LBs Time Team

[Fitz Kreiner]

Back in 1999, DWM started a feature called The Time Team. Four Doctor Who fans endeavoured to watch each episode of the show, in order.
Now, nine years later, I am endeavouring to do the same. Where there is no video to watch, I shall switch to audio. Starting with 1963s pilot and going all the way through to todays fast paced series.
Ten Doctors, Forty Five years, 202 stories (not including the forthcoming christmas special), 751 episodes.

Join me, as I go from the beginning of Who right through to the present day and feel free to add any comments or even disagree with my own as I go.

[Fitz Kreiner]

The Pilot Episode:

With a thunderclap issuing in the soon to be familiar theme, Doctor Who’s unaired pilot episode kicks off to a policeman doing his rounds. We’re revealed to a strangely placed Police Box inside the grounds of a junkyard belonging to an I. M. Forman.
Well, it’s the end of a school day and history teacher Barbara has a problem with Susan Foreman, with whom her colleague Ian also has a problem.
In discussing Susan and her Grandfather, Barbara draws us to the mysterious junkyard seen in the opening minutes of the episode. Susan says she likes walking in the “English fog”, a rather intriguing slip as though she isn’t of Britain and a nice little insight to the character and possible otherworldliness that this young girl displays. Although quite why she decides on making a Rorschach picture and her apparent shock when she realises she’s drawing it is unclear.
There are a few fluffs of lines, so far from both Susan and Barbara, although it does make them seem a bit more human.
There are some rough cuts in the episode so far and Ian and Babs don’t seem to have any problems with the non-existent fog that was meant to be getting thicker.
So far, I’m warming more to Ian here, Susan coming across as the archetypal whinging moody teenager, albeit one of the sixties.
I’d actually forgotten how creepy some of the masks and dummies are in Foremans’ yard.
“It’s alive!” Ians’ shock at the police box is well brought across here.
And with a coughing, arrives the Doctor, interestingly pulling the lock away from the door of the TARDIS as he sets about unlocking it. The confrontation between the Doctor and Ian and Barbara feels rather staged and only Ian seems to be the most convincing. It seems as though Bill hasn’t quite found his character yet and this scene smacks of Pilot-ness. However, he does convey a good sense of mystery and certainly doesn’t seem to come across as the hero of the show.
Wow. I again forgot how well the burst into the TARDIS was. Ok, there are some elements such as the music overpowers you at first but it was a stunning reveal of the TARDIS interior; Police Box doors opened to reveal the inner doors from the console room.
It’s a ship! It can go anywhere! A stunning revelation. I can only imagine how the 60s audiences would have reacted. Not only that, the Doctor and Susan are aliens; grandfather and granddaughter, separated by unimaginable distances according to the Doctor, whereas Susan was born in the 9th century.
What an evil laugh Bill has when Ian and Barbara realise that they can’t get out because the door is shut. Now the show belongs to the Williams, both Hartnell and Russell. Their confrontation about the Doctors people is just fantastic.
It seems that Susans cry of “Grandfather, no!” spurs everyone into pulling him away from the console. The sound that the TARDIS makes on its departure here is, in a word, awful. Lots of high pitched beeps and blips that really make you wince.
The ending is superb though, the shadow of a man falls over the desolate landscape that the TARDIS has arrived in.

Next time: An Unearthly Child.

[Fitz Kreiner]

An Unearthly Child (100,000 BC/The Tribe of Gum):

Episode 1: An Unearthly Child
Now it’s a lot foggier than the pilot and it makes the opening seem spookier, which extends to Foremans’ yard and the police box. It seems as that the boy who looks over the girls shoulders in the first school scene is doing a Kenneth Williams impersonation!
It now seems an awful lot tighter already and William Russell and Jacqueline Hill are a fantastic duo already. They certainly give off the impression that they’ve known each other a while and have a certain history. Hills’ Barbara has certainly improved since the pilot.
Susan doesn’t seem quite so mysterious here, more weird. That is until she spots an “anomaly” in the book on the French revolution Barbara has just given her. And the fog seems to have abaited, due to Ians mentioning.
I like the fact that Susan didn’t know Britain wasn’t decimal in its currency, and the line “Of course the Decimal system hasn’t started yet.” Is rather foretelling. Having not known anything but decimalisation, I don’t know whether that was brilliant foretelling or whether decimalisation was already on the cards.
Susan already seems a lot less whiney than in the Pilot and Ian is still coming across as my favourite of the cast so far. Although, I’m still wondering about Ian and Babs following Susan. I wonder if that would happen today?
The lock is just a normal lock now. I think, personally, that it would have been better to have kept the lock where it had to be moved, although it may have slowed down entry back into the TARDIS. Bill Hartnell is better here than in the Pilot. He’s certainly portraying a mystery and mischief that was absent from his portrayal in the pilot. The forced entry into the TARDIS is fantastically done now. We’ve seen Ian walk round it and then just followed Barbara inside. It certainly gives the appearance that it is contained within the police box.
The TARDIS take off is a lot better realised. The sound is far better, although why it causes Ian and Barbara to black out, I don’t know. The episode ending is still as effective as before.
Episode 2: The Cave of Skulls.
It’s a caveman! Looking rather bemused. The tribe have lost the secret of fire and must be a fairly early tribe. They do know they need fire, but how and where it comes from, that’s still a mystery.
“The movement’s stopped.” Ian gives away the fact that there’s some discernable movement when the TARDIS is in flight. There’s an interesting conversation between Ian and the Doctor about Time and what happens and where it goes.
When the Doctor opens the doors you can see what’s outside. And you see the cast walking out of the doors and into the outside. It’s done fantastically. Also, the Doctor was expecting the TARDIS exterior to change. Even Susan mentions it. It’s been an Ionic Column and Sedan Chair. Interestingly the Doctor is lighting up a rather ornate pipe just before he’s jumped by the caveman.
The cave children are practising killing a tiger with the skin. It’s now clear that there are two who want to be leader, and to do that, they need to make fire. Clearly a rivalry and distrust between Cal and Za and Cal is the one who has the Doctor. The Cavemen are different enough to see that the Doctor is a “Strange Creature” from a “Strange tribe”, although Za sees him as “an old man in strange skins”.
They’re clearly implying a language gap, even though we can understand what both the cavemen and Doctor is saying.
The first sign that the Doctor has a caring nature, warning the cavemen that he won’t give them fire if they kill Ian, who, with the girls, has come to rescue the Doctor.
Za and Hur are bribing Hurs’ father with meat. Sounds a good deal to me. “Give me your daughter and have lots of meat!” You can tell I’m not a vegetarian!
Ian has a strong and deep care for Barbara it shows here, and there’s some great character development for the Doctor as he says that it is his fault they arenow trapped in the cave of skulls, which is surprisingly light! But that allows to see that all the skulls are violently split open, especially when you consider it would have had to have been done with rocks!
Episode 3: Forest of Fear.
All the cavemen sleep together. Having been camping, it’s a good way to preserve heat. Hello, the old woman is up to something, considering that she didn’t trust the Doctor and co. we may want to worry here!
Ian certainly isn’t going to sit there and take things, he gives the Doctor a good talking to at times, and the Doctor is clearly taking in what he’s saying despite his actions.
The old woman has appeared in the cave through a secret passage, causing another scream from Susan. The jungle is a really good set, considering it’s all studio bound and the sound effects add a good edge.
Za and Hur have been hunting the escaping time travellers when Za is mauled by an unseen animal. I like the way we only see the result of the animals attack, Za laying covered in blood and crying in pain. It makes the attack seem all the more savage having not seen it.
The Doctor claims he’s not a Doctor of medicine. His total detachment from humanity is brilliantly played by Hartnell, showing that he’s not human.
More implied violence as Cal raises his knife to the old woman on realising that she set them free. Looking at it again this way, the implication is a lot more adult than a mere childrens’ program would normally be. Coupled with this, the Doctor picks up a rock. Was he going to kill Za? His backpedalling when Ian confronts him could imply that. It’s a neat twist for such a lead character.
The old woman is dead. Cal is now trying to turn the tribe against Za and Hur and they ambush the travellers before they can return to the TARDIS.
Episode 4: The Firemaker.
Hurr is defending herself and Za. The Doctor shows a brilliant edge when he tricks Cal into revealing that his knife has blood on it, whereas Zas’ does not. The Doctor and Ian work well together here in leading the tribe to drive Cal out.
The travellers are back in the cave of skulls and it seems like they’ve no choice but to make fire. However, they have a form of ally in Za and Hur who have a rather interesting conversation regarding the travellers and what to do with the tribe.
Back in the cave, Ian is trying the old scouting method to make fire. There’s already an unspoken comradeship forming between Ian and the Doctor when the former acknowledges that the Doctor is the leader.
Cal has returned to settle things with Za. While the fight may not seem much by modern standards, the way it’s light, mostly dark with a flickering light for the fire illumination does add to its atmosphere and Za’s dispatch of Cal is another out of sight act of violence, given to us only with Cals dying scream and Susan, Barbara and the Doctors reactions. I love the way this was done as it seems to make the act all the more violent even though you don’t see it. After all, who would want to see someone splattered by a big rock?
Susan decides to plonk a skull on a flaming stick. What sort of fifteen year old would do that outside of performing something like, I don’t know, a black mass?! Either way, it does lead to the travellers escape as it distracts the tribe.
Back in the TARDIS the Doctor mentions for the first time that he’s not in total control of the TARDIS systems. Arriving on a new planet, the radiation meter flicks to danger unbeknown to the crew.

