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With a history as long as Doctor Who it is inevitable for some of the
show’s more popular assets to appear every once in a while. Whether it
is a popular companion, a recurring organization such as UNIT or even a
previous incarnation of the Doctor himself, the programme thrives on the
energy that a familiar face or two brings when they pop up after a while
away from the series. Not to mention the buzz of nostalgia it can
create.
Then, of course, there are the villains, monsters and evil beings from
beyond our world, and sometimes FROM our world. The most iconic and
popular adversaries will always be The Daleks, who have delighted and
terrified viewers from the second ever Doctor Who story. They have
returned, time and time again, including every year since 2005 in some
shape or form and will always be cherished as the Doctor’s ultimate
adversary.
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| The Macra as seen in Doctor Who 'The Macra Terror' (1967). |
Following them close behind are The Cybermen, followed by The Master,
then The Sontarans, Silurians, Ice Warriors, Autons, Weeping Angels and
more recently The Silence made two visits to the whoniverse last series.
They can always be called upon to do battle with the Doctor and create
memorable moments and favourite episodes.
Some you don’t think you will ever see again and then they suddenly
appear, without any warning (unless your into your spoilers). When
David
Tennant uttered the word “Macra” in the 2007 story
Gridlock, I couldn’t
believe it. I was beaming that a forty-year-old monster had returned
from the smokescreen (in this case literally) and I was very pleased
that the Radio Times hadn’t given that one away.
But what about those unsung heroes of the carnival of monsters? Those
who only appeared once or twice created a lasting memory and haven’t
been seen since? The monsters you read about in the Target novelizations
yet you don’t remember seeing, or the ones who are shown as part of a
clip montage on a morning breakfast show. The real one hit wonders?
More importantly, can these classic monsters be reintroduced to a modern
television audience in the same seamless way that their peers have been,
series by series? Well it depends which ones we are talking about of
course, so here is a selection I believe would work in the next series
and beyond, and those who would struggle to make it out of their own
spaceships and miss the party all together.
First up is The Voord. Making their only TV appearance in 1964’s
The
Keys of Marinus. The Voord were supposed to be sleek, dark suited beings
from the planet Marinus, who had the ability to resist the Conscience of
the planet. They were humanoid in build, and could use telepathy to
communicate with each other. They’re leader, Yartek, posed as the
Marinusian Arbitan to steal the keys from Ian Chesterton, yet was
killed when he placed a fake key in the Conscience.
The Voord were created as a potential rival to The Daleks' early
popularity, and even featured in the very first Doctor Who annual. Their
appeal was not great though and The Voord were never seen again after
they’re debut. One reason could be the silly feet the actors playing the
creatures were given. The other could be because they didn’t get enough
screen time or maybe just because creative masterminds of the show had
better aliens they were developing. Yet I think that with a little tweak
here and there they could be reintroduced to take on the Doctor once
again.
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| The Toymaker (Michael Gough) - 'The Celestial Toymaker' (1966). |
My next candidate is The Celestial Toymaker, who also made his only
appearance in a William Hartnell story of the same name. Played by
distinguished actor Michael Gough, The Toymaker was an immortal being,
millions of years old. He trapped The Doctor, Steven and Dodo in his
world of dangerous games and killer toys, and if he loses his games, his
world is destroyed. He had the power to turn The Doctor invisible and
manipulate and bully those in his control.
Now with this one I may be cheating, since a story was commissioned
called The Nightmare Fair, which would have seen
Colin Baker’s Doctor
battle The Toymaker yet again, but it was unfortunately abandoned when
the show was put on Hiatus in 1985. Big Finish Productions finally made
the story in 2009 as an audio and The Toymaker has made
appearances in comic strips and novels since his debut but he never
returned to the show on television.
Even though we have had The Dream Lord recently, who is a similar
character to that of The Toymaker, I see no reason that the character
couldn’t return at some point in the future. The kind of story that
would suit The Toymaker’s character would have to be psychological and
scary, something that is missing from his only appearance in 1966.
Another villain who would excite us fans is The Doctor’s fellow Time
Lord Morbius. Originally Morbius was once head of the High Council of
Time Lords who had been trialed and sentenced to death by his people.
Yet his brain survived, rescued by mad surgeon, Solon, who planned to
build a new body for Morbius.
The classic Tom Baker story The Brain of Morbius, was made during one of
the golden ages of Doctor Who. Producer Phillip Hinchcliffe and Script
Editor Robert Holmes formed a superb partnership during
Tom Baker’s
first three seasons and the hammer horror influence of Morbius made for
one of the strongest stories in this era.
