The War Machines [TV/1966.6.25 ~ 7.16]

★★★★☆

  The War Machines feels different. Perhaps it's because it was the first 'contemporary' story and the air was different; instead of alien atmospheres or winds of times long past, we get a whiff of 1966 London and its bustling streets, crowded nightclubs and burgeoning youths. Perhaps it's because Anneke Wills and Michael Craze bring a hitherto unseen energy to a fantastical show like Doctor Who, an element of reality from these two youngsters that instantly cement them into viewers' minds. Perhaps it's due to Michael Ferguson's brilliant direction, using film to his advantage to create the most cinematic experience of an already dazzling and ultra-focused story. Perhaps it's because the main baddie, artificial intelligence WOTAN, keeps saying that "Doctor Who is required" -- who knows? In any case, a serial like this, with so many fresh elements contributing to a game of deceit and intrigue, has a real danger of swallowing the lead character/actor whole.

  Thankfully, we're talking about the late great William Hartnell here, and this serial is consequently one of his finest hours. He may be showing signs of fatigue at this stage, and he feels more out of place amongst youths and their ever-changing world than he ever did in alien planets, but that simply adds to his otherworldliness. What's more, Hartnell is at his most assertive, sensitive, caring and daring in this story; he is a grandfather figure for Dodo, a scientific advisor for the military, and a cunning strategist working against WOTAN. Here's a depiction for the books, here's a Doctor Who story you hand around your friends when you want to show them just how great the character of the Doctor truly is. The War Machines is a sleek, sexy and stylish rendition of 1960s Who, shot and performed brilliantly. The show is effectively "cool" now with two down-to-earth companions who are effortlessly cool and constantly flirting with each other. In other words, this four-parter is a heck of a good time.