The Rescue (TV story): Difference between revisions

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[http://www.gallifreyone.com/episode.php?id=l Outpost Galifrey]
[http://www.gallifreyone.com/episode.php?id=l Outpost Galifrey]


[http://www.eofftv.com/episodes/d/doctor_who/1st_doctor/rescue_main.htm Encylopedia of Fantastic Film and Television]
[http://www.eofftv.com/episodes/d/doctor_who/1st_doctor/rescue_main.htm Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film and Television]


[http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/pasb/rescue.pdf BBC Production Information]
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/episodeguide/pasb/rescue.pdf BBC Production Information]

Revision as of 06:44, 18 February 2008


The Rescue was the third story of Season 2 of Doctor Who. Maureen O'Brien joined the cast as companion Vicki in this story.

Summary

The TARDIS crew are still missing Susan Foreman when they land on an unnamed planet, which the Doctor later recognises as Dido, a world he has visited before. The trio soon encounter two survivors of a space crash, Vicki and Bennett, who are awaiting a rescue ship in three days time. Vicki is also in fear of Koquillion, a bipedal inhabitant of Dido who is stalking the area and encounters the time travellers, attacking Barbara. Vicki finds her injured and rescues her from Koquillion, and they share reminiscences. Vicki’s father was amongst those who died when the most of the survivors of the crash were lured to their deaths by the natives of Dido. She is evidently very lonely, having befriended an indigenous rodent Sand Beast for company. However, while Ian and the Doctor reach the ship tempers become fraught when Barbara mistakes the Sand Beast for a threat and kills it.

The Doctor begins to suspect things are not as they seem – especially when he finds things in Bennett’s room. He follows Bennett through a trap door in the floor of his cabin and reaches a temple carved from rock where he unmasks Koquillion as Bennett. He reveals he killed a crewmember on board the ship and was arrested, but the ship crashed before the crime could be radioed to Earth. By killing the other crew in an explosion – and with Vicki asleep and unaware of the situation – he covered his original crime. The Koquillion alias has been used to keep Vicki in check until the rescue ship was due. At this point two silent natives of Dido arrive and force Bennett to his death over a ledge. With nothing left for her on Dido, Vicki is welcomed aboard the TARDIS.

Cast & Characters

Crew

Notes

  • The first addition of a new companion.
  • The first episode featuring Vicki.
  • All episodes exist in 16mm telerecordings.
  • Negative film prints of both episodes exist and were recovered by the BBC in 1978.
  • Telesnaps of this story are held by private collectors.
  • The story was originally known as Doctor Who and Tanni. It was originally intended that the new companion would be named Tanni.
  • Koquillion was originally credited as Sydney Wilson (a combination of Sydney Newman and Donald Wilson) to hide his true identity.
  • Desperate Measures was the first episode of Doctor Who to make the UK's top 10 most watched programs list.
  • The 1973 Radio Times 10th anniversary special called the story The Powerful Enemy as it titled all the early stories by the title of the first episode. Some subsequent listings repeated this error, as did the story's broadcast on some American PBS stations.
  • During the scene in which Jacqueline Hill fired a gun at Vicki's pet she was injured suffering shock and a sore face. This was caused when the explosion connected to the wooden gun went off with more force than expected.
  • "The Rescue" is also the original broadcast title of episode 7 of "The Dalek."

Influences

Ratings

  • The Powerful Enemy - 12.0m viewers
  • Desperate Measures - 13.0m viewers

Myths

  • The inhabitants of Dido are known as Didonians (There is no evidence provided in the episode to support this).

Location Filming

Continuity

Discontinuity

  • There is no back in the TARDIS prop used and consequently the cave wall is visible behind.
  • In episode 2 a stage hand can be seen behind Vicki's pet.
  • When Barbara fires at Susan's pet, the firework can be seen to fall off the gun.
  • The Doctor explains how peaceful the natives of the planet Dido are. This would seem to be inconsistent with the traps which they have built into their caves.

Quotes

Doctor - "We can travel anywhere and everywhere in that old box as you call it. Regardless of space and time... and if you like adventure, my dear, I can promise you an abundance of it."

Story Arcs

None

Similar stories

To be added

References

To be added

More Info

Public Releases

  • DVD Release: This story has not yet been released on DVD
  • Video Release: Released as Doctor Who: The Rescue/The Romans
The next episode caption has been removed from episode 2
Released as a double tape with The Romans
UK Release: September 1994 / US Release: March 1996
PAL - BBC Video BBCV5378 (2 tapes)
NTSC - Warner Video E1313 (2 tapes)
NTSC - CBS/FOX Video 8338 (2 tapes)

External Links

BBC Episode Guide Page with video clips

Story synopsis at the Doctor Who Reference Guide

A Brief History of Time Travel

Outpost Galifrey

Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film and Television

BBC Production Information

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