33: The Moonbase - A Brilliant Base-Under-Siege Troughton.

Written By: Kit Pedler.

Companions: The Doctor, Ben Jackson, Polly, Jamie McCrimmon.

Monsters/Villains: The Cybermen.

Brief Synopsis: The Cybermen attempt to take over a weather-control station on the moon.

Rating: 7/10.

I listen/watched this little gem while I was on my way to The Crash of The Elysium. I throughly enjoyed it. It was great to see the return of the Cybermen and with a stylish new design; much more machine and less humanoid. They also, no longer have names. Here we have the very first Base Under Siege style episode which will grow to become the quintessence of the Troughton era. The story is also very ahead of it's time in the sense that man hadn't even walked on the moon when it was aired.

A new kind of Cyberman.

The TARDIS leaves Atlantis. The Doctor sets out to prove to Jamie that he can control the Tardis and plots a course for Mars, but the TARDIS goes out of control. After a while it stabilises. Jamie notes, "I'll never ask you to do that again." Polly thinks they're on Mars but Ben quickly deduces that they're on the moon, only missing Mars by some 200 million miles. Jamie struggles to understand, "the moon is up in the sky." Ben and Polly want to look around, all four gear-up in spacesuits and head out on to the surface. Jamie hopes to meet the old man in the moon. The Doctor's three companions jump around in the zero gravity until Jamie goes a little too far and tumbles over a ridge. The others go to investigate and spy a large domed building. Two space-suited figures arrive and pick up an unconscious Jamie.

We quickly discover that it is the year 2070 and the base is a weather control centre, run by a small team of scientists, who monitor and govern weather patterns on earth using a piece of equipment called a gravitron. Inside the control centre a man collapses. We meet Hobson, the base commander and his second, Benoit. We also learn that they are awaiting a relief Doctor as some sort of infection has broken out inside the moonbase. The Doctor, Ben, and Polly enter, whilst Jamie is taken to the sickbay. Hobson and his scientist buddies really don't seem too fussed that they don't know who the Doctor and his friends are, why they're here or how they got there. This does jar a little but it gets the whole 'mistrusting/gaining confidence in the Doctor phase' that we see so often in Doctor Who, old and new, out of the way.

The Moonbase.

Another man collapses and the base receives a call from International Space Control, who we last heard from in The Tenth Planet.  There is a fault with the gravitron, a hurricane that the base controls is off course and threatening peoples lives. We discover that the gravitron affects the gravity and the tides of Earth and the tides control the weather. We witness someone, or something monitoring their communication. Due to the infection space control places the moon base under quarantine.

Meanwhile Polly is looking after a concussed Jamie, who rather melodramatically is worried about catching a glimpse of the phantom piper, who supposedly appears to a McCrimmon before he dies.

Ben goes off to help Ralph in the food store, who drops a large sack of sugar. When Ben returns Ralph is gone and we see a huge figure loom out of the darkness and drag Ralph's body away. We then get some informative stuff as the Doctor explains to Polly that on the moon they have a fortnight of days and a fortnight of nights, so they make artificial night so as to not upset their biological time clocks.

In the Sickbay there is something seriously wrong with Dr. Evans, one of the infected. He is babbling about a silver hand. Left alone Jamie awakes, sees something and faints again. Polly enters to find Dr. Evans body is missing. Jamie awakes once more and Polly goes to get him some water. Again he sees something: the phantom piper?

The video exists for episode two and I couldn't be happier to actually see what's happening again. It's not the phantom piper that Jamie has seen but a Cyberman. Jamie falls unconscious from shock and the Cyberman takes another infected crew member away. Polly enters just in time to see the Cyberman leave and of course recognises it and screams. Hobson and the Doctor arrive. Hobson denies it, saying every child knows about the Cybermen. Ben recalls the Cybermen were destroyed ages ago when Mondas blew up. Finally Hobson questions the Doctor and co's identities and reason for being there. It's about time Hobson! We then get an immortal line from Troughton, "There are some corners of the universe that have bred the most terrible things, things which act against everything that we believe in. They must be fought." The Doctor promises to help discover the cause of the virus. Hobson gives him just 24 hours before he must leave the moon.

With the help of Polly, the Doctor begins to hunt for the cause of the 'virus' and recalls, "I think I took a degree once. In Glasgow, 1888 with Lister." I can now actually see the scientists that work aboard the moonbase and I found it slightly amusing that they all wear flags of the country they're from on their chests. Hobson receives a message from Controller Rinberg  that the hurricane is threatening Florida. The base is also experiencing brief drops in the air pressure. Hobson and Benoit set about checking everything to find the fault with the gravitron.

