The latest to come from a long line of new Classic Doctor Who animations, The Savages is a First Doctor serial released during the show’s third season.

Written by Ian Stuart Black, the story sees the TARDIS team land on a nameless world where its ruling Elders have heralded the space-time travellers’ arrival. Welcomed into their seemingly idyllic society, it isn’t long before The Doctor (William Hartnell), Steven (Peter Purves), and Dodo (Jackie Lane) start to notice that the city isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. They quickly learn that the Elder’s advancements come at a heavy price. To keep their society afloat, they’ve been stealing life energy and resources from a rudimentary society they share the planet with, known as the Savages.

Proceeding a Western-musical hybrid, The Savages is the first serial since The Ark to explore futuristic societies that lean heavily on complex science fiction concepts. Black’s vision for the story shows an alien society surviving off the backs of others, as it oozes with subtext involving criticisms of Western exceptionalism and colonialism.

The Elders (stand-ins for Western society) are a race that values the rule of intellectual superiority. In constant need of development and advancement, they prey on the rudimentary Savages (third-world natives), stealing their most precious resources, in this case, their life force, for the sake of these pursuits. As the “superior” race on the planet, they believe themselves entitled to take the Savages’s life force as it is for the greater good of their society, ultimately drawing parallels to America’s Manifest Destiny.

Despite these complicated concepts, the story’s four-episode adventure maintains a steady pace without getting caught up in the finer details. Black’s script plays a role here as he weaves these heavier moments throughout scenes of mystery, action, and character development.

A Fond Farewell

Throughout the story, there’s a good balance of shared character moments between the TARDIS team.

The Savages is an important story character-wise, as it marks the end of Steven’s run as a companion. Playing an instrumental role in the revolution at the end of the serial, it provides the impetus for The Doctor to end his run in the TARDIS. Although the moment is a little odd, Steven’s decision to stay is a better exit than most companions get during the 60s.

For the Doctor, the script puts his cantankerous nature to good use. By playing into Steven and Dodo’s fixed perception of his character, he can get more information from the Elders and formulate an opinion on their thorny society.

This story also features some of the best material for Dodo. Often overlooked in the serials she’s a part of, The Savages places her front and centre during the opening two episodes. While in the Elder’s futuristic city, she’s the first to notice something is amiss, and her inquisitive tone ultimately sets the mystery ablaze when she discovers the Elder’s manipulation of the Savages.

Despite being lost for over half a century, the animation team behind The Savages has succeeded in bringing back a masterclass in science fiction. Ian Stuart Black’s first attempt at a Doctor Who story is a tightly-paced futuristic romp filled to bursting with critical subtext over Western exceptionalism and its damaging effect on the world.

I Give The Savages: 9/10