Doctor Who Twitch Watch: recommendations of the day 06/19

The Doctor encounters giant maggots in The Green Death!

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC.)

Tomorrow, the Third Doctor faces giant maggots, Sontarans and dinosaurs! But he also has to say goodbye to a very close friend, before saying hello to another, in tomorrow’s Doctor Who stories on Twitch!

We hope you’ve been enjoying Frontier in Space and Planet of the Daleks on Twitch today. Both are rather enjoyable Doctor Who stories, with much to recommend them.

For tomorrow, we’ve got three more stories from Pertwee’s run to look forward to. And this time, it’s rather tricky to choose which to recommend. Every story features a huge moment for his Doctor.

In one story, a dear friend leaves him. In another, he makes a new friend, in fact, arguably one of his very best. And in another, perhaps most surprising of all, one friend even betrays him. But which one?

Let’s have a look at tomorrow’s stories, and see which one is worth recommending the most.

The Green Death

Commonly known as “the one with the maggots”, The Green Death is an unusual UNIT story. Focusing on the dangers of pollution in a way that only Doctor Who could do, the Doctor faces giant maggots, giant flies and evil computers in this one.

Overall, the plot is stronger than previous finale The Time Monster. But honestly, it’s not the story that makes The Green Death so memorable. Instead, it’s Jo’s bittersweet exit.

For three seasons, Jo Grant has been a great companion to the Third Doctor, and they’ve developed a very strong friendship. That’s never been clearer than in this story, especially during the ending. The final moments of The Green Death is probably one of the more emotional endings of the Classic Series, and a beautiful exit for a much-loved companion.

The Third Doctor meets Sarah Jane Smith and encounters Sontarans in The Time Warrior!

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC

Image obtained from: bbc.co.uk/doctorwho)

The Time Warrior

However, as one great companion leaves, another one enters. For the first time ever, the Doctor meets iconic companion Sarah Jane Smith in The Time Warrior.

It’s quite an interesting meeting too, especially as they don’t immediately start out as the best of friends. This is partly because of the Third Doctor’s rather dated authoritarian attitude, which Sarah immediately refuses to tolerate, thankfully.

But there’s also the fact that Sarah initially believes that the Doctor is a villain. All the while having absolutely no clue about the real danger: Linx, a Sontaran warrior.

We reviewed The Time Warrior not too long ago, so I won’t go into too much detail here. But suffice to say that it’s a great introduction story. Not just for an iconic companion, but also for an iconic enemy for the Doctor. It’s also heaps of fun, too. In some ways, it’s a rather light story, but it’s certainly entertaining.

(Photo credit: Doctor Who/BBC.

Image obtained from: BBC.)

Invasion of the Dinosaurs

Let’s mention the worst part of Invasion of the Dinosaurs first: the dinosaurs themselves. It was rather ambitious for the production team to try something with dinosaurs. Certainly, they’ve always been popular across science-fiction, long before Jurassic Park was ever written.

But with the kind of budget that Doctor Who had at the time, the dinosaurs here were never going to be convincing. Now I’m sure you’re used to dated effects by now. But considering the dinosaurs themselves are such a key part of the plot, it’s a flaw that stands out more than usual.

Now that that’s out of the way, the overall story is rather enjoyable. Once again, like The Green Death, it deals with issues of pollution. But it also deals with nostalgia, of wanting to hold onto the past and trying hard to start from scratch.

The scenes of London being completely empty really do stand out. They help to add a lot of weight to the story, and make you realize just how serious the situation is.

There’s also a rather shocking moment from a regular character. The best part is is that it doesn’t come completely out of nowhere, and has been set up really well. It also takes the character into an interesting new direction.

I read the novelization of this story first before actually watching it, which may have helped give me a more biased view that ignores the effects more. But there’s a really strong story to Invasion of the Dinosaurs, one that the special effects thankfully don’t ruin.

Overall recommendation of the day: The Time Warrior

I must admit, it was very difficult to pick my favorite out of tomorrow’s stories. The Green Death is an essential watch for fans of Jo Grant, and has such a wonderfully bittersweet final scene. And Invasion of the Dinosaurs, despite the effects, is a rather strong story with some great shocking moments.

But I had to go with The Time Warrior for this one. Not only is it a great introduction to not one but two huge elements of Doctor Who mythology.

It’s also heaps of fun to watch. Adventure, science-fiction, historical, and fantastic humor. It’s not the best Doctor Who story, but it is a great example of why we watch it. Certainly, check out the other two stories if you can, but The Time Warrior is my pick for tomorrow.

Next: Why the Draconians should return to the TV series

Which story are you looking forward to watching tomorrow? Or, if you’ve seen all three already, which is your favorite? Were you moved by Jo’s goodbye? Excited at Sarah Jane’s introduction? Let us know in the comments below.

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