Today, the idea is tried and true, but imagine being a kid in 1964 and watching a TV show where some ugly aliens appear and, surprise surprise, they don’t want to conquer the world or kill all the humans. It’s downright progressive!
And such, we have “The Sensorites,” a story that paint aliens in shades of gray rather than just gray.
True, the episodic nature of the old Doctor Who show drags out the story to the point of breaking insanity, but the take on the Sensorites is really quite nice and sets this show apart from everything else in the era.
What’s more, it actually makes Susan useful even though it barely makes any sense to have her suddenly have telepathic powers. I know they explain it away, but…
Overall, despite the stretched out dullness of the story, I rather enjoyed “The Sensorites.” The Doctor’s personality has mellowed a great deal and it’s great to see the Doctor and his companions become a sort of impromptu family after all of the kidnapping and bickering.
True, it is hokey and campy and, as I’ve said before, it’s drawn out but for these old television shows and what they were, this is ahead of its time even though we’ve kind of eclipsed it.
Jason Gaston 