The Invisible Enemy [Doctor Who, Story 93]

The Invisible Enemy by Bob Baker & Dave Martin

1 - 22 October 1977​

I've heard many things about The Invisible Enemy in my time as a fan, but few of these things have been very good. I think that this funny little story simply suffers by comparison to the well-loved stories of the preceding Hinchcliffe era, to the extent that its own merits (such as they are) are underappreciated.

I won't say that it's an extraordinary Doctor Who story by any means, but it's certainly fine. Baker and Martin can always be trusted to come up with a slightly overambitious but cool sci-fi idea, and whether or not it comes off in the execution, you can always count on other things to go right. The miniature work in this story, in particular, is very good for its time, and the set of the Titan base is one that I found very memorable.

It's also got a giant shrimp in it, but hey, it's Doctor Who. I know what level to keep my expectations at.

This episode is probably most notable to the modern viewer as our introduction to K9, who is already quite recognizable from his first appearance. It sounds like John Leeson is still working on the voice, though. I almost didn't think it was him for a moment.

In terms of the one-off characters, Marius is probably the most memorable. I always enjoy "dotty professor" characters that the Doctor can bounce off of, and this one wasn't really any exception. The Nucleus is also memorable (for some of the right reasons and some of the wrong, really) but is at its most effective while still shrouded and hiding inside the Doctor's mind. The rest of the guest characters I could really take or leave.

The earlier parts of the story are actually quite unsettling, diminished only a bit when the infected astronauts remove their visors to reveal how crusty they've turned. I would have preferred if this was left to the imagination instead of being realized with stuck-on bits of plastic, but if the intended effect was to make the viewer want to look away, then it does succeed.

As usual, I thought Leela was brilliant in this story. With the Doctor out of commission, she is forced to take up the leading role for the first two episodes. Her idiosyncratic way of dealing with problems, when compared to past and future companions, continues to be entertaining in any story she happens to be in.

All in all, an alright story in my estimation. There's some very good ideas and new concepts, slightly weighed down with a few scenes and decisions that probably should have been cut after another draft.

Image of the Fendahl is next.

(Modified from the original posted at Gallifrey Base on 1 July 2021.)