There are several elements to this story that not only make it great - but even make it a bit beautiful: 

The first and most obvious one is the character of Tommy. Although we're never told why a person with special needs is allowed to roam freely about a monastery (and, from an extremely budhist point-of-view, it's almost sort of nice that it's never explained), his involvement in this story is crucial to its noteworthiness. As a viewer, I grew attached to Tommy in ways that I never have before in a Doctor Who story and, for that matter, never have since. I like him quite a bit already even before the Blue Crystal changes him, but as I journey with him after the change I, pretty well, fall in love with his character. So that when he finally dives in the way of the blast of mental energy in the basement, my fear for his safety caused me to produce an audible yelp. Amusingly enough, others who have watched this story with me had a similar reaction to that moment. Which just goes to show, really. 

Another really downright fantastic element of this story is K'anpo/Cho-je. At last, we meet this mysterious mentor of the Doctor's. Even though we only ever heard of him for the first time a season or two ago - we were immediately fascinated with him. And it's almost a bit sad that he does get referenced one or two more times in the series, but we never do actually see him again. Still, the meeting they have near the end of the story is completely worth stopping the whole plot for. It's a magnificiently scripted and performed scene. And the ultra-cool regeneration that follows as K'anpo morphs into Cho-je almost "steals the the thunder" of the Doctor's regeneration. 

Almost, but not quite. 

The strongest, most powerful, element of this story is the demise of the Third Doctor. Written in a way that is still quite grandiose (after all, Pertwee did carry the role for five years and deserved a noteworthy swansong) without being quite so intentional about it as "Logopolis" was. The grandness, in fact, is executed in what I feel is the "right" kind of way: through some really strong characterisation. The Doctor, because of the nature of his character, is frequently a "constant" in his stories. With little or no real sense of growth to him. But the journey he takes in this tale leaves him a changed man by its conclusion. And not just in a literal sense. And though there have been other stories where the Doctor had brief "snippets" of character growth (ie: the little moment in "Ressurection of the Daleks" after Tegan leaves where he feels he "must mend his ways") - this story really makes the Doctor's character growth its most pivotal point. And this is what really causes the whole story to shine. So that, as he collapses to the floor of the UNIT lab and bids his adieu - I am truly touched by his departure. It is, in my opinion, some of the most compelling drama of the Pertwee era. Thus making it the best note for the lead actor to leave on.

As has been discussed in other reviews, Planet Of Spiders has some very "clunky" moments to it too. If there's any evidence that the show was getting too dominated by Pertwee's personality, it's the chase scene. Purely a twenty-minute throwaway that becomes difficult to watch after seven minutes or so. It does almost seem like they're just completely indulging Pertwee's love of strange vehicles. But it does have, at least, some fun little comical moments to it involving the police officer and the sleeping bum. And even the Whomobile flying is kind of a neat twist. Even as fake as it may have looked. So, as bothersome as the chase sequence might have been, in some ways, it's still not as bad as all that.

I'm probably more bothered by the apparent "woodeness" of the cast of villagers on Metebellis Three. Wow, there's just some really bad acting going on in some of those scenes. Most cringeworthy of them all is the woman who played the mother. I'm sure she was cast because she was related to the right person. No one could have been impressed with her as an actress! The fact that she really painfully flubs one of her lines just makes matters worse. Easilly, one of the worst performances ever done in a Who-story - and there have been some bad ones over the years! But, if given the choice of going back in time and being able to alter only one facet of this story - it would be the re-casting of this character before it would be taking out of the chase scene. 

There are probably a few more weaknesses to this story but the strengths, I feel, definitely outweigh them to the point of making them painfully irrelevant, for the most part. The story shows some very strong continuity with the way it wraps up a few important ongoing threads that have been weaving through the series. One of particular noteworthiness was the final progression of Mike Yates. Ever since "Green Death", the series seemed to be doing some interesting things to him. Which I felt was a great move. Compared to the Brig and Benton, Mike was painfully bland in most of his stories. To take him through the journey they did was a nice touch. 

