Review of The Mutants (#63)

DVD Release Date: 08 Feb 11
Original Air Date: 08 Apr – 13 May 1972
Doctor/Companion:   Three, Jo Grant
Stars:  Jon Pertwee, Katy Manning
Preceding Story:  The Sea Devils (Three, Jo)
Succeeding Story:  The Time Monster (Three, Jo)

When the Doctor is sent on yet another mission by the Time Lords, he and Jo find themselves on a skybase orbiting the planet Solos.  There, officials of imperial Earth are preparing to grant the natives independence after 500 years, but the Marshal has other ideas.  He wants to make Solos’ atmosphere breathable by humans (which it currently isn’t), rather than to Solonians (which it currently is).  Due to the experiments he has commissioned, some Solonians are mutating into strange, bug-like creatures – derogatorily nicknamed “Mutts” – which the Marshal believes should be purged from the planet.

I must admit that, from my 21st century American perspective, I saw this story as primarily a commentary on our stewardship of the environment, and to a lesser degree about the treatment of indigenous peoples by colonizing cultures.  However, at the time, especially to a British audience not yet completely out of imperial politics, it would have smacked rather heavily of the British withdrawal from India in 1947, not to mention South Africa or the then-current conflict in Rhodesia (later Zimbabwe).  It’s interesting to me that this story can play out on so many levels – standard Who story, allegory of imperialism, and allegory of environmental issues – over so many years.  Perhaps that’s why I was so surprised at the way a different theme came across.

Having looked at the list of extras before watching the story and thus being forewarned of a racial component, one of the things that struck me most intensely was the fact that there was a single character of color – a black soldier named, of all things, Cotton. When the irony of that particular moniker struck me, I was aghast that anyone would be so… uncouth.  Granted, this was first broadcast in the early ’70s (times have changed at least a bit), and after viewing the extras I recognize that it was unintentional (at least on the part of the writers), but it still strikes me as one of those moments where you realize that society has a long way to go.

Taken strictly at face value, though, The Mutants is certainly as serviceable as any of Three’s stories (and more than some).  Still at the mercy of the Time Lords for travel, the Doctor seems as happy as ever to be in the thick of things, ready to Save the World, whichever world it may be.  However you care to approach it – for pure entertainment or a bit of philosophizing – you won’t be disappointed.

DVD Extras (highlights)

Mutt Mad

A “making of” documentary is almost a requirement on DVD extras these days, but whether you generally enjoy such items or not, this one is well worth the time to watch.  It included recollections from the scriptwriters, director, set designer, and at least one actor, all discussing things like the allegorical intent and the writers’ surprise when black actor Rick James was cast as Cotton, who had been written as a Cockney character.  Overall, it’s quite interesting to hear everyone’s perspectives, nearly 40 years after the fact.

Race Against Time

As an American, I’m rather uncomfortably aware of the long history of race relations (especially between “black” and “white”) in my own country.  What I’ve not known much about is the state of race relations in Britain.  Thus, it was with great interest that I watched this DVD extra about the way black people have been depicted in British television, and particularly in Doctor Who. Narrated by Noel Clarke (better known to Neo-Whovians as Mickey Smith), this 37-minute documentary yielded interesting and occasionally slightly disturbing insights into British culture during the last half-century or so.  Hailing as I do from a colony rather than the imperial homeland, I had never even considered some of the imperialist attitudes that have crept into the very core of mainstream British thinking.  It was a bit odd to hear American television upheld as a positive example in the sense of race integration, though I would certainly concede the point after considering the case of The Black and White Minstrel Show, which ran for 20 years with white actors in blackface, a la the historic American South. Given the themes of The Mutants, this piece is well placed with the extras.  It’s a fascinating look at the attitudes pervading British society and how they translate to the small screen.  Don’t miss it.

Dressing Doctor Who

I honestly didn’t expect this piece to be as engaging as it was, but listening to Oscar-winning costume designer James Acheson (his first of three Academy Awards was in 1988 for The Last Emperor) talk about his costuming start on Doctor Who was delightful.  Acheson is charming and has a great sense of humor about the variable quality of the product.  The Mutants was his first foray into costuming, and Doctor Who seems to have suited him.  His later work on the show included such iconic inventions as the first Sontaran’s uniform, Four’s scarf, and the Zygons.  The behind-the-scenes stories alone are worth the proverbial price of admission.

Whether intentionally or not, The Mutants has recaptured something of the series’ original intent.  I may not watch Doctor Who to learn about history or science (don’t get me started on the astrophysical errors I’ve seen), but here is an example of the beauty of Who as teacher of history.  All unwitting, this story’s subtextual use of “current events” has given me an interest in Britain’s imperial history and prompted me to go learn more on my own.  It’s how all the best teachers affect us.

A small aside: RIP, Nicholas Courtney – your Brigadier captured my heart from the first time I saw him.