem with the story. Bar- series, particularly during Steven the treatment of slaves. biased sources because they all bara whines to Ian that it’s not fair Moffat’s tenure, this would have help to create a figure who can be their stories haven’t been heard, been a point about the Doctor’s The Romans does of course con- ridiculed and because their stories whilst hundreds of people are losing questionable morality (what’s the tain a few elements that could have are thoroughly entertaining. A fire their lives or being made homeless betting Moffat loves the ‘looking af- been lifted straight out of a school caused by accident in an oil store in the raging inferno back in Rome. ter lyres’ line?). text book. Barbara, ever the teach- doesn’t quite have the same dra- Even with the talents of comedian er, tells Vicki that London in the first matic potential. Often cited as a ra- Catherine Tate on board, there was Nero’s contemporary and near con- century was known as Londinium, re comedic adventure, in reality, no such dismissing of the tragedy temporary critics dismissed him as and introduces herself as a Briton despite Lambert’s intentions, the taking place around the Doctor and a populist, as an entertainer and from Britannia, lines clearly written tone is all over the place. The farci- Donna in The Fires of Pompeii. showman instead of an accom- with the younger viewers in mind. cal and slapstick moments are in- plished statesman. In reality, wheth- But there is no effort to re-educate, tercut with some truly realistic Every time the script has an oppor- er or not his incompetence caused or challenge accepted legends scenes to highlight the plight of tunity to make a hard hitting point, the fire, he was quick to go and about Nero’s reign or what life was slaves. Barbara and Ian experience the nature of the comedy complete- help with the relief efforts. Spooner like in ancient Rome. the full horrors of Nero’s Rome, but ly undermines it. This is most ap- instead reduces Nero to the level of they both begin and end the story in parent in the fate of Nero’s scribe a buffoon – someone who even in These days we are far less accept- comfort, unlike Barbara’s cell-mate Tigilinus. Earlier, the Doctor’s inter- matters of music was nowhere near ing of histories already told. In par- or Ian’s friend and fellow collabora- vention saves a servant’s life in the as good as he imagined himself to ticular those told from above, from tor. caldarium when an enraged Nero is be. 43 44 If this story had been written today it our hands of it afterwards; Christian- view of Eastern Europeans, Chi- would have felt like a parody of ity is presented as libertarian and nese, Cubans, and other members Game of Thrones. The morally am- righteous; the transference of struc- of Communist states), and second- biguous, scheming Tavius is remi- tural, social evil onto an individual. ly, the Menoptra don’t really give niscent of the Kings Landing courti- Parts of its humour are at best dis- The Web Planet is a story which, on any sign of being particular support- er and master of whisperers Lord tracting and at worst offensive. But the surface, has a lot going for it. ers of free enterprise; indeed, by Varys both in appearance and char- The Romans is a tour de force when Made during the period of the se- the end of the adventure, we have acter. History is completely thrown it comes to the characterisation of ries’ initial development, a time no real idea of what, if any, sort of to the lions when Tavius reveals he the Doctor and his companions. The known for its liberal innovation and politico-economic system they wears a cross. Christianity was not interplay between Barbara and Ian clever use of subtext, it garnered would favour, beyond the fact that by then a recognised religion. Prior is superb, even hinting at a romance very high ratings on its first broad- they have a concept of military or- to the fall of Jerusalem it was still a between them. Maureen O’Brien is cast (although the audience appre- ganisation (which is hardly unique predominantly Jewish sect, known still new to the role, and her charac- ciation index gradually fell from to democratic, free-market states). as ‘the Way’ and the practice of car- ter Vicky is less well-defined, but 56% for episode one to 42% for epi- rying a cross came much later, with perhaps because she isn’t quite so sode six). The fact that it has come It is tempting, reading the initial set- the early adherents using other quirky or alien as Carole Ann-Ford’s in for subsequent criticism should up, to develop some kind of ants = symbols instead. In this script the Susan, she brings out one of the not necessarily make a difference; workers, butterflies = artists, mag- cross functions as a blatant mark of most natural performances from Wil- many adventures which were once gots (i.e. Optra) = criminal lowlife Tavius being on the side of good. A liam Hartnell as the Doctor. History poorly regarded are currently un- equation, but this isn’t carried out in reminder that despite all the cultural remembers his take of the character dergoing reassessment. Unfortu- the serial, as the Zarbi aren’t partic- changes, Britain in the sixties was as that of an irascible, old-fashioned nately, while The Web Planet is not ularly industrious, the Menoptra still perceived as a Christian coun- grandfather figure, but that side is the worst serial to come out of aren’t particularly artistic, and the try. firmly restricted to humorous asides 1960s Doctor Who, it is far from the Optra (who aren't technically mag- in this one. The first Doctor is loving best, due largely to inconsistencies gots anyway, but trogloditic Menop- There are then some quite dubious every second of this adventure, en- of writing and production. tra) don’t really seem to do very messages behind The Romans - we joying the adrenaline rush of not much at all. can engage with history as enter- quite knowing how the story will un- To start with, it has to be said that tainment, as long as we can wash fold. the periodically-mooted suggestion that The Web Planet contains some kind of deep subtext obscured by the confused circumstances of its production, does not read. While Dennis Spooner tried, in an inter- view quoted in Doctor Who: The Sixties, to claim that the serial was actually a metaphor for Com- munism (the “ants”) versus Free Enterprise (the “butterflies”), this doesn’t actually work in narrative terms — leaving aside the problem- atic equation of Free Enterprise with pretty, frivolous-looking insects that waft about sipping nectar — first of all, the Zarbi are stated ex- plicitly to be brainless, cattle-like animals (suggesting a rather racist

45 46 It is true that the Animus, as a Further complications arose when The overambitious nature of the scape as the ship is picked up and “spider”, does weave webs and en- (according to the abovementioned production of The Web Planet, and carried off by insects, which is par- gage in social control, but at that it Spooner interview) all the different consequent need to cut corners and alleled by a near-identical scene in isn’t particularly clever or secretive. production departments started try- desperately avoid overtime, leads The Web Planet involving Vicki and The resemblance to different in- ing to outdo each other rather than to some inadvertent visual hilarity, the Tardis scanner. The somewhat sects (and/or arthropods) seems to work together, with the result that, such as the Zarbi who runs full-tilt inexplicable episode five cliffhang- be more for ease of classification while there has clearly been a lot of into the camera (every bit as good er, in which the Doctor and Vicki and development of choreography, work put into the sets, costumes, as the Voord tripping over its flip- are covered by webs (that appear but, since no particular narrative makeup, effects and so forth, they pers in The Keys of Marinus) and to paralyse them only briefly, and use is made of their appearance, all never quite seem to gel together the larvae gun apparently running which are never used at any other we really get in story terms is the into a seamless whole. The out- along on wheels. Although the point in the story, even when they tale of a group of aliens, whose come is that some of the scenes viewer may start out by admiring might have been reasonably use- home planet Vortis is taken over by are quite brilliant taken on their own the production, by the third episode ful), is also foreshadowed in a sce- another alien, and who then take it as set pieces — the part where the the problems become obviously ne during the film in which we see back with a bit of help from the Tar- Doctor and Ian look up at the huge apparent. aliens covered by cocoonlike webs. dis crew. pyramid-shaped monument and While some Doctor Who adven- speculate on its purpose, for in- Furthermore, whatever Bill Strutton tures have borrowed heavily from Some explanation for the relative stance, or the first appearance of a may or may not have said about the well-known films or film genres of simplicity of the narrative and com- Menoptra — but at the end of the serial’s inspiration coming from his the time, this serial never really plicatedness of the production can day, there isn’t much of a sense of being struck by the resemblance does anything new or original with be gleaned from what we know of connection between these mo- between two bull ants fighting and the concept. its development. According to ments. his stepsons brawling, the adven- Shannon P. Sullivan's Doctor Who: ture evidences a clear debt to the The general sense that The Web A Brief History of Time (Travel) Consequently, what we have in The 1964 film version of H.G. Wells’ The Planet consists mainly of ideas website, producer Verity Lambert Web Planet is a serial which man- First Men in the Moon, which fea- which are good, but disconnected, and outgoing story editor David ages to get away with it for about tures a Victorian scientist and his can also be seen in the costumes Whitaker commissioned The Web two episodes on sheer strangeness companions exploring a desert Lu- and characterisation. Viewed from Planet from Bill Strutton without alone. There is something eerily nar landscape inhabited by insect- the shoulders up, the Menoptra are seeing a storyline first; had they compelling about the images of the like creatures, the intelligent ones quite striking, with beautiful makeup done so, they might have vetoed it, lunar landscape populated with gi- being dwarfish and antlike, and and headpieces. Regrettably, the or at the very least worked with ant insects, Barbara seemingly be- their “cattle” resembling caterpillars. decision to give them portly bodies Strutton to develop it into something coming possessed, the Tardis los- There is even a sequence in the with furry horizontal stripes, causes more interesting. ing power, and Ian and the Doctor film in which the female lead looks them to resemble that Mexican encountering strange monuments. out of the spaceship at the land- wrestler who dresses up as a bee Nevertheless, once the narrative on The Simpsons. In fact, the pro- actually has to settle down and de- duction team in general seem liver a story, what we get is really vague on what sort of insects they rather simple and not too imagina- are meant to resemble: the similari- tive. It also suffers from some prob- ty between their name and the word lematic direction, for instance, the “Lepidoptera” could indicate that the number of scenes which begin with original idea was to have them as an empty set, followed by a brief butterflies, but the costumes tend to moment of some Zarbi, larvae guns suggest bees instead, and at one etc. running through it, followed by point we have a Menoptra attracted a further stretch of nothing happen- to the light of the Animus like a ing, apparently intended to indicate moth. “action”. 47 48 Similarly, the idea of giving them Finally, the atrophied wings and suddenly developed all these pow- Doctor Who, in that elements lifted insectlike, alien body language is a hypertrophied eyes on the Optra ers. from it have been put to more inter- good one in principle, and the ac- are a nice touch, following the idea esting use in later adventures. tors get quite into it (dying with their that they are Menoptra who have The scene where Barbara and Vicki From the classic era, The Abomi- limbs folded, breaking off in the become adapted to an underground talk about the practice of education nable Snowman and The Web of middle of a sentence to continue life, but they don’t really contribute in Vicki’s home time is also less Fear both feature dumb creatures, the thought with gestures, etc.), but much to the story beyond some al- than brilliant: the idea that Vicki or, in this case, robots, controlled in practice, the stilted speech and ienesque dialogue via impenetrable studied medicine at the age of ten by a static alien Intelligence with a exaggerated movements periodical- accents, and guiding Ian and is an amusing extrapolation from great voice and a fondness for spi- ly remind one of children’s present- Vrestin through the tunnels (which the way in which, as science ad- der-webs. Beyond this, the twenty- ers, dressed up as bees and mag- isn’t really essential in plot terms). vances, things once considered cut- first century series mentions gots in a bid to educate young view- There is a partial implication that, ting-edge are demoted to more “venom grubs” in the episode ers about the diversity of the insect under the predatory influence of the basic levels (aspects of present-day Boom Town and we are told, dur- world. The larvae guns (which, it Animus, the remaining Menoptra secondary-school calculus were ing the episode Bad Wolf, that the turns out, are only called “venom became stunted, grublike and stu- university-level many years ago), Face of Boe is the oldest inhabitant grubs” in the novelisation, in anoth- pid, but the idea is not well- but the idea that future children of the Isop Galaxy (where Vortis is er instance of apocrypha becoming developed, or even brought out in would learn for an hour a day located). included in the canon through popu- the narrative. through a computer was already a lar usage), look cool, sort of like a cliché by 1965, and it’s a little sur- Otherwise, The Web Planet is only cross between a woodlouse and a The science in The Web Planet is prising that, if Vicki is so well- really worth a second look as an weevil, and the idea that the Zarbi also problematic. In general, we educated, she wouldn’t know that object lesson of how not to do Doc- are quite different in larval form to maintain the view that lack of scien- aspirin is a basic painkiller. tor Who in the 1960s. their adult abilities and appearance tific accuracy in Doctor Who is not is in keeping with the general na- usually a problem, so long as the No doubt, The Web Planet has This article first appeared in Celes- ture of the insect world. All the principles, flawed or otherwise, re- made one major contribution to tial Toyroom 329, September 2005 same, they look more like adult in- main consistent throughout the ad- sects than grubs, where the sup- venture. In this case the science is posedly-adult Optra are rather more not consistent one minute gold is grublike. something physically attracted to the Animus, the next it is something the Animus uses to control the minds of its victims, with no mention of the earlier physical-attraction tendencies (and, to be honest, the idea that gold is a magnetic metal is pushing the limits of tolerance for scientific inaccuracies). The Doc- tor’s signet ring also keeps cropping up throughout the story as a magi- cal plot-device object, and, while this is not necessarily a problem in Doctor Who terms (q.v. the sonic screwdriver later in the series), it would be nice to have had some kind of pseudo-scientific explana- tion for how it is that the ring has

49 50 least to me, a singularly vulgar and Douglas Camfield, one of Doctor easy to detest snake. The way he Who’s finest directors, really does whispers his intents to Barbara at get the strawberries and cream The historical stores are, for me, the the cliff-hanger to part three show- from everyone on screen. In this most memorable part of the Hartnell cases all the hallmarks of the best story there is not one faceless enti- era. I do not need an overburdening sort of Doctor Who villain. His vi- ty. Every character is rounded and of aliens to enjoy a story. After all, cious streak is delicious and appal- beefy. The writing and direction throughout history there have been ling, and stands well against later meld together well, and for all the plenty of human monsters to be performances from the likes of budgetary restrictions, the BBC afraid of. Back in the days when Roger Delgado and Kevin Stoney team make this look as easy as pi. Doctor Who was meant to be semi- Even the background scenery looks educational, the historicals were the Jacqueline Hill gets to shine as highly authentic. The richness of most diverting stories of William Barbara. She has forever been one the period costume is impressive. Hartnell’s amazing three years in of my favourite companions along the role of the Doctor. with fellow school teacher and re- I am greatly saddened that the six- is rife with shades of grey. People luctant traveller Ian. I adore her ties are so under-represented in the The Crusade is a case in point. Da- can both be right and wrong and compassionate streak. She gets to archives. Some of Doctor Who’s vid Whitaker was gifted with a gold- the skilled writer gives significant display this endearing attribute finest stories are either half lost or en pen when wrote this. At school I characters layers of personality and when trying to conceal Maimuna completely lost, and it’s a crying was not interested in History, but motivation. from El Akir and his lackies. Her shame that a story of the quality of viewing the two surviving instal- grounding in historical know-how The Crusade is affected. I cling to ments of The Crusade on the BBC’S The chemistry between William means she can play against both the hope that this story may one Lost in Time DVD and listening to Hartnell and Maureen O’Brien also kings and peasants. day be found complete again. the complete audio soundtrack, I contributes to my love for this story. came to the conclusion that it can The bond between the Doctor and be a very diverting subject. Vicki may even be stronger than that between the Doctor and Susan. Perhaps The Crusade should own The smiles and looks on both their the crown of the finest William Hart- faces say that they are really enjoy- nell historical adventure. Why? Well, ing the story they are acting out. first there is the cast. Jean Marsh has long been a favourite actress of In both Saladin’s and Richard’s mine, and seeing her here in her Courts there is dissent and mistrust. first Doctor Who role is a joy to be- This adds layers to an already char- hold. Princess Joanna comes over acterful and colourful script. The as a strong character, and her head-butting match between the chemistry with both William Hartnell Doctor and The Earl of Leicester and the superb Julian Glover as her still holds one of my all-time favour- sibling King Richard is one of the ite on-screen insults from the Doc- finest aspects of the adventure. tor: “I admire loyalty and bravery Both Jean and Julian left me with no Sir, and you have both of these. But doubt that yes, these two were unfortunately, you haven’t any brother and sister. Bernard Kay also brains at all! I hate fools!” deserves a mention for his re- strained but believable Saladin. Walter Randall plays El Akir, the These characters are not cardboard real villain of the piece. His nu- cut-out villains and heroes. History anced performance makes him, at 51 52 events, and a tale of rebellion tably 1988 gave us the anti- against authority. Thatcherite tale The Happiness Pa- trol. The show has never been The setting would be easy enough afraid to pass comment. to incorporate, and, to some extent, Frequently disparaged, the Glyn has already happened. Using Si- Coming to today’s Britain, and Jones story The Space Museum is lence in the Library / Forest of the some would argue society is more tucked between The Crusade and Dead as an example, we have a divided than it has been for a long The Chase providing a quirky story building dedicated to knowledge time. While TV (and Doctor Who in between the historical and the and the possibility of the Doctor and particular) is addressing the lack of (rare) comic Dalek adventure. It’s Donna reading about their own diversity on screen, if not as fast as summed up in The Discontinuity lives. It wasn’t exploited in the story, some would wish, and in the past Guide as: but could easily have happened. It has commented on the class sys- would only be natural for anyone tem and Britain’s colonial history, A silly 'fascists-and-rebels' run- finding themselves travelling in time dust and the overall eerie feel to the the biggest single issue facing the around following a very weird first to read about their own futures. A first part of the episode. It’s really UK is Brexit. Whatever your views episode. museum with the Tardis and frozen rather well done then abandoned to (and this is not the place to debate crew is more dramatic, but could be allow a story to unfold. the issue), it is an issue on which a All very unprepossessing, yet more reset in a number of places, such story could easily be written by than fifty years after transmission, as a temple dedicated to figures Now to the bulk of the story in terms analogy. The BBC might well not and over twenty since Messrs Cor- from history. of screen time, the silly ‘fascist and wish to come down on one side or nell, Day and Topping produced rebels’ run-around. One of the more the other, but is well placed to ex- their guide, does The Space Muse- The idea of slippage in time is the striking things about it is the op- plore the imbalance between the um bear re-examining? What might strongest aspect of the first epi- pressed natives, the Xerons are all older generation who tend to have it look like if it were made now? sode, and the one most identified young, whereas the occupying the wealth and experience, and the Yes, it would be better acted, and as the core of the adventure. The force of Moroks are all much older. younger generation who live longer slips of dialogue reshot, but this is a nature of time / pre-destiny / choice Remembering this story was broad- deals with the consequences of focus on the elements of the story, comes up in the show many times. cast back in 1965, and the benefit everything that happens today. not its production. Modern examples (and bootstrap of history allows us to place it paradoxes) are plenty; the oft cited alongside the waves of student pro- Doctor Who has not been afraid to Let’s begin by deconstructing the Blink is the most timey-wimey tests that swept across the world, comment in the past; it was already story. Part one (the eponymous though other examples exist. In with major protests in Scotland in looking at environmental concerns Space Museum) sets up a mystery some ways this is at the heart of the 1965, formation of the Radical Stu- many decades ago (some exam- and a location, whereas parts two – fixed points in time used as a com- dent Alliance in 1966 and the first ples include The Green Death and four (the wonderfully named The promise when the plot doesn’t want sit-in in 1967. Protest by the young- Planet of Evil), arguably ahead of Dimensions of Time, The Search to take an easy route, or just for er generation was rife and The its time. Why not comment on and The Final Phase) play out the discussion of the ideas of time trav- Space Museum fits, if accidentally, some aspect of Brexit? And com- fascists and rebels run-around be- el. Where The Space Museum the zeitgeist. ment means going further than fore wrapping up the explanation of works is the use of the time slip- hoping into the future and finding the mystery. page as a means of generating Rolling forward, and the show has Brexit was or wasn’t a disaster and mystery and suspense, almost like had several politically aware sto- discussing it as something in the To summarise: we have the Space a horror film. It’s not just seeing ries, including The Sunmakers past. It means exploring the deeper Museum itself as a location, a curi- their future selves on show (and not (1977), markedly anti-capitalism inter-generational imbalance Brexit ous slippage of time allowing the a substantial part of the museum story, diluting the analogy by calling seems to pivot on (according to Tardis team to see a future, then either) but sudden changes of cos- out to the alien Usurians. More no- commentators). slip back into the normal flow of tume, the absence of footprints in

