49The Keys Of Marinus
The First Doctor
11th April - 16th May 1964
The Keys of Marinus was never one that I'd have added to a list like this had I been tasked with doing it a couple of years ago. I remember the first time I watched it sitting there and waiting for it to be done. I was never much of a fan of it. Despite that though, whenever I was doing a First Doctor rewatch I would never skip it and the more I watched it the more I grew to love it. It just took a while for me to see how good it actually was.
Penned by Terry Nation, probably before he realised how much money the Daleks were about to make him, this story isn't without it's fair share of faults. Some of the pacing is a bit off and some of the characters come off as a bit two dimensional, but the overall plot is a strong one and Keys manages to give us something that is rarely done in Doctor Who. It gives us a planet. A whole planet. We aren't stuck in a tiny location where nothing happens beyond what we are seeing on the screen, but instead are treated to some wonderfully realised locations, really bringing a sense of size to this story and something that is obviously lacking in so many other stories, even in the new era. On top of that we are given real glimpses of just how capable these time travellers are and there are a great many scenes where the companions take the lead and outshine the Doctor. It's great to see, especially given how often they are overlooked and given little to do in other stories.
When it comes to the Keys of Marinus my only advice is to stick with it. At six episodes long it might seem a bit daunting, but the more you watch the more you will realise just what a little gem it is.
