On the planet Dido, a crashed space liner contains two survivors – Bennett and Vicki Pallister. However, they discover that they are not alone! A strange alien being called Koquillion is menacing them and there is clearly other life on the barren planet. Koquillion is not who he seems to be and the First Doctor, Ian and Barbara discover this during their visit to the planet Dido in one of the least surprising twists in the history of Doctor Who!

The Rescue

★★★★☆

TX: 2-9/1/1965

Written by David Whitaker   Directed by Christopher Barry

The First Doctor, Ian and Barbara land on the planet Dido, which is barren except for a crashed space liner. There are only two survivors – a man called Bennett who is bedridden due to an injury and Vicki Pallister, a young woman from Earth. The pair are being menaced by a mysterious alien called Koquillion. Koquillion only talks privately with Bennett. The Doctor and Ian discover that there was once a primitive civilisation on the planet Dido, an ancient city full of traps. The Doctor discovers that the murderer who sabotaged the space liner that caused the crash that wiped out the civilisation on Dido was Bennett, who is disguised as Koquillion. Bennett’s story to fool Vicki was an elaborate plan to escape justice. The Doctor confronts Bennett in an ancient temple. However, some surviving native people of Dido save the Doctor and kill Bennett. The Doctor wakes up in the TARDIS with Ian, Barbara and Vicki where he tells them that Koquillion was Bennett in disguise. The Doctors offers the homeless Vicki the opportunity to travel with him, Ian and Barbara in the TARDIS, which Vicki accepts.