53 54 A Space Museum like world could it will have changed by the time the sodes of The Saint for New World/ be found, some of the Tardis crew series has fully aired) resents Gra- ITC, these changes were largely end up on each side of the argu- ham as an intruder, so his relation- undertaken by story editor Dennis ment. Both sides could be right and ship with the older generation is Spooner, with input from producer wrong (unlike the 1960s where the complex. Perception is Everything Verity Lambert. Moroks are clearly villains). Within the thirteenth Doctor’s current set of “To my amazement all he wanted to Nation’s draft for episode one (The friends we have the younger gener- do was talk about the universe and Executioners) begins with the Doc- ation (Ryan and Yaz) and the older what part we played in the cosmic tor building himself a "Time curve in the form of Graham. Where does scheme of things. I had always visi-scope", or "T.C.V.S." (later the Doctor fit? She is many centu- been interested in science fiction, changed by Spooner to a “Time and ries old, yet looks to be in her mid- but Tony’s thinking was far more Space Visualiser”— an exhibit gifted 30s, and age nearer the 20- involved, far more philosophical.” to the Doctor at the close of his pre- something group than the 50- Terry Nation on Tony Hancock vious adventure The Space Muse- something, yet still placed to look at um). He informs his companions both sides. “A writer of your calibre, writing for that it’s “just a toy…. In my time, flippin’ kids!” children made these things as a There’s a splendid story to be told Tony Hancock on Terry Nation hobby. Much in the way children in about the tensions and anger in so- It takes little work to imagine a your day made crystal sets", and ciety. Yaz (on the evidence of The modern Doctor Who story reflecting Terry Nation’s original draft scripts quotes “Venderman’s Law” when Woman Who Fell to Earth) is keen themes from The Space Museum, for the six part Doctor Who serial asked what it does: “Mass is ab- to move on in her career and feels and it could be argued it’s more The Chase (or, as it was then titled, sorbed by light; therefore light has impatient. Ryan clearly had a strong than overdue. Until it happens, I’ll Dalek Three), differs from the mass and energy.” Vicki finishes the bond with his grandmother, Grace be looking out for it in me Space broadcast version in specific ways. equation by stating, “The energy and respected her, yet (so far, and Time Visualiser! As Nation was busy writing epi- radiated by a light neutron is equal to the energy of the mass it ab- sorbed. You know, it is quite simple really. It just means that anything that ever happens anywhere in the universe, is recorded in light neu- trons.” She also adds that if some- one could “invent a machine that would be able to convert the energy from light neutrons into electrical impulses... we’d be able to tune in, and see any event in history”, and this is exactly what the T.C.V.S. does. As Barbara Wright puts it, the Doctor has created “a sort of time television.”

Accordingly, Ian Chesterton, Barba- ra and Vicki are able to conjure up the Gettysburg Address, a conver- sation between Francis Bacon and William Shakespeare and finally a

55 56 transmission from the "Tri- as 2013, and not “nineteen ninety However, I think for our purposes, that Bacon authored “The tragicall dimensional Colour television ser- four” as Vicki states. Ultimately, we should use the generally more historie of Hamlet, Prince of Den- vice of the BBC" from 1994 featur- though, it doesn’t matter, because known name.”) and then within the marke.” This causes her to ob- ing the Beatles. They are described light is only a theory and as we “great Gothic hallway” of a serve, “After all these years, we as “four very old men with white have no idea, within the fictional “mountain top castle of the horror know the truth.” The Doctor is quick Beatle haircuts, guitars and drums. universe of The Chase, or Dalek movie type.” It is here that Count to interject, replying this was “a They mime to the first three bars of Three, who “Venderman” is, or how Dracula appears and informs Bar- carefully rehearsed little charade.” a well-known Beatles number.” he came by his “Law”, we have no bara and Vicki that they are the din- Both Bacon and Shakespeare other choice but to consider the ner guests of Baron Frankenstein. “made certain they were over- Now, before you read on, I’d like to Doctor and Vicki’s statements to be “Don’t be long. I am very hungry”, heard”, and they did it because point out the glaringly obvious, that correct: after all, the time television Dracula tells them. “there’s nothing like a good contro- there is no such thing as a “light does work. versy for getting people into the neutron”. Light, according to Ein- In the following episode (Journey theatre.” stein, is made up of packets of elec- The consequences of accepting into Terror) the Doctor provides Ian tromagnetic energy called Venderman’s Law as fact are intri- with an explanation for these expe- However if, as the time travellers’ “photons” (a term coined in 1926 by guing, for if everything is being rec- riences, telling him they have ar- visits to the Marie Celeste and Bar- American physical chemist Gilbert orded by light neutrons, then the rived somewhere that “exists in the on Frankenstein’s castle suggest, Newton Lewis), which are always in mass to energy exchange must be dark recesses of the human mind. Earth history is a mental construct, motion and travel in a vacuum at a taking place on a huge scale, Millions of minds all secretly believ- then it’s perfectly conceivable that universally constant speed of one meaning that, as the T.C.V.S. con- ing that this place really exists. The the events witnessed by the Tardis hundred and eighty-six thousand, verts the energy from light neutrons immense power of those minds, crew on the “time television” are two hundred and eighty-two miles into electrical impulses and then combined together, have made this their own preconceived ideas re- per second. A photon is both a parti- back again, the past history being place a reality. It's the classic house flected back at them. In other cle and a wave and, in defiance of observed by the Doctor, Ian, Barba- of horrors.” Nevertheless, the Doc- words, Barbara’s belief that Francis Newtonian physics, has energy and ra and Vicki isn’t simply an image tor’s theory that they have “strayed Bacon wrote Hamlet changes time, momentum, but no mass. Photons on a screen, but rather an actual into some strange netherworld” is causing the millions of minds on are also completely invisible and four dimensional space/time event. directly contradicted by the pursu- Earth, who believe Shakespeare to what we are actually seeing is the ing Daleks who register the Tardis have authored his own plays, to energy transferred when a photon Right away, let’s flick forward to the as “still in the Earth year one eight adjust time again with a counter strikes something. In other words, draft script of episode three (Flight seven two”, although it has altered narrative that has Shakespeare we detect the collision and from that through Eternity), where the Tardis “its geographical location. It is now and Bacon colluding in a publicity infer the existence of light. Equally, lands first on the Marie Celeste in the country that Earth people call gimmick. The fact the Doctor claims colours and brightness are not the (Nation’s stage note reads, “In actu- Transylvania.” This implies that that “Bacon himself told me the properties of light, but visual sensa- al fact, she was the Mary Celeste. Earth history is being constantly reason” must mean that his own tions created by our brains. rewritten by the collective mass personal timeline has also been mind of the human race to conform impacted by the change of events. Of course, it could be that Nation to a perceived reality based on pop- Patently, the Doctor’s T.C.V.S. is a typed “neutron” by mistake. For ex- ular culture. very powerful and dangerous piece ample, he also describes the BBC of apparatus. television announcer as wearing “a Now let’s return to Nation’s draft suit of 21st century design”, and script for episode one, to the part Following the Tardis’ landing on has the man state that the Beatles where Barbara dials William Shake- Aridius, Ian and Vicki go exploring first appeared on our screens “over speare and Francis Bacon up on while the Doctor and Barbara relax fifty years ago”, which, as the Beat- the Time curve visi-scope. She wit- in the warmth of the planet’s twin les first television appearance was nesses a specific exchange be- suns. “Barbara lies, her eyes in 1962, would possibly fix the date tween the two scribes which reveals closed.” “Dr. Who seems quite con-

57 58 Daleks emerge from out of the referencing Richard III. sands of Aridius. An alternative explanation is that The implication is obvious. If the the Aridians came, not from the past, when viewed through the Time curve visi-scope, but directly Time curve visi-scope, can be from Barbara’s mind. In fact, being changed by human belief, then it on an alien planet would allow the stands to reason that, when not time travellers to create as they programmed to focus on a specific wished, without the interference of historical event and left to idle, the any preconceptions from Earth, alt- machine will pick up on, and make hough what’s real and what’s imag- manifest, the unconscious thoughts ined in the episode is difficult to de- tent allowing the sand to run of the crew. And for them, the idea termine. The Aridian’s city under the Aridius and turn their minds to other through his fingers.” They are that the Daleks would one day cre- sand is evidently part of the mental matters, the city, its people and, brought back from their daydream- ate their own space/time ship and construct, with Vicki even remark- indeed, the entire solar system, ing by the sound of a “high pitched pursue the Tardis “through all eter- ing, “Over that next sand dune may well vanish. Only the Daleks electronic whine”, and when Barba- nity”, must have been a constant, if there could be a city.” The Mire- would remain, their constant pres- ra investigates, she discovers that hidden, anxiety. beasts are a different matter. They ence reinforced through the track- Vicki had failed to turn off the seem more instinctive than sentient, ing of their ship by the Tardis’ “time T.C.V.S. as instructed. “The screen It’s quite possible that the T.C.V.S. they hunt, eat and breed, but their path indicator”. is giving a series of flashes. From is also responsible for the Aridians, minds don’t shape the universe, an the loudspeaker comes a rattle of the planet’s supposedly indigenous ability that, within the context of Da- That said, it is only during episode static…. Suddenly the static clears. life form. Nation depicts them as lek Three, humans alone possess. four (Journey into Terror), when We hear very distinctively, a Dalek “tiny men with vast humped backs. By extension, this would mean that Vicki becomes a stowaway aboard voice. Barbara freezes at the well- So high are these distorted shoul- all the other beings encountered, the Dalek vessel, that the Daleks remembered sound…. Barbara ders that their heads appear to be who are equally cognizant, are become proactive. Their chattering stands staring at the screen, which in the middle of their bodies.” On 25 nothing more than mental projec- and construction of the Doctor’s now clears and we see on it, the February 1965, Verity Lambert sent tions. robot duplicate are reminiscent of Dalek control room…. On a dais a note to the director Richard Martin the Doctor’s own earlier discus- stands the Supreme Dalek. Beside saying, “I think Terry has gone too There is also an odd line given to sions with the Baron as to how they him is a large screen, which shows far in making the Aridians unpleas- Ian where he tells Vicki, “It’s as the could bring Frankenstein’s monster a picture of the exterior of the Tardis ant looking. It does not serve any Doctor said. Because of the speed to life. Equally, the Daleks’ an- in this very desert.” The Supreme purpose in the script.” But Lambert those suns are orbiting the planet, nouncement that the Tardis’ is Dalek states that “The humans who was mistaken, as Nation was, once night and day are much faster.” This about to land on “Mechanus!!! The control the Tardis have interfered in again, invoking Shakespeare. From sentence was revised, presumably terror planet”, may well suggest a our plans too often. They must be Othello, we hear of “men whose by the story editor, or the director, to growing fear of automata on Vicki’s destroyed”, and orders an heads do grow beneath their shoul- remove the apparent error; never- part and, by abstraction, that she is “assassination group [to] embark at ders”, and in The Tempest we have theless, as Hamlet is the topic of authoring events. once in our time machine.” The Gonzalo’s statement that, as a conversation between Shakespeare script informs us that “Daleks start youth, he believed "there were such and Bacon, the original could well On Mechanus we meet the fun- to file into the time machine” which men whose heads stood in their be referencing Hamlet’s letter to goids, which Nation depicts as “A then “vanishes in the manner of the breasts." The draft script further Ophelia: “Doubt thou the stars are black glistening creature of sponge. Tardis…. Dr. Who moves swiftly states that the Aridians’ “thick black fire, Doubt that the sun doth move, It is as tall as a man, shaped like an and turns off the T.C.V.S.”, but he is hair hangs lankly, framing their fac- Doubt truth to be a liar, But never egg, but with irregularities. It has no too late. Some time later, both Bar- es”, which, taken together with the doubt I love.” And if we accept this, relation at all to human form. The bara and the Doctor watch as four “vast humped backs”, may also be then once the Tardis crew leave texture of its ‘skin’ can only be de-

