Doctor Who: Terror of the Autons

Part One



"Now look at it, you hamfisted bun vendor!"


A circus, and the clear sound of a TARDIS materialising- and it's not the Doctor! Oh to be watching these genuinely in context, with no appreciation of what's going to happen next. Because this is a milestone- the first story to actively exploit the fact the Time Lords have been introduced and show features a new character who's explicitly a Time Lord from the beginning. Plus Delgado is great, especially in this opening scene. Such charisma.

The Doctor sings "I don't want to set the world on fire" before he, er, does. And what on Earth has he done to his hair? The scene introducing Jo is fun and, much as I have reservations about the idea of a ditzy blonde replacing our capable scientist Liz, I like the actress and I like the character, if not necessarily what she represents. The lovely Katy Manning is great here.

We're also establishing a new tone- lighter and more kid-friendly. and this is for the best. Impressed as I was with last series, I imagine the kids would have enjoyed it rather less than I did. Still, at least Liz gets a mention; she's "gone back to Cambridge". There are some obvious other changes too- UNIT's new uniform, this new chap Captain Yates.

Another TARDIS sound sees a Time Lord appear before the Doctor dressed as a city gent- how very Robert Holmes to puncture their godlike aura from The War Games in their very next appearance! We're told the still unnamed Time Lord planet is 29,000 miles away, and given an introduction to the Master in a way which nicely establishes his rivalry with the Doctor. His trap for the Doctor establishes him immediately as a threat and the shrunken scientist, Goodge, gives him a quick effective set piece.

I like the way it's implied Yates has been around some time by getting him to give a brief synopsis of Spearhead from Space for Jo's benefit. Also nice is how the Doctor denies UNIT the technology from the Doctor's bomb. And how Farrell's office is the absolute epitome of the 70s. Shame these Autons look crap.



Part Two



"He sat down in this chair here and... just slipped away."


Before the marathon I'd always loosely thought of this story as "traditional" Who. But this time round those elements that seemed "traditional" seem very new and fresh in context. L think the core of it all is Holmes' script, with its irreverance and frequently dark humour. This is an episode that features Death By Chair and Death By Doll, both played at least partly for laughs, and this sort of thing is far more typical of what we'll come to see as "traditional" Who over the next few seasons and of Holmes' writing style than is usually acknowledged. The Doctor is often flippant or casual about characters' deaths in this story, which seems a little uncomfortable in context but, again, that's Robert Holmes. "Never cruel nor cowardly" is someone else's idea entirely, but at least for the moment he's script editor."

On less pontificatory matters, Roy Stewart is back. As, er, another strong and silent type, as even the Doctor points out. Also, we get a great couple of lines ("Gentlemen never talk about money." "Nonsense! Gentlemen never talk about anything else!"), our first example of CSO'd windows to make it look as though a car set is moving, and nasty Auton police. Holmes really seems to be having fun here, pushing it as far as it'll go.



Part Three



"You know, Jo, I sometimes think that military intelligence is a contradiction in terms."



The Brig saves the Doctor's life from what is, oddly, our first scene with actual Autons, and the Doctor proceeds to spend five minutes being extremely rude to the Brig before setting out to bugger right off in the TARDIS? Hmmm. yes, he fails, but it looks as though he may have been about to leave his friends in the lurch. Plus, he really is very, very rude here. There's a very revealing line: "What's wrong with being childish? I like being childish!" This isn't just, as is often claimed, Pertwee's performance (which seems fine to me), but the script. I wonder if, in context, this will end up as a character arc for the Doctor, chafing increasingly against his exile? It'll be interesting to see, because he really is so much of a mardyarse here (I'm a Leicestershire country boy. Please indulge me.) that it's almost like watching The Twin Dilemma at times. Characterisation-wise, that is!

Ironic that the Master is now also exiled. And interesting that the Doctor seems to belong to a London club where he hob nobs with Lord "Tubby" Rowland.

Incidentally, as a British civil servant there are certain aspects of this era that make me want to go "oi"!

Pertwee has a phone conversation with the Master, his first contact with him... interesting to watch this for the first time after seeing The Sound of Drums! Cue the gurning...



Part Four



"As a matter of fact, Jo, I'm rather looking forward to it."



Once again the Brig's plan seems sensible- bomb the baddfies now to avoid civilian casualties later- and the Doctor throws a hissy fit. But once again, I get the impression we're supposed to think that.

Jo says "Hello Greyhound. This is Trap One." I wonder if that phrase will assume any later significance?

The Doctor rather conveniently gets the Master to realise he's doing a Tobias Vaughn and switch sides. A shame- that's not a very satisfying way to end. And I can't help noticing how the Doctor pretty much allows Farrell to die!




