Quite a good story with some shakiness in the first 2 parts, certain scenes work quite well, like the exploration in the first part, the interrogation in the second, and the fight scene in the third, and others don't work at all, like some of the companions-bickering scenes, and some stilted expository dialogue in the first 2 parts.

The story itself is a classic take on colonization, with the Moroks standing in for the British and the Xerons standing in for people from really any British colony (which is possibly why the Moroks are dressed in white and the Xerons are dressed in black). So while the setup is good and classic Doctor Who, the execution leaves something to be desired, and lacks much of anything new to say really, this whole dynamic is done much better in other stories, but it works fine here. The story's real strength is the writing itself, the allegory might be simple and not explored as well as it could have been, but all the rest work really well, quite a relief after the slog that was The Web Planet and The Crusade back to back, imo.

I am a big fan of the set design, not that it's really that difficult, but they sell a "space museum" quite well, and I like the costuming, the Morok uniforms are quite snazzy and very 60s.

Part 3 has a very good fight scene for the time with energy and quite good choreography, that manages to stay fun and is clear throughout.
I quite like Lobos as an above-it-all colonizer who's driven by logic and science.
It's moments like these I wish there were more granularity in the review scores, cause in my opinion this is better than a 7 but not quite good enough to be an 8.
7.5/10

📝5/10

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time!

"The Space Museum: A Glitch in Time"

A year after cautioning us about meddling with time, Doctor Who embraced its first true "wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey" adventure with The Space Museum (1965). While the serial opens with intriguing ideas and a hauntingly experimental tone, it quickly devolves into corridor-chases and half-hearted alien drama.

The Thrills of Episode One

The standout feature of this story is undoubtedly its first episode. Much like The Edge of Destruction (1964), it experiments with alternate timelines and dimensions, diving into heady sci-fi concepts through the lens of "time and relativity!" The suspense builds beautifully, culminating in one of the series’ most memorable cliffhangers: “Yes, my dear. And we’ve arrived!” This eerie moment, which shows the crew as museum exhibits, sets up a tantalizing mystery—how can they change a future that seems inevitable?

A Fascinating Premise Left Unexplored

The serial raises compelling questions about fate and whether one’s actions can prevent—or trigger—predestined outcomes. The revived series might call such events “fixed points in time,” but The Space Museum plays with ambiguity, creating an unsettling sense of inevitability. Unfortunately, the brilliance of this concept fizzles out after the first episode.

Corridor Chaos and Stagnant Aliens

What follows is three episodes of the TARDIS crew running, hiding, and sneaking around sterile corridors while trying to outmaneuver their fate. Instead of diving deeper into the rich sci-fi ideas introduced in Episode One, the story devolves into filler.

The subplot involving warring alien factions—the cowardly Moroks and the whiny Xerons—is half-baked and utterly forgettable. The Moroks’ clunky, exposition-heavy dialogue makes them feel more like caricatures than threats, while the Xerons come across as rebellious teenagers rather than compelling freedom fighters.

The Doctor and Companions Shine

Amid the lackluster plot, the regular cast delivers stellar performances. William Hartnell is in top form, portraying the Doctor as both clever and mischievously funny. His confrontation with Lobos in Episode Two and his cheeky hiding spot inside a Dalek shell are standout moments.

Ian (William Russell) channels his inner action hero, gleefully wielding a prop gun and taking charge of the revolution. Barbara (Jacqueline Hill) remains resourceful and composed, even as her cardigan becomes a plot device. Meanwhile, Maureen O’Brien’s Vicki grows into her role, charmingly inciting a revolution among the Xerons. The camaraderie and teamwork among the TARDIS crew elevate an otherwise tepid story.

Production Misfires

The visual and conceptual design of The Space Museum leaves much to be desired. The planet Xeros is bland, the museum’s barren interiors lack alien intrigue, and the model work feels uninspired. Even the Moroks and Xerons look like budget knockoffs from Star Trek.

However, the incidental music stands out as a highlight, blending ’60s thriller vibes with a sci-fi edge that gives the story some much-needed atmosphere.

No Stakes, No Payoff

While the plot hinges on the crew racing against time, there’s little urgency or escalation. The revolution subplot drags, and the climactic resolution feels rushed and unsatisfying. Instead of building to a thrilling conclusion, the serial fizzles out, leaving the audience waiting for the next adventure.

The Space Museum starts with a brilliant premise and an unforgettable first episode but squanders its potential with uninspired execution and lackluster pacing. While the regular cast shines, the underwhelming alien conflict and stagnant middle episodes make this a missed opportunity. A fascinating idea, but not one that stands the test of time.

RANDOM OBSERVATIONS:

• Ian’s clever use of Barbara’s cardigan as a breadcrumb trail is a delightful moment, made even better by Barbara returning the favor in the next story with Ian’s cardigan.
• The museum’s barren aesthetic feels more "budget cut" than "alien mystery."
• Glyn Jones' dialogue for the Moroks is a missed opportunity—clunky and overly expository, it drags the story down.

I had a decent enough time with The Space Museum. It's hardly exceptional - while I find it a pretty fun set-up and an interesting exploration of time travel ideas the series would be exploring for a very long time, and I found the setting fun, too, it does lose steam after a bit. I definitely find part one is a great start while the rest largely flounders and struggles to live up to that, but nothing about the rest of the parts are entirely objectionable, either.

This episode is an absolute blast! Great concept! Great character work!

The party experiences what can best be described as a “hiccup in time”. They’ve arrived at the end of an adventure they haven’t had yet. One where they end up as exhibitions in a space museum. They now get a chance to redo their adventure. It’s up to them to change their timeline, so that this exhibition future does not come to pass. But how do you change your timeline if you don’t know what you did before?

This type of story is hard to explain, but it is shown well on screen. The concept is clear. Prevent the future from happening. It’s kind of baffling to me that Doctor Who is already trying deep, complicated time travel shenanigans in its second TV season. This feels on par with something the 11th doctor would go through, for example.

Aside from the premise, this story is great fun. The setting is unique and our main cast is having all kinds of fun. The doctor is running around like giggly child and I’m almost giggling along with him.

It also contains something we don’t see with these characters all that often. This might even be the first: There’s a full blown argument within the group (except doctor). It’s kind of unique, and while it isn’t necessarily plot related, it makes them all feel so human. They just had a bad moment, but it’s all good. I could watch these people for days.

Other highlights of character are sprinkled through the story. The Doctor gets interrogated by a machine that can look into his mind, and it made me laugh out loud. That hasn’t happened before.

Vicki also gets some strong moments, by showing some knowledge that only someone from the future could know. She even has some hackers skills. I feel this is earned for her. She has always acted a little haughty towards the other for being “primitive”, and this shows she can back up what she says. She also gets to incite the revolution this time, and her hype for it all is really contagious. Makes me wanna protest something.

Apart from the argument, Barbara and Ian get less stuff to do, and I’m starting to see a pattern. Maybe we’re winding down on them a bit. I know we don’t have much time left. And I feel that there are still some developments (Ian still has that new sternness, like he’s a bit disillusioned with it all). But I don’t think we’re going to get much more new stuff from them. A shame, but that’s not purely on this episode.

Plotwise, the stuff on display is fine. All the non-party characters feel a little wimpy, but I feel like that’s intentional. The characters are very much the strongest force on this planet, which is good. If other forces were totally overpowering them, it would be hard to change their own future. The Moroks are speed bumps in this challenge, but they serve their purpose. The only problem I see is that the bump section can feel a little long.

Other than that, I really can’t find many flaws with this story. It’s a story that pits our characters against time itself, and does so quite well. Character moments are there in spades and it all just works great. Even the next time teaser is cool! Maybe it could be a bit shorter, but honestly, I wasn’t ready to leave yet anyway.

This story blends a classic Doctor Who plot - the colonisation metaphor and subsequent revolution - with something new that will become a staple of the show - sideways time travel. I think both parts work quite well here, though they have been done better elsewhere.

The sideways time travel left me a bit confused. I don't think the explanation really works, but it was easy enough to look past and just enjoy the story. I do think it's a bit odd that this story is firmly on the side of time travel bein able to change the future, to the point where the Doctor doesn't even mention paradoxes.

The revolution story was fine. It wasn't really the focus of this serial, and it works well for what it is. I really like how Vicki gets to shine helping the revolution happen. I also really like the little detail of the Moroks wearing white while the Xerons wear black, I think it adds to the metaphor.

All in all, this story is nothing special but I never felt like it dragged and I had a pretty good time watching it, and that's all I can really ask for in this era.