Cult Spy: The Deletion Of The Cybermen?

Since their debut in 1966, the sinister silver monsters known as the Cybermen have been a recurring source of fear for fans of Doctor Who. Their desperate desire to survive and convert others to their kind has provided some of the show's most horrific moments over the past four decades. Yet despite a terrifying start in the modern incarnation of Doctor Who, the Cybermen's stock has quickly fallen with their woeful appearance in the recent Christmas Special. Cult Spy examines their demise...

Lumbering around Victorian England in 'The Next Doctor', John Lumic's creations from a parallel universe were largely bereft of menace, impact and a sense of strength. A certain scene on a staircase sums up their diminished stature, as The Doctor defeated a horde of advancing Cybermen by simply pushing them down the stairs, where they go down like dominos. He could also fend off their blows by blocking them with a sword. Even the highly-anticipated cemetery massacre fell flat, as the uninspired direction failed to do justice to the crisp, snow-filled surroundings and the tension previously built up.

Arguably, the signs were there in 2006's 'Army Of Ghosts/Doomsday'. It was a superb season finale, but the ease with which the Daleks could dispatch the Cybermen didn't bode well for their future. They were made to look stupid, impotent and easily destroyed with the right gun/plot device. Fortunately, Graeme Harper's superb visual handling of the two-parter provided a number of striking shots, particularly when a Cyberman (brilliantly filmed from a low angle) kicked down a house door to confront a family huddled together on the stairs. Terrifying stuff.

Going back in time 42 years to the Cybermen's first story 'The Tenth Planet', it's clear to see just how consistently chilling they can be. Indeed, the very first glimpse of the new foes was sublime, as they were first seen in the distance almost hidden amid the blizzard, forcing viewers to squint. Soon, the camera memorably panned back from a close up of a metallic hand, hovering over a freshly murdered human body, to the emotionless Cyber-face with ghastly black holes for eyes.

Cybermen advances over the years have been rightly accorded iconic status in the show's history. Their emergence from the sewers in 1968's 'The Invasion' gave us the memorable imagery of the Mondasian monsters stomping down the steps of St Paul's Cathedral, while 1981's 'Earthshock' featured the Cybermen bursting free from their hiding places to march in formation towards The Doctor on the bridge of a space freighter. Even 1988's generally poor 'Silver Nemesis' contained a stunning scene where companion Ace was stalked by the Cybermen in a disused and claustrophobic hanger and its tunnels.

The introduction of the creatures' allergy to gold in 1975's 'Revenge Of The Cybermen' helped to diminish their effectiveness in the remainder of the original series, and this was wisely dropped for their return in the Russell T. Davies era of the show. However, one facet of the modern Doctor Who that simply doesn't suit the Cybermen is Murray Gold's music. It's simply too organic and orchestral to work easily alongside the artificial, mechanical beings.

One moment in 'The Next Doctor' is very telling for the dwindling fortunes of the Cybermen. The Doctor tells his foes that they are "cheating" by creeping up on him, and that they must have put their feet "on silent". In fact, in the old days the Cybermen were masters of being sneaky and hiding away, often to stunning effect. The Second Doctor story 'The Moonbase' involved them discreetly snatching bodies from the human quarters and slipping away back into space through a little hole in the side of the base - rather like rats foraging for food.

Perhaps the Cybermen were always partially doomed when colour television became all the rage, as black and white helped to make the costumes look more effective and it created a suitably shadowy environment for the Cybermen to lurk in. The harshness of studio lighting in colour can often lessen their impact, which has also happened to the Daleks. Also, in regard to 'The Next Doctor', writer Russell T. Davies has stated that it's vital for a Christmas Day family drama not to contain much horror, which is fair enough.

It's a shame that the Cybermen have been sacrificed in a way, as they have been at their best in the new series when given the chance to unleash their unique 'body horror' characteristics. Witness the grizzly demise of Yvonne Hartman in 'Doomsday' or the gruesome machinery seen in the Cyber factory in 'The Age Of Steel', which was cleverly juxtaposed with the song 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' to give it a very macabre feel. Let's just hope, given their last poor showing in 'The Next Doctor', that when a Cyberman next says "You will become like us" he really means it this time.

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