Doctor Who: Alternative Seasons - Spin-off 1: The Peter Cushing Movies

 

This is part of an ongoing look at Doctor Who as a whole. It tries to reframe stories to include audio stories and other media. More details can be found here.

Spin-off 1: The Peter Cushing Movies

Hello and welcome to the first Doctor Who spinoff round! Let's all step away from that wonky timelord for a bit, so we can look at a real genius! You've heard of Doctor Who, but have you heard of... Dr. Who?

Without going into a complete history lesson, in 1965 and 1966, two theatrical Doctor Who movies were released. They were adaptations of the stories "The Daleks" from Season 1 and "The Dalek invasion of Earth" from Season 2. Mind you, this was at the peak of Dalek mania, so the Daleks hadn't just taken over the world, but also the imagination of every child in the UK.

Looking back at these 2 films is very interesting. The main show has now been going for almost 60 years, and in the meantime many parts have been enshrined in lore. These movies were made before all of that though, so they have a real sense of experimentation to them. Nothing can be taken for granted. Tardis taking off? Don't expect the familiar wheezing noise. The Doctor doesn't have a name? Yes he does! He's called Dr. Who!

So let's have a look at this perspective that's long been lost to time! Let's see what was considered sacred for Doctor Who in 1965 and how these retellings compare to the originals. The stories we're discussing are:

 

·         Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965 Movie)

·         Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966 Movie)

·         Request: Dr. Who & the Mechonoids (2022 Comic)

 

Reviews

    Dr. Who and the Daleks - 5

      The First Dr. Who movie. What a different kind of beast. I think in some ways, this can be described as Doctor Who’s first proper spin-off media. It’s also recently (re)gained some attention because of its HD Blu-ray releases and the discovery of a third movie script. So, considering I’ve now personally seen both the original stories in the show and the adaptation is “all the rage”, this is as good a time as any to take a look.

This story is an adaptation of the original “The Daleks” story for the big screen. It’s pretty clear from the outset that no prior knowledge of the show should be required for viewing. This makes a more critical look tough. On the one hand, it is adapted from existing media that has now lasted for almost 60 years. On the other, it does some thing very differently than the show. So, in some places comparison might be justified, while in others, we should probably take it at face value. I think this’ll show when we review.

      We start off in an everyday living room. This scene is important, because all the character establishment happens here. We see Dr. Who sitting in a chair, reading a comic book. After that we see 2 girls reading thick scientific material. Assumptions can be made right of the bat. Dr. Who will probably a bit childish, while the 2 girls will be very smart. It’s a nice contrast.

Through conversation, we quickly learn the dynamic with these 2 girls. The youngest one, around 8 if I had to guess, is called Susan. Dr. Who is her grandfather and often lovingly refers to her as “Suzie”. The other girl, a late teen, is called Barbara. She’s also a granddaughter of the good Dr., Currently waiting for her boyfriend Ian to arrive.

Ian enters the scene head first, as he stumbles and rams his head into a grandfather clock. Soon after, he sits on chocolate. It’s pretty clear he is a klutz. Hopefully a loveable one. That’s really all there is to say about him.

Lastly, we have our main attraction: Dr. Who himself. As mentioned, original impressions are childish. In conversation he shows a very optimistic tone, always talking like he’s trying to broaden the mind of a child. It’s charming. He has a clear love of science that has clearly carried over onto his two granddaughters and also loves explaining scientific concepts.

That love of science also carries over when we’re introduced to his greatest invention. A ship called Tardis, that’s bigger on the inside. On the outside, it looks like a police box, while inside looks like a laboratory. The Interior of this Tardis is very busy, being filled with wires, orbs and other science mumbo-jumbo. It matches Dr. Who’s cluttered mind well and is an interesting contrast to the sterile and clean tardis we’re used to. An interesting part of the Tardis is also the doors, which are police box shaped, like the modern Tardis in the show has.

The Doctor is proud of his invention, and goes into a full speech about the science behind Tardis on an almost molecular level. Which can be seen as technobabble, but does also reinforce character. Interestingly, very little is actually mentioned about Tardis’s capabilities to travel to time and space. If you didn’t know that before heading in, I don’t think the movie catches you up on that very well. After an accidental bump into a lever, Tardis takes off.

However, when we land on the planet Skaro, the story takes a really odd turn. I hope you liked the original content we had until now, because the movie now decides to copy the TV show almost completely. It’s shocking how much of a shift this is. All the moments from the original story are here in almost the exact same way. The party wants to leave, but the Doctor messes with the fluid link, they go to the Dalek city, they get captured, Susan has to go into the jungle alone to save them. It’s beat for beat the same story.

And that’s why I mentioned that looking critically is tough. Yes, this is an adaptation of the original episode, so it makes sense to use moments from it. But until this exact point, the story had a way more original approach. It tried to do its own thing. Can I fault it if it suddenly stops doing that?

