The fact that no one on ITV decided that any one of these episodes could be expanded upon is thoroughly disappointing to me. At least give me more Donald Pleasance as Carnacki, if you're going to take Max Carrados or Hagar Stanley away from me!
"Bill's Out, Now What?" A Different Doctor Who
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Since we're talking about it, I'm gonna do a bit of shameless self-promotion and link this post I made on a hypothetical third series of Rivals.
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Ridley as Father Brown is inspired casting, as is Brett's Lupin!
Chapter Six: Season 3
New
Early on, it became clear to everyone that the pure historical stories were not going to be taking up fifty percent of the season anymore. While most were loath to rid the series of them completely, it was clear that science fiction was winning over historical fact and as such adjustments would need to be made. While not an extreme case, Season 3 was the first time they decided to focus efforts on actively combining elements of the two approaches together beyond the occasional one off such as the Meddler. [1]
To do this, it was decided that a scientific advisor was necessary for some unique ideas. The obvious choice was Kit Pedler, a man who could not only offer up ideas and correct mistakes but also had some skill at writing stories. Kit Pedler was given a paid role as consultant based entirely off his first meeting with Irene and one of his first ideas was agreed to be good enough for the upcoming season.
Working alongside newcomer Gerry Davis, [2] Pedler was instructed to create a five part serial introducing his new threats. He was also, mercifully as he recalled later, informed that he would be writing out the character of Suzanne from the series in the process. He later wrote that this made him reconsider certain aspects of where it would be set and when. For example, the eventual date of three-thousand and ninety-one was chosen to avoid comparisons to the Dalek story after the original date of 1986 was rejected. The result was a script that was seen as Good to Very Good by the production staff and Pedler settled into the role he would occupy right up until 1969.
-Extract from The Book of Who, a Companion Guide to 60 Years of Doctor Who, March 1st, 2023
The Dynamic Dup, seen here ensconced in serious business [3].....
I think the idea, concept and execution is very well done. I think where we need to make some changes for future appearances is ensuring that we do not have more of a palaver than is necessary. I concede your point with regards to the humanity of the creatures is their most unnerving feature, however I believe we can compromise here. I agree with regards to the chest-unit, reduction is not only scientifically accurate but also convenient for us and the poor actors as well! Likewise for the light at the top, making it something akin to a very small flashlight perhaps would be worthwhile. Perhaps an odd request but when we were working on the robots for Robert’s story, I noticed a rather unusual effect. Having left a section of the helmet unpainted, we noticed we could see the mouth of the actor speaking as he delivered his lines. We fixed it naturally, but if we had to go the mechanical route for them next time, perhaps a similar affectation could be produced?
-Memo from David Whitaker to Irene Shubnik, dated 13/10/1965 [4]
…..
“You listen to me, you blasted—!”
But Cutler did not get to finish his sentence. With a loud and grinding crash, the doors to the cafeteria were forced open. Barbara fought back a scream, Benoit swore in his wn language, even the Doctor seemed for a moment utterly shocked by what stood before them.
It must have been…well, it had to be a man, didn’t it? If she looked closely she could see that the shape was that of a man. The fingers on the hand were those of a man. The skin was…almost like a man. But he seemed as alien to them as might a Dalek in that moment. His body was covered in a glittering mass of metal, shining out in the wan light and nearly blinding them. Upon his chest was what seemed to be a great mechanical computerized unit of some sort. And yes, though his skin was like that of a man’s, it was as though it had been surgically reattached. Veins of blue stood out in ways that veins really ought not to, pumping what must have been blood back and forth. And his face….
His face was covered with bindings. Atop his head was what at first glance seemed to be a pair of horns circling around to link to a great beacon of light. His eyes were empty sockets, his mouth an open zip. He did not breathe, he did not sway, he did not do…anything.
“This-is Moon-Base One,” he said, and his voice was practically song like. “You-are, not wel-come-here. Why-have you-come here? Do-not lie-to-us.”
“What the hell are you!?” Pearson was angry now and moved across. The Doctor cried out for him to stop but his gun was already in his hand and he—
-was caught. Abruptly. The creature lifted him up and squeezed tight. The gun clattered to the floor and with a great cry, Pearson was hurled across the room and into the wall. He stared upwards, eyes unseeing as the creature turned back to the others and answered his question.
“We-are the-Cybermen. Do-not be-afraid. We will make you LIKE US.” [5]
-Doctor Who and the Cybermen, first novelized 1978
The Cybermen, caught in the middle of the Atmospheric Generator that will spell their doom.....
“We cast quite a few decent actors in the mix. Michael Craze [6] in particular was very good and I think if he had been acting a few years ago we might have cast him as Ian given the chance. I thought Robert Beatty as Cutler was a little miscast and if I would do it again perhaps I would give that bigger role to Earl Cameron or Bruce Boa. But yes, no regrets for the most part.
I think the decision to make the Cybermen have a connection to the past episodes was a David Whittaker idea. He thought that as we were going to have a Dalek shortage soon it would be best to have a link to the show’s past. So Mondas was out and the rest was history. It was Sara who actually suggested we just use a piece of set from the last episode to bring it up naturally. I know a lot of people said that she was a nuisance on set in that last episode but I think she was just desperate to get on to the next thing.”
-Verity Lambert, Interview at Longleat 1993
….
“Feelings? I-do-not understand that-word.”
The Doctor bristled. “Emotions! Love, pride, hate, fear! Have you no feelings, sir?”
The Cyber-Leader did not respond to this. “Come-home with-us and you will-be free of emotions. But-first, I-would ask why your-friend has-this in her po-ssess-ion.” He gestured to the small jewelled trinket on the counter. Barbara tilted her head to the side. Was it a weakness perhaps? Did these Cybermen fear gold in some way?
“Why? Why do you care?” The Doctor looked smug for a moment. “Do you perhaps feel curious?”
The bait was not taken. “It-is incompatible with-the rest of these surroundings. It-bears-a remarkable resemblance to a-relic from our world of Luxor.” [7]
Barbara gasped. They had been to Luxor, long ago. “B-But the people there were gone! Are you…Are you servants of the Perfect One?”
The Doctor shook his head. “Barbara, these are not robots, pure machines of flesh and blood. Once they were like you, quite like you indeed. I suspect that the Perfect One was derelict as to the extent of their meddling with mechanical matters before his emergence. No doubt his ascension to power only hastened the mutation of these poor fools. Would it help at all if we told you that we have seen that the Perfect One is no more?”
The Cyber-Leader tilted his head. “Why-should it matter at-all? You-will be-freed from the-chains of e-motion and illogical attitudes, as-will humanity once-their moonbase gives-them the all-clear to return home.”
-Doctor Who and the Cybermen, first novelized 1978
….
The Cybermen (Originally the Tenth Planet before rewrites removed that aspect) was well received at the time, though many moral guardians lashed out at what they deemed to be a considerable effort to frighten children. The children in question did not care and happily added the Luxorian cyborgs to their long list of playtime roles. More shocking was the departure of Suzanne, the very first one of it’s kind.
-'Season 3', Tardi's TARDIS Reviews, 2017
…..
SK: With the benefit of hindsight, I am very glad they didn’t kill me off like I asked.
JG: Oh, I never knew that. Was that the reason you were so—
SK: I was having a rough time of it on set. Shockingly, despite all the stories you might have heard, I was going to miss Boris and Phyllida and everyone else—
JG: Very charming, I’m sure.
SK: But I wanted a clean break and I had the feeling that if I didn’t get a permanent ending then I might be dragged back into it. But you never really do get that with Doctor Who, I suppose. Despite it all, once I had finished my last scene with Boris, I did go off to a room and have a good cry over it. After party down the pub was decent too, though I think we were all exhausted by the end of it.
Commentary on the Cybermen, 2003
…..
Suzanne: Grandfather, I have something to tell you. Ian and Barbara already know, I think, but--
The Doctor waves her off as he fumbles with the key. After a moment she steels herself to say it.
Suzanne: I think I should stay here.
Pause. The Doctor stands very still against the door of the TARDIS. Suzanne seems to hesitate and then continues.
Suzanne: I think that when the people of Earth come back here, they’re going to need a little help to readjust to the world around them. I know you need me too, but—
The Doctor gets the door open, turns around and smiles proudly at her. He stumbles over his words for a moment before holding his hands out. She takes them gratefully and he locks eyes with her.
Doctor: You know, I have often wondered if staying with me has not been the worst decision of your life. (Over her protestations) Now, now, don’t fuss an old man so! You have been the greater help to me than I to you, but your future lies elsewhere. I have always known it, though I…I have not wished to admit it as such. You are more than capable of setting your mind to anything you so desire, and as long as you remember all that you have seen, I have no doubt you will triumph in your endeavours. Chesterton and Mrs MacGovern show what the best of humanity can be capable of. Remind them of it.
He leans forward and presses his head onto hers. She lets out a shaky sigh and with a great deal of effort, pulls away.
Suzanne: You should go, before I change my mind.
Doctor: Perhaps one day, we may meet again and see what you have made of the world. But even if we do not…Never forget, my child, that somewhere in the fourth dimension your grandfather will be wandering. And he will never stop thinking of you. Goodbye Suzanne.
Suzanne: Goodbye Grandfather.
And with that, the Doctor steps inside with a herculean effort. He does not look back as the doors close and he steps up to the console. Ian and Barbara are both there, and the latter holds the former from going to the old man. The Doctor inputs the launch sequence and watches on the monitor as the figure of Suzanne, proud and defiant, flickers…and then fades away.
-Shooting script for The Cybermen, Episode 5 [8]
….
David Whittaker was preparing to leave his role as Script Editor when the news came down regarding Suzanne’s departure. As such, he agreed to remain in the position for a final season to ensure that the show would be in steady hands. He also began the work of drafting a replacement for the remaining serials. “The problem,” he indicated in a meeting with Verity, “is that we cannot just make her Suzanne Part Deux without drawing the ire of those watching. So I think we will have to go in the opposite direction with her.” [9]
As a result, Donald Cotton received a brief early on with regards to the new character of Tanya. She was to be introduced not as a future human (Remember, this was back before things had been finalized) but rather a figure right from out of the past who would become the point of view character for many children in the audience. She would be bubbly, socially outgoing and more vulnerable than Suzanne was. But not, MIND not just a dumb damsel in distress as per the description. “People liked Suzanne, and though we may not understand it, making the character helpless will do nothing for the actress we cast nor for the show at large.”
Many actresses would audition for the role, including the Mrs Peel who could have been Elizabeth Shepherd. But the one who won out was the relatively unknown Alexandra Bastedo….” [10]
-Extract from The Book of Who, a Companion Guide to 60 Years of Doctor Who, March 1st, 2023
The first newcomer, circa the time of her audition
“I was still very much finding my feet when it came to acting. I had plans to audition for one of the Bonds, and when that fell through my agent suggested that I go and audition for the role. I had seen a few episodes of Doctor Who before and thought it fun indeed. I was lucky enough to be there when the producers had brought Boris in to assist. I am not entirely sure what it was that swayed them in the end but I like to think that Boris took a shine to me. And I said that I was happy to take part, except that I had no idea about anything with regards to science fiction. They said that this was fine, hardly anyone on the staff did either.”
-Alexandra Bastedo, Where and Who Are They Now? 2003
….
“This place is remarkable, my child, very remark—” The Doctor paused suddenly and winced. He wiped his brow and glanced at Tanya. “My apologies, madam, I-I thought for a moment you were someone else.”
“I do not mind. You should hear what some of the others call me.” She smiled winningly, a literal open book. The Doctor tutted and patted her on the shoulder, then walked besides her in silence as they stared at the lake.
“Do you like to travel?” He said at last.
“Very much so. But it is hard to find someone to travel with. I cannot do it alone, the fun of it is sharing all that you see. Don’t you find?”
“Hm? What? Yes, I suppose so. I did not think it so once and yet…” He broke off and smiled at the sight of Ian and Barbara waving. “Well, there are my friends. You are more than welcome to come along and meet them. They are quite civilized, though Chesterton has an odd way of showing it sometimes, hmph!”
-Doctor Who and the Haunted Lake, first novelized 1982
….
“Naturally, I don’t think they could let the chance slip by without some acknowledgement of Boris in the role that made him what he is. Irene said she regretted the Doctor biting his tongue and grunting like the Monster but I thought it was hysterical. I don’t know what he thought of it, except for when we were both on the slabs and he turned to me to ask if this was my first time!” [11]
-Julian Glover, at Comic-Con 2018
…..
“Verity was staying around until after we finished off the Dalek story and then leaving us to get on with it. When Donald turned in the story about Shelley and Byron, she insisted that we cast Jacqueline Hill as Mary Shelley. Which we were fine with, she was a very good actress, but given that she was a little older than the person I did think it was noticeable. We were very lucky in getting Bernie (Horsfall) and Barrie (Inghram) in for Byron and Percy respectively, they matched the mood well. When the focus was on them and their interactions with the TARDIS crew, I thought it worked fine.
Where I think the piece falls down a little is in the execution of the villains…” [12]
-David Whittaker, interview in 1993 for Doctor Who Magazine
…
The Herdsmen are a race of beings who are so significantly advanced that they consider themselves beyond hard work. Therefore, their purpose is to tame and transform other races into basically being their cattle and doing the work for them. So far, so good. Where it al falls apart is the execution. The Zarbi are a case of hitting the bounds of the time but doing the best with what you’ve got; the Herdsmen are what happen when you make like Wile E Coyote and smash your head straight into the wall. [13]
The Lead Herdsmen is played by John Stone, a relatively decent Welsh actor little-known now except ironically enough for this performance. To mark the ‘alien’ nature of this, he is given a rather significant amount of makeup which in theory is supposed to make his forehead look very scarred and rugged. In reality it looks like someone has spilt ink all over a piece of latex. In addition to this, all three of the Herdsmen were required to wear bright white contact lenses. These are somewhat effective, until you realize two things. One, the appearance of the Herdsmen is therefore less ‘unknowable alien’ and more ‘hyper-realistic anime character’. Two, only John Stone can actually see where he is going in a given scene and thus must guide the others around. The result, therefore, is less menacing advanced alien and more bewildered ducklings.
-Cloister Hell’s Review of The Haunted Lake, 06/10/12
…..
"I did at the time feel as though I had entered into a secret society of sorts. Boris and Julian and Phyllida were very kind and welcoming but they were the established hands. And I was….well, I was just by myself a little more than I expected. I held no grudge against them and the more it went on, the more we did start to work well together. But I got the sense that Phyllida at least was beginning to consider making her own exit. I was also informed by a kindly Julian that I was going to be thrown in at the deep end with my next story."
-Alexandra Bastedo, Where and Who Are They Now? 2003
….
While no one would ever admit it, perhaps there was a belief in the Corporation at the time that tossing the Daleks over to the states wasn’t so bad. Not just because of Terry Nation, but because one particularly irritating little paper had started running a half-joke story in the paper.
What aggravated them was that the other half was the truth.
Due to the insane rush in Dalekmania, the BBC had decided in early February to demonstrate three of the Dalek props used to the public. It had been a small event in planning, at least in theory. The crowds ballooned upwards and many crowded around, which caused a minor traffic jam. Caught up in that traffic jam was the JUST MARRIED couple of Peter Sellers and Britt Ekland, having met ten days ago in the filming for the Guns at Batasi. They had been caught up in the traffic jam and the stalemate between himself and an equally indignant motorist led down a very dark road. It had triggered Seller’s paranoia and insecurity which he compensated for when they at last got to his honeymoon suite.
Britt Eklund had been coaxed into giving the interview after so long with the promise of a lucrative payout. Money she wasn’t going to be getting considering the amount of family members Sellers had that were vying for a piece of the pie. She reported that Sellers, ranting in paranoid fashion about the goddamn Daleks being a cover for Blake Edwards, sought the ‘ultimate orgasm’. He did so by inhaling poppers. A significant amount of poppers.
Eleven heart-attacks worth, as it turned out. [14]
The argument over whether or not Sellers was killed via the heart attack or the crash of his head hitting the bedside cabinet has been debated with considerable interest. Much worse came when, thanks to overzealous attitudes with relation to scandals in the government, Eklund was temporarily held under questioning for murder. But that is a story for another day. Blake Edwards was perhaps unsurprisingly less than sympathetic. Given that A Shot in the Dark had only recently finished filming and in fact would gain a significant boost from Sellers quite literally popping his clogs, it’s understandable why.
DALEKS EXTERMINATED SELLERS! proclaimed the paper. ESTABLISHMENT SCREWS GOON ONE LAST TIME. [15]
Not the kind of publicity one would want for.
-Cor Blimey! A One-Hundred Year History of Sex, Scandal and Sleaze in the Beeb, 2023
"ISN'T THERE SOME-ONE YOU FOR-GOT TO ASK?" [16] The Threesome that Shocked a Nation
……..
A long time ago, four travellers crashed in the middle of a skirmish between the Daleks and the Thals. They taught the Thals how to fight, taught the Daleks how to fear and taught themselves to trust each other.
Now, a group of Thals have launched an invasion of the planet Keirda; in order to protect them from the terrors of free will. Accompanying them is a mysterious advisor that their general is fascinated with. Plugged inside he has prepared the Thals to take the planet, the species and the mysterious Varga plants for themselves.
So it’s quite a surprise when the Doctor and his friends turn up. While Barbara and Ian have to help the locals and Tanya is taken captive by the Thals, the One-Eyed Advisor demands the presence of the Doctor.
After all, he saw the end of the Daleks. It's only right that he see their return to glory. [17]
-The Conquest of the Daleks, A Novelization, first published 2003 [18]
….
The mood of Conquest of the Daleks is simply put: Salt the earth.
The only thing that Nation created that he could not realistically use were the Varga plants and the Keirdans. The latter of which was never going to be used again and the former could be recycled into any number of original creatures.
The Daleks are reduced to an optical illusion (meant to simulate a hanger underneath the varga-covered lake containing millions) and one singular active creature. The Dalek himself is a bitter creation trying to hide his manipulative anger over helpful hints and jingoistic soundbites. The Thals meanwhile are reduced to becoming an increasingly war-like species. The Doctor’s involvement in the events from the first serial is deconstructed here as the results of what he has done echo out. While Nation is quick to assure that this is only one splinter group of Thals, he does note that the conquest-hungry Thals could be the start of a pandemic of violence sweeping the planet. The metaphor for what the Beeb and Nation did when creating the Daleks is…rather hard to ignore.
While Peter Hawkins’s portrayal of the Lone Dalek is very good, the human cast is…mixed. Gordon Jackson’s role as the fanatical Colonel Presh compliments the Dalek perfectly, especially with the reveal that he was the child of one of the Thals who never made it back from the city. The two of them sinking to the bottom of the churning lake is a perfectly ironic twist. Ambrose Coghill is not the worst actor in the First Doctor era but his clear lack of understanding as to what the hell he’s saying in his role as the Keirdan speaker Nur-Ek. While his death in Episode 4 is sad, it’s clearly not as sad as Nation thought it would be and in fact feels a little recycled. In-between these two are Freda Jackson (no relation) as Doctor Galleen. She shines in the scenes with Karloff and Law but struggles when she has to convey the science-fiction aspects of the story.
All in all, if this was to be the final Dalek story in Doctor Who, it would be clear it was a spiteful if somewhat futile last stand.
-Tic-Toc-Oho’s Blog: Conquest of the Daleks Review
…..
"What Conquest of the Daleks Tells Us About Palestine Oppression"
"Why Conquest of the Daleks is The Most Pro-Israel Who Story"
"No Guys, Conquest of the Daleks Isn’t About the Jewish-Arab Conflict"
-A collection of articles written on PaladinPlatform, circa 2012 [19]
…..
Barbara: They're gone, aren't they?
Doctor: Mmm. The last Daleks in the universe, torn through that wormhole into the cold void where time has not yet begun. Yes, they are gone. But the evil that they may do, the conquest that goes on for their ideals....that will never fully go away. Yet that is all the more reason to resist the urge to the easy solution. Thals! Return home and make sure that your people know. Both of your folly and your heroism, for only that way can a true, lasting understanding of the universe and your place in it be understood.
-Shooting script for the final scene of Conquest of the Daleks, Episode 6
.....
Landing in the midst of a green and pleasant field, the Doctor and his friends are shocked to discover that they are in the midst of a war. With a mudslide temporarily burying the TARDIS and splitting the team up, all things go to chaos. With Tanya now falling for the young fanatic Jamie MacCrimmon and Ian being press-ganged into serving the opposing Georgian cause, only the Doctor and Barbara can stop things from going wrong. For blood is about to be spilled and there is little they can do to stop the wheels of history from rolling on….
The Fields of Culloden, first novelized in 1989
…..
“We recruited Elwyn Jones to write The Fields of Culloden based entirely off Peter Watkin’s excellent drama simply titled Culloden. If the name sounds familiar it’s probably from The War Game which released in 1969 and scared the country straight with regards to nuclear issues. I think with the benefit of hindsight it’s a story that works well if you’ve never seen Peter’s film and looks like a bit of Hollywood-esque tosh if you have. There are things I am proud of in it but I would do certain aspects differently.”
-Irene Shubik, Longleat Convention, 2003 [20]
The original, never duplicated though often imitated
…..
JG: I remember looking at the scripts we were being given and saying to you—
AB: Welcome to the deep end? Yes I thought so too. I was excited in a way, I’d never done a historical piece like that before. I remember looking to you three to try and work out how to do it. It helped I had the lovely Hamish Wilson to work with. I think Elwyn wrote some lovely stuff with me and Jamie.
JG: Tragic too! I thought he’d chicken out halfway through but if anything he doubled down.
-The Fields of Culloden DVD commentary, 2006
….
Culloden is an awkward story to talk about. On the one hand, it has several very noteworthy points in it’s favour. Unlike before where Doctor Who might have played the deaths offscreen or for comedy, there is a significant effort to show the effects of the battle in terms of bodies. True, many of them are censored heavily or are indeed leftover sandbags covered in tarpaulins, but at the time this was a dark demonstration of the battle’s worth. Gudrun Ure plays the role of the sardonic Ginny very well, watching the chaos unfold and bitterly commenting on the tragedy of the situation, with her beating back an attempted assailant being a definite moment of excitement amidst the gloom. James Grout also offers up a dark performance as the Duke of Cumberland himself and his faux-joviality contrasted with his gradual coldness towards the Doctor makes for an effective enemy.
Yet the flaws that others speak of are still present. Hywel Bennet clearly does not care as much as might be expected in the somewhat meaty role of Bonnie Prince Charles. Hamish Wilson has won praise for his performance as James MacCrimmon [21] and it is not the intent of this review to act revisionist. Yet there is perhaps something to the critique that his relationship with Tanya is a case of a capable square peg into a impressive round hole; [22] in short that the relationship simply doesn’t work. It also becomes clear that the immediate act of ripping the TARDIS crew apart does Tanya no particular favours in this instant. Without the sounding board of the Doctor or Barbara for most of the story, we’re therefore left with the awkward position of a single character having to occupy multiple roles. Both naïve traveller and future expert, wit under pressure and screamer extraordinaire. Lastly, the script suffers heavily for Karloff’s absence in the middle two episodes and as such much of Jones’s script had to be crowbarred into place at the last moment.
The ending is perhaps the litmus test for whether or not this episode works for you. At the end, with the bloodiest moments on the verge of coming to an end, the four travellers rush back to the TARDIS where a dazed Jamie waiting for them. Driven mad by the deaths and the shame of having fallen for an English lassie, he threatens the four before Tanya is able to talk him down. Refusing an offer to return with them, he spots a figure on horseback and deliriously proclaims him to be the enemy. He charges at him roaring aloud his battle cry of “Creag an tuire!” before being cut down by what turns out to be friendly fire. The TARDIS crew escape and Tanya sobs as the Doctor gravely intones the perils of travelling through time…
But enough of that! Who wants to go to the Old West? [22]
-Doctor Who Magazine: Trial of the Twenty
….…..
Production on The Slide was already in the beginning stages when Shubnik reached out to Pemberton to ask for another script. After some debate, he offered a compromise with an outline for a potential four-parter. Tasked with making a mountain from a mole-hole was TV writer Derrick Sherwin who decided to throw everything into what would become the first of Doctor Who’s most unusual sub-genre…the Raygun Western!
-Extract from The Book of Who, a Companion Guide to 60 Years of Doctor Who, March 1st, 2023
Karloff in one of his few Western roles, his youthful acting in the film The Utah Kid (1930) [23]
…..
Episode 1: We open on a desert shot as a freshly dug hole is filled with various bodies. Doctor Who and his companions land in the Old West in a quiet town that no one really cares about. They travel inside and learn just how closed off everyone is. The Doctor strikes up a friendship with the barmaid Miss Jessica (NOTE: Family-friendly version of a brothel madam), while Ian takes up playing cards with a nervy gentleman. This is Jesse Earl, infamous outlaw who vanishes from the history books when he lift prison. [24] The Sheriff and Mayor discuss the lack of wealth and the reason why so many people are leaving. Barbara and INSERT NEW GIRL meet up with a travelling salesman named Harry Daniel Thornfield who wows everyone by transforming the nearby water trough into gold. Jesse Earl tries to steal it but Sherrif Harrison Ross arrives to stop it and pistol whips Ian. The Doctor recognizing the device as alien and Ian being dragged off with Jesse to a cell with the Sherriff ready to interrogate him, both could be cliffhangers. End instead on a shot of the grave….AND A HAND RISING FROM BENEATH IT.
Episode 2: Ross doesn’t get what he says he wants but his sadism is sated by making Ian squirm and threatening to go after Barbara. Miss Jessica goes to talk to Jesse and insists that he settle down if he wants to stay, but he mocks her and notes that their names are the only thing that they have in common. Barbara grills the conman who admits that he found it on his last trip through, the Doctor insists on being taken to where it is. INSERT NEW GIRL wanders around and avoids the dodgy hands of some of the locals before finding the grave. The dust kicks up and the corpses force their way up, killing the local gravedigger and taking control of them. Barbara and H.D. go off together to the spaceship while Harrison notes with some excitement that the bodies have come back up again. Infections start slow and while Ian and Jesse escape to try and fight them off, the Doctor discovers the spaceship with a group of corpses still waiting. He realizes that what is causing this is something that he cannot defeat….the Dust itself!
