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{{Infobox Story SMW
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|novelisation           = The Edge of Destruction (novelisation)
{{Infobox Story
|image                 = The Edge of Destruction.jpg
|name= The Edge of Destruction
|series                 = [[Doctor Who television stories|''Doctor Who'' television stories]]
|novelisation=The Edge of Destruction (novelisation)
|season number         = Season 1 (Doctor Who 1963)
|image= The Edge of Destruction.jpg
|season serial number  = 3
|series=[[Doctor Who television stories|''Doctor Who'' television stories]]
|story number           = 3
|season number= [[Season 1]]
|doctor                 = First Doctor
|story number= 3
|companions             = [[Susan Foreman|Susan]], [[Ian Chesterton|Ian]], [[Barbara Wright|Barbara]]
|doctor=First Doctor  
|setting               = [[The Doctor's TARDIS|The TARDIS]]
|companions= [[Susan Foreman|Susan]], [[Barbara Wright|Barbara]], [[Ian Chesterton|Ian]]  
|writer                 = David Whitaker
|setting= [[The Doctor's TARDIS|The TARDIS]]  
|director               = [[Richard Martin (director)|Richard Martin]], [[Frank Cox]]
|writer= [[David Whitaker]]
|producer               = [[Verity Lambert]]
|director= [[Richard Martin (director)|Richard Martin]] (1) [[Frank Cox]] (2)
|epcount               = 2
|producer= [[Verity Lambert]]  
|broadcast date         = 8 February - 15 February 1964
|epcount=2
|network               = BBC tv
|broadcast date= [[8 February (releases)|8 February]] - [[15 February (releases)|15 February]] [[1964 (releases)|1964]]
|format                 = 2x25-minute episodes
|network=[[BBC One|BBC tv]]
|serial production code = [[List of production codes|C]]
|format= 2x25-minute episodes  
|prev                   = The Daleks (TV story)
|production code= [[List of production codes|C]]  
|next                   = Marco Polo (TV story)
|prev= The Daleks (TV story)  
|clip                   = Possessed Susan attacks Barbara - The Edge of Destruction - Doctor Who - BBC
|next = Marco Polo (TV story)
|clip = Possessed Susan attacks Barbara - The Edge of Destruction - Doctor Who - BBC
}}
}}
'''''The Edge of Destruction''''' was the third story of [[Season 1]] of ''[[Doctor Who]].'' The story is unique in the original series in that it is set entirely inside [[the Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]] and features only the regular cast members.
'''''The Edge of Destruction''''' was the third serial of [[Season 1 (Doctor Who 1963)|season 1]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]''. The story is unique in the original series in that it is set entirely inside [[the Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]] and features only the regular cast members.


The [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] initially committed to four episodes of ''Doctor Who''. Mid-way through the production of ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]'', this was upped to thirteen. Together, ''An Unearthly Child'' and ''[[The Daleks (TV story)|The Daleks]]'' only totaled eleven. With a tiny budget, ''The Edge of Destruction'' was commissioned to fill the remaining two episodes and fill out the season.  
The [[BBC]] initially committed to four episodes of ''Doctor Who''. Mid-way through the production of ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]'', this was upped to thirteen. Together, ''An Unearthly Child'' and ''[[The Daleks (TV story)|The Daleks]]'' only totalled eleven. With a tiny budget, ''The Edge of Destruction'' was commissioned to fill the remaining two episodes and fill out the season.


Narratively, the story was crucial as its events bonded the travellers so they were no longer just mismatched people forced together, but a group who could trust one another. It also offered the first hint that the Doctor's TARDIS was not his own, shown by his lack of understanding of its abilities. Finally, it was also the first instance of the Doctor namedropping [[List of Earth historical figures|historical figures]].
According to [[Verity Lambert]], the first two serials had gone overbudget and the production team needed to save some money. According to [[David Whitaker]], there simply weren't any scripts available, and it was either this script or going off the air for two weeks. In the end, he wrote the script in two days.


The second episode of this serial, "The Brink of Disaster", is as far as viewers can watch the Hartnell era, and the series itself from the very beginning in televised format, before running into a single missing episode: the following serial, ''[[Marco Polo (TV story)|Marco Polo]]'', remains absent in its entirety.
Narratively, the story was crucial as its events bonded the travellers so they were no longer just mismatched people forced together but a group who could trust one another. It also offered the first hint that the Doctor's TARDIS was not his own, shown by his lack of understanding of its abilities. Finally, it was also the first instance of the Doctor namedropping historical figures.
 
The second episode of this serial, "The Brink of Disaster", is as far as viewers can watch the Hartnell era, and the series itself from the very beginning in televised format, before running into a missing episode: the following serial, ''[[Marco Polo (TV story)|Marco Polo]]'', remains absent in its entirety.


== Synopsis ==
== Synopsis ==
As they slowly recover from the shock of being thrown to the [[the Doctor's TARDIS|TARDIS]] floor, [[First Doctor|the Doctor]], [[Susan Foreman|Susan]], [[Ian Chesterton|Ian]] and [[Barbara Wright|Barbara]] all seem to be acting strangely. Unexplained events occur and suspicions are raised that an alien force may have entered the ship. The Doctor even accuses Ian and Barbara of sabotage.
As they slowly recover from the shock of being thrown to [[the Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]] floor, [[First Doctor|the Doctor]], [[Susan Foreman|Susan]], [[Ian Chesterton|Ian]] and [[Barbara Wright|Barbara]] all start acting strangely. Unexplained events occur and the travellers start to turn on each other as they contemplate what is happening on the TARDIS.
 
It gradually dawns on the travellers that what they have been experiencing is an attempt by the TARDIS itself to warn them of something. The Doctor finally realises the [[fast return switch]] he used when leaving [[Skaro]] has stuck, and the ship has been plunging back to the beginning of time and its own destruction.
 
Once the problem — a faulty spring — is corrected, the TARDIS returns to normal and the Doctor has to make some apologies for his behaviour.


== Plot ==
== Plot ==
=== The Edge of Destruction (1) ===
=== The Edge of Destruction (1) ===
[[First Doctor|The Doctor]], while attempting to correct [[The Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]]' faulty navigation circuits, causes a small explosion. The Doctor, [[Barbara Wright|Barbara]], [[Ian Chesterton|Ian]] and [[Susan Foreman|Susan]] are all rendered unconscious. Barbara is the first to recover and awakens Ian and Susan, who appear to have slight cases of [[amnesia]]. The Doctor lies on the floor with a gash on his head. Susan recovers her senses enough to retrieve a special [[healing bandage]] from the ship's first aid kit and water from the [[food machine]] for her injured grandfather. Suddenly, Susan becomes convinced that an [[alien]] presence is on board and has seized control of the ship.
[[First Doctor|The Doctor]], while attempting to correct [[The Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]]'s faulty navigation circuits, causes a small explosion. The Doctor, [[Barbara Wright|Barbara]], [[Ian Chesterton|Ian]] and [[Susan Foreman|Susan]] are all rendered unconscious. Barbara is the first to recover shortly followed by Susan, who has trouble remembering who Barbara is, where she is, and is suffering from a pain in the back of her neck. Susan suddenly realises the Doctor lying on the floor with a gash on his head and rushes to his side followed by Barbara. Susan recovers her senses enough to retrieve a special [[healing bandage]] from the ship's first aid kit and water from the [[food machine]] for her injured grandfather. While she is away, Ian wakes up and is clearly confused. After seeing the open TARDIS doors, Susan becomes convinced that an [[alien]] presence is on board and has seized control of the ship.


The TARDIS doors begin erratically opening and closing whenever Ian moves towards them. When Susan tries to operate the door switch on the console, she receives an electrical shock. As the Doctor revives, Barbara tends to him while Ian carries Susan to her room. There she stabs at him with a pair of scissors, rips her bed to shreds, then collapses.
The TARDIS doors begin to mysteriously open and close whenever Ian moves towards them. When Susan tries to operate the controls, she suddenly faints. As the Doctor regains consciousness, Barbara tends to him while Ian carries Susan to her room. There she tries to stab him with a pair of scissors, not knowing who he is, but suddenly stabs the scissors on the bed multiple times before collapsing.


Later, the Doctor, Barbara, and Ian discuss the situation, each alternating between clarity of mind and paranoid sniping. The Doctor checks the system controls with Ian's assistance, while Barbara checks on Susan. She has retrieved the scissors and tries to attack Barbara, but stops herself from doing any real harm.
Later, the Doctor, Barbara, and Ian discuss the situation, each alternating between clarity of mind and paranoid sniping. Susan retrieves the scissors whilst nobody is looking and returns to her room. The Doctor checks the system controls with Ian's assistance, while Barbara checks on Susan. Susan becomes very suspicious of Barbara and threatens her with the pair of scissors, but Barabra is able to stop her from doing any real harm. Susan reveals that she thinks something is hiding inside the ship or inside one of them.


When the Doctor tries to determine their location with the view scanner, he finds only images which he recognises as records of the TARDIS' earlier trips. The last image, a picture of planets, a solar system and an explosion, puzzles him. By now, Susan is convinced that not only has an alien intelligence entered the ship, it has taken over at least one of the people. When the Doctor opens the TARDIS doors, they quickly close themselves when Ian approaches them. Soon, the Doctor and Susan begin to accuse their [[human]] [[companion]]s of sabotage to get the TARDIS back to England in 1963. Barbara angrily refutes the Doctor's suspicions with a recap of their recent adventure on [[Skaro]], where she and Ian risked their lives to save the Doctor and Susan from the [[Dalek]]s. She cites Ian's bravery in the [[Cave of Skulls]]. Her tirade is abruptly ended when she sees the [[Ormolu clock|cathedral clock]] the Doctor keeps in the console room has melted, a sight which horrifies her. They all check their watches and see the same has happened to their timepieces.
When the Doctor tries to determine their location with the view scanner, he finds only images which he recognises as records of the TARDIS's earlier trips. The last image, a picture of planets, a solar system and an explosion, puzzles him. When the Doctor opens the TARDIS doors, but they quickly close themselves when Ian approaches them. Soon, the Doctor begins to accuse his [[human]] [[companion]]s of attacking him and Susan and tampering with the TARDIS controls whilst they were unconscious in an attempt to get the TARDIS back to England in 1963. Furious, Barbara refutes the Doctor's suspicions with a recap of their recent adventure on [[Skaro]], where she and Ian risked their lives to save the Doctor and Susan from the [[Dalek]]s and cites Ian's bravery in the [[Cave of Skulls]]. Her tirade is abruptly ended when she sees the [[Ormolu clock|cathedral clock]] the Doctor keeps in the console room has melted, a sight which horrifies her. The travellers all check their watches and see the same has happened to their timepieces. Barbara, disturbed, takes off her watch and throws it away from her, before breaking down into tears.


[[File:The hands!.jpg|thumb|A pair of hands grab the Doctor by the throat.]]
The Doctor leaves from the room during the commotion - but returns with a tray of drinks, a "nightcap" which he serves as a peace offering to his companions. Barbara, Susan retire to their quarters with their drinks. Ian has an argument with the Doctor about how he treated Barbara which ends with the Doctor walking off.
The Doctor excuses himself from the room and returns with a tray of drinks, a "nightcap" which he serves as a peace offering to his companions. Barbara, Susan and Ian retire to their quarters and drink the nightcaps.


After looking in on his companions to confirm they are asleep, the Doctor returns to the console. As he examines it, a pair of hands swing him around and grab him by the throat.
After looking in on his companions to confirm they are asleep, the Doctor returns to the console. As he examines it, a pair of hands swing him around and grab him by the throat...


=== The Brink of Disaster (2) ===
=== The Brink of Disaster (2) ===
[[First Doctor|The Doctor]]'s attacker is none other than [[Ian Chesterton|Ian]]. A strange force has overridden the effects of the drug and compelled him to stop the Doctor from operating [[The Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]] controls. Ian recognises the Doctor and collapses. [[Barbara Wright|Barbara]] enters and finds Ian and herself openly accused of sabotage by the Doctor.
The Doctor's attacker is revealed to be Ian. A strange force has compelled him to stop the Doctor from operating the TARDIS controls, but Ian recognises the Doctor and then collapses. Barbara enters the console room, only to have her and Ian accused of sabotage and conspiracy by the Doctor.
 
As Barbara tries to reason with the Doctor, Susan enters the room and seemingly sides with her grandfather, but then believes her teachers' innocence after the Doctor threatens to throw the humans off his ship. Barbara pleads with an unconscious Ian to help her but when he awakes he is dazed. The Doctor tries to go through with his plan despite Susan's protests. Suddenly an alarm sounds and the Doctor rushes to the [[fault locator]] which lights up, showing faults in every system. The Doctor admits that he has misjudged the pair of teachers and tells them they have to work together to get out of the danger they are in. The ship rocks, throwing everyone off balance. The Doctor realises the TARDIS's power source, located beneath the console, is trying to force its way out and they are only minutes from destruction.


As Barbara tries to reason with the Doctor, [[Susan Foreman|Susan]] enters the room and sides with her grandfather, but then finds herself believing her teachers' innocence. The Doctor threatens to put the humans off his ship; suddenly an alarm sounds. The [[fault locator]] lights up, showing faults in every system. An explosion rocks the ship. The Doctor realises the TARDIS' power source, located beneath the console, is trying to force its way out and they are only minutes from destruction.
[[File:Fast return switch.jpg|thumb|The Doctor and Ian discover the broken switch.]]
Barbara [[deduce]]s that the strange events are an attempt by the TARDIS itself to warn the crew that something is wrong. The Doctor lies to Susan and Barbara about the amount of time they have left but reveals the truth to Ian, explaining that when the end comes he doesn't want the women to know about it. The Doctor deduces that the TARDIS is heading to the beginning of the solar system. The Doctor traces the fault of the ship to a broken spring in the [[fast return switch]] which had been stuck down sending them further back in time than intended.


Faced with a common peril, the travellers forget their differences and begin to work together. Barbara deduces that the strange events are an attempt by the TARDIS itself to warn the crew that something is wrong. The Doctor traces the problem to a broken spring in the [[fast return switch]]. The malfunction is causing the TARDIS to head back to the creation of a solar system; the strange events were just the TARDIS' attempts to warn its passengers before the ship was destroyed. Fixing the switch returns everything to normal. The Doctor apologises to Ian, who accepts straight away. Barbara needs more convincing but she is eventually won around by the Doctor. The foursome prepare to explore their new surroundings, this time a snowy planet. When Barbara and Susan go outside they discover a giant footprint in the snow.
The strange events the four have been experiencing were the TARDIS's attempts to warn its passengers before the ship was destroyed. Fixing the fast return switch returns everything to normal. The Doctor humbly apologises to Ian, who accepts straight away - but Barbara needs more convincing and leaves the room. The Doctor and Ian banter before the TARDIS dematerialises and the Doctor goes to apologise to Barbara, who accepts his plea. Now on amicable terms with each other, the four prepare to explore their new surroundings, this time a snowy plane. When Barbara and Susan go outside, they discover a giant footprint in the snow...


