I will admit it now, I am one of those young scallywags who has never really been a fan of early Doctor Who – for me, the 1970s was the zenith of the series. However, I have still endeavoured to see all of the episodes of the series that still remain, and as such, I recently viewed 1965s ‘The Time Meddler’ in one sitting. You heard me, I loved it. It was one of the best Hartnell serials, and it is a damn shame that the BBC took so long to release it on video.

The plot itself seems so familiar now, a mysterious figure changing established Earth history for some reason or another. However, I wonder how many television series had dealt with this concept in 1965. Obviously, this concept was used again later in the series, and to somewhat monotonous extent in both the Virgin and BBC novels, but at the time here we have what is constantly referred to as another of those stories full of ‘firsts’. The first pseudo-historical, the first serial to feature another renegade Time Lord, the first to have no ‘Next Episode’ at the end.

Where this story really excels is in its pseudo-historical nature. The set-up is really over three episodes until we learn of the Monk’s true nature in what must be one of the series best-ever cliffhangers. Imagine after two years of watching the series to suddenly learn that there are other TARDISes out there, and this strange monk was in possession of one. Maybe he knew the Doctor, maybe they were of the same race. The Monk’s use of anachronistic objects (seemingly only collected from periods in history prior to 1965, with the exception of his ‘atomic cannon’ which looks suspiciously like a modified WWI-era Vickers machine gun) is a clever way to raise audience interest, in both the nature of Monk and whether or not this really is 1066. 

The other aspect of this story is, of course, the setting and its inherent characters. OK, so the BBC could always do historicals. But only late 19th century ones. As far as the Saxon village was concerned, I thought it was only one hut, until one of the locals referred to it as the ‘village’. The Viking invasion was, of course, really only a scout party, so the complete lack of any horde of invaders is understandable. The monastery was extremely well crafted, although the sets were a bit similar, meaning that it was hard to follow exactly where characters in the building were, relative to each other. In general though, the setting is secondary to the Monk and his interplay with the Doctor.

The Monk was a superb character, and it is a shame his only other contribution to the series has been largely lost. As a character he seems to reside between the Doctor and the Master – compelled to interfere, but not for his own gain – he simply wants to make history ‘better’. His interplay with the Doctor is fascinating, and it remains unclear whether they have met before or whether they simply size each other up relatively quickly. It is interesting to note that the Doctor seems to refer to the Monk as ‘a Time Meddler’ as if this is an established type of time-travelling miscreant. Indeed, the Doctor seems almost guilty of this when his ramblings about upcoming events are overheard by the Saxon Edith. The Monk is a brilliant creation, and it is a shame he has only been explored as a revenge-crazed meddler in the ‘Alternate History’ arc of the New Adventures. A stand-alone novel concerning one of his previous meddlings would be a fascinating read. 

All in all, a classic serial, with all of the elements of a Hartnell-era story and a new twist to Doctor Who mythology thrown in to boot. Thoroughly recommended.

“Just one small question. Why do you want to blow up the world?”

Most great seasons in television have at least one clanger, and Doctor Who’s near-perfect fourth season is no exception to the rule. Of the nine stories that make up Doctor Who’s fourth run, Geoffrey Orme’s “The Underwater Menace” is the worst, and it’s the worst by a mile. Ironically, the earliest surviving Pat Troughton episode is Episode 3 of this serial – hardly the best showcase for his era. To think that survived the fires when so much wonderful stuff was lost…

To be fair to Troughton, there is nothing wrong with his performance, nor that of any of his companions; quite the opposite in fact - even Frazer Hines makes the best of a bad situation, after his character had been hastily pencilled in at the last minute. The newly regenerated Doctor is very entertaining - the problem is that the story isn’t compelling. Take the first episode for example. The TARDIS lands on an extinct volcanic rock surrounded by sea, circa 1970. It turns out to be the lost Kingdom of Atlantis. Living there, is a mad scientist called Zaroff who, for no apparent reason, wants to blow up the world. Okay, so initially Zaroff claims that he wants to raise Atlantis from the depths of the ocean, but as the story progresses and he descends further and further into madness (and Joseph Furst descends further and further into over the top, clichйd acting) it becomes clear that the man has no motive; he’s just completely radio rental. 

