10 Most Hated Classic Doctor Who Episodes
4. The Space Pirates
The Space Pirates was written by Doctor Who legend Robert Holmes, but it isn't anywhere near as indicative of his authorial voice as his work in the 1970s was. The title promises action and adventure, but fans don't get much of that at all.
Sure, that is slightly unfair, as like The Underwater Menace, much of The Space Pirates doesn't exist - only one of its six episodes is still kicking around. This means that most fans are basing their opinions on either their hazy childhood memories, or off-air audio recordings. With the best will in the world, audio of a Doctor Who TV story doesn't always give the desired effect.
That said, The Space Pirates is a bit of a mess. It's less of a swashbuckling intergalactic adventure, and more like a budget version of Star Trek. While Gene Roddenberry's show wouldn't air on UK TV until after the Troughton era ended, commentators make similar allusions to the influences of US westerns.
It's a dry tale of precious minerals, mining disputes, and the Interstellar Space Corps. Sadly, it's about as exciting as all that sounds, and much less exciting than the prospect of Doctor Who tackling actual space pirates.