Yesterday, the BBC announced that next year it will be commercially releasing an animated reconstruction of all four parts of the lost 1967 Doctor Who serial The Macra Terror using the surviving original audio soundtracks. It will certainly be a spectacle to behold these giant crustaceans terrorising the Doctor and his companions once again. But what is the history of the Macra? Where do they come from and what are their motivations?

The Macra Terror

★★★★☆

TX: 11/03/1967 – 01/04/1967

Written by Ian Stuart Black     Directed by John Davies

The Second Doctor and his companions Jamie, Ben and Polly arrive on an idyllic human colony in the far future. However, the travellers quickly find that the world that they have discovered is not quite as utopian as they had first thought. The colonists are all under the influence of the Macra, an intelligent species of giant crabs that have enslaved the colony. The hypnotised humans are forced to mine a gas that is toxic to them, but essential for the Macra to survive. Events take a turn for the worst when Ben falls under the control of the Macra.

The Doctor reverses the gas flow from the mine control area, thereby weakening the Macra before trapping them in the control centre. After breaking free of his conditioning, Ben manages to flood the control centre with a combustible mixture that explodes, killing all the Macra. With the colony saved, the time travellers depart, assuming that they have seen the last of the Macra…

Gridlock

★★★★☆

TX: 14/04/2007

Written by Russell T Davies     Directed by Richard Clark

After a record-breaking 40-year absence from the series, the Macra returned in 2007 during David Tennant’s second season as the Tenth Doctor. A gigantic version of the species appeared to be trapped in the under-city state of New New York on mankind’s new home in the distant future, New Earth. As with their previous encounter with the Doctor, the Macra were feeding off gas – this time the exhaust fumes of the millions of hover-cars gridlocked above them.

The Doctor speculated that the species might have devolved down the years to become simple beasts, which had escaped from the nearby New New York Zoo. With the help of his old friend, the Face of Boe, the Doctor intervenes by opening up the over-city to the trapped car passengers (including the Doctor’s companion Martha Jones) that drive upwards to safety away from the terrifying crustaceans.

The Macra have proved to be a formidable foe of the Doctor’s despite having made only two appearances during the history of the programme. Perhaps in the near future, the Doctor may stumble upon another group of unsuspecting humans being manipulated by these horrifying creatures. At least we can now rest assured that the people of the under-city of New New York are safe!