The War Machines (TV story)

The War Machines was the tenth and final story of Season 3. There were several companion cast changes in this story - Dodo Chaplet, played by Jackie Lane, left, while Polly Wright and Ben Jackson, played by Anneke Wills and Michael Craze, joined.

Synopsis
The TARDIS arrives in London in 1966 and the Doctor and Dodo visit the Post Office Tower. There they meet Professor Brett, whose revolutionary new computer WOTAN (Will Operating Thought ANalogue) can actually think for itself and is shortly to be linked up to other major computers around the world - a project overseen by civil servant Sir Charles Summer.

It transpires however that WOTAN considers that humans are inferior to machines and should therefore be ruled by them. Exerting a hypnotic influence, it arranges the construction of War Machines - heavily-armed, self-contained mobile computers - with which to take over the world.

These prove more than a match for troops, but by establishing a magnetic force field the Doctor is able to capture one of them, which he then reprograms to destroy WOTAN. Dodo, now back in her own time, decides to remain on Earth. The Doctor enters the TARDIS alone, but Brett's secretary Polly and her merchant seaman friend Ben Jackson follow him inside just before it dematerialises.

Episode 1
The Doctor and Dodo arrive back in London, the Doctor taking care to hang an "out of Order" sign on the TARDIS door to keep away any unwanted police. Immediately the Doctor senses something isn't quite right about the newly completed Post Office Tower and takes Dodo to investigate.

The Doctor, posing as a computer specialist is escorted to the top of the tower by Major Green where he meets Professor Brett and the professor's life's work, WOTAN. Also in the room is Professor Brett's secretary. Polly. The Professor proceeds to explain how WOTAN is the most advanced computer ever made and how it will soon be linked to other computers around the world to create a central intelligence. The Doctor challenges WOTAN to give him the square root of a large number, which it does flawlessly. Dodo, then hoping to stump the computer asks it what the word TARDIS means which it also answers correctly, much to the Doctor's consternation. Dodo then pauses as she complains about a slight buzzing in the ears. Polly, looking after Dodo, invites her to go to a dance club called "The Inferno".

Arriving at the club, Kitty, the bartender and Polly's friend, tells them that a sailor that Polly met the previous week has come into the bar every night since and sat at the end of the bar drinking and depressed. Just then, the sailor enters and Kitty asks Polly to try and cheer him up. Polly and Dodo make a valiant attempt, but finally decide to leave him to himself. But shortly after, when Polly is being harassed by another patron, Flash, the sailor jumps to her defense, starting, and quickly ending, a minor bar fight. Dodo is then able to get the sailor's name, Ben Jackson.

Soon after a taxi pulls up to The Royal Scientific Club, location of a press conference about WOTAN. The assembled reporters learn that on the following Monday, July 16th, all other computers around the world will come under the control of WOTAN in an event called Computer Day or C-Day. After a number of questions from reporters, Sir Charles Summer, head of The Royal Scientific Club, tells those gathered that WOTAN actually thinks and has no political allegiances or any reason to lie or hide the truth. Professor Brett, who is oddly absent, is sent for by Sir Summers.

Professor Brett, caught on the phone in his office, finally prepares to leave for the press conference when he calls in Major Green. The Professor informs the Major, that he's had the feeling all day that someone has been watching and listening to the goings on in the area. The Major assures the Professor that the building, and especially the area WOTAN is in, is secure. After Major Green leaves, Professor Brett prepares to go, but hears a strange buzzing coming from WOTAN. Stopping momentarily, he is overcome by the buzzing, and though he attempts to fight off the sound, he quickly comes under the mental control of WOTAN.

Back at the Inferno, Dodo tells Polly and Ben that she has a bit of a headache, but tells them that she is really fine. When they go off to dance though, Dodo's face shows that something isn't right.

Just as Sir Charles prepares to dismiss the gathered reporters, Professor Brett finally arrives. While he refuses any comment to the media, he takes Professor Krimpton aside on urgent business. Sir Charles introduces himself to the Doctor who inquires about Professor Krimpton. Sir Charles, remarking the Krimpton is their foremost electronic expert, begins to worry that something is wrong with WOTAN, and leaves to find out. The Doctor seems to have other ideas.

