The Krotons - Episode 1

The Krotons is a story that I've not been looking forward to. Any story that followed 'The Invasion' was always going to have a problem but this is a story that I have never particularly liked and I've never been able to put my finger on it and so I hope that over the next four episodes I will find out the reason or even like it. This is the first story to be written by the legendary Robert Holmes. Holmes is one of best (if not the best) writer ever in Doctor Who. It's a shame that his first offering is the worst. This episode aired 45 years and one day ago (28 December 1968).  This is also the shortest story since the Season 5 opening story 'The Tomb of the Cybermen'. The legend that is Philip Madoc makes his first TV Doctor Who appearance after featuring in the second Dalek movie.  

 

Jamie actually gets to do a bit of fighting which is something that would have happened regularly when William Russell was in the show. The regulars are perfectly fine in this but its Patrick Troughton who stands out (as he should) and they are given enough to do to pasts the time. This is another story where humans are being controlled by an alien force. This is similar to 'The Dominators' but this is slightly better because the humans here are so wet and feeble. Their costumes are slightly better. The Krotons are a mysterious yet powerful influence who pick the smartest people for something. The voice of the Kroton is voiced by Roy Skelton who voiced Zippy and the Daleks. It's a rather well done voice and makes the Kroton sound quite menacing. The humans are also quite good and its what I wanted the Dulcians to be. The Godons are a race that I find quite likeable and actually care about (which wasn’t the case with the Dulcians). Selris is instantly the best thing in the episode. I wish there was more Philip Madoc but James Copeland is just as fun to watch as Madoc.  

 

I think that despite the episode being filmed mostly in a quarry, the direction of the episode is quite good and its mostly because of the regulars who are working well together. In fact its their dynamic that keeps me interested in the early stages of this story because there is very little going on. It's quite fun that within a short time the Doctor has managed to earn the trust of the Gondos. Normally the Doctor and co would spend the first episode in a cell or being interrogated but this doesn’t happen here and thank goodness for that.  

The cliffhanger was a bit rubbish. It was a shame because I thought that after doing a better than expected job during the first episode, the action seemed to disappear at the moment when it needs to shine and give people a reason to return for the next episode. On the basis of what we got here if this were Christmas 1968 I'm not sure the festiveness would have helped me want to come back.