Stories Television Doctor Who Season 8 Classic Who S8 Serial: 1 2 3 4 5 The Claws of Axos 1 image Overview Episodes Characters How to Watch Reviews 8 Statistics Related Stories Quotes 4 Transcript Overview First aired Saturday, March 13, 1971 Production Code GGG Written by Bob Baker, Dave Martin Directed by Michael Ferguson Runtime 100 minutes Time Travel Present Tropes (Potential Spoilers!) Earth Invasion, Mind Control, Spaceship, Stranded on Earth, The Doctor Falls Story Arc (Potential Spoilers!) Exile on Earth, Working for UNIT Location (Potential Spoilers!) Axos, Earth, England, UNIT HQ Synopsis A group of gold-skinned aliens land on Earth and offer wondrous technology in exchange for fuel. The Third Doctor, however, isn't fooled, uncovering the Axons' true nature and once again facing his arch enemy, the Master... Watch Watched Favourite Favourited Add Review Edit Review Log a repeat Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Owned Save to my list Saved Edit date completed Custom Date Release Date Archive (no date) Save 4 Episodes Episode One First aired Saturday, March 13, 1971 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Bob Baker Dave Martin Directed by Michael Ferguson UK Viewers 7.3 million Synopsis When a mysterious object lands near the Nuton power complex, UNIT investigate and encounter the Axons, a group of aliens who offer the mineral axonite, which can duplicate matter, as a gift. Episode Two First aired Saturday, March 20, 1971 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Bob Baker Dave Martin Directed by Michael Ferguson UK Viewers 8 million Synopsis The Doctor and Winser begin to analyse axonite while Chinn plots to secure its use exclusively for Britain. Episode Three First aired Saturday, March 27, 1971 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Bob Baker Dave Martin Directed by Michael Ferguson UK Viewers 6.4 million Synopsis The Doctor and Jo are being held prisoner by Axos while Chinn is forced to organise the worldwide distribution of axonite and the Master returns to the power complex to try and steal the TARDIS. Episode Four First aired Saturday, April 3, 1971 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Bob Baker Dave Martin Directed by Michael Ferguson UK Viewers 7.8 million Synopsis The Doctor and Jo escape from Axos but then the Doctor offers the Master a deal; if he helps him repair the TARDIS, they can flee Earth together. Show All Episodes Characters Third Doctor Jon Pertwee Jo Grant Katy Manning Axos First Appearance The Master [UNIT Era] Roger Delgado The Brigadier Nicholas Courtney John Benton John Levene Mike Yates Richard Franklin Carol Bell First Appearance UNIT Bill Filer First Appearance Show All Characters (10) How to watch The Claws of Axos: Watch on iPlayer Blu-Ray The Collection – Season 8 DVD The Third Doctor Collection DVD The Claws of Axos VHS The Claws of Axos (VHS) Reviews Add Review Edit Review Sort: Date (Newest First) Date (Oldest First) Likes (High-Low) Likes (Low-High) Rating (High-Low) Rating (Low-High) Word count (High-Low) Word count (Low-High) Username (A-Z) Username (Z-A) Spoilers First Spoilers Last 8 reviews 18 February 2025 · 58 words Review by WhoTheoryYT Spoilers This review contains spoilers! I thought this was a pretty average story overall, but I thought the interactions between the Doctor and The Master in the last two parts were great, both in that we got to see hints of their past friendship, and in the way it shows Three's more manipulative side for the first time in a really engaging way. WhoTheoryYT View profile Like Liked 0 18 January 2025 · 631 words Review by mndy Spoilers 2 This review contains spoilers! I thought we were not gonna see the Master for a bit after ‘Mind of Evil’, but here he is again! And he was the star of the show. For someone that acts sooo dignified, he can get into just as much trouble as the Doctor. You’re saying he escaped Earth last episode and was almost immediately captured by the Axons? Loser. Anyway, he’s back, this time in a I help you you help me deal with these Axons: he leads them to Earth and gives them knowledge on time travel, they free him, give him back his TARDIS, and kill the whole planet + the Doctor, as a treat. Typical Master plan. How did the Doctor put it in ‘Terror of the Autons’? Vicious, complicated and inefficient. The Master does it all in this one. He’s captured, he’s hypnotizing people, he’s killing people with the ray gun, he’s wearing a mask, he’s breaking into the TARDIS, he’s fixing the TARDIS, he’s criticizing the Doctor for being messy, he’s making deals, he’s working for UNIT for like 10 minutes, he’s running away with the Doctor, he’s running away without the Doctor. Great great great stuff. Now, I’ve been a good girl and kept quiet so far, but I shall not be silent any longer. The levels of Thoschei in this whole season are astronomical. Amazing to see that this ‘ooh they’re exes and the breakup was bad’ energy has been with them from the very beginning. Pertwee and Delgado are great together. They both approach their roles with a certain aura of dignity (read: both the Master and the Doctor snobs), and when they turn that towards each other it’s always very funny to see. That bit where they’re trying to fly the TARDIS but the Doctor forgets to put that little piece back, suddenly