6 episodes
Aired between 23rd December 1967 and 27th January 1968
Written by David Whitaker
Produced by Innes Lloyd
Directed by Barry Letts
Synopsis
The TARDIS lands on an Australian beach. The Doctor is thrilled and rushes off to have a paddle in the sea, calling back for Jamie and Victoria to bring the bucket and spade.
It's not long before they're spotted by a hovercraft crew. They spy on the Doctor through their binoculars and seem to recognise him, even though they "cannot believe it's him".
They call their boss: Astrid Ferrier, to confirm the sighting. Astrid asks them to wait for final confirmation, but the men (clearly mercenaries), don't want to waste the opportunity and tell her to go to hell. She panics and calls her boss: Giles Kent, who demands that she gets down to the beach and stops the mercenaries.
The hovercraft approaches the trio, and opens fire on them. The Doctor, Victoria and Jamie are chased through sand dunes and between rocks until Astrid turns up in her helicopter.
The group dive aboard, and she takes off as the mercenaries open fire on them. The helicopter gets away, but the men hit the fuel line, forcing Astrid to get back to her base as soon as possible before it blows up.
The mercenaries meanwhile, jump in the hovercraft and head off in pursuit.
When they reach the base, the Doctor realises that Astrid has been shot and tends her wounds.
It gives him ample opportunity to ask her where they are and why the men were trying to kill them. Astrid explains that the men mistook him for a famous businessman who is trying to become a global dictator. She asks the group to use the Doctor's likeness to help them, but the Doctor declines. Before they have a chance to leave, the mercenaries turn up and begin shooting at everyone!
Astrid covers them so they can escape. The mercenaries notice the Doctor getting away, and decide to jump into the helicopter to catch up. As they rise into the air however, the helicopter explodes due to the damaged fuel line, killing the men onboard.
Astrid makes it out and takes the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria to Giles Kent.
He is as surprised as she is at the doctors likeness to their enemy: Salamander. The only difference is that the enemy is Mexican, and so, talks like Scarface.
Kent explains that Salamander has found a way to control the sun and direct it to certain parts of the world, which is very good for local farmers and holiday resorts. The Doctor is confused why they want to stop him, as he seems to be doing good for the world. Kent explains that whilst he goes to great lengths to seem good, he's actually solidifying his power base by helping certain leaders of world powers meet untimely deaths and replaced by people loyal to himself. Kent even reveals that he once was a deputy leader of security for North Africa and Europe, but was sacked because he began to suspect too much. He was replaced by a man called Donald Bruce who has since become the World Security Chief.
Kent urges the Doctor to impersonate Salamander and help them get proof of his crimes. The Doctor is again, reluctant, but Kent is suddenly informed that Bruce (the world security chief) is on his way to the base. Kent summoned him in anticipation of testing out the Doctor's likeness, and leaves the Doctor no choice but to imitate Salamander.
Sure enough, Bruce turns up with his goons and begins intimidating everyone and searching the place.
When the open the door to the back room, "Salamander" comes out and demands that Bruce explains himself. Bruce is caught off guard and can't understand how Salamander is "here" and not in a closed door conference in the Central European Zone where he's supposed to be. He tries to interrogate Astrid about the dead bodies found at her place, but "Salamander" orders him to leave.
When Bruce has gone, Kent again asks the Doctor for help in finding evidence against the corrupt leader. After consulting with Jamie and Victoria, they agree, and come up with a plan to infiltrate the secret research station at Kanowa. Even Jamie and Victoria are brought in on the plan, thanks to the help of the remaining un-corrupt leader of the Central European Zone - Denes.
Bruce is still suspicious. He goes to Salamander's second in command, Benik and confirms that the leader left for the Central European Zone. Benik is dubious about Bruce's claims, and dismisses them.