In spite of certain misgivings about a nastiness in trhe Doctor's chatracter creeping in, I must admit I enjoyed that very much indeed, and even the bits I had to officially disapprove of I couldn't help but enjoy- that's the magnificent nauightiness of Robert Holmes. The Doctor is a complete arse in this, but you have to laugh. And I have to say, in spite of this story's reputation, although the baddies' plan didn't make too much sense, I'd say the plot did. If that makes sense. 4/5. But it's only my conscientious misgivings about where the Doctor's character is going that stop it from being higher. It'll be interesting to see where this "the Doctor as an arse" arc goes. Somewhere, I hope!

Doctor Who: The Seeds of Death

Part One


"Look at the size of this one, Doc!"


The last Troughton story on DVD. Blimey- we're getting very near the end. We start with one of those funky sequences based around the title that this era has been doing so well, and then we get eight full minutes (I checked) before the TARDISeers turn up- surely a record. Still, the characters are engaging, from the cold, efficient,, yet sexy and charismatic Miss Kelly to the sympathetic coward Fewsham. For the first time in a while all the guest characters are at least memorable, and there are some nice touches- I love the briefcase!

The way the identity of this story's returning foe is hidden from us is rather clever in terms of concept and its execution by Michael Briant. As usual in these circumstances it's suspense, not surprise, that's the real point, but it leads to an effective cliffhanger. These Ice Warriors are immediately sleeker (well, relatively!) and more deadly than they were before.

The scenes with Eldred are mainly plot filler, of course, but the world's backstory is being sketched out for us, and we get some interesting stuff- notably that mankind hasn't yet gone beyond the Moon, and it's arguably implied that this is after Zoe's time. There's a definite character to the futures of this era, from artificial food (here we get a "synthetic carbohydrates factory") to moonbases to rockets to an uber-planned utopian society which is vulnerable to elements from outside the plan. And here' of course, the Doctor's dislike of computers (big, centralised society-directing things) and championing of individualism comes forth. It's a fascinatingly dated idea of the future.



Part Two


"She's after your job, Julian!"



Eldred's refusal to allow his rocket to be used is pure padding ("It's nowhere near ready, woman!"), but it's quite an effective way of fleshing out some of the major characters so it gets away with it. There's a parallel with The Wheel in Space here in that the main plot won't really get started until next episode, but unlike in that story things may be slow but there's excitement and tension, and we're actually getting to know these people and their world.

Interesting admission from the Doctor: "I'm afraid the TARDIS is not suited to short range travel." We also get a very silly line from Eldred about how there's "only enough food and water for three days". Er, oxygen, anyone?



Part Three



"We've been invaded. Aliens have taken over!"



A rocket landing on the moon- how very 1969! And the cliffhanger ending to part three signifies the actual beginning of the plot- how very this era! but it's still chugging along nicely in spite of that. Mind you, isn't it convenient that the seed should be transported to, of all cities, London.

Otherwise it's more of the same: Miss Kelly is still efficient, kick-ass and oddly sexy, the Ice Warriors are still more of a threat than in their previous story, and the direction is still good. We get an interesting line from the computer about "primitive areas". It's political correctness gone mad...

Oh, and finally the Doctor gets to confront the baddies, after a rather fun chase scene and the rather magnificent "I'm a genius". And then gets knocked unconscious, no doubt for the whole of the coming episode. ho hum.

Part Four



"All these tunnels look the same!"


Foam? In a Patrick Troughton story? Well I never...!

Terry Scully continues to be excellent as ashamed coward Fewsham- his reaction when Slaar gloats he's just destroyed his own species is superbly done. Other great things are the Ice warrior wandering around London, seemingly impervious to all harm- these monsters really present a physical threat, something often forgotten.

We get a great cliffhanger, also a great Zoe moment...




Part Five


"You know, I find T-Mat travel rather disappointing."



Fewsham's arc can't help but be believable and genuinely affecting, no matter how entirely predictable it may be. He turns a corner when he saves Zoe, and we instantly knows he's going to a) redeem himself and b) die. Cos this is Doctor Who and them's the rules. But the moment, when it comes, with Fewsham being shot by Slaar after revealing vital information that will genuinely save the world, is suitably heroic.

40°? That's a bit warm, innit?

So, foam, a moonbase, weather control- this is Patrick Troughton's greatest hits! There's even a bit of traditional bad science as the Ice Warriors' Grand Marshal says that "If we overshoot the Moon, nothing will stop them going straight into an orbit around the Sun". Yeeees...



Part Six


"Oh, there's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip."



The story ends satisfactorily with the Doctor getting a confrontation scene with Slaar and everything being nicely tied up. I can almost forgive the blatant re-editing of the cliffhanger. As is by now traditional our heroes slip off at the end as soon as the camera's off them. Interesting that there's still a Security Council of a United Nations at this point in the future, incidentally.




That was good fun overall, competently done if rather par for the course- 3/5. This is undoubtedly the story I'd pick as the most representative of the era to this point.


Incidentally, for the first time in the Marathon I've had to tamper with my pre-existing rankings by demoting The Dominators from 3/5 to 2/5- it was just too poor for the company it was keeping!