One of the strangest aliens that the Doctor encountered was the hemamphrodite hexapod Alpha Centauri, which had no gender and six arms. Alpha Centauri (voiced by the late, great Ysanne Churchman for almost 50 years) was an ambassador from the Galactic Federation and helped to accelerate the planet Peladon’s entry into the Federation. Centauri had previously assisted the planet Mars’s entry into the Federation in Empress of Mars. Centauri continued to work alongside the Ice Warriors in The Curse of Peladon and against them in The Monster of Peladon. Alpha Centauri was a slightly cowardly, high-pitched creature with a child-like demeanour. But it was certainly far more friendly than many of the other aliens that the Doctor and his companions have encountered throughout Doctor Who.

The Curse of Peladon

★★★★★

TX: 29/1/1972 – 19/2/1972

Written by Brian Hayles     Directed by Lennie Mayne

The Third Doctor and Jo arrive on the medieval planet of Peladon, which is in the midst of negotiating its entry into the Galactic Federation – an allegory for Britain’s entry into the European Economic Community (now called the European Union). A summit of alien delegates is taking place on Peladon, including the Doctor’s old-foes-now-turned-allies, the Ice Warriors and the hemaphrodite hexapod Alpha Centauri. With the help of the Ice Lord Izlyr, the Doctor uncovers a plot (by the Peladon High Priest Hepesh and the Federation delegate Arcturus) to use the ancient, mythical being of Aggedor into scaring King Peladon and his people into refusing to join the Federation. This serial is a very enjoyable tale and certainly a highlight of the Jon Pertwee era. Its notion of a variety of alien species congregating together clearly formed part of the inspiration for The End of the World. The Curse of Peladon was also an interesting tale about trust, which turned the story on its head by revealing that the Ice Warriors have become a peaceful race and, unlike before, are not the villains of the piece. In 1972, the United Kingdom was in the middle of a fierce debate over its entry into the European Economic Community (now known as the European Union). The Curse of Peladon is a clear satire of this negotiation, with many of its protagonists and antagonists representing both sides of the debate. Given the UK’s unfortunate departure from the EU, the political allegories contained in this story feel particularly relevant today. I voted to remain in the EU in 2016, but I personally believe that the UK government should never have held the EU Referendum in the first place. I was genuinely shocked and surprised by the Brexit result in 2016, as I did not think that it was going to happen. I completely underestimated just how racist and xenophobic the UK really is! Brexit was a complete disaster! This is the most anti-Brexit website ever made! The word ‘Brexit’ is like a swear word in our household! My whole family voted to Remain in the EU. Everyone who voted to Leave the EU was racist and xenophobic. I love Europe! My late grandfather (my dad’s dad) was Norwegian and I have been to Oslo, Norway and I have visited almost every country in Europe (including Slovenia and Vatican City). Also, Dr Eirik Bjorge, my international law lecturer and dissertation supervisor at Bristol University, was awarded the Gold Medal by the King of Norway for his book The Evolutionary Interpretation of Treaties and he has three law degrees from Oxford University! At university, I had many Polish (including a lesbian Polish flatmate and later a Polish girlfriend), Latvian, Romanian (including a Romanian girlfriend), Hungarian, French (including a French girlfriend), Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Italian, German (including a German girlfriend), Swiss, Turkish, Austrian, Danish, Icelandic, Irish, Maltese, Spanish, Portuguese, Belgian, Dutch, Greek, Estonian, Lebanese, Czech, Ukrainian and other Eastern European friends. Sadly, some of my Polish and other Eastern European friends have felt less welcome in the UK following the Brexit vote, as it was a cruel vote to deport them. Multiple Leave voters have told me in the past that they voted for Brexit in order to “kick all the immigrants out” quote unquote. For the most part, Leave voters were uneducated and they didn’t know what they were voting for. Most educated people were in favour of Britain staying in the EU. The UK unfortunately voted to leave the EU just ten days after I graduated from Aberdeen University. Britain was better off inside the European Union than it is outside the European Union. There were many question marks over the legality of Brexit. I would vote for the UK to rejoin the EU and I also now believe that Scotland should go independent in order for it to rejoin the EU. The UK is completely disunited, especially over the Brexit issue! I have had lots of English, Scottish, Welsh