Day 308: The Curse of Peladon Episode 1

There are some serials which I watch and I realise that I've got nothing that I really want to say about them. There are others that I look forward to, because they have so much within them that I can talk about the merits of these serials for weeks on end. The Curse of Peladon is one of these serials. In ordinary circumstances, I'd stretch these ideas out across the serial, to ration my sanity and prevent myself from running out of things to talk about. But these aren't ordinary circumstances. I'm going away for the weekend and thus will only be covering the first episode of The Curse of Peladon. So shall begin this rambling entry about everything that I love about The Curse of Peladon.

Let's begin with the incredibly obvious point: Alpha Centauri. A hermaphrodite hexapod, it has been created as a new and unique alien monster. Unlike others that have appeared in the series which have borne some resemblance to humans, this one is completely unlike humans at all. It's using the ability to make itself alien and weird to make itself utterly memorable. And not only that, but it is also absolutely hilarious. A high pitched and trembling voice spews forth from its head, as it panics about every possible thing imaginable. There's also a fantastic and hilarious scene later on in the serial where Jo and some Ice Warriors intimidate it into following their orders. It's funny because we see this character in some degree of terror, but also because this terror is being subjected by Jo Grant, the lovable assistant of the Doctor who couldn't hurt a fly. And to top it all off, it looks incredibly rude.

We've also got the plot, which is fantastic as well. It concerns fears about joining politically with a galactic federation, something which could either increase Peladons's standing in the galaxy, or destroy everything that Peladon holds dear. There's a reason for this story as well, as the UK was, at the time, in great debate about whether they wanted to become part of the EEC, or the European Economic Community. It's a decision which holds great fear for those that wish to uphold the status quo, and much is done by that end to prevent this from happening. This is done by creating a climate of fear, one which will force people to remain afraid of the new developments, instead of being excited for the prospects that they will have in the future. It's a political tactic that has been used throughout history, and one which is clearly demonstrating to the audience of the ways in which politics works, introducing young minds to this premise as well as showing older viewers that Doctor Who is smarter than you would think.

And above all of that, this story is one of the first stories that I saw. I don't remember too much about it on first viewing, aside from one brief moment. I remember talking excitedly with my mother about one of the plot developments in the story, namely that the Ice Warriors were not actually the villains, despite the fact that I had read through various sources that the Ice Warriors were some of the Doctor's worst enemies. When I look back on this memory, I am struck by how well I engaged with the mythos of the programme, as I absorbed all of the information to do with this strange series that my parents used to watch, showing that this was clearly going to be something that I would stick with for quite some time.

And as this entry comes to a close, I should mention that I haven't even gotten started on everything that I love about The Curse of Peladon. I'm legitimately disappointed that I'm going to be missing the remainder of this serial, but I've now got to go and do some business with my friends as We've Got Work To Do!