Another really nice touch was the fact that, although the story celebrates many of the quintessential aspects of Pertwee's era, it also strays from it in other vital ways. Thus giving the whole thing a bit of a "Caves Of Androzani" kind of feel. Like that story, things happen in Planet of Spiders that don't normally happen in the Third Doctor's tenure. And that aspect, in itself, makes the story all the more enjoyable. Particularly to someone who found much of this era just a tad too formulaic for his liking. 

So, the final verdict is that the story does have its fair share of flaws. But it also "transcends" (you can't help but use that word in a story about Budhism) a lot of the restrictions the series imposed upon itself at the time. And that, more than anything, is what makes Pertwee's farewell both memorable and even a bit beautiful. A very deftly-crafted sentimentalism that could have been easily messed up in less-capable hands.

I often start my review of a story by reminiscing about the first time I saw it, and "The Daleks" will be no exception. It was 1985, and I had no idea that my local PBS station had begun showing the black and white episodes until I was flipping channels on a Tuesday afternoon after school and I caught what looked like Daleks in black and white! That was episode 2, the first Hartnell episode I'd ever seen, and indeed the first black and white episode I'd seen. I bought a VHS tape on the way home from school the next day and started taping episodes. It was the late 90s before I found the story on video and bought it so that I could finally see episode 1 (for the first time) and see episode 2 again. With the Beginning DVD box set I've finally been able to see a really good copy of the story, since even the VHS release is pretty poor in spots. Needless to say, I have a real fondness for this story, which for years I thought was entitled "The Dead Planet". After seeing it for the first time in a number of years, all cleaned up and VidFIRE'd, how does it hold up? 

It looks better than I've ever seen it, of course! Very clean, very clear contrast between whites and blacks. The sound is good. I've always thought of this as one of the better Dalek stories, and I've liked it since I first saw it, but it really surprised me just how much I enjoyed watching it again, and how quickly some of the episodes passed. I was watching episode three for example, and when it ended I was surprised it was over so quickly, though of course I have seen it before and knew what was coming. I'm rapidly changing my formerly held opinion that the black and white stories were all fairly slow and not as interesting as they could be. Sometimes that's true, but more often than not all it takes is a good watchable copy to drastically ratchet my opinion of a story up a few notches. "The Seeds of Death" is an example of a story where I just thought it was as dull as could be based on the old VHS release, but the DVD changed my opinion drastically. 

"The Daleks" is a compelling adventure story. I considered watching just one episode a night to enjoy the experience longer, but ended up saying "OK, just one more episode" and watching two or three at a time. This is a story where I can really get caught up in the ordeals of the TARDIS crew, where despite the sci-fi trappings, much of what they go through is pretty down-to-earth. They trek through the forest, or are locked in a cell. Then there is the dark claustrophobia of the caves behind the Dalek city, or the hike through the swamp. Okay, so most people don't have to deal with Daleks or swamp mutations, but on the whole, much of what the characters experience isn't terribly outlandish. Suspension of disbelief is easy. And the direction is very good as well. There are a number of genuinely tense moments throughout the story. Even though I knew exactly what would happen, I found myself getting caught up in the drama a number of times. 

My only real quibble with the story is the ending, or rather a few facets of the ending. First of all, the fact that the Thals can get into the city rather easily during the final episode makes Ian and company's expedition seem pointless in the end, though it is mainly Ian's group that reaches the control room I suppose. Alydon sends them on their way, they trek through swamp and cave and lose two comrades, only to run into Alydon once they reach the city. Hmmm. 

The other issue is the fact that pushing one Dalek into some sort of power junction shuts all the Daleks down. Would a circuit that critical be left so vulnerable? I wouldn't think so. Still, the Daleks are beaten, and the Thals take no joy in the victory, and it's made to seem rather sad for all concerned, so it's good in that respect. 

