Series Two Review

Best Story.

The Dalek Invasion of Earth.

Worst Story.

The Romans

Season rating, (Taken from the average rating which I gave to each story in this series.) :

7.2222222

The rating was slightly down overall from Series 1 which was 7.5 . I think this is largely down to The Romans getting such a low score. 

The series again took in a lot of different Sci-Fi stories and historical pieces. 

Barbara and Ian and such important parts of Series 1 and 2 I wonder if I am going to like the next companions as much.

Season 3 is a bit of a nightmare with missing episodes I am going to do my best to review what I can find.

I am going to take a little break from my Doctor Who Re watch for a little bit, I will start back again soon.

Story 017 - The Time Meddler

This story has 4 episodes in it that aired between the 3rd and the 24th of July 1965

Official Synopsis:

The Doctor, Vicki, and new companion Steven Taylor arrive in Saxon Northumbria on the eve of the Viking and Norman invasions. It is 1066, a pivotal moment in British history. The hand of a mysterious Monk is at work in the nearby monastery, intending that history takes a different course.

My Opinion:

This is Peter Purves's first full story, he learns well that nobody ever listens to the Doctor when he tells them to stay somewhere lol. 

We meet another peron from the Doctor's planet it is a little unclear if he is a time lord maybe he was and was cast out. The character is an early version of the master in some ways although he isn't really evil he really really thinks changing these events in time will make things better. His plan in this is to help the Saxon King Harold win at the Battle of Hastings.

 Would have been nice to uncover a little more about the Doctor/Monk’s perceived shared race/past – at this point. It is a little grey the Doctor says the monk is from 50 years before his time. 

My Rating:

8/10

Story 016 - The Chase

This story has 6 episodes that aired from the 22nd May to the 26th June 1965.

Official Synopsis:

The travellers learn from the Time-Space Visualiser (taken from the Moroks' museum) that Daleks, equipped with their own time machine, are on their trail with orders to exterminate them. They flee in the TARDIS.

The chase begins on the desert planet Aridius and takes in a number of stopping-off points, including a spooky haunted house which is actually a futuristic fun-fair attraction.

Eventually, both time machines arrive on the jungle planet Mechanus, where the Daleks try to infiltrate and kill the Doctor's party with a robotic double of him. The travellers are taken prisoner by the Mechonoids — robots sent some fifty years earlier to prepare landing sites for human colonists who never arrived — and meet Steven Taylor, a stranded astronaut who has been the Mechonoids' captive for the past two years.


The Daleks and the Mechonoids engage in a fierce battle which ends in their mutual destruction. The Doctor's party seizes this opportunity to escape. The Doctor reluctantly helps Ian and Barbara to use the Daleks' time machine to return home.

My Opinion:

We say goodbye to Ian and Barbara at the end of this story, which only leaves the Doctor as the original cast member. We get introduced to a new companion in this Steven Taylor.

The story takes us to very differnt places a haunted house, The Mary Celeste, a future planet with fighting mechnoids.

The Haunted House episode is quite odd and could have just been skipped, I feel this story probably runs a couple of episodes long.

My Rating:

9/10

Story 015 - The Space Museum

This story has 4 episodes which aired between the 24th April and the 15th of May. 

Official Synopsis:

The TARDIS jumps a time track and the travellers arrive on the planet Xeros. There they discover their own future selves displayed as exhibits in a museum established as a monument to the galactic conquests of the warlike Morok invaders who now rule the planet. When time shifts back to normal, they realise that they must do everything they can to avert this potential future.


Vicki helps the native Xerons obtain arms and revolt against the Moroks. The revolution succeeds and the travellers go on their way, confident that the future has been changed.

My Opinion:

 It’s an interesting story. The museum is an interesting place, full of weird and wonderful things. The early time “out of sync” plot line is good. The “trying to avoid becoming a museum exhibit” by changing the future sub-strand. The Doctor’s Dalek escape – is quite funny. When you hear the Doctor giggling and he pops his head out of a Dalek is both funny and a little cringy. 

