1.18: Galaxy 4

In which we learn a valuable lesson about how beautiful people can be evil, too.

Broadcast: September-October 1965

Watched: July 2019

If you’ve been reading all of these, then a) good god why and b) you might notice that this one’s a bit shorter than usual. We’re moving into season 3, a period of the show from which most episodes are missing and the stories are also short: as a result my notes are often quite bitty compared to the ridiculous essays that came before or after.

Since I last listened to the surviving audio back in 2019, this story has been animated – it might indeed by the last one to get that treatment, unless and until someone finds a way of plugging the hole in the budget left by BBC America pulling out. I’ve not seen that, yet, so this post is strictly about the soundtrack and the script. Also, sort it out BBC Studios, season 3 is the best one and you’ve barely made a dent.

1. Four Hundred Dawns

Quite fun but suffers from lack of visuals. The use of cute chumbley robots and pretty girls with guns are clearly a key part of the story.

I like the way the regulars bicker, but clearly all like each other. It feels like this team (the 1st Doctor, Vicki, Stephen), who barely actually exist on screen, work really well together.

Why is it 400 dawns? Surely the planet is expected to explode in 14? Did I mishear?

2. Trap of Steel

Sorry, the trap is what exactly?

I really like the new regulars’ dynamic. Despite having been here for all of 20 minutes, Steven clearly knows the others well and feels very loyal to them. Feels like maybe there’s been a time jump of the sort you get in Boom Town. His attempts to stir dissent among the Drahvins and the way it’s instantly shut down is lovely.

The actual plot [oooh the beautiful women are actually eeeevil!] is a bit obvious, but that might be because I know what it is and it’s half a century old. Maybe in 1965 when the main reference points were dolly birds and Daleks it read differently.

3. Air Lock

And it looks lovely. [This is the one surviving episode.] The chumbleys are really cut, the rill intriguing, and I love Marga talking to the camera like Lovejoy. The mannerisms of the Drahvin soldiers are also great – love the way they’re so different from the boss who is clearly bored out of her mind.

The cliffhanger is quite sweet too. I like how quickly Steven is an established part of the team. Shame we didn’t get more of these three.

4. The Exploding Planet

Great title. Odd conceit – why exactly is the planet exploding one morning? – but works well dramatically.

I like that Steven is still suspicious, and that the Rill insists on sacrificing a chumbley to protect the regulars. But not much else to say.

I really like this one.