The Ice Warriors

Life On Mars

The Ice Warriors

Written by Brian Hayles

Doctor Who Series five serial three

ONE transmitted BBC1 11 November 1967

TWO transmitted BBC1 18 November 1967*

THREE transmitted BBC1 25 November 1967*

FOUR transmitted BBC1 2 December 1967

FIVE transmitted BBC1 9 December 1967

SIX transmitted BBC1 16 December 1967

* Episode missing, animated version on source DVD.

The TARDIS crew arrive on Earth in the far future which is suffering a new Ice Age. They enter a base commanded by Clent, the sole administrator surrounded by scientists, which has a computer-controlled ioniser that's used (and is failing) to push back the encroaching glaciers that have consumed Britain. Meanwhile, Arden finds a large creature preserved in the ice that predates human civilisation. When thawed out, it turns out to be a giant alien, and what's more, his alien spaceship is also in the glacier.

Between The Tomb of the Cybermen and this serial was the mostly missing serial, also set in an icy location (Tibet in the 20s), The Abominable Snowmen, of which only episode 2 survives. Uniquely, this serial has it's episodes as sole written cardinals, dropping the 'episode' or 'part' wording.  The ratings for the serial veered from 6.7 to 8 million, whilst oddly the final episode dropped half a million. This was the same cycle for series five, with the audiences for the first couple of episodes around 6 million, then, contrary to common sense or expectation, increasing with each episode, even though many would have not seen the beginning and would be joining halfway through without any idea of what had gone before. I think this may say more about what the ITV regions were showing at the same time.

This was the first Doctor Who story to feature Brian Hayles's creation The Ice Warriors. Although they only appeared in three other serials in the original canon, they were fondly remembered by the audience, and considered one of The Doctor's key villains. So much so, they returned with the new series in 2013.

Episode ONE starts with some humour as the TARDIS lands on its side, prompting the three of them to pop heads up out of the ship, rather than the traditional three heads above each other round the corner, though threw do that too later. Oddly, it's righted when they depart. Also, Jamie is getting a reputation (like the actor playing him) as a ladies man. He teases Victoria by mentioning the short skirts and tight outfits of the women at the base to Victoria, asking her would she wear them? Victoria, like the good Victorian lady she's named after, is appalled. Jamie's delight at her reaction is a nice character touch.

Why does Clent, the leader of the base, have a limp and walk with a cane? A visual metaphor for his impotence in the face of disaster? he seems unable to make a decision throughout the six episodes, preferring to wait for the Master Computer to make a decision. But it's not explained in the script, though perhaps a more obvious reason could be that the actor had damaged his leg? If anyone knows please tell me.

The obvious theme of the serial seems to be the dangers of overreliance on computers and machines in general, especially to make important life-and-death decisions, where risk and creativity is required. Human attributes that this Ice Base ignore. A major preoccupation of 20th Century culture had been the enslavement of human life to the machine, particularly in industry. In the 60s this also includes computers, who were put in charge of nuclear defence and increasingly the Vietnam War too. The characters Penley and Storr, derisively dismissed by both the base and Ice Warriors as scavengers, even though the former was the defecting former chief scientist of the base, represent the total rejection of technological society in the face of the oncoming Ice Age, and a return to nature.

Coupled with this is the basic conflict between the base commander Clent, who is an administrator, and the increasingly pessimistic scientists of the base, who seem to fear that the Ice Age will not be averted. This mirrors concerns arising in 50s America about the rise of  a professional managerial class, and a complementary scientific technocracy who felt that their work was being undermined by the former. Certainly, the base reflects this tension, especially between Clent the chief manager, who admits that scientists must sometimes satisfy their curiosity, and Miss Garrett, who seems to be the chief scientist after Penley's defection. However, both agree that the Master Computer should be left to make the final decision, especially after the discovery of the Martian warriors. 

The plot is fine, if a little too leisurely. There are a couple of points I'd raise issue with. Why don't the Warriors attack the base? They don't do so until the end of episode FIVE. Why the prevarication? Also, if The Doctor makes a nasty potion (ammonium sulphide) for the Warriors because they're from a nitrogen-rich atmosphere thousands of years ago, how come they survive in Earth's oxygen-rich atmosphere? The former is probably because writer Hayles has six episodes to fill. This latter, apart from being scientifically inaccurate (even for 1967 knowledge) and seems to be merely a device for some humour from the Doctor, as Victoria points out, he's going to attack with a "stink bomb". They're more accurate with the devastating effect on climate of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, due here to human overpopulation replacing farmland and plants with artificial food, concerns that mak ethis story even more pertinent today.

