Serial J, in 3 parts
Written by: Louis Marks
Produced by: Verity Lambert
Directed by: Mervyn Pinfield (1-3), Douglas Camfield (4)
(the original cuts of episodes 3 & 4 were edited together to produce the existing episode 3)
"Planet of Giants was a highly impressive production. Of particular note were the detailed and convincing giant-sized sets designed by Raymond P. Cusick. Also of interest is the fact that this was the first Doctor Who story to deal with an ecological issue...however, the story does seem somewhat dated, even by 1964 standards." - from Doctor Who: The Sixties by Howe, Stammers, and Walker (Virgin: 1992)
I haven't seen Planet of Giants in ages; it's yet another Hartnell episode that the BBC, in its infinite wisdom, has not seen fit to release on video! However, I remember it pretty well. Every fantasy-based TV series has to have the mandatory episode wherein the cast gets shrunk, and Doctor Who's entry into the tiny heroes canon is a good one.
Ray Cusick once again came up with the goods on a low budget (I can't talk enough about how cool ol' Ray is), building some superb sets for the episode. The huge sink drain borders on the surreal, and funnily enough the dead giant ants look a lot better than the living giant ants that featured in a later episode, The Web Planet. Barbara's poisoning is a vicious twist, and adds a lot of tension to the episode.
Doctor Who critics tend to pawn this off as just a cute little episode, a mere warm-up for the coming Dalek Invasion of Earth. However, Planet of Giants is a great adventure story that stands up in its own right, and the importance of everyday characters (like the telephone operator and her constable husband) makes a refreshing change from the usual cosmic level of the show.
OVERALL RATING: B+
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