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{{Infobox ClassicTV|
{{title dab away}}
story name= The Creature from the Pit|
{{real world}}
image=[[Image:Creature_title.jpg|250px]] |
{{ImageLinkTV}}
series=[[Doctor Who]] -<br/>[[TV stories|TV Stories]] |
{{Infobox Story SMW
number= [[Season 17]] |
|novelisation    = Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit (novelisation)
story number= 106|
|image           = Star behind.jpg  
doctor=[[Fourth Doctor]] |
|series         = [[Doctor Who television stories|''Doctor Who'' television stories]]
companions= [[Romana II]]<br/>[[K-9]]|
|season number   = Season 17 (Doctor Who 1963)|
enemy= [[Adrasta|Lady Adrasta]] |
|season serial number = 3
year= [[Chloris]]|
|story number   = 106
writer= [[David Fisher]] |
|doctor         = Fourth Doctor  
director= [[Christopher Barry]] |
|companions     = [[K9 Mark II]], [[Romana II]]
producer= [[Graham Williams]] |
|enemy           = [[Lady]] [[Adrasta]]  
broadcast date= [[27th October|27]] [[October]] [[1979]]-<br/> [[17th November|17]] [[November]] [[1979]] |
|setting        = [[Chloris]]
format= 4 25-minute Episodes |
|writer         = David Fisher (writer)
production code= [[List of production codes|5G]]|
|director       = [[Christopher Barry]]  
previous story=[[City of Death]]|
|producer       = [[Graham Williams]]  
next story=[[Nightmare of Eden]]}}
|epcount        = 4
|broadcast date = 27 October - 17 November 1979  
|network        = BBC1
|format         = 4x25-minute episodes
|serial production code = [[List of production codes|5G]]
|prev            = City of Death (TV story)
|next            = Nightmare of Eden (TV story)
|made prev      = The Armageddon Factor (TV story)
|made next      = City of Death (TV story)
|thwr = 2
}}
'''''The Creature from the Pit''''' was the third serial in [[Season 17 (Doctor Who 1963)|season 17]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]''. This was the last story [[Director (crew)|directed]] by [[Christopher Barry]], who had first worked on the show since [[1963 (production)|1963]]. It was the first story produced, though not the first broadcast, to feature [[Lalla Ward]] as [[Romana II|the Doctor's companion]].


==Synopsis==
This story was one of the season's "downsized" stories. This meant that the Doctor would be working on a smaller scale rather than saving the universe as he had been throughout [[Season 16 (Doctor Who 1963)|the past season]].
[[Fourth Doctor|The Doctor]] and Romana receive a distress signal and arrive on Chloris, a lush and verdant world that has only small quantities of metals, all of which are controlled by its ruler, Lady Adrasta. Adrasta keeps order with the aid of her Huntsman and his wolfweeds - mobile balls of vegetation - while a band of scruffy thieves, led by Torvin, organize raids on her palace to steal whatever metal they can.


The Doctor identifies the distress signal's source as a large eggshell-like structure in the forest. He is taken prisoner by Adrasta's guards and, in order to escape, leaps into the Pit - the entrance to a cave system into which all those who incur Adrasta's wrath are consigned to be devoured by an immense green globular creature living within. The Doctor, with the aid of the elderly soothsayer Organon, discovers that the creature is not an unthinking killer but an ambassador from the planet Tythonus, which has a lack of chlorophyll but an abundance of metal.
The serial made use of complicated model work to achieve the [[space]] scenes; the original scene had to be filmed again. The [[Erato]] prop was also a major problem. A puppet version was unavailable for rehearsals and there wasn't time for a redesign.


The Tythonians had hoped to trade with Chloris, but the first person their ambassador [[Erato]] encountered on arriving in his eggshell-like ship was Adrasta, who took his communicator device and trapped him in the Pit so as to preserve her monopoly on metal. Erato retrieves his communicator and kills Adrasta.
== Synopsis ==
The [[Fourth Doctor]] and [[Romana II]] receive a [[distress signal]] and arrive on [[Chloris]]. It is a lush and verdant world with only small quantities of [[metal]]s, all of which are controlled by its ruler, [[Adrasta|Lady Adrasta]]. Adrasta keeps order with the aid of her [[Huntsman (The Creature from the Pit)|Huntsman]] and his [[Wolfweed]]s - mobile balls of [[vegetation]]. A band of [[thief|thieves]], led by [[Torvin]], organise raids on her palace to steal whatever metal they can. But in the [[mine]]s of Chloris is something huge, a creature thrown into the pit to be forgotten... and the Doctor is about to join him.


He then warns the Doctor that the Tythonians have set a neutron star on a collision course with Chloris in retaliation for his imprisonment. With the Doctor's help he is freed from the Pit and, out in space, spins an aluminium shell around the star, allowing for it to be pulled off course by the TARDIS's gravitational tractor beam and thus saving Chloris.
== Plot ==
=== Part one ===
An [[MK3 Emergency transceiver]] on [[the Doctor's TARDIS|the TARDIS]] identifies a distress signal and brings the craft to the lush jungle world of [[Chloris]], where metal in all forms is a rare and prized commodity. [[Fourth Doctor|The Doctor]], [[Romana II|Romana]] and [[K9 Mark II|K9]] venture out to discover the remains of an enormous egg in the jungle. The Doctor is immediately beset by [[Wolfweed]]s under the control of the [[Huntsman (The Creature from the Pit)|Huntsman]], who then releases the Doctor and orders his death. [[Karela]] countermands him and has the Doctor and Romana taken prisoner instead.


