The Evil of the Daleks - Episode 7

After the joint second longest Dalek serial ever, we have finally reached the end. Despite it being the final episode it doesn’t exactly start in a particularly quick fashion. In fact there is a scene where they are all in the same cell and they are just talking/arguing.  After several minutes of inane chatter, the plot finally moves along again. After episodes of hearing about the Human Factor we are introduced to the idea of the Dalek Factor as Maxtible is turned into a Dalek. Maxtible’s demise was something that I was expecting in the previous episode and it happens in a rather unexpected way.

I wasn’t quite as impressed with Troughton doing a Dalek impression as I was expecting. It served a purpose so it wasn’t particularly terrible. It would have been a good sight to see the Dalek Maxtible and Dalek Doctor standing side by side. When the inevitable destruction begins it would have been a lovely sight to see as it sounds quite fantastic on audio. The fact that the story ends in quite an abrupt manner is quite good actually. The episode ending in explosion instead of all peace and tranquillity is quite a different way to end a story.

Edward Waterfield’s demise was quite well done and rather sad. It basically gave the viewer a warning that they would be seeing more of Victoria after this episode finished airing. I think that Edward Waterfield has been a rather good addition to the story and it’s just a shame really that they had to kill him off but it was needed. Maxtible has also been a good part of the story but I wasn’t so sad about his exit which I suppose is the point. The regulars (and I am including Victoria Waterfield) all did quite well with Troughton doing his best.

This was suppose to be the big send off for the Daleks as Terry Nation was going to take his creations to America to try and get their own show but Nation realised that as much as the Daleks made Doctor Who what it is, the Daleks have little value outside of the show but it would be five years before they would return to the show.

Sadly the problem with this seven part serial is that its too long and for too long there was not much happening and in a normal story its not such a problem but in a Dalek story its simply not good enough. When the story does get going it does make up for the lack of action but I think that the six parters are a bit of a doomed to fail type story and as such the final Dalek story of the 1960’s is a bit of a let down.

The Evil of the Daleks - Episode 6

So as I delve into the penultimate episode we return to the mad idea of Daleks playing games and saying such things as ‘Dizzy’ and ‘Trains’.  The fact that they are talking in rather childlike tones is a great idea and makes some of the duller parts of this story worth sitting through.  

For the first time in this story the planet Skaro has been mentioned and its where my interest peeked. When the story moves to Skaro, the landscape of the planet sounds like it did when we were first there way back in the second Doctor Who story. It was always going to be fun to see how the childlike Daleks would be treated by the normal hating Daleks.  We get to encounter the Emperor Dalek for the first time and only thanks to the pictures do we get to see what it looks like. It wouldn’t be until 2005 before we would see it on TV.

Maxtible’s nastier side shows itself in this episode and it doesn’t seem like a moment too soon. The fact that the Daleks are going to blow up his lab and wreck the secret fills him with dread and its quite a fitting ending but sadly the Doctor saves the moment. It seems like his time and usefulness is starting to run out. I thought that he would meet his demise in this episode but its obviously going to happen in the final episode of the story and season.

Victoria starts the episode locked up (again). This is becoming tiresome and it feels like we are back to square one as far as her character is concerned. Thankfully she does become more useful and by the end she has reverted to something more interesting and likeable. As for Patrick Troughton and Frazer Hines, they were both on good form and at least the hostilities have ceased no which is good and they are focused on rescuing Victoria.

The improvement continues with the story moving along at a good pace and a fair amount of action happening. They spend the least possible time on Earth before moving the story to Skaro and the moment that the Emperor Dalek appears is when it seems to definetley be back on track and it feels like David Whittaker is doing the story he wants to do instead of padding the story with drivel. Hopefully the final episode will end the Daleks in the 1960’s off in fine style and also bring the fourth season to a fitting end.

The Evil of the Daleks: Episode 5

As we approach the fifth episode, I worry that the story is going to be one of the stories where my opinion changes the greatest and not in a good way. After four episodes we find that the TARDIS has been stolen, Jamie and the Doctor go back 100 years to help the man who took them there find a way of helping Daleks win wars and hope that they let his daughter go. That all happened in the first two episodes but the problem has been that nothing else happened.  It comes to the fifth episode before we actually get something substantial from Deborah Watling. She explains what has been going on from her point of view and it fills in some of the blanks that have been forming over the last couple of episodes.  They are continuing with the Mollie part of the story where they go to the trouble of hypnotising her to forget about seeing Victoria.

There is a weird ‘OBEY’ chant that sounds like a Dalek. It pops up once or twice and it seems like one of those things which would look great on TV but sadly on audio it lacks something.

I like the rather formal relationship between Jamie and Victoria. I like how Jamie calls her Miss Waterfield and I think that we should enjoy this whilst we can because it will soon be a lot less formal. Jamie is quite active in this episode and seems to have lost some of his annoyance that he had when he was talking to the Doctor. He gets to be the hero here and even when he reunites with the Doctor there isn’t any of that nasty feeling which I wont miss.

It feels like the story is moving along and making up for the lack of development in recent episodes and that’s a good thing. The experiment to include the human factor in the Daleks is also progressing and it seems like the end is nigh (in a way it almost is). What is quite odd is how Edward Waterfield has a massive change of heart which is at odds with the previous episodes and I just think that it’s an odd turn of events. Another reason why it’s a shame that this episode doesn’t exist on TV is that the cliffhanger would have been rather fun to see. The Daleks pushing the Doctor around for a game is not something that happens very often and so we have to imagine in our minds what this would look like.

This episode has restored my faith after a recent run of so-so episodes. It feels like the story is progressing towards something and things have moved on character and plot wise. I think that the final two episodes will determine whether this episode was a fluke or the beginning of a good run of episodes. Fingers crossed.

The Evil of the Daleks - Episode 4

I was somewhat underwhelmed with the previous episode, I was hoping that this episode would restore my faith and instantly it seemed like this was possible as there was a nice fight scene between Kemel and Jamie. Jamie saved his life and its such a good scene that I forgot that it was part of an experiment and we are reminded of this with the scene between the Doctor and the Daleks. This episode is somewhat light of Patrick Troughton and Deborah Watling as they only appear in pre-filmed scenes. This means that Frazer Hines gets to lead the episode and as usual he makes the most of it. It also means that Edward Waterfield and Theodore Maxtible get more scenes and I like how they are at odds with each other whilst resigned to the fact that they can’t do much about the situation now.

They are utilising Mollie as she discovers that Victoria isn’t in Paris and gets into trouble. The scene where she exits a scene in tears does a great deal to sympathise with her and Edward Waterfield and dislike the Daleks even more. The Evil part of this story is living up to its name and that’s the first time that this has been the case. The supporting performances are all quite good with Deborah Watling managing to be quite good considering all she says is her name several times. In fact everyone seems to be on better form the in episode three.  However when I try and think what happens in this episode all I can remember is the fight at the beginning of the episode, Mollie stumbling across the true location of Victoria in the middle and apart from that very little happens again. The story shouldn’t be called Evil of the Daleks but Daleks spy on Jamie to try and get the Human Factor but I don’t suppose that would have had quite the selling factor that they would have liked.