This story gets a lot of stick from the fans but I did quite enjoy it, the first episode has a mystery to it which is very interesting. He does suffer in the other 3 episodes and they lack a bit of Uniqueness.

The Morok/Xerons story line is very bland and feels like it has been done a thousand times.

My Rating:

7/10

Story 014 - The Crusade

This story has 4 episodes which aired from the 27th March to the 17th of April 1965. Currently only episodes 1 and 3 survive. 2 and 4 are on the DVD as voice recordings.

 Official Synopsis:

The TARDIS arrives in 12th century Palestine where a holy war is in progress between the forces of King Richard the Lionheart and the Saracen ruler Saladin. Barbara is abducted in a Saracen ambush and the Doctor, Ian and Vicki make their way to King Richard's palace in the city of Jaffa.

My Opinion:

It is sad the the Beeb lost these episodes of Doctor Who I think I would have liked it a bit more if I could have watched it in it's entirety. I did like it though it has a good support cast which includes Julian Glover who plays Richard the Lionheart,  latter he plays Pycelle in Game Of Thrones and his in Indiana Jones And The Last Crusdae.Oh and Star Wars so not a bad Actor for them to get was early in his career. 

Vicki is kind of side lined in this story which usually happens to one of the characters so not a big deal. 

I did like this story was enjoyable enough and a decent period piece again and using the Beebs extensive costume department which is something Doctor is very fortunate to get use of.

My Rating:

7/10

Story 013 - The Web Planet

This story has 6 episodes that aired between the 13th of February and the 20th of March.

Official Synopsis:

 On the planet Vortis, the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki are swept up in the struggles of the butterfly-like Menoptera, the original denizens of Vortis who were forced to flee the planet for the moon Pictos to escape the encroaching web of the Animus and its mind-controlled minions, the ant-like Zarbi, and their living weapons, the larvae guns.

My Opinion:

Errm I'm not sure what to make of this, it is crazy and trippy stuff. The story is quite good, the costumes look a little ridiculous.

I thought the Menoptera were supposed to be Bumble Bee Men but apparently they were supposed to be Butterfly like lol. 

This episode is also what I like about Doctor Who every story can be different you go from Rome to proper Sci-Fi stuff like this.

My Rating:

Well I'm gonna go 7/10 I did enjoy this some people will hate it I guess it will very much divide opinion.

Story 012 - The Romans

This Story has 4 Episodes that were aired between the 16th of January and the 6th of February 1965.

Official Synopsis:

Landing in Rome, A.D. 64, the travellers take a rare holiday. While Ian and Barbara are happy to relax, the Doctor and Vicki set off to pursue adventure.

However, adventure soon finds Ian and Barbara too as they are kidnapped by slave traders, and the Doctor's imitation of Maximus Pettulian sees him taken to the court of Emperor Nero where he inadvertently plays a part in deciding the course of history...

My Opinion:

I didn't really like the comedy they tried to put in this story it felt a little bit like a Carry On film in parts. 

The Doctor tells everyone not to interfere with History and yet he causes some of biggest events in History to happen. 

They make good use of the Beeb’s period costume and prop department.

This is TV from a much slower age, so obviously shouldn’t be judged by today's standards but you can judge it by its own standards and when taken in contrast to one of the other better Who period numbers; it doesn’t stand up.

My Rating:

2/10 

Sorry I really didn't like this one and won't be one I will be rushing to re-watch.

Story 011 - The Rescue

This story has 2 Episodes that were aired between 2nd and 9th of January 1965.

Official Synopsis:

The Doctor, Ian and Barbara arrive on the planet Dido. They find a crashed spaceship, the only two survivors of which are terrorised by the monster Koquillion. But who is Koquillion?

My Opinion:

We meet new companion Vicki in this episode.

Twisty and interesting plot. Short and brisk pacing. More emphasis on character development. Koquillion is cooly designed.

I think this story could have easily been made into more episodes I did enjoy it and I maybe a complete numpty but I didn't really guess the obvious twist at least not straight away.

The Rescue really just serves as an introduction to Vicki and is short at 2 parts. It is nonetheless quite entertaining and gets straight down to business – with a fun brisk twisty plot and good character driven moments.

