The Sensorites (TV story)

Though The Keys of Marinus and The Daleks had both been clear examples of science fiction Doctor Who adventures, neither had specifically stated they were in the future (although The Edge of Destruction and The Dalek Invasion of Earth retroactively said The Daleks was set in some undisclosed period in the future). By contrast, The Sensorites was the first story to flatly claim a setting more than a century after the broadcast.

The third episode, "Hidden Danger", had the dubious distinction of being the first episode of Doctor Who delayed because of programming by another BBC department. Just as series 3 and 4 of the BBC Wales version featured one-week gaps for the Eurovision Song Contest, The Sensorites was interrupted due to Summer Grandstand being extended on Saturday 4 July 1964 for special sports programming. (REF: The First Doctor Handbook)

Narratively, certain elements of the story carried on into 21st century Doctor Who. Susan's description of her home planet was almost directly quoted by the Tenth Doctor in Gridlock, retroactively applying it to Gallifrey, and Planet of the Ood suggested a kinship between the Ood and the equally telepathic Sensorites.

Summary

The Doctor, Ian, Barbara and Susan arrive in the TARDIS on board a spaceship. Their initial concern is for the ship's human crew, who are suffering from telepathic interference from the Sensorites, but Susan communicates with the Sensorites and finds the aliens fear an attack by the humans and are just defending themselves. Travelling to the Sense Sphere (the Sensorites' planet) the Doctor seeks to cure an illness to which the Sensorites and Ian have succumbed but finds it has been caused by deliberate poisoning. The political manoeuvring of the Sensorite City Administrator poses another threat to the TARDIS crew as he seeks to discredit and implicate them.

Plot

Strangers in Space (1)

The TARDIS travellers find they have landed on a drifting spaceship, and its crew is dead. The corpses are warm, even though their self-winding watches (which are powered by the movement of the wrist) say they have been dead for at least twenty-four hours. As the travellers go to leave, one of the crew members, Captain Maitland, regains consciousness. Ian helps revive him with a device he later calls a heart resuscitator. They use this device on the other crew member, Carol Richmond. The two tell the travellers they are on an exploration mission from 28th century Earth and are orbiting Sense-Sphere. Its inhabitants, the Sensorites, refuse to let them leave orbit; they are able to control the brains of any human around them. They say the Sensorites put them to sleep but never kill them; indeed, the Sensorites feed them regularly.

As they leave the room, the TARDIS crew do not notice a mysterious figure burning the lock out of the TARDIS doors.

As Ian starts to question Maitland on the future of Earth, the Doctor decides they should leave lest Ian learn too much. It is then they discover that the lock is missing. The TARDIS is permanently locked.

The Sensorites send the Earth ship on a collision course with the Sense-Sphere by taking over the minds of the pilots. The Doctor diverts this; the TARDIS crew seem to be immune to the Sensorites' power. Carol says they have found different people are affected in different ways. She speaks of another crew member named John, who was affected much more. When Maitland is asked about John, he says he'd rather not talk about it.

Later that day, Barbara and Susan are making food for the rest of the crew and ask Carol where they can find some water. Misunderstanding the directions, they go through a sensor-operated door. An unknown man, seemingly John, locks them in with him. John appears to be in a zombie-like state and shuffles towards the frightened women. However, when he has them cornered, he collapses in front of them and weeps. Barbara consoles him and says she will make sure he gets better.

A Sensorite peers through the ship's viewing port.

Meanwhile, outside the door, the rest of the crew realise Barbara and Susan are stuck inside with John. Maitland begins to use a cutting device to get them out. While this is happening, Carol confides to Ian that John and she were to be married when they returned to Earth. As the cutting goes on, Maitland hears a noise. It is an approaching Sensorite ship. The crew ready themselves at the controls as the ships roam into sight. Eventually, the ship is surrounded and Ian is astounded to see a Sensorite at the viewing port.

The Unwilling Warriors (2)

The Sensorite at the window renders Carol and Maitland paralysed. The Doctor awakens Maitland and reminds him of Susan and Barbara trapped on the other side of the door. Maitland continues to cut them out. In the locked area, Barbara and Susan comfort John, who is still distressed. He appears to be in almost constant communication with the Sensorites, who are trying to convince him to scare away the travellers. He refuses to do this because they are his friends now. This defiance leaves him crumpled up in pain on the floor.

John senses two Sensorites have entered the ship. He informs his new friends. Susan mentions to Barbara that she once visited a planet named Esto where there was a species of telepathic plants which screeched if you stood between them because you affected their thought pattern. With this in mind, Barbara and Susan try to overpower the Sensorites by focusing on the phrase, "We defy you", at the same time. The Sensorites crumple to the floor.

Ian and the others open the door and release Barbara, Susan and the unconscious John. Whilst Ian is putting John to bed, John mentions the phrase "the dreams of avarice." Ian shares a theory that John discovered something about the Sense Sphere that would prove valuable to the human race. This is why they have trapped the vessel. Maitland states that John was the ship's mineralogist. A quick glance at his findings confirms to the Doctor that the Sense Sphere is rich in molybdenum, a precious material. As the Doctor makes this discovery, the Sensorites mentally attack Carol and Maitland again. Barbara and Ian look for the Sensorites and eventually find them. Barbara runs back to the crew to ask how to lock the doors to imprison them, whilst Ian slowly backs away, threatening them with a hammer he's found.

"I don't make threats, but I do keep promises."

Barbara has to wake John to help lock the Sensorites out. Barbara notes that they were reasonably passive and never tried to harm Ian. As Barbara and Ian go back to the others to discuss what to do with their prisoners, the Sensorites start to cut through the lock. The Sensorites talk to Susan telepathically through the door, asking her to ask the others whether they can talk. This is agreed to. They inform the travellers that they have allocated an area of the Sense Sphere where the humans can live in peace but they mustn't leave. The Doctor confronts the aliens and says that he will not live on the Sense Sphere and demands the lock to his TARDIS. The Sensorites leave to decide what to do. The Doctor notes to his companions that the Sensorites' eyes dilated greatly in the light. This means they would be almost blind in low light. The Sensorites contact Susan again and she appears to agree to something. She informs the Doctor that she has agreed to go to live on the Sense Sphere with the Sensorites lest they kill all the humans. Two Sensorites take Susan away and the door to the control room closes.

Hidden Danger (3)

The Doctor and his companions refuse to let Susan just leave and chase after her and the Sensorites. They demand her return, but the Sensorites insist they need a hostage to ensure the safety of their planet. Susan agrees with the Sensorites, eager to save the lives of her friends. The Doctor shouts at her seeming submission to being kidnapped, which upsets her. When the Doctor tries to grab Susan, the Sensorites draw a weapon. Ian dims the lights which, as the Doctor theorised, leaves the Sensorites blinded and terrified and lets the humans slip away. The Doctor and Susan argue about whether she is adult enough to make her own decisions yet. However, the Doctor is more angry with the Sensorites for causing the argument in the first place.

Meanwhile, the Sensorites have brokered an agreement with Ian. Barbara and Maitland will remain on the ship with a Sensorite warrior, while the other humans go down to the Sense Sphere to talk with a Sensorite Elder. Ian reluctantly agrees but is swayed when the Sensorites say they will be able to cure John on their planet. The Sensorites also share why they are trapping them in their atmosphere. They recount a story of humans visiting the Sense Sphere. In their eagerness to leave and inform the rest of their people about the riches of the Sense Sphere, they crashed. This crash polluted the Sense Sphere with a mysterious disease which has been killing many Sensorites ever since. The Doctor promises to see if he can uncover the cause of this mysterious illness and he and the humans leave for the Sense Sphere.

A Sensorite discussion.

On the surface of the mysterious planet, three Sensorites are talking. The Elder Sensorite is justifying his decision to the others, saying that the risk he is taking in inviting the humans into his palace will be rewarded if the Doctor can cure the Sensorites' disease. The others seem dismissive of the human race, saying they are lesser beings and loud and ugly and should have been met in the mountains. The two other Sensorites act subservient in the Elder's presence, but as soon as he leaves they doubt his leadership. The most vocal Sensorite in this uprising is the Administrator. He tells the other Sensorite he so distrusts the humans that he has aimed a disintegrator at the room where the humans are to meet the Elder to preserve the Sense Sphere's purity.

The humans are welcomed into the court of the Elder where John and Carol are taken away to be cured, and the Doctor, Ian, and Susan are ushered in for a meeting with the Elder. Meanwhile, the Administrator is setting the coordinates for the humans' destruction. Just as he is about to shoot, a Sensorite comes in and orders the Administrator to stop, saying the humans are harmless and only here to help. The Administrator complies reluctantly, but he also doubts the Elders' capabilities and discusses an uprising with his friend.

Back in the court, the humans are given food and water. The Elder shouts at a Sensorite servant, incredulous that his guests have not been given the same food and water as he. He sends the water back with the Sensorite, insisting that he return with the Crystal Water. However, Ian has already drunk his. The Elder explains the rigid hierarchy of the Sense Sphere. Elders such as he wear two sashes, other controllers wear one and the populace is content with no sash. The Doctor asks about the difference as one rises up the social order. The Elder says the higher, the better your quality of life and the better food and drink. The Doctor asks if any of the Elders fall foul of the disease. The Elder responds in the negative.

Through this conversation, Ian has been coughing and choking. On being asked, he says his throat is burning up and asks for some water. He falls to the floor, unconscious. The Elder informs the Doctor that this is the first sign of the illness and that Ian is dying.

A Race Against Death (4)

The Doctor and Susan try to figure out what has caused Ian's collapse. They suspect the water, the only thing that Ian experienced that they did not. The Doctor suspects that the disease the Sensorites speak of isn't a disease, but poison. Meanwhile, two Elders discuss whether Ian's collapse is a subterfuge of the Doctor's to gain their trust, to seemingly cure him and then regain the TARDIS. They decide to allow the Doctor to try to cure the poisoning.

This news does not please the Administrator, who orders the scientists to murder John, whose mind they are trying to erase. An Elder berates him, saying his constant belligerence will get him into trouble. The Administrator tells the scientist that the Doctor is evil and is trying to gain the Sensorites' trust only to betray them. John, half-conscious, seems to agree with this, saying, "Evil." The Administrator convinces the scientist the human is admitting this and tells him to pass it on to the Elders. When the scientists leave, John tells the Administrator that he meant that there is evil among the Sensorites. The Administrator says that he knew that all along and does not care for what humans think. His only wish is to wipe them from existence. The Elders hear the Administrator's theory and decide to not allow the Doctor into his TARDIS but instead allow him access to their own laboratory. This upsets the Doctor, who shouts at them, which clearly causes them pain, but eventually, he reluctantly agrees.

The Administrator talks to another Sensorite about how to reclaim the key to the disintegrator. He says that the only way that Sensorites tell each other apart is by their sashes. If he were to disguise himself as an Elder, he could get it back. The Doctor briefs the scientists on what he is looking for. He suspects the water supply has traces of atropine poison in it. The scientists tell him that there are ten different places, or districts, where the water is taken. He asks them to fetch samples for him to test. He finds only District Eight has traces of atropine. The Doctor prepares an antidote.

Meanwhile, the Administrator kidnaps an Elder and his family. He takes the sash, saying he will use it to prove to the Elder that the Doctor is evil and does not intend to help them at all. He says the antidote that the Doctor has made is actually a poison and believes Ian has been falsely acting ill and he will pretend to get better. The poison will be given to the Sensorites to wipe them out, leaving the humans to harvest the Sense Sphere. The Administrator soon proves his plan effective when he encounters a scientist who thinks him an Elder. He tells the scientist to give him the antidote to give to Ian. As soon as the scientist is out of sight, he smashes the test tube on the floor. If Ian gets better, he will know that the Doctor has been lying, but if he dies then the Doctor will be proven true.

