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TARDIS Guide

Overview

First aired

Saturday, June 20, 1964

Production Code

G

Written by

Peter R. Newman

Directed by

Frank Cox, Mervyn Pinfield

Runtime

150 minutes

Time Travel

Future

Tropes (Potential Spoilers!)

Telepathy, Spaceship

Location (Potential Spoilers!)

Sense Sphere, Space

Synopsis

The Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan arrive in the TARDIS on board a spaceship. Their initial concern is for the ship's human crew, who are suffering from telepathic interference from the Sensorites, but Susan communicates with the Sensorites and finds the aliens fear an attack by the humans and are just defending themselves.

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6 Episodes

Strangers in Space

First aired

Saturday, June 20, 1964

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Peter R. Newman

Directed by

Mervyn Pinfield

UK Viewers

7.9 million

Appreciation Index

59

Synopsis

The 28th century. The TARDIS materialises on a spaceship orbiting a planet known as the Sense-Sphere, whose natives, the Sensorites, have trapped the ship's human crew in a state of paralysis.


The Unwilling Warriors

First aired

Saturday, June 27, 1964

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Peter R. Newman

Directed by

Mervyn Pinfield

UK Viewers

6.9 million

Appreciation Index

59

Synopsis

The Doctor and his companions are on board an Earth ship trapped in orbit around the Sense-Sphere when it is boarded by the Sensorites, who steal the lock mechanism from the TARDIS.


Hidden Danger

First aired

Saturday, July 11, 1964

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Peter R. Newman

Directed by

Mervyn Pinfield

UK Viewers

7.4 million

Appreciation Index

56

Synopsis

The Doctor and his companions are escorted to the Sense-Sphere where they attempt to negotiate with the Sensorites for the release of the TARDIS.


A Race Against Death

First aired

Saturday, July 18, 1964

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Peter R. Newman

Directed by

Mervyn Pinfield

UK Viewers

5.5 million

Appreciation Index

60

Synopsis

With Ian having fallen victim to the Sensorites' plague, the Doctor is desperate to find a cure. But the City Administrator is still determined to rid his world of aliens.


Kidnap

First aired

Saturday, July 25, 1964

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Peter R. Newman

Directed by

Frank Cox

UK Viewers

6.9 million

Appreciation Index

57

Synopsis

The City Administrator is determined to destroy the Doctor and his friends and his paranoia prevents the Doctor's cure from being distributed.


A Desperate Venture

First aired

Saturday, August 1, 1964

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Peter R. Newman

Directed by

Frank Cox

UK Viewers

6.9 million

Appreciation Index

57

Synopsis

While the City Administrator's schemes reach their climax, the Doctor and Ian venture into the tunnels under the city to discover the real cause of the Sensorite plague.



Characters

How to watch The Sensorites:

Reviews

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16 reviews

The problem with the Sensorites is that it starts off really strong with the buildup to the reveal of what they look like and then it sputters a bit with the whole "don't trust the outsider conflict". Like the message about not believing xenophobia is great, but it could have ran along a little faster.


EBP

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the only decent part of this serial was Susans monologue about missing Gallifrey but apart from that its really slow and boring. this could have easily been a two or three parter. overall this is one of my least favourite doctor who serials ever


kawaii2234

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I actually love the pacing even if slow! The story might not be over-complex but I do love Susan in this one and showing her struggles with the Doctor too. She's showing more independence and free will here and I appreciate that so much for her. The other characters are of course also great, but to me, Susan is the highlight here.


rainbownixie

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When i first watched this one i ranked it my second favourite of the season, but over the years it's now one of my least favourites from season 1. It's quite dull and over long.


Scottybguud

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It's fine. The pacing is a little slow but there are plenty of good moments and I enjoy Suzan finally getting her time to shine. The slow pace helped with the build-up of mystery in the first episode and didn't detract too much from the political plots, though it might have if I wasn't using this opportunity to make progress on my current crochet project.

There are some parts of the story that fall apart under scrutiny (such as the Sensorites being unable to recognise each other without their roles being communicated) but most of the plot is fairly solid, something that often feels like a rarity in Doctor Who.


uss-genderprise

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Statistics

AVG. Rating602 members
3.12 / 5

Trakt.tv

AVG. Rating818 votes
3.50 / 5

Member Statistics

Watched

1048

Favourited

49

Reviewed

16

Saved

5

Skipped

1

Quotes

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DOCTOR: I don’t make threats, but I do keep promises.

— First Doctor, The Sensorites

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Transcript Needs checking

Episode One - Strangers In Space

[TARDIS]

IAN: Perhaps we've landed on top of something.
DOCTOR: Yes.
BARBARA: Or inside something.
DOCTOR: Hmm? This says everything has stopped, but the ship.
SUSAN: What did you mean, Barbara, inside something?
IAN: Perhaps that's why we still appear to be moving.
BARBARA: Try the scanner, Doctor.
DOCTOR: Covered with static. Let's try it again, Susan.

(The screen is just streaks of static)

IAN: That could be caused by an unsuppressed motor.
DOCTOR: Yes, or a magnetic field.
SUSAN: Shall we go outside, Grandfather?
DOCTOR: No, I shan't be happy until I've solved this little mystery.
BARBARA: I don't know why we ever bother to leave the ship.
DOCTOR: You're still thinking about the experiences you had with the Aztecs.
BARBARA: No, I've got over that now.
IAN: There's one thing about it, Doctor. We're certainly different from when we started out with you.
SUSAN: That's funny. Grandfather and I were talking about that just before you came in. How you've both changed.
BARBARA: Well we've all changed.
SUSAN: Have I?
BARBARA: Yes.
DOCTOR: Yes, it all started out as a mild curiosity in a junkyard, and now it's turned out to be quite a, quite a great spirit of adventure, don't you think?
IAN: Yes. We've had some pretty rough times and even that doesn't stop us. It's a wonderful thing, this ship of yours, Doctor. Taken us back to prehistoric times, the Daleks.
SUSAN: Marco Polo, Marinus.
BARBARA: And the Aztecs.
DOCTOR: Yes, and that extraordinary quarrel I had with that English king, Henry the Eighth. You know, he threw a parson's nose at me.
BARBARA: What did you do?
DOCTOR: Threw it back, of course. Take them to the Tower, he said. That's why I did it.
BARBARA: Why?
SUSAN: The TARDIS was inside the Tower.
DOCTOR: Of course, it was long before you appeared on the scene. However, now, let us get back to this little problem. Open the door, Susan.
IAN: Have you checked everything, Doctor?
DOCTOR: Yes, yes. Plenty of fresh air, temperature normal.
BARBARA: Oh, just the unknown, then.
DOCTOR: Precisely.


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