Original air dates were June and July 1966. The TARDIS arrives on a modern-day street, cheerfully letting it’s police box disguise work. The Doctor has a cunning sign, “Out of order” for it.
Some tower I don’t recognize but which must be a modern 1960’s London landmark that everyone would recognize. The General Post Office Tower, as it turns out later in the episode.
A computer room full of blinkenlights and very good for a 1960’s prop, called WOTAN, is about to be connected to the worldwide network to lead mankind. It’s short for “Will Operating Thought ANalog”. A machine that can think and never makes mistakes! Amazing!
Well, it can do math, but so can Google. What about something harder like ethics? Well, it got the meaning of “TARDIS” and nobody knows how. Ask it the Trolley Problem or something intersting, come on! Or to draw us some Furry art or something. ChatGPT can’t be ahead of something from Doctor Who can it?
Later, at a club called the Inferno, they meet a sad sack sailor who’s dissapointed with his land posting. Polly tries to cheer him up, but fails and leaves him to his misery. Another dancer hits on her, and the sailor, Ben, breaks them up.
The Doctor takes a cab to “The Royal Scientific Club” to watch a press conference about WOTAN. Reporters ask questions, some good ones. They clearly haven’t seen 2001 yet. Or Colossus the Forbin Project! We’re a bit early for them aren’t we? What have we learned they hadn’t yet? Or have we, as we’re still glomming everything together via the Internet?
I see the scientist has asked him a good question, ‘What do you want?” We didn’t get to see the answer.
Dodo gets a mysterious phone call, from WOTAN, and leaves. The Professor has dragged another man to WOTAN, telling him that WOTAN has decided mankind can advance no longer, unless WOTAN is in charge. The new man objects, but is mind-controlled by swirly things.
Oh look, it sort of does have a voice. How creepy and science fictiony.
The characters are referring to the Doctor as Doctor Who, which he never does. Dodo’s been missing, and is back, but she smooths things over and gets on with capturing The Doctor for WOTAN. The Doctor and crew avoid the forces of WOTAN by clever use of a taxi. The science-creeps follow.
WOTAN gets the Doctor on the phone, but fails to nobble him.
The Authorities finally wake up and call for help. The police defer to the Army, who shows up in force, with guns and appear quite capable.
A captured machine captures WOTAN and all is resolved. Polly and Ben deliver the message that Dodo wants to remain behind in London.
At the last minute, they use the TARDIS key they found to enter and are whisked away to adventure, leaving the Doctor with new companions.
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