A Bluffer’s Guide to Doctor Who: The Chase
Before Bradley Walsh, there was this…
Describe The Chase in six words:
Daleks pursue the Doctor through eternity.
The one with… the Daleks chasing the Doctor
Episodes: 72–77
First broadcast: 22 May — 26 June, 1965
What happens?
Behind the Scenes / Why was this made?
Due to the Daleks’ popularity, Terry Nation (writer) was commissioned to write another Dalek serial. This was the last serial Dennis Spooner would receive a script editor credit for although he would write the next serial. His was being shadowed by his successor, Donald Tosh during this time.
Spooner was leaving, Lambert was preparing to leave, and Russell and Hill were also departing. This serial was also the last Doctor Who directing job undertaken by Richard Martin. Martin was becoming concerned his career was being to connected to Doctor Who monsters having previously directed the Daleks in their first two stories (The Daleks and The Dalek Invasion of Earth) and the Zarbi in The Web Planet. He agreed to do this as his final story.
Observations / Thing to Say:
Time-Space Visualiser: Give us our first US President in Abraham Lincoln, first British monarch (and first appearance of Elizabeth I), first Shakespeare, first celebrities appearing as themselves (The Beatles). Lovely how Vicki wants to watch lost episodes of Top of the Pops.
Doctor enjoying Aridian food, their city. Finds the Mechanoid city beautiful. Warns the Aridians about the Daleks (gets nowt in return).
The Doctor says the time-path detector has been part of the TARDIS “ever since I constructed it”. Vicki points at something on the console panel and calls that the time rotor. Fixing the time mechanism “might take months, even years”. First time vortex.
Third story, second in a row, where the Doctor impersonates a Dalek. Ian joins in. Vicki impersonates a Mechanoid. Show is learning: Not just action/adventure, you need monsters…
Subtitles are useful: I did not hear that robot say “Susan” which is a shame as it’s a lovely touch. Subtitles are really useful: I can’t understand a damn thing the Mechanoids say. The start of Doctor Who’s love affair with incomprehensible monsters.
No female Aridians? Of course not. They’re monsters. The Mechanoids — clearly Dalek rivals — are more interesting: Human inventions, forgotten, not innately evil (which means, like the Voord, they’re destined to be one-offs.)
Daleks are arch-enemies: Know the Doctor, have their own time machine, design is finalised. Clearly looking for a fight. Say “Exterminate” as a verb, repeatedly. Production team know it’s their catchphrase now.
Steven asking “Who won the wars?” is the most real and depressing vision for the future Nation has come up with.
It’s been two years for Ian and Barbara. Montage of stills, beautiful. Using the Time-Space Visualiser to watch them, exquisite.
Between You and Me
It’s the end of an era.
Ian and Barbara leaving leave the Doctor as the only character from the first story still continuing. It will become the Doctor’s show as of the next story. Their exit brings me to tears, so while The Chase is often quite derided, it will always be a personal favourite of mine.
Recommended / Further Reading: