027 - The War Machines

Broadcast:

25^th June - 16^th 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)

Summary: The newly opened communications hub in the Post Office Tower is taken over by its intelligent computer. Rather than joining the world's chief computers together to better human existence, it decides the world would be better off without us and issues instructions for war machines to be built.

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)

The first thing anyone will notice when watching The War Machines is the title cards. Following the usual title sequence, a series of black and white (that is to say, solid black and white with no greys) computer read-out style captions are seen with four punch-card or alignment holes on the left with text in a font that was regarded as computer/futuristic at the time but probably looks more classic/retro sci-fi today! Fonts like "Bitwise" and "Data Pro" are similar options available online if you want to take a look or recreate the feel! Up until this story, episode titles and writing credits had appeared as standardised text overlays on top of the main action (with The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve being the only exception using an old illustration to set the scene behind the episode titles as they fade in and out as normal) Curiously, the animated sequence is different for each episode, suggesting that they were produced a week apart and without reference to what had been done before - 'a bit of flashing between black and white with the words scrolling up' would describe them all equally well but the nature of the flashing and scrolling varies. One constant however, and a bit of a curiosity itself, is the drum-roll that plays during these sequences and provides the only real incidental music for the whole serial! A lot of scenes incorporate the whirring hum of computer machinery which would make music unworkable and, frankly, unnecessary. Beyond that there is an almost musical hypnotic sound when WOTAN takes its first victims, which is more effect than music, and two scenes in the nightclub with different music which, although taken from stock, is diegetic rather than incidental.

Another technicality worth pointing out at this stage is that the Police Box prop received a bit of a make-over for this serial. It can clearly be seen in the opening scene that paint is severely wearing off at this point in the show's production, however when the location film sequence cuts to the studio recording for the close-ups, it is evident that the prop has been repainted and is as good as new. In fact, it isn't just a fresh coat of paint. It appears that the door has been replaced because the lock is seated differently and is flush with the wood and the St John's Ambulance sticker which had hitherto been painted over and only identifiable in model shots since the early days, is now completely gone. Also, the white window frames are now coloured to match the rest of the prop, which seems an odd move but one which was to stick until Matt Smith received a brand new prop in The Eleventh Hour in 2010 when the St John's Ambulance sticker would finally return as well because, in narrative terms, the TARDIS had regenerated itself.

Before all of that, The War Machines opens with an high shot of London and a whistling/screaming sound as the camera zooms in to a street corner before the TARDIS materialises. This is a nice mirror of the very first episode which saw a similar shot of London getting smaller as the TARDIS took off on its first televised journey and here it was finally returning. It lands with its wheezing-groaning thump followed by a shot of pigeons flying off in reaction (presumably stock footage). Dodo seems delighted to be home and the Doctor playfully places an "out of order" sign on the TARDIS door and explains to Dodo that it is necessary because being in 1960s London meant it could be mistaken for a real police box... which she should already know since that's how she joined him herself just four months earlier! Further continuity confusion arises when the Doctor says he can sense something bad about the Post Office Tower and has prickles like when the Daleks were near (which he never mentioned before) then Dodo observes that the tower is now completed, despite having joined the Doctor in February (the tower was opened in October the previous year)... so perhaps we are to assume from this that when the Doctor momentarily landed in London at the end of The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve it wasn't contemporary London but several months in the past, presumably before the third season began broadcast. One final oddity in this opening scene is a play on the fact that William Hartnell was now known for stumbling over his lines. When he mentions that something is wrong he says he can 'scent' it but while the audience might be thinking "He was meant to say sense" Dodo proceeds to say that it smells alright to her in a perfectly formed line which is clearly scripted. Ironically, the line that follows is the Doctor getting all excited and concerned and Hartnell really does stumble his way though it!

The Doctor's inquisitive nature means a trip into the Post Office Tower is just moments away and it's not long before we meet some very important characters. First of all is the computer WOTAN, pronounced with a V because it apparently comes from the Germanic form of the Norse god Odin despite being an acronym for 'Will Operated Thought ANalogue' ('analogue' in this case may mean 'similar alternative' rather than suggesting mechanical variance, but computers at this time were analogue rather than digital as they are now), so technically it is most likely a backronym. WOTAN is said to be 10 years ahead of its time, not the biggest computer in the world, but the most advanced - it has voice recognition and speech synthesis truly 40 years ahead of reality! Of course the advent of the silicon chip and transistors would mean that computers didn't need to be bigger to be better and it naturally followed that greater advances actually allowed them to get smaller and better... but those days were some time away from when The War Machines is set (and indeed when it was made). Not only is WOTAN more advanced as it is, it will soon be connected via the telephone network to all the major computers around the world to make it even more powerful and capable of working out what is best for humanity and how to solve all the world problems of war and famine... only, as stated in the summary, it realises that the world can not progress with mankind running it.

Thus the premise is set up, and indeed is restated at the start of episode 2 following the cliffhanger reprise. Not only does WOTAN have a voice, it can use electromagnetic and possibly sound waves to influence people, even over the phone - reminiscent of 1980s modems and the interface used in The Matrix.

The second important character we meet in the tower is Polly who is working for Professor Brett. Interestingly, although the public would have been aware that Polly was to be the new companion, her role in the story is not written that way. For a start, she is working at the centre of the trouble and although she is drawn into the Doctor and Dodo's world she also comes under WOTAN's influence. We later meet Ben in the Inferno nightclub and his path through the story is more clear but he too could have left at the end. Indeed, from the very beginning he was due to sail off with the navy. This makes for an interesting story as Polly and Ben are both clearly still in their own world until the very end, very much grounded in the swinging sixties with no inclination towards adventure. But it is Dodo we must feel sorry for, and Jackie Lane who played her. Not only does she come under WOTAN's influence but the Doctor sends her to a country house to recover and she is never seen again! The last time we see her, she is sat silently in a chair still hypnotised and with her eyes closed, put to sleep by the Doctor for 48 hours and fully expected to recover and return to the story. The next thing we know is at the end of the final episode when Polly relays a message that she's feeling much better and wants to stay - the Doctor was even thinking about leaving without her any way! This all came about because Jackie Lane's contract ran out part way through production of this story so the only other choices for Lloyd and Davis would have been a dramatic mid-story exit which would have broken the flow and probably caused an outrage, or extend her contract for an extra two weeks which would no doubt have been costly and difficult to negotiate.

While still on the subject of Dodo, when she is in the story she has an interesting time. The Doctor introduces her as his secretary, so when WOTAN has her under its influence she behaves as if it were true and curiously out of character. That's not WOTAN's only mistake either. While it is surprisingly able to answer the question "What does the word TARDIS mean?" it makes the equally surprising mistake in referring to the Doctor as Doctor Who and wanting his 'human brain'... now, you could argue that the Doctor's name and alien nature had not been so rigidly defined in 1966 as they would be in just a few years, but the structure and references were there. It is true however, that referring to the character by the show's title was perfectly common place at the time by journalists, comedians and fans alike so while it feels wrong today (to fans at least) it would have barely been noticed at the time. It was a concious decision though, and only WOTAN and people under its influence call him Doctor Who and although it only happens a few times, this is the only story in which it happens.

Interestingly, The War Machines would not have been out of place in Jon Pertwee's era. This is partly due to the contemporary Earth based nature but also because the army gets involved. Anyone who saw the more recent The Bells Of St John might also feel a sense of familiarity too... contemporary London, people being controlled through the communications network, a new companion being introduced and a recently completed tall iconic building... one couldn't claim it to be the same story but the premise is certainly the same and the similarities are too great to be overlooked. For that matter, Professor Brett's summary of things at the start of episode two will surely prick the ears of any Terminator fan. Innes Lloyd wanted to strengthen the sci-fi aspect of the show by employing a scientific advisor and it was talks with Kit Pedler in relation to this role that lead to him joining the team and creating the basis for this story. Whether it actually influenced Steven Moffat or James Cameron is for them alone to say but the show could have been different without him, especially since he also introduced the idea of the Cybermen.

