BOOK OF LISTS: TOP FIVE CYBERMEN STORIES - NUMBER FIVE

Having wrapped up our Top Five Master Story Countdown, we move on to another of the Great Recurring Enemies. December will be spent counting down the Top Five Cybermen Stories. 

We'll begin with one that is a fan-favorite....

BUT WHERE ARE THE CRYONS?!!   

I have to admit, Tomb of the Cybermen is ever-so-slightly reminiscent of The Space Museum. I say this because The Space Museum has an incredible first episode (such a great episode that I consider it one of my favorites, ever https://robtymec.blogspot.com/2018/11/book-of-lists-top-six-doctor-who.html). But the other three parts go off in some pretty strange directions. Some would even say they're absolutely awful. I wouldn't go that far, though. If I were to be objective about it - I would just say the other episodes are clearly inferior in quality to the first. 

One could say much the same thing for Tomb of the Cybermen. Except that it's the first two parts of Tomb that are awesome. Then we get that serious dip. And, just like Space Museum. I wouldn't say Parts Three and Four are terrible. But, because they're all part of the same story, you have to line them up against each other. And there is a very clear difference in quality between them. 

Here's the thing, though. Even with the problems in the latter episodes, Tomb of the Cybermen really does end up being a great piece of television. Those first two parts are just so gorgeous that we tend to put aside the flaws that occur after them. And, as I said, the second half of the story isn't absolutely horrible, anyway. It's just significantly less good. 

It's for this reason that, even with some other really great Cybermen stories out there, Tomb of the Cybermen still ends up on this list. Because of its problems, it only comes in Fifth. But it still very much merits a position here. There are many things about the story that are brilliant. And they manage to overshadow the problems. 

SO WHAT MAKES THOSE FIRST TWO PARTS SO GREAT?! 

Lots of fans sing pretty heavy praises for Tomb of the Cybermen. They tended to love it more, though, before it was re-discovered in the 90s. Some still adore it in its entirety. When Matt Smith got the role of the Doctor, for instance, he started watching a bunch of the Classic Series to better understand the character. He seemed to be most impressed with Tomb. He doesn't make the same claim that I do, however. He seems to like all four parts. 

Other fans do find that the story definitely re-enforces the late JNT's favorite proverb: "The Memory Cheats!" They were actually around when it came out and went on endlessly about how great the tale was. And then they actually saw it again and found themselves eating a bit of crow. Many tend to agree with my sentiment - those first two parts are great. The second half is where the problems start. 

Rather than dwell on negatives, however, let's focus on what's great about the adventure. What is it about the first half of the story that gets us to love it so much? 

I think the biggest factor would be the actual Second Doctor, himself. We hear a lot of talk from older fans about how dark and manipulative he can be. Comparisons are even made between him and Seven. They say Two was almost a lighter version of him. Clownish but still very ruthless when he needs to be. We don't see much evidence of this in the stories that still exist. Most of the time, he's quite humorous. But Tomb definitely shows us a different side of him. The Second Doctor seems like a real puppet-master in those first two episodes. He coaxes the archaeologists along in a game of his own that he seems to be playing against the Cybermen. Using people as pawns in much the same way his seventh incarnation would. It's really quite engaging to watch. 

Unfortunately, however, there's not a whole lot going on with actual Cybermen in those first two parts. The plot seems more concerned about the politics between the various archaeologists, than anything else. But there is a sort of silent presence that the Cybermen have the whole time that make them quite sinister. Humans are still picking through a place they once dwelt in and are discovering all sorts of interesting things about them. And, of course, they do finally climb out of their hibernation units at the end of Part Two to provide us with a hell of a cliffhanger! 

The other thing that I do enjoy about these first two episodes that involves Cybermen is how much their actual scope is broadened. Up until Tomb, we've only seen the Cybermen making fairly isolated attacks on Earth. This is the first story where we really learn of the galactic presence that they have. They seemed to be feared far and wide by various species across space. The Universe was quite happy when they went into hibernation. This is the first time we see this aspect of their reputation and I quite like it. 

THOSE OTHER TWO PARTS - THE BAD

Okay, let's get the painful stuff out of the way, first. We'll address the aspects of those latter two parts that don't work. 

Right in the first few seconds of Episode Three, there's a bit of a problem. None can deny the effectiveness of the second part's cliffhanger. That Cybercontroller is completely sinister as he emerges from his tomb and proclaims: "You will become like us." It is a bit unfortunate that he does sound slightly similar to the voice-boxes that would be used for people after they get tracheotomy surgery. But, at least, it's in a lower register. 

But then the quick reprise at the beginning of Part Three raises the pitch of the Cybercontroller's voice. Now he really does sound like the tracheotomy voice-box. And will continue to do so throughout the rest of the tale. While this is a pretty minor flaw (did that surgical procedure even exist back then?!), it's still gets the episode off to a bad start.

There are some other cosmetic issues of this nature. I try not to come down too hard on poor visuals in the Classic Series. The show had a shoestring budget and the production teams were doing the best with what they'd been handed. But there are a few sequences that just look soo horrible that I can't get past them. Probably the all-time worst would be those last few minutes of Robot where they are trying to do an homage to King Kong. But it's really just Michael Kilgarriff traipsing around in a bad robot costume crushing doll houses!