My Rating:

9/10 I really enjoyed this just wish it was a bit longer Hmmm I don't know maybe should just be 8/10 for that reason.

Story 010 - The Dalek invasion of earth

This story has 6 episodes that were aired from the 21st of November to  the 26th of December 1964.

Official Synopsis:

The TARDIS returns to London; however, it's the 22nd century. With bodies in the river, and quiet in the Docklands, the city is a very different place. The Daleks have invaded and it's up to the Doctor to thwart them once again.

The Dalek Invasion of Earth was the second serial of season 2 of Doctor Who. It's most notable for featuring the first departure of a companion. Carole Ann Ford retired, leaving her character, Susan Foreman, to be with a man. Not only did this lead to children and a number of storylines in other media, it also forced the story to end with an especially meaningful speech between the Doctor and his granddaughter. Perhaps the best-remembered of all of William Hartnell's speeches, it has often been seen in other Doctor Who-related programmes and was memorably used as the prologue to The Five Doctors.

My Opinion:

One of the very best Doctor Who Quotes Ever!!!

One day I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine.

I enjoyed this story a lot the team are spilt up again which happens in most Doctor Who Stories. It has a very sad end when Susan leaves the Tardis and the show :(  It felt a little rushed she fell in love and stayed with this random bloke, why not the week before lol. It felt like a very sudden departure.

We get Robomen in this which by design look like early Cybermen.

For the first time Doctor Who went on locations for most of the story (Some of Reign Of Terror was on location) Using locations and landmarks across London that are iconic.

The BBC had obviously given this story a bigger budget it just looks so much better than any of the other William Hartnell Era Who.

The scene where the single Dalek comes out of the Thames is really creepy the Dalek coming at them in slow motion. 

The Support cast in this story is also really strong.

The Dalek Invasion Of Earth benefits from some really nice early suspense and mystery, especially when the Doctor and Ian are searching the deserted Thames docklands area. This is helped in part by the atmospheric music and slow paced buildup.

The Dalek Invasion Of Earth was later remade as the bombastic and colourful Peter Cushing adventure; The Dalek Invasion Of Earth : 2140 in 1966.

An entertaining Earth invasion tale, which benefits from some strong cast performances, outside location shooting and for taking the Daleks seriously as a threat.

My Rating:

10/10

Story 009 - Planet of Giants

This story has 4 episodes (One had to be reconstructed and audio redone). It aired between 31st October and 14th November 1964.

Official Synopsis:

The doors of the TARDIS open of their own accord just before it materialises, running out of control. On emerging, the travellers find the ship has been reduced in size and they are now only about an inch tall.

As tiny people, they stumble across a plot by a ruthless businessman, Forester, and his misguided scientist colleague, Smithers, to launch a new insecticide, DN6 — a product so destructive that it would kill not only those insects harmful to agriculture but also those vital to it.

Forester is willing to commit murder to ensure the success of his business, as civil servant, Arnold Farrow discovers to his cost.


The criminals are brought to justice when the Doctor and his friends — hampered by the fact that Barbara is ill from the insecticide — tamper with the telephone in Smithers' laboratory, fuelling the suspicions of the local exchange operator, Hilda Rowse, who sends her police constable husband Bert to investigate.

My Opinion:

The two stories sometimes struggled to go together it felt like two different shows. It is interesting that this was originally going to be the first ever episode and not An Unearthly Child. 

It has a very Honey and strunk the kids vibe to it which I know was copied from a lot of other Science Fiction stories. 

I enjoyed watching the special features on this DVD of them putting the lost episode back together. 

The human “villains” in the story aren’t really given enough screentime to flesh out there characters and this leaves them coming across as kind of stupid and their evil pesticide plan – halfbaked.

Neither – disappointingly, does the minature crew get “discovered” by the villains or get to interact with them. Maybe one of the minature Tardis crew being caught, could have upped the ante and made for a better conclusion. Especially if it had been Barbara, after being poisoned.

My Rating:

A little disappointing as the season opener.
6/10