Next time: The Dead Planet

[Fitz Kreiner]

The Daleks (The Dead Planet/The Mutants/The Survivors):

Episode 1: The Dead Planet.
I’m already loving the effects on the planet; the petrified jungle, the video effect giving an alien atmosphere, ash for soil. Superbly realised. Ian and Barbara are still a great duo, Russell and Hill are fantastic at giving the characters a history together.
Our first monster! And it’s made of metal. “It’s like sculptors nightmare.” Hartnell may either be fluffing his lines a bit or just more of his brilliant acting. I know he does fluff them, but they make the character. I do like the fact he keeps getting Chestertons name wrong.
The faraway city is spectacular. It just looks brilliant. It’s a model, but better than CGI. Spooky stuff. Susan has just been tapped on the shoulder. Maybe the planet isn’t as dead as they think?
Another great Doctor and Ian scene in the TARDIS and now the food machine. It’s magic! I could do with one of those! English bacon as well! Another wonderfully spooky moment as there’s a mysterious tapping yet the scanner reveals nothing.
Bill’s up to something, he’s taken something out of the console. Wiley old goat, tricking everyone that there’s something wrong with the ship. Just to explore the city, he’s pulled this charade.
In the city and something has trapped Babs. The city doesn’t seem as dead as it first seemed. It’s actually quite spooky, it seems as though the city is herding her somewhere.
Cliffhanger! You can see how it became famous. What a tantilising ending, just the shot of a plunger, but what was that plunger attached to to make Barbara scream?!
Episode 2: The Survivors.
That plunger again. The Doctor Ian and Susan have found a laboratory after following a mysterious ticking noise. A Geiger counter in danger, at last things start to fall into place. The TARDIS crew have radiation sickness. Russell is really shining through here with his concern and horror. Susan seems shocked that the Doctor wanted to risk leaving the ship to explore and even more interesting that the Doctor almost seemed willing to leave Barbara in the city to get himself treated. He seems a lot more selfish here.
The Monsters are revealed. They really do look stunning here. I can only imagine what effect they would have had on a 1960s audience. What a great demonstration of their power; temporally paralyzing Ian.
The crew are locked up again. It’s really fascinating how Barbara is trying to compare them to humanity, noticing the lack of furniture of all things.
Oooh, listen to that heartbeat like background sound of machinery. It feels really creepy. A nice little bit of background narrative between two Daleks. There is another race on the planet called Thals. I love the way the Daleks eyes dilate. A wonderful little touch.
Someone has to leave the city and go into the forest, where the mutant Thals live. Susan mentions that the lock comes away from the door. A nice nod to the pilot there. It’s a defence mechanism, 1 right hole, 20 wrong ones, put the key in the wrong hole and the lock will melt.
The Daleks show their true colours. They plan to let the TARDIS crew die when Susan returns with the drugs. Something is following her in the jungle. We can’t quite see what it is, but it’s still really spooky. I’d forgotten how atmospheric these episodes are.
Susan has safely made it back to the TARDIS, but now she has the return to the city. I certainly wouldn’t like to be wandering though a petrified alien jungle on my own, knowing there were mutations there...
Episode 3: The Escape.
There’s someone outside the TARDIS. I can’t actually find a word for this scene; Susans realisation that the Thal isn’t actually the horrific mutation she had expected. Aydons horror when he learns that Susan and the others haven’t taken the drugs is well played. As is his reaction to the Daleks survival. It seems the TARDIS crew have a friend on the outside.
Trouble, the Daleks seem perturbed by the Thals. Susan gives us another little bit of background narrative, overseen by the Daleks, but those rascals seem like they want to wipe the Thals out! I love the plotting and evil nature of the Daleks here, trying to draw the TARDIS crew into a false sense of security.
The Thals arrive. They’re a wonderfully realised race, once warriors now the Aryan stereotype made farmers. They’re hoping that the Daleks will help them. Cut to the city where the Daleks are playing out their plan, saying that they also wish to coexist.
Nearly a slip up by the Daleks, saying they have plans already. Now the travellers know they have to escape.
The first Monster now has a name; Magnadon.
The overpowering of the Dalek was rather well done, showing that four people struggle to overpower it. There’s a nice moment where Ian tells Barbara and Susan to go keep a watch out so they don’t have to see the monstrosity inside the Dalek. We get a tantalising sneak at a claw protruding from the discarded cape.
Episode 4: The Ambush.
Ian gets to do his Dalek impression. For once Susans screaming goes in her favour, stopping the TARDIS crew being caught out. The panic shown by the main cast is fantastic when they realised they’ve been discovered, Ian doing the valiant thing of staying behind.
The effect of the destroyed Dalek is fantastic as Ian escapes extermination.
The Thals are coming to collect their food and the incidental music is stunning here. Followed by another almost callous remark from the Doctor, saying the Thals are no concern of theirs. Barbaras counter argument is superbly delivered by Hill.
I love a brief shot of a Dalek twitching its gun stick. I’ve never noticed that before. It really heightens the horror of what is to come. And so spooky how the Daleks just appear as Temmosus gives his speech on rebuilding the world. And a fantastic effect showing what the Dalek gun does to a wall when in a killing mode.
Alydon gives a good question; “Why kill him, they did not even know him.” An innocent view against the Daleks evil. The travellers have no joined up with the Thals and are back at their encampment. There is some genuinely lovely scenes when the names of dead are said. Ian comes up with the answer for the Daleks; a dislike for the unlike. Xenophobia.
The Doctor has plates with images of the original Thal and Dalek, then called a Dal. Interestingly we don’t get to see the Dal, which leaves that to our imagination. Like the Dalek mutant, the horrors that the mind can conjure up are better than any prosthetic.
Ians realisation when the Doctor mentions the fluid link, that the Daleks still have it is brilliantly realised by Russell.
Episode 5: The Expedition.
The Daleks have duplicated the Thal drug so that they can leave their city somehow. They also have pictures of the Thal encampment. It makes you wonder what they are planning that we don’t know about.
I love the scene between Ian and the Doctor about Ians surname. Beautifully played. Hartnell and Russell work so well together either as a pair or a foil for one another. Ian really pulls this episode along for me; his speech to the Thals about why they should fight is fantastic.
The Daleks are going insane, something in the drug seems to make them doolally! The Daleks realisation that they need radiation to survive is well done and the harrowing prospect that they may have to explode another neutron bomb is well done, with the Thals living on the surface it makes a horrific prospect.
“Only a fool would attack the city from the lake.” Methinks we have found a weakness in the defences of the Dalek city. The Thals have realised that they have to fight to survive in a wonderful scene spearheaded by Alydon.
The jungle and swamp sets are beautiful and the sound of the creatures really gives a good impression that there are things living there. Even the pipelines look fantastic, coming from the swamp and into the mountains.
Alyon goes to fill the water bags and the movement in the swamp is chilling and then we have another fantastic implication as we hear his scream gurgle and cut off as he’s dragged into the water by what we can only guess at.
Episode 6: The Ordeal.
The aftermath of Alyons death shows only the water bags floating in a swirling vortex. There’s a wonderfully understandable sense of fear amongst the small party.
I still can’t get over how beautiful the model Dalek city is. It gives me a little shiver every time I see it. It will take the Daleks too long to build and explode a bomb, instead they plan to vent radiation from their reactors. Another chilling prospect.
Ians party are now making their way through tunnels in the mountains. It’s barely lit, giving a good impression that they are making their way through real tunnels.
“We mustn’t diddle about here.” Hartnells line here always makes me chuckle.
Ganatus and his brother have a little fight, his brother showing cowardice at wanting to return and tell the others that the Daleks killed the rest of the party due to his fear. Their struggle causes a rock fall, trapping them and forcing them to go forwards.
The Doctors boasting at how his “superior intelligence” and “simple tools” can cause a blow to the enemy result in Susan and himself being caught by the Daleks. A lovely example of the Doctors arrogance being a pitfall for the character.
The chasm scene seems to drag a little as each character is shown to jump the gap. It does help emphasise that there is a large deep chasm, but it does seem to last quite a while. Although the length of the scene plays off as Antodus doesn’t make the jump and falls into the chasm, whilst still tethered to Ian.
Episode 7: The Rescue.
Antodus’ death is superbly realised, witnessed only by Ian and his brother, Ganatus. Antodus overcomes his cowardice and sacrifices himself so Ian can be pulled to safely. His death made all the more chilling by hearing just his scream and then the sound of him hitting the water at the bottom of the chasm. The following scene is beautifully acted with Ganatus starting to doubt now, only Ian and Barbara urging the two Thals onwards. There’s another brilliance from William Russell when Ian realises that they’ve actually made it to the city.
The Thals gather together to attack the city as the Daleks prepare to release the radiation from their reactors. It’s interesting how the Doctor seems willing to trade the secrets of the TARDIS to the Daleks for their survival. Or is he just bluffing?
The Thals and Ians party have invaded the city and it’s now a countdown, race against the clock as the Daleks prepare to release their waste radiation.
Careful not to blink. I nearly missed the end of the Daleks. Ian pushing a Dalek into the static power source and the Daleks power rapidly drains killing them.
The farewell between Ganatus and Barbara is rather touching. You feel sorry for Ganatus, it’s rather clear that he’s grown rather fond of Babs.

