Classic Who: The War Machines

I’ve been slack on the Classic Who front for a fair old time – I blame the BBC for making too many new shows that I’ve wanted to write about instead! But a weekend at home has given me the chance to fill in another slot in my viewing of the Hartnell era.

The setting for this story makes it very clear that change is in the air. We’ve seen almost nothing of 1960s London since An Unearthly Child: only Barbara and Ian’s return there at the end of The Chase, and a passing visit during The Dalek’s Master Plan. But now here we have it in all its glory – the programme’s first full contemporary-Earth story since 1963.

In fact, The War Machines falls into a particular sub-category of contemporary Earth stories, in that there is ( no alien menace in it )

( Other fore-shadowings of later stories )

( Swinging Sixties London )

( Dumping Dodo )

( Picking up Polly )

( Bouncing off Ben )

( Class tensions )

( DOK-TORRR WHOOO ISSS RE-QUIRED! )

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