THE RESCUEThe times, they are a'changing. As the Doctor, Ian and Barbara set off from 2160s London after the departure of Susan in The Dalek Invasion Of Earth (1964), they have as much idea as the viewer about who'll be the replacement for the teen girl companion. Sure enough, though, Vicki bursts into the realm of Who in the Season Two adventure The Rescue, which focuses on a host of survivors stranded on a mysterious planet who are calling for help in the midst of a deadly alien tracking them all the while.
It's a rather typical premise for Doctor Who, and one that you get the feeling writer David Whitaker simply dreamt up in a hurry to establish a new companion. Thankfully, Maureen O'Brien shines in the role, providing us with a completely different take on a younger time traveller thanks to her future time setting and the context of her arrival on the TARDIS. Vicki is rarely known as one of the defining companions, and with good reason given her competition, yet there's certainly potential here for the much-loved character O'Brien's newcomer would grow to become over the next two years.
The Rescue is a flawed story thanks to its premise never quite carrying through to any meaningful conclusion, yet there are still great performances on offer here from the main cast. It's at least a strong introduction, then, for Maureen O'Brien as Vicki, a story that demonstrates the versatility of the show, an ability of its writers to adapt and survive in the midst of casting changes which Doctor Who has never lost in its fifty-year history.
No comments:
Post a Comment