3) THE EDGE OF DESTRUCTION

​A lack of action and change of setting make for a decent serial which lacks an overall antagonist and a direct narrative. For a two-parter, the story holds itself together for the most part, and there is clearly an effort to bring new ideas to science fiction television drama. The lighting design and quiet moments here and there bring a new direction to the show and plunge the Tardis, often seen as a safe haven for The Doctor, into mortal danger. But then, the irrationality happens.

There is an interesting idea here concerning the possibility that a strange unknown identity has penetrated the safety of the Tardis, and has possessed one of the series regulars, the only question is, who? We get a frightening image of Susan threatening Ian with a pair of scissors – is it her? The Doctor’s behaviour becomes excessively strange – is it him? The Tardis doors close when Ian approaches them, as if by some invisible command – is it him? Is it Barbara? Think of all of the possibilities to mislead the audiences, the dead ends, the red herrings, and finally the big reveal, and the exposure of the party responsible. ‘Deep sigh’. Alas, no. The Doctor deduces that every strange occurrence is the result of a broken circuit. Really? It would seem that David Whitaker wasn’t really sure where he wanted the story to go whilst writing it, so opted for a cheap get out of jail free card, with no regard for the silliness of the resolution. The Doctor seems very sceptical himself, in believing the illogicalness that is unravelling before him, and in turn so do the audience. The more one thinks about it, the less credible it becomes. The regulars are also a mixed bag, but Carole Ann Ford shines, and William Hartnell continues portraying The Doctor, as a heart-warming grandfatherly figure (Get used to Susan calling, “Oh Grandfather, Grandfather”). This claustrophobic tale makes great use of The Tardis sets and leaves viewers wanting to know more about the mysterious old ship. ***