Top 5 Base Under Siege Stories

Guest contributor Will Atkinson picks out his top 5 that utilise the enduring story template.

Hello! What I’m here to discuss today is my love of the most classic of Doctor Who episode formats  – the ever-brilliant Base Under Siege. What with Under the Lake/Before the Flood being a recent splendid example of this, I was inspired to go and rewatch some examples of this great format, and then put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) to pen this article.

For those unfamiliar with the term, a base under siege story is one of those Who stories where a small cast of characters are attacked by an enemy and picked off one by one by evil monstery things usually in an enclosed location of some kind. Originally designed by producer Innes Lloyd to save money during the Second Doctor’s era, it provided a format from which many a classic Who story sprung. It is a shining example of Doctor Who at its best, as a formula that ramps up the tension and breeds true terror and suspense. But out of this greatest of formats, which are the actual greatest BUS stories ever?

I feel a Top 5 coming on…

5.

Mummy on the Orient Express

Mummy on the Orient Express was a definite highlight of Series 8. In his first story for Who, Jamie Mathieson crafted a rich tale filled with scares. It was also a wonderful take on the BUS format, with the base, or in this case the train, being under siege from the inside out. Combine this with a pant-wettingly scary monster, a succulent moral dilemma for the Doctor and a thrilling race against time, with some great set design and acting chucked in for good measure, and you have yourself a story worthy of a place at the table of all-time great Who’s.

4. Dalek

It surprised me when I started thinking about this list that, thought the format is associated with classic Who usually, there are far more recognisable cases of BUSs in New Who than in its more elderly counterpart. Therefore, for our next entry we turn to one of the earliest stories after the show’s return – 2005’s Dalek. Dalek is a fantastic example of the BUS format, as it shows it in its most simple form: There is an unstoppable baddie; It is in a base; All hell then breaks loose.

The scenes of the Dalek making its way through the base by mowing down soldiers left,right and centre are some of the most horrifying in the show’s history, and are a great example of how easily the BUS format can foster classic Who scenes. The Daleks are never more frightening then just one of them is here, and that is in part down to the simplicity of the story being told. Well done, Dalek.

3. Horror of Fang Rock

Finally, a Classic Who story! Horror of Fang Rock is once again a story defined by its beautiful simplicity. The whole set up of a few ragtag individuals trapped on an island with a monster picking them off one by one is Doctor Who to its core, and when that monster turns out to be a shape shifter – well, the story writes itself really. Through in one of the greatest ever Doctor-Companion pairings in the ever brilliant Fourth Doctor and Leela, and you have yourself a fine example of a BUS in action.

2. The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone

I just had to include The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone in my list for two very important reasons. One, it is the Doctor Who story that scared me more than any other. Two, it is the greatest Doctor Who story ever. I realised that second point a while back while rewatching it. I’m probably wrong, but I just could not shake the feeling that this two-parter was absolutely brilliant – and yet nobody ever seems to talk about it. Which is a shame really, as it’s a great example of the BUS format. The Weeping Angels – as scary as ever-hunting down their prey through an ancient labyrinth and a crashed spaceship is again another demonstration of the effectiveness of the BUS format’s simplicity, and it certainly breeds a great tale. The scene where the Angels track our heroes through the darkened spaceship corridor terrified me like nothing else, and I pride myself on being reasonably hardened when it comes to such things (he said, modestly). So, even if it doesn’t get the recognition I think it deserves, I feel we can all agree on one thing: this is a great Doctor Who story, and a classic BUS one to boot.

But, unfortunately, it’s not my number one BUS story. However, I’m more than happy to let it be pipped to the post-especially when you see who’s taken the number one spot…

1. The Web of Fear

The Base Under Siege format was born in the Second Doctor’s era, so it’s only right that one of his tale’s takes pole position, and The Web of Fear is up there with the very best of his innings. The Web of Fear has to be my number one just because it gets so much right. It features a great monster in the redesigned and terrifying Yeti, it has a well-written script that combined with some wonderful direction gives the story a tangible claustrophobic feel, the sets are so good that the London Underground rang up the BBC to find out whether they’d filmed on it illegally, and it even gives us the first appearance of the Brigadier. But, erm, he’s a Colonel. It was a magical morning when it was announced this story had been recovered in 2013, and with it now being possible to enjoy 5 of its 6 episodes. I cannot recommend more strongly to seek out this story and give it a try if you haven’t already. It is a shining example of 60’s Who, and my favourite ever BUS story.

So that’s my list done – now over to you! I tried to give a broad mixture of classic BUS tales, but there are loads I had to leave out. Feel free to mention your favourites and share your own lists in the comments!