59 60 down…. [Instead] when one of This is further underlined by Na- tour to have witnessed the appear- them showed signs of mechanical tion’s description of the Mechons as ance of the Tardis crew and the Da- failure, the others would make re- “shaped like a large spinning top” leks is the half-witted Alabama hick, pairs. They were programmed to do and with a voice similar to one that Morton Dill, who mistakes both the that. Anyway, the repair jobs be- appears “in the recording of Sparky crew and the Daleks for “movie came more complicated, they start- and his Magic Piano”; an audio sto- people” engaged on a film shoot. ed building other simple robots. If ry released by Capital Records in they couldn’t find a part in the 1947. As both reference childhood The last point is the most engaging, spares that they’d brought from memories, Ian and Barbara may as when Morton Dill is discovered Earth, then they made it. The ro- well be the originators. on all fours, tapping the floor in the bots they built were even more so- hope of finding the trap door phisticated than themselves. They The concept of Bruck, as a mental through which he believes the Tar- scribed as ‘like tripe’.” Similar to the built this city. Now they’re making figment, not only demonstrates the dis and Dalek time machine have Mire-beasts, the fungoids are of bigger and better robots.” different levels of reality at work disappeared, “The guide speaks out limited intelligence, and so, once here, but, furthermore, strongly im- the corner of his mouth to the man more, have the potential to be real. The Mechons themselves are ex- plies that the future, like the past, is next to him” asking that he “keep an In contrast, “Roger Bruck”, the tremely taciturn, issuing only two also imagined. In which case, one eye on [Morton] till I get a cop. And Earth astronaut we meet in episode single words of instruction (“follow” has to ask where in the narrative make sure he don’t try and jump. six (The Planet of Decision), is and “enter”) throughout the epi- the “present” is stationed? And the He looks looney enough to try any- plainly unaware that he has been sode. In fact, when Vicki touches most credible answer to that has to thing.” derived from the fictional character one she gets an electric shock be the observation level on floor “Buck Rogers”. causing the Doctor to remark, “I 102 of the Empire State Building During the observation deck think he’s trying to discourage any sometime in 1966. scenes, Nation is suggesting that, Explaining his five years spent on attempts at communication.” Quite faced with a disputed past and an Mechanus, Bruck states: “I was how Bruck obtained such detailed The reasons for this conclusion are unknown future, people need to find commanding a probe into deep knowledge of the Mechons is, fourfold. The location, together with a still point to anchor themselves. space. I had a flare out in my main therefore, a mystery, unless, that is, the tour guide and his party of sight- This is the “present” and anything boosters. The crew got out in the we accept the idea that he willed seers, are established prior to the challenging that reality is likely to main life rocket. I had to use the them into existence. Tardis materialising and so, conse- face rejection. Just as Morton ra- capsule. The gravitational pull was quently, exist in their own right. tionalises the appearance of the too great for the small rockets. I Acknowledging this would also Secondly, the time travellers mov- Tardis and the Daleks within a wandered around for a few days properly answer Barbara’s question ing from a desert planet to the fic- framework that he understands, so trying to avoid the fungoids; then “Why do they keep staring at us like tionalised 19th century sailing ship, the guide has to categorise Mor- the Mechons captured me.” this? Watching everything we do!!!” the Marie Celeste (courtesy of Sir ton’s behaviour as “looney” be- Bruck’s explanation that they are Arthur Conan Doyle’s Gothic horror cause it directly challenges his own Bruck goes on to relate how the being treated “like animals in a story J. Habakuk Jephson's State- perception of present day normality. “Mechons” came to be there. zoo”, is rather odd as the Mechons ment) and then onto a Transylvani- “About a thousand years ago Earth are unemotional robots, incapable an castle owned by Baron Franken- This takes us back to the way in decided to colonize this planet. It of forming any social connection stein, makes a certain thematic which Barbara’s assumption about landed a rocket full of robots that with their human captives. Perhaps sense, whereas, a chance landing the authorship of Shakespeare’s were programmed to clear landing then, it’s the other way around, in on the Empire State Building does plays impacted on the past, present sites, ready for the first immi- that actually, it is the Mechons who not. Thirdly, a fifty foot gorilla called and future and strongly implies that grants.... Earth [then] got involved are showing themselves to Bruck King Kong does not climbs the Em- our concept of reality is similarly in the interplanetary wars, and this and the Tardis crew, as a way of pire State Building to swat biplanes, authored; the present no more real place was forgotten. Everybody just preventing their own disappear- indicating there is no overlap here than the planet Aridus. assumed that the robots would run ance. between fact and fiction. And finally, the only member of the sightseeing 61 62 Sympathetic story editing would Quite what Nation thought of the of the Tardis and its crew, alien and have brought out the meaning of serial as broadcast has not been anachronistic elements had ap- Nation’s scripts whilst introducing recorded. It is evident from a note peared just once in a historical set- surrealist elements into Doctor he makes on his draft script for The ting, and that had been in the previ- Who’s TV adventures ten months Nightmare Begins (episode one of The Time Meddler is the ninth and ous serial, The Chase. Even this ahead of The Celestial Toymaker. The Daleks’ Master Plan) that he final serial of the second season. had been a relatively minor event, Verity Lambert did the opposite, was unaware “Roger Bruck”, now a Season finales were not the big with the Daleks following the Doctor stating in her memo of 25 February, permanent member of the Tardis events in 1965 that they are today, into several points in time for brief “I think that, if we go into these crew, had been renamed “Steven but the appearance of another set pieces before a futuristic finale. realms of fiction, we are opening a Taylor”. This raises the possibility rogue time traveller—and one who The Time Meddler took this ap- door on the Doctor Who series that he never watched the serial or, was not only from the Doctor’s own proach and crafted a whole story which may run us into considerable at the very least, missed the final planet, but a sort of anti-Doctor in around it. For the first time ever, the trouble in the future.” Clearly she episode. his own right—must have been a intrusion of the modern and alien believed that Nation, not unlike huge revelation for viewers back into the past was the very crux of Morton Dill, was being too fanciful Either way, I suspect Terry Nation, if then. The Monk was our first the story. Previous Doctor Who sto- for his own good. As a result, the discontent with the handling of his glimpse at someone from the Doc- ries set in the Earth's past had fictive Marie Celeste reverted to the story, would not have made his feel- tor’s home. And it’s important to viewed history as sacrosanct and real Mary Celeste, Baron Franken- ings known. As contemporary writer keep in mind that the Monk does unchangeable, if they addressed stein was removed entirely from the Chris Boucher once said, “He was a appear before any of that other bag- the concept at all. Only The Space story and Dracula and Franken- pro from way back, and there isn't a gage was attached, because he’s Museum, earlier that same year, stein’s monster were re- lot of point with being hugely pro- best understood as a mirror- had proposed that time could be characterised as animatronic exhib- tective. I'm sure he bled, I'm sure inversion not of the Doctor we know malleable and dynamic. For the first its from a “House of Horrors” funfair he did because we all do, but Terry now, but the First Doctor specifical- time, The Time Meddler showed us attraction; thus effectively killing the bled in private.” ly—not a cosmic wizard who can the perils of messing with the natu- meta-narrative stone dead. feel the pulse of the universe, but a ral course of history, and the dan- sly, troublemaking old man who al- gers inherent in time travel. ways has a few tricks up his sleeve. It has to be said that the serial is, The Time Meddler is a seminal sto- fundamentally, a fairly straight for- ry in the Doctor Who canon. Watch- ward one. This is also the first ex- ing it today, it's hard to appreciate ample of what would become a just how big a departure from the classic subgenre within Doctor norm this serial was upon broadcast Who, the “pseudohistorical”: A story in 1965. Over the years, viewers of set in the past but driven less by the series have become accus- real historical events and people tomed to adventures which see the than science-fiction adventure. In Doctor arrive in a recognisable era this case, we arrive shortly before of history, to be confronted by an the Norman invasion of England in alien or time-travelling element that 1066 by the king with what the throws the natural order of history greatest pre-coronation nickname out of joint. of all time, William the Bastard. That pivotal event isn’t front and It wasn't always this way. Prior to centre, though—instead, it looms The Time Meddler, the series' his- off in the distance. torical and science fiction elements had been kept largely separate. The historical setting is less devel- Apart from the obvious exceptions oped than it might have been, with 63 64 just a handful of locations populated younger viewers would surely pre- go; in the long run, it’s his story. is, unlike later characters with simi- by some characters who feel very sume that she has 'merely' been Also, the Doctor is no longer com- lar modus operandi, not presented sketched in. The Vikings are partic- physically assaulted. Nonetheless, peting with Ian and Barbara for the as evil. He is villainous, and indeed ularly one dimensional, although this is a shocking scene for Doctor role of leader within the group— dangerous, yet the Doctor treats the native Saxons, on the whole, Who. Wulnoth's grief as he holds Steven’s character is in many ways him more like an errant schoolboy are not much better. It is only the his wife makes it one of the most intended to replace Ian as the up to mischief than as a foe who village headman, Wulnoth, and his affecting scenes in the programme. young, strong, physically active guy must be stopped at all costs. A wife Edith, who get any appreciable Worryingly, once the Doctor is who can do things the aged Hartnell meddler he may be, but he takes an screen time and characterisation. back, he seems to not even notice can’t, but he’s also clearly intended injured man into his care, and While Michael Miller does his best that the woman waiting on him as a supporting character first and seems genuinely concerned for the to make Wulnoth a rounded charac- hand and foot has clearly been very foremost. He might argue with the welfare of the people whose lives ter, he is given very little material to badly hurt. Doctor about whether time travel is he is affecting. It's hard to square use. Alethea Charlton, previously real, and he might be flippant with his plan to annihilate the Viking seen as cave-woman Hur in Doctor William Hartnell’s Doctor is now the enough to call him ‘Doc’, but before fleet with an atomic cannon - over- Who's opening serial, is very good only character left from the series‘ the end of his first scene he’s al- kill, surely? - yet he seems to genu- as Edith. She has a great rapport debut. That heralds a shift in focus ready acknowledged that the Doc- inely want to help the English peo- with the Doctor, and acts as our for the show—increasingly, Doctor tor ultimately calls the shots. In any ple. His plan to alter the outcome of only real link to the 11th century Who was less about the travels of a case, it’s always good to have a the Battle of Hastings is certainly world we're visiting. There is a pow- group of people that happened to character who’s on the Doctor’s ambitious. It's hard to think of a sin- erful scene in the second episode, include the Doctor, but about the side but still disagrees with him oc- gle defining event in the last thou- in which Wulnoth returns home to travels of the Doctor with whoever casionally—partly because Hart- sand years of western history that find Edith traumatised following a he happened to be vagabonding nell’s rejoinders to Steven’s disbe- would had more far-reaching im- Viking attack. It is heavily implied around with at that particular mo- lief are wonderfully grouchy: “What pact. On the other hand, it's incredi- that she has been raped, although ment. Not that the companions do you mean, maybe? What do you bly Eurocentric, even Anglocentric, nothing is ever said aloud, and any aren’t important, but they come and think it is, a space helmet for a to ignore the advances and events cow?” in the rest of the world and focus on pushing this one culture forward. Peter Butterworth plays the Med- dling Monk, with great comedic flair I wouldn’t mind seeing the Monk that would soon see him find fame reappear on Doctor Who again in the Carry On... series of comedy sometime, long shot though that films. He waddles around, attending probably is. He’s a kind of recurring to errands, chuckling to himself, character that the show could use— engaging a little slapstick with his the villain who’s not necessarily electric toaster. It's in his interplay powerful or vicious, but a persistent with the Doctor that sees them both annoyance that allows for a certain at their best, as they engage in ban- kind of comic storyline, like Star ter and one-up-manship. The Doc- Trek’s Harcourt Fenton Mudd or tor is morally outraged at the superhero comics’ Mr. Mxyzptlk or Monk's attitude, tweaking history to Bat-Mite. He’d be a good change- suit his whims. "It's more fun my up from the universe-conquering way," he says, and fails to see just types, and I think he’d fit into the why he shouldn't be messing with modern series pretty well. It’s cer- time. Fabulously, he has a flipchart tainly fun to see him arguing with detailing his plan of action, ticked the Doctor about their Tardises like off as he goes along, and ending they’re arguing about cars! with "Meet King Harold." The Monk 65 66 ing. There was an already surviv- While I would always rather have a does not come from the planet ing clip from it on the Whose Doctor complete serial rather than bits and Earth. Who documentary that was trans- pieces, the surviving material from I am someone who likes a number mitted around the time of The Tal- any story does give fans some idea In many science fiction films the of science-fiction television pro- ons of Wen Chiang. What was in- of what the serial might have been aliens look monstrous and are ma- grammes – not just Doctor Who. teresting to me was that the person like. However we must remember levolent. However Doctor Who had One of the sad things though about who was interviewed and who that Enemy of the World was not – before Galaxy 4 – good aliens like many of my favourite shows from talked about Galaxy 4 before the thought of all that highly when there the Thals, the Sensorites and the the 1960s is that they are not all clip was shown was in fact an old was only one surviving episode to Menoptra. In Galaxy 4 the Rills complete in the archives. Whereas university friend of mine! view – compared to today when we looks fairly unattractive and the I can watch every episode ever can see all of it! So anyone who conclusion would have been that made of Star Trek, Lost in Space, Later on the DWAS was hoping to does not rate Galaxy 4 on the they were the baddies of the piece Land of the Giants, The Time Tun- screen Galaxy 4 at one of its earli- strength of the surviving material and the beautiful Drahvins were the nel, The Invaders, The Outer Limits est conventions and I was delighted plus the excellent re-creation on goodies. However the main theme and The Twilight Zone– I cannot do to hear that, because it had always The Aztecs Special edition DVD, is of Galaxy 4 was that was not the the same as regards Adam Ada- been one of my favourite stories. definitely not getting the full picture. case and it was the Drahvins – who mant Lives! Out of the Unknown Cue my great disappointment when If it is ever completely found then I looked very human although most and Counterstrike. However there I learned short afterwards that sadly feel that it will be more positively of them were clones – were in fact is always a chance that some of the the serial had been wiped. It made thought of. the baddies. ‘missing episodes’ of these series me wonder at the time about why will turn up one day. the BBC would do that and how Galaxy 4 was the serial that started Galaxy 4 is unusual in that the many of my favourite Doctor Who off the third season of Doctor Who guest artistes in it are predominate- Seeing as Galaxy Four had ‘missing serials had shared that fate. Later after its summer break. The Tardis ly female with the only male guest episodes’ in it I was delighted when on more of Five Hundred Dawns team of the first Doctor, Vicki and actors being the ones inside the a complete episode from it, Airlock, was made available for fans to view Steven had already had an adven- Chumblies, the voice of the Rills turned up a few years ago. Now and then a full episode was found ture together in the last story of the and Jeff Garvey at the very end. unlike The Massacre, Galaxy 4 at and returned to the archives. second season – The Time Meddler Also Maaga’s comment on the male that time was not completely miss- – and while I still missed Ian and of their species is somewhat contro- Barbara, I was keen to see where versial to say the least! It was only

the Tardis would take us next! with the rediscovery of the ‘missing episode’ that I realised what a pow- I remember greatly enjoying this erful performance Stephanie Bid- serial on its original transmission. It was a story with a message to it – and I tended to enjoy dramas which actually meant something and were not just disposable pieces of enter- tainment. Right from the beginning Doctor Who as a programme has stressed the fact that things are not always what they appear to be. The Tardis looks like a police tele- phone box – but in fact it is an ad- vanced space ship. The Doctor looks like a helpless old man. He is not he is supremely intelligent and

67 68 mead put in as Maaga and her One thing that was particular unu- absence of the principal character. monologue was one of the high- sual about the production of this In those previous examples, other lights of this episode. serial was use of a flashback sce- individuals must carry the episode, ne to show what had really hap- easily achievable with an ensemble Peter Purves has long commented pened—a device seldom used on cast. But how could you possibly on the fact that this serial was writ- the programme. The ending to the deliver that in Doctor Who? Easy. ten for Ian and Barbara rather than last episode was also unusual as it In 2006 short prequels for upcom- Summon the Daleks. for Steven and that he was basical- led into the only one episode ad- ing episodes could be downloaded ly playing the part originally written venture during the Hartnell era, to your primitive mobile phone. Reducing ‘Planet of Giants’ down for Barbara. However to be honest which did not feature the Doctor ‘Mission to the Unknown’ had a to three episodes left a gap to fill. I never thought that when I was and his companions at all of course. similar objective but was far longer Additionally, the cast, specifically watching it at the time. To me the in duration. The story behind the William Hartnell, needed a break. action folded realistically enough. All in all Galaxy 4 is an enjoyable episode’s creation is enthralling. ‘Mission to the Unknown’ reflects adventure which with four episodes The moving pictures recorded onto the murderous schedule that Doc- I did think that the planet set was is just the right length to tell the sto- videotape in 1965, under the auspi- tor Who was running during the rather good but the set representing ry. The music really adds some- ces of a Doctor Who episode, were 1960’s. Season 1 saw 42 episodes, the Rill ship was not so good. How- thing to the strangeness of the alien something truly unique in a history Season 2 saw 39 episodes and as ever I really liked the Chumblies. planet and it has excellent perfor- which has since surpassed half a Season 3 continued a total of 45 People have said that they seem to mances from the cast. It has a century. episodes would be recorded. A be too similar to the Daleks but I great plot twist, some very alien weekly episodic drama of this na- never thought of them like that. looking beings in the Rills and has A mysterious traveller in a Police ture demanded almost constant They were simply robots rather than some cute robots in the Chumblies. Box known only as The Doctor. He, production. Ultimately, it would take the Daleks who were mutant beings The conclusion towards the end is a or now she, is the central personali- a toll on the lead actor whilst com- housed in these casings. The dramatic one, with Maaga and her ty. The television show is named panions came and went. Similarly, Chumblies were likeable robots and clones meeting an unfortunate end. after that lead individual. So, imag- ‘Blink’ and ‘Turn Left’, also reflect at the time I hoped that the Doctor If the Drahvins had been prepared ine an instalment of that series the impractical filming schedule as would take the one escorting him to work with the Rills then both of where the principal character is lead actor David Tennant could not into the Tardis on his travels, alt- them would have survived. completely absent. We are not talk- be in multiple places simultaneous- hough now I could see that a ing a ‘Doctor-lite’ episode as seen ly. Tacked onto the end of the pro- Chumblie would not have working I would be delighted if at some time with ‘Blink’ or ‘Turn Left’. This isn’t duction of ‘Galaxy 4’, ‘Mission’ as a travelling companion! in the future the missing episodes even a William Hartnell episode stands as Verity Lambert’s final of Galaxy 4 could be found. where his appearance in the contin- contribution to Doctor Who as Pro- uing narrative is achieved using a ducer. Perhaps she offered Hartnell double, so the actor could take a an extra week off to make up for week off. The Doctor, the ship and the fact that she was leaving? his companions have no place in this instalment. They are not seen. Sadly, there is no visual record of They aren’t even referred to. the episode. Unlike other lost Hart- nell stories there aren’t even tele- Consider an interpretation of Su- snaps to provide context. Whilst perman or Batman without those some publicity images exist, nota- heroes. Imagine an episode of bly of Verity Lambert and the alien ‘House’ without Hugh Laurie. In the delegates, the visual signature of modern era of social media, would the episode remains open to inter- people would be claiming a viola- pretation. Few people seem to re- tion of the trades description act? call seeing the episode and even They would certainly begrudge an 69 70 those memories are subject to the those who remember seeing it are is a man being turned into a plant league Garvey also suffers the decaying recollections of over 50 susceptible to that most character- and particularly vicious one at that. same fate, to little effect as it tran- years past. An absence of the visu- istic dexterity of Doctor Who fans; spires. Shortly afterwards Cory al stings most in consideration of misremembering. However, the Unfortunately, it was this psycho- himself is exterminated by the Da- the horrors that ultimately reduced absence of original footage pro- logical horror component, support- leks. As unexpected occurrences the instalment to an unsaleable vides opportunity. Without the ed by the peculiar cavalcade of al- go, this is a decent offering. Doc- commodity for BBC Enterprises. broadcast material as a reference, ien delegates undoubtedly, which tor Who viewers had become con- our imaginations can run rampant. resulted in the episode being reject- ditioned to expect the humanoids Long before David Cronenberg The metamorphosis from human ed for broadcast by the Australian to prevail. That sure doesn’t hap- took physical, metamorphosing hor- to Varga plant can be as graphic censors. As a result, it seems that pen here. ror to gorier levels in his version of as our mind’s vividness will allow. the episode was not broadcast any- ‘The Fly’ and other movies, Jeff Most can envisage a grotesque where other than on the BBC on This is as close to a Terry Nation Garvey mutated into a Varga plant. sequence akin to the Wirrn’s that lone October evening in 1965. Dalek spinoff as we would ever The fact that we do not have a visu- transformation of Noah in ‘The Ark If you didn’t see it, you missed it. get. As the Daleks move off from al demonstration of this bodily mu- in Space’ or Keeler becoming a Imagine that. An experience you their kill chanting “Victory”, it is tation is a travesty, although a hu- Krynoid in ‘The Seeds of Death’. cannot revisit repeatedly at your perhaps their finest hour. They are man being mutating into another The white hairs and thick black own leisure. Television in the triumphant. Nation’s desire to creature is not original to Doctor thorns of the Varga plant sprouting 1960’s was akin to a theatre experi- launch the Daleks in their own se- Who. ‘The Blob’, notable for being up from beneath the human skin ence in your front room. But unlike ries would have included elements Steve McQueen’s first movie lead, of Garvey a decade earlier would a theatre run there was no repeat introduced in this episode. ‘The and the original version of ‘The Fly’ probably be thought of as quite performance, no matinee. Just like Destroyers’, as the pilot script was can both be sourced to the previ- tame, certainly by modern stand- that, ‘Mission to the Unknown’ dissi- called, would include the Space ous decade. I’m sure we would all ards and expectations. Neverthe- pated into the ether. Security Service battling the Da- love to see how that metamorpho- less, Doctor Who at its very best leks, and although nothing would sis from Garvey into a Varga plant preys on the fears and terrors elic- This is a great loss. The episode is ultimately come to fruition with that was brought to the screen. Even ited on a psychological level. This unique in terms of story and unique initial idea, the first pieces of that in terms of broadcast. The only epi- concept were tested out here. sode to rival it is perhaps ‘The Feast of Steven’ which may not Although it is a tragedy that have even been recorded onto a ‘Mission to the Unknown’ gets 16mm film copy for overseas sale. largely overlooked, with few ap- ‘Mission to the Unknown’ was how- preciating its uniqueness, it is un- ever, as The Australian censors questionably a triumph of creativi- had to view it before rejecting it. ty. The episode provided a solu- Perhaps that review copy is still in a tion to several production issues, vault somewhere? Wrapped in tape filling a dropped episode and plastered with ‘Banned. Do not providing respite for the lead ac- screen’ in huge block letters. We tors. It also managed to establish can but hope! a sense of anticipation for an up- coming adventure, an achieve- Reviewing the episode, it is proba- ment not attempted with the same bly no surprise that the ABC reject- vigour since. It is not just a grip- ed it for their early afternoon broad- ping capsule story but boldly cast slot. The fate of Gordon Low- showcases the Daleks at their ery is darkly grim. Gunned down by most malevolent and, for once, Marc Cory not long after his col- victorious.