In the said Central European Zone, at the Kanowa Research station, the real Salamander is meeting with Denes, and his aide: Fedorin. Salamander tries to make them believe that a series of volcanoes in Hungary are about to erupt. Denes says that their own scientists have not said anything of the sort. The meeting ends in frustration, but as Denes leaves, Salamander asks Fedorin to stay and have a drink with him.
Outside the complex, Jamie, Victoria and Astrid arrive. Astrid gives them false passes to get past the guards. Jamie heads off, leaving the ladies to wait for the signal.
Astrid contacts Kent and confirms the plan is underway. She also reveals that she's planned to meet Denes later for an update.
Fedorin is clearly nervous at the meeting.
Salamander pops out of the room momentarily to get something, and leaves the Hungarian to make small talk with Salamander's food taster: Fariah.
When Salamander returns, he's got a guard with him who threatens Fedorin. Jamie suddenly jumps out from the balcony and disarms the guard. Salamander reaches for his remote security device, but Jamie grabs it off him and throws it over the balcony, whilst Astrid, watching from the bushes, detonates a small planted explosive below the balcony. This gives Jamie the excuse to explain that he found out about a plot to assassinate Salamander, and so he took it upon himself to rescue the leader.
Salamander is impressed. He offers Jamie a place on his guards, but Jamie declines, saying that he's here with his girlfriend and doesn't want to leave her. Fariah says that there's a job in the kitchen for her too if he likes. Jamie ponders it and agrees. He goes back to the rendezvous point and tells Astrid that everything's gone to plan. Astrid is forced to rush off and hide when a guard and Fariah approach to take Jamie and Victoria to the complex.
Now uninterrupted, Salamander faces Fedorin again. This time however, he shows him a file containing compromising information harmful to Fedorin's career.
Salamander makes it clear that he's offering Fedorin the chance to be leader of the Central European Zone, if he shares power with Salamander, but it will require killing Denes to do it. Fedorin is reluctant, but has little choice thanks to the blackmail file.
Bruce arrives and says that he's perturbed about the attempt on Salamanders life and his lack of being informed about stuff. Their conversation is interrupted by the huge explosions of the Hungarian volcanoes. Salamander is delighted.
Denes storms onto the balcony, and is horrified at the implications. Salamander denounces him, saying that he ignored the warnings and left thousands to die because of it. He orders Bruce to arrest him for trial. Denes turns to Fedorin, asking him desperately to corroborate his side of the story. Fedorin looks shamed, but says nothing.
Salamander congratulates Fedorin when Denes is taken away, and promotes him to Denes' former post. He promises to withold the blackmail folder, so long as Fedorin works for him. Salamander passes the distraught new ruler a vial of poison and tells him that Denes cannot be allowed to go to trial.
As Bruce is imprisoning Denes, he comes across Jamie in a guards uniform. His suspicions are raised again, but Jamie refuses to divulge anything, telling him to ask Salamander himself.
Elsewhere, Victoria is taken by Fariah to the kitchens and introduced to Salamander's chief cook: Griffin.
He has all the charm of Marvin the Paranoid android and seems to enjoy stating how bad his day's going! Before she leaves, fariah warns Victoria that she's come to a dangerous place and advises her to escape as soon as she can.
Meanwhile we finally join the Doctor and Kent, who have set up a new base in a quaint little caravan near the secret research centre. They watch news reports of all the erruptions and Kent speculates that Salamander is somehow responsible for engineering them. Indeed, it was his investigation into this that led to him being sacked.
The pair luckily catch sight of guards approaching the caravan and the Doctor hides just in time, as Benik storms the place. He has gotten word that Kent is around, and he orders the guards to smash up the place (well, the crockery anyway) and then warns Kent to get out of town.
Back at the research base, Jamie, Victoria and Astrid attempt to rescue Denes. Victoria takes a tray of food to the prisoner (which Fedorin intercepts with the poison), whilst Jamie causes a distraction. Then, Astrid infiltrates the place and they all try to escape. One of the guards notices Astrid from when they were at the rendezvous point and fires upon them, shooting Denes in the back as they flee. Jamie and Victoria are caught, but Astrid escapes.