Episode 3: The enemies introduce themselves as DUST COLONY (Name to be changed), a sentient swarm of microscopic beings that need arid conditions to survive. They intend to use the human forms they have taken to The device that H.D took from their downed spaceship was part of a much large device meant to transform the atmosphere permanently into an arid wasteland. The Colony can infest human cadavers for only a certain amount of time before eventually burning them out and in most cases taking them out too. A lot of this episode is fighting, running from one safe place to another. Harrison ends up shooting several of the townsfolk out of fascination with the creatures and Jesse betrays Ian to them in an attempt to get to safety. NEW GIRL arrives to assist, while both Barbara and H.D are attacked. H.D ends up dying and Barbara is used as a hostage to force the Doctor to fix the machine, which he does.
Episode 4: The Doctor has done something clever with the machine and as such, it will instead create a far moister atmosphere that will result in the gradual extermination of the colony. Half-mad with rage, the Colony launch their final attack. It’s all very nasty and in the process a lot of people die, including Miss Jessie. Earl himself is also killed and taken over, contributing to the rest of the town fleeing out of reach. Harrison is the only one left and is incensed that he will not be possessed by the Dust. He, Ian and the possessed Earl engage in a three-way standoff which ends with Harrison shot and the Dust desperately searching for a new host. The Doctor arrives and the travellers escape as the Dust Colony is obliterated. This leaves a crazed and mortally wounded Harrison begging for someone, anyone to come back and aid him.
CHANGE AS YOU SEE FIT.
-A purported copy of Victor Pemberton's memo to Derrick Sherwin, from the set of the Slide, 1965 (NOTE: Is still in the process of verification as of writing) [25]
…..
Sherwin took the (haphazard) note and expanded on it greatly. Amongst the substantial changes he made were the following:
-Adding more depth to the setting, a fictional town by the name of Smith’s Rest, Arkansas. In the process of setting it at a point after the Civil War, Spooner creates the sense of a place on the verge of ruin and gradually bleeding out long before the alien menace came to end it.
-The transformation of Sherriff Harrison from an obvious caricature of a lousy American into a far creepier and soft-spoken man for whom the descent into madness is a long-time fond memory. The shattering of his equilibrium and his disturbing final fate, left buried alive amidst the graves of his previous victims, is a horrifyingly unnerving final fate. Ed Bishop, a good thirteen years before his appearance in Star Wars, [26] balances the two halves with excellent timing and command of screen presence. His contrast with the outlaw Jesse Earl (played by regular cowboy actor John Alderson in a role that is good but overshadowed by his peers) makes for an unusual bit of material for Glover to bite into.
-Expanding the character of Miss Jessica (renamed to Mrs Marlowe after some thought) to resemble less a tawdry stereotype and more a lonely and weary older woman. Not for nothing is her sacrifice at the end of Episode 4 considered a genuine tearjerker amongst the First Doctor stories. Her last line is delivered excellently by former silent movie ingenue Bessie Love to a deeply upset Tanya: “Your time now, darlin. No…No time for worry about me…”
-Likewise, the decision to make H.D Thornfield a far more likeable and easy-going fella adds particular weight to his struggles. Bill Pertwee was cast on recommendation and aside from his most excellent of bluster, he also delivers a surprising amount of emotional depth when he offers to make the sacrifice that will end the threat. His decision to willingly activate the Temporal Conversion Device and take the Dust with him sees him eulogized by the Doctor in a rare occasion (“Man may not have chosen him as their champion, but champion he was. And how gratifying to see that he did not fall at that last, most unexpected hurdle.”)
And of course, the name which is referenced in one of the most unnerving monster reveals of the series so far….
-WHY I LOVE: The Inheritors of Dust, by Simon Guerrier, for Doctor Who Magazine dated Jan 2010
….
The Doctor: Well? What do you have to say for yourself?
Mayor: Nothing, good sir. Nothing at all. You should speak in your defence. It crawls out of you. The conceit. Self-absorption. The arrogance of the whining child. We have lingered in your world for longer than the first two-legged fool stumbled from the ocea.
Reverend: Longer than Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden, brother! Longer even than that, before the first apple was ripped down from the tree!
Teacher: The world was supposed to be ours. It had been ordained long ago when we were part of the Greater Cloud. But the humans dared to imitate us, spawning and reproducing and refusing to give in and let themselves be of use to our cause! And then the machine dropped into our hands—
Reverend: From the heavens itself, delivered by destiny himself!
Mayor: And so we strove and we learnt and we waited to gain the hands that could operate it. The Sherriff provided.
Teacher: Oh how he provided!
Doctor: You intend to use the machine to terraform this world, hmm? Create an eternal dustbowl in which you can replicate and reproduce and spread onwards and outwards. To anything and everything that can come into contact with you.
Mayor: And now you have corrected our one mistake in allowing that clumsy oaf to take what was not his for the taking away from us. Soon this world will be scoured free from bother—
Teacher: Free from chaos!
Reverend: Free from sin!
And then, as one:
Chorus: FREE FROM ABERRATION, FREE FROM POLLUTION, FREE FROM LESSER LIFEFORMS. WE ARE THE INHERITORS OF THE DUST. AND OUR TIME IS NOW..
-Working script for The Inheritors of Dust, Episode 3 [27]
.....
"There was one problem we had not accounted for. We required two wind machines to temporarily blow up and create a temporary show that all was going haywire. What we did not realize was that these would work too well and blow a significant amount of dust into the atmosphere, right into poor Boris's lungs. We felt mortified and we did actually offer an apology. For once he was less than gracious in taking it, but I understood entirely." [28]
-Irene Shubik, Longleat Convention, 2003
…..
There is one other fact in our Fields of Culloden review that we did not include in it’s favour. This is mainly for the reason that it shouldn’t really affect it’s score in a fair world. But in the interest of honesty, part of the reason why it has such a devoted following is because it’s in a season which contains Expedition to the Unknown. [29]
This is not a knock against the very talented John Lucarotti. All great writers have their stinkers, see Dennis Potter’s Black-Eyes for an example. Nor is it an attempt to critique the effort put into this episode, in particular guest cast member Heron Carvic as Leif Eriksson who is punching above his weight here. Nor do we wish to suggest the regulars aren’t trying their best here…although let us be clear that Phyllida Law looks particularly checked out here.
With all that out of the way….
What in John Inman's name happened here?!
-Doctor Who Magazine: Trial of the Twenty
…..
“Myself and Irene had been talking a lot about me writing for the show again, and quite by chance I mentioned one of my ideas being for a Viking story. She was quite pleased with this and even more so because we could reuse the costumes from the Hastings episode with a few modifications. During the early stages of production, someone said that they could get access to a replica longboat which could be used on the filming on actual open water. It was a done deal, we all made the agreements.
You can imagine our surprise when delivered to the set was a ornately carved model with a wind up key in the middle of the boat.”
John Luccarotti, Scribe’s Tales: Writers of Genre Television, 1992.
…..
After landing in 1002 Greenland, the time travellers are captured by Leif Eriksson and his Vikings. The Doctor needs some plutonic rock to repair the TARDIS, but knows that this can only be found in Newfoundland. He convinces Eriksson to lead an exploration party across the ocean.
After acquiring the necessary minerals, he then takes Eriksson further on to Nova Scotia, where the Viking orders the time travellers to remain to help start a settlement. All the Doctor needs to save the day is a little help from the tides…
-Doctor Who and the Vikings, first published 1970
…..
With grand visions of exiting the studio now dashed, Shubnik had to quickly make do with the usual set and a hastily constructed wooden longboat for close-up shots. This also meant that Lucarotti’s script had to be reconfigured. This was already a problem because what ought to have been a two-parter had been expanded due to the decision to leave those as things of the past. What some critics have labelled the episode’s ‘glacial’’ and ‘repetitive’ pacing is the result of taking the script and having to stretch the original story to breaking point.
But the worst was yet to come…
-Extract from The Book of Who, a Companion Guide to 60 Years of Doctor Who, March 1st, 2023
….
“It was not the most slipshod production I’ve been on, but it was definitely more amateur than I had expected. For the final scene, I have to pull off a magic trick or two to convince the Vikings that I need to leave immediately. I do this close to the figurehead of the ship and what is supposed to happen is that I wave my hands and utter a few words of something or other…and then Bang! There’s a woosh of light and everyone is amazed. Then I move onto the trick with the tides that we had already filmed by that point. It was the last shot, or near the last shot, of the day and I wanted to be done with this script.
The figurehead itself was a reused prop from another ancient series on a similar subject, and in this case we were using a painted backdrop. I have to stay in the camera shot to get the take done so I was boxed in considerably. I say the words and I tap my foot which is the signal for the special effects man to light the fuse, for lack of a better term. What I expect to happen would be the equivalent of a sparkler.
Instead I feel the wood beneath my hand grow hot, I look up to see the entire figurehead go up like a tinderbox and I have just enough time to leap back before this safety hazard hurtles down towards me. Part of it sparks off and hits the backdrop and I have to race off to get out of the way. Julian grabs me and basically helps me towards the fire exit as the smoke lashes outwards. It took about thirty minutes to put the blaze out. Heaven knows what was used in that contraption, I know they told me some of the chemical when they checked me for smoke inhalation. But it was a close thing….”
-Interview with Boris Karloff, February 19th 1968, with a local enthusiast
…..
The Doctor’s star charts have led the TARDIS to a deserted area of space in the earliest moments of time. The planet they land upon has two opposing races who are best summed up as The Light and The Dark. While the Light live in a beautiful and scientifically advanced citadel, the Dark lingers in the outside world. The Doctor and company have to negotiate a particularly confusing war between the two sides as it becomes clear why the charts don’t remember this planet. Both races are about to be consigned to the history books unless they give peace a chance
Doctor Who and The Dark Planet, Novelization, 1983 [30]
…
What Doctor Who has to say about prejudice in this story is…unique to say the least.
Brian Hayles does not appear to be making a specific critique of race in the story. There is a seemingly straightforward narrative about ‘The Light’ as the good race given their white colouring and ‘The Dark’ as the inferior and jealous lesser force. This is not a Hayles exclusive decision here and nor is it one that we can say out and out is racist.
Yet the Dark, represented here by Donald Gray and thankfully avoiding the original suggestion of Blackface, is not a monster without reason. Instead the reason it has been driven to such extremes is due to the pressure placed upon it by the Light, in a conflict that has been going on for so long that neither of them can really remember why it started. Both have skills that operate in fascinating ways and at the end their combination creates a wholly new, significantly interesting development that takes everyone off their guard.
As you can imagine, such an interpretation of prejudice, particularly in the sixties, has a LOT to say about viewpoints at the time.
-A Sofa Of One’s Own: Doctor Who through a Feminist’s Eye, 1999.[31]
…..
AB: I remember this one as being the one I started sinking my teeth into the role. I thought this one was very good.
JG: At first I was panicking. You missed the one with the giant ants and the butterfly people, and so when I got the script and starting reading it—
PL: “Oh hell, not the bloody Web Planet again!” were your exact words.
JG: But I was proven wrong. It also gave me the opportunity to see the great Sir Micheal Hordern in action as Director Teelss here. I remember that he was definitely confused about the whole thing, [32] but to his credit he was very good at acting like he understood the whole thing.
Commentary on The Dark Planet, 2001
…..
“The animation we commissioned here was very primitive stuff by Oliver Postgate, but I think it adds a sort of otherworldliness to the piece. This is an episode where we wanted to give Boris a chance to slow down a bit, catch his breath after the trouble of the prior episodes and this quasi-fairy tale was the perfect chance. We definitely marked Brian Hayles down for future stories afterwards.”
-David Whittaker, interview in 1993 for Doctor Who Magazine
…..
But Season 3 would also feature the debut to Who of what many would consider to be the greatest writer the show ever had. Thanks to an argument with regards to the lost story known as The Ark, a previously rejected script by one Robert Holmes was put into production as a stopgap. The result is one of the few stories to retain genuine acclaim amongst audiences and indeed was later spun off by Holmes into a successful play. This play was entitled ‘The Ark from Space’ when it was first performed, but many know the story by it’s original title….. [33]
-Extract from The Book of Who, a Companion Guide to 60 Years of Doctor Who, March 1st, 2023
…..
THE TRAP...HAS BEEN SPRUNG
The Doctor harrumphed and proudly pulled at his lapels. “You will never defeat Chesterton and McGovern in that manner. They are true homo sapiens, an inventive and, yes, even invincible species to their own minds! They can survive flood, fire and holocaust and now! See them now! They’re indomitable!”
The RSS Morlock crash-landed on a planet while on a mission of exploration. The crash killed three of the crew, damaged the ship and rendered it impossible for them to leave. With the aid of cryogenics, the four survivors left the running of the ship to a pair of robotic Hand-Me-Downs, checking in occasionally to break up the monotony. The Hand-Me-Downs soon discover a solution when the TARDIS crash lands. Knocking out the crew and implanting them with memory blocks, the original survivors emerge to test the amnesiacs to see who can assist them in piloting the ship which is a seven person job. There is a nasty fate for the final person if something is not done….but the survivosr have reckoned without the mettle of the Doctor and friends!
-Doctor Who and the Space Ark, [34] first published in 1980
…..
“There were many trials and tribulations throughout the making of the third season. But there was one script that I felt was particularly unique. It was called The Trap, and in it we were each of us pushed in a different direction than our normal roles. My suspicion was that the sets were a last minute decision, perhaps some of the money that had been redirected elsewhere might have been better spent here. But in any event, there was no worry of anything exploding or coming crashing down. I remember having to play the part of a weaker Doctor Who and being acutely reminded that perhaps I was becoming more like that than I’d like to admit. The joy of it was that at the end the four of us managed to get the triumphant moment where everything worked out alright. I do recall being a little worried about the monsters in that one.”
“The Hand-Me-Downs?”
“Mm! I had forgotten the name but even saying their name brings them back to me. Like those peg-dolls, I recall. As an actor hired for my appearance and my gait, I could recognize the skill of the poor fellows inside. How they walked like they were being pulled by strings, stiff hinged grabbing movements…brr. I met Peter (HAWKINS) and Brigit (FORSYTH) afterwards and I thought their voices were the icing on the cake, as it were. Camberwick Green came on a few months after that, and I was never able to watch that without a little grimace.”
-Interview with Boris Karloff, February 19th 1968, with a local enthusiast
…..
“I remember specifically that Robert paired up each of the characters with someone who could both enhance the new side and bring out the old. We paired Tanya up with Andrew Faulds’s Jackson. This was before he became the Home Secretary of course, [35] which in hindsight was rather a catch. So whereas she developed a cold and clinical outside, she was also very concerned with making sure his long-neglected injuries were seen too. Which led to what I think was the most affecting moment of the serial, being his decision to end his own life to ensure safe passage for the last man left standing. He played it very well, this sharp-tongued man reduced to sentimentality in his last moments.
By contrast you had Peter Dynsley’s Hoskins, a character who seemed jolly and avuncular but gradually revealed a more sinister side as he went along. I was not in the least surprised by Julian’s skill at playing the military man, for I saw him play one in effect. The blustering bully boy he turned into was unnerving enough but I wanted him to have enough of his sense of fair play to creep through. I liked his performance as he slowly started to realize that Hoskins was a darker figure than intended and so his rebellion was always an important moment in the story.
Of all of them, I feel like Ann Bell’s Merrick was the one who got the short end of the stick. She was well acted to be sure but Barbara’s story of questioning the illogical demands offered up by Merrick has always struck me a bit hollow. However, I definitely liked that she wasn’t a passive member of the conspiracy but was in fact it’s more ardent cheerleader. That added some depth to a character who needed it greatly.
I think Boris and Anthony Ainley got on alright off-screen, but I have to say that their acting ability was incredible. For if you judged it solely off their conversations with each other you’d have assumed that Boris had killed Anthony’s beloved cricket team. I remember that in the rewrite, Robert really started emphasizing the back and forth nature of their dialogue. The Doctor and Godwin switching positions as interrogator and victim, sympathies switching back and forth depending on the moment and just as it seems that Godwin’s got the upper hand….”
-David Whittaker, interview in 1993 for Doctor Who Magazine
The four guest stars of The Trap, roughly as they were at the time. Note the calm; not common in this story.….
Perhaps the most notable twist of the First Doctor’s tenure bar his final serial comes in this episode. […]
Throughout the serial, three facts have been established as baseline things to be aware of.
1: The external sensors have been damaged badly during the crash, including the atmosphere outside of the temporary field bubble.
2: As a result of this, none of the four have dared to venture out of the jungle to learn more, with the Hand-Me-Downs unable to traverse due to their dodgem-like need for static electricity.
3: Godwin has refused to use the ACTIVE communications to call for help due to a fear of causing some kind of catastrophe.
At the end of Episode 3, the four travellers have mostly regained their footing and enact a plan to work things out. The Doctor uses what information he has gathered to learn that Barbara can at least venture into the jungle wearing the same spacesuit as Jackson. This is at the beginning of Episode 4, while Ian and Tanya work together to lock the three aggressors into a safe area while they remove Jackson to a safe area. Hoskins goes berserk in a surprisingly violent battle, utilizing his mastery of the gravity controls to trap Ian in place before Tanya hits him across the head with a fire extinguisher. Barbara returns, removes her spacesuit and tells the Doctor and Jackson the truth of the matter. After one final scene where the Doctor sends Godwin round the twist, he chases them through the ship. It’s not clear who gets to the TARDIS in time but Godwin shoots someone in a spacesuit….right as three policemen enter the ship.
Stunned into silence, the three stare down as Jackson removes his helmet and mocks them. “You flea-brained fool….we were never going to go home. Because….we never left…”
The Doctor, in a final act of cruel mercy, broadcasts what Barbara found when she traversed outside. A motorway road sign pointing directly towards London. The last we see of them is the three figures growing increasingly gaunt as the police approach them.
Aside from a final buddy-buddy moment, that’s the last scene of the episode. Quite a stunning reveal and one that guaranteed that Holmes would be returning to the series.
-Transcript of Part 1 of The Twists Explained, uploaded to Youtube on March 2009 [36]
…..
In what would turn out to be his final Who story written as script editor, David Whitaker would produce The Ghost Ship. The story itself deals with the TARDIS landing aboard a brigantine abandoned. Eventually the Doctor discovers that it is the Mary Celeste and that the events that will lead to it’s abandonment are about to unfold. But the crew are trapped in a strange trance-like state and frequently have to be forcibly reminded of the newcomers presence. Matters become worse with the mysterious figure on the raft holding a lantern, ominously beckoning the travellers to enter the water. [37]
-Extract from The Book of Who, a Companion Guide to 60 Years of Doctor Who, March 1st, 2023
…..
“I recall early on in the production that we were running Boris ragged. I think a lot of us were at this point high on our success and so we wanted to go bigger and bolder. What that meant was more action, more moving about, more of the Doctor. We decided that this serial would be a way for him to take a break. Unlike other episodes, The Ghost Ship could be worked out so that Boris could take a break for a week or two. What we didn’t anticipate was the trouble we’d have with our guest star.”
-Irene Shubik, Longleat Convention, 2003
…..
Jack May came back for a physical role this as Benjamin Briggs. He was a fine actor, very easy to work with. We had bigger problems with John Laurie who was on to play the Lanternkeeper. It’s a pity because watching the episode you see this great performer, very threatening in a subtle fashion. I know a lot of people who swore that he was the freakiest villain of the sixties. But I can only see the bitter old man who showed up and would not stop talking rubbish atop the show. “I used to do Shakespeare and now I do this RUBBISH!” was his most frequent complaint. I might be being unduly harsh to him but that’s only because he thought Boris a great joke. Mocking him for being a faint old man made my teeth tense, because he was only ten years older than John at that point and he had no business saying that. I’d like to know how he’d have coped if he’d been caught in that fire!. Probably scream “WE’RE DOOMED!” or something along those lines. I know someone started complaining to a higher up that if you wanted to give him a larger role, then forget about it! [38]
-Extract from Moondust Memories, Julian Glover's Autobiography, published 2022.
John Laurie in costume and method acting as per usual
…..
The Doctor: And what manner of being are you then, hmm? Not human?
The Lanternkeeper laughs, a strange shrill shriek like that of a gull, before settling back to normal.
Lanternkeeper: See what the Lantern has done to me! The one true God has granted me powers beyond my feeble visage, granted me an understanding of the universe and all the souls in it. Can ye here it? Can ye?
The Doctor: What rot! I—
He breaks off and listens closer. His face turns pale and the Lanternkeeper cackles again. Then he reaches up to place the lantern right into the Doctor’s eyes.
Lanternkeeper: Come away with ye. Come down here and we can talk further. Come down here and ye…ye can speak to the one true master of this world. And all the worlds beyond. Come with me, into the water…and I will show you what it is all about.
-Shooting Script of the closing scene for Episode 2 of The Ghost Ship
…..
“In hindsight, I would have made the last serial a lot longer and cut an episode out of this one. For the most part it works just fine, and the actors all do a good job with it. But there’s only so much of the time-loop that you can see before you start yearning for the sweet embrace of death. I did get some complaint about the ambiguity of the ending but I thought that there was little point in pressing it. I liked the idea of keeping the mystery of what happened, just in a different direction.”
-David Whittaker, interview in 1993 for Doctor Who Magazine
….
(Intercut scenes of typewriters being used, scripts being shuffled and drinks being poured) [39]
Whittaker: How about this then? We have one last four-part story before we have to end the series. It’s submitted by a Peter Ling and he’s done a good job on it. It’s all modernist, a little bit John Steed-esque.
Newman: That damned woman will get us over a barrel if it’s too psychedelic. How much acid will the kiddies need to drop to get it?
Whittaker: No more than our usual. No but that’s not the point. You can get away with a lot of things in this script. You could, in theory, do anything you desired and make it stick. We could make the TARDIS a penny-farthing bicycle, turn Ian into a woman….or we could change the Doctor’s face. Now here’s the bit. The villain is a man called the Toymaker and he’s very, very powerful. He can do almost anything if it is within his realm and the Doctor and company are in his realm. He makes our heroes play games to retrieve parts of the TARDIS to bring it back together. But that’s not important. As part of the game, he turns the Doctor into another man. But eventually they win and they get away, and everything goes back to normal except….we keep the new actor. …Listen, you asked me to stick around here so this is what you’ll get.
Shubnik: And as the one who’ll have to worry about these things next series, I have three problems with that admittedly decent idea. First one is simple; whoever we pick to come in will be mauled by the press, by the fans and all likelihood the cast’ll be put out too.
Newman: You had any names in mind for this change? (Takes list) Hmm. Dyall’s not a bad choice. Luckham’s got all the personality of a washer-dryer. Oh, get on your bike, you’d never get Guinness to do science fiction. More chance of Pat Roach winning an Oscar! And…Mole?
Whittaker: Morrell. As in Andre? …You asked me to come up with these names, Sydney!
Shubnik: Point two, on a moral level, throwing Boris out halfway through a story is just wrong. He’s not misbehaved, he’s not acted difficult, he’s not even exhibiting behaviour that is slowing down production. He could in theory chuff along for another five years.
Newman: Three and a bit, maybe. But you’re right, if it got out we were shoving him out haphazardly, it’d be a very nasty situation. Would he sue?
Shubnik: No, he couldn’t. But that isn’t the point; how much of the arguments between Terry and the legal department leaked out to the news? I’ve been keeping up with it and to their credit, they’ve not been nearly as nasty as they could have been. They’ve been playing it as a rather grey situation, both sides having points. Which is not ideal for the specific case BUT it is good for the overall image. Tossing Boris out and not even giving him a proper goodbye is as black and white as it gets. If it comes down to the Doctor vs you, me and David….well, I would not advise someone to waste their money, is all.
Newman: And your third problem?
Shubnik: Contractually speaking, the whole thing is a nightmare. You could get Cyril or Valentine or Andre or, and I understand this would be a hell of a longshot, Alec in to do a two-episode role no problem. But then we’d have to work around their schedule and have them cancel any plans for the near future. And that’s not even getting into the fact that Phyllida is getting the itch to leave like Sara did. Julian would probably wish to stay more likely than not, but if Boris left he’d absolutely be amenable to going out. That leaves us with three departures, two of which will be off-screen. We could just say the Doctor found their home and dumped them off but that would be ridiculous. No, the idea is good in theory but when it comes to execution…
(A Pause)
Whittaker: And it has to continue? The show, I mean. Can’t it just…stop?
Newman: Don’t be naïve, it’s not your strong suit. The BBC has committed a hell of a lot of worth to making sure that we have a hold on the Daleks one way or another. To do that, they need Doctor Who to be alive and kicking in five years. Doctor Who has to live and we have to ensure that it is a healthy, reasonable life. No matter how much of a bitch it is to make. [40]
-Extract from The Adventure in Space and Time, 2013
…..
“Brian had sketched out a rough idea of what The Toymaker was, but a lot of it was quite frankly hard to parse. Peter Ling had been recommended by a writer—I forget who—and was asked to work with him on it. Well, Brian was busy doing The Dark Planet and so Peter did a lot more than ‘work on it’. He practically carved the entire path out. Then Brian came back and added a good deal more jeopardy. He was also instrumental in changing perhaps the most important feature. [41]
We’d always intended to do something similar to our Dalek shoot because we believed that it added an thrilling element to the proceedings. The word was put out and it just so happened that the Battersea funfair was operating at the time we needed. And there was going to be no better story than The Toymaker, so we wrote it in. The agreement was also that Boris and company would stay around and sign some autographs for the kids early in the morning. In some respects, it might even be considered this first Doctor Who convention. [42]
And it was me who suggested reaching out to Vincent Price. Because he was doing a film at the time and I thought “Now here’s a way to get attention!”
-Sydney Newman, 1987 Interview for the Centenary of Karloff documentary
…..
Michael Parkinson: I suppose the silly question to ask is; how do you decide what parts to do? How does someone get—I know you do Doctor Who quite regularly, how does someone get you for that every four weeks or so?
Vincent Price: Oh in that case it was vanity. (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER) Pure simple vanity! The pitch I received was that…I was doing one of the Hammer Horror movies. It was either the Magnificent Doctor Deadly or the Deadly Doctor Magnificent (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER) but whatever film it was, it was a case where I had to be active to an extent as a persona. Whereas with that first serial, the pitch was that I would come in and sit in a comfortable chair and talk to dear Boris. And I could sit however I want. Flip my legs over the side, recline backwards, sit on the actual back with my arms flapping like a bird (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER) whatever I wished. Boris and I had acted in The Raven together and we hadn’t torn each other’s heads off. Peter Cushing was busy, Christopher Lee was above their paygrade and so let’s grab the old ham before he turns sour! (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER)
Parkinson: Was it enjoyable, then?
