Wonderings in the Fourth Dimension

Patrick Troughton Round Up

2012-03-06T17:53:00.004Z

Hello wonderful people of the web. I hope you all like the new design of the blog and here for your reading pleasure is a round up of Patrick Troughton's Doctor. This is the perfect jumping on point, an ideal juncture to get all caught up on everything you might have missed in time for our next Doctor, Jon Pertwee. If you missed Hartnell's First Doctor, you can check out his round up here first.

The Second Doctor woke up on the floor of the TARDIS, alongside companions Polly and Ben Jackson, in a new body. He quickly proved himself as he routed the Dalek's attempt to reactivate themselves and take over an Earth colony on the futuristic planet Vulcan.

The next stop for the TARDIS trio was to Scotland 1746, just after the Battle of Culloden where the Doctor befriended a group of Highland Jacobites. The Doctor, Polly and Ben were joined in the TARDIS by a young piper named Jamie McCrimmon.The time traveling quartet then arrived in the not so lost city of Atlantis post-1968, where the mad Professor Zaroff planned to drain the world's oceans into the Earth's core; for some fishy reason.

In the year 2070 the Doctor and his friends landed on a base on the moon and defended it against an attack from the Cybermen and their plan to disrupt the Earth's weather. In another futuristic Earth colony run like a holiday camp the crab-like Macra took over and secretly enslaved the people.

Back on Earth again, in 1966 the Doctor bested a group of faceless aliens called Chameleons who had been stealing bodies and their personalities behind the front of an air-line. We said goodbye to Polly and Ben, leaving just two in the TARDIS.

The Doctor and Jamie were taken to Victorian England where the Daleks drafted in the Doctor to distill the human factor in a bid to turn themselves into super-beings. We returned to Skaro and met the Emperor Dalek. The Daleks were defeated for good(?) and the Doctor gained a new companion, Victorian, Victoria Waterfield.

Next stop was the planet Telos, in the 25th century, where the TARDIS team came across an archaeological team who penetrated the long-lost tomb of the Cybermen. Then it was back to Earth, this time to Tibet in 1935, where the Doctor and co battled the great intelligence and it's army of robotic Yeti.

Back to the future at the Brittanicus base in a second ice age, the Doctor defended the Earth once more, this time from the defrosted Martians dubbed "Ice Warriors." Then it was off for some more doppleganger danger in Australia and Europe as the Doctor stopped his Mexican, physically identical twin Salamander from taking over the world.

Forty years after Tibet, the Great Intelligence and it's Yeti were up to their old tricks again, this time in the London Underground. We also met Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart for the first time. In 1968 on a North Sea gas refinery the Doctor faced a parasitic seaweed creature, the Doctor used his Sonic Screwdriver for the first time and we bade farewell to Victoria Waterfield.

Once again the Doctor and his friends faced the Cybermen and their little friends the cybermats as they tried to infiltrate the Wheel in Space. The Doctor and Jamie were joined in the TARDIS by brainiac scientist, Zoe Heriot.

On the planet Dulkis the Doctor defended the planet's pacifist population from the dreadful Dominators and their robot Quarks. In a departure from reality, the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe met a cadre of unlikely characters in the Land of Fiction.

Returning to Earth and aided by, now Brigadier, Lethbridge-Stewart and UNIT (the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce) the Doctor and co defeated the combined might of industrial leader Tobias Vaughn and the Cybermen.

On the planet of the Gonds, the Doctor broke the people's enslavement by the crystalline beings known as Krotons. Back to guess where: Earth, in the twenty first century, the Ice Warriors were back. This time with the intention of colonising the Earth for themselves by landing deadly seeds to make the planet inhospitable to humans.

Close to the planet Ta, the Doctor and his friends joined the International Space Corps on the tail of intergalactic Space Pirates. The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe arrived on a planet where the evil War Lords were helped by a member of the Doctor's race to kidnap various human soldiers from different time periods for war games.

We met the Doctor's race and learned that they are called Time Lords. Jamie and Zoe had their memories erased and were returned to their own times.

The Doctor was exiled to Earth in the twentieth century, his knowledge of time travel removed and he was forced to change his form once more.

AND

Breathe!

Our of a possible 210 I scored Patrick Troughton's Doctor 128/210. Giving the Second Doctor, Mr. Patrick Troughton an average score of 60/100. My top three Troughton Stories are:

3: Fury From The Deep

2: Web Of Fear

1: The War Games

There! Now you're all caught up and ready to join me next time for Jon Pertwee as the Doctor in Spearhead From Space.

Doctor Who Magazine #445 Cover Revealed

2012-03-06T15:16:00.001Z

Editor, Tom Spilsbury has just released the cover for Doctor Who Magazine #445, released on Thursday 8th March.

A New Dimension - The Redesign

2012-03-06T01:10:00.001Z

I am very proud to present the newly re-designed "Wonderings in the Fourth Dimension." The wonderful header, logo, background, new layout and colour scheme were designed by the brilliant L.C. Elkins. I would like to say a massive thank you to Lauren for her hard work and I think you'll all agree the re-design is a massive success. She's a design diva and I highly recommend her for all your digital art and design needs.

Doctor Who stalwart Philip Madoc has died aged 77

2012-03-05T16:00:00.000Z

I am very sad to announce that the legendary Philip Madoc died this morning aged 77. He was surrounded by friends and family and died of a short illness he had only had since January. He had a long illustrious career and appeared in several roles in Doctor Who including: Brockley in the theatrical film, Daleks' Invasion Earth 2050 A.D, and in the television programme as Eelek in The Krotons, The War Lord in The War Games, Solon in The Brain of Morbius and Fenner in The Power of Kroll.

As Eelek in The Krotons.

As The War Lord in The War Games.

As Solon in The Brain of Morbius.

As Fenner in The Power of Kroll.

To me, he will always be one of the very best guest stars Doctor Who will ever see. He will be remembered by many for his wonderful, numerous and varied roles. One thing is for sure, the world is less one fantastic actor.

50: The War Games - A Multi-layered Historical, Sci-Fi Historical, Pure Sc-Fi, Teeming With Revelations Worthy Of Troughton's Departure

2012-03-03T11:51:00.003Z

Written by: Terrance Dicks and Malcolm Hulke

Companions: The Doctor, Jamie McCrimmon, Zoe Heriot.

Monsters/Villains: The War Lords. The War Chief.

Brief Synopsis: The TARDIS arrives in the middle of no man's land during WWI, or does it?

Rating: 10/10.

Well. I don't really have a clue where to start. What an excellent and epic story! I surpose the best compliment I can pay The War Games is that I don't know what or how to write about it. The real genius of this story is it's cleverly multi-layered plot. One can't ignore the massive revelations and their repercussions and also the truly excellent cameo and guest appearances. At ten episodes The War Games feels truly epic, but in a good way unlike say The Dalek's Master Plan. The story was lengthened to ten episodes when a planned story called The Impersonators was cancelled. Many label The War Games as over-long, but I believe that unlike other stories that were lengthened or replacements due to planned story's cancellations, like The Invasion or The Krotons, at ten episodes The War Games works. It doesn't get ponderous and tangential, it thunders along nicely. I am aware that there is much of note in this epic story but I promise I will try to make brevity my boon companion throughout.

Our honorary companions: Lady Jennifer and Lt. Carstairs.

The games begin when the TARDIS lands in the middle of no-man's land in France in WWI. The Doctor, Jamie, and Zoe are nearly killed by a softening barrage, but are aided by a british, female ambulance driver, Lady Jennifer Buckingham (played by then-producer Derrick Sherwin's wife: Jane) and british Lt. Jeremy Carstairs (played by David Savile, who certainly gets my award for best guest appearance). Carstairs and Lady Jennifer take the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe to the British HQ at a chateaux in the French countryside, where they are brought before General Smythe (played evilly by Noel Coleman), and court marshalled. At this point The War Games stands as an excellent, and well detailed WWI historical.

General Smythe.

But then things start to change. Smythe uses a pair of spectacles to influence his subordinate's minds and when he goes into his office, he moves a painting aside and behind it is a very anachronistic video screen. Lady Jennifer and Carstairs both express a concern for their shared memory loss; Buckingham can't remember where her hospital is and Carstairs can't remember names, dates, or how long he's been there. Is shell-shock the answer, or some kind of German gas that effects the mind? So what we once thought was a pure "historical" story has turned into a sci-fi/historical; with aliens or humans-with-a-greater-intelligence meddling with the history of WWI. What an excellent idea! But where will it go next?

The next clue we get it when Jamie forms a brief alliance with his cellmate, a man dressed as a Redcoat soldier who claims to be from 1745. We also get more anachronistic technology when General Smythe departs in a cupboard-like box which has materialised in his office. When Zoe shows them the hidden video screen in Smythe's office Carstairs and Lady Jennifer decide to go against orders and trust the Doctor, and his friends. Whilst escaping in Lady Jennifer's ambulance the group drive off, seem to disappear and then reappear elsewhere, only when the do, they turn to see a Roman charriot rushing towards them. And once again another layer of this intricate story is revealed.

The War Zone Map.

They quickly reverse and return to where they came from. Rather hilariously one extra playing a Roman is so shocked by the disappearance of the Ambulance that he seems to forget to close his mouth for quite some time. The Doctor deduces that they have driven through a barrier to another time zone. He uses a grenade to blow open a safe in Smythe's office and inside they find a map of the different time zones which appear to include: Roman, Greek, Crimean War, First World War, Peninsular War, American Civil War, Mexican Civil War, English Civil War, Thirty-Years War, Boer War, and Russo-Japanese War.

David Garfield as Major Von Weich.

Whilst escaping again they cross into German lines and are captured. The Doctor tries to persuade the German Lieutenant that they are not spies, and even demonstrates the Sonic Screwdriver by removing and replacing a screw from his revolver. In exactly the same way Smythe did, the German Major Von Weich uses a monocle to brainwash his Lieutenant. They manage to escape once more and head for the centre of the map, wherein we discover the next layer of this elaborate plot.

The War Lord Security Force. Mmm... Yes!

Central control is populated by technicians in neutral futuristic clothes (yes, leather, very futuristic) and strange glasses; which are also really silly. These items of clothing are my only two real criticisms of this story's generally superb psychedelic design.

The War Room as it would have appeared in colour.

Smythe is there too and welcomes the arrival of his superior, the mysterious War Chief. Smythe and Von Weich out themselves as aliens as they comment on humanity's nature of loyalty; their species don't ever get given a name on screen so let's call them the War Lords. It soon becomes apparent that they are involved in some sort of war game using models to plot real conflict between the rival armies. In the American Civil War zone, Carstairs attempts to sacrifice himself so the Doctor and his friends can escape into a barn to hide. Inside they witness a large group of soldiers arrive from a tiny craft that seems to work like a TARDIS. The Doctor and Zoe step inside, leaving Jamie and Lady Jennifer behind as it dematerialises.

The SIDRAT. Hmmm isn't that TARDIS backwards.

The Confederate South save Jamie and Lady Jennifer from the Union North, but Major von Weich appears dressed as a Confederate General and orders them to be restrained as spies. Harper, a member of the resistance tries to free Jamie and Lady Jennifer but fails. He seems to know what is really happening, and Von Weich's Monocle doesn't work on him.

The excellent Rudolph Walker as Harper.

Inside the ship, which is bigger on the inside (known as a SIDRAT) the Doctor and Zoe find dozens of soldiers from different periods just standing, entranced; another piece of the puzzle, we perhaps don't know where yet to fit. Eventually they arrive at the Central Control and don the War Lord's odd glasses to go incognito. They are ushered into a lecture, where the War Lords' Chief Scientist reveals that human specimens are removed from their time and placed in an environment that they believe to be their own, were they continue to fight what they believe to be their war. So... It isn't Earth at all. It's some unknown planet where human soldiers from different wars in different times are brought to fight. And it's not a sci-fi/historical after all it's pure science fiction.

They look like the glasses made popular by
Kanye West...

The Chief Scientist also explains that in some cases the specimen's conditioning wares off enabling them to pass through the barriers into the different zones and form resistance groups. The Chief Scientist demonstrates his new conditioning machine on the captured Carstairs. Back in the Barn the resistance (made up from soldiers from different times) arrives and captures Von Weich.

The mysterious War Chief played superbly by Edward Brayshaw.

In the lecture hall the War Chief arrives and the Doctor instantly recognises him, prompting him to run but Zoe is captured and taken for interrogation by the Security Chief, who uses a futuristic lie detector. The War Chief and the Security Chief clearly have a strong rivalry. The War Chief also reveals that he is not of the same species as the War Lords and that without his knowledge the War Games operation would not have been possible. I think it's really funny how the War Lords compartmentalise everything, with separate Chiefs of Science, Security and War. Also everyone seems to have these epic/ridiculous beards, I think the level of beard shows your rank. The more beard the higher up you are. The Chief Scientist even appears to grow a beard from episode to episode.

The Security Chief played creepily by James Bree.

Jamie and the leader of the resistance, Russell step into another SIDRAT capsule and we say goodbye to Lady Jennifer, who stays behind to help the resistances wounded. The SIDRAT arrives at central control but when they emerge, Jamie and Russell are shot down by War Lord Security troops.

Graham Weston as Resistance leader Russell.

In a scene between the Security Chief and the Chief Scientist, the former explains his theory that the War Chief brought the Doctor and his friends here and how his people have the secret of time travel, The Time Lords!!! That's the first time we've head that. Time Lords. It's amazing how many things that will go on to become synonymous with Doctor Who that started right here in The War Games. The Doctor tricks the Chief Scientist and de-processes Carstairs, together they rescue Jamie, who unsurprisingly was not killed and Zoe and Russell escape back to the American Civil War Zone.

A cameo by none other than Troughton's son
David as Private Moor.

Back in the barn, David Troughton... I mean, Private Moor is alone, guarding Von Weich. Moor gives Von Weich back his monocle which he uses to hypnotise Moor into freeing him. Just as he does Zoe, Russell and the other resistance members arrive. Russell fights the reconditioned Moor, and bests him but Von Weich wrestles Russell's gun from him. However Moor comes to Russell's rescue and shoots Von Weich dead.