Jamie awakes and both Polly and him see a Cyberman, which shoots energy from it's hand knocking them out before taking yet another patient. In the food store a Cyberman enters through a scorched hole in the wall, and covers it up with bags of food. Benoit discovers that two pieces of the probe are missing. Hobson blames the Doctor and his friends and wants to put them into cold storage. Two men in spacesuits go on to the surface to fix the probe, only to be attacked by Cybermen who beat them until they fall unconscious.

Some interesting space suits.

Polly is beginning to doubt the value of Lister's teachings, questioning whether they might have not quite taught the Doctor everything he needs to know to find the problem. Hobson is getting restless and wants them to leave but the Doctor stalls him as he can't find the answer. Polly makes them some coffee, but a man drinks some and falls to the ground, and develops an odd black pattern on his skin like the others. The Doctor suddenly deduces that the disease is being spread in the sugar. Back in the sickbay the Doctor tests a sample of the sugar and discovers a large nuerotrophic virus which only attacks the nerves. The Doctor knows it's the Cybermen who have deliberately infected the base. The group realise that the Cybermen are in the base and a blanket is lifted to reveal a Cyberman, who lurches toward them!

And, we're back to just audio for episode three. The Cyberman advances and speaks. It's a different Cyber voice, this time. It's a little harder to understand, but it's still very eerie. Another Cyberman arrives and fires it's weapon killing one of the scientists. The Cybermen recognise the Doctor, 'you are known to us,' to which he replies 'and you to me.' They  reveal that they have been altering and now control the missing patients using nuerotrophic drugs. The Cyberman orders Hobson and the Doctor take him to the control centre, threatening Ben and Polly with conversion.

In the control centre the Cybermen admit that they are here to take over the gravitron and use it to destroy the surface of the earth by changing the weather. Hobson challenges them questioning, that they are meant to be advanced yet here they are taking revenge like children. The Cybermen do not understand vengeance. They also explain that they entered through a hole in the store room and poisoned the food, explaining the drops in air pressure. The Cyberman intones, "Clever. Clever. Clever." It is so creepy.

The Cybership.

Aboard the Cybership, Dr. Evans, and two others are being converted, and fitted with metal head pieces that control their minds. In the sickbay Jamie finally wakes up. Ben remembers the Cybermen's weakness to radiation. Jamie offers that they used to throw holy water on witches, which give Polly an idea. She suggests that they sprinkle the Cybermen's plastic chest units with nail varnish remover to make it melt.

The Cyber Leader.

Dr. Evans and the two others enter the control room with a third Cyberman. The Cyberman orders the scientists to move from their stations and that the technicians come out of the power room. The converted men take control of the gravitron. Benoit worries for the controlled men saying that they need to wear protective helmets or they will go mad within 12 hours. The Cyberman coldly replies, we will not need them that long.

Polly and Ben work in the sickbay, forming a chemical cocktail of: benzine, ether, alcohol, acetone, and hi-proxy propane and contain it within converted fire extinguishers. In the control centre, Earth contacts the base. Due to the lack of response a relief rocket would be dispatched. Hobson and the Doctor wonder why the Cybermen didn't operate the controls themselves. The Doctor deduces it must be something, radiation or gravity they don't like in the power room. Jamie, Ben and Polly go to try out their Polly Cocktail. They use the solvents from the converted fire extinguishers on the Cybermen causing their limbs to jerk and them to clutch at their rapidly dissolving life surport units. Ben, Polly and Jamie remove the headsets from the controlled men, Hobson and the scientists try to regain control of the gravitron. The Cyber Leader tries to contact the downed Cybermen, orders the weapons to be prepared and to begin the invasion of the base. Benoit goes out to fix the probe, but a Cyberman tries to attack him. Ben goes out on to the surface and hurls a glass cilinder of cocktail at the Cyberman and drags Benoit back inside, closing the airlock. An army of Cybermen advance on the base.

Episode four also has video, thank goodness. The Cyber Leader contacts the base warning them that resistance is useless. On the surface the Cyberman are affecting the aerial so the base cannot contact earth. They just have to hold on until a relief rocket arrives in 15 minutes. The Cybermen remotely take control of Dr. Evans, who gets in to the control room. He knocks out Benson and takes over control of the gravitron. The Cybermen command Evans to use the gravitron to deflect the rocket directly into the Sun.

A Cyber controlled Dr. Evans.

