Settings: Planet of Giants

The second season kicks off with a story that takes a different turn than the usual for the show; a science-fiction concept to be sure, but not one that’s standard for Doctor Who. It’s not an especially well-regarded story, in large part due to the murder subplot, but it’s not hated either, tending to score middling or slightly below in most fans’ estimations. Still, it is an undeniably different setting and one that has worked in other shows or films, so the potential is there.

Where & When

The story takes place entirely inside one mid-sized house and its accompanying garden. It’s set in England during the 1960s, but it’s hard to be more precise about the location than that. The date is intended to be “contemporary” but that doesn’t necessarily mean 1964 and fans have suggested possibilities ranging from ’63 (the year for which the Doctor was aiming) to the “near future” of ’69. From our 21st-century perspective, it hardly matters.

Settings: The Reign of Terror

With the stories still alternating in theme, we turn to another pure historical for what became (but was not originally planned to be) the first season finale. While two of the original episodes no longer survive in their original form, animations have been made from the soundtracks and are now widely available, so it’s likely that these are the oldest “missing” episodes that have been widely viewed in some form. Fan opinion is largely consistent in rating the serial as middling to weak despite it being set in a dramatic and significant period in history so it’s worth seeing if other options present themselves.

Where & When

The story takes place in, and just outside, Paris during the eponymous Reign of Terror. For the first time in a historical story, we can place the date exactly because it includes a known event from real-world history. Specifically, it takes place over a six-day period concluding on 28th July 1794.