My original feelings to this story seem to be somewhat misplaced. It doesn’t seem to make sense why this story should be seven episodes long when it should a four part episode. At least in ‘The Faceless Ones’ the story seemed to have a zip to it whereas here there are moments of action but on the whole it’s a lot of nothing happen. Episode 4 is better than 3 buts that not much of a compliment but it does at least feel like its not freefalling to mediocrity..

The Evil of the Daleks: Episode 3

After the enjoyable previous episode and the mildly so-so first episode, this was a relatively boring episode. Nothing of any note really happens in the course of the 25 minutes which is a shame but I think this is one of those padding episodes which we will have to put up with from time to time. The whole purpose of this episode is to start the plan of testing Jamie so that the Daleks can have the human factor enabling them to win battles.

One of the few gems that exist in this episode is the partnership between Frazer Hines and Patrick Troughton. Jamie is started to lose trust in the Doctor and considering how strong their friendship has been in the past it’s surprising to see them being at such odds. Hines seems to be enjoying playing this side of Jamie and its good to see the Doctor being caught between a rock and a hard place.

At this stage of the story I feel like it should be more gripping than it currently is. I wish that something would have happened but it didn’t and its one of the weakest Patrick Troughton episodes so far. Only the final episode of The Highlanders is weakest and that shows how good Troughton stories have been. I have always thought relatively highly of this story as it was one of the earliest Doctor Who stories that I have listened to and sadly its not going the way that I thought but there are still four more episodes to turn this around.

The Evil of the Daleks - Episode 2

The second episode of this story is sadly the only one that exists on DVD. At least we get to see Deborah Watling’s first appearance. It’s clear that the double act of the Doctor and Jamie is starting to come along. The first scene with them in the Antique shop shows this when the Doctor tells Jamie to be careful and then knocks something over with Jamie giving him one of those looks. I am quite sympathetic towards Edward Waterfield. Even though he’s working for the Daleks, it isn’t out of choice as we will soon learn.

Jamie and the Doctor are more active in this episode than in the first. Though Jamie is less active than the Doctor. He gets knocked out, wakes up and has a chat before being knocked out again. It seems that Victoria needs to get involved in the story sooner so that Jamie can hand over the knocked out duties to her.  Patrick Troughton gets a lovely speech about how the Daleks will take great pleasure in killing everyone and that their greatest pleasure will be in killing him. It’s a short yet impressive speech.

After a short period of time in the antiques shop, the story shifts to Victorian London and we get to meet Edward Waterfield and Theodore Maxtible 100 years in time to June 2 1866. Maxtible is quite an imposing figure but he does come across a bit of an arrogant person and he’s some rich guy who’s got too much money and its his money that has got him into his mess so its hard to warm to him unlike Edward Waterfield.

Maxtible’s lab is very impressive and is very much quite like I would love every lab to be like with test tubes and bubbling jars and the such. It’s almost clichéd. We finally get to learn a bit more about the goings on and learn that Waterfield and Maxtible’s experiments are what caused  the Daleks to arrive. It’s nearly seven minutes before the Daleks get a scene with the Doctor. How its done is quite good because its timed perfectly. Their first scene is quite good because the last time the Doctor met the Daleks he was still trying to get over his transformation and now he’s more able to stand up to them just as the Doctor should.

The way that we are introduced to Victoria is quite low key. She has been kept prisoner of the Daleks and compared to how other companions have been introduced in the past this has to be one of the grimmest. It’s hard to believe that she will soon be travelling through time and space. It was a blink and you’ll miss it performance but its long enough to tell us what she’s going to be like but more time is spent talking about her than talking to her.

I thought that this was a better episode than the first as it seemed like the story was moving on a bit more and we got a bit more meat to the pie of the story. I think that this is where the story starts really as we now have more to enjoy. It is just a shame that this is the only one of the story that exists because this would work really well as opposed to just existing on audio.

The Evil of the Daleks: Episode 1

The Evil of the Daleks is the final story of this fourth series and it picks up immediately after the events of ‘The Faceless Ones’. It introduces Deborah Watling as Victoria Waterfield but the episode doesn’t allow much time to get over the departure of Ben and Polly as the Doctor and Jamie try and find out who has stolen the TARDIS. There is a nice feel that came from it being in the modern day that there was during ‘The Faceless Ones’ that has continued in this episode. The first episode is quite a strange one as nothing really happens because the Doctor and Jamie are after the TARDIS, trying to hunt it down and Waterfield and Kennedy are setting things up. The most active that Jamie and the Doctor get is in the café and even then I was more interested in the music that was playing as its not something that we normally get in Doctor Who and so I thought that it was a nice moment.

The supporting cast are all very good and actually steal the show. Edward Waterfield is an interesting character because we know his story but back in 1967 the viewers wouldn’t have known this and so there would be something intriguing about him. He is played brilliantly by John Bailey and there is a nice balance between confident and anxious. Griffith Davies is also quite good as Kennedy and in his only appearance in the story, Alec Ross is fun as Bob Hall. These three are who help push this story and it seems like Patrick Troughton and Frazer Hines pop up every so often to remind us that they are in the story.

Now one thing that is a sort of rule in Doctor Who is that the Daleks don’t appear until the very end of the first episode. Even if their name is in the title and this time its true to form as they don’t appear until the final few minutes and even then its only one. It was a very good cliffhanger and as an opening episode it managed to do the transition quite well and the final story of the series and the final Dalek story for five years has started well.

The Faceless Ones - Episode 6

The final part of this story needs to tie up the loose ends in a satisfactory way. It’s always important in any piece of drama but in a six part adventure like this, it becomes even more important. I must admit that with the knowledge this is the final story for Ben and Polly, my attention drifted away from the main plot. It’s a shame really as I think that from what I did grasp from the audio, it seemed to be an attempt to return the taken youngsters yet ensure that the chameleon lifeforms aren’t hurt or killed. That aspect of the story is finished off in a perfectly fine way.

Anneke Wills and Michael Craze appear at the very end of the episode to film their departure scene. At least they got a departure scene unlike Jackie Lane who disappeared and then we got a throwaway line from Polly in episode four. It does seem a bit of a waste really considering that they are the last links to the Hartnell era and you think considering that they were there for the first appearances of the Cybermen and the first regeneration they deserve a finer send off. Once Ben and Polly realise that they are back on the same day that they left in ‘The War Machines’ they decide to stay. It does feel like its been wrapped  up in a nice neat bow. If only their departure had been better handled.

The goodbye scene between Sam and Jamie was really sad and it makes the decision for her not to continue with the TARDIS even sadder. I think that as I have liked the chemistry between these two it was always going to be a sad moment when Pauline Collins departed but that didn’t make it any easier when the moment came. Collins is a great actress and her performances over the past five episodes have been wonderful and a credit to the show.

