Good, overall. A nice little season opener.

Longer version: I do wish RTD would hand over the season kickoff to someone else for a change. I actually quite like RTD's stories (mostly for the dialogue), but he does tend to stuff too much into the 45-minutes he's got, leaving you breathless but a bit dazed and confused at the end.

The story itself is quite fun: Doctor is investigating the hospital by disguising himself as a patient is a nice touch (you'd think he'd pretend to be ... a doctor!), nice intro to Martha and her family (very compact but sufficient, nice one RTD!) and the story begins with only the "Slabs" making the thing look amateur. VERY amateur. ALARMINGLY amateur, actually. I swear I've seen -- wait, BEEN IN -- at least one fan vid with the exact same costume for a henchman!

The hospital taking off was nicely done, the moon shots were superb and the story picks up nicely from there. Ann Reid was a little charming nugget of old Avenger-y, Doctor Who-y goodness and I just loved her. Lovely to see old Roy Marsden as well, first time in Doctor Who I think though I can just dimly recall his name being bandied for the lead part itself during the Tom Baker era.

But as with any RTD script, there's a fair amount of indulgence and ridiculousness (and yes, I accept that the universe of Doctor Who has these things). The Slabs were just plain poorly done (a little digital touching-up would have made all the difference, but not explained why nobody in the post-terrorism world would have acted like they didn't see them), the whole radiation-in-the-foot schtick was overdone, the Doctor took a completely ridiculous risk (too much blood gone) to unmask Finnegan, and the idea that one over-excited x-ray device can blow up half the earth -- even when supplemented with alien tech -- is just too silly for words. The Earth would have been destroyed a hundred times over long ago if it were really that easy.

I enjoyed the further sequence where Martha finally comes aboard the TARDIS, and while it's too soon to judge her just yet the relationship looks promising. Overall, you put aside most of the silliness and enjoy it, and I did because I can remember that I'm too old now to be the target audience anymore (something I think a few old fans would do VERY well to remember!).

Having had two occasions to judge Charles Palmer's work as a director, I have to say honestly that so far he's not impressing me, but Ernie Vincze (DP) and the Visual FX team continue to amaze. Overall, a pleasing little nugget with not much substance, but offering an adequate kickstart to get things going. Let's hope the next one is more substantial (can't see how it wouldn't be).

It is now fairly safe to say, that in a crowded room, perhaps in the middle of a bombastic party , conversation can be halted quite readily and changed dramatically by the simple utterance of the name of Russell T. Davies.? Uncle Russell moved into the household three years ago, bringing to the table? the? idea of resurrecting the tired DOCTOR WHO format, with? a sense of Fan Boy passion . Davies managed to do this, while retaining the critical respect he garnered? for previous escapades on British Television that had already left him on the lips of? the talk of the industrial crowd, like a lingering wine of very fine vintage.? He even managed to survive the Slitheen ! Davies is a unique mixologist taking elements of classic Doctor Who and tendering it against the lines of stark unapproachable, envelope ripping outrageousness that makes it thoroughly modern and mindlessly enjoyable to watch DOCTOR WHO. It has made DOCTOR WHO accessible to the masses and the success it is.

Anyone watching DOCTOR WHO on the BBC? and partaking in Uncle Russell's latest carnival, SMITH AND JONES cannot deny the ride was enjoyable, mindbending and? without question witnessed? the strongest opening debut episode of the first three years. Yet scratching the surface of many elements of Doctor Who Canon, it merely was an institution that readily served the purpose of introducing Martha Jones to the good Doctor Smith, a welcome alias whose myth is fancifully buried in the original series and resurrected here to good measure. Once again, Russell Davies has created a strong, self sustaining character in Martha Jones? and perhaps in many ways, she could be considered perhaps too similar to Rose Tyler. Her somewhat confused and dysfunctional family only lightly contrasting Rose's own little cultural cul-De Sac of a disjointed family.It is entirely clear that Martha's soap operatic family will feature prominently in the latest series as a formula that has worked well in past seasons, yet dangerously treading over past success a bit all too obvious. SMITH AND JONES also sees the mechanical insertion of this years? "Badwolf and Torchwood" arcs with the introduction of mention and posters of "Saxon" whose identity has sparked a whirlwind of speculation. The obvious "formula" that is being followed here could ultimately be very damaging to the series? and perhaps another vision and different angle needs to be explored in coming years.

