The Ark - The Plague

Well even Susan wasn't this quick. In her first episode she has almost wiped out humanity. 

The opening scene after the replay we get a scene of the regulars which basically comprises of Dodo sniffling through the whole thing. She does very little afterwards as it falls to Steven and the Doctor to being the voices of the group.

Its good how Dodo's cold is effecting the Monoids as well as the humans. In fact more Monoids are falling ill compared to the humans. The Doctor, Steven and Dodo are put on trial for infecting them. Steven starts off defending himself and the others but he has become ill with the cold. What's so good about this trial is that the guardians are untrusting and unwilling to let the Doctor find a cure. Sadly for the regulars they are found guilty and it looks like at first that they are done for however when Steven is taken ill it seems that this is the point where the guardians are willing to trust the Doctor.

The story seems to drag for an awfully long time and its not until the Doctor is allowed to find a cure before it gets going. Then the episode seems to get into gear and it seems that the story is at an end when Steven and the guardians are much better. Back in 1966 the viewers must have thought this was a nice simple two parter but the must have been in for a shock when they leave the TARDIS and discover that the statue they saw at the beginning of the previous episode has been completed but is now a Monoid and not a human. This is another good cliffhanger, the slow pan up the statue is what helps sell this to the viewer.

A quick thing to mention are the effects. In the previous episode a guardian was miniturised and in this episode we get another effect. The effect of the Monoid being chucked out into space was rather well done even though we just saw I through the screen and not up close. 

As an episode I thought that this was half a good episode and half a dull episode. I still don't think that the guardians are a bit weak and feeble and so when they fall ill its not a big concern to me. The story picks p and the cliffhanger is a great reason to carry on and the story is a lot stronger than I remember it been and hopefully the last two episodes will continue to impress me.

The Ark - The Steel Sky

What a difference a week makes. After appearing as a cockney in the previous episode, Jackie Lane was forced to change her accent at the request of BBC executives who presumably wanted people speaking the 'queens English'. This is the first time tha I have been able to watch an episode since 'Escape Switch' and its the first full adventure on TV since 'The Time Meddler'. When the TARDIS lands there is no real discussion as to what happened when Dodo stumbled inside. What we do have is a similar discussion between Steven and Dodo that Steven had with Vicki way back in 'The Time Meddler'. Dodo instantly thinks that she is at a zoo on Earth.  

The TARDIS has arrived on spaceship which is carrying a group of wet humans who are rather pathetic.At the first sign of someone making a mistake they decide to shrink them and keep them like that for a set amount of time. The old man who seems to be leading the rest of the humans is rather kind but the role needs something a bit sterner. Also the fact that the humans do silly sign language when talking to the monsoons. The Monoids creation is a mixed bag really. It's quite clever to have their only eye in the actors mouth. They also have silly feet which don't look particularly practical. Also the hair is very 1960's and wouldn't look out of place at a Beatles convention.

Some of the dialogue is rather good and William Hartnell is clearly have a good day and it enables him to deliver his lines in the manner that we have become use to. The threat the comes from the first episode is a simple cold that Dodo makes obvious several times. Due to the fact that cold has been eliminated it makes the locals more likely to die from it. It's a clever plot device and it seems to come out of nowhere and instantly becomes the centre piece of the story.

I commented that Dodo has a different accent and she's wearing strange crusader clothing for no clear reason. On top of that there seems to be an attempt to make a comment about the language used by the youngsters of the age because when Dodo uses the term 'fab' she is instantly reprimanded by the Doctor. Sadly despite the encouraging opening of the previous episode has been reduced to a cliche and rather bland.

Its a good opening episode, the issue with Dodo isn't one that is going to go away but apart from that has some potential but it doesn't really look promising as far as the human cast is concerned. On the plus side at least we have William Hartnell and Peter Purves.

The Massacre of St Bartholomews Eve - Bell of Doom

The final part of this less than exciting pure historical adventure. The way that the cliffhanger was resolved was quite good as when Steven returns to speak to Anne he seems to be suffering from the effects of being chased. Still don't fully understand where Anne is suppose to be coming from because its certainly not from anywhere if France. In between all the historical stuff the main (and only) interesting aspect of the episode is Stevens search for the Doctor and the key to the TARDIS.

William Hartnell appears as the Doctor and its a blessed relief. You don't appreciate something until its gone and even though Hartnell has been appearing as the Abbott he hasn't been the Doctor and it feels like he has been gone for too long. The moment that Hartnell returns we get a great scene between the Doctor, Steven and Anne. It seems like they were tempted to have Anne as a companion judging by the way that Steven is protective of Anne. Its the first scene since the first episode that seems to get a reaction out of me. I think that the story has been wandering aimlessly until this episode where things seem to be getting back on track. Sad that its taken until now for anything exciting to come to the screen (or speakers in this case). 

Its good how they chose the moment for the Doctor and Steven to leave was to be the moment the massacre starts. The audio track suggests that this would have looked effective on TV but sadly we have to miss out on that and it just becomes a prolonged section of dramatic music and a big crowd. There is a moment between the Doctor and Steven discuss the historical ending to the Massacre and it was a nice touch I thought. Steven unusually becomes hostile to the Doctor over the decision to leave Anne even though the Doctor tries to defend his decision and it leads to Steven demanding to leave. It's a great little scene played out superbly by Hartnell and Purves. Hartnell's reaction when Steven leaves is the moment where the Doctor gets very sombre about the people he has travelled with and the thought he might be on his own. It's another great moment from William Hartnell and the viewers in 1966 must have been sad to leave. But he's not gone for long and after a stranger appears in the TARDIS they set off and the TARDIS has a new face.

Jackie Lane debuts in this episode but with a cockney accent who runs into the TARDIS thinking that its a proper Police Box. It's a promising start as we learn that Dodo has no family to miss and its good how the Doctor instantly thinks that she looks like Susan and its implied that Dodo might have some relation to Anne. The combination of the Doctor, Steven and Dodo is a far cry from the very first combo but it still looks promising.

This was a much improved episode than the last two and its good because it mixes the stuff that happens in France and the introduction of a new companion helps elevate this story from mediocre historical to a good adventure. This third season of Doctor Who is a bit inconsistent and the revolving door of the TARDIS does seem to be having a negative impact on the series but it seems like the new direction of the series could see some fresh air introduced to the story. 

The Massacre of St Bartholomews Eve - Priest of Death

The penultimate episode and this episodes continues to turn into a history lesson. The early part seems to starter with Steven looking the Sea Beggar. When William Hartnell finally appears the episode starts to pick up. It's good to see Hartnell pretend to be someone else and for a moment it's fun try and figure out whether the Doctor is pretending to be the Abbott or whether its the Abbott. Sadly when the episode doesn't feature either William Hartnell or Peter Purves then then whole thing feels like a period drama and it is another story that would have benefited greatly by appearing on TV.

