Doctor Who Reactions: The Abominable Snowmen

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Only episode two of this six-parter exists in the BBC vaults. It is available on the “Lost in Time” set but it’s nice to be able to at least hear the rest of the story, which begins when the TARDIS materializes on a Himalayan mountainside in 1935. Nearby is a monastery, which the Doctor is delighted to learn he visited 300 years before. The monks and lamas are divided by conflict and the monastery is under attack, apparently by the legendary Yeti.

The Doctor is surprised to learn that the High Lama he knew in the 17th century is still alive. Also on the scene is Edward Travers, an explorer determined to track down, capture and prove the existence of the Yeti. When Travers colleague is killed, he blames the Doctor. the Doctor soon learns that the Yeti aren’t living creatures at all, but rather they are robots controlled by the disembodied intelligence which has kept the High Lama alive all these years.

The good news is this story spawned a sequel.
The bad news is, “The Web of Fear” is almost entirely missing.
The good news is, it will be on the next set of audios.
The bad news is, who knows when that will be released?
The good news is, episode one (of six) is on “Lost in Time” in the meantime.

The story ends with the following exchange between the Doctor and Jamie:

“What’s the matter with you? Are you cold or something?”

“Well, it’s all right for you with your home made Yeti kit” (referring to the Doctor’s fur coat).

“Yes, a suppose there is a bit of a nip in the air.”

“‘A nip’? ‘A nip’! Just look at my knees! They’re bright blue! Can you not land us somewhere warmer next time?”

“Well, Jamie, you never know.”

NEXT: The Ice Warriors (Sorry, Jamie.)

[The Baron]

Is this the one with the "Jamie has an idea" line in it?

[Jeff of Earth-J]

It is. In one scene, The Doctor quips, "Victoria, I think this is one of those instances where discretion is the better part of valor: Jamie has an idea."

[The Baron]

Watched Episode 2 this morning. Not much to add, except that the Yeti looks and moves almost exactly like a heavily-furred version of the Grimace from McDonaldland.

[The Baron]

This story is to be animated.  I suppose they'll animate all the missing ones, eventually.

[The Baron]

Jeff- if possible. please also edit the title of this one.  The animated version of this is also available on Youtube, so I'll be watching ti when I can find the title.

[The Baron]

Episode One

1. The Doctor makes Jamie and Victoria stay behind. How are they supposed to split up and get into trouble if they do he does that?
2. Cliffhanger: Victoria screams at a Yeti!
3. Travers is played by Deborah Watling's father, Jack.
4. The Yeti is played by Doctor Who perennial Reg Whitehead.

Episode Two

1. Careless of the Snowmen to leave their balls lying around unguarded where qnyone could get at them.
2. Khrisong is a classic Silver Age Doctor Who angry guy who automatically believes that the Doctor is evil.
3. I wonder whether anyone ever novelized or :audioized" the story of the Doctor's first visit to this monastery.
4. "Victoria, I think this is one of those instances where discretion is the part of valor. Jamie has an idea."  To be fair, it did kind of work.
5. The Snowmen's balls are communicating with one another!
6. Cliffhanger: One of the balls is on the move!

Episode Three

1. "I have been brought up in the path of obedience." Apparently, Victoria hasn't.
2. "They came to get their ball back."
3. Ah, the first appearance of the Great Intelligence...
4. Cliffhanger: The Snowman stands up!

Episode Four

1. Again, they leave all their balls - and their pyramid thingy - unprotected in a cave.
2. "Have you thought up some clever plan, Doctor?'
   "Yes, Jamie, I believe I have."
   "What are you going to do?"
   "Bung a rock at it."
3. "When I say 'run', run."
4. Victoria outsmarts  her captors.
5. Cliffhanger: Victoria meets Padmasambhava!

Episode Five

1. I'm trying to figure out when the Second Doctor could have been to this monastery before he met Jamie, since otherwise Jamie would have remembered the plave. Sometime between "Power of the Daleks" and "The Highlanders", I guess.
2. "Oh, not you, Jamie." The old hypnotism gag.
3. Cliffhanger: The whatever-it-is is spreading in the cave!

Episode Six

1. Poor Khrisong  - died in kind of a dumb way.
2. Of course, the "dead" Snowman twitches when no one is looking.

Overall

Another  OK story. It did drag in parts, as these six-parters tended to do.