Classic Doctor Who began its second season with the story up next, “Planet
of Giants,” no definite articles to be found in the title. I had seen this one
about a year ago when I first got the DVD, so I thought it would still be fresh
in my memory. For the most part it was, but watching it with a more critical
eye gave me a deeper appreciation for the story as a whole.
“Planet of Giants” brings the TARDIS
team to modern day (1964) Earth for the first time, but still in such a way
that it prevents the teachers from Coal Hill School from returning home. The
story starts with the TARDIS doors opening by themselves at the point of
materialization, rendering both the Ship and its crew miniaturized, down to
about an inch tall. The TARDIS team is at first unaware of their change in
stature but soon piece it together after discovering numerous oversized insects
and everyday items. Unfortunately their size also means they are susceptible to
an experimental insecticide, DN6, developed by an unscrupulous businessman,
Forester. Straightforward as that plot sounds, the production takes a few turns
that keep it from being too predictable.
One of the most intriguing things to
me is that the villain of the piece, Forester, never meets anyone from the
TARDIS. It must seem to him that his undoing is simply a set of unfortunate
occurrences, when it is truly the work of the TARDIS crew working, if not
behind the scenes, then perhaps “smaller than the scenes”. In the same vein, no
one from the TARDIS knows who this murderous villain is, why he is
manufacturing this insecticide, or really anything else that would lead to a
classic denouement between hero and villain. They know someone has been killed,
they know a devastating insecticide is somehow in play, and eventually they
realize that Barbara’s life is in jeopardy from the poison. Save Barbara and
get back to the TARDIS – everything else really is of secondary concern.
Ah, Barbara. As I have been rewatching
these stories and writing about them, my love for Barbara Wright as a companion
has grown by leaps and bounds. Previously, I just thought of her as part of the
“Ian and Barbara” duo, but as I think I say in almost every entry, Jacqueline Hill
is tremendously good as Barbara and deserves FAR more praise than I think she
regularly gets. In this story, Barbara does get to pull one of the classic
companion moves and decides to not tell anyone she is infected. But even this
boneheaded stunt she manages not to make feel clichéd, even when the Doctor
scolds her for her silence. In fact, the Doctor/Barbara relationship in this
story is VERY strong, with the Doctor being quite solicitous of Barbara
throughout. Ian may be the science teacher in the group, but the Doctor appears
to be a mentor for the history teacher instead. Which is only appropriate, as
Ian appears to be out of his depth when confronted with a complex chemical
formula. He understands litmus paper and a Bunsen burner, but anything more and
he’s not much cop.
The design of this story is something
that I think still holds up, 50+ years later.
The oversized props – matches, seed packets, a sink – all work well as
practical effects. Had it been made
today, I can only imagine how much CGI would be employed to shrink the Doctor
and company. Here the physical interactions of the miniaturized crew with their
giant surroundings really sell the idea that they are in danger because of
their size and that everyday objects can be deadly threats.
“Planet of Giants” succeeds for me on
most levels, the weak point being Barbara’s uncharacteristic silence about her
infection. Susan is once again a hysterical screamer, but that will be remedied
quite soon. I like the idea of the regulars not interacting with, yet still
defeating the villain through sheer pursuit of justice for a murder victim. It’s
a clever, well-done story, and a fine start to Season Two.
NEXT EPISODE: The Dalek Invasion of Earth
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