The Sontaran Experiment

(Series 12, Episodes 9-10)

Summary: Interestingly, Earth devastated by solar flares looks an awful lot like Dartmoor, where some astronauts have gone native and are sharing the wilderness with a particularly nasty Sontaran, who implements some rather disturbing torture for a teatime show.  Sarah makes an interesting wardrobe choice and the Doctor misses several opportunities to whop Styre on the probic vent.  Styre has to be careful, though, to avoid Harry bally well knocking his head off.

Watch it because: Dartmoor National Park: Bringing atmosphere to stories since 1901.

Original Air Date: 22 February – 1 March 1975.

Doctor: Tom Baker.

Companions: Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) and Harry Sullivan (Ian Marter).

Writer: Bob Baker and Dave Martin.

Director: Rodney Bennett.

Producer: Philip Hinchcliffe.

The Ark in Space

(Series 12, Episodes 5-8)

Summary: Harry ‘Sideburns’ Sullivan is posh and a tiny bit sexist, the Doctor starts a habit of offering jelly babies and Sarah gets stuck in a ventilation shaft.  It’s the 30^th century, solar flares have destroyed the Earth and people in green sleeping bags are menacing a colony ship, but it’s good to see humanity are still using microfilm to store records. The fashion, however, is spot on as everyone wears rather lovely white suits.  In other news, yet more newly-awoken bug eyed monsters try to re-claim the Earth.

Watch it because: Noah’s transformation of Shakespearean intensity.

Original Air Date: 25 January – 15 February 1975.

Doctor: Tom Baker.

Companions: Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) and Harry Sullivan (Ian Marter).

Writer: Robert Holmes, from a story by John Lucarotti.

Director: Rodney Bennett.

Producer: Philip Hinchcliffe.

Robot

(Series 12, Episodes 1-4)

Summary: Tom Baker makes his debut in an episode featuring a robot with daddy issues.  The special effects department outdo themselves with bubble wrap on the camera lens, Benton is sergeant no longer and for some reason Sarah is dressed like a character from an Agatha Christie adaptation.  Dr Sullivan finally makes an appearance and is promptly kidnapped in the TARDIS in a throwback to the Doctor’s preferred method of acquiring human companions.

Watch it because: Debut of an iconic Doctor.

Original Air Date: 28 December 1974 – 18 January 1975.

Doctor: Tom Baker.

Companions: Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) and Harry Sullivan (Ian Marter).

Writer: Terrence Dicks.

Director: Christopher Barry.

Producer: Barry Letts.

Planet of the Spiders

(Series 11, Episodes 21-26)

Summary: Yates atones for his sins in a Buddhist monastery with dissatisfied middle-aged men and some yellow-face Buddhist monks.  The Doctor receives a letter from Jo Grant and the blue crystal from Metebelis Three finally gets a call-back.  The villains of the piece are talking spiders and the Doctor has a touching reunion with his old hermit pal (he of the flowers on the mountain fame).  Unfortunately, returning the crystal burns the Doctor out…

Watch it because: “A tear, Sarah Jane?  No, don’t cry.  Where there’s life, there’s…”

Original Air Date: 4 May – 8 June 1974.

Doctor: Jon Pertwee.

Companions: Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen).

Writer: Robert Sloman.

Director: Barry Letts.

Producer: Barry Letts.