The Underwater Menace remains one of Doctor Who's least loved stories. Very few people have anything nice to say about it - and that includes the people who made it. Even the discovery of a missing episode, which is far better than the existing terrible one, has failed to lift its reputation.
It had a troubled genesis.
Troughton's third story was at one point going to be a contribution by William Emms (Galaxy 4) called "The Imps", about strange goings-on at a space-port. Geoffrey Orme's "Doctor Who Under The Sea" was being developed at the same time, but the production team favoured Emms' story.
Hugh David, who had been a successful actor but who now wanted to work behind the camera, was offered this slot as its director. (David had been approached to play the Doctor back in 1963 by the series' temporary producer Rex Tucker, but didn't want another long-running role).
When "The Imps" collapsed, "Under The Sea" was promoted to replace it. David took a look at the script and decided that he'd prefer not to do it. Noting the maritime setting, he had spoken to a friend who had worked on the James Bond movie Thunderball, and was told that, on a BBC budget, the Doctor Who story just couldn't be done.
Refusing to direct the Orme story - which became The Underwater Menace - he was instead offered the earlier story The Highlanders.
Director duties were then passed to Julia Smith. One of Story Editor Gerry Davis' first tasks was to include the new character of Jamie into the proceedings. His addition as a regular cast member had come late in the day on the Culloden story, and the next few stories didn't include him. Dialogue and plot roles intended for Ben had to be shared with Jamie, which annoyed Michael Craze.
Troughton hated the script, and made his feelings known. He also failed to hit it off with Smith. The companion actors followed his lead and were also openly negative about the story and its production, which upset Smith and reduced her to tears at times.
As far as the story goes, the biggest problem with the plot is... the plot. Or rather Professor Zaroff's plan. He plans to blow the up the planet for the sole reason that he can - even though it will mean his own fiery destruction. There's absolutely no reason given for this, like some sort of suicide-inducing trauma. He is just mad. His plan involves digging down towards somewhere beneath Atlantis, to reach molten magma. Whether this is the Earth's core, or just the magma chamber beneath the island's volcano is never specified. There's no evidence on screen for either of these options. Once he's drilled his hole, he will drain the ocean into it, and this will supposedly crack the planet in two. This simply wouldn't happen. You'd just create the world's biggest steam whistle.
To demonstrate what the Professor is intending, the Doctor gives the example of a sealed vessel full of water being heated. This is a bad example, as the Earth would not behave like a sealed vessel.
Then we have Joseph Furst's performance. This is the story where the cliffhanger to an episode is Zaroff exclaiming: "Nuzzink in ze vorld can shtop me now!". Zaroff also gets to deliver the following lines:
"So, you are just a little man after all, Doctor, like all ze rest", and "Help me stand at your sides so that I can feel ze aura of your goodness". The dialogue is pretty atrocious throughout.
Opinions are split on the underwater ballet of the Fish Workers in Episode 3. You'll either love it as a bit of 1960's surrealism, or stare fixedly at the various wires holding the performers up. (Personally I love it. Dudley Simpson's electronic score is wonderful).
Zaroff gets hit by an absolutely massive boulder, but just goes "Ooh!", then gets up moments later as if nothing happened.
The temple set is so small that it looks impossible that the Doctor and Ramo could just get up and walk away when they are about to be sacrificed, and the congregation have their heads bowed. They even talk while they're doing it. Yet High Priest Lolem thinks they've been supernaturally spirited away.
One criticism I've read is that Jamie seems to know the words to "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond", when it post-dates him. It wasn't published until well after his time, and the song dates to the 1840's, but the original poem does date to the Jacobite era from which Jamie comes.
One of the biggest mysteries is how Atlantis - an island - can run out of food so quickly when it's surrounded by ocean, full of fish. Even with the Fish Workers on strike, what's to stop everyone else getting their fishing rods out and popping up to the surface? Zaroff is about to blow up the planet, so why is he bothered?
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