Podcast: Download

WHO445: A planet approaches Earth… and with it comes the birth of one of Doctor Who’s most iconic monsters.

In this episode, Dom Bettinelli and Jimmy Akin discuss “The Tenth Planet,” the First Doctor’s final adventure and the story that introduced the Mondasian Cybermen. These early Cybermen are far creepier than their metallic descendants—part human, part machine, and driven not by conquest but by a desperate need for survival.

Why do these original Cybermen feel so unsettling? Their cloth masks, visible hands, and distorted human voices highlight the body-horror at the heart of the concept: humans gradually replacing their own bodies with mechanical parts. It’s a disturbing vision that later versions of the Cybermen often lost.

The discussion also looks at the Cold War anxieties reflected in the story’s military leadership. General Cutler embodies the era’s fear of reckless commanders with doomsday weapons. When survival, pride, and personal stakes collide, who should control the ultimate weapons?

Dom and Jimmy also examine how the story gives Ben and Polly unusual agency. With the Doctor sidelined by illness for much of the plot, the companions step forward to sabotage weapons, outmaneuver the Cybermen, and keep Earth from destruction.

Behind the scenes, William Hartnell’s declining health forced production changes—including the Doctor’s absence for an entire episode. That reality shaped television history, leading to the show’s most revolutionary idea: regeneration.

But what exactly happens when the Doctor regenerates? In this early story, even the creators hadn’t fully defined it yet. The TARDIS goes haywire, the Doctor collapses, and a glowing transformation begins—launching a concept that would allow Doctor Who to continue for decades.

Along the way, Dom and Jimmy reflect on the story’s retro-future space science, the eerie effectiveness of minimal music, and the later expansions of Cybermen lore—including the acclaimed Big Finish audio drama “Spare Parts.”

A classic monster is born.
A television legend transforms.
And the Doctor proves that change is part of survival.

Get all new episodes automatically and for free:

Follow by Email | Listen to this episode and subscribe on YouTube.

Help us continue to offer the Secrets of Doctor Who. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?

Links for this episode:

• Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
• You can watch new Doctor Who episodes outside the UK on Disney+ and on the BBC in the UK.
• You can watch most Classic Doctor Who on Britbox, which is a subscription service, but some must be purchased separately on iTunes or Amazon. Eighth Doctor audio stories may be purchased at Big Finish or on Audible.com, and may be available free on Spotify or at the Tardis wiki. (SQPN has no affiliation with Britbox or Big Finish.)
• Get the official Secrets of Star Doctor Who t-shirt at sqpn.com/merch.
• Purchase books, Blu-rays, and more at the Secrets of Doctor Who store.
• Join the conversation at the Secrets of Doctor Who Facebook page.
• Be part of the StarQuest Discord community at SQPN.com/discord
• Send us your feedback or comments at [email protected]

Want to Sponsor A Show?
Support StarQuest’s mission to explore the intersection of faith and pop culture by becoming a named sponsor of the show of your choice on the StarQuest network. Click to get started or find out more.