==Plot==
[[File:Doc in stocks.jpg|left|thumb|[[Fourth Doctor|The Doctor]] is paraded in [[stocks]].]]
The use of an [[MK3 Emergency transceiver]] on the [[the Doctor's TARDIS|TARDIS]] identifies a distress signal and brings the craft to the lush jungle world of [[Chloris]], where metal in all forms is a rare and prized commodity. [[Fourth Doctor|The Doctor]], [[Romana II|Romana]] and [[K-9]] venture out to discover the remains of an enormous egg in the jungle, and when they meet the inhabitants they find a matriarchy ruled through fear by the icy and callous Lady [[Adrasta]]. Without metal to make the tools needed to keep the jungle under control, lush plant life dominates. The Lady Adrasta controls the planet's very last metal mine, holding on to power through the Huntsmen and the [[Wolfweed]]s. Her throne room contains an array of metal including a shield patterned in the same way as the remnants of the shell. She mentions the Creature which dwells in a deep pit on Chloris.
As they travel through the jungle, bandits attack them and Romana is taken prisoner by them. The Doctor is taken to the palace of the Lady [[Adrasta]], who rules the planet by controlling all the metal. He examines the throne room and takes particular interest in a [[Tythonian communicator|plate]] upon the wall.


Romana has meanwhile been captured by a party of scavengers, even keen to find and horde more metal, and they are particularly impressed by the possibilities of K9. The robot enables her escape and she is briefly reunited with the Doctor before he leaps into the Pit himself, determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and the Pit. Within the Pit he encounters [[Organon]], an astrologer thrown there by Adrasta some time earlier, and then comes face to face with the Creature: indeed, the vast shapeless blob rolls over him. The Doctor calculates it is not, however, dangerous, and is fascinated to note the Creature produces metal from within itself. It also forms a tentacle and draws a picture which the Doctor recognises as the shield from Adrasta’s throne room. The Doctor, Organon and the Creature now find a way out of the Pit.
Elsewhere, Romana uses a [[dog whistle]] to summon K9. With his help, she escapes the bandits.


The scavengers have meanwhile raided the throne room for booty, including the alien shield. It comes in useful when the Creature is freed from the Pit as the shield is indeed a communication device. [[Erato]], as the Creature is named, is the [[Tythonian]] ambassador to Chloris and came to negotiate a treaty exchanging metal for [[chlorophyll]] fifteen years earlier. Its craft was the vast egg found in the jungle. However, Adrasta realised her power was dependent on the control of the planet’s metal supply and so imprisoned Erato to maintain her status. It exacts its revenge by crushing her to death. The attempts by Adrasta’s sidekick, [[Karela]], to capitalise on the situation and seize power herself are aborted.
Adrasta takes the Doctor to a pit to witness the execution an engineer called [[Doran]] who failed to make some of the observations the Doctor made about the egg. He is thrown to a creature that lives within the vast caverns below. Romana arrives and tries to help the Doctor escape as K9 attacks the guards. However, the Wolfweeds quickly surround and disable K9. The Doctor then jumps into the pit.


The Doctor has rescued the Tythonian just in time – it seems [[Tythonus]] has declared war on Chloris over the missing ambassador, and has despatched a [[neutron star]] to collide with Chloris’ star and destroy the system. It is due to collide within the next twenty-four hours. Working against the odds, the Doctor uses the TARDIS to stabilise the star while Erato weaves a metal covering around it and the danger is neutralised. The Doctor’s last act on Chloris is to push Organon, now one of the de facto rulers, toward a mutually beneficial trade agreement with Erato and the Tythonians.
=== Part two ===
Romana notices that the Doctor is still alive, clinging to the side of the pit. He signals to keep silent as to his survival. Adrasta decides that Romana may be of use, as will the metal K9. The Doctor loses his grip and falls into the pit.


==Cast==
Meanwhile, Lady Adrasta tries to get information out of Romana as her guards slowly hammer away at K9. Eventually Romana tells her that only K9 has the answers what Adrasta is looking for.
*[[Fourth Doctor|The Doctor]] - [[Tom Baker]]
*[[Romana II|Romana]] - [[Lalla Ward]]
*Voice of [[K-9]] - [[David Brierley]]
*[[Adrasta]] - [[Myra Frances]]
*[[Organon]] - [[Geoffrey Bayldon]]
*[[Karela]] - [[Eileen Way]]
*[[Huntsman]] - [[David Telfer]]
*[[Tollund]] - [[Morris Barry]]
*[[Torvin]] - [[John Bryans]]
*[[Edu]] - [[Edward Kelsey]]
*[[Ainu]] - [[Tim Munro]]
*Guard - [[Phillip Denyer]]
*Guard - [[Dave Redgrave]]
*[[Doran]] - [[Terry Walsh]]
*Guardmaster - [[Tommy Wright]]


==Crew==
In the woods, the bandits decide to attack the palace, believing that the guards will be searching for them.
*[[Film Editor]] - [[M. A. C. Adams]]
*[[Production Assistant]] - [[Romey Allison]]
*[[Film Cameraman]] - [[David Feig]]
*[[Studio Lighting]] - [[Warwick Fielding]]
*[[Title Music]] - [[Ron Grainer]] and the [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]]
*[[Theme arrangement]] - [[Delia Derbyshire]]
*[[Costumes]] - [[June Hudson]]
*[[Visual Effects]] - [[Mat Irvine]]
*[[Special Sounds]] - [[Dick Mills]]
*[[Studio Sound]] - [[Anthony Philpott]]
*[[Incidental Music]] - [[Dudley Simpson]]
*[[Make-Up]] - [[Gillian Thomas]]
*[[Assistant Floor Manager]] - [[Kate Osborne]], [[David Tilley]]
*[[Designer]] - [[Valerie Warrender]]
*[[Production Unit Manager]] - [[John Nathan-Turner]]
*[[Script Editor]] - [[Douglas Adams]]
*[[Writer]] - [[David Fisher]]
*[[Director]] - [[Christopher Barry]]
*[[Producer]] - [[Graham Williams]]


==References==
[[File:K9 and Adrasta.jpg|right|thumb|[[Adrasta]] threatens [[K9 Mark II|K9]].]]
===[[:Category:Culture|Culture]]===
Within the Pit, the Doctor finds the corpses of Doran and one of Adrasta's men who fell into the pit after being stunned by K9 and then encounters [[Organon]], an astrologer thrown down there by Adrasta. The creature attacks but they manage to escape from its tentacle and then burn it to deter it from attacking again. They then begin exploring the caverns.
*[[Minotaur]]
*The Doctor and K9 are reading ''[[Peter Rabbit]]''.
*[[Theseus]]


===[[:Category:Earth|Earth]]===
K9 tells Adrasta about the TARDIS. Realising that, with such a machine, she no longer needs the creature, she decides that K9 will kill it for her. They venture through a passage and into the caverns of the pit.
*[[Tibet]]


===[[:Category:TARDIS|TARDIS]]===
The Doctor, Organon and a number of Adrasta's guards come across the creature. The guards attack it, to no effect, and the creature squashes the Doctor.
*The TARDIS has a [[tractor beam]].
*[[Mark Three Emergency transceiver]]


==Story Notes==
=== Part three ===
*This story guest stars [[Geoffrey Bayldon]]. Bayldon had been a candidate on previous occasions for the role of the Doctor, and later voiced an alternate version of the Doctor for the ''[[Auld Mortality]]'' and ''[[A Storm of Angels]]'' in the [[Doctor Who Unbound]] audio series. Bayldon was also a close personal friend of [[Jon Pertwee]].
The guards and Organon retreat and the creature forms a barrier to prevent their return. Within the cavern, the Doctor awakes, seemingly unharmed. Outside the palace, the bandits make their attack and quickly gain access to the throne room. In the pit, Adrasta decides that K9 will destroy the barrier.
[[File:Plate bandits.jpg|left|thumb|[[Torvin]] and [[Edu]] fall under [[Tythonian communicator|the plate's]] [[hypnosis]].]]
The Doctor tries to befriend the creature but it has no way to communicate with him. The creature draws a picture of the plate that the Doctor noticed in Adrasta's throne room. At that moment, the bandits are stealing the plate. They are interrupted by the guards and retreat into the cavern. The plate activates and [[Torvin]] and [[Edu]] fall under its [[Hypnosis|hypnotic]] effect.


*This was the first story for [[Season 17]] to be produced, though it was the third to be broadcast. This technically makes it the first story to feature [[Lalla Ward]] as [[Romana II]], replacing [[Mary Tamm]], and to have [[David Brierly]] providing the voice for [[K-9]], replacing [[John Leeson]].
K9 is unable to break down the barrier, as it gets stronger with each blow. From the other side, the Doctor bursts through. Adrasta questions how the Doctor did this and he replies that he "asked very nicely". Adrasta admits she knows more about the creature than she has previously let on. It is a [[Tythonian]]. The Doctor uses a mirror to reflect K9's attacks, killing Adrasta's guards and scaring off [[Karela]]. The Doctor holds Adrasta despite her pleas. She orders Romana to have K9 kill the creature. The hypnotised Torvin and Edu approach, still carrying the plate, which they place on the creature.


*In [[David Fisher]]'s original script, Lady [[Adrasta]] was Queen Adastra, whose name meant "to the stars" in [[Latin]]. This was changed by [[Douglas Adams]].
=== Part four ===
With the plate, the creature is able to speak through the person touching it. The Doctor uses the plate and discovers that the creature's name is [[Erato]] and is the Tythonian [[ambassador]] to Chloris. It came fifteen years earlier to negotiate a treaty exchanging metal for [[chlorophyll]]. Its craft was the vast egg in the jungle. However, Adrasta, knowing her power depended on control of the planet's metal supply, imprisoned Erato. Knowing the truth, Adrasta's people turn on her and Erato takes his revenge by crushing Adrasta to death.


* [[Christopher Barry]] is said to have had differences of opinion with both [[Tom Baker]] and [[Lalla Ward]] regarding their characters and dialogue during filming of this story. These plus frequent technical problems led to his departure from directing on [[Doctor Who]].
In the woods, Karela meets the bandits and kills Torvin. She tries to convince the others to join her in taking the metal. The Doctor arrives and has K9 destroy the metal the bandits stole. With nothing to lose, the bandits and Karela give up.


*[[Morris Barry]], who played [[Tollund]], had directed ''Doctor Who'' stories in the [[1960s]].
[[File:Get weaving.jpg|right|thumb|The TARDIS holds the [[neutron star]] as [[Erato]] weaves a web around it.]]
The Doctor has rescued the Tythonian just in time. [[Tythonus]] has declared war on Chloris over the missing ambassador and has dispatched a [[neutron star]] to collide with Chloris' star and destroy the system. It will collide within the next twenty-four hours. Working desperately, the Doctor uses the TARDIS to stabilise the star while Erato weaves an [[aluminium]] shell around it. The danger is neutralised. The Doctor's last act on Chloris is to push Organon, now one of the de facto rulers, toward a mutually beneficial trade agreement with Erato and the Tythonians.


*This story is one of few that does not challenge the Doctor to decide the fate of the [[Earth]] or the universe. The events concern the politics of a single planet.
== Cast ==
* [[Fourth Doctor|Doctor Who]] - [[Tom Baker]]
* [[Romana II|Romana]] - [[Lalla Ward]]
* Voice of [[K9]] - [[David Brierley]]
* [[Adrasta]] - [[Myra Frances]]
* [[Organon]] - [[Geoffrey Bayldon]]
* [[Karela]] - [[Eileen Way]]
* [[Huntsman (The Creature from the Pit)|Huntsman]] - [[David Telfer]]
* [[Tollund]] - [[Morris Barry]]
* [[Torvin]] - [[John Bryans]]
* [[Edu]] - [[Edward Kelsey]]
* [[Ainu (The Creature from the Pit)|Ainu]] - [[Tim Munro]]
* [[Guard 1 (The Creature from the Pit)|Guard]] - [[Philip Denyer]]
* [[Doran]] - [[Terry Walsh]]
* [[Guardmaster]] - [[Tommy Wright]]
* [[Guard 2 (The Creature from the Pit)|Guard]] - [[Dave Redgrave]]


* A clip of this story was used in the documentary [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00n93c4 "Synth Britannia"], first broadcast on [http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc4 BBC 4] on Friday 16th October 2009. (The clip seems to be from episode 2 or 3.)
=== Uncredited Cast ===


===Ratings===
* Engineer - [[Bobby James]]
*Part 1 - 9.3 million viewers
* Guards - [[Ian Munro]], [[Reg Turner]], Ron Nunnery, [[Barry Summerford]], [[Robert Smythe]], [[Roy Brent]], [[Max Faulkner]], [[Derek Suthern]], [[John Cannon]] ([[DWM 304]])
*Part 2 - 10.8 million viewers
* Bandits - Billy Gray, Douglas Bather, [[Nick Joseph]], George Miller, [[Laurie Goode]] ([[DWM 304]])
*Part 3 - 10.2 million viewers
* Bearers - Mike Handley, [[Ridgewell Hawkes]], [[Jerry Judge]], [[Reg Woods]] ([[DWM 304]])
*Part 4 - 9.6 million viewers


===Myths===
== Crew ==
''to be added''
* [[Assistant Floor Manager]]s - [[Kate Osborne]], [[David Tilley]]
* [[Costumes]] - [[June Hudson]]
* [[Director (crew)|Director]] - [[Christopher Barry]]
* [[Director's assistant|Director's Assistant]] - [[Carol Snook]]
* [[Designer (crew)|Designer]] - [[Valerie Warrender]]
* [[Electronic effects|Electronic Effects]] - [[Dave Chapman]]
* [[Film Cameraman]] - [[David Feig]]
* [[Film Editor]] - [[M A C Adams]]
* [[Film sound|Film Sound]] - [[Doug Mawson]]
* [[Incidental Music]] - [[Dudley Simpson]]
* [[Make-Up]] - [[Gillian Thomas]]
* [[Producer]] - [[Graham Williams]]
* [[Production Assistant]] - [[Romey Allison]]
* [[Production Unit Manager]] - [[John Nathan-Turner]]
* [[Script Editor]] - [[Douglas Adams]]
* [[Senior cameraman|Senior Cameraman]] - [[Rodney Taylor]]
* [[Special Sounds]] - [[Dick Mills]]
* [[Studio Lighting]] - [[Warwick Fielding]]
* [[Studio Sound]] - [[Anthony Philpott]]
* [[Doctor Who theme|Title Music]] - [[Ron Grainer]] and the [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]]
* [[Theme arrangement]] - [[Delia Derbyshire]]
* [[Vision Mixer]] - [[James Gould]]
* [[Visual Effects|Visual Effects Designer]] - [[Mat Irvine]]
* [[Videotape editor|VT Editor]] - [[Rod Waldron]]
* [[Writer]] - [[David Fisher (writer)|David Fisher]]
 
=== Uncredited crew ===
* [[Film camera assistant|Film Camera Assistant]] - [[Tony Bragg]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Creature from the Pit'')
* [[Make-up assistant|Make-Up Assistants]] - [[Tina Baker]], [[Sally Milligan]], [[Lisa Pickering]], [[Sandra Powell]], [[Janice Sewell]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Creature from the Pit'')
* [[Design assistant|Design Assistant]] - [[David Laskey]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Creature from the Pit'')
* [[Film sound assistant|Film Sound Assistant]] - [[Stuart Moser]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Creature from the Pit'')
* [[Technical manager|Technical Manager]] - [[Mike Chislet]]t ([[INFO]]: ''The Creature from the Pit'')
* [[Props buyer|Props Buyer]] - [[Eric Baker]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Creature from the Pit'')
* [[Grip]]s - [[George Rose]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Creature from the Pit'')
* [[Assistant Floor Manager]] - [[Kate Osborne]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Creature from the Pit'')
* [[Floor assistant|Floor Assistant]] - [[Edward Bye]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Creature from the Pit'')
* [[Film operations manager|Film Operations Manager]] - [[Ian Brindle]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Creature from the Pit'')
* [[Film lighting gaffer|Film Lighting Gaffer]] - [[Des O'Brien]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Creature from the Pit'')
* [[Show working supervisor|Show Working Supervisor]] - [[Chick Hetherington]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Creature from the Pit'')
 
== Worldbuilding ==
=== The Doctor ===
* The Doctor jokingly claims that [[Time Lord]]s have ninety lives (and that he has used one hundred and thirty of his).
* When asked which ([[Astrology|astrological]]) sign he was born under, the Doctor answers ([[Sign|literally]]) [[Crossed Computers]], which is was the signage used by the maternity service on [[Gallifrey]].
 
=== Culture ===
* The Doctor and K9 are reading ''[[Peter Rabbit]]''. Romana has read a few of the series herself.
* The Doctor claims a ball of [[string]] Romana finds in the TARDIS helped [[Theseus]] and [[Ariadne]] out of the [[Minotaur]]'s maze.
* The thieves operate as a [[democracy]].
 
=== Species ===
* [[Erato]] is an [[ambassador]] from the planet [[Tythonus]], a world rich in metal, but rapidly depleting its vegetation.
* [[Tythonian]]s consume [[chlorophyll]] and mineral [[salt]]s.
* Tythonians can only communicate via a [[Tythonian communicator|pentagonal device]] which allows them to utilise another being's [[larynx]].
* Tythonians live for [[40000 (number)|40,000]] years.
 
=== Spacecraft ===
* Erato travelled to Chloris in [[Tythonian ship|a spaceship]] that was an egg woven from living metal.
* Erato's spaceship is powered by [[photon drive]].
 
=== The TARDIS ===
* The TARDIS has a [[tractor beam]].
* A [[MK3 Emergency transceiver]] can be plugged into the TARDIS console.
 
=== Weapons ===
* A [[neutron star]] is propelled towards Chloris by the Tythonians after the treatment of their ambassador.
 
