I have never really known what to make of this story. It just seems a bit of an oddity placed somewhere near the latter part of Season 4 before all the good stuff gets underway.

I like the idea of a colony that is apparently idyllic being controlled by a hidden parasite but the idea is not really executed that well on screen. The Pilot is played brilliantly by Peter Jeffrey and the Controller's picture and voice portray a certain degree of menace but aside from that the rest of the guest characters aren't that good. (Aside from Medak maybe)

It's also great the companions are given something to do other than sharing each other's dialogue. I like the evil Ben that emerges after he has been put under the Macra's control. Jamie starts to have some individual input and Polly gets a haircut which doesn't suit her at all.

It is at times unintentionally camp at times, I almost expect a member of the Carry On Team to pop up!

I also think the telesnaps to this story are a bit pants but otherwise not really that important. This is one of those stories that listening to the story is more appropriate than watching it as the audio tells the story on it's own just as effectively.

To sum it up, I think it is a below par story which has it's good points. The Macra are not a bad adversary though and are far more effective here than their brief appearance in Gridlock in the New Series.

I basically agree with all that, but I found it entertaining. Once again, the telesnap recon you saw might have been one of the very early Loose Cannon ones that has been drastically improved in the revised version.

This is Control. There are no Macra! Return to work.

Yeah, you could be right. The one I saw, the scenes in the caves especially were very blurred. Will try and watch an updated one if you say there is one available.

*Returning to work*

Agree with a lot of your points Daveyboy I listened to this story recently on the lost TV episodes collection and as an audio it is quite effective. Not so sure I really would want to see the episodes. if they were there, as I don't think the giant crabs would appear as effective as what's in my imagination.

It has well written characters in Medok and Pilot & I really enjoyed Ben's brainwashing, Jamie resisting, the desperate Medok. Troughton's doctor is brilliant to listen to as well. It does feel very of its 1960's time with the embarrassing ' ra ra dance group' but I would have loved to actually see Jamie doing the highland fling!

I love it. Season 4 is my favprite personally but its a shame most of them are missinf and not a single story is complete! Ben ans polly are sonunderrated and overlooked!

Inhope every single episode os found wothin my life span. Evil of daleks and smugglers are the only not great stories on the season

I want to see the majorettes in action! Want to know if their ra-ra dance matches the cheesiness of the music!

I'd like to think every story from the Ben and Polly era would be better appreciated if it were complete again, including The Smugglers.

Hi LOT, if there is one part of the story that I would like to see, then it's Jamie doing the Highland fling! Plus the Second Doctor having a makeover then 'un-makeovering' himself in the first episode!

oh yes I forgot about that the Doctor doing that ! That would be good to see

This is TIEA. There are no Macra episodes! Macra episodes do not exist. Return to work.

I wanted to resurrect this thread as I first listened to this story about a year ago and looking back I think although I did like it I didn’t really give it enough credit.

I like the influences of George Orwell’s 1984 in the script from Ian Stuart Black and its much more obvious than in The Savages. The brain-washing feels quite disturbing especially when you consider Ben struggles quite hard to break free of it which is something I wish they could have explored continuing in the next story but it was Ben and Polly’s final story and as the Doctor says he is a tough customer or words to that effect.

I listened to the story again today and thought afterwards that it reminded me in parts of The Happiness Patrol, that idea that we all ‘have to be happy’ for the greater good. Of course the thing that probably hinders this story being elevated higher as a quite thoughtful piece of drama are the Macra (are they giant insects or crabs, not sure) which look a bit naff. But I did enjoy the story as there are lots of good performances.


I’ve enclosed a link for the Loose cannon interviews with the actors who played Questa and Medoc. Quite interesting as they appeared in Doctor Who a few times

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3n...rbairn-lc24_tv