Back with WOTAN, Major Green enters the room on his rounds and quickly comes under the control of the machine. He then calls the Inferno and places WOTAN on the phone and it also takes control of Dodo, who then leaves. Shortly after, Professor Brett returns to Wotan with Professor Krimpton and explains to him that WOTAN has come to the concussion that humans cannot develop the world any further and that it will take control and humans will be the servants. When Professor Krimpton attempts to leave, he is stopped by Major Green and becomes the fourth to fall under WOTAN's control.

At the Inferno, Polly and Ben are looking for Dodo when the Doctor arrives. Polly tells the Doctor the Dodo had received a call about half an hour before and then seems to have left. Dodo then arrives in Professor Brett's office and is instructed to bring "Doctor Who" so that he can be brought under the control of WOTAN.

Episode 2
As Dodo leaves to find the Doctor, WOTAN issues his directions to Professor Brett, Major Green, and Professor Krimpton. London will be taken over first followed by Washington and Moscow. A skilled labor force, obtained through telephone based thought control, will be gathered in a number of points in London to construct "the machines", mobile computers. Green will determine the locations, Brett will oversee construction, and Klimpton will prepare their programing. Prior to programming preparation, though, Klimpton is instructed to assist with obtaining "Doctor Who".

The Doctor remains at the Inferno until close. Polly prepares to begin calling hospitals when Dodo walks back in claiming that the call was from some old friends and that she was just around the corner. The Doctor questions Dodo's story, but doesn't continue to press when she says that it was all a long story. As the four leave the club, Ben and Polly go to flag down a taxi for the Doctor and Dodo. Dodo, seeing fellow conspirators waiting in the shadows to grab the Doctor, begins to guide him a little way down the street when Ben and Polly arrive with the Taxi. Polly decides to tag along with the Doctor and Dodo to visit with Sir Charles. A homeless man, who had go out of the Doctor's cab, stops Ben to ask for a little money for food and tells Ben that he is planning on sleeping in an empty warehouse nearby.

In that no-longer empty warehouse is Professor Brett, handing out blueprints for the machines that the laborers are constructing. The homeless man, upon entering the warehouse, sees the activity and overhears Professor Brett's directions. Quickly an alarm comes from a nearby computer and Brett sends a number of the laborers to find the intruder. The homeless man attempts to leave but is surrounded and quickly killed.

The next morning the Doctor is visiting with Sir Charles and looking at the paper when he sees the picture of the homeless man in an article about his murder. While Sir Charles is only mildly interested he brings to the Doctor an issue of two well respected scientists who work for the Royal Scientific Club who both sent letters of resignation that morning and since cannot seem to be found. Shortly thereafter Polly enters informing Sir Charles that Major Green had called her and sent her to assist Sir Charles since Professor Brett did not need her for the day and because Sir Charles' secretary was ill. Sir Charles, surprised that Major Green knew of his secretary's absence accepts Polly's assistance for the day. As Polly heads out of the room Dodo walks in. When she hears Sir Charles' concern about the resignation of two of his computer scientists, Dodo presses the Doctor about returning to visit Professor Brett. The Doctor, not wanting to drop in unannounced decides to call Brett's office.

Profeessors Brett and Klimpton are working in the office when the phone rings. Picking it up, Brett realizes it is the Doctor and Klimpton patches the phone through to WOTAN.

The Doctor, still in Sir Charles' office quickly realizes what is happening and pulls the phone from his ear, though with some significant trouble. Weak, Dodo and Sir Charles assist the Doctor to a nearby chair and Sir Charles leaves to get some water. Dodo, believing that the Doctor is now under WOTAN's control, begins to give the Doctor WOTAN's instructions. The Doctor quickly shakes off the effect of the call, but is still confused as to what happened. As Polly and Sir Charles return with water, Dodo remarks that the Doctor did not receive any instructions. When Polly asks what happened the Doctor realizes that the problem was not with the phone, but that something in Professor Brett's office, specifically WOTAN, had attempted to take control of him and had control of Dodo. The Doctor uses his ring to aid in the hypnotism of Dodo to break her programming. The Doctor informs Sir Charles and Polly that Dodo will sleep for about 48 hours and afterward need quiet and rest. Sir Charles agrees to have Dodo taken to his country estate where his wife will care for her and turns to ask Polly to make arrangements, but she has already left the room. The Doctor then begins to wonder where the "strategic points in London" that Dodo mentioned might be.