If anything, “The Underwater Menace” is reminiscent of James Bond… only crap. We have the Doctor signing notes “Doctor W.” (aaaah!!!), Ben and Jamie sent away to work as slave labour (how original), and worst of all we have the absolute worst cliff-hanger of all time. I mean it; it’s dire.

“Nothing in the world can stop me now!”

It’s so bad in fact, that it is the only good thing about the story. At least you can have a laugh at it!

The Myth Makers' is something of an overlooked story, due to its absence from the archives and its tendency to be overshadowed by the more serious historicals. Hopefully, the release of the soundtrack on CD is increasing its status, for 'The Myth Makers' is very funny.

It is difficult to discuss the production values of a story that is entirely missing, without even any clips (as far as I know) surviving. Nevertheless, the photographic evidence suggests that the sets and costumes are easily up to the same standards as 'The Romans' and 'The Crusade'. The orchestral incidental score is effective too, evoking a suitable sand-and-sandals epic feel. What are really impressive however about this serial are the acting and the script, which are so good that the story makes the transition to audio fairly easy, with only the second half of episode four seriously missing the visuals. The regulars are on their usual fine form, with Peter Purves proving himself to be fairly adept at comedy. The scene in which, as Diomede, he fights and surrenders to Paris, whom he then proceeds to flatter into believing that he is regarded as a legendary warrior by the Greeks, is highly entertaining and you can almost hear Steven's look of innocence. His relationship with the Doctor has by now settled into one of mutual respect, as he confidently informs Vicki that the Doctor will succeed in helping the Greeks into Troy – he clearly doesn't doubt this for one minute. Likewise, the Doctor obviously trusts him to rescue Vicki from Troy before the Greeks attack. Hartnell is again on fine form, paired up for most of the story with the brutal Odysseus who he is forced to help on pain of death. His slightly pompous impersonation of Zeus is priceless, even more so his attempt to maintain dignity when admitting to Odysseus that he is not the father of the Gods. His best bits are undoubtedly those involving his coercion to finding a way into Troy for the Greeks – note the smooth reversal of his attitude to his suggestion of catapulting Greek soldiers over the walls on giant darts once Odysseus suggests that he try it out himself first. His eventual reluctant decision to use a large wooden horse is inevitable, but made amusing by his earlier dismissive attitude to what he describes as an invention of Homer. His first scene outside the TARDIS is also highly amusing, as Achilles notes to the Doctor's indignation that Zeus has chosen to manifest himself as an old beggar. Finally, Vicki copes with the perils of Troy with her usual wide-eyed optimism, endearing herself to Paris, Priam and of course Troilus, despite the hostile intent of the shrill Cassandra. Her leaving scene doesn't work that well on audio, but seems well handled. At first impression, the Doctor's willingness to abandon his teenage companion in a relatively primitive city that is being invaded by the Greeks because she has a crush on someone seems questionable, but she asserts herself well when explaining her decision, reminding us that she has become increasingly independent since 'The Rescue', especially from 'The Space Museum' onwards – if she can survive as a stowaway on a Dalek time machine, she can probably cope with most things. The Doctor makes it clear that he will miss her, but seems to find this departure less traumatic than the departure of Susan (understandably) and Ian and Barbara – perhaps he's growing accustomed to a changing TARDIS crew. Katarina, Vicki's replacement, has obviously been crow-barred into the story at the last minute, and thus gets little time to establish her character. That said the idea of a companion to whom the TARDIS is far more incomprehensible than to a pair of 1960s teachers is potentially interesting. But more on that next time…

