Planet of the Spiders (TV story): Difference between revisions
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{{title|''{{PAGENAME}}''}} | {{title|''{{PAGENAME}}''}} | ||
{{Infobox ClassicTV | {{Infobox ClassicTV | ||
|image = [[ | |image = [[File: Planetofthespiders_title.jpg |250px|The Doctor confronts the Great One]] | ||
|story name = Planet of the Spiders | |story name = Planet of the Spiders | ||
|series = ''[[Doctor Who]]'' -<br/>[[List of Doctor Who television stories|TV Stories]] | |series = ''[[Doctor Who]]'' -<br />[[List of Doctor Who television stories|TV Stories]] | ||
|number = [[Season 11]] | |number = [[Season 11]] | ||
|story number = 74 | |story number = 74 | ||
|doctor = [[Third Doctor]] (regenerates) <br> [[Fourth Doctor]] (introduction at end) | |doctor = [[Third Doctor]] (regenerates) <br /> [[Fourth Doctor]] (introduction at end) | ||
|companions = [[Sarah Jane Smith]]<br/>[[Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart]]<br/>[[Mike Yates]](guest)<br/>[[Benton]] | |companions = [[Sarah Jane Smith]]<br />[[Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart]]<br />[[Mike Yates]](guest)<br />[[Benton]] | ||
|enemy = <ul><li>[[The Great One]]</li><li>[[Lupton]]</li><li>[[Eight Legs]]</li> | |enemy = <ul><li>[[The Great One]]</li><li>[[Lupton]]</li><li>[[Eight Legs]]</li> | ||
|year = <ul><li>[[England]]; [[1970s]]</li><li>[[Metebelis III]]</li></ul> | |year = <ul><li>[[England]]; [[1970s]]</li><li>[[Metebelis III]]</li></ul> | ||
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'''''Planet of the Spiders''''' was the fifth and final story of [[Season 11]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]''. It marked the final appearance of [[Jon Pertwee]] as the [[Third Doctor]] and the first appearance (uncredited) of [[Tom Baker]] as the [[Fourth Doctor]]. [[Mike Yates]] also makes his final appearance outside of cameos and ''[[Dimensions in Time]]''. | '''''Planet of the Spiders''''' was the fifth and final story of [[Season 11]] of ''[[Doctor Who]]''. It marked the final appearance of [[Jon Pertwee]] as the [[Third Doctor]] and the first appearance (uncredited) of [[Tom Baker]] as the [[Fourth Doctor]]. [[Mike Yates]] also makes his final appearance outside of cameos and ''[[Dimensions in Time]]''. | ||
==Synopsis== | == Synopsis == | ||
The blue crystal that the Doctor took from [[Metebelis III]] in a [[The Green Death|previous adventure]] is desperately sought by the Eight Legs, a race of mutated spiders, as the final element in their plan for universal domination. With help from an old mentor, the Doctor realises the only way to foil the plot is to make the ultimate sacrifice. The Doctor must risk death to return to the cave of [[the Great One]] and save the universe. | The blue crystal that the Doctor took from [[Metebelis III]] in a [[The Green Death|previous adventure]] is desperately sought by the Eight Legs, a race of mutated spiders, as the final element in their plan for universal domination. With help from an old mentor, the Doctor realises the only way to foil the plot is to make the ultimate sacrifice. The Doctor must risk death to return to the cave of [[the Great One]] and save the universe. | ||
==Plot== | == Plot == | ||
===Part one=== | === Part one === | ||
In the English countryside, [[Mike Yates]], discharged from [[UNIT]] and recuperating at a rural Buddhist meditation centre, is concerned about a small group who meet secretly in the basement; he suspects they may be attempting to summon something evil through their meditation. Meanwhile, [[The Doctor]] is researching psychic energy and enlists the assistance of a clairvoyant, Professor [[Herbert Clegg]]. | In the English countryside, [[Mike Yates]], discharged from [[UNIT]] and recuperating at a rural Buddhist meditation centre, is concerned about a small group who meet secretly in the basement; he suspects they may be attempting to summon something evil through their meditation. Meanwhile, [[The Doctor]] is researching psychic energy and enlists the assistance of a clairvoyant, Professor [[Herbert Clegg]]. | ||
His experiments backfire when Clegg's fixation on the [[Metebelis crystal]] (which [[Jo Grant]] had recently returned to the Doctor) leads to his seeing giant spiders, and he dies of a fright-induced heart attack. Mike enlists the assistance of [[Sarah Jane]], whose initial scepticism is erased after they are nearly run off the road by a hallucinatory tractor. Sneaking into the basement they see the group, led by [[Lupton]], summon a giant spider (similar to the ones Clegg saw) into existence... | His experiments backfire when Clegg's fixation on the [[Metebelis crystal]] (which [[Jo Grant]] had recently returned to the Doctor) leads to his seeing giant spiders, and he dies of a fright-induced heart attack. Mike enlists the assistance of [[Sarah Jane]], whose initial scepticism is erased after they are nearly run off the road by a hallucinatory tractor. Sneaking into the basement they see the group, led by [[Lupton]], summon a giant spider (similar to the ones Clegg saw) into existence... | ||
===Part two=== | === Part two === | ||
The giant spider melds with Lupton, and together they infiltrate UNIT and steal the blue crystal, leading to a lengthy chase involving the [[Whomobile]], a small helicopter, a hovercraft, and a speedboat. The Doctor finally catches up to Lupton's boat, but when he jumps on board, Lupton vanishes... | The giant spider melds with Lupton, and together they infiltrate UNIT and steal the blue crystal, leading to a lengthy chase involving the [[Whomobile]], a small helicopter, a hovercraft, and a speedboat. The Doctor finally catches up to Lupton's boat, but when he jumps on board, Lupton vanishes... | ||
===Part three=== | === Part three === | ||
