It is time for Steven’s travels aboard the TARDIS to end. A planet divided with a terrible secret. TV Club is about to encounter the Savages!
An animated version of this story is due out later this year, but for now you can listen to the soundtrack of this story, narrated by Peter Purves.
Rate and review this story below:
This is what I wrote about it on my last rewatch:
Need to listen to those Steven audios.
The Savages is one of those serials that I always feel are sort of overlooked among the fans—probably due to it being completely missing. But it’s one I’ve always claimed to be an underrated gem. It’s not perfect, but it’s immensely enjoyable even in its missing state. The atmosphere is fantastic, the story tackles some interesting themes in a great way, and the setting and production are top-notch.
I love both Frederick Jaeger, whose every guest performance on the show is a memorable one, and Ewen Solon. I love that the story does with the Doctor, who is a revered figure who admires the scientific work showcased here, before turning against the Elders and having his life force ripped out of him. The finest part is Jano inhabiting the Doctor’s mind and how the Doctor manages to influence and control him with his superior mind. It’s also a strong story for both companions, with Steven showing great leadership qualities and Dodo coming across as likeable, though not getting the development she deserves.
There’s plenty of tension here to keep things going. All three cliffhangers are superb. And I didn’t find the telesnap reconstruction hard to follow, but I hope the upcoming animation helps lift this story to new heights.
It’s not entirely flawless. Hartnell is a bit sidelined, though that was a necessity due to his failing health. Steven’s exit comes out of nowhere. The third episode drags a little. But these are minor issues in the larger picture. This is an utter delight and arguably, in my opinion, the last near-perfect story for Hartnell.
9/10
Quite the underrated Story!
I think this is such an interesting Story in many regards, not only does the Doctor arrive somewhere where he knows and even admired, but it also draws some great Parallels to An Unearthly, showing how much the Doctor has grown through all his Adventures.
While Dodo by far is still a bit a weaker Character compared to other Companions we got in the Past, I think she gets some okay and great Moments here, where Lane can prove that she has a lot to offer.
Steven gets some nice Material here too, even if his Exit can feel a bit abrupt, at least it has some great Moments with the Doctor and Dodo hugging each other and wondering if they will ever see him again.
The whole Culture around this World is just great, the Elders are such interesting figures and all played quite well.
Really the Story has a lot to offer and has something interesting to say. My only Issue here is something that other Stories are effected as well that being the Use of Blackface for the Elders, which of course is off-putting regardless. Then again this Issue is not exlusive to this Story and a few others are guilty of it as well, here it’s just more noticeable really.
Hoping with the Animation coming out more People will realizse that this one is quite a good one. While Season 3 is less conistent with its Quality and the Tone of its Stories, it’s probably the most interesting Hartnell Season because of it.
I rather enjoy this one. It’s hard to really pin down what exactly I like about it, with it being a fairly minimal recon, but I’d guess I just really enjoy the story. A solid idea, told well.
I give it a 3.5/5, but mostly that i because of the limited recon. I think the Animated version will get a much higher rating.
I enjoyed this a bit more than usual on my last rewatch but it still only gets 2.5/5. I’m hoping the animation will help me reappraise it.
Like others here, I cannot wait for the animation. William Hartnell’s latter Doctor Who stories are some of my favourites, and it’s a crying shame so many have been wiped. Although Dodo was never consistently enough written to be a favourite character, I really enjoy all her stories, and this is the one in which I think Jackie’s performance is at its best - she’s consistently good, particularly at the many moments of jeopardy, and there’s real emotion when the final scene comes. She’s written and played as ‘real’ here, which wasn’t always the case.
I’m wondering if writers at this time were told to find reasons to sideline The Doctor due to Hartnell’s health. Here’s a clever way of doing it - get someone else to effectively play The Doctor much of the time. The results are very entertaining.
This is a great ‘little’ story, definitely underrated. The music is particularly good, very unique and that animation can’t come soon enough!
This is essentially it. Also, producer Innes Lloyd never got along with Hartnell and tried to find ways to write him out (such as turning the Docor invisible in The Celestial Toymaker).
I rather like the Savages as well and find it to be a really good exit story for Steven 
I’m really looking forward to the animation as well, because as others have already said it’s not the best of recons…
The Savages is a genuinely good serial.
I liked Steven here, and the stuff with The Doctor is pretty interesting too!
Not a lot to say, it’s just… pretty good!
Oh, and Dodo was there too. She’s just there…
Here’s my review of the Target audiobook of The Savages. It’s the same story but with a diminished atmosphere, so not quite as effective.
The The Savages novelisation is a solid and faithful adaptation of the serial, with strong prose and added character depth. However, it doesn’t quite match the atmosphere and tension of the original due to the loss of the performances, visuals, and music. Peter Purves’ narration is a major highlight, making the audiobook version particularly enjoyable. While it may not surpass the TV version, it remains a worthwhile addition for fans of the story.
Have always enjoyed watching/listening to this story in it’s reconstructions, and have always felt that it deserved more love and attention. Great atmosphere throughout, and it takes on a lot of interesting ideas and themes - I can’t wait for the reconstruction, and hope it has the re-appraisal it deserves
I’ve been meaning to post a link to the Missing Episodes podcast for this episode. Not one I’ve got to yet (I’m still on Daleks Masterplan) but these are always an excellent listen:
[Listened to audio soundtrack]
I thought this was a fine story, even if it can feel somewhat like a poor man’s Macra Terror. Although perhaps The Savages has an advantage over Macra in that it demonstrates the greed of humans better. I was intrigued by the two cultures presented. I think I might like the story better as an animation, and would be interested in seeing it in that format. I was struck by the character growth the First Doctor has demonstrated over his seasons.