The Seeds of Doom

Six episodes
Aired between 31st January 1976 and 6th March 1976

Written by Robert Banks Stuart
Produced by Phillip Hinchcliffe
Directed by Douglas Camfield

Synopsis

Two scientists named Winlett and Moberley discover a seed pod frozen under layers of ice in Antarctica.

After analysis by the base Botanist, Stevenson, they reckon it's about 20,000 years old.

A day or so later, the word of this find gets to London and the Doctor is called in on behalf of UNIT to the World Ecology Bureau.  He meets a guy called Richard Dunbar who gives him the info on the pod and agrees to have the Doctor flown all the way to Antarctica.

The Doctor is very serious and in an ominous way, tells Dunbar to get word to Antarctica not to touch that pod under any means.

Even though the Doctor's message gets to the base, Stevenson decides to meddle with the pod anyway, putting it under ultra violet light to thaw it out.  To his amazement, it grows a little.  Winlett is a little perturbed by this and tries to convince Stevenson to leave it alone, but the Botanist is convinced that this should be their big discovery, not some crank from London's.

Unbeknownst to the Doctor and the Antarctic base, Dunbar goes to see Mr Harrison Chase, an eccentric millionaire who is obsessed with plants to the point that he thinks creating Bonzai trees is torture.

He sells the location of this possible extraterrestrial pod to Chase, who is most excited about it.  Once Dunbar's left, Chase sends two of his henchmen off to the Antarctic.

That night, the pod opens up and stings" Winlett's arm as he lays sleeping near it.

His screams alert Stevenson and Moberley but they are too late.  He has collapsed and is covered in green marks.

The Doctor and Sarah Jane arrive just a few hours afterwards, in the midst of a blizzard.

The team fill the Doctor in on the situation and remark how unusual it is that the Doctor's not wearing any cold weather clothing.  He presses them to see the body asap.  Winlett's body temperature is dropping, as is his pulse.  His body is plagued by some kind of green fungus that's growing at an alarming rate.

The team tell the Doctor that a medical team are on their way, but the Doctor fears that may be too late.  He asks Moberley to get a sample of Winlett's blood and he goes outside with Sarah and Stevenson.

He gets Stevenson to take him to where the pod was found and after a bit of digging, he comes up with another pod.  He seems to know what he's dealing with and mysteriously says that they always come in two's like policemen.

They return to the base and put the new pod in the freezer, then the Doctor examines the blood sample.

It seems that the blood has no platelets to it, and is replaced by schizophyres - organisms like plant bacteria.

The group are suddenly surprised by the sound of engines roaring overhead.  They go and see, expecting it to be the medical team.  As the others are gone, Sarah asks the Doctor what they're dealing with.  He tells her the creature that once was Winlett is now a Krynoid a form of deadly plant life that settles on planets and devours the mammals it finds.  He's not sure how they came to be on Earth, but suspects some kind of explosion that shot them into space.

Stevenson and Moberley return, bringing with them two men, Scorby and Keeler.  They claim they took a private plane but got lost and wound up at the base.  Now the base crew are back, the Doctor impatiently tells them to come with him and check on Winlett, leaving the men behind.

Winlett's condition is critical as he's almost consumed by the plant bacteria.

The Doctor suggests the only way is for Moberley to amputate Winlett's arm.  Moberley is hesitant but agrees.  they all go off to get the supplies but Winlett rises from his bed and attacks Moberley in the corridor, killing him.

Whilst the Krynoid wanders about outside, we discover that Scorby and Keeler are the men Mr Chase sent after the pod.  Scorby finds the bases rifle and disables it.  Keeler naively thinks that they're just there to find the pod, but Scorby explains that they're there to take the pod and kill the men with it, making it look like an accident.  Keeler's unhappy about it but is forced to obey or else Scorby will kill him too.

Sarah finds the dead Moberley in the corridor, prompting her, the Doctor and Stevenson to go out looking for the Krynoid.  They wander about for a bit and check the generator hut, purposefully built a little way from the base because of a powerful new fuel cell they are using.  They don't find the Krynoid and are forced to return to base.  Unknown to them however, the Krynoid saw them coming and hid until they'd gone, then it made its way into the generator hut.