As this is occurring, Fedorin visits Salamander and says he couldn't go through with the poisoning. Salamander consoles him and says they will find another way, but ends up using the poison to kill Fedorin himself, as he only gets "once chance my friend, one chance."
Bruce informs Salamander of the escape attempt and confers with him about the earlier meeting with Kent. Salamander obviously denies all knowledge of this, and they both come to the conclusion that someone is impersonating Salamander.
Astrid makes it back to Kent's office and contacts him at the caravan to explain what's happened. Kent orders her to scramble the message as someone could be listening. Indeed, Benik is listening to the transmission, and orders his guards to find and watch Astrid.
Once she has given her update to Kent, Astrid is shocked to see that Fariah has followed her. The woman reveals that she hates Salamander and is being blackmailed too. She wants to help bring him down. The guards see the two ladies conferring and inform Benik, who in turn orders more guards there to surround the place.
The Doctor and Kent turn up at the office. The Doctor is worried to hear what's happened to Jamie and Victoria. Fariah assures him that they're now in Australia with Salamander. The Doctor asks for proof as to why they can trust her, and she presents them with the blackmail information Salamander used on Fedorin.
The Doctor isn't convinced it's enough to prove Salamander is evil, but agrees to continue with the plan to impersonate. Kent however insists on taking the plan further by threatening to stop helping the Doctor find Jamie and Victoria if he doesn't agree to killing Salamander when he's close enough.
Before they can resolve the argument, Fariah notices that the base is surrounded and they are all forced to scarper out via an air vent, leaving Astrid behind to cover their exit. Astrid puts up a good fight, and manages to hide, convincing Benik that they all escaped through the vent.
Outside, Fariah is shot as she tries to escape. Benik tries to get her to reveal who was with her, but she refuses. He recovers the blackmail file from her and returns it to Salamander.
Once alone, Salamander contacts the guard outside his records room and orders that he is not to be disturbed for anything. Then, he enters a secret room and takes a futuristic looking lift underground.
Bruce tries to contact Salamander, and when he's refused entry to the records room, he grows more displeased at the way things are being run.
Salamander reaches an underground base, where there are a team of scientists, huddled into a small complex. They believe that Salamander has been out on the surface, searching for untainted food, whilst they've been huddled underground for five, long years. Salamander acts like there is the remnants of a nuclear war still going on up above, and that radiation is everywhere. Colin, one of the researchers is going mad and begs Salamander to take him back to the surface with him next time. Salamander refuses, saying that they will all return when there's peace above.
The Doctor, Astrid and Kent all make it back to the caravan and begin to plan their next move, when suddenly, they're meeting is burst in upon by Bruce. It turns out he's had enough of Salamander too, enough to question stuff. He finally see's through the Doctor's ruse and demands to know what's going on. The trio explain their plan to recover evidence of Salamander's corruption. Bruce agrees to help them do it. Astrid seizes her chance and disarms Bruce's guard, pointing the gun at him and demanding to be taken to the research centre. The Doctor takes the gun off her and returns it to Bruce in good faith. Bruce agrees to take the Doctor to the research centre, but insists that Astrid and Kent are kept under guard at the caravan.
Back in the underground complex, Salamander sends down the supplies from the surface. Colin is still ranting about not being able to go on the surface, and the base leader, Swann tries to console him. However, as the packages are being unloaded, Swann finds a scrap of newspaper with a recent date carrying the headline "Holiday Liner Sinks: Many Feared Lost". Swann realises that obviously, the surface world is normal, not a nuclear wasteland,
Swann confronts Salamander about it.
Salamander tries to weasel his way out of it by saying that yes, the war is over, but the survivors are horrid, irradiated, and deformed, and need to die. This prompts Swann to question if this is the reason why they've been activating the natural disasters for Salamander, and not to take out the warring factions and bring about peace. The ruler confirms and insists that it's necessary for a new start. This is a whole new area of murdering innocents, and Swann refuses to be part of it anymore. Salamander relents and agrees to take Swann up to the surface and show him the new world.
