With Polly having apparently forgotten them, the Doctor, Ben and Jamie decide to carry out their own investigation of Chameleon Tours.With Polly having apparently forgotten them, the Doctor, Ben and Jamie decide to carry out their own investigation of Chameleon Tours.With Polly having apparently forgotten them, the Doctor, Ben and Jamie decide to carry out their own investigation of Chameleon Tours.
Photos
- Jenkins
- (as Christopher Tranchell)
- Announcer
- (voice)
- Chameleon
- (uncredited)
- Passenger
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaSamantha Briggs was supposed to be a main companion, but Pauline Collins declined the offer, despite personal appeals by Innes Lloyd and even Frazer Hines.
- Quotes
[first lines]
Commandant: You're quite sure you've never met these men? They say they know you.
Polly Wright: But they can't know me. This is my first visit to England!
Jamie: But Polly, it's us, me and the Doctor!
Dr. Who: Would you mind telling us your name?
Polly Wright: I am Michelle Leuppi from Zurich.
Dr. Who: You have a passport?
Polly Wright: Yes, of course. Here.
[she hands it over]
Polly Wright: Have I done something wrong?
Commandant: Oh no, I don't suppose there's anything for you to worry about, Miss. May I just ask what you're doing in England?
Polly Wright: I have come here to work. Look, here is my work permit.
Commandant: Oh, yes, that's quite in order. Thank you. Excuse me.
Dr. Who: Where did you learn such excellent English?
Polly Wright: I had an English governess. Would you mind telling me what's happening?
Commandant: Nothing that need concern you, miss, everything's perfectly order. Now if you'd just like to go through there?
Polly Wright: Thank you.
Jamie: Polly, wait!
Commandant: Just a minute young man.
Jamie: But she's a friend of ours - and she saw the murder!
Commandant: You're going to wait here until the Superintendent of police arrives - now understand that?
Dr. Who: Ah, you're going to tell him about the dead body, very sensible.
Commandant: No. I am going to tell him about you.
[into the phone]
Commandant: Put me through to Superintendent Reynolds.
Dr. Who: [whispering] Jamie, I don't think we're very welcome here. When I say run, we run!
Commandant: [into the phone] Hello Super, Commandant. I've got a couple of illegal entrants here. Yes... Immigration Desk Number Five.
Dr. Who: Run!
[before anyone can stop them the Doctor and Jamie shoot past the barrier and run out of the reception area, disappearing into the crowds that throng the main concourse]
This adventure sadly at present cannot be seen in all its glory due to BBC wiping of tapes leading to these being some of the 'lost' classics. Reconstructions available using what is left (all the sound of every Doctor Who episode survive thank goodness, added to still photographs and surviving portions of film) still provide thoroughly impressive sci-fi entertainment.
The adventure involves an alien race stealing humans from 1966 Gatwick Airport in order to use their bodies to replace their own damaged forms.
The contemporary Earth setting was still hardly used at this stage so this was a forerunner of the numerous Quatermass type, 'Earth under attack in the present day' stories which were to follow. It is a great prototype as it has good thrills, action, good intelligent alien threat, great relevance to viewers fears of alien attack on their own world with sufficient realism. The writing by Malcolm Hulke (the first of his great writing contributions) and David Ellis, acting by the whole cast and direction from Gerry Mill are all of high quality and the characters are good.
The lovely extra companion for this adventure, Samantha played by future film star Pauline Collins, works well. It is sad though that Polly (Anneke Wills) and Ben (Michael Craze) are sidelined in their last adventure. Polly had not quite maintained her feisty early form and had been turned into more of a 'screamer' but she was still a good companion and Ben was a great, tough companion throughout his time.
This story is very strong all round with aliens which are well realised and cleverly characterised. The only substantial flaw is two snippets of dialogue in episode 5 regarding how many people are missing. A captured villain reveals 50,000 young people are to be taken which is highly unbelievable without it being very noticeable to many relatives. We could imagine this plan, which would bring about huge attention, is in the early stages except he then compounds his comment by saying it is too late to save the 50,000 young people. I suppose if the events we see are part of a worldwide operation it is remotely possible a rapid set of disappearances are only starting to come to light but this revelation is hard to accept. As a result I mark that otherwise superb episode down to 7/10 but the rest of the adventure is brilliant.
My Ratings: Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4 & 6 - 10/10, Episode 5 - 7/10
Overall: 9.5/10
- A_Kind_Of_CineMagic
- Aug 28, 2014
Details
- Runtime26 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1