Brief Summary
This video summarizes Doctor Who season 3, highlighting key stories, companions, and themes. It covers everything from the missing episodes of "Galaxy 4" to the epic "Dalek Master Plan," the introduction and abrupt exit of companions like Katarina and Dodo, and the season's overall uneven quality, including instances of racism and repetitive musical numbers. The season is noted for its experimental nature, including the absence of the Doctor in one episode and the introduction of future series tropes in "The War Machines."
- Season 3 is the longest in Doctor Who history, with 45 episodes.
- The season features both the longest ("The Dalek Master Plan") and shortest ("Mission to the Unknown") stories in the show's history.
- Several companions join and leave the Doctor's travels, some with tragic or abrupt exits.
- The season includes stories with problematic elements, such as racism and repetitive musical numbers.
- "The War Machines" sets the groundwork for many modern-day Doctor Who stories.
Galaxy 4
"Galaxy 4" is a four-episode story that is mostly missing from the archives. It features the evil Draven, a generic alien race portrayed by 1960s model-type women in mini skirts. The story involves a conflict between the Draven and the Ugly Rills on a deserted planet, with the Rills proving to be the benevolent ones.
Mission to the Unknown
"Mission to the Unknown" is the shortest episode in Doctor Who history and does not feature the Doctor or his companions. It follows space cops investigating a Dalek plot and encountering various alien races. The Daleks are gathering single-appearance aliens to conquer the Solar System.
The Myth Makers
"The Myth Makers" is a completely wiped four-part story set in ancient Troy, retelling The Iliad. The Doctor is mistaken for Zeus, and Vicki falls in love with a Trojan. Katarina joins the Tardis crew in this story, marking her debut as a companion.
The Dalek Master Plan
"The Dalek Master Plan" is a 12-episode epic that introduces Nicholas Courtney as Bret Vyon and Sarah Kingdom as a companion. The story involves the attempted invasion of the solar system by the Daleks. Katarina is killed off due to writing themselves into a corner with her character. The story includes a bizarre Christmas special where the Doctor wishes everyone a Merry Christmas.
The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve
"The Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Eve" is a four-part historical story set in France, featuring the Doctor having an exact double. William Harel plays an evil abbot. Steven gets wrapped up in the events leading to the massacre of the Huguenots.
The Ark
In "The Ark", the Tardis crew lands in 1960s London and meets the new companion, Dodo Chaplet. The story is a Sci-Fi tale set in the far future where the remnants of humanity are in an ark in space with a slave race called the monoids. Dodo had a cold which infected all the future humans. The monoids turned the table and took over the ark.
The Celestial Toymaker
"The Celestial Toymaker" is a four-episode story where the Godlike Celestial Toymaker captures the crew and forces them to play games for their lives. The Toymaker is portrayed in yellow face, dressed like a mandarin, and the story contains racist elements and stereotypes.
The Gunfighters
"The Gunfighters" is a four-parter that attempts to do something new: a musical while recounting the story of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The Doctor has developed a toothache and so heads to the nearest dentist, who happens to be Doc Holiday. The story features a repetitive song, "The Ballad of the Last Chance Saloon."
The Savages
"The Savages" is a Sci-Fi tale where an adelic race called the elders hide a dark secret. They're awful to a race called the savages, draining their life force to maintain their society. Steven decides to stay behind to try and help the two societies make peace.
The War Machines
"The War Machines" is notable for being the only story where the Doctor is constantly called Doctor Who. The villain, a mega computer called WOTAN, is convinced that's his name. The story is set in the present and in London, laying the groundwork for many modern-day stories. Dodo leaves in a flurry of no dignity. The story also introduces Ben and Polly, the first Doctor's last companions.
