A Helping Hand

I watched The Hand of Fear again last week, the Doctor Who serial from 1976. The whole four part serial is good but I especially admire the first episode. I mean, I guess the special effects for the first few minutes don't hold up to-day, though if you're like me, it's no impediment. But I'd unabashedly stand by everything else after that. It's a magnificent cascade of suspense.

You have the suspense while the Doctor and Sarah play around foolishly in the quarry while we can see the demolition crews. Then there's the suspense as the Doctor frantically tries to find Sarah in the rubble. And the wonderfully weird moment when Sarah grasps a severed stone hand. I love how quickly the episode turns the show on its head.

All the stuff in the hospital is good, too, and the nuclear power plant in the second and third episode.