Doctor Who Twitch Watch: recommendations of the day 06/05

Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC Press.

The Second Doctor’s era begins today on Twitch’s ongoing Doctor Who marathon with three classic stories. But which one particularly stands out?

Oh wow! I know I’m supposed to make particular recommendations with these articles, but today is definitely tricky. Because as Twitch kick off the Second Doctor era in its Doctor Who marathon, all three stories are absolute classics.

It’s a shame that no stories from Troughton’s first season are screened in this marathon though. However, it’s unsurprising, as all the stories from that season have missing episodes. Serials are only partially complete at best, and at worst, they’re completely missing.

So Twitch have just jumped to his second season. On the plus side, it’s a very strong season, as these three stories indicate.

Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC

Image obtained from: bbc.co.uk/doctorwho

Tomb of the Cybermen

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Ah, Tomb of the Cybermen. Perhaps one of the most popular Cybermen stories made on television.

And for very good reason, too. The whole story is wonderfully atmospheric, and has more than a hint of influence from classic Mummy movies.

It’s also great at building up tension and suspense. The Cybermen don’t even appear in the first half, but their presence is constantly felt throughout. The story gradually builds up to their appearance, so that when they do finally awaken, it’s a chilling moment.

There are also some great human villains too, and the whole story has a strong sense of claustrophobia that only increases as the characters journey deeper into the tomb. Overall, it really is a fantastic watch, and an absolutely essential Cybermen story.

The Ice Warriors appear in Doctor Who for the first time.

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC Press.)

The Ice Warriors

Another major serial here, and not just for the Second Doctor, either. As I’m sure you’ve guessed from the title, this serial introduces the infamous Martian race, the Ice Warriors.

I’ve mentioned before just how much I love the Ice Warriors as a species. They’re one of the few alien races in Doctor Who that work equally well as allies as they do villains.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, they’re definitely the villains in their first ever story. And everything about them stands out. From the great design, to the way they speak, to their sheer remorselessness, they are a brilliant monster for the show.

There are also some interesting ideas in the story, too. Particularly on technology, and how dangerous it can be to grow too dependent on it.

I must admit however that their introduction story does tend to drag at times. Once again, at six episodes, it’s a story that’s longer than it needs to be. As interesting as both the humans and the Martians are in this story, there still isn’t quite enough plot for all six episodes.

However, The Ice Warriors is still an essential watch for introducing such great monsters. It’s also a pretty good story in its own right.

Patrick Troughton plays the villainous Salamander in The Enemy of the World!

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC Press.)

The Enemy of the World

And once again we come to another special story. Like Tomb of the Cybermen, many of the episodes from The Enemy of the World had been missing for decades. In fact, the story only became complete when the episodes were discovered and made available back in 2013. Quite a present for Doctor Who‘s fiftieth anniversary.

The Enemy of the World is rather unusual for season five. It’s one of the only stories of the season not to feature a “monster”, at least not in the traditional sense. Instead, the TARDIS crew have to face the power hungry Salamander – a man who’s the exact double of the Doctor!

Patrick Troughton was a great character actor years before he played the Doctor, and you really get to see his talent playing two very different roles in this story. Salamander’s a classically evil villain, and he comes across as a great threat for the Doctor to face.

It’s also refreshing for the season, and for the whole of the Second Doctor’s era, that the Doctor and his companions have to face a more human threat for once.

And with the Doctor going undercover as Salamander, there’s a nice amount of added tension, too. How long can the Doctor hide before he’s discovered by his own evil double?

Another essential watch, The Enemy of the World is a great example of why Troughton was such a brilliant character actor.

Overall recommendation: Tomb of the Cybermen

All three stories today are brilliant, but Tomb of the Cybermen still stands out. In fact, Matt Smith said that, when preparing for the role of the Doctor, this was the first Classic story he watched. Not only did he love it, but he especially loved Troughton’s performance.

You can definitely see why. Troughton is wonderfully physical as the Second Doctor, and you can clearly see how he influenced Matt Smith. Throughout the story, we get a wide range from Troughton’s performance, ranging from the comical to the deadly serious, to even the warm and sympathetic.

While not his first story, Tomb of the Cybermen is still an excellent introduction to the brilliant Second Doctor.

Next: Overview: Fourth Doctor Adventures: season seven

What’s your favorite out of these three classic Doctor Who serials? Is the Second Doctor one of your favorites? Let us know in the comments below.

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