Before I knew precisely which two Doctor Who serials had been re-discovered almost completely, me and my Dad had a discussion about which two stories we would love it to be that had been discovered anew after so many years of being lost. And this is where things get spooky as I said I would love for “The Enemy of the World” to be found, and my Dad said he'd love for “The Web of Fear” to be located too.
So, imagine our shock and surprise and elation when we discover we are both right. The two recently resurfaced stories are indeed the two we ourselves said we'd love to be found once more. What are the odds of that, I ask you all?! We just couldn't believe it at all. But after we'd settled both down and got over our initial flabbergasted surprise, we then both punched the air and couldn't wait to see the newly found stories.
First, we watched The Enemy of the World. Up until the discovery of the rest of the story only part Three had existed in the archives. Until then I’d loved this episode but lamented the fact the rest was missing. Well, the rest of the story most certainly did not disappoint. In fact, it only confirmed my notion that The Enemy of the World was one of the very finest Patrick Troughton stories out there.
Where do you begin to state what is so brilliant about the Enemy of the World? Well, it is plain and simple. You start with Patrick Troughton. Oh, Pat in this story in his dual role of the Doctor and Ramon Salamander is absolutely incredible. His dictator is thoroughly stone hearted and chilling, with a believable and creepy Mexican accent that makes him a very formidable villain and an absolute delight to watch. He is manipulative and devious and cunning. Pat obviously relishes the chance to play this role, and it shows from start to finish. Salamander is definitely one of the more memorable and excellent villains that the show brought forth during the golden age years of black and white.
But the story is not just brilliant because of Pat Troughton, oh no way. The rest of the cast too excel and make this story feel rather like a grandiose James Bond style thriller, only this story is far more brilliant and exciting than most of those Bond films.
Mary Peach as Astrid Ferrier is at first a little aloof and standoffish, but she soon becomes far more sympathetic when she realises, she has been duped by Giles Kent and Salamander. Mary plays her character very well indeed.
Milton Johns is deliciously creepy and slimy as the toad Benik. He obviously delights in the role and gives Benik a streak of villainy and insidious viciousness that makes for some great scenes throughout the story. I particularly love when he threatens Victoria and Jamie rises to her defence and promises to kill Benik before the weasel produces a gun.
Colin Douglas is brilliant as Donald Bruce, who is also quite pompous but he is at least far more human than Benik. And the script deals him a great role in that he is not beyond seeing the evil that Salamander has been involved in. The Doctor realises he is a reasonable and sensible man and this is a great piece of characterisation by David Whittaker.
Even down to the single episode appearance of Reg Lye as Griffin the Cook! Oh boy this man is wonderful as the eccentric and freely outspoken cook. He is an absolute delight to watch and he has some very funny one liners. It's a shame he wasn't in a bit more of the story actually as that would have been brilliant. But part three strikes a great level of humour because of this man's sublime comedic performance.
The heart of this story revolves around the people who have been callously used by the manipulative Salamander and Giles Kent. Bill Kerr is absolutely superb as Giles; in that we truly believe he is a goodie until he reveals his true colours and we see him for the devious and treacherous snake he is. He gives Kent the perfect amount of believability so he does not just become a 2D character. And the way he is then just discarded by Salamander is a wonderful touch of the double cross towards the climax of the story.
And then what of the inevitable meeting of both Patrick's characters? Well, let's just say the final scene in the TARDIS does not disappoint. In fact, the scene is phenomenally well done, Barry Letts must be mentioned for his superb grasp of suspenseful direction in this story. The two Pat's in one frame is a brilliant moment where Pat shows both sides of his superb grasp of character acting. And the end for Salamander is actually rather nasty as he basically seals his own fate by accidentally starting the TARDIS without closing the doors. It's a sensational ending to a brilliantly written and superb story.
David Whittaker was the Robert Holmes of the sixties for Doctor Who. His every story was packed with brilliance and a grasp of storytelling genius and character building that set him apart from most other writers of the era. The Enemy of the World is one of the many jewels in his sumptuous crown and I for one am so thrilled that this story can now be enjoyed in full on screen. It's a delightful treat I never thought I would be able to be blessed by. The Enemy of the World is a sensational find for fans, and it stands as one of the best monster-less (except for human monsters) episodes of the show ever in its long and wonderful history.
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