Price: Yes. Well, they did take the chair away from me after that and I had to get up and do actual work. (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER). But yes, on the whole, very fun. They needed me for a few shots of me in this demented fairground, on the merry-go-round and—I wanted to go on the rolly-coaster [43] but they started raising a fuss. And I was watching it, and I was impressed but also slightly confused. Then I got back and watched it on my TV, blocking out my sections internally, and found it all very amusing and well put together. And I had my agent call up and say that I was happy to do more if they ever asked me. Since then I’ve been coming back more and more to do them, it used to be once per season, but now I get a gap of two years to wet the old appetite. You do get to meet such interesting people. And I get to promote them as well, which is fun. I hope to keep doing them for as long as possible. In fact, if you really want to know a trade secret, I wish they’d asked me to take over from old Boris. There is something quite engaging with it, I never miss an episode when I can find what channel it’s on.
-Michael Parkinson in Conversation with Vincent Price, 1972 [44]
….
“Shit! Why didn’t we think of that?!”
-Rumoured response by Sydney Newman, 1972
Vincent Price, in one of the Toymaker's more modern costumes ….
It’s tempting to just talk about Vincent, Vincent, Vincent. Because let us be clear here, the only canonical reason that we accept a man that fabulous stays in a white formless room is because he has devoured every inch of scenery. From his ornate robes to the mildly inappropriate poking of Karloff’s breast to his occasional fits of Price-like rage, he is an incredible way to establish the Doctor’s race as not just heroes or fools.
But let us also highlight the other actors in this and give them the proper praise.
-Dennis Waterman as the Artful Dodger (Supposedly Newman practically hit Hayles’s hand with a ruler at the suggestion of Billy Bunter). While a point of embarrassment for him in later years, Waterman’s darkly comic acting as the malicious Artful Dodger adds to the stories menace. His joy at seeing the two opposing sides get hurt by his various traps, his tantrums whenever a victory is upheld, the many costumes he puts on to oversee matters.
And of course, there is the opposing team trying to assemble the TARDIS to remove themselves from the long torture of the Toymaker.
-King and Queen, as played by Alister Williamson and Noel Dyson, might not understand the concept of the setting but the characters sing as a result. Their fake lovey-dovey routine is amplified by Queen’s constant putdowns and desperate attempts to swoon into her (reluctant) lover’s arms, while King’s pouts and bursts of passionate outrage create an unusually threatening comedic figure.
-Donald Hewlett’s bewilderment is funny but there is something rather tragic about the (in modern terms) cougar-hunter Ace. Particularly seeing as he is usually seen with a stricken expression on his face.
-Barbara Shelley briefly breaks out of her role as scream queen in portraying Jack, a quietly competent woman clearly on the verge of total catatonia. Amongst the four opposing players, her intelligence and efforts to remain compassionate mark her as classic ‘Could Have Been Companion’ material, before that was even a term.
-Who's That: Unsung Heroes of Doctor Who, by Norman Anderson, 2013
…..
Barbara: Doctor!
Doctor: Miss McGovern, Tanya…and Chesterton! You’ve made it!
King: No…No, listen to me. Best two out of three.
Artful Dodger: Best-two-out-of-three, pops! Aw, are you going to cry? Look Mummy, Daddy’s going to cry his little wooden heart art!
Queen: Do what you want to him, but leave me and Ace alone!
King: Darling!
Jack: (With an effort, to Tanya) Well done. It was…fair play. Congratulations. I hope you find your way—
Artful Dodger: Yeuck! This is soooooo boring! She’s supposed to be the sweet Gramma, Jack. You should be whining and stamping your feet like—
Jack: Like you?
Artful Dodger: RAH! (Grabs at Jack and throws her to the floor. She hits it…as a wooden dollie. He stamps on her again and again until she shatters) I hate you! I HATE YOU HATE YOU HATE YOU HATE YOU HATE—
Toymaker: (To the Doctor) You know, the one thing I detest more than a sore loser is a sore winner. You three may go.
King: You’re letting us leave?
Toymaker: (shrugs) In a manner of speaking. (He waves his hand and all three fall to the ground, turning into the same dolls) Dodger!
(The Dodger stops and looks back)
Artful Dodger: Ah heh, what a lot of…a lot of daftheads. All wooden in the brain, eh? What now, boss? What can I do to those three? I want to—(He starts to choke)
Toymaker: You know, only I get to decide what toys I’m fed up with. What toys get to stop. What ones ought to be broken. (A shift in perspective. A gigantic Toymaker reaches down and plucks a model of the Dodger up in his hands. We hear faint cries, then the Toymaker waves his hand, the cries stop….then he releases it and down falls a small amount of sand)
Doctor: Do you really feel no regret at all?
Toymaker: Only that the game is about to end. Now! Your final move, if you please!
Shooting script for the Toymaker, Episode 4
…..
"Was he like you?"
The Doctor fixed Ian with a hard glare. "Certainly not! The man was a dullard and I have the wit of a--"
Ian quickly interrupted, not wanting this argument to spring up again. “Do you have that kind of power?”
The Doctor shook his head quietly. “No. I hope I never do. But change is a curious thing. And it happens just when you least expect it. But that is for later. Another time and another place. Every time and every place.”
The Toymaker, first novelized in 1993.
….
Season 3 (45 Episodes) consists of:
The Cybermen (5 Parts)
The Haunted Lake (3 Parts)
Conquest of the Daleks (6 Parts)
The Fields of Culloden (4 Parts
The Inheritors of Dust (4 Parts)
Expedition to the Unknown (4 Parts)
The Dark Planet (6 Parts)
The Trap (4 Parts)
The Ghost Ship (5 Parts)
The Toymaker (4 Parts)
-Early listing in 1981 for missing episode hunters, sans annotations.
…..
“Irene and Sydney took me out for lunch. And by that point I think I already knew. I was feeling awfully tired, you know. Not like it is now, now I feel fit as a fiddle despite what they say. But doing consistent television is a lot different from doing films, it’s more draining. They were very decent with me and Sydney in particular I thought showed remarkable restraint in the matter. And so we talked…”
-Interview with Boris Karloff, February 19th 1968, with a local enthusiast
….
“And then out of the blue…out of the very blue…”
-Irene Shubik, Longleat Convention, 2003
….
Karloff: I suppose you want me for another series perhaps? To wrap things up?
Shubnik: Be honest, Boris, do you have another series in you?
(A long pause. Boris focuses on his food. At last, with a sigh)
Karloff: No. Probably not a full series. Not at the level that you’re currently working on. Though I’m happy to do any promotions that you require of me. I know someone was talking about American airtime, and I have some friends over there who may be able to help—
Newman: Of course, and we appreciate that. Are you disappointed?
Karloff: It has been tremendous fun. And I will not lie to you and say that I am not sad. I have really enjoyed being Doctor Who, you know. Like Father Christmas all over again, only this time it has been every day. But so many people are Father Christmas, aren’t they? Once I’m gone, the hospitals will find someone else to play the role and he’ll do marvellously, I’m sure…How are you planning on doing it?
(Irene and Sydney look at each other)
Shubnik: We’ve been…working that out.
Karloff: Hmm. It’ll be complicated for me to explain no doubt. Unless you’ve got some other poor soul to bumble his way through the exposition.
(Pause)
Karloff: I suppose you can’t just make me young again?
Newman: Hell, Boris, if you’ve been holding some fountain of youth out on us, that would explain a lot—
Karloff: No, you mistake me. Doctor Who. (A pause, neither of them get it) Let me make the assumption that I have some understanding of your side of the camera. What you have is a problem of image. You cannot merely substitute in someone of a similar age to me. People will notice that I am not there anymore, the children will twig that this isn’t the real Doctor Who, that you’re taking them for fools and that will make life difficult for the poor fellow. Am I correct?
Newman: A little less altruistic, perhaps. But yes, more or less.
Karloff: But you also can’t make the switch a casual thing either, because people do not like the idea of losing someone so quickly in such a fashion. My replacement will be forever known as the man who ripped Doctor Who away from al of his fans and shouted “Mine now!” like it would matter. Right?
Shubnik: Right.
Karloff: Thus far I’ve been operating on the belief that Doctor Who is an alien. Or perhaps he has some kind of magic. But either way, not a normal human being. Let us say that I come back for a final story. One last story at the beginning of the season. At the end of it, I get mortally wounded by some kind of weapon. But I can save myself, the only problem is that it will require me to undergo a startling metamorphosis. Of course, I will say that I will still be the same man and that we may meet again as we are now. But instead, I am renewing myself in a desperate bid to ensure my safety. [45] Returning to a point in my life where my body was stronger, more capable, healthier and of course…younger. So the children watching at home might think that one day…I could come back. Yes, I could come back. But until then, no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. They could go forward in all their beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine; [46] that this is the right time for me to leave. And by the time they work out that I won’t…who knows? Perhaps this new fella will be up their street.
(There is a long silence. Boris chuckles softly)
Karloff: I will get the bill, shall I? (He gets up and moves across with his wallet out.
After a moment, Sydney looks at Irene. Irene looks at Sydney, nods and reveals her notebook with a rough transcript of Boris’s idea. There is a single space open and Sydney picks up the pen to sign his name at the bottom.)
-Extract from The Adventure in Space and Time, 2013
-
[2]: Yep! Couldn't very well butterfly these two away, not least because it makes sense here to get him onboard early. They won't be assuming control of the series just yet however.
[3] Will Doomwatch survive to see another day? Stay tuned!
[4]: A subtle hint that the Mondasian Cybermen design of OTL might not be gone as quickly here.
[5] Trying to replicate unique speech patterns and tones is quite fun, all things considered.
[6] I might have butteflied Mr Craze's marriage here by accident, in which case I'm sorry!
[7] The big change that I've been building up to! I had the idea to link Luxor and the Cybermen together for some time now. It also does away with references to the Tenth Planet which may dilute some of the power of Pedler's original message but the gist of it gets across all right.
[8] I tried my best to avoid cribbing too much from the end speech of Invasion of Earth, not least because I feel it would be too predictable to be so exactly the same. I am rather proud of it, in my own way.
[9] Very much a case here of me having to remind myself of the differences per my timeline and OTL. At this point in OTL, Susan has kind of set the template for screaming and shouting companions and so Vicki seems a lot more bold by comparison. Contrast here where Suzanne is more alien and reserved, so we have to go in the other direction.
[10] A legitimately fascinating individual whom I am genuinely surprised was never snatched up for a part in Doctor Who at some point in the sixties to seventies. Well worth reading up on her, she's more than just her role in The Champions.
[11] You may picture the meme if you wish. Know that there is a worse one coming up soon.
[12] In case you were wondering, yes we have gone to the Haunting of Vila Diodati some fifty years earlier. I think it's the kind of thing sixties Who might attempt, and probably in the form of a comedy. I'm thinking in terms of tone more the Christmas episode of Dalek Master Plan, if you take my meaning.
[13] Based off an OTL rejected script from Cotton called the Herdsmen of Aquarius which I have yet to find proper information regarding. So I've had to improvise heavily here, hence my making them a bit rubbish.
[14] Another big damn deviation from the norm. This will not affect the Pink Panther character as such, given that the short films were already in production and given that no one remembers the Clouseau sandwiched between Sellers's take on the role, it's clear he'll persist. But it's a permanent end to the element that drew audiences back to see the film series. And there are more butterflies to flap later on down the line. I've based the incident on an event that happened later in the year, where he only had eight heart attacks and survived. I imagine that with his pride directly wounded as opposed to OTL's death by a thousand cuts which it seems to have been, Sellers would make a mistake here. I was really bloody tempted to reference the Katy Manning pose with the Dalek only to swap her out for Britt but that felt dark even for this story's standards.
[15] I am unironically quite proud of that one.
[16] Your mileage may vary on the effectiveness of this dumb reference. If any of you wish to throw tomatoes at the author now is the time.
[17] We have bits and pieces here of what would be OTL Dalek-stories all sort of meshed into one thing here, with a bigger focus on the Thals gradual return to more war-like methods. It's a small thing that I've never seen well addressed in much Who media. Which is insane given how much evil gets linked to the Doctor's actions in the Classic series.
[18] Lingering resentment over this story in particular leaves us in a similar position to OTL's Power and Evil of the Daleks, though whether John Peel is the author of this novel I'm not entirely sure yet.
[19] Something that hit me as I planned out what the last Dalek story was going to be was that, given the state of matters, it could probably be read as a allegory for certain world events. Both in and out of universe, this really was just an attempt to write a pulpy story with a few ideas above it's station, but I threw this in here as a reminder that people can and will read into those kinds of stories.
[20] The more I wrote down for this, the more my original plan of a dark Massacre at St Bathometer's masterpiece changed into a pale imitation of a far better production. Still good but heavily flawed.
[21] I knew early on that I wanted to do a version of Culloden for the first season as a way to avoid simply retelling the same stories with different actors. The fact that a similar period had also been covered in The Highlanders only occurred to me once I started looking up writers. Jamie's death here is the first sharp removal of a character from the story entirely (Tanya might not be Tanni/Vicki, but she takes up much of her role in the overall scheme of things) and thus we're not going to be following the script entirely. Also, he's played by Fake Jamie from the Mind Robber which I am somewhat proud of.
[22] Yeah, while I will be emphasizing the dramatic aspects more, it's still Who at the end of the day and we need to move onto the next adventure. Sorry Jamie!
[23] Included because I thought you'd get a kick out of it and because there is shockingly little good Western appropriate attire for Karloff past the 30s.
[24] Actual character and actual fate, thought it was too cool not to include.
[25] Included the disputed part because, even despite the suspension of disbelief, I don't think I got the voice of Pemberton down right. The basics are there and accurate, it's more the tone of the writing.
[26] Spoilers, spoilers everywhere, and nary a drop to drink!
[27] Think OTL's Fury of the Deep infamous reveal.
[28] Which given that he has emphysema at this time? Yeah, makes a lot of sense.
[29] Based off an OTL Lost Story which might be a genuinely great piece of fiction but from the description sounds like....the opposite. No offence meant to Lucarrotti, great writer and I love that he sought a connection with Who for the rest of his life. Just not a great script is all.
[30] I highly recommend, if you are able, shelling out a bit of cash to buy The Dark Planet adaptation that Big Finish did. It genuinely feels like a sixties story come to life and the fact that such a visual story exists in the medium of sound only is a tragedy.
[31] Which is a reference to the fact that it's definitely a story worth dissecting on the front of what it says about prejudice and hate. I'm not sure if it's presient or good for t's time, and I'm sure had it been made there might have been some hideous attempt at blackface but again, listen and make your own minds up!
[32] Hordern didn't understand what Lord of the Rings's deal was when he did the excellent radio drama. I'm pretty sure Who would have baffled him immensely.
[33] The story was a original submitted by Hplmes for the First Doctor and one that I would dearly like to get my hands on at some point. In the absence of information, I've had to take a stab in the dark at it myself. Hence the lack of any speech here because I can't replicate Holmes's style as we know it, or what it might have been in the sixties.
[34] Given the subject matter....yes, I think we can safely say that the Ark in Space, as we know it, has been butterflied away. Though some elements will be peeking their way through....
[35] A hint of things to come. Quite literally, as we'll be finishing up Karloff's last story and then we'll be moving onto a brief discussion of the political landscape of the sixties moving onwards.
[36] Very Twilight Zone-esque twist but I think it suits the themes of the story.
[37] If you're curious, the final twist sees all ten onboard the ship leap into a 'time eddy' which the Doctor notes could either transport them somewhere safe or disperse them into tiny monecules across the stars. Either way, while the mystery of the ship has been solved, the mystery of the passengers is another matter....
[38] Laurie was known as, pardon my French, a cantankerous old bugger who had a habit of being a bit of a bully to those older than himself. Stories abound of his dislike of Arnold Ridley not just being something the Dad's Army crew cooked up out of nowhere. Here it's definitely prominent and it's possible that this might have some consequences down the line for the show itself.
[39] The entire scene, as it is shown in the documentary, is based off a similar one done in the 'docu-drama' Curse of Steptoe. In that, the two writers discuss back and forth the writing in of a new character to replace Wilfred Brambell's 'Steptoe' to assist Harry H Corbett's 'Son' via the medium of a funeral for the old man. Now, t's a load of tosh is the docu-drama. But it's well made, well acted and well produced tosh, and the interplay of the discussion and the writing has always struck me as very invocative.
[40] I've been struggling for the longest time to square out the 'how' Doctor Who will keep running. A big difference here is that Karloff is merely something from physical ailments as a result of the TV show, as opposed to Hartnell being physically and mentally worn down. So this is my excuse for why the show doesn't just stop when Karloff packs it in. Too much time and effort has been thrown into it, so Who must continue!
[41] The result is that this story bears little actual resemblance to the OTL, given that Donald Cotton heavily rewrote Hayles's original ideas. The result IITL resembles something a little bit like the Mind Robber, but with a more prominent antagonistic figure.
[42] Benefits of a bigger budget as a result of Karloff's participation. Something to keep in mind as the sixties starts trucking along and changes happen, this won't be staying the same forever!
[43] Based off the delightful America Screams documentary he did! Worth a watch if have the time.
[44] I think of all my writings, this one was the one that was both A: Incredibly fun to do, and B: Captured the essence of the speaker. I heavily recommend searching up the Parkinson interview, Vincent is such a charmer!
[45] And here it is! The first hint of what WE call regeneration, here pitched in a manner that is going to make it very contentious going forward for fans.
[46] Once I started writing it, I couldn't help myself! A lot of indulgence this chapter to get through something of a slog.
[47] Next time we will be focusing our efforts entirely upon Karloff's last stand AND the arrival of the Second Doctor. Hope to see you there!
To do this, it was decided that a scientific advisor was necessary for some unique ideas. The obvious choice was Kit Pedler, a man who could not only offer up ideas and correct mistakes but also had some skill at writing stories. Kit Pedler was given a paid role as consultant based entirely off his first meeting with Irene and one of his first ideas was agreed to be good enough for the upcoming season.
Working alongside newcomer Gerry Davis, [2] Pedler was instructed to create a five part serial introducing his new threats. He was also, mercifully as he recalled later, informed that he would be writing out the character of Suzanne from the series in the process. He later wrote that this made him reconsider certain aspects of where it would be set and when. For example, the eventual date of three-thousand and ninety-one was chosen to avoid comparisons to the Dalek story after the original date of 1986 was rejected. The result was a script that was seen as Good to Very Good by the production staff and Pedler settled into the role he would occupy right up until 1969.
-Extract from The Book of Who, a Companion Guide to 60 Years of Doctor Who, March 1st, 2023
The Dynamic Dup, seen here ensconced in serious business [3]
I think the idea, concept and execution is very well done. I think where we need to make some changes for future appearances is ensuring that we do not have more of a palaver than is necessary. I concede your point with regards to the humanity of the creatures is their most unnerving feature, however I believe we can compromise here. I agree with regards to the chest-unit, reduction is not only scientifically accurate but also convenient for us and the poor actors as well! Likewise for the light at the top, making it something akin to a very small flashlight perhaps would be worthwhile. Perhaps an odd request but when we were working on the robots for Robert’s story, I noticed a rather unusual effect. Having left a section of the helmet unpainted, we noticed we could see the mouth of the actor speaking as he delivered his lines. We fixed it naturally, but if we had to go the mechanical route for them next time, perhaps a similar affectation could be produced?
-Memo from David Whitaker to Irene Shubnik, dated 13/10/1965 [4]
…..
“You listen to me, you blasted—!”
But Cutler did not get to finish his sentence. With a loud and grinding crash, the doors to the cafeteria were forced open. Barbara fought back a scream, Benoit swore in his wn language, even the Doctor seemed for a moment utterly shocked by what stood before them.
It must have been…well, it had to be a man, didn’t it? If she looked closely she could see that the shape was that of a man. The fingers on the hand were those of a man. The skin was…almost like a man. But he seemed as alien to them as might a Dalek in that moment. His body was covered in a glittering mass of metal, shining out in the wan light and nearly blinding them. Upon his chest was what seemed to be a great mechanical computerized unit of some sort. And yes, though his skin was like that of a man’s, it was as though it had been surgically reattached. Veins of blue stood out in ways that veins really ought not to, pumping what must have been blood back and forth. And his face….
His face was covered with bindings. Atop his head was what at first glance seemed to be a pair of horns circling around to link to a great beacon of light. His eyes were empty sockets, his mouth an open zip. He did not breathe, he did not sway, he did not do…anything.
“This-is Moon-Base One,” he said, and his voice was practically song like. “You-are, not wel-come-here. Why-have you-come here? Do-not lie-to-us.”
“What the hell are you!?” Pearson was angry now and moved across. The Doctor cried out for him to stop but his gun was already in his hand and he—
-was caught. Abruptly. The creature lifted him up and squeezed tight. The gun clattered to the floor and with a great cry, Pearson was hurled across the room and into the wall. He stared upwards, eyes unseeing as the creature turned back to the others and answered his question.
“We-are the-Cybermen. Do-not be-afraid. We will make you LIKE US.” [5]
-Doctor Who and the Cybermen, first novelized 1978
The Cybermen, caught in the middle of the Atmospheric Generator that will spell their doom
“We cast quite a few decent actors in the mix. Michael Craze [6] in particular was very good and I think if he had been acting a few years ago we might have cast him as Ian given the chance. I thought Robert Beatty as Cutler was a little miscast and if I would do it again perhaps I would give that bigger role to Earl Cameron or Bruce Boa. But yes, no regrets for the most part.
I think the decision to make the Cybermen have a connection to the past episodes was a David Whittaker idea. He thought that as we were going to have a Dalek shortage soon it would be best to have a link to the show’s past. So Mondas was out and the rest was history. It was Sara who actually suggested we just use a piece of set from the last episode to bring it up naturally. I know a lot of people said that she was a nuisance on set in that last episode but I think she was just desperate to get on to the next thing.”
-Verity Lambert, Interview at Longleat 1993
….
“Feelings? I-do-not understand that-word.”
The Doctor bristled. “Emotions! Love, pride, hate, fear! Have you no feelings, sir?”
The Cyber-Leader did not respond to this. “Come-home with-us and you will-be free of emotions. But-first, I-would ask why your-friend has-this in her po-ssess-ion.” He gestured to the small jewelled trinket on the counter. Barbara tilted her head to the side. Was it a weakness perhaps? Did these Cybermen fear gold in some way?
“Why? Why do you care?” The Doctor looked smug for a moment. “Do you perhaps feel curious?”
The bait was not taken. “It-is incompatible with-the rest of these surroundings. It-bears-a remarkable resemblance to a-relic from our world of Luxor.” [7]
Barbara gasped. They had been to Luxor, long ago. “B-But the people there were gone! Are you…Are you servants of the Perfect One?”
The Doctor shook his head. “Barbara, these are not robots, pure machines of flesh and blood. Once they were like you, quite like you indeed. I suspect that the Perfect One was derelict as to the extent of their meddling with mechanical matters before his emergence. No doubt his ascension to power only hastened the mutation of these poor fools. Would it help at all if we told you that we have seen that the Perfect One is no more?”
The Cyber-Leader tilted his head. “Why-should it matter at-all? You-will be-freed from the-chains of e-motion and illogical attitudes, as-will humanity once-their moonbase gives-them the all-clear to return home.”
-Doctor Who and the Cybermen, first novelized 1978
….
The Cybermen (Originally the Tenth Planet before rewrites removed that aspect) was well received at the time, though many moral guardians lashed out at what they deemed to be a considerable effort to frighten children. The children in question did not care and happily added the Luxorian cyborgs to their long list of playtime roles. More shocking was the departure of Suzanne, the very first one of it’s kind.
-'Season 3', Tardi's TARDIS Reviews, 2017
…..
SK: With the benefit of hindsight, I am very glad they didn’t kill me off like I asked.
JG: Oh, I never knew that. Was that the reason you were so—
SK: I was having a rough time of it on set. Shockingly, despite all the stories you might have heard, I was going to miss Boris and Phyllida and everyone else—
JG: Very charming, I’m sure.
SK: But I wanted a clean break and I had the feeling that if I didn’t get a permanent ending then I might be dragged back into it. But you never really do get that with Doctor Who, I suppose. Despite it all, once I had finished my last scene with Boris, I did go off to a room and have a good cry over it. After party down the pub was decent too, though I think we were all exhausted by the end of it.
Commentary on the Cybermen, 2003
…..
Suzanne: Grandfather, I have something to tell you. Ian and Barbara already know, I think, but--
The Doctor waves her off as he fumbles with the key. After a moment she steels herself to say it.
Suzanne: I think I should stay here.
Pause. The Doctor stands very still against the door of the TARDIS. Suzanne seems to hesitate and then continues.
Suzanne: I think that when the people of Earth come back here, they’re going to need a little help to readjust to the world around them. I know you need me too, but—
The Doctor gets the door open, turns around and smiles proudly at her. He stumbles over his words for a moment before holding his hands out. She takes them gratefully and he locks eyes with her.
Doctor: You know, I have often wondered if staying with me has not been the worst decision of your life. (Over her protestations) Now, now, don’t fuss an old man so! You have been the greater help to me than I to you, but your future lies elsewhere. I have always known it, though I…I have not wished to admit it as such. You are more than capable of setting your mind to anything you so desire, and as long as you remember all that you have seen, I have no doubt you will triumph in your endeavours. Chesterton and Mrs MacGovern show what the best of humanity can be capable of. Remind them of it.
He leans forward and presses his head onto hers. She lets out a shaky sigh and with a great deal of effort, pulls away.
Suzanne: You should go, before I change my mind.
Doctor: Perhaps one day, we may meet again and see what you have made of the world. But even if we do not…Never forget, my child, that somewhere in the fourth dimension your grandfather will be wandering. And he will never stop thinking of you. Goodbye Suzanne.
Suzanne: Goodbye Grandfather.
And with that, the Doctor steps inside with a herculean effort. He does not look back as the doors close and he steps up to the console. Ian and Barbara are both there, and the latter holds the former from going to the old man. The Doctor inputs the launch sequence and watches on the monitor as the figure of Suzanne, proud and defiant, flickers…and then fades away.
-Shooting script for The Cybermen, Episode 5 [8]
….