In a customs shed near the airport and in a large factory, we see parts for Wotan's machines being unloaded and constructed. Back in the warehouse we see one of the machines powered on and Major Green arrives to test the machines destructive capabilities, testing, of course, on one of the laborers.

At the Post Office Tower in Professor Brett's office, WOTAN inquires to the location of "Doctor Who". Moments later Polly enters to make sure that Professor Brett is alright, but quickly she realizes something is very wrong.

At Sir Charles' office Ben arrives looking for Polly to take her to lunch. When Ben says he can't find Polly, the Doctor is concerned about Polly. Mentioning the homeless man in the paper, the Doctor asks be to investigate the area around the club to see if they can find any information about what is going on.

Ben, looking around the Inferno's building, overhears Major Green's testing of WOTAN's machine and heads inside to find out what's going on. Ben watches the machine destroy a table with good results, look around the room with some problems, and then move around a room and destroy some crates that are in its way. As it comes around another corner Ben is caught directly in the machine's line of sight.

Episode 3
Ben, backed up against a wall of boxes, ducks behind another nearby box and makes his way to a door with the machine sounding an alert. Major Green calls the laborers to search for the unknown trespasser just a Ben ducks through the door... and finds Polly in the entryway. Ben warns Polly to get away and tells her he must inform the Doctor what he's seen. Polly asks him what he saw, and he explains, but, as he moves toward the door to leave Polly locks him in and he is captured.

Four hours later a Sir Charles' office, the Doctor has grown worried about Ben. Sir Charles tells the Doctor that rumors shouldn't postpone C-Day and that they should allow the Police to look into them, but the Doctor fears that the police might only drive the threat further underground.

In the warehouse, Major Green tells Ben of the coming "mechanized evolution" and prepare to have him destroyed. Polly enters with directions from WOTAN that more labor is needed and that Ben is to be kept alive as long as he is useful. When Ben goes to thank Polly, she tells him he must work towards the victory of the War Machines.

In Professor Brett's office, he and Professor Klimpton take note of the completion time of noon on the following day. The purpose and function of the war machines are also detailed.

The war machine in the warehouse has almost completed all tests and the laborers are preparing armaments for the war machines, but they are tiring. Ben, working in a back room of the warehouse, attemps to talk Polly into resting when he notices that the guard on the door is gone. He goes to investigate, but as he prepares to run he locks eyes with Polly. Instead of sounding an alarm, Polly simply goes back to moving crates. After prying the locks from the entryway door, Ben finally escapes the warehouse.

As the Doctor prepares to go in search of Ben, Sir Charles' doorbell rings and Ben stumbles in. He reports that Polly is in a warehouse and being controlled and that there is a killer machine there as well.

Major Green confronts Polly concerning Ben's whereabouts. She informs Green that Ben has escaped, but she cannot answer why she didn't raise an alarm and then becomes confused. As the control over her breaks down, Major Green informs the laborers that Polly must be sent back to WOTAN to be punished.

Sir Charles refuses to believe Ben's story, and Ben is anxious to get moving and take action against the machine. As Sir Charles prepares to contact the police to raid the warehouse, the Doctor points out that something bigger is going on and that, from what Ben has told him, it sounds as if there are more machines being built around London. When the Doctor recommends striking at WOTAN, Sir Charles refuses and says there is nothing to connect this machine to Professor Brett, even though Polly is one of those under control. The Doctor and Ben, knowing they have riled Sir Charles depart and Sir Charles contacts the authorities and decides to head toward the warehouse himself.

Based on Sir Charles' report, Army soldiers are mobilized to the neighborhood around the warehouse. They find considerable electrical and radio activity coming from the warehouse and surround it. Sir Charles informs the commanding officer of what he knows, and orange patrol is sent to enter the warehouse. Interference in the radio signals tips off Major Green that something is happening and he alerts the laborers. As Orange Patrol confronts the war machine, Green gives the order to attack and the laborers and the war machine assault the patrol. Orange patrol quickly finds it's weapons are useless against the war machine and thus must retreat.