With everyone gone, Scorby and Keeler go looking for the pod.  They find the open one and hear over the radio that the weather has cleared and a medical team is on its way.  Scorby tries to bluff his way, telling them not to bother, but ends up tearing the wires out of the set when they don't buy it.

Keeler explains that the pod has germinated and Scorby is insistent that they get the plant.  They capture the Doctor, Sarah Jane when the group return to base and tie them up.  Scorby questions them about the plant and the Doctor tries to tell them about Winlett becoming a Krynoid.

Scorby thinks he's playing daft and almost kills them until he captures Stevenson too.  Stevenson tries to fire with the base rifle and realises it's empty.  Scorby captures him too and under questioning, Stevenson eventually tells them about the second pod.

With the second pod in hand, Scorby insists that Sarah takes them to the generator hut and leaves the Doctor and Stevenson tied up.  He lets them know he intends to leave them to die.  Once they've gone, the Doctor manages to knock over a lamp and use the glass to cut Stevenson's ropes.

Sarah is forced to take Scorby and Keeler to the Generator hut where Scorby plants an explosive and ties Sarah up.

The bomb will cause a chain reaction that will destroy the entire base.  Keeler can't sanction this murder and attacks Scorby but the man is stronger and easily subdues Keeler, forcing him to leave with the pod.

Now free, the Doctor instructs Stevenson to contact someone and send a medical team whilst he goes and stops Scorby.  As the Doctor leaves, the Krynoid turns up and kills Stevenson whilst he's on the radio.

The Doctor sees Scorby and Keeler's plane take off, and he rushes to the hut, finding Sarah tied up with the bomb on a countdown.  He manages to free her, but the Krynoid finds them.  They manage to escape and lock the thing into the hut, running clear just as the entire base explodes.

The Doctor and Sarah make it back when the rest of the base's personnel find them and help them get back to England.

Dunbarr goes to Chase's mansion and confronts him about the lethal tactics he's used to get hold of the pod.  He explains that the Doctor and Sarah have survived and are planning to meet with Dunbarr and Sir Colin Thackery in two hours.  Chase tells him to keep his cool and everything will be fine.

At the said meeting with Dunbar and Sir Colin, the Doctor explains again what a danger this pod poses, and makes an accusation that Scorby and Keeler were somehow tipped off about the pod.  The Doctor demands that Dunbar helps him get to the Botanic Institute as the Doctor is sure the pod is somewhere in England.  Dunbar agrees and calls for a chauffeur to take them.

Once they get near a deserted quarry however, the driver stops and points a gun at them.

The driver tells them to get out so he can take them into the quarry and kill them.  As the Doctor gets out, he manages to knock the gunman over and he and Sarah run off into the quarry, managing to lure the chauffeur into the place and knocking him unconscious.

The Doctor and Sarah make their way back to the car and look in the boot, finding a rare painting from a Mrs Amelia Ducat, a leading flower artist.  They take the car and go and find Mrs Ducat who tells them she sold that particular painting to Harrison Chase, a millionaire who loves plants.

He never actually paid her for it though.

Over at the mansion, Chase orders Keeler to try and get the pod to germinate by injecting it with some fixed nitrogen.  Keeler is reluctant but knows that Chase is a dangerous man, so does as he's told.

The Doctor and Sarah end up bluffing their way into the grounds of Chase's mansion, but get chased and captured by armed guards working in the grounds. In a typical Bond Villain style, Chase meets the Doctor and is rather charming with him.  He even shows them round the grounds, and his laboratory.

Chase's butler, Hargreaves, interrupts the tour and tells Chase that the pod is germinating.  Chase orders Scorby to take them away and kill them.

Scorby does as he's told, but again, the Doctor manages to assault Scorby and make a break for it.

He lowers Sarah Jane over the mansion wall and tells her to go get help whilst he tries to find the pod.  It's not long however before Sarah is captured again by guards and taken to Chase.

The Doctor manages to climb onto the roof and finds the skylight to the secret lab where Chase is working with Keeler.

