Day 191: The Enemy of the World Episode 6

And as this serial comes to an end, the Doctor and Salamander finally come face to face. It's an encounter that takes place in the TARDIS, something which feels inherently wrong as, and I'm fairly sure that I'm right about this, no other character that wasn't either the Doctor or a companion has fully entered the TARDIS before (although a Zarbi did walk through the doors, it was forced out again rather quickly). This is able to show just how serious things have become with this villain, that they have been placed in a position that only the good guys have previously had, being in control of the TARDIS.

It doesn't last long though, as there's a brief punch-up between the Doctor and Salamander culmunitating in Salamander being thrown out of the TARDIS doors whilst the ship is in flight. A lesser director would have handled this badly, but Barry Letts has an eye for action, using some impressive quick cuts to keep things pacy and ensure that it feels like no other episode before it. Letts is a name that we will definitely return to in the future, and it's wonderful to see that his first impact on Doctor Who came off so well, being a wonderfully directed action thriller that clearly shows him as a name to keep an eye on.

And someone making their last impact on Doctor Who is the producer of this serial, Innes Lloyd. He brought with him a serious science fiction style to the series, moving it away from the fantastical adventures that the Doctor would have into the enthralling and slightly more realistic adventures that he encounters. As well as that, he cast Patrick Troughton, who has quickly made the role his own, to such an extent that it's hard to imagine anyone else being the Doctor besides him. Lloyd also had a good eye for finding things that people would be interested in, bringing us terrifying monsters such as Cybermen and Ice Warriors to frighten small children so that people had a reason to watch the program beyond it being a nice little story, it was also a nice little story that would send you running behind the sofa. When he came into the series, I will admit that I was skeptical of his work, because I had quite enjoyed the fantasy that had been brought by his predecessors in the role, but he proved me wrong by showing that serious science fiction can be just as enthralling, and although some lightness of touch was required to make everything bearable, it still comes across as a wonderful piece of work that is definitely worth checking out. So this blog says thank you to Innes Lloyd for giving us so much to the history of Doctor Who.