== Cast ==
== Cast ==
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* [[Writer]] - [[David Whitaker]]
* [[Writer]] - [[David Whitaker]]
* [[Designer (crew)|Designer]] - [[Raymond Cusick]]
* [[Designer (crew)|Designer]] - [[Raymond Cusick]]
* [[Associate Producer]] - [[Mervyn Pinfield]]  
* [[Associate Producer]] - [[Mervyn Pinfield]]
* [[Doctor Who theme|Title Music]] - [[Ron Grainer]], [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]]
* [[Doctor Who theme|Title Music]] - [[Ron Grainer]], [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]]
* [[Director]] - [[Richard Martin (director)|Richard Martin]] ("The Edge of Destruction"), [[Frank Cox]] ("The Brink of Disaster")
* [[Director (crew)|Director]] - [[Richard Martin (director)|Richard Martin]] ("The Edge of Destruction"), [[Frank Cox]] ("The Brink of Disaster")
* [[Producer]] - [[Verity Lambert]]
* [[Producer]] - [[Verity Lambert]]
* [[Assistant floor manager|Assistant Floor Manager]] - [[Jeremy Hare]] (uncredited)<ref name = "edge info">[[INFO]]: "The Edge of Destruction"</ref>
* [[Assistant floor manager|Assistant Floor Manager]] - [[Jeremy Hare]] (uncredited)<ref name="edge info">[[INFO]]: "The Edge of Destruction"</ref>
* [[Costumes]] - [[Daphne Dare]] (uncredited)<ref name = "brink info">[[INFO]]: "The Brink of Disaster"</ref>
* [[Costumes]] - [[Daphne Dare]] (uncredited)<ref name="brink info">[[INFO]]: "The Brink of Disaster"</ref>
* [[Make-up|Make-Up]] - [[Ann Ferriggi]] (uncredited)<ref name = "brink info" />
* [[Make-up|Make-Up]] - [[Ann Ferriggi]] (uncredited)<ref name="brink info" />
* [[Production Assistant]] - [[Tony Lightley]] (uncredited)<ref name = "edge info" />
* [[Production Assistant]] - [[Tony Lightley]] (uncredited)<ref name="edge info" />
* [[Special sounds|Special Sounds]] - [[Brian Hodgson]] (uncredited)<ref name = "edge info" />
* [[Special sounds|Special Sounds]] - [[Brian Hodgson]] (uncredited)<ref name="edge info" />
* [[Supervising sound editor|Sound Supervisor]] - [[Jack Brummitt]] (uncredited)<ref name = "brink info" />
* [[Supervising sound editor|Sound Supervisor]] - [[Jack Brummitt]] (uncredited)<ref name="brink info" />
* [[Doctor Who theme|Theme Arrangement]] - [[Delia Derbyshire]] (uncredited) <ref>[[INFO]]: "[[The Forest of Fear]]"</ref>
* [[Doctor Who theme|Theme Arrangement]] - [[Delia Derbyshire]] (uncredited) <ref>[[INFO]]: "[[The Forest of Fear]]"</ref>
* [[Vision mixer|Vision Mixer]] - [[Clive Doig]] (uncredited)<ref name = "edge info" />
* [[Vision mixer|Vision Mixer]] - [[Clive Doig]] (uncredited)<ref name="edge info" />
* [[Producer's Secretary]] - [[Valerie Speyer]] (uncredited)<ref name = "edge info" />
* [[Producer's secretary|Producer's Secretary]] - [[Valerie Speyer]] (uncredited)<ref name="edge info" />
* [[Secretary]] - [[Margaret Allen]] (uncredited)<ref name = "brink info" />
* [[Secretary]] - [[Margaret Allen]] (uncredited)<ref name="brink info" />
* [[Technical Manager]] - [[Mark Lewis]] (uncredited)<ref name = "brink info" />
* [[Technical manager|Technical Manager]] - [[Mark Lewis]] (uncredited)<ref name="brink info" />


== References ==
== Worldbuilding ==
=== Cultural references from the real world ===
=== Cultural references from the real world ===
* The coat the Doctor lends Ian was given to him by [[Gilbert and Sullivan]].
* The coat the Doctor lends Ian was given to him by [[Gilbert and Sullivan]].
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* Susan and the Doctor share a [[telepathic]] link with each other and the TARDIS.
* Susan and the Doctor share a [[telepathic]] link with each other and the TARDIS.


=== TARDIS ===
=== Influences ===
* The [[fast return switch]] is used.
* [[David Whitaker]] drew upon ghost stories and haunted house houses.
* ''[[The Time Machine]]''.
* The claustrophobic atmosphere is reminiscent of ''[[The Outer Limits]]''.