David Whittaker was preparing to leave his role as Script Editor when the news came down regarding Suzanne’s departure. As such, he agreed to remain in the position for a final season to ensure that the show would be in steady hands. He also began the work of drafting a replacement for the remaining serials. “The problem,” he indicated in a meeting with Verity, “is that we cannot just make her Suzanne Part Deux without drawing the ire of those watching. So I think we will have to go in the opposite direction with her.” [9]
As a result, Donald Cotton received a brief early on with regards to the new character of Tanya. She was to be introduced not as a future human (Remember, this was back before things had been finalized) but rather a figure right from out of the past who would become the point of view character for many children in the audience. She would be bubbly, socially outgoing and more vulnerable than Suzanne was. But not, MIND not just a dumb damsel in distress as per the description. “People liked Suzanne, and though we may not understand it, making the character helpless will do nothing for the actress we cast nor for the show at large.”
Many actresses would audition for the role, including the Mrs Peel who could have been Elizabeth Shepherd. But the one who won out was the relatively unknown Alexandra Bastedo….” [10]
-Extract from The Book of Who, a Companion Guide to 60 Years of Doctor Who, March 1st, 2023
The first newcomer, circa the time of her audition
“I was still very much finding my feet when it came to acting. I had plans to audition for one of the Bonds, and when that fell through my agent suggested that I go and audition for the role. I had seen a few episodes of Doctor Who before and thought it fun indeed. I was lucky enough to be there when the producers had brought Boris in to assist. I am not entirely sure what it was that swayed them in the end but I like to think that Boris took a shine to me. And I said that I was happy to take part, except that I had no idea about anything with regards to science fiction. They said that this was fine, hardly anyone on the staff did either.”
-Alexandra Bastedo, Where and Who Are They Now? 2003
….
“This place is remarkable, my child, very remark—” The Doctor paused suddenly and winced. He wiped his brow and glanced at Tanya. “My apologies, madam, I-I thought for a moment you were someone else.”
“I do not mind. You should hear what some of the others call me.” She smiled winningly, a literal open book. The Doctor tutted and patted her on the shoulder, then walked besides her in silence as they stared at the lake.
“Do you like to travel?” He said at last.
“Very much so. But it is hard to find someone to travel with. I cannot do it alone, the fun of it is sharing all that you see. Don’t you find?”
“Hm? What? Yes, I suppose so. I did not think it so once and yet…” He broke off and smiled at the sight of Ian and Barbara waving. “Well, there are my friends. You are more than welcome to come along and meet them. They are quite civilized, though Chesterton has an odd way of showing it sometimes, hmph!”
-Doctor Who and the Haunted Lake, first novelized 1982
….
“Naturally, I don’t think they could let the chance slip by without some acknowledgement of Boris in the role that made him what he is. Irene said she regretted the Doctor biting his tongue and grunting like the Monster but I thought it was hysterical. I don’t know what he thought of it, except for when we were both on the slabs and he turned to me to ask if this was my first time!” [11]
-Julian Glover, at Comic-Con 2018
…..
“Verity was staying around until after we finished off the Dalek story and then leaving us to get on with it. When Donald turned in the story about Shelley and Byron, she insisted that we cast Jacqueline Hill as Mary Shelley. Which we were fine with, she was a very good actress, but given that she was a little older than the person I did think it was noticeable. We were very lucky in getting Bernie (Horsfall) and Barrie (Inghram) in for Byron and Percy respectively, they matched the mood well. When the focus was on them and their interactions with the TARDIS crew, I thought it worked fine.
Where I think the piece falls down a little is in the execution of the villains…” [12]
-David Whittaker, interview in 1993 for Doctor Who Magazine
…
The Herdsmen are a race of beings who are so significantly advanced that they consider themselves beyond hard work. Therefore, their purpose is to tame and transform other races into basically being their cattle and doing the work for them. So far, so good. Where it al falls apart is the execution. The Zarbi are a case of hitting the bounds of the time but doing the best with what you’ve got; the Herdsmen are what happen when you make like Wile E Coyote and smash your head straight into the wall. [13]
The Lead Herdsmen is played by John Stone, a relatively decent Welsh actor little-known now except ironically enough for this performance. To mark the ‘alien’ nature of this, he is given a rather significant amount of makeup which in theory is supposed to make his forehead look very scarred and rugged. In reality it looks like someone has spilt ink all over a piece of latex. In addition to this, all three of the Herdsmen were required to wear bright white contact lenses. These are somewhat effective, until you realize two things. One, the appearance of the Herdsmen is therefore less ‘unknowable alien’ and more ‘hyper-realistic anime character’. Two, only John Stone can actually see where he is going in a given scene and thus must guide the others around. The result, therefore, is less menacing advanced alien and more bewildered ducklings.
-Cloister Hell’s Review of The Haunted Lake, 06/10/12
…..
"I did at the time feel as though I had entered into a secret society of sorts. Boris and Julian and Phyllida were very kind and welcoming but they were the established hands. And I was….well, I was just by myself a little more than I expected. I held no grudge against them and the more it went on, the more we did start to work well together. But I got the sense that Phyllida at least was beginning to consider making her own exit. I was also informed by a kindly Julian that I was going to be thrown in at the deep end with my next story."
-Alexandra Bastedo, Where and Who Are They Now? 2003
….
While no one would ever admit it, perhaps there was a belief in the Corporation at the time that tossing the Daleks over to the states wasn’t so bad. Not just because of Terry Nation, but because one particularly irritating little paper had started running a half-joke story in the paper.
What aggravated them was that the other half was the truth.
Due to the insane rush in Dalekmania, the BBC had decided in early February to demonstrate three of the Dalek props used to the public. It had been a small event in planning, at least in theory. The crowds ballooned upwards and many crowded around, which caused a minor traffic jam. Caught up in that traffic jam was the JUST MARRIED couple of Peter Sellers and Britt Ekland, having met ten days ago in the filming for the Guns at Batasi. They had been caught up in the traffic jam and the stalemate between himself and an equally indignant motorist led down a very dark road. It had triggered Seller’s paranoia and insecurity which he compensated for when they at last got to his honeymoon suite.
Britt Eklund had been coaxed into giving the interview after so long with the promise of a lucrative payout. Money she wasn’t going to be getting considering the amount of family members Sellers had that were vying for a piece of the pie. She reported that Sellers, ranting in paranoid fashion about the goddamn Daleks being a cover for Blake Edwards, sought the ‘ultimate orgasm’. He did so by inhaling poppers. A significant amount of poppers.
Eleven heart-attacks worth, as it turned out. [14]
The argument over whether or not Sellers was killed via the heart attack or the crash of his head hitting the bedside cabinet has been debated with considerable interest. Much worse came when, thanks to overzealous attitudes with relation to scandals in the government, Eklund was temporarily held under questioning for murder. But that is a story for another day. Blake Edwards was perhaps unsurprisingly less than sympathetic. Given that A Shot in the Dark had only recently finished filming and in fact would gain a significant boost from Sellers quite literally popping his clogs, it’s understandable why.
DALEKS EXTERMINATED SELLERS! proclaimed the paper. ESTABLISHMENT SCREWS GOON ONE LAST TIME. [15]
Not the kind of publicity one would want for.
-Cor Blimey! A One-Hundred Year History of Sex, Scandal and Sleaze in the Beeb, 2023
"ISN'T THERE SOME-ONE YOU FOR-GOT TO ASK?" [16] The Threesome that Shocked a Nation
……..
A long time ago, four travellers crashed in the middle of a skirmish between the Daleks and the Thals. They taught the Thals how to fight, taught the Daleks how to fear and taught themselves to trust each other.
Now, a group of Thals have launched an invasion of the planet Keirda; in order to protect them from the terrors of free will. Accompanying them is a mysterious advisor that their general is fascinated with. Plugged inside he has prepared the Thals to take the planet, the species and the mysterious Varga plants for themselves.
So it’s quite a surprise when the Doctor and his friends turn up. While Barbara and Ian have to help the locals and Tanya is taken captive by the Thals, the One-Eyed Advisor demands the presence of the Doctor.
After all, he saw the end of the Daleks. It's only right that he see their return to glory. [17]
-The Conquest of the Daleks, A Novelization, first published 2003 [18]
….
The mood of Conquest of the Daleks is simply put: Salt the earth.
The only thing that Nation created that he could not realistically use were the Varga plants and the Keirdans. The latter of which was never going to be used again and the former could be recycled into any number of original creatures.
The Daleks are reduced to an optical illusion (meant to simulate a hanger underneath the varga-covered lake containing millions) and one singular active creature. The Dalek himself is a bitter creation trying to hide his manipulative anger over helpful hints and jingoistic soundbites. The Thals meanwhile are reduced to becoming an increasingly war-like species. The Doctor’s involvement in the events from the first serial is deconstructed here as the results of what he has done echo out. While Nation is quick to assure that this is only one splinter group of Thals, he does note that the conquest-hungry Thals could be the start of a pandemic of violence sweeping the planet. The metaphor for what the Beeb and Nation did when creating the Daleks is…rather hard to ignore.
While Peter Hawkins’s portrayal of the Lone Dalek is very good, the human cast is…mixed. Gordon Jackson’s role as the fanatical Colonel Presh compliments the Dalek perfectly, especially with the reveal that he was the child of one of the Thals who never made it back from the city. The two of them sinking to the bottom of the churning lake is a perfectly ironic twist. Ambrose Coghill is not the worst actor in the First Doctor era but his clear lack of understanding as to what the hell he’s saying in his role as the Keirdan speaker Nur-Ek. While his death in Episode 4 is sad, it’s clearly not as sad as Nation thought it would be and in fact feels a little recycled. In-between these two are Freda Jackson (no relation) as Doctor Galleen. She shines in the scenes with Karloff and Law but struggles when she has to convey the science-fiction aspects of the story.
All in all, if this was to be the final Dalek story in Doctor Who, it would be clear it was a spiteful if somewhat futile last stand.
-Tic-Toc-Oho’s Blog: Conquest of the Daleks Review
…..
"What Conquest of the Daleks Tells Us About Palestine Oppression"
"Why Conquest of the Daleks is The Most Pro-Israel Who Story"
"No Guys, Conquest of the Daleks Isn’t About the Jewish-Arab Conflict"
-A collection of articles written on PaladinPlatform, circa 2012 [19]
…..
Barbara: They're gone, aren't they?
Doctor: Mmm. The last Daleks in the universe, torn through that wormhole into the cold void where time has not yet begun. Yes, they are gone. But the evil that they may do, the conquest that goes on for their ideals....that will never fully go away. Yet that is all the more reason to resist the urge to the easy solution. Thals! Return home and make sure that your people know. Both of your folly and your heroism, for only that way can a true, lasting understanding of the universe and your place in it be understood.
-Shooting script for the final scene of Conquest of the Daleks, Episode 6
.....
Landing in the midst of a green and pleasant field, the Doctor and his friends are shocked to discover that they are in the midst of a war. With a mudslide temporarily burying the TARDIS and splitting the team up, all things go to chaos. With Tanya now falling for the young fanatic Jamie MacCrimmon and Ian being press-ganged into serving the opposing Georgian cause, only the Doctor and Barbara can stop things from going wrong. For blood is about to be spilled and there is little they can do to stop the wheels of history from rolling on….
The Fields of Culloden, first novelized in 1989
…..
“We recruited Elwyn Jones to write The Fields of Culloden based entirely off Peter Watkin’s excellent drama simply titled Culloden. If the name sounds familiar it’s probably from The War Game which released in 1969 and scared the country straight with regards to nuclear issues. I think with the benefit of hindsight it’s a story that works well if you’ve never seen Peter’s film and looks like a bit of Hollywood-esque tosh if you have. There are things I am proud of in it but I would do certain aspects differently.”
-Irene Shubik, Longleat Convention, 2003 [20]
The original, never duplicated though often imitated
…..
JG: I remember looking at the scripts we were being given and saying to you—
AB: Welcome to the deep end? Yes I thought so too. I was excited in a way, I’d never done a historical piece like that before. I remember looking to you three to try and work out how to do it. It helped I had the lovely Hamish Wilson to work with. I think Elwyn wrote some lovely stuff with me and Jamie.
JG: Tragic too! I thought he’d chicken out halfway through but if anything he doubled down.
-The Fields of Culloden DVD commentary, 2006
….
Culloden is an awkward story to talk about. On the one hand, it has several very noteworthy points in it’s favour. Unlike before where Doctor Who might have played the deaths offscreen or for comedy, there is a significant effort to show the effects of the battle in terms of bodies. True, many of them are censored heavily or are indeed leftover sandbags covered in tarpaulins, but at the time this was a dark demonstration of the battle’s worth. Gudrun Ure plays the role of the sardonic Ginny very well, watching the chaos unfold and bitterly commenting on the tragedy of the situation, with her beating back an attempted assailant being a definite moment of excitement amidst the gloom. James Grout also offers up a dark performance as the Duke of Cumberland himself and his faux-joviality contrasted with his gradual coldness towards the Doctor makes for an effective enemy.
Yet the flaws that others speak of are still present. Hywel Bennet clearly does not care as much as might be expected in the somewhat meaty role of Bonnie Prince Charles. Hamish Wilson has won praise for his performance as James MacCrimmon [21] and it is not the intent of this review to act revisionist. Yet there is perhaps something to the critique that his relationship with Tanya is a case of a capable square peg into a impressive round hole; [22] in short that the relationship simply doesn’t work. It also becomes clear that the immediate act of ripping the TARDIS crew apart does Tanya no particular favours in this instant. Without the sounding board of the Doctor or Barbara for most of the story, we’re therefore left with the awkward position of a single character having to occupy multiple roles. Both naïve traveller and future expert, wit under pressure and screamer extraordinaire. Lastly, the script suffers heavily for Karloff’s absence in the middle two episodes and as such much of Jones’s script had to be crowbarred into place at the last moment.
The ending is perhaps the litmus test for whether or not this episode works for you. At the end, with the bloodiest moments on the verge of coming to an end, the four travellers rush back to the TARDIS where a dazed Jamie waiting for them. Driven mad by the deaths and the shame of having fallen for an English lassie, he threatens the four before Tanya is able to talk him down. Refusing an offer to return with them, he spots a figure on horseback and deliriously proclaims him to be the enemy. He charges at him roaring aloud his battle cry of “Creag an tuire!” before being cut down by what turns out to be friendly fire. The TARDIS crew escape and Tanya sobs as the Doctor gravely intones the perils of travelling through time…
But enough of that! Who wants to go to the Old West? [22]
-Doctor Who Magazine: Trial of the Twenty
….…..
Production on The Slide was already in the beginning stages when Shubnik reached out to Pemberton to ask for another script. After some debate, he offered a compromise with an outline for a potential four-parter. Tasked with making a mountain from a mole-hole was TV writer Derrick Sherwin who decided to throw everything into what would become the first of Doctor Who’s most unusual sub-genre…the Raygun Western!
-Extract from The Book of Who, a Companion Guide to 60 Years of Doctor Who, March 1st, 2023
Karloff in one of his few Western roles, his youthful acting in the film The Utah Kid (1930) [23]
…..
Episode 1: We open on a desert shot as a freshly dug hole is filled with various bodies. Doctor Who and his companions land in the Old West in a quiet town that no one really cares about. They travel inside and learn just how closed off everyone is. The Doctor strikes up a friendship with the barmaid Miss Jessica (NOTE: Family-friendly version of a brothel madam), while Ian takes up playing cards with a nervy gentleman. This is Jesse Earl, infamous outlaw who vanishes from the history books when he lift prison. [24] The Sheriff and Mayor discuss the lack of wealth and the reason why so many people are leaving. Barbara and INSERT NEW GIRL meet up with a travelling salesman named Harry Daniel Thornfield who wows everyone by transforming the nearby water trough into gold. Jesse Earl tries to steal it but Sherrif Harrison Ross arrives to stop it and pistol whips Ian. The Doctor recognizing the device as alien and Ian being dragged off with Jesse to a cell with the Sherriff ready to interrogate him, both could be cliffhangers. End instead on a shot of the grave….AND A HAND RISING FROM BENEATH IT.
Episode 2: Ross doesn’t get what he says he wants but his sadism is sated by making Ian squirm and threatening to go after Barbara. Miss Jessica goes to talk to Jesse and insists that he settle down if he wants to stay, but he mocks her and notes that their names are the only thing that they have in common. Barbara grills the conman who admits that he found it on his last trip through, the Doctor insists on being taken to where it is. INSERT NEW GIRL wanders around and avoids the dodgy hands of some of the locals before finding the grave. The dust kicks up and the corpses force their way up, killing the local gravedigger and taking control of them. Barbara and H.D. go off together to the spaceship while Harrison notes with some excitement that the bodies have come back up again. Infections start slow and while Ian and Jesse escape to try and fight them off, the Doctor discovers the spaceship with a group of corpses still waiting. He realizes that what is causing this is something that he cannot defeat….the Dust itself!
Episode 3: The enemies introduce themselves as DUST COLONY (Name to be changed), a sentient swarm of microscopic beings that need arid conditions to survive. They intend to use the human forms they have taken to The device that H.D took from their downed spaceship was part of a much large device meant to transform the atmosphere permanently into an arid wasteland. The Colony can infest human cadavers for only a certain amount of time before eventually burning them out and in most cases taking them out too. A lot of this episode is fighting, running from one safe place to another. Harrison ends up shooting several of the townsfolk out of fascination with the creatures and Jesse betrays Ian to them in an attempt to get to safety. NEW GIRL arrives to assist, while both Barbara and H.D are attacked. H.D ends up dying and Barbara is used as a hostage to force the Doctor to fix the machine, which he does.
Episode 4: The Doctor has done something clever with the machine and as such, it will instead create a far moister atmosphere that will result in the gradual extermination of the colony. Half-mad with rage, the Colony launch their final attack. It’s all very nasty and in the process a lot of people die, including Miss Jessie. Earl himself is also killed and taken over, contributing to the rest of the town fleeing out of reach. Harrison is the only one left and is incensed that he will not be possessed by the Dust. He, Ian and the possessed Earl engage in a three-way standoff which ends with Harrison shot and the Dust desperately searching for a new host. The Doctor arrives and the travellers escape as the Dust Colony is obliterated. This leaves a crazed and mortally wounded Harrison begging for someone, anyone to come back and aid him.
CHANGE AS YOU SEE FIT.
-A purported copy of Victor Pemberton's memo to Derrick Sherwin, from the set of the Slide, 1965 (NOTE: Is still in the process of verification as of writing) [25]
…..
Sherwin took the (haphazard) note and expanded on it greatly. Amongst the substantial changes he made were the following:
-Adding more depth to the setting, a fictional town by the name of Smith’s Rest, Arkansas. In the process of setting it at a point after the Civil War, Spooner creates the sense of a place on the verge of ruin and gradually bleeding out long before the alien menace came to end it.
-The transformation of Sherriff Harrison from an obvious caricature of a lousy American into a far creepier and soft-spoken man for whom the descent into madness is a long-time fond memory. The shattering of his equilibrium and his disturbing final fate, left buried alive amidst the graves of his previous victims, is a horrifyingly unnerving final fate. Ed Bishop, a good thirteen years before his appearance in Star Wars, [26] balances the two halves with excellent timing and command of screen presence. His contrast with the outlaw Jesse Earl (played by regular cowboy actor John Alderson in a role that is good but overshadowed by his peers) makes for an unusual bit of material for Glover to bite into.
-Expanding the character of Miss Jessica (renamed to Mrs Marlowe after some thought) to resemble less a tawdry stereotype and more a lonely and weary older woman. Not for nothing is her sacrifice at the end of Episode 4 considered a genuine tearjerker amongst the First Doctor stories. Her last line is delivered excellently by former silent movie ingenue Bessie Love to a deeply upset Tanya: “Your time now, darlin. No…No time for worry about me…”
-Likewise, the decision to make H.D Thornfield a far more likeable and easy-going fella adds particular weight to his struggles. Bill Pertwee was cast on recommendation and aside from his most excellent of bluster, he also delivers a surprising amount of emotional depth when he offers to make the sacrifice that will end the threat. His decision to willingly activate the Temporal Conversion Device and take the Dust with him sees him eulogized by the Doctor in a rare occasion (“Man may not have chosen him as their champion, but champion he was. And how gratifying to see that he did not fall at that last, most unexpected hurdle.”)
And of course, the name which is referenced in one of the most unnerving monster reveals of the series so far….
-WHY I LOVE: The Inheritors of Dust, by Simon Guerrier, for Doctor Who Magazine dated Jan 2010
….
The Doctor: Well? What do you have to say for yourself?
Mayor: Nothing, good sir. Nothing at all. You should speak in your defence. It crawls out of you. The conceit. Self-absorption. The arrogance of the whining child. We have lingered in your world for longer than the first two-legged fool stumbled from the ocea.
Reverend: Longer than Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden, brother! Longer even than that, before the first apple was ripped down from the tree!
Teacher: The world was supposed to be ours. It had been ordained long ago when we were part of the Greater Cloud. But the humans dared to imitate us, spawning and reproducing and refusing to give in and let themselves be of use to our cause! And then the machine dropped into our hands—
Reverend: From the heavens itself, delivered by destiny himself!
Mayor: And so we strove and we learnt and we waited to gain the hands that could operate it. The Sherriff provided.
Teacher: Oh how he provided!
Doctor: You intend to use the machine to terraform this world, hmm? Create an eternal dustbowl in which you can replicate and reproduce and spread onwards and outwards. To anything and everything that can come into contact with you.
Mayor: And now you have corrected our one mistake in allowing that clumsy oaf to take what was not his for the taking away from us. Soon this world will be scoured free from bother—
Teacher: Free from chaos!
Reverend: Free from sin!
And then, as one:
Chorus: FREE FROM ABERRATION, FREE FROM POLLUTION, FREE FROM LESSER LIFEFORMS. WE ARE THE INHERITORS OF THE DUST. AND OUR TIME IS NOW..
-Working script for The Inheritors of Dust, Episode 3 [27]
.....
"There was one problem we had not accounted for. We required two wind machines to temporarily blow up and create a temporary show that all was going haywire. What we did not realize was that these would work too well and blow a significant amount of dust into the atmosphere, right into poor Boris's lungs. We felt mortified and we did actually offer an apology. For once he was less than gracious in taking it, but I understood entirely." [28]
-Irene Shubik, Longleat Convention, 2003
…..
There is one other fact in our Fields of Culloden review that we did not include in it’s favour. This is mainly for the reason that it shouldn’t really affect it’s score in a fair world. But in the interest of honesty, part of the reason why it has such a devoted following is because it’s in a season which contains Expedition to the Unknown. [29]
This is not a knock against the very talented John Lucarotti. All great writers have their stinkers, see Dennis Potter’s Black-Eyes for an example. Nor is it an attempt to critique the effort put into this episode, in particular guest cast member Heron Carvic as Leif Eriksson who is punching above his weight here. Nor do we wish to suggest the regulars aren’t trying their best here…although let us be clear that Phyllida Law looks particularly checked out here.
With all that out of the way….
What in John Inman's name happened here?!
-Doctor Who Magazine: Trial of the Twenty
…..
“Myself and Irene had been talking a lot about me writing for the show again, and quite by chance I mentioned one of my ideas being for a Viking story. She was quite pleased with this and even more so because we could reuse the costumes from the Hastings episode with a few modifications. During the early stages of production, someone said that they could get access to a replica longboat which could be used on the filming on actual open water. It was a done deal, we all made the agreements.
You can imagine our surprise when delivered to the set was a ornately carved model with a wind up key in the middle of the boat.”
John Luccarotti, Scribe’s Tales: Writers of Genre Television, 1992.
…..
After landing in 1002 Greenland, the time travellers are captured by Leif Eriksson and his Vikings. The Doctor needs some plutonic rock to repair the TARDIS, but knows that this can only be found in Newfoundland. He convinces Eriksson to lead an exploration party across the ocean.
After acquiring the necessary minerals, he then takes Eriksson further on to Nova Scotia, where the Viking orders the time travellers to remain to help start a settlement. All the Doctor needs to save the day is a little help from the tides…
-Doctor Who and the Vikings, first published 1970
…..
With grand visions of exiting the studio now dashed, Shubnik had to quickly make do with the usual set and a hastily constructed wooden longboat for close-up shots. This also meant that Lucarotti’s script had to be reconfigured. This was already a problem because what ought to have been a two-parter had been expanded due to the decision to leave those as things of the past. What some critics have labelled the episode’s ‘glacial’’ and ‘repetitive’ pacing is the result of taking the script and having to stretch the original story to breaking point.
But the worst was yet to come…
-Extract from The Book of Who, a Companion Guide to 60 Years of Doctor Who, March 1st, 2023
….
“It was not the most slipshod production I’ve been on, but it was definitely more amateur than I had expected. For the final scene, I have to pull off a magic trick or two to convince the Vikings that I need to leave immediately. I do this close to the figurehead of the ship and what is supposed to happen is that I wave my hands and utter a few words of something or other…and then Bang! There’s a woosh of light and everyone is amazed. Then I move onto the trick with the tides that we had already filmed by that point. It was the last shot, or near the last shot, of the day and I wanted to be done with this script.
The figurehead itself was a reused prop from another ancient series on a similar subject, and in this case we were using a painted backdrop. I have to stay in the camera shot to get the take done so I was boxed in considerably. I say the words and I tap my foot which is the signal for the special effects man to light the fuse, for lack of a better term. What I expect to happen would be the equivalent of a sparkler.
Instead I feel the wood beneath my hand grow hot, I look up to see the entire figurehead go up like a tinderbox and I have just enough time to leap back before this safety hazard hurtles down towards me. Part of it sparks off and hits the backdrop and I have to race off to get out of the way. Julian grabs me and basically helps me towards the fire exit as the smoke lashes outwards. It took about thirty minutes to put the blaze out. Heaven knows what was used in that contraption, I know they told me some of the chemical when they checked me for smoke inhalation. But it was a close thing….”
-Interview with Boris Karloff, February 19th 1968, with a local enthusiast
…..
The Doctor’s star charts have led the TARDIS to a deserted area of space in the earliest moments of time. The planet they land upon has two opposing races who are best summed up as The Light and The Dark. While the Light live in a beautiful and scientifically advanced citadel, the Dark lingers in the outside world. The Doctor and company have to negotiate a particularly confusing war between the two sides as it becomes clear why the charts don’t remember this planet. Both races are about to be consigned to the history books unless they give peace a chance
Doctor Who and The Dark Planet, Novelization, 1983 [30]
…
What Doctor Who has to say about prejudice in this story is…unique to say the least.