Its another episode where its getting harder and harder to write things to say. I'm not particularly interested in the story and the characters that I was once interested in has now faded and it's just a rather dull and lacklustre story. Instead of making more about Hartnell appearing to be someone else what we get is a tiny bit of this and too much history. I honestly think that if it were the other way round then the story would be much improved but sadly its not and we don't have a time machine so what we have is something that lacks an excitement vibe which does have a good cliffhanger and that is when Steven facing some excitement and being chased by the locals.

Hopefully the story will pick in the final episode but I personally doubt it. This doesn't have anything that gives me the impression that this is the case and I think that what we will get is 25 minutes of  more history with about 90 seconds of introducing Dodo so its not going to be a fun episode.

The Massacre of St Bartholomews Eve - The Sea Beggar

After the surprising ending to the previous episode it was going to be interested to see how this was going to be resolved. Sasly it wasn't resolved and sadly its several moments before we get Steven's reaction to seeing the Doctor. However to the others he is the Abbott and they think that he is working for the Abbott. 

Sadly (if somewhat inevitable), most of the good stuff that was in the previous episode seems to have left this story. There is a lot of history which would be better if we could see it but we can't and so i think that the story and this episode lose something. Yet again it seems that Peter Purves is leading the episode because the Doctor/Abbott has done a disappearing act. Though to be fair he was on holiday during this episode. When Purves is in the episode then I find myself enjoying it but when he's not then things start to fall apart.

Despite lacking in any excitement that I thought was present in the previous episode I must admit the its nowhere near as bad as 'The Myth Makers'. Even though that period of history is not as well known as some that I know but the characters are still quite strong and the performances are good enough to at least keep my attention. Even though one or two sound like they come from Yorkshire than Paris.

I'm struggling to write a lengthy review for this episode as to be honest my hearts not really in this episode. Had it been n DVD or VHS then it might be a different story but as it stands this stor is not as bad as 'The Myth Makers' but its a long way off 'The Reign of Terror' or 'The Aztecs'.

The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve - War of God

Well I knew that this moment was going to happen sooner or later. We are approaching Dodo land. But first before we get to that stage we have a moment to take a deep breathe which is what is needed after the last twelve episodes. This story is another historical adventure written by John Lucarotti and it's another story that doesnt exist at all on video which is going to be a big problem in enjoying this four part adventure. 

I cant say that this is a period of history that i know of which It's good to have just the Doctor and Steven. This is the smallest TARDIS crew that the show has ever had. Which can not benefit the story. The story starts off in a relatively good way, its nice and calm with nothing dramatic happening but its not long before the Doctor and Steven are separated but its of their own choosing and its a nice refreshing change and seems to show a change of style in the show which is needed after 102 episodes.

Despite not really understanding the period, I thought that the characters were quite well played. Annette Robinson was rather good as Anne Chaplet. We're introduced to her halfway through and she had some good scenes. The rest of the performances were quite good and it helps get you over the fact that the historical points of this story aren't well known. The central performances are good and it seems a bi more balanced than it has been for several episodes.

The cliffhanger for this episode is one of the best for quite some time. The final scene is where the talk about the wearabouts of someone and then they talk about getting her back and the twist in this is that the person barking out the orders is someone who looks like the Doctor. Now this could have been done way back in 'The Chase' but they did it better here because they worked the script around the fact that Hartnell would have to be in two places. It was a nice and unexpected way to end the episode.

This opening episode sets the story up nicely and for a historical story it manages to keep me interested even when I take the characters out of the equation. I think that Lucarotti has done a good job and Paddy Russell has made a good start with her debut episode.

The Daleks Master Plan - The Destruction of Time

As Europe once said "it's the final countdown" and after eleven episodes its time to wrap up this epic adventure. It's quite a sad moment to know that this story is coming to an end. This story has a lot to achieve after making the viewers invest so much time into this story.

The alliance between the Daleks and Mavic Chen ends in spectacular fashion and this is the episode where the time destructor is activated and its where there are more deaths. After appearing in very little of the previous episode, its nearly the half way mark before he appears in this episode. When he does appear the episode steps up a gear and what is surprising is that the Doctor is the one that activates the time destructor. He is the one that effectivly kills Sara.

I personally think that it was a mistake to kill off Sara as she was a character that would have leant something good to the show and when you think that we have Dodo coming up soon then you realise the decision to kill off Sara was even more foolish despite how dramatic the death looked. The final scene with everyone trying to get into the TARDIS is one of the strongest scenes in the entire story which is quite a statement when you think what has happened in the story. It's just as effective a scene on cd as it is on TV.

I've not mentioned Kevin Stoney's performance much in this story but as Chen he has been brilliant and consistently engaging to watch. It's difficult to try and figure out which character is better, Chen or Tobias Vaughn. From start to finish, Chen has been a strong character that has managed to show an arrogance that hasn't been seen in Doctor Who before. His demise is long overdue and its good when his death happens. It's not the biggest or most noticeable death in this story as we see the exit of Jean Marsh. Sara becomes victim of the time destructor and its a shame that this episode doesn't exist on TV because it would have been a stunning piece of television. What we do have are telesnaps which show the harrowing effect of the time destructor has on Sara.

The performances from William Hartnell and Peter Purves have been solid in every episode. It must have been a relieve to Peter Purves to see that he had made it through the twelve episode. When you consider the loses the story has seen it must be said that this was the darkest story in Doctor Who history. Jean Marsh has also been a solid performer and her performances in recent Big Finish plays show what a great actress she is.  Even though he died early on, I thought that Bret Vyon was another good character and well played b Nicholas Courtney.

As an episode, The destruction of time did what it needed to do in its 25 minute slot and it did it well. Visually it would have been great and all the performances were strong. But it's a a twelve part story that I think it should be celebrated because despite its long running time it never seems like its running out of ideas and waiting for the end to come so that it can do the epic finale. Even it sometimes doesn't quite work it still feels like its building up to something. An epic in every sense of the word.

The Daleks Master Plan - The Abandoned Planet

This is the penultimate episode of this serial and its the beginning of the end. At the end of the previous episode the TARDIS burst into white light and there is several minutes before we find out that nothing major has happened to them. The explanation as to why this was the case was quite clever and the fallout from Sara's disbelief in the Doctors ways was quite amusing.

I like how Chen's popularity with the rest of the committee and the Daleks is pretty much non existent and there is a nice plan to try and oust him but its really too little too late as the Daleks still see some use for him. With the time destructor taking shape, it seems like the tension is starting to pick up. it seems like after several episodes of moving the story along without really mentioning the time destructor, we get server all mentions of it and it feels a bit more real.