The Doctor, Jamie and Carstairs try to make their escape in a SIDRAT but the dematerialisation is stopped from outside by the War Chief, who activates the dimensional controls, forcing the inside of the ship to shrink, much like what the Doctor did to the Monk's TARDIS in The Time Meddler. The Doctor emerges from the ship, apparently defeated, but quickly uses a gas valve to deal with his enemies, restores the ship's dimensional interior, locks the controls and departs for the war zone. They cross back to the 1917 zone but are recaptured by Smythe, who decides to kill the Doctor regardless of what his War Lord superiors may want. The Doctor is saved from the firing squad at the last minute once more; this time by the resistance, and Russell kills Smythe. There is a certainly a fair amount of repetition in this story but this works to show the futility and repetitiveness of War.

The War Lord played by Doctor Who Stalwart Phillip Madoc.

The War Lord arrives with the biggest, fullest beard of all, and the War Chief and Security Chief tell him what has happened. The War Lord is played superbly by Phillip Madoc, who portrays him with such calmness, making him so truly terrifying that he doesn't need to shout or get angry to exert his power. A SIDRAT arrives inside the Chateaux and security forces and the Security Chief emerge and recapture the Doctor.

Two time lords.

The Security Chief returns his prisoner and begins to interrogate the Doctor but the War Chief interrupts and reveals that the Doctor is from his same race and that he indeed knows him! We then get a glorious scene where the Doctor talks about stealing a TARDIS and his reasons to leave his home planet. The War Chief also reveals that the point of the War Games are as a testing ground to find the perfect army for a universal conquest by the War Lords, claiming, "man is the most vicious species of all!" I like this in theory but I'm not sure how true it is in the Doctor Who universe. The War Chief also explains that he wants to create a United Galactic Empire. The War Lord agrees to spare the Doctor, but make's the War Chief responsible for him. The War Chief also reveals to the Doctor his intentions to take over as Supreme Galactic Leader; something that he will regret saying later.

Michael Napier-Brown as the Mexican Arturo Villar.

Whilst everyone in the Chateaux is asleep, the Mexican resistance leader Arturo Villar and his bandits arrive and Jamie, and Zoe persuade him to join forces with them. The Resistance set about destroying the War Lords' command and communication units across the zones, to draw out and scatter the aliens security forces all over making them easy targets and diminishing their number. Realising what has happened the Security chief suggests use of the neutron bomb to deal with the situation. The Resistance leaders, Zoe and Jamie gather in the Barn where they are about to destroy another communicator when the Doctor comes up on the screen. He says he's sending a SIDRAT for them, which they enter, but when they arrive at central control the Doctor appears to have betrayed them all as they are surrounded by security forces. Troughton just get's given so much to do in this, he's allowed so many opportunities to flex his various acting muscles.

The Doctor believes the War Chief needs him for some reason, something to do with the SIDRATs. He learns that his concerns are not ill placed when the War Chief explains that the Dimensional flexibility, and remote control operation have only be achieved by shortening each crafts "life span." It's an interesting use of words, "life span," suggesting the machine is actually alive, a feature that will grow stronger and be revisited many times to come, most recently with Idris in the Matt Smith story The Doctor's Wife. The War Chief hasn't solved this problem, the units he brought with him will soon expire and he wants the Doctor's TARDIS.

The Doctor gets the War Lord to believe that he is on his side and can make the conditioning units work more effectively. The Security Chief leaves the Doctor alone with Zoe, Jamie and the resistance leaders and he pretends to reprocess them.

They really don't like each other...

Meanwhile the Security Chief listens to a voice recording of the War Chief telling the Doctor his true plans to take over, remember from earlier. The Security Chief plays the War Chief the recording of his betrayal and has him taken away. Climactically the Doctor, Jamie, Zoe, Carstairs and the rest of the resistance free the War Chief, get some weapons, enter the War Room and kill all the security guards. The War Chief settles the score when he kills the Security Chief.

The War Chief wants to flee but the Doctor won't go until the fighting is stopped and all the people are returned to their own times using the SIDRATs. The War Chief reveals that there are only two SIDRATs left with enough life in them to operate. The Doctor commands the War Chief to order all the fighting in the war zones to be stopped. Realising this is a task to big for him to accomplish alone the Doctor mentally forms a small cube containing all the information of what has happened and a request for help and sends it to his people, the Time Lords.

Writer, Neil Gaiman reused the psychic containers
in his recent story, The Doctor's Wife.

The War Chief tries to escape but is caught by the War Lord who has heard the recording of his betrayal and orders the security troops to kill him. Arturo Villar, Jamie, Russell and Carstairs take out the remaining security forces and hold the War Lord prisoner. The Doctor sends the psychic box to the Time Lords, and with Carstairs (who wants to find Lady Jennifer), Zoe and Jamie returns to the 1917 zone and the TARDIS. They say goodbye to Carstairs and he vanishes, presumably sent back to his own time. And it's here where you'd think this was going to be the end of this epic story but sadly there is one more chapter that cannot be avoided. Our three adventurers run for the TARDIS but are slowed down by the Time Lord's forcefield. What follows is almost as brutal and savage as everything we have just been through in the war zones.

They manage to break the forcefield, enter the TARDIS and dematerialise. The Doctor then tells his companions why he left his home; he ran away because he was bored. He discribes his people as an immensely civilised race, with the power to control their own environments. He explains that they can live forever, barring accidents. He also expresses his annoyance that his people have the secret of space time travel but hardly ever use their great powers; content simply to observe and gather knowledge. He left because he wanted to explore the galaxy and all of time.

The Time Lords.

They try to run but a Time Lord voice echoes inside the TARDIS, and orders the Doctor to return to home. He tries to run again, the controls move on their own and they arrive on the Doctor's home planet. There, they meet a Time Lord who takes them to the trial of the War Lord, where we learn that the survivors have indeed been returned to their time zones on earth. The War Lord refuses to defend himself so one of the Time Lords seems to use some mental power to harmfully force the War Lord to speak. The War Lord is found guilty but somehow a band of his security forces arrive in a SIDRAT and enter the trial. The War Lord threatens Jamie and Zoe and orders the Doctor to take them to their home planet in his TARDIS. The Doctor activates a bright light on the console and runs out with Jamie and Zoe. The Time Lords place a forcefield around the War Lord and his men, pronounce them guilty and cary out their fate, which is to be dematerialised; making it as though they were never alive.

The second Doctor and his most deadly foes.

It is now the Doctor's turn for a trial. The Doctor not only admits he is guilty of interference but that he is proud of it. The Time Lords give the Doctor a 'thought channel' and he shows them some of the beings he has faced, including Quarks, Yeti, Ice Warriors, Cybermen, and Daleks. The Doctor defiantly pleads "All these evils I have fought, while you have done nothing but observe! True, I am guilty of interference. Just as you are guilty of failing to use your great powers to help those in need!"

He is found guilty and Jamie and Zoe are to be returned to their own times. They are allowed to see the Doctor just one last time to say goodbye. There is a real sense that the Doctor is totally resigned to his fate that makes this whole scene even sadder. The departing companions enter a TARDIS and depart forever, with only the memory of their first adventure with the Doctor intact and the rest wiped from their minds. Zoe is back aboard the Wheel and it is so bitter sweet as says "I thought I'd forgotten something important, but it's nothing." She looks back as thought she has forgotten something then heads off, back to work. Jamie is back at Culloden and charges a redcoat, shouting once more "Creag an tuirc!" I've really grown to love the dynamic in the TARDIS at this point, even if Jamie has become less independent in the last few stories. I am sad to be loosing not just my Doctor, but his two closest friends as well.

"Goodbye Jamie. Goodbye Zoe."

The Time Lords accept that that their is evil in the universe that must be fought and that the Doctor still has a part to play in that battle and noting the Doctor's interest in the planet Earth decide to exile him there in the 20st century until they deem proper, and for that period the secret of the TARDIS will be taken from him. The final part of his sentence is that he must charge his appearance once more. They show him options for his new appearance. The Doctor protests and refuses the options as too old, too young, too fat, too thin. The Time Lords tell him the decision will be made for him, he is sent spinning away and we say a tearful farewell to the second Doctor and Patrick Troughton.

What a way to go. Rescuing so many lives only to be condemned by your own people. Your friends taken away, their minds wiped and then being forced to change your form. Patrick Troughton certainly went out on a bang with this one. And there was me saying I'd try to keep it short. Sorry. I have thoroughly enjoyed The War Games. The excellent guest performances by David Savile, Phillip Madoc, Edward Brayshaw, Noel Coleman, and James Bree are unforgettable. There are so many massive revelations. We learn the name of the Doctor's race, we see his home planet for the first time, and although we don't actually get to see it, the Doctor's form changes once more. The future of the programme wasn't entirely determined at this point and the show runners really upped their game, so that the show would either continue on the back of a great season fanale or at least go out on a bang. Massive respect must go to writers: Malcolm Hulke and a young Terrance Dicks for this truly excellent story.

That is of course also the end of season six. My favourite story for this season has to be this very adventure, The War Games. My Least favourite is The Krotons. Out of a possible 70 I scored season six 36.5/70. Giving it a rather low average of 52/100, the lowest for a season yet.

I am very sad to be saying goodbye to the man who has become my favourite Doctor, Patrick Troughton, fortunately I happen to know he might just drop back one or three more times in the future. It's like when Zoe asked if they'd ever meet again: "Now, you and I know that time is relative, isn't it?" said the Doctor with a wink in his eye.

Join me next time for Doctor Who in colour, exile, a new direction and a new body. Jon Pertwee is the Doctor in Spearhead From Space...

Death To The Daleks DVD Release Date

2012-02-28T11:19:00.004Z

Doctor Who 2|entertain documentarian, Chris Chapman has revealed today that the last Dalek story to be issued, Death To The Daleks, starring Jon Pertwee and Elisabeth Sladen is to be released on DVD in the UK on Monday 18th June 2012.

https://twitter.com/#!/ChrisChapman81/status/174420816006610945

A screen grab from the "Beneath the City of the Exxilons"
Documentary curtesy of Chris Chapman.

The VHS was released in 1987.

49: The Space Pirates - A Dull Space Opera Meets A Futuristic Cop Sit-Com

2012-02-23T12:44:00.003Z

Written by: Robert Holmes

Companions: The Doctor, Jamie McCrimmon, Zoe Heriot.

Monsters/Villains: Caven, Dervish, Space Pirates.

Brief Synopsis: The International Space Corps are on the trail of a buch of Argonite Pirates.

Rating: 3/10.

Right, I have to start this one off with a confession: I have never seen/heard The Space Pirates ever before!! I know, how can I call myself a fan? I just haven't! There's only one episode out of six that exists to this day, and there is little to no visual representation of this story, it is also the last story that doesn't exist in it's entirety and I had heard I wasn't missing much (we shall see). Unfortunately where the previous story, The Seeds of Death, took the late-sixties obsession with space travel and gave it an ironic twist, The Space Pirates, ah... doesn't.

Space Beacon Alpha 1.

We see Caven, Dervish and the space pirates plant demolition charges on space beacon Alpha 1, detonate their explosives and steal the beacon's precious mineral: Argonite. Then we watch them do exactly the same thing to Beacon Alpha 7. I'm not sure why we need to see this twice. However, never fear the Earth International Space Corps ship V41-LO, General Hermack and Major Warne are on the case. Some people have referred to this story as 'The Bill in Space,' and for the most part I would have to agree. General Exposition... I mean General Hermack is played by Jack May of The Archers fame, but he's rubbish. I'm genuinely not sure what accent he's going for and he's just very dull. One could blame his poor, frequently expositional and technobabble-based dialogue, but he is also just rubbish. His colleague, Major Warne is played by the excellent, Donald Gee, he's definitely going for an american accent, but sadly he is nearly just as unstimulating as his commanding officer.

Hermack and Warne having a coffee break. Thrilling... not!

In order to stop any more beacons from befalling the same fate, Hermack decides to man the other beacons. They leave Lt. Sorba and some men at beacon Alpha 4, where the TARDIS and the space pirates also soon arrive. Once aboard Caven kills the space corp men, takes Lt. Sorba prisoner and seals the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe in to a fragment of the beacon.

Fragments of the Beacon blasting away for the third time!! Snore.

The Pirates set their explosive charges, detach from Alpha 4 and detonate (so that's three times we've seen this now. Why?). The beacon breaks up sending the Doctor and his companions sprawling.

Dervish and Caven.

Episode two actually exists! Yay! The titular Space Pirates don't make an appearance, but we do however get a visit from the old, outdated space ship, LIZ 79 and it's prospector captain, Milo Clancey played completely round-the-bend-insanely by Gordon Costelow. Where this character and Costelow's wild west style performance might annoy in any other story, here his liveliness is more than welcome. The only thing he can be held accountable for is pointing out how colourless and monotonous every one else is.

Milo Clancey played box-of-frogs crazy by Gordon Costelow.

Clancey is brought aboard the Space Corp V ship and questioned. Hermack releases him but puts him under observation as he suspects that he is in league with the pirates. There is even the first Doctor Who reference to the dreaded mind probe, when Warne suggests this means of learning the truth from Clancey. The closest planet to the latest "Beacon-busting" is Ta, which is dominated by the Issigri Mining Corporation, whose leader is Madeleine Issigri (who has a rather interesting hair hat). The firm was founded by her father and our cowboy captain Clancey, and the latter is now suspected of Dom Issigri’s murder, although nothing has been proved.

Madeline Issigri and her... um... Golden hair hat.

Still trapped inside a fragment of the beacon, in an attempt to get back to the TARDIS the Doctor manages to launch them further away from the other parts of the beacon and towards their certain doom. It's fascinating to see Troughton really being quite serious here. He really shows the defeatism when he thinks that there is no hope for himself or his companions. After all this time, in his penultimate story Troughton is still trying new things with the character. Basically I love Troughton. Cowboy Clancey picks up the Doctor's part of the beacon, links up, comes aboard and shockingly shoots Jamie.

The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe think their number is up.

And we're back to just audio for the last 4 episodes. Fortunately, yet unsurprisingly, Jamie is just stunned. Clancey and the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe each think the other are the pirates, but quickly learn they are mistaken and team up.