== Story notes ==
== Story notes ==
* This is the first story — and only full-length story — featuring only the Doctor and his companions. It has the smallest cast of any of ''Doctor Who'''s televised stories, strictly limited to the four main characters.
* This is the first story — and only full-length story — featuring only the Doctor and his companions.
::* The audio drama ''[[Doctor Who and the Pescatons]]'' has a cast of three actors, and the audio drama ''[[Scherzo]]'' beat this record, with a cast of two actors. [[The Companion Chronicles]] continued to produce audio adventures with only two actors.
* This is the first (and arguably only) televised ''Doctor Who'' story in which, essentially, all action takes place inside the TARDIS.
* This is the first (and arguably only) televised ''Doctor Who'' story in which, essentially, all action takes place inside the TARDIS.
* This story is also known as ''Inside the Spaceship'' (also sometimes ''The Spaceship'') and ''The Brink of Disaster'', and is often wrongly referred to as ''Beyond the Sun'', which was the working title of ''[[The Daleks (TV story)|The Daleks]]''.
::* The first episode, "The Edge of Destruction", takes place entirely in the TARDIS.
* Both episodes exist as [[16mm telerecordings]].
::* The same is true for the second episode, "The Brink of Disaster", except for the final moments leading into the next story.
::* The full-length story ''[[Amy's Choice (TV story)|Amy's Choice]]'' would later ''technically'' be set entirely in the TARDIS, although much of the story seemingly occurs in a dream set on [[Earth]].
::* The "mini-episodes" of ''[[Children in Need Special (TV story)|Children in Need Special]]'', ''[[Time Crash (TV story)|Time Crash]]'', ''[[Good as Gold (TV story)|Good as Gold]]'', and ''[[Space (TV story)|Space]]''/''[[Time (TV story)|Time]]'' would also be set entirely in the TARDIS. The ''[[Meanwhile in the TARDIS (TV story)|Meanwhile in the TARDIS]]'' mini-episodes of the Complete Fifth Series Box Set and the ''[[Night and the Doctor]]'' mini-episodes from the Complete Sixth Series Box Set were also set entirely in the TARDIS (with the exception of the Night and the Doctor episodes ''[[First Night]]'' and'' [[Up All Night (TV story)|Up All Night]]''). The minisode ''[[Clara and the TARDIS (TV story)|Clara and the TARDIS]]'', included in the Complete Seventh Series box set, is also set entirely within the TARDIS.
* This story is also known as ''Inside the Spaceship'' (also sometimes ''The Spaceship'') and ''The Brink of Disaster'', and is often wrongly referred to as ''Beyond the Sun''.
* Both episodes exist in [[16mm telerecordings]].
* Both episodes were recovered from the negative film prints discovered at BBC Enterprises in 1978.
* Both episodes were recovered from the negative film prints discovered at BBC Enterprises in 1978.
* An Arabic print is also held.
* An Arabic print of "The Brink of Disaster", made for overseas sales to Middle Eastern countries, is also held.
* This story was written to make up the allotted number of episodes and meet the show's commitment to the [[BBC]]. The series was initially commissioned for thirteen episodes. ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]'' had four and ''[[The Daleks (TV story)|The Daleks]]'' had seven, so an additional two episodes were required in case the show should be cancelled at this point; indeed, during preproduction on ''Unearthly Child'', Donald Baverstock of the BBC did in fact cancel the series, with "Brink of Disaster" earmarked as the final episode as a result, but he later relented.
* This story was written to make up the allotted number of episodes and meet the show's commitment to the [[BBC]]. The series was initially commissioned for thirteen episodes. ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]'' had four and ''[[The Daleks (TV story)|The Daleks]]'' had seven, so an additional two episodes were required in case the show should be cancelled at this point; indeed, during pre-production on ''Unearthly Child'', [[Donald Baverstock]] of the BBC did, in fact, cancel the series, with "The Brink of Disaster" earmarked as the final episode as a result, but he later relented.
* Some of the music from this story was released as ''[[Doctor Who at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Volume One - The Early Years]], 1963 - 1969''.
* Some of the music from this story was released as ''[[Doctor Who at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Volume One - The Early Years]], 1963 - 1969''.
* This was one of the stories selected to be shown as part of [[BSB's Doctor Who Weekend]] in September 1990. The episodes were shown in the wrong order, but were repeated in the correct sequence later that weekend.
* This was one of the stories selected to be shown as part of [[BSB's Doctor Who Weekend]] in September 1990. The episodes were shown in the wrong order but were repeated in the correct sequence later that weekend.
* This story marks the first time the Doctor indicates on screen that his TARDIS might be sentient (though in ''An Unearthly Child'', Ian at one point exclaims "It's alive!" when he first touches its exterior). There is nothing to indicate that the Doctor himself isn't aware of the TARDIS matrix being alive, but as the series progresses, more clues are given to the viewer, with the [[Third Doctor]] stating at one point that the TARDIS is alive. A full indication of this for viewers does not occur until ''[[The Doctor's Wife (TV story)|The Doctor's Wife]]'', when the conscious entity within the TARDIS assumes a [[Idris|host body]] and speaks to the Doctor directly, confirming to viewers her sentience (the Doctor is already aware of this, but up to that story had assumed it would be impossible to communicate in traditional fashion with his TARDIS).
* This story marks the first time the Doctor indicates on-screen that his TARDIS might be sentient, though, in ''An Unearthly Child'', Ian at one point exclaims, "It's alive!" when he first touches its exterior. There is nothing to indicate that the Doctor himself isn't aware of the TARDIS matrix being alive, but as the series progresses, more clues are given to the viewer, with the [[Third Doctor]] stating at one point that the TARDIS is alive. A full indication of this for viewers does not occur until ''[[The Doctor's Wife (TV story)|The Doctor's Wife]]'', when the conscious entity within the TARDIS assumes a [[Idris|host body]] and speaks to the Doctor directly, confirming to viewers her sentience (the Doctor is already aware of this, but up to that story had assumed it would be impossible to communicate in traditional fashion with his TARDIS).
* [[Verity Lambert]] had to write a letter of apology after the BBC Children's Department made it known they felt it was an unwise decision to show Susan acting out violently with a pair of scissors.
* The director originally assigned to this serial was [[Paddy Russell]], one of the first female directors at the BBC. Russell was not available for the studio dates, however, and associate producer [[Mervyn Pinfield]] was suggested as her replacement.
* [[William Hartnell]] decided to play a joke on the cast, who often teased him when he messed up his lines. During one take, when he was supposed to say, "The fault locator!", he instead said "The fornicator!". This incident was dramatised in ''[[An Adventure in Space and Time (TV story)|An Adventure in Space and Time]]'', though it does not present it as an intentional humorous occurrence. {{Fact}}
* During recording, slight changes were made to the adventure's climax, having Barbara alone deducing that the TARDIS was trying to communicate with its passengers (whereas originally this achievement was shared with Ian). In rehearsals, the resolution to this crisis was made more exciting: the script had simply described the Doctor flipping the fast return switch to save the TARDIS.
* This is the first of very few TV stories in which no characters die or are destroyed; though no characters outside the main cast appear.
* This is the first story to not feature a main antagonist of any kind. The closest this story has of a villain is Susan and the Doctor.
* This remains the cheapest ''Doctor Who'' story ever made, coming in at £2500.
* [[William Hartnell]] initially complained about the script due to the number of lines, while [[Carole Ann Ford]] was sceptical of the characters appearing mad without reason; conversely, [[Jacqueline Hill]] and [[William Russell]] appreciated the chance to explore their characters in more depth.
* The <small>FAST RETURN SWITCH</small> label on the TARDIS console appears to be written in felt-tip pen. Exactly why this was done is uncertain; [[Raymond Cusick]] guesses that it was written during rehearsals as a guide, while [[Verity Lambert]] surmises that it may have been written so that [[William Hartnell]] could find the switch during recording; both agree that the label was probably never intended to be seen on-screen. [[Carole Ann Ford]] states that both she and Hartnell labelled the controls on the TARDIS control panel during rehearsal, and assumed the labels would be removed before production.
* To avoid complication with the Writers' Guild, [[David Whitaker]] only received a writer's credit for the serial, omitting his usual credit of story editor.
* The music was selected from a range of sample mood music from library discs, due to budgetary constraints.
* While not a valid source for this wiki, the [[Adventures in Time and Space: The Roleplaying Game|Doctor Who Roleplaying Game]] provides an explanation for Ian only sensing a single heartbeat from the unconscious Doctor. The First Doctor has the trait Faulty Heart which on a Bad Failure results in unconsciousness for a number of minutes with only a single heart beating.
* This is the only serial released on DVD from the show's original run to not have a commentary of any sorts attached.
 
=== Ratings ===
=== Ratings ===
* "The Edge of Destruction" - 10.4 million viewers
* "The Edge of Destruction" - 10.4 million viewers
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=== Myths ===
=== Myths ===
* This story had the working title ''Beyond the Sun''. ''This was a working title used for [[The Daleks]].'' (See [[Disputed story titles]])
* This story had the working title ''Beyond the Sun''. ''This was a working title used for [[The Daleks (TV story)|The Daleks]].''<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/edgeofdestruction/detail.shtml</ref> (See [[Disputed story titles]])
* This story was written at short notice because the set for ''[[Marco Polo (TV story)|Marco Polo]]'' was not complete. ''(See notes for real reason)''
* This story was written at short notice because the set for ''[[Marco Polo (TV story)|Marco Polo]]'' was not complete. ''(See notes for real reason)''