The Cybermen threaten to destroy the base if they don't open the airlocks. They fire a warning shot and break a hole in the dome where they start to loose oxygen and pressure. Benoit and Hobson try to patch it with a shirt, which unsurprisingly doesn't hold and then a tea tray, which does. Evans faints, they rescue Benson, and Benoit takes over in the grav room. The Cybermen try to use their laser weapon, but the gravitron deflects the beam. The Doctor suggests they aim the gravitron on the surface of the moon. After some struggle they manage to aim it down lifting the Cybermen and their ships off the ground and to float away into space and the whole crew celebrate. Now this was the only part of the episode I wasn't mad about. Surely that isn't going to kill the Cybermen at all. They'll just float around for ages until they get back to their ships and try again.

But for now the Earth and indeed the moon are safe. They start to regain control of the gravitron. The Doctor, Ben, Polly and Jamie slip out, suit up and return to the TARDIS. The Doctor decides that they should look at the time scanner which shows the future. They see a large crab claw.

Join me next time for The Macra Terror.

THE CRASH OF THE ELYSIUM - A Real Must For Fans Of Doctor Who Of AllAges.

Thanks to some urging for my lovely readers I decided to go ahead and book a ticket for The Crash of The Elysium. The Manchester International Festival collaboration between the BBC and theatrical experience producers Punch Drunk, penned gloriously by series writer Tom MacRae. I took the train, alone, from London which took about three and a half hours. The ticket was about £25. It had been described as a 'Live Doctor Who Adventure for children aged 6-12' and some adult performances had been added due to popular demand. It was going to be just one hour in duration. I was so unsure about this whole venture, but I couldn't miss a Doctor Who event. And was it worth it? Boy, was it!!

(If you are planning to attend the Crash of The Elysium, please don't read on. Spoilers!)

There were 17 of us. We gave in our tickets and signed a sort of disclaimer. The staff kept calling it an exhibition. I really wasn't expecting much at all. We were walked to a near-by building and taken into a very normal, boring room with some artifacts from a real ship called the Elysium. A stuffy looking curator showed us some slides about the ship and Valentini's circus which had pitched near the ship. It was going to be an exhibition and nothing to do with Doctor Who. I thought it was going to be terrible. Here are some of the pictures the man showed us:

Then we heard a large explosion or crash and two soldiers showed up, made us line up and run along the riverside, until we reached a small porta cabin. Inside the soldiers introduced themselves as Captain T Solomon and Corporal Albright and made us suit up in white sterile body suits and surgical masks. 

The Crash site.

They were going to take us on a mission. We were given the name Alpha team, taught some basic hand signals and given numbers from 1-17. Throughout they frequently made us sound-off to make sure everyone was present and correct. Then the soldiers broke us in to three groups. Tech team, Data team and Patrol team. I was in the patrol team. The Captain gave us a rousing speech and we did some call and response (Are you ready? Yes. I said, are you ready? YES!) all to some awesome Doctor Who music. 

We ran through some spherical tented tunnels (very E.T) and entered a large white surgical tent. We were faced with the hull of a huge crashed spaceship called the Elysium. The soldiers produced an envelope containing a DVD and showed us a short message left by the Doctor. 

They told us he was believed dead. In the message he warned us about some escaped 'art' aboard the ship and shockingly ordered us to find the TARDIS aboard the Elysium and destroy it. He also tried to give us some advice should we come face to face with the escaped art, "Whatever you do, don't bl...." and the message cut out. We were then informed that we would be the first humans aboard the crashed ship.

Corporal Albright hacked the door with an electric saw and we entered the Elysium. We ran through many corridors, until we came a cross a Weeping Angel. None of us blinked and we managed to survive. 

We then entered a room which a large square mark on the floor where the TARDIS had clearly been. We then had to hunt around the room for clues and attach some wires in a specific pattern to activate another message from the Doctor. He told us that the TARDIS had disappeared because something bad had tried to get in. The TARDIS had gone to a friend of his for safe keeping. Also in the soldiers envelope was a scrap of paper with a picture of a girl and a message, "Dolly - accidentally the first woman on the moon 1888. Love, The Doctor" and also the TARDIS key. 

We ran through some more corridors and faced another Weeping Angel. Which actually moved towards us as the lights flickered on and off. We ran on and it got very dark. We huddled together, the walls seemed to disappear and we found ourselves in Valentini's Circus 1988. We had traveled in time.

The girl from the picture: Dolly, appeared and told us the story of when she first met the Doctor. How he had taken her to the moon for her 21st birthday. She also told us that he had made a promise to him. That one day the TARDIS would appear to her and she should take care of it. She asked for the key and got two of us to hold it up to the light. She said that alone the key was nothing special, but that we were time travellers now and infused with artron energy. We all had to touch the two key holders or someone touching them and link together to power the key. Dolly then told us that we were not going to destroy the TARDIS but send it to save the Doctor. 

