.jpg "Doctor Who: 'The War Machines' BBCDVD2441")
- Broadcast:
- 25th June - 16th July 1966
- Doctor:
- William Hartnell
- Companions:
- Dodo, Polly, Ben
- Adversary:
- Sentient Computer, Robots/Machines
- Written by:
- Ian Stuart Black, Kit Pedler1
- Director:
- Michael Ferguson
- Music:
- None
- Script Editor:
- Gerry Davis
- Producer:
- Innes Lloyd
- Average Viewers:
- 5.23m (5.4, 4.7, 5.3, 5.5)
The third season of Doctor Who was about to come to an end and the Lloyd/Davis broom was in full sweep. Not only was the companion change-over about to be completed but the adventure itself was something new. Since the Doctor left 1960s Earth in the very first episode he had only returned on three brief occasions plus one adventure that prevented any kind of normal interaction (Planet Of Giants saw the TARDIS crew reduced to the size of insects for the entire story, while The Chase, The Daleks' Master Plan, and The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve all featured 'passing through' moments)... The War Machines would be the first time a full story involved a contemporary setting with full scale threats and it was hoped that such stories could replace the less popular historicals.
In the news, an anti Vietnam war demonstration outside the US Embassy in London turned violent resulting in 31 of the 4000 protesters being arrested. France withdrew it's armed forces from NATO's integrated military command, the Warsaw Pact agreed to support North Vietnam and British Prime Minister Harold Wilson flew to Moscow to attempt (but ultimately fail) to negotiate peace. In Africa, Malawi became a republic two years after gaining independence from the UK and Zambia threatened to leave the commonwealth over the situation in Rhodesia. Closer to home, Princess Beatrice (Queen Victoria's granddaughter) died, Barclays introduced the Barclay Card as the first British credit card, and the FIFA World Cup got under way in England with 'World Cup Willie' being the first World Cup mascot.
In terms of entertainments, cinemas were showing the likes of The Moving Target, The Wrong Box, and The Glass Bottom Boat while the music charts were topped by "Paperback Writer" (The Beatles) and "Sunny Afternoon" (The Kinks)
Doctor Who itself was about to get some swinging beats as well with the Doctor's companions getting acquainted in a hip new nightclub called Inferno (which, coincidentally, has its own resonance considering other Doctor Who episode titles - the final episode of The Romans 18 months prior and the Third Doctor story Inferno 4 years later)
In the news, an anti Vietnam war demonstration outside the US Embassy in London turned violent resulting in 31 of the 4000 protesters being arrested. France withdrew it's armed forces from NATO's integrated military command, the Warsaw Pact agreed to support North Vietnam and British Prime Minister Harold Wilson flew to Moscow to attempt (but ultimately fail) to negotiate peace. In Africa, Malawi became a republic two years after gaining independence from the UK and Zambia threatened to leave the commonwealth over the situation in Rhodesia. Closer to home, Princess Beatrice (Queen Victoria's granddaughter) died, Barclays introduced the Barclay Card as the first British credit card, and the FIFA World Cup got under way in England with 'World Cup Willie' being the first World Cup mascot.
In terms of entertainments, cinemas were showing the likes of The Moving Target, The Wrong Box, and The Glass Bottom Boat while the music charts were topped by "Paperback Writer" (The Beatles) and "Sunny Afternoon" (The Kinks)
Doctor Who itself was about to get some swinging beats as well with the Doctor's companions getting acquainted in a hip new nightclub called Inferno (which, coincidentally, has its own resonance considering other Doctor Who episode titles - the final episode of The Romans 18 months prior and the Third Doctor story Inferno 4 years later)
