Planet of Giants

In an attempt to return Ian and Barbara to the twentieth century, the Doctor tries an unorthodox new technique. It causes the TARDIS doors to open in mid-flight, which sets alarms ringing inside the craft.

The time travelers arrive on Earth only to discover that they have been drastically reduced in size. They are now tiny people in a world of giant objects. The TARDIS has materialized between the cracks in a garden patio. The garden is teeming with giant worms, ants and cats – all deadly hazards for the miniature time travelers.

Worse still, the TARDIS crew learns that this garden is the testing site for a deadly insecticide, DN6. Developed to eliminate all insect life, the chemical may be equally effective against miniscule time travelers.

• Planet of  Giants was originally planned and recorded as a 4 part adventure.  However, it was decided that the story was too long and drawn out, so the decision was made to whittle it down to 3 episodes.  As a result, episodes 3 and 4 were edited together for a final episode 3.

• None of the unused footage from episode 3 or 4 exists today.

• This story marks the beginning of the second season for Doctor Who.

• Quite a bit of work, detail and money (for the time) went into the design of this story.  Many oversized props and scenery were needed to give the story an authentic feel.  While it still looks dated by today's standards, these elements hold up better today than many other stories produced for Doctor Who over the years.

• This story also marks the first time that an adventure takes place on (then) present day Earth.

• This is also one of the earliest "environmentally" themed stories in the program's history (which really culminated during the Pertwee Era, 1970-74).

• A new "videoising" effect (called VidFIRE) was used by the Doctor Who Restoration Team on this release.  Originally shot on videotape, then transferred to 16mm film for overseas sales, all 60's Who stories have a film look to them.  The new process restores the sharper, more "live" feel of videotape (and what would have been seen by the public when originally screened).  If this proves to be a popular restoration, it will likely be used on further releases of 60's Who stories.

• The VidFIRE process was used on episodes 1 and 2 only.  Because episode 3 originally exists as 35mm film and not videotape (for reasons too complicated to say here, check out the Doctor Who Restoration Team site for the whole story), it was decided not to apply the VidFIRE process to this episode.