A companionless Doctor lands on a planet where he is mistaken for the God Xaonon and finds himself caught up in a war between two tribes , one being the Seveteem and the Tesh
This is a story whose main claim to fame is that it introduced the companion Leela . One can see instantly see what producer Philip Hinchcliffe and script editor Robert Holmes are trying to do - change the stereotypical companion of a screaming bimbo in to something entirely different but I'm not entirely sure how successful the production team . A savage handy at killing people in effect the character still remains a plot device where she has to constantly ask stupid questions in order for the Doctor to spout exposition . It also goes without saying she has to appeal to red blooded adult males and like Louise Jameson in some skimpy cowhide costume does the job very well and it's interesting watching the rather strange too convenient poses Ms Jameson constantly carries herself in just in case we see too much of Leela . One can't help thinking Hinchcliffe and Holmes are trying to have their cake and eat it at the same time
The story itself is a little too obvious of rational explanation versus superstition which was touched in the season opener Masque Of Mandragora but here everything is a little too simplistic with shouts of " Blasphemer " and " Heretic " at every opportunity from the noble savages who aren't all that noble at the best of times . This is Chris Boucher's debut script for the show and it's interesting how often this type of story cropped up in BLAKES 7 which Boucher script edited . The advantage BLAKES 7 has over this type of DOCTOR WHO story is that it lasts half the time and we'd be getting snappy one liners via Kerr Avon with possibly some location filming . Here we have a studio bound alien jungle that director Pennant Roberts fails to develop and comes across as a very cheap television production that the show was infamous for