Stories Television Doctor Who Season 5 Classic Who S5 Serial: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 The Wheel in Space 1 image Overview Episodes Characters How to Watch Reviews 7 Statistics Related Stories Quotes 5 Transcript Overview First aired Saturday, April 27, 1968 Production Code SS Written by David Whitaker, Kit Pedler Directed by Tristan DeVere Cole Runtime 150 minutes Story Type New Companion Introduction, Series Finale Time Travel Future Tropes (Potential Spoilers!) Base Under Siege, Robots, The Doctor’s Name Location (Potential Spoilers!) Space Synopsis The TARDIS materialises on board a spaceship, the Silver Carrier, where the Second Doctor and Jamie are attacked by a servo robot. Jamie contacts a nearby space station known as the Wheel and they are rescued. Meanwhile, the Silver Carrier discharges Cybermats, which also travel to and enter the station. These pave the way for the invasion of the station by Cybermen, who intend to use its direct radio link with Earth as a beacon for their invasion fleet. 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 1 Missing First aired Saturday, April 27, 1968 Runtime 25 minutes Written by David Whitaker Kit Pedler Directed by Tristan DeVere Cole UK Viewers 7.2 million Appreciation Index 57 Synopsis The Doctor and Jamie arrive on a mysterious spacecraft whose only occupant is a dangerous Servo Robot. Episode 2 Missing First aired Saturday, May 4, 1968 Runtime 25 minutes Written by David Whitaker Kit Pedler Directed by Tristan DeVere Cole UK Viewers 6.9 million Appreciation Index 60 Synopsis The Doctor and Jamie are brought aboard the Wheel where Jamie is horrified to learn the crew plan to destroy the Silver Carrier with the TARDIS on board. Episode 3 First aired Saturday, May 11, 1968 Runtime 25 minutes Written by David Whitaker Kit Pedler Directed by Tristan DeVere Cole UK Viewers 7.5 million Appreciation Index 55 Synopsis Jamie sabotages the Wheel's x-ray laser, unknowingly giving the Cybermen an opportunity to reach the Wheel. Episode 4 Missing First aired Saturday, May 18, 1968 Runtime 25 minutes Written by David Whitaker Kit Pedler Directed by Tristan DeVere Cole UK Viewers 8.6 million Appreciation Index 56 Synopsis The Cybermen instruct their human slaves to smuggle them onto the Wheel while the Doctor attempts to convince Bennett of the threat they pose. Episode 5 Missing First aired Saturday, May 25, 1968 Runtime 25 minutes Written by David Whitaker Kit Pedler Directed by Tristan DeVere Cole UK Viewers 6.8 million Appreciation Index 57 Synopsis The Cybermen gain control of more members of the Wheel crew and the Doctor realises the only way to stop them is for Jamie and Zoe to make a dangerous space walk. Episode 6 First aired Saturday, June 1, 1968 Runtime 25 minutes Written by David Whitaker Kit Pedler Directed by Tristan DeVere Cole UK Viewers 6.5 million Appreciation Index 62 Synopsis Jamie and Zoe attempt to recover the time vector generator while the Cybermen realise the Doctor is on the Wheel and make him their prime target. Show All Episodes Characters Second Doctor Patrick Troughton Jamie McCrimmon Frazer Hines Zoe Heriot Wendy Padbury First Appearance Cybermats Cybermen Show All Characters (5) How to watch The Wheel in Space: Watch on iPlayer DVD Lost in Time VHS Cybermen: The Early Years (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 7 reviews 22 March 2025 · 107 words Review by dema1020 Spoilers This review contains spoilers! So I liked the introduction for Zoe here, especially thanks to the setting, which feels creative, unique, and like a fun choice overall. I also like how this is the first use of the "Doctor John Smith" alias for the Doctor, and there's some fun back and forth between the Doctor and Jaime thanks to scenes like that. The rest of the serial feels like a real slog, though. It's a boring and slow-moving story, while the Cybermen don't really feel effectively