029 - The Tenth Planet

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Absolutely my favorite Cybermen. Their rather clunky, primitive costumes are actually quite effective really - stocking faces and all. They show how these first Cybermen really are us in ways subsequent versions didn't do as effectively with their helmets and metal suits. The voice modulations were very creepy as well.

The serial itself was very good, with William Hartnell being spot on, I thought.

I thought the regeneration was a well-done, mysterious affair - unlike any that followed, with the buildup that something was wrong, Ben and Polly rushing to get the Doctor back to the TARDIS, the flashing lights and TARDIS sound effects, and so forth. Highly dramatic, for the uninformed first time viewer, it must have been truly shocking to see him die and change.

One of my very favorites.


SeaDevil

Great story! I really love these Cybermen!! Genuinely creepy and their threat felt real. The whole space base thing made it feel quite realistic, too, so the story was engaging. Even though this is a rather Doctor-lite story, when Hartnell is around he does a good job. I'm a bit sad that we didn't get to see much of him in his final story though, but the presence of the Cybermen makes up for it as they are really cool to watch and hear.

After now watching every Hartnell story (except 'The Celestial Toymaker' and 'The Smugglers'), I can say I'm going to thoroughly miss him as the Doctor. What a guy!! And oh how much he has changed and developed since 'An Unearthly Child'. It truly has been an awesome journey with him... But of course, it's far from being all over! It's Troughton time!

4 stars from me. One of the best of the Hartnell era.