This was a very nice way to begin the second season, despite breaking the streak (for me) of 5-star opening episodes. While I do think the first episode was quite good, it just doesn't reach the level of Season One's outstanding openers. I really like the environmental and 'ruthless businessperson' commentary, however, and the set design was rather creative considering the ever-present budget constraints. Overall, this story is a lot of fun. There are a few scene-breaks that are slightly jarring, likely a result of reducing the episode count from four to three, but I do love seeing our heroes muck about in a giant laboratory. Oh, before I end this, I have a message for one of our intrepid TARDIS Team. Dear Barbara: There is a fine line between stoicism and obstinacy; and you've been living on the wrong side of it this entire story. Seriously, this may be the one story in her entire run where Barbara isn't my favourite character. This one still rates a solid 8.25/10 from me. Next up: that one. You know the one.

Well, this certainly is an interesting one, in that it feels like an episode of a completely unrelated drama series with the Tardis team superimposed over it, with their main mission being to save themselves more so than the people around. It seems a story born out of convenience more than anything else, like it was made because they had some big props lying around in the drama department, which has a certain scrappy charm to it, and if done correctly, can and has worked marvellously, here it just works decently well.
It really not bad at all, perhaps just unexceptional story-wise, it does have some problems like some messy writing, blocking (in the first part), acting and directing here and there, but largely it is good. If you are as Classic pilled as I am by now, there is definitely fun to be had, with a good Tardis team, good vibes and some good acting from Jacqueline Hill, especially in the second part.
While the story is a bit unexceptional, I will say, from a technical perspective it is quite interesting, using projectors, inserted pre-filmed clips, superimposed video, a shrinking effect and some quite inventive set designs like the giant sink set, this is all very impressive for being made in 1964 and on a shoestring budget.
7/10

📝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.

It felt like I was watching The Twilight Zone with the oversized props throughout episode one. This added an extra element of fun, slightly different from the rest of the show around it, which is usually a good sign. I would say though that the 'giant world' novelty does wear off during the second part, somewhat saved by the more engaging storyline.

The Doctor feels more in charge at the start of this season which changes the group dynamic, he feels more like the character we see in later seasons. The sets are the best in the show so far, it feels like they had higher budget to play with (though another tardis.guide user suggests that these are re-used sets from another show - makes sense!)

I liked the idea of the Doctor and his companions were fighting an enemy that did not know they existed, in such a surreal episode a welcome element of realism in the baddies' ultimate plan - to sell unsafe products to the market!

Planet of Giants, unfortunately, is just not very good. I was really impressed by the effects in the first episode and the effort clearly put forth into making this "planet" feel like something special. It still feels like it has a bit of a unique aesthetic compared to the larger franchise, which is cool.

Unfortunately, the story very quickly flattens out into nothing. The whole shrinking thing and larger story with the villain really doesn't amount to much of anything, and it becomes a very easy story to forget and leave behind, while the pacing and structure within Planet of Giants is very, very inconsistent. I feel like the Space Museum is a better showcase of the show being a bit more experimental in its early days, and it works a bit better than this story.