UU1 - The Mind Robber 1

To view Episode One of The Mind Robber today, out of context, is an interesting view, is notable for its surrealism, its (budget imposed) minimalist style, and it's famous closing shot of Zoe lying on the spinning TARDIS console, the TARDIS exploding, Zoe lying on the TARDIS spinning console, and Zoe lying on the TARDIS spinning console.

But to see this episode immediately after the 200+ episodes that precede it hits you like a smack in the face. A product of necessity and emergency, Episode One has a lot in common with another episode that was borne under similar circumstances, The Edge of Destruction. The Mind Robber, though, had the luxury of being able to use a white cyclorama and some stock (yellow) robot costumes. The result is mesmerising. When the TARDIS explodes at the end of the episode, all bets are off. We're through the looking glass here, folks. I can just about hear Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit" playing in the background.

Doctor Who enters the real 1960s. It's going to be a hell of a trip.