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 clichйd 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 clichй, 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'.

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.

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…

“The Crusade” is not one of my favourite first Doctor serials. The fact that half of the episodes are missing from the BBC archives does the story no favours, but my problem with David Whitaker’s story is that it is no more than a series of very unfortunate events. Granted, “The Crusade” is a series of well-written and well-acted unfortunate events, but as is the problem with so many Hartnell stories there is nothing more to the plot than the Doctor and his companions trying to escape Palestine in one piece. Comparing his story to “The Aztecs,” for example, really highlights its shortcomings. Although that serial is also based around the premise of the Doctor and his companions trying to get back to the TARDIS alive, it is a much more intriguing story as it explores Barbara actively trying to change history – something that by this point in her travels, she knows she cannot do.

That said, I think that the production standards of “The Crusade” are higher than in any of the earlier Hartnell historicals. There isn’t a cloth background in sight; the costumes and make-up jobs are superb and even the scenes set outside (in the desert and the woods, for example) are very convincing for a 1965 studio-bound TV show. Moreover, “The Crusade” should be watched if only for Julian Glover’s brilliant portrayal of King Richard the Lionheart. Glover manages to imbue the ruthless crusader with a surprisingly sympathetic side, depicting him as a tortured soul who always does what he believes to be right. Even when we, the audience, disagree with what he is doing – be it waging war on a foreign land or aggressively arranging his sister’s marriage – thanks to Glover’s performance we can still identify with the King’s point of view. Incidentally, Jean Marsh (who would return to the show in 1989’s “Battlefield”) also gives a spirited performance as Lionheart’s sister, Joanna, and I would be doing Walter Randall a great injustice if I did not mention his absolutely malevolent El Akir – possibly the most evil human character ever to appear in Doctor Who. His scarred face masks an even more hideous interior, and in spite of Doctor Who’s family audience, the implications of his deplorable actions (kidnapping, rape etc.) give his character a very real, very nasty side that many (particularly early) Doctor Who villains lack.

Watching “The Lion” and “The Wheel of Fortune” on the “Lost In Time” DVD and also telesnap reconstructions of “The Knight of Jaffa” and “The War-Lords” I think I have managed to get a very good feel for this story, and sadly I think the negative elements outweigh the positive. It’s slightly too depressing to watch Barbara be taken prisoner, escape, be hunted and then finally end up wrapped up the affairs of the Haroun family that El Akir has torn apart. The Doctor’s cringeworthy ‘feud’ with the Earl of Leicester is both tedious and painful to watch, and how on Earth Maureen O’Brien’s Vicki can credibly pass for a boy is beyond me! In fact, of the TARDIS crew I think that Ian is the only character who has a decent outing – he ends up not only saving the day but also being knighted!