Because the series is so expensive to produce, the necessity of? a mainstream audience is vital to its success . This of course, is the biggest compromise the true DOCTOR WHO fan must make today. Of course the series is far more contemporary than its ever been? yet? at times, the show is written to excess? with these elements in mind.? Far less however than that which occurs in the Christmas Specials which really have? to reach such a broad demographic that it may as well be called? a song and dance variety show! .With this in mind,? I am absolutely delighted the episode took itself seriously with? comic relief coming from The Doctor,? who seems much more eccentric and sillier than Tennant's Doctor has ever been. Perhaps traveling without Rose and the Lonliness of the Long Distance Timelord has left the Doctor A little stir crazy. Suspension of disbelief is in order here on as many levels as a parking garage with Russell Davies consulting absolutely no one about anything that occurs in the episode. No Hugo nomination on this one!?? The episode was very well directed at a breakneck pace hitting its agenda of introducing the new companion and bringing the Doctor and Martha? together quite nicely .The episode has an aire of believability until it becomes totally unbelievable, of course. The "invasion" scenes were especially effective and all the "cataloguing " that was going on reminded me a bit of 'THE SONTARAN EXPERIMENT" The Doctor is instantly taken to Martha, impressed instantly by her intelligence and resourcefulness. There is a nice play on the fact that Martha is studying to be a Doctor and, of course the Doctor is the definitive article so to speak. Of course the Series has often featured Hospitals as a background to the story. SPEARHEAD FROM SPACE and? THE INVISIBLE ENEMY and the 1996 film ENEMY WITHIN? come quickly to mind. However since its reintroduction, The Doctor has been hanging around hospitals quite a bit in recent years.(ALIENS OF LONDON, NEW EARTH etc)so much so as to be overly concerned whether they have "gift shops" in them or not.? The Story background of the Judoon transporting the entire hospital to the moon to help discover a wayward alien criminal provided necessary fireworks and the scene where the patients? look out the windows to their mutual realization and horror the Hospital has been transported? off the earth is a genuinely scary, well realized moment. Even scarier with a sense of total wonder, but not as well realized is the suspension of disbelief I spoke of earlier, when you realize how on earth, or the moon,is the electricity still working in this hospital to begin with. But lets not think about this, as it ruins all the fun.? ?anyway!

The introduction of the "Plasmavore" alien almost begs for a return unwarranted? appearance like the Slitheens, and I wouldn't be surprised if we see them again by the end of Season three.(although we really haven't "seen" them at all) One would have hoped for a more interesting mosaic? of background? on the Suspected Plasmavore? than? her motive? of doing in an intergalactic princess? as vengeance? against her "pink cheeks and blonde curls"? which is just another dose of Uncle Russell's irreverent need to inject controversy into the series and? perhaps even a disguised reference to the demise of Rose Tyler . Either way, the remark is a trifle racist and the episode has its share of reverse racism at play? with its attitude towards' dumb blondes" as providing comic relief? in the form of Martha's Dad's? tryst with a? blonde waif? and getting caught at it no less.? Once again, however we get this rushed resolution of the plot in the final minutes which felt amazingly similar to the end of THE RUNAWAY BRIDE , in revelation and pacing., a RTD trademark.? The Doctor's resolution however was in fact brilliant when you consider that all he managed to do to save the earth from destruction was merely to pull the plug.? What did leave me? with a question mark was the Doctor, seemingly dead and drained of blood? did NOT regenerate . This no doubt will be a hotly contested element of the story for months to come and is evident that Uncle Russell will sacrifice everything for the purpose of the advancement and resolution of the plot.

In closing,? high? marks? go the? production team for turning in a fast paced , brilliantly and artistically? designed episode and a strong start to Series three. The Judoon were brilliantly designed and executed? and? it was a nice touch to see them talking in their native language until they assimilated the language.The JUDOON could very easily have been the Sontarans and I believe this oportunity was lost or even intended as? Uncle Russell will reap all the financial rewards for their creation.? Overall, SMITH AND JONES? exhibits the total confidence in the creative teams behind Doctor Who? in the series, and the evolution in the Doctor's character in declaring to Martha and the TV audience, unabashedly,? that he is a Timelord. The episode suffered most in its thin "schoolyard idea"? plot? but written well enough around the idea to be blissfully entertaining!? The chemistry between the Doctor? and Martha is tremendous and I believe we are in for a real treat, and the sparks will certainly continue to fly on occasion, as the Doctor certainly has found a new lady to take his mind off of Rose a bit. Welcome Martha Jones, and Thanks once again to Russell? Davies? who can never be taken for granted.

So, series 3 of Doctor Who has finally began, and this is pretty much exactly as I expected the first episode to be.? Light-hearted, fun and chock-full of witty humour and comic aliens, as well as making the new assistant, Martha Jones, extremely likeable.? I was not surprised at the result of Smith and Jones, though I was perhaps slightly disappointed.

The main focus of the episode is obviously Martha Jones, played brilliantly by Freema Agyeman.? She genuinely acts as a strong-headed human being would in that bizarre situation, disbelieving, scared, and yet determined to discover what exactly is going on.? All the looks of surprise, anger, amusement and sadness on her face are all so believable, and her intelligent points make it obvious that she is the perfect companion for the Doctor, and she is so unbelievably likeable that Billie Piper, wonderful as she was, has been more or less forgotten.? The whole point of the episode was really to get the audience to warm to Martha, and this could not have been done more successfully.

David Tennant also does well here, though his comedy performances seem a bit forced at times.? Having said that, he does make for some genuinely funny moments and gives an overall entertaining performance.? His acting here is very well done, and one of my favourite scenes with him is after he has just barely regained consciousness after the kiss of life and stares up at the controls that are wrecking the ship.? He looks genuinely sick and rather ill, and I was surprised at how convincing the expression on his face was.?

Plotwise, the story is alright.? Pretty easy to understand.? The Judoon transport the hospital that contains an evil alien to the moon(not sure why?the moon was chosen of all places)?so they can scan all the humans to find out which one is the alien who killed some princess.? A few unecessary sub-plots, like with Martha's rather annoying family who I hope we've seen the last of, and that rather worthless and unfunny comment about the princess, but overall the story was OK, but not one of this episode's strong points.

Another let-down are the monsters featured in this episode.? None of them are either interesting nor original.? The Judoon are basically a rehash of the Sontarans, with Dalek-like speech(or is that Cyberman)who don't pose as much of a threat, even when they are trying to kill the Doctor, and after they kill the foolish man who attacks them, this makes a very minor impact, possibly because it was so predictable and now an over-used cliche in the show, or because it wasn't a very dramatic death scene.? There are also the insignificant and incredibly boring Slabs, which are the new Adherents of the Repeated Meme, only far less menacing and intriguing, and the Slabs are pretty much a boring and forgettable race.? As for the Plasmavore, this probably works the best out of all the creatures, though it could have been creepier and more disorientating, and the whole idea of it borrows heavily from the classic series' Curse of Fenric.? If they are going to redo this, they could use better special effects and make the idea of it scarier.? At its core, this could make a pretty freaky monster, but the whole idea of it is thoroughly wasted.

This is a so-so episode, the strong points being the excellent performances from David Tennant and Freema Agyeman, spoiled by the mediocre storyline and dull monsters. 6/10

'The Dalek Invasion of Earth' is notable for several reasons, the most obvious being the return of the Daleks themselves. If 'The Mutants' established them as a scientifically advanced, xenophobic, ruthless threat, then 'The Dalek Invasion of Earth' takes them several steps further. In their first appearance we saw them perfectly adapted to their environment, and prepared to wipe out the Thals with a release of radiation in order that they might survive, without any care of the consequences to others. Here, they have progressed further and have overcome the limitations on their mobility, now not only able to leave their city, but able also to build spaceships and travel to other worlds, where they can move beyond the confines of their ships. Now able to move and exterminate anywhere, they seem utterly unstoppable. Had I seen the ending to episode one on its first broadcast, it would undoubtedly have had huge impact, as the Dalek glides out of the Thames (frankly, I don't care what it was doing in there); even seeing it for the time in the right story order, it still has impact, as the Daleks become the series first recurring threat, and it sends a shiver down the spine. Just as they were prepared to eradicate the Thals, here they are prepared to eradicate mankind in order to achieve their aims, a scenario given all the more power by the way in which they conquered Earth – stories of horrendous plagues wiping out most of the Earth's population are starkly horrific, and the Robomen only enhance the Daleks' monstrous influence. Whilst they are often criticized for being stupid looking, the Robomen are surprisingly effective in the context of the story, being in essence zombies – they horror is not in the idea of being robotized per se, but in the thought of being forced to fight friends and loved ones irreversibly transformed into brainless collaborators of the Daleks'. This is most effectively shown in the scene between Larry and his brother, as the traumatized rebel tries in vain to appeal to his brother's memories only to be killed by him even as he anguished kills him in turn. It is interesting that Tyler notes that the Daleks knew robotizing captives would "humiliate and degrade" surviving humans on Earth and serve to further break their spirit – it demonstrates an unpleasant understanding of other species on the Daleks' behalf, indicating that whilst they do not care about the consequences of their actions for others, they do understand them, making them seem even more callous. The often-citied Nazi allegory is clear and appropriate – the Fourth Reich had no redeeming features and neither do the Daleks. The new appearance of the Daleks (they now have an energy collection disc on their backs and enlarged bumpers) is not their best, making them look somehow more unwieldy than usual, but it serves as a reminder that they have managed to overcome the problem of movement beyond metal floors and are hugely advanced scientifically, a point further emphasized by their admittedly rather B-movie plan of removing the Earth's core and installing a motive system – this is an ambitious plan, and their confidence in their abilities to safely channel they energy released by the penetration explosion is further testament to the danger they represent. All this however pails in comparison with the main reason that they are so effective here – the location filming.