remembers, tries to put it back quietly, the Master realises, somehow rolls his eyes without rolling his eyes (Delgado is great at this particular look), and they both just silently agree to ignore what just happened… That’s cinema, my friends. Other little comments: my girl Jo didn’t get to do much this time apart from yelling at a government official, but neither did anyone else apart from the Master, so I’ll let it slide. The Axon threat was pretty good! Seemed like their plan had good chances of actually succeeding. The Doctor was this close to saying ‘timey-whimey’ 40 years too soon in his attempt to explain the time loop to the UNIT gang; not that Three ever would, he’s too chic for that kind of language. They went all out with the sets and costumes on this one, it all looked pretty cool. And finally, SHE’S BACK ONLINE BABEYYY, WELCOME BACK, WORKING TARDIS!!! And thanks to the Master, who’d have thunk? One thing: did the TARDIS herself show him that he needed that light-accelerator switch thingummy to fix the Dematerialization Circuit? From what I understood, the screen on the round things just turned on out of nowhere, zoomed on that bit of the machine, and the Master went “Oh, of course”. Huh. Anyway. I really liked Three’s exile stories. He was constantly trying to fix the TARDIS, visibly upset at being stuck in one place, and I think it worked very well for the character. Gave him something to rebel against, and a very clear goal to work towards. Things are not 100% fixed, though. The TARDIS is rigged to return him to Earth like a “galactic yoyo”, but at least we can move about a bit. At the right time too. I do love the UNIT stories, but it was getting a bit repetitive. mndy View profile Like Liked 2 4 January 2025 · 110 words Review by eldritchlamb Spoilers 2 This review contains spoilers! BRIGADIER: And you came back of your own accord? DOCTOR: Well, I... JO: Doctor? DOCTOR: No. No, I’m afraid not. No, obviously the Time Lords have programmed the TARDIS always to return to Earth. It seems that I’m some kind of a galactic yo-yo! Aww, he doesn't admit that he cares about them. Also I really loved the dynamic between The Doctor and The Master in episode 4. Some really cute Thoschei moments here. Those Axon flesh monsters would have given me nightmares if I had seen this as a child. Overall I think this was a good story. eldritchlamb View profile Like Liked 2 22 November 2024 · 24 words Review by Rock_Angel 1 It’s alright I guess just don’t get why the doctors so f**king rude to Jo even if it is an act Rock_Angel View profile Like Liked 1 4 November 2024 · 72 words Review by ThetaSigmaEarChef A solid, well-paced serial that was mighty enjoyable, with an engaging new one-off character (with a classically classic Who terrible American accent!) The relationship between the Doctor and the Master was interesting, and the end of episode three had a wonderful scene that I've only seen before now in Tumblr GIFs talking about the thoschei relationship - oh, what fun! This serial lived up to it's reputation, and I recommend it wholeheartedly. ThetaSigmaEarChef View profile Like Liked 0 Show All Reviews (8) Open in new window Statistics AVG. Rating428 members 3.39 / 5 Trakt.tv AVG. Rating427 votes 3.80 / 5 The Time Scales AVG. Rating175 votes 3.50 / 5 Member Statistics Watched 781 Favourited 40 Reviewed 8 Saved 5 Skipped 0 Owned 14 Related Stories Main Range • Episode 144 The Feast of Axos Rating: 3.38 Story Skipped Audio Drama Reviews(2) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Big Finish Main Range 101-150 Set of Stories: Big Finish Main Range Set of Stories: Main Range: Sixth Doctor Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Other adaptations of this story: We define an adaptation as a recreation of a similar story but on a different medium or with different characters. Target Collection Doctor Who and the Claws of Axos Rating: 3.54 Story Skipped Book More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: Target Collection Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Quotes Add Quote Link to Quote Favourite AXON MAN [on monitor]: All things must die, Doctor. Mankind, this planet, Axos merely hastens the process. DOCTOR: Oh? How? AXON MAN [on monitor]: Axonite is simply bait for human greed. Because of this greed, Axonite will soon spread across the entire planet and then the nutrition cycle will begin. DOCTOR: Indeed, and what then? AXON MAN [on monitor]: Slowly we will consume every particle of energy, every last cell of living matter. Earth will be sucked dry! — The Claws of Axos Show All Quotes (4) Open in new window Transcript Needs checking Episode One [UNIT radar tracking] (An elegant golden spaceship is picked up on a tracking dish.) RADAR 1: Twenty five mps. One million miles. Mass, variable.RADAR 2: Well, if that's its course, we've discovered a comet. Run another course check.RADAR 1: It's altered its course!RADAR 2: It can't have.RADAR 1: Oh, yes it can, mate. You can say goodbye to your comet, 'because whatever that thing is, it's on collision course and heading straight for Earth. (We get a close up at the approaching ship, with it's organic-looking hull, leech-mouth-like bow, and tail-shaped stern. Inside, large lifeforms with lots of root-like appendages flail around.) Show Full Transcript Open in new window