=== Influences ===


===Filming Locations===
* Torvin was inspired by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fagin Fagin] from ''[[Oliver Twist]].''
*[[BBC Television Centre]] (TC6), Shepherd's Bush, [[London]]


===Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors===
== Story notes ==
*Wrapping a sheet of aluminium around the neutron star would not have the effect of reducing its gravitational pull, but rather, would increase it. ''The sheet of aluminium merely enables the Doctor to get a better lock on it with his tractor beam.''
* This was the first story for [[Season 17 (Doctor Who 1963)|Season 17]] to be produced, though it was the third to be broadcast. This makes it the first story produced with [[Lalla Ward]] as [[Romana II]], replacing [[Mary Tamm]], and with [[David Brierley]] providing the voice for [[K9]], replacing [[John Leeson]].
*Nobody's lips move when they are connected to Erato's vocalizer sheild. Using someone else  to speak for you would require that you could control their mouth and lips as well as their larynx in order to form intelligible words and speech.
* In [[David Fisher (writer)|David Fisher]]'s original script, Lady [[Adrasta]] was Queen Adastra, whose name meant "to the stars" in Latin. This was changed by [[Douglas Adams]].
* [[Christopher Barry]] is said to have had differences of opinion with both [[Tom Baker]] and Lalla Ward regarding their characters and dialogue during filming of this story. This plus frequent technical problems led to his departure from directing on ''[[Doctor Who]]''.
* [[Lalla Ward]] was unhappy with this story. It was the first one she filmed and she was still working out how to play Romana. The fact that the script was written for [[Mary Tamm]]'s version didn't help. She even wears a white dress like hers. She loathed both her costume and her hair.
* A clip of this story was used in the documentary [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00n93c4 "Synth Britannia"], first broadcast on [http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc4 BBC 4] on Friday 16 October 2009. (The clip seems to be from part two or three.)
* A working title for this story was ''The Creature in the Pit''.<ref>http://www.shannonsullivan.com/doctorwho/serials/5g.html</ref>
* [[Christopher Barry]] described the shoot as the nadir of his career.
* [[David Fisher]]'s original outline was concerned with Adrasta's attempts to claim the TARDIS for herself. K-9 eventually takes Adrasta away in the TARDIS, returning her — cowed and defeated — at the story's conclusion. Upon initially being thrown into the Pit, the Doctor is attacked by Hellyn, a former member of Adrasta's team of engineers. In the final episode, a battle fleet from Tithonus (later spelt “Tythonus”) arrives, threatening to destroy Chloris with a photon missile. Erato and the Doctor travel into space in Erato's ship, and the Tithonian weaves a spacesuit for the Doctor, enabling him to reach the missile and disarm it.
* Although the Doctor's solution to the problem of the neutron star, weaving a shell of aluminium around it, has been criticised as silly, the idea was in fact proposed to [[David Fisher (writer)|David Fisher]] by members of the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge.
* [[Christopher Barry]] and visual effects designer [[Mat Irvine]] were called on the carpet by the BBC management for the appearance of the creature Erato. The phallic appearance of the proboscis in the first episode resulted in uncontrolled laughter in the studio and prompted an overnight change to add a pair of pincers to the creature.
* This was [[Terry Walsh]]'s final appearance in the series having appeared in various roles since 1966 as well as acting as fight arranger and the stunt double for both [[Jon Pertwee]] and [[Tom Baker]].
* [[Graham Williams]] ordered a model shot of the TARDIS to be reshot because the wires were visible.
* Erato proved to be logistical nightmare. [[Christopher Barry]] claimed it was impossible to realise. While he blamed the special effects initially, in hindsight he realised that the producer and the writer were to blame.
* [[Graham Williams]] called Erato a giant syphilitic phallus and the whole crew burst into laughter upon seeing it, prompting Williams to reprimand them. [[Geoffrey Bayldon]] claimed that there's an outtake of him going, "Oh my, that's a big one". Arms were added to distract from its phallic appearance.
* [[Siân Phillips]] was offered the role of Lady Adastra.
* Many of the names chosen for the storyline were derived from [[Greek mythology]]. Lady Adrasta was inspired by the legend of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andromeda_(mythology) Andromeda], whose homeland was plagued by a gargantuan sea monster. Erato was named after a member of the group of goddesses called the Muses. This choice was intentionally ironic: the mythological Erato was the Muse of erotic poetry, and her name meant “lovely”. The creature's homeworld of Tythonus was originally spelt “Tithonus”, from a prince of Troy who was granted immortality but without the benefit of eternal youth. Chloris, meanwhile, was a minor flower goddess -- cognate with the Roman deity Flora -- and was etymologically linked to the word “chlorophyll”, the green pigment found in most vegetation.
* [[Douglas Adams]] suggested that the scarcity of metal on Chloris would have driven some former miners to banditry. [[David Fisher (writer)|David Fisher]] initially feared that this element would become too silly, but he soon began to emulate Adams' comedic style. Ironically, Adams wound up having to rein in the jokiness of Fisher's scripts; nonetheless, they were criticised by BBC Head of Serials [[Graeme MacDonald]] who, in recent years, had regularly argued against overt humour in the show.
* [[Mat Irvine]] suggested realising Erato using a combination of puppets and model sets. However, [[Christopher Barry]] did not feel that this was the right approach. Work on the prop took so long that it wasn't available for rehearsals, so Barry proposed resurrecting the original idea. However, he was now told that insufficient time remained to accomplish this. Barry then argued that Erato should be completely reimagined, but [[Graham Williams]] rejected such a significant change at so late a date.
* [[Morris Barry]] was a distant relative of [[Christopher Barry]].
* Filming at BBC Television Centre was delayed by a day due to union activity over an accusation of wrongful dismissal.
* [[Christopher Barry]] found that [[Tom Baker]] had become a much more dominating presence since they'd last collborated on ''[[The Brain of Morbius (TV story)|The Brain of Morbius]]''. As a result, [[Douglas Adams]] was a moderating presence.
* Footage of the TARDIS had to be remounted a considerable expense when it was discovered that the strings were visible.
*


