The Ice Warriors

6 episodes
Aired between 11th November 1967 and 16th December 1967

Written by Brian Hayles
Produced by Innes Lloyd
Directed by Derek Martinus

Synopsis

England has seen the arrival of a new Ice Age.  A small band of British scientists and technicians work desperately to try and stave off the advancing glaciers.  In their control room, Senior Technician Jane Garrett orders her staff to try and maintain control of the Ioniser - the device used to melt the ice caps and slow the advance.  After a few hectic moments, she gets things under control, which pleases the Base Leader Clent.  Despite this, Garrett says things won't get better until they bring Scientist Penley back.  Clent grows stubborn and informs her that Penley is no longer part of the team.

Clent checks their progress with the main computer, comparing results with America, Australasia, South Africa, and Asia.  The figures make it clear that their base - Britannica is behind.  He tries to confer with his new lead Scientist - Arden, but discovers that the scientist is out on the glacier.  He contacts Arden and tells him to get back to base.

Arden finds the request tedious, especially when his team have just reported to him that they've found something in the ice.  Arden rubs the surface snow away to reveal some kind of huge armoured man, trapped in the ice.

Back at the base, things start to get hectic again as the Galicer begins to advance, and the crew begin to discuss evacuation procedures.

The TARDIS materialises outside of Britannica base on its side.

Seeing all the snow, Jamie fears that they've landed in the same place again, but the Doctor quickly points out the modern surface of the base.  As they explore it, they see the main doorway opening up.  They hide and watch as two scruffy looking men in furs emerge.  The men wander off into the snowy wilderness, leaving the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria to enter the base unseen.

Arden contacts Clent and informs him about the large man in the ice.  Clent is furious about their archaeological attempts given that the base is in crisis.  He orders them back to base ASAP.  Arden pretends that the signal is breaking up and begins to work on excavating the man.

Despite outward appearances, the base is formed around a Victorian stately home.

As they explore, they see a foxy looking lady wearing a miniskirt and dress with a Rorschach picture on it.  The lady ignores their questions and gives them all badges which read "Evacuation Flight 7: Scavenger".  She walks off and leaves them to it.

The Doctor picks up the noise of a faulty computer and despite Victoria's protests, he insists on finding it and fixing it.  He bursts into the ioniser control room and quickly works out that the system is going to explode in a couple of minutes without his intervention.  He works like lightning and prevents the disaster.

Clent is angry at the sudden arrivals and tries to throw them out, but the Doctor insists they were in imminent danger.  Clent feeds the information they had into the main computer and it soon comes back with confirmation that the base would have exploded to within a second of the Doctor's prediction.  This impresses him, but he's still suspicious.

Out on the glacier, the two fur clad men from the base discover Arden's team.  It turns out one of the "scavengers" is Scientist Penley, who's turned his back on the base because of disagreements with Leader Clent.  As they watch, there is an avalanche.

One of Arden's team is killed, and Penley's friend Storr is injured.  Penley takes Storr away whilst Arden and the surviving scientists begin to take the "Ice Warrior" back to base where it can be thawed out.

Back at the base, Clent barely swallows the Doctor's cover story that they've all been hiding in Tibet, and subjects the Doctor to a pop quiz to determine how useful he is.  He gives him 45 seconds to figure out how the base operates, which the Doctor succeeds.  Throughout the course of the interview, the group learn how the ice age came about because the world found a way to artificially stop world hunger.  That meant they didn't need plants and got rid of them all, leading to the atmosphere....getting colder because not enough Carbon Dioxide was being produced to keep the heat inside the atmosphere (just...go with it, ok?).

Ionisation works by focusing the suns rays on a specific part of the earth (rather like a magnifying glass).  They're using it to melt the encroaching ice.

As they discuss the status quo, Arden returns with the encased Ice Warrior.  They set it up with a fast defrost and leave it to melt.  The Doctor can't help but inspect the curious man and notices electronic connections on the warriors armour.  He rushes off to tell Clent, who by this time has taken Arden to the control centre to discuss whether they should let the Doctor join the team.

As the Doctor goes, Jamie and Victoria discuss the merits of miniskirts, oblivious to the fact that the Warrior is moving behind them.  Jamie sees it at the last minute before it knocks him unconscious and takes Victoria as hostage.

The Doctor rushes into the control room and tells Clent about the potential alien in the ice, going further and suggesting that an alien spacecraft could be down there - atomic powered which would mean a potential atomic explosion if the Ioniser hits it.  Jamie then crashes in and tells them all what's happened. They debate what to do, and Clent consults the computer again.

It suggests continuing with the ionisation, but efforts must be made to find the ship.  Clent is happy to do just that and assigns Arden to go out and look for it.  Jamie agrees to go too.

The Ice Warrior takes Victoria to a store cupboard and explains that he comes from Mars, and was entombed in ice after his ship crashed.  He insists that Victoria helps him find his ship and crew.

Back out in the wilderness, Penley takes Storr back to his home.  The savage is badly wounded, leaving Penley no choice but to go back to Britannica base to steal some medical supplies.

The Ice Warrior demands that Victoria help him obtain a couple of the power packs.  She reluctantly agrees and leads him back to where he was thawed.  On their way, Victoria sees Penley in the corridor and quickly gestures for him to hide before the towering alien sees him too.

Penley dashes behind a wall and escapes notice.  Once they have the power packs, the Ice Warrior orders her to go with him into the tundra.

On their way out, they run into Clent who demands to know what's going on, but gets hit over the head with the power pack.

When the Ice Warrior and Vicotria have gone, Penley comes out of hiding and tries to help revive Clent.  The Doctor finds him and engages him in conversation, finding out what's occured, but also working out that the savage is Penley.  Once he knows that the Doctor is willing to help treat Clent, the rogue scientist grabs the medical supplies and tells the Doctor he's leaving to treat his dying friend.  He disregards the Doctors pleas to help with the Ioniser, and he leaves.

The Doctor revives Clent, who is all for chasing after the Ice Warrior, but the Doctor warns them not to, as that's exactly what the warrior will want.

Out at the Glacier, the Ice Warrior indeed tells Victoria that he's ready for anyone who follows them.  He soon discovers the remaining four members of his crew, and cuts them out of the ice with his sonic gun.

Back at the base, Clent finally agrees to allowing Arden and Jamie to go out into the wastes to find the ship.

Penley returns to Storr and heals him before going out to find the Ice Warrior and Victoria.  He's beginning to consider returning to the base to help the crisis with the ioniser that the Doctor spelled out for him, when he finds the Ice Warrior and Victoria as they prepare to thaw out the remaining crew.  Again, he hides and watches from a distance as they're all revived.

He makes his way back to Storr and tells him about the aliens and the need to warn the base.  Storr takes it as a betrayal, as he will be shipped to South Africa if they are caught.  They begin to argue, but Garrett turns up and tries to convince Penley to return to the base.

It's obvious she's there because they both have a history, but even this can't persuade the rogue scientist.  She pulls a tranquiliser gun out on him, but Storr disarms her.  Penley lets her return to base, and tells her to look up his notes instead.

The newly formed band of Ice Warriors dig through the glacier until they find their ship.  The leader, Varga (who was luckily defrosted by Arden), tells Victoria that she is bait for the humans to come after them.

Back at the base, the Doctor is working out the calculations to stabalise the Ioniser and get everything back on track.  He's starting to really annoy Clent because he refuses to consult the main computer to perform the calculations.  Garrett returns, having recovered Penleys notes and hands them over to the Doctor.  They prove the vital link and he works out what needs to be done.

Clent orders him to check it with the computer which the Doctor gets really miffed about but does so.

As the calculations are being inputted, Arden comes over the wrist communicators and tells Clent that they've found an ice cave with a metal door at one end.  They begin to take readings on it when they are suddenly ambushed by the Ice Warriors and killed.  Victoria is distraught at the deaths, especially when she sees the body of Jamie, but Varga drags her inside the ship.  The aliens discuss killing her too, but they decide to keep her as bait until they've fixed the ships propulsion unit.

Penley once again returns to the ice cave, and see's the dead bodies.  He finds that Jamie is miraculously alive, and drags him back to Storr's hideout.

The Doctor's calculations are finally confirmed by the computer, but Clent realises that he can't start the Ioniser up again with Arden so close to the glacier wall.

Back at the hideout, Jamie comes around and is adamant about the need to find Victoria.  He tries to get up, but he passes out again.

A little while later, Victoria manages to sneak out of the Ice Warrior ship, and is shocked to see that Jamie's body has gone.  She finds a wrist communicator on the ground and radios back to base.  Once Clent answers, she tells them all what's gone off.  Clent asks her to tell them about the ships propulsion system, but she doesn't understand it enough to be of help.  All the while, she's totally unaware that the Ice Warriors are aiming one of the ship weapons right at her head.

In the end, Varga decides not to kill Victoria, and sends out one of his men to capture her.  She legs it into a series of ice caves and is pursued, eventually being captured and buried under an avalanche.

Now he knows that the aliens come from Mars, the Doctor uses the bases tech to cook up a phial of ammonium sulphide - a stink bomb.  He's convinced one whiff of it will be really bad news for the Ice Warriors and he sets off out to go to the Ice Warriors base, despite protests from Clent.

Jamie finally awakens and is grateful to Penley and Storr for looking after him, but he's adamant that he wants to go and rescue Victoria.  He gets up to leave, but he's horrified to discover that he's paralysed from the waist down.

Penley gives him the last of the tranquilisers and puts him under again.  Storr decides that they need help, and if he can't go to the base, then the only people left to help them are the Ice Warriors.  Penley tries to convince him that he's being stupid, but Storr's mind is made up and he rushes off.  Penley gives chase, but Storr soon gives him the slip out in the wilderness.  Storr eventually hears Victoria's cries for help and finds her buried in an avalanche, still gripped by a dead Ice Warrior.

Meanwhile, the Ice Warriors succeed in repairing their ship, but find that they've got no fuel.  They decide to invade Britannica base to look for appropriate fuel there.

Their plans are interrupted by Storr who drags Victoria back to them.  They take the girl off him and he begins to offer his help, but the Ice Warriors shrug and tell him they don't need his help.  He is killed pleading for his life.

On his way to the Ice Warrior base, the Doctor comes across Penley, still searching for Storr.  They have a brief conversation, and Penely tells him that he has Jamie.  He agrees to take the Doctor to him and he's reunited.  Luckily, the Doctor recognises that Jamies paralysis is only temporary, The Doctor tells Penley to get Jamie back to Brittanica base, whilst he goes up and finds Storr and Victoria.

Back at the base, the Glacier has started moving again and a panicked Garrett pressures Clent for a decision on what to do.  He consults the computer, but it refuses to give orders, so he puts all his faith in the Doctor's mission succeeding.

The Doctor meanwhile arrives at the Ice Warrior's ship and enters the air lock.  Varga appears on a nearby monitor and begins to question him, but the Doctor refuses to answer until they're in person.  Varga says in that case, he'll suck out all the pressure in the airlock and kill the Doctor unless he explains what he wants.  With little option, the Doctor tells them he's a scientist and he's here to find a way to help them.  Varga restores the pressure and lets him in.

They question the Doctor about the human weapon - the Ioniser.

The Doctor reassures them of its true purpose, but the Ice Warriors are skeptical, unsure why the humans haven't used it to free them already.  The Doctor explains that they don't want to accidentally cause an explosion, and asks them if their engines will do so.  The Ice Warriors are cagey and refuse to answer.  The Doctor explains that eventually, if they don't work together, the humans will be forced to use the Ioniser regardless.

Back at Britannica, Clent and Garrett listen in on the communicator channel that the Doctor activated just before he went in the airlock.

They debate whether to power up the Ioniser, but Clent is unsure, and unwilling to act without the computers authorisation.  He consults the machine again, and it tells them to wait.

Meanwhile, in the wilderness, Penley is dragging Jamie to the base when they're attacked by a bear.  He fumbles for the tranquilizer gun and only just manages to stun the beast in time.

The Doctor is questioned about the fuel used at the base.  He refuses to answer until Victoria is threatened, and then confirms that it will work for their ship. working out in the process that the ship uses an Ion drive, something that won't kill everyone with the use of the Ioniser.

Penley and Jamie get to the base and go to see Clent.  They urge the base leader to do something, but he's too bound by logic and process, he refuses to take any sort of risk.

Penley on the other hand is contemptuous of the computers and says that they shouldn't be leaving the Doctor and the others to die.  He starts to power up the ioniser, but Garrett tranquilises both him and Jamie with her gun.

Varga and the other Ice Warriors set off to invade Britannica base.  They leave one of the soldiers behind to guard the Doctor and Victoria, and to power up their own weapon, aiming it at the base.  As they prepare, the Doctor gets Victoria to pretent to cry so that he can conceal his voice when he fills her in on the plan.  He intends to use the stink bomb on the guard and break free.

Victoria distracts the guard and the Doctor struggles with the cap on the phial, but eventually they manage to throw the ammonium sulphide in the Ice Warriors face, disabling it.  As it goes down, it grabs the fire control of the ship's gun.  The Doctor desperately struggles with it, trying to stop it from firing the gun.  It's no good, the weapon fires but luckily only hits a minor part of the building.

Varga uses the Doctor's communicator to get in touch with Clent.  He demands their surrender, Clent asks them to meet with him for talks.  Garrett suggests using the threat of the Ioniser as a bargaining chip, but Clent is too adverse to the risk.  One of the remaining staff begins to mutiny and power up the Ioniser, forcing Garrett to tranquilise them too.

The Ice Warriors enter Britannica base and make their way to the control room.  As they are in discussions with Clent, the tranquilised human comes to and tries to shoot Varga.  He is killed and Varga thinks that Clent was trying to double cross him.  The Ice Warriors threaten to take all the fuel, thus shutting down everything on the base and leaving them to freeze.

Through the Ice Warriors communicators, the Doctor and Victoria hear all this and work on dismantling the ship's gun, adjusting it so that it only affects fluids (the Doctor believes that the Ice Warriors hold more liquid in their bodies than humans and therefore affected first).

Garrett is forced to totally shut down the Ioniser, and is then told to shut down the reactor.

Penley, who has now regained consciousness, comes back to the control room and sees all this.  He sneaks off and puts up the base temperature to a very high degree.

The Ice Warriors are seriously affected by this, and they turn on Clent, knowing that they're being attacked.  The Doctor fires the ship's gun, disabling everyone with it.  He disables the gun afterwards and tells Victoria to get back to the TARDIS, whilst he rushes across the wilderness to the base.

When they arrive, they find that the Ice Warriors are gone, He wakes up Garrett and tells her to power up the Ioniser.  She is reluctant until he confirms the order with Clent.  The Doctor and Penley together urge the base leader to turn the ioniser on the Ice Warriors ship.  Clent still doesn't want to risk it, until the Doctor reassures him that there will not be an atomic explosion.  Clent consults the computer once more, but its logical brain cannot decide, and it short circuits.

