LBs Time Team

[Fitz Kreiner]

The Underwater Menace:

Episode 1:
We’re still in audio and with no linking narration this time.
We’ve a new arrival on the TARDIS now, the young highlander piper Jamie McCrimmon.
We come into the first episode with Jamie coming to terms with the TARDIS and what it really is. There’s an interesting piece where we hear the thoughts of the Doctor, Ben and Polly and where they want to end up.
The TARDIS has landed on a volcanic island. Polly is captured by someone who ties her up. The travellers find her in a cave, which strangely seems like a lift. And there’s a piece of pottery inside from the 1968 Mexico Olympiad.
They’re taken from the cave lift into a chamber where there’s food. The Doctor dives straight in warranting a rather amusing response from Polly saying she’s never seen the Doctor go for food like that “it’s normally hats”!
The travellers are interrupted by some strange people, who stop when the Doctor mentions the name Professor Zaroff.
The incidental music is rather interesting, with some rather curious stabs in the music. Ben, Polly and Jamie have been taken to a temple where it seems that they are to be executed to the Goddess Amdo.
The Doctor says that he has some information for Zaroff, but he will only tell him the information if his friends are released, which they are. Apparently Zaroff is the greatest scientific genius since Leonardo. And he’s now living under the sea in this city, presumed dead. Zaroff certainly seems an odd chap.
The Doctors companions have been taken somewhere where they are allocated tasks, and Ben and Jamie are carted off to some mines. Polly is left with Damon, a scientist, who shows Polly some fish people, before turning on to Polly, telling her that she is to be sent out to join the fish people “farmers”.
The Doctor realises that they’re in the ancient kingdom of Atlantis whilst talking to Zaroff, who is planning to lift Atlantis from the sea. Ara sneaks in to tell the Doctor that Polly is to be given the procedure to become a fish person.
In the lab, Damon advances on Polly with a syringe, telling her that it will soon all be over.
Episode 2:
The lights in the city dim, causing a pause in Pollys operation.
Zaroff is showing the Doctor about his lab, including a pet octopus. That would be a really cool pet to have. Damon rushes in and confronts Zaroff about his use of the power. It certainly seems as though Zaroff has some power over the other scientists.
Ara is left to guard Polly by Damons assistant, and helps her to escape.
Zaroff is planning to raise Atlantis by draining the worlds oceans into the molten core of the Earth, and the Doctor knows that Zaroff knows what will happen; the water will become superheated steam and will result in the planet being blown apart. Zaroff seems most unhinged, wanting to destroy the world, with him on it! The man is nuttier that squirrel droppings!
In the mines, Jamie and Ben befriend two other miners called Jacko and Sean who have a compass, which is something forbidden in the mines.
Damon reveals that they pick up survivors of ship wrecks and convert them to fish people.
Sean and Jacko rope Ben and Jamie into their escape attempt. Clearly people don’t work down the mines as a matter of choice.
Ara distracts the guards as the Doctor talks with Ramo, the priest, telling him that they both distrust Zaroff, Ramo out of nature and the Doctor because he knows the truth. He demonstrates what would happen heating water in a clay pot, which bursts and shatters. The two men decide to take what they know to Thous, King of Atlantis.
Ben, Jamie, Jacko and Sean discover Polly hiding in the tunnels during their escape.
The Doctor and Ramo confront Thous, where the Doctor explains that Zaroff is “as mad as a hatter”. Thous seems unbelieving, having heard Ramos’ argument before. He returns with Zaroff and his guards, telling him he may do with them as he will.
Episode 3:
Back onto video too. Zaroff seems rather miffed at the Doctor saying he regrets interfering with the sacrifice and saving the Doctor.
Finally able to see all the costuming, there is a lot of water and sea life connotations in the costumes now. And Ramo has a beard that looks not unlike Victorian Prime Minister Benjamin Disrali’s!
The Doctor and Ramo are forced into the temple and their heads placed upon blocks as the executioner raises his axe before the voice of Ramo interferes. The Doctor recognises the voice as Ben peers round from the idol, beckoning the Doctor and Ramo into a secret chamber behind the idol.
The priest arrives to tell Thous about the “miracle” and Zaroff is clearly not convinced. It seems as though he has some hold over Thous, despite it seeming that Thous has some suspicions about the scientist after meeting with the Doctor.
The Doctor realises that the key to defeating Zaroff is to cut off the source of supply to Atlantis by getting the fish people to go on strike as Atlantis’ sea food goes off in a matter of hours. Sean and Jacko set off to speak to the fish people while the Doctor and his companions prepare to kidnap Zaroff.
Actually, seeing Ramo again, he looks more like Mr Tumnus from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe in his costume! Anyway, the Doctors plan works and he and his companions manage to capture Zaroff and hold him prisoner in the secret passage behind the Amdo statue that they’ve made their base.
The fish people look rather interesting. Not scary, but interesting. Some of them look like they’re actual fish-people whereas others look as though they could be the surgically altered people who had the “plastic gills” put in, as Damon wanted to do to Polly.
Zaroff tells the Doctor that if they want to halt his plans then they are too late as it is all automated. The Doctor believes him to be bluffing, saying that he would want to press the button himself. About to argue back Zaroff suffers an attack, warranting the Doctor Ben and Jamie to go in search of help. Once they’re gone, Zaroff reveals it to have been a trick and spearing Ramo runs off with Polly.
Ramo manages to warn the Doctor, emerging from the statue. The Doctor sends Jamie after Zaroff and Polly whilst he and Ben have “other fish to fry”. The Doctor is certainly getting in his share of fishy puns.
Zaroff is certainly rather OTT as he’s confronted by Jamie and then Sean arrives as back up. The Scientist evades them holding Polly hostage before throwing her into them.
Thous is starting to have his suspicions of Zaroff who eventually reveals how mad he is when Thous mentions his people and Zaroff says they are now his own people. Shooting Thous he responds with a typical mad scientist remark of; “Nuzzing in ze vorld can stop me now!”
Episode 4:
The Doctor and Ben arrive after Zaroff has left and finds Thous, alive but injured.
Arriving back at their base of operations, the Doctor says that Sean and Jacko have to get everyone to higher levels and he and Ben are going to flood the lower levels, including Zaroffs laboratory, in an attempt to stop the scientist.
Ben and the Doctor arrive at the lab where the Doctor pretends to be Bens prisoner. It’s quite a nice scene where Ben confronts the guard at the door, saying he doesn’t know the password as he’s been out chasing the Doctor, and he’s easily a prisoner as “He don’t look normal, do he?”
Jamie and Polly are making their way still to the Lab as the wall besides them starts to break through the walls near them, threatening to drown them as they struggle to get to higher ground.
The Doctor and Ben arrive in the Lab as Zaroff is preparing his final stages and informs the remaining men in the lab that the experiment will result in the planet’s destruction. Zaroffs men flee hearing the roar of the approaching water as Zaroff seals himself into the section of the Lab that contains the controls to activate his experiment.
Polly is starting to get a little hysterical at her and Jamie’s seemingly hopeless plight. Jamie is really kindly towards her and really shows a great side to his character as he comforts her. It’s a wonderful peice of inter-companion play the likes we’ve not seen for quite a while.
Zaroff tries to activate his master plan as the water floods his laboratory and drowns the misguided scientist in his sealed section of the lab.
The Doctor and Ben arrive at the surface of the island safe from the surging water, unsure whether Polly and Jamie have made it out of Atlantis alive, whist Jamie and Polly have done the same. The travellers reuinite in some joy and swiftly depart in the TARDIS much to Seans disbelief at the sight of the TARDIS and it’s police box exterior.
And a lovely scene at the end where Jamie says how much he loves the TARDIS already and how he feels safe in it. Although his questioning whether the Doctor can control it leads the Doctor to try to prove himself and he says that he’s going to take his friends to Mars. On setting the controls, the TARDIS starts to plummet out of control.

Next Time – The Moonbase.

[Fitz Kreiner]

The Moonbase

Episode 1:
We’re still on audio here.
The Doctor has managed to regain control over the TARDIS as Jamie is convinced he’ll never ask the Doctor to do it again. Polly is impressed the Doctor managed to land the TARDIS where he said he would.
The incidental music is wonderful already. Chilling and creepy and like the music of the old days of Who.
Ben is convinced that the TARDIS has landed on the Moon and the Doctor bashfully agrees that’s where they’ve landed. Reluctantly he agrees to some “shore leave” and the travellers space suit up and leave the TARDIS.
The music is really creepy and wonderfully atmospheric. And there’s a wonderful scene as Ben, Polly and Jamie accostomise themselves with moon gravity and take large leaps. Jamie jumps too far however and falls near a base hidded beyond a ridge. Two figures emerge and take Jamie inside before the travellers enter themselves.
In the base, a technician collapses due to a mysterious disease apparently which leaves black lines over the man’s skin.
Hobson, the base controller sees the Doctor and his companions, where Bob, another technician explains that Jamie is in the medical bay having knocked himself out. The Doctor realises that the gravitron in the Weather control station is what caused the TARDIS’s rough landing.
Hobson mocks the Doctor slightly calling him a “proper Rip Van Winkle” when he queries the date as he explains what is happening. It’s an interesting setting and a rather believable one, considering it’s a 1960s vision of the future.
Whilst on the radio, the radio operator informs Hobson that there’s someone monitoring the Moonbase’s radio transmissions; someone not too far away on the moon.
There’s a wonderfully chilling scene inside an alien craft as they monitor the transmissions. The incidental music really adds to the atmosphere. It’s chilling enough to give me goosebumps.
Jamie is in the sick bay, the Doctor explaining to Polly about the machine that he’s hooked to. The Doctor becomes concerned when Jamie talks about a “Phantom Piper”, which Polly says is a legend of his clan. The Doctor is concerned because of Jamies belief in it and asks if he’s seen it yet. He’s also rather suspicious of the disease, saying it’s not like a real disease.
Ben is sent by Benoit to assist Ralph in the food store. The music is chilling again here. It’s giving an almost horror film feel to the story. An interesting snipped as Ralph picks up a bag of sugar to find a hole in it, muttering aloud that anyone would think they have rats. A mysterious figure looms out of the dark and with an electric crackle, renders Ralph unconscious and drags him away.
There’s a lovely scene with the Doctor explaining about the day and night shifts in the base where she gently mocks him before they’re interrupted by a terrifying scream from Dr. Evans. He’s deliriously muttering about a “silver hand”.
Jamie see’s something as Polly tends to him and trys to say something but is too terrified. Polly turns round in time to see the door close and screams. The Doctor, Hobson and two technicians arrive and check to find nothing there and Evans body has disappeared. The Doctor and Hobson are called back to the control room as another man collapses and Polly goes to get Jamie some water as the figure re-enters the room and advances of Jamie. The figure is a Cyberman. The music is really chilling and really makes the creatures appearance a real scare and downright chilling.
Episode 2:
Back to DVD again.
The Cyberman is really chilling in its new design, more metallic and like a robot, and gone is the cloth face, replaced by a blank, emotionless and unfeeling mask. It’s enough t send shivers down your spine.
Returning with Jamies water, Polly spots the Cyberman leaving and screams, drawing the Doctor and Hobson back. She instantly recognises it for what it is. Ben wonders that the Cybermen were all killed when Mondas was destroyed, but Hobson is point blank refusing to believe that it’s the Cybermen; “There were Cybermen, every child knows that, but they were all destroyed ages ago”. The Doctor still seems to think that it could be them. It seems that Troughtons Doctor has become a lot darker than we’ve seen so far, even more than when facing the Daleks.
There’s a fantastic Doctor moment; “There are some corners of the universe that have bred the most terrible things. Things that act against everything we believe in. They must be fought.” as he ponders over whether the disease is a disease at all.
The sets for the Moonbase look fantastic, right down to the Luna-scape outside the dome and the darkness of space beyond that. The exterior shots of the base are fantastic as well. As I said above, it’s a wonderfully realistic vision of the future as opposed to hover cars and massive moon cities by the year 2000. Not your typically romanticised image of the future. Even the crew on the Moonbase seem realistic and likeable.
There’s another wonderful scene with the Doctor collecting “specimines” from about the control room as the technicians go about their work, attacting a verbal attack in French from Benoit and unwanted attention from Hobson, who stands over his as he carefully removes a boot from a man’s foot.
In the sickbay, Jamie asks Polly if they’re in the home of the Piper, saying he can’t be alive as he’s just seen the Piper. It’s a wonderfully chilling scene as Polly turns around to find a Cyberman stood there, impassively staring at her. Shocking both her and Jamie with electric bolts from its wrists, the Cyberman moves to Jamie before ignoring him and moving over and carrying another body from the sick bay.
Hobson is informed of another air pressure drop, yet the decompression chamber is empty. Deep in the base, a Cyberman bursts through some sacks stacked covering a hole in the base wall and begins to restack them after it.
Two technicians are sent outside to check a fault with a radio control antenna that has become misaligned.
Hobson enters the sickbay to confront the Doctor who pretends to be busy having just confessed to Polly that he’s not found anything. It’s an interesting side to the Doctor, almost manipulative as he manages to buy more time after Hobson threatens to throw him and his companions from the base.
The lunar surface shots are beautiful. And chilling as two Cybermen club down the two scientists who’ve gone to check the antenna. Their empty suits are left by the antenna in a chilling moment.
Meanwhile Polly brings coffee into the control room where the Doctor has confessed to Hobson he’s found nothing and another man collapses leading the Doctor to make a revelation. It’s a wonderful scene as he realises that the sugar is infected. It’s a neurotropic agent that follows the nerves, causing the black lines on the skin.
There’s another wonderfully chilling scene as Hobson says that the whole base has been searched and nothing has been found as the Doctor becomes wonderfully dark again, when pressing Hobson the commander realises that the sick bay was never searched. Slowly checking the beds they find a pair of silver boots sticking out from under the covers and a Cyberman rises, revealing itself. It’s a really creepy scene and the horror from the crew as they realise that the Cybermen are inside the base is just fantastic, really playing up the scare factors.
Episode 3:
And back to audio again.
The music is really adding a lot to this story, and the Cybermen’s voices are redesigned as well. More mechanical and even more chilling than the original voices. More droning and emotionless.
Bob attempts to attack the Cyberman but is shot down as a second enters the sick bay. And the Cybermen seem to recognise the Doctor too, like the Daleks before them.
On the Cyber ship, the men from the base are under Cyber control, being controlled by devices attached to their heads.
The Cybermen invade the control room and state that they are planning to devastate the surface of the Earth by the use of the Gravitron.
In the sickbay, Jamie has regained consciousness and got to his feet, better. Together, Ben, Polly and Jamie plot a way to overcome the Cybermen. Jamie mentions sprinkling Witches with holy water, giving Polly an idea of using a solvent on the Cybermens chest units.
Another Cyberman arrives with the controlled humans, who are to take control of the Gravitron. Benoit warns that the Gravitron would send the humans mad within twelve hours if they go in without protection. The Cyberman coldly replies that their purposes will be complete long before then.
There’s a really interesting and clever scene where the Doctor has a conversation with his self and you hear his whispers and thoughts. The Doctor deduces that the Cybermen aren’t entering the Gravitron control room themselves because they are afraid of the Gravity.
Ben comes across the idea of using a fire extinguisher to spray the “Polly cocktail” over the Cybermen, and he and Jamie prepare to attack the Cybermen with them after a confrontation. It’s an interesting companion dynamic as Jamie does seem to have a soft spot for Polly and there’s a little rivalry between him and Ben.
The Doctor distracts the Cybermen by interfering with their control beam as Ben, Polly and Jamie burst into the room, spraying the Cybermen. The description of the Cybermens deaths is rather graphic, and I can only imagine what it looked like. If it was anything like the description then it wouldn’t have been pretty.
Benoit goes outside to find the two scientists who have now gone missing, and whilst outside is pursued by a Cyberman, who is gaining over Benoit in the low gravity. Ben rushes to Benoits aid, quickly donning a space suit and taking a cylinder from inside a fire extinguisher with “Polly cocktail” and throws it at the Cyberman. There’s another wonderful description of the Cybermans death that again must have been rather grim to watch.
In the base, they triangulate the distance of the cyber ship to be over a ridge in the distance. Going to check in the observation dome, two rows of Cybermen can be seen marching slowly and relentlessly towards the base across the airless surface of the moon.
Episode 4:
And back onto DVD.
The footage of the Cybermen marching across the lunar surface is just chilling and downright scary. Blank emotionless troops, unwavering and unrelenting.
In the base, the Cybermens tunnel has been blocked but their communications link has been cut off.
I’ve got to say, these Cybermen are a hell of a lot scarier than the original Cybermen, who were scary to begin with. But these, well, they’re into the premier league of scaryness. It’s little wonder that they gave me nightmares when I was a child.
On the moon’s surface, the Cybermen regain control over Dr. Evans in the base in an effort to use him as a tool to allow their entry. Unnoticed, Evans manages to make his way to the Gravitron control room and clubbing down the operator, takes his place.
On the bases scanner, the relief ship is approaching the moon, “coming in off parking orbit.” In a rather unnerving and wonderfully understated scene the ship changes direction rapidly heading towards the sun. It’s subtly horrible, the crew of the rocket being sent into a close orbit of the sun, and the only way it could have happened, the Doctor realises was from the control room and the Cybermen have regained control over the crew men with the Neurotrope X.
Ben and Jamie go to check the medical bay to make sure that only Evans has been reactivated and whilst preparing to barricade the sick bay door, spot the others trying to leave. It’s another wonderful scene with the two young men and the companion dynamic they share.
The Cybermen contact the base, telling them that any further ship from Earth will be deflected. There’s a wonderfully chilling moment when Hobson tells the Cybermen they will never get inside the base and the Cyber voice replies; “We are in it already.” Then the base decompresses in another wonderful scene as the Cybermen puncture the dome using a laser beam. It’s a wonderfully played scene and is as believable as the base, it’s crew and the setting.
The Cybermen prepare to attack the base with a heavy duty laser cannon and inside the dome Hobson tells people to take cover. There’s a wonderful moment as the Doctor asks if the Gravitron is switched on, and when the reply is the positive, he adamantly remains standing in full sight of the Cyberman weapon. It’s almost like the cliffhanger to episode 3 of the War Machines where the War Machine bears down on the Doctor, and in this instance the beam deflects over the dome due to the gravitron.
Hobson realises that the Gravitron deflected the beam giving him and the Doctor the idea of bringing it to bear on the surface of the moon as the Cybermen pack the weapon away and advance on the Moonbase. Hobson over rides the automatic cut out allowing the probe to be levelled on the surface ejecting the advancing Cybermen and their ships from the Moon’s surface to the bases jubilation, during which the travellers slip away.
Walking across the moons surface, Polly spots what looks like a comet in the sky and asks the Doctor if it’s the Cybermen. The Doctor thinks it’s possible, and hopes it’s “the last we see of them”. In the TARDIS, the Doctor decides to take a look at something called a “Time Scanner” which shows them a glimpse of the future, and this future involves a large claw.
“I hope it’s the last we see of them” the Doctor says about the Cybermen. However, I really don’t. These Cybermen are absolutely terrifying. Their blank emotionless masks are just chilling and their voices are the sound I hear in my nightmares, even to this day. The epitomy of what Doctor Who is. Something to scare you senseless and an adventure to enjoy and get drawn into. A wonderful glimpse of the future and one of the more realistic and believable insights that we’ve had so far. No gleaming cities, hover cars and ray guns like the romanticised future image, but a more human future, mankind still struggling to survive in the world, trying to control the weather to make living that bit more comfortable. The Moonbase may have had some plots and ideas taken straight from The Tenth Planet, but it’s still a fresh and scary and stands up even in this day. In fact I can sum this story up in two words; bloody fantastic!

Next Time – The Macra Terror.

[John Darnacan]

Great descriptions LB. Your description of the Dalek Invasion of Earth made me rewatch the final scene. Quite touching. I had completely missed that Susan had dropped the Tardis key in the final shot.

Thanks for doing this.

[Fitz Kreiner]

No probs Prof. I'm enjoying doing it, and I've got quite some way to go yet!

[Fitz Kreiner]

The Macra Terror:

Episode 1:
Back with the audio again with narration from a kindly sounding man called Colin Baker.
The music is rather bizarre, and with the colony apparently like a holiday camp, it strangely seems a fitting music.
Already there’s some intrigue with a man refusing some treatment and running away. The man, Medok hides in some rocks and observes the TARDIS materialisation.
Despite the initial music, there is some rather bizarre background noise, almost like clicking and clunking.
Jamie and Ben tackle Medok as he springs from cover and the guards soon arrive and take Medok back as prisoner.
Jamie seems rather suspicious of the colony members. And I can’t say I blame him, this whole place seems just odd. The music is rather grating and quite annoying. Yet on the flip side, there is some good background sounds like I mentioned before.
The Doctor has been put in a strange machine called a clothes reviver, which makes him look rather immaculate. It’s moments like this which make you really want to have something to see. “Who wants to see themselves in a pair of suede shoes?” Fortunately for him there’s a “Rough and Tumble machine” which tones the muscles and reverts the Doctor back to his normal state.
Ben mentions that the control is “all over the place like some kind of politician”. It kind of gives the impression of Big Brother, or the numerous pictures of Mussolini in Italy through his rule and the slogan “Il Duce is watching you!”
The Doctor has found Medok and is questioning him about the creatures he saw; like giant insects with claws. He vows to return to him at night to explore and try to find the creatures. Doing so, the two men see some strange crab-like creatures walking through some ruins.
Episode 2:
The incidental music for the Macra is rather good, it has a good and almost marching beat.
The guards arrive and instantly dismiss the Doctor and Medoks story.
The Doctor has been taken before the Pilot because of his leaving the colony at night. The colony members seem to consider leaving the colony is a crime and that Medok is dangerous, suffering from hallucinations. The Doctor is rather sceptical.
There’s another static picture of the controller. There’s something that doesn’t seem right about him, we only ever see a static picture of him. It almost seems as though he may not be all he seems.
And another really interesting piece where a voice seems to shout to the colony that there is no such thing as Macra and Macra do not exist. There’s some rather interesting hypnosis and suggestions during the night as a soothing voice speaks to Ben, who is fast asleep, and Jamie, who is tossing and turning and hears the voice. He feels that it’s evil and when he talks to Ben about it, realises that Ben is talking like the voice. The young Scot shows some good potential. He’s growing into a really good companion.
The Doctor discovers something awry in Polly’s room, a wire in the wall and fuses it before going to Ben and Jamie’s room where Ben has succumbed to the hypnosis and runs off to get some guards. There’s another great moment with Jamie, who blocks the guards from the Doctor, saying he only takes orders from the Doctor.
Polly confronts Ben before running off, the young sailor in hot pursuit. Sheltering in the mines, Ben catches Polly before she sees a Macra skulking in the shadows. It’s a really gripping scene as Ben seems as though he’s trying to convince himself and is still saying that there is nothing evil in the colony.
The Doctor is being questioned by Captain Ola when Ben reports in with Polly, who tells the Doctor her story only for Ben to deny that there is no such things as Macra. Jamie demands that they see the controller, and the picture of the young man fades to reveal an old and emaciated man who is dragged away by a Macra claw. The colony is under control of the Macra.
Episode 3:
The Doctor, Jamie and Polly have been taken to the mines to work. Jamie is insistent that an “old man and a lassie” shouldn’t be sent to dig. Ben in brought to the mine to watch over the Doctor.
Whilst the Doctor has been working on the formula of the gas that they have been mining, Jamie has managed to open a door and slip away down a shaft.
Medok realises that Jamie has escaped and decides to join him. Working his way down the old shaft, he is grabbed round the throat by a large claw.
Several of the characters from the colony seem to repeat the words “Control knows best”. It’s like indoctrination.
Ben seems to be struggling from the conditioning that he’s received, as though he’s starting to break through.
Control are about to pour the gas that has been mined into the shaft where Jamie is making his escape. The Doctor realises that they’re not pumping it down the shaft to get Jamie, rather because there is something down the shaft that they want to keep alive.
Episode 4:
The Doctor is checking the pipes to try to stop the Gas being pumped into the shaft.
As Jamie struggles with the Macra, fresh air pours into the shaft, causing the Macra to slump and the young Scot to make his escape from the creatures.
I’ve got to say, al this music and chanting etc really wouldn’t make me want to live in this colony, whether there were Macra there or not!
In his escape, Jamie stumbles across some revellers and to make his escape starts the Highland fling, but runs straight into the guards.
The Doctor and Polly making their escape see Macra breathing in the gas that the colony mines. The Doctor calls them a parasite, working their way into the colony like a disease. They decide that they should show the Pilot the Macra, proving that the creatures exist.
Making their way to the Pilot, they discover Ben and Jamie already there, the latter under arrest.
The Doctor has had some wonderful moments this episode, with such lines as “You can’t arrest us when we’ve given ourselves up.” And “Bad laws were made to be broken.”
The voice of control strips the Pilot of his authority as the Doctor shows him the Macra. Control persuades Ola to lock the Doctor, Jamie, Polly and the Pilot in the pump room where gas starts flooding in, suffocating them.
Ben has become his old self again and arrives at the pump room, where the Doctor instructs him on how to save them and deal with the Macra.
The colony throws a party for the Doctor and his companions, as Ben arrives telling the Doctor that he’s heard “through the grapevine” that the colony wants him as the new Pilot. Appalled, the Doctor and his companions dance their way to the door to make a getaway.
Overall, this story is somewhat of an anti-climax after the brilliance of The Moonbase and struggled to grab my attention. After the rounded and realistic characters of the Moonbase, I found that I wasn’t really caring about the colony and its members.

Next Time – The Faceless Ones.

[Fitz Kreiner]

The Faceless Ones:

Episode 1:
And we’re on a recon and we start off on video.
The TARDIS seems to have put down at an airport of all places. Jamies reaction to an Aeroplane is just brilliant. “It’s a flying beastie!” A great reaction for someone from the 18th century.
And we’re straight into the action as the TARDIS crew are chased by a policeman and are separated. Polly seems to have found danger straight off as she sees a man shoot down another in one of the hangars with a strange weapon.
The airport control room is wonderfully realised and the airport Commandant is a wonderfully believable character, weary from his job. This is already a lot better than Macra Terror.
Polly finds the Doctor and Jamie and tells her about seeing the man killed. Jamie asks if it was “By one of the beasties?”
There’s certainly something dodgy going on in the Chameleon Tours Hangar, where Polly saw, who it transpires, Detective Inspector Gascoigne of the police shot dead. The Doctor notices that Gascoigne has been electrocuted, if he was shot, it wasn’t by a gun developed on Earth yet. Leaving the Hangar, Polly is captured by the man she saw shoot Gascoigne using a “freezing” pen.
The Doctor and Jamie seem to have developed a very good dynamic and the Doctors confrontation with the immigration Commandant is wonderful. It shows a great side to the Doctor and a great example of the afore mentioned dynamic.
Ben has found the Chameleon Hangar and Captain Blade, who really is acting very strangely.
The Airport Commandant arrives to talk to the Doctor and Jamie, who take him to the Chameleon Hangar. Inside, Blade seems to be tending someone with strange alien seeming skin. There’s a great Doctor moment when the Commandant scoffs about the body having nothing in its pockets and the Doctor replies “Yes, I was rather surprised at that too.”
Once the Doctor, Jamie and Commandant have gone, Blade and Spencer take a strange, covered figure with a strange scaly hand.
At immigration, Jamie spots Polly coming through, and alerts the Doctor, however, the girl claims not to be Polly and has never seen the Doctor and Jamie before in her life.
Blade and Spencer take the figure to the Airport hospital, and it’s quite alien, and although we only see it from the back, it’s a rather horrible looking chap. It really is quite a magnificent makeup job.
Episode 2:
We’re onto recon.
Behind a screen in the Hospital, the unconscious form of Meadows, an air traffic Commandant.
The girl who looks like Polly says her name is Michelle Luipi, from Zurich, and it’s her first time in England. Wahey, Jamie says “murder”, and in a Scots accent, it’s just like an episode of Taggart!
There’s a wonderful scene where the Commandant is on the phone about the Doctor and Jamie and the pair run. The Commandants almost deadpan “Never mind, the situations changed” is wonderfully delivered.
In the hospital, a strange process is underway, and the aliens features blur into those of Meadows’.
The Doctor is musing over the name Chameleon after seeing an advert for Chameleon tours in the paper he is using as a disguise. Ben arrives, and tells Jamie and the Doctor he’s found a place for them to hide. Working their way through the concourse, they discover “Polly” working at the desk for Chameleon Tours.
Detective Inspector Crossland has arrived looking for his colleague, Gascoigne, who was investigating a missing persons complaint with one of the airlines.
Ben reveals his hiding place to be a passport photo booth. This is another of those times where you wish you had video to see the three men squashed in together. Especially when an old lady pulls back the curtain to find the three of them inside. Ben agrees to investigate the Chameleon Hangar as he’s not being looked for, and the Doctor goes to try to convince the Commandant of his story, leaving Jamie to keep an eye on the Chameleon desk.
At the desk, a Liverpudlian girl is enquiring after her brother who went missing on one of the Chameleon tours. Exasperated at her fruitless attempt to find her brother she sits down next to Jamie, who says he may be able to help her.
The Doctor tries to argue his story with the Commandant again and doesn’t get anywhere. In a wonderfully Doctorish moment, he threatens to blow everyone up before throwing the “bomb” to the Commandant, and it turns out to be nothing but a rubber ball.
At the Chameleon Hanger, Ben pries open a packing crate and discovers Polly, frozen inside. Rushing into the Chameleon office, he picks up the phone but trying to get through to the Doctor is frozen by Spencer and his pen-like device.
The Doctor sees this through the monitor at the Chameleon Desk having gone in to find “Polly” and heads straight out to the Hangar.
There’s a lovely scene between Jamie and Sam, as he says he wishes he had the Doctors brains and Sam replies that she thinks he’s “lovely as his is”. Jamie decides to go after the Doctor but is stopped before he can move off by Inspector Crossland.
In the Hangar, the Doctor opens a packing crate and discovers Meadows frozen body. A voice lures him into the adjoining room where an airtight door slams closed and freezing gas starts flooding the small room.
Episode 3:
Back into video.
The Doctor manages to block the gas outlet with his handkerchief and covers the camera with his coat bringing Spencer out of his concealed room. Leaning over the apparently frozen Doctor, Spencer leaves himself open to the Doctor to use the pen-like device to freeze him and make his escape.
The Doctor arrives back at the Chameleon desk where Inspector Crossland has spoken to Jamie and seemingly believes his story that Gascoigne has been killed. Crossland takes the Doctor to the Commandant to tell his story. Jamie agrees to go with Sam to the Chameleon Hanger after another wonderful scene between the two. They seem to be swiftly developing a good relationship.
The Doctor believes Chameleon Tours to be the cover for the mass kidnapping of young people. There’s a wonderful scene as he demonstrates the effects of the “ice pen” on Meadows cup of tea to prove his point. Jamie and Sam burst into the control room with the post cards they’ve found which helps prove the Doctor’s point, and Sams outburst to the Commandant about one of the missing people being her brother is wonderful. It really adds a human face to the situation for the hard nosed Commandant.
We’re seeing a great new side to the Doctor here. Much more the investigator than before.
Crossland, goes to investigate the Chameleons Tour desk and speaks to Spencer, asking to talk to Captain Blade. Spencer talks to Blade who asks for Crossland to be sent to the airoplane to talk to him.
In the Chameleon Hangar, the Doctor and Jamie are searching for clues as to Chameleon Tours, and a seemingly hidden room where Spencer emerged from. Watching from the Chameleon Desk, Spencer activates a device planted on the Doctors coat, causing him to collapse in pain.
Crossland enters the cockpit of the plane and discovers that the controls are not those of a normal plane, and Blade pulls a gun on him as they prepare to depart.
The cliff hanger, showing the rows of empty seats, which had previously been full of passengers is fantastic. Subtly chilling and rather spooky.
Episode 4:
Spencer enters the Hangar and tells Jamie that the Doctor is dead. Sam jumps on him from behind, but Spencer uses a second “ice pen” to freeze both her and Jamie. Rather sadistically, Spencer sets a laser beam slowly moving towards the Doctor and his friends. Who does he think he is, a Bond villain?!
Blade talks to the Chameleon base saying that they’ve an “original” for their director.
Jamie manages to deflect the laser beam with a mirror from Sams bag, freeing them all.
In the infirmary, a new Chameleon has been created from the immigration officer as the Doctor arrives with a “semi-concious” Jamie, to investigate.
In the airport control, Jean Rock has phoned all the airports Chameleon Tours travel to and reveals that they don’t deliver anyone; they just pick up young people and fly off.
Sam has bought a ticket to Rome with Chameleon tours much to Jamies annoyance. Trying to convince her not to go, Jamie has no luck so opts for a different tactic. Telling her good luck and kissing her he steals her ticket and tucks it in his sweater.
Planning with Jean, the Doctor arranges for her to collapse and draw the nurse out of the infirmary for him to look around. Inside, he discovers the frozen image of the real nurse and several black and white arm bands the Chameleons use in their procedures.
In the plane, Jamie seems to be suffering the ill effects of his first air flight, rushing to the bathroom to be sick.
Following the Chameleon plane, the air traffic control sees the plane seemingly stationary assuming it crashing. In flight, its wings fold back and it moves straight upwards, towards a large cylindrical satellite.
Episode 5:
Jamie is still hiding in the galley, having not succumbed to whatever it was that happened to the passengers. Slipping out of the “plane” he enters the Chameleons satellite and hides in a stock room. Inside some drawers he discovers the miniature and frozen forms of all the passengers. It’s actually a rather shocking and disturbing scene. Jamie is discovered and taken away by two Chameleons.
The Commandant receives a call, informing him that the RAF plane has crashed, the pilot electrocuted. The Doctor meanwhile asks Meadows to roll up his sleeve and discovers a control device strapped to it. He manages to persuade Meadows to tell him what is going on. A catastrophe on their home planet has caused them to lose their individuality. The Doctor seems to have taken a hold over matters again, even though Meadows professes that the Doctor will never see the kidnapped 50,000 people again.
Entering the infirmary, the Doctor overcomes the nurse and frees Sam, who has been held there. He nurse in turn kills her guard, but Meadows activates the arm band causing the Chameleon nurse to dissolve into a messy puddle.
The Inspector finds and realises Jamie before revealing that he is now the Director of the Chameleon race.
The Doctor decides to pretend to be a Chameleon and board the plane to offer an ultimatum to the Chameleons, ordering the Commandants staff to search for the originals of the Chameleon crew. After discussing his plan with the now real nurse, both she and the Doctor manage to bluff Blade that the Doctor is now a reprocessed Meadows.
The Director has just finished processing a new Chameleon in Jamies form, who now speaks without his Scots accent. Blade walks in and reveals that the Doctor and Nurse Pinter are imposters and they know that. Blade finds the Doctor and Nurse Pinter and tells them that they won’t be needing the living space they’re looking for and raw state Chameleons emerge and surround them. And they’re still weird and spooky as hell. Fantastic alien creatures.
Episode 6:
Blade checked with the medical centre before they left Earth and knows Pinter and the Doctor aren’t Chameleon. They’re both human apparently.
The entire airport staff are now busily engaged in the search for the missing humans that the Chameleons have hidden.
The Director is rather a callous and cold character, and Bernard Kay plays it wonderfully after his previous role as Inspector Crossland. Is the Doctor trying to cause dissent amongst the Chameleons? He tells the Chameleons that the Director and other “important” people have their duplicates safe on the satellite, whereas the others have been left at Gatwick. The Doctor bluffs that they’ve been found in an attempt to stall the Chameleons.
Sam meanwhile discovers something promising in the Chameleons office; a sheet of paper with a list of 25 names and 25 cars in the car park. Checking out the cars, Sam is attacked by Meadows who has escaped, and Jean goes to help and the two overpower Meadows before discovering Jenkins frozen body in the car. Laying out the “originals”, they detach Jenkins armband.
On the satellite, the Chameleon Jenkins dissolves and due to the Doctors subtle manipulations causes Blade and Spencer to turn a gun on the director and contacts Gatwick. Blade orders the Director to release the Doctor, who gets on the microphone to the Commandant and tells him he’s going to start negotiations.
Blade shoots the Director and the duplicate Jamie and then helps the Doctor to send all the kidnapped people back home. The Doctor allows the Chameleons to return to their planet unharmed and offers their scientist some advice to help their race.
We come back sometime later to a lovely scene between Jamie and Sam as the two say a nice farewell and Sam grabs Jamie and gives him a kiss on the lips. It’s a shame to see her go, it would have been nice had she joined the regular cast, she had a great relationship with Jamie.
At a hangar, the Doctor reveals to Ben and Polly that they’re in 1966, July 20th, the day they left with him after the War Machines. It’s another lovely and much understated departure scene for two very important characters. The first two companions to witness a regeneration and transcend the two Doctor era.
But we’re not given much chance to lament as the Doctor informs Jamie that the TARDIS has gone, someone has stolen it.
A really good story, and it’s a sad state for several reasons:
One; It’s got four missing episodes.
Two; we say goodbye to Ben and Polly, two fantastic companions
And three; we never got Sam as a companion and she could have been quite a good one, and would probably have brought quite an interesting dynamic to the TARDIS as it seems rather clear that there was a little chemistry between her and Jamie from several moments in the story.
Altogether this is a great return to form after the somewhat dull, in my opinion, Macra Terror.

Next Time – The Evil of the Daleks.

[Fitz Kreiner]

The Evil of the Daleks:

Episode 1:
We’re back with another recon.
Well, since I watched The Faceless Ones, I’ve trapped a nerve in my arm, so my typing may be a little off, just a heads up. Anyway, away we go;
We start off seeing the TARDIS being driven away from Gatwick on the back of a truck. It’s go right from the start. The Doctor and Jamie spot a man called Bob Hall in a hangar and talk to him about it. From outside, someone seems to be listening in via a shortwave radio. It seems that his hearing aid isn’t what it appears.
Kennedy, the man who has been observing the Doctor, reports back to his headquarters, to a man called Edward Waterfield who is dressed in full Victorian garb. Speaking to another employee, Mr. Perry, Waterfield does seem to be a man out of his time, even speaking of money in Guineas.
In a lock up under a railway arch, Bob Hall and Kennedy are discussing payment, before Kennedy spots the Doctor and Jamie outside. Turning on Hall telling him to help him, Kennedy hits Hall over the head with a plank of wood after he refuses to aid and abet kidnapping. While the Doctor and Jamies attention is drawn elsewhere, Hall escapes; the only clue left for the two travellers is a matchbook with the matches torn out by a left handed man.
The mystery surrounding Waterfield seems to deepen. He doesn’t know what “OK” means. Kennedy seems to think it’s all an act, a “Victorian Grandfather”. The mystery deepens with a hidden chamber beyond his study. There’s a mysterious metal construct in the hidden room, much more advanced than the Victoriana of the shop, and Earth 1966.
The Doctor mentions that he can feel the presence of who is setting a trap about them.
The incidental music is fantastic and really adding to the atmosphere. It’s creating a tense and chilling, almost frightening atmosphere. Especially so when Waterfield seems to have an argument with an unseen “employer”.
Perry arrives at the coffee bar where the Doctor and Jamie are waiting, in the hope of finding the mysterious “Ken” that Hall mentioned. There’s a lovely little moment when the Doctor mentions to Jamie that he’s being stared at and asks his companion if there’s anything wrong with himself. Perry approaches the two, and tells them that Mr. Waterfield has arranged their appointment for 10pm. He calls the Doctor, Doctor Galloway, but his use of Jamies name worries the young Scot.
Back at Waterfields shop, Waterfield arranges to meet with Kennedy later and tells the man to wear dark clothes. After Waterfield has gone, Kennedy picks the lock to Waterfields study and goes in. He soon picks the lock to the secret chamber and notices the metal machine. After flicking a couple of switches he turns his attention to the safe unaware of the shape forming behind him; a Dalek. It’s the now typical reveal of the Daleks at the end of part one, but it’s a fantastic one as well. Brilliantly realised and if the word Dalek wasn’t in the title, would have made the cliff hanger all the more brilliant.
Episode 2:
We’re back to video for this one episode.
The incidental music is still living up to the wonderful standards set in episode one as the Dalek shoots dead Kennedy.
The Doctor and Jamie arrive at the shop. There’s another wonderful Doctor moment when he tells Jamie not to make any noise and then almost knocks a vase over, Jamie catching it before it can fall and getting an admonishing “shh” from the Doctor. The two notice that the items in Waterfields shop are all brand new and Jamie suspects that Waterfield has a time machine and is bringing things from Victorian England.
Waterfield discovers Kennedy’s body and the Dalek tells him that Kennedy discovered their communication. There’s a brilliant moment when Waterfield confronts the Dalek over the death of Kennedy and the Dalek retorts “There is only one form of life that matters; Dalek life.”
Perry arrives at the shop and with the Doctor and Jamie discovers Kennedy’s body. Perry runs off to get the police leaving Jamie and the Doctor examining the body. The two soon discover the hidden room and finding the Doctors picture in a box, Jamie opens it and a gas knocks the two men out as Waterfield emerges and activates the machine and they fade away. Perry soon returns with a policeman, confused by the Doctor and Jamie’s departure.
The Doctor wakes up in a Victorian house owned by a Theodore Maxtible. Maxtible and Waterfield talk with the Doctor telling him that they are in the grip of an evil power and they have to obey as “they” have taken Waterfields daughter, Victoria.
Maxtible takes the Doctor to a laboratory where he tells him about his desire to travel through time. The mention of static electricity seems to spark the Doctors interest. He’s become very concerned. Waterfield mentions creatures appearing in the middle of their final experiment with static. As the Doctor presses Waterfield and Maxtible for answers, a Dalek appears. Troughtons reaction is fantastic, brilliantly played with horror, shock and realisation.
Jamie awakes and discovers the date after talking to Ruth Maxtible only to be attacked and knocked unconscious by a man who enters through the French doors. The Doctor is intent on telling Jamie about the Daleks only to discover he’s missing.
Episode 3:
Waterfield is terrified about Jamie being missing, scared that the Daleks will kill them all.
Jamie is being held in a stable by Toby, the man who hit him from behind. A new man arrives and pays Toby off for taking Jamie, Arthur Terrall. He seems rather strange, wincing in pain at one point and asking Jamie if he knows where Voctoria is.
Victoria is being led to another part of the house by a Dalek.
Maxtible shows a Dalek Kemel, a Turkish man who is to be involved in the Daleks test. The Dalek conceals itself in the cabinet to observe Kemel. Maxtible tells Kemel that he is going to take him somewhere to guard and not let Jamie through under any circumstance, showing the giant a picture of the Scot.
The Daleks tell the Doctor that they are after the “human factor” so it can be implanted into the Dalek race. Three Daleks have been transported from Skaro, dormant, and will be revived when the human factor is implanted in them.
There’s a fantastic scene with the Doctor and Jamie as Jamie confronts the Doctor over what he overheard the Doctor talking to Waterfield about. It’s added to in such a fascinating way as Jamie storms off and the Doctor speaks calmly to Waterfield about what happened, almost as though the argument was engineered to het Jamie up. It’s a wonderful scene and it seemingly throws the Doctor into a dark light as if we can’t trust him anymore. It’s a wonderful side to the Doctor, dark and manipulative.
Jamie arranges with Molly to show him the way to the south wing as the Doctor, Maxtible and Waterfield prepare to monitor Jamie’s progress.
Toby enters the laboratory only to be killed by a Dalek, his dying scream echoing round the house rather eerily.
As Jamie makes his way through the house, Kemel appears and blocks his way.
Episode 4:
Jamie realises he will have to fight Kemel and the two men circle each other and begin to fight. Dodging a charge from Kemel, Jamie steps aside and the wrestler falls out of the window. Not able to leave his opponent to fall to his death, Jamie helps Kemel back through the window. After Kemel quickly saves Jamie’s life soon after, the two realise they have a truce and set off together.
John Bailey is brilliant at playing Waterfield as such a sympathetic character forced into this against his will by the kidnap of his daughter and to the extent that someone would go to in order save their child.
There’s certainly a mystery going on with Terrall as he steps out and stops Maxtible from shooting Waterfield in the back, his voice almost becoming Dalek as he starts telling Maxtible to obey.
Terrall really could do with extermination. He drags Molly through the house shouting at her for being in certain parts of the house at a late hour. His mood seems to be highly unstable.
Maxtible confronts a Dalek begging for the secrets he’s been promised. It seems that he’s been making plans and plots with the Daleks behind Waterfields back. He’s after the secret of Alchemy, transforming base metals into Gold.
Together, Jamie and Kemel manage to overcome the Dalek guarding the door to Victoria’s room, catapulting it into a large stone fireplace. The two men manage to get to the minstrels gallery but are trapped as a Dalek appears below them and one emerges from Victoria’s room.
Episode 5:
Using the rope again, Jamie and Kemel manage to lasso the Dalek and fling it to the ground below through the railing and rush into Victoria’s room.
The Doctor is talking to Terrall, and the mystery of the man seems to increase. He’s certainly odd, and the Doctor has picked up on it, saying he’s never seen the man eat or drink. His interest is aroused further as he notes that the sword Terrall is holding appears magnetic until he puts it down. After the Doctor leaves Terrall picks up a glass of wine but drops it as a rather eerie disembodied voice tells him to obey.
Maxtible hypnotises Molly telling her to forget hearing Victorias voice. After this, he opens a hidden panel and tells Terrall to follow the secret passage and bring Victoria to him.
Waterfield tells the Doctor that he cannot put the Human Factor into the Daleks, saying it will turn them into super beings. It’s a wonderful moment, where the Doctor says it was too late when his daughter was taken and it’s no point developing a conscience now. However, it seems as though the Doctor is on a different page when talking about the end of the world.
Terrall grabs Victoria and drags her down the passage, Jamie and Kemel in hot persuit. Emerging in the trophy room, Victoria manages to escape as Jamie arrives and the two men fight with swords before Terrall collapses clutching his head. The Doctor arrives telling Terrall to take Ruth away from the house after removing a black device from Terralls coat.
Kemel emerges from the passage in the lab and finds Victoria unconscious. A Dalek appears and tells Kemel to pick her up, and orders him to enter the cabinet and the Dalek follows.
There’s another fantastic scene between the Doctor and Jamie as Jamie rounds on the Doctor after the latter says he’s had a good nights work; "Anyone would think that it's a little game, and it's not. People have died. The Daleks are all over, fit to murder the lot of us, and all you can say is that you've had a good night's work. Well, I'm telling you this, we're finished. You're just too callous for me. Anything goes by the board, anything at all. You don't give that much for a living soul except yourself. Just whose side are you on?"
Three Daleks emerge from their crates complete with the Human Factor, and we end with a fascinating moment; not the typical cliff hanger, rather a revelation that the Daleks are playing a game, pushing the Doctor round the laboratory on a chair.
Episode 6:
It’s rather unsettling hearing these Daleks talk, it’s not like the normal Dalek monotone. It’s almost amusing in one aspect, but the human element is rather disturbing.
Maxtible discovers a strange box full of instruments attached to the floor. Examining it, he is approached by a Dalek telling him to bring the Doctor and Jamie to the Laboratory. Waterfield confronts Maxtible, and the two struggle, the latter smashing a test tube rack over Waterfields head dazing him. He struggles with the bomb, unable to defuse it and rushed through the cabinet to Skaro as Daleks file through the lab and into the cabinet.
The Doctor and Jamie rush into the lab, finding Waterfield hunched over the bomb. Realising what it is, the Doctor hurriedly sets up the time machine that brought them from 1966, and the three men escape moments before the bomb explodes destroying the house.
Victoria wakes up in a cell with Kemel and Maxtible is brought into the cell before being led out again by a Dalek. The incidental music seems to have dropped in tone and isn’t as good as it was for the first couple of episodes.
The Doctor, Jamie and Waterfield have arrived on the plains of Skaro, outside the Dalek city and slowly make their way down a Cliffside passage way to the city.
Maxtible is questioned by a black Dalek as an alarm rings out that there are humans inside the city.
Inside the city, a black Dalek spots the mark of the name on the Dalek Omega, one of the human Daleks which the Doctor named.
Maxtible, Victoria and Kemel are held in a cell and moved into a darkened area where something, we don’t know what, makes them scream.
The Doctor, Jamie and Waterfield hear the screams and make their way along the path before discovering a Dalek, claiming to be Omega. The Doctor isn’t so sure, not recognising the mark as his own and pushes the creature over the edge. Eventually the three make their way into the Dalek control room and encounter the large and immobile Emperor Dalek.
The music and atmosphere seem to have restored back to their level as set out at the start of the story as the Emperor is revealed.
There’s a stunning revelation as the Emperor reveals that the Doctor has inadvertently shown the Daleks what the “Dalek factor” is and that the Doctor will take it back and spread it through the history of Earth.
Episode 7:
The Emperor Dalek is rather impressive sounding and the pictures are still impressive. Again, this is something you really wish you could watch instead of seeing pictures and soundtrack.
Maxtible seems to be losing his marbles in the cell. Insistent that he’s going to get the secret of Alchemy.
The Doctor mentions his home planet, and maybe he can take everyone there. It’s the first time in a while we’ve heard anything about the Doctors home planet or his race since the end of The Massacre, I believe.
In a testing room, a Dalek questions an order from a Black Dalek. It seems the Doctors statement about Daleks questioning orders was correct.
Another black Dalek shows Maxtible a machine that transforms iron into gold. Rushing to the machine, Maxtible freezes in the doorway as a machine around the doorway flashes lights over him. He’s been given the Dalek factor.
The Black Dalek reports to the Emperor about the questioning Dalek. The Emperor orders it destroyed.
Maxtible returns to the cell and tells the Doctor that he’s had the TARDIS moved to outside the city. Using the watch he used to hypnotise Molly, Maxtible gets the Doctor to follow him through the arch. The Doctor freezes as the machine activates, to Jamies horror, as he awakes and witnesses it. The Doctor turns back and tells Jamie to stay where he is, like a Dalek, and as Maxtible has become. Maxtible shows the Doctor a machine that will spread the Dalek factor to Earth. When Maxtible has gone, the Doctor seemingly returns to normal and switches a circuit inside the archway.
Now here we go, the clever and manipulative side of the Doctor. He’s switched the Dalek factor for the Human factor, and has tricked the Emperor to send all the Daleks through giving them the Human factor. But has he been planning this from the start, or was it a spur of the moment?
The Human Daleks question the orders of the Black Dalek and fire upon it after it destroys one of the Human Daleks. The Doctor seems to be stirring up the Human Daleks into full scale rebellion, telling them to question and defend themselves against the black Daleks and the Emperor.
There’s a wonderfully moving moment as Waterfield shoves the Doctor out of the way of a black Dalek blast and takes the full brunt of the Daleks weapon, saving the Doctors life; “It is a good life to save.” Before asking the Doctor to look after Victoria.
Ah, and we have some surviving video footage now as both Dalek factions start blasting each other. Even the Emperor cannot escape as there are some fantastic explosions. It really is quite fantastic.
Maxtible confronts Kemel, Jamie and Victoria on the cliff side path, throttling the Turk and throwing him over the chasm before responding to the Dalek order to return to control.
There are some more fantastic shots of the civil war spreading throughout the Dalek city as buildings are engulfed in explosions and flame.
The Doctor finds Jamie and Victoria, and tells them that Waterfield died in the city saving his life and helping destroy the Daleks and Victoria is coming with them before looking back and saying that it’s the final end.
It’s the most odd and harrowing end as the credits close as the city burns and the sound of Daleks dying and screaming can be heard.
In all, the story feels as though it’s an episode too long as parts 3 and 4 could have been combined into the one episode, but the final episode is just fantastic, and the scenes of civil war are brilliant and thoroughly gripping. The Final End? Tme will tell...

Next Time – Tomb of the Cybermen.

