Doctor Who Twitch Watch: recommendations of the day 06/18

The Master and Jo are reunited once more in Frontier in Space.

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC.)

Previewing tomorrow’s Jon Pertwee stories on Twitch, we have the closely linked serials Frontier in Space and Planet of the Daleks!

We hope you’ve been enjoying the current Doctor Who marathon on Twitch. Following some recent feedback, we’re previewing tomorrow’s Doctor Who stories right now, to give everyone more of a chance to know what’s worth looking forward to.

And with tomorrow’s two stories featuring Draconians, the Master and Daleks, there’s definitely a lot to look forward to!

Frontier in Space

I have a real soft spot for Frontier in Space. Written by Malcolm Hulke, it focuses on racial tensions between the humans and the Draconians. Both sides are claiming that unprovoked attacks have been made by the other.

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The Third Doctor and Jo soon find out that a third party has been deliberately trying to provoke a war between the two. But with the Doctor and Jo suspected as collaborators, will anyone believe their story? And who exactly wants to cause a war between these two races?

There’s a lot to enjoy about Frontier in Space. Hulke once again includes a clear political element in this story. He shows that things aren’t always black and white, and that people are always afraid of the unknown.

Of course, with the Master and the Ogrons also involved, he includes some clear villains, too. But he also uses them effectively. Particularly the Master, who didn’t seem to fit Hulke’s last story to feature the character, Colony in Space.

But having someone like the Master exploit the fears and prejudices of two whole races suits Frontier in Space rather effectively.

The Draconians

I also love the Draconians in this story. Out of Doctor Who‘s many races that aren’t clear monsters, the Draconians feel particularly fleshed out. They feel real, like they have their own unique culture.

The makeup is particularly fantastic. It’s really surprising that they haven’t appeared since. However, they have made other appearances in the expanded universe, such as Paper Cuts. Their single television appearance certainly showed a lot of promise for future appearances, anyway.

The final episode also has a nice little surprise, which I really don’t want to spoil. But it doesn’t quite overshadow Frontier in Space as a whole. While it might be long and slow-paced at times, it’s still a strong Third Doctor story.

The Third Doctor encounters the Daleks on Spiridon in Planet of the Daleks.

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC.)

Planet of the Daleks

The first Dalek story written by Terry Nation since The Daleks’ Master Plan, Planet of the Daleks features a lot of key ideas from previous stories.

Particularly the original story The Daleks, as it features the Doctor joining the Thals to fight the Daleks on a jungle planet. Nation even uses ideas from other stories, as invisible aliens had been seen, er, heard in Master Plan.

This doesn’t make Planet of the Daleks a bad story, though. In fact, it’s rather interesting seeing old ideas given a fresh take.

For example, it’s interesting catching up on the Thals and seeing how much they’ve changed since the Doctor last saw them. The Thals are more prepared to fight. Some are more eager than to fight than others, however.

For example, the character of Vaber is someone who’s always eager to jump into action, whatever the cost. There are actions he makes that put everyone’s lives at risk.

However, there’s also Codal, who admits to being terrified of some of the actions he has to take. He doesn’t see himself as a hero or as courageous. The conversation leads to an absolutely brilliant quote from the Doctor, and perhaps one of the best of his era:

"Courage isn’t just a matter of not being frightened, you know. It’s being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway."

It’s a great moment, and a real highlight for the story.

Planet of the Daleks isn’t exactly original, but it is a fun and in some ways epic Dalek story.

Overall recommendation of the day: Frontier in Space

While slow in some parts, Frontier in Space has a lot of great ideas, exploring a morally grey situation while still presenting an entertaining Doctor Who story. You might be keen to watch the next story straight after, but this is essentially my pick for today.

Next: Retro review: Forest of the Dead (Tenth Doctor/River Song)

Which is your favourite out of today’s two stories? Any particular moments that stood out for you? Let us know in the comments below.

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