Doctor Who - The Fan Show: Spearhead From Space Review

Doctor Who - Spearhead from Space Review

To celebrate Jon Pertwee's 96th birthday we look back at his very first story as The Doctor.

Doctor Who:
Spearhead From Space
By Robert Holmes

“You really believe in a man who has helped to save the world twice, with the power to change his physical appearance? An alien who travels though time and space, in a police box!”

The newly regenerated 3rd Doctor has arrived on earth the worst for wear as he has been traumatize by being forced to regenerate by the Time Lords after his trial.  His exile on earth hasn’t started off all that well as The Doctor is hospitalized and almost kidnapped and then grazed by a bullet from a UNIT soldier.  Not a very good start in your new body.  Over shadowed by those events was a mysterious asteroid shower with quite a few of them making their way to earth.  But the problem is these are not your ordinary space debris as The Nestene Intelligence is was part of that and that act was the first salvo fired in the invasion of Earth.  With the control of plastic and the plastic creatures the Autons to control it’s up to the new Doctor and his new companion Liz Shaw to stop them with the aid of UNIT and the Brigadier.  

Doctor Who: Spearhead From Space Blu-ray Review

by Ken Parker

A few facts about this Doctor Who story.  It is the first story to be shot and air in color.  It is the first Jon Pertwee (3^rd Doctor) story.  It is the first of the UNIT years (after their introduction in “The Invasion”) and the first in a long line of stories where the Doctor is in exile on Earth.  It is the first to feature Caroline John as Liz Shaw and the first to feature the Autons.  It is also the only classic series to be made on film and because of this fluke, we are able to see a Blu-ray release.

Doctor Who Debuts: Spearhead From Space By @ThePlanetHarris

Spearhead From Space: 

Jon Pertwee’s first appearance as The Doctor

By Steven Harris

          Patrick Troughton’s final appearance as the Doctor had seen him spinning off into the void having been punished by the Timelords for crimes against the recorder, or something like that. When Spearhead from Space was first screened on 3^rd January 1970, not only the actor playing the Doctor was noticeably new. For a start the series was now being shown in colour, the opening title sequence had changed and the Doctor had been stripped of certain knowledge about operating the Tardis by the Timelords. Thus Pertwee’s Doctor spent several seasons stuck on Earth and working for Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart’s UNIT. This series also brought a new assistant, Caroline Johns, as Liz Shaw.

          Directed by Derek Martinus, who was a veteran of Hartnell and Troughton stories, Spearhead From Space was written by one of the most regular contributors to the show in its entire history, Bob Holmes.

          Rather like the first ever episode of Doctor Who, the Doctor himself is not seen until the plot has already begun to unfold. An initial shot of the Milky Way pans across to reveal the Earth before the scene changes to a Jodrell Bank type institute (though presumably military) where a sweaty scanner operative is figuratively rubbing his eyes at what his machine is showing him. He calls his boss – a woman (Women’s Lib given an early 70s boost by the show? – but she believes the anomaly to be meteorites. The sweaty man is not so certain – meteorites do not normally descend in formation.

BBCA Doctor Who Revisited: Jon Pertwee

Sunday March 31st at 8PM EDT on BBC America is the 3rd Doctor Special on Jon Pertwee's time on the show.  It will be followed by his debut story Spearhead From Space with The Autons and The UNIT Family.

Doctor Who Revisited - The Third Doctor

Spearhead From Space will air as part of BBC America's Doctor Who celebration.  Starting at 8pm on March 31 there will be a Third Doctor documentary followed by the debut story of the Third Doctor - The Spearhead From Space which is the first episode to feature the Autons, companion Liz Shaw and the UNIT team as regulars.  It is also the first Doctor Who episode in color and stars Jon Pertwee as the Doctor.

It is also the only story produced entirely on film!

Doctor Who 50th Anniversary: Spearhead From Space

Doctor Who:

Spearhead From Space

By Robert Holmes

“You really believe in a man who has helped to save the world twice, with the power to change his physical appearance? An alien who travels though time and space, in a police box!”

The newly regenerated 3^rd Doctor has arrived on earth the worst for wear as he has been traumatize by being forced to regenerate by the Time Lords after his trial.  His exile on earth hasn’t started off all that well as he is hospitalized and almost kidnapped and then grazed by a bullet from a UNIT soldier.  Not a very good start in your new body.  Over shadowed by those events was a mysterious asteroid shower with quite a few of them making their way to earth.  But the problem is these are not your ordinary space debris as The Nestene Intelligence is was part of that and that act was the first salvo fired in the invasion of Earth.  With the control of plastic and the plastic creatures the Autons to control its up to The new Doctor and his new companion Liz Shaw to stop them with the aid of UNIT and the Brigadier.