Underworld Part One

The one where the TARDIS lands on a ship that starts to become a planet...

The opening shot of this episode made me giggle! Not that it's poor, not by any means. Doctor Who went off-air for three weeks over Christmas 1977, and in that gap, on December 27th, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (or whatever it was called back then!) premiered in British cinemas, with its acclaimed special effects, and that now legendary opening shot of the Star Destroyer pursuing the Tantive IV. And what does Doctor Who do the moment it's back after New Year? A tracking shot across a starscape, and then the ickle old TARDIS comes sweeping into view as if to say: "Star Destroyers? Pah!" I know it wasn't planned that way, but the irony doesn't escape me!

Actually, the model and special effects in this episode are pretty impressive, even in 2020. There was one point where I had to check I hadn't accidentally activated an Updated Special Effects option on my DVD because I couldn't believe how well the effects had aged. The spinning spiral nebula looks like something the new series would do, and the model of the R1C ship flying through space looks completely convincing, with not a wobble in sight. I'd say the modelwork is even better than The Invisible Enemy's. Doctor Who might have started to look cheaper at this point in its history, but the guys doing the models were burning on all cylinders.

As is now traditional, there's an introductory scene in the TARDIS with the Doctor and Leela doing something peculiar (this time the Doctor seems to have been painting). I love the moment spent with Leela trying to operate the TARDIS controls, flicking switches carefully and finding wonder in the small things, and horror when things appear to go wrong. And I love the awe with which the Doctor faces the prospect of a big, empty nothingness as the TARDIS approaches a black void. "We're on the edge of the cosmos, the frontiers of creation, the boundary between what is and what isn't, or isn't yet anyway. It's magnificent. Any minute, any second, a whole new world could be born and we'd be the first intelligent and semi-intelligent beings to witness the spectacle." Those are the words of the Doctor I know and love, a Doctor who loves adventure and mystery and the draw of "what if".

In order to avoid getting sucked into the whirlpool of a spiral nebula, the TARDIS materialises aboard the nearby R1C spaceship. The crew hears the materialisation, but cannot identify its source. Designer Dick Coles's set for the R1C's flight deck is pretty impressive, a multi-level affair with plenty going on (including rather incongruous comfy sofas), and a lovely observation window for CSO use!

It's interesting that this is another story which expands the knowledge we have about the Doctor's planet and people, which seems to have been a preoccupation over the last couple of seasons (The Deadly Assassin takes us to Gallifrey, Image of the Fendahl has a monster from Gallifreyan myth). Here, we have the R1C, a ship belonging to the Minyan race of Minyos, which was supposedly wiped out 100,000 years ago. When the Time Lords were in their space and time-faring infancy, they tried to help the Minyans develop their society and technology, but the Minyans developed to a stage where they were able to destroy themselves with atom-splitting capabilities and essentially wiped themselves out. After that, the Time Lords - seen as gods by the Minyans - decided on a general policy of non-intervention, which is why they have become a largely stagnant society since.

Crewmember Herrick is adamant that if he ever sees another Time Lord, he'll "dematerialise him for good". Alan Lake (aka Mr Diana Dors) definitely has a glint of madness in his eyes, and gets across Herrick's dislike for the Time Lords all too clearly, snarling his way through his lines like a rabid dog chomping at the bit. The other crewmembers make less of an initial impression, but it's always nice to hear the dulcet tones of Jonathan Newth.

The Doctor and Leela make their way out of the hold, with a very noisy K-9 in tow (how he manages to get over the TARDIS step, and then the step over the hold doorway, is amusingly glossed over). When they reach the flight deck, Herrick's prejudices get the better of him, and he attacks the Doctor, causing Leela to get her trusty knife out in retaliation. Orfe uses a pacification ray to calm Leela down ("Thank you," she smiles sweetly), but because she is a primitive, the effect of the ray may last several hours. This seems to trouble the Doctor; he wants his trusty savage back, not the simpering waif she's become, so he reminds her of what she is: "You're primitive. Wild, warlike, aggressive and tempestuous, and bad tempered too. You're a warrior leader from a warrior tribe. Courageous, indomitable, implacable, impossible." Was there ever a better description of Leela?

But when she's shaken back into reality, she feels deeply hurt. "You're laughing at me. You're all laughing at me. I'll smash your stupid grins off your stupid faces." Louise Jameson plays a blinder yet again, taking lines that could so easily have been over-played and pouring real heart and soul into Leela's bruised ego. Leela slopes off to sulk, sitting hunched and defensive in her own thoughts. At that moment, I feel so sorry for Leela I want to hug her!

Commander Jackson tells the Doctor that the R1C is a "ship of ghosts" (a better title for the story if ever there was one), destined to fulfill its quest no matter what it takes. The R1C is tracking another Minyan ship called the P7E, which stores the Minyan race banks, colonists which will provide a new start and a new future. But every time they pick up the P7E's signal, they lose it again, and so the quest goes on, and on, and the crew are "unable to remember why". During this exchange, James Maxwell gets across Jackson's utter exhaustion really well. Despite the fact the Minyans can regenerate themselves (as we see happen with wrinkly Tala, who becomes Vogue Tala), it is their spirit which is broken and worn, not their bodies. They're on an endless quest to find something that is never there. Maxwell's weariness is so well-judged, and you feel for him.

The Doctor hooks K-9 up to the R1C's controls by attaching bulldog clips to his ears, which is another wonderfully Doctor Who-style contrast to the likes of Star Wars's astromech droid scomp links! It soon becomes clear that the P7E's signal is emanating from the heart of the spiral nebula, and because life seems so meaningless to the R1C crew, they decide to just fly on in after it, much to the Doctor's horror. "It could mean destruction!" But Jackson and co just want their quest to end, they don't care if it's a suicide mission. Once they find the P7E, their quest will be over and they can finally stop.

Flying into the nebula means science kicks in. Rocks start to attach themselves to the hull of the ship until it becomes buried under space debris like a developing planetoid. Gravity is at work, pulling smaller objects into the gravitational pull of the larger ship, and the usually three-metre thick hull is now over 70 metres and growing! Lovely use of real science to create a seemingly inescapable cliffhanger. "We're being buried alive!"

Underworld has an appalling reputation for being one of Doctor Who's worst ever stories (it was 197th in 2009's Mighty 200 poll, and 236th out of 241 in 2014's 50th anniversary survey). But on the evidence of part 1 alone, it's a solid, perfectly enjoyable (if slightly bland) adventure. I know there's worse to come, but part 1 is great!

First broadcast: January 7th, 1978

Steve's Scoreboard
The Good: The special effects are ageless. The R1C model and the spiral nebula look fantastic over 40 years later.
The Bad: The guest cast all seem a little bland (except for Alan Lake's spirited Herrick).
Overall score for episode: ★★★★★★★★☆☆

"Would you like a jelly baby?" tally: 13

NEXT TIME: Part Two...

My reviews of this story's other episodes: Part Two; Part Three; Part Four

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: https://doctorwhocastandcrew.blogspot.com/2014/07/underworld.html

Underworld is available on BBC DVD as part of the Myths and Legends box set. Find it on Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Doctor-Who-Legends-Monster-Underworld/dp/B002SZQC98