Writer: Peter R Newman
Original Broadcast Date: 20 June 1964 - 1 August 1964
After two (maybe three if we ever get hold of Marco Polo) brilliant stories, Doctor Who hit its first rubbish one in its original run with The Sensorites. Despite a brilliant starter episode, The Sensorites is a lame imitation of The Daleks and other First Doctor stories, involving revolution and reform among an alien race, done so terribly its one of the only Doctor Who stories that genuinely isn't worth watching.
It's stuff like this that makes you feel bad for viewers back in 1964, who had to wait 6 weeks (6 whole weeks!) for this crap to end! To start with the elephant in the room, the titular Sensorites are fat men in onesies (which show off every lump and bump) with ugly masks on. They're not even very interesting at that. They whimper in fear and cover their ears if someone speaks too loud!
But its not just crap aliens that make the episode what it is, because it is a poorly construed, aimless story stretched over far too many weeks and even then some plot elements are still rushed, which is a shame considering those were some of the more interesting ones! Jacqueline HIll, usually a highlight of the bad episodes is off on holiday for most of it as well, adding to the list of sins. (Also watch out for Jacqueline's noticeable tan when she does return)
All that being said there are a few hints of brilliance with the mention of Susan growing out of the Doctor which, if developed, would have tied in nicely with her exit three stories later, but it was once mentioned, then never again.
All in all The Sensorites could have been good. It could have been brilliant. But beyond the first episode and a few bits of dialogue in the other five, The Sensorites is not worth your time.
4/10
No comments:
Post a Comment