The best thing about this episode is the unexpected ending to the episode. The Doctor and Jamie discover that the TARDIS has been stolen and this leads us into the final story of the season. As an episode I must say that it didn’t have the impact that I thought it would have. The problems with six part episodes were evident here but at least they tried to keep things going by shifting the focus of the story and the setting. The episode did what it needed to do and also gave the viewer in 1967 a reason to watch next week because no sooner have we said goodbye the Anneke Wills and Michael Craze than we say hello to Debroah Watling.

The Faceless Ones - Episode 5

The previous episode was the first time that any enthusiasm was starting to wane a bit. Something that I hadn’t mentioned until now was the narration of Frazer Hines. I am a huge fan of Hines’ narration/performance in the Companion Chronicle stories he does for Big Finish and he won the Best Companion award in 2010. Hines manages to make the most inane dialogue seem fantastic or at the very least perfectly fine.  The episode starts off quite well and dispels any worry that I had that there would be a downward trend in my enjoyment. There is a nice scene where they mention the Director and it is then followed by a speech of how stupid humans are. Quite why they want to be dealing with a race that are intellectually inferior to themselves.

The explanation to why they are taking the humans and it involves the fact that their race is dying and they have lost their identity so they are taking the humans to take their form. On the face of it the plan seems quite fine. You can understand why they would want to take the humans and normally its not for reasons of invasion or conquest but for mere survival. I don’t know whether this was the intention of David Ellis and Malcolm Hulke to make us sympathise with the aliens but knowing that Hulke had a tendency to put political themes into his stories it seems plausible that this was probably what Hulke was intending.

Despite my feelings concerning how Michael Craze and Anneke Wills have been treated I must admit that I haven’t really missed them. The story has been moving along at such a good speed and I have enjoyed the characters and their performances so much that on the occasional mentions of their names reminds me that they are part of the show. The cliffhanger is somewhat of a disappointment as the previous ones have been so good. I think that it would have been better on DVD but I’m not going to go on about that particular gripe. What I will say is that episode five is better than four (even despite the ending). I think that the story moving away from the airport has helped breathe some new life into it and even though we occasionally go back to the control room, the focus of the story seems to be elsewhere and that can only be a good thing.

The Faceless Ones - Episode 4

The fourth episode resumes from the moment where we finally get to see something of what the Chameleon Tours people do. In the early stages of this episode we get to see why Sam Briggs would have been a good companion as acts like a companion and she fits in well with the Doctor and Jamie in a way that Ben and Polly couldn’t.  Speaking of Ben and Polly, it’s the second episode where they don’t appear but they aren’t mentioned by both the Doctor and Jamie in an attempt to show that the producers haven’t forgotten about them.

A ‘new’ character is introduced into this story in the form of Nurse Pinto played very well by Madalena Nicol. I think that the Nurse was a good character and her ability to get in the way of the Doctor’s investigation is a fun moment in the story. Another funny moment is when Jamie gets onto the plane but discovers that his 18^th century body can’t cope with 20^th Century air travel and the moment when runs to the toilet to be sick.

After getting a bit more information about the Chameleon Tours plane at the end of the previous episode. We finally get a bit more here when the airplane flies up and turns into a spaceship. This makes their threat that more impressive because up until now it seemed like a group of aliens that have been left on Earth for some reason. At least now we know that there is a grander plan. Sad that its taken until this stage for something substantial to be revealed.

It’s the first time that I feel that its lacked any of the fast paced action from the previous episodes. It’s not a terrible episode but compared to the previous three episodes it seems like a bit of a let down. The thing that this episode has compared to other audio-only episodes that I have listened to recently (and that’s a high number) is that the supporting characters along with Patrick Troughton and Frazer Hines help keep my interest in the story and there is still some stuff that needs to be revealed so as we approach the final two episodes it seems that this story will still be as good as I think that it is.  

The Faceless Ones - Episode 3

The final episode of this story to exist on DVD and we get to see the wonderful cliffhanger where the Doctor is frozen.  I like this first scene as it means that the Doctor can be creative and show that despite not being in control of the situation that he is smarter than the people from Chameleon Tours.  The best thing about this episode is that we get to see Bernard Kay and Pauline Collins in the flesh so to speak.  Both of them are instantly likeable as they are used to help the Doctor and Jamie in their story.  Kay’s character is used to help the Doctor convince the Commandant. Kay is one of those people that is instantly likeable no matter what character he plays (except for his role in The Crusaders).  

The moment that the Commandant believes or is willing to be less suspicious of the Doctor is a welcoming moment because it allows the story to move on. The Doctor becomes a target for the Chaemleon Tours people. Their real race name hasn’t been revealed which on one hand adds to their mystery but it would be good if we knew. We finally get to see what they actually do on these plans and when it does happen then it’s a great moment because there is a shot of a cabin full of people then after a shocked look on Kay’s face we see an empty cabin. It’s not the great reveal that we had been hoping for but at least its something that makes these bad people seem bad for a reason instead of just talking about the bad things they do.

Something that I have noticed in this episode is that there are some weird shots which don’t make sense. It involves close ups of various people with a high pitch noise. Not quite sure what the point of this is and it seems that it serves no real purpose. A even more noticeable example of this is when Blade and Crossland are in the cockpit and there is a close-up of Blade and then of Crossland and then back to Blade.

This episode did a good job of progressing and its using its six episode run well. We get to know a bit more about the villains of the story and it feels like some of the supporting characters have settled down and matured and I refer to the Commandant in that instance. At the half way mark the story has maintained my interest and it feels like the evolution of the show from the Hartnell era to the Troughton era has been completed and the second half of the story should be just as good.

The Faceless Ones - Episode 2

The first of four episodes to be audio only resumes from the cliffhanger of seeing some strange head is wonderfully described by Frazer Hines and pulsating veins but sadly for anyone who has seen that cliffhanger would know that its not really the case. We also get to return to the Polly not recognising the Doctor and Jamie thing. Apparently despite having a very posh British accent she claims to be from Zurich and has a English governance to explain this fact. Something that I commented on is how one of the things about this story is how it deals with the idea of travel. Back in 1967 the idea of flying was still a relatively new concept to people so in the same ways as the James Bond films were partly a success because of the idea of going somewhere that hadn’t been seen before, the idea of flying somewhere or spending time in a building that most people hadn’t seen would have been a good enough thing to use to keep the story current. Polly’s personality change is similar to here first story where she was possessed by WOTAN. It seems like a nice bookend to her character.

A familiar voice/face appears in this episode. Bernard Kay has previously appeared in the William Hartnell stories ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’ and ‘The Crausade’. For his third story he is instantly recognisable and he gives a great performance in this episode. This episode also features the first appearance of Pauline Collins who was suppose to be a companion after this story but wouldn’t stay and didn’t appear until the 2006 story ‘Tooth and Claw’ as Queen Victoria. Her performance is just as good as Kay’s and I like how for the first time in quite a while we have a feisty female character. There’s a scene where Sam Briggs (Pauline Collins) chats to Polly and it’s a nice contrast in style and performance.