Penley berates Clent and sets the Ioniser for full power.

The Ice Warriors have escaped and returned to their ship.  They have enough mercury supplies to at least take off, and begin to prepare, as the ice breaks up around their ship.

Penley fires the weapon and blows the ship up with only a minor explosion.

Everyone is happy, and Penley looks like he's going to work on the base again.  They turn to thank the Doctor, but discovers that he and his companions have all gone.

Outside, the TARDIS dematerialises from the icy tundra.

Trivia

• Bernard Breslaw of Carry On fame was given the role of Varga.  He did the role whilst they were shooting Carry on Doctor.

• Just like Roy Skelton did for the Cybermen (badly), in rehearsals, Bernard Bresslaw created the speech that we know and love about the Ice Warriors. He did all the hissing and mannerisms too.

• They used a real bear to film the eponymous scene, but it was just a cub borrowed from London Zoo.

• Sonny Caldinez (Kemel from the Evil of the Daleks) was the Ice Warrior that chases Victoria and gets burried in an avalanche.  The chase had to be slowed right down to stop him bumping into the polystyrene sets.  When he fell over, the screws that bolted him into his costume were wrenched upwards and hit him in his groin!  Despite this, he was eager to return for the next Ice Warriors story as he felt part of one big fun family.

What worked

• Yes, it looks like a monochrome rainbow threw up over everyone, but I love the outfits

• When you compare the scenery on the glacier to that of the Keys of Marinus, you'll agree that it's quite good, and the frozen Ice Warrior in place is pretty good too

• Judging by the conversation about patterned miniskirts, it seems that there's a hint of a relationship between Victoria and Jamie

• The sub-plot with scientist Penley abdicating is a welcome departure from the usually straightforward mad professors, and gives a feel that the world did indeed exist before the Doctor arrived.

• in fact, as frustrating as he is, it's obvious that a lot of work was put into the Clent character and it really shows

• I didn't expect Arden to be gunned down, and to a degree, Storr either

• It's worth mentioning the soundtrack here too.  The star trek influenced sound is supposed to represent the ice and snow, and it adds a lot of atmosphere.

What didn't work

• The Eric Idol wannabe archaeologist - Arden

• The lady who gives them all badges isn't the least bit interested in who the Doctor and co are.

• Hang on.  The human population got rid of plants so Carbon Dioxide production was REDUCED?!

• You can see the pitch to the american market, with a Captain Kirk who's struggling to keep the respect of his crew.

• Varga explains that he's been trapped in the ice for millennia, and Arden says "not another mastodon"  - but Britain can't have had glaciers for that long

• The bear.  I mean, what was the point in getting a cub in, when it would have been cheaper and more effective to use stock footage (which I'm not a big fan of)

• The Doctors plan to fire a sonic cannon at the base because the Ice Warriors have more fluid in them

Overall Feelings

This is the third consecutive story to deal with ice, snow and cold places.  You'd expect it to become tiresome by now, but this story immediately throws us off the track with a five minute crisis at a base with totally new characters.  It's been a while since we've had something so full of wonder.  I mean, it's blatantly obvious that a decent amount of world building has gone into this story, even if it's all based on the wrong information.  I for one think it's very welcome.

The characters are well rounded, and a far cry from mad scientists.  We have a failed relationship, and people who are struggling with their own insecurities.  Against this backdrop, the Doctor's arrival, and the next alien threat seem totally inconsequential.

But let's look at the Ice Warriors.  People suggest that early drafts of the script had them adorned with so much cybernetics, that Innes Lloyd ordered them re-written as they were too close to the Cybermen.  He asked for something more organic.  The result, I have to say is pretty damn good. Coupled with Bernards mannerisms and speech, this is totally opposite to the boastful, domineering presence of an alien solider that most would expect.  Yet, they're creepy.  The impressive size and movable mouthpieces that don't fully lip sync with the words only add to that effect.

In summary, this is a great story, marred only a tiny bit by the insistence of Clent to cling to inaction and consult a batty computer whilst the world is going to hell.... oh and the stupid justification for the ice age.

Rating

8 out of 10

A big departure from the usual run of the mill stuff, and all the effort put into the story by the writer, the Director, and the actors alike can be clearly seen on screen

Rewatchability Factor

4 out of 10 

Nice character development, but gets tedious due to unbelievable justification for the ice age and a lot of shouting by a man that won't make a decision

Watch this if you liked...

• Seeds of Death

• Seeds of Doom

• The Thing from Another World

Consulting the Matrix

Who's your favourite guest appearance in the show so far?

The Abominable Snowmen

6 episodes
Aired between 30th September 1967 and 4th November 1967

Written by Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln
Produced by Innes Lloyd
Directed by Gerald Blake


Synopsis

Professor Edward Travers is a renowned Anthropologist who has travelled to Tibet on an expedition to find the mythical Yeti.  One night, as he is sleeping in his tent, he is awoken by the screaming of his companion.  He rushes outside and sees the man dead.  Nearby, there is a huge furry creature.

Travers grabs his gun, but the creature grabs it and breaks it, leaving Travers to run off into the night.

The TARDIS materialises nearby on the day after this.  The Doctor is thrilled to be in the Himalaya's and starts rummaging through his chest for a Ghanta - a ceremonial bell that he supposedly borrowed some time ago from a monastery called Detsen.

He also digs out a large fur coat, and Jamie's investigation turns up a set of bagpipes, and a scimitar.

The Doctor don's the fur coat and convinces Jamie and Victoria to wait for him in the TARDIS as he wants to make sure they're getting a warm welcome first.  Besides, he also noticed a set of giant footprints outside and thought he was being watched.

He's not gone long before Victoria is bored out of her mind and manipulates Jamie into leaving the TARDIS to explore.  As they leave, they see the large animal prints around.  Jamie decides to take the scimitar with them just in case.

Further down the mountainside, the Doctor stumbles upon the remains of Travers' camp and the dead body of his companion.  He decides to take the companion's rucksack and the broken rifle and head to the monastery of Detsen.  When he gets there, the place looks deserted, so the Doctor ventures inside, calling out for the monks.

The courtyard is seemingly empty, but as the Doctor turns to leave, he's confronted by a set of warrior monks who are stood by Travers.  The Professor see's the gun and rucksack, and starts accusing the Doctor of killing his companion.  Obviously, the Doctor disputes this, but Travers insists he's telling the truth, and the Doctor is grabbed and thrown in jail on the orders of Khrisong, the head of the warrior monks.

Further up the mountain. Jamie and Victoria follow the large footprints to a cave entrance.

Jamie is reluctant to go in at first when he believes that the Yeti are wild, but he soon changes his mind when he spots some timber roof supports and deduces that the cave is man-made. They go in but are almost immediately trapped when the Yeti turn up and push a rock over the entrance.  Unable to shift the rock, Jamie and Victoria move deeper into the cave.

Back at Detsen, the monks discuss what has happened with Khrisong, who seems to believe Travers' account of the Doctor's act of murder.  The monks however are concerned that the once timid and friendly Yeti's are responsible for the death.  They decide to consult the Abbot, but as they leave, Khrisong chooses to take matters into his own hands and orders his soldiers to bring the Doctor before him.

Back in the cave, Jamie and Victoria find a set of silver spheres that have been stacked together to form a pyramid.

Victoria takes one just as the huge boulder is removed from the entrance and a Yeti starts lumbering towards them.  Victoria screams, and Jamie goes to defend her with his scimitar, but the Yeti easily snaps it and continues to advance towards them.  Jamie knocks down one of the supports and causes a cave in.  Luckily, there's still a way to get past and out onto the mountainside.  As they leave, they see the Yeti burst out of the rocks and begin to pursue them.

Thonmi, one of the soldier-monks goes to fetch the Doctor from his cell.

The Doctor enters into conversation with him and gets him to recount that a man was there in 1630 and took a holy relic away from them.  The Doctor smiles and begins to retrieve the Ghanta from its hiding place, but Khrisong approaches to see what the delay is.  The Doctor is dragged from his cell, screaming to check under the hay of his bed.

The monks return to see Khrisong leading the Doctor through the courtyard, and discover that Khrisong is going to tie the Doctor up outside as bait for the Yeti.  If they save him, he's obviously their master and in league with them.  If they kill him, well...

The monks object to this plan, but Khrisong goes ahead anyway.  Satisfied with the ruling, Travers leaves the monastery to go and find the Yeti himself.

Thonmi takes the Ghanta to Abbot Songsten who is deep in prayer with the master of the monastery - Padmasambhva.  The master whispers that he knows the Doctor from the last time he was here.  He knows he is very wise, but Padmasambhva is worried that he will interfere with their "great plan".  Despite this, they decide to help him.  Thonmi is sent away to give a direct order to Khrisong from the Abbot that he is to be released.  Before he leaves, Thonmi's memory is wiped of ever hearing Padmasambhva's voice.

Jamie and Victoria continue to flee from the Yeti.  They run into Travers and explain what's happened.  Travers ferverently demands that they show him the cave.

They agree, but only if he leads them to the monastery first.  Travers agrees and takes them down the mountain.

Just outside Detsen, the Doctor is strung up to the doors, despite his protests of innocence.

The monks watch the hillside, waiting for the Yeti to come and save or kill the helpless Doctor.  What they see however is Travers returning with Jamie and Victoria.  Travers explains that he was wrong to accuse the Doctor in light of what Jamie and Victoria saw, and asks for him to be freed.  Thonmi turns up and makes sure that it is done,

In the inner sanctum, the Songsten continues to liaise with Padmasambhva, who insists that the Doctor is to leave the monastery.

Now freed, the Doctor listens to Victoria and Jamie's account of the cave and examines the strange sphere.  He places is down by the feet of a Buddha statue when the monks call out about three Yeti approaching the monastery.  The Doctor says that he wants to examine one of the Yeti's, and Jamie explains that he has a plan to capture one for him.  The Doctor leaves him to it.  Sure enough, Jamie's great plan of using a net comes to fruition and they capture a Yeti.  As the creature struggles, the group don't see one of the strange spheres falling out of a fold in its skin.  The Yeti stops moving.

The group bring the creature inside and the Doctor examines it, finding out that it's in fact some kind of robot.

There's a small hatch in its chest where a round hole is present.  They speculate that this is where the robot's power source must have lay. As they discuss the implications, the sphere at the foot of the Buddha begins to beep and move on its own.

Travers refuses to believe that these are the only Yeti.  He insists that the real ones are still out there, and are intimidated by these robot ones.  Some of the monks however, believe that the Yeti is real anyway, having flesh under the metal.  They build a spirit trap around the body, to stop the evil getting out.

Everyone begins to speculate as to who it is controlling the robot Yeti's, all unsuspecting that it is in fact Padmasambhva who moves around small statues of the creatures on a map of the area (see the Five Doctor's for something similar).

Khrisong is very mistrusting and denies everyone the ability to leave the monastery, placing a guard on the entrance to make sure none do.  This is quickly proven useless however as Travers bluffs his way out, claiming that Khrisong gave him permission.

Khrisong meanwhile goes to the Abbot to ask for permission to fight the Yeti's,  The Abbot refuses, telling him to leave them alone until he's entered a trance to speak to Padmasambhva.

Victoria watches the Abbot entering the inner sanctum and suggests following him, but Thonmi is very adamant that the area is off limits to everyone except the Abbot himself.  Victoria scoffs at this and spends a good long while making a nuisance of herself, trying to get into the inner sanctum.

Khrisong meanwhile is being harangued by the Doctor and Jamie to let them outside to look for the Yeti's power source that obviously fell out of it.  Khrisong says that it's too dangerous for them, but he will look for it instead.  He slips out of the doors and begins searching the ground in the darkness.

The Abbot meanwhile confers with Padmasambhva, who debates the possibility of joining forces with the Doctor.  He concludes that the Doctor would be too much of a threat and begins moving Yeti's on the map towards the monastery gates.

Outside, Khrisong finally finds the silver sphere, just as the Yeti advance on him and tear it from him.

Padmasambhva gives Songsten a strange crystal pyramid and instructs him to go to the cave.  He is to place it on top of the pyramid of silver spheres to allow the great intelligence to enter this world.

Khrisong is brought back into the monastery.  Together with the Doctor and Jamie, they discover that the sphere is the thing that's missing from the Yeti.  They theorise that it's like an electronic brain and as such gives off strange signals and bleeps.  The Doctor suggests that he can trace the signals source if he can only get some equipment from the TARDIS.  Khrisong agrees and lets him and Jamie leave.

A short time later, the Abbot puts the door guard into a trance and slips away, making the guard forget that he ever left.

Out on the mountainside, the Yeti take the sphere back to their cave.  Travers watches them from the cover of darkness and starts to follow.

Elsewhere, Jamie and the Doctor see some inactive Yeti and slip past them.  A short time later, Songsten finds the same Yeti's and activates them with the crystal pyramid.  They follow him up the mountain.

Back at the monastery, Victoria is being a pain by going everywhere she shouldn't.  Thonmi searches for her and finds her in the room with the Yeti as it comes to life (the orb having found its way back to the power hatch).  She screams hysterically as it tears its way out of the spirit trap.  It fights its way out of the monastery, the warrior's swords having no effect, and ventures up the mountain to the cave.

The Doctor and Jamie make it to the TARDIS, but see that it's guarded by a Yeti.

The Doctor throws a stone at it, and discovers that it's inactive.  They cautiously creep over and take out the sphere for examination.

Still on the mountainside, Travers see's Songsten enter the cave with the Yeti.  Songsten places the pyramid inside the cave and it begins to glow and hum.  Satisfied, Songsten leaves.  Travers watches him depart and sneaks into the cave himself.  He watches, terrified as the pyramid begins to grow and expand.

Back at the TARDIS, the Doctor emerges with the equipment he needs.  The sphere they took begins to beep and pull towards the Yeti.  They struggle with the sphere, until the Doctor finally gets Jamie to place a rock inside the Yeti's socket.

The sphere becomes inactive again,  This battle with the sphere leads the Doctor to realise that the one back at the monastery could be active again.  He and Jamie rush off, hoping it's not too late.

Over at the monastery, Khrisong has no choice but to imprison Victoria and Thonmi after monks begin to question who revived the Yeti.

With little else to do, Thonmi asks Victoria how the Doctor came by the Ghanta, to which she is unsure, but asks about the history of the bell in return.  Thonmi explains that it was given to a stranger 300 years ago to keep safe.  Victoria suggests that this was the Doctor, and Thonmi surprisingly agrees.  He's known lots of seemingly impossible things.  In fact, it's said that Padmasambhva can astral travel and use telepathy.

Songsten quietly returns to the monastery, and hypnotises the guard again, making him forget that the Abbot had ever left.  He goes to the inner sanctum and tells Padmasambhva that the plan is working.  The elder says that the Great Intelligence is taking on a physical form, and that for it to grow properly, everyone must be made to leave the monastery.