Next Time: The Edge of Destruction.

[Slagathor]

I do remember the biggest differences between the pilot and the An Unearthly Child episode being the Doctor's clothes and the fact that the Doctor and Susan were tied to a specific century (41st of 51st). I like that it was ultimately left vague.

[Fitz Kreiner]

I much prefer the original transmitted episode to the pilot, I must confess. Although it's not much of a confession really. heh

[Fitz Kreiner]

The Edge of Destruction (Inside the Spaceship):

Episode 1: The Edge of Destruction
It’s certainly a spooky start; the music is chilling and everyone seems to be unconscious. Babs arrives and is acting rather strangely, she almost doesn’t recognise Ian. Susan’s up and about and complaining of head pains. Strangely, despite saying that the Doctor has cut his head open, Babs doesn’t appear that concerned at first.
Ian’s up now and it seems as though he’s forgotten everything and is back at the school. He certainly seems rather more aloof and detached that normal. Barbaras’ return of memory is nicely done.
The doors are open and rather understandably Susan is shocked and horrified. She seems to think there’s something in the ship now. It’s spooky how the doors seemingly move on their own accord, closing when Ian approaches and opening as he moves further away.
Susan is rather annoying here, I must say. Seeming too screamy. I’m still loving Russells portrayal of Ian, his despair and frustration at not knowing what is happening is well played. The Doctor is coming round and complaining of a pain on the back of the neck.
I like the sleeping quarters. The beds are rather jazzy, coming down from the walls and looking for all the world like a simple version of the adjustamatic beds we have now. Susan wakes when Ians’ back is turned and is brandishing a rather large pair of scissors. She’s still a little screamy, but this scene is really chilling as she repeatedly plunges the scissors into the bed.
The incidental music is fantastic. Chilling and terrifying. Really worked well with talk of someone or something unknown being inside the TARDIS. It’s actually psychologically terrifying and I’m glad I know who’s in the house and I’ve the lights on!
Susan’s been up and grabbed the scissors again. Now Babs is off to check on her, not knowing she overheard the conversation about there maybe being something aboard. Barbara is rather shrewd, guessing that Susan has the scissors. Barbara almost sums a lot of things up here, “You overheard a couple of words” and jumping to conclusions. It’s the unknown element here that is so terrifying. No one knows what’s happening and why. Although Susan adds to the distrust and chills saying that if there were an intelligence, it would hide in “one of us”.
I don’t really like Susans’ reaction to the Doctor turning on the scanner. It seems too over the top, and she really must stop screaming. Neither Ian or Barbara have the neck pain that the Doctor and Susan have, clearly wedging a divide between the four of them. The Doctor is being really dark and mysterious here and clearly showing signs of distrust and hostility to Ian and Barbara.
The confrontation between the crew when the Doctor accuses Ian and Barbara of sabotaging the ship is brilliant. You can see all four characters are getting ever more paranoid and reaching breaking point.
The clocks melting. I love it. Ok, it’s the most clear image, but still, it’s chilling and the music is so powerful.
Ian sums things up here as the Doctor appears with a tray of cocoa. “One moment you’re abusing us and the next you’re playing the perfect butler.” Does the Doctor have a hidden agenda that we’re not privy to? He’s certainly showing such a dark edge here, and you really aren’t warming to him, but you’re still transfixed. “One mans’ law is another mans crime.” The Doctor tells us to sleep on it.
A touching little scene between Susan and Barbara when Susan apologises for the Doctor, you can see how hurt Barbara is and Hill plays that superbly.
Now the Doctor is checking everyone is asleep and chuckling to himself with the suitably chilling music. This scene is so creepy and really not painting the Doctor in a heroic light as we don’t know what he’s about or up to. The cliffhanger is a shocker though as a pair of hands grasp about the Doctors throat and he spins, eyes wide in shock at his attacker.
Episode 2: The Brink of Disaster
Ian looks like a mad thing and Russells’ cries are almost comical here.
The Doctor is back to being grouchy and arrogant, now convinced that Ian and Barbara are the cause. Even Susan is now against them, arriving to a chilling slide of music, although she seems aghast at the Doctors wanting to treat the teachers as enemies. But you can see in Fords’ performance that she’s not 100% convinced. She knows that there’s more than meets the eye. Trying to reason with her grandfather and voicing reason along with Babs.
“Put yourself in my place” The Doctor gives a fairly good empathic reason. You can put yourself into his place.
A fart from the fault locator seems to sway the Doctor away from his accusations and Hartnell gives a great performance of being torn as he suddenly realises that he was wrong and they’re in danger. “You’re not to blame, all four of us are to blame!” A good realisation that they’ve allowed themselves to fall victim to paranoia and the Doctor admits he’s wrong; he doesn’t believe now that Ian and Barbara are responsible.
Ever the voice of reason, Hill is acting her way through this brilliantly, drawing all the little bits and bobs together to realise what’s happening.
I like the Doctors little snippets on what is happening and how the ship works. We’re given our first snippets of information on the TARDIS now other than it’s just a time machine.
I’m still not too fond of Fords’ Susan in this story, however, Hill is acting enough to counter that.
The Doctor seems not to take to Ian and Barbaras theory that the TARDIS can think, although he does say “Not think as you or I” hinting that there may be something there. The Doctor is giving a good sense of urgency, and his telling Ian of how long they have left is touching, as he admits he lied to Susan and Barbara so they won’t know when the end comes.
Arg! I’m really, really wanting to slap Susan now; crying and whinging her way through the episode. She seems to be getting worse.
I think this is possibly the best scene of the story, Hartnell centre screen, light by only a spotlight as he runs through a speech on the formation of a solar system. His portrayal is just beautiful and his passion is fantastic.
A stuck button and non connecting spring. How simple a reason? Almost a copout really, but I think it shows just how important the little things can be. Maybe a design flaw in the TARDIS but maybe that’s why it’s only ever used here!
There is a lovely bit between the Doctor and Susan after he explains what had happened and Harnell and Ford play the scene brilliantly, as if they really are grandfather and granddaughter. This continues with the Doctors apology to Ian and Barbara. We know now that he’s not afraid to admit he’s wrong and he’s not the cold callous person he appeared through the story.
Barbara still hasn’t forgiven the Doctor, and Hill plays this well. The scene between Babs and the Doctor is wonderful as the two bond and she finally forgives him. There’s now a clear jollity between the crew as the comradeship builds and they are becoming friends more than travellers thrown together.

Next Time: The Roof of the World.

[Fitz Kreiner]

Marco Polo:

Episode 1: The Roof of the World
The first of the “missing” episodes and we’re now onto just audio, so bare with me.
Ian starts off with a good explanation for the giant footprint. The Doctor seems to have gone very grumpy all of a sudden, saying they’re 7000 feet above sea level. Hartnell is being really grumpy here, such a change from the end of the last story.
The ship seems to have gone wrong again. I must admit, I’m not warming to Hartnell here, being more grumpy than usual, although you can understand why with the TARDIS systems going down again.
The travellers have seen something, although with it only being audio and no linking narration, it’s not easy to tell. Although it seems clear that they’ve come across someone. Ian seems to be taking the lead here.
“The Old Man has the mountain sickness”. I must admit I don’t know what they mean by that, but it could give an explanation for the Doctors change of mood so suddenly.
The incidental music is rather nice and heightens the oriental feel. And it’s great to see Barbara and Ian getting to use their knowledge of their teaching subjects to help the story along.
Susans shock of Ping-Chos arranged marriage is good.
There’s a good bit with Marco Polo narrating the journey as though writing it in a journal. It’s really interesting to hear his thoughts as the story progresses.
The Doctors amusement at Polo saying he is going to give the TARDIS to Kublai Khan is rather interesting. He knows that the man is serious, and he doesn’t know what to do. It’s interesting.
And it seems as though there’s plotting against Khan as well.
Episode 2: The Singing Sands
Some more great narration from Marko Polo, telling that three days have passed during which he has had to endure insults from the Doctor who is still miffed at the prospect of his TARDIS being given away. You can imagine Hartnell doing this, it brings a smile to your lips.
A lovely scene between Susan and Ping-Cho about where Susan comes from. Followed by another lovely scene of Marco Polo and Ian playing Chess.
There’s a sense of panic as Ian and Barbara realise Susan and Ping-Cho are out and about to be caught in a sandstorm, although it’s not too clear about what’s happening without linking narration. Although it seems that Ping-Cho and Susan have discovered something.
Episode 3: Five Hundred Eyes
Condensation on the walls of the TARDIS has saved the travellers. A good solution to the running short of water problem.
The TARDIS crew seem to be getting more and more suspicious of Tegana, and rightly so as he seems to be plotting against Marco and the caravan.
I’m really wishing that there was video for this story, or at the very least, linking narration as the pics I’ve seen are stunning, showing beautiful sets and costume. Alas that isn’t coming across here in just audio. Fuzzy audio at that. 
Hashashin is used in English today, Ian informs us, as Assassin. A lovely little titbit of information there.
Barbara has been kidnapped. Again, something that we wish to have seen. She’s gone to look at the cave of five hundred eyes, which is where Susan and Ping-Cho believe Babs to have been taken.
Curse the fuzziness of my copy, I couldn’t quite make out what happened at the cliffhanger.
Episode 4: The Wall of Lies
Ping-Cho and Susan thought they saw the eyes in the cave move. Marko is angry at the Doctor for walking off in the middle of the night and with Ian, sets out to find him.
“I am not afraid of ghosts!” A brilliant line from the Doctor, coupled with the trademark Hartnell chuckle. Lovely little moment. And he seems convinced that the eyes didn’t move with beautiful Hartnell grace “Rubbish, child. Rubbish!” Now Ian has seen them move. A secret passageway/compartment? And they’ve found Babs.
Marko Polo doesn’t want to send the travellers away empty handed when they leave, he says. Although Tegana is trying to poison Marco against the TARDIS crew. The fiend.
Barbara is back and saying she followed Tegana to the cave, which is why she was kidnapped. Although it seems as though Marco isn’t sure who to believe. Ping-Cho has now backed up that Tegana has lied, saying that if he had never entered the cave before, how did he know there was a passageway. However, Marco still doesn’t believe them.
Tegana is planning to kill the Doctor with a stake through the heart, believing him to be a magician. There’s a lot of plotting and counter plotting going on here with the TARDIS crew, Tegana and Marco all plotting to their own needs.
Marco now has the real key to the TARDIS and has threatened the Doctor with death if he attempts to enter the TARDIS again. And once again Tegana is poisoning Marco against the TARDIS crew, who are now prisoners. Again!
Episode 5: Rider from Shang Tu
The guard is dead, and they don’t know why. And Tegana is up to something, again.
Hehe, another Hartnell fluff. “Go anywhere, where its place, err, safe!”
Another brilliant part from Ian, suggesting throwing Bamboo on the fire to make loud explosions. I might have to try this, see if it works! And the bandits attack. The battle sounds rather good. Again, it’s a shame that you can’t watch it.
Babs has revealed that Tegana is in league with the Bandits and is plotting with them against Marko and the TARDIS crew.
Ping-Cho has got the TARDIS key and returned it to Susan. A lovely touching mark of their friendship that has blossomed since the story started. With the crew back in the TARDIS, they realise Susan has gone to say farewell to Ping-Cho, and is caught.
Episode 6: Mighty Kublai Khan
Tegana has Susan and forces the crew to leave the TARDIS and takes them back to Marco. Quite what he’s planning, I’m not sure, but he wants to kill them.
I can’t help but smile when Babs tells Marco Ian wants to talk to him and then leaves, leaving Ian fumbling about why he needs the TARDIS, pleading Marco to give them back the TARDIS. I love the scene between Ian and Marco as he tells them they he’s from the future and Marcos accounts of all the things he has seen.
I like Ians’ reaction to the TARDIS’s theft when he finds Ping-Cho. And the Doctors reaction when he learns what he has to do to greet Kublai Khan is brilliant. A fantastic reaction from Hartnell.
Again, Hartnell denies being a Doctor of medicine. Khan and the Doctor share some lovely scenes, talking about the problems of age. It’s rather heart-warming really, coming from this seasoned old warlord.
Tegana is revealed as the villain, and the way he softly speaks now is rather chilling.
Episode 7: Assassin at Peking
Another lovely scene with the Doctor and Khan, laying backgammon. The Doctor is now playing for the TARDIS. Interesting how he seems wanting to bet the TARDIS in order to win it back. Not only that, but he loses and is given some of the Khans paper currency as a consolation.
Tegana has long been planning whatever it is he’s planning and it’s lovely listening to the TARDIS crew try to place everything together to work out what it is that he’s up to. I like the sense of urgency that the crew apply here, when confronting Marco with what they believe Tegana to be up to and upon finding out he’s alone with Khan.
It sounds like there’s a great fight scene happening, but alas with no narration, I don’t know what the hell is happening. Although someone seems destined to die.
Marco gives the Doctor the keys to the TARDIS having been proved that Tegana was indeed a villain and the crew make good their escape. The closing scene is lovely where Khan says that the Doctor would have won the TARDIS back eventually by backgammon and Marco wonders where the TARDIS has taken the crew now.

Next Time: The Sea of Death

[Fitz Kreiner]

The Keys of Marinus:

Episode 1: The Sea of Death.
A mysterious incidental music and silent materialisation. The Island is beautifully realised with a lovely pyramid.
The Doctor has colour television, but it’s broken. Yet another dodgy part of the TARDIS.
Some rather mysterious sea faring capsules have just arrived on the island. A rubber suited figure is following the TARDIS crew. Quite a mysterious figure. Assumingly it’s come from the travel capsules.
The water is acid, a wonderful effect. Although Susan’s weeping/whinging is annoying yet again. A sea of acid, a wonderful concept.
Our wetsuited friend is trying, and failing to get into the TARDIS. And the Doctor has never come across a sea of acid before. The Doctor, Ian and Babs have discovered the capsules. One of them has something inside. There’s a lovely sense of mystery and unknown being played here.
Ooh, the wetsuit chap is revealed and is looking like a cross between a fetishists tellitubby and an alien being.
The pyramid is fantastic, both in models and set. One of the fetish aliens has stalked Susan and is about to knife her. No, he’s fallen through a secret door into the pyramid. Now Susan has with yet another annoying scream. Honestly the girl screams at everything. And now the Doctor has disappeared, but silently. Too manly to sceam, he must be!
Inside the pyramid it’s suitably creepy. And the mysterious hooded figure adds to the atmosphere as one of the fetish-tubbies falls dead on Susan.
The wetsuit men are the baddies, and are attacking the monk figure, who says the fetishists are called Voord. Arbitan has sent his friends to retrieve the keys to the Conscience of Marinus, a supercomputer that can control the minds of others. Seems rather sinister to me, is the control of minds a good thing or a bad thing, one mans good is another mans evil.
A forcefield has been thrown up round the TARDIS stopping the crew from leaving. Arbitan has done it to force the crew into helping him. I can understand the Doctors anger at Arbitan, calling it blackmail. Hartnell is fantastic here, nice and grumpy although you can see how he’s developed since the first story already.
I could do with one of the travel dials that Arbitan gives the crew. It would cut down on travel expenses and think of the rush hour traffic abatement. No congestion or pollution. Labour should look into getting them developed.
Episode 2: The Velvet Web.
There’s blood on Barbaras’ abandoned travel dial. The crew burst through a door to find her and are attacked by a bright light and noise. Wonderfully done there, revealing a lavishly decorated palace. The set is beautiful and the costuming could be coming straight from Roman epics.
I’m thoroughly stuffed from my Sunday meal, but the banquet laid out for the travellers is making my mouth water. Ian is showing a wonderful cynicism that makes me chuckle, saying he’s not seen the menu and doesn’t want to eat before he knows the price.
A young man has told the travellers that Morpheton wants to give everyone whatever they desire. Ians’ standing cynicism is wonderfully played by Russell. A spooky scene as two eyes in a statue come alive and watch the sleeping travellers coupled with a sinister and organic sounding heartbeat. Even more mysterious and sinister is a young slave girl placing something on their foreheads. Babs falls off and the sound and light return seemingly causing her pain.
I love this scene. Babs has woken up but everything seems different. It’s no longer beautiful and grandiose, now just drab, bare and dirty. I love how this has been done that Barbara can see one thing and the rest another. It’s wonderfully played by all four main cast.
The villains are rather bizarre. Large brains in jars with eyes on long stalks.
The Doctors “Laboratory” is just an empty room with a dirty battered mug. It’s fascinating that the travellers believe they’re seeing what they desire. A rather cunning trap on the brains behalf.
The Brains seem to have full control over Ian now, who brings Babs before them who then proceeds to show them what for, smashing their bell jars and killing them. You go Babs!
Sebetha and Altos now join the travellers, but the Doctor is going two stops ahead. Susan leaves quickly but seems to being mentally attacked by some screaming.
Episode 3: The Screaming Jungle.
The jungle sets are impressive. But Susan really is starting to annoy me, screaming and crying. Barbara has the right idea, telling her to stop it and buck up.
The statue is relatively impressive, although the arms are obviously human. I pity the poor thing who has to sit there with their arms sticking through.
Altos, Susan and Sebetha are to go ahead. It’s a good job Sebetha checks the two keys as the one Babs found was a fake. Ian is going to stay and look for Babs and the real key. There are lots of booby traps about, and they’re rather wonderfully realised. Armour statues coming alive, they’re rather spooky. An old man sheltering inside the building is adding a similar spooky element to Arbitan in the first part. Babs is screaming at a booby trap that could be terrifying, a ceiling with wobbly spikes slowly descending on her. I think the main worry would be being crushed rather than speared!
An intriguing puzzle left by the old man before he dies after being throttled by a creeper; DE3O2. A combination for a safe? No. It’s nice seeing Ian and Babs having a good think. The Darkness and Whispering are rather mysterious too. The old man has been working on plant acceleration growth and now the jungle is attacking. Quite a scary thought really, if nature turned against us. I like Ians twigging that the code the old man gave was a chemical formula.
Another fantastic shot as the camera keeps still on Ian and Babs and the background changes as they travel, dumping them in a freezing tundra.
Episode 4: The Snows of Terror.
A rather burley character seems to have come from nowhere and rescued Ian and Babs. We’re not too sure what to make of him, he says most men fear him as he can break the back of a wolf with his bare hands, yet he’s rescued Ian and Babs and is kindly tending them.
Ian goes out looking for Altos, bartering his travel dial for furs to shelter him from the cold. There’s something fishy about the way Vasor bartered with him, then locked the door and his actions round Babs.
Ian finds Altos, bound in the mountains. Deffinitely something fishy. Vasor saying the door will keep anything out, or in, confirming it. Even more so Babs discovering the keys and dials in a drawer. He’s deffinately a villain. And he’s put something dodgy in Ians bag. Raw meat, to attract the wolves. Ruthless and cunning he seems. This is a disturbingly adult scene for a family program as he attempts to rape Babs.
Vasor seems a coward now Ian and Altos are on the scene. Lovely real life style characterisation, about someone feeling big and powerful to those less powerful, but when the odds are against them, they’re cowardly almost pitiful if they weren’t so pathetic.
There are demons in the cave, four “Ice Soldiers” guarding the key in a block of ice. They’re suitably chilling, stood there in their armour. There’s something about a suit of armour that can be chilling, and this story seems to portray that well in this and last episode.
Ian is really shining through again, using his own ingenuity to solve problems such as cut down bridges. Hats off to William Russell, who has been outstandingly fantastic all the way through.
I can almost understand Susans scream here as the Ice Soldiers come alive. It’s make that little bit more creepy as you can see the human eye within and see it open as they awake. And a chilling scream as one of the soldiers plummets into a ravine.
Vasor proves to be a total coward as the travellers return to his hut and runs out screaming, only to run back screaming as the soldiers arrive but gets what he deserves when he’s stabbed by one of them.
A new location and trouble already with a dead body on the floor and someone clubbing Ian to the ground and seemingly framing him for the murder and then stealing the final Key.
Episode 5: Sentence of Death
Ian has been found inside a maximum security area by Tarron an Interrogator. He’s to be charged with murder and is believed to have stolen the key.
The Doctors appearance is brilliantly timed and played by Hartnell. As is his statement of “I am that man” in response to Ian saying he needs someone to defend him. Hartnell delivers the line as such that you genuinely believe that he can defend and get Ian off the charges.
I can’t help but smile at the clothes worn by the judges. They are rather ridiculous, but they may be ceremonial as are the gowns worn by judges in this country.
Hartnell delivers another wonderful line when talking to Ian. “Trust me.” It shows wonderfully how the Doctors character has changed in the 24 episodes since we first met him. He also says he knows who did the killing and what has happened to the key, yet he doesn’t seem ready to tell us yet. Although he does wonderfully demonstrate as to how there could have been another person in the room other than the dead man and Ian.
We now know that the prosecution against Ian are involved in the murder and theft. The plot thickens and now we’re left wondering what can be done to help Ian.
The Doctor has a rather elaborate plan formulated to get the truth and the relief guard, Aydan, admits to stealing the key, however, he’s shot dead before he can give the names of his accomplices. However, his last words seem to implicate Ian further.
Susan has been kidnapped and is now being held to persuade the travellers to stop their investigation as Ian has been sentenced to death.
Episode 6: The Keys of Marinus
Barbara, Altos and Sebetha decide not to tell the Doctor that Susan has been kidnapped so he can concentrate on getting Ian out of his predicament. Searching for her, they decide to visit Aydans widow who breaks down into tears. Although it’s revealed she is Susans kidnapper, her tears becoming laughter.
Babs works things out, realising that Aydans widow slipped up, revealing she knew Susan had contacted them, despite their not saying anything about it. School boy error!
I like the Doctors attitude, not giving up on Ian. It’s rather touching considering what we’ve seen of the character so far. He’s definitely like a dog with a bone in regards to the case and proving Ians innocence.
The Doctors realisation that the real murderer will return to collect the key is beautifully played by Hartnell and a trap is set and sprung and Ian is proved innocent.
I particularly like the last scene in the city of Millenius as the Doctor and co say farewell and the two officials who see the departure wouldn’t have believed it had they not seen it. They decide to keep that quite. It brings a smile to my lips, a beautifully played scene.
Back on the island, the Voord have taken over and Yartek, their leader, has taken Arbitans place. Interestingly, Yartek is dressed in the same fetish gear, I mean, wetsuits, as the Voord but calls them his “creatures”.
A wonderful scene as the Doctor is creeping along a corridor in the pyramid and Ian, Babs and Susan the other edge of a corridor and they can hear the other and Ian and the Doctor cautiously go to look round the corridor and make each other jump as they look round into each other. Wonderfully played by the two Bills and always makes me smile.
The scene where Ian and Susan go to give the key to Yartek, wearing Arbitans robes, is cleverly done, Ian fast becoming suspicious, but not giving it away, and silencing Susan before she can say anything. I like the revelation that Ian gave Yartek the fake key from episode 3 and Russells portrayal is wonderful to watch.
Yartek uses the fake key and the computer explodes, taking Yartek and the Voord with it. Going back to the question of free will being taken over by a machine, this is a rather suitable ending, as the machine is destroyed and cannot control minds again.
This had another nice ending in a style reminiscent of The Daleks, but then, this was written by Terry Nation.

