029 The Tenth Planet by Kit Peddler and Gerry Davis
Illustrated by atarial
“First regeneration story (or renewal as they called it) and first cyberman story. So rather a lot of stuff to get into one image, so here’s my attempt.”
Season 4, Story 2:
The TARDIS lands in the Antactica of 1986. At a space tracking base, the Doctor and his companions are witness to the arrival of one of the Doctor’s greatest enemies: The Cybermen.
When the Solar System’s long-lost tenth planet Mondas emerges again, its inhabitants determined to convert humanity. Could this be one battle too many for the weakening Doctor?
STORY FACTS ~
- Part 4 of the this story is MISSING.
- It features the First Doctor and companions Polly Wright and Ben Jackson. The Second Doctor appears in the final shot.
- This story is best known for introducing the Cybermen and Regeneration, two of Doctor Who’s most famous elements.
- This is William Hartnell’s last appearance until his (small) role in The Three Doctors. The First Doctor would appear also in The Five Doctors, but played by Richard Hurndall.
- The Doctor regenerates into his second form. Reasons for this are suggested at first to be due to age, but in previous stories he has also had his energy drained and was artificially aged 100 years.
- The process of regeneration isn’t actually named until the Third Doctor regenerates.
- Luckily, one of the only parts of the missing episode which has survived is the regeneration thanks to it being included on an episode of Blue Peter.
- William Hartnell left due to ill health but said “If there is one man in England who can replace me as the Doctor, it’s Patrick Troughton.”
- The Cybermen in this story are primitive and less converted than in following stories. For example, they have fleshy, human hands and individual names like Krang and Jarl.
- At the time of broadcast, Pluto was still considered a planet. If the story was made today it would be called The Ninth Planet or (if you include the dwarf planets) The Fourteenth Planet.