On the mountainside, the Doctor and Jamie notice that their sphere is making another sound, a sound that calls the Yeti's to them!  They are soon surrounded, and escape only by bowling the sphere away from them so the Yeti chase it.

Victoria and Thonmi are given food and water.  As Victoria takes a drink, she begins choking and collapses on the floor.  The guard rushes off to get help without locking the door.  She jumps up, surprising Thonmi, and locks him inside alone.

Songsten goes to the rest of the monks and tells them that they must leave.  Khrisong is resistant, but the subject is dropped when they discover that Victoria has escaped.  At the same time, the Doctor, Jamie and Travers all seem to make it back to the monastery.  Travers is a jibbering wreck, muttering stuff about a pyramid.

The Doctor asks Khrisong for help, but he is in an uneasy position, losing the confidence of the other monks.  They demand that the Doctor, Jamie and Travers be locked up too, and organise a search party to find Victoria.

Victoria makes her way to the inner sanctum and soon casts her eyes on the horrid sight of the aged Padmasambhva.

She realises that it's him summoning the Yeti, but he hypnotises her.

Songsten comes to realise that the monks won't go peacefully, so after consulting with the elder, he goes to let the Yeti into the monastery.  It's not long before 4 Yeti's are inside the compound.

Inside their cell, Travers is mumbling on about the great pyramid and a terrifying evil being unleashed.  They hear the beginnings of the Yeti attack, and Khrisong tells them to sit tight inside the cell whilst he goes and sorts it out.  Jamie is worried about Victoria, but the Doctor doesn't seem to care.

The Yeti smash the place up, but only actually kill Rinchen when they drop the Buddha statue on his head.

Khrisong finds Songsten and tells him he was wrong to stay, and that this place is cursed.

In the inner sanctum, Padmasambhva talks to himself, asking if the monks will be content when they leave.  He says yes, but they must get the Doctor to leave also.  He sends Victoria under hypnosis to deal with it.

Still in their cell, the Doctor and Jamie try to use the machine to track the source of the Yeti's signal.  Travers awakens from his dementia and is perfectly fine, but has blocked out his ordeal.

Victoria visits the monks and speaks with the voice of Padmasambhva.  She tells them that they must leave, and not blame the strangers.  She gives the orders to free the Doctor and co. and slips out of the trance.  The Doctor, Jamie and Travers are indeed freed, but discover that Victoria is still under hypnotic suggestion, demanding to leave whenever the Doctor makes his presence known to her.  Thonmi explains their conversations to the Doctor, and suggests that she must have gone to the inner sanctum.  Armed with this knowledge, the Doctor goes off to find the elder there.

Once inside the inner sanctum, the Doctor does indeed recognise Padmasambhva and wonders how he could still be alive.  The elder explains that he came into contact with the Great Intelligence whilst travelling on the Astral Plane.

The Intelligence sustained him to perform some kind of experiment, which he thought was harmless, but is now way out of control.  Padmasambhva dies before the Doctor, being finally let go.  The Doctor leaves to return to his friends, and when he goes, the body of Padmasambhva is reanimated once more (and does a terrifying evil laugh).

Back with the group, the Doctor puts Victoria under a hypnotic sleep and breaks the hypnotic control on her.  Once that's done, he takes the tracking equipment and goes with Travers to triangulate the signals from the Yeti to find the source.  He is shocked by the results.

Khrisong meanwhile has perpared the monks for departure, but is confronted by the Doctor, who states that the signal is originating from the monastery itself.  Khrisong is skeptical but soon comes to realise that it's Padmasambhva who has been summoning the Yeti.  He rushes off to find the abbot who is communing with the elder.

Out on the mountainside, a strange glowing foam starts to pour out of the cave.

Khrisong finds Songsten, but is welcomed by the voice of Padmasambhva.  He is invited in but only without a weapon.  Khrisong gives the weapon up and turns to go in, but Songsten uses it to fatally wound Khrisong.  The warrior falls, shocked at the treachery.

The Doctor turns up with others and together, they restrain Songsten and take him away.

Khrisong warns the Doctor that it's not Songsten to blame, but Padmasambhva.  With that, the warrior dies.  Thonmi tells the rest of the monks what's happened, and they try to get revenge on the tied up Songsten, but are convinced that he is under the sway of the Great Intelligence.

The Doctor tells the monks to leave the monastery whilst he confronts the Great Intelligence.  He asks Thonmi and Jamie to help him.  Victoria insists on staying too.

Travers is beginning to get his memory back, and doesn't believe that Songsten is at all innocent.  He decides to go up the mountain and destroy the pyramid himself.

The Doctor comes up with a plan to invade the inner sanctum and find the control panels that work the Yeti's.  Whilst he distracts Padmasambhva, Thonmi and Jamie are to rush in and destroy them, thus ending the threat.  As a precaution, Victoria is taught the jewel of the lotus prayer to distract her in case she's hypnotised again.

Outside, Travers finds the cave entrance, but see's that it's impossible to go inside, because of the huge pulsating mass that's covering most of the mountaintop.

The monks leave, just as Padmasambhva orders the Yeti's to attack the monastery again.

