I suppose there should be a weight of expectation on a Doctor's final story, but I've never read a rave review of The Tenth Planet, or heard it referred to as an all-time classic. As a result of this I went into this with measured expectations and was blown away by episode one. We're in 1986, the south pole and there is a cosmopolitan mix of different arctic submarine officials who Ben, Polly and The Doctor get mixed up with. Then, there's the death of submarine officials and the big reveal - Cybermen! They receive the best introduction of any monster in Doctor Who so far, silently slinking on the far end of the screen, ignoring the screams of the helpless man trying to break into the TARDIS for safety; before coldly killing him off. I left episode one with my expectations quadrupled and surprised to see something of a "series finale" element in Hartnell's last story.

These Cybermen are creepy, half-human and all the worse for it, they are people who have adapted themselves to increase their lifespan, they have super-strength, but their adaption has gone out of control, they no longer have feelings. This enables them to control a room full of powerful people and sabotage their attempts to protect the base with only a couple of weapons and a cold outlook on the value of human life.

My main reservation is that the Doctor is not given enough to do, and with this being his last episode you want to saver every moment. Ben and Polly's involvement in the plot is variable. At points Polly is reduced to making tea for the boys. She does get to come up for a plan to stop General Cutler going too far in his efforts to destroy Mondas with a Z bomb, but its Ben that actually gets to carry this out. It is worth noting that we see perhaps the first credible and impressive role written for a black actor in the show though, going a small way to make up for the character of Jamaica in previous story The Smugglers.

As the end of episode three draws near the nerve-wracking countdown to the release of the z-bomb starts. This is a great cliff-hanger. Thankfully for episode four I have the BBC animation. In the final part there is of course one "unexpected" twist, something which has never happened before. The First Doctor's last few moments are astonishing, understated "it is far from being all over; I must get back to the TARDIS - immediately, yes I must go now; I must go at once; ah yes thank you; keep warm."

Ben and Polly bang on the TARDIS door, frightened about being left behind, meanwhile The Doctor is about to endure his first regeneration. He looks at the TARDIS console with his last few breaths, the machine whirring, something is happening! Ben and Polly run in to care for The Doctor who is now on the ground. This scene is some of the best Doctor Who has ever served up. William Hartnell disappears and Patrick Troughton takes his place. The First Doctor has left the building.

This is a cool episode, not just because it is the first regeneration (although that sequence is quite interesting).  What really stands out here is how well and realized the Cybermen are.  Sure, they come across as a bit goofy, but they are also brought along with a certain sense of dread, and they nicely do the sci-fi thing of exemplifying fears and concerns about humans elective-surgery-ing themselves into monsters.  I found it pretty fascinating overall, even in things did get a little shouty near the end.  It's a bittersweet kind of story in that it is sad so see Hartnell go, but you can tell his health problems were getting to him and you can't help but mourn him a bit while watching these episodes.  An easy story to identify as much-watch in the world of Doctor Who, even if the last episode is tragically missing.

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“THE TENTH PLANET: THE CYBERMEN ARRIVE, HARTNELL DEPARTS, AND DOCTOR WHO IS FOREVER CHANGED”

Few Doctor Who stories can claim to have reshaped the series as fundamentally as The Tenth Planet. Broadcast in 1966, this serial marks a seismic shift in the show’s mythology, giving us not one but three major firsts: the introduction of the Cybermen, the concept of regeneration (initially termed "renewal"), and the now-familiar base-under-siege format that would dominate the Second Doctor’s era. It's the final bow for William Hartnell as the First Doctor—though due to illness, he's barely present for a third of the story. Yet, his spectral presence lingers heavily throughout, as the Doctor’s weakening body mirrors the shifting identity of the show itself.

SCIENCE FICTION WITH A SEMI-REALISTIC BENT

Written by scientist Kit Pedler (serving as unofficial scientific advisor to the show) and script edited by Gerry Davis, The Tenth Planet stands out for its attempt to ground its science fiction concepts in something vaguely plausible. Pedler’s speculative science—ranging from the Earth’s twin planet Mondas to energy-draining Cybermen—may not pass scientific scrutiny today, but his instincts are in the right place. There’s a clear effort to build a world that feels consistent and technologically grounded, even if the notion of a rogue planet suddenly orbiting Earth with no catastrophic consequences is pure fantasy.

Interestingly, Pedler’s vision of 1986 (twenty years into the future at the time) feels particularly quaint today, with its idea of a unified space command staffed by personnel from various countries—an optimistic gesture that fits the globalist leanings of mid-century sci-fi. It’s notable, too, for its diverse cast, including a Black astronaut, which was nearly unheard of in British television of the time. While his character doesn’t survive the ordeal, his presence reflects a quietly progressive undercurrent in a show that was often ahead of its time.

ENTER: THE CYBERMEN

If nothing else, The Tenth Planet earns its iconic status for introducing the Cybermen—one of the show’s most enduring and unsettling monsters. These original cloth-faced, half-human creations from Mondas are a world away from the stompy, metallic versions of the modern era. Their sing-song voices, dispassionate logic, and uncanny, semi-humanoid appearances render them eerie in a way few later versions manage. There's something genuinely disturbing about their almost-human quality, the sense that they were once people who willingly shed their humanity in pursuit of longevity and perfection.

Their debut is executed with a masterclass in suspense and atmosphere. The icy Antarctic setting, the blizzard-swept exteriors, and the slow march of the Cybermen toward the base all culminate in the unforgettable cliffhanger at the end of Part One—a moment that still chills. By Part Two, the Cybermen have essentially taken control of the base, asserting dominance with their emotionless pragmatism. They remain a consistent threat throughout the story, commanding both the attention of the characters and the audience.

And yet, ironically, the titular tenth planet, Mondas, is itself a tragic figure—its destruction, triggered by its proximity to Earth and its own energy absorption, marks the demise of the Cybermen (at least for now). The image of the creatures collapsing into empty shells is striking, visually and thematically underscoring the dangers of abandoning emotion and humanity in pursuit of immortality.

THE DOCTOR FADES AWAY

Unfortunately, Hartnell’s health issues meant he was entirely absent from Part Three and largely sidelined in Part Two. It’s a huge shame, especially as this is his final story and a golden opportunity to go out in style. Instead, the script awkwardly contrives ways to write the Doctor out of scenes, reducing him to a more reactive, peripheral figure in a story that ought to have been his swan song.

However, this absence is ultimately woven into the fabric of the narrative. The idea that the Doctor’s body is wearing thin feels eerily appropriate, and Hartnell’s final turn in Part Four—where he rises one last time to outwit the Cybermen—feels like a quiet reclamation of his importance. His final collapse in the TARDIS, as the controls seemingly operate themselves, is a haunting moment, beautifully realised despite the limitations of the time. Though the term "regeneration" is never uttered, the visual transformation at the story’s close—sparkling light, a flash, and suddenly a new face—is now etched into television history.

Fans familiar with Twice Upon a Time will appreciate the link, as that story effectively interweaves itself with the events of The Tenth Planet, giving Hartnell's Doctor a more fitting farewell than he was able to receive in 1966.

A WEAK MIDDLE ACT

While the serial begins and ends on powerful notes, Part Three is undeniably the weakest link. With the Doctor absent and no Cybermen in sight, the episode grinds to a halt, spinning its wheels with scenes of military debate, failed communications, and increasingly dull arguments about the Z-Bomb. Even within Part One, the scenes involving space command’s back-and-forth with the space rocket crew feel a bit padded.

Still, the base-under-siege formula that’s seeded here would go on to become a staple of the Troughton era, and the serial’s attempts at building a tense, enclosed scenario are effective. The polar base is tightly realised, with impressive production design and soundscapes that evoke the biting cold of the Antarctic setting. The tension inside the base is mirrored by the literal storm outside, creating a pressure-cooker environment that gives the story a palpable atmosphere.

THE HUMAN ELEMENT

Among the guest cast, Robert Beatty gives a commanding performance as the blustering General Cutler—every bit the militaristic obstacle that the anarchic Doctor so often rails against. Cutler’s unbending authority, emotional instability (especially after his son’s death), and aggressive posturing make him as much of a threat to the base’s survival as the Cybermen themselves. He represents the danger of command without empathy, and his clash with the more measured Dr Barclay (David Dodimead) adds an extra layer of human drama.

On the flip side, Ben and Polly are frustratingly underserved. Polly begins the story as promisingly active, but is soon relegated to coffee duty, while Ben spends most of his time getting captured or locked up. It’s a shame, considering this is one of only a handful of stories featuring this TARDIS team before the transition to Troughton.

