Doctor Who (TV Series) Terror of the Zygons: Part One (1975) User Reviews

"Now there's a fine looking head..." Classic Tom Baker story.

[poolandrews · 8/10 · 4 July 2007]

Doctor Who: Terror of the Zygons: Part 1 starts in the North Sea just off the coast of Scotland where an oil rig is attacked by some unknown force from the sea & torn to pieces, this isn't the first incident of a rig being destroyed & Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart (Nicholas Courtney) is concerned enough to summon the Doctor (Tom Baker). At first the Doctor isn't interested but the mystery deepens when another rig is destroyed & huge teeth marks are found on some of the debris that has been washed ashore which points to some sort of sea monster...

This Doctor Who adventure was episode 1 from season 13 & originally aired here in the UK during August 1975, directed by Douglas Camfield & initially called 'The Secret of Loch Ness' Terror of the Zygons was going to be the last story from season 12 & contain six parts but it was held over to the start of season 13 & trimmed down to just four parts none of which seemed to hurt it as it's one of my favourite Doctor Who stories that I've seen. The script by Robert Banks Stewart is terrific, has a great premise that hooks you in, it has a mystery element to keep you hooked & even has a quick stab at some all to relevant environmental issues. Terror of the Zygons also has some great alien monsters which aren't revealed until the cool cliffhanger climax here to Part 1, it moves along at a nice pace, it's not boring, Tom Baker is just so watchable & this is just a great opening episode to a great story.

I have to mention the tight BBC budget here, I know a lot of fans say they like the show for it's bad special effects & that's fine but just imagine how much more effective a story like Terror of the Zygons would be if it had top notch effects & creature make-up. The model oil rigs look terrible & it's hard to take the scenes seriously which I firmly believe damage the overall effectiveness of the story which otherwise is excellent. In fact the budget was so tight they couldn't afford to go to Scotland & shoot on location & the production was only based in London!

Terror of the Zygons is one of my favourite Doctor Who stories & features one of my favourite alien monsters in the Zygons but the effects do date it, it's still good fun though & provides plenty of sci-fi entertainment.

Ever wonder what the Doctor Who explanation for the Loch Ness monster?

[dmcderm · 7/10 · 6 May 2018]

Yes, it's the Zygons, who've been lurking in the loch for centuries and, seeing their home planet recently destroyed, decided to take over this one. Therein lies the rub. Their plan is borderline absurd, and their defeat comparably easy. Had the Doctor said: Brigadier, you can handle this one I'm taking the day off, he would have been completely justified. The alien invasion theme is a well-worn one, and this story added little to the genre.

Yet, if you get beyond that, the story is still entertaining -- at least until the letdown of the climax. The acting was excellent, especially John Woodnutt as Duke Forgill/Broton and, of course, Nicholas Courtney (in his last UNIT appearance) and John Levene. The Scottish Moors were an excellent background and the sets well-done, though the Zygon technology is a little creepy (and the monster itself poorly done).

This is an episode to sit back with a tub of popcorn, enjoy, and try to ignore that the premise is flawed.

So Starts A Great Season Of The Show

[Theo Robertson · 8/10 · 30 March 2011]

Review Of All Four Episodes . Slight Spoilers

Oil rigs in the north sea have suddenly been collapsing in to the sea taking hundreds of crews to a watery grave and UNIT summon the Doctor back to Earth to get to the bottom of the mystery

This was first broadcast in the late Summer of 1975 spearheading season 13 of DOCTOR WHO . It was originally produced to end the previous season but producer Philip Hinchcliffe decided to delay its broadcast and schedule the show from August to March in order to bring up the ratings . You can see his point since under Barry Letts the show would gain great audience figures in January then see them slowly dip in the late Spring and Summer months

This sees the beginning of the end of the UNIT era but it's a good story to go out on . Storywise its not radically different from an adventure from the early 1970s but what makes it so impressive is Douglas Camfield directing his first story since Inferno . It does have a brooding atmosphere rarely seen in the Pertwee era and the eponymous Zygons are amongst the very finest creations ever created for the show looking like a cross between a faetus and an octopus which makes for a great cliffhanger in episode one

That said there are a couple of problems with the narrative which blights many a story from the classic series . It's never actually explained why the Zygons are destroying the oilrigs and this plot point is quickly forgotten . Likewise Zygon leader Broton explains his plans to the Doctor that we will communicate to other Zygon straglers in the Galaxy and they will turn the planet's environment in to one more suited to their species . Why he has to destroy an energy conference to achieve this is never hinted at and his servant of destruction the Skarasan aka the Loch Ness Monster is laughable when it emerges from the Thames

