Doctor Who: 8 Jon Pertwee Serials You Need To Revisit In January

1. Invasion Of The Dinosaurs (1974)

Sarah Jane Smith. Yeah, that€™s what€™s better. Unfortunately, fans also get a bunch of s**t dinosaur puppets to go with her. €œBut what about The Time Warrior?€ you ask. €œThat has Sarah Jane and Sontarans and Robert Holmes, and€ well, everything!€ You€™re right, it does. But the first episode ran in December, and that story was just ending as 1974 began, so€yeah. Instead, you get Invasion of the Dinosaurs. Or simply Invasion, depending on whether you begin with the first episode or not, even though you probably should, since it has approximately 99.9% less dinosaurs in it. OK, OK, something to celebrate about this one€ A Malcolm Hulke script? Yeah, that€™s a good start. Mind you, the book is far better, not only because Hulke could write the ever-loving hell out of a novelisation but because you don€™t have to actually see the dinosaurs to enjoy it. The plot? Surprisingly decent, and in that first episode, when the viewer has not a clue about what€™s going on, it€™s downright scary. Somehow the black and white version that was the only version for the longest time only accentuated that, as if not only all of the people of London had been spirited away but all of the colour, too. Mike Yates turning traitor? A welcome plot twist that makes UNIT far less of a €œfamily€ and far more realistic, even if he did get €œcured€ not long afterward. €œPink for the pterodactyls€? Sure €“ when Benton is cute, he€™s very, very cute. In short, not a bad story, and almost worth celebrating. If it weren€™t for those damn dinosaurs. What did you think of this list? Do you agree/disagree think any of the serials mentioned are worth celebrating? Let us know in the comments section below.