Elsewhere, Benik begins to interrogate Jamie and Victoria. Jamie disarms a guard, but is cowed once more when Benik threatens to kill Victoria.
"Salamander" and Bruce enter the cells and order Benik away, much to his annoyance. Jamie and Victoria don't see through the disguise and begin to yell at Salamander, decrying him for his crimes and involvement in the murder of Denes and Fedorin. Victoria goes to attack him, but he reveals himself to be the Doctor.
Benik berates his officer for not informing him when Salamander returned, but the guard looks dumbstruck and insists that Salamander hasn't returned.
In the underground complex, Salamander leads Swann to the surface, but smashes him over the head with a metal pole before he can discover too much.
Kent is angry with himself that he allowed the Doctor to go of alone. He and Astrid come up with a plan to fake Kent's death and allow Astrid to sneak out whilst the guard is checking his body. As the guard rushes after her, Kent sneaks away also. As Astrid hides from the guard, she comes across Swann, who has crawled his way out of the tunnels to the surface.
She asks what happened and Swann tells her that Salamander did this to him, revealing the truth about the cave system.
The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria continue to try and convince Bruce of Salamander's corruption. They turn to notice Benik, He asks "Salamander" to sign some papers and says that the door to the records room is jammed and asks for the key. The Doctor stalls, refusing to sign the papers right now and says that he's lost the key and dismisses Benik. As he leaves, the others speculate how long he was stood there and how much he overheard.
The Doctor looks at the papers, and confirms that there's only twelve staff at the centre, but there's catering for thirty. Finally convinced, Bruce gives Victoria a contact for his deputy and sends her and Jamie off to contact him. The Doctor tells them to get to the TARDIS straight afterwards.
Astrid gets to the scientist colony, and is attacked, the isolated people believing her to be a mutant. Colin convinces them to stop long enough for Astrid to explain how they've all been tricked, revealing the fake decontamination chamber as proof.
Kent meanwhile finally gets into the centre and makes his way straight to the record room. Once there, he conveniently finds Salamander just emerging from the secret room. Kent pulls a gun on the ruler and says that he can finally take over.
Salamander drops the act and reveals that he's the Doctor. He knew Kent was involved all along. Kent admits his part and tries to go down to the base, but is met by Astrid with a gun, followed by Colin and his girlfriend: Mary. They confirm that Kent was one of the team that convinced them to enter the complex in the first place. Kent again confirms that he has desires to take over from Salamander, and he still can if he can dispose of the evidence. With that, he rushes down a secret hatch to the complex.
Bruce's deputy arrives with more guards and they help Bruce to arrest Benik. The Doctor contacts him and explains that Kent is about to blow up the base.
As Kent reaches the underground complex, he is jumped by the real Salamander. Kent says that they can work together once again, but Salamander shoots him instead. As he dies, Kent pulls a lever on a nearby control, triggering a huge explosion, burying them both.
In the records room, Astrid and the Doctor watch this occurring on a screen and Astrid insists on going back down after the rest of the colony.
At the TARDIS, Jamie and Victoria spot the Doctor staggering towards the ship. He's obviously been hurt and dazed in the explosion but behaves very strangely. He motions for Jamie to pilot the ship; something he and Victoria were both forbidden to do before. In answer, the real Doctor turns up and confronts the injured Salamander.
The pair get into a fight, which ends in Salamander knocking the Doctor to the floor and quickly hitting buttons on the console. The TARDIS dematerialises, but does so with the doors open. The resulting vacuum sucks Salamander out into the space / time vortex, and leaves the TARDIS crew, clinging to the console for their lives!