This is the first time that Doctor Who was filmed extensively on location, after the brief film inserts in 'The Reign of Terror'. This largely because, although it is set in the future, it is clearly filmed in London 1965, and as such we get the first example of the Yeti-on-a-toilet-in-Tooting-Beck principle – the Daleks were impressive gliding through their city on Skaro, but the sight of them gliding around Trafalgar square and other landmarks is truly unforgettable. It gives an air of realism that really lifts the action of out the studio. That said, the sets are also impressive, giving a convincing dingy feel that fits in well with the overall feel. This feel also helps to emphasize the sense of paranoia and fear throughout – if 'Planet of Giants' was too laid back, 'The Dalek Invasion of Earth' more than makes up for it. From the initial discovery of the "It is Forbidden to Dump Bodies in the River" poster to the climax as the resistance and the TARDIS crew race against time to prevent the culmination of the Daleks' plans, the story is charged with danger, as resistance members are routinely killed off, and danger threatens from all sides, be it from Daleks, Robomen, alligators, human traitors or the Slyther. Throughout the story, the TARDIS crew are confronted with constant threats, all of which they must struggle harder than ever before to overcome. 

The regulars all fare well here – Ian fulfills his usual action man role, single-handedly saving the Earth by blocking the Daleks' bomb-shaft, and Russell gives it his all throughout. Even when facing the ridiculous looking Slyther, he acts with utter conviction. Barbara is also hugely resourceful, helping Jenny to escape London in a van and running a Dalek blockade in the process, and later brazenly and bravely lying to the Daleks in an unsuccessful attempt to gain control of the Robomen. Hartnell is also on top of his game here, as the Doctor ferociously pits himself against the Daleks and taking a key role in their defeat, by destroying their (still-external) power source at the mine. Interestingly, in episode two when he is seized and taken to be robotized, he seems genuinely frightened, something which has not been so clearly seen since he was held prisoner in the last two episodes of 'The Mutants' – this adds to the menace of the Daleks, since even the Doctor is clearly afraid of them and doesn't underestimate their threat. After using his brain to escape from the cell, he basically loses control of the situation and seems truly vulnerable, and that has rarely happened thus far during the series. And then there is Susan.

I've never been a fan of Susan, but watching the series in order has made me change my mind a bit. She is still annoying and prone to hysteria, but she's a lot braver than I remembered. Here she gets a fine send-off, showing increasing independence from the Doctor as she joins David to fight the Daleks. Her desire to belong somewhere and her obvious attraction to David build nicely and convincingly towards the climax, where she tearfully prepares to leave in the TARDIS. I've seen the episode several times before, but never in the context of the entire series – the moment when the Doctor locks her out of the TARDIS is shocking, and the subsequent speech he gives over the TARDIS loudspeaker is extremely moving. I was surprisingly moved as the TARDIS dematerialized and Susan dropped her key in the dirt. However much she has occasionally irritated me, she's still been a member of the TARDIS crew since the beginning, and her departure makes a notable impact.

Another part of the success of 'The Dalek Invasion of Earth' is in the characterisation, especially of the resistance members who all give an impression of people desperately struggling to survive. The young and passionate David, the cynical and world-weary Tyler, and the bitter but idealistic Dortman are all well played, as are Larry and even the older woman in the cottage who gives Barbara and Jenny away to the Daleks. The only weak links are the badly acted and wooden Jenny, and also Ashton the latter of who gets several cringe-worthy lines. Nevertheless, they still fail to detract from the whole.

'The Dalek Invasion of Earth' is not perfect. Despite occasional references to other countries and continents, it still feels like The Dalek Invasion of England, and it is difficult to believe that London in the 22nd century will resemble London 1965. These points are minor quibbles however, and unavoidable given the production costs and technical limitations of the time. Less forgivable are the dreadful saucer model work and the Slyther, which looks ludicrous in both costumes (the costume from the end of episode four was replaced for the reprise in episode five) and is present only to provide a cliffhanger to episode four. There is some awful dialogue as well, especially during the conversation between the Doctor and the Dalek in episode two. And 'The Dalek Invasion of Earth' has some of the worst episode titles ever seen in the series. In spite of these quibbles, 'The Dalek Invasion of Earth' is a true classic, and having watched it all in one go, I found that it didn't drag at all, and it gets my vote for first VidFIRED six-part Hartnell DVD release.

The basic point of 'Galaxy 4' is essentially that one should never judge on appearances. This is not an uncommon message in fiction, but 'Galaxy 4' manages to take this basic premise and from it make an effective scenario, for a splendid four-parter that never outstays its welcome. 

