Stories Television Doctor Who Season 9 Serial: 1 2 3 4 5 The Mutants 1 image Overview Episodes Characters How to Watch Reviews 9 Statistics Related Stories Quotes 3 Transcript Overview First aired Saturday, April 8, 1972 Production Code NNN Written by Bob Baker, Dave Martin Directed by Christopher Barry Runtime 150 minutes Time Travel Future Tropes (Potential Spoilers!) Environmental Message, Human Colony, Mission from the Time Lords Story Arc (Potential Spoilers!) Exile on Earth Inventory (Potential Spoilers!) Sonic Screwdriver Location (Potential Spoilers!) Solos Synopsis The Time Lords send the Doctor and Jo on a mission to deliver a sealed message pod to an unknown party aboard a Skybase orbiting the planet Solos in the 30th century. They are caught quickly in a power struggle between the cruel Marshal of Solos and the young Solonian Ky over the future of Solos — a future that hinges on the contents of the message. 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 6 Episodes Episode One First aired Saturday, April 8, 1972 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Bob Baker Dave Martin Directed by Christopher Barry UK Viewers 9.1 million Synopsis The Doctor and Jo arrive on the planet Solos, on a assignment by the Time Lords, where they learn that the native Solonians are mutating into ant-like mutant creatures... Episode Two First aired Saturday, April 15, 1972 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Bob Baker Dave Martin Directed by Christopher Barry UK Viewers 7.8 million Synopsis Ky transports himself and Jo down to Solos and the Marshal only agrees to help her if the Doctor assists Professor Jaeger in altering Solos' atmosphere. Episode Three First aired Saturday, April 22, 1972 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Bob Baker Dave Martin Directed by Christopher Barry UK Viewers 7.9 million Synopsis The Doctor and Varan travel down to Solos to search for Jo and Ky but the Marshal orders his men to pursue them. Episode Four First aired Saturday, April 29, 1972 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Bob Baker Dave Martin Directed by Christopher Barry UK Viewers 7.5 million Synopsis The Doctor and his friends are led to safety by Professor Sondergaard, who tries to help the Doctor translate the tablets. Episode Five First aired Saturday, May 6, 1972 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Bob Baker Dave Martin Directed by Christopher Barry UK Viewers 7.9 million Synopsis The Marshal's premature use of Jaeger's experiment is threatening to destroy Solos' atmosphere and the Doctor returns to Skybase to try and correct the damage. Episode Six First aired Saturday, May 13, 1972 Runtime 25 minutes Written by Bob Baker Dave Martin Directed by Christopher Barry UK Viewers 6.5 million Synopsis The Doctor is forced to help the Marshal cover up his actions with the Investigator but Jo and the others attempt to escape to expose him. Show All Episodes Characters Third Doctor Jo Grant How to watch The Mutants: Watch on iPlayer Blu-Ray The Collection – Season 9 DVD The Mutants VHS The Mutants (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 9 reviews 18 April 2025 · 20 words Review by Azurillkirby 1 I actually really liked this one! A very cohesive plot for a six-episode serial, with some biting political commentary. A+. Azurillkirby View profile Like Liked 1 18 April 2025 · 41 words Review by Scottybguud Another one where the time lords send the doctor on a mission. Apart from Peladon, this doctor on another planet aren't very good stories so far. Just like Colony, this one is a bit boring but has a few ok scenes. Scottybguud View profile Like Liked 0 23 February 2025 · 121 words Review by mndy Spoilers 1 This review contains spoilers! Man, this one hard to get through. A couple good ideas, like the metamorphosis being supposed to happen and the whole colonialism+Apartheid analogy, but God the characters were terrible and the science (particle inversion?) was noticeably wonky, too silly even by DW standards. I think this story would work better as a tighter 4-parter rather than the 6-parter it is. I lost count on how many times they go from the planet surface to the Skybase and back again. The main villain, the Marshal, was just so over the top evil and despicable his motives weren't even interesting, and his communicator stick thingy was dumb. This is the first Pertwee story that didn't click with me, which is a shame. mndy View profile Like Liked 1 19 February 2025 · 134 words Review by TheDHolford 1 “They are monsters, they don’t deserve to live!” Sadly, it’s possibly one of the worst, if not the worst of the Pertwee era. A story with some great ideas, and some really great direction and visuals but it’s just so boring and drab. Six repetitive episodes that don’t particularly say it do much, with rather boring characters other than the Marshall, who is a fun, albeit scenery chewing villain. The visuals are decent however. Some great direction, and really great use of lighting, especially in the caves and some fun use of the space ship. The costumes for the mutants themselves is decent too, even if they feel underutilised overall. It’s sadly just boring, far too long, with a lack of material to really manage to capture any level of intrigue over six episodes. TheDHolford View profile Like Liked 1 22 November 2024 · 5 words Review by Rock_Angel 1 THAT WAS FUCKING ASS NUMBING Rock_Angel View profile Like Liked 1 Show All Reviews (9) Open in new window Statistics AVG. Rating414 members 2.91 / 5 Trakt.tv AVG. Rating407 votes 3.65 / 5 Member Statistics Watched 793 Favourited 23 Reviewed 9 Saved 6 Skipped 1 Related Stories The Blogs of Doom The Investigator Rating: ??? Story Skipped Short Story More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: The Blogs of Doom 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 Mutants Rating: 3.41 Story Skipped Book Reviews(2) 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 JAEGER: Earth is fighting for its survival. The side-effects are of no importance! DOCTOR: Genocide is a side-effect? You ought to write a paper on that, Professor. — The Mutants Show All Quotes (3) Open in new window Transcript Needs checking Episode One [Solos] (An old man dressed in rags and with a huge grey beard is making his way through the scrubby vegetation, half hidden by the mist. He is out of breath and frightened.) MARSHAL [OC]: Over here! Move in! Path! He's heading to the path! This way! Over here! (A slightly portly man in black uniform with silver trim, helmet and breathing mask is carrying a device which is bleeping. He rips off the mask and shouts.) Show Full Transcript Open in new window
