The War Machines - Episode 1

The War Machines is the final story to feature Jackie Lane and thus starts the era of awkward exit for companions.  The story was written by Ian Stuart Black who’s previous work had only finished airing seven days before this episode was transmitted.  The DVD lists that he wrote this based on an idea by Kit Pedlar. I’m never quite sure why they do this. Why didn’t Kit Pedlar write the whole story? Why did ISB have to do it? I suppose that unless it’s been answered somewhere else that we will never know. This episode also introduces Anneke Wills and Michael Craze as Polly and Ben respectively. The episode starts off in a weird fashion with a title sequence that we haven’t seen in Doctor Who before, its very 1960’s and when that’s done the story starts off with the arrival of the TARDIS on modern day earth. The story likes to use the newly built Post Office Tower as a part of the story. The story deals with what is in effect a super computer, one that connects to other computers around the world which is pretty much what we have now. In 1966 it must have been something that seemed like 100 years away whereas in less than half that time this idea became a reality (but without evil computers). It’s never really explained what created the evil aspect of WOTAN and why it wants to overthrow humanity. It’s a shame really as it would have given a bit more to the story.

There’s a lovely opening scene with Dodo and the Doctor where they notice the PO Tower and the Doctor talks about the same prickly sensation that he experienced when he first met the Daleks which obviously confuses Dodo.  Polly is introduced in rather a dull way. She is purely introduced as a secretary and judging by the cheeky way she interacts with Professor Brett its clear that this isn’t the line of work that she’s suited to. When the story shifts to the Inferno which is apparently the hippest place in town, we are introduced to Ben who comes across as a rather sad and downbeat person. Ben is a sailor who’s a bit glum because he’s got to spend 6 months away from the sea. Ben is clearly the one who takes the mantle of action hero/tough guy from Peter Purves. Within minutes of being introduced he’s gone from being a sad person to a gentleman.

The groundwork for Dodo’s exit is started quite early when its clear that her interaction with WOTAN has had a difficult effect on her. It leads to her spending most of the episode is spent by her having headaches and quite quickly she is taken over properly by WOTAN. In fact lots of people seem to be taken over by WOTAN which is quite impressive considering its just a computer with a silly W on the front. Professor Brett, Dodo and Major Green are the first three to be hypnotised. The final scene where the hypnotised are gathered and we hear the voice of WOTAN. It’s a well created voice but I think that they could probably have done something that was slightly more audible and easier to understand.

It’s a very good opening episode. It’s nice to have a story set on modern day Earth where they don’t immediately get into trouble. All the building blocks are in place and its great how it doesn’t seem obvious from this episode that Ben and Polly are about to becomes permanent additions to the TARDIS. There has been something about this story that I have liked and I think that the modern day setting is what is making this one of my favourite stories of the third season.

The Savages - Episode 4

The final episode of The Savages is where hopefully it ends in a satisfactory manner and also does the same in giving Peter Purves a satisfactory ending. The episode starts off with Dodo and Steven being choked by smoke and its quickly resolves. The episode allows Steven to show his leadership skills without even really knowing it. I really liked this episode as I thought that it tied up all the loose ends and does it well. When the Doctor was having his life forced drained from him it turns out that Jano got more than he bargained for and I thought that it was a clever spin on what looked like a rather normal plot point. The story builds up to the inevitable moment where the bad guys are taken down a peg or two and the good guys are victorious. The moment where things get smashed up by the locals is a moment which I think would have looked good on TV.

The moment that Steven is picked to be the leader is a curious one. The fact that he Doctor is pretty much pushing Steven into this position of leadership is something that wouldn’t have happened with Ian and it shows how far the Doctor has come since the very first episode. The departure is quite sad as I have grown to like Steven and thought that Peter Purves has done the role and the show proud and he has been a very good part of the show. Even Jackie Lane was quite emotional in this scene and it made Peter Purves final scene even stronger.

It’s a shame that Peter Purves final story doesn’t exist on video but as a four part story its half a good story and half an ok story. I think that the characters were all quite good but it was Jano that stood out for me and after the initial interest the story seemed to settle down and it was only in the final episode that it picked up. The Savages certainly continues the upward trend that the quality of stories are taking in this third series. Just when things are getting good, they get better with the next story seeing another departure and

The Savages - Episode 3

The third part of this story picks up from the life force being sucked out of him and it seems like William Hartnell is going to feature in this episode less than he had done. This is a tad bit frustrating as he seemed to be more involved like he had been in previous stories. In fact as a result of this being on audio you wouldn’t know that he had actually been in the episode. The story meanders along quite well but it isn’t until Jano wakes up after having some of the Doctor’s life energy and starts to mimic Hartnell. It’s a great impression of him and I almost wish that it had carried on a bit more. The episode allows Peter Purves to lead the story and moves things along which is what he has been doing for several episodes now. However due to the fact that this is his final adventure it seems to take on a new meaning and its shows what a good leader he has been to the show and what a good leader he will become. Peter Purves puts in a solid performance whilst Jackie Lane seemed to give a rather mediocre performance.

In terms of plot its safe to say that its not a particularly strong one as it seems to lose some of its pace which is a shame after the previous two episodes. I don’t know why but I just found myself being less interested in the situations featuring the locals. I just wish at times like this that the whole thing or at least a snippet of it existed on video so that we could get a sense of what a good story this appears to be. However the fact that its on audio does mean that my enthusiasm is somewhat reduced.

The Doctor is motionless when Dodo and Steven try and rescue him and its quite a nice image to think that whilst Dodo and Steven are choking to death the Doctor is something that would have looked quite good on tv because the Doctor is someone who wouldn’t let any harm come to his friends so it’s a great way to end the episode. I think that half the episode is perfectly fine and its only the latter part that makes the episode any good.

The Savages - Episode 2

The next episode starts of with a quite a creepy opening as there is a strange figure coming towards Dodo. Sadly its not as bad as it seems as the stranger just goes past her. The improvement of Dodo continues in this episode with Dodo being very feisty towards people around her. It shows what can be done with the character when there is the right story and setting. Despite knowing that this is Peter Purves’ final story it seems at the moment that he’s going to get one of those surprise exits that come out of the blue. The Doctor is the one that explains what is going on and that is the locals are trying to suck the life-force out of people. It’s a pretty good plot point.

With the story not being on video, it’s down to important stuff like music to help the story and it definelty works here as its quite effective. The performances from everyone are all pretty good and even though the story does seem to lack something even though it moves along at a pretty good pace. It’s the most the William Hartnell has been used in a story for sometime after weeks of Peter Purves doing most of the story. Though due to the fact that the Doctor falls victim to the life-sucker device thing. It’s this that forms the cliffhanger and its good that the Doctor does something in this episode because at the beginning it seemed like he was just going to get an easy ride like in The Celestial Toymaker.

This is a good episode but only cause things move along at a pace that you don’t really realise until the end that not very much has happened. It’s a good trick by ISB and the story does seem slightly better than I remember it so I’m looking forward to the remaining two episodes.

The Savages - Episode 1

This is the first time that a Doctor Who story hasn’t had its own episode title, we just get episode 1. It’s also the final story to feature Peter Purves who leaves at the end of the story and this is another story which doesn’t exist on video at all so its back to the audios for the next four episodes. The story is the first to be written by Ian Stuart Black and sees the Doctor, Steven and Dodo arrive on a planet which is supposed to be idyllic but even if you ignore the title, its clear that its anything but. The thing that I’ve noticed from the telesnaps is that it is filmed on location and it would have been the most significant location filming since ‘The Dalek Invasion of Earth’.

It’s something that I never thought I would be sad to see but its nice when the episode has a name as it gives the episode an identity in the story. Whereas just calling it ‘Episode 1’ or ‘Episode 2’ removes any identity about it which is a shame really but a title doesn’t make an episode. What does make the story is the actual idea of a peaceful planet that doesn’t quite turn out like that. It’s strange that the residents seem to have anticipated the Doctor’s arrival. The story starts off quite interesting and despite losing a bit of a mystery there is something about this story which I have never really noticed before. It’s a shame that this story doesn’t exist on video because judging by the telesnaps this story visually is quite stunning.

I think that this story has the potential to be a good story but its one of those that in the past I haven’t thought of highly but theres a good chance that things will change and if its done right then Steven will get the departure that he deserves. Even stood out in this episode from the very beginning and even Dodo managed to not be as annoying and there is something quite good about her being in a situation which isn’t as warming and cheery as The Gunfighters or The Ark and so it seems like she has finally found the tone of story which enables her character to be less annoying.

I am looking forward to the rest of the episode and as the third season draws to a close its seems that after the lacklustre start, the series has finally found its feet.

The Gunfighters - The OK Corral

The final episode of this story starts off with the Doctor becoming a deputy sheriff. We then have lots and lots of singing narration which seems to have undone all the good work from the previous episodes. The whole episode is cantered around a shootout. Though its quite impressive how Donald Cotton had managed to string it out for as long as he did.

The build up to the shootout was quite enjoyable and once we got to the shootout itself it was a curious mix of enjoyment and confusion. I mention confusion because it seems like a lot of bullets were fired but no one seemed to go down until Johnny Ringo met his maker at the hands of Doc Holiday. It lasted for several minutes and once Ringo went down, everyone went down and before too long it was all over and Doc Holiday and Kate walked off into the sunset. it wasn't the ending that the Doctor wanted and it was good how he was tempted to change history but knew his own rules. Being a historical adventure it was never going to be wrapped up in a nice bow and I think that it was the only way that things could have ended.

When we get to the final scene we have a nice tight three shot where the Doctor, Dod and Steven are in the TARDIS where the Doctor discuses where they have landed and he uses three words that spell doom in the next story. Peace and Prosperity are the words used and that should have sent alarm bells ringing for Steven and Dodo. As an episode it's rather good as it did what it needed to do in terms of telling drama even though it takes some liberties in what the characters do and how they end up. As a story its not improved as much as previous stories but I didn't mind it tha much.  Thought that the music was an irritation which I could have done without but I thought that the characters were all well played and I must day that the production crew should be applauded for doing a western on a limited budget and whereas in the past an ambitious set would have failed (like the Web Planet), I thought tha due to some clever camera angles and authentic sets they manage to get it to work. 

The Gunfighters - Johnny Ringo

Despite the tone of the story having gone up a bit we still have put up with more singing. We have the prospect of Steven being hanged which is the closest I think they come to putting a regular in serious peril. The opening part of this episode is a nice little stalemate with guns and its only thanks to the dopey looking barman that Steven doesn't meet a sticky end. It's a solid opening five or six minutes.

There are some cracking bits of dialogue which I haven't noticed in the previous two episodes. My favourite line comes from the barman when he says "The next extractions gonna be a tooth". There are some good camera shots which is where Rex Tucker deserves credit because being in a studio its difficult to make this western look interesting. Despite not being a 100% fan of the barman it was a bit of a shame that he got shot because he could have just hidden under the bar and stayed there.

The Johnny Ringo of the piece is well cast and he seems the perfect person to go up against Doc Holiday. Whilst its clear that Donald Cotton has taken dramatic licence with the story, it means that the characters are larger than life and that helps move the story along because without them then the adventure would just grind to a halt. Doc Holiday and Wyatt Earp are still two of my favourite characters. Even Dodo is used well in this story but that might be to do with that she was with Doc Holiday.

All in all this was another good episode with a few weak moments kept to a minimum. The story isn't going to be a classic and I don't think it's better than I had thought of it in the past but its still got some good characters and the have managed to pull off a western on a BBC budget but it wouldn't be until the new era tha we would see a western done well.

The Gunfighters - Dont Shoot the Pianist

The next episode starts off with the stupid singing of the last chance saloon. There is a look that Steven gives that mplies that he is sick of singing it Not often does the actor match the view of the viewer. The episode picks up when William Hartnell enters the saloon and says that he would be happy with a glass of milk. The locals still think that the Doctor is Doc Holiday and its fun when he finally realises the confusion. After the chuckle I got from the milk line, the fact that he shot someone (accidentally) was another funny sight.

As the Doctor is trying to explain the truth he keeps getting cut off by various people and its somewhat frustrating because I feel like they are just trying to kill time. Having said that Donald Cotton has done a better job of at least looking like he knows where the story is heading. Dodo is being kept to one sode b Doc Holiday and the Doctor is behind bars because they still think that he is Doc Holiday. The singing has become tolerable during this episode but I still think that the storycould benefit a little from not having it playing every couple of minutes.

The central performances have discarded the silly playing up of their surroundings and get stuck into the stor and all do a good job but frankly they don't really have much to do so I think that its the supporting performances that are noticeable. Anthony Jacobs is very good as Doc Holiday. There is a sense of slimeyness about him and I think that's what I like about his performance. John Alderson continues to impress as Wyatt Earp. Every time that he is on screen he is very good.

This was a much better episode than the first. I still don't think my opinion of the whole story will change over the course of the four episodes but at least the quality has gone up instead of down but its not difficult to go up when our at the bottom. The ending of the episode was quite good as the rabble are about to hang the Doctor and Doc Holiday is trying to get out of town with Dodo. It's quite a dramatic ending though its ruined by the singing but I think that at least we get a funny look of Willam Hartnell due see us out of the episode.

The Gunfighters - A Holiday for the Doctor

From the moment that the theme music ends I can feel my toe curling. The Gunfighters is when Doctor Who meets the Western genre. It's another instance if the shows ambitions hitting reality. Would the show be able to pull off a western stor on a tiny BBC budget? The story starts to go downhill when Steven and Dodo get into their Western gear. Purves feels the need to do a terrible accent. The first scene when they are dressed up its only saved by Wyatt Earp. It's surprising that Peter Purves does this as when he first appeared in The Chase he did a rather good American accent. When he has to sing he does it quite well though its slightly undermined by Jackie Lane's exaggerated piano playing.

Sadly when you try and get past the cringy singing and accents, there isnt a great deal that happens during this opening 25 minutes. Theres a lot of people waiting and then Dodo and Steven start singing and playing. The characters in this episode are the only thing worth watching as the Doctor spends most of the episode in pain and its not long before he gets confused for Doc Holiday. Doc Holiday is well played by Anthony Jacobs and the character is instantly likeable though he not meant to be likeable. 

I had hopes that after getting a new appreciation of The Ark and The Celestial Toymaker that I would see a new side to this story but sadly that isn't going to happen. Apart from John Alderson as Wyatt Earp and Anthony Jacobs as Doc Holiday, the story is excruciatingly bad and I'm trying to decide whether its so bad that its good. Only time will tell I suppose but I'm safe in thinking that the chances are slim that I will be seeing a new side to this story.

The Celestial Toymaker - The Final Test

The final part of this story is the only thing of this story that exists on DVD and its nice to see how creative this story could have been. The first thing that I noticed is that Cyril bears an uncanny resemblance to Captain Mainwaring from Dads Army. The game that Dodo, Steven and Cyril have to play is quite good now that we get to see it as its clear the Steven and Dodo will have a challenge to defeat Cyril. However what I like it that Cyril gets caught out by his own trap when he puts some slippery stuff on the square.

Like previous episodes we get a little bit of the Toymaker and the mute Doctor. I still don't fully understand the point of the Doctors game and think that its even stranger when the Toymaker is shouting for the moves to race ahead. Its not long before William Hartnell's voice makes a welcome return. It's not until the penultimate move before we get to see William Hartnell. We finally get a bit more of the Toymaker, after three episodes we get the right amount of Michael Gough and we get to see what a great performer he is.

Now it might seem like once the Doctor wins his game and Dodo and Steven win their game then that would be it but what I like about this episode is that there is a final plot twist. If the Doctor makes his final move then the TARDIS will be destroyed and so there is a wonderful bit of stalemate. Thanks to Steven the Doctor works out how to foil the Toymaker and its a clever way. Certainly makes up for the parlour games that we have had to endure over the last couple of episodes. The whole thing is played out well enough and it doesn't require any music and instead relies on the direction and also the performances.

The final scene is a nice explanation as to how they were able to defeat the Toymaker and it again took Steven to do the explaining because William Hartnell didn't exactly do a great job himself. Whereas Steven had a positive effect on the story, Dodo had the opposite because its due to her offering the Doctor a sweet that led to his discomfort. Sadly the discomfort will be on the viewer because The Gunfighters is next but if anything has been shown, its that my opinion could be changed but after two stories would it be three in a row? Only time will tell.

It's difficult to compare this episode in relation to the previous episodes because this is the only one that exists on DVD. However I think that its a good episode where things are tied up nicely and we got more of the Doctor and the Toymaker which made up for the lack of both in previous episodes. As a four part adventure, the story should be credited for being quite creative. I have appreciated this more than I have done in the past and think that it should be watched/listened to again because there are some good moments.

The Celestial Toymaker - The Dancing Floor

The episode starts off yet again with the Toymaker talking to a silent and invisible Doctor and this means that this is another episode where Peter Purves and Jackie Lane are left in charge of moving the story forward. There is another game that Steven and Dodo have to find a key to a door. Luckily they manage to get through the game with no problem and its not until the end before Cyril is teasingly introduced to us.

