N.B. there might (or might not) be spoilers in this article!

The Android Invasion is much better than I remembered, but since the extent of my memory of it was the revelation of Sarah having been replaced by a goggle-eyed android, this is perhaps not surprising.

“We don’t have strangers here.”

Adams, The Android Invasion: Part One

The first half especially, leading up to that second episode cliffhanger is tense and spooky. It’s something I’ve come to expect from Terry Nation on this marathon, all the way back to The Dalek Invasion of Earth. In true Nation fashion, Sarah even sprains her ankle in this one – showing that the spirit of Susan lives on.

Looking at my notes after watching it, I saw a lot of my comments began with ‘It’s a pity that …’ or “It’s a shame that …” so in the spirit of brevity, here goes with a few of them:

It’s a pity that

• this serial follows so soon after Terror of the Zygons – another story with duplicates plotting to take over the world. Harry even gets another go at it.
• there’s no Nicholas Courtney to give us one more final, last hurrah for UNIT – yes, a third one! Patrick Newell does his best as Colonel Faraday, but he’s no Brigadier!
• Harry and Benton don’t get a lot of screen time, as their real selves at least, and sadly don’t get a proper on-screen send-off.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that Chedaki was Zippy from Rainbow which unfortunately does a lot to diminish his menace. I also wondered whether Crayford really wouldn’t have taken his eyepatch off sooner. (Nevertheless, Milton Johns is on fine form here – perhaps not up to his turn in The Enemy of the World, but still providing some compelling, misguided villainy.)

“Nobody knows who’s who around here.”

The Doctor, The Android Invasion: Part Three

Elsewhere, android Doctor gets to be very violent, shooting people and engaging in fisticuffs. It’s quite disconcerting actually to see the “Doctor” behave this way, although perhaps not so concerning as the real Doctor’s melodramatically loud crash through the Brigadier’s office window as he tries to escape his android duplicate.

A special mention too for Sarah Jane, who rescues the Doctor not once but twice in Part Three (all this with a sprained ankle). Apparently, she doesn’t like ginger pop. Who knew!

Finally, it seems also the Doctor is quite susceptible to colds, picking up a stinker after his dip to hide from the androids in Part Two. Strangely, it only affects him when he’s outside …

Son of Unearthly Times says …

"Is that finger loaded?"

The Doctor, The Android Invasion: Part One

"Wait, I thought Sarah didn't like ginger pop – she must be an android!"

"Styggron lied, Crayford. He's going to kill the humans."

"In Part Three, The Doctor's footsteps are really loud when he's walking near the statue. [I guess it must be particularly crunchy gravel! – UT]"

Son of UT Rating: 8/10