Chase, feeling particularly evil, holds Sarah's arm next to the pod and refuses to listen to Keelers calls to stop.  He doesn't care if Sarah dies, he must know what happens with the pod when it opens.

With little choice, the Doctor jumps through the skylight and down into the room, fighting off Scorby and rescuing Sarah Jane.  They lock the door as they rush out and run off into the grounds.  In all the distraction, the pod opens and stings Keeler in the arm.

He begs Mr Chase to call for an Ambulance, but Chase is far more interested in watching the effect it has on his unfortunate henchman.

Once free of the guards, the Doctor tells Sarah to hide whilst he goes back and tries to get the pod.

Eventually unlocked from the room, Chase gets his butler, Hargreaves, to take Keeler to an old cottage on the grounds.  As they do so, Chase observes that the bacteria seem to be eating all the protein from Keelers body, so orders him fed with meat.

The Doctor gets back to the lab but now finds it deserted, containing only the shell of the second pod.  Scorby finds him again and with a couple of guards, takes the Doctor down to the composting room where a huge grinder is used to recycle dead plant matter back into Chase's greenhouse.

It's also fantastic for getting rid of bodies.  Luckily, the Doctor is kept alive in there until Chase can see him again.

It just so happens that Ms Ducat calls to Chase's mansion and insists on seeing him about payment for her portrait.  Chase is annoyed but agrees to see her, delaying the Doctor's execution.

Sarah Jane meanwhile goes out and finds the cottage that Keeler was taken to.  By the time she gets there, he's tied to a bed and almost totally green.

He rants at her when she refuses to free him.  She is forced to hide in the wardrobe when she hears Hargreaves bringing the meat for Keeler, and luckily, Keeler is in too much of a state to reveal her presence.  Once Keeler has eaten, he drops into a coma, allowing Sarah to slip out of the cottage quietly.  She goes up to the house to find the Doctor but instead fins Ms Ducat as she's being shown out of the grounds by Scorby.  She manages to snatch a couple of seconds with the old woman to ask her to contact UNIT as soon as she can.

Ms Ducat is shown out of the compound and enters a car with Dunbar and Sir Colin.  She explains to them that it's as they feared, the Doctor and Sarah Jane are in trouble and the pod is in there.  Dunbar tells them to wait a few more minutes whilst he goes in and tries to talk Chase out of anything foolish, seeing as he's made a huge mistake.

In the meanwhile, Chase has had a chance to go see the Doctor whom they've tied up and placed on the feeder for the compost machine.

Foolishly though, they've left him to get composted alone, so Sarah is able to shut the machine off just in the nick of time when she stumbles upon the room.

Out at the cottage, Hargreaves brings more meat but runs away in terror as Keeler has now transformed into something wholly inhuman and frees himself from the straps holding him to the bed.

Chase is met by Dunbar who tries to get him to see reason but Chase thinks everything's under control.  Hargreaves enters a split second later and tells them that Keeler's free, which causes Dunbar to leave, threatening to get help to kill the Krynoid.  Chase calls for Scorby to "get Dunbar!"

Now free, Sarah takes the Doctor to the cottage but they find Keeler gone.  The Doctor grabs a sword from above the fireplace and they go out searching for the Krynoid.

As Dunbar is being chased by Scorby and the remaining guards, he runs into the creature that now resembles more of a tree than a man.  He is killed and his screams attract both Scorby and his goons, as well as the Doctor and Sarah.

The Krynoid advances on the Doctor whose sword is next to useless.  Luckily, Chase's guards panic and fire their guns, distracting the plant enough for the Doctor and Sarah Jane to escape to the cottage.  They're joined not long after by Scorby and a couple of men.

Scorby is sceptical that the Krynoid was once Keeler, but does believe that it's a dangerous thing.  He calls Chase at the main house to tell him to get help but Chase orders that the plant is to be unharmed.  The Doctor tries one last time to talk sense into Chase, but he hangs up.

