The Green Death

After the double whammy of disappointment that is Frontier in Space and Planet of the Daleks, we get something approaching a classic in The Green Death.

The Green Death is one of a handful of Classic Who stories to have had an impact on the national psyche. It's 'the one with the maggots' that people of a certain age always remember.

It is six parts so there is some padding but unlike some six-part stories, it doesn't particularly drag. There is trouble in the valleys when a miner is found dead at the pit. He's bright green. Just the job for UNIT as the Brigadier says. Jo is already planning her own trip to Llanfairfach to see Professor Clifford Jones (Stewert Bevan), the environmentalist. The Brigadier offers her a lift. The Doctor is going to Metabelis Three.

Having hammered on about Metabelis Three so much over the last couple of stories it is amusing that when the Doctor actually gets there it turns out to be a total hell hole, if prettily blue. He does manage to nab a sapphire though before running back to the TARDIS and then to Wales.

Global Chemicals are up to no good. Dumping toxic waste in the old mine, which not only turns poor old Welsh miners bright green but is creating giant maggots. It initially looks like a plain old story of corporate greed but there's something else going on. The BOSS is planning a takeover. The BOSS is a supercomputer linked to the brain of Stevens (Jerome Willis) head of Global Chemicals.

The BOSS is one of the series all-time great voice performances by John Dearth. He manages to make the computer funny, mad and clever. It's HAL with a sense of humor.

In the process of the story, Mike Yates goes undercover, gets hypnotized and tries to kill the Doctor but is deprogrammed by the Metabelis Three crystal. This is the start of what can only be described as the Mike Yates story arc. Never let it be said story arcs in Doctor Who started with RTD. Mike's about to start his. UNIT will never be the same.

Jo also falls in love with Cliff Jones who she describes as a 'younger version' of the Doctor and the story ends with her staying with Cliff and the Doctor driving off into the sunset. It's quite a sad little departure played in nice style by Bevan, Manning, and Pertwee. The Doctor is clearly a little in love with Jo Grant and she with him.

So Season 10 ends on a high note and it is nice to see Jo Grant - who can be a bit irritating at times but is ultimately one of the more likable companions - get a really good farewell scene.

It will be the last we see of Jo Grant until the Sarah Jane Adventures.

Talking about Sarah Jane Smith...