I like the moment when its revealed that Polly has been duplicated and the real Polly is in a box in the Chamelion Tours hanger and the one that Sam has been chatting to is the copy. Ben is the one that discovers this and this will be the last thing that he does. Polly has disappeared from the office in the terminal so it seems that this is where they leave for four episodes. It is a rather abrupt moment that it happens but its still rather well done so in this instance I am rather conflicted about what I feel about the whole Polly and Ben leaving situation.

Like the previous episode, the final scene and ultimate cliffhanger are rather well done. This time it’s the Doctor who gets the cliffhanger as he is being frozen and its something that will look better when we get to the DVD of the third episode tomorrow. Despite this being on CD, I still enjoyed this story and thought that after all the running around that took place in the previous episode, that it was nice that we got to the meat and potatoes of the story and it seems like it has settled down and with the addition of Kay and Collins that this was going to be a good story. Sadly this would be the last full episode that Anneke Wills and Michael Craze would appear in as their final appearance was a pre-filmed scene. I will comment more on their contribution to the story but for this episode it was another strong episode.                                                                 

The Faceless Ones - Episode 1

The Faceless Ones is the final story to feature Anneke Wills and Michael Craze. It’s the first to be written by Maclolm Hulke who would write several Doctor Who stories and also Target novels. It’s also the first six part adventure since Troughton’s first adventure and I’ve gotten use to the four part adventures because they are narratively better. This story takes place in ‘modern’ London although its suppose to take place at the same time as ‘The War Machines’ which would imply that there are two Doctors in the same period of time.

The flying Beastie is a fun line from Jamie as it’s the first time that he’s ever seen a plane as they are about two hundred years in his future. Even though it must have been in London, its never specifically revealed which airport this all happens at but lets assume in just a generic airport. When the Doctor tells the others to scatter its only Ben that runs in the opposite direction to the others and it looks like he’s about to be captured by the police officer but somehow manages to escape. The main villains are a group of people who work in the Chameleon hanger at the airport and instantly there is something strange about them. It gets stranger when we see the hand of someone or something. We don’t get to see them due to some rather ingenious camera angles, the best thing we get is the back of its head which concludes the episode.

It takes less that four minutes for things to go a bit wrong as Polly witnesses some get murdered whilst hiding. She manages to escape and thus starts a process of the Doctor and Jamie trying to convince the Commandant that there has been a murder in the hanger. Most of the episode consists of everyone running all over the airport. It’s quite surprising that even in 1966/67 that there wouldn’t have been police swarming over that airport. I liked the Commandant from the very beginning and thought he had the same sort of toughness that Hobson and General Cutler had. He didn’t have time to deal with any of the nonsense that the Doctor has.

The departures of Ben and Polly are put into motion. Sadly their departure is somewhat badly handled and it isn’t helped by the fact they get they kidnapped by the Chameleon tour people. By the end of the episode, Ben has gone and Polly has been brainwashed so she does back the Doctor and Jamie’s story when they try to explain things to the commandant. It’s clear that the friendship between the Doctor and Jamie has taken hold because theres' a bit where the Doctor and Jamie walk away from a hanger and they are followed by Polly and when she gets taken the Doctor and Jamie just carry on walking and they don’t mention the fact she’s gone until their next scene.

This is a good opening episode. The modern day setting helps create an authentic feel to it and makes it feel more real. This is one of those stories that I have always enjoyed in the past and the first episode backs up that fact. Sadly this story is remembered for the poor way that Ben and Polly are used but there are other things to like in this story and they are all to come over the next five episodes.                                       

The Macra Terror - Episode 4

The final part of Ian Stuart Blacks story which I don’t think is as good as his last story ‘The War Machines’. I have sort of lost track of what’s going on which is a slight worry as it’s been a short story. I think that the despite the advantages of not seeing the Macra (not that many people in the story did either).  The purpose of this episode is obvious. It’s to make sure that the Macra are defeated and do it in a way that doesn’t feel rushed or feel like it’s a bit of a cop-out. The thing that has definelty a theme in this story is the mixed balance of humour and drama.

I love the idea of seeing Jamie’s dance. Considering where he came from the idea that he would be dancing is clearly designed as a comedic moment. Frazer Hines does comedy very well and its moments like this that show why he becomes the much loved personality that he does. It’s only his 12^th episode but he feels like a integral part of the show already. There is a moment that made me chuckle but I’m sure that no one else would have found funny is when something will happen in four minutes and Polly and Jamie both ask “Why four minutes?”. Answer is simple and its because there’s only four minutes and forty seconds of the episode left.

I’m not totally sold on the ending as I feel that we should have got a stronger exit. Ok the colonists are happy that they are free from the Macra and the Doctor has saved the day but it just seems that there could have been a better way for the regulars to depart. It’s becoming a regular thing of them just leaving without a goodbye and I think that its going to be a bug-bear of mine. It’s the weakest episode of the story in my ratings that I do with every episode its currently in 28^th place out of 34 stories. Only the Highlanders and the Smugglers have scored lower ratings which seems right as far as I am concerned. It’s not the worst story and there are some good moments in these four episodes but I think that coming off the heels of ‘The Moonbase’ was always going to be a tough act to follow but its fair to say that ‘The Macra Terror’ is an average story.

The Macra Terror - Episode 3

The third part of this episode continues with Ben still under the influence. After the enjoyable previous episode, it was always going to be tough to get two episodes that are similar in excitement and it’s a sad thing to say that despite some perfectly fine performances, it just feels like they are trying to kill time until the final episode. No one seems to have a particularly impressive episode though it’s Michael Craze who has the best time here as he starts off being possessed and slowly becomes unstable as the hold over him disappears. I love the voice that Craze uses to differentiate the possessed Ben against the normal cockney Ben.  Anneke Wills is not very active in this story and apart from a few moments, Patrick Troughton doesn’t exactly have his best episode ever. There was a fun moment when he works something out whereas its taken the locals years to fail. He has to get rid of his working out like a naughty child has to rub out what he’s done.

Something that stands out for me is the music. It’s becoming more and more annoying and the rather lame songs are becoming more and more tiresome. It feels like some naff 1950’s Holiday camp or even the sort of thing that you would hear in ‘Delta and the Bannermen’. Actually that would have improved that story but that’s a long way down the road.

The ending of the episode is rather good or at least it sounds rather good. Due to the narration links by Anneke Wills the thought of the Macra being very active is something that is quite good to think about. However the realities of the situation is that it probably wouldn’t have looked quite as good. I think that they have taken their foot off the gas a bit and this episode doesn’t quite have the impact that there has been with the previous two so in ratings terms it’s the weakest of the three so far.

The Macra Terror - Episode 2

Another day, another Patrick Troughton adventure and another episode where I have to load up iTunes and see whether enough happens in this story to maintain my interest and whether there would be enough to write down here. My track record with audio only episodes doesn’t suggest this but here we go. I think that we should start off with the rather odd cliffhanger resolvement because I was expecting something more than what we got. Also I must have missed something whilst listening to the previous episode because I was surprised when it was made evident that the existence of the Macra is something that is up for debate.

