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The Myth Makers

16TH OCTOBER 1965 - 6TH NOVEMBER 1965

(4 EPISODES)

  1. TEMPLE OF SECRETS      2. SMALL PROPHET, QUICK RETURN

3. DEATH OF A SPY      4. HORSE OF DESTRUCTION

As far as Doctor Who stories go, “The Myth Makers” is about as ‘lost in time’ as any story can possibly be. Along with the soundtracks to “The Massacre” and “Galaxy Four”, this four-parter is one of just three stories solely represented on my shelf by the audio CDs – every other lost story has at least an existing episode or a telesnap reconstruction to give me a decent feel for the story.

Despite also being spoiled by Big Finish’s superb Doctor Who audio plays (which are, in fairness, conceived exclusively for the audio medium), I still enjoyed “The Myth Makers” a great deal – far more than I expected, to be frank. Written in the same spirit as “The Romans”, Donald Cotton’s take on the Trojan War is a story that dwells on ridiculous stereotypes and fantastical events – very aptly, the stuff of legend... or at least, how we perceive myths and legends. What “The Myth Makers” lacks in gritty realism, it more than makes up for in some delightful, almost Carry On style humour.

The Doctor in particular is hilarious as he desperately tries to worm his way out of the Greeks’ custody. The Greeks have mistaken the Time Lord for their God, Zeus, and the brutish Odysseus expects him to design the weapon that will finally allow them to take Troy!

It is brilliantly written how the Doctor scoffs at the idea of the ‘Trojan Horse’ when it is first suggested to him, and instead struggles against all the odds to built the Greeks a catapult. Of course history always wins, and quite worryingly the Doctor becomes inadvertently responsible for a massacre – an ending that does not really sit well considering the tone of the rest of the serial.

“The Myth Makers” is also a good, solid outing for the Doctor’s companions. Vicki, whom

the Trojans christen ‘Cressida’ (aah…) falls in love with Prince Troilus and is married off in the final episode. Not exactly the most original mode of departure for a companion, but Maureen O’Brien seems to make the most of it nonetheless and gives probably her best performance to date. Steven is also surprisingly effective; Peter Purves’ comic timing is wonderful, especially in his scenes posing as Diomede and sparring with Paris.

However, Katarina’s introduction in the final episode, “Horse of Destruction”, is treated almost as an afterthought. I am not sure whether it had been decided that she would be ‘red-shirted’ from the word go, but in this story there is almost nothing done with her in terms of development. If I had not known she was destined to leave in the TARDIS at the end of the story, I would have thought her just an annoying supporting character.

In all, I would definitely recommend “The Myth Makers” above the other two audio-only missing serials – way above, in fact. It is nothing groundbreaking or monumental, but it is a lovely little piece of sixties Doctor Who that still has the power to entertain today, even when the competition is Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom, et al.

Copyright © E.G. Wolverson 2006

E.G. Wolverson has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

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