The Tenth Planet

Premise: The TARDIS arrives at the South Pole in 1986 where the ‘Snowcap’ space tracking station, under the command of General Cutler, is in the middle of a crisis.

Notes: Over the months prior to this story, lead actor William Hartnell's health had deteriorated rapidly which meant that drastic action had to be taken. The idea settled up was to replace Hartnell with a concept that would later be termed regeneration. Hartnell's health also interfered with the production of episode three as he was too ill to work, meaning that some last minute changes to the script had to take place. This story was also the first to feature some of Doctor Who's most popular monsters, the Cybermen. They proved so popular that before the story had finished broadcasting a sequel had already been commissioned and was titled The Return of the Cybermen, although it was later changed to The Moonbase.

Verdict: A great story which seems to display Troughton's era in style rather than Hartnell's. Opinions on the Cybermen in this range from laughable to down-right terrifying (I'm with the latter) but it's hard not to admire the story's sheer ambition. It's just a shame his health prevented Hartnell from dominating his final story 8/10

The War Machines

Premise: The Doctor and Dodo arrive in 1966 London where the Post Office Tower has just been completed and is home to WOTAN, a super computer capable of independent thought.

Notes: This was the first Doctor Who serial to be set entirely on contemporary Earth, with the program embracing the look and feel of 'swinging sixties' London. The opening title credits for each episode were shown in special computer style lettering, unique to this story. For some unknown reason, WOTAN and its servants refer to the Doctor as 'Doctor Who' throughout the story. This is the only time he is directly called this on screen however he was called this in the credits up until 1981. Only one War Machine prop was built which changeable numbers for different scenes.

Verdict: A great introduction for the lovable companions Ben and Polly but a rather bad departure for the less-loved Dodo. The contemporary London setting is a refreshing change but the War Machines themselves are a bit underwhelming and an obvious attempt to make a monster with the same merchandising potential as the Daleks 7/10

The Time Meddler

Premise: The Doctor and Vicki are surprised to discover a stow-away aboard the TARDIS and welcome Steven Taylor, who survived the destruction of the Mechonoid city, aboard.

Notes: This serial marks the first occasion which we meet someone else from the Doctor's own world, other than Susan, of course. It is also considered to be what is now called a pseudo-historical, a story which is set in the past but involves alien or time travelers other than the TARDIS crew. This is a concept that would be picked up on later years, replacing the purely historical adventures of William Hartnell's era.

Verdict: A thoroughly enjoyable serial with a very revolutionary plot for the time. It can be quite repetitive at times simply due to the nature of the plot but actors' performances help keep it from being dull, Peter Butterworth especially 9/10

The Chase

Premise: Using a Time/Space Visualiser taken from the Moroks' space museum, the Doctor, Barbara, Ian and Vicki discover the Daleks have built their own time machine and are in pursuit.

Notes: This third Dalek adventure features a more comedic take on the Daleks with them nodding using their eye pieces and stuttering. Some of the Dalek props seen the the background were modified versions of the ones which feature in the movie released later the same year and the design now features vertical slats on their mid-section which would remain part of the design for decades to come. This serial also saw William Russell and Jacqueline Hill, who played Ian and Barbara, leave the series and are replaced by Peter Purves as Steven. He also appeared earlier in the serial as Morton Dill, the young man from Alabama who they met on the top of the Empire State Building.

Verdict: While the humour is over the top and some of the performances cringe worthy, it is ultimately an enjoyable tale which flies by with great style. Ian and Barbara's departure at the end is very touching 7/10

The Space Museum

Premise: When the TARDIS jumps a time track and lands on the planet Xeros, the travellers are given a glimpse of their own future in which they are fated to become exhibits in a museum.

Notes: A Dalek makes an appearance in the first episode, although only as a exhibit in the museum. An actual Daleks turn up at the end of episode four in a teaser scene for The Chase that was to follow. William Harnell was on holiday during the filming of episode three, his on screen absence was explained by the Doctor being processed to become a museum piece.

Verdict: The first episode and the whole idea of the TARDIS jumping a time track is very smart and makes for good entertainment. However, the supporting cast all look bored ridged and it's only really the regulars that are putting any effort in. The idea of trying to prevent the future almost gets lost in the middle episodes and it basically just comes across as a 'seen it all before' story 5/10

The Dalek Invasion of Earth

Premise: When they land in London, Ian and Barbara are happy to be home but celebrations are cut short on realising they're in the 22nd Century and Earth has been conquered by the Daleks.

Notes: After their appearance in the second Doctor Who serial, a wave of Dalek Mania hit the country. Fans could buy Dalek toys, read Dalek comic strips and even wash themselves with Dalek themed soap. With a big screen movie planned for the following year, the only thing missing was a rematch between them and the Doctor on the small screen, and what better place to have them than London. The Daleks have been updated since their last appearance with metal disks on the back of there midsection and large fenders on the bottom to account for their increased mobility. This episode marks the first time a regular character departs from the series with Susan being left behind on Earth at the end of the story. This is the last time we see her until the twentieth anniversary special, the Five Doctors.

Verdict: A very entertaining serial with a strong plot and many iconic moments. The supporting cast do a great job of creating an impression of a ravaged Earth and the Daleks are as menacing as ever. The opening scenes of an eerily quiet London and Susan's farewell are extremely well done, with the latter possibly being the most emotional moment in the shows history 10/10

The Aztecs

Premise: The travellers land in the tomb of an Aztec High Priest but accidentally cut themselves off from the TARDIS as Barbara is proclaimed as the reincarnation of Yetaxa.

Notes: This serial marks the first time in the series where it would deal with the issue of changing history with the Doctor and Barbara taking opposite sides in the argument. Carole Ann Ford took a two week holiday in the middle of making this serial, her absence was covered by short prerecorded insets. The Doctor's romance with Cameca was his first romantic entanglement of the series and his only in it's original twenty-six year run. It is a aspect which appears a lot more in the new series due to the change in the times with the audiences.

Verdict: A well done character tale with Barbara's dilemma of changing history right at the heart of it. There is a sense of impending tragedy running throughout the tale and there are moments when it is unrelentingly bleak. However, the fight scenes now seem dated 8/10