The Rescue - The First Review

Starring William Hartnell, William Russell, Jacqueline Hill & Maureen O'Brien, with Ray Barrett.

Vicki (Maureen O'Brien) is terrorised by the monstrous Koquillion (Ray Barrett Sydney Wilson). All she wanted was some stones...

Written by David Whittaker.
Directed by Christopher Barry.

When the TARDIS lands on the supposedly peaceful planet Dido at the end of the 25th century, the Doctor, Barbara and Ian discover a crashed spaceship waiting for help. The only survivors have been murdered by natives apart from a young orphaned girl and a paralysed man. But who is the strange creature Koquillion that they are afraid of? And will they remain safe long enough to be rescued?

"The Rescue" is the first 'new' story for Doctor Who. Forgive me if that sounded a little ambiguous, but this story is the first time the show's format is shaken up since its inception. After the departure of Susan in "The Dalek Invasion of Earth", there was a vacancy in the TARDIS crew that needed to be filled. And "The Rescue" is designed purely as a vessel to introduce said new TARDIS traveller Vicki. It's a short, sweet little story that does its job with minimum fuss and maximum economy. While it's not going to be anyone's favourite, it does give us time to get to know Vicki, adjust to the new place she takes alongside the Doctor, Ian and Barbara, and enjoy some moody and atmospheric set pieces.

"... And I said to my agent 'Get me in a Doctor Who. I've got
a perfect face for it'."

The basic plot sees the TARDIS landing on the planet Dido in the 25th Century, and the Doctor, Ian and Barbara come to the aid of crashed space travellers Vicki and Bennett, who are being terrorised by a being called Koquillion. The set up is, as such, pretty simple, and writer David Whittaker keeps it as such. But one thing that Whittaker excels at (as demonstrated in stories like "The Power of the Daleks" and "The Edge of Destruction") is small-scale, intense storytelling, and those traits are on display in "The Rescue" in abundance. Whittaker plays more on atmospherics and tension than plot props and storytelling gimmicks, and, in this shorter story than the classic series norm, this is absolutely the right approach. To be honest, the plot itself is rather bog-standard, and doesn't really amount to anything in the end, so the character work is much appreciated. The idea of a murderer attempting to cover up his crime by killing the local inhabitants of a planet is a great one, mind, and Bennett is a realistic villain, despite the somewhat moustache-twirling reveal of his character's twist. I also like the way the Doctor works the deception out: this is one occasion where the Doctor having visited the planet before actually enhances the story being told. That being said, it is a little obvious that Bennett is Koquillion, even from the beginning. Whittaker doesn't really include many major differences between Koquillion and Bennett's characters for it to work, and so you are always conscious of the deception. If there was a greater contrast between the two, I think you'd be more likely to fool the audience. Keeping the Doctor and Ian in the caves for a fair chunk of the run time also feels wrong, somehow, like Whittaker is trying to keep them out of the action. It does at least allow Barbara the chance to shine, and at least you get to see the strong Doctor/Ian dynamic in play throughout these scenes. However, it does somewhat feel like Whittaker needed the Doctor and Ian out of the way for some of the story, which feels a little like a missed opportunity. Most of the success of this story, however, and part of the reason why Doctor Who is still with us today, is down to the success of the character of Vicki. With pretty much complete and total focus on her character, we are able to get instantly invested in her, and see how she interacts with the other members of the TARDIS crew. Whittaker instantly marks out how different Vicki is to Susan: she's more willing to be lead into adventure, and her relationship with the Doctor is markedly warmer than that between him and his granddaughter. Vicki's tragic backstory also helps get the audience to side with her character, and she quickly develops a rapport with Ian and Barbara as well, despite their relationship initially being a prickly one. Without a successful transition from Susan to Vicki, the show may have quickly lost steam and died, however, and the instant success of the Vicki character proved that Doctor Who had a format that meant it could survive beyond its initial cast, and paved the way for the first regeneration that, shockingly, happened only two years later.

Sandy the Sandbeast, one of the story's less... impressive
effects. Is he a vicious beast? Or Vicki's pet? Doesn't matter,
Barbara's going to shoot it in the face either way.

The production on this story is incredibly strong, and marks this two-part story as one of the most well-produced serials of the Hartnell era. The cast are all fantastic: William Hartnell looks genuinely revitalised by the production break that occurred between the making of "The Dalek Invasion of Earth" and this story, and the story gives us the chance to see a little more of his Doctor's playful side. The way he revels in the theatricality of Bennett's reveal is fantastic, and a perfect example of how the myth that Hartnell's Doctor was always stern is just that: a myth. New companion Maureen O'Brien is amazing in her debut, bringing the likeable Vicki to life with much style and grace. Her chemistry with William Hartnell is instant, from the moment they meet on screen, and the pair form an instant bond, as the Doctor starts taking care of Vicki. Bar his complex relationship with Ian and Barbara, the Doctor/Vicki dynamic is the best of the William Hartnell era, and it's a shame that it isn't more widely accepted as such, in my opinion. William Russell and Jacqueline Hill are also wonderful, with their gentle flirting at the beginning of the story well presented, without ever straying into the realm of maudlin, and they also have a wonderful early chemistry with O'Brien. Honestly, this story alone gives the viewer a reason to invest in this TARDIS team, and its clear from this point onward that the show is going to be less buttoned up and formal than that depicted previously. Ray Barrett is the only other really notable member of the cast, and does a fantastic job as both Bennett and Koquillion. Although his voice for Koquillion sounds incredibly like Titan from Stingray, it's a pretty decent duel performance, and at least tries to bring some difference between the two characters, even with the script not really doing so. The direction is absolutely standout, with director Christopher Barry taking this short script and bringing it to the studio with style. The camerawork is amazing for something that was filmed in practically one block, and there are few slip ups or shaky camera shots. Barry even manages to bring some inventive shots into the story, really pushing the boundaries of what was possible in the confines of a 60's TV studio. The set and design work is fantastic as well, although Sandy the Sandbeast ends up looking less threatening and more comical than anything else. The music may be recycled from "The Daleks", but it does at least work in the context of the story, and helps provide some much needed atmosphere.

"No, you can't have my staff. It's mine."

In total then, "The Rescue" is a story that fulfills its primary function (the introduction of Vicki) with aplomb. It isn't the most novel story in any way, shape or form, but it fulfills the primary function of introducing Vicki well. Honestly, "The Rescue" is just a really enjoyable watch, and it resets Doctor Who with style. And there's not much more than you can say than that.

All pictures copyright to the BBC. Thank you very much for reading.