The Savages

You are known to us as the Traveller from Beyond Time.

Exorse

Synopsis

The TARDIS takes the Doctor, Dodo and Steven to a world in the future. They’re welcomed by Jano, leader of an advanced civilization, but a secret lies behind the ‘utopian’ society.

Review

I’m not really sure what I was expecting from The Savages, but I was certainly pleasantly surprised by the story, which feels as though it is a standout from the late-Hartnell era. I think that, because it is a lost story, it is easy to forget about it, but I rarely see it on fans’ lists of the best William Hartnell stories. It’ll be interesting to see whether it is re-evaluated when the animated version gets released later this year.

I quite liked the concept of the story, which feels as though it gives a different spin on the Doctor and his companions leading a rebellion. The idea of this race of superior beings being reliant on draining the life force of those they deem to be inferior to them, and the titular savages’ spirits are crushed and they are not willing to rebel. The character of Jano, the lead Elder, is an interesting one, especially the fact that he is the only character in black face – which I didn’t appreciate as I listened to the audio version with linking narration – is certainly a controversial choice. Overall, I liked the story and Ian Stuart Black does write a good story, which allows Hartnell, Purves and guest star Frederick Jaegar to shine, especially when he takes on the characteristics of the Doctor following the intransference of his energy.

This story is interesting as I’m fairly certain that this is the first time in the show’s history that the Doctor’s reputation precedes him. It is something that we’re all too used to in the modern series is most antagonists, or even other members of the story, will know something about the Doctor. The Doctor is starting to make ripples and get noticed in the wider universe. Having never listened to this story before, I was expecting Hartnell’s performance as the Doctor to have started to show shines of exhaustion and ill-health, however, I didn’t feel as though this was the case at all. I think that what it does show is that Innes Lloyd was determined to bring change to the show at any cost. Hartnell is on top form for the story, admittedly, he is only in about half of it. His outrage at the behaviour of the Elders, especially Jano, does not seem to be the performance of someone whose health was failing them. There are a few of the usual ‘Billy fluffs’ but these are no where near the extent that I was anticipating this late in his run.

This is also Steven’s last story, which is set up nicely – the story starts with Dodo telling Steven that he doesn’t have to follow what the Doctor says, and ends with him staying to mediate between the Elders and the Savages. I think that it is a shame that this is the end for Steven, but as mentioned above, it does feel as though production are trying to clean house. Steven is an interesting companion when you think about the show contemporaneously though. He is the first to see the real dangers of travelling with the Doctor, being the only companion to survive The Daleks’ Master Plan, and the show does show his anger at the Doctor’s seemingly lack of empathy towards the deaths of Brett, Katarina and Sara. Steven here gets the chance to lead the titular savages in their resistance against the Elders, very much filling the role of the man of action that was needed when the actor in the lead role was deemed to be too old to stop them.

Finally, we must address Dodo. Dodo feels much more settled in this story. A lot of this is to do with Jackie Lane being paired up with Peter Purves for a lot of the story, and that the story does have a role for her. Ultimately, we’ve not spent a lot of time with Dodo, and she has been inconsistently written from story to story, but the fact that she is able to detect that there is something wrong with the society does show that she had promise. Big Finish have recently revisited Dodo with Lauren Cornelius taking on the role, which has given Dodo an opportunity to have more adventures with the First Doctor on her own, but in the more recent two releases, she has taken a backseat to the returning Maureen O’Brien and Purves.

Verdict: The Savages feels like an underrated gem of the Hartnell era, as well as the beginning of the end for the First Doctor. 8/10

Cast: William Hartnell (The Doctor), Peter Purves (Steven Taylor), Jackie Lane (Dodo Chaplet), Ewen Solon (Chal), Patrick Godfrey (Tor), Peter Thomas (Captain Edal), Geoffrey Frederick (Exorse), Frederick Jaeger (Jano), Robert Sidaway (Avon), Kay Patrick (Flower), Clare Jenkins (Nanina), Norman Henry (Senta), Edward Caddick (Wylda), Andrew Lodger (First Assistant), Christopher Denham (Second Assistant), Tony Holland (Third Assistant), John Dillon (Savage) & Tim Goodman (Guard).

Writer: Ian Stuart Black

Director: Christopher Barry

Producer: Innes Lloyd

Composer: Raymond Jones

Parts: 4

Original Broadcast Dates: 28 May – 18 June 1966

Behind the Scenes

• All four episodes are missing from the BBC Archives.
• This story was the first to be wholly commissioned and produced by Innes Lloyd and Gerry Davis. Previous stories had been substantially pre-produced by John Wiles and Donald Tosh.
• The departure of Peter Purves from the programme was the first shake-up to the casting by Innes Lloyd, which would lead to the departures of both Jackie Lane and William Hartnell.
• The departure of Purves was not entirely his choice, as his contract was not renewed. His departure was not received well by Hartnell, as he and Purves were good friends and he had returned from a location shoot for The War Machines, where he had failed to get on with his new co-stars, Michael Craze and Anneke Wills.
• The Savages is the first story to not feature individual episode titles.
• This marks the first time since the series began that the Doctor travelled with one female companion.
• The advanced race were originally intended to be played by actors in blackface as part of a parable about apartheid South Africa. This was largely dropped, except for Jano.
• The first story to not kill off any members of the guest cast.

Cast Notes

• Ewen Solon would go on to appear in Planet of Evil, playing Vishinsky.
• Patrick Godfrey also appeared in the Third Doctor story The Mind of Evil as Major Cosworth.
• Frederick Jaeger would go on to appear in Planet of Evil as Sorenson and Professor Frederick Marius in The Invisible Enemy.
• Robert Sidaway played Captain Jimmy Turner in The Invasion.
• Kay Patrick played Poppaea in The Romans.
• Clare Jenkins would go on to play Tanya Lernov in The Wheel in Space and The War Games.

Best Quote

Do you not realise that all progress is based on exploitation?

That, sir, is protracted murder!

Jano and the First Doctor

Previous First Doctor story: The Gunfighters

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