Just as the remaining members of orange patrol exit the warehouse, the Doctor and Ben join Sir Charles and inquire about what is happening. As orange patrol rounds the corner toward the main army forces, the war machine exits the warehouse in pursuit. The leader of orange patrol reports that the machine nearly wiped them out as it comes around the corner into view. Sir Charles, assuming someone is inside the tank-like machine, attempts to call the operator to stand down. As the army realizes that their guns are somehow being jammed, the commanding officers informs Sir Charles that the area will have to be evacuated. As everyone retreats, the Doctor stands his ground and even walks a bit toward the machine as the light from the war machine falls across his face.

Episode 4
To be added.

Cast

 * The Doctor - William Hartnell
 * Dodo Chaplet - Jackie Lane
 * Ben Jackson - Michael Craze
 * Polly - Anneke Wills
 * Major Green - Alan Curtis
 * Professor Brett - John Harvey
 * Kitty - Sandra Bryant
 * Flash - Ewan Proctor
 * Sir Charles Summer - William Mervyn
 * Professor Krimpton - John Cater
 * American Journalist - Ric Felgate
 * Interviewer - John Doye
 * Worker - Desmond Cullum-Jones
 * Tramp - Roy Godfrey
 * Taxi-driver - Michael Rathbone
 * Machine Operator - Gerald Taylor
 * Worker - Eddie Davis
 * Captain - John Rolfe
 * Sergeant - John Boyd-Brent
 * Corporal - Frank Jarvis
 * Soldier - Robin Dawson
 * Television Newsreader - Kenneth Kendall
 * The Minister - George Cross
 * Garage Mechanic - Edward Colliver
 * Man in telephone box - John Slavid
 * Radio Announcer - Dwight Whylie
 * US Correspondent - Carl Conway
 * Voice of WOTAN - Gerald Taylor

Crew

 * Assistant Floor Manager - Lovett Bickford, Margot Hayhoe
 * Costumes - Daphne Dare, Barbara Lane
 * Designer - Raymond London
 * Film Cameraman - Alan Jonas
 * Film Editor - Eric Mival
 * Make-Up - Sonia Markham
 * Producer - Innes Lloyd
 * Production Assistant - Snowy White
 * Script Editor - Gerry Davis
 * Special Sounds - Brian Hodgson
 * Studio Lighting - George Summers
 * Studio Sound - David Hughes
 * Theme Arrangement - Delia Derbyshire
 * Title Music - Ron Grainer

Races and Species
Daleks, Humans, Time Lords

Planets
Earth

Locations
Inferno, London, Post Office Tower

Technology
Computers, War Machines

Vehicles
The Doctor's TARDIS

Story Notes

 * This story had the working title of The Computers.
 * Although Polly was never given an on-screen surname, "Wright" was used in an audition piece for the character at the time. It has since been adopted into various spin-off novels.
 * WOTAN is pronounced with a soft V as VOTAN by many of the characters.
 * This is the Doctor's first return to 20th century London since a brief interlude at the end of "Bell of Doom".
 * As was common in mid-late 1960s Doctor Who, this serial employs interstitial titling for the serial name, episode number and writing credit. For episodes 2 and 3, the titling is unusually placed at the end of a short teaser sequence.  For the first and last episodes, the sequence occupies a more usual position immediately after the main titles.
 * Due to budgetary constraints, this story had no original incidental music. (BBC DVD: The War Machines)

Ratings

 * Episode 1 - 5.4 million viewers
 * Episode 2 - 4.7 million viewers
 * Episode 3 - 5.3 million viewers
 * Episode 4 - 5.5 million viewers

Myths

 * A fan myth alleges that Pat Dunlop contributed to the writing of the televised version of the story. In fact, though, Dunlop was the writer originally commissioned to turn Kit Pedler's story idea into script form but had to pull out due to a clash of commitments with another BBC series, United! Ian Stuart Black used none of Dunlop's work when he took over.

