Most of the Hartnell Doctor Who stories that I consider to be overlooked by fandom are either wholly or partial missing from the archives; the exception to this rule is 'The Ark'. Even with its recent video release, it is seldom talked about either fondly or with contempt, although exactly why this should be is not entirely clear. My best guess is that, quite simply, 'The Ark' is an oddity. 

The direction and design of 'The Ark' is exemplary. There are numerous shots that impress, including the take-off of the landers from the Ark, and most notably, the scenes of the invisible Refusian moving objects around, which are incredibly well done. The interior of the Ark is also very impressive, meshing futuristic sets and model work with ease. The giant statue is the best example of this, as the camera switches from shots of its feet to panning shots up the model. The jungle too is excellent, and made all the more convincing by the presence of real animals, especially the elephant. The castle on Refusis II is another effective use of model work, again meshing well with the countryside sets of the planet's surface. The only visual aspects of the production that has aged badly are the space shots, with wobbly landers on strings, an unconvincing nuclear explosion, and a truly dreadful shot of the Earth burning up. The Monoid costumes are another triumph, with the creatures numbering amongst the most convincing aliens of the era. This is largely due to their single eyes, which are achieved by the actors holding them in their mouths and moving them with their tongues. Compare this with the later appearance of Scaroth in 'City of Death', which is far less convincingly achieved. This, and their mop-top hair, makes their appearance much more memorable than generic reptilian alien. Sadly, the human Guardians fare less well, boasting the most absurd costumes of any humanoid characters in the series up until this point, including the Thals; they look very much like a kitsch sixties vision of the future, which I suppose they are, and have aged very, very badly. 

The plot of 'The Ark' is its greatest strength, due to the novelty structure it adopts, effectively being two two-part stories back to back. The first two episodes are basically the build-up, but form a tight drama in their own right; the concept of the Ark carrying the last survivors of humanity to an new world is a good one, and initially appears to be a typical science fiction portrayal of an advanced utopian future society. However, the cracks in the veneer are soon exposed, as Dodo's cold infects the Ark's inhabitants and threatens their future; paranoia and suspicion become rife, and the seemingly peaceful Guardians are soon out not for justice, but for retribution (they want the travelers banished from the Ark, but won't allow them to leave in the TARDIS; instead, they refuse to accept that Dodo brought her cold to the ship by accident and demand that they be ejected into space, and thus executed, as punishment for their crimes). But there are other, subtler, hints that this human society is less advanced than it seems. When Dodo's cold causes an outbreak, they suspect that the travelers are agents from Refusis, their chosen destination, trying to prevent their colonization of that planet; this immediately suggests that the Guardians are determined to colonize the planet whether the native inhabitants like it or not. More importantly, they claim that the Monoids are their friends, and seem to genuinely believe this, but the Monoids clearly form a second class of citizen, occupying the menial tasks on board the Ark. Most tellingly, when the occupants of the Ark become sick, Zentos notes that the Monoids are starting to die, and then adds that it will be really serious if a Guardian also dies, immediately demonstrating the relative importance ascribed to the two different populations by the Guardians. The pay-off for all this comes in episodes three and four, when the Monoids have taken over and the Guardians are reduced to the role of slaves, the Doctor noting at the end that their rebellion is hardly surprising and that both races must learn to live together on an equal footing. Incidentally, the cliffhanger ending to 'The Plague' is another example of a cliffhanger that, whilst still impressive, must have had far more impact on its first broadcast, as the TARDIS returns to the Ark and the travelers discover that the huge statue has been completed and has the head of a Monoid. Even with foreknowledge, it is still a classic moment. 

