2.14: The Wheel in Space

In which the Troughton era continues in its strange delusion that Cybermen are just as good as Daleks, actually.

Broadcast: April-June 1968 

Watched: October 2019

Note: four of these six episodes are missing, so this is mostly about the soundtracks. Thankfully there’s only one story left with missing episodes after this.

The Wheel in Space, Episode 1

Slightly odd that the intro is just a reprise of the end of Fury – just to remind us that Victoria’s gone I guess? But you could do that with dialogue. Strange that, even though she gets no dialogue, she’s still credited as we see her on screen. Presumably partly a budget/contracts thing?

Anyway, I remember this episode, which is largely about the regulars exploring a deserted rocket, as quite strange and interesting. Unfortunately it’s slightly spooky but dull. Oh well. 

The TARDIS luring the regulars out with nice scenery is nice, and very Whittaker, as are the white pills as food. But the servo robot isn’t very threatening and nothing really happens. Not even clear why they bother with a bottle episode since the guest cast appear in the last five minutes so have to be paid anyway. Anyway. Meh. 

The Wheel in Space, Episode 2

“Oooh this is going to be fun. I shall learn a lot from you.” Zoe instantly filthy. 

Had forgotten where the name “John Smith”, which makes its first appearance here, comes from.

 Anyway, this is slightly more fun because there’s more to do. It does the episode one tourism thing that the actual episode one lacked. But I’m sure it’ll all be incredibly dull soon enough.

The Wheel in Space, Episode 3

Loving the Doctor just wanting to stay in bed. A return to Troughton’s season 4 laziness.

It’s only seeing this episode [previously, I’d only listened to the soundtrack] that I realise there are two different Australians in this.

The idea that a star blowing up would have any immediate impact on the station is completely bloody stupid. Did scientific advisor Kit Pedlar just not know any science?

The cybermats are also stupid, as is the guy who thinks they’re cute rather than stamping on them immediately. Also the effects on this one are rubbish: stuff I’m sure you never get once we’re in colour.

The Wheel in Space, Episode 4

“All space men are” oh f*** off. Everyone in this story is an idiot. The portrayal of Chang is hilariously racist. 

The thing where we’re meant to take Jarvis’ refusal to buy the Doctor’s “Why won’t you listen!” schtick as a sign of weak character rather than a rational response to a loony yelling about monsters is very silly. 

The emotion vs science thing doesn’t work at all here. I can see what they’re getting at with the cybermen and Jarvis and Zoe and her space school... But it’s all tell not show, nothing connects. 

Also the way the cybermen can control people by standing next to them but not all the time is weird.

This is not a good story.

The Wheel in Space, Episode 5

Ah, the old “re edit the cliffhanger footage to show the regulars were never really in danger” trick. First time we’ve seen that?

Also the fact the cybermen use radio to talk is very 1968. So, in the last episode, is Zoe using the high technology of “tape”. Funny that Jamie understands spaceships but not “tape”.

Also admittedly I’ve been in the pub, but the thread of that wasn’t clear at all. Just a lot of action which didn’t mean much. Oh well. Nearly finished this terrible season at last.

The Wheel in Space, Episode 6

 Well that was bobbins really wasn’t it? No idea what any of it was for. No idea of the plot mechanics. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE MAGIC OF DAVID WHITTAKER? Seriously, this guy is a good writer, how did it turn out this rubbish?

Okay okay some things I liked… Some of the model work and effects were cool. It definitely works better when you can see it, especially when some of the high tech background shit turns out to be made of lava lamps. The space walking is really well done. The guest cast was mostly quite nicely drawn. Leo and Tanya gradually working up to banging is fun.

Things I did not like. Jarvis’ descent into madness – just, why, what’s it for? It isn’t tense, it isn’t logical, and at one point the Doctor seriously considers giving him electroshock therapy. The cybermen are rubbish, they’ve not worked once in four stories (Tomb is closest but it gets noticeably worse when they come to the fore). The portrayals of both Chang and Flanagan feel massively racist.

The fact it ends with the Doctor deciding to watch Doctor Who is kind of brilliant though. [To fill the summer gap between seasons 5 & 6, the BBC repeated the season 4 finale, The Evil of the Daleks: the Doctor literally shows it to new companion Zoe, to show her what she’s in for as the new companion.] Think I’ll skip redoing Evil for now though.