As far as two-parters go, this one is definitely pretty high up on my list. 

It's not a very complex story. Nor are the "stakes" in it all that particularly high. Which, in my opinion, is a good thing to do with the two parters back in the classic series. With the exception of "The Ultimate Foe" (believe it or not, my favourite of all the two-parters) - I've always enjoyed the two parters more when they don't try to give too massive of a scope to the story. Even "Edge Of Destruction" from the previous season suffers because it tries to be so dramatically intense throughout but isn't given much of a chance to "build up" because it's only two episodes long. 

But "The Rescue" is an economical little tale that is mainly there to introduce Vicki and get her onboard the TARDIS. Yes, we have a bit of a mystery going on with some slight elements of suspense and intrigue. But they are, for the most part, largely inconsiquential to the overall thrust of the story. Fortunately, they're not too badly underplayed, either. 

The "real plot" to the story is interesting enough. Two stranded earthlings being menaced by an alien is just enough storyline to fill the two parts. The twist at the end is quite nice too. Although, sadly, I had read in something, somewhere that Bennet was Koquillion and the surprise was ruined for me. But it seems to me that if I hadn't read the spoiler, I wouldn't have guessed the final outcome of the story. And that is a nice testament to the scriptwriting. Oftentimes, plot twists are not surprises because too many clues are given leading up to it. Not the case with The Rescue. 

But the real emphasis of this tale is characterisation. This is laid out quite evidently in the opening scene with Vicki and Bennett as they give us a touch of expository dialogue to reveal their plight to the audience and, at the same time, create a certain degree of empathy too. Especially Vicki. She was always a very "bright" and energetic character without ever becoming annoying or tedious. Maureen O'Brien should be praised for her skills in crafting what was, essentially, "a new Susan". She made her radically different from her predecessor - even if the scripts didn't always serve her up that way. 

But we see an even stronger example of characterisation in the next scene in the TARDIS interior. The Doctor is definitely shedding is anti-hero image here. Even the way they had him asleep as the ship materialised made him seem all the more vulnerable. And, therefore, likeable. One would normally expect his character to revert to some very crotchety behaviour as he regains consciousness. Particularly since he would be doing his best to conceal his sadness for saying goodbye to Susan. Instead, he's pleasant to his companions and even a bit tragic as he calls out for Susan and then remembers she isn't there. A really touching little scene that continues to set the real tone for this tale. 

Again, the shortness of this story keeps the action quite tight. We don't have to bother with a whole lot of slow build-up since everything's got to get finished in just two parts. The fact that we're facing a rock-fall and a forced seperation of the TARDIS crew within minutes is a nice change of pace from the stories of this era. And this keeps the story interesting. 

But we still get a lot of slower moments for all these nice characterisations to set in too. But never at the expense of the story. Rather, these moments enhance it. And they foreshadow quite nicely that Vicki will be coming aboard the TARDIS as all the characters "take" to her in different ways. The Doctor, of course, being the one who forms the strongest bond since he sees her, immediately, as a substitute for the grandaughter he lost. 

The final confrontation between Koquillion and the Doctor in the Judgement Hall is, in my humble opinion, executed to dramatic perfection. The Doctor sitting with his back to Bennett and claiming he knows who he really is was a great way to start the scene. Even the fight sequence looks pretty good. A pretty big surprise since physicalities are generally handled by Ian. It all comes to a very good ending as a few surviving "Didosians" appear and save the day. And we're able to feel sorry for them in the later scene as they smash the communications equipment on the ship. The Doctor's description of them earlier in the story sets up a great sense of sympathy for them in their final scene since we understand that violence is repugnant to them but that the wiping out of their species has changed them radically. It's all very poignant. Particularly since the two characters never say a word.

So, all in all, a very simple little tale that serves up its purpose quite nicely. In much the same way as "Black Orchid" would, nearly twenty years later. And this, I feel, is the best way to "do up" a two parter. Some nice character moments and a story that doesn't try to do too much in it since it's over almost as quickly as its begun. 

Great stuff.

'The Rescue' is unusual in that it serves almost exclusively as an introduction for Vicki; this is unusual for the series, since in future new companions are generally introduced as characters playing some role in the overall plot who join the TARDIS at the end of the story, rather than being the primary focus of the plot. However, this is of course the first time that a new companion joins the TARDIS crew since the start of the series. 

Although Susan departed in the previous story, the actual dynamic of the crew does not yet change, since Vicki fills her role almost perfectly. True, she is more independent and headstrong than Susan, probably as a result of the death of her parents and her near solitude on Dido, and O'Brien is a better actress than Ford, but Vicki almost immediately replaces Susan in the Doctor's affections, obviously reminding him of his granddaughter from the start. Her immediate idolization of him completes the effect. Nevertheless, she is less annoying than Susan, which can only be a good thing, and generally seems more fun. She deserves extra sympathy points for her background as well, since losing her family and being stranded on a strange planet with (apparently) a hostile alien must be traumatic to say the least. As an introduction for Vicki then, 'The Rescue' works perfectly.

At only two twenty-five episodes in length, 'The Rescue' has little time for development of the other regulars, but Whitaker's grasp of characterisation, previously seen in 'Inside the Spaceship', stands him in good stead. The Doctor is obviously affected by Susan's departure, falling asleep and missing materialization, and just seeming generally vulnerable in the first TARDIS scene. His transformation into purposeful guardian after meeting Vicki is wholly believable and he quickly becomes his usual indomitable self when dealing with Bennett. Ian is pretty much sidelined, but Barbara gets something to do even if that something is slaying Vicki's pet, Sandy. Although this is clearly not her finest moment, it is presented in such a way as to make it understandable, since she reacts instinctively to protect Vicki and the Doctor is quick to defend this, noting that he would have probably acted the same way in Barbara's position. At the end of the day, Barbara's reaction is a believable one; most people confronted with a large fanged, snarling alien monster would probably have shot it on sight if they had a weapon to hand. 

The Bennett/Koquillion plot is sparse, but again functional, since it provides a token threat to frame Vicki's introduction. Admittedly Bennett is not a very memorable villain, but he serves his purpose and is competently acted, never quite becoming the frothing madman that lesser writers might have made him and instead coming across as a calculating murderer, which is always more believable. 'The Rescue' is mocked in The Completely Useless Encyclopedia for being a murder mystery with only one suspect, but in all fairness Vicki is unlikely to doubt the story presented by her brusque "mentor", since she is naturally more likely to believe the story of someone she knows, especially with an alien race she knows nothing about on hand as potentially more likely suspects; in effect, Bennett exploits fear of the unknown. Besides, once the Doctor meets Vicki, he almost immediately discovers Bennett's guilt anyway. 

There are two aspects of 'The Rescue', which are IMO a failure – the Didoi, when we briefly see them, instantly vie with the Thals for the title of Doctor Who's most boring alien race so far, appearing as they do as humans in silly costumes. Admittedly, there isn't much time to develop them further, but at least if they had actually looked like Koquillion (whose costume, face and claws included, turns out to be ceremonial robes stolen by Bennett) they would have been marginally more interesting. The second failed aspect is the cliffhanger, which is rubbish – the Didoi are supposedly a peaceful race, yet have a clichéd death trap outside their hall of justice, which clearly exists only to threaten Ian at the end of episode one. This might be more forgivable if the trap was less convincing; as it is, the blades that supposedly push Ian towards the edge of the chasm are visibly far apart enough to allow him to simply stand between them until they retract without being scratched. Sandy at least is used as more than a potential threat waiting in the chasm, since he turns out to be Vicki's pet and is killed by Barbara, as mentioned above.

So in summary, 'The Rescue' is a flawed but functional introduction for Vicki. It may not be memorable for much else, but it isn't pleasant enough and its length makes it a welcome respite from the usual four- or six-parters.

'The Romans' is Doctor Who's first attempt at full-blown comedy after the hints of this in 'The Reign of Terror', also by Dennis Spooner. Despite this, it tends to be ignored in favour of 'Marco Polo', 'The Aztecs' or 'The Crusade' when historical stories are overlooked, which is shame because it is, quite frankly, brilliant. 

Firstly, 'The Romans' is frequently genuinely funny rather than simply witty or satirical. Most of the comedy comes from Derek Francis' Nero, who is an excellent character. Despite frequent slapstick or innuendo, Francis plays it with utter conviction – Nero may be a lecherous bumbling egotistical buffoon, but he can still have people killed and Francis gives an impression of stupid brutality. Whilst he gets lines like "I'll have you both killed over and over again", it is still easy to believe that he really could have the Doctor and Vicki slain, which stops 'The Romans' from being too cozy. Nonetheless, his scenes with the Doctor are pure comedy, and Hartnell proves himself a master, especially during the scene where he silently plays the lyre, having announced that the music is so sophisticated that only those with a keen musical taste will be able to hear it (not only is this an obvious nod to The Emperor's New Clothes, but the Doctor claims to have suggested the idea to Hans Christian Anderson). Nero's sulky announcement that "he's alright but he's not all that good" is hilarious. Even when Nero is absent however, the comedy lurks throughout from the scene in which the Doctor gets Ian's name wrong, to Barbara accidentally knocking Ian out during the fight with the slavers. The scene near the end of episode four in which the Doctor realises that he inspired the great fire of Rome is amusing but also significant; it is the first time since 'The Aztecs' that the idea of meddling in history is mentioned, but on this occasion, whilst the Doctor warns Vicki to be careful, he is clearly gleeful when he finds out that he has influenced events. His overall sense of responsibility to the web of time will remain throughout the series, but it's still interesting to see him consider the possibilities of interfering with almost childish delight. The Doctor shines throughout this story, but particular note must be given to his fight with the assassin, whom he easily out-fights. It is unusual for Hartnell's Doctor to participate in violence, with Ian usually fulfilling that role, but it is hugely entertaining to see him scrapping with such obvious relish. Although it does raise the question of why he didn't give Bennett the same treatment in 'The Rescue'. 

Of course, comedy of 'The Romans' is tempered by the predicament of Ian and Barbara, who are kidnapped and sold into slavery. The grim reality of this situation is largely focused on Ian, who first gets forced to row on board a slave ship and is later forced to train as a gladiator; Barbara's situation seems less perilous, since it becomes more comic once she reaches the palace. On one level the idea of Nero trying to force himself on the enslaved Barbara is of course horrific, but to be honest the way in which it is presented disperses any such horror, since Nero is more reminiscent of a harmless and self-deluded middle-aged flirt rather than a sexual predator. It still probably wouldn't be done today, but it has such a pantomime tone to the way it is handled that 'The Romans' just about gets away with it. Ian's experiences are much more brutally portrayed and, as in 'The Reign of Terror', Spooner uses this grittiness to give 'The Romans' a constant sense of danger despite the comedy element. The feeling of restfulness at the start offsets this, as we learn that the Doctor and his companions have spent a month relaxing around the villa – it is unusual to hear of the TARDIS crew getting some time to relax, but somehow welcome. 

This story confirms the suspicions sown in 'The Rescue' that Vicki is more fun than Susan, taking constant delight in the sights of ancient Rome, and generally giving an impression that she is eager for new experiences. Her frank discussion with Locusta is full of curiosity rather than the moral outrage that Barbara might have demonstrated on meeting the court poisoner. Later, her glib (and amusing) attitude towards nearly poisoning Nero emphasizes that she is still a child and suggests that, as yet, she doesn't seem to really grasp the consequences of her actions - indeed, she certainly doesn't grasp the implications of time travel yet, or she wouldn't have tried to poison Nero. I suspect that her attitude is largely a combination of giddiness at being able to go anywhere and any when, and also at having escaped from Dido - she constantly bubbles over with excitement. Kept largely by the Doctor's side as he uses his wits to survive in the court, she is effectively shielded from any real danger during this story. This changes during 'The Web Planet', after which she is at least slightly more cautious during her travels with the Doctor.

'The Romans' also succeeds in terms of characterisation; not only Nero, but all the supporting characters seem real, from the old slave woman in Barbara's cell, to Ian's new and trusty friend Delios, to the gentle Tavius who is key to Barbara's safety in the palace. The slave traders are nasty without ever becoming pure cliché, the unfortunate Tigilinus entertains throughout with his unwanted and occasionally unnoticed fussing around Nero, and the scheming and jealous Poppaea is deliciously icy. Every single character, however minor, is well captured. In addition, the sets are uniformly excellent, managing to give a convincing impression of ancient Rome. 'The Romans' is the best surviving example of the comedy historical and is easily as deserving of a DVD release as 'The Aztecs'.

This is madness! “We’ve wandered off our astral plane,” says the Doctor at one point, and he’s not wrong. This is Doctor Who - Timothy Leary style!

The Web Planet is often accused of being boring, but apart from episodes four and five dragging a bit, this is highly entertaining stuff. Of course you do need a similar sense of humour to me, and find amusement in things that make absolutely no sense, and on that score The Web Planet is a laugh riot.

It’s one big acid trip two years before such things were popular: giant talking insects, a story so garbled you wonder if they’re still speaking English, weird sets and lots of (presumably) coloured flashing lights.

William Hartnell is at his most incomprehensible – not just the famous line-forgetting scene in the TARDIS that leaves poor William Russell with a baffled look on his face, but throughout the first few episodes he rambles constantly, often laughing in the middle of sentences for no apparent reason and running around like a monkey, or a toddler with attention deficit order. He only shuts up when he’s been hypnotized by a big gold wishbone.

I found Vicki a pleasantly bland presence after having to sit through seven episodes of Carol Ann Ford’s hyperactivity last week during a viewing of The Daleks. She doesn’t scream at all really, which is great, and she gurgles quite horribly when covered in sticky web stuff. Ian and Barbera have pretty much the same roles as in The Daleks, though, clambering through caves and whipping the locals up into the obligatory suicide mission.

The worst bit is where the Menoptra and Barbara annoy a Zarbi by shouting “Zarbiiii!!” at it, which is all very Tellytubby in execution, as are the Optra who cheapen the whole experience when on screen. By hopping.

The best bit is the Menoptra attack – the sight of the Menoptra in flight is graceful, very very psychedelic and oddly moving. No, the best bit is where the Zarbi runs head first into one of the studio cameras – not so much because it happens, but because it’s so obviously going to happen.

The Web Planet is an imaginative and ambitious attempt to create an alien world run by insects. The moth-like Menoptera are trying to reclaim the planet that is being controlled by the ant-like Zarbi under the influence of the evil Animus. The plot devise is typical for early Hartnell stories. The TARDIS crew lands, then becomes separated, then the TARDIS is stolen, then the Doctor and his companions help the good guys triumph, then they reunite and retrieve the TARDIS and leave. 

However, there are a number of interesting ideas: a totally alien world without any humanoid inhabitants or visitors (other than the TARDIS crew), the evolution of intelligent insects, and the ability of the Animus/Zarbi to control gold objects and those in contact with gold. I also liked the attempt to give the Menoptera insect-like movements. 

The story suffers from too much padding and too little story to sustain all 6 episodes, but the novel ideas make it worth viewing. There is one biological problem with the Menoptera and Zarbi. Giant insects and insect-like creatures existed on prehistoric earth only during periods when the oxygen levels in the atmosphere we about 50% greater than our current levels. The reason is that the insect respiratory system is very effective at small sizes but not efficient at larger sizes. Increased oxygen levels allow them to over come this problem that normally limits the size of insects. The problem is that the alien planet has a thinner atmosphere than earth, so large insect-like life wouldn’t be possible. 

