The second series of Doctor Who started with two ambitious serials. The second story was the first to feature a good bit of outdoor shooting on film. Several recognizable London locations were used. The studio sets were still a bit cramped even though they had moved to a different studio. Riverside studios had better equipment and large studio rooms.
009 Planet Of Giants Three part serial that aired October 31 to November 14 1964. Written by Louis Marks and directed by Mervyn Pinfield (1 & 2) and Douglas Canfield (3).
As I look at the old post I see I got the airing date wrong. I'll have to remember to go back and fix that. I enjoyed the story about the same and did think that the condensation of episodes 3 and 4 did make the story move along better. It's still nice to have the option of seeing as it was originally shot.
010 The Dalek Invasion Of The Earth Six part serial that aired November 21 to December 26 1964. Written by Terry Nation and directed by Richard Martin.
I'm still unhappy with the end of the serial, where the Doctor dumps Susan into a post alien invasion England. Carole Ann Ford wanted to leave the series, she wasn't happy playing a teenager that screamed and fell down all the time. I can't blame her, she was the worst written main character on the show.
My biggest complaint is that the Doctor dumped her there, She didn't get a say in it. I'm still thinking the Doctor is a dick. I thought she could have had a nice moment where she decides to stay on her own. Cue tearful goodbye. I suspect that sort of scene wasn't the sort of thing Terry could write. Maybe he hadn't even thought of it. His writing hasn't made me a fan of his work.
A lot of people watched that serial, 11.4 mill at the start and 12.4 mill for the last episode. That was when Britain had 53 million people in it. I wonder how many people have seen it since.
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