365 Days of Doctor Who: Rewatching THE SPACE MUSEUM - Warped Factor - Words in the Key of Geek.

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365 Days of Doctor Who: Rewatching THE SPACE MUSEUM

Adventure fifteen of this Doctor Who journey takes me to The Space Museum, a four-part serial that aired in April and May 1965. Written by Glyn Jones, this story starts with one of the most intriguing premises of the Hartnell era: the TARDIS crew arrives on a desolate planet and finds themselves in a museum filled with exhibits of alien technology—including themselves, frozen in display cases. The serial promises to explore fate, time, and rebellion, but after a strong start, it shifts gears into a more conventional “overthrow the oppressors” narrative.

Rewatching The Space Museum today on its beautifully restored Blu-ray release, I find myself torn between admiration for its bold ideas and frustration at its uneven execution. It’s a story of great potential that doesn’t quite live up to its ambitions, though it still offers fascinating moments and strong character work from the TARDIS crew.


The Story: Playing with Time

The TARDIS lands on the planet Xeros, home to a museum run by the Moroks, a stagnant and oppressive race who collect artifacts from conquered civilizations. The Doctor, Ian, Barbara, and Vicki initially appear out of sync with time, experiencing events in reverse: they see themselves frozen as exhibits before returning to their normal reality. This strange phenomenon forces the crew to confront the question of whether their future is fixed or if they can change their destiny.

As they work to avoid their fate as museum pieces, the TARDIS crew becomes entangled in the plight of the Xerons, the planet’s native inhabitants who have been subjugated by the Moroks. What begins as a fascinating exploration of temporal mechanics transitions into a more straightforward story about rebellion and resistance.


An Intriguing Premise

The opening episode, “The Space Museum,” is one of the most captivating in early Doctor Who. The eerie silence of the museum, the bizarre time anomalies, and the chilling sight of the crew frozen as exhibits create a genuinely unsettling atmosphere. This first episode had me hooked, raising philosophical questions about free will and determinism that I was eager to see explored.

Unfortunately, the remaining episodes don’t fully capitalize on this setup. Once the crew splits up to sabotage the Moroks and rally the Xerons, the story becomes more conventional, losing some of the intrigue that made the opening so compelling. While the rebellion plotline is serviceable, it feels like a missed opportunity to delve deeper into the implications of the crew’s brush with their potential future.


The TARDIS Crew: Agents of Change

Despite the story’s uneven pacing, the TARDIS crew shines throughout The Space Museum.

  • The Doctor is at his most mischievous and clever. William Hartnell delivers several standout moments, including a scene where the Doctor evades capture by hiding inside a Dalek casing—a delightful nod to The Daleks. His wit and resourcefulness are on full display, and his ability to outsmart the Moroks provides some of the serial’s most entertaining moments.

  • Ian takes on a more action-oriented role, confronting the Moroks head-on in his quest to protect his friends. William Russell’s performance is as strong as ever, bringing both determination and gravitas to Ian’s character.

  • Barbara continues to prove her resilience and ingenuity. Her subplot, which involves sabotaging Morok equipment, showcases her practicality and bravery, though her role feels slightly less prominent than in previous stories.

  • Vicki steals the show in many ways. Maureen O’Brien brings energy and charm to her character as Vicki befriends the Xerons and inspires them to rise up against their oppressors. Her scenes with the young Xerons are full of warmth and humor, highlighting her ability to connect with others and drive change.


The Xerons and Moroks: Oppression and Rebellion

The Xerons, with their youthful energy and yearning for freedom, represent hope and renewal. Their struggle against the oppressive Moroks is a clear allegory for rebellion against colonial powers, though the story’s execution lacks the nuance to fully explore these themes.

The Moroks, meanwhile, are portrayed as lazy and uninspired conquerors, their complacency serving as their downfall. While their concept as an oppressive force is interesting, their characterization leans heavily on caricature, making them feel more like bumbling bureaucrats than credible villains.


Themes of Time and Resistance

At its heart, The Space Museum is a story about choices and the possibility of changing one’s destiny. The crew’s initial brush with their potential future as exhibits forces them to take proactive steps to alter the course of events, emphasizing the importance of agency and determination. This theme resonates strongly, even as the narrative shifts its focus to the rebellion against the Moroks.

The story also touches on themes of stagnation and renewal. The Moroks, once a powerful empire, are now complacent and decadent, while the Xerons embody youthful ambition and the desire for change. This contrast adds an undercurrent of optimism to the story, suggesting that even the most oppressive systems can be dismantled with courage and collaboration.


Production and Design

The production design of The Space Museum is effective in creating an eerie and sterile atmosphere for the museum. The minimalist sets, with their stark lighting and clean lines, evoke a sense of emptiness and unease that perfectly suits the story’s opening act.

However, the visual design of the Moroks and Xerons is less successful. The Moroks’ uniforms, with their awkward tunics and helmets, lack the gravitas of a galactic empire, while the Xerons’ youthful, clean-cut appearance feels at odds with their downtrodden status. These design choices detract from the believability of the setting, though they don’t overshadow the story’s more compelling elements.


A Personal Perspective on Rewatching

Revisiting The Space Museum, I couldn’t help but marvel at the ambition of its premise. The idea of playing with time and exploring the implications of a fixed future is fascinating, and the opening episode remains one of my favorites in the Hartnell era. However, the story’s transition into a more traditional rebellion narrative left me wanting more depth and complexity.

As someone who loves the experimental side of Doctor Who, I found myself wishing the story had leaned further into its time-travel premise. What could have been a rich exploration of fate and free will instead becomes a more standard adventure, albeit with strong performances from the cast.


Legacy and Influence

The Space Museum is often overshadowed by other serials from the Hartnell era, but it holds an important place in the show’s history. Its willingness to experiment with narrative structure and thematic complexity highlights the show’s potential for innovation, even if the execution doesn’t always match the ambition.

The serial’s exploration of rebellion and resistance would later be revisited in stories like The Sun Makers (1977) and The Rebel Flesh/The Almost People (2011), demonstrating the enduring appeal of these themes in Doctor Who.


Final Thoughts

Rewatching The Space Museum has been a mixed experience. While its opening episode remains a standout, filled with intrigue and atmosphere, the subsequent episodes struggle to maintain that momentum. However, the TARDIS crew’s strong performances and the story’s underlying themes of agency and resistance make it a worthwhile chapter in Doctor Who history.

It’s a story that exemplifies the show’s ability to blend thought-provoking ideas with adventurous storytelling, even when the balance isn’t perfect. For all its flaws, The Space Museum remains a fascinating entry in the series, reminding me of the boundless potential of Doctor Who to surprise and challenge its audience.

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