The War Machines by Ian Stuart Black
25 June - 16 July 1966
It is rather interesting to see two stories from the same author in a row like this. Evidently, Ian Stuart Black was not the first pick to author The War Machines, which sprung from an idea by newly minted "scientific adviser" Kit Pedler, but just the same I'm glad that Black got the job. Between The Savages and this, I'm already impressed with his Doctor Who pedigree and am quite looking forward to The Macra Terror next season. He seemed to have a knack for adding a sociological dimension to his scripts which has been uncommon thus far. Fears of technology predominate this one, which tracks with Pedler's creation of the Cybermen not too far in the future... This time, the technological terror in question most certainly feels very forward-thinking. As has been pointed out before, WOTAN is basically the Internet before the Internet.
The startlingly modern feel of this story is also aided by its being set in then-contemporary London, under the shadow of the Post Office Tower, a brand-new monument at the time. It's amazing to think that we started this same season with Galaxy 4, as this feels so utterly different. It's also totally brilliant, though not in the sense that the themes are particularly intellectually exciting, aside from the startlingly accurate forecast of the future of computing. It's owed more to the exciting pace of the story and the feeling of having so many brand new things to gawp at. All throughout, The War Machines is quite the pacey affair, with my only complaint about its timing being that the resolution of the story in Episode 4 eventuates a little too fast.
The titular machines themselves aren't nearly as iconic as the Daleks they were implicitly trying to ape, but are still well-realized (except for maybe the rather silly smashing hammer). WOTAN itself is also delightfully creepy but perhaps doesn't get enough dialogue or screen time. Though some might groan, I got a big kick out of WOTAN and its lackeys referring explicitly to "Doctor Who". Given he's credited that way, I don't see what the fuss could possibly be about. I only wish they'd start crediting her that way again to really get the rabble to make some noise. ;)
To talk companions briefly, this is where we see Dodo off, and as Jackie Lane is one of the few remaining classic companions who never reprised her role for television or audio, it's really goodbye this time. I haven't disguised my dismay with the lack of time and thought Dodo has been given during her time on the show, but none of this can be directed at Lane herself, who continuously injects a sort of charm and likability into a role that's barely written at all. After 18 episodes with her, it still feels as if she just got here, which speaks both to the relatively short tenure she had as well as how underutilized she was by the writers of this period. Even latter-day stories haven't really treated her well; there are few of them, and some of the most notable ones treat her absolutely appallingly and all contradict each other to varying degrees. Wasted potential isn't a nice thing, but alas. She still gets the silver participation medal.
We are introduced to Polly Wright and Ben Jackson here, of course. They both get far more to do than Dodo, and are both immediately likable, though Polly spends far too much of the story hypnotized. Anneke Wills is a fantastic actress, though; hypnotized Polly is properly spooky, and when not hypnotized she is a total delight. Ben is a little rough-and-tumble, but charming as well. I look forward to seeing more of these two.
The Doctor is great in this story from the off, with his enthusiasm (and then trepidation) coming across well in the first scene where he exits the TARDIS with Dodo. Hartnell is a natural at slotting into this narrative role as a sort of eccentric scientific adviser even though it's not one he's really done during his tenure as the Doctor, and the cliffhanger where he confronts the War Machine is rightfully one of the most noteworthy from his time in the role. It's shocking how ruthless he can get here, though. He doesn't seem to mind the fact that one or more of WOTAN's thralls might die when he sends the War Machine to take the computer down, though the suggestion of this fact is vague enough that it doesn't reflect all that badly upon the character. Just after this, his sudden swanning off out of the Post Office Tower once the problem is handled is very Doctor-ish, though the memory of The Ark is still making me think twice about the Doctor's tendency not to stick around and help just a little longer leading to further issues. Unless I'm missing something, this problem won't really be addressed again in the narrative until The Long Game and the Bad Wolf two-parter in 2005.
Despite a few pacing and character issues, I did love The War Machines, and this one has quickly graduated to the realm of my favorites. It's a nice note to leave the season off on. And on that subject, my next post will be a round-up of the season, with plenty of fan-pleasing numbers for you guys. Stay tuned...
(Modified from the original posted at Gallifrey Base on 6 May 2020.)
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