What really raises this episode is the acting. I've noticed with 60s Doctor Who, as I've been rewatching them, how seriously the actors take their roles. There's none of that 'doing it for me grandkids' tongue-in-cheek send up acting that so benighted 80s Doctor Who. Peter Barkworth in particular is excellent as the leader Clent, alternately pompous and officious, conciliarity, and beset with doubts as to the best course of action. This is also a reminder that a pre-Summer Wine Peter Sallis was a really good actor. He plays his scientist Penley as opposed to everything Clent is, preferring the human companionship of Storr (a fine performance by Angus Lennie) to the cold computer logic of the base, where his freedom to think and act is circumscribed by the Master Computer. But even he cannot bring himself to completely eschew the scientific advances of his age, giving antibiotics to both Storr and Jamie when injured. Indeed he manages to completely embody the main theme of the story, that surrender of humanity to machine logic.

The Martian Warriors themselves (they neve refer to themselves as Ice Warriors, that's the term the humans give them) are a brilliant creation by Brian Hayles, who deserves all credit for them. Doctor Who had a problem creating a memorable new monster after The Daleks, and it took them three years to come up with The Cybermen. The Ice Warriors (as they would become known in Who lore) are a welcome new monster. Visually impressive (they dwarf the diminutive cast), they do resemble Vikings in a way (Hayles admitted this was a reference), indeed they space helmet is at first thought to be a Viking-style helmet when first found in the ice. Their wonderful hissing vocals, as well as their merciless and martial lack of all compassion and kindness, make them memorable villains, and they are particularly well played here, especially the leader Varga (Bernard Bresslaw). 

Meanwhile, the regulars acquit themselves well, Troughton is on excellent form, and it's a shame that Jamie is missing form much of the story when injured by the Ice Warriors. Unfortunately, Victoria seems to be descending, like many a female companion beforehand, into a scream queen. She needs a better sense of characterisation, and some stronger writing.

The costumes, especially of the base crew, are excellent, and very modishly striking. The production design is also excellent, the sets for the Control Room, the spaceship, and the abandoned greenhouse conservatory Penley and Storr live in, are remarkably well realised,  differentiated, and set dressed, as are the ice caves. I like the clash of the old country house with the control desks. Derek Martinus's direction is very good, hiding up the longueurs, and there's some nice film footage from Ealing featuring a real life bear!

As for the missing two animated stories, they're not as bad as many reviews would have you believe. They serve their function without being as exemplary as later animations, and at least they're in the correct aspect ratio.

So overall a nicely told, well acted and directed serial, noted also for its excellent costume and production design. The themes explored are interesting and pertinent, if too casually and leisurely explored. If it's not the overall classic it aims for, it's because it's two episodes too long, so a lot of the tension and menace is dissipated by moving between too many plot points (the ship, the base, the caves, Penley and Jamie in the wilderness), and one too many arguments about what to do, before deciding to leave the decision to the computer. But when it moves, it moves, and is frightening and menacing when it wants to be.

ANIMATION rating: 3/5 Does its job, not brilliant, but not as bad as depicted.

TARDIS rating: 4/5

Credits

Doctor Who ........................................................... PATRICK TROUGHTON

Jamie McCrimmon ................................................ FRAZER HINES

Victoria .................................................................  DEBORAH WATLING

Clent .....................................................................  PETER BARKWORTH

Penley ..................................................................  PETER SALLIS

Miss Garrett .........................................................  WENDY GIFFORD

Storr .....................................................................  ANGUS LENNIE

Davis ...................................................................   PETER DIAMOND

Arden ...................................................................  GEORGE WARING

Walters ................................................................  MALCOLM TAYLOR

Voice of the Computer ........................................   ROY SKELTON

Varga ...................................................................  BERNARD BRESSLAW

Zondal .................................................................  ROGER JONES

Turoc ...................................................................  SONNY CALDINEZ

Isbur ....................................................................  MICHAEL ATTWELL

Rintan ................................................................  TONY HARWOOD

Title Music By ..... RON GRAINER/BBC Radiophonic Workshop (realised by Delia Derbyshire)

Incidental Music .................................................... DUDLEY SIMPSON                         

Special Sound Effects ................ BRYAN HODGSON (sic) BBC RADIOPHONIC WORKSHOP

Sound .................................................................... BRIAN FORGHAM 

Lighting ................................................................. SAM NEETER

Film Cameraman .................................................. BRIAN LANGLEY

Film Editor ............................................................ MICHAEL LOCKEY

Visual Effects .......................................................  BERNARD WILKIE

                                                                                RON OATES

Designer ............................................................... JEREMY DAVIES

Costumes .............................................................. MARTIN BAUGH

Make-up ................................................................ SYLVIA JAMES

Story Editor ........................................................... PETER BRYANT

Producer ............................................................... INNES LLOYD

Directed by ........................................................... DEREK MARTINUS

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