There is a great sense of drama in trying to get warning back to Earth and there is a moment when Chen's ship explodes and it appears he has died but its all a ruse and he returns at the end of the episode to take Steven and Sara into the tunnel. 

For the first time since she joined Steven and the Doctor, it feels like Sara is part of the team. She works well with Peter Purves and their best scene was when they communicated when the rest of the council. Jean Marsh is on great form and it seems even sadder when you consider what will happen to her. William Hartnell goes missing for large portions of this story. It allows Jean Marsh and Peter Purves to take centre stage and they thrive in it. Hartnell's health is really starting to cause problems for the show and his lack of involvement in the episode does have an impact because you feel like he should be right in the thick of the action.

The cliffhanger set up the final episode nicely and if I were watching this in February 1966 then I would be counting down the days and hours until the next episode. This episode was good but was missing William Hartnell's presence.

The Daleks Master Plan - Escape Switch

Escape Switch is important for two reasons. The first being that its the last episode to exist on video and the second is that its the 100th episode of Doctor Who. Sadly there isn't any big fuss made of this and instead we get more sneaky movements for the Daleks trying to get the teranium core. The early part of this episode is focused on the Monk, Sara and Steven. It's not until the half way point before the Doctor has his initial scene with Chen and the Daleks. The handover scene is well done but is ruined slightly by the Egyptians attacking the Daleks.

There is a nice moment when Mavic Chen has to tell the Daleks that not evening runs to a schedule. Its something that the Daleks can get their head around. He has a wonderful moment when he push the Daleks eye stalk away in an act of defiance. I think that the relationship is pretty broken down. The return of the Monk makes sense now after he tries to suggest that the Daleks could use Steven and Sara as hostages then when he is taken as well tries to pretend he was saving their lives. There are some good comedic moments from the Monk and Peter Butterworth is a great piece of casting. When William Hartnell has his encounter with Chen and he hands over the core, its a great scene from him and shows that despite his ailing health he can still deliver good lines very well.

Its only now in this episode that the reason for setting this and the previous episode in ancient Egypt and its because of all the small crowded spaces. I think that the setting works better than it did on audio. It's better like this and actually doesn't look to bad. I think that if the previous episode had existed on video then the whole time spent in ancient Egypt would have worked better.

The Monks final scene is a good one as he seems to be abandoned on some horrible icy desert planet and we leave him presumably with the idea that we will see him again but that is the last we see of Peter Butterworth as the Monk. It's the final calm scene before the end of the episode. The final scene with the Doctor, Sara and Steven is very good and goes from humour at thinking of the Monks fate to wondering whether they can get Kembel and as they discuss things and Steven turns the switch then things go bright white so that's not a good sign.

I thought this was a good episode with some good moments and it felt like the story had been moved on. The Daleks were well used and Chen had some good stuff to do. As we approach the final two episodes of this epic, there is a great sense that we are building up towards something big.

The Daleks Master Plan - Golden Death

We're getting to the business end of the story. The episode starts off with a trip to ancient Egypt and a bit of a argument between Mavic Chen and the Daleks. The Doctor seems to be quite concerned with getting the lock mended after what the Monk did. First thing that is noticeable is that William Hartnell seems to be suffering from a croaky throat. This is a big continuity problem but I suppose in terms of storytelling its not the biggest problem ever.

Chen decides that instead of trying to get the real core himself, he gets the Monk to do it for him. Can't see why he does this apart from justify having Peter Butterworth back for another episode. It was at this point that I started to find myself wondering why we are even in ancient Egypt anyway. Then it dawned on me that very little was happening. The Daleks have very little impact in this episode which considering its their master plan is very surprising. Its almost as if Dennis Spooner didn't know what to do with the Daleks. It does seem like an awfully long time since the big hall with all the allies and the Daleks but its still impressive that despite their somewhat limited involvement in recent episodes, that the story is still moving along quite well. Even if the current location doesn't actually achieve anything to the story.

Peter Purves is very good in this episode and his greatness is something that hasn't been commented upon very much in these reviews. He has managed to take the action hero role that William Russell had done so well and made something different from the role. Jean Marsh seems to have fallen into that role of being a background companion. It's seems like its a short term thing but its a shame considering how good the character had been up until this point. William Hartnell seems to be ok form but doesn't have the same energy that he has had in the previous episode which is a shame. hopefully it's just the croaky voice that's doing this and he will be back on finer form next time.

It's one of the weakest episodes so far but only because the story hasn't really advanced in the past 25 minutes. The next episode is the final episode that currently exists on DVD and we can forget about this lack of excitement that I have had to endure.

The Daleks Master Plan - Volcano

Well after that brief respite where there was a bit of silliness, we get back to business and immediately we get Mavic Chen and we are reminded that Mavic Chen and the Daleks are about to test the fake teranium core. The core is tested but it is done in a rather horrible way. Trantis is the one that is tested and we get an idea of what the time destructor is meant to do and the fact it doesn't work (that comes later) is a rather god way of continuing the story. However his death is only delayed as the Daleks decide that he has outlived his usefulness and they exterminate him. The Daleks are more fierce than they have ever been.

There is a weird moment where we go to a cricket match. There is even time where the commentators talk about the runs that are required. Is like there was a scene missing from the previous episode and the really liked it so they decided to chuck it in here. The story thankfully returns to what we were expecting and it's not long before the title becomes relevant. Volcano refers to the setting of the next planet and we get the welcome return of the meddling monk. It's good to have him back if I am honest though its a mystery as to what purpose he serves apart from revenge but there isn't much time really for revenge. It is curious to know how he got away from 1066. It was a fairly simple explanation which is a shame. Another simple thing is how the Doctor gets round the lock that the monk has put on the TARDIS lock. No sooner have they left Titus that they go back to Earth during the New Year's Day celebration. Again something left over from the previous episode even though it could be argued that as this episode aired on New Year's Day 1966 that the viewer would appreciate this more than I would in the middle of August.

The cliffhanger is a little bit of a disappointment because it just seems to not really do anything except let the Daleks shout a bit. Not that there is anything wrong with that but i think that they could have come up with something stronger. Volcano is the eighth episode in the serial and this is the longest that a story has run and it doesn't seem like its running out of steam it has the same enthusiasm that it did back in episode one. I thought that despite a couple of iffy moments, the episode was a rather good one with the Daleks and Mavic Chen being back on good form and the regulars (i include Sara as a regular for now) are also on good form even though I can't understand her obsession with Kembel.

