The Rescue

Having left Susan on Earth, the Doctor, Ian and Barbara land the TARDIS on the planet Dido in the year 2493. There they discover two humans, Bennett and Vicki, trapped in their spaceship, the only crew to survive death at the hands of the hostile Didonians.

But the Doctor is baffled: the Didonians are a peaceful people. What has happened to change them? Why have they murdered the crew of the spaceship? Why, apart from the mysterious Koquillion, are they strangely absent?

The Doctor must find the answers - and quickly. For a rescue ship is on its way from Earth intent on revenge and time is running out for the planet . . .

• This short two parter acts as little more than an introduction of the newest companion, Vicki.
   

• Hartnell, usually the prime fluff suspect, is not the one who flubs lines this time around.  Maureen O'Brien (Vicki) has quite a time with her lines in this story.
   

• Additionally, watch for the usual snafus including a stagehand seen onscreen behind Vicki's pet, Sandi, and an all too revealing shot of Vicki's panties when she reaches over to pick up a flare gun.
   

• This story also comes packaged with "The Romans," the story that followed it.
   

• In a strange twist of editing, the people preparing this for video release edited out the last minute or so of footage.  This footage leads directly into the next story (which is part of the package).  The next story, "The Romans" contains this footage at the beginning of episode 1 so the viewer isn't really missing anything drastic.  It is strange, however, to edit out the very footage that links you to the next part of the video package.