Terror Of The Zygons also features the final appearance of Lethbridge Stewart played Nicholas Courtney as a semi regular character in the show . Courtney died recently and his obituries speak volumes of both the character and the actor . Courtney was as well regarded as any of the actors to have played the Doctor and with hindsight it's somewhat sad that this story portrays the Brigadier as a bit of a buffoon . What makes this even more puzzling is how effective Benton is portrayed as a soldier . Watch the scene where Benton finds the body of one of his men and grimaces at the mutilated corpse

But Terror Of The Zygons has far more positives than negatives . It's an enthralling , atmospheric piece of television made by professionals on top of their game who know that what children want from a television show is to be scared witless

One of the most purely enjoyable pieces of television in existence

[ametaphysicalshark · 13 November 2008]

No, "Terror of the Zygons" is not overrated. Not even slightly. In fact, I'd go as far as saying that its reputation isn't high enough! What more could you want out of a "Doctor Who" story? "Terror of the Zygons" has superb monsters, superb acting from the regulars and guest stars, the Brigadier, a wonderful and very funny script courtesy of Robert Banks Stewart (also responsible for the great "Seeds of Doom"), fantastic production work, great locations, excellent, creepy design work on the Zygon ship, and even the Loch Ness monster.

Well, virtually the only flaw I can think of here is Nessie. Er, it's not a very good-looking puppet. This rubbish monster design is more than made up for by the spectacular Zygons, one of the most memorable and awesome (and I mean that in the classic sense of the word, they genuinely inspire awe) monsters the classic series ever had. Why they never returned on television is a mystery, and I actually think the new series could benefit from their return, particularly with Steven Moffat in charge in 2010. The Zygons are great monsters, their sucker-covered appearance is a bit disturbing, as are any scenes with them killing someone, but design is not all that their success rides on. This script makes the monsters genuinely detailed, they're not just ugly-looking things which show up and get defeated by the Doctor, they're actual characters with motives and a reason for existence. They also have a pretty neat and novel weapon, don't they? Also, the Zygon spaceship is for once appropriately alien, especially the creepy, fleshy controls.

The direction by Douglas Camfield is absolutely superb. In fact, with better effects, "Terror of the Zygons" could hold its own against the best monster features out there; it's one of the most cinematic "Doctor Who" stories there are, thanks to the extensive location shooting, which I believe was done on film as per the BBC standard (video for indoor shooting, film for outdoor shooting, although "Spearhead from Space" was shot entirely on film). I don't think this was shot in Scotland, but it's convincing enough. The guest performances are all excellent, but special mention goes to the wonderful John Woodnutt, and of course to Nicholas Courtney and John Levene as the Brig and Sgt. Benton respectively.

"Terror of the Zygons" benefits from a superb cast, with even the regulars performing better than usual (and the standard at the time for that was certainly quite high), extensive location work, excellent direction and an absolutely superb script. One of the all-time greatest "Doctor Who" stories, for sure.

10/10

Monstrously good!

[A_Kind_Of_CineMagic · 10/10 · 22 November 2014]

Review of all 4 episodes:

This tremendous story opens one of best seasons of the show's history in superb style. Tom Baker's first season, Season 12 was fantastic, as good as any season up to then, with producer Philip Hinchcliffe and script editor Robert Holmes establishing what I feel stands as the greatest era of all time. Season 13 would turn out to be even better and this story starts the season at top level.

Much like other occasional stories in Doctor Who over the years, before and since 2005, this story has an element to do with an iconic idea or legend (like werewolves, vampires, ghosts etc). In this case the Loch Ness monster. Ironically the realisation of the monster on screen is the only real negative in this great adventure. However, it is actually a very small aspect of the story and does not detract from it for me.

The story is that an alien race called the Zygons have had a small group hiding in Scotland for a few hundred years and that the Loch Ness monster is actually a cyborg monster, the Skarasen, they intend to use as a weapon. The Zygons have a very long term plan to conquer Earth and change it to suit their needs in readiness for the arrival of the rest of the Zygons who are spread across the galaxy after Solar flares destroyed their home planet. They are able to transform themselves into humans that they have captured and using this and the Skarasen the plan is kicked into action.

The Zygons are fantastically good alien villains. They look brilliant, are menacing and scary as well as having good dialogue. The story is exciting, thrilling, fun and humorous. The Zygon ship is great and other effects such as an explosion in episode 4 are really well done. The skarasen monster is realised badly on screen as it is a pretty poor puppet and is a small distraction but thankfully has very little screen time and is the only effect that is not good. The setting, the music, the action and the direction by the great Douglas Camfield are all top notch.

The acting is wonderful with Tom Baker, Elisabeth Sladen, Nicholas Courtney, Ian Marter and John Levene all terrific as usual. It is sad that UNIT would be fazed out from this point. Guest performances from John Woodnutt and Lillias Walker are especially good and the whole cast is strong.

The dialogue and plot keep excitement and interest throughout. The lack of importance given to the monster allows the story to still be a 10/10 classic. If it was re-released with a CGI monster it would eliminate that one fault but even with the occasional, disappointing appearances by the Loch Ness monster/Skarasen, this is a classic adventure of extremely high standard and great fun.

All 4 episodes 10/10. One of my favourite stories.

A fantastic start to a classic story.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 10/10 · 20 October 2019]

Who exactly is destroying oil rigs in Tulloch Moor, and why?

Terror of the Zygons is an out and out classic. Part one does everything perfectly, it sets the tone, it has atmosphere, a glimpse of those posing the threat, and intrigue, what's going on with those rigs?

The direction is superb, it looks and feels high quality, I also loved the Scottish theme, it made the story very different? The characters are an absolute joy, The Duke of Forgill, Laird and creepy Sister Lamont. A great story, including Harry's shooting, and a great cliffhanger.

I love the way the Zygons were introduced, very subtle, we get a glimpse of them, and their strange appearance, way better then those used in the new series. They sound fantastic also.

There are no faults at all. It's near perfect, Part 1 10/10.

Mineral Slime Dependency...

[Xstal · 8/10 · 29 June 2022]

The offshore rigs are all being tumbled, nobody knows quite why and what's making them crumbled, there's an alien with red suckers, who's also a little bit puckered, and has a cunning plan, to avoid being rumbled.

Over-Familiar Plot and a Sock-Puppet Monster

[JamesHitchcock · 5/10 · 29 September 2022]

"Doctor Who" should have won an award for "most environmentally friendly television series", as its producers and scriptwriters were always keen to recycle previously used material. "Terror of the Zygons" is a case in point. To begin with, the title seems to have been deliberately created to echo that of an earlier serial, "Terror of the Autons" from the eighth season, which was itself a virtual remake of "Spearhead from Space" from the seventh. Like both those serials, "Terror of the Zygons" recycles the well-worn "alien invasion" plot, which has a long pedigree, going back at least as far as H G Wells's "War of the Worlds" from the late nineteenth century.

The Fourth Doctor and his companions Sarah Jane Smith and Harry Sullivan receive a call from Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart of U. N. I. T., who is investigating the destruction of North Sea oil rigs by some gigantic sea creature. It transpires that the cause of all the mischief is an alien race known as the Zygons, who have decided to conquer the Earth the after their own planet was destroyed. To assist in this endeavour they are making use of a cyborg known to them as the "Skarasen" but to Earthlings as the Loch Ness Monster, and it was this monster which destroyed the oil rigs. The story is supposedly set in Scotland, and writer Robert Banks Stewart trots out all the familiar Scottish clichés- the bagpipes, the tartans, the whisky and the black, black oil- but in fact shooting actually took place in Sussex. Apparently it would have cost too much to transport the cast and crew to Scotland.

In an original plot twist we learn that the Zygons, in their natural form weird-looking creatures covered in suckers, are shapeshifters who plan to take on the likeness of prominent humans as part of their invasion plan. Wait a minute- there was a similar development in "Spearhead from Space" and in "Terror of the Autons", so perhaps it wasn't so original after all. And it was to be used again in "The Android Invasion" later in the 13th season. What was that I said about recycling? It was, however, a long time before the Zygons themselves were to be recycled. This was their only appearance in the "classic" programme, but they were to be revived in "The Day of the Doctor" from 2013. (The Kraals, the race featured in "The Android Invasion" have to date never been recycled).

The serial marked the last regular appearance by Nicholas Courtney as the Brigadier and by Ian Marter as Harry. Harry was to make a guest appearance in "The Android Invasion"; it was also intended to feature the Brigadier in that serial, but Courtney was unavailable, so the character did not reappear until the Fifth Doctor adventure "Mawdryn Undead" in 1983.

The "Alien Invasion" plotline had, admittedly, been responsible for some very good "Doctor Who" serials, such as "Doctor Who and the Silurians" from the Third Doctor era, but by the 13th season in 1975 it was beginning to seem over-familiar. The Loch Ness monster is ludicrously unconvincing, too much like a child's toy to be frightening, even to children. When you use the word "terror" in the title of a programme, it ought to be terrifying, but I doubt if even the most impressionable child was going to hide behind the sofa when this sock-puppet monster appeared. This was down to the programme's notoriously parsimonious budget. If the producers couldn't even find the money for a train ticket to Inverness, they certainly weren't going to stump up enough to fund the special effects needed to create a really convincing monster. Tom Baker, normally a reliable performer, is not really at his best in this serial. For all these reasons "Terror of the Zygons" is not one of my favourite serials. 5/10

A goof. Although the action is supposedly set in Scotland, we see a building- the pub in the story- built of flint. This is a common building material in Sussex, and some other parts of southern and central England, but not in Scotland, where it does not occur naturally. And whoever thought that the South Downs, a range of chalk hills of modest height, could stand in for the Scottish Highlands has obviously never been north of the Border.