The true nature of the colony is made abundantly clear when they are trying to brainwash them. Only Ben seems to have been affected by it. It’s great seeing Ben like this as its not something that we would expect his character to do. In fact either Ben or Jamie would have worked because Polly wasn’t quite as convincing way back in ‘The War Machines’. In fact it was only now that I realise that the whole companion under the influence of some other force is similar to War Machines which was written by Ian Stuart Black and so he thought that as it worked there so it would work here.

After the light hearted tone of the previous episode we now have the somewhat more dramatic tone of potential brainwashing and a totalitarian style attitude. The main energy of the episode comes from the fact that Ben seems to be working against the Doctor, Polly and Jamie which isn’t something that would happen normally so something is working against them and that is always fun to watch (or in this case listen to). Normally the fact that this doesn’t exist on video would be a source of great frustration however the thing that I have to bear in mind is that there is a good chance the Macra that appears in this episode (and the other two) would look inferior to the CGI one that we would see in the 2007 episode ‘Gridock’. Sometimes less is more and this is definitely one of those cases. I did like this episode and thought that everyone worked really well in it and Michael Craze got to do something substantial during this 25 minutes and it seems that this story is shaping up nicely which isn’t something that I thought I would be saying but there are still two more episodes to go and a lot can happen in 25 minutes.  

On a side note its another short review.

The Macra Terror - Episode 1

This is sadly another story that doesn’t exist at all. It’s the third story to be written by Ian Stuart Black and at the end of the previous episode we got to see a claw and it would have been nice to see what was on the end of the claw but sadly we won’t be able to. What’s odd when listening to this is that the mystery would have been somewhat subdued due to the rather annoying perky music. The music does have a purpose and that is to help create an atmosphere that immediately looks false. I must say that despite the annoying music, the atmosphere feels different to previous stories as there is a sense that the Doctor and friends have stumbled across a potential revolution. The Doctor and company are so preoccupied with getting a makeover, that the claw almost seems to be forgotten apart from a brief mention when they first land. It’s nearly two thirds into the episode before it’s properly mentioned.

As we don’t have any video evidence of what the Macra look like we are left with the pictures and I was looking at the picture whilst listening to Anneke Wills reading the narration that made this cliffhanger somewhat better than it looked on TV. I suppose that there are some benefits to not having things on TV. The setting is somewhat of a thing for me as I felt that it seemed very similar to The Underwater Menace although its probably a darker setting than Atlantis and more grown-up.

Like the Underwater Menace there is a gentle pace to the first episode. It doesn’t rush itself and I quite like that. Even though there is nothing to look at during this episode the story was working enough to keep my attention and I think that all that stuff to do with them getting a makeover was designed purely to pad the episode out a bit and keep things ticking along before the final stages of the episode. I thought that the regulars all performed well and the supporting cast all did well with what wasn’t the greatest set of supporting characters ever devised. I thought that Gertan Klauber as Ola was a particular highlight and think that we will prove to be quite fun to listen to over the next three episodes. A good opening episode and hopefully listening to this story again will elevate my appreciation. But I’m not holding out much hope though.

The Moonbase - Episode 4

The final part of this adventure starts with the image that we could get on audio and that is of an army of Cybermen walking along the moon. The sight of it is great and the music helps to create a wonderful opening impression. This is the first chance we have to look at the new Cybermen in all their glory. I still maintain the first design is the best look but there is something quite charming about the new look which has a nice mouthpiece where it opens when the words are being spoken, it was the only downside to the first design. It’s good that there more than three Cybermen in this story. If this were a Dalek story then it there would be three Daleks and several cut outs.

The Cybermen are quite resourceful as they use someone who is already infected to try and enable them to divert the relief ship from coming to the moon. Even when things go against them they still try and get into the base. The way that they are defeated is quite good as the gravitron is used against them and the effect of floating Cybermen is a rather well done one and it helps that the background is black so you cant see the string that are being used to pull them up.

I like the moment when the Doctor doesn’t do what the others when the Cybermen are about to fire on the dome. It reminds me of the moment when Hartnell’s Doctor stands defiant against a War Machine. It’s the first time that I have felt we have had the true brilliance of Patrick Troughton’s Doctor. At the end of the episode we get to see them all in their spacesuits for the first time and they are quite funny as they do look a bit silly and it just looks a bit cheap. One of the things that I think is a shame is how little the companions have to do. The most that Polly has to do is play charades with Benoit when they are trying to lower the gravitron and Ben and Jamie just have to run around.

The final scene ends with a  claw appearing on screen and this leading to The Macra Terror. It must have been a good cliffhanger at the time but I just cant help but think that it’s a bit lacklustre. It’s quite good to set up a mystery about what that Claw belongs to. As an episode it’s a very good final episode and uses every possible minute to end the story well. The regulars are good and the supporting cast is also very good here. As a four part episode I think it was just as good as I have thought of it in the past. It’s a great follow up adventure for the Cybermen and their status as second most popular villains in Doctor Who is cemented.

The Moonbase - Episode 3

It’s back to the cd for the third episode. After being impressed with the somewhat claustrophobic feel of the studio its back to try and imagine the same feeling on CD. It’s a shame really that we have to go back to the CD after enjoying the visuals from the previous episode.  The previous episode ended with the cure being found and the Cyberman ending up sneaking into the sick bay. It seems like something goods going to happen in the episode but the waiting goes on and on.

This episode is where we actually get to hear a Cyberman talk and it’s quite different from the first time we saw them. I think that the first look was best but actually the voice is much improved. Their involvement is more noticeable during part three and it seems that there are more of them. It’s great how they are quite – dare I say it – evil. Whereas in The Tenth Planet you could argue that they were at least trying to save their planet, whereas this time there isn’t the chance to make the same argument because they just seem pure evil.

The problem with this episode is that there isn’t much that happens really. In the first part of this story it’s the mystery of whats causing the plague and now that’s been solved it seems like there was an awful amount of waiting around for the Cybermen to get themselves sorted. This is the most active that Jamie has been so far. It comes at the time when Ben, Polly and Jamie try and come up with a way of defeating the Cybermen. Patrick Troughton doesn’t have much to do in this episode so its down to the companions to be the active ones and I like how there is the slightly implication that Jamie might fancy Polly and there is also a moment where Ben and Jamie let their testoerome go overboard and it seems like there might be a fight but this all takes place in one scene.

I don’t quite know whats happened but I find myself not really enjoying this episode as much. I think that the problem is that nothing really happens until the final few minutes when the Cybermen march along the surface of the moon. When episode four starts we will see this in all its glory but sadly despite the wonderful narration of Frazer Hines it’s a somewhat ordinary cliffhanger. It’s back to the DVD tomorrow for the final episode and I still maintain that there is something to enjoy about this story and think that all the elements are there for this to be another solid Cyberman story.