Although the Sisterhood of Karn chased Morbius off a cliff face, his
brain still could have survived. Many fan productions over the years
have questioned this 'what if' scenario to good effect (especially
Matthew
Tolofolo’s brilliant action figure series) and with the Time Lords and
The Master trapped in The Time War, the evil Gallifreyan could once
again lock horns with The Doctor if he could obtain another body to
house his twisted mind.
My next choice was only on screen for a few minutes, yet it formed one
of the most memorable scenes in the twentieth anniversary story,
The
Five Doctors. Yes, you’ve guessed it, it’s the Raston Warrior Robot.
Written in as a late addition by writer Terrance Dicks, The Raston Robot
is a lightning quick, silver and agile warrior who has built-in weapons
such as lances and disks, which could kill you if you make the slightest
movement. He puts a halt to the Third Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith’s
journey to Rassilon’s Tower in the death zone.
The scene where the robot massacres a party of Cybermen is one of the
best set pieces of the story, possibly even eighties Who. The quick
cutting and graphic decapitations of heads and limbs had the adrenaline
pumping around my ten year old body when I first saw it. Never have The
Cybermen been so out-maneuvered and outwitted by one creature so quickly
before.
I would love for the Raston Robot to return yet I struggle to think how.
You couldn’t have an army of them invading Earth slaughtering the human
race, as it would be too violent to even contemplate making. Maybe
having it destroy fellow robots such as The Cybermen or Voc Robots in a
war would be a better idea to bring back my favourite cameo monster.
Speaking of Voc Robots…
Isn’t it about time those robots of death made a comeback? They’re only
appearance in 1977 is frequently in the 'top ten Doctor Who stories ever'
second coming has never been on the cards.
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| A Zygon as seen in Doctor Who 'Terror of the Zygons' (1975). |
Yet another favourite monster of mine also made their only appearance
during the Tom Baker era. The Zygons, shape shifting aliens whose pet
Skarasan turns out to be the fabled Loch Ness Monster - they could morph
into human form, and they’re leader, Broton, planned to take over the
world so it was ready for a fleet of refugees from The Zygons' home
planet to colonize after the human race are overthrown. The physical
appearance of The Zygons; orange organic and blobbly, is one that would
not need to be tweaked and in my eyes they were one of the most
believable adversaries of the classic series. The costume of one
currently stands proudly at The Doctor Who Experience and still looks
great. So why not bring them back, perhaps with another fleet of Zygons
hibernating in the deepest depths somewhere else in the world. Maybe
they are creatures that are behind the mysterious Bermuda Triangle? It’s
time we saw them again!
There could be a time in the not so distant future where London is
invaded by WOTAN’s War Machines again. What if WOTAN actually survived
and was the machine behind the internet and we were all plugged in ready
for an invasion right in our living rooms and the danger becomes even
more real and threatening. A story like that would stop some people
talking too loudly on they’re mobiles on buses that’s for sure!
There are those, who rather unfortunately never lived up to expectations
and will be remembered as the spotty kid in the class. The one who
sticks out like a sore thumb in any situation. The Myrka, for example,
if made today, would be a convincing CGI effect towering over The Doctor
and his friends ready to strike fatally. However, it will forever be
remembered as the floppy, pantomime horse whose paintwork hadn’t
completely dried before takes and is the monster we remember like a bad
memory.
Spare a thought for the poor Monoids. The Beatle haired, eyeball in the
mouth slaves who became overlords of their human masters. They are
iconic in appearance, but, sadly the word I use to describe them is 'naff'. So
are the Quarks. Not at all scary or threatening and the design ruins
their premise. How they became the main villains in the comic strips in
the late sixties AND warranted a mention in The War Games is beyond me.
The Zarbi are another, who due to the budget restraints and limitations
of the time, were never fully realized. The creatures were always men in
funny costumes to me and not giant insect-like aliens from another
world. Even if I suspend my disbelief they still look like the kind of
thing you get in a badly thought out children’s play. Maybe that’s why
monsters like the Mryka and the Zarbi are frowned upon by most fans. They
are the drunk Uncle embarrassing the otherwise proud family at a family
wedding. We try to forget them but they will always be there. Don’t get
me started on The Kandyman...
Maybe the stories they starred in don’t stand up to close scrutiny?
Maybe it was the way they were written, designed and acted that let
their cause down? Only the very best of the bad have the ability to
fight to see another day. A passing mention to Fenric and his
Haemovoeres, The Drashigs and The Destroyer must be made since they do
have the potential to be rediscovered at some point to threaten our
universe again. Unlike Rick Astley, these one hit wonders will never
become dated.
© Copyright Hayden Gribble & Doctor Who
Online, 2012.
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Added:
27/3/2012
Written by:
Hayden Gribble
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