Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Doctor Who is a British science fiction television series which has been around off and on since 1963. The main character is just known as “The Doctor” and is a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. This means he travels through time to various places. One of his favorite places to visit is Earth. Typically, he has a companion traveling with him, usually female, sometimes male, sometimes one of each. He travels in a time machine known as a “Tardis” which is disguised as a British Police booth.

A Time Lord can regenerate if fatally wounded, which has accounted for all the different actors who have played The Doctor throughout the years. In this episode, the Doctor is portrayed by Jon Pertwee. This was the first episode after he regenerated into the third Doctor.

The Doctor during this time was sent to live in exile on Earth. His work there was alongside the likes of Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (portrayed by Nicholas Courtney) at an organization known as UNIT, designed to protect Earth from extra-terrestrial threats.

In Spearhead From Space, the Brigadier is bringing in a new scientist to UNIT by the name of Liz Shaw (portrayed by Carolyn John). Coincidentally, there have been reports of meteorites falling to earth in the same area of Essex. A policebox turns up and the Brigadier orders it to be guarded at all costs, while he races to the hospital to see if the man found unconscious beside it is who he thinks it is.

The hospital is in an uproar already as we see it is indeed the Doctor who has returned to Earth. Unfortunately, the Brigadier doesn't recognize him as the Doctor has regenerated since the two last met. The Doctor manages to make an escape from the hospital in quite a hilarious and spectacular fashion. Unfortunately, his freedom is short-lived, and his condition upon his return continues to mystify physicians at the hospital.

Meanwhile, the "meteors" actually turn out to be living energy. There are beings which have taken over a doll factory, which look like a cross between the plastic dolls manufactured there and human beings. These beings, to be known as Autons, will go on to be recurring villains in the series. Here they are seeking out the energy balls for their own purpose.

The Doctor finally makes his escape and locates the Brigadier due to a homing device on the TARDIS, which the Brigadier had brought back to UNIT Headquarters. Together, they must all find a way to stop the Autons.

Spearhead From Space is good on so many levels. It marks the first episode for Pertwee as the Doctor, as well as a new companion in Liz Shaw. Normally, when a new character is brought in, the first episode is slow as the characters are developed. Here, the action starts right away and the characters get some development which is a terrific balance. Pertwee seems comfortable in the role right off the bat, which is surprising considering how much is now known about his difficulty with the techno-babble of the series. He’s a much better actor than people give him credit for.

The new setting for the Doctor, as an exile to Earth as a criminal, makes this different than the adventures of other Doctors in the series. They travel all over the universe while the Doctor of the Pertwee area is earthbound. This gives time for his two companions, Liz and the Brigadier, to develop along with him and it works quite well. It’s also beneficial to Spearhead From Space in that there’s no rush to tell us everything about them.

The story with the Autons is great. They are a frightening villain who will turn up again two more times. Their human allies are motivated by their own selfish desires. The acting by the characters who are the humans who have become Autons is good and works well - there’s enough that’s similar for them to be convincing while the audience can sit there and wonder how those around them don’t see what we do.

The DVD has a good selection of extras, including commentary by Nicholas Courtney and Carolyn John. It’s worth checking out and watching it a second time just for the commentary.

Spearhead From Space is a great start to the story of the third Doctor. Pertwee is already making the character his own with a strong beginning, the new companions aren’t obvious, but are given room to grow in their relationship with him. The story here is excellent, incorporating a terrific story with the regeneration of the Doctor, rather than having his regeneration be the focus of the story-arc.



SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Actors Commentary with Carolyn John and Nicholas Courtney
• BBC Trailers
• Information Text
• Who's Who
• Photo Gallery
• UNIT Recruiting Film


Doctor Who on DVD: 



The First Doctor (William Hartnell) 

The Beginning Collection ~ The Keys of Marinus ~ The Aztecs ~ The Dalek Invasion of Earth ~ The Rescue/The Romans ~ The Web Planet ~ The Time Meddler ~ Lost In Time ~ The War Machines

The Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) 

Lost In Time ~ The Tomb of the Cybermen ~ The Mind Robber ~ The Invasion ~ The Seeds of Death ~ The War Games

The Third Doctor (Jon Pertwee) 

Spearhead from Space ~ Doctor Who and the Silurians ~ Inferno ~ The Claws of Axos ~ The Sea Devils ~ The Three Doctors ~ Carnival of Monsters ~ The Green Death ~ The Time Warrior 

The Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) 

Robot ~ The Ark in Space ~ The Sontaran Experiment ~ Genesis of the Daleks ~ Planet of Evil ~ Pyramids of Mars ~ The Brain of Morbius ~ The Hand of Fear ~ The Deadly Assassin ~ The Robots of Death ~ The Talons of Weng Chiang ~ The Horror of Fang Rock ~ The Invisible Enemy ~ The Invasion of Time ~ The Ribos Operation ~ The Pirate Planet ~ The Stones of Blood ~ The Androids of Tara ~ The Power of Kroll ~ The Armageddon Factor ~ Destiny of the Daleks ~ City of Death ~ The Leisure Hive ~ The E Space Trilogy ~ The Keeper of Traken ~ Logopolis 

The Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) 

Castrovalva ~ Four to Doomsday ~ The Visitation ~ Black Orchid ~ Earthshock ~ Time-Flight ~ Arc of Infinity ~ Black Guardian Trilogy ~ The Five Doctors ~ Warriors of the Deep ~ Resurrection of the Daleks ~ The Caves of the Androzani 

The Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker) 

The Twin Dilemma ~ Attack of the Cybermen ~ Vengeance on Varos ~ The Mark of the Rani ~ The Two Doctors ~ Timelash ~ Revelation of the Daleks ~ The Trial of a Time Lord

The Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy) 

Delta and the Bannermen ~ Remembrance of the Daleks ~ Battlefield ~ Ghost Light ~ The Curse of Fenric ~ Survival 

The Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann) 

Doctor Who - The Movie

The Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) 

Doctor Who 2005 - The Complete First Series 

The Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) 

Doctor Who 2006 - The Complete Second Series ~ Doctor Who 2007 - The Complete Third Series ~ The Infinite Quest ~ Doctor Who 2008 - The Complete Fourth Series ~ The Next Doctor  ~ Planet of the Dead ~ The Waters of Mars ~ The Next Doctor ~ The End of Time

The Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith)

Doctor Who 2010 - The Complete Fifth Series


DOCTOR WHO MOVIES

The Doctor Who Collection: Doctor Who and the Daleks ~ Daleks Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.


OTHER RELATED SERIES:

Torchwood Series One ~ Torchwood Series Two ~ Torchwood Children of Earth

The Sarah Jane Chronicles



© 2008 Patti Aliventi

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD