Planet of the Spiders

[laughs]

They are, they have been at war for a thousand years, you know? Oh, look, I, I, I see it's funny 'cause, I mean, for me, a- as I said last week, you know, and I've said before, Planet of the Spiders was my first introduction, Episode 2 to be precise, and I'm hooked from there.

So I see this very early in my Doctor Who life.

It, it is unquestionable that I'm a Doctor Who fan because of how all the stories from then, for as long as the repeat run went, and I don't have the data on me at the moment, but it went right up to where it went up to.

At number four, one that wasn't on my initial short list, but when it popped into my mind, I thought it's got to be here.

And that is The Planet of Spiders.

Now, this is an exploration, very clearly, like it says it on the tin.

Barry Letts, the author, director, producer of this, you know, this is his magnum opus.

Obviously, it was my dad that sort of got me interested in it, 'cause it, it, it was seen as a kids program, but it wasn't, if that makes sense.

Yeah, Jon Pertwee, and I think the episode was called The Planet of the Spiders.

I think the assistant, Sarah, it was Sarah Jane, wasn't it?

That's right, yeah.

Paul Murphy says, loving the Kevin Stoney love here.

How could we not, Paul? It's reminded me of when I read in Doctor Who magazine, I think, of how John Durst's performance as Lupton in Planet of the Spiders was described delightfully as how Denham Elliott would have played the master.

That's a great line.

Is that a Gary Gillett? Having mentioned how good a writer James Goss is about Doctor Who and how funny, Gary Gillett, too, his reviews in Doctor Who magazine are my favourite writings, I think, on Doctor Who.

I just...

Anyway, look, my first experience with the story is actually the first episode that you elected to not watch, 'cause I came in at the very end of the previous Pertwee run in 1979, so my first story was Planet of the Spiders, which, which I've mentioned before.

So this was my first chance to see it, the, when you were willingly missing it.

And i- it was just another, I mean, it was just another Pertwee story for me by that point.

Yeah.

I mean, there are some people that would say that about Planet of the Spiders, but we've explained to them how they're wrong already, haven't we?

I can understand people not liking Planet of the Spiders, but...

You

can? I can't.