On we ran again to find the TARDIS. This time through a hall of mirrors until we reached a round room with many alcoves shrouded by red curtains. We found the TARDIS behind a red curtain and one of our group put the key into the lock. The curtain closed. A few seconds later the curtain was opened to reveal that the TARDIS had disappeared. Sitting on the floor where it had been was a fez with a note and a vortex manipulator. 

We ran on and found ourselves back in our time aboard the Elysium. We received a video thank you message from the Doctor for saving him and now he had to save us from the Angels who were coming for us. We were trapped and the Angels were outside the door trying to break it down. Again we used our artron energy and all joined hands around the central column of the ship. Together all at once we touched the column filling it with the energy causing the angels to be sucked into the walls. We had done it. The Captain told us that we had saved the Doctor and the world and although the world didn't know us, or even know our names, he did and so did the Doctor and none them would ever forget us. The two soldiers congratulated us as we ran out past the in-walled and now harmless Angels. Back outside in another porta cabin we de-suited and were each given a personalised letter from the Doctor, himself. One hour? It felt like four. And I didn't want it to be over. 

A letter from the Doctor. I can't wait for my birthday.

So, was it worth it? Uh, YES! It was awesome and so worth the trip. I was excited, scared, exhilarated, surprised, moved, and thrilled. The small team of actors were great. It somehow never managed to feel stupid or forced and everyone really went for it. The music which underscored large parts of the experience was so good. The actor's were expertly well timed and it just took the whole thing to an even greater level of excitement. 

The three actors in rehearsal.

The only time I was pulled out of it a little was in one of the Doctor's messages he said something about, 'only a human child could achieve... something.' And Dolly kept calling us the 'children of earth." That aside it was great. There were lots of running and scares. Any concerns I had that it wouldn't work so well for adults totally evaporated. What a great experience it was. It's certainly the closest thing you could ever get to being in an episode of Doctor Who. Crash of The Elysium runs at Media City, in Manchester until 17th July. If you can get there and get a ticket I couldn't recommend  it more highly. I sincerely hope that it goes elsewhere or that Punch Drunk and the BBC work on similar experiences in time to come...

LONDON FILM AND COMIC CON 2011

Hello bloggers,

I had some adventures in the third dimension this past weekend as I visited the London Film and Comic Con at Earl's Court. This was my first time at such a big convention. I had a great time and I thought I'd share some of the Doctor Who related pictures from my experience:

Richard Franklin and John Leeson.

Sylvester McCoy. 

Sophie Aldred.

An excellent cos-play Silent costume. 

K9!

Me with Alex Kingston, a.k.a River Song.

Me with Karen Gillan, a.k.a Amy Pond.

So, umm, basically: awesome!!!

32: The Underwater Menace - Some Fishy Goings On.

Written by: Geoffrey Orme.

Companions: The Doctor, Ben Jackson, Polly, Jamie McCrimmon.

Monsters/Villains: Professor Zaroff, Fish People.

Brief Synopsis: The TARDIS lands in the 1970's and the Doctor comes across a famous Scientist, Professor Zaroff in the underwater city of Atlantis. 

Rating: 7/10.

Well. That was interesting. I am really torn with what to give this one, rating-wise. On the one hand I though it was terribly silly, but on the other hand I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was great to get to actually see the Doctor in action; although I did have to wait until episode three. It's silly, but establishing and oddly archetypal of this era.

So, we launch in to this one with a new companion. For the first time since the original line-up, we have four people traveling in the TARDIS. Jamie has joined the team but he doesn't know what's happening. The whole time and space travel thing goes a bit past him. The TARDIS materialises and we get the inner monologue of each adventurers ideal destination. Polly hopes it's home: Chelsea 1966. Ben just hopes they don't meet the Daleks. The Doctor longs for prehistoric monsters. And Jamie doesn't know what to think. Once they venture out Polly thinks they're in Cornwall. Again. There is a real air of jollity amongst the Doctor, Ben and Polly, which aides Jamie in warming to his new surroundings.

The three companions venture off to have a look around. Polly enters a cave. Ben and Jamie go to look for her, but end up being thrust into a cage, with an already tied up Polly. The Doctor goes in search of his companions only to get bundled in to the cage too. The cage descends and all four fall unconscious, suffering decompression sickness a.k.a Caissons disease, due to compressed nitrogen. When they regain consciousness, Polly finds some pottery with the logo for the 1968 Mexico Olympiad emblazoned on it, and then our heroes are confronted by a race of trident baring people dressed in clam shells and seaweed. Quad-lingual Polly tries to get their hosts to speak and addresses them in French, German and Spanish. Jamie even tries Gaelic but to no avail.

