The Ambassadors of Death

(Series 7, Episodes 12-18)

Summary: Doctor Who in 1970 was charmingly optimistic about manned space flight, launching rockets to Mars from Britain with the ease of setting off a firework.  Liz sits around doing nothing, the Doctor rocks a spacesuit, unapologetically bad villain Regan is chillingly ruthless for a teatime show and Ambassadors of Death turns out to be a somewhat misleading title.  And in case you’d forgotten what decade we’re in, there’s a prog rock soundtrack.

Watch it because: Joanna Ross – Control Room Assistant.  This is not just a control room assistant; this is an M&S control room assistant.

Original Air Date: 21 March – 2 May 1970.

Doctor: Jon Pertwee.

Companions: Liz Shaw (Caroline John).

Writer: David Whitaker.

Director: Michael Ferguson.

Producer: Barry Letts.

Available on DVD? Yes, although most of the original colour recordings were destroyed, so it flits between colour and black and white.