N.B. there might (or might not) be spoilers in this article!
Doctor Who returns! In colour! And, at the time of writing, as far as the classic series goes, uniquely available on high-definition Blu-ray disc. You’ll notice that Unearthly Times has gone all gloriously gaudy too, but if you want to view the website using one of the older black-and-white styles, there’s now a theme-picker so you can choose your preferred style.
“Yes, all over the country. Window dummies coming alive …”
Brigadier, Spearhead from Space: Episode 4
But what of Spearhead from Space itself. I think I’m with Derrick Sherwin. I would’ve loved it if they’d carried on shooting all Doctor Who on 16mm film (not just the scenes on location). It lends the serial a realism that brighter videotaped shoots in the studio could rarely match.
It’s true that The Invasion and The War Games in the previous season had their gritty moments, but it does feel here as though that edge has been sharpened a little. We see blood after the driver’s fatal crash, we hear the cries of a dog being killed and, in the story’s most famous scene, the Auton mannequins mowing down a policeman and innocent bystanders on the streets of London just seem that little bit more real.
Even Liz’s wit is sharp, acerbically responding to the Brigadier’s claim that the Doctor won’t escape too far: “You mean, before your men shoot him again?”
“An alien who travels through time and space in a police box?”
Liz, Spearhead from Space: Episode 2
It’s not all grim though.
We get the now-familiar scene of post-regeneration trauma as the Doctor recovers from the effects of his transformation. There’s also the traditional scene of the Doctor examining his new appearance, at first lamenting the change, then deciding he likes it.
There is some lovely direction, especially the tracking shots in the hospital early on and of course in the action scenes in the final episode.
And in Sam Seeley we have the appearance of Doctor Who‘s first yokel – not the last we’ll see in the Third Doctor’s run.
If there’s anything that lets the story down, it’s the Doctor’s gurning defeat of the Nestene at the end. In truth, it’s a bit underwhelming: a damp squib – or should that be squid!
Other than that, Jon Pertwee looks to have settled instantly into the role of the Doctor, forming an easy rapport with Liz Shaw and a not-so-easy marriage-of-convenience with the Brigadier. In the main, he plays the role dead straight, as was his wish, but there’s a twinkle in his eye that suggests a lighter moment is never far away. He cuts a dash in his cape and velvet jacket. This indeed was a man born to play the Doctor!
All in all then, Spearhead from Space is a very promising start to 70’s Doctor Who!
Finally, you may remember my son joined me when I watched The Invasion. He’ll be doing so on a regular basis from now on, so I’ll offer his thoughts on the stories at the end of each article.
"I didn't know this was an Auton story, but I knew it was plastic-related because the so-called meteorites looked like plastic balls.
"I wasn't convinced when the Doctor was getting strangled by the Nestene's tentacles.
"But I like that the Third Doctor is stranded on Earth because I like stories set on Earth."