The Daleks Master Plan - The Feast of Steven

This was the first time that an episode of Doctor Who that aired on Christmas Day. So as most people will be too full of turkey to enjoy a Dalek adventure so they decided to stop that adventure and have a comedy episode. Thinking about the episode title it must have been a curious title but sadly there isn't any mystery.  There is a lot of comedy which might suit the time it was transmitted but listening to it now (in the middle of August) it just sticks out like a sore thumb. Anyway the story starts off with the Doctor trying to repair the scanner and he tries to repair it he is captured b the police then there is a bit of a silly situation with Steven donning a police uniform. Then Sara almost gets arrested by the police. Thankfully it's not long before the Doctor, Sara and Steven manage to escape but even thought this isn't a normal episode the Daleks do get a mention briefly before the shenanigans start up again. They end up on a film set, the longer this episode continues the more bizarre I think that it gets.

Not only is the episode setting somewhat strange but the narration is weird as Peter Purves does a weird accent during the links. Also his northern accent when he is dressed up as a policeman is totally mad but then this isn't your normal episode. William Hartnell is on fine form and so is Peter Purves and all three seem to be enjoying themselves which isn't such a bad thing after what they have had to do do over the last six episodes.

The episode ends with William Hartnell , Peter Pures and Jean Marsh turning to the camera wishing everyone a Happy Christmas which is totally unexpected. Its the weirdest ending to an episode that i can remember. its a nice a to celebrate christmas day though and back in 1965 it must have gone down well. I can't say that I really enjoyed this episode as it seemed more like an episode of 'The Romans' than the current story. Thankfully it's back to business in the next episode and its the business end of the story where things really step up a gear and the return of the Daleks and Mavic Chen.

The Daleks Master Plan - Coronas of the Sun

Back to the CD’s and this story isn’t written by Terry Nation. It’s his idea but the responsibility of continuing this story falls to former script editor Dennis Spooner. At the end of the previous episode, the Doctor, Sara and Steven seemed to be in a situation where they wouldn’t be able to escape however what I forgot about were the invisible creatures and its their encounter that allows the Doctor and co to escape. There’s a nice fight that occurs early on which would have looked good on TV but sadly without that luxury we have to make do with the sound effects.

It’s very rare that I comment on a line from one of these episodes but this time saw another cracking line when Chen was talking to the Daleks and Chen is trying to make an excuse for not getting the teranium. The Dalek says that “You make your incompetence sound like an achievement”. The Daleks and Chen are both in fine form.

The Doctor has made a new core to try and fool the Daleks and Chen. In the previous Dalek adventure, the Doctor spends ages making a bomb to defeat the Daleks and here we are in a similar situation. There is a moment when Steven screams in pain and the viewer at the time must have thought that Steven was going to be the third death in as many weeks. It’s a great feeling to know that anyone could be next. The story builds up to the handing over of the fake Teranium. There is a moment when there is a question as to whether they will be able to fool the Daleks.

The ending of this episode seems to imply the wherever they have landed is going to be lethel to them. Bearing in mind that I know that what the next episode involves I can only say that this is effectively the end of the first half of the story. It’s been a solid build up to this moment and despite it losing something by being on CD, it still has a lot going for it and I thought that it was another episode where there were no deaths which makes two in a row.

The Daleks Master Plan - Counter Plot

The second of three existing episodes of this story starts off with the death of Bret Vyon. I remember the first time I ever saw this episode on ‘Daleks – The Early Years’ way back in the 1990’s and I thought that the episode was rather good back then. The episode starts on Earth but then moves to Myra where Sara Kingdom has unintentionally joined the Doctor and Steven.  It’s good how the story is moving from one location to the other to give a greater sense of how important the Daleks plan is.

This is the first time that we get to ‘see’ Sara and she is just as cold as she sounded on the CD. The scene where the Doctor, Sara and Steven are being transported across space starts off with a weird look on William Hartnell’s face and it only gets stranger. The sight of Steven and Sara (Hartnell clearly not being fit enough to even get an inch off the ground) is barmy.  I like how there is a small amount of time before we see what has happened to the Doctor, Steven and Sara. After a while on Myra, there is a new more immediate threat and that is in the form of some invisible creatures.

I like the relationship between Chen and Karlton. It’s very much like Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Karlton is feeding Chen ideas. Not only is he scary with his scary bald held but he seems to have the ability to create havoc and its at this point that Chen’s failure to observe what is going around him becomes like what is going to lead to his downfall. Karlton clearly has ambitions of his own which makes him a greater threat.

The central performances are all really good. William Hartnell is back on his usual good form. There seems to be glimmers of the old Doctor even though he is clearly ill. Peter Purves seems to be taking the action hero theme that William Russell occupied during his time on the show. Jean Marsh is great as Kingdom. Having enjoyed the character in the Companion Chronicles produced by Big Finish, the revelation that Sara is Bret’s sister. The moment when she announced this to the Doctor and Steven was pitched just right, it was clear that Sara was still trying to get over the news the she had killed her brother.

Even though very little actually happens in the episode, I still found it quite a good one. I don’t know whether its just the relief of watching and episode of Doctor Who as opposed to just listening to it but there is still something very enjoyable about this adventure. Not sure whether it’s the writing or directing or the performances or all of the above, but its still the best story of the third season by a clear mile so far and at least at the end of this episode we had the same number of regulars at the end as we did at the beginning. That’s a plus point.

The Daleks Master Plan - The Traitors

This episode is historic in Doctor Who history. It’s the first episode where a companion dies. As little as I thought of Katarina I must say that I thought that her death was rather effective and shocking. The silence that follows adds to the shock. It was a selfless act by Katarina and the Doctor appreciates what she had done even though Steven can’t accept that at first. It pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the story.

The story introduces Jean Marsh as Sara Kingdom. Marsh previously appeared in ‘The Crusaders’ in a blink and you’ll miss it role. When she joins the story she is as cold as an iceberg and she believes Chen. It’s not long before we the second death of a companion when Bret is killed by Sara. It must have been quite a shock because even though Vyon had been with the show less than Katarina, his impact in the story was quite and his loss is quite big to the story. It pretty much shows that all bets are off as far as the characters are concerned. Viewers must have been thinking even the Doctor could fall victim to the axe.

As for the rest of the story it seems far more action packed than the previous one. From the moment that Katarina is killed it jumps to Mavic Chen and then Daleks and then back to Chen and it never seems to stand still which is great and when you consider its only 25 minutes long this episode, it’s quite amazing what Terry Nation fits into the episode. Even though for a large part of the episode the Doctor, Steven and Bret spend their time on the ship, when they get to earth they seem to be part of a conspiracy and it’s a question of who can be trusted and its not normal in a Doctor Who episode.’

Another cracking episode it feels like the story has found its legs and is really getting going. The Daleks are on fine form (perhaps their best) and the regulars (whats left of them) are also on good form. Even Terry Nation has done a great job with this story after some fairly average stories it’s good that he gets to show what a great writer he is. The story continues to impress

The Daleks Master Plan - Devil's Planet

The third episode sees me return to the CD’s. The story moves off Kembel and continues its gradual pace. The thing about this entire episode is that even though some scenes do have a sense of urgency about them it doesn’t really feel like at the end of the episode that they haven’t really moved that far in terms of the plot. At the end of the previous episode the Doctor had stolen the teranium core and escaped and this episode is about try to get it back. Basically that’s what the entire story is about really.

