The Space Museum

The TARDIS jumps a time track, landing the Doctor, Barbara, Ian and Vicki on the planet Xeros where they discover a vast space museum. While time is out of joint they are able to move around without being seen or heard and then realize that they are seeing the future - a future where they and the TARDIS become exhibits in the museum. Desperate to escape this fate the travellers are torn between taking action or taking none at all, not knowing if they are able to escape the future or if their future as captives is inevitible. The one element of chance lies with the native Xerons; if they can rise against their oppressors, the Moroks who run the museum, the future may be changed, but could they succeed?

This isn't exactly the most lively episode of the classic series, despite the fact that is has a pretty striking score and a laser fight in the fourth episode. Other reviewers have said they took this to be the ultimate episode in corridor running, and they're not far off the money; it's painfully obvious that there was a limited set budget for this one and the same corridors and bland rooms were shot again and again from different angles. Even some of the props were recycled, including a Dalek which was shown as a display piece. The inclusion of the Dalek is interesting in itself; as the museum is a monument to the warmongering past of the Moroks does this mean they conquered the Daleks at some point? But what the episode lacks in visuals it does score big with its script; the Doctor is very much opposed to the notion of changing the past but when it comes to the future he is very philosophical about possibilities. Ian and Barbara do what they can to fight against it in obvious ways - breaking things, causing damage to the museum, but Vicki realizes that their best hope is if something from outside of their group acts to save them.

The Moroks are not really much of an adversary, they're really just washed up thugs with bad hair who rolled over a peaceful planet and killed all the adults and just tolerate the children they let live. Their glory days are over and they know it, but bullying a planet of kids seems to help them pass the time. The Xerons are growing up though and starting to pose a threat, but they are not very effective until Vicki falls in with them and stirs them up to start a revolution. Catch a very young Jeremy Bulloch leading his friends the funny-eyebrowed Xerons, years before he would be cast as Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back.

There's not a heck of a lot more to really say about this one, aside from how it is directly linked to the final moments of The Crusade and while a Dalek does appear at the end of the final episode it's not exactly a direct flow to the next one, leaving a bit of room for other adventures. Both Virgin Publishing and Big Finish have provided.

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