The Space Museum & The Chase

Back in 2003, in honour of the programme's 40th anniversary, the ABC began screening every episode of Doctor Who from the beginning (or what they could show considering that a number of the early episodes are missing from the BBC's archives); an admirable task that took just over three years to complete. Shortly after they began this odyssey, the following was overhead in the children's section of the library I was working in at the time.

Kid A: I watched Doctor Who last night. Dad warned me not to expect Star Wars type special effects. But, you know, it wasn't bad!

Kid B: Yeah, it was really good wasn't it!

And this would be been around the time the original Dalek story was being screened. Had they been watching The Space Museum however, I fear they may have formed a different opinion.

Sadly, The Space Museum is not the greatest example of early Doctor Who. It starts off promisingly enough with the TARDIS crew arriving on the planet Xeros before they're actually arrived by jumping a time-track (whatever that is. Probably the earliest example of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff) and the Doctor and company having to figure out what's going on. But at the end of episode 1, time catches up with them and they arrive. And that's when things start to go downhill.

The major problem with this story is that, while the Morok's may have been subjugating the Xerons' for years, no one cares and nothing really happens. Okay, a revolution happens, but that just seems to be incidental. The regular cast put in good performances, but that's it. Ahhh... but what's this gliding into view at the end of episode 4? A very familiar shape. Yes, the Daleks are back! And this time they mean business!

And so we move onto (or cut to) The Chase which involves (perhaps not surprisingly) a chase. Having been defeated twice by the Doctor (in The Daleks and The Dalek Invasion of Earth) the Daleks are out for revenge, pursuing the TARDIS through all eternity. And so begins what the Discontinuity Guide call "One of the most bizarre Doctor Who stories, six episodes of unconnected set pieces with only the barest remnant of a plot." But who cares - it's got the Daleks in it!

Actually The Chase is notable for two other things. The first being the one and only appearance of the Mechanoids. As the latest attempt to find the next big thing after the Daleks, the Mechanoids come close to succeeding. However, the fact that they were a little too big for the studios Doctor Who was recorded in at the time effectively killed off any chance of a rematch between them and the Daleks. Just watch the video below to see them in the battle scene from the end of episode 6.

 

The other thing The Chase is notable for is the final appearance of original companions Ian and Barbara. In them, William Russell and Jacqueline Hill created a template for how companions in Doctor Who should be: brave, resourceful and above all real people.  The viewer can't help but as moved by their departure as the Doctor was (buy all reports William Hartnell wasn't too happy in real life either).

So a mixed bag with this release. The extras on The Space Museum are pretty light on (maybe everyone was too embarrassed to talk about it?) but there's more on The Chase. Daleks Conquer and Destroy is the best, analysing their enduring appeal.