Colony in Space

Directed by

UK Viewers

7.6 million

Synopsis

The Time Lords take control of the TARDIS and the Doctor and Jo arrive on an Earth Colony in the 25th century, where a ruthless mining company are using a dinosaur-like creature to force the colonists to leave the planet.

Episode Two

First aired

Saturday, April 17, 1971

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

8.5 million

Synopsis

The Doctor discovers an Interplanetary Mining Corporation ship has landed on the planet in order to mine its duralinium, while Norton begins causing trouble at the colony.

Episode Three

First aired

Saturday, April 24, 1971

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

9.5 million

Synopsis

The Doctor makes it back to the colony and warns Ashe what Dent is up to but when Jo and Winton try to find proof they are captured.

Episode Four

First aired

Saturday, May 1, 1971

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

8.1 million

Synopsis

The Doctor descends into the Primitive city to try and find Jo while the colonists receive a visit from the Adjudicator.

Episode Five

First aired

Saturday, May 8, 1971

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

8.8 million

Synopsis

The Master offers to help the colonists in exchange for information on the Primitive city and forces the Doctor to act as a guide by taking Jo hostage.

Episode Six

First aired

Saturday, May 15, 1971

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

8.7 million

Synopsis

The Doctor and the Master are taken into the Primitive city, where the Master hopes to find the doomsday weapon, while Dent forces the colonists to leave the planet even though their ship is likely to explode.

Characters

Third Doctor

Jo Grant

How to watch Colony in Space:

Watch on iPlayer

Blu-Ray

The Collection – Season 8

DVD

Colony in Space

VHS

Colony in Space & The Time Monster (VHS) (Limited Edition)

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11 reviews

I’ve always had a soft spot for Colony in Space. Malcolm Hulke has always been one of Doctor Who’s most left-wing writers and on one hand this is a serial about a group going out into space to find their ideal life away from the late stage capitalist empire that is Esrth. Hulke lays the groundwork for how Doctor Who will regularly depict the future from this point forward, catapulting the show properly in terms of alien worlds out of the 1960s. Every future set serial until the end of Jon Pertwee’s time as the Doctor in particular will attempt this tone for these types of stories. It’s also the first time Jon Pertwee’s Doctor gets to actually go to space, the first episode being devoted to the sheer joy of getting off Earth (even if he’s on the leash of the Time Lords) and Katy Manning as Jo being frightened of travel.

The conflict of the colonists versus the Interplanetary Mining Corporation is thick with commentary about the current political of the time while the Master’s search for a doomsday weapon in the back half of the serial just adds to the commentary. So why can’t I rate this higher? Well Hulke does attempt some allegory on the treatment of indigenous people that leads to an alien race being particularly underdeveloped, they take up the doomsday weapon plot. It means that there are a couple of messages, largely intersecting and crowding a lot of the serial together, especially with its bookends in particular being quite odd. That and poor Michael E. Briant, while a director who will return quite a bit, really struggles with the choice of location work. It’s perhaps the most generic quarry of wetness that could have been chosen and it just drags things down. Briant tries, and in future serials he’ll even make quarries work, but this one is the example of a great script dragging down quite a bit in execution. It’s sadly Hulke’s weakest script, but for this to be someone’s weakest that should say something about what their usual quality is.

Newt5996

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Review last edited on 14-04-25

The first time the third Doctor gets to visit another planet in the Tardis. But it's probably his weakest story so far or at least on par with Claws of Axos. Both are just ok. This one lacks the Unit team though, which is another negative. But still 3 stars because this era is not boring.

Scottybguud

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Review last edited on 11-04-25

Favourite story, Yes I admit it is long, I find it to be a good piece of what I love about sci fi. The factions are interesting and each one has clear motives even if the master I feel is not necessary.

NonbinaryAroace

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Review last edited on 19-02-25

This review contains spoilers!

Colony in Space has all the makings of a stellar classic who story but alas it suffers from that all too common ailment Didn't-need-to-be-six-parts-itis. The initial conspiracy with IMC trying to scare the miners away is interesting, the Master playing adjudicator is fun, I really liked the stuff about the doomsday weapon, but the pace just isn't right.

It's far from the worst case of a classic who story being too long for it's own good but that is unavoidably the problem. 4 episodes would have been more than enough, one for the IMC conspiracy, one for the Master adjudication, and the final two could remain largely the same I feel.

I did overall like this story, as I say it has all the right building blocks, and as 3’s first off World adventure after nearly two series it fits in with the unit era remarkably well. Certainly worth a go if you're up for a six parter.

sandymybeloved

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Review last edited on 19-02-25

This review contains spoilers!

I was going to write a longer review, but ThetaSigmaEarChef's already captures exactly what I think! Very good story, I had fun the whole time.

Some more specific things I liked:

Jo on her first trip!
The Doctor giving her a lil forehead kiss when he goes to save her from the Primitive City (great name for a city)
The Doctor's magic show for the Primitive guard
All of the side characters were great, I loved them. Gasped and covered my mouth when the ship exploded! I really thought they had all died, like a fool ahahah
Captain Dent looked like Judge Frollo, which made him extra evil.
The Master trying to kill the Doctor+Jo on one second, offering him half the universe the next. Make up your mind, dude.

And this exchange made me laugh out loud:

MASTER: My credentials are immaculate.
DOCTOR: Forged, of course.
MASTER: Of course, but immaculate.

mndy

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Review last edited on 21-01-25