[Fitz Kreiner]

Tomb of the Cybermen:

Episode 1:
Back onto a lovely shiny DVD for this story.
We start off with the Doctor and Jamie showing Victoria the TARDIS. There’s a lovely tracking shot following the three through the TARDIS doors and into the ship. We’re also given a bit of a shock as we’re told that the Doctor is 450 years old! There’s a good Doctor/Jamie moment where Jamie tells the Doctor to give them a smooth take-off as they don’t want to frighten their new companion.
We’re on a barren looking planet and there’s a rather amusing looking space ship sat next to a lake. There’s an expedition on the planet and thanks to one of them, we know that the place is called Telos. The expedition are blasting a part of the mountainside and uncover a large pair of doors. They bear a rather imposing depiction of a Cyberman to each side.
Kaftan offers £50 to the first man to open the doors. It’s enough in this time to get a crewman to make his way forward, but it’s costly, as there’s a rather shocking (excuse the pun) scene as he gets electrocuted via a booby trap in the door.
Cue the sound of the TARDIS arriving, making the expedition think another craft has arrived. The Doctor and co waste no time in getting involved, the Doctor spotting the body and correctly assuming he was killed trying to open the doors. The Doctor and Jamie seem shocked by Parry mentioning the Cybermen, despite the large Cyberman motifs either side of the doors.
The giant Toberman, not a real giant, I hasten to add, manages to open the doors to the Tombs, where the Cybermen are meant to have been buried centuries ago. There’s another good Doctor/Jamie moment when they go into the tombs and go to hold Victoria’s hand each and end up holding each others. Their realisation is quite amusing.
There’s another plan underneath the archaeological expedition involving Klieg, Kaftan and Toberman.
The set for the control room is a beautiful one, and the Cyber motifs dotted about are a rather nice touch. The team split up into three teams to explore and document the tomb; the control room, and two other rooms split off from the main.
Now that’s something I’ve not spotted before; Toberman slipping past Parry, Klieg and the Doctor as they discuss the logic of the controls in the control room, and out onto the planet’s surface. The Doctor has just given Klieg instructions on how to operate the panel and then tells him not to do it, and you have to wonder as to the Doctors motives, as the controls become active.
In the recharging room, Victoria is examining a large coffin like alcove which Kaftan slams the lid down on her using the control panel. Viner runs off to get help and the Doctor silently appears, stopping Kaftan using more controls.
Jamie and Hayden however, have discovered a projector that seemingly hypnotises Jamie. The Doctor, having released Victoria runs into the room just as Jamie activates the last control. His warning is too late as a Cyberman appears and Hayden falls down dead.
Episode 2:
Parry arrives but doesn’t believe that the Cybermen were responsible. Neither does the Doctor, as Hayden has been shot in the back, not by the Cyberman that they were facing. Making sure everyone is kept back, the Doctor asks Jamie to repeat what he did, the Cyberman reappears and a gun emerges from the back wall, blowing the Cybermans head off. The Doctor realises it’s a weapons testing room, mentioning the Cyberman is a model; there’s no human material in it at all. It’s a cold and stark reminder of what the Cybermen once where.
Toberman returns and tells Kaftan that “it is done”. Certainly there’s something else going on with her and Klieg. Parry announces he’s decided to abandon the expedition, however Captain Hopper arrives with information that someone has sabotaged the ship and they’re stranded on the planet for the next 72 hours. There’s a lovely touch as Toberman grins to himself when Hopper reveals what has happened.
There’s another fantastic moment as the Doctor subtly activates a control whilst Klieg is attempting to open the hatch allowing it to open, the logician believing that he managed it alone.
The design of the tombs, frozen underground are superb.
Viner is starting to get annoying, a rather nervous and excitable little man, and really gets up my nose when the hatch to the tombs is closed. But it reveals Kliegs intents as he activates the “opening” device and the temperature begins to rise. There are some stunning shots as the ice on the tombs begins to melt and the Cybermen can be seen inside, moving. It’s really creepy, seeing the monsters inside start to move.
Saying that about Viner, I don’t have to worry now as Klieg shoots him dead after he tries to stop the revival process. And now we know why as he falls for the typical villain hole of the monologue, saying that the Brotherhood of Logicians, of which he is a member, has the knowledge and with the Cybermen, will have power. It seems a twisted want and wanting to control the Cybermen, as the Doctor points out, it seems unlikely the Cybermen will help.
The scenes of the Cybermen emerging from their tombs is just stunning, coupled with the “Cyber march” theme from The Moonbase it sends chills down my spine. It has to be one of the most iconic and best scenes we’ve had in Doctor Who since the Daleks on Westminster Bridge.
Interestingly, Victoria can shoot a gun, and manages to shoot a Cybermat that has come alive and caused Kaftan to faint by jumping on her shoulder.
The scenes in the Tomb are just beautiful as the Cybermen gather round and reveal the control from his tomb. Minus the chest unit and “handles” on its head, it has a large domed head instead and looks fantastic. The cliff hanger is brilliant; Klieg trying to appeal to the Cybermen to obey him for resurrecting them, the Controller simply states “You belong to us. You shall be like us.”
Episode 3:
The Controllers voice has changed! It’s not a much higher pitch! But the Cybermen reveal that their tomb was a trap, a trap for superior minds and the Doctor realises that they’ve all done exactly as the Cybermen calculated.
I really love these Cybermen. They’re so emotionless and their blank faces are just terrifying, and infact these are the ones that have haunted my nightmares for the past 17 years or so! Back on topic though; and the Cybermen have full records of the Doctor it seems, even though they’ve only met the twice. Maybe there are more meetings to come in the Cybermen’s past.
Whoops, you can see the wire and it’s attachment as one of the Cybermen lifts Toberman over its head and throws him against a wall.
The coldness of the Cybermen is really well realised here as the Controller tells the captured expedition of their fate; to be held frozen in their tombs until they are ready to be converted into Cybermen.
Hopper’s arrival with smoke bombs is well timed but the Cybermen set off in hot pursuit of the escaping humans. The Cyberman half through the hatch grabbing hold of Victoria and the Doctor is rather a chilling moment as well. I really can’t express enough how chilling and terrifying these Cybermen are.
Klieg manages to make it out of the Tombs as well, terrified, but still under the delusion that he can bargain with the Cybermen, if he’s in a stronger position. Rather foolishly, he and Kaftan have been locked in the weapons testing room.
In the tombs, the Cybermen are preparing something, releasing Cybermats in a runway to the control room.
There’s a wonderful, no, beautiful moment between the Doctor and Victoria, as the Doctor comforts the girl over her father and mentions his family, who sleep in his mind and only when he wants them to, will they come to his eyes. It’s a scene that reminds you of just how wonderful this series is and how beautiful it can be ranging from the terrifying to the touching.
Although it seems this touching moment is cut short as the Doctor and co are attacked by the Cybermats, surrounding them with deadly felt teeth! Or something that looks like them. The Doctor’s plan to dispose of them opens him for the worst pun of the year award; “You might say they’ve had a complete metal breakdown!”
An interesting cliff hanger as Klieg and Kaftan appear and Klieg raises his arm, revealing the gun from the testing room and apparently shoots at the Doctor.
Episode 4:
Klieg has shot Callum in the shoulder and is now determined that he can bargain with the Cybermen, on his terms now he has the Cyber gun. He reopens the hatch and calls out that he wants to talk to the Controller.
In the Tombs, the Controller orders the Cybermen into the tombs to conserve energy. The Controller returns to the surface with Toberman, who has been given a Cybernised arm and seems under the control of the Cybermen. The Controller seems to agree to Kliegs plan, although he also seems to be short of energy, and Klieg allows him to be revitalised.
It’s interesting that the Doctor seems to be helping the controller to be revitalised, although his turn of stating that they need to try to keep the Cyberman in the revitalising chamber is rather a good idea, although the use of ropes to hold the lid down is suspect. Especially as the controller bursts through the lid of the “coffin” chamber. It makes for a good dramatic moment.
The action has stepped up as Toberman turns on Klieg and the incidental music really hightens this as Kaftan tells the Cyber controller he has broken his promise; “Cybermen do not promise. Such ideas have no value.” The Controller shoots dead Kaftan causing Toberman to turn on the Controller with a little push from the Doctor. However, it’s clearly a dummy that Toberman throws onto the control panel. It’s a shame as it’s a little break from an otherwise great scene, but this is over ruled by Troughtons’ wonderful performance and his explanations to Toberman.
Klieg, unseen by the others, follows the Doctor and Toberman into the Tombs, still insistent that he can control the Cybermen, saying he will take the Controllers place. The man has flipped his lid. There’s a fantastic moment as the Doctor seemingly comes round to Kliegs views saying he could become master of the universe and no one would dare have a thought that wasn’t Kliegs own with the logician agreeing before the Doctor turns round with a classic repost; “Well, now I know you’re mad, I just wanted to make sure.”
Kliegs ambitions are cut short as a Cyberman appears and brutally attacks him, and as with the early Doctor Whos, it’s done off screen and we just see the horrified reactions of the Doctor and Jamie as we can only imagine what injuries the Cyberman inflicted on him. As Toberman tackles and destroys the Cybermen, the Doctor and Jamie reset the controls to freeze the Cybermen.
The Doctor orders everyone outside as he resets the electric booby trap to include the doors, controls and hatch, making sure that the Cybermen cannot be reached again. As they turn to leave, they see that the Controller isn’t as dead as they thought and is blocking their way. However, his damage has left him slow and sluggish and they nip past. Although the controller is still strong enough to manage to start to force the doors open as they try to close them. In a noble effort, Toberman, pushes through and forces the doors closed, killing himself and the Controller.
A fantastic story all round, and despite there being a few little niggles, such as the visible wires and dummies, it does display a wonderful sense of menace and lack of emotion from the Cybermen.

Next time – The Abominable Snowmen

[Slagathor]

I've seen this one, which is excellent. And an excellent recap by LB!

I particularly like the conversation between Victoria and the Doctor, alluding to his family.

[Fitz Kreiner]

The Abominable Snowmen:

Episode 1:
We start off with an Audio.
There’s something untoward happening in a small campsite high in a mountain.
The Doctor seems delighted to see that they’ve landed in the Himalayas. It’s a lovely performance from Troughton. There’s a lovely scene inside the TARDIS as the Doctor and Jamie rummage through a chest looking for something called a Ghanta.
The Doctor is having a look outside, but he seems strangely distracted after finding a large footprint. Jamie seems to notice that the Doctor has spotted something. It’s a nice example of how the relationship between the two men has developed.
The description of the monastery sounds quite impressive. There’s certainly a very mysterious atmosphere, and it’s full of it. Interestingly there’s no incidental music which seems to make the whole atmosphere even creepier.
Well, the Doctor has been accused of the murder of Travers’ companion and is thrown into a cell by the Warrior monks.
Jamie and Victoria have found a cave in the mountainside, propped up by wooden support beams. Entering to explore, they are soon trapped by scaly claws moving a large boulder across the entrance.
Travers talks to the Doctor through a hatch in the cell door, revealing that he’s searching for the Yeti.
The Yeti do exist, the monks are talking about them, saying they’re rarely seen yet suddenly they have become savage and four of their brothers have been killed. There’s a wonderful atmosphere here, it’s fantastic! Although, I must admit, the use of the word Llama makes me think of the animal rather than the Buddhist monk!
Jamie has followed the tunnel and found a chamber with a pyramid of shining silver spheres as Victoria screams that the boulder is being moved. A large, shaggy creature lumbers in, snapping Jamie’s sword in two.
Episode 2:
And we’re onto video for the only remaining episode of this story. Well, DVD actually.
Jamie knocks the wooden supports out of the way, causing a cascade of rocks to bury the approaching creature. Ooh, we can see the spheres now and they’re really eerie! And the creature isn’t dead; it heaves itself out from under the pile of rocks. It’s quite chilling.
The Doctor has been to the Monastery before, 1630 it seems from something he lets slip. He tells Thonmi to look under the straw mattress of the bed as he is taken away by Khrisong. Thonmi’s reaction to the Ghanta is superbly played by David Spenser.
Khrisong seems determined that the Doctor has turned the Yeti savage and is sure that he’s a murderer and plans to tie him to the gates to see if the yeti come to rescue him.
Thomni takes the Ghanta to the Abbott and we hear a rather sinister disembodied voice of the Master Padmasambhava, wonderfully played by Wolfe Morris, who also has a great name as well as voice.
The location shots on the mountainside are really quite superb. Jamie and Victoria bump into Travers, who’s making his way back from the Monastery. Jamie agrees to show Travers the Yetis cave if he shows them to the Monastery.
There’s certainly something mysterious going on in the monastery as Padmasambhava tells Thomni that he will forget having spoken to him, and will thing the words came from the Abbot. There’s a marked difference to the Padmasambhava’s voice after Thomni leaves, and talk of a great plan. It’s really rather spooky.
There are three Yeti on the hill, they look absolutely superb! Fantastic looking creatures. The Doctor asks Khrisong to see if they can capture one. There’s a wonderful moment as Jamie announces he’s got a plan to capture one and the Doctor retorts; "Victoria, I think this is one of those instances where discretion is the better part of valour: Jamie has an idea." It always makes me chuckle.
Now that really is creepy. The Yeti that Jamie and the monks capture suddenly becomes lifeless, and as they take it inside the Monastery, a metal sphere on the ground starts to move.
The Doctor discovers that the Yeti is metal; a robot, and discovers a cavity in its chest, a cavity that one of the spheres could fit in. Now the sphere in the monastery has started moving. It’s a fantastic and really creepy cliff hanger.
Episode 3:
The sound that the spheres make is really creepy as well. A wonderful chirping, bleeping sound.
Victoria realises that the sphere could have fitted into the cavity in the yeti, yet the Doctor isn’t as sure as it was so light, but decides to check. The sphere has moved from where the Doctor placed it by the Buddha. I’m really enjoying the sense of mystery and chilling atmosphere that is so heavy in this story.
Travers has left the Monastery, saying that Khrisong has given him permission to leave.
The Abbot seems to be in a trance as he talks to Padmasambhava. It’s really rather creepy. I might be saying it a lot but it really is. Songstens trance, even though just on audio, is really unnerving. This is added to as Padmasambhava’s wizened hand moves three yeti on a board before him depicting the monastery and surrounding area and the action is repeated on the mountain.
There’s a rather tense moment as Khrisong finds the unit from the yeti but three yeti approach him and attack him, retrieving it. There’s a rather amusing little line from the Doctor as he notes that they came to get “their ball back”.
Padmasambhava gives Songsten a transparent pyramid to take to the mountain and talks of a great intelligence becoming corporeal on the mountain. It really is getting suspenseful.
Songsten leaves the monastery, seemingly hypnotising the guard as he walks past. It’s really adding to the mystery of what’s going on.
The sphere has finally made its way to the yeti and the chest cavity opens letting the sphere in as the great creature comes to life.
Episode 4:
There’s a wonderful description of the yeti as it lumbers through the monastery and leaves, the monk’s weapons useless against it.
Travers has seen Songsten carrying the pyramid into the cave with his yeti escort. Whilst the Doctor and Jamie discover a lone yeti stood outside the TARDIS.
Padmasambhava is talking to the great intelligence that seems to be controlling him. We only hear one side of the conversation, but it’s still really spooky, his voice is just fantastic.
I love the little conversation between the Doctor and Jamie as they discuss trying to pass the Yeti guard;
Jamie : "Have you thought up some clever plan, Doctor?"
The Doctor : "Yes, Jamie, I believe I have."
Jamie : "What are you going to do?"
The Doctor : "Bung a rock at it."
Travers is forced out of the Yetis cave by a strange and unnerving humming noise coming from the spheres.
The Doctor and Jamie realise that the sphere in the monastery has returned to the yeti after they remove the sphere from the yeti guarding the TARDIS and it comes back to life in Jamie’s hands.
Songsten returns, hypnotising the guard again, and returns to the inner sanctum leaving another wonderful and chilling moment with Padmasambhava. It certainly seems as though Padmasambhava/the Intelligence and the Abbot are planning against the Monastery as the Abbot opens the main gates and Padmasambhava positions four yeti outside.
I really wish we could see the revelation of Padmasambhava as Victoria enters the sanctum, as the pictures on the Doctor Who site are brilliant and he certainly looks a sinister character.
Episode 5:
The Doctor, Jamie and Travers and locked in a cell with Thomni, and the semi-conscious Travers babbles about evil and what he saw in the cave.
The Yeti attack on the Monastery is another thing that makes this story tragic to be lost as it sounds fantastic and the description, I’m sure, is nowhere near as good as the visuals would have been.
The Abbot is preparing the monks for an evacuation of the Monastery, taking the prisoners with them. Victoria arrives in a trance, speaking with the voice of Padmasambhava. It’s a rather spooky moment as the voice says that Detsen must be abandoned.
Victoria telling the Doctor that there is great danger is rather unnerving as she repeats the words as if a mantra. The Doctor is worried by this and even more so when Thomni mentions that Padmasambhava knows the Doctor, as he last visited the monastery 300 years previously.
The Doctor enters the inner sanctum to talk to Padmasambhava, who reveals he’s been kept alive by the intelligence, which he met whilst on an astral travel. Is it the real Padmasambhava talking or the intelligence? It’s really well played as we don’t know what is really going on.
It’s all go with the Doctor this episode, as he de-hypnotises Victoria and then he and Travers leave the monastery and go up the mountain in search of where the control signal comes from; the Monastery. Travers recalls what happened to him on the mountainside as the corporeal form of the intelligence, a seething bubbling mass, pours from the cave to the mountainside. Another wonderful cliff hanger and another wonderful moment that I really wish I could watch.
Episode 6:
Travers reveals that he saw Songsen enter the cave unharmed and the Doctor realises he is the link that he’s been looking for.
Padmasambhava’s voice is really chilling, and the way he says Songsens name is just fantastic as Khrisong enters the sanctum and is killed by the abbot. Morris’s laughter is just chilling and sends a shiver down the spine.
The Doctor, Jamie and Thomni remove the Abbot, Songsen, from the sanctum. Whilst the monks want him dead, the Doctor and Thomni urge them that Songsen, and even Padmasambhava, are puppets of a greater power and evil.
The atmosphere has really built up as the Doctor, Thomni, Victoria and Jamie close in on the inner sanctum. There has been no incidental music throughout this story, and the story has not suffered from it one bit. That atmosphere and tension has been built on by the silence and spookiness of Padmasambhava’s voice and the mystery built up but not revealing too much.
The final confrontation sounds fantastic as the Doctor struggles against the will of the Intelligence and Jamie and Thomni start to smash the controls. Jamie smashes a pyramid in the control chamber as the pyramid in the cave explodes, taking the top of the mountain with it. What an explosive ending as it severs the intelligences link with Padmasambhava and earth.
What a lovely ending, as a real Yeti is seen in the rocks and Travers dashes after it, leaving the Doctor and Co heading off, Jamie hoping for somewhere warmer next landing.
What a wonderful and fantastic story that has a brilliant atmosphere and really captures a base under siege element that has followed several stories of late. It’s a shame that this story doesn’t exist as the Yeti look fantastic and the Monastery sets were beautiful, and the acting from the cast was really well done, helping build a great atmosphere that needed no incidental music to make it top notch.

