Planet Of Giants

"These things haven't been made bigger; we've been made smaller."

A new season and a very fresh feeling start, which is odd given that this story was recorded directly after 'The Reign of Terror'.  I confess that this is one of my favourite early Dr Who stories.  It's a concept I adore, it's by one of my favourite writers Louis Marks (who, I've just noticed, isn't credited in the above listing) and realised by one of my favourite directors, Mervyn Pinfield.  Both of whom may well deserve a column of their own.  It also features the first music for the series by Dudley Simpson (another column), fabulous design by Ray Cusick (one more) and some direction by Douglas Camfield (how long have you got?)

Right well, on with the motley.  The Doctor has a new cloak...

and the others are all back in sixties gear.  With the dialogue, the TARDIS doors opening in flight, and the exploding scanner screen we're straight back in the realms of the very first episode and 'The Edge of Destruction'.

Ray Cusick's sets are wonderful...

The confrontation between Forester and the smoking Farrow makes Dr Who suddenly feel very grown-up and contemporary.  And in a few lines of dialogue we have back story for both characters, one keen to get away and go sailing in France, the other desperate because he is about to go bust.

Ian survives his trip in the matchbox...

...but poor Farrow is not so lucky.

"That's not thunder, surely," says Susan.  And it wasn't.

As a child this shot would surely have given me nightmares. Fantastic. 

So, we have a very technically ambitious and well realised episode with a strong environmental theme.  Worth noting, because it's still a good five years before Barry Letts takes over.

Next episode: Dangerous Journey

The Return of DR. WHO

Where Is Who?

Prisoners of Conciergerie

"Funny, I get the impression they don't know where they're heading for."

Very perspicacious of you, Monsieur Lemaitre er.. Stirling.

Seeing Barbara and Ian dressed up as an inn keeper and a serving wench is a delight and instantly put me in mind of 'Allo 'Allo.  I half expected Rene to turn up at any moment.  Instead, it's Napoleon! Funny old day.

I like the scene at the end using, very effectively, a small part of the TARDIS set...

"Our Destiny is in the stars and we must go and search for it."

And so ends the first and wholly memorable season of Doctor Who.

As a child, and particularly after a historical story, the title of the next episode would have had me squirming with anticipation.  For six weeks as it turned out.

Next episode: Planet Of Giants

A Bargain of Necessity

"I flew here with three friends in a small box.
When I left England it was 1963."

Wonderful, wonderful stuff.  If all else fails, tell the truth.

Meanwhile, the Doctor is in his absolute element as he wholeheartedly enters into the schemes and machinations going on around him in order to manipulate people into doing what he wants. As Barbara observes to Ian, "He's dressed up like he's running the revolution.  From what I can gather half the people here take orders from him."

Barbara is visibly upset at the news of Leon's death and lashes out at the idea of taking sides,  "You check your history books, Ian, before you decide what people deserve."

Next episode: Prisoners of the Conciergerie*

*Yes, that is what is says on the caption!

The Tyrant Of France

"Death, always death..."

Yay, it's cartoon time!  I've always loved cartoons.

Yes, of course I'm sorry that the original episodes are missing, but these animated episodes are rather fun and, I suspect, somewhat moodier in appearance than the television versions.  Interesting too to see a very different style of animation to 'The Ice Warriors' and again to the sublime 'The Invasion'.

This image on the interweb confused me for a minute...

Until, of course, I remembered the telesnaps from the episode.  I've just watched the first five minutes of a telesnap reconstruction and it's very dull and clunky compared to the animation.  Still, it's good to see what Keith Anderson, the actor playing a rather haunted Robespierre, actually looked like.

More cartoons next week...

Next episode: A Bargain of Necessity

A Change Of Identity

"Did Webster give you a message for James Stirling or not?"

In which the Doctor goes shopping for a new set of clothes...

He's going up in the world too, choosing the insignia of a Regional Officer of the Provinces.  They're on 20th Century coat hangers, but we'll overlook that because of this exquisite colour photo.

The highlight of this episode for me is the rather flouncy, it has to be said, arrival of Mr. Meaker from Rentaghost.  In this story he seems to be called Leon.  Anyway, Edward Brayshaw is fab as always and livens things up considerably.  He certainly puts a spring in Barbara's step. Perhaps it's the tights.

I hope you're all impressed that I've resisted using the phrase 'gallows humour' through all this so far.  Bugger.

Apparently when it came to recording, the director Henric Hirsch had an attack of the vapours and so John Gorrie directed it instead using Hirsch's shooting schedule.  Coincidentally, I was struck by a marked improvement in picture quality for this episode on the DVD.

Anyway, next week get ready to meet....

Next episode: The Tyrant of France

Guests of Madame Guillotine

"You saved me, my boy, so I must rescue them."

I like this hand drawn map of Paris, we've got one on our wall here at home.  The freeze-frame of the guillotine behind the episode title is a bit grim, particularly when the film suddenly starts and it falls to the sound of cheers from the crowd...

The Conciergerie Prison set is great and poor Barbara is propositioned yet again!  How many times is that now since the start of the series? This time it is by the Jailor who does a mean Johhny Vegas impression forty years early.  He is promptly slapped, of course. Good old Barbara.

Oh, sorry, you're still worried about the Doctor, aren't you?  Don't worry, he's smoked, but alright after being rescued by the boy, John-Pierre...

"You're a very brave boy," says the Doctor.  Isn't he just.

William Russell is on holiday for two weeks during this episode and the following one, but you'd never know because look, here he is. 

The production office attempt something much more ambitious than covering for his absence in the script and instead record film inserts of him to be played in during the recordings.  I wonder if this extensive use of film reflects their growing confidence.

Talking of ambitious, get ready for a Doctor Who first.  Location filming!

Now I know it may not look like much, but it bolds very well for the future, and there's a seamless cut from the film to the Doctor in the studio.

Hartnell is fabulous in his scenes with the overseer of the work gang...

"You've come a long way."

"Yes, further than you would think."

With some relish, the Doctor belts the overseer over the head with his shovel, "Common fellow."  Fabulous stuff.

Next episode: A Change Of Identity