The guest cast is uniformly superb, with the ruthless and belligerent but intelligent Odysseus stealing the show. He is a fantastic character, getting the better of the undoubtedly smarter Doctor simply by threatening violence, which is clearly qualified to dispense. Hearing the Doctor seething as he struggles to maintain dignity is highly entertaining; having stood up to the Animus and the Daleks, he's constantly forced to concede in the face of an unsophisticated brute. I'm not condoning violence by any means, but it is quite funny to see the Doctor forced to design the Trojan horse. The Greeks are all immediately recognizable as individual characters, from the indignant and over-important Achilles, to the apathetic Menelaus. The Trojans too are well portrayed, with the wise Priam, the cowardly Paris, and the deliberately over-the-top and screeching Cassandra. The bickering between these three royals is hilarious, especially Paris's disparaging attitude towards his bloodthirsty sister. This really is the strength of 'The Myth Makers' – the dialogue is superb. Whilst 'The Crusade' went for a Shakespearean feel, 'The Myth Makers' imitates this style but send it up. The characters utter pompous and self-aggrandizing announcements, which are always followed by a deflating remark. This is most obvious when we first meet Agamemnon and Menelaus – as the Greek king tries to rouse his brother's spirit by asking him whether he wants Helen back, he is clearly put out to receive the blunt answer "no". Likewise, Achilles's self-important claims of meeting Zeus are met with down-to-Earth cynicism from Odysseus. The best examples though, occur between Cassandra and Paris – the former talks almost exclusively in aggressive portents of doom, only to have the piss taken out of her every time by her brother. As she proclaims "woe to Troy" with suitably Shakespearean grandeur, Paris responds "It's too late to say woah to the horse" - a very silly pun, but a perfect example of not only the obvious humour of the script, but the way in which it mocks the classics in true Life of Brian style. And it is entirely concerned with the classics – whereas its historical predecessors where based, however inaccurately in some cases, around actual historical events, 'The Myth Makers' draws upon The Iliad, The Aeneid, and Troilus and Cressida, for inspiration. The Greeks shown here are not the valiant and noble warriors of Hollywood epics, they are the drunken, murderous rabble of Homer's poems. The climax, like the battles in The Iliad, is brutal, and once the Greeks emerge from the horse, the comedy stops – the Trojans are slaughtered. The description of Priam and his family lying dead in their palace is chilling, given that only minutes before we heard them exchanging witty lines. Steven's wound makes for a somber ending, as the Doctor has no choice but to try and find help wherever the TARDIS lands next. His final scene with Odysseus is in keeping with this change in mood – after being at the Greek's mercy throughout to great comic effect, he finally takes a stand and denies him access to the TARDIS, and so determined and forceful is he that even Odysseus is left wondering if he were Zeus after all. Whilst gritty historical realism might have been slightly uncomfortable juxtaposed with comedy in 'The Reign of Terror', 'The Romans', and 'The Time Meddler', the decision to switch from comedy to gritty realism at the end of 'The Myth Makers' is hugely effective. 

On the whole, 'The Myth Makers' is another successful attempt to do comedy in Doctor Who and another great historical. The change in tone at the end is also well done and leads perfectly into the relentless drama that is to follow...

I always wondered why “The Massacre” was chosen to launch the BBC Radio Collection’s range of ‘lost’ stories on CD. Not only is it pretty awful, but it is completely and utterly dependent on the purely visual ploy of the Doctor and the Abbott of Amboise being almost physically identical! Perhaps the lack of telesnaps make this serial stand out as being ‘more lost’ than most others; in fact, “The Massacre” is one of the few Doctor Who TV serials (alongside “Galaxy 4” and “The Myth Makers”) that I have only been able to enjoy on audio CD.

Lucarotti and Tosh’s script tells an interesting tale set around a historical event that many people (myself included) know little of. The format of the serial is quite refreshing as for most of the story we do not see the Doctor; the story is told entirely from the viewpoint of his companion Steven. Peter Purves does a tremendous job of carrying the story almost single-handedly, so somehow it seems fitting that he should provide the linking narration. As “The Massacre” can now only be listened to, it is through Steven’s dialogue and Purves’ narration that we learn that the Abbott of Amboise is the Doctor’s double, and this works surprisingly well as the audience is unsure as to whether the Doctor really is the Abbott or not. Undoubtedly, on TV this would have been a far more effective gimmick, but thanks to Purves’ quite excellent narration at least the plot can be understood and followed on audio.

