HH4 - The Moonbase 4

One of the prerequisites for Cybermen stories, it seems, is to have a shot of Cybermen marching slowly and menacingly (emphasis on slowly) across a quarry, city street, or, in this case, the surface of the moon. And it looks impressive - there looks to be at least ten Cybermen in one shot. Ten!

The laser gun effect for the Cybermen's massive gun is very good, as well (so good that they used the effect twice in the same shot). Their departure from the surface, though, is less good, leaving via Kirby wire and cheesy sound effects. All this is thanks to the Moonbase crew turning the Gravitron onto the surface of the moon. One setback is apparently enough for these Cybermen, too. Do they collect themselves, rustle up their courage, and try again? Nope. They all catch the next rocket shuttle home. This event does a bit of a number on their "never give up" attitude that they usually seem to portray.

And Polly ends up making even more coffee! They're obviously pulling an all-nighter at the Moonbase, but can't they take the coffee making duties in shifts? There's so much wrong with The Moonbase (the stereotypes, the dialogue, the chauvinism, the silly hats), but it's still an enjoyable watch, oddly. I can't recommend it, but I can't UNrecommend it, either.

HH3 - The Moonbase 3

For an emotionless race, the Cybermen are certainly prone to some bad, idiotic dialogue that borders on gloating. During one conversation in Episode Three, one of them boasts to the crew of the Moonbase that their "stupid Earth brains" wouldn't have been able to uncover the Cybermen's plans, further adding that the metallic monsters are "clever...clever...clever". I half expected Christopher Robbie's Cyberleader to come strutting in at that point, hands on hips.

Despite what the Cybermen actually say, the way they say it is so cool, as is their appearance, but in a "retro" sort of fashion. The electric drone with which they speak is very dated these days, but it has such a charming, 1950's vibe to it that it is irresistible. The new, updated look from the headlamps and cellophane of The Tenth Planet is very effective, indeed, and is my favourite of the 1960s designs, and probably my favourite Cybermen design ever.

It's good to see Jamie walking about again and stealing some of Ben's lines. Soon, he'll actually have something of his own to say and do - hooray!

HH2 - The Moonbase 2

Doctor Who could never be called a flagship for the cause of feminism, to be sure, but the show had its moments where women weren't portrayed as inept waifs who only understood how to sit still just long enough for them to get into trouble and be rescued by men. Not many moments, but it did have them. Most of them involve Sarah Jane Smith.

The Innes Lloyd era of Doctor Who has to be the most chauvinistic era in the programme's history. There are not only few strong female characters in the stories of this era; there are few female characters, period. Apart from Polly, there are no female characters in The Moonbase (nor its earlier clone, The Tenth Planet). Obviously, in the eyes of the people who made Doctor Who at this time, the future was purely a male driven society, and the women are kept well out of the way. Polly manages to scream a few times and then make the coffee (the latter of which, at least, serves as a plot point).

There is an achingly long scene where Hobbs and his staff work on fixing the Gravitron, interrupted by a pep talk by the most snivelly of civil servants over the radio. It seems to go on for ten minutes, and all that happens is a bunch of scientific busywork that must have been fascinating to noted scientist Kit Pedler, who wrote the episode, but interminably dull to everyone else. But it took ten minutes out of the script, and was shot on one set, so into the story it goes.

I'd talk about the new Cybermen and how much I like them, but they've barely appeared in this story, and it's already halfway through...

HH1 - The Moonbase 1

Terry Nation has (rightly) been criticized over the years for basically submitting the same story over and over for each Dalek story he was commissioned to write. We never rake Kit Pedler and Gerry Davis over the same coals, though. Just a few scant months prior to this, the Cybermen made their debut in The Tenth Planet, which featured:

- The Cybermen, in the future, invade an isolated outpost of human characters made up of multi-cultural stereotypes
- Shock appearance of a Cyberman at the end of episode one
- Cybermen attack humans outside of the base on the cold surface of Antarctica
- Polly makes the coffee

Fast forward four months to The Moonbase, in which the following happens :

- The Cybermen, in the future, invade an isolated outpost of human characters made up of multi-cultural stereotypes
- Shock appearance of a Cyberman at the end of episode one
- Cybermen attack humans outside of the base on the cold surface of the Moon
- Polly makes the coffee

There's also some silly business in the Moon sequences where The Doctor and company are jumping around, committing mild acts of horseplay, until Jamie goes to far and gets himself hurt, thus confining him to a hospital bed for two episodes and the writers an early coffee break. Despite all this, it is a relatively entertaining episode. The "aliens-invade-isolated-outpost" meme is still relatively new at this point, as well. Plus, they wouldn't think of doing that type of story again, would they?

