The Creature from the Pit (TV story): Difference between revisions

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{{real world}}
{{real world}}
{{ImageLinkTV}}
{{ImageLinkTV}}
{{Infobox Story
{{Infobox Story SMW
|novelisation    = Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit (novelisation)
|novelisation    = Doctor Who and the Creature from the Pit (novelisation)
|image          = Star behind.jpg  
|image          = Star behind.jpg  
|series          = [[Doctor Who television stories|''Doctor Who'' television stories]]
|series          = [[Doctor Who television stories|''Doctor Who'' television stories]]
|season number  = Season 17  
|season number  = Season 17 (Doctor Who 1963)|
|season serial number = 3
|season serial number = 3
|story number    = 106
|story number    = 106
|doctor          = Fourth Doctor  
|doctor          = Fourth Doctor  
|companions      = [[K9 Mark II]], [[Romana II]]
|companions      = [[K9 Mark II]], [[Romana II]]
|enemy          = [[Adrasta|Lady Adrasta]]  
|enemy          = [[Lady]] [[Adrasta]]  
|setting        = [[Chloris]]
|setting        = [[Chloris]]
|writer          = [[David Fisher (writer)|David Fisher]]
|writer          = David Fisher (writer)  
|director        = [[Christopher Barry]]  
|director        = [[Christopher Barry]]  
|producer        = [[Graham Williams]]  
|producer        = [[Graham Williams]]  
|epcount        = 4
|epcount        = 4
|broadcast date  = [[27 October (releases)|27 October]] - [[17 November (releases)|17 November]] [[1979 (releases)|1979]]
|broadcast date  = 27 October - 17 November 1979  
|network        = [[BBC1]]
|network        = BBC1
|format          = 4x25-minute episodes  
|format          = 4x25-minute episodes  
|serial production code = [[List of production codes|5G]]
|serial production code = [[List of production codes|5G]]
Line 25: Line 25:
|made prev      = The Armageddon Factor (TV story)
|made prev      = The Armageddon Factor (TV story)
|made next      = City of Death (TV story)
|made next      = City of Death (TV story)
|thwr = 2
}}
}}
'''''The Creature from the Pit''''' was the third serial in [[season 17]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]''. This was the last story [[director|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]].
'''''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]].


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|the past season]].
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]].


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 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.
Line 91: Line 92:
* [[Guardmaster]] - [[Tommy Wright]]
* [[Guardmaster]] - [[Tommy Wright]]
* [[Guard 2 (The Creature from the Pit)|Guard]] - [[Dave Redgrave]]
* [[Guard 2 (The Creature from the Pit)|Guard]] - [[Dave Redgrave]]
=== Uncredited Cast ===
* Engineer - [[Bobby James]]
* Guards - [[Ian Munro]], [[Reg Turner]], Ron Nunnery, [[Barry Summerford]], [[Robert Smythe]], [[Roy Brent]], [[Max Faulkner]], [[Derek Suthern]], [[John Cannon]] ([[DWM 304]])
* Bandits - Billy Gray, Douglas Bather, [[Nick Joseph]], George Miller, [[Laurie Goode]] ([[DWM 304]])
* Bearers - Mike Handley, [[Ridgewell Hawkes]], [[Jerry Judge]], [[Reg Woods]] ([[DWM 304]])


== Crew ==
== Crew ==
* [[Assistant Floor Manager]]s - [[Kate Osborne]], [[David Tilley]]
* [[Assistant Floor Manager]]s - [[Kate Osborne]], [[David Tilley]]
* [[Costumes]] - [[June Hudson]]
* [[Costumes]] - [[June Hudson]]
* [[Director]] - [[Christopher Barry]]
* [[Director (crew)|Director]] - [[Christopher Barry]]
* [[Director's assistant|Director's Assistant]] - [[Carol Snook]]
* [[Director's assistant|Director's Assistant]] - [[Carol Snook]]
* [[Designer (crew)|Designer]] - [[Valerie Warrender]]
* [[Designer (crew)|Designer]] - [[Valerie Warrender]]
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* [[Show working supervisor|Show Working Supervisor]] - [[Chick Hetherington]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Creature from the Pit'')
* [[Show working supervisor|Show Working Supervisor]] - [[Chick Hetherington]] ([[INFO]]: ''The Creature from the Pit'')