William Hartnell and Peter Purves once more deliver on the acting front, with the Doctor seeming more of a wise bystander than on previous occasions. He seems less cantankerous than usual, and is determined to help the inhabitants of the Ark. His frustration at not being allowed to try and cure the cold unleashed by Dodo is palpable, as is his delight when he succeeds in doing so. His forgiving and understanding attitude towards Zentos' earlier rabid desire for vengeance is admirable, and he is gracious when he accepts the deputy commander's apology. In the second half of the story, he continues his active role in resolving the situation, speaking on behalf of the Ark's passengers to the rather likeable Refusian, and generally mediating between various parties; it is the Doctor who at the end tells the humans that they must make peace with the Monoids, a sentiment with which the Refusian agrees on as a condition to both races staying on Refusis II. Throughout the series thus far, we have often seen the Doctor deal smugly with villains, only to be suddenly brought up short when they gain the upper hand (the Daleks are the most obvious example, but others range from Lobos, to the Animus, to Nero); it makes a refreshing, and indeed amusing, change, to see the Doctor's obvious contempt towards Monoid 1, whom he speaks to with condescension and sarcasm. There is no particular lesson to be learned from this, but it is highly entertaining. Steven is on fine form as usual, seething with righteous anger during the trial in 'The Plague' and denouncing the supposedly advanced Guardians as no better than their primitive ancestors. During 'The Return' and 'The Bomb', he plays a crucial role in the enslaved Guardians' rebellion, hinting for the first time at hitherto unseen leadership skills, a character development that rises quite logically out of his frustration at being unable to help those around him during 'The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve'. And then there's Dodo.

As a new companion, Dodo fills the young-female-sidekick-for-the-Doctor-to-explain-things-to role, previously occupied by Susan and Vicki (and, briefly, Katarina, although Sara Kingdom rather broke the mold). Since it is her cold that almost wipes out the human race, she is immediately given an active role, which is good way to introduce a new companion, and she immediately comes across as likeable enough, in large part due to the compassion and guilt brought out by the tragedy she unwittingly caused. Sadly, this doesn't last, and in the last two episodes she does very little, not even reacting very much to the revelation that her cold contributed to the success of the Monoid revolution. Nevertheless, I'm not sure why she is quite so reviled by fandom as she is, although her sporadic cockney accent doesn't do her any favours. 

Unfortunately, because of the structure of the plot, there is little for characterisation of the supporting characters in 'The Ark'; the Guardians are two-dimensional, but the Monoids are even worse. Monoid 1 gets the most lines, but he's portrayed as a stock megalomaniac, to such an extent that he actual gloats almost constantly. In fact, the best-characterised supporting character is the Refusian, and even he gets little to do, although he comes across as considerate, thoughtful and intelligent. Nevertheless, 'The Ark' manages to remain interesting throughout, and its unusual structure and excellent production standards compensate for its shortcomings. It isn't a classic, but it is a solid story and undeserving of its relative obscurity.

The first time I listened to “Galaxy 4” on CD (as all four episodes are missing from the BBC archives) I thought that it was one of the weakest stories of William Hartnell’s reign. The second time around I was slightly more impressed, largely because I’ve found that this dialogue-heavy serial is actually more suited to audio than many of the other ‘lost’ stories recently released by the BBC Radio Collection are. Nevertheless, I’m afraid to say that my thoughts on this serial are still far from positive.

William Emms’ story is heavily grounded in the old maxim “it’s what is inside that counts”, and whilst this may be a noble sentiment it is one that is all too often done-to-death in science fiction. The idea that the rather horrific Rills are a race of thinkers, learners and explorers whilst the more aesthetically pleasing Drahvins are an aggressive and warlike species is borne out well in the story, but with no telesnaps or photographs of the Rills the moral of the story falls a little flat – a tremendous shame as otherwise the story works so well in the audio medium. Obviously, this is no fault of the makers of “Galaxy 4” as they were not to know that the story would be junked, or even more surprisingly that forty years on somebody would be writing a review of it!

However, quite a substantial amount of footage from “Four Hundred Dawns” exists, including some shots of a ‘Chumbly.’ Their atrocious nickname (given to them by Vicki) is unfortunately fitting, as they are as feeble in appearance as they are in name. The Drahvins are probably the most interesting aspect of the serial; a race of militant females lead by the despicable Maaga. I’m not sure if Emms was deliberately trying to write a satire about Women’s Lib., but that’s how it comes across at times which is quite amusing considering Doctor Who’s sexist reputation in the sixties and early seventies! I also think this serial could be a possible contender for containing the most ever fluffs by the actors, and whilst that isn’t a damning indictment of “Galaxy 4” in itself, it serves as the proverbial icing on the cake. No, that’s a lie – the icing on the cake is the TARDIS flying past the planet Kembel whilst the Doctor and his companions cheesily say aloud “Oh, I wonder what’s happening on that planet…” dovetailing into their week off…

As far as Doctor Who stories go, “The Myth Makers” is about as ‘lost in time’ as a story can be. Along with the soundtracks to “The Massacre” and “Galaxy Four,” this four-parter is one of just three stories solely represented on my shelf by the audio CDs – every other lost story has at least an existing episode or a telesnap reconstruction to give me a feel for the story.

