History YMMV / DoctorWhoS2E5TheWebPlanet

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical: The general line in fan analysis is that the story is a RedScare allegory, because it's about the Zarbi workers rising up against their Menoptera masters. But it's a really big reach -- there's no absolutely no indication the Zarbi are any more intelligent than farm animals, and even though the monster in the story has the power to control gold it doesn't work in any way analogous to any kind of economic system, which seems like it'd be a no-brainer for an anti-communism story. Maybe it's just a PlanetaryRomance {{Xenofiction}} runaround with pretty butterfly people fighting the ant people?
** Not only that, but if you do approach the story as an anti-Communist parable, it says that [[ArtisticLicenseHistory the workers were totally content until an evil outside force stirred them up]] and expects us to root for aristocrats who compare the working class to cattle.

* CriticalDissonance[=/=]PopularityPolynomial: The serial was immensely popular when it aired, with four of its episodes still in the top twenty most-watched ''Doctor Who'' episodes '''ever''', and it was the subject of the third novelisation. These days, it features in the bottom quarter of ''Doctor Who Magazine'''s 2009 and 2014 fan polls. Critics tend to be even-handed, criticising the slow plot while loving the mad ambition and absolute ''strangeness'' of the whole thing. Creator/PeterCapaldi recalled watching it as a child and being captivated by it.

** The Zarbi would look rubbish even if they didn't have two obviously human legs in trousers and shoes sticking out of the bottom and even if they didn't constantly make incredibly synthetic beeping noises. The Larvae Guns are fringed with rags. The Animus and the Menoptera are better-looking, but the Menoptera's wings, which look striking when stationary, rustle in a plasticy way when they move them, and the Animus is obviously just a bunch of hoses glued to a hula-hoop like structure and hung off the ceiling with wire. The tube-like structures the Animus uses to communicate with the Doctor are supposed to look like webs, but instead are just clear plastic drums with some web stuff glued on them - {{Lampshaded}} when the Doctor calls one a 'silly hairdryer thing'. Attempts were made to obscure the lousy special effects by [[GaussianGirl greasing the camera within an inch of its life]], and it doesn't work. On the plus side, the WireFu flight of the Menoptera is extremely convincing thanks to some clever camera angle trickery and the graceful motions of the actors.
** The Zarbi also suffer from the fact that the costumes were so delicate that the Doctor and Ian couldn't actually touch most parts of the costume when fighting them, which both actors said made the job unbearably hard. This led to a lot of FightSceneFailure - for instance, in a scene where Ian fights the Zarbi, he does a weird manoeuvre where he drops to his back and kicks it away with both legs, simply to ensure he could drop a controlled blow on it at the one point he knew wouldn't fall off (the Zarbi's torso). On top of that, many of the actors playing the Zarbi developed back problems as a result of the uncomfortable costumes and the way they forced them to move. Creator/TheBBC even had to have special stools made for them.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical: The general line in fan analysis is that the story is a RedScare allegory, because it's about the Zarbi workers rising up against their Menoptera masters. But it's a really big reach - there's no absolutely no indication the Zarbi are any more intelligent than farm animals, and even though the monster in the story has the power to control gold it doesn't work in any way analogous to any kind of economic system, which seems like it'd be a no-brainer for an anti-communism story. Maybe it's just a PlanetaryRomance {{Xenofiction}} runaround with pretty butterfly people fighting the ant people?

* CriticalDissonance[=/=]PopularityPolynomial: The serial was immensely popular when it aired, with four of its episodes still in the top twenty most-watched ''Doctor Who'' episodes '''ever''', and it was the subject of the third novelisation. These days, it features in the bottom quarter of ''Doctor Who Magazine'''s 2009 and 2014 polls. Critics tend to be even-handed, criticising the slow plot while loving the mad ambition and absolute ''strangeness'' of the whole thing. Creator/PeterCapaldi recalled watching it as a child and being captivated by it.

* CriticalDissonance[=/=]PopularityPolynomial: The serial was immensely popular when it aired, with four of its episodes still in the top twenty most-watched ''Doctor Who'' episodes '''ever''', and it was the subject of the the third ever novelisation. These days, it features in the bottom quarter of ''Doctor Who Magazine'''s 2009 and 2014 polls. Critics tend to be even-handed, criticising the slow plot while loving the mad ambition and absolute ''strangeness'' of the whole thing. Creator/PeterCapaldi recalled watching it as a child and being captivated by it.

-->'''Creator/PeterCapaldi''': But those old shows were only made to be watched once, on a flickering monochrome telly that smelled of valves and furniture polish. In that context, they succeeded immeasurably. They were triumphs of imagination. It may surprise you now, but something like The Web Planet lived powerfully and expansively in my head for decades… until the DVDs came along and spoiled the party. But I’m glad to say that the Menoptra eventually flitted back into my dreams, where they belong.”

** And those of us who have played ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'' get an additional helping of narm because [[VillainOfTheWeek the villain]] is named the Animus.

** Not only that, but if you do approach the story as an anti-Communist parable, it says that [[ArtisticLicenseHistory the workers were totally content until an evil outside force stirred them up]] and expects us to root for aristocrats who compare the working class to cattle. [[CluelessAesop Way to make your (hypothetical) own side look bad, Bill Strutton.]]

