Galaxy 4

"At dawn, all of this will explode into nothing."

Writer: William Emms

Format: TV (Animation)

Released: November 2021

Series: 3.01

Featuring: First Doctor, Vicki, Steven

Synopsis

The TARDIS lands on a planet on the verge of total annihilation as it drifts too close to the three suns which it orbits. Trapped on the planet with them are the Drahvins, a race of warrior women, and the reptilian Rills. The Drahvins want to steal the Rill spaceship to escape the planet's death throes, and enlist then Doctor's help, which he is forced to give when Maaga, the cunning Drahvin leader, keeps first Vicki and then later Steven as her hostage. Even though the Doctor is determined to broker a peace deal between the two sides in this conflict and help everyone escape safely, Maaga doesn't trust him. Or the Rills...

Verdict

Galaxy 4 was a decent animation reconstruction of the mostly missing opener to the third season of Doctor Who! I was really excited when this story was announced as the next in line to get the animation treatment and that was solely because we've had a wealth of Second Doctor serials in the last few years, so to get a First Doctor adventure 'completed' was fantastic news! The choice of story may seem an odd one but it makes to get a release out after episode three was found a decade ago but only included on a special edition DVD of The Aztecs. At long last, we have Galaxy 4 in the collection now. I chose to watch the colour animation of all four episodes that make up this serial and unfortunately, I think the animation faltered slightly when it came to the storytelling. It might be a directorial issue or just the quality and design of the animation but for whatever reason, it didn't seem to work as well as the likes of The Macra Terror or The Evil of the Daleks. I can't precisely put my finger on why, but it just felt a little off. I think the animation made things feel a bit slow which was a shame, and it definitely did seem clumpy in parts which was a shame. However, the actual story is a decent one and I've always maintained that the Drahvins would be worthy of a comeback. But, as far as I'm aware, that is yet to happen! I thought the artwork for both Vicki and Steven was decent, although the former was presented as being a little too tall compared with what we normally see on screen. She seemed to be towering alongside the Doctor which just wasn't right. It was a delight on a personal note for me to be blogging something featuring William Hartnell as it seems an awfully long time since I've had that opportunity! The design of the First Doctor was a little strange with the way they designed his hair, and he probably was a bit too active on the barren terrain on the planet's surface, but that's using the animation to your advantage I guess. It just substitutes for authenticity a little. One thing that immediately caught my attention in watching in colour was then opening titles. I thought they were done brilliantly! I was also impressed with some of the panning out of Space and the surrounding planets. Whilst I'm not going to focus too much on the story as a whole here as I have two separate blogs for that, one for the surviving episode and the recons, and another of the Target novelisation, I definitely think the ending was enhanced with this viewing. The imagery of Maaga being left on the planet as it begins to break apart and we see a Chumblie and a Drahvin descend into the lava before she exits the screen was the stuff of nightmares! I cannot imagine that is how the original fourth episode aired. As a whole, it's a strong adventure and definitely one that's a shame to be missing given the importance of an entirely female alien enemy race, but they're recreated very well here. I thought the ending and the lead into Mission to the Unknown was outstanding and I wonder if we will go on to have that episode animated now! Overall, a decent effort and a welcomed addition to the 'complete' library.

Rating: 7/10