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{{discontinuity}}
{{discontinuity}}
* There is a shadow visible on the wall when Barbara tries to wake Ian up.
* There is a shadow visible on the wall when Barbara tries to wake Ian up.
* In the first episode, "The Edge of Destruction", the studio floor is clearly visible in the 'white void' outside the TARDIS.
* In the first episode, "The Edge of Destruction", the studio floor is clearly visible in the "white void" outside the TARDIS. (''This could, however, be intentional as later episodes show "white voids" too, with a visible floor'')
* Two floor assistants' shadows can be seen in the episode "The Edge of Destruction", against the door leading into the bedroom and food machine area.
* Two floor assistants' shadows can be seen in the first episode, "The Edge of Destruction", against the door leading into the bedroom and food machine area.
* While the Doctor is describing the birth of a new solar system, a cough can be clearly heard.
* While the Doctor is describing the birth of a new solar system, a cough can be clearly heard.
* Susan is wearing ankle-socks in the reprise, but afterwards she is not.
* Susan is wearing ankle-socks in the reprise, but afterwards she is not.
Line 135: Line 145:
* The travellers reference their first adventure together. ([[TV]]: ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]'')
* The travellers reference their first adventure together. ([[TV]]: ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]'')
* The [[Dalek]]s and [[Skaro]] are mentioned. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Daleks (TV story)|The Daleks]]'')
* The [[Dalek]]s and [[Skaro]] are mentioned. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Daleks (TV story)|The Daleks]]'')
* Susan reminds the Doctor of their visit to [[Quinnis]] in the [[fourth universe]], during which they almost lost the TARDIS, prior to travelling to [[London]] in [[1963]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Quinnis (audio story)|Quinnis]]'')
* Susan reminds the Doctor of their visit to [[Quinnis]] in the [[fourth universe]], during which they almost lost the TARDIS, before travelling to [[London]] in [[1963]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Quinnis (audio story)|Quinnis]]'')
* While Ian and Barbara were aboard the TARDIS, Susan slept in a communal room in order to be more sociable. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Rag and Bone Man's Story (short story)|The Rag and Bone Man's Story]]'')
* While Ian and Barbara were aboard the TARDIS, Susan slept in a communal room in order to be more sociable. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[The Rag & Bone Man's Story (short story)|The Rag & Bone Man's Story]]'')


== Home video and audio releases ==
== Home video and audio releases ==
=== DVD release ===
=== DVD release ===
This story was released (''Doctor Who: The Edge of Destruction'') together with ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]'' and ''[[The Daleks]]'' in ''[[The Beginning (DVD box set)|The Beginning]]'' DVD box set. Its contents include:
This story was released together with {{cs|An Unearthly Child (TV story)}} and {{cs|The Daleks (TV story)}} in ''[[The Beginning (DVD box set)|The Beginning]]'' DVD box set. Its special features included;
 
* ''[[Doctor Who: Origins (documentary)|Doctor Who: Origins]]'' - A 55-minute documentary, detailing the creation of ''[[Doctor Who]]''. Including a rare interview with creator [[Sydney Newman]], and new interviews with producer [[Verity Lambert]], directors [[Waris Hussein]] and [[Richard Martin (director)|Richard Martin]], actors [[William Russell]] and [[Carole Ann Ford]], title sequence designer [[Bernard Lodge]], and [[The Doctor's TARDIS|TARDIS]] sound effect creator [[Brian Hodgson]]
* ''[[Doctor Who: Origins]]'' - BBC documentary looking at the ideas behind and initial creation of ''Doctor Who''
* ''[[Over the Edge: The Story of "The Edge of Destruction" (documentary)|Over the Edge]]'' - The cast and crew look back at the production of ''The Edge of Destruction''
* ''[[Over the Edge]]'' - BBC documentary on the making of ''The Edge of Destruction''
* ''[[Inside the Spaceship (documentary)|Inside the Spaceship]]'' - A look at the Doctor's time and space ship, the TARDIS
* ''[[Inside the Spaceship (documentary)|Inside the Spaceship]]'' - BBC documentary on the creation of the TARDIS
* ''[[Masters of Sound (documentary)|Masters of Sound]]'' - A look inside the [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]] which created electronic sounds and music during ''Doctor Who''{{'}}s early years. Features interviews with [[Dick Mills]], Brian Hodgson, Verity Lambert and the late [[Delia Derbyshire]]
* ''[[Masters of Sound]]'' - BBC documentary on the sound effects of ''Doctor Who'' in the 1960s.
* ''[[Marco Polo (TV story)|Marco Polo]]'' - A 30-minute version of the 'lost' fourth ''Doctor Who'' story, created using a recording of the soundtrack, plus off-screen stills and production photographs
* ''Marco Polo'' - 30 minute condensed version of lost 7-part story  
* PDF Documents - A selection of ''[[Radio Times]]'' billings for the first three stories, plus the full script of ''An Unearthly Child'' (DVD-ROM - PC/Mac)
* Arabic Soundtrack - Listen to the final episode of this story dubbed into [[Arabic]]
* Photo Gallery
* Production Subtitles


Released:
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
* Region 2 - [[30 January (releases)|30 January]] [[2006 (releases)|2006]]
|-
::PAL - [[BBC DVD]] BBCDVD1882
! style="width:30%;"| '''Region'''
* Region 4 - [[2 March (releases)|2 March]] [[2006 (releases)|2006]]
! style="width:10%;"| '''Format'''
::PAL - [[Roadshow]] ????
! style="width:10%;"| '''Release date'''
* Region 1 - [[28 March (releases)|28 March]] [[2006 (releases)|2006]]
! style="width:10%;"| '''Code'''
::NTSC - [[Warner Video]] E2489
! Style="width:10%;"| '''Company'''
|-
|Region 2
|rowspan="2"|PAL
|[[30 January (releases)|30 January]] [[2006 (releases)|2006]]
|BBCDVD1882
|[[BBC DVD]]
|-
|Region 4
|[[2 March (releases)|2 March]] [[2006 (releases)|2006]]
|
|[[Roadshow]]
|-
|Region 1
|NTSC
|[[28 March (releases)|28 March]] [[2006 (releases)|2006]]
|E2489
|[[Warner Video]]
|}


<gallery position=center captionalign=center hideaddbutton="true" >
<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
File:TheEdgeOfDestructionDVD.jpg|Region 2 UK DVD cover
File:TheEdgeOfDestructionDVD.jpg|Region 2 UK DVD cover
File:Edge destruction.jpg|Region 4 Australian DVD cover
File:Edge destruction.jpg|Region 4 Australian DVD cover
File:Daleks inside.jpg|Region 1 combined ''The Edge of Destruction''/''[[The Daleks]]'' US cover
File:Daleks inside.jpg|Region 1 combined ''The Edge of Destruction''/''[[The Daleks (TV story)|The Daleks]]'' US cover
</gallery>
</gallery>


==== Box sets ====
<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
This story was released along with ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]'' and ''[[The Daleks (TV story)|The Daleks]]'' in a box set called ''[[The Beginning (DVD box set)|The Beginning]]''.
 
<gallery position=center captionalign=center hideaddbutton="true" >
File:TheBeginning DVD.jpg|Region 2 UK DVD box set cover
File:TheBeginning DVD.jpg|Region 2 UK DVD box set cover
File:The Beginning DVD Australian box set cover.jpg|Region 4 Australian DVD box set cover
File:The Beginning DVD Australian box set cover.jpg|Region 4 Australian DVD box set cover
Line 172: Line 200:


=== Video release ===
=== Video release ===
This story was released as ''Doctor Who: The Edge of Destruction and [[The Pilot Episode|Dr Who: The Pilot Episode]]'' as a compilation video. The [[BBC]] originally intended to release this story in a box set with ''[[An Unearthly Child (TV story)|An Unearthly Child]]'' and ''[[The Daleks (TV story)|The Daleks]]'', but they changed their plans and decided to release each story individually.
This story was released as ''The Edge of Destruction and [[The Pilot Episode|Dr Who: The Pilot Episode]]'' as a compilation video. The [[BBC]] originally intended to release this story in a box set with {{cs|An Unearthly Child (TV story)}} and {{cs|The Daleks (TV story)}}, but they changed their plans and decided to release each story individually.