This was the first time in the story where I began to lose and bit of interest in the story. The early part of this story was more comedic than it had been and despite the setting being as it is, I thought it just didn't serve any good to the story. It just seems like padding of the worst kind. Like the previous episode I would have liked more of the Toymaker and again we get very little. We also get nothing of William Hartnell. It's the first time since the third episode of The Dalek Invasion of Earth where we haven't had a single shot of Hartnell. 

There seems to be a moment where Dodo and Steven are dancing in a manner that won't win them an fans on Strictly Come Dancing. It would have been nice to see this but sadly we can't. The problem with the whole episode is that it does feel like they were just hovering in terms of plot progression. Unfortunatley as best as they try Peter Purves does struggle in this though he is the best thing in it.

To be honest I'm struggling for things to say so I'm just going to cut it short this time and look towards the final episode which thankfully exists on video and it will hopefully have more movement than this one and also will have William Hartnell will finally make an appearance.

The Celestial Toymaker - The Hall of Dolls

The second part of this story starts off with Dodo and Steven before quickly returning to the Doctor and the Toymaker and instantly the Toymaker becomes just as menacing as he was in the previous episode.  Its good that at least we can see that the Doctor can see how Dodo and Steven are getting on. Now the Doctor is mute as well as invisible and this immediately reduces William Hartnell's involvement in the episode. As Peter Purves is such a strong on screen presence it means that I don't mind as much, sadly Jackie Lane is becoming annoying in this story and whilst she's given more to do that in The Ark, the way that she acts is somewhat annoying.

The games that Dodo and Steven have to play would look great on TV but sadly on audio we are just left with just hearing this and it lacks an kind of fun for me. The costumes would also have been fun look at. Like the Toymaker, the supporting characters have the same level of creepiness and even though they don't get aggressive they work for the Toymaker so they can be just as dangerous. Theonly thing that I wish the would have changed and that is to involve the Toymaker more. Michael Gough gets two small scenes and he's great in both but his involvement in the story should have been greater.

As he is effectively the lead in this episode, Peter Purves gives a great performance and whilst Indont think he has the suave and sophistication that William Russell had as Ian, I think that Peter Purves has done well with the character and Steven is quite methodical and logical throughout the episode. The supporting characters are quite entertaining with Cyril being the highlight. The only time Dodo gets something good to do is when she sits on the wrong chair and starts to freeze and this would have looked good n TV but its a moment hat doesn't seem to last very long and it would have been a great cliffhanger. 

Like in the previous episode there is a moment where Dodo thinks that they have come across the TARDIS but it turns out to be the wrong one and we get another riddle from the Toymaker which leads them to the next game. This is then how the episode ends which I thought was a surprise. Not the way they chose to end it but just the fact that the whole episode had been moving along quite nicely it is making me re-evaluate the story. It's not a classic but it still a lot better than I remember. 

The Celestial Toymaker - The Celestial Toyroom

It's back to the CDs after enjoying the DVDs and its back to the Peter Purves narrated story. This is the firs story to be produced by Innes Lloyd after John Wiles departed from the show after just 24 episodes having taken over from Verity Lambert at the start of The Myth Makers. This story is memorable for the fact that it was intended  for William Hartnell to become invisible and return as someone else but this got nixed. 

The premise of the stor is quite simple. The Doctor has to win his game and Dodo and Steven have to win their games. However it is never that simple and that's what is going to determine whether the stor will work. If the regulars don't win then they become part of the Toymakers toy room. The Doctors game is more interesting because he has to play the trilogic game and do it in exactly the right number of moves. There is no way that I could play that game so it would be interesting to know if William Hartnell could follow it. The games that Steven and Dodo have to play seem more childish and it seems that the story is focusing more on Peter Purves and Jackie Lane than Wlliam Hartnell. Every so often the story goes back to the Doctor and the Toymaker to give the companions and breather.

The Toymaker is played by Michael Gough who would return in Arc of Infinity. From the moment that he appears he is instantly unsettling. It's a great performance from him. He never raises his voice and never becomes aggressive yet he is an effective villain and its easy to see why he has become so interesting to fans over the years. The central performances are quite good with Jackie Lane being given more to do which makes a change from the previous four episodes. Though whilst the stuff between Jackie and Peter is good I just wanted to see more of the Doctor and the Toymaker and its one of the things that is wrong with this story. More Doctor and less Dodo.