GG4 - The Underwater Menace 4

If you'll permit me to be utterly humourless for a moment, I've never felt comfortable with "camp". That is, I've never fully enjoyed finding great amusement in something which had serious drama as its intent. It's almost a slap in the face of the efforts of all involved in the making of the programme who set out to make something worth watching. Even when I do come across something that is laughably bad, I do feel like just a smidgen guilty while I watch it.

That said, the camp factor of The Underwater Menace is probably its only redeeming feature. Seldom in the history of Doctor Who has a story that was rushed to air, or otherwise faced traumatic or truncated preparation and recording time, actually risen above the difficulties of its conception and provided something that wasn't worth mocking. The Underwater Menace was only very reluctantly inserted into the lineup for Season Four, and, by the time recording for the story got underway, the production team were only working a week ahead of transmission. It would remain that way until the end of Season 4, which is quite remarkable. That fact alone prevents me from laughing too hard at this story, but...

Okay, The Underwater Menace borders on being a camp classic - the 1960's version of The Horns of Nimon. But at least The Horns of Nimon was trying to be funny...I think?

GG3 - The Underwater Menace 3

Episode Three of The Underwater Menace could be the campest 24 minutes of Doctor Who ever. There's this strange, bizarre (and bizarrely long) sequence where the fish people are floating around on visible wires through the water, apparently taking several, laid back minutes to pass on word of the wildcat strike that they're about to pull off. It's like watching The Web Planet in slow motion.

Before that, there's an equally long, cacophonous scene set in a marketplace, featuring The Doctor in disguise as some sort of hippy and shaking a tambourine. Also, of note, nothing at all happens for at least two minutes. And it's all brilliantly overscored by some horrific incidental music from Dudley Simpson, who was clearly taking his new Moog synthesizer out for a spin.

Then there's Peter Stephens as Lolem, who must be seen and heard to be believed...

You know it's bad when it's taken me this long to mention Professor Zaroff, the poster boy of camp. Keen to raise its game, though, is the script, offering such softballs to Zaroff like "Let me stand next to you so I might feel the aura of your goodness", and (wait for it), "Nothing in the world can stop me now!"

Somehow, this episode was spared from destruction when so many of its contemporaries were mercilessly wiped from existence. Oy...

On to Episode Four (of four, thankfully)...

GG2 - The Underwater Menace 2

We meet the main villain of the piece, Professor Zaroff, briefly in Episode One, but he gets his big unveiling in Episode Two. Now I see why this story has been dumped on so much. Zaroff so desperately wants to be a great James Bond villian - he has a way out scheme to conquer the Earth, he has a funny accent, he has a pet octopus, and so on and so forth.

Of course, Zaroff isn't a great James Bond villain. He's not even a good one. His idea of draining the ocean to raise Atlantis from t he depths is scientifically ludicrous, for one. (Obviously, science fantasy has fired the first salvo in the war between fiction and fantasy I mentioned a couple posts back). Zaroff probably thinks he's Goldfinger in a story that's more akin to Moonraker. I can't tell,though, if the character Zaroff's failings are because of because of bad writing by Geoffrey Orme or bad acting by Joseph Furst. At this stage, it's being hotly contested between the two.

I'm more happy about the fact that, after 13 straight, non-existent episodes (the longest such stretch that I'll have to endure), I can actually watch something where the pictures move next episode - hooray!

GG1 - The Underwater Menace 1

When a story like The Underwater Menace comes up for review, it's tough to watch it without the excessive weight of the general negative reaction from 40 years of fandom sitting in front of me, trying to block the screen from my impartial eye. So, as best I could, I tried to sit down and watch Episode One with as unbiased an eye as I possibly could. I've only ever seen this story twice before, so how jaded could I possibly be?

The verdict after episode one: middling. The only bad thing I could really think of was a cringe-worthy scene where each companion thinks to himself/herself, complete with cheesy vocal overdub, wishing that the TARDIS has landed in a location that would be fun and interesting to them. I suppose I could pick on the basic plot relying on the fact that Atlantis still exists under the sea, but that would be picking nits.

Jamie accustoms himself to the TARDIS better than any companion before or since, especially given the fact that he was born in the 18th century. It solves the age-old problem in Doctor Who : how do you portray the awe and wonder of a new companion when he/she steps into the TARDIS for the first time, yet make it fresh and exciting each time? Answer: you just ignore it. Jamie has slipped into the TARDIS rather unnoticed, and has already accepted everything that he has seen. Somewhere, Katarina is feeling that much more stupid.

FF4 - The Highlanders 4

At the end of this story, it turns out that the whole point of the it wasn't to ensure that the laird of the McLaren clan was kept alive, it wasn't to get the Highlanders made it safely to France, it wasn't to have The Doctor and his friends escape unscathed, it wasn't for history to take its right and proper course, and it wasn't to see off Jamie on the start of his long trek in the TARDIS.

No, the person who advances the most throughout the course of this story, with great effect, is Algeron Ffinch. Ffinch took his knocks early on - falling down a pit, being disarmed, robbed, and blackmailed by Polly and Kirsty, being mocked by his men, and winding up poor and dishonoured in a tavern, drinking his sorrows away. While still being blackmailed, his services are used one final time to escort The Doctor and friends safely back to the TARDIS. As a result of this, though, Ffinch takes Solicitor Grey into custody for slave trading, and all because, despite the grief that Polly has given him, Ffinch has taken a bit of shone to The Doctor's blonde companion. Aww.

Ffinch actually turns out to be the hero of the piece, which is actually quite charming. It's the topping on the cake of what has been a fun little romp, the last such historical one that we will see for some considerable time. I enjoyed the historicals, as a whole, but did find they were remarkably limited. A few of the classic series historicals share one main aspect in common with the new series "celebrity historicals", in that they often feature famous historical figures. In the classic series, we met Marco Polo and King Richard I; in the new series, Charles Dickens and Queen Victoria (amongst others). The main difference, though, is how those characters were treated. Whereas the new series almost paid worship to these historical figures and involved them full on in The Doctor's world (because, as geniuses, it was told, they would be able to cope with such alien wonders), the classic series historicals deliberately kept these figures in the dark for fear that their knowledge of things outside their realm of possibility would alter history.

The same approach extended to the different eras that these historical stories were set in. On no account could any changes be made to the events that were occurring for fear of disrupting the timeline. For the most part, the historical stories were mishandled. It's not as much fun to watch something wrong almost happen, but then not. What would have been far more interesting would be to have The Doctor land in the past, see that something had gone wrong to upset history, then be forced to right the timelines by setting the events straight again (just as the Back To The Future movies did successfully some 20 years after Doctor Who stopped meddling with the past).

The move away from historicals finally decided the war between history and science to see which would draw the viewers in. It was a battle that had its lines drawn from the word go, literally, by both a history teacher (Barbara) and a science teacher (Ian) joining the TARDIS crew so that Barbara could basically narrate to the viewer the historical events that were being shown, and Ian could describe what a litmus test is or what acid does to poorly made shoes. After three and a half years, science had won, soon to enter into another war over the coming years between "science fiction" and "science fantasy".

FF3 - The Highlanders 3

The next disguise in The Doctor's (or, more accurately, Patrick Troughton's) arsenal is that of a washer woman in this episode. Troughton is really laughing his way through this story. It's interesting to note that Sylvester McCoy, with his prat falls and spoon playing, did essentially the same thing in his debut story, Time and the Rani. Was it acceptable to fans back in 1966, just as the same antics were panned in 1987? If not, was it perhaps the fact that the quality of the latter story may have been slightly less than The Highlanders? (We'll see that theory explained in a few months time...)

Still, we get to see more (or, rather, we don't get to see) of how successful at the art of disguise The Doctor is after he manages to finagle an entire wheelbarrow of weapons with his washer woman's costume. Not entirely sure how he pulled that off...did I miss something in this episode?

Another light filler episode, with even less of Jamie in it than the previous episode. One doesn't really get the impression that he's going to be one of the longest running companions ever. It really does look like he was a last-minute addition to the show (which, of course, he was). I've always liked Jamie, but he is so in the background in this story, that it does seem odd for him to be added to the (soon to be crowded) TARDIS roster.

FF2 - The Highlanders 2

The Doctor carries on his "Doctor von Wer" persona during this episode, actually putting it to good use in an amusing sequence where he ambushes Grey in his office, resulting in the solicitor getting tied up, gagged, and shoved in a closet. The Doctor later convinces Grey's clerk, Perkins, to lie down for an hour with his eyes closed after banging Perkins's head on the desk a few times.

This episode, like the one before it, though, is a real showcase for Polly. Polly really takes charge in this episode, convincing Kirsty to head off in search of Colin, Jamie, and Ben, then trapping Algernon Ffinch and blackmailing him into helping the two girls several times for the rest of the story. After the strong female character of Janley in The Power of the Daleks, one would think that this is just the next step in the feminizing of Doctor Who...

My favourite thing about this episode is Captain Trask, who uses every pirate cliche in the book when speaking (including countless "arrs!") and is so over the top that it would be laughable in any other situation. But this story is such a light hearted little romp that Trask is a blast to watch. After two episodes, this story is a nice little change of pace from the epic drama of the Dalek story that came before it.

FF1 - The Highlanders 1

It takes any actor playing The Doctor a few episodes to find his feet in the role, and probably just as long for the production team of Doctor Who to adjust to their new leading man. After having Patrick Troughton play an aloof and scheming Doctor in his debut story, in The Highlanders, it seems that the producers are willing to let Troughton loose and indulge his flair for dressing up.

I'll mention this more in following entries (as The Doctor chooses more than one disguise over the course of this story), but in this first episode, he quickly adopts a German accent (and a questionable one at that) in order to try and fool his Redcoat captors that he is a doctor from Hanover. Much silliness ensues, but it can never be said yet that The Doctor is the driving force in the proceedings. The dressing up just gives him something to do while the rest of the characters drive the plot along.

This is Jamie McCrimmon's first episode, but he doesn't attract a great deal of screen time yet. It's weird to think at this stage that Frazer Hines will be in every Troughton episode from here on - quite a feat indeed!

EE6 - The Power of the Daleks 6

This truly spectacular story ends with easily the bloodiest, most violent episode of Doctor Who to date. All but two characters, Valmar and Quinn, meet their end either at the end of a Dalek gun or a rifle wielded by a rebel. The choice of using real, 20th century weapons as opposed to some BBC prop laser guns with a flashbulb at the end of them was a daring one. Guns had barely featured in Doctor Who up to this point. The only two stories before it that come close are The Gunfighters, which was set in the Wild West and, given the title of the serial, pretty much had to include the weaponry of the time, and The War Machines, where all the army's rifles were seen but not heard.

Most of the gunfire is concentrated on the Daleks by the rebels as the rebels realize far too late that their ability to control the Daleks is long gone (if it was ever even there to begin with). The deaths in this episode are numerous, and none of them are marked by hammy screams or melodrama, making it unrelentingly grim.

The Doctor, who I've scarcely mentioned over the course of these six episodes, finally manages to defeat the Daleks at episode's end, but treats it as if he's a child who's accidentally knock his mom's vase over. "Did I do that?", he cheekily asks Ben and Polly after the dust has settled. Only now do you realize that, when the rebels thought they were in control, the Daleks were really moving the chess pieces from underneath. But yet under the Daleks, The Doctor was the one who was really in control. Scarcely noticed, always aloof, involved in one conversation while thinking of the next one he's going to have, Patrick Troughton's Doctor has a superb debut episode. He almost reminds me of a philanthropic version of The Meddling Monk. They both have the same approach, but The Doctor is doing his best to put all the toys back in the box in the right place.

And The Doctor doesn't necessarily succeed in this story. In any other given circumstances, his goal would be to save the colony. Here, his mission is to defeat the Daleks, which he does, but at the expense of the colony. The fact that he sneaks away before he can receive blame for this is remarkably cavalier. All of the one time leaders and scientists of the colony are now dead, with no one to replace them. Vulcan was definitely left a worse off place than it was when the story started.

The central theme of this story is power. In the literal sense, the Daleks are seeking a power supply to rejuvenate themselves, build an army, and exterminate all who oppose them - the standard Dalek edict. While this goes on, there are numerous characters trying to impose their power on others - Bragen over Quinn, Janley over Lesterson, Lesterson over the Daleks, Bragen over the Daleks, and so on and so on. The real "power of the Daleks" is that the Daleks manage to convince everyone, apart from the Doctor, of course, that they are on their side. It is they who really drive a wedge between the establishment and the rebellion. The Daleks barely fire their weapons until the final episode, but they've long ago consigned the humans to their doom. I am in no way suggesting that Robert Shearman's Series 1 episode Dalek is inspired by this story, but the behaviour of the Dalek(s) in both stories are similar, and unique to any other Dalek stories that happened before or afterwards. Never have the Daleks been more conniving, more scheming, more intelligent, more ruthless, more brilliant than in The Power of the Daleks. This story shows the true potential of them, which was, sadly, never picked up on much until Dalek almost 40 years later.

The Power of the Daleks just might be the best Dalek story ever made, and easily one of the greatest Doctor Who stories of all time.

EE5 - The Power of the Daleks 5

In which Lesterson completes his descent into madness, going complete batshit once he realizes that the innocent requests for power and supplies by the Daleks that he's agreed to has now resulted in a Dalek army being created. Robert James veers close to OTT in his portrayal of Lesterson, and probably crosses the line on a couple of occasions, but it's still a fun performance.

I love how there are two separate storylines going on here - the rebellion being staged by a group of the human colonists to overthrow the current regime, and the ongoing accumulation of power by the Daleks, who are seen as merely pawns and servants for the rebels. Both Janely and newly minted governor Bragen are banking on their control of the Daleks for their rebellion hopes, ignoring Lesterson's insane warnings. Bragen orders (or so he thinks) a Dalek to exterminate the former governor, Hinsell, which the Dalek does. But not for one second is that Dalek taking any orders from anyone. Throughout the whole story, the Daleks are merely playing along, happy to let the humans dig themselves further and further into a hole, by which time they will be not only dependent on the Daleks for help in the rebellion, but the Daleks will also be up to full speed and an independent entity unto themselves.

The moment finally happens at the end of Episode Five. The rebellion is officially on, and so the Daleks strike, moving out from their capsule in staggering numbers, ready to kill all humans while the humans are busy killing themselves. "Daleks conquer and destroy!"

EE4 - The Power of the Daleks 4

With Anneke Wills off on holiday during this episode, along with her distracting, impossibly long legs, I can actually focus on the matter at hand again. And this episode is, like the others before it, chock full of memorable moments.

I love the quiet war that The Doctor and Bragen have been waging against each other since the start of the story. Like the Doctor/Daleks relationship, in that only the Doctor knows what the true nature of the Daleks are, and, seemingly, vice versa, only The Doctor suspects that Bragen murdered the real Examiner, and only Bragen knows that The Doctor isn't really the Examiner. Their scenes together change instantly once they are alone together, as each subtly threatens to expose each other's motives and actions. It's the type of scene that this devious new Doctor, as played by Patrick Troughton, excels at. It's very early into Troughton's run, yet I can't for a second imagine any other Doctor being in this story other than him.

