📝6/10

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

"Planet of Giants: Small World, Big Ideas"

Planet of Giants kicks off with an intriguing hook: the TARDIS materialises with its doors slightly ajar, shrinking the Doctor and his companions to the size of an inch on contemporary Earth. The reveal of their miniaturisation doesn't come until midway through Part 1, keeping the audience guessing as the setting and time period unfold into an engaging mystery.

Once the initial mystery is solved, the plot shifts to the travellers' attempts to return to the TARDIS while navigating a series of oversized obstacles. Admittedly, there isn’t much story to go around, but a last-minute decision to trim the serial from four episodes to three prevents the narrative from dragging. This, however, leaves the original Part 4 as an unproduced, "missing" episode, with reconstructions attempting to capture its intended conclusion for those curious about the full vision.

Barbara’s subplot of accidental pesticide poisoning is intended to heighten tension but feels uncharacteristic for her. Her refusal to reveal her condition, despite the obvious danger, seems at odds with her typically rational and practical nature. Similarly, the Part 2 cliffhanger could have been far more effective with a bit more finesse in its execution.

That said, the story’s central premise of miniaturisation is a science-fiction classic and perfectly suited to Doctor Who’s early experimental phase. It’s also an early example of the show taking a stance on real-world issues, this time highlighting the environmental dangers of pesticides. Forrester, the human villain seeking to market a lethal chemical, grounds the story in a contemporary, Earth-bound setting without relying on aliens—a rarity for the series.

One of the story’s greatest strengths is its production design. Despite the show’s notoriously tight budget, the oversized props (like the sink, a worm, and an ant) are impressively convincing. However, not all effects are equally successful—the superimposed head of the dead Farrow and the comically unconvincing black cat significantly undermine the illusion, particularly in the infamous cliffhanger.

The sound and music also do a fantastic job of creating a sense of scale, complementing the visuals nicely. With only a minimal guest cast, the story relies heavily on the chemistry of the four leads. By this point, the main cast is firing on all cylinders: the Doctor is curious and engaging, Ian and Barbara’s camaraderie shines, and even Susan feels tolerable.

Unfortunately, the secondary plot involving Forrester and Farrow feels flat and formulaic. The guest characters are forgettable, and the focus on their interactions distracts from the far more compelling adventures of the miniaturised regulars. The telephonist and her husband, introduced in Part 3, add little to the story and feel like an unnecessary detour.

Ultimately, Planet of Giants is a creative concept with some standout moments, but uneven execution and a lacklustre B-plot hold it back from reaching its full potential.