The Daleks make more sense in this story than perhaps any other. This is the one time we really see them in context, in their own environment, and it suits them perfectly. Mutations of an atomic war, who need radiation to survive and who are confined to their travel machines, they're both sad and frightening in their single-mindedness. "Every problem has a solution" might be an admirable attitude for some, but for the Daleks it's a statement of how focused they are on their goal of destroying the Thals so that the Daleks can survive. It's a template for their future behavior. They speak more quickly than I remember, and generally seem to be written as characters rather than as little tanks that go around yelling "Exterminate!" They are people, much as the Thals are. And they're intelligent, working their way through a number of problems quickly when it comes to the anti-radiation drugs. On a side note, it's really cool the way they hold things with their sucker hands, and push buttons, and pick up ticker tape and salute. In the scene where Temmosus makes his speech, all the Dalek guns are twitching, and though they're just itching to shoot. The Daleks are given some nice body language as it were, and this adds to their character. 

The model shots of the Dalek city and the surrounding mountains are very impressive. Sure we could do better now with CGI, but that doesn't alter the fact that the model looks great. Between the forest, and the swamp, and the city with mountains behind it, there is a real sense of environment and scale. The story doesn't feel like it's taking place on a few sets in a studio. 

And of course, as in "An Unearthly Child", the actors really sell the story. Or at least the four regulars do. Some of the Thal actors are less than convincing, and say some rather odd things, as if they're trying to be deeply philosophical but can't quite manage it. Contrast that with the excellent debate at the beginning of part 5 between the Doctor and Barbara and Ian, with some pretty strong ideas about life and death and being willing to fight to survive being thrown about by the three. Ian really shines in this story, being very much the resourceful and brave man of action. He stands up to the Doctor, takes the lead in the expedition and quickly forms friendships with several of the Thals. Barbara doesn't have as much to do, but she also proves herself to be a strong character, trekking through the mutant-filled swamp and the caves and attacking a Dalek in the control center. Her relationship with Ganatas is wonderfully understated but nevertheless quite apparent, and when they part at the end it's sweet and rather sad. 

Susan is another character I'm revising my opinion on. She's prone to bouts of hysteria and screaming, but though she does suffer from some of that here, she's also brave enough to go through the dark forest at night and retrieve the anti-radiation drugs. And Susan is the one who gets the crew out of the little jam at the guard station after they've just escaped from the cell. She's really rather likeable and useful here. 

Last but not least, there's the Doctor. Still selfish and still looking out for himself and Susan above all others, he's only beginning to develop his sense of morality that we've come to associate with the Doctor. I'm always tickled by his trick with the fluid link, and his barely concealed glee that his little trick has worked and that they'll have to go down into the city. It's entirely fitting that this backfires badly on him. He's a little too eager to have the Thals sacrifice themselves to retrieve the fluid link as well. But we start to see some signs of the Doctor that will develop over time with his pleas to the Daleks to "Stop this senseless, evil killing!" and his willingness to trade the TARDIS for a stop to the irradiation plans. Hartnell is as good as ever, despite a slip or two. He really was a superb actor in many ways, and it's a pity that his iffy memory and the rapid production schedule gave him such fits with his lines. On one of the DVD interviews it's nice to see Verity Lambert defending him, saying that he delivered the goods more often than not. 

There's so much good stuff in this story that I've barely scratched the surface. It's outstanding, and I can certainly see why the audiences grew during this serial. There are some flaws, but nothing that detracts from the overall experience. Once I start watching, I don't want to stop. Go buy the DVD! 9 out of 10.

Whilst 'Robot' succeeded in establishing the new Doctor and the relationship between him and his companions, it is in many ways a hangover from the Pertwee era. Having established the new status quo, however it leads into 'The Ark in Space', arguably the first proper Tom Baker story and a shining example of the influence of Philip Hinchcliffe and Robert Holmes. 

