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TARDIS Guide

Overview

First aired

Saturday, October 31, 1964

Production Code

J

Written by

Louis Marks

Runtime

75 minutes

Time Travel

Present

Tropes (Potential Spoilers!)

Environmental Message, Miniaturisation

Location (Potential Spoilers!)

Earth, England

Synopsis

The doors of the TARDIS open of their own accord just before it materialises, running out of control. On emerging, the travellers find the ship has been reduced in size and they are now only about an inch tall.

As tiny people, they stumble across a plot by a ruthless businessman, Forester, and his misguided scientist colleague, Smithers, to launch a new insecticide, DN6 — a product so destructive that it would kill not only those insects harmful to agriculture but also those vital to it.

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3 Episodes

Planet of Giants

First aired

Saturday, October 31, 1964

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Louis Marks

Directed by

Mervyn Pinfield

UK Viewers

8.4 million

Appreciation Index

57

Synopsis

When the TARDIS malfunctions and the doors open in the time vortex, the travellers and their Ship shrink to the size of insects. When they arrive on Earth, they uncover a murderous plot involving a new insecticide - but how can they stop the crime in their miniaturised condition ? (Originally broadcast in three parts.)


Dangerous Journey

First aired

Saturday, November 7, 1964

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Louis Marks

Directed by

Mervyn Pinfield

UK Viewers

8.4 million

Appreciation Index

58

Synopsis

Ian and Barbara are accidentally taken into Smithers' laboratory and, while the Doctor and Susan face a hazardous journey to reach them, they witness the deadly effects of DN6 first hand.


Crisis

First aired

Saturday, November 14, 1964

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Louis Marks

Directed by

Douglas Camfield

UK Viewers

8.4 million

Appreciation Index

58

Synopsis

The Doctor and his friends face a race against time to expose Forrester's plans and return to normal size before Barbara succumbs to the effects of DN6.



Characters

How to watch Planet of Giants:

Reviews

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15 reviews

I've always quite enjoyed this one. The cast being miniaturised makes for some fun models and set pieces. 3 parter helps it fly along at a good pace. A fun start to season 2.


Scottybguud

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  • We love an environmentally themed story
  • Looks great, production values out-do themselves
  • Great conceptually, it stands out in it's experimental uniqueness
  • The story doesn't drag at all, proving a 3-parter is often the best story length
  • Just a lot of fun to be had

KieranCooper

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It's amazing how dull a three-parter can be. It's not bad, necessarily, but there's just so little going on. It doesn't help that out main characters have basically no effect on the real plot of the story, which is happening almost entirely out of their view with characters we don't know.

The concept of the characters being shrunk is interesting, the sets and props are impressive, and the lesson of the serial is a good one, so it's not all bad. Still, not one I see myself interested in revisiting anytime soon.


uss-genderprise

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And this new season starts off with a bang with a very interesting arc, namely "Planet of Giants"! I really like the concept of the investigation in a "gigantic world", until the fine team realizes that it is in fact they who are tiny. The whole story is gripping, the intrigue is thrilling... For this start of season 2, I give it a 5/5 !


Pandhawk

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Pretty good Story, but not one I see myself revisiting too often. I think the best way to describe this one is with the word “Charm”. I really like the set design, it is impressive for its time and even today! It was also probably the right call to cut this story down a bit. Our Villain Forester is a bit nonsensical to some extent, but I would lie if I said I didn’t enjoy him.


RandomJoke

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Statistics

AVG. Rating532 members
3.26 / 5

Trakt.tv

AVG. Rating508 votes
3.55 / 5

Member Statistics

Watched

920

Favourited

61

Reviewed

15

Saved

3

Skipped

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Quotes

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SUSAN: It's too far for you, Grandfather.

DOCTOR: Well, if it is, I shall have to give up, and I'm not going to give up before I've tried. And remember, you must think of the other two. They must be constantly reminding themselves they're only one inch high. There's only the two of us to help them.

SUSAN: All right. But you let me go first.

DOCTOR: Yes, yes, yes, go on.

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Transcript Needs checking

Episode One - Planet of Giants

[TARDIS]

DOCTOR: We're approaching a planet.
IAN: Which one?
DOCTOR: We shall soon see.
BARBARA: Ow!
DOCTOR: What's the matter, my dear?
BARBARA: I've burnt myself. It's hot!
DOCTOR: Oh, something overheating here. Just as well we're landing. Susan, check the fault locator, please.
SUSAN: Yes, Grandfather.
BARBARA: We're not going to blow up or anything, are we?
DOCTOR: Oh, no, no, of course not. It's just, well, there we were, in the late eighteenth century and I tried another frequency to side-step the ship back into the middle of the twentieth century.
SUSAN: There's something on QR18, Grandfather, and A14D.

(A klaxon sounds)

SUSAN: Grandfather! Grandfather! The door's opening!
DOCTOR: What's happening? (frantically flipping switches) Close the doors, please. We haven't materialised properly. Quickly!
IAN: What do you mean, close the doors?
DOCTOR: Don't argue, dear boy. It's an emergency! Close the doors!


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