==Continuity==
=== Ratings ===
*[[EDA]]: ''[[The Taking of Planet 5]]'' features a vague reference to this story, in the form of the TARDIS tractor beam.
* Part one - 9.3 million viewers
* Part two - 10.8 million viewers
* Part three - 10.2 million viewers
* Part four - 9.6 million viewers


==Timeline==
=== Filming locations ===
*This story occurs after [[ST]]: ''[[The End of Now]]''
* [[Ealing Studios]], Ealing Green, Ealing
*This story occurs before [[MA]]: ''[[The Romance of Crime]]''
* [[BBC Television Centre]] (TC6), Shepherd's Bush, [[London]]


==DVD, Video and Other Releases==
=== Production errors ===
{{discontinuity}}
''to be added''
''to be added''


==Novelisation==
== Continuity ==
[[Image:Creature from The Pit novel.jpg|right|75px]]
* A number of the Doctor's old costumes appear on the TARDIS [[hatstand]]. His coats from ''[[The Seeds of Doom (TV story)|The Seeds of Doom]]'' and ''[[The Talons of Weng-Chiang (TV story)|The Talons of Weng-Chiang]]'' are two of these.
: ''Main article: [[Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit]]''
* Part of the machine the Doctor and Romana used to enter hyperspace is in the box Romana brings into the console room. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Stones of Blood (TV story)|The Stones of Blood]]'')
 
== Home video and audio releases ==
=== DVD releases ===
This story was first released on DVD in the [[UK]] on [[3 May (releases)|3 May]] [[2010 (releases)|2010]]. The one disc set includes a [http://www.purpleville.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/rtwebsite.htm restored version] of the story, as well as the following special features:
* Commentary by [[Lalla Ward]] ([[Romana II|Romana]]), [[Myra Frances]] ([[Adrasta|Lady Adrasta]]), [[Christopher Barry]] (Director) and [[Mat Irvine]] (Visual Effects Designer)
* ''[[Christopher Barry: Director (documentary)|Christopher Barry: Director]]'' - Veteran ''[[Doctor Who]]'' director Christopher Barry, on location in the Wiltshire village of Aldbourne, talks about his career
* ''[[Team Erato (documentary)|Team Erato]]'' - The BBC Visual Effects crew talk about the problems they faced building and operating [[Erato]], with Mat Irvine, [[Steve Bowman]], [[Steve Lucas]] and Morag McLean
* ''[[Animal Magic special (TV story)|Animal Magic]]'' - The [[Fourth Doctor]] tells viewers about the creatures he has met on his travels
* ''[[Radio Times]]'' Billings (PDF DVD-ROM - PC/Mac)
* Production Information Subtitles
* Photo Gallery
* Extended Scene
* Coming Soon Trailer - ''[[Kamelion Tales]]''
Editing for the DVD release was completed by the [[Doctor Who Restoration Team]].<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
The creature from the pit.jpg|US DVD 2010 cover
The Creature from the Pitdvd.jpg|AUS DVD 2010 cover
Bbcdvd-thecreaturefromthepit.jpg|Region 2 UK cover
</gallery>It was released as [[DWDVDF 149|issue 149]] of ''[[Doctor Who DVD Files]]''.


*Novelised as ''[[Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit]]'' by [[David Fisher]].
=== Video releases ===
This story was released on VHS in the UK in [[2002 (releases)|2002]].<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
File:The Creature from the Pit VHS UK cover.jpg|VHS UK cover
File:The Creature from the Pit VHS Australian cover.jpg|VHS Australian cover
File:The Creature from the Pit VHS US cover.jpg|VHS US cover
</gallery>


==See also==
=== Digital releases ===
''to be added''
The story is available for streaming in Canada and the US through [[BritBox]] or Amazon Instant Video in the UK.
 
== External links ==
* {{bbcepguideclassic|creaturefrompit/|The Creature From the Pit}}
* {{radiotimes|2011-02-20/the-creature-from-the-pit}}
{{dwcast}}
{{dwrefguide|who_5g.htm|The Creature from the Pit}}
* {{briefhistory|serials/5g.html|The Creature from the Pit}}
* [http://www.shillpages.com/dw/story/d4/st--5g-c.jpg Contact sheet of '''The Creature from the Pit''' story images at the Doctor Who Image Archive]


== External Links ==
== Footnotes ==
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/creaturefrompit/ BBC Episode Guide entry for '''The Creature From the Pit''']
{{reflist}}
* [http://www.drwhoguide.com/who_5g.htm Doctor Who Reference Guide: Detailed Synopsis - '''The Creature from the Pit''']
* [http://www.shannonsullivan.com/drwho/serials/5g.html A Brief History of Time (Travel): '''The Creature from the Pit''']
* [http://www.shillpages.com/dw/story/d4/st--5g-c.jpg Contact sheet of '''The Creature from the Pit''' story images at the Doctor Who Image Archive]


{{season 17}}
{{DWTV}}
{{TitleSort}}


{{Wikipedia|The Creature from the Pit}}
[[de:The Creature from the Pit]]
[[es:The Creature from the Pit]]
[[ru:Существо из Ямы]]


{{TV stub}}
[[Category:Doctor Who (1963) television stories]]
[[Category:Fourth Doctor episodes|Creature from the Pit, The]]
[[Category:K9 television stories]]
[[Category:Romana episodes|Creature from the Pit, The]]
[[Category:Season 17 stories]]
[[Category:Stories with unknown or disputed dates|Creature from the Pit, The]]
[[Category:Four part serials]]
[[Category:1979 television stories|Creatures from the Pit, The]]
[[Category:Fourth Doctor television stories]]
[[Category:Romana II television stories]]

Latest revision as of 20:07, 3 November 2024

RealWorld.png

The Creature from the Pit was the third serial in season 17 of Doctor Who. This was the last story directed by Christopher Barry, who had first worked on the show since 1963. It was the first story produced, though not the first broadcast, to feature Lalla Ward as the Doctor's companion.

This story was one of the season's "downsized" stories. This meant that the Doctor would be working on a smaller scale rather than saving the universe as he had been throughout the past season.