Several action sequences in Tomb of the Cybermen have this same sort of impact (Michael Kilgarriff almost seems to be a curse of some sort when trying to produce convincing visuals!). The most notorious are the fights where someone is getting thrown around. Toberman is clearly being suspended  by wires in one scene like this. And the Cybercontroller is obviously a dummy during another battle where this happens. But there are other moments that look equally ridiculous. Cybermen stumbling around in blatantly ineffective smoke bomb explosions while making silly noises is another really big cringe. The whole chase that ensues after the smoke bombs are dropped looks horrifically pantomime. Particularly Jamie running around a single set piece as a Cyberman pursues him. All of these problems damage the credibility of those first two episodes where everything feels so ominous. This great menace of the Cybermen that the archaeologists have been discussing seems preposterous, now, because these supposedly fearsome monsters are quite comical, in places. 

However, it's not just the production value that presents a serious problem in these latter two parts. There are some problems with plotting, too. Once it's been made clear in the first few minutes of Episode Three that the whole thing was just a big trap to find worthy converts for the Cybermen, the whole narrative doesn't really have anywhere to go. It just, sort of, spirals off in some erratic directions. We get some trouble with Kleig and Kaftan and some cybermats. But it all just feels like attempts to stall the inevitable: The Cybercontroller will come up from the tombs and use Toberman to trick the humans. It's where the whole plot needs to go but the writer marks time with largely inconsequential perils. At the risk of sounding harsh, the story might have worked better as a three-parter. 

That is the bulk of the bad stuff of the second half. Although I've spent a few paragraphs dwelling on it, I shouldn't pay too much attention to it. There's still plenty of quality moments in these two episodes that dwarf it.

THOSE OTHER TWO PARTS - THE GOOD

Okay, negatives have been taken care of. Let's look at the good stuff in the latter two parts. 

Probably the most famous moment that gets quite a bit of fan adoration and isn't an example of The Memory Cheats is the scene with the Doctor and Victoria as they are standing guard at night. It really is as touching and beautiful as everyone said it is. Troughton delivers his dialogue in a manner that is both delicate and just a little bit haunting. It's magnificent. 

The attack of the cybermats that ensues shortly thereafter is actually well-executed. Even a bit creepy. The cybermat crawling up the hastily-awakened rocket technician looks especially good. After a bunch of really unconvincing action sequences, it comes in like a breath of fresh hair and really spices up Episode Three. 

Klieg starts becoming a fun villain in the last two parts. We know there is something wrong with him during the first half of the story, but he's trying to conceal it as best he can. But he does a great little descent into madness now that he's letting his inner megalomaniac out. Yes, he gets a little over-the-top by modern-day standards - but he's still a lot of fun to watch. 

The final conclusion of the story is a tad predictable. We know Toberman will, ultimately, resist his conditioning and sacrifice himself to re-seal the Tombs. We even suspect that Kaftan's death will trigger his change of allegiance. But it's still a very nice dramatic moment that resolves the whole conflict quite well. Particularly as Toberman fights against the Cybercontroller to re-seal the main entrance. It's a great scene

You may notice that there is one slight problem with a lot of these strongpoints: They don't actually involve the Cybermen that much! This is the really unfortunate thing about the whole adventure. The first two parts don't really show us a lot of the main monster of the story. And, when they do finally emerge from their tombs, their scenes often don't work very well!   

ULTIMATE CONCLUSION

There is a great irony to Tomb of the Cybermen. It is an excellent story in so many ways. Even with its problems, it's still one of the best 60s Who stories ever made. 

But the story really only does so much for the Cybermen, themselves. They are built up beautifully in those first two parts. And when they finally emerge in the last few minutes of the second episode, it really does look awesome. 

But most of the sequences involving them once they have re-awakened really are the weakest moments in the tale. Particularly when you consider how good they look in Tenth Planet and Moonbase. The Cybermen costumes back then were quite cumbersome and difficult to navigate your way around in. Add to the fact that most sets in 60s Who were quite cramped and it seems justifiable if you get some artistes stumbling around now and again. And yet, that doesn't really happen much in their first two stories. Quite often, they really do inspire a considerable amount of fear. But they just don't have that same impact during a lot of Tomb. There are still some moments where they look awesome - particularly when climbing in and out of the honeycombs. But there are also some really laughable sequences. And it's the first time that we've seen this sort of thing with the Cybermen. This works tremendously to their detriment. 

And yet, I find it hard to care all that much about it. Because Tomb is just a really great story. In many ways, it feels massively ahead of its time. Back in the 60s, Doctor Who was much more of an episode-to-episode kind of show. It was still heavily-influenced by those old adventure serials kids used to go watch at the cinema. Particularly with its reliance on cliffhangers. There was a definite sense with those serials that the writers really weren't planning that far ahead with their storylines. As long as there was a bit of plot development and a main character ended up in a sticky situation by the end of the episode - everything was fine. Black-and-White Who often worked under the same guise. 

Tomb of the Cybermen is one of the first tales in the show's history to really feel cohesive in the way it's constructed. It's more of a story told in four parts than four parts that try to come together to form a story (not sure if that made any kind of sense!). Which makes it an absolute delight to watch. Even if it doesn't do the Cybermen much justice. 

Because it is, in many ways, a well-put-together piece of television, many fans make this one of their favorite Cybermen stories, ever. Or, at the very least, it comes in second or third. But I am gauging these tales on how well they treat the main villain and/or monster. Which causes Tomb to lose a few major points. It still can't be completely brushed aside, though. It deserves to be in the Top Five. But I have to place it fifth. There are just other stories out there that do a better job with how these fearsome cyborgs are handled. And they deserve a better place on this list because of it. 

And thus, the Top Five Cybermen Stories Countdown begins! Four will be up shortly...