Brian Hayles does not appear to be making a specific critique of race in the story. There is a seemingly straightforward narrative about ‘The Light’ as the good race given their white colouring and ‘The Dark’ as the inferior and jealous lesser force. This is not a Hayles exclusive decision here and nor is it one that we can say out and out is racist.
Yet the Dark, represented here by Donald Gray and thankfully avoiding the original suggestion of Blackface, is not a monster without reason. Instead the reason it has been driven to such extremes is due to the pressure placed upon it by the Light, in a conflict that has been going on for so long that neither of them can really remember why it started. Both have skills that operate in fascinating ways and at the end their combination creates a wholly new, significantly interesting development that takes everyone off their guard.
As you can imagine, such an interpretation of prejudice, particularly in the sixties, has a LOT to say about viewpoints at the time.
-A Sofa Of One’s Own: Doctor Who through a Feminist’s Eye, 1999.[31]
…..
AB: I remember this one as being the one I started sinking my teeth into the role. I thought this one was very good.
JG: At first I was panicking. You missed the one with the giant ants and the butterfly people, and so when I got the script and starting reading it—
PL: “Oh hell, not the bloody Web Planet again!” were your exact words.
JG: But I was proven wrong. It also gave me the opportunity to see the great Sir Micheal Hordern in action as Director Teelss here. I remember that he was definitely confused about the whole thing, [32] but to his credit he was very good at acting like he understood the whole thing.
Commentary on The Dark Planet, 2001
…..
“The animation we commissioned here was very primitive stuff by Oliver Postgate, but I think it adds a sort of otherworldliness to the piece. This is an episode where we wanted to give Boris a chance to slow down a bit, catch his breath after the trouble of the prior episodes and this quasi-fairy tale was the perfect chance. We definitely marked Brian Hayles down for future stories afterwards.”
-David Whittaker, interview in 1993 for Doctor Who Magazine
…..
But Season 3 would also feature the debut to Who of what many would consider to be the greatest writer the show ever had. Thanks to an argument with regards to the lost story known as The Ark, a previously rejected script by one Robert Holmes was put into production as a stopgap. The result is one of the few stories to retain genuine acclaim amongst audiences and indeed was later spun off by Holmes into a successful play. This play was entitled ‘The Ark from Space’ when it was first performed, but many know the story by it’s original title….. [33]
-Extract from The Book of Who, a Companion Guide to 60 Years of Doctor Who, March 1st, 2023
…..
THE TRAP...HAS BEEN SPRUNG
The Doctor harrumphed and proudly pulled at his lapels. “You will never defeat Chesterton and McGovern in that manner. They are true homo sapiens, an inventive and, yes, even invincible species to their own minds! They can survive flood, fire and holocaust and now! See them now! They’re indomitable!”
The RSS Morlock crash-landed on a planet while on a mission of exploration. The crash killed three of the crew, damaged the ship and rendered it impossible for them to leave. With the aid of cryogenics, the four survivors left the running of the ship to a pair of robotic Hand-Me-Downs, checking in occasionally to break up the monotony. The Hand-Me-Downs soon discover a solution when the TARDIS crash lands. Knocking out the crew and implanting them with memory blocks, the original survivors emerge to test the amnesiacs to see who can assist them in piloting the ship which is a seven person job. There is a nasty fate for the final person if something is not done….but the survivosr have reckoned without the mettle of the Doctor and friends!
-Doctor Who and the Space Ark, [34] first published in 1980
…..
“There were many trials and tribulations throughout the making of the third season. But there was one script that I felt was particularly unique. It was called The Trap, and in it we were each of us pushed in a different direction than our normal roles. My suspicion was that the sets were a last minute decision, perhaps some of the money that had been redirected elsewhere might have been better spent here. But in any event, there was no worry of anything exploding or coming crashing down. I remember having to play the part of a weaker Doctor Who and being acutely reminded that perhaps I was becoming more like that than I’d like to admit. The joy of it was that at the end the four of us managed to get the triumphant moment where everything worked out alright. I do recall being a little worried about the monsters in that one.”
“The Hand-Me-Downs?”
“Mm! I had forgotten the name but even saying their name brings them back to me. Like those peg-dolls, I recall. As an actor hired for my appearance and my gait, I could recognize the skill of the poor fellows inside. How they walked like they were being pulled by strings, stiff hinged grabbing movements…brr. I met Peter (HAWKINS) and Brigit (FORSYTH) afterwards and I thought their voices were the icing on the cake, as it were. Camberwick Green came on a few months after that, and I was never able to watch that without a little grimace.”
-Interview with Boris Karloff, February 19th 1968, with a local enthusiast
…..
“I remember specifically that Robert paired up each of the characters with someone who could both enhance the new side and bring out the old. We paired Tanya up with Andrew Faulds’s Jackson. This was before he became the Home Secretary of course, [35] which in hindsight was rather a catch. So whereas she developed a cold and clinical outside, she was also very concerned with making sure his long-neglected injuries were seen too. Which led to what I think was the most affecting moment of the serial, being his decision to end his own life to ensure safe passage for the last man left standing. He played it very well, this sharp-tongued man reduced to sentimentality in his last moments.
By contrast you had Peter Dynsley’s Hoskins, a character who seemed jolly and avuncular but gradually revealed a more sinister side as he went along. I was not in the least surprised by Julian’s skill at playing the military man, for I saw him play one in effect. The blustering bully boy he turned into was unnerving enough but I wanted him to have enough of his sense of fair play to creep through. I liked his performance as he slowly started to realize that Hoskins was a darker figure than intended and so his rebellion was always an important moment in the story.
Of all of them, I feel like Ann Bell’s Merrick was the one who got the short end of the stick. She was well acted to be sure but Barbara’s story of questioning the illogical demands offered up by Merrick has always struck me a bit hollow. However, I definitely liked that she wasn’t a passive member of the conspiracy but was in fact it’s more ardent cheerleader. That added some depth to a character who needed it greatly.
I think Boris and Anthony Ainley got on alright off-screen, but I have to say that their acting ability was incredible. For if you judged it solely off their conversations with each other you’d have assumed that Boris had killed Anthony’s beloved cricket team. I remember that in the rewrite, Robert really started emphasizing the back and forth nature of their dialogue. The Doctor and Godwin switching positions as interrogator and victim, sympathies switching back and forth depending on the moment and just as it seems that Godwin’s got the upper hand….”
-David Whittaker, interview in 1993 for Doctor Who Magazine
The four guest stars of The Trap, roughly as they were at the time. Note the calm; not common in this story.
Perhaps the most notable twist of the First Doctor’s tenure bar his final serial comes in this episode. […]
Throughout the serial, three facts have been established as baseline things to be aware of.
1: The external sensors have been damaged badly during the crash, including the atmosphere outside of the temporary field bubble.
2: As a result of this, none of the four have dared to venture out of the jungle to learn more, with the Hand-Me-Downs unable to traverse due to their dodgem-like need for static electricity.
3: Godwin has refused to use the ACTIVE communications to call for help due to a fear of causing some kind of catastrophe.
At the end of Episode 3, the four travellers have mostly regained their footing and enact a plan to work things out. The Doctor uses what information he has gathered to learn that Barbara can at least venture into the jungle wearing the same spacesuit as Jackson. This is at the beginning of Episode 4, while Ian and Tanya work together to lock the three aggressors into a safe area while they remove Jackson to a safe area. Hoskins goes berserk in a surprisingly violent battle, utilizing his mastery of the gravity controls to trap Ian in place before Tanya hits him across the head with a fire extinguisher. Barbara returns, removes her spacesuit and tells the Doctor and Jackson the truth of the matter. After one final scene where the Doctor sends Godwin round the twist, he chases them through the ship. It’s not clear who gets to the TARDIS in time but Godwin shoots someone in a spacesuit….right as three policemen enter the ship.
Stunned into silence, the three stare down as Jackson removes his helmet and mocks them. “You flea-brained fool….we were never going to go home. Because….we never left…”
The Doctor, in a final act of cruel mercy, broadcasts what Barbara found when she traversed outside. A motorway road sign pointing directly towards London. The last we see of them is the three figures growing increasingly gaunt as the police approach them.
Aside from a final buddy-buddy moment, that’s the last scene of the episode. Quite a stunning reveal and one that guaranteed that Holmes would be returning to the series.
-Transcript of Part 1 of The Twists Explained, uploaded to Youtube on March 2009 [36]
…..
In what would turn out to be his final Who story written as script editor, David Whitaker would produce The Ghost Ship. The story itself deals with the TARDIS landing aboard a brigantine abandoned. Eventually the Doctor discovers that it is the Mary Celeste and that the events that will lead to it’s abandonment are about to unfold. But the crew are trapped in a strange trance-like state and frequently have to be forcibly reminded of the newcomers presence. Matters become worse with the mysterious figure on the raft holding a lantern, ominously beckoning the travellers to enter the water. [37]
-Extract from The Book of Who, a Companion Guide to 60 Years of Doctor Who, March 1st, 2023
…..
“I recall early on in the production that we were running Boris ragged. I think a lot of us were at this point high on our success and so we wanted to go bigger and bolder. What that meant was more action, more moving about, more of the Doctor. We decided that this serial would be a way for him to take a break. Unlike other episodes, The Ghost Ship could be worked out so that Boris could take a break for a week or two. What we didn’t anticipate was the trouble we’d have with our guest star.”
-Irene Shubik, Longleat Convention, 2003
…..
Jack May came back for a physical role this as Benjamin Briggs. He was a fine actor, very easy to work with. We had bigger problems with John Laurie who was on to play the Lanternkeeper. It’s a pity because watching the episode you see this great performer, very threatening in a subtle fashion. I know a lot of people who swore that he was the freakiest villain of the sixties. But I can only see the bitter old man who showed up and would not stop talking rubbish atop the show. “I used to do Shakespeare and now I do this RUBBISH!” was his most frequent complaint. I might be being unduly harsh to him but that’s only because he thought Boris a great joke. Mocking him for being a faint old man made my teeth tense, because he was only ten years older than John at that point and he had no business saying that. I’d like to know how he’d have coped if he’d been caught in that fire!. Probably scream “WE’RE DOOMED!” or something along those lines. I know someone started complaining to a higher up that if you wanted to give him a larger role, then forget about it! [38]
-Extract from Moondust Memories, Julian Glover's Autobiography, published 2022.
John Laurie in costume and method acting as per usual
…..
The Doctor: And what manner of being are you then, hmm? Not human?
The Lanternkeeper laughs, a strange shrill shriek like that of a gull, before settling back to normal.
Lanternkeeper: See what the Lantern has done to me! The one true God has granted me powers beyond my feeble visage, granted me an understanding of the universe and all the souls in it. Can ye here it? Can ye?
The Doctor: What rot! I—
He breaks off and listens closer. His face turns pale and the Lanternkeeper cackles again. Then he reaches up to place the lantern right into the Doctor’s eyes.
Lanternkeeper: Come away with ye. Come down here and we can talk further. Come down here and ye…ye can speak to the one true master of this world. And all the worlds beyond. Come with me, into the water…and I will show you what it is all about.
-Shooting Script of the closing scene for Episode 2 of The Ghost Ship
…..
“In hindsight, I would have made the last serial a lot longer and cut an episode out of this one. For the most part it works just fine, and the actors all do a good job with it. But there’s only so much of the time-loop that you can see before you start yearning for the sweet embrace of death. I did get some complaint about the ambiguity of the ending but I thought that there was little point in pressing it. I liked the idea of keeping the mystery of what happened, just in a different direction.”
-David Whittaker, interview in 1993 for Doctor Who Magazine
….
(Intercut scenes of typewriters being used, scripts being shuffled and drinks being poured) [39]
Whittaker: How about this then? We have one last four-part story before we have to end the series. It’s submitted by a Peter Ling and he’s done a good job on it. It’s all modernist, a little bit John Steed-esque.
Newman: That damned woman will get us over a barrel if it’s too psychedelic. How much acid will the kiddies need to drop to get it?
Whittaker: No more than our usual. No but that’s not the point. You can get away with a lot of things in this script. You could, in theory, do anything you desired and make it stick. We could make the TARDIS a penny-farthing bicycle, turn Ian into a woman….or we could change the Doctor’s face. Now here’s the bit. The villain is a man called the Toymaker and he’s very, very powerful. He can do almost anything if it is within his realm and the Doctor and company are in his realm. He makes our heroes play games to retrieve parts of the TARDIS to bring it back together. But that’s not important. As part of the game, he turns the Doctor into another man. But eventually they win and they get away, and everything goes back to normal except….we keep the new actor. …Listen, you asked me to stick around here so this is what you’ll get.
Shubnik: And as the one who’ll have to worry about these things next series, I have three problems with that admittedly decent idea. First one is simple; whoever we pick to come in will be mauled by the press, by the fans and all likelihood the cast’ll be put out too.
Newman: You had any names in mind for this change? (Takes list) Hmm. Dyall’s not a bad choice. Luckham’s got all the personality of a washer-dryer. Oh, get on your bike, you’d never get Guinness to do science fiction. More chance of Pat Roach winning an Oscar! And…Mole?
Whittaker: Morrell. As in Andre? …You asked me to come up with these names, Sydney!
Shubnik: Point two, on a moral level, throwing Boris out halfway through a story is just wrong. He’s not misbehaved, he’s not acted difficult, he’s not even exhibiting behaviour that is slowing down production. He could in theory chuff along for another five years.
Newman: Three and a bit, maybe. But you’re right, if it got out we were shoving him out haphazardly, it’d be a very nasty situation. Would he sue?
Shubnik: No, he couldn’t. But that isn’t the point; how much of the arguments between Terry and the legal department leaked out to the news? I’ve been keeping up with it and to their credit, they’ve not been nearly as nasty as they could have been. They’ve been playing it as a rather grey situation, both sides having points. Which is not ideal for the specific case BUT it is good for the overall image. Tossing Boris out and not even giving him a proper goodbye is as black and white as it gets. If it comes down to the Doctor vs you, me and David….well, I would not advise someone to waste their money, is all.
Newman: And your third problem?
Shubnik: Contractually speaking, the whole thing is a nightmare. You could get Cyril or Valentine or Andre or, and I understand this would be a hell of a longshot, Alec in to do a two-episode role no problem. But then we’d have to work around their schedule and have them cancel any plans for the near future. And that’s not even getting into the fact that Phyllida is getting the itch to leave like Sara did. Julian would probably wish to stay more likely than not, but if Boris left he’d absolutely be amenable to going out. That leaves us with three departures, two of which will be off-screen. We could just say the Doctor found their home and dumped them off but that would be ridiculous. No, the idea is good in theory but when it comes to execution…
(A Pause)
Whittaker: And it has to continue? The show, I mean. Can’t it just…stop?
Newman: Don’t be naïve, it’s not your strong suit. The BBC has committed a hell of a lot of worth to making sure that we have a hold on the Daleks one way or another. To do that, they need Doctor Who to be alive and kicking in five years. Doctor Who has to live and we have to ensure that it is a healthy, reasonable life. No matter how much of a bitch it is to make. [40]
-Extract from The Adventure in Space and Time, 2013
…..
“Brian had sketched out a rough idea of what The Toymaker was, but a lot of it was quite frankly hard to parse. Peter Ling had been recommended by a writer—I forget who—and was asked to work with him on it. Well, Brian was busy doing The Dark Planet and so Peter did a lot more than ‘work on it’. He practically carved the entire path out. Then Brian came back and added a good deal more jeopardy. He was also instrumental in changing perhaps the most important feature. [41]
We’d always intended to do something similar to our Dalek shoot because we believed that it added an thrilling element to the proceedings. The word was put out and it just so happened that the Battersea funfair was operating at the time we needed. And there was going to be no better story than The Toymaker, so we wrote it in. The agreement was also that Boris and company would stay around and sign some autographs for the kids early in the morning. In some respects, it might even be considered this first Doctor Who convention. [42]
And it was me who suggested reaching out to Vincent Price. Because he was doing a film at the time and I thought “Now here’s a way to get attention!”
-Sydney Newman, 1987 Interview for the Centenary of Karloff documentary
…..
Michael Parkinson: I suppose the silly question to ask is; how do you decide what parts to do? How does someone get—I know you do Doctor Who quite regularly, how does someone get you for that every four weeks or so?
Vincent Price: Oh in that case it was vanity. (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER) Pure simple vanity! The pitch I received was that…I was doing one of the Hammer Horror movies. It was either the Magnificent Doctor Deadly or the Deadly Doctor Magnificent (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER) but whatever film it was, it was a case where I had to be active to an extent as a persona. Whereas with that first serial, the pitch was that I would come in and sit in a comfortable chair and talk to dear Boris. And I could sit however I want. Flip my legs over the side, recline backwards, sit on the actual back with my arms flapping like a bird (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER) whatever I wished. Boris and I had acted in The Raven together and we hadn’t torn each other’s heads off. Peter Cushing was busy, Christopher Lee was above their paygrade and so let’s grab the old ham before he turns sour! (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER)
Parkinson: Was it enjoyable, then?
Price: Yes. Well, they did take the chair away from me after that and I had to get up and do actual work. (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER). But yes, on the whole, very fun. They needed me for a few shots of me in this demented fairground, on the merry-go-round and—I wanted to go on the rolly-coaster [43] but they started raising a fuss. And I was watching it, and I was impressed but also slightly confused. Then I got back and watched it on my TV, blocking out my sections internally, and found it all very amusing and well put together. And I had my agent call up and say that I was happy to do more if they ever asked me. Since then I’ve been coming back more and more to do them, it used to be once per season, but now I get a gap of two years to wet the old appetite. You do get to meet such interesting people. And I get to promote them as well, which is fun. I hope to keep doing them for as long as possible. In fact, if you really want to know a trade secret, I wish they’d asked me to take over from old Boris. There is something quite engaging with it, I never miss an episode when I can find what channel it’s on.
-Michael Parkinson in Conversation with Vincent Price, 1972 [44]
….
“Shit! Why didn’t we think of that?!”
-Rumoured response by Sydney Newman, 1972
Vincent Price, in one of the Toymaker's more modern costumes
It’s tempting to just talk about Vincent, Vincent, Vincent. Because let us be clear here, the only canonical reason that we accept a man that fabulous stays in a white formless room is because he has devoured every inch of scenery. From his ornate robes to the mildly inappropriate poking of Karloff’s breast to his occasional fits of Price-like rage, he is an incredible way to establish the Doctor’s race as not just heroes or fools.
But let us also highlight the other actors in this and give them the proper praise.
-Dennis Waterman as the Artful Dodger (Supposedly Newman practically hit Hayles’s hand with a ruler at the suggestion of Billy Bunter). While a point of embarrassment for him in later years, Waterman’s darkly comic acting as the malicious Artful Dodger adds to the stories menace. His joy at seeing the two opposing sides get hurt by his various traps, his tantrums whenever a victory is upheld, the many costumes he puts on to oversee matters.
And of course, there is the opposing team trying to assemble the TARDIS to remove themselves from the long torture of the Toymaker.
-King and Queen, as played by Alister Williamson and Noel Dyson, might not understand the concept of the setting but the characters sing as a result. Their fake lovey-dovey routine is amplified by Queen’s constant putdowns and desperate attempts to swoon into her (reluctant) lover’s arms, while King’s pouts and bursts of passionate outrage create an unusually threatening comedic figure.
-Donald Hewlett’s bewilderment is funny but there is something rather tragic about the (in modern terms) cougar-hunter Ace. Particularly seeing as he is usually seen with a stricken expression on his face.
-Barbara Shelley briefly breaks out of her role as scream queen in portraying Jack, a quietly competent woman clearly on the verge of total catatonia. Amongst the four opposing players, her intelligence and efforts to remain compassionate mark her as classic ‘Could Have Been Companion’ material, before that was even a term.
-Who's That: Unsung Heroes of Doctor Who, by Norman Anderson, 2013
…..
Barbara: Doctor!
Doctor: Miss McGovern, Tanya…and Chesterton! You’ve made it!
King: No…No, listen to me. Best two out of three.
Artful Dodger: Best-two-out-of-three, pops! Aw, are you going to cry? Look Mummy, Daddy’s going to cry his little wooden heart art!
Queen: Do what you want to him, but leave me and Ace alone!
King: Darling!
Jack: (With an effort, to Tanya) Well done. It was…fair play. Congratulations. I hope you find your way—
Artful Dodger: Yeuck! This is soooooo boring! She’s supposed to be the sweet Gramma, Jack. You should be whining and stamping your feet like—
Jack: Like you?
Artful Dodger: RAH! (Grabs at Jack and throws her to the floor. She hits it…as a wooden dollie. He stamps on her again and again until she shatters) I hate you! I HATE YOU HATE YOU HATE YOU HATE YOU HATE—
Toymaker: (To the Doctor) You know, the one thing I detest more than a sore loser is a sore winner. You three may go.
King: You’re letting us leave?
Toymaker: (shrugs) In a manner of speaking. (He waves his hand and all three fall to the ground, turning into the same dolls) Dodger!
(The Dodger stops and looks back)
Artful Dodger: Ah heh, what a lot of…a lot of daftheads. All wooden in the brain, eh? What now, boss? What can I do to those three? I want to—(He starts to choke)
Toymaker: You know, only I get to decide what toys I’m fed up with. What toys get to stop. What ones ought to be broken. (A shift in perspective. A gigantic Toymaker reaches down and plucks a model of the Dodger up in his hands. We hear faint cries, then the Toymaker waves his hand, the cries stop….then he releases it and down falls a small amount of sand)
Doctor: Do you really feel no regret at all?
Toymaker: Only that the game is about to end. Now! Your final move, if you please!
Shooting script for the Toymaker, Episode 4
…..
"Was he like you?"
The Doctor fixed Ian with a hard glare. "Certainly not! The man was a dullard and I have the wit of a--"
Ian quickly interrupted, not wanting this argument to spring up again. “Do you have that kind of power?”
The Doctor shook his head quietly. “No. I hope I never do. But change is a curious thing. And it happens just when you least expect it. But that is for later. Another time and another place. Every time and every place.”
The Toymaker, first novelized in 1993.
….
Season 3 (45 Episodes) consists of:
The Cybermen (5 Parts)
The Haunted Lake (3 Parts)
Conquest of the Daleks (6 Parts)
The Fields of Culloden (4 Parts
The Inheritors of Dust (4 Parts)
Expedition to the Unknown (4 Parts)
The Dark Planet (6 Parts)
The Trap (4 Parts)
The Ghost Ship (5 Parts)
The Toymaker (4 Parts)
-Early listing in 1981 for missing episode hunters, sans annotations.
…..
“Irene and Sydney took me out for lunch. And by that point I think I already knew. I was feeling awfully tired, you know. Not like it is now, now I feel fit as a fiddle despite what they say. But doing consistent television is a lot different from doing films, it’s more draining. They were very decent with me and Sydney in particular I thought showed remarkable restraint in the matter. And so we talked…”
-Interview with Boris Karloff, February 19th 1968, with a local enthusiast
….
“And then out of the blue…out of the very blue…”
-Irene Shubik, Longleat Convention, 2003
….
Karloff: I suppose you want me for another series perhaps? To wrap things up?
Shubnik: Be honest, Boris, do you have another series in you?
(A long pause. Boris focuses on his food. At last, with a sigh)
Karloff: No. Probably not a full series. Not at the level that you’re currently working on. Though I’m happy to do any promotions that you require of me. I know someone was talking about American airtime, and I have some friends over there who may be able to help—
Newman: Of course, and we appreciate that. Are you disappointed?
Karloff: It has been tremendous fun. And I will not lie to you and say that I am not sad. I have really enjoyed being Doctor Who, you know. Like Father Christmas all over again, only this time it has been every day. But so many people are Father Christmas, aren’t they? Once I’m gone, the hospitals will find someone else to play the role and he’ll do marvellously, I’m sure…How are you planning on doing it?
(Irene and Sydney look at each other)
Shubnik: We’ve been…working that out.
Karloff: Hmm. It’ll be complicated for me to explain no doubt. Unless you’ve got some other poor soul to bumble his way through the exposition.
(Pause)
Karloff: I suppose you can’t just make me young again?
Newman: Hell, Boris, if you’ve been holding some fountain of youth out on us, that would explain a lot—
Karloff: No, you mistake me. Doctor Who. (A pause, neither of them get it) Let me make the assumption that I have some understanding of your side of the camera. What you have is a problem of image. You cannot merely substitute in someone of a similar age to me. People will notice that I am not there anymore, the children will twig that this isn’t the real Doctor Who, that you’re taking them for fools and that will make life difficult for the poor fellow. Am I correct?
Newman: A little less altruistic, perhaps. But yes, more or less.
Karloff: But you also can’t make the switch a casual thing either, because people do not like the idea of losing someone so quickly in such a fashion. My replacement will be forever known as the man who ripped Doctor Who away from al of his fans and shouted “Mine now!” like it would matter. Right?
Shubnik: Right.
Karloff: Thus far I’ve been operating on the belief that Doctor Who is an alien. Or perhaps he has some kind of magic. But either way, not a normal human being. Let us say that I come back for a final story. One last story at the beginning of the season. At the end of it, I get mortally wounded by some kind of weapon. But I can save myself, the only problem is that it will require me to undergo a startling metamorphosis. Of course, I will say that I will still be the same man and that we may meet again as we are now. But instead, I am renewing myself in a desperate bid to ensure my safety. [45] Returning to a point in my life where my body was stronger, more capable, healthier and of course…younger. So the children watching at home might think that one day…I could come back. Yes, I could come back. But until then, no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. They could go forward in all their beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine; [46] that this is the right time for me to leave. And by the time they work out that I won’t…who knows? Perhaps this new fella will be up their street.
(There is a long silence. Boris chuckles softly)
Karloff: I will get the bill, shall I? (He gets up and moves across with his wallet out.
After a moment, Sydney looks at Irene. Irene looks at Sydney, nods and reveals her notebook with a rough transcript of Boris’s idea. There is a single space open and Sydney picks up the pen to sign his name at the bottom.)
