7/3/2024

The BBC were quite sensible with this extended outing for "Dr. Who" (William Hartnell) by not being too ambitious with the visual effects. That meant that across the seven episodes of this story we could focus on developing the characters of himself as well as "Susan" (Carole Ann Ford); "Barbara" (Jacqueline Hill) and "Ian" (William Russell). They've landed the TARDIS amidst what's left of a forest that looks like it's been the victim of a nuclear war. After a brief exploration, his companions want to skedaddle but the "Doctor" is more curious, fakes a technical fault with his time machine and before we know it they are in a city full of "Daleks", suffering from radiation sickness and being used as lures to attract the indigenous "Thals" to what we can suppose is their doom. Quickly, the visitors realise they have to escape and warn them before they hear that dreaded "exterminate" word! What now ensues introduces us to one of the best and most original baddies in science fiction, and though it does rather plod at a times, the adventure is still quite engaging to watch with Hartnell delivering eccentrically well. There's the merest hint of moralising but that doesn't last long before "Alydon" (John Lee) and his colleagues decide to stop battling their consciences and start battling their malevolent and deadly foes and things build nicely to an exciting, if disappointingly predictable, conclusion.