1.28: The War Machines

In which modern Who is suddenly, and brilliantly, born.

Broadcast: June-July 1966

Watched: August 2019

The War Machines, Episode 1

Everything about this screams “new”. The computer graphics for the title card, the shots of 1960s London, even Hartnell's energy (this is not a guy who is too tired to keep making the show) and the visible affection between him and Dodo (which is hilarious given he's about to unceremoniously ditch her). The contemporary setting points towards UNIT, the use of a landmark towards RTD.... in fact, if this was in colour it wouldn't look or feel that different from a Pertwee story. Big influence on everything to come.

“Steven would like this,” says Dodo, who is very obviously missing her boyfriend.

The fact the Doctor is genuinely impressed by the fact WOTAN can do something any pocket calculator could do within about five years of this is very of its time.

Ooooh Polly. The first time we see her she's pulling a face. Good for her. Then she immediately and obviously tries to bang Ben, who has clearly been sitting in a bar looking sad for a week in the hope some hot girl tries to cheer him up. Also, he immediately beats the crap out of someone. I think I'm gonna like these two. 

Mind you, the line about Inferno “not being used to the over 20s” is depressing, and also weird since Polly is meant to be 24.

The Doctor takes a taxi! I am enjoying contemporary Hartnell. Shame we didn't get more of him.

Somehow never registered it's pronounced “votan”.

The Jimmy Saville joke is horrific now.

The War Machines, Episode 2

The sequence in which the homeless guy is murdered, combined with the name WOTAN and all the stuff about people's “functions”, maked me think this is actually another story about the spread of fascism. The Doctor is too clever to fall for it. Dodo, who is an idiot, isn't. This is kind of Ian Stuart Black's theme isn't it? Savages is economic exploitation, War Machines is military industrial complex, Macra is propaganda.

Interesting that this story, like The Savages, places the Doctor as someone the authorities might know and bring in to assist them rather than an outsider. Very UNIT. Kudos to all the actors playing authority figures in the thrall of Wotan for playing it so straight.

What is all the “Doctor Who is required” stuff about? Was Lloyd trying to change the character's name or did he just not know how it had previously been used or what? 

That Ben and Polly are both portrayed as so helpful and competent feels like a direct rebuke to the characterisation of Dodo.

“Oh she'll [Dodo] be quite alright, I'm more worried about Polly.” Five minutes after he dumped her and he's already moved on.

Is the ending deliberately invoking The Dead Planet?

The War Machines, Episode 3

More fascism: all the brainwashed people standing around with crossed arms. The machine clearing away the labourer who faints of exhaustion. Why do they not even try to brainwash Ben, mind? Bit of an oversight. (He’s the only companion in this story not to get brainwashed by fascists. Nice of ISB to fill in that gap in Macra.)

First time we see the army in Doctor Who. Funny the way they call them out based on one two minute phone call from someone with a knighthood who isn't even sure he believes it. Clearly a society ready for fascism.

Also I think they repeat some of the stock footage to make it seem they have more than they do? [They do, but this isn’t how the episode originally looked, they reconstructed some of the action sequences where overseas broadcasters had made cuts.] Nonetheless this story feels big in a way few so far have. Don't think the show's attempted an action sequence on this scale before. How could it suddenly do it now?

Sir Charles thinking he can stop the war machine with the right tone of voice is a hilarious comment on the British establishment.

Hartnell standing up to the war machine while everyone else hides is brilliant, but not as great as it was in my memory in which I had erased the fact he's doing weird half steps because the studio isn't quite big enough.

The War Marchines, Episode 4

Oh they use a close up in the recap. That makes more sense.

We’re in a pub with normal people! Oh and our first useless government minister. And our first extra dying while reporting a monster! It's all very RTD, as is the use of the media to move the story on. Although strangely at 7.50 I could swear a family is listening to a painted backdrop with a radio on it.

The thought occurs that a lot of early Who monsters - Daleks, mechanoids, war machines - are essentially tanks. Hangover from the war?

The way nobody questions Ben's presence alongside army officers and a government minister is a bit odd. 

The last time the Doctor was in contemporary London he was afraid of the police. This time he's cheerily offering help to the government. Weird. Oh and he runs away before he can be asked too many questions. Again, first of a long tradition. 

Ben's “I've only got a couple of minutes” makes me think he was hoping for a snog in an alleyway somewhere.

Bit harsh that they sack Dodo then pretend it was her choice. Oh well, she was rubbish anyway.

So, big question: how did Ian Stuart Black, the notorious ISB as he should clearly be known, end up writing two stories back to back? [Apparently he was a successful novelist, who wandered into the production office to ask if they needed any writers at a point when they desperately needed some writers. Might be the first example of a name writer offering to do some Who because he was a fan.]