Warne wearing what looks like the
Ice Lords Helmet from the previous story.

General Exposition... I mean Hermack goes to the planet Ta and proves himself to be the biggest idiot in the universe. Madeline Issigri has a model of a Beta Dart spaceship (like the one the pirates are using) and says her company has just bought two. Hermack can't seem to see what is patently obvious; that Clancey is clearly innocent and that this oddly hatted fem-fatal, is the one in league with the pirates. His dense detective work is clearly part of the fun. No one is trying to hide Madeline's guilt from us the audience which turns Jack May's Hermack's serious approach to hilarity. On the other hand you've got Gordon Costelow giving us humorous bluster - but all to disguise the fact the Clancey is the most intelligent and independent character of the lot

The Pirates Beat Dart docked with a Beacon.

Caven who is hiding on Ta sends the argonite filled fragments of the beacon to the planet Lobos to place suspicion on Clancey, who owns the mining operation on that planet. The Doctor, Clancey, Zoe and Jamie are chased by pirates and fall into a mineshaft chasm where they find Lt. Sorba.

The Space Corp Ship V41-LO.

Once again Hermack shows his stupidity... I mean... beneficence, when he orders to abort an attack on the pirates ship when he recognises the Issigri logo on it's hull. He's so dumb! The Doctor, Jamie, Zoe, Sorba and Clancey escape and while killing some pirates on the way, they head to Madeline's office to warn her. When they arrive Caven enters, kills Sorba and reveals that Madeline is the one in cahoots with the pirates. Big surprise there!

This is what Lisa Daniely, who plays Madeline
Issigri looks like without the silly hair hat.
Umm.. WOW!

Caven imprisons the Doctor and co when Madeline protests his plan to kill them. They're locked in a study where they find Madeline's father Dom Issigri, who is not dead but has been held captive by Caven. Madeline tries to contact Hermack to get help with the Pirates but Caven disconnects the signal and gets her to keep quiet when he reveals to her that he is holding her father captive.

Rather hilariously the Doctor uses smeared candle wax and marbles placed in front of the door to trip over some guards, whilst Clancey and Jamie knock some out and Zoe smashes a vase on one guard's head. Weirdly, during the escape the Doctor gets separated from Jamie and Zoe (off screen) and makes it to the LIZ 79 only to be caught in the blast as Caven remotely forces the ship to take off with Clancey and Dom inside.

Clancey aboard the LIZ 79.

Jamie and Zoe find the Doctor but Clancey and Dom are trapped on the LIZ which is out of control, and to make matters worse Caven cuts their oxygen supply. Jamie rescues Madeline from the pirate Dervish, the Doctor returns the oxygen to the LIZ, and instructs Clancey how to deactivate the remote control.

The Minnow.

In a last ditch attempt to rid themselves of their problems Caven has Dervish plant demolition charges in the atomic fuel store of the Issigri base. Fortunately the Doctor manages to defuse the detonator before the pirates can activate it. Hermack contacts Madeline to let her know that they will attack the Pirates in 55 minutes? It's like they've gone out of their way to seem mundane. Eventually Warne is sent out in a Minnow (small fast ship) and destroys the Pirates and their ship. Madeline is taken to earth to stand trial for her part in the plot and Clancey agrees to take the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe to Lobos in the LIZ to find the beacon fragment containing the TARDIS.

So, there you have it. A story I had never seen before. I started off very excited to be seeing new, old Who but sadly I feel I wasn't particularly missing anything in this one. The Doctor and co hardly appear at all, (although more than I had heard) and although they do have a bearing on the story it doesn't feel much like Doctor Who. It's more like a rather dull space opera meets a futuristic cop sit-com. This is Robert Holmes second outing as writer and he still hasn't quite got it. I'm not sure if this is a step forward or a step back from The Krotons but it certainly isn't what we'll come to expect from one who would go on to be considered the best writer Doctor Who has ever had...

On the plus side I have reached the last missing episode. Things will be decidedly easier from here on in. I actually can't express how difficult it was at times to focus on what was happening in some of those audio-only episodes. I now feel a combination of depression and elation; sad that I am reaching the end of Troughton, who has really become my new favourite Doctor, and excited about moving on to Pertwee and colour. But I'm getting ahead of myself, I'm not there yet...

Join me next time for Troughton's final story, and a true epic, The War Games.

48: The Seeds of Death - Or "The White Balloons Filled With Talcum Powder Of Possible, Yet Unlikely, Death"

2012-02-16T00:24:00.002Z

Written by: Brian Hayles.

Companions: The Doctor, Jamie McCrimmon, Zoe Heriot.

Monsters/Villains: Ice Warriors/Martians, Ice Lord.

Brief Synopsis: Some familiar alien invaders take control of T-Mat and hold the world hostage.

Rating: 5/10.

Hello faithful readers, apologies that I have been a tad on the absent side recently. I am now returned and excited to let you know about how I got on with The Seeds Of Death or as I have re-dubbed it: The White Balloons Filled With Talcum Powder Of Possible, Yet Unlikely, Death. I was thrilled to be unexpectedly joined for this one by my good friend Phil who happened to be staying with me last week.

T-Mat cubical.

So here we are at some point in the 21st century. It's not quite a base-under-siege but more like the whole planet. Completely scrapping cars, trains, ships, planes and space rockets, the world's travel has been completely dominated by T-Mat: a matter transmitter that sends food, supplies and people anywhere on earth and to the moon in the blink of an eye. Sounds good huh, but what happens when control of that technology is seized on the moon by alien invaders?

Osgood, one of the technicians on the Moonbase (presumably the same base from The Moonbase at an earlier point in time) sacrifices himself but not before disabling T-Mat, halting the aliens' invasion plans.

Commander Radnor and Miss. Kelly.

Fortunately the TARDIS arrives in a Space Museum (not the same one from Hartnell's story) and the Doctor, Zoe and Jamie meet Professor Eldred, who just happens to be the one man on earth still interested in space rockets and he also happens to have been building one on the sly; convenient that! T-Mat is overseen by Commander Radnor but actually controlled and run by a woman, Miss. Kelly. Towards the end of the first episode one of the moonbase technicians manages to get a message to earth. He tells them of Osgood's death but unfortunately he gets iced before he can say more. I think if it had been me I'd have led with Alien invaders as apposed to one man's death.

Radnor persuades Eldred to let them use his rocket.
(The real one not this model)

Episode two is filled with some pretty flimsy, farfetched plot points. Phil and I both agree that it is totally ridiculous when the Doctor, Zoe and Jamie, whose presence there is totally unexplained, are chosen to man the rocket to the moon. If the whole world were in danger, would you send three complete strangers in the one and only rocket you have to get to the moon, without even knowing if they have the knowledge to pilot a rocket or to repair the damaged machinery in the base once they get there, if they get there?

The irreplaceable Miss. Kelly.

As if that wasn't enough Radnor refuses to let Miss. Kelly go, because she is "the only one who understands T-Mat." Well that's a little irresponsible, isn't it?! Phil points out what, " what if she's hit by a car." (He then realises there aren't any cars due to T-Mat.) "Well what if she get's killed... somehow?"

Three rather unlikely rocket pilots.

Phil points out a hilarious moment when we see the weakness/ingenuity on the budget of Doctor Who in the 60's when the Doctor and his two companions simulate space weightlessness by waving their arms around; priceless.

The Aliens are revealed to be non-other than the Ice Warriors, or Martians for the less xenophobic. To keep their return a surprise, Steve Peters was credited as Alien in the Radio Times for Episode 1. We are also introduced to the first Ice Lord. They are smaller and have different armour and helmets than their ice warrior brothers; they are also more intelligent and speak better. The Second episode climaxes as Phil describes it when Phipps, one of the moonbase technicians 'arranges some heat lamps and uses them to melt one of the Ice Warriors.'

Fortunately for Radnor, Miss. Kelly and everyone one else on earth, the Doctor, Zoe and Jamie make it to the moonbase, but they are captured by the Ice Warriors. The Doctor points out there are too few (Phil and I tried to work out how many there were, we recon about seven) of them to invade the earth and learn that they plan to send "seeds" down to earth to change the atmosphere making the planet uninhabitable for humans and perfect for Martian colonisation.

Miss Kelly and Zoe fix the "heat lamps."

Miss Kelly manages to get to the Moonbase when T-Mat is briefly operational again and fix the damage. She soon learns of the Martians and meets up with the Doctor and Phipps. They want to use the same booby trap as before but it is broken. Fortunately Phipps changes the bulb in one of the "heat lamps" and miraculously the signal returns. Miss. Kelly then plugs in the "heat lamp" and another Ice Warrior is melted to nothingness! Meanwhile conditions on earth are worsening and major cities are suffering food shortages. "After one day," points out Phil!

Fewsham.

Fewsham, the moonbase’s second in command, fears for his own life and continuously aides the Ice Warriors to save himself including T-Matting their "Seeds" down to earth. We then encounter the aforementioned and titular "Seeds" or "White balloons filled with talcum powder" of (possible, yet unlikely) Death. I think maybe they thought that if everyone in the story who sees one of these organic devices seems to think that they look like seedpods we as the audience will accept this and agree. I think they look like balloons. As if that wasn't bad enough they reclassify the "seeds" as fungus. Now it's been a while since I last did biology but seeds and fungus are different things. It seems to me if you're gonna name a story" The Seeds of Death," you should be pretty damn certain your main threat should definitely be a seed and not a fungus. The Fungus of Death doesn't have quite the same ring to it...

When the "seed" arrives it emits fumes that cause oxygen starvation. Phil points out that Radnor and Professor Eldred; the oldest guys there, are unaffected but the young, healthy, yet dispensable technician guy - dead! Oddly, one guy whom a coughing and spluttering Radnor orders to activate the air conditioning to rescue them seems entirely unaffected.

Zoe and Phipps plan to literally turn up the heat in the Moonbase to take care of the Ice Warriors, rather hilariously the temperature control says 'cold' and 'full on.' Zoe gets caught and is just about to be killed by one of the Martians when as Phil points out the huge cavernous space that is the moonbase control room is almost instantly filled with heat, immobilising the Ice Warrior. Meanwhile one of the Warriors is T-matted to earth with the important mission to sabotage the weather control centre.

The Doctor handles a ball or "seed."

The Doctor discovers that ordinary H2O destroys the fungus and runs really fast to the Weather control centre. I laughed as I realised that the rain and weather for London or possibly the whole county or even the world is all controlled from one console; again, seems a little irresponsible. The best/silliest cliff-hanger ever then takes place when the Doctor is obscured by foam as he tries to enter the Weather control centre.

As silly and farfetched yet undoubtedly enjoyable the majority of this story is, the plot takes an unfortunately dull turn for the worst towards the end that is sadly reminiscent of the Wheel in Space. Back on the moonbase the Ice Lord Commander Slaar speaks to Grand Marshal Sparkly Sequins who informs him that the Martian fleet is enroute. Slaar commands Fewsham to connect a homing beacon to guide the fleet to earth.

Grand Marshal Sparkly Sequins.

In an act of redemption, Fewsham activates the video link so the Ice Warriors’ signal can be overheard on earth. The earth forces form a plan to send a false signal, which draws the Ice Warriors fleet off track and into the sun. It seems to me that with all this futuristic technology an alien fleet like the Cybermen or the Ice Warriors could find their way to earth from mars without a signal to guide them, and for that matter if they were following a signal that took them straight into the sun they would think: "hmmm, perhaps we ought not to follow this signal anymore, cause I don't know about you guys but I'm getting a little on the warm side."

In this largely futuristic story Zoe has really flourished but Jamie on the other hand seems a little surplus to requirements. They throw him a bone at the very end where he gets to razzle some Ice Warriors, but overall this scenario really exposes his character's weakness in 'future' based stories.

I ask phil for his overall thoughts and his main criticisms seems to centre around the programme's poor/flat direction and shoddy camera work. He says he liked the special effects, for the time, he likes Troughton and his credits but he seems most impressed with Zoe, which I can understand. Phil gives The Seeds of Death 6/10; just one point more than myself.

Phil and I agree we both love Zoe.

Regardless of it's often weak plot points I did really enjoy The Seeds of Death, even if they weren't technically seeds. One must bare in mind that in 1969 the world was obsessed by space travel. It's great to turn this on it's head and have a population entirely reliant on T-Mat and uninterested in space travel, which leads to all the problems in the first place. I'm not sure if this was meant to be a comment on space travel as a fad, but if so Brian Hayles was spot on as the worlds space programme is no longer breaking boundaries as it once did. As fun as this ironic premise is, it isn't always enough and the story often doesn't know how to get from A to B, however it still has much to offer.

Join me next time for Troughton's penultimate adventure, and the last of the incomplete stories The Space Pirates...

Recently rediscovered 'Missing Episodes' won't see DVD release this year!

2012-02-09T12:14:00.001Z

Galaxy 4: Behind bars until next year...

In a recent interview published in Doctor Who Magazine #444, 2|entertain commissioning editor, Dan Hall has announced that the recently rediscovered 'missing episodes' Galaxy 4: Airlock and Episode 2 of The Underwater Menace are to be separated and will not be released on DVD this year.

Hang in there Zaroff, we'll see you in 2013.
Hopefully!

Dan Hall had the following to say:

"There's one release that hasn't yet been announced yet which will provide a home for one of them. And there's a potential release that will provide a home for the other one as well. People aren't going to see them on DVD in 2012, though. But they are on our schedule."

The Sarah Jane Adventures Series 5 is Available Now!

2012-02-07T21:45:00.000Z

The fifth and final series of The Sarah Jane Adventures is out now on DVD and Blu-Ray. The disc includes the three two-part stories, Sky, The Curse of Clyde Langer, and The Man Who Never Was and also the excellent documentary: Goodbye Bannerman Road: Remembering Elisabeth Sladen. It makes for a wonderful tribute to the late actress and features Daniel Anthony (Clyde Langer), Anjli Mohindra (Rani Chandra), Gary Russell (Script Editor) and Matt Smith (The Eleventh Doctor).

