The Twin Dilemma (TV story)

The Twin Dilemma
Doctor:	[[doctor::Sixth Doctor(Introduction)]]
Companion(s):	Peri
Main enemy:	Mestor
Main setting:	Titan III Jaconda
Key crew
Writer:	Anthony Steven
Director:	Peter Moffatt
Producer:	John Nathan-Turner
Release details
Release number:	137
Premiere broadcast:	22nd March - 30th March 1984
Format:	4 25-minute episodes
Production code:	6S

Synopsis

A race of giant gastropods has taken over the planet Jaconda. Their leader, Mestor, now intends to cause an enormous explosion in order to spread his people's eggs throughout the galaxy, and he kidnaps juvenile twin geniuses from Earth to work out the necessary mathematical equations. Space fighters led by Lieutenant Hugo Lang are dispatched to get the twins back, but they come under attack and Lang is the sole survivor when his ship crashes on the asteroid Titan 3.

A newly regenerated Doctor and Peri become involved and help Jaconda's elderly former ruler Professor Edgeworth, who is really a Time Lord named Azmael, to defeat Mestor and free the planet's bird-like indigenous people from the gastropods' reign of terror. Azmael, however, sacrifices his life in the process.

Plot: The Doctor behaves very strangely after his traumatic regeneration. He tries to strangle Peri, and wants to live like a hermit, but The Doctor inadvertently becomes involved in solving a crime, and must prevent destruction to the planet Tittan 3. The danger over, The Doctor tells Peri he is The Doctor, whether she likes it or not!

"Im the Doctor- whether you like it or not!"

The Doctor- a Time Lord- has regenerated. Can he recover in time to solve a crime!?

Crew

• Assistant Floor Manager - Stephen Jeffery-Poulter, Beth Millward
• Costumes - Pat Godfrey
• Designer - Valerie Warrender
• Film Cameraman - John Baker, John Walker
• Film Editor - Ian McKendrick
• Incidental Music - Malcolm Clarke
• Make-Up - Denise Baron
• Producer - John Nathan-Turner
• Production Assistant - Christine Fawcett
• Production Associate - June Collins
• Script Editor - Eric Saward
• Special Sounds - Dick Mills
• Studio Lighting - Don Babbage
• Studio Sound - Scott Talbott
• Theme Arrangement - Peter Howell
• Title Music - Ron Grainer
• Visual Effects - Stuart Brisdon

References

• Fiesta 95 is a holiday planet.

Story Notes

• New opening and closing title sequences make their debut a more colourful version than the previous one, incorporating Colin Baker's face rather than Peter Davison's designed by Sid Sutton and Terry Handley.
• The cat badge worn by the Doctor in his lapel for this story was hand-made and painted by Suzie Trevor, and purchased for the programme from a specialist badge shop in central London.
• Fabian was originally envisaged as a male character, and the Jocondan Chamberlain as a female one.

Ratings

• Part 1 - 7.6 million viewers
• Part 2 - 7.4 million viewers
• Part 3 - 7.0 million viewers
• Part 4 - 6.3 million viewers

Myths

• The Edgeworth character was originally intended to be the first Doctor. (He wasn't.)

Filming Locations

to be added

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

• The altered revitaliser machine sends Peri 10 seconds back in time, and thus... back to the TARDIS?

Continuity

to be added

DVD and Video Releases

• Released on video in episodic format. Not yet released on DVD

Target Novelisations

• Novelised as The Twin Dilemma in 1985 by Eric Saward.

External Links

• Official BBC Episode Guide for The Twin Dilemma
• Outpost Gallifrey Episode Guide: The Twin Dilemma
• Doctor Who Reference Guide: Detailed Synopsis - The Twin Dilemma
• A Brief History of Time (Travel) entry for The Twin Dilemma

Television

Previous story: The Caves of Androzani

Next story: Attack of the Cybermen

All Media

Previous story: The Caves of Androzani

Next story: Attack of the Cybermen