The Time Monster (TV story): Difference between revisions

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The Master - or Professor Thascalos, as he [[Aliases of the Master|calls himself]] - is holding the crystal the Doctor saw in his dream. He's in a laboratory at the [[Newton Institute]], working with Dr. [[Ruth Ingram]]. The crystal, the Master claims, is no different than any other piece of [[quartz]] yet it is. [[Stuart Hyde]] then enters. He is also working with pair. The Master leaves them to conduct further experiments. After he has left, Ruth comments that she doesn't know what is more annoying: "his dictatorial manner or that infernal courtesy of his."  
The Master - or Professor Thascalos, as he [[Aliases of the Master|calls himself]] - is holding the crystal the Doctor saw in his dream. He's in a laboratory at the [[Newton Institute]], working with Dr. [[Ruth Ingram]]. The crystal, the Master claims, is no different than any other piece of [[quartz]] yet it is. [[Stuart Hyde]] then enters. He is also working with pair. The Master leaves them to conduct further experiments. After he has left, Ruth comments that she doesn't know what is more annoying: "his dictatorial manner or that infernal courtesy of his."  


At UNIT HQ, Mike Yates points out the Thera group of islands where the quakes have been. Jo mentions [[Atlantis]], telling the Doctor that Thera is reputedly its location.
At UNIT HQ, Mike Yates points out the [[Thera]] group of islands where the quakes have been. Jo mentions [[Atlantis]], telling the Doctor that Thera is reputedly its location.


The Doctor talks to [[the Brigadier]] on the phone and tells him to put out a world wide warning to every section of [[UNIT]], all the UNIT HQs. He explains it is due to a dream he had about a half hour ago. The Brigadier joins him and the Doctor explains that he is too busy to see the [[TOMTIT]] demonstration at the Newton Institue, so [[John Benton|Benton]] is asked to go instead.
The Doctor talks to [[the Brigadier]] on the phone and tells him to put out a world wide warning to every section of [[UNIT]], all the UNIT HQs. He explains it is due to a dream he had about a half hour ago. The Brigadier joins him and the Doctor explains that he is too busy to see the [[TOMTIT]] demonstration at the Newton Institue, so [[John Benton|Benton]] is asked to go instead.

Revision as of 14:19, 17 September 2011

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The Time Monster was the fifth and final story of Season 9.

Synopsis

The Master, in the guise of Professor Thascalos, has constructed at the Newton Institute in Wootton a device known as TOMTIT - Transmission Of Matter Through Interstitial Time - with which to gain control over Kronos, a creature from outside time. The creature is summoned but the effect proves uncontrollable.

Plot

Part one

The Doctor is sitting before the Master, who stands next to a crystal, laughing. Explosions resound all around.

In UNIT HQ, Jo wakes the Doctor up and he enquires if there have been any reports of volcanic eruptions of earthquakes lately.

The Master - or Professor Thascalos, as he calls himself - is holding the crystal the Doctor saw in his dream. He's in a laboratory at the Newton Institute, working with Dr. Ruth Ingram. The crystal, the Master claims, is no different than any other piece of quartz yet it is. Stuart Hyde then enters. He is also working with pair. The Master leaves them to conduct further experiments. After he has left, Ruth comments that she doesn't know what is more annoying: "his dictatorial manner or that infernal courtesy of his."

At UNIT HQ, Mike Yates points out the Thera group of islands where the quakes have been. Jo mentions Atlantis, telling the Doctor that Thera is reputedly its location.

The Doctor talks to the Brigadier on the phone and tells him to put out a world wide warning to every section of UNIT, all the UNIT HQs. He explains it is due to a dream he had about a half hour ago. The Brigadier joins him and the Doctor explains that he is too busy to see the TOMTIT demonstration at the Newton Institue, so Benton is asked to go instead.

At the institute, the Master hypnotises the Director, Dr. Charles Percival into believing him about his TOMTIT experiments and his credentials. In the lab, Ruth and Stu decided to run the test without "the Professor". Outside, a window cleaner observes their efforts, having been distracted from his work.

The Master apologises to Ruth Ingram and Stuart Hyde for his outburst.

At UNIT HQ, the Doctor is using a time sensor to detect the Master. It activates, showing that a TARDIS is in use. The experiment as the institute shows that the jar at one end is disappearing and then appearing at the other. Looking at the clock outside his window, the master notices that it has slowed down. The experiment is causing an overload, but Ruth and Stu manage to contain it. Outside, the window cleaner falls from his ladder.

Meanwhile, the Doctor and Jo decide to follow their signal to find the source. They set off in Bessie. Back at the institute, the Master confronts Ruth and Stu, berating them for being so foolish. They tell him about the overload and he in turn tells them they were drawing power from outside of time itself. Stu looks out the window; a convoy is approaching with a UNIT Jeep among their number. The Master tells Ruth and Stu to leave him to his work.

The Doctor and Jo realise that the signal must be coming from Wootton, where the institute is. Using Bessie's super-drive function, they speed along. UNIT arrive at the institute and find the window cleaner, alive but injured.

The Brigadier, Benton, Dr. Cook and his aide Proctor, and Percival come into the control room with Ruth at the research station. Cook complains about pheasant lunch and expenditures. The Master enters in a radiation suit, to his himself.

The test goes begins and Ruth warns the Master that the power is overloading. Stu is in the crystal room. He gets too much power and can't hold it. He yells at them to switch off. Ruth yells at the Professor to turn it off. The Master only yells out, "Come, Kronos, come!!!"