The serial made use of complicated model work to achieve the space scenes; the original scene had to be filmed again. The Erato prop was also a major problem. A puppet version was unavailable for rehearsals and there wasn't time for a redesign.

Synopsis[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Fourth Doctor and Romana II receive a distress signal and arrive on Chloris. It is a lush and verdant world with only small quantities of metals, all of which are controlled by its ruler, Lady Adrasta. Adrasta keeps order with the aid of her Huntsman and his Wolfweeds - mobile balls of vegetation. A band of thieves, led by Torvin, organise raids on her palace to steal whatever metal they can. But in the mines of Chloris is something huge, a creature thrown into the pit to be forgotten... and the Doctor is about to join him.

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

Part one[[edit] | [edit source]]

An MK3 Emergency transceiver on the TARDIS identifies a distress signal and brings the craft to the lush jungle world of Chloris, where metal in all forms is a rare and prized commodity. The Doctor, Romana and K9 venture out to discover the remains of an enormous egg in the jungle. The Doctor is immediately beset by Wolfweeds under the control of the Huntsman, who then releases the Doctor and orders his death. Karela countermands him and has the Doctor and Romana taken prisoner instead.

The Doctor is paraded in stocks.

As they travel through the jungle, bandits attack them and Romana is taken prisoner by them. The Doctor is taken to the palace of the Lady Adrasta, who rules the planet by controlling all the metal. He examines the throne room and takes particular interest in a plate upon the wall.

Elsewhere, Romana uses a dog whistle to summon K9. With his help, she escapes the bandits.

Adrasta takes the Doctor to a pit to witness the execution an engineer called Doran who failed to make some of the observations the Doctor made about the egg. He is thrown to a creature that lives within the vast caverns below. Romana arrives and tries to help the Doctor escape as K9 attacks the guards. However, the Wolfweeds quickly surround and disable K9. The Doctor then jumps into the pit.

Part two[[edit] | [edit source]]

Romana notices that the Doctor is still alive, clinging to the side of the pit. He signals to keep silent as to his survival. Adrasta decides that Romana may be of use, as will the metal K9. The Doctor loses his grip and falls into the pit.

Meanwhile, Lady Adrasta tries to get information out of Romana as her guards slowly hammer away at K9. Eventually Romana tells her that only K9 has the answers what Adrasta is looking for.

In the woods, the bandits decide to attack the palace, believing that the guards will be searching for them.

Adrasta threatens K9.

Within the Pit, the Doctor finds the corpses of Doran and one of Adrasta's men who fell into the pit after being stunned by K9 and then encounters Organon, an astrologer thrown down there by Adrasta. The creature attacks but they manage to escape from its tentacle and then burn it to deter it from attacking again. They then begin exploring the caverns.

K9 tells Adrasta about the TARDIS. Realising that, with such a machine, she no longer needs the creature, she decides that K9 will kill it for her. They venture through a passage and into the caverns of the pit.

The Doctor, Organon and a number of Adrasta's guards come across the creature. The guards attack it, to no effect, and the creature squashes the Doctor.

Part three[[edit] | [edit source]]

The guards and Organon retreat and the creature forms a barrier to prevent their return. Within the cavern, the Doctor awakes, seemingly unharmed. Outside the palace, the bandits make their attack and quickly gain access to the throne room. In the pit, Adrasta decides that K9 will destroy the barrier.

Torvin and Edu fall under the plate's hypnosis.

The Doctor tries to befriend the creature but it has no way to communicate with him. The creature draws a picture of the plate that the Doctor noticed in Adrasta's throne room. At that moment, the bandits are stealing the plate. They are interrupted by the guards and retreat into the cavern. The plate activates and Torvin and Edu fall under its hypnotic effect.

K9 is unable to break down the barrier, as it gets stronger with each blow. From the other side, the Doctor bursts through. Adrasta questions how the Doctor did this and he replies that he "asked very nicely". Adrasta admits she knows more about the creature than she has previously let on. It is a Tythonian. The Doctor uses a mirror to reflect K9's attacks, killing Adrasta's guards and scaring off Karela. The Doctor holds Adrasta despite her pleas. She orders Romana to have K9 kill the creature. The hypnotised Torvin and Edu approach, still carrying the plate, which they place on the creature.

Part four[[edit] | [edit source]]

With the plate, the creature is able to speak through the person touching it. The Doctor uses the plate and discovers that the creature's name is Erato and is the Tythonian ambassador to Chloris. It came fifteen years earlier to negotiate a treaty exchanging metal for chlorophyll. Its craft was the vast egg in the jungle. However, Adrasta, knowing her power depended on control of the planet's metal supply, imprisoned Erato. Knowing the truth, Adrasta's people turn on her and Erato takes his revenge by crushing Adrasta to death.

In the woods, Karela meets the bandits and kills Torvin. She tries to convince the others to join her in taking the metal. The Doctor arrives and has K9 destroy the metal the bandits stole. With nothing to lose, the bandits and Karela give up.

The TARDIS holds the neutron star as Erato weaves a web around it.

The Doctor has rescued the Tythonian just in time. Tythonus has declared war on Chloris over the missing ambassador and has dispatched a neutron star to collide with Chloris' star and destroy the system. It will collide within the next twenty-four hours. Working desperately, the Doctor uses the TARDIS to stabilise the star while Erato weaves an aluminium shell around it. The danger is neutralised. The Doctor's last act on Chloris is to push Organon, now one of the de facto rulers, toward a mutually beneficial trade agreement with Erato and the Tythonians.

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Uncredited Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

Uncredited crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The Doctor jokingly claims that Time Lords have ninety lives (and that he has used one hundred and thirty of his).
  • When asked which (astrological) sign he was born under, the Doctor answers (literally) Crossed Computers, which is was the signage used by the maternity service on Gallifrey.

Culture[[edit] | [edit source]]

Species[[edit] | [edit source]]

Spacecraft[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Erato travelled to Chloris in a spaceship that was an egg woven from living metal.
  • Erato's spaceship is powered by photon drive.