Next Time - The Ice Warriors

[t]

Great review there LB, well done

I know a little bit more about this particular story as I read the Target Novelisation of it a while ago ;D

Definitely sounds like a good story to listen to/watch ;D

[Fitz Kreiner]

The Ice Warriors:

One:
Here we go again, with another wonderful recon courtesy of Wayne. And we’re off to an intriguing start of a really interesting piece of incidental music played over shots of glaciers and ice caps.
We’re off already with an emergency at Ioniser control and some interesting costumes. Well, it seems as though we’re in a base dealing with holding off an Ice Age or advancing polar caps. It’s an interesting insight into the future.
There’s some more of that wonderful incidental music that we had during the opening as Arden and his team discover something in the Ice. It’s a tantalising glimpse on a shadowy figure in the ice. There’s a wonderful sense and atmosphere in the episode so far, and we’re only five minutes in! Bustle and urgency in the control with Clent and Miss Garrett and an interesting change of pace with Arden at the ice face.
Now we have a nice light hearted moment with the TARDIS crew as the ship lands on its side and the crew struggle to get out, including the Doctor standing on Jamie and then vice versa.
Already we’re presented with an interesting relationship between Arden and Leader Clent, you certainly get the idea that there is a deep history here, especially with Clent’s earlier comment about Scientist Penley no longer being part of the organisation.
There’s a fantastic moment as the Doctor and co arrive in the computer control room and the Doctor instantly spots something wrong with the computer. It’s a fantastic performance from Troughton as he’s instantly into the events, head first and taking command. His wonderful suggestion to, “Check it on your precious computer, then!” to Clent is deliciously delivered.
Peter Barkworth’s Clent is a great character and really well rounded and played, complete with fatigue, irascibility, limp and cane.
The shots of the “Ice Warrior”, as he’s be dubbed by Davis, in the ice are wonderful and give a fantastic appetite whetting as to what it can be.
The scene where the Doctor goes through what could have been the cause of the ice age and how to deal with it is wonderfully shot and played and this is added too fantastically with Clent’s explanation; “And suddenly, one year, there was no spring”. It’s wonderfully played with the silenced reactions from Hines and Watling which really add to the scene, and you can almost feel your heart skipping a beat as Barkworth delivers the line and bows his head sombrely after its delivery.
There’s a wonderful change in tone as Arden arrives with his Ice Warrior and already the Doctor has spotted something wrong, there’s an electronic connection in the helmet. There’s a wonderful atmosphere building up again, as the music starts up and the ice round the Warrior starts to melt and the creature comes to life. A fantastic cliff Hanger.
Two:
The scene of the Warrior reviving sounds rather impressive. Again, we’re in that tragic element where we have no video.
The Doctor reveals to Clent, Arden and Miss Garrett that the Warriors helmet is not a mere warriors helmet, it’s more a space helmet. There are some lovely strong science fiction elements as they realise that the Warrior must have landed in a space craft, which is buried under the glacier and could cause a problem with the Ionisation process.
The sound of Varga’s voice is beautiful, a reptilian husky hiss coupled with a deep hissing breath. It’s a great invention by Bernie Bresslaw, who is unrecognisable in the role as Varga. The costume looks fantastic, albeit from stills. Imposing and terrifying.
The scenes with Storr and Penley are rather interesting, both Scavengers and seemingly living rough outside what could be the law of the land, we just don’t know.
Varga is clearly a malevolent chappie, saying that if they come across anyone he’ll kill them. It’s a wonderfully ruthless performance and an interesting insight to the sonic gun attached to his wrist “It will burn your brain with noise.”
There’s a lovely scene where Penley watches Victoria and Varga make their way down the corridor and Victoria notices the former scientist and manages to save his life by stopping Varga entering the room in which he’s hiding.
There’s another wonderful scene between the Doctor and Clent, the latter saying that human emotions are unreliable and that he no longer trusts any one. It’s a fantastic insight into the character, really adding to his reality.
This episode seems to be full of great scenes, as there’s another between the Doctor and Penley, who has seen Varga club Clent to the ground and kidnap Victoria.
There’s another brilliant ending as Varga uncovers four more Warriors trapped in the ice and prepares to revive them with the stolen power packs.
Three:
And yet another nice scene where Clent shows a human side and tells Arden that the Warrior coming to life wasn’t his fault and he would have probably done the same.
Miss Garrett has followed Penley up to the museum which he and Storr have made their home and begs him to come back to help them. They interestingly call each other by their first names; Eric and Jane, hinting at a history between the two characters. It’s a really interesting scene.
The Doctor seems to be more able to do his work on his own, constantly refusing any computer aid which is a lovely touch to his higher intelligence.
As Arden and Jamie investigate the new cave in the ice, the warriors ambush the two men, blasting them with their sonic guns.
It’s nice to see some more human reactions from Clent as he worries about the delay in Arden’s report about the Warriors space ship.
There’s a lovely tense cliff hanger as Zondal and Varga, having watched Victoria escape their ship, aim the sonic cannon on the girl.
Four:
Ah. Back from two episodes of recons to the lovely sight of video!
And I’ve just noticed that they’ve changed the incidental music that overlays the title and episode number! And I can’t even tell you when they changed it!
Clent is back to being his mechanical self, badgering Victoria for information about the Warriors engines. Troughton adds a lovely side as he asks if she can describe them in a calm and careful tone, as opposed to Clent’s furious demand for information.
It’s great to actually see the Ice Warriors moving as opposed to the stills we’ve had for the last two episodes. They look absolutely fantastic. Wonderful creations. Although Victoria’s attempts to elude the Warrior pursuing her are rather feeble.
The Doctor already has a plan, involving Ammonia Sulphide in an attempt to discover more about the Warriors ships propulsion. Troughton is giving a fantastic performance and his responce to Miss Garrett saying the Warriors are armed; “I’m not going to fight a duel!” is wonderfully delivered. A classic Troughton moment.
Penley and Storr are still treating Jamie, who seemingly has developed a fever from the Warriors weapons. They’ve not killed him, but disabled him somehow.
It’s nice to see the Warriors mouths move as they speak. They look a fantastic alien race, almost turtle like sometimes as their heads seem to slightly withdraw into their bodies, as though they’re wearing an armour shell.
I really like Peter Sallis as Penley and he seems so far into the character that there are times where you can forget you’re watching the voice of Wallace and Norman Clegg from Last of the Summer Wine.
I could not tire of watching the Ice Warriors either, they look wonderful, they really do. And I had to look up to remind myself of which episode we’re on as it just seems to flow wonderfully. There was a slight lag last episode, but it’s not really dragged and affected the story.
There’s a wonderful scene as Varga confronts Victoria over the death of his warrior who was killed in an avalanche chasing her. It shows a wonderful side to the Warriors. They certainly seem to be a race with a culture as opposed to just another alien. And the effect of the sonic guns is really good as well; twisting the image of the victim with no beam doesn’t give a dated effect.
The Ice Warriors show a really sadistic side, trapping the Doctor in the air lock to their ship and dropping the pressure until he answers their questions.
Five:
Blimey, are we on part five already?!
There’s another wonderful Troughton moment where the airlock door is opened and he marches through thanking the Warriors for being civil until he looks up at their size and turns to leave again with an; “Oh my word!”
Penley and Jamie are making their way back across the frozen wilderness to the Brittanicus Ice Base. It’s nice to see their use of tinted goggles to shield against snow-blindness, which they’ve had all through and I’ve only just thought to mention.
It’s interesting to see the Warriors figure out that the Doctor is prying them for information about their engines and having a communications device hidden on him to let the base know whether they can use the Ioniser. It leaves a wonderfully chilling message to the base as Varga takes the communicator and his words filter through to the base; “They will never know.”
We’ve had a Star Trek moment as Penley states; “I’m a scientist, not a gladiator!”
“We only fight to win!” A wonderful line that perfectly sums up what we’ve seen of the Martians so far.
There’s an interesting reaction from Clent as Penley returns. It really makes you wonder what happened between the two men and really gives a good deal of history to the characters. They’re not two dimensional here for a story; they’re really and have lives in the story. It’s brilliant. It’s interesting how during a confrontation between the two men, Clent leans in closer to say something softly about his liberties before standing back and shouting at the man. Barkworth and Sallis play the characters so well you can imagine there being a history between the two.
Varga is approaching the base, whilst ordering Zondal to remain in charge of the sonic cannon. The Doctor plans to overcome Zondal using the Ammonium Sulphide causing a struggle between the Doctor and Zondal as Varga orders the Warrior to fire and the Doctor tries desperately to keep his large clawed hand from the control.
Six:
Blimey, last part!
The attack on the base is nicely shot, if subtly done. Walters reaction to the glacier bearing down and the threat of the Ice Warriors is nicely played, the panic and desperation from the man is understandable, considering his comment last episode that he didn’t volunteer for his role at the base. It certainly gives the impression that he was there under duress.
The Ice Warriors entrance into the computer room is brilliantly shot as the giants burst into the room swiftly. Their swift dispatch of Walters is horrific and brutal, stunning the room to silence and getting another emotive response from Clent.
We’re seeing a wonderfully manipulative side to Varga here, and as I’ve said before, he certainly seems a character as opposed to just an alien menace.
The Doctor believes Varga and his warriors to have a far greater fluid concentration than humans. An interesting idea to the aliens.
Penley turns the base heating up after realising that the Warriors are comfortable in Ice Age temperatures. His plan has some results as the Warriors weaken. This is wonderfully added to with the Doctors plan with the sonic cannon. The Warriors reactions are well shot, the scene added to with the cries of pain from the base crew.
The Doctor seems to have a full plan worked out as he tells Victoria to take Jamie to the TARDIS.
Another pop culture reference. Clent quotes Little Britain some 30 years before its time; “The Computer says no!”
It’s a wonderful scene as Clent argues that they should obey the computer against Penley and the Doctor’s advice to go with human instinct. Clent’s reaction to the computers going haywire is well played and really highlights one of the themes to this story, that of human instinct and intuition against logic and dependency on computerisation and technology. It’s wonderfully subtle and I always used to miss it when I was younger.
The Warriors have discovered power in their engines. The atmosphere to the end of the episode is building wonderfully as the warriors too late realise that it was heat and not power and the Martians collapse as their ship heats up and explodes.
Barkworth is playing a fantastic role as Clent seemingly goes to peices over the fact that Penley may be wrong against the computer. It’s wonderfully played in the final scenes as the two men seem to acknowledge that despite the initial misgivings they seem to give off about each other, they could well be friends, and Clents initial reactions were out of hurt at being abandoned and betrayed by a friend. It’s a touching final scene as Clent reveals he always writes his own reports and Penley asks if he’ll include the Doctor, and the two notice the travellers have disappeared. In the snow outside, the TARDIS disappears.
Now, I’ve gone a little deep into analysing the characters there, but I have to say that this story is a very character driven one and each character seems to have a back story and a history. As I’ve said during the scenes with Penley and Miss Garrett, where they use first names, and the last scenes with Clent and Penley, these people live and work together and have a history. Even Varga, the “Ice Warrior”, seems to have a history and the Martians feel as though they have a culture and they act individually as a race. They’re a wonderfully believable cultured alien, not a marauding alien force, or anything like the Daleks or Cybermen and it’s this that makes them a fantastic race. Not monster; race. They’re far more developed than simple monsters.
I have to say, that this is one classic and fantastic story. It did have a little lag in episode three, but other than that, I was so involved and wrapped up with the story, I hardly noticed that it was a six parter and although some six parters can drag, this one certainly didn’t give that feeling. Fantastic, and I’d love to see this released on DVD in the same style as The Invasion, with the two missing episodes being animated!