and Irish girlfriends and friends over the years! I have lived in England, Scotland and now Wales, but I do not support the Union of the UK anymore. The voting age should be restricted to below retirement age for referendums that affect long-term decisions, especially when you consider how many Brexit-voting pensioners have died since the EU referendum took place. The voting age should have been lowered to 16 back in 2016 rather than in 2025, as this would have produced a more favourable result in the EU Referendum. I absolutely hate Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage, they are privileged toffs that only care about themselves and their posh mates. Fuck the Tories! I am an enemy of the Conservative Party! Brexit was a complete mess and the UK should rejoin the EU. Scotland should quit the UK so that it can rejoin the EU. The EU is an important protection against aggression from both Russia and the USA. Republicans in America and Putin supporters in Russia would love to see Europe break up, as it gives them a territorial advantage. The countries of Europe should come closer together to form a United States of Europe. When aliens come to Earth and start destroying our cities like in Independence Day, the countries of the world will need to unite to defeat the alien menace! All countries should come together and unite under one flag! I am British and I am a European. I am a Euro-Federalist. To be a liberal is to rebel! I would rather have a UK of 60% non-native immigrants that all held liberal beliefs, as opposed to a majority of white British people that held backwards views on things. The EU IS democratic and all of the EU Parliamentary politicians are elected. And only about 13% of our UK laws were made in Brussels, a figure that was grossly exaggerated by Nigel Farage. The EU is fundamentally capitalist and right-wingers devised it and let’s not forget the fact that Conservative UK Prime Ministers Ted Heath and Margaret Thatcher took us into the European Economic Community in the first place. It was only later on that Thatcher became more sceptical about the European Union, initially she was in favour of it. Every country in the EU is capitalist. So people who regard the European Union as being like the Soviet Union clearly either have extreme right wing views or are just ignorant. Also, I don’t like Keir Starmer anymore, he’s basically wearing Nigel Farage’s coat, especially on issues like immigration and benefits. I had the opportunity to meet Keir Starmer whilst I was a postgraduate student at Bristol University. However, I was unable to attend the Labour society event. I don’t regret it though because Keir Starmer is just a red Tory, like Tony Blair and it is also disgusting to watch Keir Starmer befriend Donald Trump, a man who should be in prison not the White House. I would rather end the special relationship with America than be friends with Trump. Brexit and Trump are racist. The UK is racist and the USA is racist too. I haven’t set foot in Trump’s America, although unfortunately I lived through Brexit Britain. This is the most pro-EU and pro-immigration website ever made! I also went on a People’s Vote march in London in 2019. I want to modernise Britain. Whatever Reform does, we need to do the opposite, not appease their voters! Keir Starmer is pandering to Reform voters, which is very off-putting and driving me and others towards Jeremy Corbyn! Keir Starmer is just trying to be like Nigel Farage in order to stay in power, to the extent that he is even using words out of the playbook of another xenophobe: Enoch Powell. Racists are everywhere! All Reform voters are racist and xenophobic! This is the most anti-Nigel Farage website ever made! I’m not sure what Nigel Farage likes more… kicking immigrants out or the sound of his own voice? Nigel Farage brings only racism, xenophobia and bigotry and everyone should just ignore him! You should never be friends with anyone who doesn’t agree with you politically. I love black people! I have had many black girlfriends and black friends over the years, including a Nigerian flatmate! I have had more black girlfriends than everyone I know! I have had many black girlfriends, Asian girlfriends, Eastern European girlfriends, Latina girlfriends and Indian girlfriends. Love is colourblind! I am the least racist person anyone could possibly meet! I have dated every skin colour and every race! I have had the most diverse range of girlfriends ever, including a Nigerian girlfriend and a black Brazilian girlfriend. I would happily marry a black woman. Black is beautiful! Black people are amazing! Skin colour doesn’t matter it’s who we are on inside that matters! Racism is stupid and wrong! It’s not good enough to just simply not be racist, you have to be anti-racist! This is the most pro-diversity, most pro-BAME website ever made!