Having never seen 'Galaxy 4' intact or the Loose Cannon recon, my assessment of the story is based on the audio soundtrack and the single surviving clip from episode two. And it's really rather good, with two distinct alien races, a simple but effective plot, and an engaging script. The Drahvins at first glance suffer from Xeron syndrome – they are depicted as alien by their eyebrows alone, and are initially fairly boring. Maaga raises them out of such low opinions however. Since all of the other Drahvins are (intentionally) fairly unintelligent cloned soldiers, they get few lines and are depicted as being stupid. Maaga however, is not; she is calculating, intelligent, ruthless, and sadistic, and shines as Doctor Who's first female villain (not counting the scheming Poppaea). Her unpleasant personality makes her interesting from the start, coming to the fore even when she is initially trying to convince the Doctor and his companions that the Rills are the villains – her description of them as crawling monsters is delivered with utter revulsion, suggesting that their appearance alone is enough to earn them her contempt and loathing, and she is eager to see them dead, as witnessed during the exchange in which the Doctor suggests that the Drahvins try and form an alliance with the Rills so that they might all escape from the doomed planet. 

These little hints as to her personality are immediately enough to make her seem unsympathetic, even when at this stage we have no other reason to doubt that the Rills are the villains. In addition to her barely-restrained bloodlust, the Doctor, Steven and Vicki are led to distrust by the obvious fear that she instills in her crew, and her paranoia – she is very insistent when she demands that Vicki remain on the Drahvin ship as a hostage whilst the Doctor and Steven return to the TARDIS to consult the Doctor's instruments and her entire attitude implies a threat. As the story progresses, her civilized faзade slips further and further – in episode two, on learning that the planet will explode even sooner than she believed, she is belligerent even whilst still attempting to enlist the Doctor's aid of his own volition – until by the end she gets one of the most chilling speeches of any Doctor Who villain as she gleefully tells her near-mindless lackeys that she can delight in imagining the deaths of those left on the planet when it explodes, even if she cannot actually watch them die. Furthermore, on learning that in fact the Drahvins attacked the Rill ship first, the viewer realises the full significance of her early revulsion towards them; when their ships met in space, she had not yet seen what the Rills looked like, but attacked them anyway – like the Daleks, it is implied that anything different to herself is automatically the enemy. It is fitting then that this especially foul villain does not suffer a last minute defeat, but sees her chances of revenge and escape disintegrating from the end of episode three; after Steven is rescued from the Drahvin airlock in which Maaga sadistically tries to subject him to a lingering death, her attempts to take the Rill ship and then the TARDIS are increasingly desperate. Ultimately, against the alliance of Rills and TARDIS crew, she stands no chance, and whether she seethes from behind the rocks or frantically races the Doctor and friends to the TARDIS, she seems impotent and dies frustrated as the her enemies escape and the planet explodes. In addition to all this, we have other interesting tidbits of information about the Drahvins, as Maaga gives us a glimpse of life on Drahva – a few males are kept for breeding and the rest are killed, whilst an underclass of clones perform functional tasks. The clones are clearly little more than slaves; they receive none of the privilege of "real" Drahvins, and are fed basic rations whilst their betters dine in luxury. Even the soldiers on board Maaga's ship have inferior weapons, despite being bred to kill, with only Maaga's gun allegedly able to damage the Chumblies.

On the other hand, we have the Rills, who are also well portrayed. Despite their monstrous appearance (preserved for posterity only in a couple of photographs, sadly), they are thinkers and learners, seeking only to explore. They are portrayed as a noble race, keenly accepting the Doctor's aid, but adamant that if he cannot save them, he must still save himself and his companions. Their reluctance to reveal their true appearance to the Doctor, Steven and Vicki even when they have befriended them might be construed as a reluctance to incite revulsion (who would like being told they are ugly?) but somehow comes across as genuine concern that their appearance will cause distress. But in spite of their gentle nature, they are prepared to use force to protect themselves and their friends when all other options fail – even after being shot down by the Drahvins, they offer their aid to them, but having realized that they cannot negotiate with the Drahvins, they are willing to deal harshly with them. This makes them far less pathetic than the Thals seemed in 'The Mutants', but their restrained use of such force also contrasts with the vicious Drahvins, making them seem honourable, but assertive. Their appearance and the fact that they breathe ammonia gas and communicate by telepathy goes a long way to making them convincingly alien and on the whole they are one of the better alien races to appear during the Hartnell era. The Chumblies are equally memorable; from the surviving clip, they look unusual enough to be effective, with their beehive shaped bodies and short stature, but manage to avoid seeming overly cute thanks to their impressive arsenal of tools and weapons, established during their attempts to enter the TARDIS. The weird noises they make add to the effect, and whilst they are hardly up there with the Daleks, they are on a par with the Mechanoids. 

