Serial J, in three parts:
- Planet of Giants - 10/31/64, 8.4m viewers
- Dangerous Journey - 11/7/64, 8.4m
- Crisis - 11/14/64, 8.9m
Sound Bytes:
"Much of it is fascinating and exciting but by its nature and the resources needed we could not do everything we wanted to do to make it wholly satisfactory. I would, of course, have preferred to start [the season] with the Dalek serial." - internal BBC memo from Donald Wilson to Sydney Newman, dated 10/20/64
"Planet of Giants was a highly impressive production. Of particular note were the detailed and convincing giant-sized sets designed by Raymond P. Cusick. Also of interest is the fact that this was the first Doctor Who story to deal with an ecological issue...however, the story does seem somewhat dated, even by 1964 standards." - review from Doctor Who: The Sixties by Howe, Stammers and Walker (Virgin, 1992)
Comments:
Many Doctor Who fans take a slightly condescending attitude toward Planet of Giants. Even I must admit that the story sounds, on the face of it, quaint and unambitious -- it's "Honey, I Shrunk the Doctor" on a 1964 TV budget. And yet I think it's good anyway.
When Doctor Who is at its best, it manages to stretch the limitations of the TV format thanks to the creative energy of the production team. In that tradition, Planet of Giants dares to attempt cinema-level spectacle with pocket-change cash. And, for the most part, the visuals work. The Doctor and his friends are convincingly "miniaturized" through the use of oversized props and sets, which are quite well-realized. In fact, the giant sink drain is one of the most memorable (and surreal) sets in Doctor Who's history. Once again, I have to give credit to Raymond Cusick, the designer, who also brought us the Daleks on a shoestring budget.
Think about it -- if Planet of Giants had been made in the 1970s, the Doctor probably would've been shrunk through the use of fuzzy and embarrassing CSO (or rather, blue-screen) shots. If made today, the story would feature cartoon-like CGI aplenty. But, back in the 1960s, Doctor Who's designers actually had to build things instead of computer-generate them, and be, you know, sort of handy. Since I'm a reactionary at heart, I actually miss the 1960s production style, and I wouldn't mind seeing a return to "physical" special effects like models and giant props in the new Doctor Who series and science fiction in general. As if, right?
Though Planet of Giants mainly concentrates on the shrinking storyline, there's also parallel action featuring a corrupt businessman called Forester (Alan Tilvern), who's trying to push an overly lethal insecticide into production because he has a lot of money invested in it. Fans tend to particularly dislike this subplot, but I think it's interesting to see Doctor Who feature a garden-variety criminal as a villain for a change. Tilvern does a good job of being loathsome and ruthless-looking.
Like other Hartnell stories, Planet of Giants also scores on the realism front. Barbara is poisoned by the insecticide at one point, and her slow descent into illness is pretty tense stuff, particularly since she refuses to reveal her condition to her friends. Another interesting moment comes when Forester shoots someone dead, and later has to sponge up his victim's blood with the help of a confederate. Violence in Doctor Who is often whitewashed or stylized somehow, but here it's depicted as dirty and difficult to conceal.
Another plus is that Hartnell's performance is very good and virtually flub-free. He always makes me smile when he displays childish glee at the prospect of starting a fire in the insecticide lab. He's clearly a happy little pyromaniac.
In the final analysis, I must conclude that this is yet another Hartnell story that is unfairly overlooked for reasons which escape me at the moment. I wonder if the fans who make fun of its central concept have even bothered to watch it? Anyway, I think it's charming.
Grade: A-
Next Serial: The Dalek Invasion of Earth