Cast

Crew

References

The Doctor

  • The Doctor's reaction times are ten times faster than those of a human.
  • The Doctor talks to Jo (while they're tied up) about his home; "When I was a little boy, we used to live in a house that was perched halfway up the top of a mountain. Behind our house, there sat under a tree an old man. A hermit, a monk. He'd lived under this tree for half his lifetime, so they said, and had learned the secret of life. So, when my black day came, I went and asked him to help me.'"

The Doctor's items

  • Bessie has brakes that absorb inertia, resulting in an instant, safe stop, even at high speeds.

Earth locations

Governments

Individuals

The Master

  • The Master is capable of flawlessly imitating the voice of another, such as the Brigadier.

TARDISes

Temporal theory

Transport technology

  • The TOMTIT machine works with assistance from the Master.

Story notes

  • During the Doctor's vision, the volcano stock footage used in the title sequence of the parallel Earth story DW: Inferno is re-used.
  • This is the only appearance of the "washing up bowl" interior for the TARDIS (designed by Tim Gleeson).
  • Dave Prowse, later to play (but not voice) the masked Darth Vader in the Star Wars films, features in an equally incognito role as the Minotaur. He was also well-known for playing the Green Cross Code man in 70's ITV public information films.

Ratings

  • Episode 1 - 7.6 million viewers
  • Episode 2 - 7.4 million viewers
  • Episode 3 - 8.1 million viewers
  • Episode 4 - 7.6 million viewers
  • Episode 5 - 6.0 million viewers
  • Episode 6 - 7.6 million viewers

Myths

  • Well-known actress Susan Penhaligon, making an early television appearance as Galleia's handmaiden Lakis, was originally to have been credited as Virginia Mull. (Virginia Mull was a different actress who had a small uncredited walk-on role as a serving girl in the Atlantis scenes of this story. Susan Penhaligon, who was a late replacement for actress Ann Michelle, was always to have been credited under her own name.)
  • The Master's alias is 'Thascales'. (The majority of printed and online episode guides say this. Unfortunately, (a) 'Thascales' isn't the Greek for 'Master', and (b) no-one in the story says 'Thascales'. They all say 'Thascalos', which is the Greek for 'Master'. The error first appears in the second edition of Terrance Dicks and Malcolm Hulke's The Making of Doctor Who, and presumably has been taken from there by all subsequent episode guides, without checking against the broadcast episodes. Terrance Dicks, however, has the correct spelling in the novelization.)

Filming locations

  • Swallowfield Park, Swallowfield, Berkshire
  • Stratfield Saye Park, Stratfield Saye, Hampshire
  • Old Church Farm (road), Hartley Wintney, Hampshire
  • Park Lane, Fair Cross, Berkshire
  • School Lane, Heckfield Heath/Riseley, Hampshire
  • Ealing Television Film Studios, Ealing Green, Ealing
  • BBC Television Centre (Studio 3 & 4), Shepherd's Bush, London

Production errors

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.
  • In episode one, the interior of the police box prop is visible.
  • The V1 footage is black and white.
  • The Doctor's supposedly backwards dialogue when played backwards is still gibberish.

Continuity

Timeline

For the Doctor and Jo

For the Brigadier

For the Master

Home video and audio releases

DVD releases

  • This story was first released on DVD in the UK on 29th March 2010 as part of the Myths And Legends Boxset. The one disc set includes a restored version of the story, as well as the following special features:
  • Commentary by John Levene (Benton), Susan Penhaligon (Lakis), Barry Letts (Producer), Marion McDougall (Production Assistant), Graham Duff (Fan/Writer), Phil Ford (Fan/Writer), Joe Lidster (Fan/Writer), James Moran (Fan/Writer) and Toby Hadoke (Moderator).
  • Between Now… And Now!
  • Restoration Comparison
  • Coming Soon Trailer
  • Radio Times Billings
  • Production Subtitles
  • Photo Gallery
  • UK DVD 2010 Cover

    UK DVD 2010 Cover

  • UK DVD 2010 Boxset

    UK DVD 2010 Boxset

  • AUS DVD cover

    AUS DVD cover

  • AUS DVD Box Set cover

    AUS DVD Box Set cover

  • US DVD cover

    US DVD cover

VHS releases

Released in the UK as Doctor Who: The Time Monster in November 2001 (As part of the Master box set which also contains Colony in Space)

  • 367px-Limited edition colony in space time monster tin vhs.jpg

    UK & AUS Box Set

  • UK VHS cover

    UK VHS cover

  • US VHS cover

    US VHS cover

  • AUS VHS cover

    AUS VHS cover

Novelisation and its audiobook

Time Monster novel.jpg
Main article: The Time Monster (novelisation)

External links

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According to one account, the Master had the appearance of Roger Delgado while on Gallifrey. According to another, he had Anthony Ainley's likeness. According to another one, the one with James Dreyfus's appearance was the incarnation who ran away from Gallifrey.

Divided Loyalties, A Brief History of Time Lords and The Legions of Death feature, or otherwise acknowledge, the War Chief, but in the process contradicted the notion put forward by other stories that he was an incarnation of the Master.

One account suggests that the incarnation portrayed by Roger Delgado may be the same as the one portrayed by Peter Pratt while some others distinguish them.

According to one account, the incarnation portrayed by Gordon Tipple is the one portrayed by Anthony Ainley, while some others state that the Ainley one was already lost by then.

While fighting to extend his life at the end of his regeneration cycle, many bodies were possessed by the Beevers incarnation, but all kept somehow reverting to his real being until he finally regenerated into the MacQueen one. Hence, these sections cannot be strictly chronological
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