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
To be added.

Episode 3
To be added.

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 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.