Whovember Part 2: 1965 to 1967

Welcome back to Whovember, my journey through sixty years of Doctor Who in thirty days.  Today we're looking at a major turning point in the show's history, and I share a bit about my Whovian origin story...

Year 3: 1965 to 1966 - The Tenth Planet

This is a story that, appropriate for one set in the Antarctic, it did take me a while to warm to, as this is the debut of the Cybermen in a design that’s quite a lot removed from what we’re used to. However, over time I have warmed a lot to these versions (although it’s not my favourite look for them, that would be the one from Revenge of the Cybermen), I get far more now what they were going for. They were co-created by Kit Peddler and Gerry Davis, who would later do the series Doomwatch, and it’s clear from that as well as this that they were big on the idea of science fiction as social commentary, at the idea of what consequences could come if certain advances go too far down particular routes. (Basically they were strong on the Torment Nexus approach.) Specifically the Cybermen here are reflections on certain surgical concepts at the time, asking the question if we abandon what makes us biologically human, do we have a risk of losing what makes us ethically human?

What makes these Cybermen so uniquely eerie, and fitting into that point above, is the way they just don't care. Their one priority is to survive, at all costs, and they just don't care about anything else.  They just don’t care about the consequences the return on Mondas has on Earth.  They just don’t care that the human race might not be that in love with the idea of joining them in upgrading.  (Incidentally, I love that the line of “You will become like us” is right there from the start.)  In a way the awkward design leans into that idea; they look like failed medical experiments, but this way they survive, so they just don’t care.  There’s even a moment when one is trying to gather information about Snowcap base, getting the scientists to talk into a microphone, because they just don’t care that everyone else there is a) freaking out a bit about space cyborgs taking over, and b) that this might interfere with them trying to save their astronauts.  That’s what makes these early, uncanny takes on the Cybermen scary, and why we still occasionally come back to them; they just don’t care.  Mind, I don’t know why TV Comic kept using this look long after the later designs debuted, as these must be the hardest ones to draw in a comic.

Of course this is a notable story for another reason, one where the missing last episode gives it that much more mystique; this is the end of the First Doctor’s era, the first regeneration happens at the end.  Now it’s very different to how the show would later handle these, as it kind of happens out of left field without a specific cause, apart from a few vague hints.  Well, in story it has no cause, the real world reason is because of William Hartnell’s health; in fact, one moment related to this, necessitating him to take part three off, accidentally foreshadows what happens at the very end.  The serial does give him some good moments though, there is something haunting about his line of “It’s far from being all over”.  But even beyond his departure, it does foreshadow some changes to come; of course the Cybermen would become the defining monster of the Troughton era, but also this story is the first example of the “Base Under Siege” format, which a lot of tales over the next few years would use (and still turns up today).  Overall it’s a major milestone in the show’s history, leading right into another major milestone, and oh look, the dates just line up to let me talk about that too!

Year 4: 1966 to 1967 - David Whitaker's Dalek Stories

The first of my many cheats over the course of this series; I really wanted to discuss both The Power and The Evil of the Daleks, so since Power had some episodes broadcast after the cut off date, I’m claiming the right to talk about both here! The Tenth Planet was the first finale to a Doctor, and as mentioned it doesn't really fit the standard style of a Regeneration story that we have come to know.  Well, The Power of the Daleks is far more what we'd think of for a Doctor debut story; a chance for not only us to discover who this Doctor is, but for them to find out too.  One of the big reasons why this story is one that is constantly top of "Most Wanted to be Found" lists is that, even in the audio only form, you can tell that Patrick Troughton nails it, he gets who he wants his take on the Doctor to be right away.  However, given what a physical actor he was, using body language to full effect, we just wish that we could see more of that, and whilst we do have the new animations, as good as they are, it can't really compare, it can only be something of a bit of guesswork for what he actually did.  The Regeneration (not that it was called that yet) was a huge gamble for the show, it's easy to see everything falling apart if it hadn't worked out.  Well, given that we're still talking about it now, still talking about new Doctors, it did work out, thanks to Pat in this story.

Of course, it also helps in that this is a damn good Dalek story too; it was a smart move of the production team, as what better way can there be to assure audiences that yes, this new guy is definitely the Doctor than having him face his arch enemies.  But what's really smart is that just for a moment it taunts you with the idea that maybe they could have changed too; the episode two cliffhanger of "I AM YOUR SER-VANT!" makes you wonder, could the Daleks have gone through a similar transformation to the Doctor.  Well, they haven't, they are just being extra sneaky this time around, playing a long game to get what they want.  Whilst the colony on Vulcan is busy with its own power struggles, the Daleks invagle their way in, manipulating everyone, becoming this ever growing threat, until the moment to overwhelm.  This is the first time the show had really done the Daleks in both this more cunning fashion, and having a precursor to them as this unstoppable force that New Who often presents them as, and it works so well. It's very different to any of the Terry Nation stories beforehand, and just as the Regeneration refreshes the Doctor, this approach reinvigorates them, helping to ensure that future too.

But was it to be a future on Doctor Who itself?  With Nation planning on taking the Daleks stateside with a TV series, a grand finale for them on the show was planned, and with The Evil of the Daleks, what a send off they got!  A story that takes place over multiple times and places, the bizarre sight of the Daleks in a Victorian house (actually the Grims Dyke Hotel not far from me!), a return to Skaro, a confrontation with the Emperor, their most audcious scheme yet, the civil war ending… It's one hell of a ride!  And there's so much more in here, including a more manipulative side to the Doctor too, a precursor to the days of the Seventh Doctor and the Cartmell Masterplan.  Also, this is a very personal connection to me too, because this is one of my first experiences of Doctor Who too, in the form of the cassette of the soundtrack released in 1992 with the Tom Baker narration.  I barely understood what was happening first tie, but I was hooked, and a Christmas gift of the Power cassette too was appreciated so much.  I lose track of how many times I relistened to those things, these two stories have a special place in my heart.  So you can imagine how I felt when I got to see the animated version a couple of years ago on the big screen in colour (So close, I could feel their fire…) at the BFI.  Just seeing that final battle play out, looking as awesome as I imagined it, was such an incredible moment, I am no joke getting misty eyed thinking about it as I write this.  This pair of stories for me define how the Daleks should be portrayed, and they gave my favourite Doctor some of their best material too, I am so looking forward to the upcoming book about David Whitaker by Simon Guerrier.

Next time in Whovember, it's a journey to the land of make-believe, and then a story that would change everything...

BONUS: Something very silly from Pip Madeley....