Hartnell continues to impress as usual, whether he's fiercely defying Maaga or philosophising with the Rills. I've noticed how much he's changed since the series began, in terms of confronting danger; compare his lack of hesitation when rushing towards unknown dangers here, with his obvious fear and desire to avoid conflict in '100,000BC' and 'The Mutants'. True, this change was established during season one, but by this point he almost seems indestructible. By 'The Dalek Invasion of Earth', he was resolutely prepared to stop the Daleks at all costs, but he still seemed very vulnerable on at least two occasions during that story. I'd never noticed this progression before, but watching the series in order really makes it noticeable. In addition, it is interesting that he almost kills the Rills by sabotaging their air converter, and Vicki has to stop him. Whilst he clearly distrusts the Drahvins by this point, he presumably still accepts some of what they have told him, since he tries to destroy the Rills without first hearing their side of the story. This is not his finest moment, but nicely reminds us that for all his good points, he still makes mistakes. Vicki is here relegated to the role of the Doctor's sidekick for the first time since 'The Crusade', and doesn't get much to do, but her befriending of the Rills is an important plot development so she isn't entirely wasted. I also still like the fact that whilst she respects the Doctor, she is more mischievous towards him than Susan was, and is often cheeky, as in the scene when she throws the rock towards the Chumblies. Steven also continues to impress, and is far more confrontational than Ian was. His voice shows almost as much contempt for Maaga in episode three as the Doctor's did earlier, and despite having guns waved at him, he continues to defy her. The bit at the end of episode three when, suffocating, he snarls at her that he'd rather face the Chumblies (which he still believes to be hostile) rather than her any day is one of his greatest moments. In addition, he argues with the Doctor more than Ian did, seemingly less keen to avoid needless squabbles with the old man. Combined with Vicki's cheekiness, this results in a more fiery atmosphere between the Doctor and his companions, which never the less retains a feeling of mutual affection and makes this TARDIS crew distinct from the previous two. 

As far as I can tell from the surviving footage, the sets and costumes of 'Galaxy 4' are effective, but really it is difficult to tell. Based on the soundtrack alone however, 'Galaxy 4' is an excellent opening story to season three and a tragic loss to the BBC archives.

Where on earth do I begin? Every Doctor Who fan in the universe has heard of “The Daleks’ Master Plan” – the Christmas episode; the death of a companion; the one that got away…

Many people will have purchased the Lost in Time DVD collection on the strength of the three existent episodes of this story included on the disc. They do not disappoint! The newest discovery, “Day of Armageddon” is presented remastered with the option of an audio commentary from Peter Purves (Steven), Kevin Stoney (Mavic Chen) and Raymond Cusick, the designer. The visual quality of the episode (as well as that of both “Counter Plot” and “Escape Switch”) is so good that you would think it was only shot yesterday! Although I enjoyed watching these three episodes, it really is so sad to see. Such an epic, landmark story, and all that remains of it are three episodes and a narrated soundtrack (available separately on CD from the BBC Radio Collection.) Nevertheless, what we have is worth enjoying…

“Mission To The Unknown”, a single twenty-five minute episode broadcast four weeks before the first ‘official’ episode of the serial, is an episode unique in the history of the classic series – not one; not two but all the regular cast were on holiday! Moreover, despite being regarded as part of the larger “The Daleks’ Master Plan” narrative, this stand-alone episode is the only single-episode story in twenty-six seasons of Doctor Who (except for the feature-length special, “The Five Doctors,” I suppose.) Effectively a lengthy trailer for the upcoming story, this ‘Dalek Cutaway’ episode focuses exclusively on the exploits of the Space Special Security Service Agent Marc Corey (Edward de Souza) on the planet Kembel. He discovers that the Daleks are planning to unite several aggressive alien species against mankind, and although he is exterminated by the Daleks, a tape containing his findings survives, setting up the twelve-parter wonderfully… Only available today as an audio soundtrack, “Mission To The Unknown” is a curiosity that even die-hard Doctor Who fans will struggle to get excited about. It’s entertaining enough, but personally I had no real interest in the characters. In fairness though, when listened to in conjunction with the rest of the story, this little episode does do a remarkable job at slowly cranking up the tension, and at the time must have had a lot of viewers scratching their heads, looking for a resolution that wasn’t forthcoming. Moreover, if nothing else, this episode gives us a glimpse at what Nation’s spin-off Dalek series, “The Destroyers”, could have been like. Unfortunately for Terry Nation, it also gave the BBC an impression of what such a series may have been like…

As episode one proclaims, “The Nightmare Begins.” Depending on whether or not one has seen “Mission To The Unknown,” this episode is either wonderfully compelling or a bit been-there-seen-that. Much of the material from the teaser episode is rehashed, but even so this episode has a lot going for it. The Doctor, Steven, and new companion Katarina are really thrown in at the deep end – the wheels of the Daleks’ plan are already turning, and following on directly from “The Myth Makers”, Steven is badly injured and the Doctor is forced to venture out into the jungles of Kembel in search of aid. This episode also introduces a familiar face to the series, albeit in an unfamiliar guise. Nicholas Courtney makes his Doctor Who debut as Bret Vyon, another Space Special Security Service Agent. It is Courtney’s superb performance that really engaged my interest in this episode; his character is (initially) portrayed as a very unlikeable and very militant individual, someone who appears to be as much a threat to our heroes as the Daleks are.