Despite also being spoiled by Big Finish’s superb Doctor Who audio plays (which are, in fairness, deliberately written for the audio medium), I still enjoyed “The Myth Makers” a great deal – far more than I expected. Written in the same spirit as “The Romans,” Donald Cotton’s take on the Trojan War is a story that dwells on ridiculous stereotypes and fantastical events – very aptly, the stuff of legend... or at least, how we perceive myths and legends. What “The Myth Makers” lacks in gritty realism, it more than makes up for in some delightful, almost ‘Carry On’ style tongue-in-cheek humour.

The Doctor in particular is hilarious as he desperately tries to worm his way out of the Greeks’ custody. The Greeks have mistaken the Time Lord for their God, Zeus, and the brutish Odysseus expects him to design the weapon that will finally allow them to take Troy! It’s brilliantly written how the Doctor scoffs at the idea of the ‘Trojan Horse’ when it is suggested to him, and instead struggles against all the odds to built the Greeks a catapult. Of course history (myth?) always wins, and quite worryingly the Doctor becomes inadvertently responsible for a massacre – an ending that doesn’t really sit well considering the tone of the rest of the serial.

“The Myth Makers” is also a good, solid outing for the Doctor’s companions. Vicki, whom the Trojans christen ‘Cressida’ (aah…) falls in love with Prince Troilus and is married off in the final episode. Not exactly the most original mode of departure for a companion, but Maureen O’Brien seems to make the most of it nonetheless and gives probably her best performance to date. Steven is also surprisingly effective; Peter Purves’ comic timing is wonderful, especially in his scenes posing as ‘Diomede’ and sparring with Paris. However, Katarina’s introduction in the final episode. “Horse of Destruction”, is treated almost as an afterthought. I’m not sure whether it was known that she would be ‘red-shirted’ from the word go, but in this story there is almost nothing done with her in terms of development. If I hadn’t known she was destined to leave in the TARDIS at the end of the story, I would have thought her just an annoying extra.

In all, I would definitely recommend “The Myth Makers” above the other two ‘audio-only’ missing serials – way above, in fact. It’s nothing groundbreaking or monumental, but it is a lovely little piece of 60s Who that still has the power to entertain today, even when the competition is Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean the like…

Doctor Who isn't the perfect TV program. Every so often there is a story you won't like. Time and the Rani has vaguely decent acting and special effects, but an awful plot and dialogue. The Monster of Peladon manages to be the dullest piece of television ever, despite the fact half the cast are wearing badger afros and Alpha Centauri appears.

But The War Machines is the story that pissed me off. Here was a story I was not only embarassed about, but a story I despised. I wanted my money back when I got the video (coupled with the fact I was, genuinely ripped off - the special feature weren't on the tape). I watched it once, seethed, watched the repeat on television and my hate grew. Believe me, all those who enjoy and revere this story, I'm as surprised as you are. It's well made and directed, and is complete. The actors are good, the special effects reasonable, the cliffhangers exciting. I should like it. I should at least tolerate it.

In the first episode, we are treated to the first Doctor and Dodo. My problem lies with Dodo. Man, I know why she didn't last four episodes, and was brainwashed for most of the two she was in - she's awful. "Imagine," she gasps, "Scotland Yard whisked off into time and space!" Must I? You being whisked off in time and space was bad enough.

A policeman goes to check a police box. That wasn't there yesterday. But is out of order. With an old man and a young girl in front of it whispering. And the old man putting the sign marked OUT OF ORDER on the front. Yet does nothing.

The Doctor is a very well-travelled alien time traveler. Yet, he is stunned by the appearance of the Post Office Tower - and is convinced its alien design broods trouble. Unsurprisingly, he quickly changes his story when talking to the innocents working in it. Instead of being troubled by the architecture, he hastily changes his story and explains there is a "powerful magnetic field" around it which he can feel. Yet, a trained scientist does not question this or even comment.

