The Tenth Planet

Dear Gary—

“This old body of mine is wearing a bit thin.” At first I was disappointed with this rather anticlimactic end to William Hartnell. But now I realize how fitting it is. He goes out just as he lived. Subsequent Doctors can have the dramatic, heroic, larger than life, big bang finishes. This first, this original Doctor does it his way. Simple; understated; honest. “This old body of mine is wearing a bit thin.”

The Tenth Planet is significant not only for the end of the Hartnell era, but it also introduces another race destined to become an arch enemy of the Doctor—the Cybermen. And it is a fascinating little slice of history for the Cybermen. The tenth planet of our title is Mondas, the Cybermen’s home planet and apparently a twin planet to Earth that somehow and for some reason unexplained, the Cybermen moved through space, turning the planet into their own space ship it seems. They are now returning, their planet drained of energy, set on absorbing all of the Earth’s energy and turning humans into Cybermen while they’re at it.

This, Gary, is a fundamental difference between the Daleks and the Cybermen. While both are races that once had human form but have had all emotions erased and are now robotic in nature, one (the Daleks) seeks only to destroy all of life while the other (the Cybermen) seeks to remake all of life into their own image. Similarly, while the Dalek’s main objective is victory, the Cybermen’s main objective is survival: “We are equipped to survive. We are only interested in survival. Anything else is of no importance.”

An advance guard of the Cybermen has landed at the South Pole in 1986, where the Doctor, Ben, and Polly have also arrived. The base which becomes the center of the action is under the command of General Cutler, a typical Doctor Who thick headed military leader who refuses to listen to the Doctor and as a result causes more complications for the Doctor to sort out.

William Hartnell, appearing for the last time as the Doctor, stands calmly and proudly above the commotion about him. General Cutler barks orders, ignoring and dismissing the Doctor; scientists and soldiers rush about; Cybermen invade. All the while the Doctor persists in stating exactly what is happening and what should be done, refusing to be talked down by the General. The Doctor knows before anyone else that the unknown image on the screen is in fact Mondas; he knows what Mondas is; he knows that the Cybermen will be arriving; he knows that Mondas is losing energy and attempting to steal Earth’s energy.

And that, Gary, is William Hartnell. He knows. He is composed. He is steady. He is fact.

What I don’t like, aside from the fact that the final episode of The Tenth Planet is missing, is that the Doctor is missing in action for a good stretch of time during the middle of our story. It would have been nice to have William Hartnell for the full four episodes in this his final outing. Instead, half way through, after revealing all he knows and setting out what should be done, he succumbs to some ‘outside influence’ (presumably the energy drain from Mondas) and spends a good portion of the adventure passed out on a cot, leaving much of the action to Ben, the military, and the scientists.

A word here, Gary, about Ben and Polly. The show seems to have remembered that Polly is only a girl, relegating her to serving coffee, crying hysterically for some unknown reason, and getting captured. Ben, on the other hand, has begun to show some intelligence and gumption. First he escapes by turning a projector on a Cyberman to blind him, and then he figures out that the Cybermen can be overcome by radiation. He also comes out with some words of encouragement and wisdom: “While there’s life there’s still hope.” And “Your number’s up any way so why not try?”

But the show still belongs to William Hartnell. He starts the story on a firm and cautionary note: “Stop being so flippant; we don’t know what we’re in for outside there.” He sarcastically deflects the rude shouts of a brash interrogator: “Why don’t you speak up—I’m deaf.” He thoughtfully looks after his companions: “Very well, child, off you go; and don’t forget your coat. I don’t want you to get cold.”

William Hartnell has been all of these things as the Doctor. Firm. Cautionary. Sarcastic. Thoughtful. He has also been calm, steady, true, loving.  And too: wise, gentle, determined, inquisitive.  Also at times proud, arrogant, cranky, tetchy.

“He seems to have lost his sense of humor,” Ben says as the Doctor stumbles back to the TARDIS after Mondas has been destroyed and the Cybermen defeated.

“What did you say my boy? ‘It’s all over’—that’s what you said . . .” It’s all over. The Doctor knows his time has come.  But . . . “it isn’t; it’s far from being all over.”

Yes, brilliantly the show has kept the magic alive. William Hartnell is departing, but the show must go on.  Sadly these final few moments of William Hartnell and the first of Patrick Troughton are lost to us, but this historic ‘renewal’ (regeneration is not yet used to describe the process)ensures that Doctor Who will continue.

But I shall miss him; yes, I shall miss him.

As always, Gary . .