From the start, 'The Ark in Space' has the feel of a new direction. After the cosy feel of much of the Pertwee era, this story is noticeably different in feel. Almost immediately, the story creates a feeling of claustrophobia, as the Doctor, Harry and Sarah find themselves trapped in a small room rapidly running out of oxygen, and the setting remains uncomfortable throughout. The fact that it is set entirely on a space station means that there is no easy way to escape the threat of the Wirrn (given the Doctor's steadfast refusal to abandon humanity in the TARDIS), and their increasing stranglehold on the Ark gives a constant feeling that the TARDIS crew and Vira's small group are running out of places to hide. The sublimely creepy incidental music enhances this effect, as do the magnificent sets, which are some of the series' best. The use of bright white sets gives the Ark a sterile look, which contrasts beautifully with the cold expanse of space visible through the windows in the corridors, creating a cold, stark feel, but the detail inherent in the designs also avoids making the sets look drab. 

The structure of 'The Ark in Space' adds to the story's success. Episode One features just the Doctor, Harry and Sarah, and unfolds relatively slowly. However, at no point does it feel padded, because almost everything advances the plot. The scene with the autoguard could initially seem like filler, until it later becomes clear that it was this that destroyed the Wirrn Queen. The Doctor and Harry's exploration of the silent Ark adds to the eeriness of the atmosphere and further contributes to the plot, as the Doctor deduces his location and the nature of the Ark. Aside from providing information for the audience, this also makes the Doctor look rather good. Once the humans on board the Ark start to wake up, events gather pace, and the story flies by as the threat of the Wirrn grows rapidly. Even the cliffhangers advance the plot, rather than simply being dramatic moments forced into the script to provide an exciting break every twenty-five minutes; Episode One concludes with the discovery of the Wirrn Queen, answering the question of what precisely entered the Ark; Episode Two culminates the revelation that Noah is transforming, further elucidating the nature of the threat; and Episode Three ends with Noah's final transformation into an adult Wirrn, showing us the final, most deadly stage of their development, shortly after the Doctor has grimly informed us that adult Wirrn will be a thousand times more dangerous than the larvae. Even Episode Four follows this pattern, dovetailing nicely into the start of 'The Sontaran Experiment', and contributing to a linked feel to the season that harkens back to the program's early days. 

With Sarah sidelined for much of Episode One and no other characters present until Episode Two, it falls to Tom Baker and Ian Marter to carry the episode, and they do so with panache. The rapport between them, established in 'Robot', continues apace, resulting in some great moments, as the Doctor explains the nature of the Ark to a sceptical Harry. This is perhaps more effective than it would have been with Sarah, given Sarah's experience of travel within the TARDIS. Despite being rather out of his depth however, Harry soon starts to acclimatize to being thousands of years into the future and continues to prove his usefulness, despite his bumbling reputation; he is able to apply long out-dated medical skills to help Vira revive her people, and helps Rogin tackle the Wirrn larvae in Episode Three. Even his desire to escape in the TARDIS when things begin to appear hopeless in Episode Four seems more honest and realistic than cowardly. Tom Baker continues to impress as the Doctor, and gets some brilliant lines of dialogue, especially in his scenes with Harry, which are all part of Episode One's success. I love the bit where Harry guesses that the Ark is some kind of survival measure and the Doctor tells him that he is improving. Harry's rather pleased look quickly gives way to ruefulness as the Doctor adds that it is entirely due to his influence, and that Harry mustn't take any credit. Aside from being amusing, it demonstrates Marter's comic timing. The Doctor gets many other great lines, such as "My doctorate is purely honorary and Harry's only qualified to work on sailors", and "An ordinary brain. But mine is exceptional!" Despite this humour however, the story is rife with suspense throughout and whilst he demonstrates a knack for wit, Baker also imbues his Doctor with other qualities. He's convincingly portentous when describing the threat posed by the Wirrn, and for all his eccentricity he quickly gains Vira's trust, simply by generating a general air of trustworthiness. 