Next time: The Temple of Evil.

[Fitz Kreiner]

The Aztecs:

Episode 1: The Temple of Evil
The TARDIS has landed in an Aztec priests tomb, giving Barbara a wonderful chance to show off her History knowledge, she just so happened to specialise in Aztec. The tomb sets are fantastically realised and Barbaras joy at what she sees is beautiful to watch.
A priest finds her and tells her she’s to be punished until he spots a bracelet she picked up in the tomb. It’s provoked quite a reaction. The incidental music is beautiful and really suits the mood and feel of the story. The priest names himself as Autloc and we’re introduced to Tlotoxl, a very sinister looking chap, the high priest of sacrifice whom Ian suggests is the local butcher.
The costumes are as beautiful as the sets and music. I can’t help but chuckle at the scene where Ian gets Autlocs name wrong and the others of the crew correct him.
A lovely scene where Autloc and Tlotoxl talk to Babs about a forthcoming rain which has neglected their lands of late. It shows that the Aztecs are intelligent and have the skills to forecast the weather, and tie in their sacrifices to time with elements of their society.
Ian is to lead the Aztec warriors and the Doctor to enter a gardens. Despite this being set in the 15th century, it’s fascinating to see that as advanced as the Aztecs are, in some respects they are still very primitive, not having the wheel and their warriors have clubs with flint edges.
The garden the Doctor is taken to contains the elderly of the city. It’s lovely to see the Doctor seemingly taking a shine to one of the Aztec ladies; Cameca and there is some wonderful dialogue between the two. Hartnell is a joy to watch here, the character has developed wonderfully since An Unearthly Child.
Ian has to hold down the next victim of sacrifice. He says he can’t do it but the Doctor tells him he must. A wonderfully played scene of a real human dilemma for Ian. Added to brilliantly as the Doctor tells Babs, who seems intent to stop it. Wonderfully played by Hartnell again, especially his delivery of; “You can’t rewrite history! Not one line!” His protection of Susan as the victim is taken to the sacrificial stone is wonderful, his concern so real and well played.
While Babs stops the sacrifice, the victims says he is denied honour and by Tlotoxls suggestion at reclaiming it, jumps to his death, met by a rumble of thunder. Then Tlotoxl turns on Susan and Babs, proclaiming her a false Goddess and she will be destroyed. Fantasticly sinister performance by John Ringham,
Episode 2: The Warriors of Death
Hartnell is back in his grumpy mode, defending the Aztecs. Absolutely brilliant show from Hartnell, the story may be focussing on Babs, but Hartnell is stealing the scenes that he’s in.
Ixta the chief warrior is brimming with arrogance, which proves his downfall as Ian disables him with a smart piece of unarmed combat, applying his thumb to a pressure point and temporarily knocking him unconscious. Tlotoxl and Ixta seem to be plotting against Ian, Tlotoxl manipulating the Perfect Victim into ordering another contest between the two.
The Doctor is talking with Cameca again, and it’s another beautiful scene. An interloper in the background looks like Christian Manons’ “Mael” from the film of Queen of the Damned. The Doctors sweet talking smacks of flirting. It’s a joy to watch Hartnell in these scenes.
Tlotoxl tells Babs that her “servants” cannot meet with her, promising that he will tell them not to. He certainly gives off the impression that he’s not going to do exactly the opposite, giving cause for them to be arrested.
Susan is in a seminary being taught the ways of the Aztecs and gets into trouble saying she’s not going to marry someone she’s told to, she’d want to choose for herself, against Aztec belief.
Ixta has asked the Doctor for help in his upcoming fight, not telling the Doctor whom it is he’s fighting. Tlotoxl and Ixta are definitely plotting together against the travellers, Tlotoxl telling Ixta to kill Ian.
The Doctor is arrested for talking to Babs, but was in ignorance of the law, certainly Tlotoxl has been plotting to capture or maybe even kill the travellers. Why? Well, they clearly seem threatening to him.
Ian and Ixta start their dual, however, Ixta uses the “magic” the Doctor gave him against Ian, whose strength is now rapidly draining.
Episode 3: The Bride of Sacrifice
Ixta is denied victory after Barbara stops the dual by holding Tlotoxl at knifepoint, humiliating him.
The Doctor is showing a great irascible edge when Tlotoxl confronts him in the garden.
Ixta has lied to the Doctor, telling him there were drawing plans of the temple where the TARDIS is trapped, but revealing that there are no such drawings.
Tlotoxl is planning to poison Babs with another Aztec priest, Tonila.
Cameca is talking to Autloc, she has cocoa beans which can be prepared into a love potion. Another Doctor/Cameca scene and it’s beautiful again. The Doctor things that using Cocoa as currency is a great idea “A currency you can drink!” He offers to make some cocoa to share with Cameca, seemingly unaware of what he’s getting involved it.
I love the scene between Ian and Babs, where Ian is trying to convince her that she’s seeing things the wrong way, that Autloc is the odd one out, not Tlotoxl as the other Aztecs share Tlotoxls beliefs. Tlotoxl and Tonila arrive and ask Babs to drink a draught with them as a sign of peace, but from his hiding place Ian tells her not to, realising that it’s poison. Barbaras confrontation with Tlotoxl is brilliant. Hill is fantastic in standing up to the Aztec butcher. As is her downfallen response after when she falls into Ians arms.
Another Doctor/Cameca scene where they’re drinking the cocoa and it’s fantastic. It always makes me chuckle when Cameca says that the Doctor has shown his love for her and she accepts his proposal. Hartnells reaction is just fantastic. It’s probably one of the best scenes in the story.
Tonila tells Tlotoxl that he heard Susan say she would only marry one she picked herself, giving Tlotoxl another plan, saying Barbaras’ weakness lies in her sevants. The Perfect Victim visits Susan with Tonila and says he’ll take her as his bride. She refuses to marry him meaning she will be “severely punished”.
Cameca brings the Doctor a brooch from the tomb, saying that it symbolises her love for him and they will one day have a garden of their own. Wonderful scene. Its added to with Ians responce to the Doctor telling Ian he got the brooch from his fiancé. Ians gentle teasing is a lovely touch.
Barbara begrudgingly gives permission for a young girl to be punished for disobeying the laws, and then finds out from Autloc that it’s Susan.
Episode 4: The Day of Darkness
Ian has made it into the temple and gets some binding from inside the tomb to help open the door from the outside. The Doctors relief at finding out that Ian is safe is great to watch. I can’t get over how wonderful Hartnell is in this story.
Ixta brags to Susan how he has killed Ian, unaware that he’s creeping up behind him. A wonderful responce from Russell; “Good commanders never jump to conclusions, Ixta!”
Tlotoxl and Ixta plan to frame Ian by striking Autloc with Ians club and leaving it there to be found. Ian and Susan find Autloc just as Ixta arrives with some warriors. Autloc decrees that they’re the sevants of a false Goddess, finally coming round to Tlotoxls way of thinking.
The Doctor is in the garden making a wheel as a pulley so the travellers can get into the tomb. It’s another wonderful Doctor/Cameca scene as you can see that the Doctor is actually rather fond of her. Autloc has a wonderful scene with Cameca as he plans with her to get Susan to Barbara before he goes to walk alone in the wilderness.
The Doctor and Cameca have their final scene and it’s really wonderful. Never before have you seen Hartnells Doctor so lost for words in such a way. His sad sigh as he turns is really touching.
Tlotoxl goes to kill Barbara but is stopped by Ian, revealing himself from one of the warriors. There’s a great fight scene between Ian and Ixta at the top of the pyramid, each edging the other towards an edge of the pyramid, Ian finally winning through and sending Ixta plunging to his death over the edge.
Tlotoxl just misses on catching the travellers with his warriors and instead turns to the perfect victim to make “perfect sacrifice”.
The scene inside the tomb with the Doctor and Babs is wonderful, Barbara reflecting that she failed to save the Aztec civilisation, but the Doctor telling her she helped one man.