Released:
Notes:
:* [[UK]] Release: May [[2000 (releases)|2000]]
* This video release includes the full takes of "[[The Pilot Episode]]".
::PAL - [[BBC Video]] BBCV6877
* The [[US]] release also included the documentary ''[[The Missing Years]]'' and episode 3 of ''[[The Underwater Menace (TV story)|The Underwater Menace]]''.


:* [[US]] Release: October [[2000 (releases)|2000]]
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
::NTSC - [[Warner Video]] E1578 (2 tapes)
|-
! style="width:30%;"| '''Region'''
! style="width:10%;"| '''Format'''
! style="width:10%;"| '''Release date'''
! style="width:10%;"| '''Code'''
! Style="width:10%;"| '''Company'''
|-
|[[UK]]
|PAL
|[[May (releases)|May]] [[2000 (releases)|2000]]
|BBCV6877
|[[BBC Video]]
|-
|[[US]] (2 tapes)
|NTSC
|[[October (releases)|October]] [[2000 (releases)|2000]]
|E1578
|[[Warner Video]]
|}


Notes: This video release includes the full takes of "[[The Pilot Episode]]". The [[US]] release also included the documentary ''[[The Missing Years]]'' and episode 3 of ''[[The Underwater Menace (TV story)|The Underwater Menace]]''.
<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
Edge of Destruction Video.jpg|UK VHS cover
The Edge of Destruction and The Pilot Episode.jpg|Australian VHS cover
The Edge of Destruction us vhs.jpg|US VHS cover
</gallery>Editing for the VHS and DVD releases was completed by the [[Doctor Who Restoration Team]].


<gallery position=center captionalign=center hideaddbutton="true" >
=== Digital releases ===
File:Edge of Destruction Video.jpg|UK VHS cover
This story is available for on-demand streaming on the following platforms:
File:The Edge of Destruction and The Pilot Episode.jpg|Australian VHS cover
* [[BritBox]] ([[UK]] and [[US]]) as part of Season 1 of ''Classic Doctor Who''.
File:The Edge of Destruction us vhs.jpg|US VHS cover
* [[BBC iPlayer]] (UK) as part of Season 1 of ''Doctor Who (1963-1966)''.
* [[Tubi]] (US) as part of Season 1 of ''Classic Doctor Who: The First Doctor''.
 
=== Audio releases ===
On [[20 April (releases)|20 April]] [[2024 (releases)|2024]], the story's soundtrack was released with linking narration by [[Carole Ann Ford]], by [[Demon Records]] as an LP to coincide with Record Store Day 2024. It was later released by [[BBC Audio]] on [[2 May (releases)|2 May]] 2024 as a CD and digital download.<ref>[https://www.doctorwho.tv/news-and-features/meet-the-edge-of-destruction-on-vinyl-this-record-store-day Meet ''{{'}}The Edge of Destruction{{'}}'' on vinyl this Record Store Day]</ref>
 
Notes:
* The CD version has the ISBN 978-1-5299-3131-0.
* The audio releases has a bonus interview with Carole Ann Ford.
* The vinyl boasts a picture disc Side A, showing the Ship’s melting [[ormolu clock]] from a pivotal scene in the story, and an exclusive Zoetrope Side B, depicting the TARDIS swirling across [[space]] and [[time]] (best experienced using a smartphone running a third-party stroboscope app). The 12” disc is presented in a stunning die-cut artwork outer sleeve.
 
<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
The Edge of Destruction - Vinyl cover.jpg|Die-cut artwork sleeve with picture disc Side A (LP)
The Edge of Destruction - Vinyl CD.jpg|Zoetrope Side B picture disc
The Edge of Destruction - Vinyl CD and cover.jpg|Die-cut artwork sleeve and picture disc Side A seperately
The Edge of Destruction - Vinyl cover 2.jpg| Die-cut artwork sleeve with picture disc Side A (CD)
</gallery>
</gallery>
* Editing for the VHS and DVD releases was completed by the [[Doctor Who Restoration Team]].


== External links ==
== External links ==
* {{bbcepguideclassic|edgeofdestruction/|The Edge of Destruction}} (with video clips)
* {{bbcepguideclassic|edgeofdestruction/|The Edge of Destruction}} (with video clips)
* {{radiotimes|2008-10-02/the-edge-of-destruction|The Edge of Destruction}}
{{dwcast}}
{{dwcast}}
* {{dwrefguide|who_c.htm|The Edge of Destruction}}
{{dwrefguide|who_c.htm|The Edge of Destruction}}
* {{briefhistory|serials/c.html|The Edge of Destruction}}
* {{briefhistory|serials/c.html|The Edge of Destruction}}
* [http://www.eofftv.com/episodes/d/doctor_who/1st_doctor/edge_of_destruction_main.htm '''The Edge of Destruction''' entry at Encyclopaedia of Fantastic Film and Television]
* [http://www.eofftv.com/episodes/d/doctor_who/1st_doctor/edge_of_destruction_main.htm '''The Edge of Destruction''' entry at Encyclopaedia of Fantastic Film and Television]
== Footnotes ==
== Footnotes ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
{{DWTV}}
{{DWTV}}
{{TitleSort}}
{{TitleSort}}
[[cs:Na pokraji destrukce (TV příběh)]]
[[cy:The Edge of Destruction (stori deledu)]]
[[de:003 - The Edge of Destruction]]
[[es:The Edge of Destruction]]
[[fr:The Edge of Destruction (TV)]]
[[he:קצה ההרס (סיפור טלוויזיה)]]
[[pt:The Edge of Destruction]]
[[ru:Грань уничтожения]]
[[Category:Doctor Who (1963) television stories]]
[[Category:Doctor Who (1963) television stories]]
[[Category:First Doctor television stories]]
[[Category:Stories set entirely in the TARDIS]]
[[Category:Stories set entirely in the TARDIS]]
[[Category:Stories with disputed titles]]
[[Category:Sources with disputed titles]]
[[Category:1964 television stories]]
[[Category:1964 television stories]]
[[Category:Season 1 stories]]
[[Category:Season 1 stories]]
[[Category:Stories set in Asia]]
[[Category:Stories set in China]]
[[Category:Stories set in 1289]]
[[Category:Stories set in 1289]]
[[Category:Two part serials]]
[[Category:Two part serials]]
[[de:{{StoryTitle}}]]
[[es:{{StoryTitle}}]]
[[fr:{{StoryTitle}}]]
[[he:קצה ההרס]]
[[pt:{{StoryTitle}}]]
[[ru:Грань уничтожения]]
[[Category:Stories set in the distant past]]

Latest revision as of 19:59, 3 November 2024

RealWorld.png

The Edge of Destruction was the third serial of season 1 of Doctor Who. The story is unique in the original series in that it is set entirely inside the TARDIS and features only the regular cast members.

The BBC initially committed to four episodes of Doctor Who. Mid-way through the production of An Unearthly Child, this was upped to thirteen. Together, An Unearthly Child and The Daleks only totalled eleven. With a tiny budget, The Edge of Destruction was commissioned to fill the remaining two episodes and fill out the season.

According to Verity Lambert, the first two serials had gone overbudget and the production team needed to save some money. According to David Whitaker, there simply weren't any scripts available, and it was either this script or going off the air for two weeks. In the end, he wrote the script in two days.