Most interestingly of all in my opinion is the Doctor's motivation for getting involved, which is established by his famous speech about humanity's achievements in Episode One, and is summed up later by his line "It may be irrational of me, but human beings are quite my favourite species". 'The Ark in Space' is a story in which the Doctor and his companions have the option of fleeing in the TARDIS, but the Doctor refuses to do so because people need his help. This reflects his attitude back in 'The Tomb of the Cybermen' when he remained on Telos to help Parry's expedition members survive the results of their folly, despite his ability to leave whenever he wished, and it really sums up his character. Indeed, his commitment to helping humanity is such that he is prepared to sacrifice himself in Episode Four. Perhaps more interesting still, is the side he chooses; the Wirrn, the script informs us, have been gravely wronged by humanity in the past and are striving to survive. The Wirrn ultimately have as much right to survive as humanity, but the Doctor sides against them. This is probably largely due to his tendency to side with the underdog in any circumstances, given that the Wirrn are so dangerous, but the fact that he actually acknowledges favoritism towards humans is an intriguing insight into his character. This is doubly interesting because of Holmes' script, which initially shows us an almost fascist society of the future, where people are valued solely by their abilities (as suggested by Vira's casual questioning of Sarah's value). Prior to being infected by the Wirrn, Noah is callous and ruthless, prepared to destroy the Doctor and his friends rather than risk contamination of the gene pool. This raises all manner of implications about eugenics and elitism in the society preserved on board the Ark. Humanity's general state is further suggested by the attitudes of Libri, Lycett and Vira, all of whom are reluctant to take on responsibilities outside of their allotted roles. However, having established this rather pessimistic template of humanity's future, Holmes immediately sets out to thwart it; despite his ruthlessness, Noah ultimately saves the humans on board the Ark, as his underlying humanity allows him to lead the Wirrn into space, and to destruction. Rogin, in stark contrast to Lycett, is an instantly recognizable character type, emerging from cryogenic suspension cynical, sarcastic and resolutely individual. He's a marvellous character, played perfectly by Richardson Morgan, and represents humanity's finer aspects just as much as Noah's sacrifice. He too sacrifice's himself, saving both the Doctor and his people in the process. 

Whilst the Doctor and Harry carry Episode One, Sarah too gets some good moments during 'The Ark in Space', mainly in Episode Four, when she reminds the Doctor about the shuttlecraft and of course takes the cable through the ducting. Sladen's acting is as good as ever, and she conveys Sarah's increasing panic as she keeps getting stuck in the tunnels very well. The guest cast is also very good, with the unfortunate exception of Christopher Masters as the wooden Libri. Wendy Williams is very good as the cold, aloof Vira, who gradually become more human as she comes to trust the Doctor and struggles to save her people. Kenton Moore's tortured performance as Noah is crucial to the success of the story, as he struggles against the influence of the Wirrn in his mind. It is quite remarkable that in Episode Three he acts so well with a bubble plastic glove that the scene is genuinely disturbing. 

Finally of course, there are the Wirrn. In both forms they are startlingly effective; the larvae are obviously made of bubble plastic, but the story is so well directed that somehow they remain convincing. The actual Wirrn look pretty good, but the limitations of the costumes become obvious when they move; nevertheless, they still manage to look great. Although recognizably insects, they also look suitably alien. From a story point of view, they are an awesome menace, difficult to destroy, about to swarm on mass, and totally hostile. Even with Noah's influence, the Wirrn cannot be negotiated with; their existence is anathema to that of human kind. Their ability to absorb and assimilate humans is effective and disturbing, (Noah's "I am Dune" in Episode Two is surprisingly chilling), and they have an unstoppable, terrifying feel throughout. Even the Doctor is hard pressed to defeat them; at best he only reaches a kind of stalemate when he electrifies the cryogenic chamber, and ultimately it falls takes the last vestiges of Noah's humanity to destroy them from within.

In summary, 'The Ark in Space' is a triumph and superb start for the new producer.