71 72 fame as the evil android Jedikiah in soap opera, as they discuss the The Tomorrow People. Tutte Lem- progress of the war. kov (Cyclops) who played a host of dodgy middle-eastern types over a In Episode 2 Small Prophet, Quick Among the those lost stories of long career, was by now almost a Return, we finally get to meet the Doctor Who, the merits of some Who regular, this being his third Trojans. In the Royal Palace we are have long been appreciated. Marco (and final) role following Kuiju in once again in full soap opera mode, Polo and The Daleks’ Master Plan Marco Polo, and Ibrahim in The with a healthy dash of sitcom-style have certainly been in this category. Crusade. From what we can sur- dialogue added to the mix, as we Other stories have remained rela- mise from surviving photographs, enter the scenes that have attracted tively unknown and overlooked by set and artistic design and costume most attention since the fans. Donald Cotton’s 1965 story too played their parts to the full. It is "rediscovery" of this story. The con- The Myth Makers was until relative- however, Donald Cotton’s witty and stant bickering between King Priam, ly recently, very much in this cate- lowed the story to garner the ac- exciting script, which raises The Paris, and the prophetess Cassan- gory. While it was generally under- claim that it deserves. Myth Makers above the ordinary. dra is played entirely for laughs - stood that this was the one with the and is a delight, the humour coming Wooden Horse, in which Vicki So what is it that makes this story Episode One, Temple Of Secrets somewhere between Blackadder leaves, that was about as far as it so special? Well, as with all great opens with Hector and Achilles, and Up Pompeii. Priam berates his went. Doctor, it is a combination of excel- fighting on a dusty plain, as the Tar- son for his failure to dispatch Achil- lent performances from a well- dis materialises. Inside, the Doctor les, but a smug Paris proudly pre- Perhaps this is unsurprising, given directed first-rate cast, a memora- Steven and Vicki discuss where sents the trophy that he has won (or the fact that the reputation of this ble musical score, and first and they might be. Seeing the two warri- rather found).... the Tardis. "You're story has had to contend with not foremost a terrific script. ors on the scanner, the Doctor de- not putting that in my temple" de- only a of almost any visual refer- cides, against all common sense clares Cassandra. ences. Of course, no episodes sur- As so often in 1960s Doctor Who, that they look like the sort of chaps vive, but there are also no known the guest cast is full of splendid ac- who might be happy to help him out Cassandra prepares to burn the telesnaps of The Myth Makers, tors, many of whom were very fa- and point him on his way. So, leav- Tardis and calls upon the gods for a merely a handful of publicity photo- miliar TV faces at the time. Max ing Vicki behind with a painful plot sign. At this Vicki emerges, intro- graphs, together with a few sec- Adrian (Priam), Ivor Salter device, and instructing Steven to ducing herself disarmingly "I'm just onds’ worth of silent off-air Australi- (Odysseus) and Francis White stay and look after her, the Doctor someone from the future". Cassan- an home cine clips. (Cassandra) were all well known. emerges, in so doing distracting dra sees in Vicki a rival and calls for White later gave a memorable per- Hector, allowing Achilles to kill him. her death, but King Priam reassures Although Donald Cotton’s Target formance in the BBC’s I, Claudius - Although he is nonplussed when her in a kindly manner "You shall novelisation of the story is one of visuals from which, were used to Achilles acclaims him as the god die when I say so, not a moment the best regarded in the range, it great effect in the Loose Cannon Zeus “in the guise of an old beg- before". was not until the discovery in 1996 reconstruction of this story. Barrie gar”, the Doctor for some reason, "That's very comforting", Vicki tells of good quality off-air audio record- Ingham (Paris) was familiar to Who does not disabuse the Greek, in- him. In fact, the King has taken a ing of The Myth Makers, that fans fans who had seen him earlier the stead playing along and threatening fatherly shine to her, and deciding began to have some access to the same year as Alydon, leader of the Achilles with thunderbolts. that "Vicki" is no name for a Trojan, story at all. The 2001 BBC Radio Thals in the first Peter Cushing Da- renames her "Cressida", asking her Collection release of the soundtrack lek film, while Francis de Wolff It is in the next scene that the sto- to tell him anything from her remastered to crystal clarity by (Agamemnon), playing against vil- ry’s particular contemporary style knowledge of the future that will Mark Ayres, with linking narration lainous type, had already appeared first comes to the fore. The dialogue help him win the war. Grumpy old read by Peter Purves, finally in Doctor Who as the brutish Vasor of the brothers Agamemnon and Cassandra is convinced however, brought The Myth Makers to a con- in the previous year’s The Keys Of Menelaus the Greek leaders, could that Vicki will bring the city bad luck. temporary audience, and at last al- Marinus and would go on to cult TV have come from almost any 1960s

73 74 Back on the plain… the Doctor is come from the future, you make dled well, no histrionics or over- racking his brain for a scheme to Episode 3, Death of a Spy is the friends with a lot of people" she re- sentimental goodbyes, just a quiet, help the Greeks overthrow the city, proud possessor of the best epi- assures him enigmatically. When dignified slipping away. Katarina having dismissed out of hand Ste- sode title that Doctor Who nearly Troilus leaves, Vicki inexplicably finds a seriously wounded Steven ven's suggestion of inventing the had - Donald Cotton's original title, tells Steven "I think I could get to be and brings him back to the Tardis, Wooden Horse: sadly vetoed by producer John quite happy here in time". Odd that, which dematerialises just as Odys- "Have you thought of tunnelling?" Wiles, was Is There a Doctor in the as she is fully aware that the city is seus arrives to claim it as his prize. "It's been done" Horse?. Although neither Vicki nor about to be burned and the inhabit- "Have you thought about flying ma- Steven do die, Priam sends them ants slaughtered. I suspect that sandwiched as it chines?" both to the "quite comfortable" dun- came, between the single episode geons, and gives "Cressida" one The next morning, Troilus wakes teaser Mission to the Unknown and Worried about Vicki, Steven comes day to come up with something to Vicki with the news that the Greeks the twelve-part epic The Daleks’ up with a plan to get into the city. defeat the Greeks. have left, she has been given the Master Plan, even viewers at the He convinces Odysseus to allow credit and the King has called for time may have quickly forgotten the him to borrow the armour and the Back with the Greeks, the Doctor, her. Meanwhile the Horse is being quiet little gem that is The Myth identity of the dead Diomede, and having abandoned his madcap dragged into the city. Priam con- Makers. It is nonetheless a remark- goes out to meet Paris, who is chal- scheme to catapult men in giant gratulates Vicki on the end of the able story, with an extraordinary lenging Achilles for a fight. After a parchment airplanes over the walls war and dismisses Cassandra's script that has stood the test of few blows, Steven surrenders and once he is told that he is to fly the cries of treachery: "Oh, go and feed time, backed up by a first rate cast is taken by Paris back to the pal- first dart, in desperation turns to the the sacred serpents, or something." at the top of their game. It rivals ace, where he and Vicki just cannot idea of the Wooden Horse. Odys- "Woe to the Trojans" wails Cassan- The Romans as the funniest Doctor help revealing that they know each seus is delighted and convinces dra, to which Paris puns "I'm afraid Who story of the 1960s and The other, thus neatly confirming Cas- Agamemnon of the plan, but again you're too late to say 'whoa' to the Massacre as the most bleakly trag- sandra's assertion that they are the Doctor is not happy when he is horse". As the episode ends, the ic. It is quite simply everything that spies. The priestess calls for both to told that he too must go into it. humour darkens, as the mood be- early Who could and should always be killed, as the guards draw in with Meanwhile, Vicki and Prince Troilus comes one of approaching doom. have been. their swords unsheathed, the epi- are getting on famously, although sode ends - the caption comes up the prince is concerned over her Episode Four Horse Of Destruction "Next Episode - Death of a Spy" friendship with Steven. "When you is markedly different from what has come before with the humour of the last three episodes largely gone. As the Greeks swarm over Troy and the Trojans are butchered the epi- sode ends in carnage – with even the Tardis crew unable to escape unscathed.

As the slaughter begins in the Pal- ace, the Doctor has found the Tar- dis, followed by Vicki and hand- maiden Katarina. Vicki sends Ka- tarine to find Steven, taking the Doctor into the Tardis, telling him “I’ve got to talk to you”. Silently, Vic- ki then leaves the Tardis for the last time. This departure scene is han-

75 76 week Doctor Who kicked off in the come a long way since he kid- so become rather brave. I would legendary past of Earthly Troy, and napped a couple of school teachers never have expected the man from all that pertains. With the Doctor because he feared they would 100,000 BC (yes, I call the three and his companions included in the speak about him to the Earthly au- episodes after ‘An Unearthly Child’ story this time, that is true. The thorities in the early 60s? Since he by that title) to actually join a meet- I always think ‘Mission to the Un- viewer didn’t return to the location rather cowardly banged someone ing full of hostile aliens, just to find known’ must have been the ultimate of “Mission to the unknown” until on the head from behind? Or since out what is going on, and even tak- surprise to a regular Doctor Who the well-known events (but with a he pretended to be out of a fluid ing the risk of missing his ‘ride’. His viewer in 1965. In a period of time Doctor Who twist obviously) in the necessary for the Tardis, so he bravery also is rather laudable in when prequels were rather unheard doomed city of Troy were all could fulfil his own desire to ex- comparison with the actions of the of, the viewer must have been ex- wrapped up, while Vicky had de- plore, and consequently bring his major antagonist, Mavic Chen. The pecting the Doctor and his compan- parted the Tardis and remained in companions into danger? The Doc- contrast between the two slaps one ions to show up somewhere during that time period. The Doctor and tor had started off as a none too in the face at times, but in the be- that half hour, but they never did. Steven eventually arrived on Kem- trustworthy vagrant, but the good- ginning the difference isn’t as obvi- However, William Hartnell was bel, on which the drama of ‘Mission ness and bravery for which he be- ous as all that. credited at the end so at least one to the Unknown’ had played out, comes known during later regener- would be certain that it was actually accompanied by the Trojan servant ations (of which viewers at the time The first time we see Mavic he is an episode of Doctor Who! Perhaps girl Katarina. obviously knew absolutely nothing) presented as a rather popular lead- some viewers scratched behind definitely is beginning to shine er, a conscientious one at that, a their ears when they noticed those Poor Steven was wounded from through in this part of his first life. At man who has been in favour of ga- credits, thinking they might have the happenings in Troy; so on arri- the beginning of the episode, he lactic peace during his term(s) of inadvertently missed him. They val the Doctor immediately went immediately left the Tardis – without office. Kevin Stoney did a wonderful hadn’t of course. They had just outside to see if he could get help. checking for radiation or oxygen job here in showing us in the begin- seen one of the bleakest Dalek sto- Which makes me reflect a little: apparently – to try and find some ning someone who really is not ex- ries ever – in fact I’ve never viewed hasn’t our good old First Doctor help for one of his companions. If pected to be a villain, let alone a or listened to a bleaker one, until I that isn’t character development on megalomaniac who is completely heard the First Doctor audio story a major scale, I wouldn’t know what obsessed with power. No, I won’t ‘The Dalek Occupation of Winter’ is. Of course, to the viewer in 1965 be making explicit comparisons with which can contend with this short this development happened in a certain current Earthly leaders (you ‘cutaway’ on bleakness. It took 53 rather more gradual way. It started can think of them yourselves), but years to improve on bleakness in right after the first ever Dalek story, Kevin made Mavic look like such a Doctor Who! However, this new sto- and continued at a slightly harder seemingly trustworthy figure at the ry did include the Doctor and his pace with the introduction of Vicky start. It started to unravel soon companions, albeit the Doctor to whom this original incarnation of enough, just like it did with some of mostly being impersonated by Peter the Doctor acted far less grumpy these contemporary leaders I am Purves. Mission however only con- than to his own granddaughter at implicitly referring to. Of course, tained three more or less sympa- the beginning of the series. But if right after that the face slapping thetic people whom we never saw you compare that first serial to this started, as we continued to see our before and who died because of the particular story, the difference in beloved Doctor shining in his moral Daleks. Quite depressing really. character traits is quite striking. goodness compared to the – let’s Even if the Doctor wasn’t present to face it – evil of Mavic Chen. Kevin at least provide some note of opti- This is not a review, so I won’t go continuously shines as the power- mism. into too much detail of the story it- hungry leader of the solar system, self, except when it might be neces- while the divide between him and It got even more surprising to this sary to illustrate a certain point. At the Doctor just grows and grows. viewer in 1965 when the following this point in time the Doctor has al- The contrast in character with the

77 78 Meddling Monk is one of a com- have turned the Doctor into a ‘good not immediately recognised as their Steven’. It’s great that the novelisa- pletely different nature. Both Time man’ even if he manages to remain mortal enemy’s craft. But that’s a tion brings forward that the Doctor, Lords (though not yet known by a child at heart. whole other story. Steven and Sara spend quite some that name) are incredibly naughty, time together, making their com- and full of pranks. Of course, Peter The real baddies in this story were It’s such a pity the episode ‘The radeship easier to follow. I don’t Butterworth as the Monk was never the Daleks, but somehow, they nev- Feast of Steven’ no longer exists, particularly mind at that point that intended to be an evil character, er truly come into their own. Despite nor that there is even a distinct pos- they don’t dwell too much on the just a thoroughly irresponsible one. killing off people for no real reason sibility that it will ever be found. I issue of siblings killing each other With a very childish sense of re- as Daleks tend to do, despite burn- always find the notion of the first as that would have been – I think – venge and redemption or simple ing a forest down which kills their Doctor breaking the fourth wall an too much to ask of an audience spite, all of which in this story can own genetically modified Vargas in enjoyable one. The whole episode who were mostly into the series for be seen as padding. The happen- the process, or even despite master is slightly ridiculous, what with stu- a sense of adventure. Certainly, ings in Ancient Egypt mostly play minding the whole notion of con- pid policemen, the silliness of Holly- one can’t point the finger at Hartnell out as a kind of farce (though not quering the solar system. The sce- wood, and the celebrating of Christ- for leaving this emotional touch- totally, I’ll get back to a real piece of ne with the ‘hostile’ mice is of mas in the Tardis, but it’s also ra- stone out of the picture. slapstick later on) in any case, but course a gem among Dalek scenes. ther fun. What it had to do with the seeing William Hartnell here as a There’s nothing really new here in Daleks’ Master Plan will forever re- This lack of emotional involvement playful, though serious in intent, relation to the Doctor being the main a mystery, but it sure shows does lead me to a point of criticism, Doctor is rather fun. Compared to good guy and the Daleks the bad the first Doctor in a good light. Not because it’s not all flowers and ros- the Monk, he’s a shining example ones. It’s mostly the combination of only does he resolve the entire co- es with Hartnell in this story. Deaths of righteousness but one can easily a great human villain, a couple of nundrum, but he also manages to are handled rather callously, partic- imagine the two putting frogs in flawed characters and the Daleks involve the viewer in a very person- ularly by the Doctor. I suspect the someone’s bed when they were a that make this story so memorable. al way. That’s the reason why I feel actor can hardly help it in this case, bit younger! Seemingly, ageing, a However, I have always wondered it is a shame the episode no longer as he had to follow the script. Still, loss of friends as well as death how it is possible the Tardis was exists. Not so much the screaming it’s a rather painful contrast (that actress or Sarah Kingdom trying to word again) between Steven and fix the light on top of the Tardis, as the Doctor in the way they react to William Hartnell wishing me a good the deaths of their comrades. Ste- Christmas and raising a toast. I sus- ven is seriously emotionally in- pect I would watch the episode volved throughout, while the Doctor again and again (it can easily be seems to take the deaths as given. seen as a totally stand-alone story), Regrettable yes, but not something but at least once a year, because it to dwell upon too long, as if he is would be lovely to receive a person- already jaded by all the deaths he al Christmas wish from the first ever has encountered in his life. Doctor. I do happen to listen to the wish quite often (thankfully there In fact, the story plays out in such a does exist a recording on audio), way a viewer even might feel more but it would have been lovely to ac- sympathy for the relatively unknown tually see it within the context of the characters in Mission to the Un- episode. known than the Doctor himself shows for Katarina, Brett Vyon or I also like the relationship the Doc- Sara Kingdom in the Dalek Master tor (and Steven for that matter does Plan proper. All three have a com- too) builds up with Sara Kingdom panion role, if briefly, and in that during the course of ‘The Feast of sense are worthy to be grieved

