Just when I thought nothing more could possibly wow me, I sit down and watch the Doctor Who serial “The Web Planet” on Twitch.
The visual effects of the serial are so dated, but that’s part of what makes it so charming. It’s a black and white trip to the planet Vortis, where the moth-bee Menoptra prepare to reclaim the planet from the Zarbi, giant ants mind-controlled by the Animus, a web-spewing, tentacled spider monster. We also meet the Optera, de-evolved descendants of the Menoptra left behind when those fluttering giant flies fled the planet. Holy shit, what is this? It’s an epic tale of good vs evil with space bugs!
When “The Web Planet” started streaming on Twitch, I wasn’t much paying attention. I was like: “Weird bugs. This is gonna suck.” Consequently, I was doing some reading, getting some work done with it playing in the background. But then, like the TARDIS to Vortis, it pulled me in. The serial is a bizarre spectacle, and I hadn’t realized how incomplete my life was having never seen it.
Classic Doctor Who episodes are streaming on Twitch until July 23rd so be sure to tune in!