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

The Savages is another of those stories of which I had pretty much no recollection, so even though I knew it was Steven’s last appearance I couldn’t remember the details. As it is, his exit seems to be as much of a surprise to him as it to us, but, as has become the norm, it is nevertheless an emotional one, quite surprisingly so for Dodo, given she’s known him such a relatively short time.

“We like to think we have created something of lasting value.”

Jano, The Savages: Episode 1

In many ways Peter Purves has been the real star of season three, to a certain degree carrying stories such as The Massacre, The Ark and The Celestial Toymaker. Much of this, it seems, was due to William Hartnell’s deteriorating health but given so much of the archive is missing it’s also been because Peter Purves has narrated the soundtracks. At times it seemed almost as if I’ve been listening to an older Steven telling tales of his youth. (The decision to use an actor present in the original production to narrate the action has always seemed a wise one.)

Whilst I’m not old enough to remember his time on Blue Peter, Peter Purves has one of those voices that will always remind me of the television of my youth (anyone else remember watching Kickstart?) in much the same way as hearing Bernard Cribbins or Derek Griffiths would.

It is perhaps somewhat reductive to file The Savages in the ‘dull, but worthy’ category, especially as there is so little visual reference material by which to judge it, but until the episodes themselves turn up, that’s what I’ll have to do.

I do have one question though: what on earth is a ‘reacting vibrator’?