“I was right to do as I did… Even after all this time he cannot understand. I dare not change the course of history. Well at least I taught him to take some precautions. He did remember to look at the scanner before he opened the doors…”

I found the final episode to be the best of the four by far. “Bell of Doom” in a way mirrors the events of the earlier historical, “The Aztecs,” as the Doctor’s companion wants to change history. “The TARDIS leaves Paris as the carnage and the slaughter begins…”, and Steven is far from happy. He believes that makeshift companion Anne Chaplet will have been killed in the massacre, and blames the Doctor for not trying to save her, resulting in his decision to leave the TARDIS. As Steven disembarks in Wimbledon Common, we are treated to a rare Hartnell soliloquy (a la “The Dalek Invasion of Earth”) which highlights the more tragic side of the Doctor’s character – not Ian, nor Barbara, Vicki or even his “little Susan” could understand him, and now, like them, Steven has left him. The Doctor is so forlorn that he even contemplates returning to his home world, however, it is not to be as in one of the weirdest companion introductions ever Dodo Chaplet bursts into the TARDIS expecting to find a Policeman, Steven hot on her heels! It seems that Anne Chaplet may have survived after all… unfortunately. 

I say ‘unfortunately’ because I cannot stand Dodo. She’s horrible. She’s stupid. Really, really stupid! It takes her about five minutes to realise that she has wandered into a dimensionally transcendental time machine! “Where’s the telephone? There’s something odd going on here…” she eventually says. When the Doctor suddenly dematerialises the TARDIS, snatching her away from her customary time and place, likely never to return, she doesn’t even care! Steven is more annoyed with the Doctor than she is! I can understand the production team not wanting to re-hash the Ian and Barbara storyline, but this…

At the end of the day, “The Massacre” is certainly no lost classic, and if you never listen to it you aren’t really depriving yourself of a pivotal part of the Doctor Who canon. Generally speaking, I don’t think that the standard of Doctor Who’s (almost extinct) third season is up to the standards of seasons one and two; stories like “The Massacre” and companions like Dodo certainly not doing the show’s third run any favours!

The Massacre is quite possibly the best historical story ever produced for Doctor Who. It certainly is not a children’s programme. It’s heavy. It’s about politics. It’s about the killing of thousands of people and the events leading up to this barbaric ordeal. At the end of Part Three it is quite possible that the Doctor is lying dead in the street.

Put this in perspective: The Daleks’ Master Plan has just ended. Two companions have died. The surface of an entire planet, together with all its inhabitants, however hostile, has been completely devastated and the Doctor and Steven are left upset and in need of escape. Then The Massacre comes along.

So begins a truly terrible few days in Paris in which court intrigue and religious friction result in mass slaughter. Given the bleakness of the programme at this stage it is entirely plausible and probable for an audience to expect the Doctor to come to a similar fate and the Part Three cliff-hanger is easily The Massacre’s defining and most awful moment.

The dialogue is so rich. It is easily listenable and makes for just as good radio drama as it does television, as is proved by the BBC CD release. So many good voices too: Leonard Sachs for God’s sake!

It is the gloomy mood and sense of inevitability that seeps through the drama that makes it work. Every episode comprises a day’s events. Thus every episode is destined to end in darkness and indeed does! Just look at the last bloody instalment!

Even the production’s quietest moments are full of energy. De Coligny’s sad speech at the end of Part Two is so heart-breaking and terrifying. “You, De Coligny will go down in history as the sea beggar…the sea beggar…it’s a title I’d be proud of.” Only the audience and Steven know that the sea beggar is about to be assassinated… It’s a quiet, unsettling and unusual cliff-hanger that really causes great unease.

The horror and barbarism is always felt throughout the story. These quiet moments of solitude are treasures of television as the characters await the inevitable and pure quotations are in abundance. “At dawn tomorrow this city will weep tears of blood.”

The guest cast are uniformly excellent although it is the regulars who steal the show here. Peter Purves’ performances are always dependable but here, given centre stage, he shines! He is positively living the story. A fine, fine performance and certainly Purves’ best. Hartnell on the other hand, despite rumour to the contrary, offers little new in the way of the Abbot. However, this acts as a strength! He is so dangerously close to his performance as the Doctor that the Doctor’s death seems all the more possible. His absence from much of the story is also a masterstroke on the part of whichever writer is responsible for it. It makes the audience believe almost unquestionably that the Abbot is the Doctor!