Now, onto WOTAN. Why not call it "Woe-tann" but "Vow-tarn" - I mean, the Professor isn't foriegn, is he? He doesn't have an accent and "Brett" isn't the most exotic of names. And after designing this fabulous machine, Brett has no idea what it can do or what it knows - hasn't he even bothered to check? [I now know, however, that this pronounciation is from Wagner's ring cycle, but it doesn't excuse the fact this is never referred to in the story itself. With Dodo around, anything can be explained realistically to the audience]

"You've made a machine that can think of itself?" the Doctor boggles. "AND NEVER MAKES MISTAKES?" Um, Doc, that police box you fly around in also thinks for itself, remember? And those spaceships you muck about on in the future - do you think they might be descended from this marvellous machine? These devices that save lives every day and allow humanity to progress SCARE you? The first thing you ask this know-it-all is a square root question. It isn't a calculator, Doctor! Why not ask it one of those "fox-the-computer-logic-tricks"? Or the square root of minus three? Come on, you luddite, do something! Is he just worried that this sort of technology shouldn't be available yet? Because his reaction is more "Burn the heretic!" rather than "You've invented the internet 30 years early".

Dodo asks the computer what "Tardis" means. And it knows. Is the fugitive time traveller on the run at ALL worried about this? Nope. It also knows about a human called "Doctor Who". Now, I could cope with this if it was talking about Peter Cushing and the humans got confused, but, come on... A human? HUMAN? The "who" bit I can cope with, but "human"??? This computer knows everything but thinks humans have two hearts?? OK, he didn't (maybe) have two hearts then, but he's not a human being at any time!

WOTAN just bugs me. Why does it want to conquer the world? Um... it thinks it can do a better job than humanity. And how does it demonstrate this? By making weapons of mass destruction that slaughter everything in sight. Is this ironic? No, it's stupid. In X days, it will be connected in computers all over the planet and have a world wide web of fear and chaos which it can conquer humanity. Instead, it wants to take over London with an army of fridges.

This plan, it should be pointed out, is so freaking obvious a bit part character - Kitson - works it all out by the end of part one and is not impressed. The plan is also predicted by an American journalist, and the idea is dismissed. "It would have no reason to conquer the world," Grover insists. And he's right. It doesn't. But it's doing it anyway, wouldn't you know?

How does it become sentient? No one knows or cares. It seems to take days to create a telepathic hold on Brett, who complains about sensing someone watching him, yet takes minutes to conquer Dodo. OK, bad example - her brain isn't exactly amazingly deep and powerful - but in one night it takes over half a dozen scientists via a phone line. Why? It only uses them as slave labor anyone can do - Polly replaces a few with ease - and their disappearance simply causes suspicion. "Work like the machines!" roars that nutter at one point. Seriously. "Do not stop, do not waste time!" Has this guy ever used a machine? Then he decides to gun down a worker for target practise. One of the special, brainwashed workers that they need so badly. Why not use that tramp? Oh, no, the wonderful computer logic has decided to club him to death with spanners and dump his body right outside their workshop (admittedly, a very creepy and scary scene - but illogical and ultimately pointless). That should keep the authorities guessing.

It can communicate telepathically with Brett, but no one else, and relies on a print-out machine. Quite sensible, as its voice box sounds like a strangled pig. Why not get Brett to attach something it can actually work with? It has to send Polly to the others in order to relay the complicated message "Stop killing passers by and dumping their bodies in the street". I mean, get real: a computer doesn't realize that using its slaves for target practise will require replacements until the last minute, and then doesn't even hypnotize them?

And why does it start this plan all over a few days instead of before the story starts? Does it need the Doctor? Why? The plan works fine without him and, in fact, hits snags becuase they want to capture the Doctor. Dodo, despite being controlled by a logical, computerized mind, cannot come up with a convincing cover story and her attempts to capture the Doctor ("Let's go down into this dark alley, Doctor!") aren't exactly subtle. How can Dodo act like Dodo "convincingly" but Brett cannot? Surely, the best thing to do would be to go to a press conference, smooth out all the wrinkles ASAP and then return with Kitson. No, instead he appears robotic, stares blankly into the distance, and acts suspiciously. Kitson, however, acts true to himself, showing a bit of sadism and, oddly enough, total stupidity. WOTAN presumably designed the War Machines and - if it actually was a genius - would fit it with an off-switch. Or, at the very least, have some idea what to do if it attacked him, so why doesn't Kitson try to reprogram the War Machine instead of just diving in front of its poison gas jets? The controls are on the OUTSIDE for heaven's sake!

The original title for this story was The Computers. Odd, because there's only one computer involved. This story is called The War Machines. We see two and only one plays any role in the story. It does not wage war, but runs downtown and attacks phone boxes. Thank god the military are using easily jammed weapons like machine guns and grenades that, like every one knows, can be frozen by a "magnetic field". Yes, should have thought of that. A bit of magnetism stops a thermo-nuclear reaction in a grenade, huh?

The Doctor walks in and out of situations in this story like he owns the place. Now, I can believe that. Seriously. The Doctor can bluff his way through a variety of situations and this is no exception. But we don't see him bluffing. One minute, he walks through a street, the next, he's been allowed to the top floor of the GPO tower, into the most important part of the structure with a computer. And they don't even know his name. Bit of an explanation would help. Some say he is in fact being respected because he is a mate of Ian Chesterton. Sigh. Ian Chesterton? The bit-part science teacher who eloped with a history teacher for two years before arriving back in mysterious circumstances with a tan? He had that much respect in the scientific community? Look, I had a science teacher called Hillyer who took two years off because he snapped his Achilles tendon. I don't think I could wander into someone's office, house and home with that kind of name drop. I don't think the Doctor could, either. Why DIDN'T they explain that bit at the time. Would have been so difficult?

Finally, when the Doctor de-programs Dodo and sends her to the country to recover. After the disaster, he waits outside the TARDIS for her. Why? Why not pick her up from the country house? The only reason he'd be waiting was if he got a message from her telling him to - so why does she apparently change her mind? And why does she tell Ben and Polly? My head hurts. Who Killed Kennedy comes up with a complicated explanation that Dodo was captured by the CIA and brainwashed. Fair enough. That's the explanation in 1996. What excuse did they have at the time, huh?

However, I cannot leave the review unfinished. Every story has a good side. So, I should do the positive elements in this story, for, yes, there are some. That crash-zoom at the start of the story as we see the TARDIS appear on a street corner. Very nice. Ben and Polly are magnificent in this story and it is a damn pity there isn't another complete one with them in. The Doctor being mistaken for a DJ - how cool is that? And it's great to see the First Doctor getting on so well with just about everyone. This guy really HAS been everywhere. No complaining about the noise, the fashions, the drinks... That noise WOTAN and the War Machine makes manages to keep on the side of freaky and not become irritating. Kitson's little speech about humanity, though rather corny and delivered at the wrong time, is very good - no matter what, a human life is more important than any machine. Sorry, K9. The bit where a baddie explains that Dodo has failed to capture the Doctor is surely cutting edge; in any other story, she would have been punished or killed for her failure. The blank roboticness of the brainwashed people are very creepy. And Polly... Jeez, I'm still impressed at her total lack of blinking. She does have big eyes, doesn't she? Another point in The War Machine's favor - a note of subtext. Just as WOTAN (for want of a better word) rebels against the humans, one of his war machines rebels against him. Nice irony, that.

The cliffhangers are pretty good, all in all. The Doctor standing up to the War Machine is very good - though, I wonder what the hell he was going to do if the bloody thing wasn't impressed by his Tiannamen Square tactic. And Ben getting caught in the spotlight's pretty freaky. Am I wrong, or does that W for Wotan appear in the end credits all the time? Nice corporate logo - no alien invader should be without one (and I'm looking at you, Daleks). The Doctor ducking out when no one notices is cool, too. And isn't this the first time in the show someone is hypnotized for GOOD reasons?

A lot of plot details don't make sense, but here is an explanation:

WOTAN isn't Y2K compliant. In fact, he's so badly designed that he went doodally 34 years early. This whole plan goes to pieces because WOTAN is utterly insane. Thus, all his followers are, as well. You know, the story makes a lot of sense all of a sudden.

That is why I think this story is worst. Any good potential is wasted in this. A plot that doesn't make sense on the first viewing, is full of ridiculous cliched dialogue and pointless action sequences and a pathetic Dalek substitute. People say this is a template for the Jon Pertwee era. I think they're being very rude.