** In his review of the episode, [[WebVideo/WhatTheFuckIsWrongWithYou Nash Bozard]] remarked that the substance used to destroy the Great Old One was essentially giving it '''cancer.'''

** Not only that, but if you do approach the story as an anti-Communist parable, it says that [[ArtisticLicenseHistory the workers were totally content until an evil outside force stirred them up]] and [[FamilyUnfriendlyAesop expects us to root for aristocrats who compare the working class to cattle.]] [[CluelessAesop Way to make your (hypothetical) own side look bad, Bill Strutton.]]

* RetroactiveRecognition: Hilio is played by Martin Jarvis, who later had a larger role as the governor in the Sixth Doctor story "Vengeance on Varos", and later still became noticeable as the later voice for Nergal from ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy''.

** The Zarbi also suffer from the fact that the costumes were so delicate that the Doctor and Ian couldn't actually touch most parts of the costume when fighting them, which both actors said made the job unbearably hard. This led to a lot of FightSceneFailure - for instance, in a scene where Ian fights the Zarbi, he does a weird manoeuvre where he drops to his back and kicks it away with both legs, simply to ensure he could drop a controlled blow on it at the one point he knew wouldn't fall off (the Zarbi's torso). On top of that, [[CueIrony many of the actors playing the Zarbi developed back problems as a result of the uncomfortable costumes and the way they forced them to move]]. Creator/TheBBC even had to have special stools made for them.

* CueIrony: One of the actors playing the [[InsectoidAliens ant-monsters]] the Zarbi broke his back thanks to the uncomfortable costumes, and many more of them ended up with permanent back problems as a result.

** Oh lord. Mostly in regards to the insect Halloween-costumes getups and ridiculous mannerisms of the bee-like Menoptra and grub-like Optra as well as the enemy Zarbi, who look like giant ants with a single pair of human legs and two pairs of useless ant legs and make siren noises at each other. Also, one of the Manoptra constantly calls Ian "Heron" for no apparent reason.

* RetroactiveRecognition: Hilio is played bu Martin Jarvis, who later became noticeable as the later voice for Nergal from ''WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy''.

** Not only that, but if you do approach the story as an anti-Communist parable, it says that [[YouFailHistoryForever the workers were totally content until an evil outside force stirred them up]] and [[FamilyUnfriendlyAesop expects us to root for aristocrats who compare the working class to cattle.]] [[CluelessAesop Way to make your (hypothetical) own side look bad, Bill Strutton.]]

* RetroactiveRecognition: Hilio is played bu Martin Jarvis, who later became noticeable as the later voice for Nergal from "The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy".

** The Zarbi also suffer from the fact that the costumes were so delicate that the Doctor and Ian couldn't actually touch most parts of the costume when fighting them, which both actors said made the job unbearably hard. This led to a lot of FightSceneFailure - for instance, in a scene where Ian fights the Zarbi, he does a weird manoeuvre where he drops to his back and kicks it away with both legs, simply to ensure he could drop a controlled blow on it at the one point he knew wouldn't fall off (the Zarbi's torso). On top of that, [[CueIrony many of the actors playing the Zarbi developed back problems as a result of the uncomfortable costumes and the way they forced them to move]]. The BBC even had to have special stools made for them.

** Not only that, but if you do approach the story as an anti-Communist parable, it says that [[YouFailHistoryForever the workers were totally content until an evil outside force stirred them up]] and [[FamilyUnfriendlyAesop expects us to root for aristocrats who compare the working class to cattle.]] [[CluelessAesop Way to make your (hypothetical) own side look bad, Bill Strutton.]]

* MostAnnoyingSound: This an average episode at best, but the noise the aliens make throughout most of the serial, is a high-pitched squeal. Just try to watch it without wanting to tear off your own ears.

** Oh lord. Mostly in regards to the insect Halloween-costumes getups and ridiculous mannerisms of the bee-like Menoptra and grub-like Optra as well as the enemy Zarbi, who look like giant ants with a single pair of human legs and two pairs of useless ant legs and make siren noises at eachother. Also, one of the Manoptra constantly calls Ian "Heron" for no apparent reason.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical: The general line in fan analysis is that the story is a RedScare allegory, because it's about the Zarbi workers rising up against their Menoptera masters. But it's a really big reach - there's no absolutely no indication the Zarbi are any more intelligent than farm animals, and even though the monster in the story has the power to control gold it doesn't work in any way analogous to any kind of economic system, which seems like it'd be a no-brainer for an anti-communism story. Maybe it's just a PlanetaryRomance {{Xenofiction}} runaround with pretty butterfly people fighting the ant people?

** There's also the famous {{Blooper}} where one of the Zarbi accidentally bumps into the camera...

** In his review of the episode, [[WebVideo/WhatTheFuckIsWrongWithYou Nash Bozard]] remarked how destroying the Great Old One was essentially giving it '''cancer.'''

** In his review of the episode, [[WebVideo/WhatTheFuckIsWrongWithYou Nash Bozard]] compared the way to destroying the Great Old One was essentially giving it '''cancer.'''

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: It was well liked in 1965, but is downright laughable today.

* MostAnnoyingSound: The noise the Zarbi makes.

* {{Narm}}: Most of the serial.

* Narm: Most of the serial.