'The Web of Fear'

THE WEB OF FEAR
6 episodes: 1 surviving

And again we have but one of six episodes left to judge this adventure on, just like its predecessor 'The Enemy of the World' and the story it is a sequel to, 'The Abominable Snowmen'. This time, the Yeti turn up in the London Underground, armed with web-spraying guns incongruously enough. There is an early appearance for UNIT soldiers, later to become a regular feature especially in the Third Doctor's era under the command of the Brigadier. Here, pre-promotion, the then Colonel Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart makes his debut appearance - Nicholas Courtney's character was to become the longest-serving in the entire programme, appearing at intervals over 21 years up to the Seventh Doctor's 'Battlefield' in the final season, with further appearances in original audio adventures since then - although here he is unseen as this is not until the missing third episode. There are a couple of other interesting characters: the TV reporter Harold Chorley who is bizarrely reminiscent of Adrian Edmondson, and a welcome reappearance for Professor Travers, thirty years after he brought a Yeti back from Tibet and now with voice and cantankerous attitude redolent of an elderly Churchill... The sets are amazing, an incredibly realistic and magnificently spooky recreation of London Underground tunnels, and there is a great cliffhanger with the soldiers blowing up a tunnel without realising the Doctor has gone down it. And then there's five further episodes, none of which can be seen, just like all six of the next serial 'Fury From the Deep', which is reputed to be one of the greatest 1960s Doctor Whos... grrr...

8/10

Episodes watched: 106
Episodes still to watch: 616