Nevertheless, think I can forgive The War Machines. But its faults are numerous and it seems written for something that isn't Doctor Who.

If only Kitty had been in more of the story.

The War Machines' is memorable for several reasons, most notably the change in the lineup of the TARDIS crew, and the fact that it is the first Doctor Who story to take place entirely in a contemporary setting. Compared with for example 'The Savages' however, it perhaps has an undeservingly high reputation because of these and other factors; on the whole, I consider it to be deeply flawed. One of the most interesting features about 'The War Machines' is the Doctor's immediate acceptance by the establishment. Whereas he and his companions are often distrusted when they arrive out of the blue and have to earn respect, here the Doctor strides straight into Brett's office and is warmly welcomed, and later repeats the trick with Sir Charles, which has an enormous influence on the way the story unfolds (incidentally, for those who haven't read it, this is explained in the novelisation – the Doctor name-drops Ian Chesterton, now a respected scientist). Whilst this is a novel approach (and of course foreshadows the Pertwee era UNIT stories), it is in my opinion to the detriment of the overall story. From the beginning the Doctor has a safe place to work from and can call upon support as and when he needs it. Although numerous soldiers get killed off during the warehouse battle, this results in a distinct lack of tension, with the Doctor never seeming to be in any danger. Even when WOTAN attempts to make contact over the telephone, the Doctor resists his influence with only brief ill effects, and this is the only time that he seems even remotely threatened. This problem is exacerbated because the Doctor guesses the nature of the threat that he is facing almost immediately, recognizing the General Post Office tower as a source of some malign influence, and quickly deducing that WOTAN is that influence. Later, when the first two War Machines are activated, he deals with them, and WOTAN, so easily that it seems he barely has to give them any serious thought at all. It is an unusual approach, and a novel one, but it robs the story of drama. 

Then there is the nature of the threat itself. I must admit personal bias and note that I loathe super-computers as villains, in Doctor Who or anywhere else, since they almost invariably become sentient, decide that they are superior to humans, and set about taking over the world. Since this is the first such story in Doctor Who and since this is purely a matter of personal opinion, I won't criticize 'The War Machines' for that, but I will criticize the execution. WOTAN is a non-entity; it speaks on only a handful of occasions, and then in a slow flat monotone which makes me want to mutter "get on with it" through gritted teeth. In order to compensate for this shortcoming, his brainwashed slaves explain most of WOTAN's plans, a plot device that just about works due to uniformly decent acting throughout the production, but smacks of clumsy plot exposition at several points. The War Machines themselves look OK in still photographs, but are distinctly under whelming on screen. In order to convey how dangerous they are, they break tables and spray dry ice in large diffuse clouds. I find it difficult to take them at all seriously as they trundle around London; whereas the Daleks in 'The Dalek Invasion of Earth' glide elegantly and look menacing, the War Machines just look like bulky examples of sixties kitsch and not at all threatening. Are we seriously supposed to believe that WOTAN thinks it can take over London with twelve of these? They may be able to jam guns, but dig a few trenches around them and the old jokes about Daleks and stairs pale by comparison. Then again, there is no way War Machine number 9 could have got in the lift at the GPO tower, so perhaps they can fly…

This brings me to a massive inconsistency that strains suspension of disbelief to breaking point. WOTAN becomes openly sentient in episode one, and it is hinted that Brett is its first slave (certainly, since he's been working on it up until that point, I don't believe that it has already been plotting secret). Given this, we are supposed to believe that within twenty-four hours, WOTAN has recruited dozens of agents all over London (possible) who have time to hand in formal resignations (unlikely) and has constructed the complex electronic components required to construct the War Machines, which seem to arrive by aeroplane from all over the world pre-constructed in units, and shipped in packing crates with WOTAN's logo on them (almost certainly impossible, although if anyone has any fan theories to explain this, I'm always open to suggestions). This annoys me considerably every time I watch the story. 

