5. The Green Death
What It's About: UNIT are called into investigate when a miner in Wales dies in suspicious circumstances his body turns up with his skin glowing green. Their investigations point towards the direction of Global Chemicals. However, Global Chemicals are offering jobs, a boost to the economy and cheap petrol, so it's only really some local environmentalists rebelling against Them, led by Professor Cliff Jones. Aided by the environmentalists, The Doctor and UNIT realise that Global Chemicals has been disposing chemicals down the mine, which has produced deadly giant maggots. The Doctor's investigation leads him to the mastermind behind Global Chemicals, a computer called BOSS, which is planning to take over the world.
Why I Would Like A Remake: This story is one of the best stories of the Pertwee era. It's a really strong story, with all the cast firing on all cylinders. However what lets it down as with many other stories is the relative lack of funding on the show. Simply put, the maggots looked really cheap, so cheap that people involved in the episode say they were created from inflated condoms. Director Michael Briant says they weren't they were party balloons, which makes a big difference. Regardless, this was a particular low point on an otherwise magnificent story. Sadly, if it was remade, Nicholas Courtney and Jon Pertwee would be unable to appear but they could use Peter Capaldi with the Brigadier's daughter, Kate Stewart, in a remake and fight maggots that could actually intimidate and be creepy. They could also bring back a retired Benton and Yates to act as consultants. This story is very political and its environmental message remains relevant regardless of the time. It could've been remade in the 80s and been even more relevant, and today, hell, it's more relevant still. It seems that every day I turn on the news or open the newspaper there's a story about the energy crisis it's deeply affecting millions of people in the UK in both the lack of it and the rising cost of it. To have an energy company like Global Chemicals, offering jobs to aid the damaged economy and offering cheap energy rates really would seem too good to be true. However despite the masses that would be aided massively and back the company, there would be a larger amount of resistance than a small group of environmentalists back in 1973. Global warming, carbon footprints and energy emissions have all really come to the forefront of global, national and local politics, as there is such a high rise in campaigning and protesting. So again, this story would be very relevant now, and it would prompt an interesting debate.