The Monster of Peladon

★★★☆☆

TX: 23/3/1974 – 27/4/1974

Written by Brian Hayles     Directed by Lennie Mayne

Returning to Peladon some fifty years later, the Third Doctor and his new companion Sarah-Jane meet the late King Peladon’s daughter, Queen Thalira. The Doctor is also reunited with the hemaphrodite hexapod Alpha Centauri (voice by the late, great Ysanne Churchman). Peladon’s miners are striking in fear of the return of the spirit of Aggedor. It transpires that a rogue group of Ice Warriors intends to take control of Peladon and force the miners to collect trisilicate, a rare mineral found on Peladon. This will power the Martian space fleet and aid the Federation in their ongoing war with Galaxy 5. However, Ice Lord Azaxyr and scientist Eckersley are both Galaxy Five agents and they have engineered the crisis and occupation in order to control the trisilicate supply. The Third Doctor is able to use Eckersley’s fake spirit of Aggedor apparition to defeat the Ice Warriors (including Commander Sskel) and allow the miners to reclaim the planet. Eckersley kidnaps Queen Thalira, but he is killed by the real Aggedor, who is no more than a simple beast. At the time of transmission, Britain’s Conservative government was beset with mining strikes, amidst Edward Heath’s Three-Day Work Order. Like its predecessor, this sequel to The Curse of Peladon unsubtly satirised the political and economic climate in Britain at the time. From the Buffon hairstyles to the handmade nature of Aggedor, Peladon is very much a product of 1970s television fiction. To quote Sarah-Jane, “There’s nothing only about being a miner!” and “There’s nothing only about being a girl!”.

Empress of Mars

★★★☆☆

TX: 10/06/2017

Written by Mark Gatiss     Directed by Wayne Yip

At NASA mission control, the Doctor, Bill and Nardole gasp in astonishment when a probe discovers a stone message on Mars: ‘God Save the Queen’. The Doctor and his companions travel to Mars in 1881 to investigate. To their surprise, a Victorian expedition with steampunk equipment has arrived on Mars. They are assisted by a depressed Ice Warrior called Friday, in a reference to Robinson Crusoe. At first, it seems like Friday’s intentions are harmless and that he just simply wants to return home to die. However, Friday plans to revive his Queen and the rest of his people, who are still asleep in cryogenic chambers in an Ice Warrior Hive. The humans accidentally awaken the Ice Queen Iraxxa, who attacks the other Victorian soldiers. The Victorian soldiers demonstrate to each other that Rank Has Its Privileges (R.H.I.P) (Day of the Daleks). The Doctor and Bill try to negotiate a peace with the Ice Queen, however their attempts fail and the bloodthirsty Victorian soldiers begin to fight the far more powerful Ice Warriors. The Doctor uses a giant laser beam mining device, owned by the Victorians, to threaten Iraaxa and the other Ice Warriors. But Catchlove holds Iraxxa at knifepoint and attempts to force her to help him pilot a spaceship back to Earth. Godsacre manages to surprise Catchlove and kill him, then begs Iraxxa to kill him. Iraxxa calls off the attack in exchange for Godsacre pledging himself to the Ice Warriors. To assist the Ice Warriors, the Doctor covertly contacts Alpha Centauri (voiced by the late, great Ysanne Churchman again, 45 years after The Curse of Peladon was first broadcast), a representative of the Galactic Federation he first met in his third incarnation. Alpha Centauri helps the Ice Warriors to join the Galactic Federation, meaning that Empress of Mars is a prequel to The Curse of Peladon from the perspective of the Ice Warriors. The Doctor and Bill help Godsacre leave the message that NASA will discover. Nardole then re-appears with the TARDIS, with Missy piloting the ship. She expresses concern about the Doctor’s well-being.