Planet of Giants
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 009 - Planet of Giants | |
| Doctor | William Hartnell (First Doctor) |
|---|---|
| Writer | Louis Marks |
| Director | Mervyn Pinfield Douglas Camfield (episode 3) |
| Script Editor | David Whitaker |
| Producer | Verity Lambert Mervyn Pinfield (associate producer, uncredited) |
| Executive producer(s) | None |
| Production code | J |
| Series | Season 2 |
| Length | 3 episodes, 25 mins each |
| Transmission date | October 31–November 14, 1964 |
| Preceded by | The Reign of Terror |
| Followed by | The Dalek Invasion of Earth |
| IMDb profile | |
Planet of Giants is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in three weekly parts from October 31 to November 14, 1964. The story was the first since the series' pilot episode to be set on modern-day Earth.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
The Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan land in a strange world where insects grow to enormous size and die mysterious deaths. When Ian discovers a giant matchbox, they realise that they have arrived on Earth but have shrunk in size to mere inches.
[edit] Plot
Following a malfunction on the TARDIS console and the bleating of a klaxon indicating something is amiss, the Doctor insists the fault locator shows nothing is wrong and it is safe to venture outside. He leads his companions Ian, Barbara and Susan to the world beyond and within minutes they find a dead giant earthworm followed by a large deceased ant. They seem to have died immediately. After some deduction the travellers realise they have arrived on Earth but have shrunk in size to mere inches.
Ian is investigating a discarded matchbox when someone picks it up and he is hurled around inside. That someone is a government scientist called Farrow, who has come to the home of callous scientist named Forester to tell him that his application for DN6, a new insecticide, has been rejected. In reality DN6 should not be licensed: it is far too deadly to all insect life. When they fall out over this news, Forester shoots Farrow and leaves him for dead outside his home.
The Doctor, Barbara and Susan hear the gunshot as an enormous explosion, and head for the house. They find Ian unhurt near the dead body and surmise a murder has taken place but can do little about it. However, they are determined to ensure the murderer is brought to justice despite their microscopic size. Having avoided a cat, the travellers split up again with Ian and Barbara hiding in a briefcase. The giant Forester returns to the garden and collects the briefcase, taking it inside to his laboratory. His aide, Smithers, suspects him of murder, but does not report him for fear of undermining the DN6 project to which he has given his life.
The Doctor and Susan scale a drain pipe to gain access to the house and locate their friends, braving the height as they go. Meanwhile Ian and Barbara examine the laboratory and encounter a giant fly. She foolishly touches a seed that has been contaminated with DN6 and soon starts to feel unwell. Nevertheless, attracted by Susan’s voice in the reverberating plug hole, the four friends are reunited.
Forester has meanwhile doctored Farrow’s report so as to give DN6 the licence he wants and, disguising his voice as Farrow’s, makes a supportive phonecall to the ministry to the same effect. This is overheard by the local telephone operator, Hilda Rowse, and her policeman husband, Bert, who start to suspect something is wrong.
The Doctor has meanwhile realised the deadly nature of DN6 and the probable contamination of Barbara. They try to alert someone by hoisting up the phone receiver with corks, but cannot make themselves heard. However, Hilda notes the engaged signal and she and Bert become even more concerned. Forester and Smithers return to the lab and correct the engaged handset and then Hilda rings to check things are okay. She rings again moments later and asks for Farrow and, when Forester impersonates him, knows there is something badly wrong. Bert heads off to the house to investigate.
The Doctor and his companions decide to start a fire to attract attention to the house and succeed in setting up an aerosol can of insecticide as a bomb. This coincides with Smithers discovering the true virulence of DN6 - it's lethal to everything - and demanding Forester stop seeking a licence. Forester spots the makeshift bomb, which goes off in his face. Smithers retrieves the gun as PC Rowse arrives.
Their work done, the travellers return to the TARDIS and the Doctor reconfigures the machine to return them to normal size. Barbara, who was on the verge of death, recovers on being returned to full size; the insecticide and seed responsible aboard the TARDIS shrinking to their real microscopic and minuscule sizes.
[edit] Cast
- Dr. Who — William Hartnell
- Ian Chesterton — William Russell
- Barbara Wright — Jacqueline Hill
- Susan Foreman — Carole Ann Ford
- Forester — Alan Tilvern
- Farrow — Frank Crawshaw
- Smithers — Reginald Barratt
- Hilda — Rosemary Johnson
- Bert — Fred Ferris
[edit] Production
- The three episodes of the serial had individual titles. They were, respectively, "Planet of Giants", "Dangerous Journey" and "Crisis".
- This is the first story to feature music by Dudley Simpson.
[edit] The "Lost" Episode
This serial was originally four episodes in length. Upon viewing the third and fourth episodes, Head of Drama Sydney Newman ordered them spliced them together in order to form a faster-paced third and final episode. The title to the fourth episode was to have been "The Urge to Live" and was directed by Douglas Camfield, instead of Mervyn Pinfield. When episodes three and four were edited together to make the new episode three, only Camfield was credited.
The decision to eliminate the fourth episode would have ramifications in the third season of the series when the producers were left with a left-over episode block. Rather than producing a single-episode stand-alone story or extend any of the planned serials, Mission to the Unknown was commissioned to serve as a prelude to The Daleks' Master Plan without the participation of any of the regular cast.[1]
[edit] Broadcast and video release
- In 1984, Entertainment Tonight aired a short clip of Episode 1 during a segment on the TARDIS 21 convention being held in Chicago that year.
- This story was released on VHS in 2001.
[edit] In print
A novelisation of this serial, written by Terrance Dicks, was published by Target Books in January 1990. It was the final serial of the William Hartnell era to be novelised. The novel also reinstated much of the material cut to make the televised serial into three episodes.
[edit] External links
- Planet of Giants at bbc.co.uk
- Planet of Giants at Doctor Who: A Brief History Of Time (Travel)
- Planet of Giants at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
- Planet of Giants at Outpost Gallifrey
[edit] Reviews
- Planet of Giants reviews at Outpost Gallifrey
- Planet of Giants reviews at The Doctor Who Ratings Guide