-Extract from The Adventure in Space and Time, 2013
-
NEXT TIME: THE DEATH OF DOCTOR WHO! {47}
[1] Here's our first big deviation. With science fiction established early as the dominant factor in Doctor Who, we're going to see a rise in the mashup episodes quicker. In short, less of the barren wasteland between the end of Season 2 and the beginning of Season 11 (not counting Evil of the Daleks)
[2]: Yep! Couldn't very well butterfly these two away, not least because it makes sense here to get him onboard early. They won't be assuming control of the series just yet however.
[3] Will Doomwatch survive to see another day? Stay tuned!
[4]: A subtle hint that the Mondasian Cybermen design of OTL might not be gone as quickly here.
[5] Trying to replicate unique speech patterns and tones is quite fun, all things considered.
[6] I might have butteflied Mr Craze's marriage here by accident, in which case I'm sorry!
[7] The big change that I've been building up to! I had the idea to link Luxor and the Cybermen together for some time now. It also does away with references to the Tenth Planet which may dilute some of the power of Pedler's original message but the gist of it gets across all right.
[8] I tried my best to avoid cribbing too much from the end speech of Invasion of Earth, not least because I feel it would be too predictable to be so exactly the same. I am rather proud of it, in my own way.
[9] Very much a case here of me having to remind myself of the differences per my timeline and OTL. At this point in OTL, Susan has kind of set the template for screaming and shouting companions and so Vicki seems a lot more bold by comparison. Contrast here where Suzanne is more alien and reserved, so we have to go in the other direction.
[10] A legitimately fascinating individual whom I am genuinely surprised was never snatched up for a part in Doctor Who at some point in the sixties to seventies. Well worth reading up on her, she's more than just her role in The Champions.
[11] You may picture the meme if you wish. Know that there is a worse one coming up soon.
[12] In case you were wondering, yes we have gone to the Haunting of Vila Diodati some fifty years earlier. I think it's the kind of thing sixties Who might attempt, and probably in the form of a comedy. I'm thinking in terms of tone more the Christmas episode of Dalek Master Plan, if you take my meaning.
[13] Based off an OTL rejected script from Cotton called the Herdsmen of Aquarius which I have yet to find proper information regarding. So I've had to improvise heavily here, hence my making them a bit rubbish.
[14] Another big damn deviation from the norm. This will not affect the Pink Panther character as such, given that the short films were already in production and given that no one remembers the Clouseau sandwiched between Sellers's take on the role, it's clear he'll persist. But it's a permanent end to the element that drew audiences back to see the film series. And there are more butterflies to flap later on down the line. I've based the incident on an event that happened later in the year, where he only had eight heart attacks and survived. I imagine that with his pride directly wounded as opposed to OTL's death by a thousand cuts which it seems to have been, Sellers would make a mistake here. I was really bloody tempted to reference the Katy Manning pose with the Dalek only to swap her out for Britt but that felt dark even for this story's standards.
[15] I am unironically quite proud of that one.
[16] Your mileage may vary on the effectiveness of this dumb reference. If any of you wish to throw tomatoes at the author now is the time.
[17] We have bits and pieces here of what would be OTL Dalek-stories all sort of meshed into one thing here, with a bigger focus on the Thals gradual return to more war-like methods. It's a small thing that I've never seen well addressed in much Who media. Which is insane given how much evil gets linked to the Doctor's actions in the Classic series.
[18] Lingering resentment over this story in particular leaves us in a similar position to OTL's Power and Evil of the Daleks, though whether John Peel is the author of this novel I'm not entirely sure yet.
[19] Something that hit me as I planned out what the last Dalek story was going to be was that, given the state of matters, it could probably be read as a allegory for certain world events. Both in and out of universe, this really was just an attempt to write a pulpy story with a few ideas above it's station, but I threw this in here as a reminder that people can and will read into those kinds of stories.
[20] The more I wrote down for this, the more my original plan of a dark Massacre at St Bathometer's masterpiece changed into a pale imitation of a far better production. Still good but heavily flawed.
[21] I knew early on that I wanted to do a version of Culloden for the first season as a way to avoid simply retelling the same stories with different actors. The fact that a similar period had also been covered in The Highlanders only occurred to me once I started looking up writers. Jamie's death here is the first sharp removal of a character from the story entirely (Tanya might not be Tanni/Vicki, but she takes up much of her role in the overall scheme of things) and thus we're not going to be following the script entirely. Also, he's played by Fake Jamie from the Mind Robber which I am somewhat proud of.
[22] Yeah, while I will be emphasizing the dramatic aspects more, it's still Who at the end of the day and we need to move onto the next adventure. Sorry Jamie!
[23] Included because I thought you'd get a kick out of it and because there is shockingly little good Western appropriate attire for Karloff past the 30s.
[24] Actual character and actual fate, thought it was too cool not to include.
[25] Included the disputed part because, even despite the suspension of disbelief, I don't think I got the voice of Pemberton down right. The basics are there and accurate, it's more the tone of the writing.
[26] Spoilers, spoilers everywhere, and nary a drop to drink!
[27] Think OTL's Fury of the Deep infamous reveal.
[28] Which given that he has emphysema at this time? Yeah, makes a lot of sense.
[29] Based off an OTL Lost Story which might be a genuinely great piece of fiction but from the description sounds like....the opposite. No offence meant to Lucarrotti, great writer and I love that he sought a connection with Who for the rest of his life. Just not a great script is all.
[30] I highly recommend, if you are able, shelling out a bit of cash to buy The Dark Planet adaptation that Big Finish did. It genuinely feels like a sixties story come to life and the fact that such a visual story exists in the medium of sound only is a tragedy.
[31] Which is a reference to the fact that it's definitely a story worth dissecting on the front of what it says about prejudice and hate. I'm not sure if it's presient or good for t's time, and I'm sure had it been made there might have been some hideous attempt at blackface but again, listen and make your own minds up!
[32] Hordern didn't understand what Lord of the Rings's deal was when he did the excellent radio drama. I'm pretty sure Who would have baffled him immensely.
[33] The story was a original submitted by Hplmes for the First Doctor and one that I would dearly like to get my hands on at some point. In the absence of information, I've had to take a stab in the dark at it myself. Hence the lack of any speech here because I can't replicate Holmes's style as we know it, or what it might have been in the sixties.
[34] Given the subject matter....yes, I think we can safely say that the Ark in Space, as we know it, has been butterflied away. Though some elements will be peeking their way through....
[35] A hint of things to come. Quite literally, as we'll be finishing up Karloff's last story and then we'll be moving onto a brief discussion of the political landscape of the sixties moving onwards.
[36] Very Twilight Zone-esque twist but I think it suits the themes of the story.
[37] If you're curious, the final twist sees all ten onboard the ship leap into a 'time eddy' which the Doctor notes could either transport them somewhere safe or disperse them into tiny monecules across the stars. Either way, while the mystery of the ship has been solved, the mystery of the passengers is another matter....
[38] Laurie was known as, pardon my French, a cantankerous old bugger who had a habit of being a bit of a bully to those older than himself. Stories abound of his dislike of Arnold Ridley not just being something the Dad's Army crew cooked up out of nowhere. Here it's definitely prominent and it's possible that this might have some consequences down the line for the show itself.
[39] The entire scene, as it is shown in the documentary, is based off a similar one done in the 'docu-drama' Curse of Steptoe. In that, the two writers discuss back and forth the writing in of a new character to replace Wilfred Brambell's 'Steptoe' to assist Harry H Corbett's 'Son' via the medium of a funeral for the old man. Now, t's a load of tosh is the docu-drama. But it's well made, well acted and well produced tosh, and the interplay of the discussion and the writing has always struck me as very invocative.
[40] I've been struggling for the longest time to square out the 'how' Doctor Who will keep running. A big difference here is that Karloff is merely something from physical ailments as a result of the TV show, as opposed to Hartnell being physically and mentally worn down. So this is my excuse for why the show doesn't just stop when Karloff packs it in. Too much time and effort has been thrown into it, so Who must continue!
[41] The result is that this story bears little actual resemblance to the OTL, given that Donald Cotton heavily rewrote Hayles's original ideas. The result IITL resembles something a little bit like the Mind Robber, but with a more prominent antagonistic figure.
[42] Benefits of a bigger budget as a result of Karloff's participation. Something to keep in mind as the sixties starts trucking along and changes happen, this won't be staying the same forever!
[43] Based off the delightful America Screams documentary he did! Worth a watch if have the time.
[44] I think of all my writings, this one was the one that was both A: Incredibly fun to do, and B: Captured the essence of the speaker. I heavily recommend searching up the Parkinson interview, Vincent is such a charmer!
[45] And here it is! The first hint of what WE call regeneration, here pitched in a manner that is going to make it very contentious going forward for fans.
[46] Once I started writing it, I couldn't help myself! A lot of indulgence this chapter to get through something of a slog.
[47] Next time we will be focusing our efforts entirely upon Karloff's last stand AND the arrival of the Second Doctor. Hope to see you there!
Another excellent update, especially with all of the Season 3 serials
Early on, it became clear to everyone that the pure historical stories were not going to be taking up fifty percent of the season anymore. While most were loath to rid the series of them completely, it was clear that science fiction was winning over historical fact and as such adjustments would need to be made. While not an extreme case, Season 3 was the first time they decided to focus efforts on actively combining elements of the two approaches together beyond the occasional one off such as the Meddler. [1]
To do this, it was decided that a scientific advisor was necessary for some unique ideas. The obvious choice was Kit Pedler, a man who could not only offer up ideas and correct mistakes but also had some skill at writing stories. Kit Pedler was given a paid role as consultant based entirely off his first meeting with Irene and one of his first ideas was agreed to be good enough for the upcoming season.
Working alongside newcomer Gerry Davis, [2] Pedler was instructed to create a five part serial introducing his new threats. He was also, mercifully as he recalled later, informed that he would be writing out the character of Suzanne from the series in the process. He later wrote that this made him reconsider certain aspects of where it would be set and when. For example, the eventual date of three-thousand and ninety-one was chosen to avoid comparisons to the Dalek story after the original date of 1986 was rejected. The result was a script that was seen as Good to Very Good by the production staff and Pedler settled into the role he would occupy right up until 1969.
-Extract from The Book of Who, a Companion Guide to 60 Years of Doctor Who, March 1st, 2023
.....
The Dynamic Dup, seen here ensconced in serious business [3]
I think the idea, concept and execution is very well done. I think where we need to make some changes for future appearances is ensuring that we do not have more of a palaver than is necessary. I concede your point with regards to the humanity of the creatures is their most unnerving feature, however I believe we can compromise here. I agree with regards to the chest-unit, reduction is not only scientifically accurate but also convenient for us and the poor actors as well! Likewise for the light at the top, making it something akin to a very small flashlight perhaps would be worthwhile. Perhaps an odd request but when we were working on the robots for Robert’s story, I noticed a rather unusual effect. Having left a section of the helmet unpainted, we noticed we could see the mouth of the actor speaking as he delivered his lines. We fixed it naturally, but if we had to go the mechanical route for them next time, perhaps a similar affectation could be produced?
-Memo from David Whitaker to Irene Shubnik, dated 13/10/1965 [4]
…..
“You listen to me, you blasted—!”
But Cutler did not get to finish his sentence. With a loud and grinding crash, the doors to the cafeteria were forced open. Barbara fought back a scream, Benoit swore in his wn language, even the Doctor seemed for a moment utterly shocked by what stood before them.
It must have been…well, it had to be a man, didn’t it? If she looked closely she could see that the shape was that of a man. The fingers on the hand were those of a man. The skin was…almost like a man. But he seemed as alien to them as might a Dalek in that moment. His body was covered in a glittering mass of metal, shining out in the wan light and nearly blinding them. Upon his chest was what seemed to be a great mechanical computerized unit of some sort. And yes, though his skin was like that of a man’s, it was as though it had been surgically reattached. Veins of blue stood out in ways that veins really ought not to, pumping what must have been blood back and forth. And his face….
His face was covered with bindings. Atop his head was what at first glance seemed to be a pair of horns circling around to link to a great beacon of light. His eyes were empty sockets, his mouth an open zip. He did not breathe, he did not sway, he did not do…anything.
“This-is Moon-Base One,” he said, and his voice was practically song like. “You-are, not wel-come-here. Why-have you-come here? Do-not lie-to-us.”
“What the hell are you!?” Pearson was angry now and moved across. The Doctor cried out for him to stop but his gun was already in his hand and he—
-was caught. Abruptly. The creature lifted him up and squeezed tight. The gun clattered to the floor and with a great cry, Pearson was hurled across the room and into the wall. He stared upwards, eyes unseeing as the creature turned back to the others and answered his question.
“We-are the-Cybermen. Do-not be-afraid. We will make you LIKE US.” [5]
-Doctor Who and the Cybermen, first novelized 1978
.....
The Cybermen, caught in the middle of the Atmospheric Generator that will spell their doom
“We cast quite a few decent actors in the mix. Michael Craze [6] in particular was very good and I think if he had been acting a few years ago we might have cast him as Ian given the chance. I thought Robert Beatty as Cutler was a little miscast and if I would do it again perhaps I would give that bigger role to Earl Cameron or Bruce Boa. But yes, no regrets for the most part.
I think the decision to make the Cybermen have a connection to the past episodes was a David Whittaker idea. He thought that as we were going to have a Dalek shortage soon it would be best to have a link to the show’s past. So Mondas was out and the rest was history. It was Sara who actually suggested we just use a piece of set from the last episode to bring it up naturally. I know a lot of people said that she was a nuisance on set in that last episode but I think she was just desperate to get on to the next thing.”
-Verity Lambert, Interview at Longleat 1993
….
“Feelings? I-do-not understand that-word.”
The Doctor bristled. “Emotions! Love, pride, hate, fear! Have you no feelings, sir?”
The Cyber-Leader did not respond to this. “Come-home with-us and you will-be free of emotions. But-first, I-would ask why your-friend has-this in her po-ssess-ion.” He gestured to the small jewelled trinket on the counter. Barbara tilted her head to the side. Was it a weakness perhaps? Did these Cybermen fear gold in some way?
“Why? Why do you care?” The Doctor looked smug for a moment. “Do you perhaps feel curious?”
The bait was not taken. “It-is incompatible with-the rest of these surroundings. It-bears-a remarkable resemblance to a-relic from our world of Luxor.” [7]
Barbara gasped. They had been to Luxor, long ago. “B-But the people there were gone! Are you…Are you servants of the Perfect One?”
The Doctor shook his head. “Barbara, these are not robots, pure machines of flesh and blood. Once they were like you, quite like you indeed. I suspect that the Perfect One was derelict as to the extent of their meddling with mechanical matters before his emergence. No doubt his ascension to power only hastened the mutation of these poor fools. Would it help at all if we told you that we have seen that the Perfect One is no more?”
The Cyber-Leader tilted his head. “Why-should it matter at-all? You-will be-freed from the-chains of e-motion and illogical attitudes, as-will humanity once-their moonbase gives-them the all-clear to return home.”
-Doctor Who and the Cybermen, first novelized 1978
….
The Cybermen (Originally the Tenth Planet before rewrites removed that aspect) was well received at the time, though many moral guardians lashed out at what they deemed to be a considerable effort to frighten children. The children in question did not care and happily added the Luxorian cyborgs to their long list of playtime roles. More shocking was the departure of Suzanne, the very first one of it’s kind.
-'Season 3', Tardi's TARDIS Reviews, 2017
…..
SK: With the benefit of hindsight, I am very glad they didn’t kill me off like I asked.
JG: Oh, I never knew that. Was that the reason you were so—
SK: I was having a rough time of it on set. Shockingly, despite all the stories you might have heard, I was going to miss Boris and Phyllida and everyone else—
JG: Very charming, I’m sure.
SK: But I wanted a clean break and I had the feeling that if I didn’t get a permanent ending then I might be dragged back into it. But you never really do get that with Doctor Who, I suppose. Despite it all, once I had finished my last scene with Boris, I did go off to a room and have a good cry over it. After party down the pub was decent too, though I think we were all exhausted by the end of it.
Commentary on the Cybermen, 2003
…..
Suzanne: Grandfather, I have something to tell you. Ian and Barbara already know, I think, but--
The Doctor waves her off as he fumbles with the key. After a moment she steels herself to say it.
Suzanne: I think I should stay here.
Pause. The Doctor stands very still against the door of the TARDIS. Suzanne seems to hesitate and then continues.
Suzanne: I think that when the people of Earth come back here, they’re going to need a little help to readjust to the world around them. I know you need me too, but—
The Doctor gets the door open, turns around and smiles proudly at her. He stumbles over his words for a moment before holding his hands out. She takes them gratefully and he locks eyes with her.
Doctor: You know, I have often wondered if staying with me has not been the worst decision of your life. (Over her protestations) Now, now, don’t fuss an old man so! You have been the greater help to me than I to you, but your future lies elsewhere. I have always known it, though I…I have not wished to admit it as such. You are more than capable of setting your mind to anything you so desire, and as long as you remember all that you have seen, I have no doubt you will triumph in your endeavours. Chesterton and Mrs MacGovern show what the best of humanity can be capable of. Remind them of it.
He leans forward and presses his head onto hers. She lets out a shaky sigh and with a great deal of effort, pulls away.
Suzanne: You should go, before I change my mind.
Doctor: Perhaps one day, we may meet again and see what you have made of the world. But even if we do not…Never forget, my child, that somewhere in the fourth dimension your grandfather will be wandering. And he will never stop thinking of you. Goodbye Suzanne.
Suzanne: Goodbye Grandfather.
And with that, the Doctor steps inside with a herculean effort. He does not look back as the doors close and he steps up to the console. Ian and Barbara are both there, and the latter holds the former from going to the old man. The Doctor inputs the launch sequence and watches on the monitor as the figure of Suzanne, proud and defiant, flickers…and then fades away.
-Shooting script for The Cybermen, Episode 5 [8]
….
David Whittaker was preparing to leave his role as Script Editor when the news came down regarding Suzanne’s departure. As such, he agreed to remain in the position for a final season to ensure that the show would be in steady hands. He also began the work of drafting a replacement for the remaining serials. “The problem,” he indicated in a meeting with Verity, “is that we cannot just make her Suzanne Part Deux without drawing the ire of those watching. So I think we will have to go in the opposite direction with her.” [9]
As a result, Donald Cotton received a brief early on with regards to the new character of Tanya. She was to be introduced not as a future human (Remember, this was back before things had been finalized) but rather a figure right from out of the past who would become the point of view character for many children in the audience. She would be bubbly, socially outgoing and more vulnerable than Suzanne was. But not, MIND not just a dumb damsel in distress as per the description. “People liked Suzanne, and though we may not understand it, making the character helpless will do nothing for the actress we cast nor for the show at large.”
Many actresses would audition for the role, including the Mrs Peel who could have been Elizabeth Shepherd. But the one who won out was the relatively unknown Alexandra Bastedo….” [10]
-Extract from The Book of Who, a Companion Guide to 60 Years of Doctor Who, March 1st, 2023
The first newcomer, circa the time of her audition
“I was still very much finding my feet when it came to acting. I had plans to audition for one of the Bonds, and when that fell through my agent suggested that I go and audition for the role. I had seen a few episodes of Doctor Who before and thought it fun indeed. I was lucky enough to be there when the producers had brought Boris in to assist. I am not entirely sure what it was that swayed them in the end but I like to think that Boris took a shine to me. And I said that I was happy to take part, except that I had no idea about anything with regards to science fiction. They said that this was fine, hardly anyone on the staff did either.”
-Alexandra Bastedo, Where and Who Are They Now? 2003
….
“This place is remarkable, my child, very remark—” The Doctor paused suddenly and winced. He wiped his brow and glanced at Tanya. “My apologies, madam, I-I thought for a moment you were someone else.”
“I do not mind. You should hear what some of the others call me.” She smiled winningly, a literal open book. The Doctor tutted and patted her on the shoulder, then walked besides her in silence as they stared at the lake.
“Do you like to travel?” He said at last.
“Very much so. But it is hard to find someone to travel with. I cannot do it alone, the fun of it is sharing all that you see. Don’t you find?”
“Hm? What? Yes, I suppose so. I did not think it so once and yet…” He broke off and smiled at the sight of Ian and Barbara waving. “Well, there are my friends. You are more than welcome to come along and meet them. They are quite civilized, though Chesterton has an odd way of showing it sometimes, hmph!”
-Doctor Who and the Haunted Lake, first novelized 1982
….
“Naturally, I don’t think they could let the chance slip by without some acknowledgement of Boris in the role that made him what he is. Irene said she regretted the Doctor biting his tongue and grunting like the Monster but I thought it was hysterical. I don’t know what he thought of it, except for when we were both on the slabs and he turned to me to ask if this was my first time!” [11]
-Julian Glover, at Comic-Con 2018
…..
“Verity was staying around until after we finished off the Dalek story and then leaving us to get on with it. When Donald turned in the story about Shelley and Byron, she insisted that we cast Jacqueline Hill as Mary Shelley. Which we were fine with, she was a very good actress, but given that she was a little older than the person I did think it was noticeable. We were very lucky in getting Bernie (Horsfall) and Barrie (Inghram) in for Byron and Percy respectively, they matched the mood well. When the focus was on them and their interactions with the TARDIS crew, I thought it worked fine.
Where I think the piece falls down a little is in the execution of the villains…” [12]
-David Whittaker, interview in 1993 for Doctor Who Magazine
…
The Herdsmen are a race of beings who are so significantly advanced that they consider themselves beyond hard work. Therefore, their purpose is to tame and transform other races into basically being their cattle and doing the work for them. So far, so good. Where it al falls apart is the execution. The Zarbi are a case of hitting the bounds of the time but doing the best with what you’ve got; the Herdsmen are what happen when you make like Wile E Coyote and smash your head straight into the wall. [13]
The Lead Herdsmen is played by John Stone, a relatively decent Welsh actor little-known now except ironically enough for this performance. To mark the ‘alien’ nature of this, he is given a rather significant amount of makeup which in theory is supposed to make his forehead look very scarred and rugged. In reality it looks like someone has spilt ink all over a piece of latex. In addition to this, all three of the Herdsmen were required to wear bright white contact lenses. These are somewhat effective, until you realize two things. One, the appearance of the Herdsmen is therefore less ‘unknowable alien’ and more ‘hyper-realistic anime character’. Two, only John Stone can actually see where he is going in a given scene and thus must guide the others around. The result, therefore, is less menacing advanced alien and more bewildered ducklings.
-Cloister Hell’s Review of The Haunted Lake, 06/10/12
…..
"I did at the time feel as though I had entered into a secret society of sorts. Boris and Julian and Phyllida were very kind and welcoming but they were the established hands. And I was….well, I was just by myself a little more than I expected. I held no grudge against them and the more it went on, the more we did start to work well together. But I got the sense that Phyllida at least was beginning to consider making her own exit. I was also informed by a kindly Julian that I was going to be thrown in at the deep end with my next story."
-Alexandra Bastedo, Where and Who Are They Now? 2003
….
While no one would ever admit it, perhaps there was a belief in the Corporation at the time that tossing the Daleks over to the states wasn’t so bad. Not just because of Terry Nation, but because one particularly irritating little paper had started running a half-joke story in the paper.
What aggravated them was that the other half was the truth.
Due to the insane rush in Dalekmania, the BBC had decided in early February to demonstrate three of the Dalek props used to the public. It had been a small event in planning, at least in theory. The crowds ballooned upwards and many crowded around, which caused a minor traffic jam. Caught up in that traffic jam was the JUST MARRIED couple of Peter Sellers and Britt Ekland, having met ten days ago in the filming for the Guns at Batasi. They had been caught up in the traffic jam and the stalemate between himself and an equally indignant motorist led down a very dark road. It had triggered Seller’s paranoia and insecurity which he compensated for when they at last got to his honeymoon suite.
Britt Eklund had been coaxed into giving the interview after so long with the promise of a lucrative payout. Money she wasn’t going to be getting considering the amount of family members Sellers had that were vying for a piece of the pie. She reported that Sellers, ranting in paranoid fashion about the goddamn Daleks being a cover for Blake Edwards, sought the ‘ultimate orgasm’. He did so by inhaling poppers. A significant amount of poppers.
Eleven heart-attacks worth, as it turned out. [14]
The argument over whether or not Sellers was killed via the heart attack or the crash of his head hitting the bedside cabinet has been debated with considerable interest. Much worse came when, thanks to overzealous attitudes with relation to scandals in the government, Eklund was temporarily held under questioning for murder. But that is a story for another day. Blake Edwards was perhaps unsurprisingly less than sympathetic. Given that A Shot in the Dark had only recently finished filming and in fact would gain a significant boost from Sellers quite literally popping his clogs, it’s understandable why.
DALEKS EXTERMINATED SELLERS! proclaimed the paper. ESTABLISHMENT SCREWS GOON ONE LAST TIME. [15]
Not the kind of publicity one would want for.
-Cor Blimey! A One-Hundred Year History of Sex, Scandal and Sleaze in the Beeb, 2023
"ISN'T THERE SOME-ONE YOU FOR-GOT TO ASK?" [16] The Threesome that Shocked a Nation
……..
A long time ago, four travellers crashed in the middle of a skirmish between the Daleks and the Thals. They taught the Thals how to fight, taught the Daleks how to fear and taught themselves to trust each other.
Now, a group of Thals have launched an invasion of the planet Keirda; in order to protect them from the terrors of free will. Accompanying them is a mysterious advisor that their general is fascinated with. Plugged inside he has prepared the Thals to take the planet, the species and the mysterious Varga plants for themselves.
So it’s quite a surprise when the Doctor and his friends turn up. While Barbara and Ian have to help the locals and Tanya is taken captive by the Thals, the One-Eyed Advisor demands the presence of the Doctor.
After all, he saw the end of the Daleks. It's only right that he see their return to glory. [17]
-The Conquest of the Daleks, A Novelization, first published 2003 [18]
….
The mood of Conquest of the Daleks is simply put: Salt the earth.
The only thing that Nation created that he could not realistically use were the Varga plants and the Keirdans. The latter of which was never going to be used again and the former could be recycled into any number of original creatures.
The Daleks are reduced to an optical illusion (meant to simulate a hanger underneath the varga-covered lake containing millions) and one singular active creature. The Dalek himself is a bitter creation trying to hide his manipulative anger over helpful hints and jingoistic soundbites. The Thals meanwhile are reduced to becoming an increasingly war-like species. The Doctor’s involvement in the events from the first serial is deconstructed here as the results of what he has done echo out. While Nation is quick to assure that this is only one splinter group of Thals, he does note that the conquest-hungry Thals could be the start of a pandemic of violence sweeping the planet. The metaphor for what the Beeb and Nation did when creating the Daleks is…rather hard to ignore.