Trivia
- As mentioned before, the recovered episodes of The Enemy of the World in 2013 sparked a huge omnirumour about the return of ALL missing episodes of Doctor Who. Various sources cited a vast find, where big announcements were just around the corner as soon as the team responsible had sifted through all the tapes to confirm. Doctor Who fans the world over were all waiting with baited breath. And they waited, and waited, and waited. To this day, no further episodes have been announced, but see The Underwater Menace for more conspiracy whoo ha about all this.
- This story see's a warm welcome to Barry Letts. Get used to the name, it will be showing up A LOT in the future. Almost in conjunction with him there seems to be the introduction of a Barry Letts staple - the Helicopter. These bad boys would show up in a few unit stories along the way, and epitomize the Lett's era of Doctor Who.
- David Troughton (Patrick's son) who is another regular, appeared as an extra (he played a guard). For more of him, see The Curse of Pelladon, Midnight, and Last Christmas.
- Innes Lloyd finally got his wish and was allowed to move on from Doctor Who. Perhaps unfortunately however, his tried and tested "base under siege" format would continue for a while longer. He was succeeded by Peter Bryant.
What worked
- Something must be right with the pacing of this story. There's a lot of capture, escape, recapture, but it just doesn't feel like six episodes long.
- Barry Letts was right, there's something fundamentally kick-ass about hovercraft and helicopter chases! It gives the distinct feel of the Avengers, and allows Astrid to fit right in as Mrs Peel
- Thankfully, despite all the other bond trappings, Salamander never succumbs to the need to place the TARDIS crew in an easily escapable death trap.
- The international focus on the story is very refreshing
- The story can get quite dark at times, and goes some way to showing Salamander's ruthlessness when you take into consideration his manipulation of the scientists (however unlikely the scenario)
- As William Hartnell was to thrive playing an evil Abbott, so Patrick Troughton absolutely comes alive as Salamander. Never once did my mind confuse the two, and he gives a stellar performance, right down to mannerisms. It's like Scarface meats Blofeld!
What didn't work
- Why were the men just happening to be sat on that beach with their hovercraft and guns
- Benick's haircut
- If Salanmander could create volcano's on demand, why doesn't he just take over the world by threatening to use them?
- Convenient that there's a rocket port just next to a secret research base
- Why does Salamander randomly offer Jamie a job, and even more strange...how come he accepts the fact that Jamie's just passing through with his girlfriend to save him?
- Benik's idea of being threatening by smashing up someone's crockery
- The entire scientists underground is a bit implausible, but hey, it's a sci-fi show
- Some (only a few) of the actors were a bit wooden
Overall Feelings
From the get go, we see that this story isn't going to be like other stories. The very first scene tells us we're in Australia, not London, and there's gun totting hovercraft pilots out to kill the heroes.
What's great is that it was a very nice move to try a spy thriller, taking away the aliens and just having an action packed story with a charismatic villain. Sure, the kids would struggle to get the complexities of the plot, but even if they did, there's all the hovercraft, helicopter, air vent crawling, and poisoning going on to make it as entertaining as any Bond film.
This story was six episodes long, but it just doesn't feel it. the slowest point is episode 3, but we have an hilariously depressed chef to keep us tiding over until the pace picks up again. And right when things look to be getting a bit stale, the underground base is thrown in as a totally unexpected surprise.
The story is a little clunky in places, especially in regards to justifications for character actions e.g. Salamander deciding to hire total strangers, and a bunch of supposedly intelligent scientists believing there's a nuclear war going on without ever questioning it. And, as mentioned above, this is trying to be a Bond film without the budget. The thing is though, for the most part, they almost get it right. The only thing missing was the sonic screwdriver.
Rating
9 out of 10
A nice, complicated story with a change of pace from monster of the week for something with a lot more style and character
Rewatchability Factor
8 out of 10
The only thing stopping this being a 10 is the lack of believable justifications in a couple of places. Overall, a cracking story
Watch this if you liked...
- James Bond films
Consulting the Matrix
Which international destination would you like the Doctor to visit and why?
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