The Tenth Planet

(Series 4, Episodes 5-8)

Summary: It’s the far distant future: 1986.  An international space base exists in Antarctica, yet still no women serve in the military.  A mysterious ‘tenth planet’ appears in the sky (someone should break the news about Pluto to these guys).  It turns out to be an upside down version of Earth, for reasons never fully explained.  We meet the Cybermen, Polly screams a lot and makes tea and Ben gets very angry at the audacity of these cybernetic geezers.  The Doctor is so worn out by the whole experience that he stumbles back to the TARDIS and regenerates into Patrick Troughton.

Watch it because: It’s the first time we meet the Cybermen and the last time we see William Hartnell as the Doctor.  Sob.

Original Air Date: 8 – 29 October 1966.

Doctor: William Hartnell.

Companions: Ben Jackson (Michael Craze) and Polly (Anneke Wills).

Writer: Kit Pedler & Gerry Davis.

Director: Derek Martinus.

Producer: Innes Lloyd.

Available on DVD? Yes, although Episode 4 is only available as an animation, which sadly means we don’t actually see William Hartnell’s final scenes.