While Peter Hawkins’s portrayal of the Lone Dalek is very good, the human cast is…mixed. Gordon Jackson’s role as the fanatical Colonel Presh compliments the Dalek perfectly, especially with the reveal that he was the child of one of the Thals who never made it back from the city. The two of them sinking to the bottom of the churning lake is a perfectly ironic twist. Ambrose Coghill is not the worst actor in the First Doctor era but his clear lack of understanding as to what the hell he’s saying in his role as the Keirdan speaker Nur-Ek. While his death in Episode 4 is sad, it’s clearly not as sad as Nation thought it would be and in fact feels a little recycled. In-between these two are Freda Jackson (no relation) as Doctor Galleen. She shines in the scenes with Karloff and Law but struggles when she has to convey the science-fiction aspects of the story.
All in all, if this was to be the final Dalek story in Doctor Who, it would be clear it was a spiteful if somewhat futile last stand.
-Tic-Toc-Oho’s Blog: Conquest of the Daleks Review
…..
"What Conquest of the Daleks Tells Us About Palestine Oppression"
"Why Conquest of the Daleks is The Most Pro-Israel Who Story"
"No Guys, Conquest of the Daleks Isn’t About the Jewish-Arab Conflict"
-A collection of articles written on PaladinPlatform, circa 2012 [19]
…..
Barbara: They're gone, aren't they?
Doctor: Mmm. The last Daleks in the universe, torn through that wormhole into the cold void where time has not yet begun. Yes, they are gone. But the evil that they may do, the conquest that goes on for their ideals....that will never fully go away. Yet that is all the more reason to resist the urge to the easy solution. Thals! Return home and make sure that your people know. Both of your folly and your heroism, for only that way can a true, lasting understanding of the universe and your place in it be understood.
-Shooting script for the final scene of Conquest of the Daleks, Episode 6
.....
Landing in the midst of a green and pleasant field, the Doctor and his friends are shocked to discover that they are in the midst of a war. With a mudslide temporarily burying the TARDIS and splitting the team up, all things go to chaos. With Tanya now falling for the young fanatic Jamie MacCrimmon and Ian being press-ganged into serving the opposing Georgian cause, only the Doctor and Barbara can stop things from going wrong. For blood is about to be spilled and there is little they can do to stop the wheels of history from rolling on….
The Fields of Culloden, first novelized in 1989
…..
“We recruited Elwyn Jones to write The Fields of Culloden based entirely off Peter Watkin’s excellent drama simply titled Culloden. If the name sounds familiar it’s probably from The War Game which released in 1969 and scared the country straight with regards to nuclear issues. I think with the benefit of hindsight it’s a story that works well if you’ve never seen Peter’s film and looks like a bit of Hollywood-esque tosh if you have. There are things I am proud of in it but I would do certain aspects differently.”
-Irene Shubik, Longleat Convention, 2003 [20]
The original, never duplicated though often imitated
…..
JG: I remember looking at the scripts we were being given and saying to you—
AB: Welcome to the deep end? Yes I thought so too. I was excited in a way, I’d never done a historical piece like that before. I remember looking to you three to try and work out how to do it. It helped I had the lovely Hamish Wilson to work with. I think Elwyn wrote some lovely stuff with me and Jamie.
JG: Tragic too! I thought he’d chicken out halfway through but if anything he doubled down.
-The Fields of Culloden DVD commentary, 2006
….
Culloden is an awkward story to talk about. On the one hand, it has several very noteworthy points in it’s favour. Unlike before where Doctor Who might have played the deaths offscreen or for comedy, there is a significant effort to show the effects of the battle in terms of bodies. True, many of them are censored heavily or are indeed leftover sandbags covered in tarpaulins, but at the time this was a dark demonstration of the battle’s worth. Gudrun Ure plays the role of the sardonic Ginny very well, watching the chaos unfold and bitterly commenting on the tragedy of the situation, with her beating back an attempted assailant being a definite moment of excitement amidst the gloom. James Grout also offers up a dark performance as the Duke of Cumberland himself and his faux-joviality contrasted with his gradual coldness towards the Doctor makes for an effective enemy.
Yet the flaws that others speak of are still present. Hywel Bennet clearly does not care as much as might be expected in the somewhat meaty role of Bonnie Prince Charles. Hamish Wilson has won praise for his performance as James MacCrimmon [21] and it is not the intent of this review to act revisionist. Yet there is perhaps something to the critique that his relationship with Tanya is a case of a capable square peg into a impressive round hole; [22] in short that the relationship simply doesn’t work. It also becomes clear that the immediate act of ripping the TARDIS crew apart does Tanya no particular favours in this instant. Without the sounding board of the Doctor or Barbara for most of the story, we’re therefore left with the awkward position of a single character having to occupy multiple roles. Both naïve traveller and future expert, wit under pressure and screamer extraordinaire. Lastly, the script suffers heavily for Karloff’s absence in the middle two episodes and as such much of Jones’s script had to be crowbarred into place at the last moment.
The ending is perhaps the litmus test for whether or not this episode works for you. At the end, with the bloodiest moments on the verge of coming to an end, the four travellers rush back to the TARDIS where a dazed Jamie waiting for them. Driven mad by the deaths and the shame of having fallen for an English lassie, he threatens the four before Tanya is able to talk him down. Refusing an offer to return with them, he spots a figure on horseback and deliriously proclaims him to be the enemy. He charges at him roaring aloud his battle cry of “Creag an tuire!” before being cut down by what turns out to be friendly fire. The TARDIS crew escape and Tanya sobs as the Doctor gravely intones the perils of travelling through time…
But enough of that! Who wants to go to the Old West? [22]
-Doctor Who Magazine: Trial of the Twenty
….…..
Production on The Slide was already in the beginning stages when Shubnik reached out to Pemberton to ask for another script. After some debate, he offered a compromise with an outline for a potential four-parter. Tasked with making a mountain from a mole-hole was TV writer Derrick Sherwin who decided to throw everything into what would become the first of Doctor Who’s most unusual sub-genre…the Raygun Western!
-Extract from The Book of Who, a Companion Guide to 60 Years of Doctor Who, March 1st, 2023
Karloff in one of his few Western roles, his youthful acting in the film The Utah Kid (1930) [23]
…..
Episode 1: We open on a desert shot as a freshly dug hole is filled with various bodies. Doctor Who and his companions land in the Old West in a quiet town that no one really cares about. They travel inside and learn just how closed off everyone is. The Doctor strikes up a friendship with the barmaid Miss Jessica (NOTE: Family-friendly version of a brothel madam), while Ian takes up playing cards with a nervy gentleman. This is Jesse Earl, infamous outlaw who vanishes from the history books when he lift prison. [24] The Sheriff and Mayor discuss the lack of wealth and the reason why so many people are leaving. Barbara and INSERT NEW GIRL meet up with a travelling salesman named Harry Daniel Thornfield who wows everyone by transforming the nearby water trough into gold. Jesse Earl tries to steal it but Sherrif Harrison Ross arrives to stop it and pistol whips Ian. The Doctor recognizing the device as alien and Ian being dragged off with Jesse to a cell with the Sherriff ready to interrogate him, both could be cliffhangers. End instead on a shot of the grave….AND A HAND RISING FROM BENEATH IT.
Episode 2: Ross doesn’t get what he says he wants but his sadism is sated by making Ian squirm and threatening to go after Barbara. Miss Jessica goes to talk to Jesse and insists that he settle down if he wants to stay, but he mocks her and notes that their names are the only thing that they have in common. Barbara grills the conman who admits that he found it on his last trip through, the Doctor insists on being taken to where it is. INSERT NEW GIRL wanders around and avoids the dodgy hands of some of the locals before finding the grave. The dust kicks up and the corpses force their way up, killing the local gravedigger and taking control of them. Barbara and H.D. go off together to the spaceship while Harrison notes with some excitement that the bodies have come back up again. Infections start slow and while Ian and Jesse escape to try and fight them off, the Doctor discovers the spaceship with a group of corpses still waiting. He realizes that what is causing this is something that he cannot defeat….the Dust itself!
Episode 3: The enemies introduce themselves as DUST COLONY (Name to be changed), a sentient swarm of microscopic beings that need arid conditions to survive. They intend to use the human forms they have taken to The device that H.D took from their downed spaceship was part of a much large device meant to transform the atmosphere permanently into an arid wasteland. The Colony can infest human cadavers for only a certain amount of time before eventually burning them out and in most cases taking them out too. A lot of this episode is fighting, running from one safe place to another. Harrison ends up shooting several of the townsfolk out of fascination with the creatures and Jesse betrays Ian to them in an attempt to get to safety. NEW GIRL arrives to assist, while both Barbara and H.D are attacked. H.D ends up dying and Barbara is used as a hostage to force the Doctor to fix the machine, which he does.
Episode 4: The Doctor has done something clever with the machine and as such, it will instead create a far moister atmosphere that will result in the gradual extermination of the colony. Half-mad with rage, the Colony launch their final attack. It’s all very nasty and in the process a lot of people die, including Miss Jessie. Earl himself is also killed and taken over, contributing to the rest of the town fleeing out of reach. Harrison is the only one left and is incensed that he will not be possessed by the Dust. He, Ian and the possessed Earl engage in a three-way standoff which ends with Harrison shot and the Dust desperately searching for a new host. The Doctor arrives and the travellers escape as the Dust Colony is obliterated. This leaves a crazed and mortally wounded Harrison begging for someone, anyone to come back and aid him.
CHANGE AS YOU SEE FIT.
-A purported copy of Victor Pemberton's memo to Derrick Sherwin, from the set of the Slide, 1965 (NOTE: Is still in the process of verification as of writing) [25]
…..
Sherwin took the (haphazard) note and expanded on it greatly. Amongst the substantial changes he made were the following:
-Adding more depth to the setting, a fictional town by the name of Smith’s Rest, Arkansas. In the process of setting it at a point after the Civil War, Spooner creates the sense of a place on the verge of ruin and gradually bleeding out long before the alien menace came to end it.
-The transformation of Sherriff Harrison from an obvious caricature of a lousy American into a far creepier and soft-spoken man for whom the descent into madness is a long-time fond memory. The shattering of his equilibrium and his disturbing final fate, left buried alive amidst the graves of his previous victims, is a horrifyingly unnerving final fate. Ed Bishop, a good thirteen years before his appearance in Star Wars, [26] balances the two halves with excellent timing and command of screen presence. His contrast with the outlaw Jesse Earl (played by regular cowboy actor John Alderson in a role that is good but overshadowed by his peers) makes for an unusual bit of material for Glover to bite into.
-Expanding the character of Miss Jessica (renamed to Mrs Marlowe after some thought) to resemble less a tawdry stereotype and more a lonely and weary older woman. Not for nothing is her sacrifice at the end of Episode 4 considered a genuine tearjerker amongst the First Doctor stories. Her last line is delivered excellently by former silent movie ingenue Bessie Love to a deeply upset Tanya: “Your time now, darlin. No…No time for worry about me…”
-Likewise, the decision to make H.D Thornfield a far more likeable and easy-going fella adds particular weight to his struggles. Bill Pertwee was cast on recommendation and aside from his most excellent of bluster, he also delivers a surprising amount of emotional depth when he offers to make the sacrifice that will end the threat. His decision to willingly activate the Temporal Conversion Device and take the Dust with him sees him eulogized by the Doctor in a rare occasion (“Man may not have chosen him as their champion, but champion he was. And how gratifying to see that he did not fall at that last, most unexpected hurdle.”)
And of course, the name which is referenced in one of the most unnerving monster reveals of the series so far….
-WHY I LOVE: The Inheritors of Dust, by Simon Guerrier, for Doctor Who Magazine dated Jan 2010
….
The Doctor: Well? What do you have to say for yourself?
Mayor: Nothing, good sir. Nothing at all. You should speak in your defence. It crawls out of you. The conceit. Self-absorption. The arrogance of the whining child. We have lingered in your world for longer than the first two-legged fool stumbled from the ocea.
Reverend: Longer than Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden, brother! Longer even than that, before the first apple was ripped down from the tree!
Teacher: The world was supposed to be ours. It had been ordained long ago when we were part of the Greater Cloud. But the humans dared to imitate us, spawning and reproducing and refusing to give in and let themselves be of use to our cause! And then the machine dropped into our hands—
Reverend: From the heavens itself, delivered by destiny himself!
Mayor: And so we strove and we learnt and we waited to gain the hands that could operate it. The Sherriff provided.
Teacher: Oh how he provided!
Doctor: You intend to use the machine to terraform this world, hmm? Create an eternal dustbowl in which you can replicate and reproduce and spread onwards and outwards. To anything and everything that can come into contact with you.
Mayor: And now you have corrected our one mistake in allowing that clumsy oaf to take what was not his for the taking away from us. Soon this world will be scoured free from bother—
Teacher: Free from chaos!
Reverend: Free from sin!
And then, as one:
Chorus: FREE FROM ABERRATION, FREE FROM POLLUTION, FREE FROM LESSER LIFEFORMS. WE ARE THE INHERITORS OF THE DUST. AND OUR TIME IS NOW..
-Working script for The Inheritors of Dust, Episode 3 [27]
.....
"There was one problem we had not accounted for. We required two wind machines to temporarily blow up and create a temporary show that all was going haywire. What we did not realize was that these would work too well and blow a significant amount of dust into the atmosphere, right into poor Boris's lungs. We felt mortified and we did actually offer an apology. For once he was less than gracious in taking it, but I understood entirely." [28]
-Irene Shubik, Longleat Convention, 2003
…..
There is one other fact in our Fields of Culloden review that we did not include in it’s favour. This is mainly for the reason that it shouldn’t really affect it’s score in a fair world. But in the interest of honesty, part of the reason why it has such a devoted following is because it’s in a season which contains Expedition to the Unknown. [29]
This is not a knock against the very talented John Lucarotti. All great writers have their stinkers, see Dennis Potter’s Black-Eyes for an example. Nor is it an attempt to critique the effort put into this episode, in particular guest cast member Heron Carvic as Leif Eriksson who is punching above his weight here. Nor do we wish to suggest the regulars aren’t trying their best here…although let us be clear that Phyllida Law looks particularly checked out here.
With all that out of the way….
What in John Inman's name happened here?!
-Doctor Who Magazine: Trial of the Twenty
…..
“Myself and Irene had been talking a lot about me writing for the show again, and quite by chance I mentioned one of my ideas being for a Viking story. She was quite pleased with this and even more so because we could reuse the costumes from the Hastings episode with a few modifications. During the early stages of production, someone said that they could get access to a replica longboat which could be used on the filming on actual open water. It was a done deal, we all made the agreements.
You can imagine our surprise when delivered to the set was a ornately carved model with a wind up key in the middle of the boat.”
John Luccarotti, Scribe’s Tales: Writers of Genre Television, 1992.
…..
After landing in 1002 Greenland, the time travellers are captured by Leif Eriksson and his Vikings. The Doctor needs some plutonic rock to repair the TARDIS, but knows that this can only be found in Newfoundland. He convinces Eriksson to lead an exploration party across the ocean.
After acquiring the necessary minerals, he then takes Eriksson further on to Nova Scotia, where the Viking orders the time travellers to remain to help start a settlement. All the Doctor needs to save the day is a little help from the tides…
-Doctor Who and the Vikings, first published 1970
…..
With grand visions of exiting the studio now dashed, Shubnik had to quickly make do with the usual set and a hastily constructed wooden longboat for close-up shots. This also meant that Lucarotti’s script had to be reconfigured. This was already a problem because what ought to have been a two-parter had been expanded due to the decision to leave those as things of the past. What some critics have labelled the episode’s ‘glacial’’ and ‘repetitive’ pacing is the result of taking the script and having to stretch the original story to breaking point.
But the worst was yet to come…
-Extract from The Book of Who, a Companion Guide to 60 Years of Doctor Who, March 1st, 2023
….
“It was not the most slipshod production I’ve been on, but it was definitely more amateur than I had expected. For the final scene, I have to pull off a magic trick or two to convince the Vikings that I need to leave immediately. I do this close to the figurehead of the ship and what is supposed to happen is that I wave my hands and utter a few words of something or other…and then Bang! There’s a woosh of light and everyone is amazed. Then I move onto the trick with the tides that we had already filmed by that point. It was the last shot, or near the last shot, of the day and I wanted to be done with this script.
The figurehead itself was a reused prop from another ancient series on a similar subject, and in this case we were using a painted backdrop. I have to stay in the camera shot to get the take done so I was boxed in considerably. I say the words and I tap my foot which is the signal for the special effects man to light the fuse, for lack of a better term. What I expect to happen would be the equivalent of a sparkler.
Instead I feel the wood beneath my hand grow hot, I look up to see the entire figurehead go up like a tinderbox and I have just enough time to leap back before this safety hazard hurtles down towards me. Part of it sparks off and hits the backdrop and I have to race off to get out of the way. Julian grabs me and basically helps me towards the fire exit as the smoke lashes outwards. It took about thirty minutes to put the blaze out. Heaven knows what was used in that contraption, I know they told me some of the chemical when they checked me for smoke inhalation. But it was a close thing….”
-Interview with Boris Karloff, February 19th 1968, with a local enthusiast
…..
The Doctor’s star charts have led the TARDIS to a deserted area of space in the earliest moments of time. The planet they land upon has two opposing races who are best summed up as The Light and The Dark. While the Light live in a beautiful and scientifically advanced citadel, the Dark lingers in the outside world. The Doctor and company have to negotiate a particularly confusing war between the two sides as it becomes clear why the charts don’t remember this planet. Both races are about to be consigned to the history books unless they give peace a chance
Doctor Who and The Dark Planet, Novelization, 1983 [30]
…
What Doctor Who has to say about prejudice in this story is…unique to say the least.
Brian Hayles does not appear to be making a specific critique of race in the story. There is a seemingly straightforward narrative about ‘The Light’ as the good race given their white colouring and ‘The Dark’ as the inferior and jealous lesser force. This is not a Hayles exclusive decision here and nor is it one that we can say out and out is racist.
Yet the Dark, represented here by Donald Gray and thankfully avoiding the original suggestion of Blackface, is not a monster without reason. Instead the reason it has been driven to such extremes is due to the pressure placed upon it by the Light, in a conflict that has been going on for so long that neither of them can really remember why it started. Both have skills that operate in fascinating ways and at the end their combination creates a wholly new, significantly interesting development that takes everyone off their guard.
As you can imagine, such an interpretation of prejudice, particularly in the sixties, has a LOT to say about viewpoints at the time.
-A Sofa Of One’s Own: Doctor Who through a Feminist’s Eye, 1999.[31]
…..
AB: I remember this one as being the one I started sinking my teeth into the role. I thought this one was very good.
JG: At first I was panicking. You missed the one with the giant ants and the butterfly people, and so when I got the script and starting reading it—
PL: “Oh hell, not the bloody Web Planet again!” were your exact words.
JG: But I was proven wrong. It also gave me the opportunity to see the great Sir Micheal Hordern in action as Director Teelss here. I remember that he was definitely confused about the whole thing, [32] but to his credit he was very good at acting like he understood the whole thing.
Commentary on The Dark Planet, 2001
…..
“The animation we commissioned here was very primitive stuff by Oliver Postgate, but I think it adds a sort of otherworldliness to the piece. This is an episode where we wanted to give Boris a chance to slow down a bit, catch his breath after the trouble of the prior episodes and this quasi-fairy tale was the perfect chance. We definitely marked Brian Hayles down for future stories afterwards.”
-David Whittaker, interview in 1993 for Doctor Who Magazine
…..
But Season 3 would also feature the debut to Who of what many would consider to be the greatest writer the show ever had. Thanks to an argument with regards to the lost story known as The Ark, a previously rejected script by one Robert Holmes was put into production as a stopgap. The result is one of the few stories to retain genuine acclaim amongst audiences and indeed was later spun off by Holmes into a successful play. This play was entitled ‘The Ark from Space’ when it was first performed, but many know the story by it’s original title….. [33]
-Extract from The Book of Who, a Companion Guide to 60 Years of Doctor Who, March 1st, 2023
…..
THE TRAP...HAS BEEN SPRUNG
The Doctor harrumphed and proudly pulled at his lapels. “You will never defeat Chesterton and McGovern in that manner. They are true homo sapiens, an inventive and, yes, even invincible species to their own minds! They can survive flood, fire and holocaust and now! See them now! They’re indomitable!”
The RSS Morlock crash-landed on a planet while on a mission of exploration. The crash killed three of the crew, damaged the ship and rendered it impossible for them to leave. With the aid of cryogenics, the four survivors left the running of the ship to a pair of robotic Hand-Me-Downs, checking in occasionally to break up the monotony. The Hand-Me-Downs soon discover a solution when the TARDIS crash lands. Knocking out the crew and implanting them with memory blocks, the original survivors emerge to test the amnesiacs to see who can assist them in piloting the ship which is a seven person job. There is a nasty fate for the final person if something is not done….but the survivosr have reckoned without the mettle of the Doctor and friends!
-Doctor Who and the Space Ark, [34] first published in 1980
…..
“There were many trials and tribulations throughout the making of the third season. But there was one script that I felt was particularly unique. It was called The Trap, and in it we were each of us pushed in a different direction than our normal roles. My suspicion was that the sets were a last minute decision, perhaps some of the money that had been redirected elsewhere might have been better spent here. But in any event, there was no worry of anything exploding or coming crashing down. I remember having to play the part of a weaker Doctor Who and being acutely reminded that perhaps I was becoming more like that than I’d like to admit. The joy of it was that at the end the four of us managed to get the triumphant moment where everything worked out alright. I do recall being a little worried about the monsters in that one.”
“The Hand-Me-Downs?”
“Mm! I had forgotten the name but even saying their name brings them back to me. Like those peg-dolls, I recall. As an actor hired for my appearance and my gait, I could recognize the skill of the poor fellows inside. How they walked like they were being pulled by strings, stiff hinged grabbing movements…brr. I met Peter (HAWKINS) and Brigit (FORSYTH) afterwards and I thought their voices were the icing on the cake, as it were. Camberwick Green came on a few months after that, and I was never able to watch that without a little grimace.”
-Interview with Boris Karloff, February 19th 1968, with a local enthusiast
…..
“I remember specifically that Robert paired up each of the characters with someone who could both enhance the new side and bring out the old. We paired Tanya up with Andrew Faulds’s Jackson. This was before he became the Home Secretary of course, [35] which in hindsight was rather a catch. So whereas she developed a cold and clinical outside, she was also very concerned with making sure his long-neglected injuries were seen too. Which led to what I think was the most affecting moment of the serial, being his decision to end his own life to ensure safe passage for the last man left standing. He played it very well, this sharp-tongued man reduced to sentimentality in his last moments.
By contrast you had Peter Dynsley’s Hoskins, a character who seemed jolly and avuncular but gradually revealed a more sinister side as he went along. I was not in the least surprised by Julian’s skill at playing the military man, for I saw him play one in effect. The blustering bully boy he turned into was unnerving enough but I wanted him to have enough of his sense of fair play to creep through. I liked his performance as he slowly started to realize that Hoskins was a darker figure than intended and so his rebellion was always an important moment in the story.
Of all of them, I feel like Ann Bell’s Merrick was the one who got the short end of the stick. She was well acted to be sure but Barbara’s story of questioning the illogical demands offered up by Merrick has always struck me a bit hollow. However, I definitely liked that she wasn’t a passive member of the conspiracy but was in fact it’s more ardent cheerleader. That added some depth to a character who needed it greatly.
I think Boris and Anthony Ainley got on alright off-screen, but I have to say that their acting ability was incredible. For if you judged it solely off their conversations with each other you’d have assumed that Boris had killed Anthony’s beloved cricket team. I remember that in the rewrite, Robert really started emphasizing the back and forth nature of their dialogue. The Doctor and Godwin switching positions as interrogator and victim, sympathies switching back and forth depending on the moment and just as it seems that Godwin’s got the upper hand….”
-David Whittaker, interview in 1993 for Doctor Who Magazine
….
The four guest stars of The Trap, roughly as they were at the time. Note the calm; not common in this story.
Perhaps the most notable twist of the First Doctor’s tenure bar his final serial comes in this episode. […]
Throughout the serial, three facts have been established as baseline things to be aware of.
1: The external sensors have been damaged badly during the crash, including the atmosphere outside of the temporary field bubble.
2: As a result of this, none of the four have dared to venture out of the jungle to learn more, with the Hand-Me-Downs unable to traverse due to their dodgem-like need for static electricity.
3: Godwin has refused to use the ACTIVE communications to call for help due to a fear of causing some kind of catastrophe.
At the end of Episode 3, the four travellers have mostly regained their footing and enact a plan to work things out. The Doctor uses what information he has gathered to learn that Barbara can at least venture into the jungle wearing the same spacesuit as Jackson. This is at the beginning of Episode 4, while Ian and Tanya work together to lock the three aggressors into a safe area while they remove Jackson to a safe area. Hoskins goes berserk in a surprisingly violent battle, utilizing his mastery of the gravity controls to trap Ian in place before Tanya hits him across the head with a fire extinguisher. Barbara returns, removes her spacesuit and tells the Doctor and Jackson the truth of the matter. After one final scene where the Doctor sends Godwin round the twist, he chases them through the ship. It’s not clear who gets to the TARDIS in time but Godwin shoots someone in a spacesuit….right as three policemen enter the ship.
Stunned into silence, the three stare down as Jackson removes his helmet and mocks them. “You flea-brained fool….we were never going to go home. Because….we never left…”
The Doctor, in a final act of cruel mercy, broadcasts what Barbara found when she traversed outside. A motorway road sign pointing directly towards London. The last we see of them is the three figures growing increasingly gaunt as the police approach them.
Aside from a final buddy-buddy moment, that’s the last scene of the episode. Quite a stunning reveal and one that guaranteed that Holmes would be returning to the series.
-Transcript of Part 1 of The Twists Explained, uploaded to Youtube on March 2009 [36]
…..
