The Sensorites

The TARDIS arrives on a lifeless spaceship. The Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan are shocked to find the bodies of the crew slumped over their stations. Yet the crewmembers are far from dead –they are under some form of mental attack that keeps them prisoners in space.

The ship is trapped in orbit around the Sense-Sphere, home world of the alien Sensorites. The Doctor and his companions are warned to leave, but before they can do so, the TARDIS is sabotaged, and its lock is stolen.

Using telepathic powers, the Sensorites have managed to keep the human visitors from exploiting the mineral wealth of their world. Now the TARDIS crewmembers also find themselves subject to the Sensorites and their mental powers.

• "The Sensorites" is a lesser known Hartnell story.  In some ways it is sophisticated for its time (there are both good and bad aliens and good and bad humans... a rarity for the time).

• Susan exhibits some telepathy powers in this story.  Sadly, this story element never went any farther than "The Sensorites" and was effectively "written out" by the end of the story.

• Although I'm assuming this was unintentional, there is some foreshadowing of Susan's departure in this story as she struggles with wanting to be treated as an adult and disagreeing with the Doctor.

• For the U.K. release, this story was packaged along with "The Time Meddler" and "The Gunfighters" as part of a First Doctor Box Set.

• As well as the usual high quality of restorative work done by the Doctor Who Restoration Team, a new "videoising" effect (called VidFIRE) was used 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).  For more information on the VidFIRE process click HERE.