The War Machines

Swinging Sixties

The War Machines (4 X 25mins B&W)
Written by Ian Stuart Black, based on an idea by Kit Pedler

Doctor Who Series three Serial nine

Episode 1 transmitted BBC1 25 June 1966
Episode 2 transmitted BBC1 2 July 1966
Episode 3 transmitted BBC1 9 July 1966
Episode 4 transmitted BBC1 16 July 1966

Synopsis
The Doctor and Dodo (Steven having left in the previous missing serial The Savages) arrive in London in 1966, just as the Post Office Tower is opened. The Doctor senses an alien influence at work there. Meanwhile at the top of the Tower Professors Brett and Krimpton are about to hook up several important World wide computers under WOTAN. But WOTAN uses hypnotic signals to mentally subdue them, and orders them to build War Machines to take over the World. When WOTAN feels the influence of The Doctor, it wants to mentally absorb him too. "The Doctor is required". Meanwhile, youngsters secretary Polly and sailor on leave Ben Jackson become embroiled. 

Review
This is the first time since that opening episode that we see The Doctor and his TARDIS in sixties London, the opening shot almost a reverse of that first take-off at the end of that first episode. It's true Planet of Giants was set in 60s England, but the crew were miniaturised then. It can't be overstated the freshness and impact of seeing the Doctor in modern London. We later viewers are used to this, but it would come as a novel surprise to contemporary viewers, and having worked my way from episode one, it does seem fresh. With his Edwardian clothes and astrakhan hat, this resembles another character by Who creator Sydney Newman and Who producer Verity Lambert, "Adam Adamant", whose TV show ran for 29 episodes from 1966 to 1967. Indeed Polly is as archetypal of swinging 60s London as Adam's companion Georgina Jones, played by Juliet Harmer.

This is not the only change. Having got rid off Purves in the previous serial, the production crew now wrote out Jackie Lane as Dodo, quite brusquely too. She just disappears midway through episode 2, never to return. They've also got rid off individual episode titles, now each serial would have an overall title. This one has a distinctive computer punch card episode title cards, in modish E-13B font, in keeping with the serial's modernist feel of computer technology. Now all we need is some new, young, swinging 60s companions.

It's amazing how much impact Anneke Wills as the kohl eyed Polly and, to a slightly lesser extent, Michael Craze as cockney Ben Jackson (not sure how swinging or youthful being a sailor is though) have on the show. They have a youthful verve and dynamism that contrast with the elderly and eccentric Doctor. Ben has clearly been brought in to to do the physical stuff Hartnell was now too old, and too ill, to do himself. The scenes in London's "hottest" nightspot the Inferno, with the sexy Sandra Bryant as owner Kitty, are great. Indeed, Jackie Lane looks slightly out of place. She's clearly an older woman. It's just a shame Lloyd didn't have the basic courtesy of giving her a final scene.

The plot is also new. Modern London, the Post Office Tower (proof that not all modern architecture is terrible, as long as it's not the brutalist style), the WOTAN computer, the construction of the War Machines, and calling in the army to deal with the menace. Sounds familiar? Well that's because this was the plot template (Sci-Fi but Earthbound) used for almost the whole of the Third Doctor's tenure. Indeed, for those of us who grew up watching Who in the 70s, this seems the most 'familiar' Who story so far. All the previous Sci-Fi serials were set on alien planets, all the previous Earth stories were historical. Even the use of the army somehow prefigures U.N.I.T. and The Brigadier. It also allows for some great location filming, especially around the old Covent Garden market, and Kensington. To reinforce this point, the Doctor even has to put an "Out of Order" sign on the TARDIS so that no real policemen try to use it, as one does.

The pacing of the script is really good, it crackles and fizzles with energy, and only goes to show how lethargic the show had become, especially with its unwieldy six plus parters. The WOTAN super-computer is a very smart piece of future think, courtesy of Dr Kit Pedler, who became the show's scientific adviser, that didn't prove awry, it's basically the precursor of the World Wide Web. There's very little if any padding, the story flows smoothly from the Tower, the warehouse, Sir Charles' study, and Polly & Ben, who for this first story, are mostly separated from the Doctor, Ben doing the active toing and froing, joining the Doctor at the end of episode 4 for the fight against the War Machines. Even the failed initial army action against the machines in episode 3 seems less like padding, this might have been used as a delaying plot device in previous serials, and more in keeping with the ethos of Who, brain over brawn, science winning where military might fails, an ethos expanded upon in the 70s. 

To supplement the plot and scripting, the acting is uniformly good in this. Anneke Wills is every inch the gorgeous 60s Chelsea set dolly bird, but has character and drive, and Michael Craze as Ben is every inch the new classless 60s working class character. There's excellent support from Johns Harvey and Cater as the two professors, it's hard to be interesting when playing a mind controlled character but we do get to see them before this, and the wonderful William Mervyn as Sir Charles, seemingly getting into preparation for his 1967 TV show Mr Rose. Hartnell's arteriosclerosis meant that he was having difficulty with his lines, but due to the character's already established eccentricity, this doesn't really affect the show, and for once he comes up with a scientific solution.

The production design is also good, whether it be WOTAN's HQ, the warehouse  which you can't really go wrong with, but they make it spacious enough to show the War machines fighting the army, and Sir Charles lovely study. The War Machines themselves might be a bit bulky and clunky (cannily, they only built one but put different numbers on them, suggesting more than one machine) but they serve their purpose and at least don't look like a man in a rubber suit.

So, this is going to be the future of Who, and it must be said that Lloyd and Davis's new broom that has swept (nearly) everything away to start afresh has been successful. Sadly, the reputational damage The Gunfighters serial had inflicted was reflected by the low viewing figures, episode 2 only managing 4.7million, a third of what it had been. Though it must be taken into account that this was shown in July, with the long sunny days mainly filled for kids by outdoor play, and the fact that due to Wimbledon this episode wasn't shown until 6.55pm. However, at the beginning of Who's fourth year even more radical change would be needed if the show was to survive. Within three months that change would come. The War Machines meanwhile is a little gem of a programme, thoroughly enjoyable with no longeurs, and an unjustly neglected classic.

TARDIS rating: 5/5

Credits

Dr. Who .................................................................................... WILLIAM HARTNELL
Dodo Chaplet ........................................................................... JACKIE LANE
Polly ......................................................................................... ANNEKE WILLS
Ben Jackson ............................................................................ MICHAEL CRAZE
Professor Brett ........................................................................  JOHN HARVEY
Professor Krimpton .................................................................. JOHN CATER
Sir Charles Summer ................................................................ WILLIAM MERVYN
Major Green ............................................................................. ALAN CURTIS
Kitty .......................................................................................... SANDRA BRYANT
The Minister ............................................................................. GEORGE CROSS
Tramp ....................................................................................... ROY GODFREY     

Captain ..................................................................................... JOHN ROLFE

Sergeant ................................................................................... JOHN BOYD-BRENT

Voice of WOTAN ...................................................................... GERALD TAYLOR

Title Music ........................... by RON GRAINER with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
Music ...................................................................................... None (stock)

Film Cameraman .................................................................... ALAN JONAS

Film Editor .............................................................................. ERIC MIVAL

Story Editor ............................................................................ GERRY DAVIS
Designer ................................................................................. RAYMOND LONDON
Costumes ............................................................................... by DAPHNE DARE
Make-up ................................................................................. by SONIA MARKHAM
Lighting ................................................................................... GEORGE SUMMERS
Sound ..................................................................................... DAVID HUGHES
Producer ................................................................................. INNES LLOYD
Directed .................................................................................. by MICHAEL FERGUSON

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