Spearhead from Space [5.0]

Under the command of the Brigadier, UNIT are investigating a shower of strange meteorites. What they discover instead is the Doctor – newly transformed, and struggling to emerge from a deep coma. With the assistance of brilliant scientist Liz Shaw, the Brigadier learns that the meteorites are more deadly than feared: part of a disembodied invasion force that can bring plastic to life.

Stealing a hat, coat and antique car from a visiting dignitary, the Doctor arrives to save the day. There are investigations, raids, counter-attacks and at last an ultimate showdown with a giant hairy octopus. Reluctantly, however, the Doctor accepts that he is now unable to operate the TARDIS, and signs himself on as UNIT's scientific advisor. He's here to stay.

The Majesty

There is a real buzz to this story. The Brigadier is his archetypal best here: a military tactician and man of action. The Autons are fantastic and iconic: it's easy to see why they were chosen as the villain for the first episode of the New Series. And the setting of the story in contemporary 70s England allows for a wonderful depth of texture to the story.

There is also a great sense of direction. The scenes at the hospital are great – both comedic and action packed. The montage introduction to the doll factory is surprisingly cinematic. And the casting, from Channing to Sam Seeley, is very strong across the board.

The Misery

The ending of the story is a real weakness. The Doctor invents some sort of gadget that kills Autons and then goes to do battle with the Auton boss, who turns out to be a tentacle monster. The Doctor's gadget fails to work and they have a really limp “fight” which is basically the Doctor wrapping tentacles around himself and groaning. It's also never satisfactorily explained what the giant octopus has to do with the Nestene Consciousness in any case – it's not exactly an intuitive connection.

Magical Moments

• We are introduced to Liz as she is driven through London and into the secret UNIT headquarters. With the camera right in her face, we immediately identify with her. It's through her eyes that we are re-introduced to the Brigadier and to the whole UNIT mission. It's very neatly done.
• “Shoes!” cries the Doctor, rummaging around under his hospital bed. The nurse is amused that he thinks they've been stolen and shows them to him. He grabs them with both arms and stuffs them under his pillow. I've found this particular scene funny enough that I can on occasion be heard to mutter “Shoes” to myself in incongruous situations.
• Kidnapped, the Doctor is being taken out to an ambulance in a wheelchair. We then are treated to the first of Jon Pertwee's many chase sequences as he flees from the scene in said wheelchair, careering down the road like a maniac. It's both funny and action-packed and comes to a suitably dramatic end when the Doctor is shot.
• Another unforgettable scene is the Doctor singing to himself in the shower in the hospital staff room. It's probably the only scene where the Doctor takes a shower in the whole series, and makes you wonder if all his regenerations have a tattoo of an anchor on their arm? Is it a Time Lord thing?
• This magical moment is just for me, but a familiar face pops up in the hospital from another of my favourite shows: Private Cheeseman from Dad's Army. It's a perfect little crossover.
• Meg Healey carefully loads her shotgun, gives the Auton a fair warning and then shoot him in the chest at point blank range. He doesn't die. It's a very powerful scene.
• At the plastics factory, Channing peers out at the Brigadier through a thick glass window, his face creepily distorted into something barely human.
• Early in the morning, Londoners are waking up for the day. Suddenly an alarm rings out. A policeman goes to investigate. Next thing, carnage erupts. Shop window dummies are walking down the street gunning down pedestrians indiscriminately. It's an iconic scene, that remains strangely visceral today, though there is not so much as a drop of blood shown.

In Summary

Spearhead from Space is one of the real classics of Doctor Who, and the fact that it comes at such a pivotal moment in the shows history makes it actually rather special. We have a new Doctor, a new format, and of course – for the first time – it's in colour! Had the first earth-bound adventure been a bit limp, or as studio-bound as some of the preceding stories, the whole show could have speedily been a flop. As it is, Spearhead is a massive jump up for Doctor Who in terms of camera work, location filming, production value and storytelling. It's a new era, and with Jon Pertwee at the helm it carried off with comedy, passion and (most of all) style.