Doctor Who And The Spaceship Of Dinosaurs
(Written before seeing tonight’s episode, partly inspired by @first_doctor on Twitter)
Doctor Who And The Spaceship Of Dinosaurs
by Terrance Dicks
Based on a BBC Television serial written by John Lucarotti and first broadcast in 1965.Chapter 2
Inside the spaceshipNo sooner had the doors opened of that police-box that was not a police-box at all, and the travellers stepped out into the corridor, than Vicki let out a scream.
At the other end of the corridor, charging towards them, was a fierce dinosaur!
Ian, Vicki and Barbara ran around a nearby corner, but the Doctor stood his ground.
“Quickly, Doctor! You’ll be trampled!” shouted Ian.
“Nonsense, my dear boy. Arrant nonsense. I’ve never run away from a dinosaur in my life, and I’m hardly about to start now, at my time of life.”
The Doctor turned, slightly, so he was facing his friends, and side-on to the monster.
With a puzzled expression, the dinosaur stopped running!
The Doctor walked up to the dinosaur, and allowed it to sniff him. He patted it on the nose and said “You’re quite safe to come out, now.”
The three friends emerged from their hiding place, cautiously at first, but after seeing they were in no danger they walked up and looked more closely at the beast.
“How did you get it to stop charging, Doctor?” asked Barbara.
“Oh, quite simple, my dear, quite simple. The triceratops, much like the rhinoceros or the bull, is a herbivore. And like those animals it has a blind spot, right here.” The Doctor gestured with his cane at the creature’s horn. “All I had to do was turn sideways, like so, and it could no longer see me. Quite straightforward.”
“It sounds so simple when you put it like that,” laughed Ian, “I should have thought of it!”
“Ah, but it wouldn’t have worked for you, Chatterton,” smiled the Doctor, patting Ian’s belly affectionately, “only those of us with a more athletic build.”
“He’s gorgeous!” said Vicki, petting the dinosaur.
“See, Doctor, don’t be so critical!” said Ian, in a pretend-hurt voice.
“No, silly, I was talking about the dinosaur!” laughed Vicki. “What kind of dinosaur did you say he is again, Doctor?”
“A triceratops, my dear.”
“That’s a bit of a mouthful! I shall call him Tricky!”
…
Ha. Better than the real Dinosaurs in a Spaceship, sad to say. Chris Chinballs (sorry) should take note!
I have not seen the episode yet, but I already like this better.
(Also, did they really call it “Dinosaurs On A Spaceship”? Really??)
Thank you. And yes, really. That’s what things have come to.
That ‘Tricky’ bit was nigh-prophetic. And when it reached them, I kept waiting for the Doctor to turn sideways.
I must tell you, though I’ve enjoyed other things you’ve posted here from time to time, this is by far the post of yours that made me smile the widest. I want to be in the universe where that episode was made and that book published.
Aw, thanks.
I can actually see the whole scene in my head, down to the expressions of the lead actors. It would’ve been a good one, I think.