Narratively, the story was crucial as its events bonded the travellers so they were no longer just mismatched people forced together but a group who could trust one another. It also offered the first hint that the Doctor's TARDIS was not his own, shown by his lack of understanding of its abilities. Finally, it was also the first instance of the Doctor namedropping historical figures.

The second episode of this serial, "The Brink of Disaster", is as far as viewers can watch the Hartnell era, and the series itself from the very beginning in televised format, before running into a missing episode: the following serial, Marco Polo, remains absent in its entirety.

Synopsis[[edit] | [edit source]]

As they slowly recover from the shock of being thrown to the TARDIS floor, the Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara all start acting strangely. Unexplained events occur and the travellers start to turn on each other as they contemplate what is happening on the TARDIS.

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Edge of Destruction (1)[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor, while attempting to correct the TARDIS's faulty navigation circuits, causes a small explosion. The Doctor, Barbara, Ian and Susan are all rendered unconscious. Barbara is the first to recover shortly followed by Susan, who has trouble remembering who Barbara is, where she is, and is suffering from a pain in the back of her neck. Susan suddenly realises the Doctor lying on the floor with a gash on his head and rushes to his side followed by Barbara. Susan recovers her senses enough to retrieve a special healing bandage from the ship's first aid kit and water from the food machine for her injured grandfather. While she is away, Ian wakes up and is clearly confused. After seeing the open TARDIS doors, Susan becomes convinced that an alien presence is on board and has seized control of the ship.

The TARDIS doors begin to mysteriously open and close whenever Ian moves towards them. When Susan tries to operate the controls, she suddenly faints. As the Doctor regains consciousness, Barbara tends to him while Ian carries Susan to her room. There she tries to stab him with a pair of scissors, not knowing who he is, but suddenly stabs the scissors on the bed multiple times before collapsing.

Later, the Doctor, Barbara, and Ian discuss the situation, each alternating between clarity of mind and paranoid sniping. Susan retrieves the scissors whilst nobody is looking and returns to her room. The Doctor checks the system controls with Ian's assistance, while Barbara checks on Susan. Susan becomes very suspicious of Barbara and threatens her with the pair of scissors, but Barabra is able to stop her from doing any real harm. Susan reveals that she thinks something is hiding inside the ship or inside one of them.

When the Doctor tries to determine their location with the view scanner, he finds only images which he recognises as records of the TARDIS's earlier trips. The last image, a picture of planets, a solar system and an explosion, puzzles him. When the Doctor opens the TARDIS doors, but they quickly close themselves when Ian approaches them. Soon, the Doctor begins to accuse his human companions of attacking him and Susan and tampering with the TARDIS controls whilst they were unconscious in an attempt to get the TARDIS back to England in 1963. Furious, Barbara refutes the Doctor's suspicions with a recap of their recent adventure on Skaro, where she and Ian risked their lives to save the Doctor and Susan from the Daleks and cites Ian's bravery in the Cave of Skulls. Her tirade is abruptly ended when she sees the cathedral clock the Doctor keeps in the console room has melted, a sight which horrifies her. The travellers all check their watches and see the same has happened to their timepieces. Barbara, disturbed, takes off her watch and throws it away from her, before breaking down into tears.

The Doctor leaves from the room during the commotion - but returns with a tray of drinks, a "nightcap" which he serves as a peace offering to his companions. Barbara, Susan retire to their quarters with their drinks. Ian has an argument with the Doctor about how he treated Barbara which ends with the Doctor walking off.

After looking in on his companions to confirm they are asleep, the Doctor returns to the console. As he examines it, a pair of hands swing him around and grab him by the throat...

The Brink of Disaster (2)[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor's attacker is revealed to be Ian. A strange force has compelled him to stop the Doctor from operating the TARDIS controls, but Ian recognises the Doctor and then collapses. Barbara enters the console room, only to have her and Ian accused of sabotage and conspiracy by the Doctor.

As Barbara tries to reason with the Doctor, Susan enters the room and seemingly sides with her grandfather, but then believes her teachers' innocence after the Doctor threatens to throw the humans off his ship. Barbara pleads with an unconscious Ian to help her but when he awakes he is dazed. The Doctor tries to go through with his plan despite Susan's protests. Suddenly an alarm sounds and the Doctor rushes to the fault locator which lights up, showing faults in every system. The Doctor admits that he has misjudged the pair of teachers and tells them they have to work together to get out of the danger they are in. The ship rocks, throwing everyone off balance. The Doctor realises the TARDIS's power source, located beneath the console, is trying to force its way out and they are only minutes from destruction.

The Doctor and Ian discover the broken switch.

Barbara deduces that the strange events are an attempt by the TARDIS itself to warn the crew that something is wrong. The Doctor lies to Susan and Barbara about the amount of time they have left but reveals the truth to Ian, explaining that when the end comes he doesn't want the women to know about it. The Doctor deduces that the TARDIS is heading to the beginning of the solar system. The Doctor traces the fault of the ship to a broken spring in the fast return switch which had been stuck down sending them further back in time than intended.

The strange events the four have been experiencing were the TARDIS's attempts to warn its passengers before the ship was destroyed. Fixing the fast return switch returns everything to normal. The Doctor humbly apologises to Ian, who accepts straight away - but Barbara needs more convincing and leaves the room. The Doctor and Ian banter before the TARDIS dematerialises and the Doctor goes to apologise to Barbara, who accepts his plea. Now on amicable terms with each other, the four prepare to explore their new surroundings, this time a snowy plane. When Barbara and Susan go outside, they discover a giant footprint in the snow...

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Cultural references from the real world[[edit] | [edit source]]

Individuals[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Susan and the Doctor share a telepathic link with each other and the TARDIS.

Influences[[edit] | [edit source]]