A MISSING PIECE, AN ANIMATED SOLUTION

The final episode of The Tenth Planet is famously lost, but it has been gorgeously reconstructed through Planet 55’s animation, which—despite being an earlier effort in the animation series—does a solid job of capturing the style, tone, and character likenesses of the original. The final defeat of the Cybermen, with their suits collapsing into piles of cloth and wire, is particularly well executed. It’s a fitting capstone to a story that constantly underlines the fragility of even the most powerful enemies.

DEREK MARTINUS' BEST WORK

Director Derek Martinus does arguably his finest work here. The exterior Antarctic scenes feel perilous and convincing despite the studio constraints, and he gets solid performances from a large cast in a confined setting. He also injects the Cybermen with a genuine sense of menace through thoughtful blocking, stark lighting, and deliberate pacing. The only notable flaw is the frequent overlapping dialogue, which occasionally causes key lines to be drowned out in the chaos.

📝 VERDICT: 7/10

The Tenth Planet is not a perfect story—it suffers from a slow middle act, underused companions, and the absence of its leading man for a quarter of its runtime. But what it does achieve is historic: it introduces the Cybermen in genuinely creepy form, establishes the regeneration concept that would define the show’s future, and delivers a strong base-under-siege narrative with a rich atmosphere and thematic depth. Kit Pedler’s attempts at “serious” sci-fi don’t always land, but they give the story a distinct flavour. Add in solid direction, a diverse cast, and that haunting final scene in the TARDIS, and The Tenth Planet becomes far more than just a send-off—it’s a rebirth.

The Tenth Planet is a story that logically shouldn’t work.

Think about it for a second. It is a story entirely set within a very, very small base. Its main character doesn’t show up for half of the episodes. None of the main characters have an influence on the events that take place. And all the while this is supposed to be a sort of soft reboot for the program! That’s madness!

Yet it has become one of the most mythologized pieces of Doctor Who history. A milestone for its further success. How did that happen?

Our party lands on the North Pole, where they soon come across a small underground base made to trace the trajectory of rockets and space stations. Problems arise, however, when the base loses contact with one of their rockets. On top of that, they discover a new planet in our own solar system. And its inhabitants are on their way…

Those “inhabitants” are the now iconic cybermen. Showing up for the first time. Their original look has gotten a lot of praise in recent years and it is easy to see why. Their depiction of a human race that has destroyed themselves shows in every little detail. When they talk, they sometimes stretch out vowels, which makes you feel like they have a lobotomized brain. When you see their human hands or spot an eye, it doesn’t feel like not a budget constraint, but a glimpse at what they once were. It all adds up to an eerily familiar creature that feels uncanny in an oddly familiar way.

They are an obvious highlight, which is kind of surprising because it is mostly on principle. Their mythology carries them through the story. On screen, they mostly do the standard monster behavior. Be threatening, shoot stuff. But their background gives you an image of a society that completely imploded on a planetary scale. And now that awful planet is bringing its ideals to earth. In person no less.

The sense of dread the planet brings is further strengthened by the resolution. In the end, neither side has truly won. The cybermen may run on logic, but their lack of urgency destroys them. On the other side, General Cutler almost destroys the entire planet because he wants to save his son as quickly as possible. This eventually costs him his life. It promotes the idea of balance. Humans are both logical and emotional, and can’t succeed unless they accept both parts of themselves.

Maybe that’s me reading to deep into things. But I think that’s exactly why this story has its reputation. Its ambiguity allows for watchers to speculate. To think deeper about the subject matter presented. It makes you ask questions and think about things in a new light.

Hell, that even extends to the Doctor, who suddenly changes face as the credits roll. Maybe the already established sense of inquiry allowed viewers to accept the change a bit more readily? To be less judgmental as the status quo changes?

The Tenth Planet is a story that logically shouldn’t work. But luckily, it is a story that works on an emotional level. It uses a sense of dread, mystery and ambiguity to lodge itself into your brain. And once it has wormed its way in there, it might just make you a little bit more introspective. A message of growth hidden between the brain-butchering cybermen. What’s more human than that?

The Tenth Planet is a very mediocre sort of story. The Cyberman designs are really fun, better than the more recent more robotic versions just by virtue of how it reminds you they were human once, too, but then it doesn't really do much interesting with them other than an "Oh no! The enemy is invading the world again!" plot. The side characters are okay but nothing special, so the plot is mostly carried by the main cast, but even then Polly as the single female character in the whole serial gets sidelined as The Screamer every time the Cybermen enter.

But perhaps more than any of that, I'm going to miss the First Doctor :(