I do think I’ve found my answer for that. Let’s look at it this way: We now have basically the same story, but with a different foundation. The problem is that this old story does not line up with the new characters we’ve just established. We have a mismatch between the new and the old. And I do think that is something we can fault it for.

2 scenes in particular feel off with the new dynamics we have established. Namely the introduction of the Daleks and the radiation sickness in the party. Let’s look at those in more detail to show how the new foundation influences these events.

First is the introduction of the Daleks. Aesthetically, it’s great! They’re varied, colorful and appear in large numbers. They have different kinds of arm attachments, colors and even their balls vary in color. Love the look. But besides that, they’re never properly established as a threat. In the TV show, we get a few scenes to show the danger they present. Think of the now iconic scene where Barbara is fleeing in a first-person perspective. Okay. She is scared, so we should probably be too. Movie Barbara also screams, but its because a door closes behind her. Considering we know she’s very smart, why does this trigger something for her? We never get an answer.

The same happens with Ian. In the TV show, Ian, being the protector of the group, is shot down and paralyzed. The greatest hero in the last story is literally brought to his knees in seconds. That establishes some danger! That’s a threat! Movie Ian is also shot down, but he is shot while trying to flee. Now Ian isn’t a hero, but a whimp. This is just typical behavior for him. Fall to the floor, ram you head into a clock, Just Ian being Ian. This does nothing to establish the Daleks. Ian’s new personality is in the way.

The second moment where the new characterization and the plot mismatch, is in the radiation poisoning. First of all, the idea of radiation is pretty poorly explained, just like the time and space travel. We have 1 mention of a Geiger counter having a high reading, but no implications are mentioned. Reactions to this are also weak, with only Ian muttering an “Oh, well” before moving on.

And that clashes later when the radiation is supposed to be a driving force in the story. The difference is night and day. On TV, the Doctor was very weak and sluggish throughout. Learning that he had radiation poisoning made sense and explained his odd, slow and weak behavior. Movie Dr. Who however, is just acting with his childish scientist persona set up at the beginning. There’s no sign of radiation anywhere. Sure, he sometimes throws in a complaint, but he always stays energetic until the story suddenly requires that he lays down. It’s quite jarring.

And besides personality clashes, sticking to the original script also has other consequences for the movie. Mainly in pacing. It goes through all the motions of what was originally 6 episodes of television. This includes the original content that was mostly padding, like an extensive scene of Ian and Barbara exploring a cave system with the Thaals. This would’ve been the moment to be selective. This isn’t an audience that watches 20 minute pieces of a larger narrative for weeks, this is a 90 minute movie. It could stand to lose a few parts, so it can move a bit faster. I’m pretty sure no one went into the movie hoping that they would run through caves again. So maybe tone it down. Make it match that original creativity that the opening showed.

This might sound quite hateful, but it’s not like the movie is bad. It’s just worse at telling the same story. And that is because it is the exact same story instead of something more fitting. That doesn’t make the movie irredeemable though. It’s a visual spectacle with great setwork. When Susan enters the jungle alone, she has to walk over this huge slope. Absolutely massive. Which reinforces the idea of the small child entering the big world alone. The Dalek Empire also matches the colorful designs the creatures have, even if some of it is just weird cellophane taped to the wall. Still, it’s bombastic and very memorable. And that salvages the movie a bit. Is this definitive version of the original story? Absolutely not. But it looks absolutely grand. I urge you to go look up some screenshots to see the strong visual style this movie had. That can’t hurt.

Besides that, though, I wouldn’t make this your first viewing of either ‘The Daleks’ or ‘Doctor Who’ as a whole. As a second viewing though… Why not? If you are familiar with the original Dalek tale, why not see it again while looking at some sets the TV show could only dream of? It’s doesn’t have the best story, the best doctor or the best enemies, but it has its own charm and aesthetic that are worth seeing at least once. Even if it is just that one time.

    Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. - 7

      That’s more like it! This movie actually dares to play with the setting its given, which leads to some great moments! Right of the bat, changes. Ian and Barbara are out, and honestly, nothing is lost there. They were incredibly bland and cookie cutter. Instead, we now have Tom and Louise.

We actually start this movie off with Tom. He’s a police officer who’s wandering the street, until he’s knocked down during a robbery. While chasing after the criminals, he enters a familiar police box and meets Dr. Who, his granddaughter Susan and his niece Louise.

     That’s honestly all the character we really get from the 2 new members of our main cast. I suppose Tom is a little more likable, but it is really not that evident on screen. Both of them don’t do very much to establish themselves. They’re there, but don’t leave any impression.

      Instead, we move towards the year 2150 before you can even say “The Daleks are the Rulers of Earth”. I think that it’s a good move. The audience knows why they’re there. The main attraction isn’t Dr. Who anymore. His name isn’t even in the title. This is about Daleks, now more than ever. So, we quickly move towards our main setpiece and get the story going.