Lupton re-appears at the meditation centre, secretly observed by the simple-minded handyman [[Tommy]], who later steals the crystal to add to his collection of 'pretties'. The Doctor and Sarah Jane investigate the meditation centre. Exploring the basement Sarah steps on Lupton's mandala and is transported to [[Metebelis III]], where a small group of humans are held in bondage by the giant spiders, who refer to themselves as the [[Eight Legs]]. The Doctor follows in [[the Doctor's TARDIS|his TARDIS]] to rescue Sarah Jane, but is incapacitated by the Eight Legs' human guards... | Lupton re-appears at the meditation centre, secretly observed by the simple-minded handyman [[Tommy]], who later steals the crystal to add to his collection of 'pretties'. The Doctor and Sarah Jane investigate the meditation centre. Exploring the basement Sarah steps on Lupton's mandala and is transported to [[Metebelis III]], where a small group of humans are held in bondage by the giant spiders, who refer to themselves as the [[Eight Legs]]. The Doctor follows in [[the Doctor's TARDIS|his TARDIS]] to rescue Sarah Jane, but is incapacitated by the Eight Legs' human guards... | ||
===Part four=== | === Part four === | ||
On Metebelis III, the Doctor lingers in a coma. Tommy's brain is healed when he looks deep into the crystal. Lupton becomes embroiled in a plot led by his spider host against the Eight Leg Queen. The Doctor recovers thanks to a machine Sarah retrieved for him from the TARDIS. In doing so however, she is captured by the Eight Legs. Thrown into a cell with a man named [[Sabor]], Sarah learns the history of Metebilis 3: The humans are descendants of survivors of a crashed spaceship, and the Eight Legs were common spiders onboard that became mutated by radiation from the blue crystals. The Doctor finds a type of stone which nullifies the effects of the Eight Legs' energy rays, which the humans will use in their rebellion. The Doctor attempts to rescue Sarah Jane, but is captured again by the Eight Legs as well... | On Metebelis III, the Doctor lingers in a coma. Tommy's brain is healed when he looks deep into the crystal. Lupton becomes embroiled in a plot led by his spider host against the Eight Leg Queen. The Doctor recovers thanks to a machine Sarah retrieved for him from the TARDIS. In doing so however, she is captured by the Eight Legs. Thrown into a cell with a man named [[Sabor]], Sarah learns the history of Metebilis 3: The humans are descendants of survivors of a crashed spaceship, and the Eight Legs were common spiders onboard that became mutated by radiation from the blue crystals. The Doctor finds a type of stone which nullifies the effects of the Eight Legs' energy rays, which the humans will use in their rebellion. The Doctor attempts to rescue Sarah Jane, but is captured again by the Eight Legs as well... | ||
===Part five=== | === Part five === | ||
The Doctor escapes from his cocoon, and reaches the mouth of the cave of the Great One, who warns him not to enter due to the lethal radiation within. She orders him to return the blue crystal that he stole, and humiliates him by forcing him to march in a circle like a tin soldier via her psychic power. The Doctor is too overcome by fear to face her, and escapes with Sarah Jane back to Earth in the TARDIS. They meet the leader of the meditation centre, the Abbott [[K'anpo Rimpoche]]. Meanwhile Lupton's followers, possessed by the Eight Legs, fire [[telekinetic]] force at Tommy, the only person standing in the way of their taking the crystal... | The Doctor escapes from his cocoon, and reaches the mouth of the cave of the Great One, who warns him not to enter due to the lethal radiation within. She orders him to return the blue crystal that he stole, and humiliates him by forcing him to march in a circle like a tin soldier via her psychic power. The Doctor is too overcome by fear to face her, and escapes with Sarah Jane back to Earth in the TARDIS. They meet the leader of the meditation centre, the Abbott [[K'anpo Rimpoche]]. Meanwhile Lupton's followers, possessed by the Eight Legs, fire [[telekinetic]] force at Tommy, the only person standing in the way of their taking the crystal... | ||
===Part six=== | === Part six === | ||
Sarah Jane is revealed to be under the control of the Queen, which explains how she and the Doctor escaped so easily. With the blue crystal, which Tommy had given to K'anpo, the Doctor is able to free her mind. The Doctor is astounded to discover an old friend; K'anpo is his former mentor, a fellow renegade [[Time Lord]] now enjoying peaceful exile on Earth. The attack of Lupton's followers is repulsed with the help of Tommy, but K'anpo is injured and forced to [[regeneration|regenerate]] by merging with his assistant, [[Cho Je]], who was a projection of K'anpo's own conscience. | Sarah Jane is revealed to be under the control of the Queen, which explains how she and the Doctor escaped so easily. With the blue crystal, which Tommy had given to K'anpo, the Doctor is able to free her mind. The Doctor is astounded to discover an old friend; K'anpo is his former mentor, a fellow renegade [[Time Lord]] now enjoying peaceful exile on Earth. The attack of Lupton's followers is repulsed with the help of Tommy, but K'anpo is injured and forced to [[regeneration|regenerate]] by merging with his assistant, [[Cho Je]], who was a projection of K'anpo's own conscience. | ||
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However, once the crystal is in place, the web overloads and destroys both her and the Eight Legs. The Doctor receives a lethal dose of radiation from the cave, and barely manages to escape in the TARDIS. He eventually arrives at [[UNIT]] (after being gone, from their perspective, for three weeks), collapses on the floor, and appears to die. As Sarah weeps, K'Anpo/Cho-Je appears and with a little 'push', induces the Doctor's regeneration into his fourth incarnation. | However, once the crystal is in place, the web overloads and destroys both her and the Eight Legs. The Doctor receives a lethal dose of radiation from the cave, and barely manages to escape in the TARDIS. He eventually arrives at [[UNIT]] (after being gone, from their perspective, for three weeks), collapses on the floor, and appears to die. As Sarah weeps, K'Anpo/Cho-Je appears and with a little 'push', induces the Doctor's regeneration into his fourth incarnation. | ||
==Cast== | == Cast == | ||
*[[Third Doctor|The Doctor]] - [[Jon Pertwee]] | * [[Third Doctor|The Doctor]] - [[Jon Pertwee]] | ||
*[[Fourth Doctor|The Doctor]] - [[Tom Baker]] (uncredited at the end of Part 6.) | * [[Fourth Doctor|The Doctor]] - [[Tom Baker]] (uncredited at the end of Part 6.) | ||