Something that is quite noticeable is the errors that William Hartnell is making. He seems to be making a lot of mistakes which is a shame really. He is quite ill at this stage and is close to leaving the show (probably a year) but the errors which were quite humorous to begin seems to be less so as its become clear that he’s ill.

As mentioned earlier, Earth is in danger and the Doctor, Bret, Steven and Katarina know that they need to get back to Earth to warn them. Things rarely go well in Doctor Who and shortly after they start their journey they arrive on Desperaous which is a pirate planet. Meanwhile, Chen is sent by the Daleks to go after them. It’s still not obvious to Chen that he is not in control.

It’s something that I’ve commented on before but its worth mentioning and its that despite his fluffs, William Hartnell is putting in a good run of performances which is even more impressive when you consider the Myth Makers. Nicholas Courtney and Peter Purves are both in good form in this episode and the less said about Adrienne Hill the better but she does contribute to a fantastic cliffhanger because her scream isn’t the normal scream as its quite horrific. It’s the best thing that she’s contributed really.

Zephon meets his end in this episode which is a shame because he has been a good character and someone that has been a problem for Chen and the Daleks. It becomes clear that once he got knocked out that his time on the show was somewhat running out.

This isn’t the best episode of the story so far but I cant say that its terrible. It serves its purpose and moves the story on plot wise as well as geographically wise. The characters (minus Katarina) all work well and the story does move along at a good pace but sadly as is the case with the audio episodes it lacks something and it would be great if it existed on video.

The Daleks Master Plan - Day of Armageddon

Day of Armageddon is the first of three episodes in this twelve part story that exists on video and was the most recently discovered. I can remember the excitement when I first saw this episode as I had heard the episode so many times on CD. The episode was found back in 2004 and released on the Lost in Time DVD release. After the introductory episode we finally get some substance to the story and we get to find out a bit more as to what the Daleks are up to.

We get to see the room where all the Daleks and their allies are meeting. The first thing we see in that scene is Mavic Chen writing. I say writing in the It’s a great looking room and its used more than once which is good. The aliens that are there are a wide range and one of them looks like a giant cookie. Everytime I seem him I think that he should be promoting cookies in a supermarket somewhere.

Like most egomaniacs, Mavic Chen doesn’t believe that he is being a traitor and instead thinks he is all powerful. He thinks that he is in control of the Daleks but in truth it’s the other way around. The moment when Bret Vyon discovers that Mavic Chen is on Kembel is a lovely moment and gives him a greater sense of urgency. I like the character of Zephon, I thought that there was a nice bit of rebellion about someone who has made some odd decisions. Sadly he gets KO’d by Bret Vyon and the next time we seem him is in a state of presumed undress.

Daleks with flames is a wonderful idea and may have been inspired by the Daleks from the two movies. They are quite good in this episode and seem to be recovering after the rather inferior story they had in ‘The Chase’. We are given some more information about the Daleks plan. There is a time destructor and Mavic Chen has spent 50 years trying to get such a small amount that is quite hard to get. It’s almost like this gives Mavic Chen a great bargaining strength when he needs to.

It’s nice that after being rather at odds in the previous episode, that they are now on more friendly terms. Though there is a nice argument between the Doctor and Steven. It seems like an awfully long time since the days of Ian, Susan and Barbara. No sense of unity between Steven, Bret and Katarina. Speaking of Katarina, I’m still not convinced with the character and its seems that the producer feels the same way.

William Hartnell continues his good form return after several episodes of walking through the story. Here he gets to show us why we like him so much. I like how when the Doctor is talking to Bret he refers to the events of ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’ and that it will show how to defeat the Daleks. Not sure of that myself but it was a nice bit of continuity. His best bit comes when he pretends to be Zephon. It’s a typically Doctor like move and it’s a one that almost works.

The cliffhanger is quite a good one as there is the very real possibility that Bret will take off without the Doctor much to Steven and Katarina’s dismay. It’s a nice way to end the episode after the action packed pace of the episode. It’s two episodes in a row that I have enjoyed and its not just because this episode is on DVD but its told well with some great characters and its told really well. It doesn’t feel like its all happening in the same place even though its filmed in a studio. A good Dalek story and its back to the CD’s for the next episode.

The Daleks Master Plan - The Nightmare Begins

Well I’ve finally reached the second longest story in Doctor Who history. After having to endure ‘The Myth Makers’, its great to get to this story. It’s good how this story references ‘Mission to the Unknown’. People watching this in 1965 would have remembered this and so it would be a nice bit of continuity. The episode has a wonderful title which is one of Terry Nation’s strengths and the title pretty much sums up the story. The action from ‘The Myth Makers’ spills over with Steven recovering and the departure of Vicki still very much being dealt with.

Katarina has joined the TARDIS crew and whilst her involvement in the previous story is somewhat limited in the previous story, here she makes up for it. With Steven somewhat out of action, its falls to the Doctor and Katarina to get involved in the story. It’s clear from this episode that Katarina is going to be restrictive influence in this story. She is too primitive and if the Doctor and others have to explain things to her then the story will take twice as long. It’s not Adrienne Hill’s fault and she does the best that she can but it doesn’t take away from the fact that character was always destined to have a short life span.

Nicholas Courtney makes his first appearance in Doctor Who as Bret Vyon. He is immediately unlikeable as he tries to steal the TARDIS. The way that he boards the TARDIS is sneaky and is very untrusting.  He gets his commence and spends the latter stages of the episode being tied up. After four episodes of doing pretty much nothing, its nice that William Hartnell finally gets to do something and he is the best he has been since at least the last season. He seems to be having a ball after the interaction with Bret.

Mavic Chen is probably one of the most iconic baddies in Doctor Who. From his opening scene he carries an aura which is instantly mesmerising. He is the Guardian of the Solar System but is in fact in league with the Daleks. This seems like the first part of their Master Plan but at this time we don’t know the finer details which is something to look forward to.

It’s a cracking opening episode and for the first time since ‘Mission to the Unknown’ I feel some energy in the story. I think that as they have twelve episodes to tell the story there is the time to pace it much slower. We are introduced to the key characters and it’s a well written story by Terry Nation.

The Myth Makers - Horse of Destruction

Thankfully we have reached the final episode of this very lacklustre historical. Sadly it’s the last to feature Maureen O’Brien as Vicki. After less than 11 months in the role, Maureen O’Brien has decided to leave the Doctor and Steven. It’s the most action packed of the episodes and its where things finally start to happen. If only the previous three episodes had been liked this then I would have been writing a different review.

