Aggedor is pissed!
The Doctor (Jon Pertwee) and Sarah Jane (Elisabeth Sladen) arrive on the planet of Peladon and in the middle of a dispute between the ruling class and the miners of trisilicate. The Doctor finds Peladon is now under the rule of his friend’s daughter Queen Thalira (Nina Thomas), but Queen Thalira is revealed to be a puppet queen because she’s a woman. Peladon is being menaced by Aggedor and his appearance means death to those who see him. When Ice Warriors move in to regain control of planet and the trisilicate, a truce must be made if Peladon is to survive…but can the Doctor find a deeper meaning in the appearance of Aggedor?
The Ice Warriors are not any cooler than the Ice Pirates
Doctor Who: The Monster of Peladon fell in the eleventh season of Doctor Who. The serial was a six parter that aired from March 23, 1974 to April 27, 1974. It followed Doctor Who: Death to the Daleks and was collected as part of The Jon Pertwee Years as Story #73.
Doctor Who: The Monster of Peladon is a fun longer serial in the Doctor Who story. Like many of the longer stories, it does take a bit to get going and it can almost be divided into two parts: the royalty vs. the miners and Peladon vs. the Ice Warriors. The miner part of the story isn’t as compelling as the later part of the story which obviously reveals the betrayer and has the menace of the Ice Warriors.
I’m sorry Doctor…even I can’t believe what I’m standing next to!
I have to say I love the alien friend of the Doctor Alpha Centauri who first appeared in Doctor Who: The Curse of Peladon (which introduced Peladon). It is such a horrible costume and the character is so shrill that it is almost like watching the Muppets. You can’t take it seriously because it has a look that doesn’t even resemble flesh and blood (or slime & tentacles). As a kid, I watched The New Zoo Revue and this character reminds me of something you’d find there…a step below Sesame Street…much cheaper. Here it just feels like kitschy-fun. I actually wish a modern version of Alpha Centauri would come back in the current Doctor Who series with some updated make-up.
Doctor Who: The Monster of Peladon is a good one for the fans of the old Doctor Who episodes. I thought the whole turncoat revealed in the story actually was a bit of a surprise but wished the mystery of Aggedor had been more involved. The story has been referenced since in episodes of The Sarah Jane Adventures and an audio play. Doctor Who: The Monster of Peladon was followed by Pertwee’s final Doctor adventure Doctor Who: Planet of the Spiders.
Preceded By:
Doctor Who: Death to the Daleks (Story #72)
Followed By:
