15) THE SPACE MUSEUM

Upon first viewing this one, it’s easy to see that The Space Museum was the budget saving story of the season, with recycled sets and everything in-between, but unlike other serials around it, The Space Museum uses its disadvantages to better itself. The story although very simple, and one that does require a lot of attention at the best of times, has many layers to it which makes it more intelligent than its counterparts. Writer Glyn Jones throws in some humour (The Doctor mimicking a Dalek, and subsequent interrogation by the Moroks), in amongst a story which could be rightfully seen as an antiapartheid narrative, since Glyn Jones was born in South Africa, and the Morok and Xeon’s costumes emphasise the difference between Master and Slave. 
The story has some pacing issues especially in the two parts where it feels like one big run around, heck it is one, with very little variety throughout, and a lack of scene change can make for some tedious viewing. Writer Glyn Jones should be congratulated nonetheless in writing a four-episode serial that largely takes place in one building, something many future Doctor Who writers attempt, and almost always succeed at. Impressive model shots emphasise a grand scale of things and the final two episodes are much more focused and direct, with moments of heroism, action and visually stimulating set pieces, and some very oddly put together scene transitions. The Space Museum is a very clever idea (not too clever mind!), using time travel as a primary plot device, one of very few stories to do so resulting in what is perhaps William Hartnell’s most underrated adventure. The cliffhanger and closing moments to episode one are superb. ***