A figure in robes enters, it's a priest called Ramo. They speak english. Apparently they've been expected and have arrived just in time for the Festival of the Vernal Equinox to exalt Amdo a woman/fish looking goddess. The Doctor is a bit peckish and eats some food and almost instantly recognises the work of the famed scientist Professor Zaroff. This nearly falters Ramo's plans to sacrifice all four of our of heroes, but he is resolute. The Doctor writes a message to give to Zaroff and along with his companions is tied to a beam to be sacrificed by being poured into a great well. The message reads: 'Vital secret will die with me. Dr. W.' Like in The War Machines this is a clear lack of understanding on the production side and certainly the closest the Doctor will ever come to referring to himself as Doctor Who. He called the Doctor not Doctor Who!

Joseph Furst as Profesor Zaroff.

Professor Zaroff arrives at the last minute and halts the sacrifice. The Doctor makes Zaroff release his friends. Joseph Furst gives an excellent star turn as Professor Zaroff, characterised with a ridiculously OTT German accent. Initially the Doctor and Zaroff behave like they're old friends. The Doctor expresses his relief that Zaroff is alive and well as he had been reported dead. The Doctor even calls him 'the greatest scientific genius since Leonardo Di Vinci.' But then Zaroff threatens the Doctor only to ultimately decide to spare him because the Doctor has a good sense of humour. However he sends Jamie and Ben to work in the mines. Damon, Zaroff's chief surgeon plans to carry out the "Fish Operation" on Polly, where she shall become one of the fish people who harvest the plankton like food the whole community survives on. 

The Doctor is determined to learn where they are. With ancient temples under the sea he deduces that they can be nowhere else but the ancient Kingdom of Atlantis. The Doctor questions that Zaroff is a scientist and doesn't seem like he'd be accepted in Atlantis, as science is in opposition to ancient temple ritual and idol worship. Zaroff reveals that he has promised to lift Atlantis from the sea.

In Damon's surgery Polly has been tied to the operating table. Damon draws a huge hypodermic needle on Polly. We can actually witness this as it was deemed to be too disturbing and was ultimately cut. These cut frames were discovered and made available on the Lost in Time DVD set. This is a really great box set. If you're a fan and you don't own this I hugely recommend it:

Fortunately the Doctor sabotages the lights so Damon can't operate. An Atlantian girl called Ara frees Polly in the confusion. Zaroff reveals that he plans to lower the water level to raise Atlantis. But the Doctor has serious concerns: Where is the ocean going to go? The water would be converted into super heated steam, the pressure would grow, crack the crust of the earth, and destroy all life. Maybe even blow the planet apart. The professor knows this but still wants to go through with it. He wants to destroy the world for the achievement. The scientist's dream of supreme power. In other words he is proper mad.

Ben and Jamie are taken to work in the mines, where they meet fellow slaves, Jacko and Sean, they pass something off to Jamie when the guards search them. The guards leave and Jamie produces a compass, which the two miners plan to use to escape. Jamie and Ben agree to go with them. The four pair off and split up. Jamie and Jacko take the high road, leaving Ben and Sean with the low road. A little Scottish humour.

Ramo the Priest.

The Doctor escapes Zaroff and hides in a cupboard. He finds a guards uniforms and tries on a guards hat (he's obsessed with Hats). He comes across Ramo, who isn't exactly Zaroff's biggest fan either, describing him as a destroyer. The Doctor tells Ramo that Zaroff wants to destroy Atlantis. Ramo helps the Doctor and gives him a disguise in the form of a cloak and a headdress, which, unsurprisingly the Doctor is particularly interested in. This Doctor has a real hat fetish.

Zaroff and Lolem.

Jamie, Ben, Jack and Sean, reunite and find an exit through a door in the foot of the statue, where Polly just so happens to be hiding. Ara joins forces with the miners and companions. We then meet King Thous, the ruler of Atlantis. The Doctor warns Thous that Zaroff is as mad as a hatter and that you can se it in his crazy eyes. Thous decides to consider what the Doctor has said but quickly returns with Zaroff and his guards, offering them up the Doctor and Ramo for sacrifice to Lolem the high priest.

King Thous.

We then get to episode three which is the first full episode that currently exists of Patrick Troughton's Doctor. We've seen Polly and Ben in the flesh but we haven't yet been able to actually see Troughton in action. He doesn't disappoint; however of all the episodes to have available this is definitely the oddest.

