The First Doctor and his companions Ian, Barbara and Vicki find themselves on the planet Vortis, which seems to be the home of giant, human-sized insects- the ant-like Zarbi, the Menoptra, who look like a cross between bees and butterflies, and the Optera, a degenerate form of the Menoptra who live underground and look liked gigantic fleas. The planet has been taken over by an evil intelligence known as the Animus who has enslaved the Zarbi and driven the Menoptra into exile. The Doctor and his companions arrive just as a force of Menoptra arrive on the planet bent upon reconquering their former home, and are caught up in the ensuing conflict, allying themselves with the Menoptra. Despite the title, webs do not play a large part in the story, although the Animus is eventually revealed to be a spider-like being.
I won't set the plot out any further because "The Web Planet" is far from being one of the best in the history of "Doctor Who". The acting is not particularly bad, but writer Bill Strutton had no previous experience of writing science fiction, and it shows. The plot is not only confusing but also overlong; six episodes are dedicated to a story which could have been told in three or four. The director Richard Martin apparently overspent his budget on visual effects, which doesn't always show, except perhaps where the elaborate costumes are concerned. We are told about a massive invasion of the planet taking place, but never see anything of it; the budget clearly did not run to convincing recreations of interplanetary warfare. I couldn't really understand just why the contending armies were so determined to secure control of Vortis as it seemed like a barren and unpromising place, less a habitable planet than an uninhabitable corner of the Beeb's studios. Martin took to smearing the camera lenses with Vaseline in an attempt to make the place look more alien. He didn't succeed. All he succeeded in doing was making it look as though something had been smeared on the camera lenses and the cameramen had neglected to clean them. 4/10
Some goofs. If Vicki is, as she claims, medically trained, she would realise that aspirin is not a sedative. And why does she express surprise that Barbara and Ian were in Nero's Rome? She was there with them! (See the previous serial).
I won't set the plot out any further because "The Web Planet" is far from being one of the best in the history of "Doctor Who". The acting is not particularly bad, but writer Bill Strutton had no previous experience of writing science fiction, and it shows. The plot is not only confusing but also overlong; six episodes are dedicated to a story which could have been told in three or four. The director Richard Martin apparently overspent his budget on visual effects, which doesn't always show, except perhaps where the elaborate costumes are concerned. We are told about a massive invasion of the planet taking place, but never see anything of it; the budget clearly did not run to convincing recreations of interplanetary warfare. I couldn't really understand just why the contending armies were so determined to secure control of Vortis as it seemed like a barren and unpromising place, less a habitable planet than an uninhabitable corner of the Beeb's studios. Martin took to smearing the camera lenses with Vaseline in an attempt to make the place look more alien. He didn't succeed. All he succeeded in doing was making it look as though something had been smeared on the camera lenses and the cameramen had neglected to clean them. 4/10
Some goofs. If Vicki is, as she claims, medically trained, she would realise that aspirin is not a sedative. And why does she express surprise that Barbara and Ian were in Nero's Rome? She was there with them! (See the previous serial).