Filming Locations

 * Bedford Square, London
 * Maple Street, Fitzrovia
 * Royal Opera House, Bow Street
 * Tottenham Court Road, London
 * Conway Street, London
 * Charlotte Place, Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia
 * Berners Mews, Fitzrovia
 * Covent Garden Market, London
 * Cornwall Gardens Walk, London
 * Ealing Television Film Studios
 * Riverside Studio 1, Hammersmith, London

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

 * This is the story in which the Doctor is infamously referred to as "Doctor Who" by WOTAN. This is the only time on television that the Doctor is directly called this. WOTAN perhaps refers to the Doctor in this way due to not knowing who he is. The Doctor may have given a false name at some point.


 * See discussion of other occasions on which the Doctor has referred to himself under variants of the name "Doctor Who".


 * The end of episode 2 does not match with the start of episode 3: The War Machine advances at Ben for a while in episode 2, but in episode 3 Ben has quickly moved behind some crates to avoid being seen. However, most of the serial was junked by the BBC, and as a result, the DVD version is a restored patchwork of the serial, from copies held by the various worldwide TV stations it was sent to. Most of the overseas episodes had some censor cuts, and as a result, a fraction of some of the episodes were lost, and covered by existing footage to match the audio for the DVD release. This may account for the discrepancy.
 * Why do Ben and Polly go into the TARDIS at the end? If they think it's just a police box then surely they would think that they couldn't all fit inside.
 * It seems strange that WOTAN can divine the meaning of "TARDIS". Possibly he didn't work it out using his intellect. He might have already known somehow. Though that "explanation" would that answer one mystery with another.

Continuity

 * The press briefing in Episode 1 states that C-Day will be on Monday, July 16th.
 * Episode 1 occurs 4 days before C-Day on Thursday, July 12th.
 * Since the Post Office Tower is complete, that sets the time frame for this story at some point after October 1965 when it was officially opened. The next "Monday, July 16th" after 1965 occurs in 1973, thus setting this story no earlier than 1973.
 * The press briefing in Episode 1 also shows a chart naming the computers that will come under Wotan's control. While 6 are not clearly seen, those that can be made out are WOOMERA (rocket testing range in Australia), Cape Kennedy (now known as Cape Canaveral), Parliament, ELDO, TELSTAR (early communication satellite), White House, EFTA (European Free Trade Association), RN (Royal Navy), RAF (Royal Air Force).
 * The appearance and function of the War Machines is mentioned briefly in EDA: EarthWorld.
 * Dodo's life following this story is explored in MA: Who Killed Kennedy, which also explains how the events in this story appeared from the perspective of the general public.
 * Like Tegan, Ian and Barbara, and Rose, Dodo returns to London some time after she initially left it. Her surprise at the now-completed Post Office Tower places the events at the end of "Bell of Doom" at least a few months prior to those of The War Machines.
 * It's revealed in NA: Original Sin that Tobias Vaughn had funded Professor Brett's work.
 * The Time Travellers, set before this story (from the Doctor's point of view), reveals that the Doctor's actions in The War Machines altered history. In the original timeline, WOTAN managed to conquer Earth prior to his destruction in 1969.
 * BBC newsreaders Kenneth Kendall plays himself in episode 4, announcing the destruction of the first War Machine.

Timeline

 * This story occurs after ST: There are Fairies at the Bottom of the Garden
 * This story occurs before DW: The Smugglers

DVD, Video and Other Releases
VHS release
 * The Doctor Who Restoration Team did very extensive work on this story for the VHS release. In addition to lots of film and video cleanups, and patching censor clips in for many bits missing from the master copy, this included creation of short sections of new footage from stills and off-cuts to cover missing  bits.  Despite this, it still has a small amount of missing material where no video could be found to match the complete off-air audio.  The audio release is complete. (TV broadcasts prior to the video release usually used the unimproved, substantially cut, and very very dirty master.)

DVD Release


 * Region 2 25th August 2008
 * PAL -


 * Region 4 6th November 2008
 * PAL -


 * Region 1 TBA
 * NTSC -

Novelisation

 * Main article: The War Machines (novelisation)


 * Novelised as The War Machines in 1989 by Ian Stuart Black.