A scientist escorts the Doctor to the aqueduct to investigate the source of the poison. The scientist says they cannot stay long as it is dark and their plans to light it are always scuppered. When the Doctor tells the scientist that he plans to enter the aqueduct, the scientist balks and warns him there are monsters inside. The Doctor asks if they have ever seen the monster. The scientist says they have only heard his roar. The Doctor dismisses him but speculates how convenient it is that the aqueduct is dark and noisy, two things the Sensorites cannot tolerate. The scientist returns to the Elder and tells him the Doctor has gone into the aqueduct. The Elder is disgusted, saying that the aqueduct is death to anyone that enters. Hearing this, Ian and Susan go to rescue him. The Elder, impressed with the humans' love for each other, telepathically tells his fellow Elder that they are mistaken and the humans are noble people. This message is heard by the Administrator, who is disgusted with the Elder's weakness but delighted that the humans are heading to their death in the aqueduct.

Ian and Susan reach the aqueduct. The scientist gives them a radio electric light. Ian seems to be getting weaker but still enters. Deep inside the dark aqueduct, the Doctor seems to have found what he suspected he would — Deadly Nightshade. Just then, a terrifying roar echoes through the tunnel...

Kidnap (5)

The Doctor looks up in terror towards an unseen figure. Ian and Susan hear him and run towards the sound. They find the Doctor prostrate on the floor, rumpled but unharmed apart from a ripped jacket. Once out of the aqueduct, the Doctor shares his theory that a Sensorite is plotting against them and that the beast in the aqueduct is poisoning the water supply. Unluckily for the travellers, they have been overheard by a Sensorite loyal to the Administrator.

Back at the palace, Carol speaks to the Sensorites about John, wondering why their interference has made him so ill. The scientist explains the Sensorite brain is always open and always receiving information; the fear compartment of John's brain is always terrified. Carol also wonders why he constantly speaks of treason and betrayal. The scientist says it must be a delusion; Sensorite society is built on trust and respect for others.

The Sensorite spy reports to the Administrator that the Doctor is onto his plot. The Administrator demands the Second Elder contact the Chief Warrior to hand over the key to the disintegrator, which the elder begrudgingly does. The Administrator goes to pick up the key in the courtyard.

As the Doctor, Ian and Susan return to the palace, they decide to ask if Barbara may join them on the Sense Sphere. They encounter the Administrator disguised as an Elder. He takes the key from the Chief Warrior. The Doctor pursues him to ask if Barbara could be brought to the Sense Sphere, but the Administrator runs off.

When the Administrator returns to the disintegrator room, he starts to set up the weapon. The Second Elder overpowers the Sensorite helper, snatches the key from the Administrator and bends it. The helper composes himself and clubs down the Elder. When they realise that the Second Elder is now dead, the helper is worried this will expose them, but the Administrator says this can work to their advantage. He asks the helper if he can describe the Doctor. When told yes, he takes them to the palace.

The Chief Elder receives the Doctor and his friends, his kindness underlined when he gives the Doctor a cloak to replace his coat. The Doctor offers his plan to purify the water supply. He intends to go back into the aqueduct and slay the monster within. He is interrupted by the Administrator, who tells the Chief Elder that the Second Elder has been killed. The helper says he saw the Doctor kill him in a fight over the disintegrator key. The Chief Elder asks if he was sure that it was the Doctor. The helper says that he could tell by his distinctive hair and he could clearly see that the Doctor took the weapon out of his coat.

Ian cross-examines the helper, making sure he says again that he saw the Doctor's coat. At this point the Doctor stands and reveals he is wearing a cloak. The helper tries to change his story, but the Chief Elder immediately sees through his lies and sends him to prison. The Administrator apologises to the Elder for bothering him. The Elder says he was doing exactly what he ought to. The Administrator gives the Elder the sash of the Second Elder and says he should now pick his replacement. The Doctor, seeing an opportunity to befriend another Sensorite, suggests the Administrator. The Elder agrees and gives the sash to the Administrator, who shows no gratitude to the humans.

Meanwhile, John is entirely healed and reunited with Carol. He also recognises Susan. When Susan asks what he was referring to when he spoke of betrayal, he says that he can't quite remember but is sure that a Sensorite is plotting against the humans. The Administrator pounces on this and asks whether the treacherous Sensorite is in the room. John says he is not. The Administrator leaves and John says that the only thing he remembers about the Sensorite is that there was something odd with his uniform. Elsewhere in the lab, the Doctor has discovered an old map of the aqueduct which he asks the scientist to improve and bring to him in order to have a working map for their expedition. John remembers the strange feature of the treacherous Sensorite is that he had a collar. The Doctor is distraught to realise it is the Administrator that is evil.

Meanwhile, the Administrator has sprung the Chief Warrior out of prison and is asking another favour of him: to neutralise the weapons given to the Doctor and Ian. The Chief Warrior says that that is easily done. He also intercepts the map of the aqueduct and corrupts it so that the explorers will get lost.

Ian and the Doctor are given the false information and the ineffective weapons by the Chief Elder and ask that Barbara be allowed in the Sense Sphere to look after Susan. The Chief Elder agrees. Ian and the Doctor decide to not tell Susan that they are going as she would only demand to come with them. They leave for the aqueduct. The Chief Elder, meanwhile, is disturbed by the likely possibility that the original Second Elder had been murdered by a fellow Sensorite.

Carol, John and Susan, unaware of the Doctor and Ian's journey, are preparing a meal for the other humans' return. After a long wait, Carol goes to look for them, but, as she crosses the courtyard, a hand grabs her.

A Desperate Venture (6)

Carol is brought into the disintegrator room and is forced to write a letter to John and Susan saying she has gone to the spaceship. The Administrator does not know that Barbara has been brought from the ship and can prove Carol was not there. When the humans get the letter, they grow more suspicious of the Sensorites. They show the letter to the Chief Elder, who says that the letter is obviously forged. They also suspect something has happened to the Doctor and Ian, but the Chief Elder says that they have gone into the aqueducts and did not want to worry their friends. Susan points out the ink on the letter is still wet; Carol must be near. The Chief Elder suggests the disintegrator room. John goes to investigate and enters as the Chief Warrior threatens Carol with the disintegrator. While John distracts him, Carol disarms him and the Chief Warrior is imprisoned again.

In the palace, the Administrator is talking to the Chief Elder, acting concerned at the Chief Warrior's escape. He asks if the Chief Warrior has implicated anyone else.

In the aqueduct the Doctor and Ian discover something moving ahead of them. As Ian edges forwards to investigate, a human attacks them. They scuffle and the man escapes. All that is left is a badge in the shape of a rocket ship.

Back at the palace it is decided that, since the Doctor's weapons and maps are faulty, another party should enter the aqueduct to rescue them. Barbara and John will go in. Susan will stay behind and guide them by transmitting her thoughts to the Sensorites — Barbara borrows one of the Sensorites' communications tools.

Back in the aqueduct, the Doctor and Ian pursue the humans but are then surrounded by them. The humans take the two men to their commander. The Doctor suggests that these are the survivors of the last expedition to the Sense Sphere. The group are curious to know if Ian and the Doctor are alone. They say they are. As they are taken deeper into the aqueduct, the Doctor marks the wall in case they need to escape. Barbara and John take this to be a sign to follow them.

When the Doctor and Ian meet the commander, he confirms they are survivors of the first expedition. The ship that crashed all those years ago were militia deserters. The commander blew up the ship before they escaped. His group has been poisoning the Sensorites to wipe them out and harvest their planet. He seems to believe his men are at war with the Sensorites. At this point, one of the men comes in to report more people coming. This angers the commander, who believes the Doctor has lied to them. When Barbara and John turn up, the Doctor convinces the men they are a victory party celebrating the glorious human victory. They head to the aqueduct's exit. Barbara surreptitiously contacts the Sensorites to position themselves at the mouth of the aqueduct with their weapons, where they seize the humans.