Next Time - The Enemy of the World

[Fitz Kreiner]

The Enemy of the World:

Episode 1:
We’re onto audio for these first two episodes.
The Doctor seems delighted that they’ve landed at the “seaside”. It’s a lovely Troughton moment, when he collects a bucket and spade.
There’s a n interesting sense of intrigue as three men watch the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria and talk about “him” being there. It’s certainly setting up a good mystery about who “He” may be.
A hovercraft approaches the Doctor and his friends and the Doctor already doesn’t like the look of it, encouraging them to run. There’s some interesting incidental music, like nothing we’ve heard before. And there’s another wonderful Troughton moment when Victoria wonders if they’ve landed in a world of madmen and the Doctor replies; “They’re human beings if that’s what you meant. Engaged in their favourite past time of trying to destroy each other!”
This music is certainly interesting, it’s adding an atmosphere that’s more in common with something like a James Bond film or something similar. (OK, I’ve not watched many Bond films, but that’s the impression it puts in my mind.)
Jamie’s confusion at not knowing what a Helicopter is is a nice touch, reminding us that he’s a highlander from the 18th century.
The Doctor comments that he isn’t a medical Doctor, and keeps his Doctorate very mysterious when quizzed by Astrid as to what his Doctorate is of and clearly is avoiding answering her questions.
I’m still not too sure whether I like the incidental music or not yet, it seems rather loud and overbearing to the story. Although I guess it must be different hearing it on audio and having nothing visual to accompany it.
So, the Doctor looks like a chap called Salamander, who’s apparently a wannabe world Dictator. It seems we have a double on our hands.
Episode 2:
Salamander, (or is it the Doctor impersonating him?) emerges from another door and questions what Bruce, Salamanders security chief, is doing there. No it was the Doctor, as he reveals himself to be the Doctor after Bruce leaves. The Doctor agrees to help Astrid and Kent with Jamie agreeing that saving the world is an opportunity they can’t pass up.
It’s interesting seeing Troughton in a dual role here as the Doctor and Salamander. It’s really giving him a chance to really flex his acting muscles in playing Salamander against the Doctor, an almost opposite to the Doctor.
There’s a nice moment as Astrid, calling the Doctor and Kent, mentions that they’ve arranged a meet under a disused Jetty, prompting the Doctor to reply “Disused Yeti?”
There’s an interesting moment as Jamie slips into Salamanders control and saves his life from an assassination attempt and integrates himself with the man.
Salamander is offering half of one of the world zones to Fedorin, telling him that there is a disaster coming that he cannot avert, but he can take control after. It certainly seems that the misgivings that people have about him could be true. There’s certainly something going on with the man.
Episode 3:
Now we’re back to video for the only surviving episode.
Jamie has deffinately integrated himself with Salamander, now one of his guards. It’s wonderful to see Troughton as Salamander finally. He looks a little like a Matador, but it’s good to see him none the less.
They’re keeping Denish a prisoner in a corridor! How interesting...
Victoria is being sent to work in Salamanders kitchens. I must say the Chef is an interesting character, and after Troughton, a saving grace for the story saying he’s a job for Victoria, “Peel those spuds!” before dictating the menu; “Dinner tonight's going to be a national disaster! First course interrupted by bomb explosion. Second course affected by earthquakes. Third course ruined by interference in the kitchen. I'm going out for a walk. It'll probably rain...”
“Sad isn’t it, people spend all their time making nice things then other people come along and break them.” The Doctor sums up the destruction of Kents crockery which ironically can be translated to the missing episodes of the series.
There’s another wonderful scene with Griffin, the chef as he mutters about the terrible state of the food “Perhaps they’ll shoot me, I won’t have to worry any more. No, they’ll probably miss.” He’s a fantastic character. Comic relief but fantastic none the less.
Jamie and Victoria are arrested in attempting to rescue Denish from being held prisoner, and Salamander turns on them, realising that Jamie saving his life was a ruse. There’s a great end scene where Bruce says he saw Salamander with Kent, or someone who looked like him...
Episode 4:
Back onto audio and Astrid reveals to Kent that Denish was killed in the escape attempt; shot in the back.
The Doctor still seems to say that they’ve little to no evidence about Salamanders true aims. It does seem as though the Doctor is fairly redundant in this story as he’s not really done a lot. He’s done an awful lot more as Salamander, and it’s been lovely to see him as Salamander.
Interesting Salamander travels underground to a group of people who seem to believe that the surface of the planet is radioactive. No, it seems more interesting than that. It seems as though he’s convinced the people that they are at war with the surface, them being enemies of free will.
Episode 5:
Bruce has burst into Kent’s caravan with armed guards and confronts the Doctor and Kent. The Doctor seems to be playing his own game now saying that there is doubt about Salamanders integrity and that they need his help to get any proof.
Swann, leader of the group underground, has discovered a newspaper with last year’s date and confronts Salamander, saying he’s lied to them. Salamander continues his lies, trying to convince Swann that the people on the surface are infected with radiation and the natural disasters they’re creating is an act of mercy.
Jamie and Victoria are being questioned by quite a sadistic guard before Bruce and Salamander arrive. As Victoria goes to strike Salamander, he stops her revealing it’s the Doctor. It’s a clever scene and shows how the Doctor can mimic Salamander well enough to fool his friends into thinking that he’s the wannabe dictator.
Astrid discovers Swann lying injured by a tunnel leading to underground, and the man tells her that it was Salamander who attacked him.
Episode 6:
These episodes certainly seem to be taking a while to go through.
Swann reveals what Salamander has been doing to Astrid, that there is a large group of them under ground that Salamander has kept prisoner. Astrid makes her way down to the underground shelter to tell the people that Salamander has killed Swann, but they seen rather unbelieving until Astrid shows them the machines that Salamander built to be fake.
It seems as though things are starting to get moving, but they’re still taking a while.
Kent has burst into the research centre and confronted Salamander, saying he should have killed him when he had the chance. There’s certainly a history between the two, but it’s not played as well as the relationship between Clent and Penley from the Ice Warriors.
Ah, here we go for a revelation. Salamander wasn’t the real Salamander, it was the Doctor and he’s revealed that together they built a shelter and they took people down for an endurance test and then told them there was a war on the surface. The Doctor suspected Kent from the start, wanting to kill Salamander and take his place. That was an unexpected twist.
Kent runs into Salamander in the tunnels and the wannabe dictator shoots him but not before Kent ignites the explosives that had mined the tunnel.
The Doctor has arrived back at the TARDIs, meeting Jamie and Victoria, but is oddly silent. He indicates to Jamie to set off the controls, which makes Jamie suspicious. Jamie says he instructed them never to touch the controls and the Doctor appears in the doorway, saying he was quite right. Now this is a moment where I really wish there was video so we could see the scenes of the Doctor and Salamander together finally. They sound rather suspenseful and even more so as the TARDIS dematerialises with the doors open and Salamander is sucked out.
Well, I’m actually glad that’s over. It wasn’t by any means a bad story, it was just a slow story and suffered from the age old flaw of being drawn out over six parts. It would have worked a lot better if it had been condensed down to four. However, it’s shining grace was Troughtons dual role of the Doctor and Salamander and the one episode appearance of the Chef, whose dry cynicism was a joy in an otherwise slow episode.

Next Time – The Web of Fear.

[Fitz Kreiner]

The Web of Fear:

Episode 1:
And we start off with the Lost in Time set for the one remaining episode.
And we’re straight off with where we left off last time, the TARDIS lurching and Salamander having just been sucked out of the ship.
There’s a lovely mischievous look in Troughtons eye as Jamie says he can’t control the TARDIS and the Doctor replies; “We’ll see about that.”
A yeti! We’re given a lovely shot of a Yeti, and an old man stood watching it. It’s not long before we learn it’s an elder Professor Travers from the Abominable Snowmen. Jack Watling is giving a wonderful performance as the elder Travers. The incidental music is fantastically creepy as Travers reveals a Yeti Sphere has disappeared from his Laboratory after he’s been tinkering with it.
It’s wonderfully creepy to see the sphere hovering outside the window and the shots of the Yeti. There’s a fantastic build up as the sphere enters the Yetis chest cavity and interestingly, the Yeti seems to change shape, and it can roar! It’s a terrifying moment as the thing clubs Silverstein to the ground.
The TARDIS seems to have materialised, suspended in space, and a strange web-like substance seems to be cocooning the machine.
We’ve another interesting chance of scene as we flash to an apparent army base where Travers has been brought too. Watling is still giving a fantastic performance; grumpy and irascible, almost like the Hartnells Doctor. It’s apparent that there’s been some kind of emergency, but quite what it is is kept wonderfully mysterious.
The shots in the TARDIS are wonderful and they remain wonderful as the crew emerge from the TARDIS into an underground tunnel. The sets are absolutely fantastic.
The Doctor says what we’re all thinking; “Funny how we keep landing on your Earth.”
The underground sets really are stunning, and you can see why London Underground thought the BBC had illegally filmed in the tunnels. They’re fantastic.
We’re given more questions as the travellers find some soldiers in the tunnel. The age old Dr Who dilemma is set up as the Doctor follows a cable and Jamie and Victoria follow the soldiers. We must be some time after the first scene with Travers, Anne and Silverstein. And it’s not too long before Jamie and Victoria are caught by the soldiers.
The look on the Doctor’s face when he hears the chirping sound of the Yeti as it approaches is brilliant. The Yeti are certainly up to something as they spray web onto the crates with strange guns.
The scenes in the army’s underground fortress are well realised. Cramped and claustrophobic, and the soldiers do seem generally tired and fatigues as if they’ve been there a while.
Episode 2:
And we’re back onto audio.
There’s something mysterious going on as there’s no record of the planned explosion, and nothing is heard. Whatever the Yeti sprayed onto the crates has affected the planned blast.
There’s a chilling moment as we’re given a radio link to Hobern station and all we hear is gun fire, a scream and a Yeti roar.
There’s a lovely scene as Victoria recognises Travers, who has approached them asking how they know so much about the Yeti.
We’re given an interesting titbit of information as we’re told the events of The Abominable Snowmen were 1935. Silverstein had the Yeti for 30 years and Travers said it’s been about 40 years since he last saw Victoria and Jamie, which is an interesting bit of info in dating this and the UNIT stories.
There’s an impressive sounding battle between the soldiers and some Yeti in a tunnel, however, it’s a shame that it’s only audio as it feels like it loses something hearing a narration over the soundtrack. It would be wonderful to watch.
There’s a lot of mystery going on here. Anne is suspicious of the Doctor, as he hasn’t been seen since the end of episode one, and the Yeti capture Jamie, Knight and the remaining soldiers before suddenly just turning and walking away.
There’s an illuminated map showing the progress of the fungus/web substance which is engulfing the tunnels. Again, it’s a shame that we can’t see it, as it sounds a very visual moment.
There is a very strong sense of mystery and claustrophobia in the story that’s wonderfully played by the story being underground.
The sound of the web fungus is impressive, and yet again, it’s a shame that we don’t have it in a visual representation, as with sound you can’t fully appreciate it.
Episode 3:
The yeti can walk through the web unaffected it seems. It certainly sounds spooky as a Yeti emerges from the web carrying a pyramid. Jamie was convinced this would have stopped the intelligence, yet the web continues to pulse unabated.
Victoria has found the Doctor and a Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart. He certainly sounds very authoritative.
Back at the fortress, the Doctor fills Victoria in on what happened to him. It certainly throws some things into light and others into suspicion; Lethbridge-Stewart, who was sent as the replacement for the former C.O.
Evans makes for an interesting character; the driver of the ammo truck that was ambushed by the Yeti. He states he shouldn’t be down in the tunnels, as he’s a driver. He seems to be a character thrown into the mess by accident and not design.
Now we’re given a bit of background into the story, first a mist started, and people who entered it disappeared. The Fungus appeared several days later, and the Yeti after that. The Doctor notices that the Yeti have changed in appearance, saying he thought so before but now he’s sure. Again, this is a shame as it’s a very visual scene that we can’t make the most of due to it being all audio.
Im certainly enjoying Courtney’s portrayal of Lethbridge-Stewart, it’s only his first episode in the role, but he’s already made it his own.
Now that really adds to a wonderfully creepy atmosphere as we learn there’s a traitor in the base, most probably working with the Intelligence. If so, this is really adding a new element to the story, as we now have a traitor in the midst of the group of besieged humans. It’s a good twist; not revealing who the traitor is throwing mistrust into the fore of the story.
Again, it’s such a shame as most of this episode seems to be of the visual realm and we’re left with the soundtrack and Frazer Hines narration.
There’s certainly a lot of suspicion thrown onto Chorley, however, it certainly seems as though he’s more out for himself as opposed to being the one in league with the Yeti. Although, I may be wrong, I have been before...
There’s a great cliff hanger as Travers hears the scream of Weams and discovers his dead body, before turning round to discover a Yeti looming over him.
Episode 4:
The Yeti knocks Travers unconscious and then drags his body out from the base.
Oh, Evans is such a delightful character. He even uses the word; “Shufti!” He feels such a realistic character and is lovely to have him there.
There’s another moment that’s let down by the audio as we’re presented with the devastated fortress and bodies strewn about due to the Yeti’s attack. It could be a really powerful image, as it sounds it, but alas, we can’t see it.
There’s a lovely and chilling scene as Lethbridge-Stewart and the Doctor discuss the Intelligence;
Col. Lethbridge-Stewart : "This Intelligence. Exactly what is it?"
The Doctor : "Well I wish I could give you a precise answer. Perhaps the best way to describe it is a sort of formless, shapeless thing, floating about in space like a cloud of mist only with a mind and will."
Col. Lethbridge-Stewart : "What's it after? What's it want?"
The Doctor : "I wish I knew. The only thing I know for sure is that it brought me here."
It’s a wonderful moment, and Lethbridge-Stewart seems very believing of the Doctor, who also tells the Colonel about the TARDIS and it’s being a police box. It’s a lovely scene foreshadowing the relationship that will build between the two.
There’s a wonderfully tense scene as Arnold and Lane enter the web with a trolley of explosives, gas masked. The muffled screams are suitably chilling and Evans pulls the trolley back with rope finding Lanes body on it and Arnold having disappeared.
There’s some familiar music as Lethbridge-Stewart and a company of soldiers engage in a full blown firefight with the Yeti above ground. Yes it’s the Cybermens march we’ve heard in the Moonbase and Tomb. Again, we’re let down by the lack of video as we have to listen to the sounds of gun fire and Yeti roaring.
There’s another chilling moment as Knight is brutally clubbed down by two Yeti as he and the Doctor search for electrical supplies. The Doctor discovers a model Yeti signalling device in the man’s pocket.
We’re back with the Yeti attack on the soldiers It genuinely sounds brutal and terrifying. Lethbridge-Stewart manages to make it back to the fortress. Upon arriving back, the Doctor hears the yeti model and the Colonel confirms he’s been hearing it for a while. He soon discovers the signal device, just as two Yeti burst into the room, a possessed Travers behind them.
Episode 5:
Watling gives a good husky voice for the Intelligence. It’s not the same as Wolfe Morris, but it’s still quite a chilling experience. The Intelligence reveals the purpose behind its plan; to drain the Doctor of all his knowledge. The incidental music helps add to the atmosphere of the scene greatly here.
It’s good to see the Doctor and Anne work against the clock to complete their work on getting control of a control sphere to control a Yeti. His delight at watching the sphere move about is fantastic, it’s a lovely Troughton moment.
Evans is a fantastic character, he seems to be the Human element of the story, cowardly and out of his depth.
There’s a wonderfully spooky scene as the disembodied voice of the Intelligence speaks to Victoria and commands Travers to wake. It really makes you wonder who it is as it’s mentioned that there’s a dark shape in the gloom. It really does miss something in the translation to audio, but is still a chilling prospect.
There certainly are seeds of doubt planted in everyone’s minds as Jamie is suspicious of the Colonel.
It seems that Arnold isn’t as dead as thought, as he stumbles out of a tunnel, and into the Professor and Victoria. It seems he’s not been spotted by the Yeti as he manages to speak to the two prisoners and make his escape to head back to the fortress.
There’s a lovely comment from Arnold as he tells Evans to “Stop bleating like a Welsh Bah-lamb and answer the Colonel.” You can tell that most of the characters are getting fed up with him and a comment that Lethbridge-Stewart makes you can almost see him rolling his eyes as he says it.
There are some lovely Troughton moments in this episode and his delight at being able to control a Yeti is wonderfully played.
Episode 6:
There’s certainly a sense of finality and that things are drawing to a head as the fungus breaks through the walls of HQ and engulfs the place.
The Doctor is still suspicious of Lethbridge-Stewart as he and Anne agree that they should keep news that they control a Yeti to themselves until they know who’s working for the Intelligence.
The Doctor, Anne, Jamie, Lethbridge-Stewart and Arnold are all gathered by the Yeti, yet Arnold seems to manage to slip away as the Colonel causes a distraction.
There’s another moment that lacks for being on audio as Victoria and Travers spot a figure lurking in the darkness as they’re brought to where the Intelligence has a large machine set up.
It seems as though we’re left with many possibilities as to who is working with the Intelligence as Arnold, making his way through the tunnels, bumps into Chorley, who also went missing some time before. We’re not left with several different people wandering the tunnels, not sure about who we can trust.
We’re given a wonderful scene as the Doctor uses his control box to freeze two yeti and make a slight adjustment to the helmet they’re carrying. It’s so subtly done, and yet we can tell that it’s going to be more than just a subtle movement of wires.
We’re finally given the revelation as to who the Intelligence is; Arnold, as everyone finally begins to culminate at the Intelligence’s machine.
There’s a hectic climactic battle as Jamie orders the tame Yeti to attack the Intelligence and the other Yeti and Travers and the Colonel try to drag the Doctor from the machine, strangely to the Doctors protestations. After it’s over, he reveals that instead of the Intelligence draining him, he would have drained the Intelligence.
The ending feels slightly rushed as the Doctor and co hurriedly say their goodbyes and disappear into the tunnels leaving the remaining survivors rather confused and debating whether the TARDIS actually exists or not.
In all, this story really suffers from being on audio for all but the first episode as a lot of it is very visual and all we have to go on is the linking narration from Frazer Hines and the actual soundtrack, and you can often have things happen that you can’t hear. It’s a very good story, and I think I prefer it to the first Yeti story as they sound a lot more terrifying with their roaring, although it’s a shame Wolfe Morris didn’t do the voice for the Intelligence as he had a fantastic husky voice, compared to Jack Woolgar who spoke almost normally for when portraying the Intelligence.

Next Time- Fury from the Deep.

[Fitz Kreiner]

Fury from the Deep:

Episode 1:
Right, here we go. With another recon from Wayne!
And the TARDIS has landed in the middle of the sea, seemingly floating! And we’re off into a fairly comical moment as the three travellers throw foam at each other.
The Sonic Screwdriver makes its first appearance! Wahey!
The Doctor and his companions are shot by a strange weapon in a rather mysterious scene. I wonder who’s shooting at them and why.
There’s certainly something interesting going on here, but quite what we don’t know. Something mysterious seems to be going on in this base.
There’s something odd going on with sea weed as it seems to bubble and pulse with a strange heartbeat sound.
There’s a fantastically claustrophobic atmosphere and a lot of mystery in this episode and it seems to have flown by!
Episode 2:
There’s something odd going on with Maggie Harris. She seems to have become rather agitated and disorientated after being stung from the sea weed.
Maggie seems to have recovered slightly and opens the door revealing Mr Quill and Mr Oak. They look almost comical at the moment, but there’s something rather sinister about them at the same time!
Here we go, the scares are really coming on now as Quill and Oak come into Maggies room and start to breath out a noxious gas to the sound of the heart beat of the weed creature. Chilling stuff!
Harris, the Doctor and his companions discover Maggie unconscious in her room, the quarters filled with gas.
This story seems to be flashing by. There’s talk of something lurking in the pipes, waiting, and it’s a really spooky cliff hanger to a rather chilling episode. I’m getting too enthralled to keep writing notes!
Episode 3:
Oh eck, it seems that tendrils of weed are starting to grow on Maggie Harris!
In the impella room, there’s something in the shaft emanating an eerie heartbeat noise.
Robson is certainly giving off the impression that he doesn’t care about anything other than his job and career. He seems rather lacking in compassion, especially towards Harris and his concern over his wife.
The Doctor has discovered that the weed is actually a weed creature, from legends by referring to a dusty book. It seems to be feeding off the natural gas and expelling toxic gas as a side product.
Robson seems to be losing it somewhat. He has a huge rant at everyone telling them that he’s in charge. I really don’t think I’d be able to stand for working for someone like him.
Interestingly the weed creature seems to be warned off by Victoria’s screams.
Victoria seems to ask what we always seem to be asking; Why do they always land in trouble? There’s something wrong, she’s fed up with being “scared out of [her] wits every second”.
Maggie and Robson seem to be acting very odd, meeting together at the seafront. Maggies face is covered with throngs of weed and then walks into the sea. I love the sense of mystery that they’re playing up here, and that’s a fantastic cliff hanger to end on; Maggie walking out into the sea until the waves engulf her.
Episode 4:
“Jamie, are you asleep?” The question you can never answer yes to! Victoria seems to be having second thoughts about her travels with the Doctor and Jamie, the latter of whom is worried about her. She seems astonished Jamie can sleep while things are happening.
Victoria is really standing up to the Doctor now, asking why they can’t go anywhere where there’s peace and happiness, why there always has to be fighting and terror. It’s a wonderful scene.
There’s another fantastic scene as one of the technicians, Van Luchins, is pulled away by the weed creature with a terrible cry. It’s really chilling.
The Doctor and Jamie are confronted by the weed creature having gone to investigate Van Luchin’s disappearance, but their calls for help go unanswered by Quill and Oak, who have left their post.
The rigs out in the sea are being overwhelmed by weed and foam, it seems as though people are finally starting to believe the Doctor, but is it too late now?
Victoria seems fed up with the pace of life that the Doctor and Jamie live by, and tells Jamie this. She’s happy with the two but not with the pace of life.
The weed creature is advancing into the refinery, crawling its way through the pipes as the Doctor comments that the invasion has begun. The weed is certainly a most interesting and creepy creature. Certainly making sure you’re careful next time you’re around sea weed!
Episode 5:
The Doctor has finally convinced people of the danger posed by the weed creature and that its controlling the senior members of the refinery and the rigs. I really am getting caught up in the story; it’s really compelling and a wonderful piece of human drama with the added menace of the weed creature lurking in the background.
There’s another chilling moment as Robson escapes his room by grabbing the guard and breathing the toxic gas to him.
Oak and Quill are still providing a good deal of menace as Jamie spots them moving away and chases after them, capturing Quill, Oak however escaping.
The weed creature begins to burst through into the refinery leading to a rather exciting sounding scuffle between the Doctor, Jamie and the creature, however, it seems to lose something only hearing the soundtrack and the narration.
Robson kidnaps Victoria and takes her to the nerve centre of the rigs where the weed creature is situated, with the Doctor and Jamie in hot pursuit.
There’s another great cliff hanger as the Doctor and Jamie stumble into the nerve centre and Robson speaks in a hissing voice as the weed creature.
Episode 6:
Victoria’s screams seem to affect Robson and the weed creature and the Doctor notices this, urging her to scream again. It’s not too pleasant on the ears!
There’s an interesting part where the Doctor tries to get to grips with a Helicopter. It seems a bit of padding to me as it goes on for quite a while, a bit too long for my liking.
For once Victoria seems to have problems with screaming!
The weed creature looks really impressive, I must say. Really creepy. Although there are moments where it looks as though someone has opened a washing machine mid cycle with all the foam! ;D
The sounds that the weed is making coupled with the Doctors tinkering with Victoria’s recorded screams are rather chilling!
Now that’s a nice ending as the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria join the Harrises and Robson for a celebratory dinner. Something we don’t normally see, the Doctor and co stopping to have a meal after an adventure.
There’s a rather touching moment as the Doctor realises that Victoria doesn’t want to come with them. It seems an odd ending, the Doctor almost palming Victoria off onto the Harrises. Jamie seems rather sad about Victoria’s decision, trying to make her come off with them, getting told off by the Doctor as a result.
Jamie seems rather awkward around Victoria now she’s decided to stay with the Harrises, and tries to make light hearted of the situation by telling her the Doctor has gone down the beach for a swim. It’s a rather touching scene between the two and quite emotional. The two obviously care for each other.
It’s quite a touching farewell to Victoria as the Doctor and Jamie head off. And a rather gripping and exciting story as well that really got me wrapped up into it. Rather tense and a great sense of mystery and horror in most places. Fantastic stuff.

Next Time – The Wheel in Space.