The story didn’t seem to have much to do for the regulars apart from Vicki. William Hartnell continues to seem like he is walking through the episode and Steven has slightly more to do but sadly doesn’t have much more to do. One thing that seems to have jumped out of nowhere is the inclusion of Katarina. She only really gets going when she is asked to bring Steven to the TARDIS/Temple. I must admit that I didn’t notice her before this and think that her presence is somewhat limited. 

Vicki has been a good companion and was better realised than Susan. I think that there were moments where Vicki seemed to be turning into Susan but on the whole I think that Vicki and Maureen O’Brien were a good force for the show. It’s a shame that this story was so poor to write Vicki out of the show, she deserved better. Her final scene was very dramatic and like Susan’s was helped by the music and the performances. That said I have been wonderful for the past four episodes as to why I have disliked this story so much and I think that after Mission to the Unknown and knowing that the Daleks will be coming soon that I have just been waiting for the episodes to come and go so we can get to the Daleks Master Plan. Now we are there and one of the most epic stories in Doctor Who’s history.

The Myth Makers - Death of a Spy

Oh well, lets just get through this as best as we can. These episode reviews seem to have been getting shorter and shorter as the episodes have been moving on. Thankfully this is the episode where it starts to pick up and things start to happen. Sadly it’s the latter stages of the episode where it all happens but at least something seems to be moving. This is the episode where the history starts to move things along and we finally get the Trojan horse which is perhaps the most famous part of this period.  What stands out foappen.to not suspect that anything is going to happen.to not suspect that anything is going to happen.

However the most interesting thing that happens is what happens to Vicki. It seems that at long last something has been done to prepare the exit of this character. Her love interest with Troilus is rather well done and I think that its given enough time to register in the viewers memory. I must admit that I Cassandra to be the most entertaining character in the whole thing though that’s not really a compliment when you consider how rather dull the rest of the characters are in this piece.

This is the most interesting episode of the serial though again that’s not really a compliment (it seems to be a regular thing in this episode). I thought that for the first time in a long time (if ever), William Hartnell seems to be walking through this story and doesn’t do anything really of any worth. This is turning out to be an even duller serial than Galaxy 4 and this third season of Doctor Who is quickly turning into the worst so far.

The Myth Makers - Small Prophet, Quick Return

After the rather limp opening episode. I’m happy to say that things have picked up slightly. This is the episode where everything from Vicki to the plot seem to wake up and get going. After spending most of the previous episode inside the TARDIS for various dubious reasons, Vicki finally gets to do something.  Like the Doctor, Vicki has to pretend to be someone else. However unlike the Doctor willing to pretend he is someone else, Vicki is willing to admit the truth and say that she is from the future. Speaking of the Doctor, he seems be thriving in the illusion. Steven gets to pretend to be someone though he is only pretending to be Greek.

The regulars are written much better than in the previous episode and also the supporting cast are also much better with Cassandra being my favourite. She is the one that I felt was the strongest and Frances White delivers her lines well and I like how everyone rubbishes her prophesies. She is also very jealous of Vicki as she believes that Vicki is a rival prophet.

Whilst I think that this is a much stronger episode. I think that that the story suffers a great deal from not being on video. The fact that it’s not the greatest story ever isn’t helping me enjoy the story. I am struggling to think of what to write. What I can say is that I don’t  think that Maureen O’Brien’s final story is going to be the finest finale story that a companion has ever had.

The Myth Makers - Temple of Secrets

The Myth Makers is the final story for Vicki who departs in yet another historical story.  It’s also the first story that is produced by John Wiles with Verity Lambert having departed at the previous episode. It’s also another story that doesnt exist on video in any form. This is a period of history that I know the basics and about 15 years ago I would have known quite a lot about this period however since then my interest and knowledge has ebbed away. The story starts off in a very shouty manner. It seems to continue throughout the episode but its at its peak at the beginning.

The Doctor is mistakened for Zeus which is quite an amusing and continues to the trend of the Doctor landing on his feet. The thing about historical stories is that the story is up and running before the regulars get involved and so there is a bit of a blur before I got a sense of what is going on.

It’s quite late before Steven really gets involved in the story. In fact its just past the 19 minute mark. Vicki had a blink and you’ll miss it moment at the beginning but she was side-lined because there isn’t much that could be done. It’s not a particularly action packed part of history and its made even harder to enjoy when you cant see whats going on.

I really cant get that excited about this story and it’s a shame because its Vicki’s last story. Hopefully the story will pick up in future episodes and the departure of Vicki is going to be fitting of the character but if memory serves me correctly then that wont be the case.

Mission to the Unknown

For the first time ever, this story features none of the regular cast. In fact there is no mention of them whatsoever. It must have been quite a surprise for people watching this in October 1965. I wonder at what point people started to get impatient at not seeing the Doctor, Vicki or Steven. Nowadays its that not unusual to have an episode where the Doctor and the companions don’t feature that much but this is the only time that their absence is noticeable.
 

Whilst we don’t get the regulars we do get a group of people who work for the Space Security Service and we are on the planet of Kembel. The Daleks do appear in the episode so whilst we don’t get the Doctor we get his nemesis.  I like how dangerous the Varga plants are considering they are just plants. It’s harder to know which is the greater threat, either the Daleks or the Varga plants have the ability to cause harm but it seems like the Varga plants can cause a more elaborate death.

Considering that they get the rare opportunity of leading the story I must say that Barry Jackson (Jeff Garvey), Edward de Souza (Marc Corey) & Jeremy Young (Gordon Lowery) all did well in their group. However I was most impressed with Robert Cartland as Malpha. The speech he gives at the end is quite good and sets up the upcoming Dalek epic brilliantly and shows that he is going to be a character that the viewers should remember.

The second half of the episode is set aside to set up the Master Plan part of the Daleks Master Plan story. This episode is the prequel to that adventure and when listening to it I must admit that I got quite caught up in the adventure. It’s been several episodes since I really got into the story. Not since the last Dalek story have I not had a niggly feel of disappointment. In Mission to the Unknown I thought that this could easily have been extended because the Space Security Service crew had a good story and there was plenty to see from the Daleks and their traitors. It’s just a shame that this episode no longer exists on video as it would a cracker to watch.

Galaxy 4 - The Exploding Planet

Back to the CD for the final part of this story and it seems like the time situation is back at the centre of the plot. Sadly as the episode is on CD I must admit that I wasn’t in the mood really to listen to this but if I am to stay on course then I would have to make the best of a bad situation. The Drahvins are still doing what they are doing which is trying to (badly) come up with their plan to steal the Chumblies ship. The Chumblies are trying to get their ship started ready to take off. The funny thing about that is they take off just before the planet is about to explode. It’s a trait in TV that is as old as storytelling.

