Doctor Who has always been noted for the varying qualities of its stories - for example, we have 'classics' such as THE WEB OF FEAR, 'mediocre' titles like THE CHASE and stories that are regarded as well... not so good. Unfortunately, The Wheel In Space has often been lumped into the latter, and has the reputation of being a rubbish tale from what is regarded as a strong fifth season.
The story sees the return of the Cybermen - who by this point had returned four times within two years, beating the record previously held by the Daleks several years before. Unlike preceeding tales such as THE TOMB OF THE CYBERMEN and THE MOONBASE, this story seems slow and sluggish in comparison and being the first time a Cyberman tale was written by someone other than their original creators of Davies and Pedelar, perhaps this explains the reason...
That said, Whitakers' story is not as bad as some might think. The first episode, true, is devoid of action but comes across well on audio (probably moreso than on the original television broadcast in 1968!) whilst the radiophonic workshop must be comended for capturing the clastrophobic atmosphere of space, which again is evident on the audio recording.
Cast and crew are clearly defined, as the other reviewer commented, they are much better than that of THE MOONBASE and what improves on this is that each character has a SEPARATE IDENTITY and personality, they are not just a faceless bunch led by a leader. For example, Leo Ryan is very much the American action-hero, Bill Duggan the thoughtful 'space botanist,' Zoe the calculating and logical astrophyicist who eventually 'learns' to be emotive (a direct parallel with the Cybermen) and Gemma the reasonable and humane scientist. The multi-national feel is also better represented here, it complements the personalities of the crewmembers and helps to add to the dimensons of their characters.
Troughton appears to be enjoying himself here, showing multiple aspects to his character. Witness at the beginning, his sadness at leaving a friend behind, his concern for the crew during the Cyberman attack and his horror at realising he may have sent his friends to their death. Hines is also represented, the idea of one companion works best (and after the sixties this would remain a constant throughout the seventies) and is a support for the Doctor.
However, the Cybermen do fail slightly. It is logical to question how TWO Cybermen can pose a major threat to the Wheel, surely weapons (or lots of quick-setting plastic) could finish them off. Again, they appear more as robots, superior to the crew of the Wheel but relucatant to use their knowledge, instead of using strength to smash their way through, they merely pussyfoot around until they and their intentions are known to all. Although their listener knows their plans ahead of the Doctor, they do not really make sense - if they can ionise a star, why not simply overwhelm the Wheel. Similarly, the Cyber-spaceship and the walking Cybermen do not really pose a threat - the ship is destroyed too quickly and the walking force could have been admitted much earlier (even Padbury's narration can't hide that one!!) Similarly, the voices of the two Cybermen are difficult to distinguish and lack the quality of the Cyberplanner (which has the voice of previous Cybermen!!)
Padbury's narration is probably the saviour of the whole thing, it is effective and describes accurately without obscuring the dialogue, the events. Her narration is enthusiastic and like Hines, she shows a fondness for the show and an enthusiasm which is captured by her narration - I'd rather have those two than the monotone Anneke Wilkes!!
Should you buy this CD? It is an example of later sixties Who, when the series had settled after the transition from Hartnell to Troughton. Although not the best example (try The YETI ATTACK BOXSET,) of the period it isn't bad on audio and is better than expectations. As usual the sound quality is excellent and as it is currently in the sale (31st July 04) why not treat yourself and add this one to your collection, as the events depicted are continued in THE INVASION (released in November with THE TENTH PLANET - an essential purchase for all fans!)