011 - The Rescue

Broadcast:

2^nd - 9^th January 1965

Doctor:

William Hartnell

Companions:

Ian, Barbara¹

Adversary:

Didonian Native and Sand Beast

Written by:

David Whitaker

Director:

Christopher Barry

Music:

Tristram Cary²

Script Editor:

Dennis Spooner³

Producer:

Verity Lambert

Average Viewers:

12.5m (12, 13)

Summary: The survivors of a crashed rocket ship are harassed by a native as they await their rescue ship. When the TARDIS arrives, the Doctor recognises the planet but the natives apparent behaviour doesn't match his previous experience there...

Doctor Who started the new year very strongly. The Invasion Of The Daleks had ended 1964 with a strong story and excellent viewing figures but left a companion shaped hole. The Rescue was set to introduce a new character who would fill that hole and although it was only two episodes it packed in a whole range of emotions for the new character and it seems her full range was explored to satisfy any fan concerns. As you can see, both episodes performed very well and the second set a new record that would not be matched for more than ten years. This story saw the start of the second recording block so everyone is very fresh and put in strong performances. It also saw David Whitaker hand over the Story Editor role to Dennis Spooner but naturally left him with nothing to do having written the scripts himself.

In terms of news, T.S. Eliot had just died, Donald Campbell set new world speed record on water at 276.33mph, and the "Worboys Committee" standards for road signs (that determine how signs look today) came into play. On the day the first episode of The Rescue was broadcast, ITV began it's "World of Sport" as a rival to the BBC's "Grandstand", while the BBC themselves introduced "Not Only... But Also..." the following week. Ronnie and Reggie Kray (twins aged 31) were arrested on suspicion of running a protection racket in London and the Beatles continued their five week run at number one with "I Feel Fine" while cinemas were showing comedy "The Yellow Rolls-Royce" and collection of pop music "Pop Gear" (hosted by the then popular DJ but now notorious Jimmy Savile)

One thing to watch out for at the very beginning of the first episode is the sound of the TARDIS landing. For the first time the wheezing, groaning 'engine' noise is heard from outside as the Police Box fades into place. It doesn't end with the thud that would become standard in later years and it was by no means a fixed sound that every director was expected to use but Christopher Barry had set a president that would eventually be a core TARDIS feature

Having landed, it is another four minutes before we actually see inside the TARDIS and not because things are happening around it. For some reason, as if part of the titles, the landing is ignored and the 'real' opening establishing shot of a crashed rocket ship is seen via a very good model (though slightly shaky camera work) and an uneven set to match. We are introduced to an over excited girl who's mood turns to fear when her dominating ship-mate mentions Koquillion.
Eventually, we are inside the TARDIS, the 'engine' noise is still running, the central column is seen to drop and the 'engine' noise ceases. Barbara explains to Ian that the sort of trembling has stopped and that they must have landed, but the Doctor is asleep... they wake him and he turns off the power. Even the general hum stops. William Hartnell appears to stumble through a line but it could be at least partly planned as the Doctor appears to be thinking his way through it but ultimately calls for Susan to open the doors and of course is hit by the sudden sadness as he realises she is no longer with them. Barbara gently suggests that he show her how to open the doors and the mood lifts again. The travellers exit the TARDIS to the left (as we expect it today but it still wasn't a fixed orientation, even within the same story!) and a neat and simple cut allows us to see them exit from the Police Box - except the Doctor seems to lead the way out of the console room but is last to exit the Police Box. They have landed ("Materialised, I think is a better word" says the Doctor) inside a cave and there is a nice moment as they remember their previous experiences with caves (six of the previous ten adventures featured them, seven if you include the tunnels of the Aztec temple!)

The story of The Rescue is quite simple, so I'm in danger of retelling it, but it does manage to pack in plenty of action and variety and feels quite similar to a modern episode since it is near enough the same length. Maureen O'Brian puts in a great performance as Vicki and is given a full range of emotions to portray. At one point she practically looks straight down the camera lens as she recounts the tale of how she came to be stranded on the planet and it is almost as if she is telling the audience as much as Barbara. There is an almost instant bonding between her and the Doctor as they fulfil a kind of surrogacy role for each other. There is depth and development as well as surprises and dangers. There is an odd moment when the Doctor and Ian look down a into a chasm and describe it but there is no matching shot for the viewer to see, yet moments later we see them from across the other side, though it doesn't look quite as high as it sounded! The cliffhanger that follows has Ian trapped by bars that come out of the wall and is pushed towards the edge, but it looks like he should easily be able to climb up and swing himself free... As the second episode resolves the matter, we learn that the bars are in fact sharp blades so he couldn't climb them, but he manages to swing round anyway by covering them with his jacket. It's possibly the first disappointing cliffhanger in the series and one that doesn't really make sense in the context of the story since the natives of the planet are supposed to be peaceful with no understanding of violence and aggression - it's worth pointing out at this point that we know this about the Didonians because the Doctor reveals that he has been there before, so this is the first time we see him return to a location that we haven't seen ourselves.

One thing that David Whitaker introduced in The Rescue that had only been very minor in previous scripts is a sense of humour. There are several comedic moments, such as the Doctor being glad that Barbara is feeling better after she tells him the trembling has stopped, but it is all light and gentle comedy, nothing too forced... a balance that was about to tip the wrong way and cause ripples of dissatisfaction in the next adventure. Perhaps a more standard line of humour is Ian calling Koquillion "Kocky-leakin" almost bending it to "cockaleaky".

Over all, I found The Rescue to be a thoroughly enjoyable little story and perhaps it is helped by its brevity with little room to wander off and go wrong but I scored it 79% on a par with The Sensorites and just one behind The Dalek Invasion Of Earth. Viewing figures would seem to agree, episode two would hold the record for many years. It is mostly held back by a relative lack of fear factor and effective but minimal music (which was also cheap because it was recycled from The Daleks) but it is bolstered by quality sets, a great level of intrigue with an unexpected twist, and some wonderful performances.

A few minor anomalies creep in however. As well as the questionable trap, it is a little odd that Vicki doesn't question how Koquillion left the rocket ship without her seeing him, though there is the slim possibility that he left via the break in the hull; there is an over long gap between Vicki screaming for Barbara to not shoot at Sandy the Sand Beast and her actually firing the gun; and I still find it odd that when the travellers return to the TARDIS they are seen entering from the right, having exited to the left - presumably this was related to studio space and camera movement. Another slight oddity by today's standards is how the Police Box light continues to flash after landing, even when the power is switched off. It can be seen giving some interesting ambiance while the characters are talking outside. Also, the windows are open again, having last been seen open at the start of The Dalek Invasion Of Earth.

One final note, to keep Koquillion's identity secret the actor listed as playing him was Sydney Wilson... a pseudonym derived from the show's founding fathers, head of drama Sydney Newman and head of serials Donald Wilson. This was the show's first of many false credits.