I couldn't remember if I'd ever seen this or not, but it turns out not. Clips from it, oh yes, but not the whole lot together.
It's very much like a 1960's play-for-today in feel, with a sci-fi setting. I can see how it could be interpreted as being a re-introduction of the characters and premise of Doctor Who while telling a perplexing yet cracking good tale. It plays on paranoia and random acts of violence, but Barbara is wonderfully centered and wise.
I do know the plot, so there's no surprises except in how the tale is told.
I love the way Ian only detects one heart beating away in the Doctor. We find out some more about the TARDIS, including the source of the TARDIS's power being kept under the console. Also, how sentient the TARDIS is - and brava Barbara for thinking of it in the face of doubt from the men.
The TARDIS water dispenser is so of the era!
I am puzzled by all the costume changes that went on and wonder if that was an addition to the spookiness of the story rather than any sloppiness. It's too obvious to be sloppy. Only the Doctor doesn't get changed, but the others do.
Nice to know the Doctor and Susan had indeed been on prior excursions together and that the Doctor doesn't in fact know everything about the TARDIS, but he is enough of a genius to work it out to fix it all up after all. Not only that, he explains what happened to Susan (for the audience), and thanks Barbara for saving their lives. A lovely touch. "As we learn about each other, we learn about ourselves." How wonderfully profound, and the sheer gorgeousness of the scene where Barbara forgives the Doctor is a lovely surprise. No wonder people fell in love with this show 45+ years ago...
And this is the end of the run of stories that exist in full as they once were. The next few will be fun.
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