Why I Love… Terror of the Zygons

Guest contributor William Atkinson takes a trip back to the first Zygon invasion.

The Zygons – two words that conjure up an image of one of Doctor Who’s most exciting and notable monsters. Shape-shifters that morph from being hideous orange aliens to friends and foes, strangers and confidants in a blink of an eye. A classic design and terrifying actions meant they made a lasting imprint on children in 1975 – especially on a trio of Scots boys, named David Tennant, Steven Moffat and Peter Capaldi. Their debut tale also made a lasting impression on a young English boy thirty years later- and still does ten years on from that. Terror of the Zygons is just so fun, so haunting and so bloomin’ brilliant, how could it not?

I mean, the baddies keep the Loch Ness Monster as a pet. God I love Doctor Who.

It’s surprising it took Doctor Who a whole twelve years to pit Time Lord against Nessie, but I’m very glad it did. When they finally did meet, it crafted a tale for the ages. The Skarasen is actually pretty incidental to the plot however, and from modern standards is pretty poorly realised. No, the real treat is the titular monsters, in all their Satsuma-flavoured glory. Doctor Who had used the gimmick of masquerade before and would do so subsequently, but never is it utilised in a fashion superior to here. That is because here the doppelgängers are especially chilling. For example, Harry Sullivan, the Doctor’s brilliantly bumbling companion, goes from being the likeable fool to a terrifying madman, threatening to stab Sarah Jane Smith with a pitchfork. It’s wonderfully malevolent and it is striking how far away it is from what would be allowed on screen today. Even better is the villain, the Duke of Forgill, whose cold expression and posh Scots purr is scary enough, without having him revealed to be a big orange beastie. And the scariest thing about the Zygons in Terror of the Zygons is not their real appearance- as brilliant as it is- but the fact that they can be anyone, from a Duke to a nurse to even a companion, and this who-can-you-trust atmosphere leads to some properly creepy moments.

For enemies as classic as the Zygons it’s only fair that it is a classic TARDIS Team that turns up in Terror of the Zygons. Fighting the good fight is my all-time favourite pairing of Doctor and companions, with the Fourth Doctor, Sarah Jane and Harry Sullivan. Here Tom Baker is at his very best, owning every scene he’s in and, indeed, the story. This is the Fourth Doctor as he originally was, before the silliness (fun as it was) crept in. From the piercing dark stare to his doom-laden tones, this is a Doctor who’s out to scare you as much as save you, a manic, moody alien that just really get human beings. So, er, basically the Twelth Doctor. Anyway, Sarah Jane and Harry Sullivan are both on fine form too, with Sarah in her journalistic heartland and Harry, in what was sadly his last regular appearance, just as fun as ever. As in this week’s story, UNIT is along for the ride in Terror of the Zygons, and here the Brigadier is used very well, whether he’s talking to a lady Prime Minister four years too early or revelling in his newly found Scottish ancestry.

The Scottish setting is another part of the tale’s success. While in actuality it was filmed in West Sussex – which, for overseas readers, is nice but resolutely not in Scotland – the feel is still there of misty moors and darkness in the hills. What I mean by my surprisingly prosaic language is that Terror of the Zygons has a remarkably rich atmosphere and texture, and this only adds to the overall feeling of mystery and chills. There are not many greater examples of setting so wonderfully matching script in Doctor Who. The script itself is definitely an above average one. While it is by no means ground-breaking, it sticks to a solid Doctor Who plot and executes it marvellously, with a good role for UNIT and a story that links in well with the real world. Combined with some direction that takes a full advantage of the resources at its disposal, and a score that chimes with the tale perfectly, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for some first rate Who.

Therefore, I really do love Terror of the Zygons. It is a story redolent of Doctor Who at its zenith, filled with classic incidents and features that represent the program at its best and indeed demonstrate the best of the Hinchcliffe/Holmes era that fans regard as the program’s golden age. Ahead of their reappearance and fresh attempt at world domination this weekend, you can’t go far wrong with bunging the DVD (or in my case, the video) of the Zygons’ first appearance in the machine and giving it a rewatch.

And remember – never underestimate the power of organic crystallography.

Or, you know, bad stuff will happen.