*[[Sarah Jane Smith]] - [[Elisabeth Sladen]] | * [[Sarah Jane Smith]] - [[Elisabeth Sladen]] | ||
*[[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart]] - [[Nicholas Courtney]] | * [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart]] - [[Nicholas Courtney]] | ||
*[[Mike Yates]] - [[Richard Franklin]] | * [[Mike Yates]] - [[Richard Franklin]] | ||
*Sergeant [[John Benton]] - [[John Levene]] | * Sergeant [[John Benton]] - [[John Levene]] | ||
*Professor [[Herbert Clegg|Clegg]] - [[Cyril Shaps]] | * Professor [[Herbert Clegg|Clegg]] - [[Cyril Shaps]] | ||
*[[Lupton]] - [[John Dearth]] | * [[Lupton]] - [[John Dearth]] | ||
*[[Barnes]] - [[Christopher Burgess]] | * [[Barnes]] - [[Christopher Burgess]] | ||
*[[Moss]] - [[Terence Lodge]] | * [[Moss]] - [[Terence Lodge]] | ||
*[[Land]] - [[Carl Forgione]] | * [[Land]] - [[Carl Forgione]] | ||
*[[Keaver]] - [[Andrew Staines]] | * [[Keaver]] - [[Andrew Staines]] | ||
*[[Cho Je]] - [[Kevin Lindsay]] | * [[Cho Je]] - [[Kevin Lindsay]] | ||
*[[Tommy]] - [[John Kane]] | * [[Tommy]] - [[John Kane]] | ||
*[[Policeman (Planet of the Spiders)|Policeman]] - [[Chubby Oates]] | * [[Policeman (Planet of the Spiders)|Policeman]] - [[Chubby Oates]] | ||
*[[Soldier]] - [[Pat Gorman]] | * [[Soldier]] - [[Pat Gorman]] | ||
*[[Man with Boat]] - [[Terry Walsh]] | * [[Man with Boat]] - [[Terry Walsh]] | ||
*[[Hopkins]] - [[Michael Pinder]] | * [[Hopkins]] - [[Michael Pinder]] | ||
*[[Tramp]] - [[Stuart Fell]] | * [[Tramp]] - [[Stuart Fell]] | ||
*[[Eight Legs|Spider Voices]] - [[Ysanne Churchman]], [[Kismet Delgado]], [[Maureen Morris]] | * [[Eight Legs|Spider Voices]] - [[Ysanne Churchman]], [[Kismet Delgado]], [[Maureen Morris]] | ||
*[[Arak]] - [[Gareth Hunt]] | * [[Arak]] - [[Gareth Hunt]] | ||
*[[Sabor]] - [[Geoffrey Morris]] | * [[Sabor]] - [[Geoffrey Morris]] | ||
*[[Neska]] - [[Jenny Laird]] | * [[Neska]] - [[Jenny Laird]] | ||
*[[Rega]] - [[Joanna Monro]] | * [[Rega]] - [[Joanna Monro]] | ||
*[[Tuar]] - [[Ralph Arliss]] | * [[Tuar]] - [[Ralph Arliss]] | ||
*[[Guard Captain]]s - [[Walter Randall]], [[Max Faulkner]] | * [[Guard Captain]]s - [[Walter Randall]], [[Max Faulkner]] | ||
*[[K'anpo Rimpoche]] - [[George Cormack]] | * [[K'anpo Rimpoche]] - [[George Cormack]] | ||
==Crew== | == Crew == | ||
*[[Assistant Floor Manager]] - [[Graeme Harper]] | * [[Assistant Floor Manager]] - [[Graeme Harper]] | ||
*[[Costumes]] - [[L. Rowland Warne]] | * [[Costumes]] - [[L. Rowland Warne]] | ||
*[[Designer (crew)|Designer]] - [[Rochelle Selwyn]] | * [[Designer (crew)|Designer]] - [[Rochelle Selwyn]] | ||
*[[Film Cameraman]] - [[Fred Hamilton]] | * [[Film Cameraman]] - [[Fred Hamilton]] | ||
*[[Film Editor]] - [[Bob Rymer]] | * [[Film Editor]] - [[Bob Rymer]] | ||
*[[Incidental Music]] - [[Dudley Simpson]] | * [[Incidental Music]] - [[Dudley Simpson]] | ||
*[[Make-Up]] - [[Deanne Turner]] | * [[Make-Up]] - [[Deanne Turner]] | ||
*[[Producer]] - [[Barry Letts]] | * [[Producer]] - [[Barry Letts]] | ||
*[[Production Assistant]] - [[Marion McDougall]] | * [[Production Assistant]] - [[Marion McDougall]] | ||
*[[Production Unit Manager]] - [[George Gallaccio]] | * [[Production Unit Manager]] - [[George Gallaccio]] | ||
*[[Script Editor]] - [[Terrance Dicks]] | * [[Script Editor]] - [[Terrance Dicks]] | ||
*[[Special Sounds]] - [[Dick Mills]] | * [[Special Sounds]] - [[Dick Mills]] | ||
*[[Studio Lighting]] - [[Ralph Walton]] | * [[Studio Lighting]] - [[Ralph Walton]] | ||
*[[Studio Sound]] - [[John Holmes]] | * [[Studio Sound]] - [[John Holmes]] | ||
*[[Theme Arrangement]] - [[Delia Derbyshire]] | * [[Theme Arrangement]] - [[Delia Derbyshire]] | ||
*[[Doctor Who theme|Title Music]] - [[Ron Grainer]] | * [[Doctor Who theme|Title Music]] - [[Ron Grainer]] | ||
*[[Visual Effects]] - [[Bernard Wilkie]] | * [[Visual Effects]] - [[Bernard Wilkie]] | ||
==References== | == References == | ||
*The Doctor uses an [[Image Reproduction Integrating System]] (IRIS). | * The Doctor uses an [[Image Reproduction Integrating System]] (IRIS). | ||
===[[:Category:The Doctor|The Doctor]]=== | === [[:Category:The Doctor|The Doctor]] === | ||
*The Doctor is familiar with [[Tibet]]an customs. | * The Doctor is familiar with [[Tibet]]an customs. | ||
===[[:Category:Crystals|Crystals]]=== | === [[:Category:Crystals|Crystals]] === | ||
* The Doctor receives a package from [[Jo Grant]] containing his [[Metebelis crystal]], which he picked up during his previous visit to [[Metebelis III]]. | * The Doctor receives a package from [[Jo Grant]] containing his [[Metebelis crystal]], which he picked up during his previous visit to [[Metebelis III]]. | ||
===[[:Category:Foods and beverages|Foods and beverages]]=== | === [[:Category:Foods and beverages|Foods and beverages]] === | ||
*The Doctor likens Sergeant Benton's [[coffee]]-making skills to that of [[Elisabeth Pepys|Mrs. Samuel Pepys]]. | * The Doctor likens Sergeant Benton's [[coffee]]-making skills to that of [[Elisabeth Pepys|Mrs. Samuel Pepys]]. | ||
*Lupton offers Sarah [[tea]]. | * Lupton offers Sarah [[tea]]. | ||
===[[:Category:Individuals|Individuals]]=== | === [[:Category:Individuals|Individuals]] === | ||
*The Doctor mentions being taught in the ways of escapology by [[Harry Houdini]]. | * The Doctor mentions being taught in the ways of escapology by [[Harry Houdini]]. | ||
*[[Mike Yates]] refers to the last time he encountered Sarah "that business with the Dinosaurs". | * [[Mike Yates]] refers to the last time he encountered Sarah "that business with the Dinosaurs". | ||
*The Brigadier's watch was given to him 11 years ago in [[Brighton]] by [[Doris Lethbridge-Stewart|Doris]]. | * The Brigadier's watch was given to him 11 years ago in [[Brighton]] by [[Doris Lethbridge-Stewart|Doris]]. | ||
*The Brigadier phones [[Harry Sullivan|Sullivan]], the [[UNIT]] Medical Officer. | * The Brigadier phones [[Harry Sullivan|Sullivan]], the [[UNIT]] Medical Officer. | ||
===[[:Category:Periodicals|Periodicals]]=== | === [[:Category:Periodicals|Periodicals]] === | ||
*Sarah has worked for ''[[Metropolitan]]'' magazine. | * Sarah has worked for ''[[Metropolitan]]'' magazine. | ||
==Story notes== | == Story notes == | ||
* This is the first time the term "[[regeneration]]" is mentioned on screen. | * This is the first time the term "[[regeneration]]" is mentioned on screen. | ||