My final problem with 'The War Machines' is Dodo's departure. Jackie Lane is by no means a bad actress, but she got a fairly bad deal as Dodo. Her first appearance is a contrivance bolted onto the end of the otherwise perfect 'The Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Eve' and she therefore misses out on a decent introduction. She then gets a sporadic cockney accent in 'The Ark' apparently due to interference from on high (Lane was ordered to drop it by silly BBC personnel who objected to a regional accent in the show), and then suffered from inconsistent characterisation during the next three stories. Ironically, the first two episodes of 'The War Machines' give her a prominent role, as she is hypnotized by WOTAN and ordered to recruit the Doctor, and Lane plays her role convincingly. After being released from hypnosis by the Doctor however, she is shipped off to the countryside, decides to stay in 1960s London off-screen, and sends the Doctor her farewells via Polly. As a companion departure it is truly diabolical, especially after Steven's fine leaving scene at the end of 'The Savages'. Oh, and incidentally, I'm not going to add criticism of the use of the name "Doctor Who" rather than simply "the Doctor" during 'The War Machines', because there is other evidence that he might occasionally use such an alias and besides "Doctor" clearly isn't his real name anyway. But doesn't it sound terrible when some says out loud "where is Doctor Who"?

Anyway, enough negativity; there are a few things about 'The War Machines' that I do enjoy. The "swinging sixties" setting is well realized an entertaining, and the sight of the Doctor in a nightclub is rather amusing (especially the "fab gear" scene). The location too work is exemplary. The acting throughout is uniformly good (with the exception of Crimpton's OTT death scene), with Hartnell putting one of his most dignified performances. The cliffhanger ending to episode three is of particular note, as the Doctor faces down the first War Machine. What really make 'The War Machines' worth watching however are Ben and Polly. Because most of their stories are missing or incomplete (and possibly because they are later overshadowed by Jamie), Ben and Polly, like Steven, tend to be underrated. They are a great pair of companions and Ben's down-to-Earth working class cockney nicely complements the slightly snooty Polly. The scene in which the brainwashed Polly allows Ben to escape from the warehouse and later tells Major Green that she did it because he is her friend indicates how quickly they form a bond, since Polly is the only one of WOTAN's servants seen to be even slightly capable of resisting the computer's influence, and only to save Ben. It is also a pleasant change to have a couple of comparable age in the TARDIS again; after Ian and Barbara left, Steven played more of a big brother role to Vicki, Katarina, and Dodo, but Ben and Polly are on a more equal footing (although unlike Ian and Barbara, I never get the feeling that they are destined to become an item once they eventually part company with the Doctor). Both are immediately thrust directly into the Doctor's world, as Polly is hypnotized and Ben is captured by WOTAN's servants, and both managed to cope admirably with their experiences, neither seeming at all traumatized when they meet the Doctor in Fitzroy Square to say goodbye. Their accidental stumbling into the TARDIS also echoes that of Ian and Barbara. 

Overall then, 'The War Machines' is neither a complete success nor a total failure. It lacks a decent villain (at least in my opinion) and is a poor final story for Dodo, but adequately serves to introduce Ben and Polly. It is however, the weakest season finale in Doctor Who to date. Season Three has a far less consistent feel to it than its predecessors, partly due to several companion changes, but also adopts a more experimental air, with stories such as 'The Ark', 'The Celestial Toymaker', and 'The War Machines' all attempting to do new things with the series' format. It also boasts the first appearance of another member of the Doctor's own people aside from Susan, and reveals that history can in fact be changed. But of course, the series' biggest change to date is lurking in the next season…

There is a big shift in tone from the light and imaginative “Planet of Giants” to the grimness that pervades “The Dalek Invasion of Earth”. I really do enjoy this story. The horrible circumstances the TARDIS crew find on 22nd century Earth bring out the hero in all of them, and what we end up with is a good solid adventure story with some moments of real emotion.

I suppose it was inevitable that the Daleks would return at some point, given that they were such a success the first time around. The redesign is fairly minimal, with larger bumpers around their base and a disc on their backs, which is meant to explain how they can move and draw power when not on metal flooring. They are an effective enemy, being in control from the before the story actually starts. They’ve already conquered the Earth by the time the Doctor and friends arrive, and they’ve either enslaved or ‘robotized’ the population. The few that remain free are forced to live and hide underground, plotting to take back the planet. London is partially in ruins, and the well-chosen location filming early on conveys this idea convincingly. I particularly enjoy the sequences where Barbara, Jenny and Dortmun cross London and see Daleks on the bridges and around some of London’s landmarks. The large amount of location filming really expands this tale beyond the confines of the studio and helps to create a bigger and more epic feeling.

