The Underwater Menace (TV story): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:49, 15 January 2012

The Underwater Menace was the fifth story of Season 4 of Doctor Who. The second episode of this story is currently the earliest surviving Second Doctor episode.

Synopsis

The TARDIS arrives on an extinct volcanic island. Before long, the travellers are captured and taken into the depths of the Earth, where they find a hidden civilisation - the lost city of Atlantis.

The Atlanteans worship a goddess named Amdo and use Fish People - men and women operated upon so that they can breathe under the sea - to farm the plankton-based food on which they survive. A deranged scientist, Professor Zaroff, has convinced them that he can raise their city from the sea, but actually he plans to drain the ocean into the Earth's molten core, so that the resultant superheated steam will cause the planet to explode.

The travellers meet up with two shipwreck survivors, Sean and Jacko, who manage to persuade the Fish People to rebel and stop work. The Doctor eventually manages to foil Zaroff's plan, but only by breaking down the sea walls and flooding the city. Zaroff drowns, but everyone else escapes.

Plot

to be added

Cast

Crew

Assistant Floor Manager - Gareth Gwenlan
Costumes - Sandra Reid, Juanita Waterson
Designer - Jack Robinson
Fight Arranger - Derek Ware
Film Cameraman - Alan Jonas
Film Editor - Eddie Wallstab
Incidental Music - Dudley Simpson
Make-Up - Gillian James
Producer - Innes Lloyd
Production Assistant - Norman Stewart
Script Editor - Gerry Davis
Special Sounds - Brian Hodgson
Studio Lighting - George Summers
Studio Sound - Bryan Forgham
Theme Arrangement - Delia Derbyshire
Title Music - Ron Grainer

References

As they land, Polly hopes it is 1966 Chelsea, Ben wants to avoid the Daleks, and the Doctor wishes to see prehistoric monsters.

Story notes

This story had the working titles of The Fish People, Doctor Who Under the Sea, Under the Sea, Atlanta.
Professor Zaroff utters the timeless line, "Nothing in the world can stop me now!" Davros would say a similar line in DW: Journey's End.
In the opening TARDIS scene, Polly, Ben and the Doctor are each heard 'thinking' about where they would like to land next in a rare example of internal monologue. Polly hopes for Chelsea in 1966, Ben does not want to meet the Daleks once again and the Doctor relishes the idea of encountering prehistoric monsters. This was achieved by pre-recording the actors' voices and playing them back during the making of the episode.
The name of the mad scientist, Zaroff, is similar to that of Dr. Zarkoff, a scientist featured in the classic Flash Gordon adventures,
While DW: The War Machines still remains the only time in the history of the series where the Doctor is referred to as "Doctor Who," the Doctor's note to Zaroff in the first episode is signed "Dr. W," making this the closest the Doctor has ever come to referring to himself as "Doctor Who."
Episode 2 was recovered on 19 September 2011. ^[1] Episode 3 was retained by the BBC, thus was never "lost."
Colin Jeavons (Damon) would later play George Tracey in KAC: A Girl's Best Friend.

Ratings

Episode 1 - 8.3 million viewers
Episode 2 - 7.5 million viewers
Episode 3 - 7.1 million viewers
Episode 4 - 7.0 million viewers

Myths

Joseph Furst adopted an outrageous East European accent in his portrayal of Zaroff. (Furst spoke in his natural accent.)

Filming locations

Winspit Quarry, Worth Matravers, Dorset
Winspit Beach, Worth Matravers, Dorset
Ealing Television Film Studios, Ealing Green, Ealing
Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, 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.

At the start of episode three the director can be heard.
During the underwater scenes in episode 3, the Kirby wires holding up the fish people are visible.
When Zaroff fires his pistol (a contemporary Beretta) at the end of episode three, there is a sound effect, but no evident smoke, recoil, or discharged cartridge.

Continuity

It is mentioned in DW: The Dæmons that Azal destroyed Atlantis, and in DW: The Time Monster Kronos also destroyed Atlantis.
In DWAN: The Lost Ones the Doctor encounters giants from the World-City of Atlantis.

Timeline

This story occurs after DW: The Highlanders
This story occurs before DW: The Moonbase

Home video and audio releases

Episode 3 was released on the Lost in Time DVD. Episode 2 should be released sometime in 2012.
- Editing of the surviving episodes DVD release was completed by the Doctor Who Restoration Team.

Lost in Time Region 2
Lost in Time Region 4
Lost in Time Region 1
Lost in Time Region 1 (Disc 2)
CD Release
Region 4 re release

Novelisation and its audiobook

Main article: The Underwater Menace (novelisation)

This story was novelised as The Underwater Menace by Nigel Robinson in 1988.

External links

↑ http://missingepisodes.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=who&action=display&thread=6639&page=2

[1] ttp://missingepisodes.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=who&action=display&thread=6639&page=2

[1]

@@ Line 75: / Line 75: @@
 * This story had the working titles of '''The Fish People''', '''Doctor Who Under the Sea''', '''Under the Sea''', '''Atlanta'''.
 * Professor Zaroff utters the timeless line, ''"Nothing in the world can stop me now!"'' Davros would say a similar line in ''[[DW]]: [[Journey's End]]''.
-* In the opening TARDIS scene, Polly, Ben and the Doctor are each heard 'thinking' about where they would like to land next. (Polly hopes for Chelsea in 1966, Ben wants not to meet the Daleks and the Doctor relishes the idea of encountering prehistoric monsters.) This was achieved by pre-recording the actors' voices and playing them back during the making of the episode.
+* In the opening TARDIS scene, Polly, Ben and the Doctor are each heard 'thinking' about where they would like to land next in a rare example of internal monologue. Polly hopes for Chelsea in 1966, Ben does not want to meet the Daleks once again and the Doctor relishes the idea of encountering prehistoric monsters. This was achieved by pre-recording the actors' voices and playing them back during the making of the episode.
-* The name of the mad scientist, Zaroff, is similar to that of Dr. Zarkoff, a scientist featured in the classic Flash Gordon adventures.
+* The name of the mad scientist, Zaroff, is similar to that of Dr. Zarkoff, a scientist featured in the classic ''Flash Gordon'' adventures,
 * While ''[[DW]]: [[The War Machines]]'' still remains the only time in the history of the series where the Doctor is referred to as "Doctor Who," the Doctor's note to Zaroff in the first episode is signed "Dr. W," making this the closest the Doctor has ever come to referring to himself as "Doctor Who."
 * Episode 2 was recovered on [[19 September]] [[2011]]. <ref>http://missingepisodes.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=who&action=display&thread=6639&page=2</ref> Episode 3 was retained by the BBC, thus was never "lost."
+* [[Colin Jeavons]] (Damon) would later play [[George Tracey]] in [[KAC]]: ''[[A Girl's Best Friend]]''.
 === Ratings ===
 * Episode 1 - 8.3 million viewers

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