Doctor Who: The War Machines (1966)

Date(s) of Broadcast: 25 June 1966 - 16 July 1966
Number of Episodes: 4
Average Episode Running Times: 25 mins
Format: black and white
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Company: BBC
Producer: Innes Lloyd

SCRIPT
Script: Ian Stuart Black
Idea: Kit Pedlar
Story Editor: Gerry Davis

DIRECTION
Director: Michael Ferguson

PHOTOGRAPHY
Studio Lighting: George Summers
Film Camera: Alan Jonas

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Film Editor: Eric Mival

MUSIC
Title Music: Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
Title Music Arranged By: Delia Derbyshire
Incidental Music: stock

SOUND
Studio Sound: David Hughes
Special Sounds: Brian Hodgson

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Sonia Markham
Costumes: Daphne Dare, Barbara Lane

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Designer: Raymond London

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Assistant: Snowy White
Assistant Floor Manager: Lovett Bickford, Margot Hayhoe

CAST
William Hartnell (The Doctor)
Jackie Lane (Dodo Chaplet)
Michael Craze (Ben Jackson)
Anneke Wills (Polly)
Alan Curtis (Major Green)
John Harvey (Professor Brett)
Sandra Bryant (Kitty)
Ewan Proctor (Flash)
William Mervyn (Sir Charles Summer)
John Cater (Professor Krimpton)
Gerald Taylor (Voice of WOTAN)
Ric Felgate (Roy Stone, American journalist)
John Doye (interviewer)
Desmond Cullum-Jones, Eddie Davis (workers)
Roy Godfrey (tramp)
Michael Rathbone (taxi driver)
Gerald Taylor (war machine operator)
John Rolfe (captain)
John Boyd Brent (sergeant)
Frank Jarvis (corporal)
Robin Dawson (soldier)
Kenneth Kendall (television newsreader)
George Cross (the minister)
John Slavid (man in phone box)
Edward Colliver (garage mechanic)
Dwight Whylie (radio announcer)
Carl Conway (US correspondant)
Peter Stewart (policeman - uncredited)
Michael Barrie, Ruth Calvert, Alan Cassell, Decklan Cusse, Kathie Fitzgibbon, Gloria Forstner, Carole Foss, Fiona Fraser, Diana Hallows, Steve Hardy, Emmet Hennessy, Janice Hoye, Nigel James, Gary Leeman, Sam Manseray, Victor Munt, Barry Noble, Alan Norburn, Chris Reck, Jack Rowlands, Valerie Shelton, Tina Simmons, Mrs S Singh, Graham Tonbridge, George Wilder Men In Market Roger Bowdler, Geoffrey Witherick (people at Inferno Club / Royal Scientific Club - uncredited)
Steve Pokol, Doreen Ubels (fleeing couple - uncredited)
Dolly Brenna, Connie Georges, John Knott (people in bar - uncredited)
Ken Mcgarvie, Chris Reck (men in newsroom - uncredited)
Michael Buck, Hugh Cecil, Ray Cooper, Peter Day, Pat Gorman, Pat Leclerc, Jay Mcgrath, Barry Noble, Dennis Plenty, Steve Pokol, John Pollock, Mike Reid, Vic Taylor, David Waterman, Alan Wakeling (workers - uncredited)
Paul Andrews, John Cook, Jay Doye, Nigel James, Pat Leclerc, Robert Pearson, Dennis Plenty, John Pollock, Mike Reid, Donald Simmons, Roy Stanton, Vic Taylor, Terry Wallis, David Waterman Officers Lewis Alexander, Biff Byfield (soldiers - uncredited)

PLOT SUMMARY

The Doctor lands in 1966 London. An intelligent computer, Wotan, is being unveiled at the new GPO tower. Independent of thought, it views humans as servants and plans to take over the world. At the conclusion of the story, The Doctor says goodbye to Dodo but gains two new companions, Wotan's creator's secretary Polly and cockney merchant seaman Ben.

The Doctor's first adventure set on contemporary Earth. Innes Lloyd and Gerry Davis' influence can be felt for the first time in the creation of a story. The new companions are the first to break the mould of the initial set up, with a swinging London dolly bird replacing the granddaughter / innocent and the chirpy cockney based on the Alfie archetype replacing the square jawed hero. A tight, simple story aided by outdoor shooting and the contemporary locale, now imbued with nostalgia, make this a joy to watch.

UK
Television Distributor: BBC
Video Distributor: BBC Video

1966
June
25: UK - Part One television broadcast (on BBC1)

July
2: UK - Part Two television broadcast (on BBC1)
9: UK - Part Three television broadcast (on BBC1)
16: UK - Part Four television broadcast (on BBC1)

Doctor Who and the Computers - working title

BOOKS

Doctor Who: The Television Companion pp.93-96
credits, synopsis, review (by David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker)

KEYWORDS

aliens, computers, time travel

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008