There is a nice moment when the Drahvins see the Chumblies taking off and then they see the regulars running towards the TARDIS and try to get to them instead. Maaga is still a good character but sadly we don’t get to see if she pulls off the trick of making normal dialogue work brilliantly. There isn’t much to this story apart from getting the Chumblies ship to take off but as they only have 25 minutes they do what they need to do. When the planet does eventually blow up it would have been nice to see how this looks on TV because sadly the soundtrack doesn’t.

The end of the episode is great because it leads to the only episode in the shows history where non of the regulars appear. They are not even mentioned and it’s the prelude to the Dalek epic. Sadly that means that it’s the best thing in the episode which pretty much sums up my feelings about this episode and story. I would probably have had a different reaction to it had the entire four part run been on DVD but sadly its not the case. As a plot its

Galaxy 4 - Air Lock

Finally we get to the recently found episode and we get to see what Vicki was screaming at in the last episode. The Chumblies look even sillier when you can see them. Their base seems rather basic and it seems that whilst it’s a bigger area its not much better than the Drahvins. Sadly it looks like the budget is quite small even though it’s the first story of the series. It’s basically scaffolding with a few sheets of Perspex plastic.

As the leader, Maaga is the one that is the brains of the operation. She gets a wonderful scene where she seems to be talking to the other Drahvins but is looking directly at the camera and she gives a lovely speech which shows that she might be the only smart one there but she’s more than a match for the Chumblies.

We finally get to hear something resembling speech in this episode from the Chumblies as they capture a bit of something Vicki says and adopts then starts to speech English. It’s very much like the Judoon in the modern series. We learn how the ‘war’ between the Drahvins and we get to know that Maaga is slightly mad when she kills another Drahvin which she blames on the Chumblies. It’s another of the rather repetitive instances where we are told that the Drahvins are the bad guys and the Chumblies are the goodies. It seems like the repeated warnings about the Drahvins are a way of getting us through the episodes because otherwise its going to be a very short story.

Peter Purves seems to have drawn the short straw because for the first half of the story he just sleeps or pretends to sleep and then gets caught in the airlock. Vicki and the Doctor meanwhile get to interact with the Chumblies and their leader.  The Doctor does slightly more because he fiddles around with a machine.

Sadly whilst its nice to see an episode of this story. I cant say that it really makes the story any better. It’s a shame that the story doesn’t have much to it and it seems to have the same problem as The Web Planet where it just seems to jump from one set to the other. We are three quarters of the way through this episode and it doesn’t feel like the story has progressed very far in the two episodes.

Galaxy 4: Trap of Steel

There isn’t a great deal that I can write about this episode as nothing really happens in the episode. The problem with something existing on CD its hard to really get involved in the story, especially when everything that occurs in the episode is more visual than audio. From what I gather occurs in this episode there is more evidence that the leader of the Drahvins is a bit horrible and isn’t prepared to share a ship with the Chumblies. There seems to be a lot of walking around and after a while it all blurs into one.

Sadly the main problem with this story is that it lacks anything that comes close to exciting. Like the previous episode, we have one of the regulars left in the ship whilst the other two wander around and I think that its ok once but then gets slightly boring everytime after that. The only thing that seems to stand out is Steven who after having to spend four episodes refusing to believe what he is seeing, has finally got over that and embracing what he sees and in some cases fights with what he sees.

Despite the time running out for the planet, there doesn’t seem a great deal of rush in getting things done and we get to an episode that was lost until very recently and its time to see whether the story would have worked on tv better than it did on audio.

Galaxy 4 - Four Hundred Dawns

Galaxy 4 is the first story of the third series and its where the number of episodes that exist on video is worrying low. The 82^nd episode of Doctor Who starts off in quite a weird way with Vicki giving Steven a hair cut. It’s certainly a different TARDIS to the one that we saw at the beginning of the second season. It feels like a different show at times. However one thing that hasn’t changed much since that opening story of Season 2 and that is the Doctor.

The story doesn’t get off to the best of starts when the first ‘creature’ of the story appears. The Chumblies are named by Vicki and it’s a silly name. How are we supposed to see it as a menace when Vicki goes and gives it this name. She might as well have called a bunny rabbit. Their involvement in the story is quite important but they have the same problem as the Zarbi had in ‘The Web Planet’ and that is they only communicate in a weird high pitch tone. We also encounter the Drahvins who are a group of women who use men purely for reproduction. It’s the first time that the threat comes entirely from women. It’s quite easy to spot them as the baddies in this piece. They try their best to make themselves seem like the victims and the mere idea that they want to take someone else’s property instead of trying to see if they can both leave together shows the mentality of the Drahvins and why they are no good.

I like how the purpose of the story is spelt out so quickly. The planet that they are on is about to explode quite quickly. The Drahvins wants to get off and their space ship won’t start so they want to steal the Drahvins ship so that they can survive. It’s a simple plot that you see what the end point is going to be and so there is no need to try and figure out what the point of the story is. Just enjoy it and sigh when the Chumblies appear on screen. As for the episode, it loses a lot being on audio. The narration by Peter Purves helps a bit but I think that when we get to Air Lock we can see how they story works better when you can see it.

The Time Meddler - Checkmate

The final episode of this story is also the final episode of the second season. This is where the Vikings come to Britain and the Doctor has to try and stop the Monk but first we have to get over the news that clearly the Monk is of the same race as the Doctor. Though obviously its not named its nice to finally get a bit more information about the Doctor even though we know that his race all look like humans.  

The Monk says that Stonehenge wouldn’t have been built with his technology. The Monk seems to want to meddle in time because he finds it amusing. Not for any egotistical gain he genuinely believes he’s doing good. I still find the scenes between Peter Butterworth and William Hartnell to be extremely funny. The Monk’s TARDIS is similar to the Doctor’s and what we see is a massive treasure trove of goodies. Another difference between the Doctor and the monks is that the console is raised up though its implied that the Monk’s TARDIS is superior to the Doctors. The camouflage circuit is referred to as the technology to change the TARDIS to match its surrounding. I don’t recall a name being given to it before and it obviously changes to chameleon later on.

The scene between Vicki and Steven where they discuss what will happen when the Monk changes history. The exact second it happens every history book ever written will change and it’s in this context that the not changing history takes greater significance. They seem to have been given a bit less to do in this episode after they enter the Monk’s TARDIS. Even what they do get given is a bit of a let down as Vicki has to tell the Doctor that they don’t have the TARDIS because the tide washed it away but this is quickly put down by the Doctor. The way that the story is wrapped up is quite strange. The Doctor isn’t the one that stops the Monk’s plans and the Doctor strands him in that period. That’s it. It seems a bit of a let down if I’m being honest and the final moment of the episode is another strange thing where the faces of Peter Purves, Maureen O’Brien and William Hartnell are imposed over a picture of stars. 

