The Third Doctor: Planet Of The Spiders
Series eleven of Doctor Who was originally intended to wrap up the ongoing Master arc, with a story called
The Final Game, in which the Master sacrificed his life to save the Doctor. Unfortunately the actor Robert Delago was tragically killed in a car crash and this story never came to pass. This, coupled with the departure of Katy Mannings companion Jo Grant and producer Barry Letts, resulted in Jon Pertwees decision to leave the show.
Planet Of The Spiders is an odd tale. It has the trademarks of the Third Doctors era. The Brigadier, Benton and Yates, dastardly humans battling Unit and some great throwbacks to his time on the show (the letter from Jo, the return if the blue crystal from Metabillis Three I loved its reappearance in the recent
Hide, even if Matt Smith pronounced the planet wrong) and had some fun moments such as the James Bondian car chase, complete with the Doctors hovercraft. Yet it is also far too long at six parts, has some hokey performances, terrible blue screen and some daft spiders and
interesting stereotypes. But it also does something quite interesting with the Doctors character, It reveals his fear over what lurks in Metabillis Three and the consequences of his actions, stealing the blue crystal from the closing story of the previous series
The Green Death. The Doctor is forced to face that fear, and is critically injured as a result of his actions destroying the Great One. The regeneration itself is a brilliant affair. Not as dramatic as his predecessor but perhaps more emotional. He stumbles of the Tardis, dying of radiation, Sarah Jane and the Brigadier around him and collapses to the floor of his familiar lab in Unit HQ. It is perhaps the most bittersweet passing of a Doctor in the shows history. The way the Third Doctor touches a concerned Sarah Janes cheek speaks of a fondness that would carry through into his next incarnation. A tear, Sarah Jane? Now dont cry. While theres life, theres The Third Doctor dies, never having a chance to finish and yet there is an acceptance in the way he approaches his death. And it really is played as a death. Sarah Jane closes his eyes. And then nothing happens for a moment. The Doctor is gone. When Sarah Jane finally announces that the regeneration (referenced for the first time) is happening, the Brigadier announces very drolly, Here we go again! And immediately were ready to move on Ranking: 3rd Shock Value: 3 Epic Scale: 3 Emotional trauma: 9