Recently, the YouTube channel Doctor Who Classic has significantly slowed down in uploading full-length classic stories. In fact, it would be more accurate to say that the channel seems to be taking a break from it. After all, the last individual story uploaded was “The War Games” on Feb 10.
Having said that, while the channel has currently paused uploading individual serials, it has at least started uploading entire seasons. Last week, the whole of Season 17 (as broadcast, at least) was uploaded into a single compilation. This week, it’s Season 9. And honestly, that’s a fantastic pick of a season.
The middle season of Jon Pertwee’s five-year run as the Third Doctor, Season 9 features a strong mix of stories. It also features a great mix of monsters and villains, including the Ice Warriors, Sea Devils, the Master, and the Daleks!
The last one was particularly significant, as “Day of the Daleks” was the first time that the Doctor’s greatest enemies had appeared in five years. Aside from appearances in the Peter Cushing movies, it was also the first time that they had appeared in color, too.
Why it’s a great season
Season 9 is a fantastic season to check out, even if you haven’t watched any of the Classic Series before. All you need to know is that at this point, the Doctor is currently exiled to Earth, as part of a punishment by the Time Lords for interfering in the affairs of other planets. Of course, that doesn’t stop them from using him as their agent from time to time, which is why you have two stories where the Doctor is sent to other planets.
All the serials are enjoyable to some extent. “Day of the Daleks” kicks the season off to an extremely strong start. It’s a great serial that features time travel, questions of morality, and some thrilling action sequences, especially the special edition. (You can read more in my full review of the story).
“The Curse of Peladon” is amazing to watch, even now. It convincingly depicts an alien world, one that feels progressive in some ways and virtually medieval in others. It features a strong variety of aliens, including the Ice Warriors, who are explored in a completely fresh way. And it also introduces Alpha Centauri, a great character who made a nice little cameo in the Peter Capaldi episode “Empress of Mars”. (If you were previously confused by the one-eyed alien’s brief appearance at the end of the episode, it might be worth re-watching “Empress” after “Curse”.)
Strong messages and strong stories
We then get to “The Sea Devils”. Along with introducing the Silurians’ aquatic cousins, the story also features the Master, who’s trying to engineer a war between humanity and the Sea Devils. This is a really fun story that has one of my favorite Third Doctor moments: a sword fight between the Doctor and the Master. It’s a fight that’s just so fun to watch. Especially when the Doctor essentially pauses the fight to eat a sandwich!
“The Mutants” is probably my least favorite serial of the season, but it’s still a good watch. It’s a prime example of how fiercely political Jon Pertwee’s era was, as it’s hard to ignore its clear anti-imperialist message. Not quite as fun as the other stories in this season, but a good slice of solid sci-fi with a strong message.
Lastly, we have “The Time Monster”. I know some fans really don’t like this story, especially when compared to “The Daemons”, the previous season finale also written by Robert Sloman and Barry Letts. But if you avoid taking it too seriously, and embrace it for the glorious piece of silliness that it is, then you should have a good time watching it. (Even if it does have one of the worst-ever designs of the TARDIS interior.)
Overall, Season 9 is a great reminder of why Jon Pertwee’s era is so fondly remembered even now. A thoroughly entertaining season that often combines great storytelling with strong messages. An easy season to recommend checking out, especially since it’s available to watch for free.