* This is the first time we see someone other than the Doctor regenerate (K'anpo Rimpoche). | * This is the first time we see someone other than the Doctor regenerate (K'anpo Rimpoche). | ||
* This story features a large chase scene featuring: Bessie, the Doctor's car (known as the Whomobile), a police car, a gyrocopter, a hovercraft and a boat. | * This story features a large chase scene featuring: Bessie, the Doctor's car (known as the Whomobile), a police car, a gyrocopter, a hovercraft and a boat. | ||
*Tom Baker is uncredited in the conclusion of Planet of the Spiders, when Jon Pertwee transforms into Tom Baker. Since no regeneration was shown at the end of ''[[The War Games]]'' (although we do see the apparent beginning of it), this marked the first time since [[William Hartnell]] changed into [[Patrick Troughton]] in [[1966]]'s ''[[The Tenth Planet]]'' that an on-screen hand-over of the role had occurred. End-of-episode changeovers would become the norm for the next few regenerations. The regeneration from the [[Sixth Doctor|Sixth]] to [[Seventh Doctor]]s at the beginning of ''[[Time and the Rani]]'' depicts an on-screen changeover from one incarnation to the next, although both parts in that instance are played by [[Sylvester McCoy]], as [[Colin Baker]] refused to return for the regeneration scene. The regeneration from [[Eighth Doctor]] to [[Ninth Doctor]] was the only regeneration so far which took place entirely off-screen. | * Tom Baker is uncredited in the conclusion of Planet of the Spiders, when Jon Pertwee transforms into Tom Baker. Since no regeneration was shown at the end of ''[[The War Games]]'' (although we do see the apparent beginning of it), this marked the first time since [[William Hartnell]] changed into [[Patrick Troughton]] in [[1966]]'s ''[[The Tenth Planet]]'' that an on-screen hand-over of the role had occurred. End-of-episode changeovers would become the norm for the next few regenerations. The regeneration from the [[Sixth Doctor|Sixth]] to [[Seventh Doctor]]s at the beginning of ''[[Time and the Rani]]'' depicts an on-screen changeover from one incarnation to the next, although both parts in that instance are played by [[Sylvester McCoy]], as [[Colin Baker]] refused to return for the regeneration scene. The regeneration from [[Eighth Doctor]] to [[Ninth Doctor]] was the only regeneration so far which took place entirely off-screen. | ||
*Parts of this story were recorded at the same time as parts of ''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]''. This not only meant that Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker were literally playing the Doctor at the same time, but also that Elisabeth Sladen — and to a lesser extent, Nicholas Courtney and John Levene — were having to rush back and forth between the two productions. | * Parts of this story were recorded at the same time as parts of ''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]''. This not only meant that Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker were literally playing the Doctor at the same time, but also that Elisabeth Sladen — and to a lesser extent, Nicholas Courtney and John Levene — were having to rush back and forth between the two productions. | ||
*The [[Time Beetle]] featured in [[Turn Left]] shares some similarities with the Eight Legs; It too is a giant-sized insectoid that can latch onto a victim's back, disguising it's prescence at the same time. | * The [[Time Beetle]] featured in [[Turn Left]] shares some similarities with the Eight Legs; It too is a giant-sized insectoid that can latch onto a victim's back, disguising it's prescence at the same time. | ||
===Ratings=== | === Ratings === | ||
*Part 1 - 10.1 million viewers | * Part 1 - 10.1 million viewers | ||
*Part 2 - 8.9 million viewers | * Part 2 - 8.9 million viewers | ||
*Part 3 - 8.8 million viewers | * Part 3 - 8.8 million viewers | ||
*Part 4 - 8.2 million viewers | * Part 4 - 8.2 million viewers | ||
*Part 5 - 9.2 million viewers | * Part 5 - 9.2 million viewers | ||
*Part 6 - 8.9 million viewers | * Part 6 - 8.9 million viewers | ||
===Myths=== | === Myths === | ||
*Roger Delgado's Master was originally to have been written out in ''Planet of the Spiders'', and after the actor's death the story was revised to incorporate Lupton in place of the Master. ''It is true that had Delgado had not died he would have been written out in the final story of season eleven. He had informed [[Barry Letts]] that he would only appear as the Master in one more story during the filming of ''[[Frontier in Space]]''. Letts agreed to the request, seeing it as an opportunity to dramatically end [[Season 11]]. Thus, he asked writer [[Robert Sloman]] to help him write a story which would at last define the relationship between the Doctor and the Master, before having the Master sacrifice himself to save the Doctor. Sloman delivered at least an initial round of scripts, called ''The Final Game'', before Delgado's death halted the complete suspension on the story line. ''Planet of the Spiders'' was a wholly different story, save perhaps for Barry Letts' desire to incorporate certain Buddhist philosophies.'' | * Roger Delgado's Master was originally to have been written out in ''Planet of the Spiders'', and after the actor's death the story was revised to incorporate Lupton in place of the Master. ''It is true that had Delgado had not died he would have been written out in the final story of season eleven. He had informed [[Barry Letts]] that he would only appear as the Master in one more story during the filming of ''[[Frontier in Space]]''. Letts agreed to the request, seeing it as an opportunity to dramatically end [[Season 11]]. Thus, he asked writer [[Robert Sloman]] to help him write a story which would at last define the relationship between the Doctor and the Master, before having the Master sacrifice himself to save the Doctor. Sloman delivered at least an initial round of scripts, called ''The Final Game'', before Delgado's death halted the complete suspension on the story line. ''Planet of the Spiders'' was a wholly different story, save perhaps for Barry Letts' desire to incorporate certain Buddhist philosophies.'' | ||