== References ==
== Worldbuilding ==
=== The Doctor ===
=== The Doctor ===
* The Doctor jokingly claims that [[Time Lord]]s have ninety lives (and that he has used one hundred and thirty of his).
* 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 (astrological) sign he was born under, the Doctor answers (literally) [[Crossed Computers]], which is was the signage used by the maternity service on [[Gallifrey]].
* 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 ===
=== Culture ===
* The Doctor and K9 are reading ''[[Peter Rabbit]]''. Romana has read a few of the series herself.
* 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 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]].
* The thieves operate as a [[democracy]].


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=== Weapons ===
=== Weapons ===
* A [[neutron star]] is propelled towards Chloris by the Tythonians after the treatment of their ambassador.
* A [[neutron star]] is propelled towards Chloris by the Tythonians after the treatment of their ambassador.
=== Influences ===
* Torvin was inspired by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fagin Fagin] from ''[[Oliver Twist]].''


== Story notes ==
== Story notes ==
* 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]].
* 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]].
* 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]].
* 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]]''.
* [[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.
* [[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 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>
* 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.
* [[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.
* [[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.
* 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.
* [[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.
* 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.
* [[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.
* 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.
* [[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.
* [[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.
*


=== Ratings ===
=== Ratings ===
Line 198: Line 218:
=== DVD 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:
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), Myra Frances (Lady Adrasta), Christopher Barry (Director) and Mat Irvine (Visual Effects Designer)
* 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 that examined the career of ''Doctor Who'' director [[Christopher Barry]]
* ''[[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 that examined the special effects group tasked with bringing [[Erato]] to life and the problems they encountered.
* ''[[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]]''
* ''[[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
* Extended Scene
* Coming Soon Trailer
* Coming Soon Trailer - ''[[Kamelion Tales]]''
* Radio Times Billings
* Production Subtitles
* Photo Gallery
Editing for the DVD release was completed by the [[Doctor Who Restoration Team]].<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
Editing for the DVD release was completed by the [[Doctor Who Restoration Team]].<gallery position="center" captionalign="center" hideaddbutton="true">
Bbcdvd97-us.jpg|US DVD 2010 cover
The creature from the pit.jpg|US DVD 2010 cover
The Creature from the Pitdvd.jpg|AUS DVD 2010 cover
The Creature from the Pitdvd.jpg|AUS DVD 2010 cover
Bbcdvd-thecreaturefromthepit.jpg|Region 2 UK cover
Bbcdvd-thecreaturefromthepit.jpg|Region 2 UK cover
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=== Digital releases ===
=== Digital releases ===
The story is available for streaming in the US through [[BritBox]] or Amazon Instant Video in the UK.
The story is available for streaming in Canada and the US through [[BritBox]] or Amazon Instant Video in the UK.


== External links ==
== External links ==
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{{DWTV}}
{{DWTV}}
{{TitleSort}}
{{TitleSort}}
[[de:The Creature from the Pit]]
[[es:The Creature from the Pit]]
[[ru:Существо из Ямы]]


[[Category:Doctor Who (1963) television stories]]
[[Category:Doctor Who (1963) television stories]]
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[[Category:Season 17 stories]]
[[Category:Season 17 stories]]
[[Category:Four part serials]]
[[Category:Four part serials]]
 
[[Category:Fourth Doctor television stories]]
[[de:The Creature from the Pit]]
[[Category:Romana II television stories]]
[[es:The Creature from the Pit]]
[[ru:Существо из Ямы]]

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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