Janley has another great episode, particularly in the scene where her and the other rebels are having a secret meeting. In order to prove the rebels' power over the Daleks, she has a gun fitted to a Dalek with a control switch attached. The rebels think they have control over the Dalek gun, but, of course, no one can control a Dalek with its gun attached. To prove the rebels' point, though, that the Daleks will not harm them and are working for them, Janley herself stands in front of the Dalek, confident that it won't shoot. The tension is palpable - it shot Resno, it's natural instinct is to kill...but it spares Janley. It knows that now is not the time to show its hand (so to speak). Yet more signs of the truly devious nature of the Daleks in this story.

And why are they so devious? Because they are quietly and secretly building an army of Daleks to overtake the colony. The last five minutes of this episode are given over to the famous Dalek production line sequence, of which only a few short clips exist. It is a damn shame. As Lesterson watches from a safe distance, he probably shares the same feelings of dread and awe that the viewer gets from seeing countless Daleks coming into being. From what would appear to be three dormant Daleks at the beginning of this story are now, with only their cunning and diabolical ingenuity to aid them, manage to recreate themselves from almost nothing into a formidable army. It certainly validates a claim that The Doctor made earlier, that one Dalek was capable of wiping out the entire colony. We're about to see that happen.

EE3 - The Power of the Daleks 3

It's taken over three years, but there's finally a really strong female character role in a Doctor Who story in the from of Janley. She's perhaps the most manipulative character around, too, even more so than Bragen or the Daleks themselves. The way she controls Lesterson without him knowing it is fascinating to watch, and she also seems to know more than she knows when dealing with Bragen, too.

This whole story is about power, about which I'll get into later. Honestly, though, during this episode, the most prominent portrayal of power was from Polly, on a purely physical level (what's another word for "level" that starts with the letter "p"?). I'm not sure there has ever been a sexier Doctor Who companion than Anneke Wills as Polly. I've made it my mission during this viewing marathon to not go back and review scenes or episodes, but just write what I feel about each episode as I view it. But I relented during this episode. I had to watch a five-minute segment of the episode again because I realized I was transfixed on Polly's legs during an entire scene. Having the pictures not move played a part in this, to be sure, as the reconstruction showed a static shot of Polly sitting on a bench for the better part of a minute, but it also didn't help that the Vulcan colonists felt it necessary to dress Polly up in a charming pair of walking shorts. This marathon has made me appreciate certain aspects of the programme's early years a lot more. I'm going to add Polly to that list.

Back to the power theme again - the end of the episode (has there ever been a better set of episode endings than in this story?). The three Daleks that we have seen thus far have just successfully lobbied Lesterson (there's that alliteration again - sorry) to grant them access to the colony's power supply. Still pretending to be subservient, the Daleks start chanting, "We will have our power!" over and over again. An increasingly wary Lesterson thinks that they are referring to the electric power that they will soon be connected with. We all know different.

EE2 - The Power of the Daleks 2

After watching this episode, I'm utterly convinced that the greatest shame in the history of Doctor Who, if not humanity itself, is that David Whitaker didn't write more Dalek stories than he did. Whitaker's take on the pepper pots is so much more enthralling than anything that the Daleks' creator, Terry Nation, ever came up with. In showing the Daleks as a small band of battered, near-lifeless creatures, as opposed to the conquering invaders of the William Hartnell era, it instantly casts doubt on both them and the impressions of them on both the characters in the story and the viewers watching on television.

There are two scenes that literally had my hair standing on end. The first is when the scientist Lesterson, Janley, and Lesterson's assistant Resno are examining a Dalek with its' second "arm" attached. Little to the colonists know that this "arm" is, of course, the Dalek gun. Resno is filming the experiment, but there are also a few camera shots taken from the Dalek's perspective. The intensity builds during the scene, and each shot of Resno through the Dalek eye stalk view is like seeing things through the sights of a sniper's rifle. It's like the Dalek is playing along with being docile for only as long as it can stand it, before it's natural urge to exterminate finally takes over. When Resno is finally blasted, it happens at just the right moment between shock and inevitability. Lesterson's and Janley's reactions are even more paramount. Lesterson thinks that Resno is merely injured, convinced by Janley's immediate diagnosis that he received an electric shock. Janley is becoming one of the more interesting characters in this story, but more on that later.

The second moment of perfection is the stunning final scene, where the Dalek is paraded in front of the heads of of the colony, as well as The Doctor, Ben and Polly. Lesterson is selling everyone on the notion that the Dalek is a skilled worker and servant whose skills will help lift the colony out of its current precarious state. Only two people in the room don't buy into this notion - the Dalek and The Doctor. When the Dalek trains its eyestalk on the newly regenerated Doctor and moves threateningly towards him, everyone else in the room is amazed at its abilities to see and recognize others. The Doctor, of course, is terrified. But how does the Dalek recognize him? Surely they haven't seen this incarnation yet. Or have they? Perhaps in a future adventure? Or do Daleks simply recognize their greatest enemy in all his forms, or perhaps even by his reputation?

The Dalek is also as devious and conniving as the Daleks have ever been (or ever were after this). Disarmed, it lures the colonists in with its promise of solid, skilled labour. The final shot of the episode is haunting, with the Dalek repeating the assurance, "I am your servant. I am your servant." to the increasingly impressed colonists, while The Doctor fights to have his own warnings heard about what the Daleks truly represent. Only he and the viewers know what folly the colonists are setting up for themselves.

Breathtaking stuff. Only two episodes in, and this might be the best Doctor Who story to date.

EE1 - The Power of the Daleks 1

The first installment of Patrick Troughton's debut story is intensely interesting if only for the novelty of watching the first post-regeneration sequence in the programme's history. For most fans of the series, this initial stab at it is probably the most recent one they have seen, or will see (thanks to a superb CD-ROM reconstruction release from the BBC a few years ago). There's the usual disorientation that we're now used to seeing. What isn't explained is why The Doctor's clothes regenerate with him, thus ensuring at least a dozen books to be written about the hows and whys of regeneration.

The reactions of Ben and Polly during all of this are also neat to see. Seldom included on the list of most memorable companions, the two do, however, fulfill a vital role in the story by questioning the identity of the stranger now staring back at them. Even The Doctor himself isn't sure of who he is, as he often refers to "The Doctor" in his post "renewal" babblings. This new Doctor is as distant and aloof as any Doctor has ever been. Ever. And it's up to a cynical Ben and a trusting Polly to simultaneously question and reassure the viewer that this new person is still the same hero they've been watching for all this time.

Patrick Troughton is immediately fascinating in the lead role. His playing of the recorder, which was significantly toned down over the course of his tenure, is in full motion here, instantly becoming an endearing character trait. There are times where dialogue is carrying on amongst other characters in a scene, but in the background, you can still hear The Doctor on his recorder - the soundtrack for him pondering, planning, considering. Troughton even uses the musical instrument to toot back angry retorts to Ben on a couple of occasions.

As fantastic as Troughton is in this first episode, one can't help but feel that neither he nor the producers knew quite knew at this point what kind of character this new Doctor was going to be. It's this uncertainty that is probably the biggest drawing card for watching this, initially. Having taken the leap and changed the lead character, what will the producers of Doctor Who do now?

On top of all this, the bloody Daleks are in it! Their reveal at the episode's end is one of the best, because, for the first time, we see the Daleks not in a state of dominance, but as (apparently) dead creatures. Intriguing, that.

DD4 - The Tenth Planet 4

And so it comes to this - the first ever changing of lead actor in Doctor Who history (I hasten to not call it a "regeneration", as this term wouldn't be used for years after this, nor will I deem it a "rejuvenation" or a "renewal" as no one can decide if it's called either of those terms, as well). I'd like to know what was going on in the heads of the viewers at the time while watching this in October 1966. It had obviously been announced in the press that Hartnell was leaving the show, so there were no surprises there. Whoever was using his 8mm film camera to record snippets of the action on screen (thus resulting in most of the only known surviving footage from Episode Four) was clearly focusing on Hartnell's appearances, probably hoping to chronicle the event as best he could for all time.