Perhaps The Massacre’s only failing is its lack of explanation. Unless one has studied the period, one is left to guess at the relationships between some of the characters and often question exactly which denomination they fall into! The viewer actually feels a certain pride however to be made privy to the life of “high” society and that the audience’s intelligence is never insulted makes the result far less alienating. Because the drama feels so well-crafted and the dialogue is so ornate one excuses the lack of explanation, as we feel that the writers certainly know what is going on. It is up to us to look into it, to study it for ourselves. This drama is not about answering these questions but gaining an incite into the lives of those responsible for such horrific atrocities no matter who they are.

All in all, The Massacre is a fabulously constructed (Christ, four days until doom!) and superbly acted, written and designed (probably, looking at the photos). Just when you think things can’t get any blacker they do! That final soliloquy of the Doctor’s (perfectly delivered) is the height of this bleakness and only when Dodo arrives are we brought back into the cosy world of everyone’s favourite Time Lord. No wonder people hate her, for The Massacre is one of the most petrifyingly frightening tales of human horror ever filmed for Doctor who. A truly forgotten classic and a much-missed gem.

It is difficult to imagine, from my perspective, how odd 'Mission to the Unknown' must have seemed to viewers at the time. It doesn't feature the Doctor or his companions, showcasing instead the Daleks, and whilst I am perfectly aware that it serves as a prelude to 'The Daleks' Master Plan', viewers at the time found a historical waiting for them the following week with no announcement to explain where the Daleks had gone. With hindsight, it is thus robbed of some of its impact, but nevertheless remains a gripping little story.

The Daleks are superb here. Whereas their last story made them objects of ridicule, 'Mission to the Unknown' restores them to their former glory. We learn that they are planning to invade the entire galaxy, which neatly continues the progression of the threat that they pose since 'The Mutants', but whilst this announcement from the Dalek Supreme is suitably chilling, it is Mark Cory's terse conclusion that if there the Daleks on Kembel the entire galaxy is threatened that really emphasizes how dangerous and powerful they actually are. Hearing them boast is one thing, but learning of their reputation from others is much more impressive. In addition, we immediately get an impression of their cunning; connoisseurs of Dalek stories past must surely realize that they are unlikely to make allies without planning to double-cross them, but here we see them leading a gathering of alien plotters, which instantly hints at bigger things to come. The Varga plants also serve to emphasize the nasty technology of the Daleks; genetically engineered plants that transform humans into mindless fellow Vargas are an unpleasant concept, not merely killing, but dehumanizing. They also show once more the Daleks' adaptability – having chosen a jungle planet as their base of operations, they employ a defense perfectly suited to this environment, making the jungles of Kembel almost as dangerous as their nearby city. The Planetarians, besides serving to hint at just how big the Daleks' new scheme is, do very little here due to time constraints with only Malpha getting lines. Nevertheless, they leave an impression thanks to some imaginative costume designs, which make them seem immediately just as alien as the Zarbi or the Rills. 

The other main protagonists of 'Mission to the Unknown' are the three humans. With Garvey turning into a Varga plant as the episode begins, it is Cory and Lowery who are left to carry the compact plot, and their tense relationship allows the plot to unfold without seeming like forced exposition – Lowery is clearly first angered by Cory's killing of Garvey and then later terrified by tales of the Daleks, and these emotional responses are a catalyst for Cory's explanations of why he wanted to land on Kembel. Cory himself is every inch the noble but determined hero, who accepts that the lives of himself and Lowery are expendable, so long as Earth can be warned of the Dalek plan. Impressively, de Souza carries off the part whilst managing to make Cory seem resolute, but not inherently callous. 

'Mission to the Unknown' is slightly let down by a rather silly plot device, which is pointed out by The Discontinuity Guide – Cory learns of the Daleks secret plans, because they broadcast them over a loudspeaker system. In addition, there are a couple of hints that Nation doesn't know the difference between the Universe, galaxies, and solar systems. Despite these niggles however, 'Mission to the Unknown' is an effective episode.