Visually the Web Planet looks like a high school play. The sets, Menoptera costumes, the Zarbi (plastic ants with human hind legs), and Zarbi larvae are awful and look amateurish. Some reviewers say that it was quite good for 1965 but it just doesn’t hold up 42 years later. I disagree because the visuals do not hold up to productions from the 1950s and 1960s. Alien insects with good visuals were seen in Them, First Men in the Moon, and the Outer Limits episode The Zanti Misfits. 

It isn’t just the low budget special effect that let the production down. Scenes set in the atmosphere of the alien world were shot with special filters that were smeared with Vaseline. This made the camera lenses distort the images with the intention to show that the alien atmosphere was different from earth. I understood this only after I watched the documentary that accompanies the DVD. Although I like the reason that they did this I just think that it looks like bad filming. 

The Web Planet is probably the most ambitious of the Hartnell years. But the comical costumes and props make this story primarily of interest to longtime fans who really want to see every existing episode. If this was the first 6 episodes of Doctor Who that someone watched, then it is likely that it would their last. It is interesting to note that the viewing audience in Britain peaked during the early episodes of The Web Planet and then dropped throughout the 6 episodes. The audience for Doctor Who was never this high again until a decade later. The story line is imaginative and interesting enough to make The Web Planet a great candidate to be redone with post-Jurassic Park CGI effects. 

** out of 4.

When I first started my journey of Doctor Who, I tried to keep open minded about certain things, and I still do. I tend not to let the opinions and views of other fans cloud my judgement of any particular adventure. However, I must be in agreement with fandom regarding 'The Web Planet'; it is simply, without a doubt, the worst adventure ever created. 

I first viewed this 6-parter on Christmas Day with my girlfriend three years ago, and we nearly didn't survive the experience because we nearly died of absolute boredom. 

However, I must say that recently I have watched 'The Web Planet' with a mission in mind; to write responsorial dialogue in the fashion of Mystery Science Theater. Most of the crappy films that exist are usually made enjoyable thanks to MST3K. And so I painstakingly wrote some rather funny lines to say at certain junctions of all 6 episodes, and it does make the experience a bit more enjoyable, simply because you can delight in taking a piss out of what is undoubtably a bunch of great ideas poorly executed. This is my suggestion to everyone, if you wish to enjoy 'The Web Planet', view it and attempt to develop your own witty responses, it's fun. 

Anyway, I'm pretty sure that many of the ideas were good when they were written on paper, and a great deal must be commended to going above and beyond the call of duty to attempt a truly alien landscape and environment. However, what ruins it is the pacing, because it literally takes forever for anything exciting to happen. By the time you get to episode four, you really don't care if the Menoptra overthrow the Zarbi and the Animus, you just want it all to be over and done with. What also ruins it are those annoying sound effects used for the Zarbi, they sound like video game sound effects from Atari or even KalicoVision. Not only that, but there are so many fluffed lines, I totally lost count. In addition, what was the deal with the weird hand movements by the Menoptra, it looked like they were conducting an orchaestra or something. 

I feel sorry for Martin Jarvis, a highly respected and talented actor, for having to play one of the Menoptra. Then again, this could have been one of his first acting jobs, who knows? Luckily he makes up for it with a marvelous performance years later in 'Jubilee'. I also felt sorry for the regulars for having to trudge through such a horrendously plodded adventure. I feel bad for Bill Sutton, who recently passed away, he had a lot of great ideas. They just weren't translated well to television. I think his ideas were overly ambitious and were a bit too big for the timeframe in which they were used. If his script were proposed a little later on in the years, the result probably would've been slightly better than what we ended up with at the time. Then again, who knows for certain. But take my advice, if you intend on watching this, you may like it, you may not. But first watch it, come up with some cool lines to shout at the screen at appropriate times, then sit back and enjoy your very own MSTied version of 'The Web Planet'.