Exclusive First Look: Corpsing - Doctor Who: The Robots of Death

2012-02-05T23:17:00.007Z

This a clip from The Robots of Death in the up coming Classic Doctor Who DVD range release Revistations 3 (Also including The Tomb of The Cybermen and The Three Doctors) which is released on 13th February.

Exclusive First Look: Pertwee and Troughton - Doctor Who: The Three Doctors

2012-02-05T23:17:00.005Z

This a clip from The Three Doctors in the up coming Classic Doctor Who DVD range release Revistations 3 (Also including The Tomb of The Cybermen and The Robots of Death) which is released on 13th February.

Exclusive First Look: The Cybermen - Doctor Who: The Tomb of the Cybermen

2012-02-05T23:16:00.003Z

This a clip from The Tomb of The Cybermen in the up coming Classic Doctor Who DVD range release Revistations 3 (Also including The Three Doctors and The Robots of Death) which is released on 13th February.

47: The Krotons - A Couple Of Brummies Trying To Take Over The World

2012-02-04T04:30:00.003Z

Written by: Robert Holmes.

Companions: The Doctor, Jamie McCrimmon, Zoe Heriot.

Monsters/Villains: Krotons.

Brief Synopsis: The Gonds have been enslaved by the crystalline aliens, the Krotons.

Rating: 0.5/10.

The Krotons is, to my recent memory at least, the dullest Doctor Who story of all time.

I was excited to be joined by my good friend Ed Blagrove for this next viewing in my epic Doctor Who pilgrimage. We we're both pleased to see that this was the great Robert Holmes first script for Doctor Who. Holmes would go on to write what are considered to be some of the very best episodes or Doctor Who ever including: The Talons of Weng Chiang, The Cave of Androzani, and the Time Warrior to name but a few. I explained to Ed that The Krotons was actually a last minute replacement for an abandoned gender swap satire called The Amazons and later The Prison in Space by writer Dick Sharples, which has recently be remounted in audio form as part of the Big Finish Lost Stories range.

As The Krotons has not yet been released on DVD I gave Ed the option of the Itunes download version or the crackly characterful VHS. With my agreement he chose the VHS; in all it's dated glory. We sat down in my living room in front of my massive 52" screen and began. Ed's first observation was "The Krotons was never meant to be watched on a tv this big!" We both gave a sigh of nostalgia as we saw the old 1988-91 BBC Video ident but it was all down hill from there.

The plot of the Krotons is practically non-existant. The Gonds are ruled over by the organic crystalline beings, the Krotons; which no one has ever seen. Their ship, the Dynatrope crash landed on the Gond's planet leaving them powerless. In order to reform themselves and take off they need to harvest mental power, unfortunately the Gonds ain't the brightest bunch. Periodically the Gonds are tested and the two brightest people are welcomed to become "Companions of the Krotons." In truth they have their mental energy drained, after which they are killed. When the TARDIS arrives the Doctor and Zoe use the Kroton's teaching machine and have sufficient mental power to substantiate the Krotons. After learning what the Krotons have been up to the Gonds rebel, but it is the Doctor who manges to destroy them and their ship by using an impure form of sulphuric acid.

Troughton and Padbury make an excellent comic duo.

At the end of the first episode we don't really say anything. We both agree that James Copeland is pretty awful as Selris, the Gond's leader. The only joy to be found in this story is in it's comic moments between the Doctor and Zoe. There's a lot of fun when they both take the Kroton's test, and Zoe does better than the Doctor.

Nice skirts Brummies.

Once the Krotons stop being all crystalline slurry they form into what looks remarkably like taller versions of the Quarks. The hexagonal based designs of the ship and these odd beings are actually pretty cool. Unfortunately the budget must have run out around about the actor inside's knees as we get a sort of metal looking skirt. The Kroton's are famous for having the rather unusual disposition of a Birmingham accent (Does every planet have a Midlands??). The Kroton's voice artists Roy Skelton and Patrick Tull were actually going for a South African lilt, to tie the story in with the serious then-current issues of apartheid, unfortunately it just sounds like some a couple of Brummies trying to take over the world.

Zoe's "Skirt."

Ed and I both agree that this isn't a bad story it's just very very dull. We do, however, both like Zoe's new costume, or lack there of. At one point in the story, my flatmate RJ who was also in the room, chimed in with, "Wow, this really backs up all the stories you hear about Doctor Who and people running around quarries in silly clothes."

At one point a Kroton seems to destroy the TARDIS and Ed and I both awoke from our vegetative state, but oh, no don't worry it's just moved. The Doctor had set the HADS. The Hostile action displacement system.

The most exciting thing that happened in the whole viewing process was after we stopped for a loo break, came back and the VHS got all speeded up and wouldn't play. I had to take it out and blow on it and give it the old lucky tap. (Ah, how I love earth technology.)

Philip Madoc as Eelek.

With Robert Holmes at the pen, Patrick Troughton as the Doctor and the excellent Philip Madoc making his first appearance in Doctor Who this just should have been better. The story finally picks up in the dwindling minutes of the last episode, but it is too little too late.

Ed scores The Krotons with a generous 2/10. Explaining one point is for Patrick Troughton and the other is for Zoe's skirt. We discuss briefly how there are so many missing stories especially from Troughton's era and yet this remains. I gave The Krotons 0.5/10 which is the lowest score I have yet given; beating even The Web Planet which I gave 1/10. I didn't like that one but at least it had some sort of originality to it. I finish our little fest by stating, "I almost wish it was lost." Ed laughs, but I don't.

To make up for this wholly disappointing story we decided to watch something else. So we set off to watch the film Moneyball, which by the way is well worth a look.

Join me next time for something hopefully a little more interesting, The Seeds of Death.

Other Up Coming DVD Releases

2012-02-03T23:18:00.001Z

Here are the other up coming Classic Doctor Who DVD range releases:

The Revisitations 3 Box Set including special editions of The Tomb Of The Cybermen, The Three Doctors and The Robots of Death will be released on 13th February.

The Face of Evil will be released on 5th of March.

The Daemons will be released on 19th March.

Up Coming Classic Range DVD Release Dates

2012-02-03T17:26:00.007Z

The release dates of two more DVDs from the Classic Doctor Who range have been announced.

The Nightmare of Eden will be released on 2nd April.

And the Ace Adventures Box Set including Dragonfire and The Happiness Patrol will be released on 7th May.

Doctor Who Magazine #444 Cover Released.

2012-01-31T16:03:00.001Z

Editor, Tom Spilsbury just released the cover for Doctor Who Magazine #444, released on Thursday 9th February.

Action Figure Report: Attack of the Cybermen & Remembrance of the Daleks

2012-01-31T15:53:00.000Z

Two more figure sets exclusive to Forbidden Planet and Underground Toys on their way soon. The Remembrance of the Daleks set is released 3rd February and features the Dalek Emperor Davros action figure & Destroyed Imperial Dalek action figure. The Attack of the Cybermen set is released 24th February and features Peri (variant) & Rogue Cyberman action figure with detachable faceplate and Cybergun accessory.

Action Figure Report: The Seeds of Doom 4th Doctor and Krynoid 2-pack.

2012-01-31T14:37:00.002Z

Forbidden Planet and Underground Toys have just announced their latest exclusive classic Doctor Who figures. It's the Seeds of Doom set, featuring the 4th Doctor and Krynoid, with Cutlass, Open Seed Pod and Closed Seed Pod accessories. The set is available from 2nd April priced £24.99.

Click here to order.

Rather annoying the Krynoid figure is almost identical to the previously released Axon figure.

46: The Invasion - Spearheading A Structure That Left A Legacy

2012-01-24T17:09:00.002Z

Written by: Derrick Sherwin (from a story by Kit Pedler).

Companions: The Doctor, Jamie McCrimmon, Zoe Heriot.

Monsters/Villains: Cybermen, Cyber Director, Tobias Vaughn.

Brief Synopsis: London is invaded by Cybermen.

Rating: 6/10.

The Invasion is the first big step in a new direction for Doctor Who as a programme. Originally planned as a 4 parter, it was doubled in length to 8 when the next story The Dreamspinner was abandoned. It was the very first story to feature the army organisation, the United Nations Intelligence Task-force or UNIT. Patrick Troughton had announced his plans to leave at the end of the season and this story was a drastic move in a new direction to ensure the future of the programme that would eventually, for a time at least, be almost entirely based on earth. The Invasion boasts the return of the incomparable Nicholas Courtney as Colonel, now Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart, and the new design of the Cybermen which is considered by me, and indeed most, to be the best ever. Sadly two episodes are missing, but never fear the team at Cosgrove hall have rather brilliantly animated the lost episodes 1 and 4.

The missing episode 1 and 4 are animated
excellently by Cosgrove Hall.

The TARDIS reforms and all of the Mind Robber seems to have just been a bad dream or delusion. The ship orbits the dark side of the moon, narrowly escapes a missile and materialises on Earth in the 1970's in a field of cows. There is something wrong with the TARDIS visual stabiliser causing the the ship to become invisible. The trio set off in search of Professor Travers to help them repair the damaged circuit and catch a lift in a truck. The driver explains that he is escaping the compound of a company called United Electromatics (IE) who have a monopoly on everything electronic. He helps the travellers to escape but is shot dead when he is caught and refuses to go back to the compound.

The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe catch another lift to Travers' house but instead find photographer Isobel Watkins, who is staying there with her uncle who has been absent for a week. She explains that Travers (who we previously met in The Abominable Snowmen and The Web of Fear) has gone to live in America with his daughter, Anne. The story was originally written to include Travers and Anne but their characters were replaced when Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln demanded royalties for the use of their creations.

The lovely Sally Faulkner as Sixties Chick Isobel Watkins.

Zoe stays with Isobel while the Doctor and Jamie go to IE headquarters in search of the missing Professor Watkins. Once inside they meet Tobias Vaughn, the Managing Director of IE, who explains that Watkins is working on an experiment and refuses to be disturbed. Vaughn offers help with the Doctors circuits and gives Jamie a disposable transistor radio. The duo depart but as they leave a panel opens up in Vaughn's office wall and we see some sort of alien device.

The Doctor and Jamie are chased by two men, who are later revealed to be Corporal Benton (played by John Levene) and Tracy who bring them to an air craft carrier where they are reunited with Colonel now Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. He explains that in the four years since the Yeti in the Underground, he has been put in charge of a new group formed to deal with alien threats, the United Nations Intelligence Task-force, UNIT.

The Brig's back and he's moved up in the world...

Meanwhile Zoe and Isobel go to the IE building in search of the Doctor and Jamie. Zoe uses ALGOL (a computer programming language) to assign the computerised receptionist an unsolvable equation causing it to overload. Vaughn interrogates them and tucks them away. The Brig shows the Doctor and Jamie pictures of the missing persons last seen entering IE and they recognise the man who helped them escape the IE compound who it turns out was an agent for UNIT. The Doctor takes a radio to contact the Brig and with Jamie departs to find Zoe and Isobel. In his office Vaughn demands more information on the Doctor, and the alien device tells him, "he has a machine." Meanwhile Vaughn's number one man Packer captures the Doctor and Jamie.

Peter Halliday as Packer.

Vaughn shows up and takes his captives to the IE Compound. Vaughn's Compound office is identical to his London one. He says this is uniformity, I think it's a clever way to reuse a set. At this point I have to just take a moment to say how wonderful Peter Stoney is as Tobias Vaughn. Stoney was last seen in Doctor Who playing futuristic-super-villain Mavic Chen, (Guardian of the Solar System) and gives another truly impressive star turn as present-day-super-villain Tobias Vaughn. He inverts the usual, malevolence evil approach and goes about his evil deeds by being so apparently pleasant with everyone; except Packer, at whom he relishes shouting.

The excellent Kevin Stoney as Tobias Vaughn.

The Doctor and Jamie are brought to meet Professor Watkins (Edward Burnham) who tells them about his teaching machine, the Cerebraton Mentor, which is capable of inducing emotional changes in a subject. They manage to escape and hide from Packer and his men.

Edward Burnham as Professor Watkins.

Vaughn explains that he plans to use Watkins machine against their allies if necessary and secure the TARDIS as a means of an escape. The Doctor and Jamie learn that Zoe and Isobel are also in the Compound and Vaughn makes an announcement that they will be harmed if he doesn't hand himself over. The Doctor radios the Brigadier who orders a helicopter to rescue Zoe and Isobel using a rope ladder and all four escape to safety.

Realising the threat from UNIT and the Doctor, Vaughn uses his influence on the Brigadier's superior Major General Rutlidge and orders him to put a stop to UNIT's investigation. Learning of UFO's over the London IE warehouse Jamie and the Doctor infiltrate it and witness the reawakening and emergence of a Cyberman.

The Doctor returns and warns the Brigadier of an imminent Cyberman invasion. Rutlidge orders the Brig to give up all investigations of IE but he makes plans to gain authority from Geneva. Vaughn learns of this and demands that the being in his office known as the Cyber Director bring the invasion forward. An army of Cybermen is being revived in the sewers of London. Vaughn experiments with Watkins machine on an awakened Cyberman. He evokes fear within the Cyberman and it goes mad and escapes into the sewer.

The Brigadier wants to procede but needs proof. Isobel offers to go and photograph a Cyberman but the Brig refuses her help. Offended by the Brigadier and Jamie's bigotry and sexism, Zoe and Isobel depart, with Jamie in tow to capture a photo of a Cyberman.

The crazed Cyberman.

The Cyber Director tells Vaughn that the whole human race will soon come under Cyber control and be converted. Meanwhile Jamie, Zoe and Isobel enter the sewers. A policeman who follows them is killed by two cybermen, they can't go back and on their other side they encounter the insane Cyberman.

The UNIT logo.

The maddened Cyberman passes right by them and Captain Jimmy Turner, Benton and two other UNIT soldiers come to their rescue and face the Cybermen. The Cybermen are destroyed by grenades when they are distracted by the dodgy Cyberman. Back at UNIT Isobel develops that pictures she took, but the Brig says the they look fake.

At IE, Watkins has perfected his machine and brings it to Vaughn. Watkins threatens him calling him a mad man and Vaughn actually gives Watkins a gun to kill him. Watkins fires but Vaughn appears totally unharmed by the bullets.

