Doctor Who fans are amongst some of the most passionate fanatics in the world. Mention wobbly sets at your peril. Yet some aspects of the programme are inexcusable and to be honest, we'd rather wish they had never happened. Always, the series has tried to push the boundaries of what it is possible to do on television. Compare Star Wars of 1977 with Doctor Who in the same year; the effects are incomparable, yet arguably at the time Doctor Who was at the top of its game, just as now. Doctor Who is an immensely difficult programme to make. Nevertheless there are times when the strain has taken its toll and standards slipped a bit, so here is a list of Doctor Who stories that became complete disasters.
15. The Chase
The title, for starters isn't exactly the most exciting and the story. A late replacement for another Terry Nation script, 'The Chase' is just as lacklustre. It does exactly what it says on the tin. As for the Daleks, the law of diminishing returns kicks in without mercy. The 6 episodes are a series of near misses between the Doctor and the Daleks throughout time and space as the Daleks embark on an assassination mission. They could have carried this on for months if they wanted as the writing is that unstructured. Also the Daleks in this story are absolute goons incapable basic tasks, stumbling over sums and on one occasion trundling into the sea. Uncharacteristic for a species that has just discovered the secret of time travel! The other major production problem was the Mechanoids. Despite allowing one of the best battle scenes of the series to take place, the props were built far too big causing a multitude of practical problems. As a result, they were never brought back again. There are few positives to this story. The Mechanoids are impressive but are never seen again, the Daleks are at their most moronic, and while a touching moment, the departure of Ian and Barbara is a serious loss to the series.
My name is Jon, recently graduated media production student. Always on the look out for chances to do what I enjoy and make it count. Writing, filming, animating, editing, radio. My speciality seems to be Doctor Who, years of accumulated knowledge and passion appear to be paying off creatively this being one outlet channel. So thanks for sharing in that with me and offering your support by reading my articles.