“The Sensorites” is a story that in many ways encapsulates the show’s first season. Personally, I don’t find that it stands up as well today as some of the other early serials do, but there is still a lot to like about Peter R. Newman’s six-parter and, more to the point, it showcases many of the classic devices that made the series so successful. First off, the story has ambition. Verity Lambert and her production team weren’t afraid of landing the TARDIS on the deck of a 28th century spaceship no matter what constraints they had in terms of money or time. I mean just look at the Sensorites! They might not look much in the face of modern prosthetics and make-up techniques but for 1964, they are an absolutely phenomenal visual achievement - according to Russell T. Davies, their strange, uniform appearance inspired the Ood over forty years later!! They are also an interesting race in terms of their motives and their actions. The evil Sensorite who becomes the Second Elder is a wonderful Doctor Who baddie – he’s just so evil! It’s wonderful to see him interact with the ‘goodie’ Sensorites who are reasonable and want peace. It’s a wonderful Doctor Who device that would appear time and again in classic stories like “Doctor Who and the Silurians” but you saw it here first!

Moreover, “The Sensorites” isn’t chained to one location. We are taken from the spaceship to the Sense-Sphere, the Sensorites’ unique home, which breaks up the six episodes wonderfully. It’s a trick that later production teams would use on their six-parters – serials like “The Time Monster”, “The Seeds of Doom” and “The Invasion of Time” all have the four episode / two episode divide to help maintain the pace. Once again, it dates right back to here.

This story also sees William Hartnell at his absolute best in the role. He is confident, brilliant and forceful. Unusually, this serial also sees Hartnell have to do a bit more emotionally. “The Dalek Invasion of Earth” aside, the tension between Susan and the Doctor has never been higher than in this story. She’s growing up, and he doesn’t like it. There’s also a lovely symmetry in how the Doctor feels at the beginning of the story, and how he feels at it’s conclusion. In “Strangers In Space” he takes the time to comment on how all the crew have become good friends, and then by the end of “A Desperate Venture” he has decided to put Ian and Barbara off the ship! Fantastic!

In fairness, “The Sensorites” isn’t a particularly good story, nor is it one that stands up all that well under modern scrutiny. I like it because it sums up those early, pioneering Doctor Who serials so wonderfully; in those days they weren't scared of anything, they just did their best with a few quid, a cramped studio, some wonderful actors and a bucketful of imagination. As I’m writing this nearly forty years later they must have been doing something right.

I'm not quite sure what to think of "The Sensorites". It's certainly the least impressive story from the first season, and it's quite slow going at times. Nevertheless, it's also quite enjoyable for the most part, and it's a reasonable attempt to create an alien race with a believable viewpoint of its own. I think that I see this story as similar to "The Keys of Marinus" in that while the story isn't always as engaging as it could be, there are some interesting situations within the main plot, and the fact that I am interested in the four main characters and how they react to those situations keeps me watching for all six episodes. 

The first episode starts out well, picking up right where "The Aztecs" left off. There's a nice scene where the four travelers discuss their adventures and talk about how Ian and Barbara have changed since the trip began. This is followed by a very nicely directed shot where the TARDIS doors open, showing us the bridge of the ship beyond, and the four walk out the door into the bridge with the camera following them. We as viewers so rarely get to follow the crew out of the doors that this moment stood out to me. Another nice shot is the over-the-shoulder view from behind Barbara of the rapidly approaching planet as the ship is plunged towards the Sense-Sphere. 

Maitland and Carol aren't the best acted or most consistent characters, but they do their job of explaining the plot in an adequate fashion. John is well-acted, though the actor looks at the camera a bit too often. We learn a little about the 28th century as well, and the mystery of the Sensorites is set up. A lot of atmosphere is created by suggestion and by keeping the aliens unseen. We're told what the Sensorites are capable of and see what they've done to the crew, including the deranged John. The pattern of separating the crew from the TARDIS continues when we see one of them remove the lock from the TARDIS (which shouldn't be possible given the indestructible nature of the ship, but at least it's a novel way to keep the crew out). The threat is well and truly established by the time we finally see one of the aliens and his ugly mug at the cliffhanger to episode one. 

Episode two introduces properly the idea that Susan has some telepathic ability, which is interesting and adds a bit to her character. The Sensorites motivation is revealed as the Doctor works out that molybdinum, a valuable mineral, is present on their planet, and that they are afraid of exploitation by humans. The theme of fear and how it affects people pervades parts one and two. Fear motivates the Sensorites, and renders the crew of the ship vulnerable to the Sensorites influence. The Doctor and his companions are effective because they are able to overcome their fear and act. Later in the story, fear and distrust of humans is the primary motivation for the City Administrator, though he wants power as well. 

