Colony in Space: Episode One

I've ignored Colony in Space for a long time, so it's time to brush it down and give it an outing. My memory is one sadly of it being dull.

I'd forgotten how much occurs in Part 1,

The Timelords discuss how the Master knows where the plans to the Doomsday weapon are, so they decided to end the Doctor's exile, to send him once again into Space, to recover them. Jo Grant steps into the once marooned TARDIS, which starts up sending her and The Doctor to the planet Uxarieus. The Doctor and Jo are detained by the locals under suspicion of being mineralogists with a view to stripping the planet of its wealth. Two of the natives are killed by a giant lizard and something. Some strange natives are wandering around.

I loved Jo Grant, she was so unwilling in this adventure, she played it with such a sweet innocence.

It's worth watching to see Corrie's misery guts Gail crack a smile.

It's fairly well devised, a colony is starting out, their crops are being attacked, and there's some kind of threat, something's trying to force them out.

I've quite enjoyed the first part, it'fairly well written and produced, but why no talk of those aliens? and why is Helen Worth smiling? not much to get mega excited over, but it's not as bad as some claim. What's that awful device at the end?

7/10

Review of all 6 episodes:

This is basically a Western plot adapted to space with a colony of farmers who equate to Wild West settlers, alien 'Primitives' playing the role of the Native Americans, the mining corporation which equates to mining companies, railroads etc in Westerns and The Master playing the role of a corrupt Marshall. The Doctor is sent on a mission by the Time Lords, presumably because they see he is far more suited than anyone in their society to engage in such actions, to stop The Master getting his hands on a 'doomsday weapon'. He is sent to the colony on a barren planet where a small group of humans are struggling to forge an existence with crops failing. There are indigenous 'alien' inhabitants known as 'primitives' who are mistrusted and slightly threatening from outside the colony but with some subservient primitives within the colony. The mining company seeks to push out the colonists and exploit the planet's minerals while the Master masquerades as an adjudicator to gain access to the Primitives ancient doomsday weapon.

The worst aspect of the story is the effects, sets and costumes which are all pretty shoddy. It does let down the production but the writing and acting mostly makes up for it.

The first episode is very interesting and really well done in terms of script and characterisation. It is not the most exciting or polished of episodes and the production values are disappointing but thanks to the acting and dialogue it holds up as a decent episode. The quality steps up in the next couple of episodes 2 & 3 with intriguing, absorbing drama, great characters, intelligent ideas, political and moral themes and smart dialogue. Pertwee is at his best as the Doctor and almost all the guest cast are strong. The story runs out of steam a bit in episodes 4 & 5. Once again it shows that stories longer than 4 episodes, with notable exceptions, often stretch a story. It puts pressure on keeping the quality up and on keeping the credibility up and those both suffer here as events get a bit silly at times and it gets less political and less interesting. It becomes more just a run-of-the- mill sci-fi adventure with very unimpressive and rather laughable aliens. Acting and better aspects of dialogue keep it from falling too far and the arrival of Roger Delgado as the Master is the main plus in these 2 episodes. His conniving, smooth villainy, superbly played by Delgado, maintains interest. The final episode is stronger again though not as good as parts 2 & 3.

My ratings: Part 1 - 8/10, Parts 2 & 3 - 9/10, Part 4 - 7/10, Part 5 - 7.5/10, Part 6 - 8/10. Overall average - 8.08/10

The "Brigadier" (Nicholas Courtney) walks into the lab just as the TARDIS takes an unexpected trip that sees the "Doctor" (Jon Pertwee) and "Jo" (Katy Manning) travel forward in time to the remote planet "Uxarieus" that's only recently been colonised by "Ashe" (John Ringham) and his team. No sooner have they arrived, though, than a more militaristic bunch from a mining company land and decide that the place is much too rich in minerals to be left to these folks. An arbiter is sent for, but it's "The Master" (Roger Delgado) who assumes that role and it's soon fairly clear that he has an altogether different agenda on this planet with a technologically advanced past buried deep beneath it's rocks - and that his fellow Time Lords have sent the "Doctor" to thwart his latest megalomanic plans! There's a little bit of the "Forbidden Planet" (1956) to the philosophy of this six-parter coupled with some good old-fashioned human greed, ambition and betrayal. There's also some fun to be had with a robot with giant hands and the domesticated UNIT theme is left behind as we spend much of these episodes on an alien world with plenty going on. There's a decent enough dynamic going on between Pertwee and the hammy Delgado and the writing provides dialogue that keeps the story moving along entertainingly, but slowly, as story is strings out just a bit too thinly. Perhaps it could have better suited a four part, better condensed, format? Some effort has gone into creating a degree of menace and some half-decent visual effects and even if the sets do wobble a little more than I usually spot, it advances this season adequately, if unremarkably, and it bodes well for some future adventures with a "Doctor" no longer captive on Earth.

This serial starts off a bit slow but picks up mid way through. The second Delgado comes in, this serial becomes immensly interesting and doesnt slow down in pace. I put off watching this since I havent heard great things about this story, I am glad to say that I was pleasantly surprised.

One of Delgado's best performances and it's refreshing to have a non earth bound story from this era. Do not make the same mistake I made, pick this one up!