The Rescue

The Rescue is the third serial of the second season of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. Written by outgoing story editor David Whitaker and directed by Christopher Barry, the serial was broadcast on BBC1 in two weekly parts on 2 January and 9 January 1965. In the serial, the time travellers the First Doctor (William Hartnell), Ian Chesterton (William Russell), and Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill) befriend Vicki (Maureen O'Brien), an orphan girl marooned on the planet Dido who is being threatened by an apparent native of Dido called Koquillion (Ray Barrett) while awaiting rescue. The Rescue was written as a short vehicle to introduce Vicki as the new companion, replacing the Doctor's granddaughter, Susan. Vicki underwent several name changes throughout production. The serial was produced in a six-episode block with the following, The Romans, and was the first story produced in Doctor Who second production block. For the score, Barry reused the work of Tristram Cary from his previous serial, The Daleks. The Rescue maintained the high viewership of the previous serial, with 12 and 13 million viewers. Reviews were generally positive, with praise for the performances and dialogue, despite some criticism of the simple plot and obvious resolution. The serial was later novelised and released on VHS and DVD. Plot The First Doctor (William Hartnell), Ian Chesterton (William Russell), and Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill) are still missing the Doctor's granddaughter Susan Foreman when the TARDIS lands on a planet the Doctor eventually recognises as Dido, a world he has visited before. The trio soon encounter two survivors of a space crash, Vicki (Maureen O'Brien) and Bennett (Ray Barrett), who are awaiting a rescue ship that is due to arrive in three days time. Vicki and Bennett live in fear of Koquillion (Barrett), a bipedal inhabitant of Dido, who is stalking the area. Koquillion encounters the time travellers and attacks, pushing Barbara over a cliff and temporarily trapping Ian and the Doctor. Vicki finds Barbara injured and rescues her from Koquillion, and they share reminiscences. Vicki's father was among those who died when the survivors of the crash, save Bennett and Vicki, were lured to their deaths by the natives of Dido. She is evidently very lonely, having befriended an indigenous Sand Beast (Tom Sheridan) for company.