The Moonbase - Episode 2

Today marks the 150^th day into my Doctor Who journey. It’s been a bit of a struggle in recent weeks due to the large number of episodes that doesn’t exist on video or iTunes. My enjoyment continues in episode two and this is where the story really gets going. First thing that I notice on the crew of the Moonbase is the diversity of nationalities that work here. Of course it’s a British man that runs the base but at least Hobson treats the other well and they seem to get on with him and it creates a seemingly strong environment. Hobson is unwilling to believe that the Cybermen are back. Hobson is actually better than General Cutler in The Tenth Planet. In TTP, Cutler is unlikeable because he’s more focused on his son getting back to Earth whereas in this story Hobson is concerned about the entire planet. This atmospheric

There are some things that don’t quite work in this episode. Ben and Polly have become a couple of whingers especially Ben. Polly starts of the episode by screaming. Jamie is still forced to have a fever, he gets a few moments  where he is coherent but to be honest it doesn’t amount to very much. His best moment comes when he is zapped by the Cybermen but is left moments after. Another thing are the spacesuits which will probably be a bit of a repetitive comment as we approach the rest of the Troughton era. The Doctor has some moments of comedy when he’s trying to get samples to test. It’s mixed in with quite serious moments which is what is so good about Troughton’s Doctor. He does the best out of the regulars which might not be such as surprising statement. He acts like the Doctor and he plays it perfectly but with a hint of vulnerability. The Doctor gives his brilliant speech about evil fighting against everything they believe in. Its one of the best speeches in Doctor Who. Everytime that I hear it I think it gets better and its delivered in the same way as the speech that William Hartnell gave in ‘Inside the Spaceship’. He get better when we have the fact that he solves the mystery about what’s causing the black lines and the explanation is quite good as it’s the sugar. It explains why it doesn’t affect everyone.

We get a nice model shot which gives us a great impression that this isn’t just a studio (which obviously it is). There is still a wonderful claustrophobic feel to it despite the vastness of the spaceship. The black and white filming lends a bit of atmosphere to it along with everything else.

The cliffhanger is brilliant. They go from being quite happy that they have found the source of the plague but then it turns to tension when it becomes evident that one of the people lying down is in fact a Cybermen. Quite how half a dozen people managed to miss it I’m not quite sure. However it’s a great scene and the music helps to end the episode on a high. It’s a great episode and I’m really glad that it does exist on DVD.

The Moonbase - Episode 1

I start Episode 1 of The Moonbase the day after it was revealed that 9 episodes of Doctor Who had been found in Nigeria. Sadly it isn’t The Moonbase but I’m in a good mood and I have always liked The Moonbase so it’s a good day to be a Doctor Who fan. This is the first appearance of the Cybermen since they appear in William Hartnell’s final adventure. Amazingly that was only two weeks ago. Like that story this is another of those base under siege stories that I enjoy so much. When the story moves to inside the moonbase there is a drama already in motion. It’s not being caused by the Doctor’s involvement but some other influence.

It’s easy to make the argument that this is The Tenth Planet on the moon but that in itself is not a problem. There is a difference and that is the problems that the moonbase is having. There is the illness. We are reminded several times that the Moonbase is very important to the Earth as it controls the weather and when it goes wrong then the effects on Earth are devastating. Due to the increasing number of people collapsing there is a greater sense of tension as it feels like the base is under attack in a slow but calculated way.

The usual trick of keeping a familiar villain out of shot for as long as possible is used here. It’s 18 minutes before we get an indication of the Cybermen. It must have been a surprise in 1967 and they were used well because the temptation would have been to go a bit overboard upon their return but they have popped up at the right time.

Jamie is given the short straw in this episode as he spends the entire episode asleep and rambling due to concussion. It’s a shame really as he seemed to be developing well after the previous four episodes. It means that Patrick Troughton, Anneke Wills and Michael Craze get to do their thing with the regulars and Polly did seem to be playing nurse which is a waste really but the alternative is that she would be filling the screen and doing nothing in the process.

It’s a atmospheric setting opening episode. It does what an opening should do and its got the added bonus of being a base under siege story which I love. The cliffhanger was slightly disappointing as I think that when I stick episode two on the DVD tomorrow this ending might make more sense but as it is this ending is the weakest part of the episode.

The Underwater Menace - Episode 4

Nothing in the world can stop him now…except for the lack of videos.  Before this episode I must say that I just cant find it in myself to dislike this adventure despite some of the problems that there are with it. This is one of those stories that I wish existed in full now that lost episodes have been found (though rumblings suggest this isn’t the case). I think that this episode would have looked quite good. Judging by the sounds that is on this part it seems that this final episode could have been quite the fitting end to the story. The final episode sees Zaroff’s plan of trying to raise Atlantis come to fruition and also the Doctors plan to try and flood the place.

The central performances are all pretty solid. Troughton is a good as he always is (hard to believe this is only his 10^th episode as the Doctor). Anneke Wills and Michael Craze come across as the old pros and at this moment in time they are the longest serving regulars in the TARDIS crew and it shows because they act like they have been doing this for a long time. There’s a lovely moment when Jamie calms Polly down who has just gone a bit hysterical. It’s a moment which I wouldn’t have thought would have happened in the previous story and it shows that the character had well and truly become part of the show.

Aside from the great performances, a major factor as to why I like these four episodes so much is that the story and dialogue has been really good. This was Geoffrey Orme’s only contribution to Doctor Who and it’s a shame really because he’s managed to take a situation like Atlantis and take some silly costumes and yet manage to give a great vibe is a testament to the writer.

The final scene is a rather good one as they seem to quite a happy family and it ends on a good note and a good cliffhanger and as an episode I have enjoyed it despite feeling that it was starting to run out of steam in the middle. But four episodes is the right length and it’s a solid story with good characters and also it shows that the Troughton era has put some new life into Doctor Who and the stuttering start at the beginning of the series is a distant memory.

The Underwater Menace - Episode 3

Ah at last! For the first time since The Tenth Planet Episode 3, I get to put a Doctor Who disc in my DVD player and instantly there’s a problem because it’s a lot of people in wetsuits. Though at least we get to see Patrick Troughton. We also get to see the surrounding that the new TARDIS crew find themselves in and its just nice to see Doctor Who. This episode starts off quite well as The Doctor is about to be beheaded within the first 5 minutes but the way that he gets out of it is quite clever and it allows Ben to do something clever and heroic.

I’ve just noticed that the actor playing Cyril in ‘The Celestial Toymaker’ makes a return here. Also King Thous is a familiar face as he appears in ‘Invasion of the Dinosaurs’. I also recognised Colin Jeavons who plays Damon in this story and played Tim Stamper in the BBC version of House of Cards.

Some of the problems with this story are noticeable in this episode. The fish people are a stupidly named group of people and look just as bad. Credit to the people playing the fish people because they have to give up their dignity to play this stupid role. Then there is the market scene where they are trying to kidnap Zaroff. The music is repetitive and annoying. Though it’s the most crowded scene I think there has been in Doctor Who. It’s hard to take the situation seriously when people are dressed so badly.  It’s one of the few good things about listening to it on CD.

