In Doctor Who: The War Machines, the first Doctor brings Dodo back to London in 1966. There, he runs into the first artificial intelligence computer system, WOTAN. Which plans to … Rule the world!
Part 1
In London in 1966, the Doctor and Dodo visit the new Post Office Tower and are introduced to the supercomputer, WOTAN. Dodo and Polly (scientist’s assistant) go to check out the night life. And the audience learns that WOTAN will be connected to, and control, the other computer systems of the world.
Part 2
WOTAN has put in motion its plan to dominate the world. It begins mind controlling other human beings besides Brett. Including the Doctor’s companion, Dodo! And, WOTAN wants The Doctor under its’ control a well! It is ordering its human subjects to construct the deadly War Machines in secret locations. But WOTAN’s attempt to control The Doctor via telephone fails, and he frees Doo from its’ control. But then he sends Ben to investigate Polly’s disappearance …
Part 3
Unknown to Ben, Polly’s under WOTAN’s control — and betrays him. He avoids death, and eventually escapes, to warn the Doctor. Polly saw Ben escape …. But did nothing. So she’s going to be sent back to WOTAN. The military go to investigate, but between the mind-controlled slaves and the operational War Machine …. Then, the Doctor goes face-to-face with it!
Part 4
Because the War Machine was put into production before it was finished, it’s programming was incomplete. And, The Doctor was able to stop it. Then, The Doctor hatches a dangerous plan to capture a war machine and turn WOTAN’s creations against it.
Cast
- William Hartnell (Doctor Who: The Daleks) … Dr. Who
- Jackie Lane … Dodo. The Doctor’s current companion.
- Alan Curtis … Major Green. He becomes one of WOTAN’s mind-controlled minions.
- John Harvey … Professor Brett. The scientist who designed, and creating the “thinking” computer, WOTAN. And inevitably is controlled by it.
- Anneke Wills … Polly. Brett’s assistant. She eventually becomes one of the Doctor’s new companions.
- Sandra Bryant … Kitty
- Michael Craze … Ben. The sailor, who comes to Dodo’s help at the bar. He goes on to become the Doctor’s other new companion.
- Ewan Proctor … Flash
- William Mervyn … Sir Charles Summer. Bureaucrat, slow to believe, slower to act.
- John Cater … Professor Krimpton
- Ric Felgate … Roy Stone – American Journalist
- John Doye … Interviewer
Editorial review of Doctor Who: the War Machines courtesy of Amazon.com
London, 1966. The TARDIS materialises in the shadow of the newly-completed Post Office Tower, and the Doctor senses a strange energy in the air. He instinctively knows that evil is at work nearby. Posing as a scientist, the Doctor and his ‘secretary’ Dodo gain access to a suite at the top of the tower and meet the driven Professor Brett. His life’s work, the thinking computer WOTAN, is about to be linked up in a problem-solving network with many other machines around the world.
But the Doctor is concerned. How can WOTAN possibly know the meaning of the word ‘TARDIS’ and about the Doctor’s travels through time and space? What is the strange control that WOTAN can exert over humans via a mere telephone call? Andwhat is the computer’s link with the deadly robots being assembled in Covent Garden warehouse?