History YMMV / DoctorWhoS7E1SpearheadFromSpace

* FranchiseOriginalSin: This story introduced a number of traits that would ultimately lead to the show's cancellation at the end of the '80s. ContinuityCreep would first rear its head thanks to the plot relying on elements introduced in three different '60s stories (none of which were re-ran at the time), the story would be much [[DarkerAndEdgier grimmer and more violent]] than much of its predecessors, and the all-film production (the end result of a workers' strike) resulted in an unusually cinematic approach that belied the show's usual low-budget multi-cam nature. While these elements were and still are widely praised for helping refresh the series for a new decade, the Creator/JohnNathanTurner era's attempts at replicating these successes would ultimately lead to overambitious stories that drew accusations of SeasonalRot and [[AudienceAlienatingEra an irreversible ratings decline]].

* SignatureScene: The mannequins coming to life and rampaging through the town, which [[UncannyValley terrified]] a generation of children.

* UncannyValley: With a humanoid-shaped body but a blank plastic face with the outline of human features, the Autons owe their creepiness to this.

* MandelaEffect: Many who watched this story on its original broadcast are convinced that they saw the Autons smash the glass of the shop window after coming to life. In reality, the show did not have the budget to do this, so the camera cuts away as they are about to break it, and doesn't cut back until they have broken out.

* HilariousInHindsight: The ringing sound emitted by the meteorite which the poacher digs up sounds ''exactly'' like somebody's mobile phone.

* SignatureScene: The manikins coming to life and rampaging through the town, which [[UncannyValley terrified]] a generation of children.

** The Autons mark one of the times where the inability to create a realistic monster was exploited to create something pants-shittingly scary. 1970s shop window dummies actually did look that creepy.

* HilariousInHindsight: The ringing sound emitted by the meteorite which the poacher digs up sounds ''exactly'' like somebody's cell phone.

* BadassDecay: UNIT since their last outing.

* GrowingTheBeard: The introduction of the Third Doctor coincided with the show's change to both color production and a noticeable upward shift in its production value, as well as the introduction of more adult storylines.

* SpecialEffectsFailure: In the wax museum, several of the Autons sway and move ''just'' slightly long before they actually come to life.

* VisualEffectsOfAwesome:

* TearJerker: The commentary by Nicholas Courtney and Caroline John. Courtney's ill health shows in his low voice and lifeless delivery. Caroline John sounds in the picture of health. The copyright on the DVD is 2012.

* NightmareFuel: The Auton's attack from the department stores.

* SpecialEffectsFailure: In the was museum, several of the Autons sway and move ''just'' slightly long before they actually come to life.

* ParanoiaFuel[=/=]FridgeHorror: The Nestene Consciousness' plans were to subvert world governments by creating realistic Auton replicas of world leaders and military staff. Absent a cut line (in which the Doctor coordinated with The BBC to broadcast the high-power UHF frequency that kills Autons), how do we know that all the Autons were reliably snapped up? And could there have been other meteor strikes in, say, the United States? Or the USSR? or Communist China?

* {{Narm}}: The final attack of the Nestene on The Doctor. After the very effective Auton attack, somehow The Doctor being unconvincingly strangled by fake tentacles (and hamming it up as he is) just seems anticlimactic.

* ParanoiaFuel[=/=]FridgeHorror: The Nestene Consciousness' plans were to subvert world governments by creating realistic Auton replicas of world leaders and military staff. Absent a cut line (in which The Doctor coordinated with The BBC to broadcast the high-power UHF frequency that kills Autons), how do we know that all the Autons were reliably snapped up? And could there have been other meteor strikes in, say, the United States? Or the USSR? or Communist China?

* HilariousInHindsight: The ringing sound emitted by the meteorite which the farmer digs up sounds ''exactly'' like somebody's cell phone.

* HilariousInHindsight: The ringing sound emitted by the meteorite sounds ''exactly'' like somebody's cell phone.

* * BadassDecay: UNIT since their last outing.

* ParanoiaFuel / FridgeHorror: The Nestene Consciousness' plans were to subvert world governments by creating realistic Auton replicas of world leaders and military staff. Absent a cut line (in which The Doctor coordinated with The BBC to broadcast the high-power UHF frequency that kills Autons), how do we know that all the Autons were reliably snapped up? And could there have been other meteor strikes in, say, the United States? Or the USSR? or Communist China?

* HighOctaneNightmareFuel: The Auton's attack from the department stores.

* ParanoiaFuel/FridgeHorror: The Nestene Consciousness' plans were to subvert world governments by creating realistic Auton replicas of world leaders and military staff. Absent a cut line (in which The Doctor coordinated with The BBC to broadcast the high-power UHF frequency that kills Autons), how do we know that all the Autons were reliably snapped up? And could there have been other meteor strikes in, say, the United States? Or the USSR? or Communist China?