Planet of Giants (TV story)

Planet of Giants was the first story of Season 2. It was the first contemporary story to be produced since "An Unearthly Child," and utilised a story idea first proposed by C E Webber for the pilot of Doctor Who.

Summary
A TARDIS malfunction causes its crew to be shrunk down to an inch in height. Finding themselves back on present day Earth, they soon become involved in a murder and a plan to release a deadly insecticide which could wipe out all life on the planet.

Plot
Following a malfunction on the TARDIS console and the bleating of a klaxon indicating something is amiss, the Doctor insists the fault locator shows nothing is wrong and it is safe to venture outside. He leads his companions Ian, Barbara and Susan to the world beyond and within minutes they find a dead giant earthworm followed by a large deceased ant. They seem to have died immediately. After some deduction the travellers realise they have arrived on Earth but have shrunk in size to mere millmetres.

Ian is investigating a discarded matchbox when someone picks it up and he is hurled around inside. That someone is a government scientist called Farrow, who has come to the home of callous scientist named Forester to tell him that his application for DN6, a new insecticide, has been rejected. In reality DN6 should not be licensed: it is far too deadly to all insect life. When they fall out over this news, Forester shoots Farrow and leaves him for dead outside his home.

The Doctor, Barbara and Susan hear the gunshot as an enormous explosion, and head for the house. They find Ian unhurt near the dead body and surmise a murder has taken place but can do little about it. However, they are determined to ensure the murderer is brought to justice despite their microscopic size. Having avoided a cat, the travellers split up again with Ian and Barbara hiding in a briefcase. The giant Forester returns to the garden and collects the briefcase, taking it inside to his laboratory. His aide, Smithers, suspects him of murder, but does not report him for fear of undermining the DN6 project to which he has given his life.

The Doctor and Susan scale a drain pipe to gain access to the house and locate their friends, braving the height as they go. Meanwhile Ian and Barbara examine the laboratory and encounter a giant fly. She foolishly touches a seed that has been contaminated with DN6 and soon starts to feel unwell. Nevertheless, attracted by Susan’s voice in the reverberating plug hole, the four friends are reunited.

Forester has meanwhile doctored Farrow’s report so as to give DN6 the licence he wants and, disguising his voice as Farrow’s, makes a supportive phonecall to the ministry to the same effect. This overheard by the local telephone operator, Hilda Rowse, and her policeman husband Bert, who start to suspect something is wrong.

The Doctor has meanwhile realised the deadly nature of DN6 and the probable contamination of Barbara. They try to alert someone by hoisting up the phone receiver with corks, but cannot make themselves heard. However, Hilda notes the engaged signal and she and Bert become even more concerned. Forester and Smithers return to the lab and correct the engaged handset and then Hilda rings to check things are okay. She rings again moments later and asks for Farrow and, when Forester impersonates him, knows there is something badly wrong. Bert heads off to the house to investigate.

The Doctor and his companions decide to start a fire to attract attention to the house and succeed in setting up an aerosol can of insecticide as a bomb. This coincides with Smithers discovering the true virulence of DN6 - it's lethal to everything - and demanding Forester stop seeking a licence. Forester spots the makeshift bomb, which goes off in his face. Smithers retrieves the gun as PC Rowse arrives.

Their work done, the travellers return to the TARDIS and the Doctor reconfigures the machine to return them to normal size. Barbara, who was on the verge of death, recovers on being returned to full size; the insecticide and seed respondible aboard the TARDIS shrinking to their real microscopic and minuscule sizes.

Cast & Characters

 * Dr. Who - William Hartnell
 * Ian Chesterton - William Russell
 * Barbara Wright - Jacqueline Hill
 * Susan Foreman - Carole Ann Ford
 * Forester - Alan Tilvern
 * Arnold Farrow - Frank Cranshaw
 * Smithers - Reginald Barratt
 * Hilda Rowse - Rosemary Johnson
 * PC Bert Rowse - Fred Ferris

Crew

 * Writer - Louis Marks
 * Director - Mervyn Pinfield
 * Director - Douglas Camfield (material for episode 4 which was included in episode 3)
 * Producer - Verity Lambert
 * Script Editor - David Whitaker
 * Designer - Raymond Cusick
 * Assistant Floor Manager - Dawn Robertson
 * Assistant Floor Manager - Val McCrimmon
 * Associate Producer - Mervyn Pinfield
 * Costumes - Daphne Dare
 * Incidental Music - Dudley Simpson
 * Make-Up - Jill Summers
 * Production Assistant - Morman Stewart
 * Special Sound - Brian Hodgson
 * Studio Lighting - Howard King
 * Studio Sound - Alan Fogg
 * Theme Arrangement - Delia Derbyshire
 * Title Music - Ron Grainer

Influences

 * Gulliver's Travels
 * The Incredible Shrinking Man
 * Rachel Carson's Silent Spring

Ratings

 * Planet of Giants - 8.4m viewers
 * Dangerous Journey - 8.4m viewers
 * Crisis - 8.9m viewers

Location Filming
This story was filmed at both Ealing Studios and BBC Television Centre Studio TC4

Continuity

 * The TARDIS fault locator again makes an appearance
 * The Doctor and Susan were observers at Zeppelin air raid during World War 1
 * The Doctor states that he has never been to Africa

Discontinuity

 * At the end of episode 2 the sink is emptied and the plug is placed upon the bench. At the begining of episode 3 the plug is back in the sink providing a method of escape

Quotes
Forester - "Do you know why I'm a success, Mr Farrow? Because I've never allowed the word "can't" to exist."

Story Arcs
None

Similar stories
To be added

More Info

 * Story Synopsis
 * Story Transcript
 * Story Novelization
 * Story Statistics
 * Story in the Media

Public Releases

 * DVD Release - This story has not yet been released on DVD
 * Video Release - Released as Doctor Who: Planet of Giants


 * UK Release: January 2002 / US Release: May 2003
 * PAL - BBC Video BBCV7263
 * NTSC - Warner Video E1740

This story was enhanced by the Restoration Team and further information on this project can be found here