Season 2, Episode 5 | 6 parts | First broadcast: 13 February – 20 March 1965 | Writer: Bill Strutton | Director: Richard Martin
Cast
- William Hartnell as the Doctor
- William Russell as Ian Chesterton
- Jacqueline Hill as Barbara Wright
- Maureen O’Brien as Vicki
Summary
The TARDIS is drawn off course to the planet Vortis, where the Doctor and his companions find the insectoid Menoptra have been driven from their home by the Animus, a malevolent entity controlling the ant-like Zarbi and spinning a vast, planet-covering web. The travellers ally with the exiled Menoptra’s resistance movement, working to free Vortis and destroy the Animus before it can spread its influence further across the galaxy.
Interesting Facts
- This was the highest-rated First Doctor serial, with its opening episode peaking at 13.5 million UK viewers, a series record at the time.
- It was one of the most ambitious productions of the era, using an entirely alien setting with no human characters and elaborate insect-like costumes for the Zarbi and Menoptra.
- A layer of Vaseline was smeared on the camera lens for several scenes to create an other-worldly, hazy visual effect for Vortis.
- All six episodes survive in the BBC archive.
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