79 80 over. This lack of feeling is a real as the Doctor in this series. He’s at for subsequently trundling back to- shame as the character develop- the top of the acting bill (forgive me wards familiar territory after doing ment of the Doctor had been such the pun) in this one. He’s a true so. How surprising, then, to experi- that it would be perfectly fitting if he leading man (even if he’s missing in ence a serial like 'The Massacre of had been shown to be genuinely action at one point), showing us all “I’m afraid you’ve arrived in Paris at St. Bartholomew's Eve'; a follow up touched by these devastating loss- how one should immerse oneself in a rather unfortunate time.” that further ruminates on these ex- es. Steven grieved and it was he the role of an alien do-gooder. In (Nicholas Muss, 'War of God') act concepts and places them in a who had to remind the Doctor of saying this I mean that it is not so hauntingly-tangible geography. these losses at the very end when easy to play an alien developed Moral ambiguity is a discordant con- nothing was left but an eye stalk from a grumpy, slightly cowardly cept in 'Doctor Who'. In some sto- We cannot see 'The Massacre'. An- and some skeletons. It was obvious and not so law-abiding citizen into a ries, threat and resolution are yone with access to a Wikipedia, that the Doctor had grown and de- genuinely loved and respected per- fuelled within the simple boundaries the Tardis Wiki or a dog-eared copy veloped a lot in the humanistic son who we (the viewers) would of good and evil. In others, the lines of Doctor Who Monthly's 1981 Win- sense, and therefore this lack of follow to the end of the galaxy and are a little more blurred. After the ter Special will know this unfortu- feeling is particularly jarring. Pre- beyond. Still somewhat flawed, but ending of ‘The Daleks’ Master Plan’, nate truth. Few stories have suf- sumably the development in char- an authentically loveable one all the viewers found themselves steered fered so dearly, with it being one of acter went only so far in the 60s, same. William Hartnell stood up to towards grave visions of loss, inimi- three serials ('Marco Polo', 'Mission because I can think of no other rea- the challenge and managed to be- table sacrifices by our heroes that to the Unknown') to which no foot- son than ‘zeitgeist’ in making a come the Doctor we all wish to fol- were made to ensure a less than age survives. Thankfully, with an leading character fall short on such low. I like to think his role in the Da- harmonious conclusion. Rarely be- insurmountable debt to figures like a crucial part of what we wish for in leks Master Plan played an im- fore had the show provoked tanta- the late Graham Strong, who a hero. portant part in creating that image. mount feelings of mortality in such a braved the frivolity of electrocution It made the necessity of the Doctor vivid, lateral universe, and the pro- to record audio from his television This lack of empathy does not take clearer than ever. gramme could have been forgiven set, the audio for this serial, and away my admiration for Bill Hartnell

81 82 every other lost story, remains safe- does it mean for him to have his Doctor has a cyclical cosmos swirl- tioned mysticism comes into play; ly stored and distributed for genera- hands tied as others suffer? ing around him; he is detached from an ethereal weirdness sprinkled tions to come. We may never fully the events, in resolve and in the into the script that only grows from experience what viewers like Strong Our cypher into this concept is our story itself, that Steven’s perspec- the mystery that the incomplete sto- were offered in February 1966, but I companion, Steven Taylor. Though tive offers us with clarity. 'The Mas- ry holds. It all sets up Lucarotti's think that our fragmented consump- the journey for Peter Purves' char- sacre' tackles the plight of time trav- story as a gateway into a larger, tion has formed part of a new, retro- acter can be considered a little tur- el head-on with a very thoughtful fascinating and seldom-considered spective narrative. More than any bulent (seriously, try comparing this dichotomy. Steven is filled with a discussion - is there magic in the other lost story, there is something to 'The Chase'!), 'The Massacre’ drive to help but lacks the agency to Doctor Who universe? mystical about 'The Massacre’ - an provides a wonderful framework for do so, whilst the Doctor holds alluring line of ambiguity that is only the companion to finally come into knowledge and power to make a In all of the darkness that the story accentuated by its missing status. It his own. It's a Doctor-lite story difference that gets barred by his presents, it is easy to forget that runs through the veins of the serial; (years before we'd really consider code of interference. When we con- Doctor Who is, always has been our companion, Steven, spends the concept) that manages to be all sider this against the narrative that and always will be, a family pro- most of the story lost in the heart of about what it means to travel with Lucarotti's story provides, is it really gram. 'The Massacre' does have a Paris, and he is frequently de- the titular character, and the discus- a coincidence that the Doctor is happy ending, and there's some- ceived, as we are, in his search for sion has rarely been as cutting. To- barely around? thing at work in the journey towards the Doctor. It is from this perspec- nally, it's an apt follow-up to 'The it that feels totally unique and uplift- tive that my reading of the story has Daleks' Master Plan', an audacious It is from this grim contrast that 'The ing. It became apparent to me, bloomed, and is why it attracts me serial that ended with Steven la- Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Eve' when first watching this story, that more than almost any other piece in menting the wide-scale loss of life draws its power. The ideas that the the Hartnell era is defined by its the programme's 55-year canon. around him. When we pick up in story plays with, amidst an event so ambitious scope, fervently bouncing Paris, 1572, our memories are fresh tragic and hopeless, are loaded and between the fantastical and the I strongly believe that John Lucarot- with a companion traumatised and cynical - until they aren't. As I said, (pseudo) historical with each new ti's serial (authorship could be ac- set in his own perspective. It's a re- there's something else buried deep serial. It's the beauty of a program credited to Donald Tosh equally on action that clashes with the Doctor's within the story that makes it rather that can one week take us to the the basis of his extensive rewrites, own standpoint and, by accident or special. It's where that aforemen- psychedelic planet Vortis, and the though he only receives an on- design, reflects the fever-pitch ten- screen credit for 'Bell of Doom') sion between the two religious marks a turning point as significant groups in the city. Steven has an as any other when addressing Doc- unprejudiced drive to help those in tor Who's history. Whilst 'The Az- need; not least in his paternal tecs' emphasised the Doctor's strin- search for the Doctor, but in his gent relationship to the past, and care for the young Huguenot, Anne 'The Romans' dared induce some Chaplet. The Doctor is removed playful comedy to the 'pure- from the story; until the beautiful historicals', it is 'The Massacre' that speech at the end of the last epi- really dares to push the show's pa- sode, we are generally denied his rameters. We are aware of the phi- perspective. Our gaze is in line with losophy that our main character Steven, in the streets filled with de- shoulders - history cannot, and ception and fear, underscored by should not, be altered. But the Doc- the character's shock and his fury at tor is also a mystical man with a what is about the transpire. It's a magic box, a figure gifted with a glo- painfully human standpoint that rious otherworldly knowledge - what brings us in opposition to the view held by our titular character. The

83 84 next to 12th-century Palestine dur- is that Doctor Who's depiction of fined, uncouth and uneducated. In ing the Third Crusade. As viewers, time and space are virtually omnip- reality, discrimination based on ac- we have never really had to wonder otent in nature. At the core of this cent is still a thing, and in the un- where these styles, in the space of sombre story lies a mystical ele- Imagine the furore if the thirteenth written league table of dialects a single story, might cross over. ment that calls out to viewers, per- Doctor spoke in Received Pronunci- some are more open to being Initially, it's clear that 'The Massa- haps more so today when con- ation and was constantly berating mocked than others. Even on a mi- cre' falls into the latter category, sumed in its partial form. The Doc- her Sheffield based companions for cro-level, prejudices arise over the suitably grim in conveying the event tor is right; history cannot be al- their ‘poor’ English? It was never go- slightest shift in pronunciation – a as harsh, inescapable reality in an tered. But, in a narrative like 'The ing to happen of course, and the fact I noticed when moving from honest (and, allegedly, very con- Massacre, we learn that it can Doctor doesn’t bat an eyelid when, Wigan to neighbouring Leigh. It can vincing) way. The Doctor and com- reach its hand out to you, and find for instance, Ryan says ‘defo’. Not all become so very tribal. But the panion, though philosophically op- the light in the dark even when our only would it be rightly considered unique problem with Received Pro- posed, both fall short of changing main character won’t. He’s a figure offensive, it also goes against the nunciation is its built-in insistence history. We've seen this before mul- still deciding on his identity and he show’s inclusive premise and the that it should be the norm for public tiple times, but Lucarotti (and/or needs people like Steven to show current producer’s efforts to bring discourse, even though it has more Tosh) laces the narrative with ele- him other ways of thinking. At the that ethos back to the fore. than one version, is spoken by less ments of the fantastical, and I think end of the story, we realise that the than 2% of the population, and like that this hints at something rather universe is doing this too, influenc- The implication that one dialect is any dialect, changes over time. unprecedented in motion. Consider ing the journey to show the good in better than another is more than a the Abbot of Amboise (also played the connections, sacrifices and question of taste and comprehen- Consider the mixed reactions to- by William Hartnell) who appears to compromises that permeate life. If sion, it demeans the vast majority of wards the thirteenth Doctor pro- be the spitting image of the Doctor, that isn’t a charming symbol for Brits by judging them to be unre- nouncing ‘would’ve’ as ‘would of’. or the connection that Dodo has to Doctor Who, then I’m not sure Anne - a person who meant so what is. much to Steven. These supreme coincidences are married into what is, otherwise, the unalterable grim- ness of history. Furthermore, they come into play at the serial's most optimistic moments; the Abbot's appearance resolves the cliff- hanger that the Doctor may have died in the riots, and Dodo's intro- duction leads to a surprisingly cheerful ending in an otherwise downbeat tale. It makes for a play- ful presentation that's as ambitious as any previous serial – and one that is explicitly aware of the war between the light and dark in the wide, endless ether of Doctor Who. Our conclusion, should you choose to consider this reading (and feel free not to, because I'm likely being foolish, pretentious and, worst of all, nowhere near as funny I should be),

85 86 When the grammar police start to a veiled criticism of the powers that lar lore has it. But it also demon- of nuance in their characterisation, censor regional patterns of speech, be and the decision to change strates that he is so much more with just enough clues dropped in they are effectively questioning the Lane’s accent. In the exchange than the Doctor’s younger, fitter the first half of the story as to the worth of an entire culture. There’s over Dodo’s attire the Doctor asks if henchman. Neither Dodo (had the dramatic change to come. Giving far more at stake here than there is she has been raiding his wardrobe character’s accent not been cen- them the ability to understand and in proof-reading a document. which not only conjures up some sored), nor Steven would have felt use sign language is a particular amusing images, but makes a out of place as 21st century com- masterstroke, which if more fully de- Doctor Who in the 21st century is at mockery of the Doctor’s argument. panions. veloped could have added a far least on this front, a world apart greater depth to this alien culture. from The Ark. Not only does poor The Doctor’s relationship with Dodo There are plenty of themes in The Dodo have to suffer the Doctor’s also needs to be set in the wider Ark that have been revisited since The human Guardians, whilst using Mr Higgins act, with ‘OK’ and ‘fab’ context of him still missing Susan. the series returned in 2005. The the Monoids for menial tasks, are particularly getting on his goat, but As with Vicki, though arguably even End of the World similarly takes us deluded into thinking they are treat- behind the scenes a late decision more so, he sees Dodo as a substi- to the moments before the Earth is ing their servants with kindness and was taken to ditch the character’s tute Granddaughter, even noting destroyed. Whilst we do witness the decency. The Commander calls regional accent in favour of Re- the fact that their appearances are planet’s destruction through a moni- them ‘our friends’ early in the first ceived Pronunciation. As a result, similar. As a parental figure, he re- tor screen in The Ark, it is surpris- episode, and the humans show re- in this story Jackie Lane’s accent is lates to her as if she was still a ingly passed over without gravitas spect to the species. They are al- all over the place. For the most young child. or even a pause for a moment of lowed to grieve and are even given part it’s the Julie Andrews English reflection, a rare misstep in the sto- the right to punish the assumed per- that wins out, making the Doctor The Ark is very much a product of ry. Russell T Davies’ 2005 episode, petuators of the ‘crime’. Slavery is sound incredibly pernickety. It’s its age, a window into both the con- by contrast, makes the significance thus legitimised and sanitised (the not just Dodo’s speech that the flicting attitudes of the 1960s and and spectacle of that event the fo- latter as part of a general sensibility Doctor dismisses, her dress sense the changing approaches towards cus. The other key difference is that that even extends to tiny details also provokes a disapproving reac- televisual drama at the time. It’s still whereas Russell T Davies imagines such as the replacement of needles tion, with his observation that she essentially armchair theatre, albeit a scenario in which the human race with discs for administering inocula- is wearing inappropriate fancy interspersed with some filmic cam- is already all but extinct, in The Ark tions), and the humans can imagine dress. era angles, such as viewpoint from humanity has evacuated Earth in themselves as anything other than the top of the Monoid statue. And search of a new promised land. savage. Indeed, the script seems to It is details such as these that led yet The Ark is also thoroughly mod- be leading the audience into seeing to the deconstructed version of the ern in its sensibilities. The story, The Monoids, as an enslaved race the Monoids as savages and a po- first Doctor we see in Twice Upon structured in effect as two two- who turn the tables on their mas- tential threat. When the Doctor and a Time. David Bradley’s first Doctor parters joined together by a surpris- ters, find their contemporary equiv- Dodo hear the Monoid funeral pro- is of course a caricature of the ing twist in the tale, would have alent in the Ood. In both The Ark cession, Dodo says “it sounds like Hartnell original, but even so it is been quite at home in Steven and Planet of the Ood the revolu- savages.” as much a critique of 1960s BBC Moffat’s experimental series 9, tion takes place without the Doc- sensibilities than it is the Doctor which showcased a number of dif- tor’s active intervention. Whilst very We later find out that the humans himself. There is no reason to sug- ferent ways of using the two-part different in appearance, the two allowed the Monoids to develop the gest that in The Ark the Doctor is format. Steven’s impassioned species share that disturbing mix of technology that would enable them always being presented as the en- speech about the human race still the monstrous and the uncanny. to talk. Having given their slaves lightened one, and many younger being driven by a fear of the un- The bizarre and not entirely suc- permission to work on the voice box- viewers in 1966 would have known is a great example of the cessful design of the Monoids es, we can surmise that the humans laughed at his old fashioned at- character’s uncompromising stance should not fool us into thinking they thought they could be more useful to tempts to educate Dodo. Indeed, it and derring-do, and is a reminder are a bog standard bug-eyed mon- them with the gift of speech. No might even be an example of the that the early companions were far ster. Whilst the shift from slaves to doubt some on board would have series offering a counter message, from the shrinking violets that popu- masters is meant to hit the viewer seen the endeavour as of benefit to like a tonne of bricks, there is plenty the Monoids too. Nonetheless, trust 87 88 is by no means absolute. The com- having the Doctor and his compan- ent society. In the final episode, he in advance. They end up fighting mander’s immediate thoughts when ions executed. claims that the Monoid rebellion amongst themselves, violently disa- seeing the Tardis is that it might should have been of no surprise, greeing about whether Refusis II have something to do with the Mo- The Tardis returns to the ship 700 acknowledging for the first time that should be their new home. In all noids. It suggests a fear that these years later, leading to the incredible the humans were treating them as these ways they are being charac- creatures might have more intelli- reveal that the human statue has slaves. It is as if the Doctor has pre- terised as a more extreme version gence and agency than is as- been remodelled as a Monoid. Ste- dicted in advance how the story of the Guardians. The only real indi- sumed. ven puts it down to the agency of would play out and programmed the cation that they will be able to find the Tardis, but there are some love- Tardis to see for himself. redemption and end this madness The Doctor clearly sees that there ly hints that despite not admitting to comes in one particularly poignant is far more to the Monoids than it, the Doctor is responsible. Watch In all the debate over the cold epi- scene. After killing one of his own meets the eyes, and so when he closely Hartnell’s reactions to the demic, the Doctor and his compan- kind, a Monoid appears to be gets to use one as his ‘slave’ he suggestion that he cannot control ions never identify the Monoids as stunned by the full horror of his ac- treats him as a colleague and cred- his ship, there’s a knowing look if slaves. The onus is entirely on the tions. its him with independent thought. ever there was one. Was he return- viewer to make that connection, An unfortunate implication of the ing to double check that the cold and regardless of whether or not The invisible Refusians offer the first half of the story is that simply epidemic had been successfully they do, they become an essential words of wisdom that will hopefully because the humans come across stopped, or was he curious to see if part of this morality tale. When the lead to the humans and the Mo- for the most part as kindly slave the Monoids would eventually re- tables have been turned and Dodo noids sharing their newfound world owners, the practice is tacitly sup- bel? The Doctor has already cured sees the humans working for the as equals. They function as a ci- ported by the Doctor. The humans the cold virus, but he has taken no Monoids in the kitchens, her imme- pher for the invisible narrator with are worryingly absolved of all guilt. action or even a stance against the diate conclusion is “they are sort of their godlike pronouncements about They are even forgiven for nearly inequality at the heart of this transi- slaves, aren’t they?” The point of the moral heart of the story. the episode is that we learn to see slavery for what it is, even if the en- Drawing from a range of sources, slaved are not our own. It would be from biblical myths such as Noah’s a push to interpret this as a state- ark, the journey to the promised ment about racism, but it is certainly land, and the Tower of Babel, to HG one appropriate application of the Wells’ The Time Machine and Jo- message. seph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, for all its quirks and faults The Ark The Monoid overlords show no is an effective retelling of a mes- compassion with the humans, use sage that the human race will al- weapons to command obedience, ways need to hear. It might be a and openly mock their slaves as ‘dead weird’ example of a Hartnell ‘simple’. Their scheme is not to rule story, but it is also an ‘excellent over the humans, but to commit one’. It’s fab, defo! genocide, showing that the abused have turned into even more violent offenders. Furthermore, they have numbers instead of names, high- lighting the hierarchical and imper- sonal nature of their new rule. Some of the Monoids are terrified of the unknown, sending the Doctor and Dodo to investigate Refusis II

