DOCTOR WHO VIDEOS- The Royal Navy V The Sea Devils

The climactic battle sequence between the Royal Navy and the sea evils

[@georgeowain]

The Royal Navy offered full support and cooperation in this story, on condition that they were portrayed in a more positive role. This is probably why they seem more competent and effective in combat than the UNIT troops usually did.

[@MorristheMinor]

Well, they are the Senior Service after all.

[@stormwulf117]

Take into account that Jon Pertwee was also in the Royal Navy during WWII. He served on board the HMS Hood but was transferred off for naval intelligence training 2 weeks before it was sunk by the Bismarck. He served the rest of the war in the NID.

[@zionleach3001]

Your right. Is UNIT always useless when it comes to alien threats? No wonder he'd rather team with strangers.

[@DomWeasel]

@@stormwulf117 I heard an interview with Pertwee where he recounts that he begged for the transfer to go through because he had an awful premonition about staying on Hood. He said he didn't like to say this because people would always joke about how that meant he was perfect to play the Doctor then, with his foreknowledge of terrible events. He didn't like it because only 3 men survived the sinking of the Hood; he knew the 1400 men who died. You realised he carried an awful lot of guilt about not sharing their fate.

[@codaboi138]

Ugh really? That comes off as pretty insecure for a militarily service. I'm not saying the Royal Navy is incompetent or something but it has the same vibe as the US military being glorified in the transformers movies, it's just weird propoganda-ish forced messaging. Having said that though, it's always nice seeing human task forces be competent in Dr who stories. I never like it when the story treats it like humans can't do anything when it comes to an alien threat.

[@badwolf66]

Doctor Who needs more battle scenes like this.

[@Brecconable]

I think the Skipper is a bit overdressed for a beach assault

[@oogdiver]

A matelot with a rifle, the world's most dangerous thing.

[@user-pv4hx8hs3f]

Love how the door openers get Belt and gaiters..

[@wildphil64]

The best doctor ever

[@DomWeasel]

I saw in the BTS features that the actor playing Captain Hart wasn't supposed to man the gun because he was a civilian. But because he was in uniform and played the part well, the Royal Navy personnel on site just went along with it.

[@rodimusrider8798]

what I find extremely cool about this is that these are actual naval officers.

[@tubefreakmuva]

They used real navy guys in this scene??

[@chedaki]

@@tubefreakmuva the navy were used all throughout the serial the only people who i think weren’t actual naval officers were the characters used on set

[@tubefreakmuva]

@@chedaki well bugger me with a fish fork

[@TheOverseer2077]

the UK was popular with the aliens (we were gettin' invaded on a weekly)

[@Londonfogey]

IIRC the plot device of the Doctor being trapped on Earth was used so that the BBC could save money on building sets and having to make special effects of alien planets, spaceships etc.

[@paladinboyd1228]

@@Londonfogey Ironically the episode they used to test if earth based stories would work was the most expensive for years.

[@normanby100]

Who needs Sly or Arnie when you've got Edwin Richfield?

[@alexplotkin3368]

Sea Devils dropped like flies here. They were virtually unstoppable in 'Warriors of The Deep'. The Sea Devils in 'Warriors of the Deep' of Elite Group 1 must have had very sophisticated battle armor for protection. These Sea Devils were far less protected.

[@minicle426]

They underestimated the humans.

[@DoctorFletcherHicks]

Attack of the zoidbergs

[@MrDavey2010]

Glad the girl is wearing a nicely bright white outfit to make her an easier target.

[@harrymccrory6898]

You know the defence cuts are bad when you can't even supply the Forces with Body Armour!

[@kellywilson-lawson1857]

Granted this was a low budget tv series (one that was considered a kids show)

[@carlnewman24]

@@kellywilson-lawson1857 This was early '80's , body armour wasn't available.

[@Peoples_Republic_of_Devonshire]

Back then it wasn't widely available. Also it wouldn't have worked for the plot if they had as it was a navy research centre not a combat base

[@Peoples_Republic_of_Devonshire]

Body armour did exist but was only issue to combat units

[@isaacesturt]

Seriously? The navy conducting an amphibious landing? Were the Royal Marines unavailable at the time?

[@Londonfogey]

And led by an RN officer in number one dress - he looks like he should be drinking a pink gin in the mess, not going into battle!

[@Jabberstax]

The special effects are great for the period.

[@DomWeasel]

70's Doctor Who benefited from lower quality film which meant cheaper special effects looked better. They also had a bigger budget during Jon Pertwee's era than they did during the latter half of Tom Baker's and during the 70s. Although as Invasion of the Dinosaurs proved; the sfx could still fall down badly.

[@georgeowain]

For once, we actually see some heavy military artillery being used in a battle, in this series.

[@badwolf66]

So The War Between The Land and The Sea has been confirmed!

[@ryanwoo3169]

Or they know body armoured is useless against lasers

[@borusa32]

How many people were in that SRN 6?

[@hugodrax71]

The BBC stuntmen earned their corn here 👏

[@lesgeorge9166]

Is this the filmed at Southsea Portsmouth episode?

[@matt-uk]

the naval base is HMNB Portsmouth

[@johnnycage8427]

@@matt-uk Looks like Eastney to me...just behind the nudist beach

[@jerseydevs2000]

My hovercraft is full of ee... I mean sea devils

[@user-ny4ui7ow5n]

0:49

[@user-ny4ui7ow5n]

is this fn fal?

[@DomWeasel]

L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle. A British-licensed version of the FN FAL.