Spearhead from Space

In my full honest opinion, a very good start to Pertwee’s era, and a good introduction for both Liz and the Autons. It is still a bit dodgy in some places, but overall the plot plays out, and it’s a nice slow four parter to ease you into classic who. I’d recommend it as the ideal starting point for fans who don’t want to sit through the black and white era. That is why I give it four stars.

Wacik’s random facts - this intro was the first coloured Doctor Who intro (besides the movies), and featured a newer version of Delia Derbyshire’s 1966 redo of the 1963 theme. These changes in the newer version were the doooweeeeoooo came earlier, and had the new “siren” at the end. The title text would appear in white Futura Bold. This was also the first intro to have a dedicated logo, as the previous two had basic text, such as Times New Roman (Troughton’s 1966 - 1969).

Its 1970 and this ninety minutes split over four episodes is a perfect length for the show, I'm not sure why it takes the producers so long to establish that as a trend. Along with some cracking cliffhangers, the pacing of this story is perfect. This is aided by our brand new more 'action led' Doctor, who I'd add is  underrated in terms of his comedic performance (maybe because The Second Doctor is seen as the 'funny one'). His post-regeneration confusion is a wonderful introduction and fills you with optimism for the series. It is a small shame however that we do not get to see that all important scene depicting the moment of regeneration, it must have not occurred to them as a vital element of the show.

Perhaps the most immediately striking thing about Spearhead from Space is the drastic shift in visual style following on from the previous year's The War Games. With the possible exception of The TV Movie I don't believe there has ever been two episodes side by side which has displayed more visual development (and there was a six year gap for that one!). This is not just because of the use of colour, it is also due to being uniquely shot entirely on film which gives it an exciting big budget feel, it looks astonishing (if only the other major industrial strike had effected Shada in this way!)

It is wonderful however to see Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart on the scene. He does not simply provide a comforting link to the past, his return is justified by being central to the form of the new show. If The Doctor has to be on Earth permanently (I'm not sure why he does) then thank goodness its with one of the very best recurring characters from the first six years of the show. Even with all the changes that are about to take place, there is no doubt that this is the same show.

Liz Shaw is an interesting sort of companion, she provides a sceptical equal to The Doctor. It is a brave move which I am enjoying. As with all companions, the question is whether they continue to skillfully develop the character in the same vein. During the 1960s we've had brilliant introductions for characters which have immediately gone limp and completely changed course by their second story.

The Nestenes and Autons show a level of sparky imagination that we have not seen in a brand new monster for years. Plastic window shop dummies sit alongside the untouchable elite of Daleks (1963), Cybermen (1966) and Yetis (1967). They have a frightening presence which the audience will want to see again. They are the perfect choice of monster for a Doctor's introduction too. Their motives and story are simple enough to be intelligently fleshed out over a few engaging beats. Whilst this is happening we can get to know our new regular cast.

I am not convinced about The Doctor being stranded on one planet though I do appreciate that a key essence to the show is change.

This is by far my most watched classic Doctor Who story and is one that I cherish. I think it is a highly promising debut for the Third Doctor, if not quite as excellent as Troughton's first story The Power of the Daleks.

Spearhead From Space was perhaps the biggest change Doctor Who had ever faced. For the first time, not only was the show was going to be in colour but the Doctor was also going to be stranded on Earth. No adventures set in the past, future or space. Everything on present day Earth.

They even decided to give the Doctor a job. He became the scientific advisor at UNIT. His boss: Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. This was in some ways a great move by the production team. It helped to make the Doctor more relatable. More like us. In other ways, however, it limited the scope of the show. No longer was it anywhere or everywhere, it was just London. Nevertheless, it worked and proved to be a huge success from the show.

Looking at the introductory story, it's not hard to see why. Sam Seeley (Neil Wilson) sees a shower of meteors come down in Oxley Woods and decides to take one back home when he notices a UNIT officer's interest in them. Meanwhile, the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) is found collapsed outside a police box and taken to the local hospital. The Brigadier enlists the help of scientist Liz Shaw (Caroline John) and eventually the Doctor to help investigate the mysterious meteors and combat an Auton invasion. It's a rather simple story for the show and that's why it works so well as the beginning of a new era. It's also why the new series frequently uses it as a blueprint to easing viewers into a new take on the show; this is exactly how to introduce a new era. They couldn't have possibly got it more right.

The Autons make for very effective monsters too. There's something rather eery about how their body and facial features resemble that of shop window dummies and Doctor Who is always a show that works well when it turns an everyday inanimate object into a force to be reckoned with. Let's face it: if you haven't seen a shop window dummy at some point in your life, then you haven't been out much. The Autons work so well that despite only featuring in two serialsof the classic series (they were also in Terror of the Autons) they have become one of the most iconic Doctor Who monsters of all time appearing in three new series stories (Rose, Love & Monsters, The Pandorica Opens/The Big Bang) and even in a LEGO game (LEGO Dimensions). It's one of those monster creations that will survive the test of time. I have no doubt that we'll see an Auton invasion story in the future: perhaps in the Chris Chibnall era.

The Nestene Consciousness unfortunately are not as successful. It looks a bit too rubbery and thanks to Jon Pertwee's bizarre facial expressions during his fight with it doesn't appear like much of a threat. Its new series look was stronger overall.

It's not entirely fair to compare the two considering that with Spearhead they were operating on a shoestring budget and the new series has much more money but I do wish the classic series had been able to provide a better Nestene Consciousness for Jon Pertwee to fight as it is the only thing that lets the story down. Something more like this from the Terror of the Autons target book would have been preferable:

The cast are on top form. Jon Pertwee is amazing in his first appearance as the Doctor, especially when demonstrating how to communicate with your eyebrows on the planet Delphon. Nicholas Courtney is as brilliant as he was in The Invasion as the Brigadier and continues to be a highlight throughout the 3rd Doctor era. Caroline John is extremely convincing as the sceptical scientist tiring of the Brigadier's talk of the extraterrestrial. It's a crime that she generally tends to be forgotten as a companion of the Doctor's.

Overall, Spearhead From Space is a brilliant introduction story to the Jon Pertwee era and features one of the series' most iconic monsters in the Autons. Unfortunately, the Nestene Consciousness are less successful due to budget constraints but the cast are all on top form and due to the decision to exile the Doctor on Earth the character is more relatable than he was prior to the change.

As an introduction to a new incarnation of the Doctor, Spearhead from Space is phenomenal. As a new direction for the series, it is even better. After two full incarnations of the Doctor, Jon Pertwee's era starts off with a bang and really pushes things off with a new sense of energy beyond even the addition of colour.

Pertwee's introduction is tightly written and a lot of fun in establishing the new status quo that would define the series for the next era. I had heard so much about this time with Doctor Who being the series just trying to be James Bond and so much of this content being otherwise written off, but Jon Pertwee is pretty amazing as the Doctor on the whole and this story is an excellent example of that. The Nestene and Autons are relatively simple, and that's exactly what is required of a story that is mostly focused on getting us used to the rapid changes in the series. I can see why the came back in a similar fashion for Rose all those years later.

While the special effects, even by the standards of this time period, leave something to be desired, little else does. Pertwee is great right out of the gate, the Brigadier returns for a long string of episodes that would cement his legacy as a character for decades to come, and even Caroline John, who I feel was persistently wasted as Liz Shaw going forward, is quite fun here as a new companion. A great series of episodes that really knock it out of the park from start to finish.

Hands down, the best introduction to a new Doctor's era in the whole show. Granted, the plot itself is pretty straightforward, but the structure and pacing of the story really gives the Doctor, the Brigadier, and Liz time to shine, and for the audience to adjust to the beginning of the UNIT era of the show. Also, it's just full of iconic moments -- the wheelchair chase, the shower scene, etc. Good stuff!

The plot itself isn't gonna make any top 10 lists but it's a great introduction to the UNIT era that immediately got me excited for what was to come. Liz is cool, the Autons have some pretty creepy moments, and this is probably one of the funniest Third Doctor stories I've seen what with the Doctor's regeneration sickness. Oh, and while it wasn't really on their minds at the time, the fact this was shot entirely on film leads to one of the best-looking stories in all of Classic Who.