It can not be exaggerated how monumental a step forward the changeover was at the time. Other TV series or films might recast their leading actor, or another prominent character, but no attention would be paid to it. I think of James Bond and the several different actors who have portrayed him (although an argument could be made that there have been several James Bonds/007s, which is the code name for MI6's top secret agent). I also am reminded of the recasting of one of the main villains, Travis, in between Seasons 1 and 2 of Blake's 7. But to actually change the lead actor, and, essentially, the lead character, was such a bold and risky decision for the programme. No longer buoyed by the Dalekmania of two years previously, the main focus of the show was now completely on The Doctor. At this point, The Doctor was merely aloof and different, with only his TARDIS and his past, unseen, experiences differentiating him from the rest of his human compatriots. Once he displayed the ability to change his entire physical appearance, he truly became an alien in both the viewers' eyes and those of the characters around him in the story.

And, of course, the risk paid off. The biggest testament towards the brilliance of this creative decision was how little it has been "retconned" as the years go by. Although flashier special effects and shooting techniques have come along in the years and decades since The Tenth Planet, the process and the end result are exactly the same. From Hartnell to Troughton, from Eccleston to Tennant, from Tennant to Smith - it is the exact same thing.

And all this is thanks to producer Innes Lloyd and script editor Gerry Davis. John Wiles before them may have suggested the idea of replacing the lead actor, but it was Lloyd and Davis who actually did it. This decision virtually assured the show's longevity for years to come, as it can guarantee an entirely fresh outlook on stories that may have been tried and tested before. With each new Doctor being, basically, a new character, but with the memories and experiences of those that came before him, the programme could get away with presenting what might be similar stories in different eras because the actions and reactions of the leading character would change their outcomes.

On the flip side, changing the lead actor also meant that the programme could change its format to suit a new Doctor. One couldn't think of William Hartnell's Doctor being exiled to Earth in the 1970's and have the programme work. With Jon Pertwee, it did. Can you imagine Tom Baker dancing around the TARDIS console, playfully flirting with Rose while singing along to a song by Ian Dury and the Blockheads? No, but it would work with David Tennant. This combination of the programme being able to repeat itself without repeating itself, and forging bold new directions upon the paths of the familiar meant that there were now any number of combinations of interesting stories to tell.

Let's also not forget the contributions of William Hartnell. I feel he's unnecessarily slagged off as a bit of a joke in Who circles these days, more famous for fluffing his lines and being belligerent on set. If anything, this little marathon of mine has reappraised Hartnell for me. From dark (An Unearthly Child) to authoritative (The Daleks' Master Plan) to poetic (The Dalek Invasion of Earth) to funny (The Gunfighters) to tragic (The Massacre), the man could do it all, perhaps in a more convincing and cumulative way than any Doctor actor to come after him. Any combination of the stories listed there would go far in displaying William Hartnell's fine talents.

As a final tip of the hat to the era of the First Doctor, I present to you my picks for the best story, the worst story, and my favourite story (which might not always be the best story. For example, a sumptuous four-course meal might be technically better prepared, but it wouldn't be as satisfying as a few slices of pizza). So :

Best Story : The Aztecs
Worst Story : The Chase
Favourite Story : The Gunfighters

Over to you, Patrick Troughton...

DD3 - The Tenth Planet 3

General Cutler really does prove himself to be one of the more inept authority figures in Doctor Who in this episode. Once he finds out that his son is being sent up in another rocket, he becomes obsessed with getting the rocket back down again. Seriously obsessed. This is evident when he does a rundown of the three problems facing Snowcap base at the time, in order of importance :

1) Cutler's son is stuck in a rocket and needs to get down
2) The Cybermen are invading the base
3) Earth might be drained of all its energy

With the absence of The Doctor in this episode (thanks to a last minute sick day for William Hartnell) and, for the most part, the Cybermen, it's up to Cutler to drive the story in a different (and not terribly satisfying) dramatic direction. The rewrite to hand off most of The Doctor's lines to Ben also doesn't work that well, as most of Ben's new lines start with the phrase "The Doctor says..."

The only time we really see the Cybermen is when a further invasion force gets blasted by some of their own weapons wielded by Earth soldiers. It unfortunately sets a precedent for how easily Cybermen are sometimes defeated in stories to come.