*A frequent corollary to the above is that ''The Final Game'' would have also incorporated the regeneration of the [[Third Doctor]]. ''One of the impetuses for Pertwee's decision to resign was Delgado's death. Had Delgado not died, but merely relinquished his role, it is unlikely Pertwee would have looked on Delgado's absence a motivation to quit. More to the point, though, Sloman had delivered scripts to Letts two weeks prior to Delgado's death on [[18th June]] [[1973]]. Pertwee didn't announce his retirement until after his request for a raise was denied in December 1973. The first scripts of ''The Final Game'' could not logically have included any elements pertaining to the Doctor's regeneration, because writer [[Robert Sloman]] didn't know Pertwee was going to leave.'' | * A frequent corollary to the above is that ''The Final Game'' would have also incorporated the regeneration of the [[Third Doctor]]. ''One of the impetuses for Pertwee's decision to resign was Delgado's death. Had Delgado not died, but merely relinquished his role, it is unlikely Pertwee would have looked on Delgado's absence a motivation to quit. More to the point, though, Sloman had delivered scripts to Letts two weeks prior to Delgado's death on [[18th June]] [[1973]]. Pertwee didn't announce his retirement until after his request for a raise was denied in December 1973. The first scripts of ''The Final Game'' could not logically have included any elements pertaining to the Doctor's regeneration, because writer [[Robert Sloman]] didn't know Pertwee was going to leave.'' | ||
===Filming locations=== | === Filming locations === | ||
*Tidmarsh Manor, Tidmarsh, Berkshire | * Tidmarsh Manor, Tidmarsh, Berkshire | ||
*Bloomfieldhatch Lane, Stratfield Mortimer, Berkshire | * Bloomfieldhatch Lane, Stratfield Mortimer, Berkshire | ||
*Membury Airfield, Membury, Wiltshire | * Membury Airfield, Membury, Wiltshire | ||
*River Severn, Westbury-on-Severn, Gloucestershire | * River Severn, Westbury-on-Severn, Gloucestershire | ||
*Mortimer Station, Stratfield Mortimer, Berkshire | * Mortimer Station, Stratfield Mortimer, Berkshire | ||
*Mereoak Lane, Stratfield Mortimer, Berkshire | * Mereoak Lane, Stratfield Mortimer, Berkshire | ||
*Le Marchant Barracks, London Road, Devizes, Wiltshire | * Le Marchant Barracks, London Road, Devizes, Wiltshire | ||
*[[BBC Television Centre]] (TC1, TC6, TC8), Shepherd's Bush, [[London]] | * [[BBC Television Centre]] (TC1, TC6, TC8), Shepherd's Bush, [[London]] | ||
===Production errors=== | === Production errors === | ||
{{discontinuity}} | {{discontinuity}} | ||
*The Doctor's flying car is a different colour in the studio (gold rather than silver). | * The Doctor's flying car is a different colour in the studio (gold rather than silver). | ||
==Continuity== | == Continuity == | ||
*Jo Grant sends the Doctor a package containing the blue Metebelis crystal ([[DW]]: ''[[The Green Death]]''), which the spiders covet, making this serial a sequel of sorts to The Green Death. This is also one of the first times - possibly the first - that a past companion has played a role in a later story, although Jo does not actually appear in the story (she does, however, appear in the [[Doctor Who and the Planet of the Spiders|novelisation]]). | * Jo Grant sends the Doctor a package containing the blue Metebelis crystal ([[DW]]: ''[[The Green Death]]''), which the spiders covet, making this serial a sequel of sorts to The Green Death. This is also one of the first times - possibly the first - that a past companion has played a role in a later story, although Jo does not actually appear in the story (she does, however, appear in the [[Doctor Who and the Planet of the Spiders|novelisation]]). | ||
*Mike Yates refers to his last appearance in [[DW]]: ''[[Invasion of the Dinosaurs]]''. | * Mike Yates refers to his last appearance in [[DW]]: ''[[Invasion of the Dinosaurs]]''. | ||
*The Doctor previously mentioned the [[K'anpo Rimpoche|hermit]] who lived behind his house in [[DW]]: ''[[The Time Monster]]''. | * The Doctor previously mentioned the [[K'anpo Rimpoche|hermit]] who lived behind his house in [[DW]]: ''[[The Time Monster]]''. | ||
*[[EDA]]: ''[[Interference - Book Two]]'' presents an alternate regeneration sequence. | * [[EDA]]: ''[[Interference - Book Two]]'' presents an alternate regeneration sequence. | ||
*The [[Eight Legs]] returned in [[ST]]: ''[[Return of the Spiders]]'', [[BFA]] ''[[The Eight Truths]]'' and [[BFA]] ''[[Worldwide Web]]''. | * The [[Eight Legs]] returned in [[ST]]: ''[[Return of the Spiders]]'', [[BFA]] ''[[The Eight Truths]]'' and [[BFA]] ''[[Worldwide Web]]''. | ||
*The Fifth doctor in the [[ST]]: ''[[Light at the End of the Tunnel]]'' tries to fight of his phobia of spiders when he goes inside a large pipe making this story as a reference. | * The Fifth doctor in the [[ST]]: ''[[Light at the End of the Tunnel]]'' tries to fight of his phobia of spiders when he goes inside a large pipe making this story as a reference. | ||
*The Eighth Doctor still has a phobia of spiders in [[EDA]]: ''[[The Scarlet Empress]]''. | * The Eighth Doctor still has a phobia of spiders in [[EDA]]: ''[[The Scarlet Empress]]''. | ||
*Professor Clegg divines that the Brigadier's wristwatch was given to him eleven years earlier in a hotel room by a woman named Doris, prompting a somewhat embarrassed reaction from him. In [[DW]]: ''[[Battlefield]]'', the retired Brigadier is married to a woman named [[Doris Lethbridge-Stewart|Doris]]. | * Professor Clegg divines that the Brigadier's wristwatch was given to him eleven years earlier in a hotel room by a woman named Doris, prompting a somewhat embarrassed reaction from him. In [[DW]]: ''[[Battlefield]]'', the retired Brigadier is married to a woman named [[Doris Lethbridge-Stewart|Doris]]. | ||
*In the story, K'anpo Rimpoche regenerates from a Caucasian to an Asian. (Charactor, not Actor) The next time a Time Lord would change ethnicity (on screen) would be in [[DW]]: ''[[Let's Kill Hitler]]''. | * In the story, K'anpo Rimpoche regenerates from a Caucasian to an Asian. (Charactor, not Actor) The next time a Time Lord would change ethnicity (on screen) would be in [[DW]]: ''[[Let's Kill Hitler]]''. | ||
==[[Third Doctor - Timeline|Timeline]]== | == [[Third Doctor - Timeline|Timeline]] == | ||