The TARDIS[[edit] | [edit source]]

Weapons[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • A neutron star is propelled towards Chloris by the Tythonians after the treatment of their ambassador.

Influences[[edit] | [edit source]]

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

  • This was the first story for Season 17 to be produced, though it was the third to be broadcast. This makes it the first story produced with Lalla Ward as Romana II, replacing Mary Tamm, and with David Brierley providing the voice for K9, replacing John Leeson.
  • In David Fisher's original script, Lady Adrasta was Queen Adastra, whose name meant "to the stars" in Latin. This was changed by Douglas Adams.
  • Christopher Barry is said to have had differences of opinion with both Tom Baker and Lalla Ward regarding their characters and dialogue during filming of this story. This plus frequent technical problems led to his departure from directing on Doctor Who.
  • Lalla Ward was unhappy with this story. It was the first one she filmed and she was still working out how to play Romana. The fact that the script was written for Mary Tamm's version didn't help. She even wears a white dress like hers. She loathed both her costume and her hair.
  • A clip of this story was used in the documentary "Synth Britannia", first broadcast on BBC 4 on Friday 16 October 2009. (The clip seems to be from part two or three.)
  • A working title for this story was The Creature in the Pit.[1]
  • Christopher Barry described the shoot as the nadir of his career.
  • David Fisher's original outline was concerned with Adrasta's attempts to claim the TARDIS for herself. K-9 eventually takes Adrasta away in the TARDIS, returning her — cowed and defeated — at the story's conclusion. Upon initially being thrown into the Pit, the Doctor is attacked by Hellyn, a former member of Adrasta's team of engineers. In the final episode, a battle fleet from Tithonus (later spelt “Tythonus”) arrives, threatening to destroy Chloris with a photon missile. Erato and the Doctor travel into space in Erato's ship, and the Tithonian weaves a spacesuit for the Doctor, enabling him to reach the missile and disarm it.
  • Although the Doctor's solution to the problem of the neutron star, weaving a shell of aluminium around it, has been criticised as silly, the idea was in fact proposed to David Fisher by members of the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge.
  • Christopher Barry and visual effects designer Mat Irvine were called on the carpet by the BBC management for the appearance of the creature Erato. The phallic appearance of the proboscis in the first episode resulted in uncontrolled laughter in the studio and prompted an overnight change to add a pair of pincers to the creature.
  • This was Terry Walsh's final appearance in the series having appeared in various roles since 1966 as well as acting as fight arranger and the stunt double for both Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker.
  • Graham Williams ordered a model shot of the TARDIS to be reshot because the wires were visible.
  • Erato proved to be logistical nightmare. Christopher Barry claimed it was impossible to realise. While he blamed the special effects initially, in hindsight he realised that the producer and the writer were to blame.
  • Graham Williams called Erato a giant syphilitic phallus and the whole crew burst into laughter upon seeing it, prompting Williams to reprimand them. Geoffrey Bayldon claimed that there's an outtake of him going, "Oh my, that's a big one". Arms were added to distract from its phallic appearance.
  • Siân Phillips was offered the role of Lady Adastra.
  • Many of the names chosen for the storyline were derived from Greek mythology. Lady Adrasta was inspired by the legend of Andromeda, whose homeland was plagued by a gargantuan sea monster. Erato was named after a member of the group of goddesses called the Muses. This choice was intentionally ironic: the mythological Erato was the Muse of erotic poetry, and her name meant “lovely”. The creature's homeworld of Tythonus was originally spelt “Tithonus”, from a prince of Troy who was granted immortality but without the benefit of eternal youth. Chloris, meanwhile, was a minor flower goddess -- cognate with the Roman deity Flora -- and was etymologically linked to the word “chlorophyll”, the green pigment found in most vegetation.
  • Douglas Adams suggested that the scarcity of metal on Chloris would have driven some former miners to banditry. David Fisher initially feared that this element would become too silly, but he soon began to emulate Adams' comedic style. Ironically, Adams wound up having to rein in the jokiness of Fisher's scripts; nonetheless, they were criticised by BBC Head of Serials Graeme MacDonald who, in recent years, had regularly argued against overt humour in the show.
  • Mat Irvine suggested realising Erato using a combination of puppets and model sets. However, Christopher Barry did not feel that this was the right approach. Work on the prop took so long that it wasn't available for rehearsals, so Barry proposed resurrecting the original idea. However, he was now told that insufficient time remained to accomplish this. Barry then argued that Erato should be completely reimagined, but Graham Williams rejected such a significant change at so late a date.
  • Morris Barry was a distant relative of Christopher Barry.
  • Filming at BBC Television Centre was delayed by a day due to union activity over an accusation of wrongful dismissal.
  • Christopher Barry found that Tom Baker had become a much more dominating presence since they'd last collborated on The Brain of Morbius. As a result, Douglas Adams was a moderating presence.
  • Footage of the TARDIS had to be remounted a considerable expense when it was discovered that the strings were visible.

Ratings[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Part one - 9.3 million viewers
  • Part two - 10.8 million viewers
  • Part three - 10.2 million viewers
  • Part four - 9.6 million viewers

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.

to be added

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

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

DVD releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

This story was first released on DVD in the UK on 3 May 2010. The one disc set includes a restored version of the story, as well as the following special features:

Editing for the DVD release was completed by the Doctor Who Restoration Team.

  • US DVD 2010 cover

    US DVD 2010 cover

  • AUS DVD 2010 cover

    AUS DVD 2010 cover

  • Region 2 UK cover

    Region 2 UK cover

It was released as issue 149 of Doctor Who DVD Files.

Video releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

This story was released on VHS in the UK in 2002.

  • VHS UK cover

    VHS UK cover

  • VHS Australian cover

    VHS Australian cover

  • VHS US cover

    VHS US cover

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

The story is available for streaming in Canada and the US through BritBox or Amazon Instant Video in the UK.

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

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ http://www.shannonsullivan.com/doctorwho/serials/5g.html
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