Doctor Who - The Tenth Planet

     In 1966 the BBC transmitted Doctor Who – The Tenth Planet, when the Tardis materializes at the South Pole in 1986.The arrival coincides with the appearance of Earth’s forgotten twin planet along with visitors from another World, the Cybermen!

    At the very beginning of the first episode a rocket is launched, and film of the launching of a Blue Streak missile is used. Although the film is transmitted in black and white, this could easily be the same film of Blue Streak as used superimposed on the film in ‘the Prisoner episode ‘Fall Out.’

What’s more the two astronauts are played by two actors who will go on to appear in ‘the Prisoner,’ Alan White {Dutton} and Earl Cameron {Supervisor No.106}. And these are not only Prisoneresque details to be found in this episode of Doctor Who.
    On a desk in the mission control room is the Olivetti adding machine, but unlike in the control room in the village, when it’s used as a control consol, the adding machine in ‘The Tenth Planet’ doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what it is.
    And there’s an American sergeant using a periscope to make weather observations, you will recall that a technician in ‘The General’ sits at a periscope, although in this case the use of the periscope is somewhat obscure. There is also a “General” who is in command of the space mission to the Tenth Planet.
    There are no parallels to be drawn because the production of Doctor Who and The Tenth Planet predates the Prisoner; I merely make observations, because I have not seen ‘the Tenth Planet since I was 11 years of age. Although I must admit, the sight of the Blue Streak missile in the first moments of the first episode did make me think of No.1 as Blue Steak blasts off out if its silo in the village.

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