"Homo sapiens. What an inventive, invincible species. It's only a few million years since they crawled up out of the mud and learned to walk. Puny, defenceless bipeds. They've survived flood, famine and plague. They've survived cosmic wars and holocausts. And now, here they are, out among the stars, waiting to begin a new life. Ready to outsit eternity. They're indomitable."
What a shock it must have been for viewers in 1975 to see this story; but in a good way. New producer Phillip Hinchliffe immediately stamps his vision on the programme. Gone was the cosy familiarity of the UNIT years as seen in Tom's first story Robot. Here was something completely different. Doctor Who's golden age had begun.
The Ark in Space still stands up incredibly well today. While some of the effects are somewhat dodgy by today's standards, the script and performances transcend this (Noah pulling his hand out of his pocket at the end of episode two shouldn't work as an effect. But the look of horror on Kenton Moore's face conveys the horror of the situation eloquently). It's easy to see why Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffat both regard this as one of their favourite stories from the classic series.
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