Suddenly, a booming voice speaks from outside. it's the Krynoid.  It says that if the Doctor will allow himself to be infected, it will let all the others go free.  Scorby is happy to consider this, but the Doctor violently points out that without him there's no chance of them surviving at all.  He gets Scorby to go and make some molotov cocktails so they can try to get away.

Meanwhile, Sir Colin has gone back to his office with Amelia Ducat and tries to contact UNIT but the Brigadier is away.  He eventually gets hold of Major Beresford who agrees to help.  With little else to offer, Ms Ducat is sent off home.

Back at the mansion, Chase goes down to the cottage with a camera to take some pictures of the Krynoid.

It turns on him but he manages to convince it that he's always been on its side and only wants it to flourish.

As the Doctor and co see Chase outside, they decide to strike.  Scorby throws the molotov outside, distracting the plant enough for the Doctor to run out and get to the limo, driving off.  Sarah and Scorby manage to leg it to the main house  Once there, they begin barricading the house from the plant life that also seems to be coming to life.

The Doctor once out of the estate, goes to Sir Colin's office where he meets him and Major Beresford.  The Doctor once again tries to explain and get people to help, but UNIT commander says he can't do anything without proof.  The Doctor is soon able to show him proof as reports begin to flood in of people getting killed by vegetation near Chase's estate.

Once he's got UNIT convinced, he calls Sarah Jane at the house and explains that they are planning to attack the Krynoid with a high powered laser.  The animated plants cut the conversation short by tearing out the phone lines.

The siege at the house goes on for a bit, with the plants getting thicker and thicker.  Chase eventually turns up, having had some kind of awakening from his encounter with the Krynoid.  He says that the plants will come to rule the earth as they should.  He ends up in his greenhouse, sat on the floor, talking to his plants.

Scorby, Sarah Jane and Hargreaves all try to talk sense into him, but he believes that humans are just parasites and plants should be the real rulers.  It turns out that the greenhouse plants are also animated and they surround the survivors as they try to talk to Chase.

The plants ensnare them and begin to strangle them, but luckily, the Doctor turns up with a UNIT Sgt. carrying some experimental defoliant.  They spray the plants and kill them off, freeing the others (Hargreaves isn't so lucky).  Chase is outraged but manages to escape.

The defoliant kills the greenhouse plants but it all gets used up in the process.  The Doctor leads them all back to the lab where they can remove the remaining plants.  Everyone takes them outside but Chase turns up again and locks them all outside where the Krynoid finds them, as it towers over the house.

With another stroke of luck, the rest of UNIT turn up and shoot the Krynoid with the laser.  It doesn't kill the thing, but it's enough of a distraction for the group to get back into the house through another door.

They are set in for another siege but this time, Chase keeps wandering around messing up things and manages to knock the UNIT Sgt. unconscious and feeds him to his plants through the compost machine.

As the Krynoid tries to break its way in again, Scorby ends up succumbing to despair and makes a blind run for it, fighting his way through the jungle of animated plants.  He makes it a fair distance into the grounds before he falls into a pond and the pond weed pulls him under, drowning him.

As the Doctor repairs a loudspeaker that Chase trashed, Sarah goes off to look for the missing UNIT soldier.  She encounters Chase at the composting machine and gets knocked out too.

The Doctor finishes his repairs and contacts Major Beresford, telling him they've about fifteen minutes left before the Krynoid shoots out pods all over the place and puts the entire Earth in peril.  He tells them their only chance is to order an air strike on the thing, forsaking the Doctor and the rest as necessary casualties.  Beresford reluctantly agrees and orders the strike.

With nothing left to do, the Doctor realises that Sarah Jane is missing and goes to look for her, eventually finding her in the compost machine, tied up as the conveyor pushes her closer to the blades.  As the Doctor struggles with Chase, he manages to free Sarah Jane and shut the machine off, but Chase starts it again and pulls the doctor onto the conveyor belt with him.  The Doctor eventually fights his way off the conveyor and Chase is pulled into the machine, despite the Doctor trying to rescue him.

Together, they try to get out of the house but the plant life is too thick.  They use a steam pipe to scald the vegetation enough to get out and run just as the jet fighters come in and destroy both the Krynoid and the house.

