Planet Of The Daleks: or ‘Terry Nation’s Greatest Hits’.
Old Tel was doing cut-&-paste Dalek tales at this stage - Thals, jungles, lethal plants, invisibility, viruses, underground cities, escapes up a shaft… I’m surprised the Daleks aren’t drilling the planet’s core #DoctorWho
We even get a mention of Ian, Barbara and Susan to really ram it home.
The middle part with the ice-cano and the escape up the ventilation shaft is almost entirely filler, albeit with a great cliffhanger of the Daleks burning through the door (another callback!) #DoctorWho
Funny how in the entire Pertwee era we never see beyond the TARDIS console room. Anyone who started watching here would think that’s all there was to the interior.
Even when he needs a bed to lie on it has to extend from the console room wall. #DoctorWho
Pertwee’s Doctor is particularly bossy and arrogant in this one, constantly barking orders at the Thals.
When he’s snapping at them to empty the frozen Daleks in the lake and get the casings back on land I wanted one of them to snap back “WTF DO YOU THINK I’M DOING?!” #DoctorWho
The Green Death: the most famous ‘Friends-style’ title ever applied to a #DoctorWho story, as it’s “The One with the Maggots!”
The environmental concerns this story raises have only become more relevant with every passing year.
Where did BOSS come from and who built it? (Headcanon: someone made it from leftover bits of Wotan!)
For such a clever computer, it’s clearly unfamiliar with those episodes of Star Trek, The Prisoner, etc, where computers are driven mad by simple logic conundrums. #DoctorWho
So after knowing each other for a matter of days (longer than most #DoctorWho companion romances, to be fair!) Cliff decides he and Jo are getting married, without consulting her(!)
Still, it leads to Jo getting one of the best companion departure scenes ever… 🥲🌅
“There is not a galaxy in the universe that our spacecraft have not subjugated!” boasts Lynx.
An early example of Sontarans coming out with *absolute* bullshit. 😄 #DoctorWho
Invasion Of The Dinosaurs: excellent opening episode, nicely building the mystery of what the hell is going on.
That brief shot of the looter with his bloodied mangled face must be one of the most gory things in #DoctorWho so far.
Of course, as everyone says, this is a fantastic story let down by the overambitious dinosaur FX.
Still hoping there’ll be some sort of CGI replacement when they get round to doing the season 11 box set. #DoctorWho
As the Brig says: “Is everyone in on this conspiracy?”. Seems every single military/government character is, apart from him and Benton!
And crikey, actual character development that shakes up the status quo, as Mike Yates has gone mad. Blame that Metebelis crystal! #DoctorWho
The Daleks have been nicely spruced up for this story, with a new coat of silver paint.
However the jolly jaunty music when they first appear kind of undercuts their impact just a bit… #DoctorWho
Gotta love how they test their new machine gun attachment by shooting at a tiny model TARDIS. 😄
And what’s with that one Dalek who goes completely berserk and blows himself up because he lost his prisoner? Chill out pal. #DoctorWho
The Monster Of Peladon: I’m not sure the world was crying out for a sequel to The Curse Of Peladon but okay. 🤷🏻♂️
I suppose having some of the props and costumes in stock must have made it a cost-saving exercise. #DoctorWho
You’d think by now the Ice Warriors would have a to-do list for whenever they invade anywhere:
1) Find the nearest heating controls.
2) PUT A BLOODY GUARD ON THEM 24/7.
I like Terry Walsh’s cockney guard: “E’s in the frone room wiv the uvvers!”
There’s also the most hilariously obvious example of Walsh doubling for Pertwee in the fight scene in the cave, with his face clearly visible. 😄 #DoctorWho
Gavin Winters
Gaia