We also get to see the Sensorites properly for the first time as Ian and Barbara encounter two of them in the corridors of the ship. Ian shows his mettle yet again. Clearly afraid of the two aliens, he keeps his nerve and slowly retreats. He shows restraint and is content with threatening gestures rather than an all out attack, though it's Barbara who questions the need to attack at all. The Doctor impresses with his insistence that they need to talk to the Sensorites, though he and Ian are willing to use force to defend themselves if necessary. In the end Susan proves yet again that she's not just a terrified screamer. She agrees to go down to the Sense Sphere in an attempt to protect the others. 

Episode three is where much of the hostility with the Sensorites is resolved, and where the story takes a 90 degree turn. With the drama of the first two episodes diffused by the establishment of friendly relations with the Sensorites, we are left with the question of who is poisoning the water supply and the ambitions of the city administrator to carry the plot. Episode three is the weakest of the story, but the remainder of the story picks up again. The machinations of the City Administrator keep things interesting. 

Apart from the City Administrator and his accomplice, the remaining Sensorites have to be the friendliest aliens ever. And the most talkative. And none too bright, when it comes down to it. It's obvious within about thirty seconds of discussion about water that the different water supplies are the source of the "disease" that afflicts the lower classes, and yet the Sensorites have not worked that out after years of plague. "It might be a clue" muses the Doctor. Uh, YES. Thank goodness the Doctor came along to figure things out! The Doctor quickly deduces the problem of atropine in the water and finds a solution. With Ian's life in the balance, there is a certain sense of urgency, but we're never really in any doubt that the Doctor will find the answer. And he really does seem to be enjoying himself in this story. He's quite pleased to find the poison in the water and be proven right in his theory, and he is equally pleased that he was right about the nightshade being the cause. 

In the end it comes down to three crazy humans in the aqueduct who are poisoning the population, and who think they are "at war" with the Sensorites. They're pretty amusing fellows, led by a commander who calls his subordinate "number one" and talks of "the troops" as if there are more than three of them. It's great fun! 

John is cured of his malady, and everyone is sent on their way. The final scene where the Doctor takes offence at a casual remark by Ian and loses his temper is pretty amusing. 

The recently released VHS has a very nice VidFIRE'd picture and good sound. Not as good as the DVDs of course, which became apparent to me in watching this story right after "The Aztecs". Still, it's miles ahead of the older VHS releases. 

The bottom line: as I said in the beginning, after two excellent opening episodes, the story really drags for an episode while the story changes gears, and then moves right along until the conclusion. I enjoyed it quite a bit more than I expected to. I think watching it over four days rather than all the way through in one sitting helps with the pace. "The Sensorites" falls into last place for Doctor Who's first season, not because it's bad, but because the other stories surpass it in quality. I'd give it 6.5 out of 10.

Without wishing to sound unduly harsh in any way, I think that it is probably fair to say that had The Sensorites been a stand-alone science-fiction serial of the early sixties, and even if it had by some miracle survived complete in the archives on that basis, nobody today would ever have heard of it. There would have been no video release, no novelisation, no reviews on websites on in print media. It is, in short, not one of the finest hours of Doctor Who.

Which is a shame really, as at its heart it has some interesting ideas that in the hands of a more skilled writer, or perhaps simply one who was more enthused about writing for the programme, it could have been a half-decent serial. The entrapment of Maitland, Carol and John at the hands of the Sensorites and that race’s very curious form of psychological torture that is being inflicted upon them is actually quite a chilling scenario, and it does make a change to see the series exploring some new territory, in this case telepathy.