'''For the Doctor and Sarah Jane''' | '''For the Doctor and Sarah Jane''' | ||
*This story occurs after: [[ST]]: ''[[An Overture Too Early]]'' | * This story occurs after: [[ST]]: ''[[An Overture Too Early]]'' | ||
*[[ST]]: ''[[Ancient Whispers]]'' takes place during episode 6 of this story. | * [[ST]]: ''[[Ancient Whispers]]'' takes place during episode 6 of this story. | ||
*This story occurs before: [[DW]]: ''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]'' | * This story occurs before: [[DW]]: ''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]'' | ||
'''For the Brigadier''' | '''For the Brigadier''' | ||
*This story occurs after: [[DW]]: ''[[Invasion of the Dinosaurs]]'' | * This story occurs after: [[DW]]: ''[[Invasion of the Dinosaurs]]'' | ||
*This story occurs before: [[DW]]: ''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]'' | * This story occurs before: [[DW]]: ''[[Robot (TV story)|Robot]]'' | ||
==Home video and audio releases== | == Home video and audio releases == | ||
===Video release=== | === Video release === | ||
Released on VHS as per follows: | Released on VHS as per follows: | ||
| Line 189: | Line 189: | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
===DVD release=== | === DVD release === | ||
Released as ''Doctor Who: Planet of the Spiders'' | Released as ''Doctor Who: Planet of the Spiders'' | ||
| Line 200: | Line 200: | ||
Special Features: | Special Features: | ||
*Commentary by [[Elisabeth Sladen]], [[Nicholas Courtney]], [[Richard Franklin]], [[Barry Letts]], and [[Terrance Dicks]]. | * Commentary by [[Elisabeth Sladen]], [[Nicholas Courtney]], [[Richard Franklin]], [[Barry Letts]], and [[Terrance Dicks]]. | ||
*The Final Curtain documentary | * The Final Curtain documentary | ||
*John Kane Remembers featurette | * John Kane Remembers featurette | ||
*Directing Who With Barry Letts documentary | * Directing Who With Barry Letts documentary | ||
*Now and Then featurette | * Now and Then featurette | ||
*Planet of the Spiders 102 minute omnibus | * Planet of the Spiders 102 minute omnibus | ||
*Omnibus trailer | * Omnibus trailer | ||
*Photo Gallery | * Photo Gallery | ||
*PDF: ''Radio Times'' Listings | * PDF: ''Radio Times'' Listings | ||
<gallery hideaddbutton="true" captionalign="left"> | <gallery hideaddbutton="true" captionalign="left"> | ||
| Line 216: | Line 216: | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
==Novelisation and its audiobook== | == Novelisation and its audiobook == | ||
[[ | [[File:Planet of the Spiders novel.jpg|right|75px]] | ||
:''Main article: [[Doctor Who and the Planet of the Spiders]]'' | :''Main article: [[Doctor Who and the Planet of the Spiders]]'' | ||
*Novelised as ''[[Doctor Who and the Planet of the Spiders]]'' by [[Terrance Dicks]] in [[1975]]. | * Novelised as ''[[Doctor Who and the Planet of the Spiders]]'' by [[Terrance Dicks]] in [[1975]]. | ||
*In June 2009 [[Terrance Dicks]] [[Doctor Who and the Planet of the Spiders]] was released as an audiobook read by Elisabeth Sladen | * In June 2009 [[Terrance Dicks]] [[Doctor Who and the Planet of the Spiders]] was released as an audiobook read by Elisabeth Sladen | ||
<gallery hideaddbutton="true" captionalign="left"> | <gallery hideaddbutton="true" captionalign="left"> | ||
Planet of the Spiderscd.jpg|Audiobook cover | Planet of the Spiderscd.jpg|Audiobook cover | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
==See also== | == See also == | ||
*[[DW]]: ''[[Doctor Who (1996)]]'' | * [[DW]]: ''[[Doctor Who (1996)]]'' | ||
*[[DW]]: ''[[The Unicorn and the Wasp]]'' | * [[DW]]: ''[[The Unicorn and the Wasp]]'' | ||
==External links== | == External links == | ||
*{{bbcepguideclassic|planetofspiders/|Planet of the Spiders}} | * {{bbcepguideclassic|planetofspiders/|Planet of the Spiders}} | ||
*{{dwrefguide|who_3z.htm|Planet of the Spiders}} | * {{dwrefguide|who_3z.htm|Planet of the Spiders}} | ||
*{{briefhistory|serials/zzz.html|Planet of the Spiders}} | * {{briefhistory|serials/zzz.html|Planet of the Spiders}} | ||
*{{locguide|planetofthespiders|Planet of the Spiders}} | * {{locguide|planetofthespiders|Planet of the Spiders}} | ||
{{DWTV}} | {{DWTV}} | ||
{{UNIT stories}} | {{UNIT stories}} | ||
{{Regeneration stories}} | {{Regeneration stories}} | ||
[[Category:Doctor Who (1963) television stories]] | |||
[[Category:Third Doctor television stories]] | [[Category:Third Doctor television stories]] | ||
[[Category:Sarah Jane Smith television stories]] | [[Category:Sarah Jane Smith television stories]] | ||
Revision as of 04:37, 5 November 2011
Planet of the Spiders was the fifth and final story of Season 11 of Doctor Who. It marked the final appearance of Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor and the first appearance (uncredited) of Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor. Mike Yates also makes his final appearance outside of cameos and Dimensions in Time.
Synopsis
The blue crystal that the Doctor took from Metebelis III in a previous adventure is desperately sought by the Eight Legs, a race of mutated spiders, as the final element in their plan for universal domination. With help from an old mentor, the Doctor realises the only way to foil the plot is to make the ultimate sacrifice. The Doctor must risk death to return to the cave of the Great One and save the universe.
Plot
Part one
In the English countryside, Mike Yates, discharged from UNIT and recuperating at a rural Buddhist meditation centre, is concerned about a small group who meet secretly in the basement; he suspects they may be attempting to summon something evil through their meditation. Meanwhile, The Doctor is researching psychic energy and enlists the assistance of a clairvoyant, Professor Herbert Clegg.
His experiments backfire when Clegg's fixation on the Metebelis crystal (which Jo Grant had recently returned to the Doctor) leads to his seeing giant spiders, and he dies of a fright-induced heart attack. Mike enlists the assistance of Sarah Jane, whose initial scepticism is erased after they are nearly run off the road by a hallucinatory tractor. Sneaking into the basement they see the group, led by Lupton, summon a giant spider (similar to the ones Clegg saw) into existence...