There is a slightly boring scene where the fish people are…. Well I don’t know what they are doing becase its so boring. It lasts for too long and doesn’t really achieve anything. Another silly moment is when Polly becomes a bit dim when she falls for Zaroff’s acting.  One final bit comes at the end when Zaroff is firing a gun and its clear that nothing comes out of it but due to the acting it seems a bit silly really. Despite the things that are wrong with this episode, its hard to actually find anything bad to really say about it. It find myself feeling quite positive towards it. It’s a credit to the performances that I find myself not instantly giving up on it. I know that it’s back to the cd tomorrow and that there is one episode left but it’s shaping up to be a good story.

The Underwater Meance - Episode 2

I was disappointed slightly today as I thought that Episode 2 had been released on DVD already but apparently it won’t be released until 2014. So for the 13^th episode in a row I am having to listen to my CD. It’s clear that Zaroff’s idea of trying to raise Atlantis isn’t necessarily a bad idea but what the Doctor objects to is the harm it will cause. The plan is hard to fault until you realise that Zaroff is barking mad and wants to show off to the rest of the world. Still hard to believe that its 1970 though. I suppose a normal person wouldn’t be focused on that and instead but instead of the two story strands going on.

Unfortunately this is where the silliness of the situation overcomes the seriousness of the previous episode. Thankfully there isn’t that much of it and what we do have instead is a perfectly fine episode which has some perfectly fine performances. It’s a shame still that we cant see it yet but with the news of a great deal of episodes found by the BBC there is hope that these episodes are found because I think that this episode would quite a enjoyable one to see. The central performances are quite good and it seems like they all have good stuff to do and the crowded TARDIS hasn’t affected anyone yet. Troughton has well and truly got the handle on the character and I’m surprised at how quickly it seems that this current TARDIS crew have become so good so quick.

As an episode its quite good but that’s because it manages to continue at the same pace as the previous episode instead of starting from a high point like in previous stories. I still struggle to review these sort of episodes because I have nothing to really look at apart from a couple of telesnaps and I am getting slightly bored of that. Thankfully we have an episode to look at tomorrow.

The Underwater Menace - Episode 1

As I listen to this episode there have been those rumours again that over 100 lost episodes of Doctor Who have been found and so there is a possibility that soon I could actually see this story but for now I will have to put up with the narration from Anneke Willis (as the announcer at the very beginning announces). This is the first episode for Jamie in the TARDIS and his initial reaction to what is going on is a nice relieve after the suspicions that we have had from Ben, Polly and Steven in the past. He doesn’t seem to be the Jamie we know yet but it’s like he’s been left to run free in a sweet shop and he’s a bit unsure of things. This is what happens when you take the boy out of 1749. It’s the most crowded that the TARDIS has been since The Chase when there was Ian, Barbara and Vicki. It’s a question as to whether they are used to right to see whether the TARDIS will be too crowded yet.

Apparently the regulars arrival was expected which was something that happened in ‘The Savages’. Yet this story is better than The Savages (just). The story starts off with them trying to figure out the time was quite fun because Polly bases her assumption on a Mexico Olympics souvenir so assuming that its after 1968. If a story is being set on Atlantis then you would expect it to be in the past not just three years after this story was transmitted.

Zaroff is a character that is one of the few good things about this story. From the moment he is involved in the story he is great. He even has a pet octopus. How much better could you get. Joseph Furst is one of those actors that can chew up the scenery yet still be a great presence on the screen as everyone is taking it serious. Zaroff wants to use his scientific knowledge to help raise Atlantis which is quite an ambitious plan even though he is crazy.

At the end of the episode Polly is about to meet a quite grim end. In those days you wouldn’t know whether a regular would make it and based on what happened to Katarina and Sara, anything is possible. It was an ok opening episode. It does seem that the crowded TARDIS isn’t going to be an issue at the moment because everyone seems to be having enough to do to keep them from looking like a spare part. Tomorrow’s episode is a DVD one yipeeeee. I’ve gotten use to just listening to a story and what this episode has over previous opening episodes is that starts off quietly and not with a bang. By the end of the episode it seems like it has picked up speed and it bodes well for the rest of the series.

 

The Highlanders - Episode 4

Right lets get this final episode out of the way. It seems like an awfully long time ago since that promising opening episode. It’s probably fair to blame the lack of visual for my lack of interest but actually that would exonerate the writers which would be too good for them. The Highlanders is a terrible story though certainly not as bad as other stories I have mentioned previously. Thankfully the episodes in this story are only 25 minutes long because it meant that we are spared anymore torture of a rather tedious historical adventure.
There is nothing more that I could say about this story because there is nothing more than happens. This is the last pure historical adventure until 1982’s Black Orchid so at least there is sometime to go before we go back into this territory. I cant even comment about the regulars (minus Jamie) because I don’t really recall what happened. No one gets a good amount to do in this story and it seems like Patrick Troughton features very little in this but to be honest I don’t recall much and I am not willing to listen to it again.

The final few minutes were the only good things in the episode. The historical stuff had been dealt with and I couldn’t care less about that but it was how they were going to include Jamie on board the TARDIS. It falls to Polly to do the ‘hang on a minute’ thing which is a fair enough thing considering that Frazer Hines hasn’t exactly been used well in the four episodes and if you didn’t know better then you would be totally surprised and somewhat underwhelmed. I love that the only condition the Doctor has for letting Jamie join them is that he teaches him the bagpipes.

It’s interesting to note that at this moment in time, episode four of The Highlanders is ranked 143^rd out 144. Only The Web Planet – Escape to Danger scored a worst rating. Though the ratings have been on a downwards spiral, in terms of stories its currently 29^th out of 31 with The Web Planet and The Myth Makers getting a worst score. It’s a fair result because as much as I have found the last two episode really boring I cant say that I think that the story is worst story. There is enough goodwill from the fact we have a new Doctor that means I just don’t have it in me to be totally down on this story.

The Highlanders - Episode 3

The third episode starts is where any goodwill that I had for this story has well and truly gone because this is another episode where nothing really happens. It’s so lacking in anything resembling a plot that when the cliffhanger did come I was more surprised than engaged with the adventure. I really couldn’t tell you what happened in this episode because it was so lacking in life that it’s really hard to find anything to say. It must be said that it’s not 9 episodes without seeing an episode. There are some good things to like about this story/episode and it’s that the regulars are settling in well. I think that Patrick Troughton does come across as the Doctor. Even Anneke Wills and Michael Craze seem to do well in this episode but Anneke Wills has gone backwards after the impressive episode we got last time. Jamie is the biggest disappointment in this episode as he should really be more involved in the story than he is considering he’s about to join the TARDIS. Even the supporting cast don’t really seem to be doing much and despite a bit of interest about Ben being sold into slavery it seems like Gerry Davis is just counting down the minutes to the final episode.

