The Web Planet

Directed by

Mind Control, TARDIS is damaged

Runtime

150 minutes

Time Travel

Future

Tropes (Potential Spoilers!)

Inventory (Potential Spoilers!)

Fluid Link, Signet ring

Location (Potential Spoilers!)

Vortis

Synopsis

On the planet Vortis, the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki are swept up in the struggles of the butterfly-like Menoptera, the original denizens of Vortis who were forced to flee the planet for the moon Pictos to escape the encroaching web of the Animus and its mind-controlled minions, the ant-like Zarbi, and their living weapons, the larvae guns.

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6 Episodes

First aired

Saturday, February 13, 1965

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

13.5 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

The TARDIS is drawn by a mysterious force and lands on the alien planet Vortis. There the Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Vicki find themselves caught up in a war between an evil force known as "The Animus", its ant-like Zarbi allies, and the butterfly-like Menoptra race and their allies the subterranean Optera.

The Zarbi

First aired

Saturday, February 20, 1965

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

12.5 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

The Doctor, Ian and Vicki are captured by the Zarbi while Barbara meets up with the butterfly-like Menoptera who are trying to reclaim the planet.

Escape to Danger

First aired

Saturday, February 27, 1965

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

12.5 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

The Doctor is forced to co-operate with the Animus but Ian uses the opportunity to make an escape attempt.

Crater of Needles

First aired

Saturday, March 6, 1965

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

13 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

Ian and Vrestin are captured by the subterranean Optera while Barbara and her Menoptera allies attempt to escape from the slave camp.

Invasion

First aired

Saturday, March 13, 1965

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

12 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

Barbara and the surviving Menoptera take refuge in the Temple of Light while the Doctor and Vicki attempt to escape by taking control of a Zarbi.

The Centre

First aired

Saturday, March 20, 1965

Runtime

25 minutes

Written by

Directed by

UK Viewers

11.5 million

Appreciation Index

Synopsis

The Doctor and Vicki are taken before the Animus but the isoptope is left behind in the laboratory.The only hope of victory lies with Barbara and her Menoptera allies.

Characters

First Doctor

William Hartnell

Ian Chesterton

William Russell

How to watch The Web Planet:

Watch on iPlayer

Blu-Ray

The Collection – Season 2

DVD

The Web Planet

VHS

The Web Planet (VHS) (Part 1)

VHS

The Web Planet (VHS) (Part 2)

Reviews
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14 reviews

AAAAAAAAAAAAH THE NOISES SAVE ME SAVE ME I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE THANK YOU THIS EPISODE IS OVER END OF REVIEW 0/10

Pandhawk

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Review last edited on 2-02-25

i didnt really understand what was happening the whole time and it seemed to metaphorically be about maintaining your society's supposed natural order. no other species should be allowed to evolve above humans or move away from being used by humans for farming, etc. very odd. did not need to be six parts and the poor costumes constantly took me out of the story. i do appreciate playing with evolution and the idea that insects could become the dominant species

lizshaw

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Review last edited on 1-01-25

This review contains spoilers!

This is a Story that most would probably disagree with me. While I don’t think it’s bad, I don’t really think it’s good either. It’s something that is in a weird limbo for me, where I was never able to articulate my proper thoughts.
I do appreciate the ambition, even through it was clear that they were maybe a bit too ambition, then again for all its flaws, what is doctor who, if not trying (even if it doesn’t work much in this case).
Still there are things I love, I love the whole Planet of Vortis and all its inhabitants, the Costumes are a bit clunky, but I say if anything the sound design is probably the most clunkiest yet (but not the worst in the Hartnell era). I think our leads do great, especially Hartnell and his short moments, like when the Tardis is gone. Such an excellent Moment. The Animus while a bit clunky is very charming and is probably the Highlight of the new concepts here. I am not the biggest fan of the blurry picture, but it’s an interesting decision. Still I am not sure if this really needed 6 Episodes, don’t get me wrong I love long Stories, but this one could have used its time a little better (and it kinda hurts to say that when I defend longer Serials).

I definitely get why it’s not liked at all, there is a lot not to like. Clunky Execution, not the best of script, and maybe a bit too much ambitious for its own good. If anything I do give it credit for its ambition and unlike a certain story that comes later in Hartnells Run cough The Toymaker cough I think it is somewhat charming despite being certainly on the weaker side of his Era. And hey while it can get annoying (even for me) at times, at least I wasn’t bored about it and honestly that’s a big plus in my book (being boring is probably the worst a who story can be for me, personally speaking).

It’s a complicated one for me to review, but yeah that’s my quick thoughts about it.

RandomJoke

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Review last edited on 15-12-24

“You know, Doctor, I’m getting quite fond of Zombo”

Du Méliès croisé McCarthy qui montre tout un monde alien assez créatif, mais le rythme n'est vraiment pas à la hauteur, et l’histoire bien qu’attachante est juste pénible.

C’est con, car sa production est extraordinaire! Vortis est une planète envoûtante au charme un peu ringard, et les décors et les costumes font vivre tout un monde de mystère et de magie.

Seulement, le script (anti communiste) est absolument médiocre, et ne tire jamais profit de la douce folie de sa production.

Chaque plan invite alors peut être au rêve mais tout le reste endort surtout son spectateur.

Dogtor

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Review last edited on 11-11-24

The Web Planet is a serial that doesn't bother with little things like "plot" or "identifiable side characters". It could stand as a psychedelic film alongside the likes of Head (1968) were it not for the fact that the Doctor and his gang keep showing up

greenLetterT

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Review last edited on 28-10-24