Fury from the Deep (TV Story) Review

Title: Fury from the Deep
Writer: Victor Pemberton
Original Broadcast Date: 16 March 1968 - 20 April 1968

Coming in right towards the end of Season Five, Fury from the Deep tells the tale of a gas refinery under siege, home to a boss who shouts everything he says and creatures invading from below, and when the Doctor and his friends arrive they are not believed of the dangers until it is too late. Wait - haven't we seen this one already?

Fury from the Deep follows closely the basic Troughton story blueprint and unfortunately it isn't particularly spectacular in its execution. While it does nothing bad, it doesn't do anything good either, making this story incredibly and remarkably average.

The only real problem with this six-parter is the fact the enemy is seaweed and seafoam, which you'd think would be a lot scarier by the amount of screaming Victoria does around them. On the subject of Victoria, after a season of adventuring, we see her bow out, which was probably the only unique thing about this story. Her exit - unlike Polly, Ben, and Dodo's before her - is hinted to throughout and is really rather good, while - again, nothing spectacular - its sweet and heartwarming.

Troughton is brilliant, especially in a particular scene in the final episode involving a helicopter without a pilot, and Jamie is as good as ever. Some dialogue in the third and fourth parts gives some great insight into his character, showing his complete trust for the time lord.

Absolutely unspectacular, but good fun; Fury from the Deep is a decent base-under-siege that sits towards the top end of Season Five.

7/10

The Evil of the Daleks (TV Story) Review

Title: The Evil of the Daleks
Writer: David Whitaker
Original Broadcast Date: 20 May 1967 - 1 July 1967

"The Hybrid is not half Dalek. Nothing is half Dalek. The Daleks would never allow that!" 

These words uttered 48 years and 10 Doctors after The Evil of the Daleks seemed to be inspired by this fantastic and high-staked finale, because this is the story behind how the Doctor found that out.

The story picks off from where The Faceless Ones left us: the Doctor and Jamie, now without Ben and Polly, stuck in 1966, with the TARDIS having been stolen. Their search for the time machine leads them into the hands of Mr. Waterfield, an antique shop owner who seems to stick out like a sore thumb in the swinging '60s. The antiques that aren't so antique and the victorian-dressed Mr Waterfield prove the be the least of the Doctor's issues after he discovers a plot, devised by his worse enemies: the Daleks!

Like most stories in the fourth season, The Evil of the Daleks is missing... mostly. The second episode of this seven-parter remains the only existing episode (to our knowledge), and you can be glad of that, as it is is full of intrigue and mystery, which can't quite be captured on audio.

The story dips slightly in quality by the fifth part, but is back up again, reaching new heights by the sixth episode. What the fifth episode does lack in substantial progression, it (partly) makes up for with an intriguing investigation into what sets humans and Daleks apart. This idea's further exploration is promised, and unlike most Doctor Who episodes with interesting undertones, delivers, which leads into the clever conclusion.

Regular readers may remember my disappointment in the under-usage of Jamie in previous stories such as The Moonbase and The Highlanders, and I'm glad to say Jamie finally got time in the spotlight, given some great scenes in which he stood up to the Doctor. Just as when Barbara did the same in The Edge of Destruction, this stand lead to their friendship seeing new proximity, as the odd pair form a brilliant and entertaining duo.

The Evil of the Daleks, originally planned to be the final ever appearance of the Daleks, would have provided a lovely bow-out for everyone's favourite pepper-pot mutants, but thank god they didn't, because by the end of this glorious seven-parter I just wanted more of them!

9/10

Click here to check out my DVD Cover Mock Up for The Evil of the Daleks!

The Moonbase (TV Story) Review

Title: The Moonbase
Writer: Kit Pedler
Original Broadcast Date: 11 February 1967 - 4 March 1967

Only 4 stories after their original appearance the Cybermen returned to Doctor Who in this frightening and well crafted base under siege.

The Doctor, Ben, Polly and Jamie land on the moon to find a base that controls the weather on earth, but there is mass fear among the crew. A disease is spreading and more and more people are dying, but the Doctor discovers something far more deadly on board the moonbase.

Jamie, in his second trip in the TARDIS, I found was slightly underused, due to the fact this was a very science-fiction based story, with less action than usual and thus the Scottish highlander couldn't add much to the progression. Instead he was sidelined, and Polly and Ben took the spotlight.

The Cybermen, were much creepier than in their first appearance, mostly due to the redesign which fixed the issue I had with their voices: now they sound much less camp and much scarier. Their improved fear factor is also due to the story allowing for some genuinely creepy moments and cliffhangers.

The fourth episode is a bit of a let down considering the superior quality in terms of plot of the first three but I still enjoyed the resolution to this brilliant base under siege, that keeps you simultaneously on the edge of your seat and hiding behind the sofa.

9/10

The Underwater Menace (TV Story) Review

Title:  The Underwater Menace
Writer: Geoffrey Orme
Original Broadcast Date: 14 January 1967 - 4 February 1967

Ah, The Underwater Menace! What a story! Mad scientists, Atlantis, fish people: this story is utterly unforgettable, simply because its absolutely bonkers!

With Jamie now on board, the TARDIS lands on a deserted volcanic island, where deep below the surface the lost city of Atlantis thrives. Behind the seemingly primitive civilization, a scientist plots to destroy the world.

I actually really enjoyed watching this story, but that doesn't mean it's not crap. The story was very entertaining throughout but the plot was rather daft and far-fetched to say the least. The costume design, on par with The Web Planet's Menoptra, is terrible, with the fish people, who in concept are rather scary (and make for a spine-tingling cliffhanger to Part 1), look like a child's Halloween costume stitched together the previous night. Adding to this, the costumes for the residents of Atlantis are ugly and do nothing for the serial, other than add to the existing campness.

Thanks to the late decision to bring Jamie on board the TARDIS, Orme had the job of splitting lines between the now three companions which causes some lack of characterization, most offensive in the case of Polly, who is sidelined and portrayed as a weak, whimpering shell of the real character. Not affected by this, Troughton's Doctor, now comfy in the role, is undeniably awesome, providing a brilliant opposition against Joseph Furst who plays a chillingly mad scientist, who's progression into hysteria is unnerving. Their rivalry reflects that between The Doctor and The Master, yet to come into fruition by the time of the story's broadcast. Even so Furst's strong performance failed to draw a veil over the character's lack of development, with a poor excuse behind his motivations.

The second episode of The Underwater Menace is in fact the very first surviving Troughton episode, and while I'm thankful I got to watch him oppose a mad scientist whilst Polly, Ben and Jamie are dressed in fish-themed costumes, I'd much rather have the chance to see the creepy and atmospheric Power of the Daleks or the fun romp, The Highlanders over this entertaining but beyond far-fetched adventure.

6/10