89 90 young Reinette Poisson in Moffat’s a small town, transforms a man The Girl in the Fireplace (2006) of- who tries to resist him into a jack-in fer us a prelude to this approach, -the-box. This murderous toy- whilst the happy-ever-after line making may be extended to include “everybody lives” (The Doctor the cadavres-turned-waxwork dum- Dances, 2005) in Moffat’s opening mies in the Vincent Price horror film There can’t be very many things as contribution is perhaps the true be- House of Wax (1953), and the em- disquieting as the concept of a liv- ginning of his fantasy factory. It is a balmed victims of Roald Dahl’s titu- ing, breathing creature being re- factory whose genesis is found in lar murderer in the Tales of the Un- duced to an artefact, particularly an The Celestial Toymaker. expected episode, The Landlady artefact intended solely for enter- (1979). A not dissimilar spate of tainment. This is the discomforting It’s also a story under Moffat’s murders is depicted in the 2011 notion at the core of one of the se- watch as showrunner which most Italian horror comic Dylan Dog sto- ries’ more unusual outings, the here is key, too. It shows the series reminds me of the disturbing toy- ry L’Imbalsamatore (‘The Embalm- 1966 four-parter The Celestial shifting gears after nearly three making premise at the heart of er’). From adult horror to child fan- Toymaker. years of historical dramas, inter- Hayles’ adventure. Mark Gatiss’ tasy, the Rupert Bear adventure spaced with science-fiction outings 2011 script Night Terrors tells of an Rupert and the Magic Toy Man, Before gazing too keenly on this and the occasional time-travel co- alien child, raised by human par- which appears as the first book in dark notion, let’s get our context in nundrum. The value of this gear ents, who inadvertently traps his the Rupert Little Bear Library, tells order. As a story, The Celestial change shouldn’t be overlooked. human neighbours – and later even of a villainous toy-making wizard, Toymaker has some nice touches. Despite the original series tending his adopted father and the Doctor – who has rendered a king, queen, The first out-and-out fantasy ad- to stay clear of the fantasy genre, in a bleak, shadowy dolls house in and their subjects, into wooden cut- venture for Doctor Who, Brian barring the odd exception (e.g. The his bedroom wardrobe. Worse still, out figures. This vile warlock comes Hayles’ script drums out some de- Mind Robber, 1968) and occasional in this dreadful place lurk the night- to an appropriate end, however, cently paced story beats as the interlude via the Matrix’s mind- marish peg dolls, wooden automata and his victims restored to normal, Doctor and his two companions scape (The Deadly Assassin, 1976; who hunt down those poor souls when he himself is reduced to a become ensured by a near omnipo- The Trial of a Time Lord Part Thir- who have become trapped, trans- simple jack-in-the-box toy, the box tent immortal, the enigmatic Celes- teen and Part Fourteen, 1986), it’s forming them into yet more wooden becoming his prison. tial Toymaker. To survive, the trio a vehicle for storytelling which has toys – peg dolls, no less. It is this must battle a sequence of fiendish- since been emphasised to great type of horror which brings us full When Hayles drew upon this con- ly deceptive games. Should they effect in the works of Steven circle with Hayles’ mysterious an- cept as the defining power of his lose they face a fate worse than Moffat. The fairy-tale quality of Amy tagonist. The Toymaker builds fan- immortal Toymaker, he was invert- death: eternal imprisonment as Pond’s first encounter with the Doc- tasy worlds and populates them ing the legends and stories of toys playthings in the eponymous vil- tor (The Eleventh Hour, 2010), for with toys, some – if not all – of – or statues, automata, etc. – be- lain’s dolls house. instance, and her childhood con- which derive from those living be- coming living beings. Ovid’s tale of ceptualising of that event as the ings who have become ensnared in Pygmalion, a sculptor who is hope- The struggle to overcome the “Raggedy Doctor” and his magic this immortal’s surreal reality. lessly enamoured of the statue he Toymaker, however, channels the box gives us the backdrop for has created, is one of the oldest trial-by-ordeal concept in a way that Moffat’s interpretation of the series Refashioning the living as play- recorded examples. Carlo Collodi’s avoids being simply derivative. for the best part of eight years. things is perhaps nearly as well- 1883 classic Pinocchio is perhaps There is a genuinely sinister feel to Blurring the line between science used a plot device as the trial-by- the best known. Towards the end the whole setup, hinting at the pos- fiction and science fantasy is his ordeal concept which structures the of the last century, the very same sibility that, for the first time, the modus operandi; a child’s eye view narrative. In the 1961 The Twilight deceit fired the hit comedy film Doctor is genuinely out of his depth of the Doctor and his travels be- Zone episode It’s a Good Life An- Mannequin (1987). Indeed, it’s a in matching up to this particular an- comes the default narrative setting. thony Fremont, a child with god-like well used and popular idea: clay tagonist. The fantasy backdrop The Doctor’s exchanges with the powers who terrorises the people of becoming flesh and blood, as in the

91 92 Jewish story of the golem. In some estimates his opponents and allows respects, it echoes the alchemist’s the Doctor to find a crucial fault in dream of transforming base metal his otherwise immaculate game- into gold, and is just as fanciful. Its playing logic. It’s the trial-by-ordeal Received opinion about the quality opposite, on the other hand, points narrative, too, which helps to keep of Doctor Who dates back at least to an all too possible and terrifying this deeply sinister toy-making de- as far as December 2nd 1963. On trajectory: flesh and blood becom- ceit in check. Somehow, even the that day, the Guardian published ing dead matter. The twist here lies bizarre sight of Cyril the schoolboy reviewer Mary Crozier's judgment in the idea of the living and the reduced to a scorched doll does that ‘the space and time serial has dead coinciding as dual aspects of not weigh too heavily on the tale. fallen off badly soon after getting the same physical frame. That is, a But gazing too keenly on this bleak under way’. Though the phenome- living being becoming an animated feature, however central to the non continues to the present day, it object – a living death, as it were. storyline, would have given us a reached its peak - or nadir, depend- very different sort of adventure, ing on your perspective - in the ear- The Celestial Toymaker succeeds closer to the style of Gatiss’ 2011 ly 1980s. As the growing number of because it keeps this truly awful script and presaging a more adult printed resources about the pro- consolation prize amid the uncer- idea as just that, an idea. There is style of fiction – which is exactly gramme’s history far outstripped tainty of the program’s lengthy hia- no sense of dwelling on the horror where Moffat’s fairytale showrun- access to the serials which consti- tus in the early-1990s. However, of it, however much it’s at the heart ning takes us. Instead, Hayles’ ap- tuted this history, the ability of most even as availability revealed The of the Toymaker’s purpose. Rather, proach ploughs a well-worn fictive fans to test the writers’ assumptions Tomb of the Cybermen's reality to the Doctor, Steven and Dodo furrow, which keeps to the child for themselves were highly limited. be less magnificent than its legend, struggle through a series of chal- fantasy side of things, and leaves the legend nevertheless persisted. lenges and finally outsmart the the night terrors for another time. These conditions coalesced into a mysterious conjuror, as he under- perfect storm of attitude substituting Based on the consistently low rank- for information, especially where ings it receives in Doctor Who Mag- episodes from the program’s earli- azine’s periodic polls, The Gun- est years were concerned. In many fighters seems similarly resistant to cases, the assessments in those widespread reappraisal. What re- initial episode guides took hold as mains ambiguous, though, is to the consensus opinion. These in what extent this reflects the story’s turn ossified to the point that the actual merits as opposed to the episodes themselves were often poor reputation bestowed upon it - insufficient evidence to challenge particularly by former Doctor Who the validity of the assessments one Monthly editor Jeremy Bentham. way or the other. Dismissing the acting as “not even bad vaudeville” and the direction as The stories that best embody the “more West Ham than West two sides of this coin are The Tomb Coast”, Bentham’s assessment in of the Cybermen and The Gunfight- the story guide he wrote for the ers. Of the many Doctor Who ad- 1983 book Doctor Who: A Celebra- ventures missing from the BBC’s tion comes across more like a ven- archives in the 1980s, very few in- detta than a review. spired the level of mystique which surrounded the former story. Its re- From An Unearthly Child to The covery and release on home-video King’s Demons, nothing else dis- proved to be an eagerly embraced cussed in this guide gets such a

93 94 scathing review from Bentham. humor is an inherently inappropri- the tongue-in-cheek aspects of their respective allies). For all the Even if one agrees with his overall ate approach for serious subjects. Cotton’s scripts. Whatever the rea- humorous scenes Anthony Jacobs opinion, the idea that inconsistent As anyone who’s watched Dr. soning, the spark it gave Hartnell gets as Doc Holliday, there’s no acting and direction is unique to - or Strangelove or How I Learned to was more than enough to make the way around him finishing the story uniquely poor in - The Gunfighters Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb move worthwhile. The combination as a killer. Anything else would is debatable at best. It also ignores can attest, that’s simply not the of the star's health issues and his have felt like a cheat. both the quality performances of case. Such a view is even more frustration with the program’s de- William Hartnell and the other questionable when looking at the velopment had contributed to some To its credit the actual gunfight is leads, and director Rex Tucker's bigger picture of Doctor Who. Some inconsistent performances, but he quite well directed, but its inevitabil- sharp visual touches throughout the of the more humorous stories are seems to relish the old West set- ity doesn’t change how incongruous serial. Likewise any notion that a among those where the danger to ting (perhaps explaining why he the sequence feels in relation to the western was somehow ill-suited to the Doctor and his friends is most later claimed to have suggested it) often playful romp that came be- a program that revels in warping direct. This includes their 1881 visit even if he didn’t particularly get fore. In short, like many stories from traditional genres into its own im- to Tombstone, Arizona. along with the director. Doctor Who’s 55 years, it’s some- age seems equally dubious. what undercut by the ending. For A more plausible (if not necessarily Very few aspects of a western con- The only true flaw of The Gunfight- decades, the legend of The Gun- more sensible) rationale for Ben- vey a greater threat than a gunfight. ers was an unavoidable one. By fighters has rested on the belief that tham’s animus is suggested by his At the same time, the string of cir- setting the story where and when it was somehow an aberration with- comparison of The Gunfighters’ cumstances that leads to the Doc- he did, Cotton had to follow in Doctor Who’s history. The truth is script to the work of Carry On writer tor, Steven and Dodo getting through with the shootout between that even its weaknesses are very Talbot Rothwell as well as his com- caught up in the Gunfight at the OK the Clantons and the Earps (and much in keeping with tradition. ments about other light-hearted sto- Corral is quite comical. From the ries. Regardless of era, whenever Doctor’s single-minded search for a confronted by a story with humor- dentist to Steven and Dodo’s wide- ous elements, he comes across as eyed enthusiasm for the old West, hard-pressed to say something nice none of the travelers seem quite about it. His issue seems to be less prepared for the reality of their sur- about the quality of Doctor Who as roundings. That tension between a television production than a view expectations and an actual environ- of what the program should or ment that feels as strange as any shouldn’t be. alien planet they’ve encountered gives the serial much of its verve. To be fair, Bentham was far from alone in his view of comedy in Doc- Tensions behind the scenes played tor Who. Nor is it hard to see why their part as well. New producer so many fans shared it. The early- Innes Lloyd and script editor Gerry 80s was the point where Doctor Davis felt Donald Cotton’s storyline, Who definitively transitioned from a which had been commissioned by popular long-running program to the previous production team, didn’t one with a history. It’s not surprising fit their take on Doctor Who. Ironi- that long-term fans who were aware cally, though Lloyd and Davis want- of Its roots as a show aimed at ed a more serious approach to the younger audiences would want that program in general, they ultimately history to be taken seriously. decided - in concert with director Rex Tucker - that The Gunfighters The flaw here is a presumption that would work better if it emphasized

