The Myth Makers

This story is often compared to ‘The Romans’ for its comedic slant. However it is best remembered for being the final story for Vicki who had joined the show at the beginning of the year. It also comes after the regulars had a week off after ‘Mission to the Unknown’ aired the week before. This story is a historical adventure in Homeric Troy. To be honest I’m was never a fan of this particular time in history despite this, I kept an open mind. With historical events you know how things are and it’s quite exciting to think that certain events are caused by the Doctor and/or his companions.

The story opens with the Doctor exiting the TARDIS and Achilles beliving that he is Zeus disguised as a beggar. Only in Doctor Who would this happen. Soon they are all separated and Vicki leaves the TARDIS with again the King and Paris think she has been sent by the Gods and rename her Cressida though this instantly causes a friction with Cassandra. As this is Vicki’s last story it might worth mention how good a character she was and how good an actress Maureen O’Brien was/is. It’s a shame that she didn’t stay for longer because I always thought that she is the character that Susan should have been. She got the exit story that she deserved, she didn’t get a Leela exit and by that I mean a totally unbelievable exit. It’s a little Leela like in that falls in love with Prince Troilus but goes a step further by getting married. O’Brien puts in a great performance throughout this story. Peter Purves takes a little bit of a back seat but makes up for it at the end when he gets injured and is taken into the TARDIS by Katarina. The story seemed to shoehorn Katarina into the TARDIS at the last moment. It seems obvious to say that character had a very short shelf life as she was killed off four weeks into the next story. Adrienne Hill is good as a supporting character but I think to last as a long term companion her character should have been a bit more like Leela, primitive yet not weak. Yet again the Doctor seems to be having a lot of fun during an adventure. He tries to get out of trying to help the Greeks that he proposes that they use a wooden horse which is of course the thing that everyone knows about the Ancient Greeks was the use of the horse. It was probably the first thing that Donald Cotton (the writer) was thinking was how to work the Trojan horse into the story.

The Myth Makers is an enjoyable adventure that would have been better when watched at the time. However despite it not being particularly outstanding in terms of originality, it does have something that makes it worth listening to. For a historical story it’s one of the better ones even with the comedic moments.

The Gunfighters (1966)

The Gunfighters is a terrible story. Sorry to be so blunt but its true. Whether it’s the woeful story or that irritating ‘Last Chance Saloon’ tune that plays constantly throughout the entire thing. It’s a shame really as the idea of Doctor Who landing in the Wild West is quite an interesting one but sadly its all thrown away for a stupid tune and a dull story.

The story sees the Doctor, Steven and Dodo arrive in the Wild West where the Doctor needs to find a dentist after breaking a tooth on a sweet in the previous story. Soon the Doctor is mistakened for Doc Holliday. Steven and Dodo seem to be having fun which is more that what I was having when I was watching this. They both get to dress up as cowboys and do yankee accents. As a result of many other things destracting me I didn’t find Dodo to be half as irritating as she normally is. That has to be a first (and last) that I felt like that. Peter Purves does well as part of this double act and whilst its not his best outing he does ok with what he’s expected to do.

I’ve heard a few people say that one of the reasons the story is not great is because of trying to realise a Wild West setting on a miniscule BBC budget. That’s nonscene. The sets are the only good thing that I think that there is in the entire production. I think that given the restrictions of the budget and fitting the entire thing in a studio the producers should be praised.

The Gunfighters is defintley one of my least favourite stories and it would be a fight between this, Underworld and The Twin Dilemma to fight out for the worst. That said I think that it has to be watched to be believed and if you can get through all four episodes in one sitting then a) congratulations and b) try Underworld.