As a four part story, it certainly has some good things going for it. There are good characters and its definelty better than Dennis Spooner’s previous offering. I just think that it lacks from a proper conclusion to the story and it doesn’t feel like the Doctor has settled things against the Monk. It was ¾ a good story and ¼ an ok story.

The Time Meddler - A Battle of Wits

The penultimate episode of this story that I must be honest and say it has gone up in my estimation. Despite the quite good cliffhanger it quickly its not long before things settle down. There is a lot less action in this episode and a lot less going on that there has been in the previous two episodes. I like how the Monk has a to-do list. It’s such as childish thing to do. It also reminds the viewer what the Monk’s plans are and just how much he has to cram into two episodes.

I must say that William Hartnell is looking quite refreshed having come back of his holiday. Apart from one scene which he has with Alethea Charlton, all of his scenes are with Peter Butterworth. I think that their scenes were very funny and Peter Butterworth has been a revelation in this story because even though he’s the least menacing baddie in the shows history, he still manages to maintain my interest as an adversary of the Doctor’s. That’s more down to Butterworth than the writing.

The TARDIS appears to have been taken away by the tide. Knowing that this is a four part adventure, the idea of the TARDIS being washed away seems like a redundant thing to put in the story but at the time it must have been a genuine shock but nowadays its not so much of a shock but more of a plot point. It feels like a bit of the energy has left the story somehow. Not entirely sure how this happened. The Doctor and the Monk wander through the corridors. Vicki and Steven go from the monestary to the cliff and then back and that’s pretty much all they do.

There is a fair amount of violence in this episode. Admittedly its not Grand Theft Auto style violence but its not a typical sight to see the Doctor knock someone out with a stick. I suppose it’s the only bit of action in the episode as nothing else seems to happen here really.

When I first saw the cliffhanger I didn’t see it coming and I suspect those watching in 1965 would have been when they saw Vicki and Steven enter the Monk’s TARDIS. This is the first time that we see someone else have a time machine. Apart from the cliffhanger I must say that I was a little disappointed with this episode and felt like it was waiting for the final episode to come around. It’s good to have William Hartnell back.

The Time Meddler - The Meddling Monk

The second episode sees us hear more (and see more) from the monk. William Hartnell doesn’t appear in this episode except for the reprise from the previous episode and some pre-recorded dialogue. Any fans will know who and what the Monk is but at the time it must have been a nice mystery because he seems to know the Doctor and is trying to con the locals into thinking he’s a real monk. I like how creative they have been with letting Hartnell have his holiday but not impede the story. They just show the outside of the cell and have occasional cuts to hear the Doctor demand to be let out. There’s a strange cutaway moment to what appears to be stock footage from some film. I say film because someone is talking but we cant hear what is been said. Whilst it might be said that its good that they are trying to give the viewer a feel of the time but I think that they could have cut that few seconds out.

We have another situation in this episode where the locals seemed to be in the middle of a power struggle. It’s very much like ‘An Unearthly Child’ (which starred Alethea Charlton) and actually it’s done better here than in that story. The worst thing that there can be in a story is when you want the bad guys to win (like in The Space Museum).

When the Vikings do appear they look the part with their helmets and costumes even though one looks like he’s just come from a 1960’s episode of Top of the Pops. The Vikings immediately come across as baddies which depending on your stance in history is a good thing or a bad thing. Once they have arrived its not long before they become involved with the locals and a fight soon begins and ends. Steven becomes more willing to believe the situation that he finds himself and becomes quite clever when he fools the Monk and is convinced that the Monk is lying. He seems to be doing well in trying to be the action hero figure but I will state now that he will never be like Ian but I think that the partnership of Vicki and Steven is going to be a good one.

There is a bit of Spooner’s humour but it’s a blink and you’ll miss it and that shows that Spooner knows that he’s got a good story and hasn’t got time to allow the comedy to take centre stage.  There is too much going on for us to have a sequel to the Romans. The episode ends with Vicki and Steven entering the Doctors cell and find that under the blanket he isn’t there. It’s a good cliffhanger and I think that whilst its not as strong as the previous episode I do think that the pacing of the story works well and the characters are all relatively well.

The Time Meddler - The Watcher

I must admit that as I start the final story of the second series that I’m not quite sure about the show. It’s the first one that doesn’t feature Ian, Susan or Barbara and so three quarters of the original line up has gone. Now we are left with a very different Doctor to the one that we saw in ‘An Unearthly Child’. It was the same feeling (oddly enough) that I felt when Carole Ann Ford left. The Time Meddler is another historical story however it’s the first pseudo-historical adventure. Meaning that there is a bit of sci-fi mixed into the historical goings on. This adventure is also another by Dennis Spooner who wrote ‘The Romans’ which is an adventure that I wasn’t 100% keen on.

In one of the first scenes with the Doctor, Steven and Vicki. The Doctor is asked to explain the TARDIS and whilst he doesn’t see why he should its nowhere near as aggressive as it was back in ‘An Unearthly Child’. In fact he seems to thrive to the challenge and is looking forward to prove Steven wrong. When the Doctor shows Steven a Viking helmet he comes up with the great line “What do you think this is? A space helmet for a cow?” It’s a cracking line. Another is when he states to Steven that he’s “Not a mountain goat”. It’s a good thing that happens in this story where they are trying to show a doubtful Steven that they are indeed in the past. It does feel slightly frustrating because the viewer knows that this is the truth and I just want Steven to get to grips with the situation and then we can all continue with the show.

Considering that the entire episode is made in studio, the story moves along at such as pace that it doesn’t really become an issue. There is some much that is happening and that Dennis Spooner seems to have found the right balance between humour and drama. The Monk is a figure that has some mystique about him and even though he doesn’t actually utter a word he still manages to have something about him. Even though at this point Peter Butterworth hadn’t appeared in a Carry On film it’s the most high profile name that the show had cast.

The episode sees Alethea Charlton return after appearing in the very first story where she was impressive. Here she plays a similar character but probably a bit more normal. In this episode she’s weary of the Doctor (some might say understandably) and then after a small while she starts telling the Doctor all the things that he asks. The Doctor spends the rest of the episode being a bit curious with the music and working out the time and telling the viewer what is about to happen. I must admit that this is a part of history that I like so it’s probably why I don’t mind the history in this episode.

I must say that I’ve never been a massive fan of ‘The Time Meddler’ but based on the opening episode I am starting to warm to it. Whether that will still be the case at the end of the story remains to be seen but out of the two Dennis Spooner stories we’ve had this is definitely the stronger of the two and the process of getting over the departure of Ian and Barbara continues.