Doctor Who: If You Want To Get Into The Classic Series, This Is The Perfect Episode To Start With

For modern viewers who have only watched as far back as 2005, getting into classic Doctor Who can be intimidating. Running from 1963 to 1989, the classic series encompasses 26 seasons, seven Doctors, and dozens of companions. Its low production value, campy nature, and sometimes outdated themes can also be alienating for those who are used to the modern show. Yet, lots of fans still want to see where it all started, and what gave it the staying power that has let it survive for over 60 years.

For viewers who are curious about Classic Who, the Fourth Doctor story “The Ark In Space” from Season 12 is a perfect place to start. Even New Who viewers are likely familiar with the iconic Tom Baker, who comes into his own as the Doctor in this story. He’s joined by companions Harry Sullivan and Sarah Jane Smith, the latter of whom made a reappearance in New Who and even got her own spinoff. Despite the terribly-aged special effects, the episode features dynamic characters, fascinating sci-fi concepts, and most importantly, a genuinely engaging narrative.

What Is “The Ark In Space” About?

At the beginning of this four-part serial, the Doctor, Sarah, and Harry unexpectedly find themselves aboard a space station where most of the power systems appear to have been shut down. As they explore, the Doctor surmises that the space station is an ark of sorts, home to a few hundred humans who have been placed in suspended animation, likely to help humanity outlast some disaster on Earth, and that they’ve been asleep for several hundred years. As the crew explores, they learn that the station may be playing host to an unwanted alien visitor. Harry and the Doctor discover a strange trail of slime, followed by the corpse of a strange insectoid creature.

A few members of the station’s personnel awaken from stasis: first, a med tech named Vira, who revives their leader, Noah. While Vira has her doubts and suspicions about the unexpected visitors, Noah borders on outright hostility. The Doctor tries to convince him that something is wrong on the Ark, but to no avail. Ignoring the Doctor’s advice, Noah encounters the slime creature while attempting to initiate repairs, and is attacked.

When Noah begins acting erratically and undergoing physical changes, it becomes clear that these creatures are dangerous. The Doctor, Harry, and Sarah Jane must figure out the nature of these strange aliens, known as the Wirrn, and what their goals are. Vira slowly begins to trust them, determined to protect the people that the Ark is carrying. Together, along with a few more revived passengers, they strive to learn exactly what they’re up against and save the last remnants of humanity.

What Makes “The Ark In Space” Work?

Pacing & Suspense

When the Doctor and his companions arrive on the Ark, the place is eerily quiet. Oxygen is limited until they get the systems back online; Sarah Jane even loses consciousness from suffocation. As she recovers, Harry and the Doctor explore — but she’s teleported away and mistakenly put into stasis. Viewers don’t know what’s happening to her, or how she’ll get out of it. Meanwhile, the Doctor and Harry encounter alien slime, sabotaged systems, and eventually their apparently lifeless friend.

Once Vira awakens, reviving first Sarah and then Noah, there’s a moment of relief — but it’s short-lived thanks to Noah’s suspicion. The story’s pace quickens as the action picks up: Noah is attacked and begins undergoing mental and physical changes; the heroes are pursued by alien slime creatures. Trying to find answers, while also trying to avoid the Wirrn, creates the kind of tension and curiosity that New Who viewers have come to love. The Doctor is more than clever enough to work out what the Wirrn want and how to defeat them, but his time is limited, and lives hang in the balance.

Strong Characterization

Engaging, dynamic characters are an essential part of any good story, and “The Ark In Space” does this well with its one-off characters. When Vira first awakens from stasis, she is portrayed as cold and distant. Reviving Sarah Jane, she tells Harry and the Doctor that Sarah will either live or die; she clearly doesn’t care which outcome occurs. Yet, over the course of the story, we see her grow. She and Noah were pair-bonded — as he loses himself to the alien influence, she grieves. But she also rises to the challenge and takes on a position of leadership, determined to defeat the Wirrn.

The TARDIS team gets their moments of development too. Perhaps the best example is the scene in which Sarah Jane volunteers to crawl through a conduit to connect a power cable. She’s willing to put herself at risk to help others — but when she gets stuck, her fear and desperation briefly get the better of her. This is where the Doctor steps in, and from the other side of the conduit, begins insulting her. Furious, Sarah forgets her fear and crawls through to the other side — just as the Doctor planned. With how close the two of them are, he knew that only getting a rise out of her would motivate her to push through. Once Sarah escapes and begins to chew him out, the Doctor drops the act in a touching moment, saying:

Even the minor characters get their moments to shine. Noah, while struggling against the mental damage of the alien attack, shows vulnerability, redeeming his harshness in the beginning. He expresses his love for Vira and the faith he holds in her, giving her the courage she needs to take command. Two revived crewmembers, Rogin and Lycett, are afraid and confused at first, but, thanks to leadership from Vira and the Doctor, they face the situation with bravery, managing to save the day in the end.

“The Ark In Space” Is Everything That Makes Doctor Who Great

There’s no denying that certain elements of “The Ark In Space” are jarring for modern viewers. The “slime monsters” are clearly human actors under layers of bubble wrap; the “laser blasts” from the crew’s guns are very cheap CGI effects. Harry Sullivan has some moments of casual sexism. But despite that, there’s a lot for New Who viewers to enjoy.

The episode features the kind of levity that keeps the show fun, without cheapening any tension or suspense. In one scene, Harry confidently throws a ball in an attempt to disable a laser — only for the laser to unceremoniously obliterate it. The Doctor’s offhand quips offer comedic relief, while demonstrating his quick wit at the same time. And, of course, his tactics in motivating Sarah Jane through empty insults are bound to elicit a chuckle once it’s clear what he’s up to.

The sci-fi concepts are interesting too. The Ark itself explores ideas of disaster that might befall Earth in the future, and what humanity might do to survive it. The Wirrn themselves are biologically fascinating: they are a space-dwelling species who must lay their eggs terrestrially. And when they reveal their history and motives, moral questions arise — a cornerstone of good science fiction.

Finally, New Who viewers will perhaps recognize most clearly the Doctor’s love of humanity, one of the things that has come to define him over the decades. Upon discovering the stasis room, his immediate reaction is one of admiration, expressing how impressed he is that humans seem to find a way to survive almost anything:

Ultimately, the resilience and bravery he admires here are the undercurrents of the episode. They’re themes that Doctor Who fans have come to treasure in both the modern and classic series, and despite being 50 years old, “The Ark In Space” portrays them in a way that can still resonate today.

Doctor Who

Release Date

2005 – 2021

Network

BBC

Directors

Graeme Harper, Euros Lyn, Douglas Mackinnon, Jamie Magnus Stone, Charles Palmer, Rachel Talalay, Joe Ahearne, James Strong, Jamie Childs, Saul Metzstein, Toby Haynes, Wayne Che Yip, Nick Hurran, Richard Clark, James Hawes, Daniel Nettheim, Colin Teague, Keith Boak, Azhur Saleem, Adam Smith, Andrew Gunn, Nida Manzoor, Lawrence Gough, Paul Murphy

Writers

Steven Moffat, Russell T. Davies

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  Jodie Whittaker

  The Doctor

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