Next time: Strangers in Space.

[Fitz Kreiner]

The Sensorites:

Episode 1: Strangers in Space.
The TARDIS has landed but is still moving. Ian suggests that they’ve landed on top of something, and Babs suggests they’ve landed inside something. Babs gives a good queries; “I sometimes wonder why we ever leave the ship!” The crew reminisce about how they’ve all changed since the first episode. It’s a lovely scene followed by a name dropping by the Doctor, he’s met Henry VIII,
What a beautiful tracking shot. It follows the travellers out through the TARDIS doors and into a spaceship, then turning back to see Susan close the TARDIS doors.
The two crewmembers of the spaceship are dead, and Susan says that she has a bad feeling which Barbara confirms. A wonderful mystery. The crewmembers watches can only have stopped 24 hours before the travellers arrived, yet the bodies are still warm. Suddenly the male crewmember moves and comes round.
Ian asks the crew if Big Ben is still on time. They don’t know what it is, coming from the 28th century. A wonderful piece of Hartnell here as he tells Ian not to meddle as he doesn’t then goes on to ask Maitland what’s happened to Ians amusement. A totally wonderful scene. I love it.
A spooky scene as an alien hand explores and then starts to use a strange tool on the TARDIS lock. As we’ve seen the crew walk from the TARDIS into the ship we know it’s happening right behind their backs.
The Sensorites seem to be causing the ship to plummet into their planet, the Sense Sphere. It’s a great scene, Carol and Maitland unable to fight against Sensorite control, being helped by the Doctor and Ian.
There’s another crewman, John. Maitland doesn’t want to talk about him for some reason.
The whole ship set is beautiful. It gives the impression of scale, shooting from different angles. With Babs and Susan in a different section a rather bedraggled looking crewman locks them in and follows them. We’re assuming this is John. His mind seems to be broken, we realise after what Maitland and Carol say and what we see of John.
The Sensorites are coming to the ship. We can hear the sound of their travel capsules and see the lights of them moving to the ship. The sound stops to an ominous silence. What a wonderfully chilling scene as Ian sees a Sensorite at the window. We see its head and hands appear as it peers through. Bloody chilling.
Episode 2: The Unwilling Warriors.
Maitland and Carol are scared of the Sensorites and that has opened their minds, making them vulnerable to the Sensorite attack. The Doctor and Ian break through this and they get back to work cutting through the door to get to Babs and Susan.
The Sensorites are in the ship, the look a little like Old Man Steptoe wearing pyjamas. But they’re a wonderfully realised alien, Old Man Steptoe not being the prettiest being!
Maitland and Ian get through the door, and the Doctor muses that maybe it’s possible that Susan can reach out and communicate with the Sensorites. It shows an alien nature to Susan, that she’s got telepathic abilities.
Going from what John has said, Ian believes that he’s found something on the Sense Sphere that the Sensorites want kept secret. Meanwhile the two Sensorites have communicated with the first elder, he seems to want to talk to Susan.
Ian and Babs go looking for the Sensorites to a wonderful piece of Incidental music. We’ve heard it before, but that doesn’t stop it giving a fantasticly spooky atmosphere, coupled with the black and white picture. I love Ians confrontation with the Sensorites. No words or violence as they silently advance on him.
The Sensorites, now locked up seem to be communicating with Susan. We hear one side of the conversation, her side. The Doctor seems astounded. Talking to the Sensorites, they discover that Earthmen have been there before and caused great misfortune to the Sensorite race.
The Doctor says “We Humans” when talking about cats seeing in the dark. He links this to the Sensorites eyes being dilated in the light, assuming they can’t see in the dark. The Doctor also admits that he knows sometimes what Ian is thinking through telepathy.
Susan says she is to go to the Sense Sphere otherwise everyone will be killed.
Episode 3: Hidden Danger
The Doctor confronts Susan and the Sensorites and it gives us a first insight into an argument between the Doctor and Susan. Wonderfully played by Carole Anne Ford and Hartnell. And the Doctor proves he was right by getting Ian to hit the lights and the Sensorites fumble around uselessly.
Ian says what we’re all thinking; “I don’t like this splitting up, it always leads to trouble.” After a bit of background from the Sensorites, they were visited by Earthmen ten years previous and since then their people have been dying, the Doctor, Ian, Susan, Carol and John leave for the Sense Sphere.
There’s a wonderful scene with the Sensorite Elders, talking about the “Earth Creatures”, saying they’re ugly and loud. As the second elder says; “There are creatures in the mountains, yet we do not invite them into our homes.” It’s a wonderful scene showing the alien point of view towards humanity. The First elder trusts the Humans, but the Second Elder is sceptical and the City Administrator is distrustful of them. He’s got a weapon called a “disintegrator” that can beam a killing blow. The Second Elder stops the City Administrator, saying he is wary of him as he has been won over by the Doctor and co.
The First Elder is talking to the Doctor and co and is appalled when the travellers are brought food and drink for the lower classes. The Sensorites have a rigid class structure. As the Doctor talks, Ian seems to be choking before collapsing. The First Elder regrettingly says that he’s caught the disease that has been killing the Sensorite people.
Episode 4: A Race Against Death.
The Doctor asks the First Elder if he can work with his scientists to cure Ian and then to help cure the Sensorite people. The Doctor uses salthingyer to abate the illness in Ian.
The City Administrator is highly suspicious against the Doctor, saying that Ians catching the disease is a trick and that they plan to kill the whole Sensorite race. John, however, his mind open can see that the Administrator is an enemy.
The Doctor has concluded that Atropine poisoning has been striking down the Sensorite nation. There follows a monage as the Doctor works with the Sensorite scientists to discover the cause of the poison, which he does so to the astonishment and gratitude of the Elders.
The City Administrator has taken the Second Elders sash and is now passing himself off as the Elder to cause more trouble against the Doctor, who is going to the aqueduct with one of the scientists. The Scientist tells him there are monsters in the dark. Noise and darkness, the two things the Sensorites dislike, which the Doctor thinks is too convenient.
The First Edler is a wonderful character, realising that he has misjudged the Humans, and tells the Second Administrator as such, that they are noble. The Second Elder, prisoner of the City Administrator tells him this for fear of retribution against his family group.
The Doctor discovers Deadly Nightshade in the aqueduct, the cause of the poisoning, but then is confronted by a snarling creature in the darkness.
Episode 5: Kidnap
Ian and Susan find the Doctor after he has been attacked by something in the dark. His coat has been shredded to tatters, although only his coat, which the three travellers think is strange. They realise that they’re surrounded by enemies; a Sensorite and the “Monsters” in the aqueduct and the water. However the city administrators’ accomplice overhears, silently appearing where they have just been stood in a rather spooky scene.
There’s a rather good scene between Carol and the Scientist curing John, with the scientist explaining what he is doing and Carol likens it to an eye lid, explaining what it is to the scientist who says that it is not always a good thing to see all the time.
The sets of the Sensorite city are beautiful. Alien and curved. Susan speaks for us when the Doctor says the City Administrator ran away from him, saying it must have been funny.
The Second Elder is killed in a struggle, which the Administrator says can work for them. They approach the First Elder saying that the Second Elder is dead and the Doctor killed him with a tool from his coat. Ian proves this wrong as the First Elder has just given the Doctor a cloak to replace his torn coat.
John is cured now, much to Carols delight. One of the humans who had been before left some details about the aqueduct causing the Doctor to muse over that, whilst Susan realises that the city Administrator was their enemy all along.
The new Second Elder, formerly the City Administrator, is planning to sabotage the Doctor and Ians journey into the aqueduct. The sense of sadness from the first elder when he realises that another Sensorite must have killed his Second Elder is wonderfully played.
Another sweet scene when John tells Susan that he things he and Carol will give up space travel and get married when they return to Earth, juxtaposed with Carol getting kidnapped.
Episode 6: A Desperate Venture.
Carol has been kidnapped by the city administrator and a message has been sent to say that she’s gone back to the ship. Babs arrives with a clear head, having not been on the planet long and sees things rather quickly and clearly, seeing that they’re being played by a Sensorite to gain power. Although, how Susan knows what Carols handwriting is like, I don’t know. John, I can understand his knowing.
The Doctor and Ian realise that they’re going with an altered map and sabotaged weapons.
John rescues Carol and the City Administrators accomplice is caught. He reveals that the maps and weapons given to the Doctor and Ian are useless but does not reveal his accomplice. However, it’s clear from Susans attitude to the City Administrator that she has strong suspicions that it’s him.
Ian grapples with a man in the aqueduct, ripping a shoulder sash that reads “ineer”, which Hartnell fluffs as “I-N-N-E-R”. It’s clearly from the uniform of one of the first humans to arrive at the Sense Sphere.
Babs and John go to look for the Doctor and Ian in the aqueduct, guided by Susan by the use of the Sensorites mind discs. Susan talks to the First Elder and gives a beautiful description of her own planet, Burnt orange skies, and silver leafed trees. Ford describes it with such passion its beautiful to watch.
In the aqueduct there’s a beautiful scene with the Doctor and Ian getting ambushed as they’re both looking opposite ways and see the way barred by a bedraggled man. The beauty lies in that they both believe that they’re looking in the same way. It raises a smile. The men wonder if the Sensorites are all dead. They seem to be mad, playing a rather subtle insanity, as if they’re playing war games.
In the “headquarters” it’s clearer that they think they’re at war with the Sensorites. The Doctor and Ian tell them that the war is over, humouring them into giving themselves up. The Commander reveals that he blew up the spaceship as two of his crew “deserted, pretending they had to go back to Earth to get reinforcements.”
A hidden warning system tells that John and Babs have arrived. Ian says they’re part of the welcome party, here to lead them back to the surface. Theres a lovely scene between the senior warrior and the Doctor after he stuns the Commander, saying he could have killed him and he had every right, but didn’t. Wonderfully played and although there are no human features on the Sensorites part, you can empathise with him.
Back in the TARDIS, the Doctor and Susan talk about going home, a wonderful scene with Hartnell and Ford. Susan hasn’t seemed as annoying in this story. The scene is added too brilliantly as Ian says that at least Maitland knows where they’re going, the Doctor saying he’s going to put Ian off the ship as he says Ian implied he’s a useless old fool. Grump from Hartnell again, but beautifully played, we’re not sure if he’s being quite serious here.

Next Time: A Land of Fear.

[Fitz Kreiner]

The Reign of Terror:

Episode 1: A Land of Fear.
Starting off in video, as this is the first of the “half missing” stories and there are a couple of episodes missing.
The TARDIS silently materialises in a wooded area, the Doctor saying that Babs and Ian are home and that Ian made his point perfectly clear. The Doctor has the universe to explore. Hartnell’s being the fantastic grump here, asking Ian if he’s still here. He suspects that they’ve landed in Somerset. A wonderful scene where Ian persuades the Doctor to come with them to part under good circumstances, a very British suggestion from Ian suggesting over a drink. I don’t know why, but a country pub springs to my mind.
A noise outside the TARDIS causes the travellers to start; Ian finds a young boy, terrified and dressed in rags. They’re in France, 4 Km from Paris. Ian gets the feeling that the Doctor has been building their hopes again. Susan wonders why he’s so afraid and what of.
A lovely scene between Ian and Barbara, not knowing where or even when they are, deciding to stay with the ship. The travellers find an old farmhouse and try to enter. Hartnell is playing it wonderfully. I’m totally loving his portrayal of the Doctor now, he really fleshes out the character, not so much the anti-hero he started, but still not the total hero.
Susan finds a chest full of clothes, food, wine, documents and daggers. Ian summarises that it’s a link in an escape chain. Babs notices that the document is signed by Robespierre. They’re slap bang in the middle of the French revolution, the Reign of Terror, as Babs says.
The Doctor is knocked out as the others change. Ian and Babs look the part now. Although two men have arrived, demanding to know the travellers allegiance. The incidental music has an interesting French militaristic theme.
The soldiers are an interesting bunch. Not greatly disciplined, more cutthroats and villains. One of the men goes to bolt but is caught, his level headed friend follows and tries to order the peasant soldiers. His voice carries authority still, but he’s rather violently shot. Another piece where the shot isn’t seen, we just see him fall. Then hear another shot as his comrade is killed, to laughter.
Ian, Babs and Susan are rounded up and are taken off to Paris to the guillotine. Before they leave, the Sergeant decides to burn the house down, with the Doctor, undiscovered, still inside. He seems to be taking some great relish in this, clearly enjoying killing and destruction. The rest of the men take up his laughter as the house is engulfed in flames. It’s really a harrowing scene, and so subtly brutal.
Episode 2: Guests of Madame Guillotine
Still Video! Good because I really want to SEE how this resolves, not hear it! I’m quite gripped. And the title is ominously placed over a still of a guillotine, the blade slamming down after the title and writer are displayed.
Ian, Babs and Susan are to be guillotined and taken to the cells. They’re really dingy and horrible and really claustrophobic. There are really horrific undertones to this story. The Jailer seems a little bit of a comic character, but seemingly offering Barbara an easy ride if she’s his “friend”. It’s remarkably adult.
The Boy has rescued the Doctor from the farmhouse, he gives the Doctor a brief rundown of what’s happened. It’s a touching scene, considering the Boy, Jean-Pierre was terrified of the Doctor last episode.
Susan is being uncharacteristically pessimistic here. She still doesn’t seem as annoying as previously. Either that, or I’m getting used to it.
Ian is locked in a cell with a chap called Webster. And on film too! You can see the difference in picture. It’s a lovely scene between Ian and Webster, Webster telling Ian that they must prepare for when France stops the “madness” and turn its attentions to England and war. It’s a lovely scene as Webster gives his last breath for England.
I love the scenes of the Doctor making his way across country to Paris. It’s added with a fantastic scene between the Doctor and a Roadworks Overseer, who asks if the Doctor thinks he’s very clever, getting “Without any undue modesty, yes!” in reply. It makes me chuckle every time.
Susan and Babs are attempting to escape and are almost caught by the jailer, who is called off by a new arrival, very official looking chap he is too.
We’re at the road again, and it’s brought a smile to my lips already. The Doctor is planning something, palming some coins from the overseer, who he lures over by saying there’s to be an eclipse. Dropping the coins, he pretends he’s dug them up, luring the overseer to dig them up because of his own greed.
A rather surprising violent act from the Doctor as he wallops the overseer over the head with the spade. We don’t see it, just the reaction to one of the workers, making the act seem all the violenter. Still, it allows him and the other workers to escape.
Susan and Babs are taken off to the guillotine after being told that Ian has been taken off the list by Lemaitre.
Episode 3: A Change of Identity
There are two men in the street, planning a break out and rescue of those being taken to Guillotine.
The jailer is called away from giving Ian his food, leaving the keys in the lock allowing Ian to palm the key to his cell. Rather fortunate for him! It’s twigged who the Jailer reminds me of; Peter Butterworths Citizen Bidet in Carry On Don’t Lose Your Head!
Babs plans a break out just as the two gentlemen arrive to rescue her, Susan and the others being taken for Execution.
The Doctor arrives, and in a lovely scene, barters a new outfit, that will allow him to move throughout the streets of Paris without being stopped.
Ian is now out of his cell and trying to escape the prison. Some suitably atmospheric music accompanies this. En route, he notices the Jailer has been knocked unconscious, but not that he’s being observed in his escape by Lemaitre.
The Doctors new costume is impressive, although it looks like he’s a dead peacock on his head!
Having gone with Lemaitre to see Robespierre, the shop keeper arrives at the jail, wanting to give Lemaitre the Doctors ring, as evidence against a traitor.
Episode 4: The Tyrant of France
Onto audio now, and as Marco Polo, its un-narrated, so bear with me.
The Doctor has a lovely conversation with Robespierre, asking what the point is in his Reign of Terror. Robespierre saying he can and will do great things for France. It’s wonderful banter back and forth from the Doctor and Robespierre.
I think the Shopkeeper has now gotten to see Robespierre, who is expecting to see the Doctor the next morning. It’s a little difficult to make out, I must admit, but still as gripping as the video episodes. No, he definitely has, being compensated by Robespierre.
Ian has arrived at the house where Susan and Babs are hiding, which happens to be where Webster had sent him with his information before he died.
The Doctor is brilliant in his chastising the jailer that he did not sleep well in the accommodation provided. “If I catch rheumatism, apologies will not cure it!”
Susan is taken to a physician, where they are told that her symptoms can be cured by Bloodletting, with leaches. The physician goes to the jail and reports them, returning with soldiers. Babs is taken for questioning, by the Doctor of all people!
Episode 5: A Bargain of Necessity
Ian is lured into a trap organised by Leon, who wants information. I wonder if Leon sometimes calls himself “Number 2”?
The Doctor arranges for Barbara to escape by convincing the Jailer that she knows the name of every traitor in France and if he’s allowed to escape, they can follow her to her friends.
Ian is being interrogated by Lemaitre again, wanting the message that Webster gave to him to give to James Stirling.
The annoying thing about audio with no narration is, I don’t know what’s happening when there’s no talking and just incidental music. Someone is being called an enemy of the people and being shot, that I can discern.
There is talk of a plot on the 27th July and that that date in 1794 will go down in history. It is the date that Robespierre is arrested after encouraging the deaths of over 17,000 “enemies of the revolution”.
Leon is dead, killed by Jules as he was the traitor in the escape route. He must have been the one who was shot in the bit I couldn’t make out. It’s an interesting scene as Babs says he wasn’t a traitor to his side, and that the revolution isn’t all bad. It’s a wonderful scene played by Hill, it’s such a shame that I can’t watch and judge the reactions of the characters. Babs implores Ian to pay closer attention to his history books.
Lemaitre says that he knew that the Doctor was a fraud from the beginning, and that he knows the Doctor and his companions roles. The Doctor takes Lemaitre to Jules house, to Jules horror, claiming the Doctor has betrayed them.
Episode 6: Prisoners of Conciergerie
Lemaitre comes as a friend, saying to Ian that his escape from prison was arranged by himself and reveals that he is James Stirling. He’s been working undercover for several years. Webster said that Stirling is to go back to England immediately as all information he has is needed.
Barrass, one of Robespierres deputies is planning a meeting to overthrow Robespierre at an inn called the Sinking Ship on the Calais road. Jules, Ian and Babs head there to get information about the meeting.
Babs looks the part in her peasant serving wench clobber. And Ians’ inkeeping clobber is rather fetching, especially the hat! Barrass arrives and Ian shows him to the room, where he has prepared a peephole. Ian seems to be loving his innkeeper role, and it’s rather a joy to watch.
Barrass’ guest arrives, hat pulled low and a scarf covering his face. Although he opens the back room door to look out to make sure he wasn’t followed. Ians’ realisation that it’s Napoleon is fantastic.
Barrass plans to try and execute Robespierre before his followers can act, saying that he will not be able to speak. Rather ominous as he doesn’t say he won’t be allowed to speak. Makes you wonder what he’s planning for Robespierre.
I really like Ians normal French clobber. Very swish, and very me!
Robespear locks himself into his office, but it doesn’t stop the mob that is after him and he is arrested before Ian and Lemaitre can get there. Another horrific bit of off screen violence as we hear a gunshot and Robespierre is dragged out, holding his jaw. He’s been shot in the mouth.
The Doctor manages to get Susan out of her cell just as Robespierre is brought in. The soldiers bringing him in seem amused by his pain and suffering. They really are a violent and bloodthirsty lot. It’s another quite adult piece for a family program.
The travellers depart, Lemaitre saying that he gets the feeling that even they don’t know where they’re going. Theres a fantastic end to this first season as the Doctor and Ians voices are heard over a starscape; "What are we going to see and learn next, Doctor?" Well, unlike the old adage, my boy, our destiny is in the stars, so let's go and search for it..."