95 96 life to enhance their own talents, tones and commentary woven Wylda, whom the Doctor is trying abilities and knowledge. This throughout the piece about not only to help, a lazy animal. Remarking seems quite fine and dandy until a racism, but also the idea of racial that they’re “only Savages” and curious and noisy Dodo stumbles purity. Yes, an episode of Doctor that they “haven’t developed like In and around the 1970s, the BBC across how exactly they make that Who that aired in 1966 tackled the we have”, he wonders why should made the decision to destroy much possible. The Doctor’s suspicions ideas of racism, racial purity and the the Doctor care about them? It of its archive of television pro- about the Elders are confirmed idea that “others” are not like “us,” gets even more explicit in the la- grammes. The age of proper film when he confronts the leader Jano are less than “us” and we should boratory that contains the transfer- and storing everything in canisters about what they’re truly doing: us- treat “them” as less because they’re ence machines that are called the within temperature regulated spac- ing the Savage’s life forces as es- different from “us”. source of the Elder’s supremacy. es, it made fiscal sense to them. sentially batteries to recharge them- “They are not our fellows,” the Any Classic enthusiast will mourn selves. The team then undergoes a This is still a story being told by guard and antagonist Edal ex- this decision; many a person’s pro- series of harrowing events, of es- white actors and characters though. claims, “They’re not! All history duction work went up in smoke, re- caping, transference, simple acts of It was 1966 and the number of peo- proves that they aren’t like us!” membered only by the fading mem- kindness, and narrowly escaping a ple of colour on British television These statements are eerily similar ories of those who were fortunate fate worse than death. All is well at screens was minimal at best. Even if if not identical to things that white enough to watch first hand decades the end, of course, as the Doctor characters of difference races were supremacists spew constantly as if ago and those involved. Doctor leaves with the once hunted and shown they were often white actors it justifies their hateful rhetoric. Who suffered what is today a ninety hunting people coming together as in make-up. In fact, the characters -seven episode loss, and while epi- one. Fear and hatred of the past in The Savages were almost put Even the idea of transference and sodes are occasionally found all only dies slowly. into black face at one point. Doctor its affects can be connected to over the globe, these discoveries Who itself had episodes to go be- these themes. The idea of suffering are few and very far between. This story also marks a companion fore any black actors were given through a forceful oppression and farewell, namely the last appear- speaking parts (The Smugglers and being taken away to have your Luckily, Loose-Cannon Productions ance of long standing companion the Tenth Planet specifically). So strength and talents sucked away managed to stitch together stills/ Steven Taylor played by future Blue while perhaps the episode is hin- to be given to another sounds an photographs and the intact audio Peter presenter Peter Purves. The dered by the lack of diversity, to awfully like what many people had tracks of missing episodes to try actual goodbye scene, no more even have a story like this is an to endure during times of coloniza- and give back what was lost to us. than forty seconds, still exists on achievement often overlooked. tion, slavery and segregation. It’s This work included The Savages. very grainy low quality home cine an astoundingly clear parallel. The footage. But there is so much more The reflections of racial suprema- Savages have their lives and cul- Written by Ian Stuart Black, the here than just the parting between cist’s mindsets, excuses, and ideals ture taken from them. The dark Savages follows on the heels of The companion and Doctor. in the Elder’s arguments are blatant. caves hide beautiful paintings and Gunfighters. In fact it reads as a It gets even hard to dismiss these architecture that they no longer re- very familiar tale: the Doctor wan- The Savages is an ode to Ian Stuart blatant similarities when the man member how to create. The Savag- ders off to prove he was right with Black’s scientific creativity. He also who commissioned the stories, for- es warn that when Dodo and Ste- his instruments, only for he and his wrote The Macra Terror and The mer Producer John Wiles, lived in ven see the Doctor again, he won’t companions, Dodo and Steven, to War Machines, so sci-fi contrap- apartheid South Africa for its first be as they remember. He will be a be accosted by the planets resi- tions do seem to be his wheel horrible year before moving to the shell, like the rest of them. No one dents—the advanced ‘rulers’ known house, specifically on this occasion, UK. This may well have played a is ever the same after something only to us as the Elders, and the the transference machine—a way part in the story’s creation, especial- like that. Savages. The Elders show off their to suck the life and vitality from one ly in the way the characters talk. civilization to the ‘Travellers from person and put it into another. Jano happily talks about their meth- There are a lot of beautiful mo- Beyond Time,’ giving them gifts and These fascinating technological ide- ods of advancement as bringing ments to highlight in this serial. imparting their knowledge on how as, while important to the plot, are about “the perfections of our race.” There is a scene where as the all they had accomplished was pos- merely tools of the story. The true A guard calls the injured savage Doctor yells at Jano, he counters sible—by using the very essence of core of the plot lies with the under- 97 98 that it’s most unscientific of the ning, perhaps he simply stumbled (The article alluding to the First Doctor Doctor to find what they’re doing to into things that he went on to cor- as “Jekyll and Hyde” was on the BBC the Savages as wrong. rect because they affected him. But News website, published in 2017 after “They are hardly people,” Jano over time, he became more than You are being lied to. I'm sorry to be the announcement of Jodie Whittaker. says. “They are not like us.” just a grumpy old selfish man. The the one who has to tell you this but it's Even Aunty Beeb transgresses her The Doctor scoffs at that. “I fail to things he faced, the people he met, true. What if the online algorithms are Time Lord from time to time). see the difference!” the companions he loved shaped projecting disinformation across social When Jano tries to make the Doctor and molded him into our beloved media platforms? Could the latest iPh- According to Doctor Who: The Sixties see his reason; that all progress is Doctor. one be wielding a mild form of hypno- (published in 1992), William Hartnell based in exploitation, and the sacri- sis to manipulate your thoughts? Or once described the Doctor as “a cross fice of a few Savages is valid for the The Savages brings the Doctor full perhaps a flurry of fake news is re- between the Wizard of Oz and Father for the pursuit of achievement. The circle from An Unearthly Child. He sponsible for distorting facts through- Christmas.” A far cry from Jekyll and out the very foundation of the world- Hyde, don't you think? And unlike Doctor of course disagrees. “The is a changed man, so changed that wide computer network itself? Whatev- Robert Louis Stevenson's novel, there Sacrifice of one soul is far too his very vitality affects another. He er the reason, the truth is out there. is no secret potion of good and evil great!” is no longer a man fighting for con- The truth is this: the First Doctor is a with Doctor Number One. Just a curi- venience sake, but one fighting, as hero. But WOTAN doesn't want you to ous case of character development. In fact, it is these sentiments and he says, against all menaces to know that. Apart from a justified stormy attitude beliefs woven into the Doctor that common humanity. The man who towards two human stowaways actually cause the Elder’s leader, in the beginning was willing to let an Since you've been reading through this aboard his ship, and the apparent Jano, to finally change his mind. injured caveman die is standing up First Doctor Celestial Toyroom Annual, streak of ruthlessness towards an in- Not through persuasion, but to a guard for kicking the injured you'll most probably agree with me. jured caveman, William Hartnell fos- through the transference of the Wylda. He is standing up to the William Hartnell's portrayal of the first tered the Doctor to be a gambolling Doctor’s vitality into him. Some- whole ‘great’ civilization of elders incarnation of the Time Lord we've wanderer of time and space. An old times you can’t get people to see for exploiting and hurting another. come to know as the Doctor is terribly soul with a twinkle in his eye. A child- reason through words, but rather misrepresented. How many times have like naivety. A thirst for adventure ac- through sharing one’s emotions and The Savages, perhaps, will not be you noticed it? During a behind-the- companied by companions, assis- kindness. The transference ma- the most popular episode. It won’t scenes documentary, in articles and tants, and friends. Sound familiar? That's because it was William Hartnell chine brings this out of the meta- character biographies, in books and be as sought after by Who fans as magazines? Depicted as frail, forgetful who planted the foundations of the phorical level and into the reality of the beautiful Marco Polo or the and fractious, the First Doctor is often Doctor's character which in turn al- the show. Only when the Doctor’s monumental third episode of The regarded as the antithesis of the same lowed proceeding actors to pick up mind and heart is given to Jano, in Web of Fear. Yet there is so much character we've all come to love and where he left off. And don't even get the most literal sense, does he un- within this episode that is not only a cherish today. But does this distinctive me started on the unsavoury – and derstand. That’s what is so lovely testament to the core of what made form of the crotchety old Time Lord clearly unfunny - sexist attitudes of about the original Doctor. The fact Doctor Who great, but to how the really exist? the First Doctor in Twice Upon A that he knew that his blustering show itself was radical for 1960s Time. They came in 2017. It was a words weren’t going to do any good television (and even for today). I once read an online article in which different time back then. so he let his heart, his essence, do the author referred to the First Doctor the persuading for him. as a “Jekyll and Hyde character”. In recent incarnations, the Doctor has Granted, the Doctor has a dark side, been interpreted as a lonely god-like The First Doctor, unlike his new we all know that. However, it must be figure. Abandoned and isolated from counterparts, didn’t set the mantel stressed that every incarnation of the the warmth of humanity, his alien in- of hero upon his shoulders. He did Doctor has displayed an unpredictable stincts kick in and he reverts into the level of dual nature during moments in Doctor of War deity, destroying a race not strive to right wrongs with a little his or her lives (onscreen, audio, nov- of murderous pepperpots and his own help from his friends. He was a man els, comics – canon is relative). But to people simultaneously, or simply try- running from something on a barely harken William Hartnell's original as ing to club one of our ancestors over functional time machine that took Marmite material? Not on my watch. the head with a pebble. The modern him into the unknown. In the begin- 99 100 iteration of the show has played the through three seasons of character scapes and extra-terrestrial museums From the computer labs of the Post “This is why you should never travel development - from the unrelenting, on far-off worlds, yet there is some- Office Tower to the Inferno, has Doc- alone” card, and you can see why grumpy grandfather we see in the first thing irksome about the recently com- tor Who fallen into a dangerous paral- right from the very beginning in 1963. part of An Unearthly Child and into the pleted Post Office Tower. “It's interest- lel world? There are people here that The Doctor needs people – kind, for- righter-of-wrongs from Gallifrey - Wil- ing,” he says. We take his word for it. are... dancing... to music? Polly as- giving, brave, upstanding people – to liam Hartnell's Doctor exploded into “There's something alien about that sures Dodo (and us) they are in the act as his moral compass. That's why the Time Lord we all recognise and tower.” Already his investigative prow- hottest nightclub in town. Whilst the I'm pointing out that William Hartnell's trust with our single mortal hearts. It's ess and drive for early intervention are Doctor is left to save the world from a portrayal of the Doctor as a tiring and this development of the Doctor – our burning behind the apathic veil and machine invasion, the ladies are on a disassociated grandfather figure is Doctor – that is abundantly visible in William Hartnell depicts his Doctor's mission themselves: to rescue a sailor unfairly received. Even by some of the The War Machines. Forget the cosmic curiousness to great aplomb. There is from doom and gloom. Cue Ben Jack- actors that have embraced the role of hobo, William Hartnell did it first. He also something rather ethereal and son, who doesn't quite fall for Polly's the Doctor themselves. was the original, you might say. satisfying about the way the Doctor fluttering of the eye lashes. However, We begin with a wide establishing meanders through the modern streets somebody else in the club does and Does the notion of Patrick Troughton shot of contemporary London's of London in his Edwardian garb. His this chump doesn't take no for an an- being “the Doctor's Doctor” sound fa- emerging skyline. Then, we zoom in man-out-of-his-time aesthetic genu- swer. Foretelling the #MeToo move- miliar? His gleefully impish incarnation on a quiet street below where a rick- inely comes across as other-worldly ment fifty years before it became a is the go-to Doctor for future actors ety old police box groans and wheez- and enthralling, without ever having to mainstream movement, Polly is in a about to take on the role of the fa- es into existence. Out steps the Doc- utter a single line. spot of trouble until Ben plants the sex mous Time Lord. Matt Smith and Pe- tor and Dodo, fresh from their run in pest on his backside. Evil doesn't al- ter Davison have both credited with the Elders and the Savages. The “I dabble,” the Doctor chuckles. “Yes, I ways have to be on a global scale, it Troughton for being the one to make show is back on earth with a bold new dabble.” If you read the script prior to can manifest in the most common sit- the part his own – far removed from direction - the producers reimagining viewing the story, you could be forgiv- uations. the stern Chesterfields, Chattertons this iteration to be relatable, fashiona- en for assuming The War Machines and the jolly-good-smacked-bottoms - ble, and modern. This is Doctor Who was written for any of the actors that Through the use of hypnosis, and thus ensuring the survival of the in 1966. But the Doctor is far from have played the Time Lord. It is at the WOTAN's workforce tirelessly create show for generations to come. But did content. His Time Lord senses are extra terrestrial-inspired Post Office the War Machines in a Frankensteini- he really, hmm? Maturing his Doctor tingling. He's visited futuristic city- Tower where we see just how much an manner – mad scientist, flashing fun William Hartnell is having with the lights et al. Fresh out of a 1960s ver- material at his disposal. The Doctor is sion of Robot Wars, one of the Sir thoughtfully skittish and intuitively con- Killalots is unleashed onto the streets cerned. We are also first introduced to on London, slaughtering innocent by- sixties girl Polly, assistant to Professor standers and knocking down their Brett and the creator of Will Operating bins. The army retreats, but the Doc- Thought Analogue. WOTAN, for short, tor stands his ground. The camera the cause of the Doctor's troubled pans towards our hero, hands firmly mind. A machine infused with artificial clutching his lapels, chin leaning defi- intelligence linking computers all over antly in the air. It is in that moment our the world in a sort of world wide net- hero is born. The defender of the hu- work. WOTAN calculates mathemati- man race. The unarmed man. The cal sums with simplistic accuracy and Doctor is required. Using his enemies even correctly answers the meaning strength against them, the Doctor re- behind the TARDIS acronym. The programmes the War Machine to turn Time Lord's instinctual trepidation on their master and destroy WOTAN. shrills silently, one piece of WOTAN's And with a job well done, the Doctor printed paper at a time. The script is swans off without saying “goodbye” or bold and innovative, foreshadowing a receiving a “thank you.” Only this time, precursor to the internet in the form of there are two more stowaways on a malevolent machine. The origin of board... Twitter, perhaps?

101 102 covering the show in the early knew that you were in safe hands documentary on ‘The Ice Warriors’ 1990’s through sparse Sunday re- with an experienced and skilful au- VHS release of 1998. Excerpts from peats, the video collection was a thor. After visiting several ‘The Smugglers’ were included in logical method to follow the series bookstores, I eventually managed the feature presented by Deborah The existential experience of a Doc- and experience that rollercoaster of to track down a copy. These noveli- Watling and Frazer Hines. These tor Who fan is one of soaring highs science fiction storytelling. Eventu- sations had, for the previous few Australian censor clips had been and devastating lows. That excite- ally the collection would be com- decades, allowed Doctor Who fans unearthed a couple of years before ment of discovering ‘Genesis of the plete. Yet there remained gaps in to relive the greatest adventures of and were exorcised from the pro- Daleks’ for the first time. The tedium the Doctor Who experience. The Doctor that they remembered gramme which in Australia had an of enduring ‘The Twin Dilemma’ be- watching on television. For a new early afternoon broadcast slot dur- cause of an obligation to comple- ‘The Smugglers’ is a story that was generation, they had become the ing the Sixties. They give the im- tionism. But then comes a horror far never going to be released onto key method for discovering some pression of a particularly violent ad- worse than Sutekh the Destroyer or video tape as, after all, there were, escapades for the first time. venture. the dialogue of ‘Timelash’. Discov- and still remain, no tapes of it what- ering that there are not just epi- soever. So how could a Doctor Who Later in the mid-1990’s a non-BBC Although they equate to less than sodes of the show that you cannot fan growing up in the 1990’s experi- video release found its way into my two minutes worth of material, they watch but entire stories. ence this penultimate story in Wil- VCR. BBV Productions’ release suddenly became the representa- liam Hartnell’s tenure as The Doc- ‘The Doctors: 30 Years of Time tion for all four episodes. Cherub Although Doctor Who on television tor? Travel and Beyond’ featured behind throwing a knife squarely between was ending with the 1980’s, the the scenes location footage from Joe Longfoot’s shoulder blades. market for stories on home video The first port of call for any Doctor several Doctor Who stories. Home The brutal murder of Jamaica by was growing and would continue Who fan in this situation is of movie footage, filmed whilst watch- Capt. Pike before callously wiping into the next decade even though course the Target novelisation. First ing the production on location in the blood off the blade. Kewper be- there were no new episodes broad- published in 1988, the name on the Cornwall, provided a brief glimpse ing stabbed whilst a gunshot rings cast on the BBC. As someone dis- cover read Terrance Dicks, so you of ‘The Smugglers’. Although not out, The Doctor looking on and Pol- matching the visuals of the story, ly screaming as Episode 3 con- for a start the film recordings were cludes. Capt. Pike withdrawing his made in colour, they do offer a sword from Cherub before taunting sense of the story. The filming of him. All these fragments suggest a the recording of Cherub peering out tale of graphic violence, but they of a bush for instance provides a are isolated instances within the hint of what it would’ve looked like context of four episodes. Maybe if on screen in 1966. There was also those scenes were more indicative the recording of The Doctor being of the overall tone of the story, then placed into the cart from Episode 1. it may be a more highly regarded To the most observant this se- tale. quence features not Hartnell him- self but his double Gordon Craig. Doctor Who Magazine would regu- Perhaps in some way this glimpse larly publish Telesnaps of lost epi- behind the scenes of Doctor Who sodes during the 1990’s and frus- on location in Cornwall would trig- tratingly I missed out on the issue ger a personal desire to experience where ‘The Smugglers’ was fea- television production myself? tured. (Number 217 if anyone wants The first time I encountered actual to look it up). However, as the inter- broadcast footage from the story net began to grow and develop, the was thanks to ‘The Missing Years’ Doctor Who website, itself in it’s

103 104 infancy, used these telesnaps to BBC to present a purchasable ver- ventures they’ve unwittingly stum- create Photonovels. ‘The Smug- sion of missing stories. In 2002 ‘The bled upon. Although a story of pi- glers’ was one such title to be con- Smugglers’ became the twelfth re- rates and treasure hunting, this is verted into a Photonovel allowing lease of the series. Anneke Wills not a children’s cartoon. There are visitors to the site to follow the story provided the linking material, paint- unscrupulous individuals, skuldug- through still images of the scenes ing the pictures for your imagination gery, treachery and deception that were broadcast. Additional vis- to fill in the gaps. This process was aplenty. As the censor clips attest, ual details were therefore added to made a lot easier following the Aus- there is also significant violence but the puzzle, such as the barbaric tralian censor clips and telesnaps. also drunk seafarers and manipula- weapon which replaced Capt. Those visuals allowed the listener tion through witchcraft and fortune Pike’s hand, crucial to the cliff- to picture the original actors in char- telling. ‘The Smugglers’ is the pe- hanger for Episode 1. The tele- acter. Now paired with the audio nultimate historical tale of Doctor snaps also reveal further shots of soundtrack, the pieces of the puzzle The sound of seagulls and lapping Who in the 1960’s. There are no knives imbedded in victims, such as were starting to take shape. water on the beach also teased the science fiction elements and it at the opening of Episode 4. This extensive location filming that ‘The doesn’t attempt to educate the au- violent imagery would surely be un- Amusingly the broadcast audio re- Smugglers’ benefited from. This dience about a specific historical suitable for a family audience these vealed Longfoot misspeaking the soundtrack would ultimately prove event. Instead, it is simply an en- days and it is odd to consider a time message that would prove critical to be the most complete telling of gaging, ripping yarn of pirates, when this would be acceptable for later in the story; “Smallwood, Ring- the story, just sadly without the vis- smuggling and time travellers. an early evening timeslot. wood and Gurney.” Although Wil- uals. liam Hartnell has often been ma- Perhaps one day ‘The Smugglers’ As the world entered a new Millen- ligned for script deviations and dia- With a new form of home media will receive a DVD release with the nium the BBC began to release epi- logue slips, he maintains accuracy cementing a place in Doctor Who soundtrack overlaid upon anima- sode soundtracks. During the origi- with the script on this occasion. merchandise, the Lost in Time DVD tion? I for one certainly hope so, nal broadcasts devoted fans like “Ringwood, Smallbeer and Gurney,” box set released in 2004, brought ‘The Smugglers’ deserves it. Graham Strong recorded the sound was crucial to the discovery of together all the snippets of visual so they could listen to it at their own Avery’s gold. Once again, more ma- material that had been seen over convenience. Decades later, these terial uncovered further details of the years. These clips, coupled with recordings were then used by the this increasingly fascinating story. the remastered soundtrack, form the key method for experiencing ‘The Smugglers’. With the video recorder now non-functional, revisit- ing the story’s visual signature was possible through DVD and in one place instead of across two video tapes. Add in the Target novelisa- tion and audio soundtrack, ‘The Smugglers’ could still be enjoyed in a respectable form.