Some time later, the Doctor and Sarah Jane debrief Sir Colin who asks the Doctor to make a speech at the Horticultural Society.  The Doctor declines and instead offers to take Sarah Jane to Cassiopeia.  They get in the TARDIS and Sarah Jane dresses ready for the beach but when they run out of the doors, it turns out they've gone to Antarctica as the Doctor forgot to reset the coordinates.  They both laugh and exclaim "have we been here before, or are we yet to come?"

Trivia

• The original title of this story would have been the Seeds of Death but thankfully fan societies pointed out that title had already been used!

• The final story for Season 13 was supposed to be The Hand of Fear, Lis Sladen's final story, but the scripts weren't ready.   She agreed to hang around a tiny bit longer because she wanted to give her character a proper send off and there was talk of a Doctor Who movie

• The movie idea was floated by Tom Baker and Ian Marter (Harry Sullivan).  It was to be called Doctor Who and the Scratchman.  It ended up being part crowd funded thanks to Tom but the BBC weren't keen on this so Tom was made to give all the money back again to the fans who'd donated.

• In the first true indication of how difficult he would become, Tom Baker showed very plainly that he hated the script for this story partially because he said the dialogue was very corny.  Robery Holmes had to negotiate with Tom, who eventually agreed to play it mean to add gravitas to the lines

• This is the last time Douglas Camfield would direct for Doctor Who

• This story's horror movie themed inspiration is Thing from Another World but you could also maybe argue Day of the Triffids

• Part of the Krynoid forms was an Axon re-painted green

What worked

• The Arctic scenes are reasonably experimental.  It's nice to see something other than a quarry or a sleepy English village 

• The Doctor's angry approach does indeed add gravitas to the situation, making you believe the threat is as big as what he's suggesting

• There's lots of deaths in this that also help build the stakes on this

• I've got to say it, Chase is wonderfully insane too.  There's tension in his unpredictability

• Even though she is a bit of dotty comic relief, Ms Ducat is fun 

• Keeler's initial state after the pods sting is a bit worrying actually

What didn't work

• There's parts of a quarry where fake snow hasn't been stuck on it

• There's a lot of back and forth in this story, especially towards the end when there's lots of siege's in the same places

• Half of the special effects for the plants look alright and half look absolutely terrible

• The end bit of Chase pottering about is really annoying as nobody just finds him and sorts him out 

• How come whenever anyone is killed in the composter, there's no blood on the blades?

• How can the TARDIS go to Antarctica when they were taken there by aircraft?

Overall Feelings

The Seeds of Doom starts out looking like an international political romp trying to get back alien pods.  The start of it, just like the horror movie it's based on is great at setting up a claustrophobic tension.  Tom Baker's playing it straight helps a lot with this, as does Scorbiy's love of violence and intent to kill everyone.  Indeed, the body count is high in this one, and although that's not a good thing for a family programme in 1976, I think it does add a level of maturity to it.  Kids aren't being talked down to on this one.  They're expected to watch from between their fingers as horrible death by horrible death, we're shown just how much of a madman Chase is and the consequences of failure.  That is great.  I mean, even the Doctor hospitalises the chauffeur by smashing his face in!

Without a doubt, this is one of the best of Tom Baker's run, and possibly worthy of a top ten spot in the entire run of Doctor Who.  What this lofty title doesn't take wholly into account is that it degenerates into bond villain death traps and lots and lots of besieged scenes.  Chase is a smart man, Scorby less so but there's got to be a point where even he realises he calls for the Doctor's death in one breath then captures him the next.  It does get a little tiring, but there's no denying the tension, horror and downright eccentricity of Chase more than make up for its shortfalls.

Rating

9 out of 10

Rewatchability Factor

7 out of 10

Watch this if you liked...

• The Seeds of Death

• The Claws of Axos 

• Robot

• Black Orchid (Well, it's got plants in it!)

• Terror of the Vervoids 

• The Thing from Another World

• The Day of the Triffids

Consulting the Matrix

Do you think Scorby should have survived and redeemed himself?

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?