The sad thing is all of this initial promise is muted by the fact that the opening episode is one of the dullest affairs in the entire history of Doctor Who. After enduring it one video it was nearly a week before I could bring myself to watch the subsequent episodes, which do admittedly improve the quality somewhat. (It would be hard to be worse, frankly). There are so many things wrong here – the characters of Maitland and Carol are two of the worse played supporting characters of the era, although admittedly John is quite well done. Characters change their motivations in the course of a sentence and nobody acts in a particularly realistic or believable manner at all. I struggle to remember a natural line of dialogue in the entire episode, and I feel sorry for the regular cast having to put themselves through this after having had vastly superior material in just about every episode that’s gone before this.

That said, the episode does boast one redeeming feature, the cliffhanger appearance of the Sensorite at the window of the ship, which is suitably creepy. One does have to wonder, though, why if they can walk in space with no problem they need any kind of space ship, as it is subsequently revealed that they do have. Once they get on board later on they lose some of their effectiveness, chiefly because of their ludicrous feet – we only see these in detail in one shot in the entire story, so one does have to wonder why it was felt necessary to include said shot.

The one positive aspect of the story that most reviewers seem to pick up on is that it gives Susan something a bit different to do for a change, with her telepathic interaction with the Sensorites and the revelation that she has some sort of latent ability in such areas. There are also some good character moments for the Doctor and Susan as she remembered their home planet, and later on in the TARDIS asks her grandfather if he thinks they will ever get home, a rare – if brief – discussion of their origins at this point in the show’s history.

As I mentioned above, the only member of the human supporting cast who seems to be of any interest if the deranged John, even though his recovery later on does seem to be remarkably swift for someone who had at first appeared to be so deeply psychologically damaged. Also mad as a bicycle but all the more enjoyable for it against a comparatively dull storyline are the three humans hiding in the aqueduct, who bring a touch of enlivening lunacy to things in the final episode, although of course by then it’s far too late to do the story any good.

The Sensorites themselves are a pretty standard bunch of aliens, with a noble leader and subordinates around him who are not quite as trusting of the new arrivals. You do have to wonder, however, why if the Sensorites are as enlightened a race as the First Elder chooses to make out, they are so utterly nasty to Maitland, Carol and particularly John in the time before the arrival of the TARDIS on the scene. Perhaps things are not entirely as they appear, although to be honest I’d be hard pressed to believe that Peter Newman could be quite as clever as that, on the basis of this example of his script writing abilities in any case.

I think the main problem with Newman’s writing is that he was pitching the show at an incredibly juvenile level. Now, there is no great shame in that bearing in mind that this is season one, when the cross-generational appeal of Doctor Who had yet to be fully appreciated. But even giving him that much of the benefit of the doubt, Newman still provides a script that really is Doctor Who at its most basic, and that can surely only have really kept the very youngest members of the audience fully entertained, of any of them at all. Some nice lines of dialogue in places perhaps give us evidence that Newman was not totally clueless, so one cannot help but wonder what could have been produced had he just but some more effort into what he was doing.

Possibly the most ludicrous example of his script writing comes at the very end of the story, when the Doctor flies into a sudden fit of anger with Ian and promises to throw him off the ship at its very next landing, for absolutely no reason whatsoever other than to create a moment of drama at what would otherwise have been a very calm and relaxed end of the story. Rarely can there have been such a signposted and obvious attempt to create ‘drama’ in a Doctor Whostory, and why it wasn’t cut out is a mystery to me. Perhaps story editor David Whitaker was having something of an off day when The Sensorites landed on his desk – given the pressure there was to find suitable, affordable scripts for the programme in those early years, it wouldn’t surprise me if this only saw the light of day simply because there was nothing else available to make instead. Sometimes such necessity would pay off for the show, as it did with The Daleks, but in this case you can’t help but wonder if they wouldn’t have been better off just making it up as they went along for six weeks.

In defence of the story, you can say that on its video release it has a very nice looking VidFIREd picture, and in narrative terms the Doctor gets a very nice new cloak to wear… But aside from that and the other few plus points I’ve mentioned in this review, The Sensorites is six episode of Doctor Who that make you wonder how they managed to keep this and lose so many better stories.