Spearhead from Space: Episode 1 (3 Jan. 1970)

As the newly-regenerated Doctor arrives on Earth, so does the Nestene too.

Director:

Derek Martinus

Writer:

Robert Holmes (by)

Stars:

Jon Pertwee, Caroline John, Nicholas Courtney

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Jon Pertwee	...	Doctor Who
Caroline John	...	Liz Shaw
Nicholas Courtney	...	Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
Hugh Burden	...	Channing
Neil Wilson	...	Seeley
Talfryn Thomas	...	Mullins
John Breslin	...	Captain Munro
Antony Webb	...	Dr. Henderson
Helen Dorward	...	Nurse
George Lee	...	Corporal Forbes
Tessa Shaw	...	Unit Officer
Ellis Jones	...	Technician
Allan Mitchell	...	Wagstaffe
Prentis Hancock	...	2nd Reporter

Storyline

Exiled to Earth in the late 20th Century by his own people, the Time Lords. The newly regenerated Doctor arrives in Oxley Woods alongside a shower of mysterious meteorites. Investigating these unusual occurrences is the newly-formed United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT) for short. Led by Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, UNIT are soon called into action when people and meteorites start going missing. Most puzzling of all is the attempted kidnapping of a strange hospital patient, a man with two hearts, who insists that he knows the Brigadier. The new Doctor soon joins forces with his old friend, UNIT and the recently recruited Dr Liz Shaw, but time is running out as Nestine consciousness is planning to invade Earth... (Originally broadcast in four parts.)

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Plot Keywords:

dandy | radar | military officer | blood | checkpoint | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 January 1970 (UK)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

24 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First appearance of 'Jon Pertwee' as the Doctor.

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Goofs

The TARDIS fades in with a model shot, which instantly cuts to a live action location. The model TARDIS does not bear much resemblance to the full sized prop (especially the roof shape), and gives the effect completely away.

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Quotes

Lethbridge-Stewart: In the last decade, we've been sending probes deeper and deeper into space. We've drawn attention to ourselves, Miss Shaw.

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Connections

References Invaders from Mars (1953)

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Soundtracks

"Oh Well, Part 1"
Composed by Peter Green
Performed by Fleetwood Mac

User Reviews

A Yarn That Nightmares Are Made Of

(Note: This is a review of all four episodes of the story.)

January 1970 found the start of a new era of Doctor Who and the stage was set for a new beginning. Spearhead From Space, the first story of the 1970 season, proved to be just that and more. It was a story of many firsts from the first appearance of the third Doctor (played by Jon Pertwee), to the first episodes made in color to the first appearance of the Autons, Spearhead From Space set the standard for which the Pertwee era would be judged.

The story finds the Doctor exiled to late twentieth century Earth (it's hard to get much more specific but we fans do try) by his own race as punishment for interfering in the affairs of others (the final Patrick Troughton story The War Games) in the midst of a meteor shower. With the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT) investigating, the newly regenerated Doctor comes back into contact with its leader Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and the newly recruited scientist Liz Shaw. Together they investigate the meteors, the strange orbs they left behind, and their apparent connection to a factor making plastic mannequins. It all leads to an invasion by the collective mind of the Nestene.

Jon Pertwee slips in the role of the Doctor with so much ease that, like Tom Baker in 1974's Robot, it is sometimes hard to believe this is his first story. All the hallmarks of his Doctor are here from the classic combination of shirts and capes to gadgetry and classic cars. Backing him is the ever impressive Nicholas Courtney as the Brigadier for the third time (having played the role in the Troughton story's The Web Of Fear and The Invasion) and Caroline John as Liz Shaw. John plays Liz well and makes a very believable scientist and it's a shame she was only in the four stories of this season. The supporting cast of Hugh Burden and John Woodnut as the men who run the factory plus Hamilton Dyce as General Scobie and Neil Wilson as a trapper make for as fine a cast as the show ever had. Robert Holmes' script plus the direction of Derek Martinus and the music of Dudley Simpson helps to create a taught and suspenseful opening for the Pertwee era. The Autons are one of the series' best creations one of the worst nightmares come true: shop window mannequins that come not just to life but kill you as well. While their controller, the Nestene creature, looks very unconvincing, the Autons and the other elements of this story make it one of the very best stories of the series.

With strong performances from the cast backed by Robert Holmes' script, the direction of Derek Martinus and the music of Dudley Simpson, Spearhead From Space is more then just Jon Pertwee's debut story. It is a taught and suspenseful science fiction yarn that nightmares are made of.