The War Machines themselves are an interesting point for debate. They are large and blocky, but pretty menacing; there is a scene where their weapons are being tested and the spray of carbon-dioxide that represents its fire power is clearly off target while its intended victim dutifully falls to the floor in almost comical fashion; the mallet-like weapon takes hefty swings, but with limited aim. They are seen crashing through crates and dustbins, yet the trap set by the army involved 'closing the roads' to force it into their enclosure so either the machines are not so destructive or the roadblocks are unrealistically strong. Equally confusing is a sequence where the army try to fire their guns only to find them inoperable. It's never explained how the war machine jams them but it is made clear that is what has happened, yet comments made suggest that it didn't happen straight away ("Any tricks and we'll open fire again"). It's hard to know if the design is poor and budget restricted or simply dated though. They look like they have potential but feel underdeveloped... but the same could be said about WOTAN which is based on contemporary computer technology. I think the key to remember is that The War Machines is a contemporary Earth adventure with wholly Earth borne adversaries, there is no alien or advanced technology at play.

Other things to watch out for include Anneke Wills's performance as Polly, turning from classy society girl to a rather scary soulless drone. It's such a shame that this is her only complete story known to exist. I've yet to see any of the reconstructions of her missing episodes but I think I'm going to enjoy them in the coming weeks. There's a lovely moment of 'business' involving a window when Polly and the Doctor get into a taxi and a reminder of the period setting (by today's terms) comes from the requirement for 'change of a quid' to pay the fare! Another dated and rather lost reference to modern viewers is the inclusion of Kenneth Kendall as a television news reporter, adding a sense of realism because that's exactly what he was at the time (and indeed for many years) If you've a mind to stop and think about unseen details then you may want to ponder on the war machine's final journey...

One detail which needs pointing out and is unfortunately easily missed is pivotal to the new companions joining the Doctor on his travels. Within the first couple of minutes of the final episode, the Doctor hands his cloak to Ben and his TARDIS key falls to the floor. Ben makes a deliberate move to show that he's picked it up but it isn't clear on camera that it is the key and since the Doctor doesn't notice, there is no vocal reference. It seems rather convenient and unexpected when he finally produces it at the end of the episode and lets himself and Polly into the TARDIS just in time. This does rather leave the question of how the Doctor opened the door in the first place... presumably he carries more than one key! This is the final moment of confusion or plot-hole and reminds us that while The War Machines is generally a quality production that is enjoyable to watch, the script is far from perfect, but the conviction of the performances and the general action-romp feel more than make up for this. There are plenty of really nice details as well. For instance, the Inferno nightclub set has a "Top Of The Pops" feel to it when first seen and when the Doctor enders he is described as looking like "that disc jockey", which was presumably a reference to Jimmy Savile who was probably most recognisable from presenting "Top Of The Pops" at the time.

Final points of interest before the score, C-Day (when WOTAN is scheduled to hook up with all the other computers) is given as Monday 16th July but astute viewers would have spotted that the final episode was broadcast on the 16th July and it was, of course, a Saturday and in fact wouldn't be on a Monday until 1973. Interestingly, in The Faceless Ones when Polly and Ben leave the Doctor, the date is said to be 20th July 1966 and is the same day in which they left with him, which would have been a Wednesday... it's not clear in the narrative that several days pass, but the Doctor does put Dodo to sleep for 48 hours on what seems to be the second day so the maths would suggest that she had been awake for a day before the Doctor gets her message. Following the TARDIS's departure, a man and woman walk past the camera apparently having witnessed the dematerialisation, reminiscent of the woman who had observed Dodo's departure at the end of The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve which had been planned as being Ian and Barbara. I found no reference to this being a second attempt at the same joke but it is an interesting call back that bookends Dodo's time on the show.

The final score then... The War Machines concludes the third season and comes in as the second highest after The Daleks' Master Plan with 72%, clearly above the rest of the season and if viewing figures are anything to go by then this was the turning point for the show and the next two seasons should be good... unfortunately only three of the stories are complete in the archives, that's just 19% (though of all 83 episodes 37% have survived)...