I have struggled in recent days to find something substantial to write because without being able to see it it becomes hard to get really involved in the story but what makes it harder is that it’s a historical and its becoming more obvious that historicals are somewhat dull and its easy to see why they were fazed out. Episode three is arguably the worst episode of the Troughton era so far and of series four.

The Highlanders - Episode 2

The second part of this historical adventure is where it goes off the rails a bit. It’s a bit deceptive because when it starts it does so quite well. Unusually the episode starts with Polly and she gets a nice chunk of the action. I’ve commented on the fact that it seems the Doctor and Ben have been in the limelight and I’ve been worried that Polly is going to be the new Vicki or Susan. Jamie, Ben and the Doctor take a back seat in the early part and its good how after several episodes of being on the side-lines, she finally gets to be entertaining. It’s not just a small 5 minute bit of fluff but actually shows the character in a positive light. The Doctor seems to having a whale of a time with his hysterical German accent.  But apart from that he has a somewhat light episode.

This is the ninth episode in a row now that is missing from the archives. Thought I should provide a counter just in case you had lost count. As you can imagine I am waffling because it’s a bit hard to get excited when there isn’t much to get excited about.

Despite the positive start to the episode, it goes a bit dull in the last half. It’s quickly turned into a rather dull historical story which is a shame considering how much I enjoyed the first episode but whilst nothing of any note happens its far from being a disaster. It’s certainly not as bad as any of the Myth Maker episodes or even The Web Planet but that is more to do with the central characters and Jamie (not ready to call him a regular yet).

The Highlanders - Episode 1

The Highlanders is the first story to feature James Robert McCrimmon. A character that would stay with the show until the final episode in Patrick Troughton’s era. Sadly the Highlanders is a historical adventure and its not a part of history that I’m aware of. The initial scene where Jamie first meets the Doctor, Ben and Polly is quite an interesting one. When you think about the friendship between Jamie and the Doctor and to a lesser extent with Ben and Polly, this scene doesn’t seem quite right but its suitable to this early part of the episode. The story moves along at a good pace and the inevitable happens and the Doctor is confused as a Doctor which is the second time in a row that he’s been taken for someone else.

In his first episode, Frazer Hines has somewhat of a understated debut. Hines’ contract was for three more serials yet the emphasis on the story isn’t on Jamie. In his first scene he is almost unlikeable which shows what a turnaround the character achieves in future stories. I do think that Anneke Wills and Michael Craze start off quite well in this episode but then they seem to fade into the background. Unusually I found the supporting characters to be quite interesting which hasn’t happened often in a historical story. I think that as the history is done in somewhat of an interesting manner, it means that the characters and the story are used well.

I hate to admit it but this four part adventure might not be as bad as I first thought. I still have reservations about historical story bit I think that its this sort of story (in other words a non Dalek story) that will determine whether the show will work and its looking good. The fact that this is yet another full story that doesn’t exist on video is a sad thing to think of. By the end of this story, out of 10 episodes so far to feature Troughton as the Doctor, no episodes exist. Shocking really. Patrick Troughton has bedded down in the character and the comedic side to it has been somewhat watered down.

The Power of the Daleks: Episode 6

The final episode is where the Daleks finally get their master plan underway. It may not be quite a master plan but it’s a pretty close second. Due to the Daleks, I had almost forgotten about the rebels and the colonists. The previous five episodes have been slowly building up to what the Daleks are doing that its felt like the colonists have been a distraction to the whole thing. It gets dealt with in a satisfactory manner but I would be lying if I said that I cared about them. I know I keep going on about him but I think that Lesterson is a great character in this story and in a scene that he with the Doctor he talks like he has genuinely lost his mind.

In this episode we finally get a bit of what the Daleks do so well. By that I mean exterminating people without bias or thought. They aren’t doing what they normally do which is invade a place because they are trying to just survive and so that is why it’s one of the best Dalek stories because they are being used in a good and effective way.

Valmar is an annoying character. It’s the first and only time that I’ve noticed him and he has still managed to annoy me. After the Daleks have been defeated, all he’s worried about the power. Like Ben says, its not like they should have had bunting or a huge party but something a bit more than what Valmar did. This sums up what I think of the colonists. The ending of the story came at just the right time and it felt like the story wasn’t being padded which is surprising considering it’s a six part adventure.

The thing that has been consistent in this entire story is that it ends on a brilliant cliffhanger. This episode is now exception. The Dalek lifting its eyestalk was a brilliant way to end the episode. It’s a nice little reminder that the Daleks are never really defeated and that they would be back soon. It’s also a nice sign about the show that the show will survive. Six episodes since we last saw William Hartnell and despite a few wobbles in certain areas, the show looks like it’s been given a new lease of life by doing the extremely risky thing of changing the lead actor.

I’ve been listening to the Anneke Wills narrated version of this story and I haven’t commented on just how good Wills is whilst reading the links. Being a fan of hers during her Companion Chronicle readings, she reads it wonderfully and when the situation calls for its changes her style and helps build the tension. This episode has been quite an action packed one and it is the thing that makes it even more frustrating that the episode is lost.

As a six part adventure it  does its job very well. It introduces Patrick Troughton and he’s passed the ultimate test and defeated the Daleks in a manner that William Hartnell would do. It would have been better as a four part adventure but it is what it is and there have been some instances where it has quite worked and I include the use of Ben and Polly but apart from that it’s a fine story and Patrick Troughton IS the Doctor.

The Power of the Daleks - Episode 5

The penultimate episode of this story starts with the Daleks being made in great numbers and it’s a great start to the episode. It’s made even better when Lesterson starts getting worried and emotional. He ends by being very hysterical and it’s at this moment that he realises just what a fool he has been. It’s quite impressive how far Lesterson has fallen since the early episodes. Sadly shortly after the episode has got going, it starts to stagger a bit. It’s a shame really but it’s inevitable with six part stories and it’s easy to see why this is the first six parter since ‘The Chase’ in 1965. Quite why they chose to do a six part adventure at this crucial time is a mystery to me.

There are some good moments apart from the very start of the episode. Such as when the Daleks talk about being servants they don’t say it in quite the same way. It’s clear that they are acting and doing it badly. It’s quite fun to see how the Daleks are acting. It’s the most creative what that they have been used for some time and its interesting that its not Terry Nation that has written this story. Yes the supporting characters story isn’t quite as interesting as it would have been had Nation’s name been used as the writer but its how the Daleks are used that’s what has been the best thing about this story. Not much mention of the regulars so far and that’s because in my mind they haven’t really been much to write about.

There is another cracking cliffhanger which involves the Daleks ranting which is becoming a regular theme in these episodes. The thing is that the plot is starting to run out of pace but luckily it’s just happening at the right time but it seems like the Daleks now are the only good point. It’s the weakest episode of the story so far but as a story its still got some good points and at least the quality is better than it was towards the end of the Hartnell era. The final episode should hopefully end the story on a high note.