The Doctor and friends enter the inner sanctum.  The Doctor is immobilised by sheer telepathic force, but Jamie and Thonmi rush for the control rooms.  Padmasambhva tries to defend the area by taking the Yeti models and moving them inside the monastery.  Victoria tries to stop him, but the elder attempts to hypnotise her.  She stops it with the prayer.

The Yeti waiting outside the monastery are activated and go inside.  As they enter, Travers sneaks in behind them.

The Yeti's come off the worst when Jamie smashes one of the silver spheres on the ground.  They all malfunction and spit their spheres out.  Padmasambhva laughs and reckons its a minor problem until Professor Travers turns up with his rifle and blows the elder away....or so he thinks.  Padmasambhva laughs and shows the bullets that have been caught in his hand!

In the end, Jamie finds a pyramid in the control room and smashes it, banishing the Great Intelligence from this world, allowing Padmasambhva to finally die, and forcing the mountaintop to explode.

With the threat over, the Doctor tells Thonmi to bring the other monks back home.  Travers agrees to guide them back up the mountain.  On their way, Travers sees the only active Yeti still around.  He bids his farewells and rushes off to observe it.

As they make their way back, Jamie complains that he's cold and he hopes the next place is really hot.  The Doctor smiles and says you never can tell.

Trivia

• One thing to note about this story is its lack of a soundtrack.  Some could argue that it's to help you immerse yourself into the world and have a better experience.  In reality, I think it was a money saving exercise.

• After messing around trying to get toothpaste like goo to bleed out from Cybermen chest units, the special effects team finally crack it in this story by purchasing a foam machine.  From this point until the end of Patrick Troughton's run, they will find any and every chance to use it!

• Professor Travers is played by Jack Watling - Deborah Watlings dad.  I think they intended for her to be surprised when she saw him on set for the first time, but he simply made her laugh.

What worked

• The sheer scale of the sets

• The location work

• As I've said with other stories, this has the nice feel of the occult.  There's a real sense of summoning something forth that should best be left alone

• The voice acting of Padmasambhva is unusual.  The closest we've come to it is the Animus from the Web Planet and Wotan from the War Machines, but this takes it up a notch on the creepy scale.

• Padmasambhva's look is really creepy too.  It's a cross between Dracula and Leatherface. I had no sympathy for that character whatsoever.

What didn't work

• If Padmasambhva is terrifying, then the Yeti are the polar opposite.  They look cuddly, not scary

• I find it hard to get my head around Travers.  At first, they try to make him look stark raving mad, then spend the rest of the story trying to make him look sane and reasonable

• Why don't the people just take out all the Yeti's chest pieces?  They lumber around so much that it can't be that hard.

• Why build the pyramid up the mountainside?  Why not just do it in the control room?  The monks will die, yes, but the Great Intelligence didn't care about that, only Padmasambhva

Overall Feelings

In researching this story, I've read other people's reviews.  I found that they were contemptuous of it, berating it as just another base under siege story in disguise, and that by liking it, we're admitting that we'll like any old crap, just because it's got aliens in it.  Although this outspoken view might have a slight ring of truth to it, I disagree on some of the key points.

For a start, is it really a base under siege?  The monks seem to think it is when the Yeti come menacing them, but like zombies, they are really slow and lumbering.   Ok, it's a "base" and the Yeti do attack it, but, there's more than one instance where the inhabitants of the monastery come and go as they please, even with the Yeti there.

The other thing is that they dismiss the uniqueness about the Yeti.  These aren't just monsters.  They're robots pretending to be monsters.  Even by 2015's standards, that's not common enough to be blase about it.  Also, they could have chosen any setting in any time whatosever, but they chose Tibet.  That's got to count for something too.

I really enjoyed the tones of the occult that were effectively woven into the Tibetan folklore.  As said in previous stories, this has a very lovecraftian feel to it, and gives a good sense that they're dealing with a powerful being, far more effectively than the attempt with the Celestial Toymaker.

There are a few downsides though.  The main one for me was that it dragged on.  Arguably, episodes 2-4 could have all been pulled into one and this would have been a must better paced story.  As it is, we have to endure long monotonous talks with a 300 year old biddy, and Victoria making an absolute nuisance of herself.  The Yeti are just about ineffective as the Z|arbi were, and don't even have the reverse toilet sound yet to make them scary(see the Web of Fear).

The one that really gets me though is that it masquerades as a whodunnit, with the characters running around trying to find out who's controlling the Yeti, but it's made clear from Episode Two.  It's like watching a Scooby-Doo, but knowing who the villain is from the start of the show.

Rating

5 out of 10

Some great, scary ideas diluted by being dragged over six episodes and having all the mystery destroyed for us in the first two episodes

Rewatchability Factor

                                5 out of 10

Worth an infrequent watch, although, I'll be very tempted to skip at least episodes 3 and 4.

Watch this if you liked

• Marco Polo

• The Web Planet

• The Celestial Toymaker

• The Web of Fear

• The Snowmen (Doctor Who Series 7)

Consulting the Matrix

With or without a soundtrack, and why?