Animation is faithful to the original visuals…because who would design such lame spacesuits now?
The TARDIS has ended up on the moon in 2070, and the Doctor (Patrick Troughton), Jamie (Frazer Hines), Ben (Michael Craze), and Polly (Anneke Willis) discover they have arrived at outbreak of a mysterious plague at the Moonbase which controls weather on Earth. With Jamie getting ill, it is up to the Doctor, Ben, and Polly to prove that they aren’t behind the outbreak and find out its source before it is too late…and one of the Doctor’s former enemies might be responsible!
Doctor Who: The Moonbase was broadcast in fourth season of the popular BBC long running series and aired from February 11, 1967 to March 4, 1967 in four parts. Following Doctor Who: The Underwater Menace (which is also partially missing), the serial is missing two parts and has been completed with animated sequences. The serial has been released as part of The Patrick Troughton Years as Story #33.
Sit back Jamie and let Mr. Cyberman tell you a story…
Doctor Who was considered a low budget series most of its early runs and as a result many of the original prints were lost. As years have gone by, some have been found throughout the world, but many of the missing episodes are gone but occasionally pop-up to the excitement of the rabid fans. Fortunately, all the audio still exists for the missing episodes and in serials like this, the episode has been partially animated with the original audio (with Episodes #1 & #3).
The main villain in this entry is the second appearance of Doctor Who’s longstanding enemy the Cybermen (after their first appearance in Doctor Who: The Tenth Planet (Story #29)). The original title played on the Cybermen more (with the actual title of Cybermen and The Return of the Cybermen) and the episode featured a resigned Cyberman. This appearance of the Cybermen doesn’t really help their “menacing” nature. The Cybermen come off as rather nonthreatening or scary…they just kind of hang out and kidnap people. The more Borg-like Cybermen of the current Doctor Who are much more creepy and threatening.
I’ve got a squirt bottle, Cyberman! (Some of the animated sequences are probably way better than the lost original)
I’ve never really had a great read on Patrick Troughton. With so few complete episodes, it is nice to see this “longer” series. Despite the animation, it does feel complete and gives a better read on Troughton’s version of the Doctor. I hope with the continuing discovery of “lost” episodes, that we will eventually see more Troughton and give the actor his due.
I hope as time progresses that we at least get animated versions of all of the missing Doctor Who episodes. Doctor Who: The Moonbase is a pretty good entry in the series and it is a shame that much of Troughton’s run was lost…animation helps to right this wrong. Doctor Who: The Moonbase was followed by the missing episode Doctor Who: The Macra Terror.
Preceded By:
Doctor Who: The Underwater Menace (Story #32)
Followed By:
