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TARDIS Guide

Overview

First aired

Saturday, September 30, 1967

Production Code

NN

Directed by

Gerald Blake

Runtime

150 minutes

Time Travel

Past

Location (Potential Spoilers!)

Earth, Tibet

Synopsis

Mysterious forces are at work in 1930s Tibet. Savage Yeti are besieging a Buddhist monastery. The Second Doctor, Jamie and Victoria arrive expecting a friendly welcome from the abbot, but soon become ensnared in the plans of the extradimensional being known as the Great Intelligence.

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6 Episodes

Episode One  Missing

First aired

Saturday, September 30, 1967

Runtime

25 minutes

Directed by

Gerald Blake

UK Viewers

6.3 million

Appreciation Index

50

Synopsis

When the TARDIS materialises in the Himalayas, the Doctor decides to pay a return visit to the nearby Det-Sen monastery only to be accused of murder.


Episode Two

First aired

Saturday, October 7, 1967

Runtime

25 minutes

Directed by

Gerald Blake

UK Viewers

6 million

Appreciation Index

52

Synopsis

Jamie and Victoria make their way to the monastery shortly before it is attacked by the Yeti.


Episode Three  Missing

First aired

Saturday, October 14, 1967

Runtime

25 minutes

Directed by

Gerald Blake

UK Viewers

7.1 million

Appreciation Index

51

Synopsis

While the Doctor and Jamie return to the TARDIS for equipment, the control sphere Jamie brought to the monastery is reactivated.


Episode Four  Missing

First aired

Saturday, October 21, 1967

Runtime

25 minutes

Directed by

Gerald Blake

UK Viewers

7.1 million

Appreciation Index

50

Synopsis

The Yeti escapes from the monastery and Victoria and Thonmi are accused of assisting it, while the Doctor and Jamie endure a perilous journey back across the mountains.


Episode Five  Missing

First aired

Saturday, October 28, 1967

Runtime

25 minutes

Directed by

Gerald Blake

UK Viewers

7.2 million

Appreciation Index

51

Synopsis

Victoria falls under the mental influence of Padmasambhva as the Yeti attack in order to drive the monks from the area.


Episode Six  Missing

First aired

Saturday, November 4, 1967

Runtime

25 minutes

Directed by

Gerald Blake

UK Viewers

7.4 million

Appreciation Index

52

Synopsis

With the Great Intelligence on the verge of becoming corporeal, the Doctor challenges Padmasambhva to a mental battle in order to defeat it.



Characters

How to watch The Abominable Snowmen:

Reviews

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10 reviews

Pretty good! Part four was probably my favorite. I will say that it started off very strongly but maybe took a little too long to get to the point. It probably could've been a four-parter, but it's not bad at all. The reconstruction was pretty good. Not Loose Cannon's best but definitely not their worst. Very glad I finally got around to watching it.


Dastari

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I probably would have enjoyed this if it was four episodes. At six, this one *really* overstays its welcome. The pace is glacially slow. I was largely just bored by the end. Not looking forward to more 6-parters...
D.

Azurillkirby

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With just episode 2 surviving, and the rest reconstructions, which I find boring to get through, I've never really like this story. However, watched the animation and found it not bad. Bit long with six episodes, but the great intelligence was a good villain and the yeti formidable lackeys.


Scottybguud

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The Abominable Snowmen has a meandering plot that would've been better suited to 4 rather than 6 episodes, a monster that fails at "scary" and lands firmly in "quite sweet, actually", and a lot of yellowface and racism. Maybe one day it will be found again, but honestly?, I cannot muster any strong feelings on the matter


greenLetterT

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“I think this is one of those instances where discretion is the better part of valour”

 

Un arc lent (trop lent !) qui malgré ses méchants hyper cute, et une atmosphère tibétaine sympa, ne se contente que d’aligner les clichés les plus fastidieux d’un format déjà usé.  

Le pire, c’est que malgré un Travers somme toute assez attachant, on retrouve un peu les mêmes défauts que The Tomb of the Cybermen, mais étirés en six parties. 

Là aussi le trio central et les valeurs de production sont donc la grâce salvatrice d’un épisode fondamentalement mal foutu. 

Mais si c’est seulement ça qui sauve la saison, alors elle peut vite s’écrouler. 

“I think this is one of those instances where discretion is the better part of valour”

 

A slow arc (too slow!) that despite its cute yet mean villains, and a nice Tibetan ambiance, only manages to line up the most tedious clichés of an already worn-out format.

The worst part is that despite Travers being quite endearing, we find the same flaws as in The Tomb of the Cybermen, but stretched out over six parts.

Here too, the central trio and production values are thus the saving grace of a fundamentally flawed episode.

But if that’s all that saves the season, then it can quickly collapse.

(Translation generated by AI, so mistakes are possible).


Dogtor

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Statistics

AVG. Rating402 members
3.22 / 5

Trakt.tv

AVG. Rating426 votes
3.63 / 5

Member Statistics

Watched

720

Favourited

25

Reviewed

10

Saved

4

Skipped

5

Quotes

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DOCTOR: Victoria, I think this is one of those instances where discretion is the better part of valour. Jamie has an idea. Come along.

— Second Doctor, The Abominable Snowmen

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Transcript Needs checking

(Transcriber's note - episodes 1, 3 to 6 inclusive only exist as audio.)

Episode One

[Mountainside]

(High on a mountainside, sheltered by a rocky outcrop, a camp fire glimmers fitfully in the night air. A man cries out. Edward Travers, woken by the cry, sits up quickly.)

TRAVERS: John?


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