Next Time: Planet of Giants.

[Fitz Kreiner]

Planet of Giants:

Episode 1: Planet of Giants.
Something on the console is overheating and something has caused the doors to force open. Susan and the Doctor are clearly concerned. Obviously something serious has happened. Hartnell is being grumpy again, saying Ian and Babs can’t understand what he’s on about.
The most dangerous time is the point of materialisation, Susan says.
Now that’s got me staring at the screen and wondering, the scanner blows out. As if there was something too big for it to comprehend, the Doctor says.
The TARDIS seems to have landed on a mountain pass, and strangely, there’s a patch of very rough looking cement. I love the sense of mystery that is being played out here. It’s certainly keeping me glued to the screen.
Ian and Susan find a lot of strange eggs and then a giant ant. Not only that, Babs and the Doctor have discovered a giant Earthworm.
Woo! Norwich! Little cheer for my home city as Ian and Susan discover a large “picture” of a seed packet of Night Scented Stock. The Doctor has pieced it together, finding a giant matchstick, although he’s not told us yet. The giant sets are fantastic.
The crew have been reduced to the size of an inch. Theres a wonderful tracking shot as the camera pans out from the TARDIS showing it to be in the crazy paving of a garden path.
Ian’s been picked up inside a giant matchbox and carried off by a “normal” sized man. Gha, I want to slap Susan again, her screaming is getting right up my nose.
Another man arrives and is talking to the first, Mr Farrow, about DN6, an experimental pesticide, which kills all insects, even those necessary to agriculture. It seems that Forrester, the new arrival wants it to go ahead and pulls a gun on Farrow.
The Doctor, Babs and Susan come across a dead bee, and recognise a distinct odour that accompanies all the dead creatures. They’re interrupted by a large explosion.
Ian climbs out of the matchbox to find the, albeit giant, body of Farrow. He finds the others and shows them when they are found by Farrows cat.
Episode 2: Dangerous Journey
The Doctor says one swipe of the cats’ paw would smash them to pieces. It hits home that normal things are now deadly for the TARDIS crew. Ian hits on a good point; they can’t contact other people because their voices wouldn’t carry or be understandable due to the size distance.
Mr Smithers arrives. Excellent! Examining Farrows body is rather a shocker; his eyes still open and accusing, the dirt on the side of his face and the bullet hole and blood. Forrester is one manipulative so and so. Manipulating Smithers desire to help people into proceeding with his plans, all because if DN6 isn’t put into production, he’d be broke.
Ian and Babs didn’t pick the best hiding place; a briefcase. Now they’ve been carried into the lab. The Doctor and Susan decide to climb the inside of a pipe to see if it leads to where the briefcase has been taken. The sets are wonderful, they really are.
Ian’s wonderfully piecing it together, deducing that they’re working on insecticide. Babs is worried as she’s touched something that’s been sprayed. Hill plays it well, you can see how her concern is rapidly growing.
A fantastic cliffhanger as Smithers washes his hands in the sink and then pulls the plug, with the Doctor and Susan sheltering in the pipe, just below the plug.
Episode 3: Crisis
The Doctor and Susan sheltered in the overflow pipe, so the water flushed passed, not affecting them. joining Ian and Babs, they discover a notebook with the formula for the insecticide.
You can see the insecticide starting to affect Babs, she’s tiring quickly.
The travellers have managed to put corks under a telephone to try to get through to the police, but to no avail. Not only that, but Babs passes out through the effects of the insecticide and the Doctor notices that she’s touched it.
The Doctor decides to start a fire to attract people to the house. Ian spots a gas pipe, an ideal think to cause a fire. However, it seems the telephone exchange lady is suspicious and sends her husband, Bert, a policeman, to investigate.
This story may not be as that fast paced, but it is certainly rather gripping. The gas tap is lit and the flame is heating up a pressurised canister while Forrester is now holding Smithers at gunpoint, who has realised that DN6 is deadly. They enter the lab as the canister explodes and Bert arrives, just in the nick of time.
Back in the TARDIS, the Doctor has taken one of the seeds from the lab. A fantastic shot, as the TARDIS dematerialises, the seed the Doctor has taken shrinks down to normal size and Babs comes round.

Next Time: Worlds End.

[John Darnacan]

A point of trivia: The script for Planet of Giants was actually the script that was going to be used for the pilot, but it was decided that it didn't have the element of time and space .

While a great story, it would not have been a good opening story. It would have been like opening Star Trek with Mudd's Women. Oh wait...they did do that. ;D

[Claire Voyant]

Aug 13, 2008 23:25:32 GMT John Darnacan said:

A point of trivia: The script for Planet of Giants was actually the script that was going to be used for the pilot, but it was decided that it didn't have the element of time and space .

I think Tribe of Gum makes a lot more sense that Planet of Giants for a first outing. First stories are always a bit difficult. Although, it would have been great if the had just gone straight to Skaro. Of course, they didn't really have any idea that the Daleks were really going to become the phenomenon they did.