Part two
The giant spider melds with Lupton, and together they infiltrate UNIT and steal the blue crystal, leading to a lengthy chase involving the Whomobile, a small helicopter, a hovercraft, and a speedboat. The Doctor finally catches up to Lupton's boat, but when he jumps on board, Lupton vanishes...
Part three
Lupton re-appears at the meditation centre, secretly observed by the simple-minded handyman Tommy, who later steals the crystal to add to his collection of 'pretties'. The Doctor and Sarah Jane investigate the meditation centre. Exploring the basement Sarah steps on Lupton's mandala and is transported to Metebelis III, where a small group of humans are held in bondage by the giant spiders, who refer to themselves as the Eight Legs. The Doctor follows in his TARDIS to rescue Sarah Jane, but is incapacitated by the Eight Legs' human guards...
Part four
On Metebelis III, the Doctor lingers in a coma. Tommy's brain is healed when he looks deep into the crystal. Lupton becomes embroiled in a plot led by his spider host against the Eight Leg Queen. The Doctor recovers thanks to a machine Sarah retrieved for him from the TARDIS. In doing so however, she is captured by the Eight Legs. Thrown into a cell with a man named Sabor, Sarah learns the history of Metebilis 3: The humans are descendants of survivors of a crashed spaceship, and the Eight Legs were common spiders onboard that became mutated by radiation from the blue crystals. The Doctor finds a type of stone which nullifies the effects of the Eight Legs' energy rays, which the humans will use in their rebellion. The Doctor attempts to rescue Sarah Jane, but is captured again by the Eight Legs as well...
Part five
The Doctor escapes from his cocoon, and reaches the mouth of the cave of the Great One, who warns him not to enter due to the lethal radiation within. She orders him to return the blue crystal that he stole, and humiliates him by forcing him to march in a circle like a tin soldier via her psychic power. The Doctor is too overcome by fear to face her, and escapes with Sarah Jane back to Earth in the TARDIS. They meet the leader of the meditation centre, the Abbott K'anpo Rimpoche. Meanwhile Lupton's followers, possessed by the Eight Legs, fire telekinetic force at Tommy, the only person standing in the way of their taking the crystal...
Part six
Sarah Jane is revealed to be under the control of the Queen, which explains how she and the Doctor escaped so easily. With the blue crystal, which Tommy had given to K'anpo, the Doctor is able to free her mind. The Doctor is astounded to discover an old friend; K'anpo is his former mentor, a fellow renegade Time Lord now enjoying peaceful exile on Earth. The attack of Lupton's followers is repulsed with the help of Tommy, but K'anpo is injured and forced to regenerate by merging with his assistant, Cho Je, who was a projection of K'anpo's own conscience.
The Doctor realises his greed for knowledge and his theft of the crystal has set all these events into motion, and that he must face his fear and probable death by returning it. He pilots the TARDIS to Metebelis III and enters the cave to confront the Great One, an enormous spider, who desires the blue crystal to complete a crystalline web that will amplify her psychic power to infinity.
However, once the crystal is in place, the web overloads and destroys both her and the Eight Legs. The Doctor receives a lethal dose of radiation from the cave, and barely manages to escape in the TARDIS. He eventually arrives at UNIT (after being gone, from their perspective, for three weeks), collapses on the floor, and appears to die. As Sarah weeps, K'Anpo/Cho-Je appears and with a little 'push', induces the Doctor's regeneration into his fourth incarnation.
Cast
- The Doctor - Jon Pertwee
- The Doctor - Tom Baker (uncredited at the end of Part 6.)
- Sarah Jane Smith - Elisabeth Sladen
- Brigadier Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart - Nicholas Courtney
- Mike Yates - Richard Franklin
- Sergeant John Benton - John Levene
- Professor Clegg - Cyril Shaps
- Lupton - John Dearth
- Barnes - Christopher Burgess
- Moss - Terence Lodge
- Land - Carl Forgione
- Keaver - Andrew Staines
- Cho Je - Kevin Lindsay
- Tommy - John Kane
- Policeman - Chubby Oates
- Soldier - Pat Gorman
- Man with Boat - Terry Walsh
- Hopkins - Michael Pinder
- Tramp - Stuart Fell
- Spider Voices - Ysanne Churchman, Kismet Delgado, Maureen Morris
- Arak - Gareth Hunt
- Sabor - Geoffrey Morris
- Neska - Jenny Laird
- Rega - Joanna Monro
- Tuar - Ralph Arliss
- Guard Captains - Walter Randall, Max Faulkner
- K'anpo Rimpoche - George Cormack
Crew
- Assistant Floor Manager - Graeme Harper
- Costumes - L. Rowland Warne
- Designer - Rochelle Selwyn
- Film Cameraman - Fred Hamilton
- Film Editor - Bob Rymer
- Incidental Music - Dudley Simpson
- Make-Up - Deanne Turner
- Producer - Barry Letts
- Production Assistant - Marion McDougall
- Production Unit Manager - George Gallaccio
- Script Editor - Terrance Dicks
- Special Sounds - Dick Mills
- Studio Lighting - Ralph Walton
- Studio Sound - John Holmes
- Theme Arrangement - Delia Derbyshire
- Title Music - Ron Grainer
- Visual Effects - Bernard Wilkie
References
- The Doctor uses an Image Reproduction Integrating System (IRIS).
The Doctor
- The Doctor is familiar with Tibetan customs.
Crystals
- The Doctor receives a package from Jo Grant containing his Metebelis crystal, which he picked up during his previous visit to Metebelis III.
Foods and beverages
- The Doctor likens Sergeant Benton's coffee-making skills to that of Mrs. Samuel Pepys.
- Lupton offers Sarah tea.
Individuals
- The Doctor mentions being taught in the ways of escapology by Harry Houdini.
- Mike Yates refers to the last time he encountered Sarah "that business with the Dinosaurs".
- The Brigadier's watch was given to him 11 years ago in Brighton by Doris.
- The Brigadier phones Sullivan, the UNIT Medical Officer.
Periodicals
- Sarah has worked for Metropolitan magazine.
Story notes
- This is the first time the term "regeneration" is mentioned on screen.
- This is the first time we see someone other than the Doctor regenerate (K'anpo Rimpoche).
- This story features a large chase scene featuring: Bessie, the Doctor's car (known as the Whomobile), a police car, a gyrocopter, a hovercraft and a boat.
