52) DOCTOR WHO AND THE SILURIANS

The Doctor’s exile on Earth offered many opportunities for Doctor Who, including the chance to explore unchartered territory, and introduce a race of monsters completely new to the show. It’s easy to see Doctor Who and the Silurians as a morality tale concerning the plights of natives whose lands had been commandeered by invading forces (the scripts make no effort to hide the symbolism). The Silurians have a right to be angered by humanity, they were the original masters of Earth, the home they once presumably loved and cherished is now gone, and replaced with a completely regenerated ‘alien’ world.
   For such a bloodthirsty narrative, it’s nice to see The Doctor wanting to help the monsters out, rather than setting out to destroy them when all other possible solutions have been severed. The Silurians provide multiple excuses for The Doctor abandoning all hope, but it’s remarkable The Doctor’s high morals and standards never wain when things take a turn for the worst, (one of the many redeeming qualities of The Doctor’s Third incarnation). The whole world faces a crisis that would otherwise have ended with the destruction of the Silurians had The Doctor not been present; even Liz isn’t totally on The Doctor’s side. The Silurians themselves almost mirror image some of the human characters (with greed, insecurity, unwillingness and selfish personalities being reflected right back): the hot-headed one who wishes to destroy and kill (Major Baker/Young Silurian), the one who wishes to study and observe (Dr Quinn/Silurian Scientist), and the one who wishes to live in peace, – even though deep down they know the visions for the future are not possible (The Doctor/Older Silurian). The Silurians ARE complex characters, each with its own distinctive personality, which is a refreshing quality compared to some of the mundane monsters during previous eras.
   Doctor Who and the Silurians was handed over to Barry Letts during pre-production, and the final results show. He was enthusiastic to utilise CSO on the show, which he did, but with a jarring effect. The dinosaur is naff, and the attacks on several characters are pitifully pathetic, but the design and costume for the Silurians are marvellous. 
   The scripts provide plenty of ingenious and brilliant ideas from Malcolm Hulke, which only fully come together in the latter-half of the ‘overall’ long seven-part narrative. The first two episodes simply set up the narrative, and have little moments of action and suspense, but episode 3 is when things really pick up with an impressively captured hunting scene with a helicopter and aerial shots. The peak of the narrative is the cliffhanger to episode 5, and the multiple deaths at the train station in episode 6. Episode 7 is a little dry, and running out of material, with the Silurians abandoning their first plan, and substituting it for another, unrelated one, only to abandon PLAN B and move onto PLAN C. This is easily forgotten with the brilliant, yet tragic final moments. We’ll rarely see The Doctor being furious with a companion for committing a selfish act again, and The Doctor’s silent reactions are a statement of their own accord. One could argue The Doctor never fully forgave The Brigadier throughout the Third Doctor era.
Just ignore the kazoo which dominates the equally unimpressive soundtrack ****

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