Benton and some UNIT men manage to free Watkins. The Doctor has discovered some micro monolithic circuits in a radio Vaughn gave to Jamie and in all other pieces of IE equipment. When the Doctor deduces that Vaughn wanted Watkin's machine as a means of stopping the Cybermen with emotion, he realises that the micro monolithic circuits are emotional circuits. Once activated they will produce the Cyber hypnotic force that can control human beings.

That famous moment, where the Cybermen emerge in front
of St. Pauls animated for a test trailer.

The Doctor and Zoe use the same method they used when the last met the Cybermen on the Wheel in space, to block their hypnotic signals using depolarisers warn on the back of the neck. At dawn the Cyber signal is emitted causing people around the world to collapse, leaving the Cybermen free to emerge from the sewers and begin their invasion of London. It strikes me now when compared to modern Who just how small scale this all seems. We see just a few people effected by the Cyber signal and seemingly only in London. In modern who we would see people all over the world effected.

UNIT make plans to use a Russian rocket to destroy the origin of the Cyber signal and missiles to destroy the oncoming Cyberfleet. The Doctor returns to see Vaughn to persuade him to help humanity, whilst Captain Jimmy goes to Russia and the Brigadier goes to a missile site.

The excellent Cyberman redesign.

At the missile site Zoe is given 30 seconds to achieve the necessary calculations to destroy the Cyberfleet. I laughed out loud when I noticed one of the missile techies clearly looks at her bum. Thanks to Zoe's ingenuity the majority of the Cyberships are destroyed by the missiles.

In Vaughn's office the Cyber Director takes control of the invasion and announces their intention to use a Cyber megatron bomb to destroy all life on earth. Vaughn angers and destroys the Cyber Director using the cerebration mentor machine. The Cybermen take over IE and kill Packer. The Doctor persuades Vaughn to help him and gives the Brigadier their two options: They must either, cut off the transmitter of the radio beam at the compound or destroy the remaining Cyber spaceship. The Doctor and Vaughn head straight for the transmitter and the Brig sends them some back up. Again I like the way how the Brig explains that they only have one platoon as the rest of their men are still under the influence of the Cybermen's signal. The real reason is lack of budget and therefore extras, but they cover this well.

The famous St Paul's moment recreated with the re-imagined
Cybermen to publicise The Doctor Who Experience.

The russian rocket is fitted with a warhead and launched at the remain cybership The Doctor, Vaughn and the UNIT platoon infiltrate the old IE factory in the Compound. Vaughn is killed, but they manage to destroy the homing signal, apparently disabling the use of the megatron bomb. However the Cybership moves in closer to launch their bomb. A plan is formed but we then get this wonderful moment where everyone just has to wait, for 12 minutes to see what happens, even the Doctor can't do anything. It's such a nice little moment.

Fortunately the bomb is destroyed by a missile and the the Russian rocket destroys the Cybership which had come in to range. Isobel gets offered a job as a photographer with a publishing group and along with Captain Jimmy escorts the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe back to the field where they arrived. The Doctor finishes repairing the TARDIS visual circuits and the craft dematerialises.

The Invasion is quite certainly too long, but it has a charm to it. The story's writer Derrick Sherwin acted as script editor and producer on Doctor Who but this is the only story he actually wrote entirely. This format would be returned to for Jon Pertwee's first story and many to come after that. The Invasion pioneered a format that would stick around for a long time afterward. Although the impressive location shoots, new/best ever Cybermen design, return of the Brig, introduction of UNIT, amazing performance by Kevin Stoney and now excellent animation of it's two missing episodes may not make this "whole" greater than the sum of it's parts, those parts are still certainly outstanding none the less!

Join me (and my good friend Ed) next time for The Krotons.

45: The Mind Robber - Fantastic. Because Or In Spite Of Production Constraints?

2012-01-20T01:09:00.006Z

Written by: Peter Ling.

Companions: The Doctor, Jamie McCrimmon, Zoe Heriot.

Monsters/Villains: The Master (The Land of Fiction), White Robots, Clockwork Soldiers, The Master Brain.

Brief Synopsis: In order to escape a volcanic eruption, the Doctor activates an emergency unit which moves the TARDIS out of normal time and space and into the Land of Fiction.

Rating: 8/10.

Now that was more like it. After the rather disappointing start to season 6 with The Dominators, we're back on track with something truly unique and entirely different from anything that has gone before it, or that will follow. There are numerous reasons to love The Mind Robber and those only multiply when you learn what difficulties were surpassed when making this adventurous serial.

The first issue was the addition of an extra episode. Due to the shortening of The Dominators from six to five episodes (thank goodness) the entire first episode (which is brilliant by the way) was cobbled together by Derrick Sherwin and the production team.

In order to escape the volcanic eruption on Dulkis the Doctor activates an emergency unit that moves the TARDIS out of the time-space dimension and according to the ships instruments they are nowhere. Zoe, who has changed into the infamous lame catsuit, is curious to explore what's outside but the Doctor rebuffs her saying "If we move outside the TARDIS, we step into a dimension about which we know nothing. We should be at the mercy of the forces outside time and space as we know it. We must stay in the TARDIS"

Left alone in the console room Jamie and Zoe are each tempted outside by being shown images of their homes; Jamie of Scotland and Zoe of her home 'city.' Together they manage to withstand temptation but when Jamie goes to get the Doctor, Zoe goes out into the white void and vanishes. When they return Jamie runs out to rescue Zoe and also vanishes, leaving just the Doctor in the TARDIS who seems to come under some kind of mental attack.

Jamie and Zoe find each other in the white void, but they're lost. Again they see their homelands and suddenly are surrounded by white robots who mesmerise them. Back in the TARDIS a voice tempts the Doctor to save his companions. Finally he too succumbs, goes out and vanishes too. In the void the Doctor steps out of a white TARDIS and drags a white costumed Zoe and Jamie back in to the ship and the trio safely dematerialise. Everything sees to be normal until all three feel an alien vibration, and begin to loose concentration. Shockingly we see the exterior of the TARDIS break-up and Zoe and Jamie cling to the ship's console falling through blackness.

This is definitely up there with the best cliffhangers ever! Interestingly due to the additional episode each installment of this story was particularly short. Each one comes in between 22-19 minutes in length with episode five being the shortest episode of Doctor Who ever at just 18 minutes.

Issue number two came when the actor who played Jamie, Frazer Hines, contracted chickenpox and wasn't well enough for the recording of episode two and some of three. Fortunately this was The Mind Robber so some rather unusual methods could be used to fix this little problem. Jamie is wondering through a strange kind of forest when he sees a Red Coat, gets shot and turns into a sort of cardboard cut-out.

Meanwhile, Zoe goes through a pair of large white doors and falls into a giant pit. The Doctor comes across a strange character who claims to be from 1699, who tells him about the Master who has brought them here. We then get another one of those wonderful yet tiny references to the Doctor's history when the stranger tells the Doctor, "The Master holds articles of impeachment for treason and other capital crimes." To which the Doctor replies "Treason again. Really?" Suggesting that the Doctor committed treason before. He is then surrounded by children who taunt him with jokes and riddles. They seem to test him and threaten him with a sword which he manages to turn into a dictionary when he realises that it is an anagram.

Hamish Wilson as 'Jamie.'

The Doctor hears Jamie and comes across his cardboard cut-out. He finds a locked safe and a wishing well and manages to link this all together to deduce that "Jamie is safe and well." Frazer Hines' absence is then dealt with in the most peculiar way. Jamie's face is missing and the Doctor has to compile it from bits of faces. He comes to life, but the Doctor got it wrong so he appears differently. He's also portrayed by a different actor! Welcome Hamish Wilson, who will be playing 'Jamie' for a little while.

The Clockwork Soldiers.

'Jamie' is telling the Doctor that the TARDIS broke up when they hear Zoe's voice and find the white door. 'Jamie' wants to bash it in but the Doctor cracks the riddle and realises: "When is a door not a door? When it's a jar." This is both literal and a literary as a giant jar appears and they help Zoe out.

Not just any trees!

The Doctor fears that they may be in a place where nothing is impossible. 'Jamie' climbs one of the trees in the forest they're wandering through and realises that it's a letter S and all the other trees are letters and words too. They continue to traverse the forest of words until they are captured by giant clockwork soldiers who lead them to a black void where they are charged by a White Unicorn.

The trio refuse to believe it exists and like Jamie before, it too turns into a cardboard cut-out. They escape the black void once again 'Jamie' is shot by a Red Coat, the Doctor has to do the same face making and the normal (Frazer Hines) Jamie is back with us. They enter a house and find a maze, ball of twine and a Minotaur.

A rather jolly looking Minotaur.

Once again they come across the stranger, who the Doctor finally recognises as Lemuel Gulliver who only speaks the lines Jonathan Swift wrote for him in the novel Gulliver's Travels. This helps the Doctor to realise that they have entered the land of fiction.

The stranger was Lemuel Gulliver played by Bernard Horsfall.

Meanwhile a clockwork soldier chases Jamie up a rock face and into the citadel, which he scales using Rapunzel's hair, while Zoe and the Doctor face the Medusa, whom they best using a mirror.

An incredibly creepy Medusa design.

Then a comic book hero from the year 2000, the Karkus, shows up and get's his ass kicked by Zoe. In the end he submits and agrees to take them to the citadel. Once inside the white robots arrive again and the Master invites the three travellers for an audience.

The Karkus.

Surprisingly the Master is not malevolent and evil, but a writer from 1926 who wrote the adventures of Jack Harkaway and was selected by the Master Brain to be it's source of imagination. He remains unnamed throughout the piece but it is strongly implied that he is the great children's author Frank Richards; a pen-name used by Charles Hamilton when writing the famous series of Billy Bunter stories. The Master tells the Doctor that he wants him to take over as the Master of the land of fiction. He also says of the Doctor, "You are ageless, you exists outside the barriers of time and space." Rather tangentially I thought I'd share a rather tenuous personal link I have with story: I can't help but get excited every time I see my own rather unusual name (Emrys) in the credits of Doctor Who every time I see:

THE MASTER

EMRYS JONES

Emrys Jones as The Master.

Jamie and Zoe try to escape, but are caught by the white robots and fictionalised by being shut inside a giant book (a rather novel idea). The White robots move in on the Doctor but he escapes by climbing to a higher part of the citadel. The TARDIS appears and Zoe and Jamie get the Doctor inside, but it turns into yet another cardboard cut-out and the Doctor is attached to the master brain computer. The Master reveals that the Master Brain wants the people of earth brought to the land of fiction leaving their planet free to be taken over. The Doctor fights him when he learns that the computer feeds off his thoughts giving him power equal to that of the Master.

When then get a battle of imaginations. The Master calls the clockwork soldiers, but the Doctor calls the Karkus. The master calls Cyrano de Bergerac but the Doctor calls D'Artagnan to fight him off. The Master turns Cyrano into Blackbeard the pirate but the Doctor turns D'Artagnan in to Sir Lancelot and wins out.

Cyrano De Bergerac.

D'Artagnan.

Blackbeard the Pirate.

Sir Lancelot.

The white robots close in and are about to kill the Doctor, when Jamie and Zoe rather tenuously save the day by "pressing lots of buttons" on the computer causing the Master Brain to overload. The Doctor removes the head piece connecting the Master and all four depart as the white robots fire their disintegrators. The computer is destroyed and everyone is returned to their rightful places; the Master supposedly to his home and the Doctor, Zoe and Jamie to the TARDIS which we see reforming.

The White robots were loaned from another show called Out of The Unknown.

Some consider the events of The Mind Robber to be just a dream. For example, the changing of Jamie's face could be construed as a manifestation of the Doctor's regeneration trauma. Also, Zoe recognises candles, despite not knowing what they are in a later story: The Space Pirates. Most significantly, despite the Master being with the TARDIS crew at the end of the story, his absence is not remarked upon at the start of the following story. In fact, none of the events of this story are mentioned or referenced again which could indicate that the TARDIS crew may not even remember them properly.

The 6th Doctor, Jamie and Zoe would end up taking another trip to the Land of Fiction in the excellent Big Finish audio Drama 'The Legend of the Cybermen.' If you liked the Mind Robber it's well worth a listen.

Click to purchase.

I really enjoyed The Mind Robber even if it does lose steam a little in the last two episodes. I have no idea if this story is so strong, vibrant and different because of all the issues the production team faced, or in spite of them. Either way it is a wonderful story and fully shows Doctor Who at it's best. When it's pushing the boundaries and experimenting with the format each week. The more Troughton and Hartnell I see, the more I love it. These episodes are quickly becoming my favourites, because although they were not always wonderful, they were always different. At this point the programme still didn't know exactly what it was and although some structures and formulas were becoming apparent, The Mind Robber proves that Doctor Who can be anything and everything.

Join me next time for the rather epic-ly long The Invasion.

44: The Dominators - The Odd Couple In Space.

2012-01-13T13:14:00.004Z

Written by: Norman Ashby.

Companions: The Doctor, Jamie McCrimmon, Zoe Heriot.

Monsters/Villains: Dominators, Quarks.

Brief Synopsis: The Aptly named Dominators, use their robot Quarks to threaten the pacifist planet, Dulkis.

Rating: 4/10.

Hello, and a very happy new year to you all. I'm kicking off this year with a bit of a throwback to the last. I actually watched The Dominators last month, but with Christmas at home, a wonderful new years in Dublin with my sweetheart, and THREE auditions in the first week of this year I haven't had any time to write it up. Until now. The really good news is, that as we launch in to season 6 of Doctor Who there is only one more story to go that was effected by the BBC wipe-fest. Yes, we are finally nearly out of the wilderness! The bad news is The Dominators really isn't the best story to get 2012 underway. So we'll say that it was the last of 2011 and then we can get excited next time about the truly brilliant and unique story that follows. I hope you like the redesign of the blog, I'm still ironing out a few kinks, but overall I'm pretty happy with it. As always I greatly appreciate your feedback so let me know if there is anyway you think I can improve the site, by e-mailing me or leaving a comment.

