The Time Doctor Who Was PRO-SLAVERY? - Doctor Who: The Ark (1966) - REVIEW 

The Doctor actually called out the humans treatment of the Monoids at the end of the fourth episode. “Last time they were treated like slaves. It’s no wonder when they got the opportunity they returned in kind…” - Approximate quote, the First Doctor

I’m surprised that modern who hasn’t had a story problem as simple as a common cold being an issue in the future, Itld really sell a hard sci-fi story and the reality of it all.

"All this, AND a Baby Elephant, too!"

No no no, Mr Tardis. Doctor Who wasn't political until Chris Chibnall, we keep telling you 🙄.

I will say, getting a "prestige" TV director in Michael Imison (even if he was just assigned as "punishment") resulted in some absolutely fascinating visual work.

"Take them away to the security kitchen!!" Thanks for watching! Don't forget to subscribe to keep up to date on future videos and also appease that almighty algorithm and "like" the video and leave a comment!

4:07 - Not related to the BBC shows from the 60s, but Gerry Anderson's (who created Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Terrahawks etc.) first series, The Adventures of Twizzle, from 1957, ran for 52 episodes, but only its first episode still exists to this day.

tbf on the whole accent thing, we'd already had the Doctor speaking with an accent with McCoy in 1987.

“Let’s just say that Suella Braverman’s favourite Doctor Who story is The Ark and that’s not a good thing.” That joke was more funny than it should’ve been.😂 Nice one.

The Monoids sound like they're voiced by Stookie Bill.

Despite what some might think of the second half of this episode, I still think it’s one the fandom has overlooked. The part 2 cliffhanger is terrific especially knowing that it predates Planet of the Apes by 2 years, It’s almost like Planet of the Ood regarding its themes of slavery except that story handled that subject matter much better.

I think the late Roy Skelton is better off as voicing the Daleks and the Cybermen 'Only on The Tenth Planet and The Wheel in Space' than the creatures that are less memorble.

I was so confused when episode 2 ended and everything seemed concluded. I was literally shouting, “what the heck are they going to do for the next two!!!?”

Thank goodness the Common Cold is reasonably safe, given its mutation rate

It's unfortunate that the Monoids were never used again. I'd like to see a modern update to the design and characterisation.

I love the Security Kitchen.

I don't think Dodo is stupid, just a li'l scatterbrained.

I always like the idea of the monoids, would love to see them return, but use real sign language

BBC: Can you speak in a received pronunciation and tone down your native accent while on our TV stations? Also BBC: Mark of the Rani is set in Kibblesworth. Hire some southern actors and tell them to put on some blatantly fake Geordie accents

I once had The Ark on VHS. It's a classic Doctor Who story that is a futuristic retelling of Noah's Ark done like a 2-act stage play. Act 1: Dodo's cold infecting the Guardians and the Monoids. Act 2: The Monoid revolt and enslavement of the Guardians. The story pre-dated Planet of the Ood by 42 years. Good story. Doctor Who at it's best.

Kind of reminds me of The Invasion of Time, which also had an apparent ending - then a twist where the Sontarans invade gallifrey- but with a tedious runaround denouement

16:18 - Alongside Doctor Who, Michael Sheard would also appear in the Season 3 Blake's 7 episode 'Powerplay' as Federation Section Leader Klegg.

Imison also overspent on this story too apparently.

"Are you up to something?" "N.. n... no..." Just golden.

as an extremely huge sonic fan I am overjoyed to hear even just a SECOND of Super Sonic Racing in this review

It's a bit of a Who curio but I've always found this one quite fun and it's great it exists

I forgot this was a 4 parter when I first watched this and thought when they returned it was actually the Celestial Toymaker’s doing.

There were even ripe cotton plants in the background of the planet sequences - cotton-picking subtlety Batman!

The Ark is one of my favourite Hartnell (or even the whole 60s) stories!

Whacked this one a few weeks back and it was rally good, great review.

Is it me or do the Monoids sound a lot like Marik Ishtar from Yugioh? 😂 I’m talking both dub and abridged. Anyone agree?

I did *not* expect a Sonic R reference here, well done lmao

Monoids were big Beatles fans...

18:12 - Roy Skelton would also provide the voice of Zippy and George from Rainbow from 1973-1992

I first watched The Ark a few months back and loved it. Definitely in my top 5 Hartnell.

Great story with a lot of nuance - plus the novelisation really expands on the Doctor's vaccination program.

I the ack I was one of the first doctor who story from series 3 of classic Dr who that I watch

7:29 - Eyyyyyyyy! Will’s a Sonic fan!

This story is underrated. Its unique.

I really enjoyed this serial and your review of it was very good :)

TAKE THEM AWAY TO THE SECURITY KITCHEN

the Ark is one of my all time fave stories. I just love episodes that has characters being able to talk more and be on screen to explain things instead of running around all the time. The graphics were well made for the years it was filmed. Its hard to explain why i love the story apart from its different from many other stories.

The monoids and guardians are a bit like the morlocks and Eloi the morlocks were also supposed to be an abused working class turning the tables on the upper class

Not gonna lie I'm quite invested in the hope that you're going to dunk on Toymaker. Bottom 5 Who story for me. I quite like The Ark. Like yourself I think that the Monoids could be a little bit more threatening and they leaned possibly a little bit too heavily into their bumbling ineptitude, but there's a lot to appreciate from it as a production. I also agree that the monoids themselves are fun in design. I've always felt that it's a creature design that people (not-we) make fun of with the ping pong balls being in the actors mouths and the haircuts but if you suspend disbelief they feel like a tangible and dare I say it, real, Who monster. It's nice to see a costume that isn't super bulky.

I like The Ark

30:55 "ehhhh...no"

Yeah, first half great-second mostly unwatchable. The monoids are a great visual invention tho’!

Will, I think you know as well as I that if you read the news today you still have to speak with BBC English. Huw Edwards brings the exception that proves the rule, and even he speaks with a soft Welsh accent

From the viewpoint of history 1960s this story is more to do with colonialism and the post colonial situation as was pertaining to Africa when after high hopes things started to go wrong after Britain left and too many independence leaders decided being president for life better than the democratic process. The guardians are the well meaning paternalistic colonialists and the monoids the not surprisingly ungrateful natives who resented the domination. It also represented the white settler fears of post independence and the need to get out.

This serial is so stupid it's entertaining. I've been thinking about it since you posted this review 3 months ago, and I think it would have been better had the plot and themes not completely changed in part 3. Imagine if they arrived 700 years later to find all life dead from the plague. He realizes he'd interfered with events, which is a no no for time travelers. Then they land on Refussus and the gas beings happen to have time travel and help the doctor pilot the TARDIS back to try again, this time wiping it out for good.

What about the ood isn't that pro slavery it is very Harry Potter house elfy

👍

This was an odd one to watch, at first it seems very progressive, then deeply reactionary, then turned around to being very progressive at the end.

Bired