Story notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • This is the first story — and only full-length story — featuring only the Doctor and his companions.
  • This is the first (and arguably only) televised Doctor Who story in which, essentially, all action takes place inside the TARDIS.
  • This story is also known as Inside the Spaceship (also sometimes The Spaceship) and The Brink of Disaster, and is often wrongly referred to as Beyond the Sun, which was the working title of The Daleks.
  • Both episodes exist as 16mm telerecordings.
  • Both episodes were recovered from the negative film prints discovered at BBC Enterprises in 1978.
  • An Arabic print of "The Brink of Disaster", made for overseas sales to Middle Eastern countries, is also held.
  • This story was written to make up the allotted number of episodes and meet the show's commitment to the BBC. The series was initially commissioned for thirteen episodes. An Unearthly Child had four and The Daleks had seven, so an additional two episodes were required in case the show should be cancelled at this point; indeed, during pre-production on Unearthly Child, Donald Baverstock of the BBC did, in fact, cancel the series, with "The Brink of Disaster" earmarked as the final episode as a result, but he later relented.
  • Some of the music from this story was released as Doctor Who at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Volume One - The Early Years, 1963 - 1969.
  • This was one of the stories selected to be shown as part of BSB's Doctor Who Weekend in September 1990. The episodes were shown in the wrong order but were repeated in the correct sequence later that weekend.
  • This story marks the first time the Doctor indicates on-screen that his TARDIS might be sentient, though, in An Unearthly Child, Ian at one point exclaims, "It's alive!" when he first touches its exterior. There is nothing to indicate that the Doctor himself isn't aware of the TARDIS matrix being alive, but as the series progresses, more clues are given to the viewer, with the Third Doctor stating at one point that the TARDIS is alive. A full indication of this for viewers does not occur until The Doctor's Wife, when the conscious entity within the TARDIS assumes a host body and speaks to the Doctor directly, confirming to viewers her sentience (the Doctor is already aware of this, but up to that story had assumed it would be impossible to communicate in traditional fashion with his TARDIS).
  • Verity Lambert had to write a letter of apology after the BBC Children's Department made it known they felt it was an unwise decision to show Susan acting out violently with a pair of scissors.
  • The director originally assigned to this serial was Paddy Russell, one of the first female directors at the BBC. Russell was not available for the studio dates, however, and associate producer Mervyn Pinfield was suggested as her replacement.
  • William Hartnell decided to play a joke on the cast, who often teased him when he messed up his lines. During one take, when he was supposed to say, "The fault locator!", he instead said "The fornicator!". This incident was dramatised in An Adventure in Space and Time, though it does not present it as an intentional humorous occurrence. [source needed]
  • During recording, slight changes were made to the adventure's climax, having Barbara alone deducing that the TARDIS was trying to communicate with its passengers (whereas originally this achievement was shared with Ian). In rehearsals, the resolution to this crisis was made more exciting: the script had simply described the Doctor flipping the fast return switch to save the TARDIS.
  • This is the first of very few TV stories in which no characters die or are destroyed; though no characters outside the main cast appear.
  • This is the first story to not feature a main antagonist of any kind. The closest this story has of a villain is Susan and the Doctor.
  • This remains the cheapest Doctor Who story ever made, coming in at £2500.
  • William Hartnell initially complained about the script due to the number of lines, while Carole Ann Ford was sceptical of the characters appearing mad without reason; conversely, Jacqueline Hill and William Russell appreciated the chance to explore their characters in more depth.
  • The FAST RETURN SWITCH label on the TARDIS console appears to be written in felt-tip pen. Exactly why this was done is uncertain; Raymond Cusick guesses that it was written during rehearsals as a guide, while Verity Lambert surmises that it may have been written so that William Hartnell could find the switch during recording; both agree that the label was probably never intended to be seen on-screen. Carole Ann Ford states that both she and Hartnell labelled the controls on the TARDIS control panel during rehearsal, and assumed the labels would be removed before production.
  • To avoid complication with the Writers' Guild, David Whitaker only received a writer's credit for the serial, omitting his usual credit of story editor.
  • The music was selected from a range of sample mood music from library discs, due to budgetary constraints.
  • While not a valid source for this wiki, the Doctor Who Roleplaying Game provides an explanation for Ian only sensing a single heartbeat from the unconscious Doctor. The First Doctor has the trait Faulty Heart which on a Bad Failure results in unconsciousness for a number of minutes with only a single heart beating.
  • This is the only serial released on DVD from the show's original run to not have a commentary of any sorts attached.

Ratings[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • "The Edge of Destruction" - 10.4 million viewers
  • "The Brink of Disaster" - 9.9 million viewers

Myths[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • This story had the working title Beyond the Sun. This was a working title used for The Daleks.[4] (See Disputed story titles)
  • This story was written at short notice because the set for Marco Polo was not complete. (See notes for real reason)

Filming locations[[edit] | [edit source]]

Production errors[[edit] | [edit source]]

If you'd like to talk about narrative problems with this story — like plot holes and things that seem to contradict other stories — please go to this episode's discontinuity discussion.
  • There is a shadow visible on the wall when Barbara tries to wake Ian up.
  • In the first episode, "The Edge of Destruction", the studio floor is clearly visible in the "white void" outside the TARDIS. (This could, however, be intentional as later episodes show "white voids" too, with a visible floor)
  • Two floor assistants' shadows can be seen in the first episode, "The Edge of Destruction", against the door leading into the bedroom and food machine area.
  • While the Doctor is describing the birth of a new solar system, a cough can be clearly heard.
  • Susan is wearing ankle-socks in the reprise, but afterwards she is not.

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

Home video and audio releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

DVD release[[edit] | [edit source]]

This story was released together with An Unearthly Child [+]Loading...["An Unearthly Child (TV story)"] and The Daleks [+]Loading...["The Daleks (TV story)"] in The Beginning DVD box set. Its special features included;

Region Format Release date Code Company
Region 2 PAL 30 January 2006 BBCDVD1882 BBC DVD
Region 4 2 March 2006 Roadshow
Region 1 NTSC 28 March 2006 E2489 Warner Video
  • Region 2 UK DVD cover

    Region 2 UK DVD cover

  • Region 4 Australian DVD cover

    Region 4 Australian DVD cover

  • Region 1 combined The Edge of Destruction/The Daleks US cover

    Region 1 combined The Edge of Destruction/The Daleks US cover

  • Region 2 UK DVD box set cover

    Region 2 UK DVD box set cover

  • Region 4 Australian DVD box set cover

    Region 4 Australian DVD box set cover

  • Region 1 US DVD box set cover

    Region 1 US DVD box set cover

Video release[[edit] | [edit source]]

This story was released as The Edge of Destruction and Dr Who: The Pilot Episode as a compilation video. The BBC originally intended to release this story in a box set with An Unearthly Child [+]Loading...["An Unearthly Child (TV story)"] and The Daleks [+]Loading...["The Daleks (TV story)"], but they changed their plans and decided to release each story individually.

Notes:

Region Format Release date Code Company
UK PAL May 2000 BBCV6877 BBC Video
US (2 tapes) NTSC October 2000 E1578 Warner Video
  • UK VHS cover

    UK VHS cover

  • Australian VHS cover

    Australian VHS cover

  • US VHS cover

    US VHS cover

Editing for the VHS and DVD releases was completed by the Doctor Who Restoration Team.

Digital releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

This story is available for on-demand streaming on the following platforms:

  • BritBox (UK and US) as part of Season 1 of Classic Doctor Who.
  • BBC iPlayer (UK) as part of Season 1 of Doctor Who (1963-1966).
  • Tubi (US) as part of Season 1 of Classic Doctor Who: The First Doctor.

Audio releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

On 20 April 2024, the story's soundtrack was released with linking narration by Carole Ann Ford, by Demon Records as an LP to coincide with Record Store Day 2024. It was later released by BBC Audio on 2 May 2024 as a CD and digital download.[5]

Notes:

  • The CD version has the ISBN 978-1-5299-3131-0.
  • The audio releases has a bonus interview with Carole Ann Ford.
  • The vinyl boasts a picture disc Side A, showing the Ship’s melting ormolu clock from a pivotal scene in the story, and an exclusive Zoetrope Side B, depicting the TARDIS swirling across space and time (best experienced using a smartphone running a third-party stroboscope app). The 12” disc is presented in a stunning die-cut artwork outer sleeve.
  • Die-cut artwork sleeve with picture disc Side A (LP)

    Die-cut artwork sleeve with picture disc Side A (LP)

  • Zoetrope Side B picture disc

    Zoetrope Side B picture disc

  • Die-cut artwork sleeve and picture disc Side A seperately

    Die-cut artwork sleeve and picture disc Side A seperately

  • Die-cut artwork sleeve with picture disc Side A (CD)

    Die-cut artwork sleeve with picture disc Side A (CD)

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 INFO: "The Edge of Destruction"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 INFO: "The Brink of Disaster"
  3. ↑ INFO: "The Forest of Fear"
  4. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/edgeofdestruction/detail.shtml
  5. ↑ Meet 'The Edge of Destruction' on vinyl this Record Store Day
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