In what would turn out to be his final Who story written as script editor, David Whitaker would produce The Ghost Ship. The story itself deals with the TARDIS landing aboard a brigantine abandoned. Eventually the Doctor discovers that it is the Mary Celeste and that the events that will lead to it’s abandonment are about to unfold. But the crew are trapped in a strange trance-like state and frequently have to be forcibly reminded of the newcomers presence. Matters become worse with the mysterious figure on the raft holding a lantern, ominously beckoning the travellers to enter the water. [37]
-Extract from The Book of Who, a Companion Guide to 60 Years of Doctor Who, March 1st, 2023
…..
“I recall early on in the production that we were running Boris ragged. I think a lot of us were at this point high on our success and so we wanted to go bigger and bolder. What that meant was more action, more moving about, more of the Doctor. We decided that this serial would be a way for him to take a break. Unlike other episodes, The Ghost Ship could be worked out so that Boris could take a break for a week or two. What we didn’t anticipate was the trouble we’d have with our guest star.”
-Irene Shubik, Longleat Convention, 2003
…..
Jack May came back for a physical role this as Benjamin Briggs. He was a fine actor, very easy to work with. We had bigger problems with John Laurie who was on to play the Lanternkeeper. It’s a pity because watching the episode you see this great performer, very threatening in a subtle fashion. I know a lot of people who swore that he was the freakiest villain of the sixties. But I can only see the bitter old man who showed up and would not stop talking rubbish atop the show. “I used to do Shakespeare and now I do this RUBBISH!” was his most frequent complaint. I might be being unduly harsh to him but that’s only because he thought Boris a great joke. Mocking him for being a faint old man made my teeth tense, because he was only ten years older than John at that point and he had no business saying that. I’d like to know how he’d have coped if he’d been caught in that fire!. Probably scream “WE’RE DOOMED!” or something along those lines. I know someone started complaining to a higher up that if you wanted to give him a larger role, then forget about it! [38]
-Extract from Moondust Memories, Julian Glover's Autobiography, published 2022.
John Laurie in costume and method acting as per usual
…..
The Doctor: And what manner of being are you then, hmm? Not human?
The Lanternkeeper laughs, a strange shrill shriek like that of a gull, before settling back to normal.
Lanternkeeper: See what the Lantern has done to me! The one true God has granted me powers beyond my feeble visage, granted me an understanding of the universe and all the souls in it. Can ye here it? Can ye?
The Doctor: What rot! I—
He breaks off and listens closer. His face turns pale and the Lanternkeeper cackles again. Then he reaches up to place the lantern right into the Doctor’s eyes.
Lanternkeeper: Come away with ye. Come down here and we can talk further. Come down here and ye…ye can speak to the one true master of this world. And all the worlds beyond. Come with me, into the water…and I will show you what it is all about.
-Shooting Script of the closing scene for Episode 2 of The Ghost Ship
…..
“In hindsight, I would have made the last serial a lot longer and cut an episode out of this one. For the most part it works just fine, and the actors all do a good job with it. But there’s only so much of the time-loop that you can see before you start yearning for the sweet embrace of death. I did get some complaint about the ambiguity of the ending but I thought that there was little point in pressing it. I liked the idea of keeping the mystery of what happened, just in a different direction.”
-David Whittaker, interview in 1993 for Doctor Who Magazine
….
(Intercut scenes of typewriters being used, scripts being shuffled and drinks being poured) [39]
Whittaker: How about this then? We have one last four-part story before we have to end the series. It’s submitted by a Peter Ling and he’s done a good job on it. It’s all modernist, a little bit John Steed-esque.
Newman: That damned woman will get us over a barrel if it’s too psychedelic. How much acid will the kiddies need to drop to get it?
Whittaker: No more than our usual. No but that’s not the point. You can get away with a lot of things in this script. You could, in theory, do anything you desired and make it stick. We could make the TARDIS a penny-farthing bicycle, turn Ian into a woman….or we could change the Doctor’s face. Now here’s the bit. The villain is a man called the Toymaker and he’s very, very powerful. He can do almost anything if it is within his realm and the Doctor and company are in his realm. He makes our heroes play games to retrieve parts of the TARDIS to bring it back together. But that’s not important. As part of the game, he turns the Doctor into another man. But eventually they win and they get away, and everything goes back to normal except….we keep the new actor. …Listen, you asked me to stick around here so this is what you’ll get.
Shubnik: And as the one who’ll have to worry about these things next series, I have three problems with that admittedly decent idea. First one is simple; whoever we pick to come in will be mauled by the press, by the fans and all likelihood the cast’ll be put out too.
Newman: You had any names in mind for this change? (Takes list) Hmm. Dyall’s not a bad choice. Luckham’s got all the personality of a washer-dryer. Oh, get on your bike, you’d never get Guinness to do science fiction. More chance of Pat Roach winning an Oscar! And…Mole?
Whittaker: Morrell. As in Andre? …You asked me to come up with these names, Sydney!
Shubnik: Point two, on a moral level, throwing Boris out halfway through a story is just wrong. He’s not misbehaved, he’s not acted difficult, he’s not even exhibiting behaviour that is slowing down production. He could in theory chuff along for another five years.
Newman: Three and a bit, maybe. But you’re right, if it got out we were shoving him out haphazardly, it’d be a very nasty situation. Would he sue?
Shubnik: No, he couldn’t. But that isn’t the point; how much of the arguments between Terry and the legal department leaked out to the news? I’ve been keeping up with it and to their credit, they’ve not been nearly as nasty as they could have been. They’ve been playing it as a rather grey situation, both sides having points. Which is not ideal for the specific case BUT it is good for the overall image. Tossing Boris out and not even giving him a proper goodbye is as black and white as it gets. If it comes down to the Doctor vs you, me and David….well, I would not advise someone to waste their money, is all.
Newman: And your third problem?
Shubnik: Contractually speaking, the whole thing is a nightmare. You could get Cyril or Valentine or Andre or, and I understand this would be a hell of a longshot, Alec in to do a two-episode role no problem. But then we’d have to work around their schedule and have them cancel any plans for the near future. And that’s not even getting into the fact that Phyllida is getting the itch to leave like Sara did. Julian would probably wish to stay more likely than not, but if Boris left he’d absolutely be amenable to going out. That leaves us with three departures, two of which will be off-screen. We could just say the Doctor found their home and dumped them off but that would be ridiculous. No, the idea is good in theory but when it comes to execution…
(A Pause)
Whittaker: And it has to continue? The show, I mean. Can’t it just…stop?
Newman: Don’t be naïve, it’s not your strong suit. The BBC has committed a hell of a lot of worth to making sure that we have a hold on the Daleks one way or another. To do that, they need Doctor Who to be alive and kicking in five years. Doctor Who has to live and we have to ensure that it is a healthy, reasonable life. No matter how much of a bitch it is to make. [40]
-Extract from The Adventure in Space and Time, 2013
…..
“Brian had sketched out a rough idea of what The Toymaker was, but a lot of it was quite frankly hard to parse. Peter Ling had been recommended by a writer—I forget who—and was asked to work with him on it. Well, Brian was busy doing The Dark Planet and so Peter did a lot more than ‘work on it’. He practically carved the entire path out. Then Brian came back and added a good deal more jeopardy. He was also instrumental in changing perhaps the most important feature. [41]
We’d always intended to do something similar to our Dalek shoot because we believed that it added an thrilling element to the proceedings. The word was put out and it just so happened that the Battersea funfair was operating at the time we needed. And there was going to be no better story than The Toymaker, so we wrote it in. The agreement was also that Boris and company would stay around and sign some autographs for the kids early in the morning. In some respects, it might even be considered this first Doctor Who convention. [42]
And it was me who suggested reaching out to Vincent Price. Because he was doing a film at the time and I thought “Now here’s a way to get attention!”
-Sydney Newman, 1987 Interview for the Centenary of Karloff documentary
…..
Michael Parkinson: I suppose the silly question to ask is; how do you decide what parts to do? How does someone get—I know you do Doctor Who quite regularly, how does someone get you for that every four weeks or so?
Vincent Price: Oh in that case it was vanity. (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER) Pure simple vanity! The pitch I received was that…I was doing one of the Hammer Horror movies. It was either the Magnificent Doctor Deadly or the Deadly Doctor Magnificent (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER) but whatever film it was, it was a case where I had to be active to an extent as a persona. Whereas with that first serial, the pitch was that I would come in and sit in a comfortable chair and talk to dear Boris. And I could sit however I want. Flip my legs over the side, recline backwards, sit on the actual back with my arms flapping like a bird (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER) whatever I wished. Boris and I had acted in The Raven together and we hadn’t torn each other’s heads off. Peter Cushing was busy, Christopher Lee was above their paygrade and so let’s grab the old ham before he turns sour! (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER)
Parkinson: Was it enjoyable, then?
Price: Yes. Well, they did take the chair away from me after that and I had to get up and do actual work. (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER). But yes, on the whole, very fun. They needed me for a few shots of me in this demented fairground, on the merry-go-round and—I wanted to go on the rolly-coaster [43] but they started raising a fuss. And I was watching it, and I was impressed but also slightly confused. Then I got back and watched it on my TV, blocking out my sections internally, and found it all very amusing and well put together. And I had my agent call up and say that I was happy to do more if they ever asked me. Since then I’ve been coming back more and more to do them, it used to be once per season, but now I get a gap of two years to wet the old appetite. You do get to meet such interesting people. And I get to promote them as well, which is fun. I hope to keep doing them for as long as possible. In fact, if you really want to know a trade secret, I wish they’d asked me to take over from old Boris. There is something quite engaging with it, I never miss an episode when I can find what channel it’s on.
-Michael Parkinson in Conversation with Vincent Price, 1972 [44]
….
“Shit! Why didn’t we think of that?!”
-Rumoured response by Sydney Newman, 1972
….
Vincent Price, in one of the Toymaker's more modern costumes
It’s tempting to just talk about Vincent, Vincent, Vincent. Because let us be clear here, the only canonical reason that we accept a man that fabulous stays in a white formless room is because he has devoured every inch of scenery. From his ornate robes to the mildly inappropriate poking of Karloff’s breast to his occasional fits of Price-like rage, he is an incredible way to establish the Doctor’s race as not just heroes or fools.
But let us also highlight the other actors in this and give them the proper praise.
-Dennis Waterman as the Artful Dodger (Supposedly Newman practically hit Hayles’s hand with a ruler at the suggestion of Billy Bunter). While a point of embarrassment for him in later years, Waterman’s darkly comic acting as the malicious Artful Dodger adds to the stories menace. His joy at seeing the two opposing sides get hurt by his various traps, his tantrums whenever a victory is upheld, the many costumes he puts on to oversee matters.
And of course, there is the opposing team trying to assemble the TARDIS to remove themselves from the long torture of the Toymaker.
-King and Queen, as played by Alister Williamson and Noel Dyson, might not understand the concept of the setting but the characters sing as a result. Their fake lovey-dovey routine is amplified by Queen’s constant putdowns and desperate attempts to swoon into her (reluctant) lover’s arms, while King’s pouts and bursts of passionate outrage create an unusually threatening comedic figure.
-Donald Hewlett’s bewilderment is funny but there is something rather tragic about the (in modern terms) cougar-hunter Ace. Particularly seeing as he is usually seen with a stricken expression on his face.
-Barbara Shelley briefly breaks out of her role as scream queen in portraying Jack, a quietly competent woman clearly on the verge of total catatonia. Amongst the four opposing players, her intelligence and efforts to remain compassionate mark her as classic ‘Could Have Been Companion’ material, before that was even a term.
-Who's That: Unsung Heroes of Doctor Who, by Norman Anderson, 2013
…..
Barbara: Doctor!
Doctor: Miss McGovern, Tanya…and Chesterton! You’ve made it!
King: No…No, listen to me. Best two out of three.
Artful Dodger: Best-two-out-of-three, pops! Aw, are you going to cry? Look Mummy, Daddy’s going to cry his little wooden heart art!
Queen: Do what you want to him, but leave me and Ace alone!
King: Darling!
Jack: (With an effort, to Tanya) Well done. It was…fair play. Congratulations. I hope you find your way—
Artful Dodger: Yeuck! This is soooooo boring! She’s supposed to be the sweet Gramma, Jack. You should be whining and stamping your feet like—
Jack: Like you?
Artful Dodger: RAH! (Grabs at Jack and throws her to the floor. She hits it…as a wooden dollie. He stamps on her again and again until she shatters) I hate you! I HATE YOU HATE YOU HATE YOU HATE YOU HATE—
Toymaker: (To the Doctor) You know, the one thing I detest more than a sore loser is a sore winner. You three may go.
King: You’re letting us leave?
Toymaker: (shrugs) In a manner of speaking. (He waves his hand and all three fall to the ground, turning into the same dolls) Dodger!
(The Dodger stops and looks back)
Artful Dodger: Ah heh, what a lot of…a lot of daftheads. All wooden in the brain, eh? What now, boss? What can I do to those three? I want to—(He starts to choke)
Toymaker: You know, only I get to decide what toys I’m fed up with. What toys get to stop. What ones ought to be broken. (A shift in perspective. A gigantic Toymaker reaches down and plucks a model of the Dodger up in his hands. We hear faint cries, then the Toymaker waves his hand, the cries stop….then he releases it and down falls a small amount of sand)
Doctor: Do you really feel no regret at all?
Toymaker: Only that the game is about to end. Now! Your final move, if you please!
Shooting script for the Toymaker, Episode 4
…..
"Was he like you?"
The Doctor fixed Ian with a hard glare. "Certainly not! The man was a dullard and I have the wit of a--"
Ian quickly interrupted, not wanting this argument to spring up again. “Do you have that kind of power?”
The Doctor shook his head quietly. “No. I hope I never do. But change is a curious thing. And it happens just when you least expect it. But that is for later. Another time and another place. Every time and every place.”
The Toymaker, first novelized in 1993.
….
Season 3 (45 Episodes) consists of:
The Cybermen (5 Parts)
The Haunted Lake (3 Parts)
Conquest of the Daleks (6 Parts)
The Fields of Culloden (4 Parts
The Inheritors of Dust (4 Parts)
Expedition to the Unknown (4 Parts)
The Dark Planet (6 Parts)
The Trap (4 Parts)
The Ghost Ship (5 Parts)
The Toymaker (4 Parts)
-Early listing in 1981 for missing episode hunters, sans annotations.
…..
“Irene and Sydney took me out for lunch. And by that point I think I already knew. I was feeling awfully tired, you know. Not like it is now, now I feel fit as a fiddle despite what they say. But doing consistent television is a lot different from doing films, it’s more draining. They were very decent with me and Sydney in particular I thought showed remarkable restraint in the matter. And so we talked…”
-Interview with Boris Karloff, February 19th 1968, with a local enthusiast
….
“And then out of the blue…out of the very blue…”
-Irene Shubik, Longleat Convention, 2003
….
Karloff: I suppose you want me for another series perhaps? To wrap things up?
Shubnik: Be honest, Boris, do you have another series in you?
(A long pause. Boris focuses on his food. At last, with a sigh)
Karloff: No. Probably not a full series. Not at the level that you’re currently working on. Though I’m happy to do any promotions that you require of me. I know someone was talking about American airtime, and I have some friends over there who may be able to help—
Newman: Of course, and we appreciate that. Are you disappointed?
Karloff: It has been tremendous fun. And I will not lie to you and say that I am not sad. I have really enjoyed being Doctor Who, you know. Like Father Christmas all over again, only this time it has been every day. But so many people are Father Christmas, aren’t they? Once I’m gone, the hospitals will find someone else to play the role and he’ll do marvellously, I’m sure…How are you planning on doing it?
(Irene and Sydney look at each other)
Shubnik: We’ve been…working that out.
Karloff: Hmm. It’ll be complicated for me to explain no doubt. Unless you’ve got some other poor soul to bumble his way through the exposition.
(Pause)
Karloff: I suppose you can’t just make me young again?
Newman: Hell, Boris, if you’ve been holding some fountain of youth out on us, that would explain a lot—
Karloff: No, you mistake me. Doctor Who. (A pause, neither of them get it) Let me make the assumption that I have some understanding of your side of the camera. What you have is a problem of image. You cannot merely substitute in someone of a similar age to me. People will notice that I am not there anymore, the children will twig that this isn’t the real Doctor Who, that you’re taking them for fools and that will make life difficult for the poor fellow. Am I correct?
Newman: A little less altruistic, perhaps. But yes, more or less.
Karloff: But you also can’t make the switch a casual thing either, because people do not like the idea of losing someone so quickly in such a fashion. My replacement will be forever known as the man who ripped Doctor Who away from al of his fans and shouted “Mine now!” like it would matter. Right?
Shubnik: Right.
Karloff: Thus far I’ve been operating on the belief that Doctor Who is an alien. Or perhaps he has some kind of magic. But either way, not a normal human being. Let us say that I come back for a final story. One last story at the beginning of the season. At the end of it, I get mortally wounded by some kind of weapon. But I can save myself, the only problem is that it will require me to undergo a startling metamorphosis. Of course, I will say that I will still be the same man and that we may meet again as we are now. But instead, I am renewing myself in a desperate bid to ensure my safety. [45] Returning to a point in my life where my body was stronger, more capable, healthier and of course…younger. So the children watching at home might think that one day…I could come back. Yes, I could come back. But until then, no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. They could go forward in all their beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine; [46] that this is the right time for me to leave. And by the time they work out that I won’t…who knows? Perhaps this new fella will be up their street.
(There is a long silence. Boris chuckles softly)
Karloff: I will get the bill, shall I? (He gets up and moves across with his wallet out.
After a moment, Sydney looks at Irene. Irene looks at Sydney, nods and reveals her notebook with a rough transcript of Boris’s idea. There is a single space open and Sydney picks up the pen to sign his name at the bottom.)
-Extract from The Adventure in Space and Time, 2013
-
NEXT TIME: THE DEATH OF DOCTOR WHO! {47}[1] Here's our first big deviation. With science fiction established early as the dominant factor in Doctor Who, we're going to see a rise in the mashup episodes quicker. In short, less of the barren wasteland between the end of Season 2 and the beginning of Season 11 (not counting Evil of the Daleks)
[2]: Yep! Couldn't very well butterfly these two away, not least because it makes sense here to get him onboard early. They won't be assuming control of the series just yet however.
[3] Will Doomwatch survive to see another day? Stay tuned!
[4]: A subtle hint that the Mondasian Cybermen design of OTL might not be gone as quickly here.
[5] Trying to replicate unique speech patterns and tones is quite fun, all things considered.
[6] I might have butteflied Mr Craze's marriage here by accident, in which case I'm sorry!
[7] The big change that I've been building up to! I had the idea to link Luxor and the Cybermen together for some time now. It also does away with references to the Tenth Planet which may dilute some of the power of Pedler's original message but the gist of it gets across all right.
[8] I tried my best to avoid cribbing too much from the end speech of Invasion of Earth, not least because I feel it would be too predictable to be so exactly the same. I am rather proud of it, in my own way.
[9] Very much a case here of me having to remind myself of the differences per my timeline and OTL. At this point in OTL, Susan has kind of set the template for screaming and shouting companions and so Vicki seems a lot more bold by comparison. Contrast here where Suzanne is more alien and reserved, so we have to go in the other direction.
[10] A legitimately fascinating individual whom I am genuinely surprised was never snatched up for a part in Doctor Who at some point in the sixties to seventies. Well worth reading up on her, she's more than just her role in The Champions.
[11] You may picture the meme if you wish. Know that there is a worse one coming up soon.
[12] In case you were wondering, yes we have gone to the Haunting of Vila Diodati some fifty years earlier. I think it's the kind of thing sixties Who might attempt, and probably in the form of a comedy. I'm thinking in terms of tone more the Christmas episode of Dalek Master Plan, if you take my meaning.
[13] Based off an OTL rejected script from Cotton called the Herdsmen of Aquarius which I have yet to find proper information regarding. So I've had to improvise heavily here, hence my making them a bit rubbish.
[14] Another big damn deviation from the norm. This will not affect the Pink Panther character as such, given that the short films were already in production and given that no one remembers the Clouseau sandwiched between Sellers's take on the role, it's clear he'll persist. But it's a permanent end to the element that drew audiences back to see the film series. And there are more butterflies to flap later on down the line. I've based the incident on an event that happened later in the year, where he only had eight heart attacks and survived. I imagine that with his pride directly wounded as opposed to OTL's death by a thousand cuts which it seems to have been, Sellers would make a mistake here. I was really bloody tempted to reference the Katy Manning pose with the Dalek only to swap her out for Britt but that felt dark even for this story's standards.
[15] I am unironically quite proud of that one.
[16] Your mileage may vary on the effectiveness of this dumb reference. If any of you wish to throw tomatoes at the author now is the time.
[17] We have bits and pieces here of what would be OTL Dalek-stories all sort of meshed into one thing here, with a bigger focus on the Thals gradual return to more war-like methods. It's a small thing that I've never seen well addressed in much Who media. Which is insane given how much evil gets linked to the Doctor's actions in the Classic series.
[18] Lingering resentment over this story in particular leaves us in a similar position to OTL's Power and Evil of the Daleks, though whether John Peel is the author of this novel I'm not entirely sure yet.
[19] Something that hit me as I planned out what the last Dalek story was going to be was that, given the state of matters, it could probably be read as a allegory for certain world events. Both in and out of universe, this really was just an attempt to write a pulpy story with a few ideas above it's station, but I threw this in here as a reminder that people can and will read into those kinds of stories.
[20] The more I wrote down for this, the more my original plan of a dark Massacre at St Bathometer's masterpiece changed into a pale imitation of a far better production. Still good but heavily flawed.
[21] I knew early on that I wanted to do a version of Culloden for the first season as a way to avoid simply retelling the same stories with different actors. The fact that a similar period had also been covered in The Highlanders only occurred to me once I started looking up writers. Jamie's death here is the first sharp removal of a character from the story entirely (Tanya might not be Tanni/Vicki, but she takes up much of her role in the overall scheme of things) and thus we're not going to be following the script entirely. Also, he's played by Fake Jamie from the Mind Robber which I am somewhat proud of.
[22] Yeah, while I will be emphasizing the dramatic aspects more, it's still Who at the end of the day and we need to move onto the next adventure. Sorry Jamie!
[23] Included because I thought you'd get a kick out of it and because there is shockingly little good Western appropriate attire for Karloff past the 30s.
[24] Actual character and actual fate, thought it was too cool not to include.
[25] Included the disputed part because, even despite the suspension of disbelief, I don't think I got the voice of Pemberton down right. The basics are there and accurate, it's more the tone of the writing.
[26] Spoilers, spoilers everywhere, and nary a drop to drink!
[27] Think OTL's Fury of the Deep infamous reveal.
[28] Which given that he has emphysema at this time? Yeah, makes a lot of sense.
[29] Based off an OTL Lost Story which might be a genuinely great piece of fiction but from the description sounds like....the opposite. No offence meant to Lucarrotti, great writer and I love that he sought a connection with Who for the rest of his life. Just not a great script is all.
[30] I highly recommend, if you are able, shelling out a bit of cash to buy The Dark Planet adaptation that Big Finish did. It genuinely feels like a sixties story come to life and the fact that such a visual story exists in the medium of sound only is a tragedy.
[31] Which is a reference to the fact that it's definitely a story worth dissecting on the front of what it says about prejudice and hate. I'm not sure if it's presient or good for t's time, and I'm sure had it been made there might have been some hideous attempt at blackface but again, listen and make your own minds up!
[32] Hordern didn't understand what Lord of the Rings's deal was when he did the excellent radio drama. I'm pretty sure Who would have baffled him immensely.
[33] The story was a original submitted by Hplmes for the First Doctor and one that I would dearly like to get my hands on at some point. In the absence of information, I've had to take a stab in the dark at it myself. Hence the lack of any speech here because I can't replicate Holmes's style as we know it, or what it might have been in the sixties.
[34] Given the subject matter....yes, I think we can safely say that the Ark in Space, as we know it, has been butterflied away. Though some elements will be peeking their way through....
[35] A hint of things to come. Quite literally, as we'll be finishing up Karloff's last story and then we'll be moving onto a brief discussion of the political landscape of the sixties moving onwards.
[36] Very Twilight Zone-esque twist but I think it suits the themes of the story.
[37] If you're curious, the final twist sees all ten onboard the ship leap into a 'time eddy' which the Doctor notes could either transport them somewhere safe or disperse them into tiny monecules across the stars. Either way, while the mystery of the ship has been solved, the mystery of the passengers is another matter....
[38] Laurie was known as, pardon my French, a cantankerous old bugger who had a habit of being a bit of a bully to those older than himself. Stories abound of his dislike of Arnold Ridley not just being something the Dad's Army crew cooked up out of nowhere. Here it's definitely prominent and it's possible that this might have some consequences down the line for the show itself.
[39] The entire scene, as it is shown in the documentary, is based off a similar one done in the 'docu-drama' Curse of Steptoe. In that, the two writers discuss back and forth the writing in of a new character to replace Wilfred Brambell's 'Steptoe' to assist Harry H Corbett's 'Son' via the medium of a funeral for the old man. Now, t's a load of tosh is the docu-drama. But it's well made, well acted and well produced tosh, and the interplay of the discussion and the writing has always struck me as very invocative.
[40] I've been struggling for the longest time to square out the 'how' Doctor Who will keep running. A big difference here is that Karloff is merely something from physical ailments as a result of the TV show, as opposed to Hartnell being physically and mentally worn down. So this is my excuse for why the show doesn't just stop when Karloff packs it in. Too much time and effort has been thrown into it, so Who must continue!
[41] The result is that this story bears little actual resemblance to the OTL, given that Donald Cotton heavily rewrote Hayles's original ideas. The result IITL resembles something a little bit like the Mind Robber, but with a more prominent antagonistic figure.
[42] Benefits of a bigger budget as a result of Karloff's participation. Something to keep in mind as the sixties starts trucking along and changes happen, this won't be staying the same forever!
[43] Based off the delightful America Screams documentary he did! Worth a watch if have the time.
[44] I think of all my writings, this one was the one that was both A: Incredibly fun to do, and B: Captured the essence of the speaker. I heavily recommend searching up the Parkinson interview, Vincent is such a charmer!
[45] And here it is! The first hint of what WE call regeneration, here pitched in a manner that is going to make it very contentious going forward for fans.
[46] Once I started writing it, I couldn't help myself! A lot of indulgence this chapter to get through something of a slog.
[47] Next time we will be focusing our efforts entirely upon Karloff's last stand AND the arrival of the Second Doctor. Hope to see you there!