First Doctor, Season Two, Serial One
reviewed by Tom-Tom
During the first moments of the Second Season of Doctor Who, the four time travelers, the Doctor, his granddaughter Susan, and two teachers from Susan’s school Ian and Susan experience a shock as the TARDIS doors open during materialization! When they arrive in a seemingly alien world, they find giant ants and flies long dead. Eventually they realize that everything isn’t large but in fact they themselves have shrunk to a tiny size. “Honey, I Shrunk the TARDIS!” might be a proper and prophetic title for this serial.
The reason for the dead insects is tied to a rather uninteresting plot by the normal sized (and therefore giant sized to our heroes) characters. One has manufactured a deadly and potent insecticide which kills even non harmful small life. The sets for this episode must have cost a bundle as everything is huge. Apparently the premier season was successful enough to warrant such a budget hike. Ian gets carried away in a matchbox leaving his friends to come to the rescue. They come up through the drain.. The difference in size and the effects on frequency of sound is very well done. The danger faced by the tiny travelers is quite real reinforced by rather decent sound effects. If only the story for the giants had been a bit more exciting and the actors used more enthusiastic about their role. The adventures of the Doctor are much more enjoyable in comparison making this a mixed addition to the Doctor Who canon.
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