Salamander is a brutal dictator in the near future on Earth, who happens to resemble the Second Doctor (The Enemy of the World). When the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria land in Australia, 2018 they are enlisted to help the fight against Salamander! The Doctor must impersonate Salamander in order to topple his regime…

The Enemy of the World

★★★★★

TX: 23/12/1967 – 27/01/1968

Written by David Whitaker   Directed by Barry Letts

In the year 2018, the world is ruled over by an evil dictator with a fake tan. No, it’s not Donald Trump, it’s Salamander, a Mexican fascist who also happens to look exactly like the Second Doctor. The Second Doctor, Jamie and Victoria arrive in Australia in 2018 where they are ambushed by enemies of Salamander who mistake the Doctor for him. The time travellers are rescued from the attacking hovercraft by Astrid Ferrier, who helps them escape in a helicopter. Astrid is a rebel and her and her associate Giles Kent want to bring down Salamander. Astrid and Giles explain to the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria that Salamander is a cruel tyrant and they want to overthrow his regime. They convince the Doctor to disguise himself as Salamander and they infiltrate Salamander’s headquarters. However, Salamander and his henchmen begin to work out that the Doctor is masquerading as Salamander. It turns out that Salamander and Giles Kent have conspired together and are keeping an underground civilisation secret. The humans below the Earth have been tricked by Salamander and Giles into believing that the world above has been ravaged by flame and that they are salvation for humankind (The Trial of a Time Lord: The Mysterious Planet). When they discover that they have been deceived, the underground dwellers and Astrid turn on Giles Kent and Salamander. Giles is killed following a skirmish with the Doctor. Victoria and Jamie make it back to the safety of the TARDIS where they are greeted by Salamander who is disguised as the Doctor. The Doctor arrives and he and Salamander begin fighting in the TARDIS. People who hate you don’t like it when you stand up for yourself! During the fight, the Doctor activates the TARDIS and it takes off with the doors open, so Salamander is sucked into the time vortex. However, this leaves the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria in peril because the doors are still open (although this appears to no longer be a problem in Empire of Death). This story leads directly into the events of The Web of Fear. Sadly, I never had the pleasure of meeting Deborah Watling who played Victoria Waterfield in this story. I also could have met the late, great Mary Peach who played Astrid Ferrier, but unfortunately I missed the Chiswick Doctor Who convention that she attended. The Enemy of the World was directed by future Jon Pertwee era Doctor Who producer Barry Letts. When The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear were found by Philip Morris in 2013, I was so happy that I told my then girlfriend that I would happily give Philip Morris a blowjob to say thank you. I also ran around my university halls of residence whooping and jumping with joy at night! My girlfriend at the time told me that I “had better be this happy when our first child is born”!