The first thing you’ll notice in this movie is, once again, the aesthetics. The year 2150 is way more gritty and grey than the Dalek city was in the last movie. I suppose that’s a necessity. In a world filled with decay, it wouldn’t make sense to paint colors all over the place. It also makes a nice contrast to the sci-fi elements, like the Robomen. They look brilliantly out of place in their shiny vinyl suits, which makes them seem more alien than the random bits of cardboard the TV show stuck to their face. Meanwhile, the dalek designs are a bit more muted compared to last time. Which is odd, considering the Robomen outfits. Maybe the originals clashed too hard against the environment for the movie. These daleks are mostly metallic grey with blue balls. It makes them look like small tanks.

They’re also quickly established as threatening! Which is great! They kill a man in plain sight, smoking him to the ground. Now we actually have a reason to fear them! We now understand why the people of earth are hiding. We understand why the world looks the way it does. Glad the movie took the time for it.

The other acting also reinforces the threat the Daleks pose. Every actor in 2150 is giving it their all, making this feel like an actual warzone. It also makes them memorable, which is a plus! Even the Doctor gets in on it early on. When Susan and Louise are lost, he actually shows a worried emotion. That never happened in the last one. I believe the threat because he believes it.

In general, this movie also knows how to have more fun than the last one. This time, the script is actually adapted for this cast and universe, which leads to some fun scenes. We have an infiltration of the Dalek saucer. We have a scene of synchronized eating with the Robomen. Even the music gets in on it, with some half militaristic, half goofy music. And even though it clearly has fun, it keeps it serious enough for us to understand the threat. It’s a tough balance to strike, but the movie nails it.

It also changes the general plot, with more of a road trip aspect to it. It’s a great way to get more out of the budget. The varied terrain feels like the kind a kid would like to explore. Be it ruins of decayed buildings, large forests or dusty quarries. It makes the events more memorable.

What I liked less, were the changes made to the resolution. It is mostly the same, but with some key differences. The Doctor still tells the robomen to attack the daleks, causing a final showdown, but this time he does so by just sprinting past some Daleks and grabbing the mic. It doesn’t really feel like a smart solution from a clever scientist. It feels like a lucky break. The TV show did this better, with an established plan and some fun distractions.

The showdown this leads to is also not fantastic. A bit too self-indulgent. One command from the doctor to attack the Daleks, and all the Robomen suddenly throw off their helmets and attack. A cloak gets thrown over a Dalek and he suddenly can’t move anymore, like a parrot. It is utter chaos! I will admit however, that seeing daleks melt because of the magnetic core of the earth was a real nice visual. Very dramatic in a good way. That felt more earned, since it was set up properly.

    Dr. Who & The Mechonoids - 4
(Requested)

      An innocent little playroom. This story feels like something a child would come up with.

      Dr. Who, Granddaughter Susan and companion-of-the-day Vince Booth accidentally travel to the future or a distant planet. The true nature of the area is never explained. When they leave Tardis, they’re quickly taken prisoner by some mechanoids. In the prison, they meet some astronauts that explain why the Mechanoids are dangerous:although they’re       human weapons, the humans have lost the access codes that make them friendly. So they just consider anything hostile. True explorers. Shoot first, ask questions later.

      Susan is adamant her grandfather can solve this problem by cracking the access codes, so they leave    the astronauts and go to the terminal and try to crack it. After a few tries, they solve the problem and   go back to Tardis. The end.

      This one is… hard to judge. It has so few pages that it has no room to do anything but the mere minimum. Every panel is crammed with necessary information just to keep the story flowing. If this was on tv, it would be an episode of complete padding.

      Do I hate it though? Not really. The story has a sort of innocence to it that I can appreciate, and it clearly just had very tight limits on what it could do. But that doesn’t turn it from a dud into a hidden gem. If you’ve not read this one, you’re not missing anything. No real fun character moments or references. It could’ve starred any other version of Doctor Who and it wouldn’t make a difference.

Conclusion

  And those are the Cushing movies! Are they worth watching? Well, at least 50% is I'd say. Like I mentioned in the first review, a third movie script has also recently been discovered. Apparently, it was supposed to be a multi doctor story! If the script for that movie ever becomes publically available, I'll be sure to review that and add it to this post. Until then, this is all we really have for Dr. Who. A weird alternate retelling that isn't necessarily the best storywise, but has some great visuals that still look great today. Who knows, maybe with that third script, this could still have a future on audio. Who knows what the future holds...

Until then, I'll be working on Alternate Season 3 and the Character retrospectives. So be sure to check season 2, to mentally prepare yourself! Like always, any suggestions for stories you want me to cover are welcome! Questions are welcome too! I have time :). But for now, goodbye and see you next time!