Doctor Who Re-Watch: Spearhead from Space still remains as one of the very best “new Doctor” stories

Following Jon Pertwee’s centenary last month, we thought it was time to re-watch all of his classic Doctor Who stories – starting with Spearhead from Space, one of the very best “new Doctor” stories ever made.

Spearhead from Space was an incredibly huge story on several levels. First, it directly continued from one of Doctor Who‘s biggest ever cliffhangers: the end of The War Games, where the Doctor was exiled to Earth and forced to regenerate by the Time Lords.

At the same time, it was the start of a brand new era for the series. While a familiar face returned in the form of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (who had previously met the Second Doctor in The Web of Fear and The Invasion), everything else was brand new, including a new Doctor and a new companion. Even the look of the series had changed – whereas before, episodes had been shot in black and white, now the series had entered the age of color.

So many major changes in one go meant that the new season needed to kick off with an incredibly strong story. And that’s exactly what we got with Spearhead from Space.

Written by Robert Holmes – arguably one of the greatest ever writers in Doctor Who history – Spearhead is an excellent story that gets so many key elements right, throughout each of its four episodes.

New team

The first half is especially great at introducing the new team. Jon Pertwee’s Doctor takes a while to recover from his recent regeneration, but over time, he gradually starts to find himself. It’s very clear at this point that he’s a Doctor who likes to be in charge, while at the same time, still has his silly moments. There are some great moments of humor in the early part of Spearhead, such as the Doctor being obsessed over his shoes, or a moment when he tries to leave in the TARDIS and it doesn’t quite go right. It’s not surprising, as Pertwee had been a comedy actor for years before getting one of the biggest roles of his life.

We’re also introduced to Liz Shaw. It’s a real shame that she only lasts for just one season, as she’s an absolutely fantastic character. An intelligent scientist in her own right who doesn’t suffer fools gladly, she comes across as a fleshed out and believable character, and that comes down to Caroline John’s performance at least as much as Holmes’s writing. There’s a lot that she says with just a single look that’s bound to make you laugh.

And while the Brigadier had already been established, as previously mentioned, this was still a major story for the character. It gradually moved him from a character who had appeared a couple of times before to a new regular on the series.

One thing that helped is that, while he knew the Doctor, this was still relatively early days for the character and his friendship with the Time Lord. So he has no idea about regeneration at this point, and as a result, has no idea whether to trust this complete stranger who claims to know him. It’s a fantastic way to bring him on board, because it essentially starts the friendship from scratch.

Introducing the Autons

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Another major reason why Spearhead from Space is so successful is the Autons. The story does a really fantastic job of presenting an iconic enemy, one that’s both memorable and frightening. Holmes makes a wise choice of making the general dummies voiceless, while their more human-esque servants speak with normal voices. Some monsters work well with a distinctive sound effect, but the Autons work better with silence.

The story also nicely builds them up, and it helps that it’s balanced out with the introduction of the new Doctor. We go from focusing just on the meteorites that arrive on Earth to a full-on invasion, complete with a shocking and violent scene that’s truly iconic. Holmes built them up considerably over the course of this story into a truly effective enemy, and it’s no wonder that they came back just a year later. (They would also help to re-introduce Doctor Who to a brand new audience in the first episode of the New Series, Rose.)

Spearhead from Space is such a brilliant story. Along with The Power of the Daleks, it is one of the greatest “new Doctor” stories of the Classic Series, if not ever, and still remains highly influential to this day. An essential watch for any Doctor Who fan, and the perfect way to begin the era of Jon Pertwee’s iconic Doctor.

Are you a fan of Spearhead from Space? Do you think it’s one of the best “new Doctor” stories? If not, what’s your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.