The story starts promisingly with a massive fleet of ships in space apparently enroute to the planet Epsilon 4. We follow one ship that breaks off and lands on the pacifist planet Dulkis. With foresight I can't help but think, why couldn't we have followed a different ship to another planet? Perhaps that would have been less... well..... incredibly dull.

Navigator Rago and Probationer Toba.

The ship lands and we meet Navigator Rago and his wife... uh, I mean subordinate, Probationer Toba. Right from the get go they discuss that their ship is absorbing the local radiation and transferring it to the fuel reserves. Which is all well and good, but the other characters will frustratingly spend most of the five episodes trying to work out where all the radiation has gone.

The Short lived, Wahed, Tolata and Etnin with Tour Guide Cully.

Simultaneously a small ship carrying three would-be-adventurers and their tour guide, Cully, visit a popular Dulcian tourist attraction. A test site riddled with radiation and aptly named the Island of Death. This is the location where the majority of this story is set and I promise by the end you'll be wishing the radiation was still there to kill everyone. Their ship crashes and at the order of Toba, they are barbarously executed by the Dominator's trendy looking, yet totally non-functionally designed robots, the Quarks. At this moment the TARDIS arrives.

The Quarks.

I have to take a moment here to talk about costume. I don't normally talk much about this element, but here one cannot avoid it. The Dominators are wearing these odd oversized, padded, life-preserver-like smocks, over flappy black leather jumpsuits. Like the design of the Quarks, I do find them oddly aesthetically pleasing, but I just can't imagine any reason why anyone would ever wear something like this. Maybe it's just a sort of artistic collage demonstrating their dominant nature? But never mind that, the Dulcian's inherent pacifism is clearly mirrored in their wholly skimpy, and at times inappropriately revealing garments. The most unfortunate example going to Cully, who is basically wearing curtains that look like a dress. Unfortunately we frequently get flashes of his black pants. Yuck!!

The three different Dulcian fashion styles:
Female, Male and umm, Older Male.

172 years prior, the island was the scene of a radioactive test site, and is frequently visited by students on Dulkis to see the dangers of such weaponry. Jamie, Zoe and the Doctor, who has been to Dulkis before, emerge from the TARDIS, explore the remains of a war museum and find a laser gun. Zoe says the place reminds her of the old test islands on earth and the trio realise that they may have wandered into a highly radioactive area. Just then they are rescued and taken to safety by the Survey expedition team from the University.

The Laser gun.

They are screened, but have no trace of radiation, and we know well why not. Here we meet Educator Balan and two of his students Teel and Kando. Cully, who managed to escape the Quarks, warns the Doctor that the Dominators were considering destroying the TARDIS. So the Doctor and Jamie head off to investigate, happen upon the Dominator's ship and are captured by the not so lovely couple.

Educator Balan.

Zoe and Cully are sent to the capitol via travel capsule (Just dial where you want to go and in eight minutes or less you're there) to explain what is happening, but when they arrive Director of the Council, Senex doesn't believe them. For some reason Zoe changes into some Dulcian attire or lack there of.

The Quarks, rather hilariously use a 'molecular force' to bind Jamie and the Doctor to the wall, while they are interrogated. Rago scans Jamie to investigate his physiognomy, but he is dismissed. They don't scan the Doctor but instead decide to test his intelligence. The Doctor is then attached to a kind of Jig-Saw puzzle from hell. The pair are tested but fail on purpose. After various tests, Rago lets them go, as they are deemed useless.

Balan, Teel and and Kando go to see if Cully was telling the truth. They enter the ship and are captured by the Dominators. Rago scans Teel and discovers that he has two hearts, having dismissed Jamie and the Doctor (whom they didn't scan) as useless, weak beings with one heart. Rago affirms that they may be able to use them as a labour force yet. Of course it won't be revealed until Spearhead From Space but the Doctor also has two hearts. Meanwhile Zoe and Cully have returned to the Survey Base just as Toba orders the Quarks to destroy it.

Rago scanning Jamie and Teel or
possibly some sort of evil dentist.

Rago arrives at the last minute, scolds Toba and orders the Quarks to stop, capture and not kill. The Doctor and Jamie arrive at the capitol to see Senex and warn the council about the Dominators, but they elect to do nothing, declaring, "better do nothing, than do the wrong thing."

The Council.

Zoe, Cully, Balan, Teel and Kando and taken to the war museum to test their manual labour skills for enslavement. Rago orders them to be worked until they collapse and then returned to him. Zoe leads Cully and Teel in trying to overcome the Quarks, but the attempt fails.

Teel and Kando with A Quark.

At the capitol it is decided that Chairman Tensa will deal with counteracting the current problem. Tensa says they have three options: fight, submit or flee. They don't want to submit, they have nowhere to flee, and they won't fight so they'll choose mystery option number four and continue to do nothing.

The Doctor and Jamie go back to the war museum and split up to try to free the others. Cully sneaks off and is about to fire on a Quark with the laser gun but Jamie distracts him. The Doctor is captured by Toba, and he and the others are taken back to the Dominator's ship, while Toba and a Quark go to find Cully. Jamie uses the laser gun in the museum to destroy the Quark, but many more arrive and Toba orders them to destroy the museum with Jamie and Cully inside.

Another lovers spat.

Rago scolds Toba once more saying their power levels are low and they must preserve the Quarks. Rago also says he is beginning to wonder if Toba has the qualities of intelligence and detachment necessary to be a Dominator. Ohhh it just got real! Toba, who seems to just want to destroy everything he comes across, throws down and says that Rago is soft and that it is he who doesn't have what it takes to be a Dominator. Rago orders a Quark to place Toba under restraint causing him to submit and take the Dulcians to the drilling site as ordered. The Doctor and Zoe remain under Quark guard as Rago goes to the Capitol via travel capsule.

Fortunately Jamie and Cully managed to survive by climbing down a hatch in to an underground shelter. They get out and play ten pin bowling with a Quark as the pin and a bolder as the ball. The Quark left guarding the Doctor and Zoe leaves to investigate Jamie and Cully's handiwork leaving the Doctor and Zoe to finally deduce that the Dominator's ship is powered by... that's right you guessed it 'radiation' and that that must be where all the radiation went. Didn't see that one coming... Oh no wait, I did.

Toba goes off on another kill-jolly when he learns that a Quark was destroyed and orders the Quarks to search out and destroy any unaccounted aliens. Rago breaks into the council meeting, saying that he only respects superior force, and orders a Quark to kill Tensa. He informs the Dulcians that he will enslave them and take them to his home planet to replace the Quarks as slaves.

The rather gorgeous Felicity Gibson as Tando.

Meanwhile Toba threatens and tortures Teel until Kando tells him that it was Jamie who destroyed the Quark. Toba threatens, "You will die, one by one, until you tell me [where Jamie is]" and orders a Quark to kill Balan with the Doctor next in line.

Fortunately Rago interrupts. At this point I noticed that Rago practically never looks at Toba. Perhaps it's a power play or perhaps it's because he can't look at him the same way after last night.... After another lovers tiff Rago orders Toba to return to overseeing some drilling.

Rago not looking at Toba.

Jamie and Cully return to their Underground hideout where Jamie uses a periscope to spy on the Quarks. At this point my sweetheart chimes in with, "How does Jamie know what a periscope is, or how to use it?" This prompted me to look into this and I discovered that a form of periscope was invented in 1430 which does predate Jamie by some 300 years. However this kind of periscope wasn't pioneered until 1854 or used on submarines until as late as 1902. I also challenge the likelihood that Jamie would have come across one, know what it was called and how to use it. As an historical companion it wouldn't be reasonable for Jamie to constantly question every new thing around him, but I feel sometimes the writers miss some great moment for Jamie to discover the wonders of technology/conveniently forget that he is from circa 1746.

Nearly at the very end of the story all of the Dominator's plans are finally revealed. Their fleet commander has decided that the Dulcians are not fit for slave labour and they will be destroyed along with their planet. They plan to fire rockets into the centre of the planet at a weak point in the planet's crust, to cause a volcano and then to launch a radioactive seed device in to the core of the planet to create mass amounts of fuel and power for their empire.

Reunited, with the Doctor and Zoe, Jamie suggests that they dig a tunnel from where they are to the centre bore and catch the Dominator's seed device before it makes it to the planets core. The Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to cut through the wall to start the tunnel, and Zoe mixes up some explosives from the medical supply kit which Jamie and Cully use to take out the remaining Quarks. At this point I realise that Jamie and Cully make a perfect team or look like two members of men-in-skirts-anonymous.

The Skirt Parade.

Toba finally has good reason to order the Quarks to search and destroy, but remembers what Rago said and orders them to continue drilling. The drilling is finished just as the last Quark bites the dust. Then Rago gives us the immortal line, "I will insert the seed device," and does so. The Doctor and co finish their tunnel just in time for the Doctor to catch the device and evert disaster.

The Doctor warns that as the rockets are still in the ground there will be a minor volcanic eruption. Cully, Teel and Kando go back to capitol, and Zoe and Jamie return to the TARDIS while the Doctor plants the seed device on the Dominator Ship. The Rockets fire causing a volcanic eruption. The Dominators are destroyed and the TARDIS departs as the volcano erupts.

As I said, not the best story. It's basically 125 minutes of The Odd Couple In Space with Rago & Toba and nothing really happens. I also don't think the Dominators really much deserve their name, it seems rather odd that they get the Quarks to do all their dirty work, that doesn't seem very Dominant. And I still can't help but wonder, are all of the Dominators like this? Or were we following a particularly retarded pair? Regardless of all this I did still enjoy this story on some odd level. The design elements of the Quarks are great and there are, as always with Troughton, some brilliant moments.

Join me next time for an exciting and experimental story worthy of kicking off 2012, The Mind Robber.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year From Wonderings In The Fourth Dimension.

2011-12-31T20:14:00.001Z

Hello Wonderful Blog-O-Sphere. I just wanted to drop by and leave a little message to say thank you to everyone who came to check out Wonderings In The Fourth Dimension this year; December has been particularly successful and my best month yet. I'm very much looking forward to next year. The Blog will be one year old and so will be getting a re-design very soon and there's only one more story to get through that doesn't exist in it's entirety, then it's smooth sailing through the rest of the cannon. I hope 2012 brings you everything you wish for and thanks for reading...

... And The Winner Is...

2011-12-21T12:18:00.001Z

Here we are fellow Whovians, we've reached the big day. It's the draw of The Great Big Doctor Who Christmas Give-Away. I printed off the staggering 124 of your names and ceremonially deposited them into the TARDIS. I have drawn out a runner up and the Winner.

The runner up is: STACEY VOGRIN.

Stacey Vogrin

Who will receive a copy of the Official 2012 Doctor Who Annual.

And the Winner is: THOMAS.

Thomas

Who will receive the 4th Doctor (Tom Baker) Figure, a copy of the Big Finish audio CD Short Trips - Volume 1, The TARDIS Handbook, The Dalek Handbook and the Limited Edition Exclusive Amelia Pond Figure.

Congratulations Stacey and Thomas. If you could both contact me at this (neotycoon@aol.com) e-mail address I can get your prizes out to you as soon as possible. They won't arrive in time for Christmas but hopefully at some point in the new year.

A massive thank you to everyone who entered and came to check out the site. It's been a wonderful festive season so far. You've made this my biggest and best month yet! I hope everyone enjoys The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe on Christmas Day and has a wonderful holiday!

Last Chance To Enter The Great Big Doctor Who Christmas Give-Away!

2011-12-21T02:33:00.003Z

Hey gang, this is your last chance to enter The Great Big Doctor Who Christmas Give-Away. Want to win these for free?

I will be drawing the Winner and a runner up tomorrow (Wednesday 21st) at 12.00pm GMT. Just click this link and leave a comment. Best of luck and Merry Christmas.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

43: The Wheel In Space - Is There Anything Good To Say About It?

2011-12-21T02:24:00.006Z

Written by: David Whitaker

Companions: The Doctor, Jamie McCrimmon.

Monsters/Villains: Cybermen, Cybermats, Servo Robot.

Brief Synopsis: Using Cybermats, the Cybermen attempt to take over a Wheel shaped space station in an effort to conquer the Earth.

Rating: 2/10.

So the streak of really good stories had to end at some point and here it is. I think The Wheel In Space is the first real turkey from the Troughton era, which after thirteen stories really isn't that bad. I didn't love all the Troughton that went before, but there was at least something charming or some worthy idea in all the other stories that came before and then there's The Wheel In Space. David Whitaker is at it again...

The TARDIS is still floating on the sea. Jamie watches Victoria as the TARDIS dematerialises. They arrive in a new location but the scanner doesn't seem to work. The TARDIS shows them 'nice' places to warn them to go elsewhere. Randomly the fluid link explodes, vaporising the mercury. As they flee the TARDIS, the Doctor opens a hatch and removes a golden rod. The rooms and walls begin to shimmer and fold in on themselves, they make it out of the shrinking TARDIS interior. The Doctor explains that he has removed the Time Vector Generator, which once removed alters the size of the interior making it just a normal telephone box. Much like when on his first visit to Skaro the Doctor needs some more mercury in order to get the old girl working again.

The Silver Carrier.

They discover they are in a rocket and the Doctor offers a hungry Jamie not a Jelly Baby but a lemon sherbet. They discover some track marks on the floor leading through the door and follow. They cannot enter the rocket's control room but the doctor uses a monitor to see what's inside. We can see a small coffin shaped pod and a large mental crate. A small Servo Robot roams the rocket and uses a laser to seal off the Doctor and Jamie. The Robot changes the rocket's course and the Doctor and Jamie are thrown against a wall. They try to get back to the TARDIS, but the door is sealed.

The Servo Robot.

The coffin like pod opens and reveals a row of small, white spheres. The inner and outer airlocks open and the cabin depressurises. The spheres drift into space, the hatch closes and the cabin re-pressurises as the rocket comes to a halt by a space station, yet another base that will come under siege.

The Doctor uses the Time Vector Generator to create a torch like beam which vaporises the door's seal but the Servo Robot appears behind the Doctor and tries to attack. Jamie throws a metallic blanket over the robot and they close themselves back in the cabin. The robot lasers its way through but Jamie somehow manages to destroy it. The Doctor is knocked unconscious.

The Wheel In Space.

Aboard the Wheel, we meet the gang of assorted minorities we have come to expect to staff each besieged base, including more importantly Leo Ryan communications officer, Doctor Gemma Corwyn, and Commander Javis Bennett. They turn their attention on the rather aptly named rocket, Silver Carrier. The egg-like spheres hit the station and absorb their way inside. Bennett is concerned the rocket will endanger the station and elects to turn the station's x-ray laser on the Silver Carrier to eliminate the threat.

Jarvis Bennett.

Anne Ridler as Dr. Gemma Corwyn.

Troughton is totally absent from episode two and to be honest we might as well be too. In a nut shell: Jamie alerts the crew of the wheel and they don't destroy the rocket. Jamie and the Doctor are brought aboard the Wheel where Dr. Gemma Corwyn examines the Doctor and Jamie who lies saying the Doctor's name is John Smith.

So that's where he got the name.

Jamie takes a tour of the wheel guided by the para-psychology librarian, Zoe Heriot who shows him a greenhouse and some interstellar flora, which oddly enough is located right next to the controls for the station's laser gun.

Wendy Padbury as Zoe Heriot.

This episode feels like such a hiatus that everyone is actually asking, "when the Doctor is gonna be about?" Corwyn gives her report to Jarvis who believes the two travellers are stowaways or saboteurs. Jarvis jumps to conclusions desperately trying to find an explanation, he is expositionally revealed as a man who relies on routine ordinariness, used to emergencies, who can't handle mysteries. Zoe shows Jamie the communications room, and explains the point of the Wheel, which is so dull even Jamie doesn't want to know. Jamie learns of Jarvis' plan to destroy the Silver Carrier, slips away and sabotages the laser. Finally, aboard the Silver Carrier, two large egg like spheres come to life and a silver, three fingered fist bursts out.

Zoe calculates that a star is about to go nova causing a meteorite storm which would threaten the Wheel. We see the Cybermen with the rather groovy added design feature of the tear ducts and also the odd looking Cyber Planner. The voices have changed again and this time they're a bit rubbish.

The Cyber Planner.

Finally the Doctor wakes up. The small pods sent to the Wheel contained Cybermats, sent to consume Bernalium rods in the Wheel’s stores. The Bernalium is essential to power the X-Ray Laser. An engineer called Duggan finds a Cybermat, but totally ignores it, thinking maybe it's space fauna?

Corwyn introduces the Doctor to Zoe who using logic has deduced that the rocket could not have drifted so far off course but must have been piloted. The Doctor responds, "Logic merely enables one to be wrong with authority." The engineers discover that all the Bernalium is gone, and Kemel Rudkin (an insignificant engineer) is killed by a Cybermat. No one seems to care much. The Doctor x-rays an unopened pod and identifies it's contents as a Cybermat however Jarvis is disbelieving and his behaviour becomes stranger and stranger. Two men from the Wheel are sent to investigate the rocket but are taken over by two Cybermen, who order the two humans to take them to the Wheel.

The Doctor warns Jarvis of the Cybermen but strangely they have never heard of the Cybermen. This story is meant to be set in the 21st century. Even if it were the late 21st century it couldn't be more than 130 years since the Cybermen attacked the Moonbase. They've clearly got rubbish memories.

Laleham and Vallance, the two controlled humans successfully bring the Cybermen aboard the Wheel in crates of Bernalium. Engineer Chang (another insignificant engineer, who is Chinese) is sent to the loading bay to get some Bernalium from the crates when he is attacked and killed by the two Cybermen with a shot from their chest units. Laleham and Vallance are sent with the Bernalium in Chang's place. Duggan (a slightly more significant engineer) is taken over too and sent to smash the communications desk. He succeeds but is shot dead by Leo Ryan.

The Doctor gets Corwyn to coordinate the use of basic transistor systems attached to each of the crewmen to block the Cybermen's control technique. Jamie and the Doctor go to investigate the crates only to find the Cybermen. They escape but encounter two Cybermats. Leo Ryan uses a sonic wave which disables and destroys all of the Cybermats aboard the Wheel. They show Jarvis an inactive Cybermat, but he still refuses to accept what is happening.

Zoe expresses a lack of belief in her logic based background, noting, "What have I got left? A blind reliance on facts and knowledge." A Cyberman kills another crew member. Laleham and Vallance try to kill Flannigan (an Irish Engineer), Vallance tries to shoot him but kills Laleham. A Cyberman emerges and takes over Flannigan.

The crew begin to defend the wheel against the Meteorites, with the recently repaired laser. The Doctor realises that the Cybermen made the star go nova in order to gain access to the Wheel and use it to conquer Earth and harvest it's mineral wealth.

Stupidly/conveniently Jamie left the Time Vector Generator aboard the Silver carrier, so he and Zoe make a space-walk to recover it. Gemma hides as she sees a Cyberman order Vallance to poison the wheels oxygen generators turning the oxygen to pure ozone. Dr. Corwyn warns the Doctor via video link and he witnesses her being cut down by a Cyberman. Meanwhile in space the meteorites are heading straight for Jamie and Zoe

Shocked at Gemma's death (it's good to see someone is), Jarvis goes to confront the Cybermen but is strangled, thrown and shot. The Meteorites are destroyed, Zoe and Jamie make it to the Silver Carrier and find the Time Vector Generator.

Vallance tries to poison the oxygen but they have switched over to the emergency oxygen supply. A massive Cybership arrives at the Wheel.

The Cybership.

Jamie and Zoe return with the Time Vector Generator and step over Gemma Corwyn's body except it isn't her body as the BBC didn't employ Anne Ridler, so they just show still photographs of her lying there. The pair find Cyber controlled Engineer Flannigan, who tries to overpower them but is ambushed by Leo Ryan and Enrico Casali (an Italian engineer) freeing him from his conditioning.

The Doctor takes a secret route to the power room through the air tunnels and picks up some mercury, and some radio spares they need.

The Doctor is confronted by the two Cybermen and learns that the Cybermen want the Wheel in order to enable their ships to enter the atmosphere by homing on a radio beam (ummm... right! Technobabble much?) He manages to electrocute one of the Cybermen, and Jamie brings him the Time Vector Generator which he uses to boost the power of the

x-ray laser to destroy the Cyber ship.

In the hangar bay Jamie frees Valance while Flannigan immobilises the remaining Cyberman somehow using a fire extinguisher. The laser destroys the Cybership and the force field is reactivated sending a few Cybermen at the airlock drifting into space.

The Cybermen do a sort of funny space dance...

And... It is so anti-climactic. All this slow, dull build and everything is resolved in two seconds.

Leo Ryan, the new Commander.

Leo Ryan takes over as commander and reports to Earth. No one seems that fussed that loads of people have died, they all look pretty happy to be honest.

Inside the TARDIS the Doctor puts the mercury into the console using a funnel, noting, "I've even got some left over." So hopefully that won't happen again, ay David Whitaker?

The Doctor spies Zoe hiding in a crate, attempting to stow-away. She says wants to go with them. For some reason unlike every other time before or after when he just let people join him the Doctor decides to test Zoe's resolve, and uses a mental device to project images from his mind to show her of his and Jamie's encounter with the Daleks in their search for the Dalek Factor. This was used as a clever segue in to the first ever repeat of Doctor Who, with The Evil of The Daleks.

The Wheel In Space just doesn't really have much going for it; it's heavy on pointless technobabble, the direction is very flat, but more-over the story is dull. I always try to find some positive points in each story; the best bits I can take from this one are: the precursor to Jelly Babies in the form of Sherbet lemons, the origin of the Doctor using the pseudonym John Smith, the establishment of the Cybermen's groovy tear duct eye design and the introduction of Wendy Padbury as the new companion, Zoe Heriot; she doesn't get much to do in this story but she'll stick around and prove herself in time to come. Those few moments aside, there really isn't much on offer here. I think I might go as far as to say this is Troughton's worst story, but you know what? Even after watching this claptrap I think Troughton may be becoming my favourite Doctor...

Not the best end to the season and in my case this year. The Wheel In Space aside It's been a cracker of a season. We saw the Cybermen return twice, we met for the first time, the Ice Warriors and the Yeti, again twice. We also saw a Mexican Doctor doppleganger and of course the infamous Weed creature! All in all it's probably should be the best season yet, shame it had to fizzle out right at the end. My favourite for this season is tied between The Web Of Fear and Fury From The Deep. My least favourite is this story, The Wheel In Space. Out of a possible 70 I scored this season 45/70. Sadly giving it an average score of 64/100.

I will be drawing the Winner and runner up for The Great Big Doctor Who Christmas Give-Away tomorrow, so get your entry in while you still can by clicking here and leaving a comment.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Join me next time, and indeed next year for The Dominators.

Just THREE days until the Doctor Who Christmas Give-Away Draw!

2011-12-18T11:52:00.003Z

Hello Whovians,

It's just three days now until the draw for my big Doctor Who Christmas Give-Away. These are the prizes up for grabs thus far:

The Official Annual 2012.

A 4th Doctor (Tom Baker Figure).

Volume 1 of Big Finish Short Trips CD.

Dalek Handbook.

Tardis Handbook.

And if we reach over 100 entrants I will add this very special beauty to the pot. It's a limited edition Amelia Pond figure available in only one place in the world, the Doctor Who Experience, at Olympia II in Kensington, London.

Limited Edition, Exclusive Amelia Pond Figure.

So, all you have to do to grab the chance at winning these beauties is go to this page and leave a comment, showing your interest in a chance to win some free goodies. We currently have 82 entrants. I will announce the winner and runner up on Wednesday 21st.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Clip From The Recently Rediscovered Episode 3: Airlock From Galaxy 4

2011-12-11T19:40:00.004Z

Check out my previous blog on Galaxy 4.

Clip From The Recently Rediscovered Episode 2 Of The Underwater Menace

2011-12-11T19:34:00.002Z

Check out my previous blog on The Underwater Menace.

EPISODE 3: AIRLOCK FROM GALAXY 4 AND EPISODE 2 OF THE UNDERWATER MENACE FOUND!!! IT'S THE MOST EXCITING NEWS EVER!!!!

2011-12-11T19:04:00.005Z

I have just found out literally the best news ever: EPISODE 3: AIR LOCK of the William Hartnell story GALAXY 4 and EPISODE 2 of the Patrick Troughton story THE UNDERWATER MENACE have been found! This is the best Christmas present I could ever have asked for.

No episodes were thought to remain of Galaxy 4 so that is a very exciting find and The Underwater Menace episode 2 is now Patrick Troughton's earliest existing episode!

The two episodes were purchased by film collector Terry Burnett at a village fete near Southampton in the early 80s. He had been unaware that the canisters contained material missing from the BBC.

The man we owe it all to Mr. Terry Burnett (centre).

Thanks to the kind loan by Mr Burnett, the classic footage has been shown today at the British Film Institute's annual "Missing Believed Wiped" event at the National Film Theatre in London. Host at the event was Doctor Who writer and actor Mark Gatiss who said:

"Christmas has come early for Doctor Who fans everywhere. It's always wonderful when a missing episode turns up but it's been years since the last one so to have two is just brilliant. Add to that a proper bit of action from the legendary Chumblies (and the horrifying Rills!) plus the utterly mesmeric Patrick Troughton on great form. Well, what more could we all ask for?"

These latest discoveries are the first complete episodes to have been located since 2004. Research has shown that the returned episodes originated from the ABC channel in Australia. In fact, the copy of The Underwater Menace is still missing a few short sections which were removed by the Australian censors upon its original transmission Down Under. Fresh scans of the missing material have been made by the National Archives of Australia and will be incorporated into the restored episodes ahead of a DVD release.

All we know so far about when we're actually going to get to see these wonders is: "Details of a commercial release will be announced by 2|entertain in 2012."

I think I might explode. I want to see these more than anything!!! Tell everyone, because this is the most amazing news ever! I hope you enjoy the following, which are all the pictures the BBC has released of the two episodes so far:

Doctor Who Christmas Give-Away Pond-erings.

2011-12-10T18:01:00.005Z

Hello blog land. We've had an impressive 65 entrants for the Doctor Who Christmas Givea-Away so far. If we reach 100 I'll add this beauty to the pot. It's a limited addition Exclusive Amelia Pond figure available only from the Doctor Who Experience at Olympia 2, London. These sell on eBay for quite a bit, but should we get just a few more entrants I'll offer it up for free, along with the 2012 Annual, the Tardis and Dalek handbooks, a Tom Baker figure and the Short Trips CD. So sound the cloister bell and go tell you Whovian friends what they could win.

Click here and leave a comment to enter:

http://wonderingsinthefourthdimension.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-give-away.html?m=0

42: Fury From The Deep - Troughton's Greatest Loss Or Just Another Base-Under-Siege?

2011-12-10T01:08:00.002Z

Written by: Victor Pemberton

Companions: The Doctor, Jamie McCrimmon, Victoria Waterfield.

Monsters/Villains: Weed Creature.

Brief Synopsis: At the Euro Sea Gas Refinery on the British coastline, something is stirring in the depths.

Rating: 9/10.

I'm back and ready give you my full report on Fury From The Deep. Now I have to start by saying this one is a toughie. On one hand this story is heralded as one of Troughton's best, but on the other hand only a few clips of it remain so can we really say that? On the other hand, on listening it sounds great and really flies by for a six-parter. So, how to deal with this three handed monster? Read on and find out.

The TARDIS slowly glides down through the air and lands on the water near the coast of England. The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria don life-savers and row a dingy to shore where they find some foam and have a play fight. This is a really lovely memorable moment. The gang find a large pipe inscribed Euro Sea Gas and for the first time the Doctor produces his Sonic Screw Driver and uses it to open a small section of the pipe to investigate a strange noise they've heard.

The Doctor uses a stethoscope and makes out the faint noise of what sounds like a massive heartbeat. Nearby, someone is watching them through the scope of a sniper riffle. A shot hits the Doctor and he falls. Then rapidly, Victoria and Jamie are shot down too.

