The Invasion Episode One

The one where Zoe becomes a fashion model...

For the first time in Season 6, there's an episode missing from the archives, and it's a real shame it's the first episode. We've had a straight run of 11 extant episodes, a stroke of luck not seen since The Ice Warriors 4 through to The Web of Fear 2. In fact, it's been the joint longest run of extant episodes since Season 2, and for that we must be grateful.

Instead, The Invasion's missing first and fourth episodes were animated for DVD by Cosgrove Hall, and while I'm not going to focus on the visual cartoon, I must say that the work they did was beautiful, and remains by far the best Doctor Who animation to date. It's really atmospheric and noirish, adding incredible style to the already classy soundtrack. And I particularly admire the way they animated the ill-fated lorry driver in episode 1, played by Murray Evans. I mean, cor!

Murray Evans animated in The Invasion, and in real life in
Man in a Suitcase. Do you think they captured him well?

Another striking thing about the episode is the musical score by jazz musician Don Harper, which drips with sophistication and portrays a creeping menace. Harper was also responsible for the memorable theme tunes to ITV's World of Sport (The World of Sport March), The Big Match (Cheekybird) and Sexton Blake, and has in recent years been sampled by producer Danger Mouse (and in a lovely bit of serendipity, the Danger Mouse cartoon (no relation to the musician!) was animated by... Cosgrove Hall!).

After being reconstituted following their adventure in the Land of Fiction, the Doctor, Jamie, Zoe and the TARDIS narrowly avoid colliding with a missile in space above the moon, and when they materialise on Earth, they land in a field of cows (foreshadowing both Image of the Fendahl and Shada!). The TARDIS is rendered invisible for a reason I can't quite fathom from the soundtrack, but serves as the latest in a string of weird and wonderful things to happen to the Ship during the Troughton era (it's variously stolen in a truck, materialises on its side, descends into the sea, has its inner and outer dimensions separated, and removed from reality altogether!).

Our heroes hitch-hike to London, firstly with a grumpy (but swarthy!) lorry driver who tells them about the mysterious industrial organisation called International Electromatics, and then by a Morris Minor (apparently driven by director Douglas Camfield in the original episode). The Earthbound setting, and fascination with manufacturing companies and industry, feels very much like the forthcoming Pertwee era, which writer and script editor Derrick Sherwin would be instrumental in designing. There's a grittiness to the story-telling too, particularly when the poor lorry driver is shot dead at point blank range no less than three times by the IE cyclists.

It feels strange to have the Doctor in a domestic Earth setting too, looking through phone directories and ringing doorbells. He hopes to call upon his old friend Professor Travers, but instead finds a bright and bubbly young girl called Isobel Watkins who takes umbrage at being disturbed from her fashion photography! Isobel is a force of nature indeed, and straight out of Swinging 1968, but I can't help feeling that this could have been a lovely return appearance for Anneke Wills as Polly. I mean, if the Doctor's willing to call on Travers, why not old companions too? Polly would fit this role like a glove.

Travers and his daughter Anne have gone out to the United States for a year, and the house is now home to Isobel and her uncle Professor Watkins, who went out a week ago and hasn't come back since. Isobel isn't too phased by his disappearance ("I'm not his keeper, you know!") and is more interested in employing Zoe as her fashion shoot muse! I like Isobel, she's quirky and strong-willed. She writes telephone numbers on the wall so she doesn't lose them ("You can't lose a wall, can you?").

The Doctor and Jamie leave Isobel and Zoe to their photographic endeavours and pay a visit to International Electromatics HQ, where they are frustrated by a computerised receptionist. It's a little out of character for the Doctor to take so against computers, called them "stupid" and "diabolical inventions", although maybe he was put off them during his adventure at Britannicus Base?

Slipping past the computer, they end up in the office of IE managing director Tobias Vaughan, played by the suave Kevin Stoney (last seen playing the equally as suave Mavic Chen in The Daleks' Master Plan). Stoney makes for a smooth, calculating villain of the ITC brand, but the Doctor notices there's something not quite right about him: "Something odd, sinister, almost inhuman."

Sure enough, we soon learn that Vaughan has a secret or two, as his office wall slides open and a strange, glowing, bleeping computer thing is revealed within. The episode ends with this reveal, which is a little underwhelming because we don't know what the hell it is, but we have to assume it's not good - especially as this story is called The Invasion. There's no sign of an invasion at all yet, but there are questions we need answers to, such as: What was the missile that nearly hit the TARDIS? Why are the IE staff so bloodthirsty? Who are the two men watching the Doctor and Jamie from a car? And what the heck is that computer thing in Vaughan's wall?

First broadcast: November 2nd, 1968

Steve's Scoreboard
The Good: Don Harper's music is moody and noir.
The Bad: I do wish Isobel Watkins was actually Polly!
Overall score for episode: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆

NEXT TIME: Episode Two...

My reviews of this story's other episodes: Episode Two; Episode Three; Episode Four; Episode Five; Episode Six; Episode Seven; Episode Eight

Find out birth/death dates, career information, and facts and trivia about this story's cast and crew at the Doctor Who Cast & Crew site: http://doctorwhocastandcrew.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-invasion.html

The Invasion is available on BBC DVD. Find it on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Invasion-Disc-Set/dp/B000GH2VOK.