Warriors' Gate (TV story)
Synopsis
The TARDIS is hijacked in the vortex by a time sensitive Tharil named Biroc, and brought to a strange white void. Biroc wants to free the others of his race who are being transported in a slave ship, captained by Rorvik, which is also trapped in the void. The only other thing present in the void is an ancient gateway leading to a decrepit banqueting hall.
This is the domain of the Tharils, who in a previous time were cruel masters to their human slaves but have now repented. The humans built the Gundan robots to kill the Tharils, and this led to the latter race's downfall.
Rorvik tries to break through the gateway, and thereby gain access to N-Space, by blasting it with his engines. The blast is simply reflected back, however, destroying the ship and freeing its prisoners.
Romana and K9 elect to remain in E-Space to help liberate the remainder of the Tharil race, while the TARDIS - now occupied only by the Doctor and Adric - is able to return to N-Space.
Plot
to be added
Cast
- The Doctor - Tom Baker
- Romana II - Lalla Ward
- Adric - Matthew Waterhouse
- K-9 - John Leeson
- Rorvik - Clifford Rose
- Packard - Kenneth Cope
- Lane - David Kincaid
- Aldo - Freddie Earlle
- Royce - Harry Waters
- Biroc - David Weston
- Sagan - Vincent Pickering
- Gundan - Robert Vowles
- Lazlo - Jeremy Gittins
Crew
- Assistant Floor Manager - Val McCrimmon
- Costumes - June Hudson
- Designer - Graeme Story
- Executive Producer - Barry Letts
- Incidental Music - Peter Howell
- Make-Up - Pauline Cox
- Producer - John Nathan-Turner
- Production Assistant - Graeme Harper
- Production Unit Manager - Angela Smith
- Script Editor - Christopher H. Bidmead
- Special Sounds - Dick Mills
- Studio Lighting - John Dixon
- Studio Sound - Alan Fogg
- Theme Arrangement - Peter Howell
- Title Music - Ron Grainer
- Visual Effects - Mat Irvine
References
- Rorvik's ship is made of Dwarf star alloy, the only material that can hold time sensitives such as the Tharils.
- Tharils are not effected by the Time winds and can walk the Time Lines.
- The Gundans were built by the Humans to walk the Time Lines and travel through the mirrors at The Gateway.
- Mass Detectors can be used to find objects within a space with zero coordinates.
- The Gateway is the point which intersects between E-Space and Normal Space.
- Romana departs the Doctor's company not wishing to return to the Time Lords or Gallifrey. She takes K-9 with her, whose memory wafers have been replaced and recovered to function past the mirrors.
- The Doctor eats pickled onions with Rorvick and drinks wine with Biroc.
Story Notes
- This is the final story in the 'E-Space Trilogy'.
- This story had a working title of; Dream Time.
- Virtually every phase of the production of this serial was difficult. Tom Baker was particularly tetchy due both to his ongoing illness during the seasons and the departure of his then-lover, Lalla Ward, from the series. The script went through two different writers, Christopher Priest and Peter Gallagher, before ultimately being heavily rewitten by script editor Christopher H. Bidmead and director Paul Joyce. Joyce himself had little experience directing for television, and had considerable disagreements with John Nathan-Turner and lighting director John Dixon. Ultimately, only about half of the production was directed by Joyce, with most of the final half being tackled by credited production assistant, Graeme Harper. Also, the production was hit by a strike of the BBC Carpenters Union, which further delayed matters.
Ratings
- Part 1 - 7.1 million viewers
- Part 2 - 6.7 million viewers
- Part 3 - 8.3 million viewers
- Part 4 - 7.8 million viewers
Myths
to be added
Filming Locations
to be added
Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors
to be added
Continuity
- The Keeper of Traken follows straight on from this story.
- In NA: Blood Harvest Romana is retrieved from E-Space by the Doctor.
DVD and Video Releases
- Warriors' Gate was released on video in 1997 by BBC Worldwide as part of a boxed set containing: Full Circle, State of Decay and Warriors' Gate.
Target Novelisations
- Novelised as Doctor Who and Warriors' Gate in 1982 by John Lydecker.
External Links
- Official BBC Episode Guide for Warriors' Gate
- Outpost Gallifrey Episode Guide: Warriors' Gate
- Doctor Who Reference Guide: Detailed Synopsis - Warriors' Gate
- A Brief History of Time (Travel) entry for Warriors' Gate
