The next story takes us to a future Earth in the grip of the perils of climate change, if not quite the sort we might be concerned about today. It is, perhaps, most notable for introducing the most-used “monster” of the classic era after the Daleks and Cybermen. Taken on its own merits, it used to be thought of as a middling, if unexceptional, story, but has tended to become less popular with younger audiences, probably because not much happens for four out of the six episodes. For the purposes of this blog, however, it’s significant that the first episode consists largely of an exposition dump, which allows us to say a surprising amount about the setting.
Where & When
The story is set somewhere in Britain several centuries into the future, as a new Ice Age is starting. No date is given on screen; we’re told that “five thousand years” of history are at risk from the ice, but it’s unclear what this is counting from. Pre-publicity for the story suggested it took place around 3,000 AD, but more recent fan theories go for 5,000.
