BBC Doctor Who - Step Back in Time: The First Monster

BBC -Doctor Who

Over the decades, the Doctor has befriended and fought a galaxy of aliens. But what was the very first monster he encountered?

This week we've been celebrating the rich array of monsters that have messed with the Doctor over the decades. And the first creature that could be described as a monster appeared during the fifth episode of Doctor Who on 21 December, 1963. The Time Lord and his travelling companions, Susan, Ian and Barbara had landed on Skaro and were investigating the first alien planet featured in the series.

The Doctor hadn't yet met the Daleks and as they wandered through the planet's weird, petrified forest, they were unaware of the danger that awaited...

This week's clip shows Doctor Who's very first monster. It's interesting to see that already, the Doctor was encountering creatures that were brilliantly different to mankind. This vicious looking animal was made of metal, but the Doctor is certain it had been living and that's later confirmed by the Thals. The Doctor also surmises that it may have been able to ensnare its prey using magnetism... The era of bizarre and thought provoking aliens had arrived on Doctor Who, and later in the episode we were to get our first glimpse of another life form: the Daleks!