The War Machines

The TARDIS lands in London in 1966 near the Post Office Tower. Inside the tower, Doctor and Dodo meet Professor Brett, the creator of WOTAN (Will Operating Thought Analogue) that will connect with other computers around the world in a kind of world-wide web, an international net, if you will. WOTAN is self-aware and it makes a decision that will endanger all humanity. The supercomputer organises the construction of ‘War Machines’- armed automata that can neutralise weapons and kill any who oppose them- and they are poised to strike.

This story illustrates how different the Hartnell era was from what followed more than any other. Today, there are many threats to contemporary Earth in general and London in particular. Today, the Doctor is known to at least one paramilitary organisation and can count on their support. However, this was the first time these tropes were ever seen in the programme and it genuinely seems odd to see the First Doctor blag his way into laboratories, confiding in politicians and being helped by the Army. The script is again by Ian Stuart Black and while it lacks the nuances of The Savages, it is successful in accomplishing what it sets out to do. It is, however, deeply weird to hear the lead character referred to as 'Dr. Who'!

The production values are impressive- there is extensive location filming around London and the design work is sound. Michael Ferguson directs the location scenes with panache, with high shots, what look like (but probably aren’t) crane shots and Dutch angles. He is generally fine with character scenes, but a fair few are fumbled- there are some conversation scenes where he only shoots one participant, or the wrong person and the actor doesn’t convincingly emote when not talking.

Again, the guest cast is merely competent at best and Alan Curtis is a bit rubbish as Major Green. However, the new regulars Anneke Wills and Michael Craze are instantly appealing. In her first scene, Polly gurns when she is called pretty, which is fantastic. There are also the brilliant scenes in the Inferno nightclub- I’m a sucker for 60’s club scenes with people shimmying about. The interplay between Dodo, Ben and Polly is great and feels real. It is a real pity that Dodo is given such short shrift by the story- she is the only companion who doesn’t get to say goodbye to the Doctor. Once her accent stabilised, Jackie Lane put in a good performance and had she had longer she would, no doubt, be better remembered.

The character of the Doctor is slightly different to how it has been presented in the past. Rather than gaining allies piecemeal or inspiring people, he is seen instructing military officers in strategy and is flanked by troops. There is also the only scene where we see the First Doctor losing control- the scene when WOTAN attempts to hypnotise him. Hartnell is easily up to this in a portrayal that is prescient in some ways of Pertwee’s.

This is a very enjoyable story but I get a sense of it being slightly dumbed down from the highs of earlier stories. The writing is not quite as sharp and it also seems to lack freshness which is, to be honest, unfair, as it was the first story of its kind, making it a story of great importance in Doctor Who and ending one of the finest seasons in the programme's history.

NEXT: The Smugglers