OVERALL EPISODE NUMBER: 023
STORY NUMBER: 005
TRANSMITTED: 25 April 1964
WRITER: Terry Nation
DIRECTOR: John Gorrie
SCRIPT EDITOR: David Whitaker
PRODUCER: Verity Lambert
FORMAT: DVD: Doctor Who - The Keys Of Marinus
Since the last episode ended in woodland with screaming I'm hoping that this episode title lives up to it's billing.
The noise Susan's heard has vanished. They find some walls overgrown with vegetation but can't force their way through the archway. Ian, Altos and Sabitha try to find another entrance and while Barbara examines the arch Susan is attacked by the plants. Barbara forces her way through the arch and finds a statue which has the key on it. As she removes the key the statue grabs her and rotates into the wall. The statue rotates back but it's arms are open and empty. Thinking Barbara may have used her travel dial Altos & Susan travel on ahead while Ian & Sabitha see if they can rescue Barbara. However they discover the Key that Barbara found and dropped is a fake. Sabitha goes to find the others and tell them what has happened leaving Ian to set off the statue trap again. He finds himself in a courtyard where he is attacked by a suit of armour and then finds Barbara who tells him the place is booby trapped.
While Ian looks for something to force a door it opens for Barbara who enters and is trapped by a net under some slowly descending spikes. A cloaked figure releases her from the trap. He doesn't believe she has come from Arbitan and takes her travel dial but is then grabbed by the plants. Ian frees him with a sword. The man says the jungle is coming and urges them to leave. As he dies he gives Ian a code to find the key and warns them of the whispering in the darkness. They find a safe but the code doesn't work so they commence a search. As they search it gets dark outside and the noises Susan heard start. Plants start to push their way through the walls. They realise the code is a chemical formula and that the key was hidden in a jar. They use their travel discs to leave but find themselves on a snowy landscape completely exposed.
The noises and the moving plants were great but the statue was obviously someone with his arms poked through the scenery. If it wasn't five years in the future when this was made I'd swear I was just watching an unused Scooby Doo script!
This episode and the next are missing William Hartnell who has a scheduled holiday.
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