So, after pursuing a treasure trail over many years, was ‘The Smug- glers’ worth discovering? Unques- tionably. This is William Hartnell’s penultimate story. Ben and Polly learn exactly what dangerous ad-

105 106 one had ever known had a funny success of the Daleks, but Mecha- able to reason with it. turn, lay on the studio floor, and noids, Chumblies, War Machines morphed into some other bloke. and Hi-Fi the Panda just weren't Audiences, just a week ago, had This new guy didn't wear a wig. The opening the licensing doors. Kit been astonished to see something At the time of writing, the new 13th Doctor has ALWAYS worn a wig! Pedler's Cybermen were the un- else in Doctor Who they'd not seen Doctor has yet to be seen in action The new guy didn't have white hair. likely success story. Held together before. A black actor. This week, on TV. Instead she's been in a The Doctor ALWAYS has white with masking tape and looking like there was another! Oh, the series is teaser trailer, a catwalk fashion hair. He didn't wear the Doctor's they'd been made by a Blue Peter just playing the diversity card now. show, a further teaser spot, a TV ring. WHAT?! The Doctor ALWAYS presenter, they staggered into the What next? An Indian?! Good god, series where she plays someone wears a ring. The Doctor without his base, squawking like a sarcastic Doctor Who. Innes Lloyd and his categorically and critically NOT a ring is like Sherlock Holmes without answerphone and somehow, they racial agenda at work already. Just Doctor, a trailer with one line of dia- his deerstalker. That's it – I'M OUT. worked. It wasn't until the redesign casting people because they're logue and an awful lot of gloomy, The new Doctor didn't even have on their return that they became black rather than choosing the best bored looking publicity shots. arteriosclerosis. WHAT?! The Doc- properly iconic, but Pedler had man for the job. That's it, I'M OUT. tor ALWAYS had arteriosclerosis! tapped into something that worked. Doctor Who has ALWAYS been A vocal minority hate her. We're not That's it... I'm burning my Doctor Of course, what really made them whiter than white. talking 'Not my favourite Doctor' Who annual and Dalek Ray Gun. appeal over the Mechanoids, here, we're talking full-on loathing. Chumblies and War Machines was Of course, one could be playful and They are disgusted by her. Offend- But of course, all this happens in that just like the Daleks, there was observe that this casting occurs ed that a woman would play the the closing seconds of The Tenth something living inside them. once William Hartnell's been given Doctor. It's making them sick with Planet. What precedes it is a fairly Something recognisable that the his marching orders. But it's clearly rage. They're declaring themselves gripping, futuristic base-under-siege audience could connect with. This just a massive coincidence. out of fandom for life. They won't story that would form the template same reasoning is what made even give her a chance. for pretty much every other story in Stormtroopers cool in Star Wars Season four is a curious beast. The the next three years. and Battle Droids pointless. It's viewing figures and audience ap- Over a decade before I was born, hard to fear a machine, but a per- preciation make for interesting The Tenth Planet Episode 4 was Doctor Who had been struggling to son IN a machine... well there's reading. The Smugglers, a histori- broadcast and the only Doctor any- catch lightning in a bottle since the that smallest chance you might be cal story, had opened the season to

107 108 has a fantastic opening two epi- know it - The 3 Doctors. (You’ll now sodes, but were it not for the re- have to forgive the use of digits and generation, may not be so fondly not written words when I refer to remembered as a whole. He's not numbers from now on..) holding back either, his Doctor is The obvious connection to numbers still bold and forthright and showing Numbers have always been ex- off a precognitive ability (knowing begins in the title itself - 3. You are tremely important to Doctor Who promised a sighting of all 3 Doctors what will happen with Mondas) not and it’s fan base. For some, even displayed again until his Seventh working together to stop a deadly the number of episodes is a bone of force and the programme duly deliv- self. It hints at the First Doctor be- contention, I mean, do we count ing much more travelled than he ers. The production code is made Shada these days or not? For oth- up of 3 Rs, it is the third story for lets on. It does also beg the ques- ers - do we place our novels in or- tion if he knew about Mondas' arri- Bob Baker and Dave Martin, the der of transmission or the book third to be recorded that season… val, how does he know so little number? about Cybermen? Could you imagine the excitement This story features a whole set of The chemistry of the three regulars for the audience at the time? This a staggeringly low 4.3m viewers, very interesting numbers and de- concept is landmark television and is still lacking, despite their relative- pending on what mood you are in but The Tenth Planet, while open- ly long service on the show. While something really only Doctor Who ing with 5.5m viewers, achieves will depend on which number be- could do - today of course when a Anneke Wills and Michael Craze comes your favourite. 7.5m viewers by the final episode, have a good thing going on, it's multi-Doctor story happens it gets almost double The Smugglers. Poor prime time teaser ads, a full scale clear that Hartnell by now has tired We are of course talking about Sto- Hartnell, the viewing figures and of bonding with the new cast. They CGI advert, billboards, countless audience appreciation just continue ry Number 65 or Novel number 64 magazine articles and front covers, work against each other, but not in the originally titled “Deathworld” to increase in his absence. One has a productive way as with the Doc- action figures, posters.. I think you then “The Black Hole” or as we now get the picture and The Three Doc- to look at this not as a failure on tor and Ian and Barbara, but more Hartnell's part, but a huge success confrontational. This lack of affec- on Troughton's. He took something tion makes the opening moments that was working and improved on of the next story all the stranger. it. One wonders if William Hartnell But then, Polly loves everyone. ever saw it that way. It must have She's such a hippy. been hard on him. The Tenth Planet is a better story Hit by illness during his final story, to go out on than The Celestial he's absent for the penultimate epi- Toymaker, which John Wiles toyed sode. It's fair to assume that this with in one of his 'Jesus wept, illness was likely emotional as well someone rid me of this menace!' as physical, ironic given the subject moments. It allows Hartnell's Doc- matter of the story. Feelings? Pah! tor a proper, in-vision swansong. It Who needs them. Maybe emotions does something that will become are a weakness after all, Doctor? the backbone of the show's suc- cess for decades to come and in- Unfortunately, Hartnell's absence troduces a new nemesis, also still from Episode 3 contributes to the going strong today. Can't say that slowdown of the whole story which about many stories.

109 110 tors - well, the honour of the front later) but nevertheless he is still roundels add a higher production familiarity when you see him on that cover of the Radio Times with Jon very much part of the action. value and really give us the feeling screen - all the mannerisms, unique Pertwee slap bang in the centre. that we are inside the TARDIS. It’s to his wonderful Doctor, are For one week only of course. Of It’s the 1st time we meet Omega - a a cracking good design that hangs glimpsed like a memory echoing note though was the changing face character who was described as a on for the next few years. Although, back into the past. What I love is that of the Doctor on the inside sleeves stellar engineer played wonderfully I always wondered too why there during his tenure the 1st Doctor nev- so at least that was something. by the very shouty Stephen Thorne. wasn’t much else in the TARDIS er mentions anything about regener- In many respects, Omega is a tragic console room - some chairs, a ation (or obvious behind the scenes 10 is another obvious number, it’s character whose accidental aban- clock, a nice painting on the walls reasons) and yet here he chuckles the 10th Anniversary and therefore donment is heart-breaking. You maybe even some books not even that’s he’s turned into a dandy and a 10th season of the show - very few can’t help but feel sorry for this be- some IKEA shelving with some trin- clown - if you think about it, it’s a ro- shows were celebrating 10 years on ing who was once a highly respect- kets. Oh well. mantic notion that Hartnell and the screen at this point in the BBCs his- ed member of Gallifreyan society. character have come to terms with tory and Episode 2 got 10.8 million This is the 1st time we see both 1st the fact that change in Who just hap- viewers - well there wasn’t a lot of Despite all the shouting, the scene and 2nd Doctor in BBC Colour! pens. choice and here you get 3 Doctors in which he lifts his helmet to reveal Whilst Patrick Troughton is on top for the price of one. nothing underneath is nothing short form as the Doctor and the relation- Then in Part 3 we are teased - the of disturbing. I couldn’t help feeling ship between him and Pertwee’s Time Lords say they are going to How’s about the number 4? It’s of the 2nd and 3rd Doctor needed to version is very amusing and push his Doctor through to the course a 4 part adventure, but it’s exercise a little more compassion strained all at the same time - both events, I’m sure viewers were left also only the fourth occasion in for him, they seemed a little hell seem to cower before their younger thinking - “great - not on a screen which we meet the Time Lords. 2 bent on his destruction from the mo- original self. anymore” only to be disappointed could be significant - 2 writers, 2nd ment they are captured by the blob- the following week. I have to men- Doctor, 2” Video tape, 2nd appear- by guards. I always thought it strange that tion the irritating thing about the ance in Doctor Who for both our Hartnell’s Doctor seemed to know Doctor on a screen is not just the Time Lords - Roy Purcell and Clyde Incidentally, in 2007 when I inter- more (or at least appeared ‘wiser’) narrative limitations but also the fact Pollitt and of course 2 DVD releases viewed Jim Acheson (Costume De- about what was happening than that you can clearly see the edge of oh and 2 VHS releases too… 6? 6 signer) he discussed how he had either of his two future, older, more the TARDIS set and the camera’s versions of the book? 15th Jon one of the Gell guards in the back of experienced, incarnations. zooming around the studio, slightly Pertwee story? a London taxi and when they both kills the effect - but then again that got out the BBC were lumbered with Of course this is the last time we happens even in the new series I’m sure if you really started to poke a big bill for the amount of reddish see William Hartnell in action, we into it then more numbers would glue that had burst all over the cab - obviously can’t say “The 1st Doctor” raise their heads; a challenge for come to think of it now, it’s the 1st here because of the 5 Doctors and you - how many number can you and only time we meet those blobby Twice Upon A Time not to mention associate with this story? I digress - creatures that seem to be able to all the other products that fans say but I’d like you to consider this num- live in our world as well as the world is canon. ber - how’s about the number 1? of anti-matter. As an audience, we so wanted to Obviously, this is the 1st time in the It’s also the 1st time we see Roger see Hartnell in action and it would show’s history we get to see all 3 Liminton’s version of the TARDIS be fantastic to have seen this ad- Doctors together - well sort of, our interior which admittedly is better venture with all three Doctor’s original hero is trapped in Ealing’s than the previous version last seen “active” but alas we are confined to Film Studios in a time eddy (I won- in The Time Monster. Somehow the a simple view screen. Nonetheless, der was this the same one the 4th green centre column and the slightly Hartnell gives a strong performance Doctor and Romana got stuck in blueish tinge to the much missed and there’s that lovely feeling of

111 112 (watch the very last shot in The the Doctor was battling a Hand of his era; dubious of women and for- Doctor’s Daughter and note the Fear, but I feel assured that the eigners, holding proper theatre act- HUGE TV Studio light to the left of near consistent 10million people ing in higher regard over television the TARDIS console - whoops) who tuned in to watch this anniver- roles. Fantasy or science fiction sary special were filled full of nos- shows are considered variety acts. When I think about this story, I still talgia, laughed a little and by the “I need more time.” He is grumpy, frustrated with his can’t help reflecting on those final climax to Episode 4, must have lack of acting work due to his age, words from Hartnell - the very last been expressing mixed feelings An Adventure in Space and Time and has little time for children, even original thing he says in Doctor about how the UNIT family they had was released in 2013 as a bio- his own granddaughter. It would be Who history is … “Although consid- been so accustomed to were about graphical ‘docudrama’ profiling the cliché to say this is a warts-and-all ering the way things have been go- to break apart forever. inception and commissioning of portrayal of Hartnell, but it is realis- ing - well I shudder to think what Doctor Who at the BBC. However, it tic. The man had flaws, everyone you would do without me” - I can’t Still 1 thing is for sure, on the num- also focuses on the equal strength does, and it wouldn’t be right to help but feel that - if we apply that ber front, 11.9 million people and frailty of the leading man, Wil- sugar coat his life just because the quote to Doctor Who as it is today - watched the final episode of this liam Hartnell, the First Doctor. Da- figure of the Doctor is held in such it is somehow very poignant. story - the highest rated episode for vid Bradley plays the role to epic high regard. both Jon Pertwee and Patrick proportions, conveying so much The final 1st is that it’s the 1st time Troughton proving that Doctor Who emotion with a simple look, much Sydney Newman, Head of Drama the 3rd Doctor is given the freedom will always be number 1. like Hartnell did himself. Mark at the BBC, wanted a show that to potter off into time and space. I Gatiss has written a spell-binding, would keep the attention of sports wasn’t born in 1973, that happy in- multi-layered script that takes the fans and kids, with the leading man cident happened 3 years later when viewers breath away. being an older authority figure. Veri- ty Lambert is tasked with finding the The story begins in 1963. William enigmatic character simply called Hartnell is portrayed as a man of ’the Doctor’. Given his history play-

113 114 ing crooks and sergeant majors, she chooses William Hartnell and arranges a dinner with him. The man who was to become the Doc- tor initially didn’t go for the pitch Verity placed in front of him. He was hesitant to join a show with long recording hours. His blustering and overbearing ways are readily handled by Verity and the show’s which button on the TARDIS con- director, Warris Hussein, stroking sole was supposed to open the his distressed ego just enough to doors, and to keep using that but- get him interested. They wanted ton. “The children will spot it, you “stern and scary, but with a twinkle.” see.” Even so, he still had doubts, even during production, on whether Hartnell’s domineering presence he was right for the part. He saw and contemptuous attitude towards the flaws in the first draft of the younger generations gave him a Doctor, noting that he was too stern certain reputation on and off set, for the kiddies. Newman said the upsetting both crew and cast. He very same thing after watching the knew acting to be an unstable pro- pilot, so Lambert calls on Hartnell to fession, and he disapproved of warm his role, to add his signature what he saw as the reckless spend- twinkle. sheer amount of words he is sup- show is going to move on without ing of the woman who played his on posed to spout every episode. His him, he displays both distress and -screen granddaughter Susan, Car- His attitude towards children warms self-doubt is palpable, but he strug- graciousness approving of his suc- ol Ann Ford. At points, he referred as we enter 1964, when the show gles on, even after his diagnosis cessor, Patrick Troughton. Once to Doctor Who as ’his’ show, swing- begins its rocket-like rise in popular- with arteriosclerosis, a hardening of again, every actor who plays the ing with more weight and influence ity. He is approached by children the arteries, which left him physical- Doctor must feel the same way than he actually had. However, he while out with his wife, and readily ly weakened and unable to memo- walking from set for the last time, did have a hidden affection for joins in games with them, trying to rise his lines. He hated goodbyes knowing that the show will go on those he worked closest with, dis- find the TARDIS in parks. Letters and was frightened of the oncoming without them. playing a grandfatherly fondness. sent to him are addressed to “Uncle possibility of change. He was very Verity Lambert was sometimes Who”, asking him for advice. Even frank with his feelings when confid- An Adventure in Space and Time called upon to handle him, but Hart- though he was physically exhaust- ing in Verity Lambert, drawing com- shows the rise of a television behe- nell held her in high regard for all ed by the work, he pressed on for fort from her words. David Brad- moth, but also the decline of a man that she had accomplished with the the children, who he felt were rely- ley’s portrayal of his frustration and who will forever remain a stalwart show. Despite the prejudice of ing on him. He had a purpose, a terrible realisation at not being able of the universe. William Hartnell, for some, he also had great respect for magnificent purpose that continues to remember his lines is incredibly all his flaws, began a timeless jour- the British-Indian Hussein, who to this day with any actor who plays moving. ney that has endured throughout fought on despite all the obstacles the Doctor; to inspire children, to the generations, inspiring tv spin- put in front of the show and in front provide a comforting television Time is a playground for the Doc- offs, comic books, novels, radio of himself. presence and to be a light against tor, but it is a battlefield for Hartnell. plays and so much more. Thank the darkness in the world. His diagnosis and the ever- you, Bill, for all that you have done, Although he is dismissive of chil- changing cast trouble him greatly, and all that you gave, to Doctor dren, Hartnell knew how they Hartnell shows his vulnerability at feeling the unstoppable passage of Who. thought in regard to television times, voicing his concerns about time that he no longer seems to shows. He insisted on knowing the pressures of the work and the have. When he realises that the 115 116 well during the week. Maureen told me that it seemed like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he spoke to Verity Lambert, and William Hartnell appeared in some suggested she looked at my perfor- 70 films, with leading roles on many mance in the producer’s run. The occasions. He will forever be re- rest is history, and three weeks later, membered for his roles in films such I was transformed from Morton Dill as Brighton Rock and This Sporting to Steven Taylor. Life, but his iconic performance as Doctor Who is where his real legacy Bill rather took me under his wing, lies. and we became good friends for the year we worked together. I am forev- The lasting appeal of Doctor Who er grateful for his belief in me and for today is because of what he and his the kindness he showed me working original companions created back in on that wonderful show. 1963. The conventions and world- wide audiences for the show would I know Bill was immensely proud of never have taken place had it not what he had created, but he was been for the originality and quirki- such a perfectionist as an actor, that ness he brought to the original con- he got a reputation for being rather cept. The show the BBC did not re- curmudgeonly and bad-tempered. ally want was a huge success be- Nothing was further from the truth. cause of Bill’s talent. He got angry with himself, because he knew that he was beginning to I was lucky enough to work on 46 lose the ability to remember his episodes of the show with Bill. I only lines. His irritability was caused by learned a few years ago that he was his failure to match his own stand- the reason I got the part of Steven to ards. I must say that with me he was become the Doctor’s third longest- always kind, amusing and pleasant, running companion. I had been en- and I know Maureen felt the same. gaged to play the part of Morton Dill His well-known “fluffs” were quite who gets embroiled in The Chase endearing, and although we may with the Doctor and the Daleks at laugh at his inability to pronounce the top of the Empire State Building. King Agamemnon, for example, it It was a six-minute long, amusing does not detract in any way from the cameo part. consistently good and thoughtful performance he always gave. What I had not realised was that Bill was rather distressed that his origi- nal companions, and true friends, William Russell and Jaqueline Hill had decided to leave the show, and no replacement for them had been found. The lovely Maureen O’Brien, who played Vicki, had said to him during our rehearsals that he should take a look at me as that replace- ment, because we had got on so

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