Serial N, in 6 parts
Written by: Bill Strutton
Produced by: Verity Lambert
Directed by: Richard Martin
"In The Web Planet we wanted to see how far we could go with being weird. The story got very good figures, but we decided not to do anything like that again...because of the sheer cost and technical problems involved, plus the fact that we ended up with something that wasn't that sensational compared with The Dalek Invasion of Earth" - Dennis Spooner, story editor, quoted in Doctor Who: The Unfolding Text by John Tulloch and Manuel Alvarado (St. Martin's Press: 1983)
"It wasn't expensive enough. Those sets should have cost millions and they probably cost only hundreds. I thought they were awful." - Richard Martin, director, quoted in The Handbook: The First Doctor by Howe, Stammers, and Walker (Virgin: 1992)
"One of the highlights of my childhood was a visit to the Riverside Studios where Doctor Who was made. The episode being made was called Invasion, part five of The Web Planet...I remember being slightly disappointed at the sight of the TARDIS on a heap of sand in the corner of a room - it looked decided unmagical and didn't suggest to me the surface of a mysterious planet. The costumes, however, were wonderful." - Jessica Carney, Hartnell's granddaughter, from her book Who's There? The Life and Career of William Hartnell (Virgin: 1996)
"To modern-day viewers, brought up on post-Star Wars special effects, the production tends to look rather dated, but at the time of its original transmission it was clearly a stunning tour de force." - review from The Handbook: The First Doctor by Howe, Stammers and Walker (Virgin: 1992)
With this episode, Doctor Who hit rock bottom. I cannot, to save my life, think of one nice thing to say about The Web Planet! I can't even praise the special effects for being ambitious, because they fall totally flat. Nearly three hours of guys in fibreglass bug costumes parading around cheesy sets is not my idea of entertainment.
The Web Planet was, as the above quotes suggest, much too ambitious for its budget. Doctor Who's designers overstrained their funds in an effort to create giant ant creatures, bee creatures, and grub creatures. The results are painful to look at today - especially the grubs!
I can't agree with the review of this serial in Hartnell's Handbook, because it seems obvious to me that The Web Planet was dated even by 1965 standards. The Handbook itself cites negative public reactions to the story. One contemporary viewer bashed it for looking like a "third rate kiddies pantomime" - and I can't argue with him.
I could forgive this episode if it had good characters or a good story, but I can't care about the plight of the Menoptra at all. In the absence of human characters, there's just nobody for me to relate to. And at six parts, The Web Planet quickly wears out its novelty value and becomes a crushing bore.
The final nail in the coffin comes when a Zarbi zooms right into the camera, rocking it violently. There's a whole scene dedicated to that blooper; believe me, nothing else happens in the scene at all. It's just zoom and WHAM! How the hell did that shot stay in the final cut of the episode? How amateurish can you get?
This is Hartnell's worst story. Things could only get better from here.
OVERALL RATING: D
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