An odd, but certainly not disappointing Troughton.

Zaroff hands over the Doctor and Ramo for sacrifice. Just when they're about to be for the chop, the voice of Amdo, or should I say Ben doing an impression of Amdo intercedes. Commanding the congregation to avert their eyes, the Doctor and Ramo are able to escape and reunite with Jamie, Ben, Polly, Jacko, Sean and Ara.

Polly with Sean, Jamie and Jacko.

We then get the strangest scene in the whole story. The Doctor plans to stop Zaroff by cutting off Atlantis' supply of food. He plans to do so by getting the fish people to revolt. The Atlantians have no stocks of food as Zaroff has not found the answer to his great problem: All his sea food goes bad in a couple of hours and has to be thrown away. The voice of reason comes from Polly who queries: "What would that do for us?" To which the Doctor replies "I don't know but it's a start." Right? At this point I have to ask: If Zaroff can produce a working nuclear reactor in Atlantis, why can't he make a fridge to keep food from going off? 

The Doctor, Ben and Jamie incognito disguises.

The Doctor plans to kidnap Professor Zaroff. The gang manage to pull this off by getting him to chase the Doctor with Ben and Jamie pretending to be guards. Meanwhile Jacko and Sean go to get the fish people on side. Sean subtly plants the idea in the fish people's minds to hold back the food supply, which they agree to. There seem to be two kinds of fish people:

Snorkel ones.  

And full on scaly ones.

Zaroff pretends to faint and Polly and Ramo stay to guard him, whilst the Doctor, Ben and Jamie go to the laboratory. Zaroff attacks and kills Ramo and takes Polly captive. Ben and the Doctor 'have other fish to fry,' whilst Jamie manages to rescue Polly, but Zaroff escapes and takes over Atlantis. He orders his guards to kill Thous and his guardians and leaves us with the immortal line "nothing in 'ze world can stop me now." In summation: episode three of The Underwater Menace is bloody bonkers.

'Nothing in ze world can stop me now!'

The Doctor is forced to make a new plan: to flood the lower part of Atlantis, including Zaroff's Lab. The workers have left in search of food. The Doctor and Ben go to the generating station, playing prisoner and escort to get in. The Doctor manages to break through the sea walls and Atlantis begins to flood.

Jamie and Polly are lost in the tunnels under the city. Polly blames radiation but when Jamie asks for an explanation she says it is too difficult to explain (in other words: she doesn't know). Damon, Thous, Sean, Jacko and Ara, reach a cave high up in Atlantis where Damon creates a temporary medical station for survivors of the great flood.

The Doctor and Ben make it to Zaroff's Laboratory and warn Zaroff's scientists that he plans to destroy them all and that the sea is breaking through. They flee but Zaroff hides in a chamber with the detonator switch. Water is breaking through into the lab and Ben appears to abandon the Doctor when he refuses to leave. The Doctor turns out the lights again and Zaroff opens his chamber. Ben returns and cuts Zaroff off from the controls to activate the bomb and our two heroes escape. The Doctor wants to go back for Zaroff, but they get cut off.

Meanwhile, Polly nearly gives up, but Jamie calmly helps her and they reach safety. Zaroff is still trying to reach the detonator switch as the water rises over is head and he drowns. Similarly as with the Hypodermic needle scene this was deemed too shocking, which was 1967's loss but our gain. 

So long Professor Loony.

Thous and Damo discuss a new Atlantis, without Gods and without fish people, in honour of the Doctor for saving them. The Doctor and Ben make it out as well and joyfully reunite with Jamie and Polly. 

Back in the TARDIS Jamie has done a complete 180 and decides that he loves 'all this.' He admits he'll never know what 'makes it go.' But he feels safe in the TARDIS and finds it's the things outside that are alarming. He asks the Doctor if it's true that he can't actually control the TARDIS. The arrogant Doctor says of course he can. He has just never wanted to. All three companions chastise him for this. The Doctor decides to demonstrate his control by taking them to Mars. However, suddenly something goes wrong with the TARDIS, it's out of control...

I feel like this a perfect example of guilty pleasure Doctor Who. It's ridiculously silly but I love it anyway. Furst is excellent as Zaroff and it's great to finally get to see Troughton moving around instead of just hearing his voice. The extended cast are good too and really get in to the swing of things. I just wish more of this existed in full.

Thanks for tuning in and please do join me next time for the return of the Cybermen in The Moonbase.

Addendum: Christmas came early on Sunday 11th of December 2011, when it was announced that episode 2 of The Underwater Menace had been discovered replacing episode 3 of this story as the first episode that exists from Patrick Troughton's time as the Doctor. Click here to find out more about the discovery.

31: The Highlanders - The Last Pure Historical. Not The First Or Last Of Much-Missing Troughton.

Written by: Jerry Davis & Elwyn Jones.

Companions: The Doctor, Ben Jackson and Polly.
Monsters/Villains: Solicitor Grey.

Brief Synopsis: The TARDIS arrives at the end of the Battle of Culloden in 1746.

Rating: 7/10.

The pilgrimage continues with The Highlanders. We're getting in to the really tough stuff now. Troughton is great but out of his twenty stories only seven exist in their entirety and this isn't one of them; not a single episode of The Highlanders exists. It's such a shame. I want to see what Patrick Troughton is getting up to. It sounds like he's having a right laugh; dressing up whenever he can and doing silly accents. I wasn't massively impressed with this initially over complicated story, but it gets better as it goes on. I enjoyed the opening and the closing, but the bit in the middle wasn't the best. It felt like after the action packed, story based, Power of The Daleks, this story was more plainly an opportunity for Patrick Troughton's Doctor to have a good mess about. Maybe it was a good thing? Let him settle a while before he's off on his next adventure. We shall see...

We arrive in the aftermath of the Battle of Culloden. Scottish Highlanders loyal to Bonnie Prince Charlie are battling German and English soldiers serving King George II. Three survivors of the Clan McLaren: Colin, Alexander and Kirsty and also a young piper, Jamie McCrimmon are hauled up in an abandoned cottage when the TARDIS materialises near by. Ben wishfully thinks they’re home, then suddenly along with Polly falls to the ground as a cannonball strikes right next to them. The Doctor wants to leave but Ben and Polly want to stay and explore.

Jamie and Alexander.

We get a brief interlude while the Doctor sports his short-lived catchphrase. He has found a Highland Bonnet hat and states, "I would like a hat like this." The Scots spy the Doctor and co and force them into the cottage. The Scots are losing and the Laird, Colin McLaren is dying. The Doctor promises to help them if they lay down their weapons. Polly and Kirsty go to fetch water for the Laird's wounds. Ben doesn't want to trust the Jacobites but they promise not to molest them and the Doctor knows, "A Highlanders word is his bond." As Ben sets down one of the requisitioned pistols it goes off, the English Lieutenant Ffinch and his redcoat soldiers hear it and head for the cottage. Alexander bravely tries to draw off the redcoats but they shoot him and continue to advance.

Entering the cottage they presume Ben to be a Scot or a deserter but the Doctor cleverly asumes the guise of a German stating "Doctor von Wer (German for "Doctor Who") at your service." To which Ffinch replies classically: "Doctor Who?" Troughton really gets to flex his comedy muscles in this story. We then meet Solicitor Grey and his clerk, Perkins who are watching the battle through a telescope. Grey works under his Majesty's Commissioner of Prisons and plans to profit from the rebellion by selling the Scots in to slavery in the West Indies.

Grey saves the Doctor and Ben, but only so he can sell them in to slavery.

Polly and Kirsty return with the water and see the Redcoats, who are preparing nooses to hang the Doctor, Ben and the Scots. Polly throws stones at the Soldiers and the pair run away followed by Ffinch and two soldiers, believing that one of them may be the fleeing Prince disguised as a woman. Sergent Clegg is just about to continue with the hanging, when Grey intervenes bribing the Sergent to release them in to his custody. The group are marched off to Inverness Gaol. I must say this is all very promising thus far, then it gets a little incomprehensible.

Hiding in a Cave Polly notices Kirsty’s ring and suggests they use it to bribe the soldiers, but Kirsty refuses, saying it belongs to her father and he entrusted her with it. Annoyed, Polly goes off on her own and falls into an animal pit. Kirsty frees her and Polly decides to use the trap. She makes noises to draw Ffinch towards them and he too falls into the animal trap. Polly and Kirsty tie him up and steal his money, food and identity disc.

In the gaol the Doctor tends to the Laird and discovers he is carrying the Prince's standard. The Doctor takes it and then plays the Rebel Dirge on his recorder. The Doctor feins being German again and says he has information about a plot on the Duke of Cumberland's life. The Doctor is brought before Grey but ties him up, puts a handkerchief in his mouth and shoves him in a cupboard. Perkins comes in and the Doctor "examines" his eyes. He says Perkins has head aches and then bangs his head on the table to create one. The Doctor says he reads too much, and prescribes him some rest.

Captain Trask.