The second episode, “Day of Armageddon,” was famously returned to the BBC archives in late 2003, and subsequently released commercially the following year for the first time as part of the Lost in Time DVD collection. After listening to the soundtracks of “Mission To The Unknown” and “The Nightmare Begins,” it was absolutely fantastic to be able to enjoy the wonderful visuals on display in this episode – beautiful shots of Daleks in the forest with pyro weapons; all the aliens in the council… even Mavic Chen himself. It’s a really enthralling episode. To those who have seen it on the DVD but don’t own the soundtrack, I cannot stress enough how much more enjoyable the episode is in context. “Day of Armageddon” may give us some wonderful visuals and some truly classic moments of television, but it isn’t until later episodes that characters like Bret Vyon and Mavic Chen (Guardian of the Solar System) are explored more fully, and moreover, it isn’t until later that things really heat up!

The loss of episode three, “Devil’s Planet,” is truly heartbreaking. Almost a completely self-contained adventure, this episode is set on Desparus (the prison planet of the ‘Solar System’ – how many planets does our Solar System have, hmm?) and contains the most shocking moment in the series to date – Katarina’s death. Like many people, I’d heard about her death long before I saw the surviving clip or heard the soundtrack, yet I was still taken aback at how well it was handled. Completely unexpected; totally understated. My only criticism would be that her death lacked a bit of weight because her character was so new. If, for example, it would have been Maureen O’Brien’s Vicki being sucked out into space I think it would have hit a lot harder, but even as it was the writers and producers have to be praised for taking such bold action. 

From the third episode onwards, “The Daleks’ Master Plan” borrows a lot from “The Chase” in terms of format and pace, but thankfully not in tone. Instead of the Daleks’ chasing the Doctor and his companions through time and space just to exterminate them, in this story they are chasing them to retrieve the Taranium Core of the Time Destructor and the whole universe is at stake. Episode four, “The Traitors,” continues the ‘chase’ format but also takes more time to dwell on characters like Mavic Chen and Bret Vyon. In this episode we witness Vyon kill a man in cold blood, outraging the Doctor, but due to some clever writing on Nation’s part Vyon still gets over with the audience. His methods may be worlds apart from the Doctor’s, but their goals are the same. It’s almost reminiscent of the relationship between the Doctor and certain Brigadier… Moreover, “The Traitors” give us a little bit of exposition, allowing the audience insight into Mavic Chen’s own private master plan. Here we also see his ruthlessness in practice as he stabs one of his ‘allies’ in the back, framing them for a crime against the Daleks.

“Counter Plot” is one of the two episodes of this serial that were found in a Mormon Church basement! It has had limited exposure in the past, having been released commercially on the BBC Video Daleks – The Early Years, but now is available on the Lost In Time DVD gloriously remastered. It’s damn good thing too, because it’s a cracking episode. Jean Marsh as Sara Kingdom is absolutely superb. She’s yet another Space Special Security Service Agent, and on initial appearances she seems like just a female version of Vyon. The trouble is, she won’t believe the Doctor, Steven and Vyon’s story, and it isn’t until she has actually killed Vyon – who we then find out is her brother! – that she realises that it is all true. This gives her character a troubled, unstable edge – something a lot of the Doctor’s early companions lack. Of course, whether Sara is a proper ‘companion’ or not is another issue entirely, and one I don’t give a shit about if the truth be known! She’s here for one story, and she’s fantastic – that’s all I care about!

Some Doctor Who fans may experience a little bit of dйjа vu watching the existing episodes of “The Daleks’ Master Plan”, particularly if they were the sort of Doctor Who fans raised on a staple diet of Jon Pertwee Dalek stories. Already in this twelve-parter, we have seen the familiar concept of a killer jungle in “The Nightmare Begins” and “Day of Armageddon,” and in this episode we are treated to another Terry Nation trademark – invisible monsters, the classic budget-saving baddies! Both the killer jungle and the invisible aliens would later be rehashed in “Planet of the Daleks” six years later, but strangely, because I’m so familiar with “Planet of the Daleks,” it is this story that feels like the rip-off, when of course it was written years beforehand!

With the beautifully titled “Coronas of the Sun,” Dennis Spooner takes over the writing duties and immediately there is a noticeable change in the serial’s style. Nation’s beginning to the story makes the Daleks’ plan crystal clear, but they do not actually do much themselves, nor is there any real interaction between the Daleks and our heroes. Spooner brings the Daleks to the forefront, giving us a battle between them and the Visians (the invisible creatures) and also a showdown outside the TARDIS with the Doctor and his companions – here there is a rare moment of brilliance for Steven, who manages to save the lives of the TARDIS crew but only at great risk to himself. The nefarious Mavic Chen is also handled well by Spooner, who really plays on Chen’s manipulation of the Daleks. In this episode Chen actually wants the Doctor to escape with the Taranium Core, just to annoy the Daleks!