Our three travelers awake to two armed guards. Now I know everyone has had some form of horror story involving being over charged or stiffed by British Gas or the like, but at least they weren't packing heat. Our heroes meet the man in charge, Robson who thinks they're saboteurs. We learn that the refinery has lost contact with one of it's rigs out at sea. The Doctor tries to tell Robson that he thinks there is something living in the pipes but Robson dismisses him ordering Harris, the second in command to take them to be locked up.

Harris and Robson.

We then learn an important fact that a large amount of the plot will lean on throughout most of the story, the flow of gas in the pipes has never been shut off since Robson took over as commander; a fact of which he is extremely proud. Victor Maddern's portrayal of Robson is one of the weaker points to this story. He starts out angry and distrusting of everyone and has no where to go performance-wise. He's not doing a bad job of it, it just doesn't give the character any room for progression or change.

Harris tries to show Robson a report he has compiled showing a worrying fall in pressure in the pipes. An unseen white gloved hand removes something from Harris' case. Harris goes for the file but it isn't there, he asks his wife, Maggie to get the file from their house. She returns home and finds the file, but inside she unearths some seaweed which stings her hand. She throws the seaweed onto the patio, where unseen it starts to bubble and writhe.

Strangely the Harrises are the first ever married couple (not including the King and Queen of Hearts in the Celestial Toymaker) and domestic family we have seen in Doctor Who up to this point. This seems so very odd, especially when compared with new Who where Rose Tyler has a mother and a boyfriend and currently the Doctor actually travels with a married couple in the form of Amy and Rory. It's a rarity at this point in the programme's development, whereas in it's modern incarnation showing a companion's family gives us a relatable perspective as an audience.

Maggie and Harris, our first ever married couple in DW history.

In the control room Van Lutyens, an advisor from the Dutch government, tries to offer Robson his advise, but his help is refused. Jamie removes a grill from their cell and climbs through to escape, but Victoria works the lock with a hair pin and just walks out. Jamie and the Doctor go to explore leaving Victoria behind but she goes off to do some investigating of her own.

The brilliant John Abineri as Van Lutyens.

Someone wearing white gloves and a gas mask is fiddling with some valves in the Oxygen room when Victoria enters and catches of glimpse of the stranger. The person quickly exits locking her in the room. Victoria can hear a bubbling popping sound, she spins around and foam bursts in and there's something within the foam. Victoria screams and frantically presses herself against the door, as from the foam tendrils of seaweed emerge and reach for her. At this point I couldn't help but realise that nothing in this whole first episode has actually happened to explain why this should be scary, we just have to understand it is because the formula of Doctor Who says so.

The Doctor and Jamie find Victoria and pull her out of the room. Robson, Van Lutyens and the Chief Engineer arrive to find no creature and some broken oxygen cylinders. Harris goes to his quarters to find his wife is feeling unwell and confused. The seaweed on the patio is now surrounded by a mass of foam. It's activity seems to have a direct effect on Maggie. She screams and slams the door, cut off from the weed's influence. Harris asks for the Doctors medical help for his wife, and Robson begrudgingly gives them one hour.

Mr Quill and Mr. Oak.

Two almost comical figures arrive on Maggie's door step, they claim to be maintenance controllers wanting to speak to Harris, here for an inspection of their kitchen. Mr. Oak and Mr. Quill enter and inspect the gas cooker. Tendrils of weed are visible around Mr. Oak's sleeves. Smiling, he puts on a pair of white gloves like Mr. Quill. They open the patio door and the foam spills into the house.

Oak and Quill enter Maggie's room, they bare down on her, mouths open wide like silent screams. Maggie is immobilised by the toxic vapours produced from their open mouths and she slumps to the floor. This is one of the only parts of this story that still exists. Found in Australia, this particular scene was cut as it was deemed too frightening by Australian censors. It's absolutely brilliant and certainly horrifically scary; finally something good has come out of censorship.

There is a dangerous pressure build up, but Robson refuses to switch off the flow and concludes to vent some gas which only just manages to avert disaster. The Doctor, Harris and co enter the house to find it filled with gas. They find Maggie unconscious but unharmed in some sort of coma, realising the seaweed was meant for Harris.

In the pipe room the impeller slows and stops. Van Lutyens speaks to the Chief Engineer about where the blockage could be, he tells him there must be a fault in the impeller intake at the base of the shaft. The Chief engineer and Van Lutyens examine the pipe and hear the sound of the heart beat.

Back at the TARDIS the Doctor tests the weed in a tank of natural gas. Jamie looks at the weed under a microscope and the Doctor sees that it has molecular movement. The Doctor shows Victoria a dusty old reference book, and Victoria identifies the creature she saw. The book is of legends and superstitions. The weed in the tank has grown with the gas and bursts out. Victoria screams and they manage to get the lid back on. Robson shouts more and more, he is angry at Harris for letting the Doctor go and begins to crack up.

In his quarters, Robson tries to rest but Mr. Oak locks him inside and the weed creature attacks him. Harris arrives in time, unlocks the door and let's Robson out, but he runs off. The Doctor Jamie and Victoria return to Harris's house and again Victoria picks the lock. They go inside to find themselves faced by mass amounts of foam, and the weed creature attacks. Victoria screams and the creature shies away but Jamie is marooned on the table in the kitchen. The Doctor and Victoria go up to the roof and manage to haul Jamie up through a skylight, the foam spilling up onto the roof.

Harris takes Van Lutyens to Robson's room, but the creature is gone. Van Lutyens persuades Harris to take over, contact London and call in Megan Jones, the Director of Euro Sea Gas to help. Victoria is beginning to doubt her lifestyle as she asks, "Doctor, why is it that we always land up in trouble?" He replies, "It's the spice of life." I feel like this comes down a bit short as far as an a explanation on the Doctor's part. I surpose this is one of those first, dismissive, "I'll explain later" moments, but it seems a little disparaging.

The electronic read-out of the rig.

The Doctor explains to Harris and Van Lutyens that the creature is a parasitic Seaweed, that can possess humans and give off a toxic gas to protect itself. The Doctor mentions to Harris that they have just come from his house and his wife wasn't there. On the beach a woman stands alone at the waters edge, her neck and face covered with weed, it's a possessed Maggie, Harris' wife. She is joined by Robson and commands, "There is little time, you know what you must do, you will obey." She walks off into the water, until the waves engulf her. This must have been a great image, shame it's lost.

Whilst looking for his wife on the beach Harris finds Robson, but he walks off. Van Lutyens decides to take action and go down and look at the base of the shaft, alone. At the lift controls Mr Oak and Mr. Quill lower Van Lutyens down. He steps from the lift and opens a hatch to inspect the chamber beneath. Instantly he can hear the heart beat. The pipeline is filled with sea weed, which grabs him and drags him down into the foam. The Doctor and Jamie go down after him.

Mrs. Megan Jones

Mrs. Megan Jones and her assistant Perkins arrive. Harris tells them about the seaweed creature and Jones authorises use of company helicopters to investigate the rigs. Down at the shaft the foam climbs toward the Doctor and Jamie, they press the return request button, but the lift doesn't move. The creature is nearly upon them, when they spot a ladder and begin to climb up. They reach the top of the ladder shaft to the impeller room and decide to separate to look for Victoria.

Victoria has had a really hard time since her first episode. She has lost both her parents, and elected to travel with the Doctor and Jamie, but she's not really cut out for it, or at least that's what the writers seem to think. She has to be the best example of the useless female companion, who's only role is to get captured and rescued, and generally be helpless. They do give her some lock picking skills here, although I don't know where she'd have learnt that. True, she is a Victorian lady, but why go down the stereotypical route? I surpose women's roles were still partially stuck in the submissive at this point in time. It just feels like a missed opportunity to have a companion from the past.

Victoria Waterfield.

The Doctor agrees to work with Jones and tells her about the creature. Jamie finds Victoria unconscious in the pipeline room. She wakes up and tells Jamie that Quill and Oak did this to her. The group hear word that the central rig is gone and the Doctor thinks the weed will take over all the other rigs in order to cause the saturation of the British Islands and the eventually the whole planet. At the observation hatch of the pipe line weeds begin to advance through. The first part of the invasion.

The group decide that they can't destroy the rigs, as that would merely spread the menace over a wider area. The Doctor says the creature was probably drawn up by one of the drilling rigs, he notes that top priority people have been attacked first, but questions why they attacked Victoria. He deduces that as the one who attacked her was wearing a gas mask pure oxygen must be deadly to the weed. Meanwhile Oak and Quills put on gas masks and enter the oxygen room.

Robson awakes, he looks at the ventilation grill in the wall, rises to his feet, moves toward the door and attacks the man guarding him. He is covered with weed and emits a gas from his mouth which knocks out the guard.

Jones discovers that the entire oxygen store is completely empty and as they are discussing the Weed's agent, Jamie sees Oak and Quill. He makes chase, Oak escapes but when Quill tries to use his gas breath on Jamie, Victoria screams and Jamie punches him out. The weed is expanding, the pipe cracks, and the weed lashes out, and grabs an engineer and pulls him into the foam. Victoria has disappeared so once again the Doctor and Jamie separate to search out their friend, but Robson is carrying her unconscious body. He spirits her away, drags her into a helicopter and takes off.

Robson speaks to the Doctor on a radio and warns, "If you want her to live, come over to us." Harris permits the Doctor and Jamie to use a helicopter. The Doctor believes that Robson will lead them straight to the nerve centre of the Weed colony. A pilot flies the Doctor and Jamie to the control rig complex where Robson has landed. The pair climb down on a rope ladder and explore the base. They hear Victoria's voice and open a door to find Robson, waist deep in foam with fronds of weed encircling his neck and arms.

Robson tells the Doctor he will help his masters, as they need him to help with their conquest of the human planet. Victoria screams once again and it stops Robson in his tracks, leaving him weakened and in pain. They get out but can't signal the helicopter, so the Doctor gleefully elects to pilot Robson's helicopter. The Doctor's flight skills like that of the TARDIS are not the best, but the pilot of the other chopper directs him.

Finally Mrs. Jones asks Perkins to contact the Defence minister, declare a full red alert, and get as many tanks of oxygen sent there to use against the Weed. The Doctor says the man Jamie fought and more importantly Victoria screamed at is nearly completely cured, the weeds have fallen off him. It must have been the sounds of Victoria's screams that incapacitated the creature; which is wholeheartedly understandable. The Doctor asks for half an hour before they evacuate the refinery. Harris agrees and the Doctor gets an engineer to record Victoria's scream, the Doctor plans to send sound through the pipelines to destroy the creature. At first Victoria says she can't scream. Come on, they're giving Victoria this one thing before she departs but they won't allow her any bravery or dignity. She's gonna be responsible for saving the day but first she's gonna protest, "I can't scream, it's too silly!" The screams that have driven us mad throughout here tenure on the show will finally come to good use.

The Doctor plays the recording in to the pipeline creating a 'sonic laser sound beam' which kills the Weed Creature just in time as it is breaking into the control room. Victoria's scream literally saves the day, poetic irony incarnate!

Robson and Maggie appear on a screen from the control rig. They are both fine, and everyone taken over has been released, including Van Lutyens and presumably the engineer we saw being taken. This means that through this whole story no one is actually killed at all.

Saying goodbye.

Later on Robson, Harris, Maggie, the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria all have a dinner at the Harrises. After her many allusions to it through out the story it is the Doctor that realises that Victoria doesn't want to continue on with them in the TARDIS. The writers won't even allow Victoria to make the decision to leave herself. The Doctor asks if she can stay with the Harrises for a while and they quickly except her.

The Doctor and Jamie stay another day to allow Victoria to make up her mind. The Doctor and Jamie say their goodbyes and return to the TARDIS leaving Victoria with her new family. The Doctor asks Jamie where he'd like to go and he replies that he couldn't care less.

So there you have it. Perhaps we herald this story as being some of Troughton's best work because we can't ever have it and see it, only hear it. Perhaps it just works well on audio and if we could see it we would think the Weed Creature looked cheap and tacky. Perhaps we would delight in The Dominators as a masterpiece if we didn't have the visuals. On paper it just doesn't seem like it should be as good as it is. In sequence it could be viewed as just another base under siege story, like so many we've had before, however in some unquantifiable way The Fury From The Deep is charming and wonderful.

Join me next time for the introduction of a new companion and the return of an old enemy in The Wheel In Space and don't forget to enter my Doctor Who Christmas Giveaway for a chance to win some excellent Doctor Who goodies this festive season.

Doctor Who Christmas Give-Away First Additions!!

2011-12-08T23:31:00.004Z

Hello everyone. I have been truly overwhelmed by the number of people entering themselves for a chance to win some Doctor Who goodies in my Christmas Give-Away. These are the first three prizes I announced:

Big Finish Short Trips - Volume 1 CD.

4th Doctor (Tom Baker) Figure.

The Official Doctor Who Annual 2012.

As promised, the more entrants there more prizes I will add. Today I'm adding two new prizes:

The TARDIS Handbook!!

The Dalek Handbook!!

So if you haven't entered already, just go to the page by clicking here and leave a comment saying you want to be considered for the give-away competition, it's as easy as pi. And remember the more people who play, the more excellent stuff I will add to the pot. Seriously, you should see what will go up next if I get enough people. So tell your friends and the swag will get more and more plentiful and splendid! Thank you for all your interest and kind comments so far, keep 'em coming...

Doctor Who Christmas Give-Away!!!

2011-12-07T11:43:00.005Z

Hello Blogland! In order to bring some festive cheer to Wonderings In The Fourth Dimension on it's first Christmas I have decided to do a give-a-way. There are three prizes up for grabs (so far) which include:

The Official Doctor Who Annual 2012.

A 4th Doctor (Tom Baker) Figure.

A copy of the Big Finish CD Short Trips - Volume 1.

If your inner geek is salivating at the thought of getting your hands on one of these treasures, here's what you have to do:

Just leave a comment on this post saying that you'd like to be included in the giveaway.

It's as simple as that and the best thing is, the more comments I get the more stuff I will add to the giveaway. The more people playing the more there will be to play for. I will draw the winners of the giveaway in two weeks time on December 21st. So you all have plenty of time to enter. So what are you waiting for? Leave a comment and go tell your friends!

(**P.S. This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere, so don't be shy!**)