Sergeant Clegg rescues Lieutenant Ffinch. Trask, the captain of ship that will be used to transport the slaves returns and frees Grey. The prisoners get moved through a trap door and are taken aboard the Annabelle. The Doctor disguises himself; this time as an old woman and brings some hot broth for an officer, who leaves without locking the trap door. Trask orders a man thrown overboard and allowed to drown scaring the rest of the prisoners with "That's the only way you'll get off the Annabelle."

Kirsty gets Polly some new clothes and some 'oranges?' Polly likes the clothes and revels: "Last time we went back to the past I had to wear boys clothes all the time." Polly's plan is to disguise themselves as (ahem!) 'Orange sellers' in order to 'get closer to' the soldiers. She even mentions Nell Gwynn. The pair somehow manage to infiltrate the Sea Eagle Pub and find Ffinch who is forced to vouch for them.

Polly and Kirsty take care of Ffinch.

Aboard the Annabelle Grey gives the prisoners three choices: Clemency if they become witnesses/traitors, Hanging and "death with honour," or a seven year contract to work in the plantations in the West Indies. Everyone goes for option number three except for Jamie, Ben, Colin and Captain Trask's previous friend MacKay. Ben rips up the signed contracts and is knocked out and put in the hold.

I think so far Polly is my favourite female companion.
I'm sad I can't see her Nell Gwynn impression in motion...

Perkins is with Polly and Kirsty, while they await Grey's arrival. They try to leave and Perkins threatens them. The girls agree to stay when the Doctor still disguised as an old woman comes to their rescue and aides their getaway. Polly wants to make a plan but the Doctor wants to sleep. The Doctor recognises Kirsty's ring as that of the Prince and persuades her to give it up to him to use as "bait for a very greedy man." They will use Ffinch's stolen money to buy weapons to arm the Highlanders and help them escape.

Ben comes across a disguised Doctor.

Meanwhile aboard the Annabelle, Ben is dunked into the water as a punishment but doesn't resurface. He emerges on the other side of the ship, swims through the freezing water and somehow manages to get to land only to find himself at the end of a redcoats musket. Fortunately it's the Doctor in yet another disguise. Polly, Ben, and the Doctor are reunited. The Doctor has found his own clothes again but Polly comments "I liked you better in your dress, Doctor." Ben is given fresh clothes and pulls a tamoshanta over his face. Of course the Doctor can't resist saying once more "I would like a hat like that."

Solicitor Grey meet Doctor von Wer. 

And after all that confusion in the middle the end is a satisfying one. The Doctor goes aboard the Annabelle as Doctor von Wer again and shows Grey the ring. He says he got it from Prince Charles who was captured and is aboard the ship. The Doctor claims that Jamie is the Prince but when they go to hold to find him Colin McLaren, Jamie, MacKay and the rest of the Highlanders attack the sailors, quickly overpowering them. MacKay fights Trask, but he escapes wounding him. Trask goes for Ben, but Jamie literally swings in and saves him, forcing Trask into the sea. MacKay takes control of the ship and Perkins begs to stay and accompany the Scots as they set sail for the safety of France. Jamie decides to go with the Doctor, Ben and Polly to guide them back to the TARDIS. The four take Grey ashore as a hostage but he escapes while they fight off some redcoats. 

The quartet go to the Sea Eagle to get Ffinch's help getting past the redcoats. The next day they arrive back at the cottage where it all began and Polly gives back Ffinch's identity disc with her thanks. Suddenly Grey arrives with some redcoats. Ffinch accuses him of being a slave trader. Grey denies this saying the prisoners signed contracts making it legal. But he's misplaced the contracts. Ffinch has Grey arrested and imprisoned in Inverness Gaol. It turns out the Doctor conjured away the contracts in to his own pocket. The TARDIS crew decide to take Jamie with them, but only if he teaches the Doctor how to play the bagpipes (not another annoying instrument Doctor?). Jamie is suddenly unsure of this venture, but Polly takes his hand and he steps into the TARDIS as it dematerialises.

It is quite obvious that the idea to make Frazer Hines' Jamie McCrimmon a companion came rather late in the day. I'm not complaining as Jamie will grow to become one of the best and certainly to date the longest serving companion of all time, but his motives to join the Doctor's company here seem somewhat unfounded. He's barely featured in the story at all, and it seems strange for him to want to remain in occupied Scotland while the rest of his friends depart for France.

All in all I enjoyed The Highlanders, but after the wonderful Power of The Daleks, it was slightly overshadowed. This story is also the last of the pure historical adventures. Some people don't loose much love over the historicals, but I think they have their certainly have their place and we should definitely see some in the new series of Doctor Who. 


I've heard many things about our next story. Join me next time for some madness in The Underwater Menace.