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

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

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

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

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

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

Missing from the BBC archives and unavailable on audio CD until recently, “The Savages” is a serial that is often overlooked - a great shame considering that it’s probably better than some of Season Three’s more celebrated stories like “The Celestial Toymaker.”

Ian Stuart Black’s story is notable for three major points. Firstly, it marks Peter Purves’ final appearance as Steven Taylor; the Doctor’s fifth companion deciding to remain behind at the serial’s conclusion to lead the Savages. Having Peter Purves narrate the soundtrack for the CD release seems fitting for Steven’s swansong, and when watched in synch with John Cura’s telesnaps one can really get a good feel for the story. 

The second point “The Savages” is notable for is some very clever writing. In my opinion, Black succeeds here where Emms failed in “Galaxy 4” at hammering home the ‘moral of the story’ – “it’s what’s inside that counts” – without being too cheesy or obvious. In fact, much of this story’s appeal is down the uncertain state of affairs on the planet – it takes quite a while for the audience to realise just exactly who the ‘goodies’ and the ‘baddies’ are. For example, in Episode 1’s (yes; for the first time it’s actually called “Episode 1”) cliffhanger Dodo screams at the mere sight of a Savage inside the Elders’ city, whereas later in the story we see a female savage, Nanina, actually look after an injured guard who we saw mistreating her earlier in the story, clearly demonstrating which group has the moral high ground. The ending of the story is also a lovely little piece of storytelling; the Doctor impregnating Jano, the leader of the Elders, with his very own conscience and thus using him to free the Savages from the oppression of the Elders. Not only is the ending a clever finale to the serial, but it is also highly amusing to see Frederick Jaeger’s impression of William Hartnell as he plays Jano infused the Doctor’s consciousness. “Hmm…”

Thirdly, the aforementioned sexy savage Nanina (Clare Jenkins) is close to naked throughout. Seriously! She makes Leela look over-dressed. In one of the telesnaps you can actually see her arse! I’m not for a moment suggesting that such a thing marks the difference between an average story and a good one, but hey – every little helps! In all seriousness though, “The Savages” is a very enjoyable four-parter but it’s never going to be missed as much as the likes of “The Daleks’ Master Plan,” “The Evil of the Daleks” et al. This serial seems to have no reputation whatsoever – good or bad – and so if, like me, you go into it not expecting much I think you will be very pleasantly surprised.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s begin by getting the positive points out of the way. It’s not dull. Well, OK, it’s a bit dull, compared to the all-action extravaganzas of the twenty-first century, but it’s not, say, The Sensorites. Each episode does noticeably advance the story, while Ben and Polly are lively and engaging. Michael Craze, in particular, gives a terrific performance and the scene in the nightclub is fun.

Oh, and they get rid of Dodo. That’s about it, though.

OK, so the basic plot of a computer gone crazy would not have been quite so clichéd in 1966. It would be unfair to expect the writers to accurately predict future developments in future technology, so we can accept quirks such as a sentient computer capable of independent thought but without anyone having invented the monitor. I think making it capable of telepathy and hypnosis is stretching it a little, though.

The plot is so full of holes that it strains credibility far beyond breaking point, which is particularly frustrating because it has no real excuse. This isn’t a complicated story involving time travelling alien invaders – it’s a straightforward computer-goes-mad scenario. A second draft would surely have resolved most of the problems.

In the long list of improbable events, the most glaring is the impossible ascent of the the Post Office Tower by the reprogrammed War Machine at the end. The dead tramp appearing as front page news only hours after his body was dumped is pretty unlikely. The way the Doctor is instantly accepted by everyone as an authority would be fine if even the smallest suggestion of overcoming some initial difficulty, or explanation of how he was achieving this, was presented on screen, but it isn’t.

All of these, though, are minor annoyances. The crucial problem with the War Machines is that WOTAN’s plans make no sense at all. As has been frequently pointed out, if it’s serious about taking over the world, it’s going a pretty strange way about it. Why not simply wait until it’s connected to all of the computers in the world? Why draw attention to itself by shooting people and leaving their corpses outside its secret warehouse, or trying to capture the Doctor? Why have the secret warehouse and the War Machines at all? How does it get all the War Machine parts – complete with logos – so quickly?

In short, WOTAN doesn’t act like a computer at all, and certainly not a supremely intelligent one. Its attributes appear to be an ability to recognise the Doctor and the TARDIS, a rare knack for hypnosis (so good it can even achieve it over the telephone), and an addiction to insane evil schemes ostensibly aimed at world domination.

Sound like anyone we know? That’s right, the whole thing makes perfect sense as long as you imagine that WOTAN is not in fact a sentient computer at all, but is in fact the Master, hiding under a table.

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

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

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

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

Primarily, “The Smugglers” is a vehicle for establishing the Doctor’s newest companions, Ben and Polly. Following on directly from the end of “The War Machines,” the first episode starts with a lot of energy as the new additions to the TARDIS crew – Ben in particular – have trouble adjusting to the fact that they have just travelled in a time machine. Initially this is handled quite well by Hayles, but sadly Polly is convinced unbelievably soon and even Ben comes round to the idea far quicker than I feel is in keeping with his character.

The plot of this season-opening four-parter also leaves a lot to be desired. For the most part it revolves around several antagonistic factions of smugglers / pirates. Often this translates onto the screen as pure, unadulterated cheese – for example we have Captain Pike who, surprise, surprise, has a hook instead of a hand and a Church warden who, surprise, surprise, used to be first mate on a pirate ship before he found God! Moreover, Doctor Who’s production team may have changed considerably since “The Crusade” but they are still making the same mistakes – how on earth they expect us to believe that Polly, a beautiful woman, could be mistaken for “a lad” I have no idea! I’m willing to suspend my disbelief so far that I can believe that an alien from an ancient society travels through time and space in a Police Box, but there’s no way I’m having that Anneke Wills looks like a “lad”!

Believe it or not though, having now ‘watched’ “The Smugglers” twice (by playing the BBC Radio Collection’s release of the soundtrack in synch with John Cura’s telesnaps) I’ve actually become quite fond of it. It’s a harmless, light-hearted piece of melodrama that allows William Hartnell’s Doctor to have a little bit of fun! He gets to hunt treasure; Ben and Polly get to pretend to be wizards… it’s all good fun.

The serial hasn’t even dated that badly compared to some of its contempories – the pirate ship sets are realistic enough and scenes near the Church and on the beach (from the telesnaps) look pretty convincing. I’m just not sure how wise it was to call a black pirate “Jamaica”…