It’s interesting to note that the Daleks still have an external power source, which David and Susan disable in episode six. This allows the Robomen rebellion instigated by Barbara and the Doctor to be successful, and allows the slaves in the mine to escape before the Daleks’ bomb goes off. The Daleks’ plan is also interesting and pretty impressive if they could have pulled it off: to remove the magnetic core of the Earth and turn it into something that they could pilot around the universe. They themselves also fare well, being impervious to gunfire and to Dortmun’s bombs. 

The regulars all get split up into groups over the course of the story and have to rely on themselves and whoever they meet to survive, but every one of them play a part in ending the Dalek invasion. Barbara ends up with Jenny, a rather bitter woman who has lost much of her hope. I rather like Jenny. She’s angry and hard on the outside, but softens a bit and gradually forms a friendship with Barbara as the two of them work their way across London and then to the mine in Bedford. She could easily take off on her own when Barbara decides to head for the Bedford Mine, but seemingly has come to enjoy the company, telling Barbara “We may as well stay together.” The two of them very nearly succeed in their attempt to escape the mine and stir up the Robomen. Barbara’s mining of historical events to distract the Daleks is great fun to watch.

The Doctor and Susan spend their time with David and Tyler and don’t really seem to accomplish much until the final episode, when David and Susan temporarily disable the Daleks by damaging their power source. It struck me on this viewing that this is one of the stories where the Doctor contributes little. He and Ian are captured early on, and while the Doctor has a good time working out how to escape from the cell, it’s ultimately wasted since the means of escape seem to be readily available simply to weed out the more intelligent prisoners so they can be robotized. The Doctor seems quite afraid when he’s taken for ‘robotizing’. Fear is an emotion I rarely associate with the character, but it’s realistic and Hartnell portrays it well. Drugged and ill, the Doctor is disabled for an episode. It seems rather obvious that the ‘acid on the casing’ trick that David uses to disarm the Dalek firebomb is something that the Doctor would have worked out before the hurried rewrite due to Hartnell’s absence.

Ian has the best role, keeping his cool aboard the Dalek saucer and just about single-handedly stopping the Daleks by blocking the bomb shaft. He doesn’t even mess up his suit until the last episode. What a guy! Seriously, I really do find Ian as compelling a character to watch as the Doctor, something that can’t always be said for the Doctor’s traveling companions. William Russell just makes him so likeable and down-to-earth while at the same time portraying a resourceful and heroic character. 

I’ve touched on some of the guest characters, and I think they are a large part of the success of this story. Bernard Kay is one of my favorite occasional guest stars. He’s a wonderfully quiet and natural actor, and he makes Tyler a good solid fighter and resistance leader who closes others off because he has ‘seen too much killing’, but is still sympathetic and likeable. Dortmun obviously has a chip on his shoulder and feels the need to prove himself due to his confinement to a wheelchair, but again he’s a sympathetic character despite his flaws. He has an ego, but he’s courageous or desperate enough to make the run across Dalek-infested London in daylight. Jenny I’ve already covered. Larry, who befriends Ian and who accompanies him to the mine is a highly sympathetic fellow, just trying to find his brother. And then there’s David, who seems the least embittered by the Dalek invasion. Young, energetic and bright, he always seems to be looking for the good in his fellow survivors. And of course, he wins Susan’s heart as well.

I’ve saved discussion of Susan until last. I’ve seen all her stories before of course, but watching them in order really has given me a new view of her character. I used to see her as a timid, annoying screamer with little in the way of better qualities, but that simply isn’t the case. She’s very kind and compassionate, and braver than I gave her credit for. She is prone to bouts of hysteria from time to time, but she’s also strong-willed and intelligent like her grandfather, even when it lands her in trouble. It’s sad to see her left behind at the end of the story, many miles and many centuries from her home, which she has talked about from time to time over the course of her time on the show. As the only member of the Doctor’s family that we’ve ever seen, she’s unique in the history of the series. The show really does feel different after her departure.

“The Dalek Invasion of Earth” is a big story, and pretty successful for the most part. The recent DVD release showcases it in its best light. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I highly recommend it.