Like most episode that don't exist on video anymore, this story suffers from a lack of visual. Judging by the telesnaps this would have looked good on video (though episode four does exist on DVD) though the story is interesting enough to keep my interest and its a fairly good episode. Not sure how I'm going to find the next episodes but I think that as my opinion of The Ark has changed then this story might have a different effect on me.

The Ark - The Bomb

The final part of this story starts with the idea that the Doctor and Dodo might have to stay on refusis. This episode sees the Monoids about to land on refusis and its not long into the episode before we are reminded that the Monoid statue has a bomb in it. Its not as simple as that with there being the small matter of a coup in the Monoid camp and also the guardians trying to find the bomb. It's quite good how the viewer knows where the bomb is yet everyone in the story has no clue.

Its good how he Monoids turn on each other as it shows that they are just as another race is suseptical to this form of action. It's fun to watch and helps keep the action going for a few more minutes. Thereis a classic stor trait of someone who has betrayed their own kind gets killed b the people they worked for. It's not long before they are killed and the focus of the story shifts to getting back to the Ark and stopping the bomb.

When the story comes close to the end there's a moral message about how the guardians should be more respectful to the Monoids and vice versa. It's rare that the moral messages is so blatant like it is in this story. The story gets wrapped up quite well and it feels like its ended at just the right moment.

Despite being stuck with the guardians, Steven still tries to work out a way of getting free. He is helped by the fact that he doesn't have to put up with Dodo. William Hartnell has to work along side her and despite this he does put in a good performance. I'm perhaps being harsh to Jackie Lane because she's reduced to a background role in this episode. It's clear that the production seem to be regretting creating the character and that's why she does very little.

The model work doesn't look as good as it did in the previous episodes. the wires are clearly visible and it slightly ruins the effect. The effect of the statue being lifted by the refusion might look a bit cheap and primitive but its quite clever really and when it gets chucked out of the airlock it's done quite well. 

The cliffhanger is a cracker. The Doctor becomes invisible and declares it as a form of attack. It is a great way of leading us into the next story and ends what has been the best final episode of a story that I can remember. As a story it's quite good, its certainly better than I remember and I can't think why I thought any differently. Yes there is a rather cliched moral message and yes the guardians are silly and deserve what they get. However it doesn't detract from my newfound respect for this story.

The Ark - The Return

The second part of this story is potentially where the story takes the next step. They work out that around 700 years have passed since they left and it doesn't take long to see that the guardians are the servants and the Monoids are in charge which is a complete switch of what it was like before. There has been a major development with the Monoids as they can now talk even though the method is somewhat primitive. I think that the head part of the Monoids are well done though there is a moment when one of them has a drink even though there's no clear way as to how this could happen.

When they land on the planet we get to learn that the inhabitants are invisible though its only done in a subtle way and it takes several scenes before they get involved. It's rather disappointing when before the speak the Monoid throws some vases as a way of getting someone's attention. It's rather a childish thing to do and slightly devalues them. Then they foolishly announce their true plans when the guardians can overhear them.

I love the moment when its revealed that even though they found a cure for the cold, the after effects did more harm and that along with various other things helped the Monoids overthrow the guardians. To be honest the guardians were a useless lot so its not such a worrying thing. The Monoids are an effective baddie with 'one' being the best of the bunch. Even the eye looks creepy even though its being moved by the actors tongue.

There is a fun moment when the Doctor appears to be talking to thin air but obviously he's talking to one of the refusions. The refusions seem like a pleasant enough race and have even gone to the trouble of putting up buildings just to make the guardians feel at home. Unlike the guardians, I actually like the refusions because at least they done come across and weak and feeble. Though even though I call the guardians week and feeble, the new ones we meet in this episode are no where near as annoying as the previous lot though that's only because it turns out one of them has become has become a turncoat.

We get more of the model as the capsule lands on the planet. It's good that we get to see it up close instead of on a screen like in a previous episode. It's good that we get to go somewhere different instead of just staying on the ark. Even though its a studio at least its somewhere different and it breathes some new life into the stor and I am enjoying this far more than I was expecting and this was another solid episode that kept me entertained and the final episode should continue this good work. 

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.