- Tom Baker is uncredited in the conclusion of Planet of the Spiders, when Jon Pertwee transforms into Tom Baker. Since no regeneration was shown at the end of The War Games (although we do see the apparent beginning of it), this marked the first time since William Hartnell changed into Patrick Troughton in 1966's The Tenth Planet that an on-screen hand-over of the role had occurred. End-of-episode changeovers would become the norm for the next few regenerations. The regeneration from the Sixth to Seventh Doctors at the beginning of Time and the Rani depicts an on-screen changeover from one incarnation to the next, although both parts in that instance are played by Sylvester McCoy, as Colin Baker refused to return for the regeneration scene. The regeneration from Eighth Doctor to Ninth Doctor was the only regeneration so far which took place entirely off-screen.
- Parts of this story were recorded at the same time as parts of Robot. This not only meant that Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker were literally playing the Doctor at the same time, but also that Elisabeth Sladen — and to a lesser extent, Nicholas Courtney and John Levene — were having to rush back and forth between the two productions.
- The Time Beetle featured in Turn Left shares some similarities with the Eight Legs; It too is a giant-sized insectoid that can latch onto a victim's back, disguising it's prescence at the same time.
Ratings
- Part 1 - 10.1 million viewers
- Part 2 - 8.9 million viewers
- Part 3 - 8.8 million viewers
- Part 4 - 8.2 million viewers
- Part 5 - 9.2 million viewers
- Part 6 - 8.9 million viewers
Myths
- Roger Delgado's Master was originally to have been written out in Planet of the Spiders, and after the actor's death the story was revised to incorporate Lupton in place of the Master. It is true that had Delgado had not died he would have been written out in the final story of season eleven. He had informed Barry Letts that he would only appear as the Master in one more story during the filming of Frontier in Space. Letts agreed to the request, seeing it as an opportunity to dramatically end Season 11. Thus, he asked writer Robert Sloman to help him write a story which would at last define the relationship between the Doctor and the Master, before having the Master sacrifice himself to save the Doctor. Sloman delivered at least an initial round of scripts, called The Final Game, before Delgado's death halted the complete suspension on the story line. Planet of the Spiders was a wholly different story, save perhaps for Barry Letts' desire to incorporate certain Buddhist philosophies.
- A frequent corollary to the above is that The Final Game would have also incorporated the regeneration of the Third Doctor. One of the impetuses for Pertwee's decision to resign was Delgado's death. Had Delgado not died, but merely relinquished his role, it is unlikely Pertwee would have looked on Delgado's absence a motivation to quit. More to the point, though, Sloman had delivered scripts to Letts two weeks prior to Delgado's death on 18th June 1973. Pertwee didn't announce his retirement until after his request for a raise was denied in December 1973. The first scripts of The Final Game could not logically have included any elements pertaining to the Doctor's regeneration, because writer Robert Sloman didn't know Pertwee was going to leave.
Filming locations
- Tidmarsh Manor, Tidmarsh, Berkshire
- Bloomfieldhatch Lane, Stratfield Mortimer, Berkshire
- Membury Airfield, Membury, Wiltshire
- River Severn, Westbury-on-Severn, Gloucestershire
- Mortimer Station, Stratfield Mortimer, Berkshire
- Mereoak Lane, Stratfield Mortimer, Berkshire
- Le Marchant Barracks, London Road, Devizes, Wiltshire
- BBC Television Centre (TC1, TC6, TC8), 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.
- The Doctor's flying car is a different colour in the studio (gold rather than silver).
Continuity
- Jo Grant sends the Doctor a package containing the blue Metebelis crystal (DW: The Green Death), which the spiders covet, making this serial a sequel of sorts to The Green Death. This is also one of the first times - possibly the first - that a past companion has played a role in a later story, although Jo does not actually appear in the story (she does, however, appear in the novelisation).
- Mike Yates refers to his last appearance in DW: Invasion of the Dinosaurs.
- The Doctor previously mentioned the hermit who lived behind his house in DW: The Time Monster.
- EDA: Interference - Book Two presents an alternate regeneration sequence.
- The Eight Legs returned in ST: Return of the Spiders, BFA The Eight Truths and BFA Worldwide Web.
- The Fifth doctor in the ST: Light at the End of the Tunnel tries to fight of his phobia of spiders when he goes inside a large pipe making this story as a reference.
- The Eighth Doctor still has a phobia of spiders in EDA: The Scarlet Empress.
- Professor Clegg divines that the Brigadier's wristwatch was given to him eleven years earlier in a hotel room by a woman named Doris, prompting a somewhat embarrassed reaction from him. In DW: Battlefield, the retired Brigadier is married to a woman named Doris.
- In the story, K'anpo Rimpoche regenerates from a Caucasian to an Asian. (Charactor, not Actor) The next time a Time Lord would change ethnicity (on screen) would be in DW: Let's Kill Hitler.
Timeline
For the Doctor and Sarah Jane
- This story occurs after: ST: An Overture Too Early
- ST: Ancient Whispers takes place during episode 6 of this story.
- This story occurs before: DW: Robot
For the Brigadier
- This story occurs after: DW: Invasion of the Dinosaurs
- This story occurs before: DW: Robot
Home video and audio releases
Video release
Released on VHS as per follows:
Region 2: April 1991
Region 4: September 1991
Region 1: May 1994
UK VHS cover
US VHS cover
AUS VHS cover
DVD release
Released as Doctor Who: Planet of the Spiders
Released
Region 2: 18th April 2011
Region 1: 10th May 2011
Region 4: 2nd June 2011
Special Features:
- Commentary by Elisabeth Sladen, Nicholas Courtney, Richard Franklin, Barry Letts, and Terrance Dicks.
- The Final Curtain documentary
- John Kane Remembers featurette
- Directing Who With Barry Letts documentary
- Now and Then featurette
- Planet of the Spiders 102 minute omnibus
- Omnibus trailer
- Photo Gallery
- PDF: Radio Times Listings
Region 2 cover
Region 1 cover
- 177924.jpg
Region 4 cover
Novelisation and its audiobook
- Main article: Doctor Who and the Planet of the Spiders
- Novelised as Doctor Who and the Planet of the Spiders by Terrance Dicks in 1975.
- In June 2009 Terrance Dicks Doctor Who and the Planet of the Spiders was released as an audiobook read by Elisabeth Sladen
- Planet of the Spiderscd.jpg
Audiobook cover
See also
External links
- Planet of the Spiders at the BBC's official site
- Planet of the Spiders at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
- Planet of the Spiders at Shannon Sullivan's A Brief History of Time (Travel)
- Planet of the Spiders at The Locations Guide
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