used at all. It's too bad, as this feels like a story full of missed potential rather than one devoid of any value at all. dema1020 View profile Like Liked 0 22 March 2025 · 52 words Review by greenLetterT 1 There's "slow-building plot" and then there's "the central antagonists don't show up properly until episode 3 of 6, rendering the first 40 minutes an awful lot of people standing around in spaceships and talking." I liked Zoe, but it feels like they just forgot to give anyone else on-board the Wheel any sort of characterisation greenLetterT View profile Like Liked 1 17 March 2025 · 32 words Review by Scottybguud 1 This most recent watch, I enjoyed this a little more than previously. Good side characters, the Cybermen are seem more intimidating here than most of classic, especially stories after this. Not bad. Scottybguud View profile Like Liked 1 17 November 2024 · 106 words Review by Dogtor 1 Original (French) Translation (English) “Logic, my dear Zoe, merely enables one to be wrong with authority.” Un dernier faux pas pour la saison. On peut au moins louer la caractérisation de Zoé, mais le reste est tellement dispensable que même avec ses qualités, The Wheel in Space ne décolle pas vraiment. Ceci dit la première partie est particulièrement intéressante, car c’est du pur Hartnell, avec des personnages qui explorent un vaisseau et un développement intelligent. Mais j’aurais quand même presque aimé que l’histoire soit plus courte, plus intense, car ici ça traîne trop et pour rien. Click here to translate Dogtor View profile Like Liked 1 8 September 2024 · 105 words Review by ItsR0b0tNinja Spoilers 2 This review contains spoilers! While it is rather slow to get started, once it does, it moves along at a decent pace. While not the most complex or action packed serial, there was enough here to keep me engaged the entire time. The whole cast of characters is interesting and has a part to play in the overall story. While the Cybermen voices are still in the bad era, their presence in this story is welcome and rather well done. Zoe also fits right in with the regular cast. The recon was rather well done. As much as I appreciate Loose Cannon, they can't compete with the official releases. ItsR0b0tNinja View profile Like Liked 2 Show All Reviews (7) Open in new window Statistics AVG. Rating329 members 2.94 / 5 Trakt.tv AVG. Rating344 votes 3.55 / 5 Member Statistics Watched 602 Favourited 17 Reviewed 7 Saved 3 Skipped 3 Related Stories 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: The Wheel In Space Rating: 3.50 Story Skipped Book Reviews(1) 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 Other variations of this story We define a variation as another way of experiencing the exact same story - like an autiobook, a reconstruction or an omnibus edition. BBC Audio Soundtracks The Wheel in Space (BBC Audio Soundtrack) Rating: 2.90 Story Skipped Soundtrack Reviews(1) More Actions View Sets Close Related Sets Set of Stories: BBC Audio Soundtracks Add Review Edit Review Skip Skipped Unowned Owned Save to my list Saved Quotes Add Quote Link to Quote Favourite DOCTOR: Logic, my dear Zoe, merely enables one to be wrong with authority. — Second Doctor, The Wheel in Space Show All Quotes (5) Open in new window Transcript Needs checking Episode One [TARDIS] JAMIE: We can't just leave her.DOCTOR: We're not leaving her, Jamie. It was her decision to stay. She'll be perfectly all right with the Harrises. Now don't worry so much.JAMIE: I'm not, I'm just. Och, come on, let's go.DOCTOR: Well, where would you like to go?JAMIE: I couldn't care less.DOCTOR: I was fond of her too, you know, Jamie. (The TARDIS dematerialises and Victoria's image fades from the screen. Later in the flight, Jamie is dozing in a chair.) DOCTOR: Jamie, we're landing. Jamie!JAMIE: Huh?DOCTOR: We're landing!JAMIE: Oh.DOCTOR: Let's have a look at the scanner, shall we? Show Full Transcript Open in new window