The story’s seventh instalment, “The Feast of Steven,” was the first episode of Doctor Who ever to be broadcast on Christmas Day. Unlike 2005’s action-packed blockbuster, “The Christmas Invasion,” this episode is nothing more than a whimsical diversion – not a Dalek in sight! I confess, I did enjoy listening to the surviving soundtrack, not because it is good by any stretch of the imagination, but just because I found it so amusingly rubbish. I still think it is incredible that the producers decided to cut away from the biggest, most ambitious story that they’ve ever attempted and instead give the massive Christmas audience a slapstick knockdown run-around show! Out of all the episodes churned out in the sixties, without a shadow of a doubt this one has dated the most. The Doctor even famously salutes the audience from home! Yuk.

“Volcano” throws the audience right back into the action, the Daleks’ resuming their pursuit of the TARDIS back through time and Mortimus, the Meddling Monk, rears his ugly head once again. Here, the Monk is just as good as in “The Time Meddler”, if not better. Peter Butterworth works so well with Hartnell; they just have that chemistry between them, a bit like Roger Delgado and Jon Pertwee. “Golden Death” sees the Monk being forced by the Daleks to trick the Doctor, making for some hilarious television as the Monk schemes and plots – sometimes in a very sinister way, but mostly playfully. He’s actually a very likeable character – something Paul Cornell would later play on wonderfully in his superb novel, “No Future.” He’s certainly my favourite black and white Doctor Who villain!

“Escape Switch,” the last of the extant episodes, is the best of the three in my opinion. It wraps up the Monk ‘trilogy’ of episodes superbly – William Hartnell is at his absolute best, both forceful and clever, as is Kevin Stoney’s Mavic Chen, and there are also some wonderful scenes where the native Egyptians react to the Daleks. It’s hard to believe that this segment of “The Daleks’ Master Plan” is the only Doctor Who television story ever set in Egypt – what’s up with that? At the end of the episode, the Doctor actually gets his hands of a directional unit for the TARDIS and manages to steer it back to Kembel, only to be forced into handing over the core of the Time Destructor to the Daleks! 

For me, the worst part of “The Daleks’ Master Plan” is its ending. Admittedly, watching the credits roll at the end of “Escape Switch” (the last surviving episode of the serial) is a very deflating experience which doesn’t help the final two audio-only episodes. As good as the narrated soundtracks are, you cannot beat the much more visceral experience of an actual episode. “The Abandoned Planet” is a slow and drawn-out affair, and features far more exposition and political scheming than any of the other eleven episodes. To make matters worse, the Doctor is nowhere to be seen.

“Destruction of Time” is rather a grim title for an episode, and grim is what you get. Chen meets a rather predictable end, gunned down by the Daleks he strived so hard to outwit. It’s quite a shame really - even though he was so evil, part of me wanted to see him out-manoeuvre the Daleks! The Daleks then detonate the time destructor, but it is so powerful that it kills them – reducing them to microscopic embryos. The death toll mounts as Sara dies horribly, aged to death by the Dalek weapon. In the end, only the Doctor seems pleased that the Dalek menace is destroyed; Steven is far too distraught about the deaths of Katarina, Bret, Sara and so many others that he can’t bring himself be pleased, leaving us with a very downbeat ending indeed.

In all, the epic centrepiece to the 1965/1966 season is quite simply that; epic. The greatest compliment that I can pay this story is that it holds up over thirteen episodes – in forty years no other story can claim that. The sheer ambition of the story is breathtaking - several planets; ancient Egypt; Earth in the far future; spaceships; the meddling Monk; the death of two ‘companions’… it’s absolutely groundbreaking stuff, beautifully and imaginatively written by both Terry Nation and Dennis Spooner. The constant shifts of location and emphasis really help the story maintain its pace over such a long stretch, so much so that at time it feels more like The Lord of the Rings than Doctor Who! What I love so much about this story is how one can easily dip in and out of it – the plot is grounded in a relatively simple premise so that you can miss the odd episode and still follow it, and (although I doubt anyone will approach the story this way these days) if you were to watch/listen to it over thirteen weeks, the gaps in your memory are so easily filled. It’s like intergalactic Coronation Street. That said, “The Daleks’ Master Plan” is a story that works on a lot of different levels. There’s a lot of action, a lot of politics, a lot of a humour, a lot of pathos and a lot of death. Arguably, it’s the most ‘grown-up’ Doctor Who story of the Hartnell era. Sadly, there aren’t any telesnaps out there to allow any decent sort of reconstruction to be made, so it there was ever a contender for another story to be animated… there’s cash to be made, BBC!