Afterwards, at the palace, the First Elder has given permission for Maitland to take the astronauts back to Earth where they can receive medical treatment and announces that the Administrator has been banished to the outer wastes of the Sense-Sphere for his crimes, never to return. The TARDIS lock has also been replaced and the travellers are free to leave.

Some time later, in the TARDIS, the travellers are watching on the scanner an image of the spaceship disappearing into space on its way back to Earth. Ian comments that at least Carol, John and Maitland know where they are going. This angers the Doctor, who says that wherever they land next, he is leaving Ian there.

Cast

Sensorites

Uncredited cast

Double for First Sensorite - Anthony Rogers

Notes

Anthony Rogers and Gerry Martin played other Sensorites from "Hidden Danger" to "A Desperate Venture", and "Hidden Danger" to "Kidnap" respectively; and are credited on-screen — but not in Radio Times — under the heading 'and', with no specific role credited, other than being a sub-header of Sensorites.
For "The Unwilling Warriors", Ken Tyllsen and Joe Greig are credited as "1st Sensorite" and "2nd Sensorite", rather than "First" and "Second" under the heading 'Sensorites'.
For "A Race Against Death", Ken Tyllsen and Joe Greig are credited as "First Scientist" and "Second Scientist" on-screen; and as "First" and "Second" under the heading 'Scientists' in Radio Times, with Peter Glaze and Arthur Newall also mistakenly credited as "Third" and "Fourth" under this heading instead of 'Sensorites'. (The heading 'Scientists' appeared only in the Radio Times programme listing for "A Race Against Death", alongside that of 'Sensorites', and not on-screen.) Ken Tyllsen is credited on-screen as "First Scientist" for "A Race Against Death", and as "Scientist" for "Kidnap".
Anthony Rogers doubles, uncredited, for 1st Sensorite at the end of "Strangers in Space".^[1] It appears this was done to avoid paying Ken Tyllsen an extra episode fee — which was the exact same reason why Mark Hardy (Cyber-Lieutenant) was kept out of the closing moments of Earthshock part one.

Crew

Associate Producer - Mervyn Pinfield^[2]
Costumes - Daphne Dare
Designer - Raymond P. Cusick
Director - Mervyn Pinfield ("Strangers in Space" to "A Race Against Death"), Frank Cox ("Kidnap" to "A Desperate Venture")
Incidental Music (composed and conducted by) - Norman Kay
Make-Up - Jill Summers
Producer - Verity Lambert
Story Editor - David Whitaker
Title Music - Ron Grainer with the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
Writer - Peter R. Newman

Uncredited crew

Special Sound - Brian Hodgson^[3]
Theme Arrangement - Delia Derbyshire^[4]
Vision Mixer - Clive Doig^[5]
Studio Lighting - Peter Murray^[6]
Studio Sound - Jack Brummitt, Les Wilkins^[6]
Production Assistant - David Conroy^[6]
Assistant Floor Managers - Val McCrimmon, Dawn Robertson^[6]

References

Susan has greater telepathic abilities than the Doctor seems to be aware of.
The Doctor and Susan encountered telepathic plants on the planet Esto.
The Doctor mentions 19th century fashion plate Beau Brummell, claiming that he always told him he looked better in a cloak.
The Doctor once argued with Henry VIII because he wanted to be sentenced to the Tower of London, where the TARDIS was.

Story notes

All episodes exist as 16mm telerecordings.
The working title of this story was Mind Control.
Negative film prints of all episodes were recovered from BBC Enterprises in 1978.
Jacqueline Hill does not appear in "A Race Against Death" and "Kidnap" as she was on holiday when these episodes were recorded, though she was still credited both on-screen and in Radio Times.
This story was nearly cancelled as a result of a studio dispute.
"Strangers in Space" is one of the few episodes in the entirety of the classic era that features a shot of the TARDIS crew exiting the TARDIS through the interior doors with the camera directly following them outside. A similar shot was present in TV: Twice Upon a Time.
Although scheduled for 5:15 on 27 June 1964, "The Unwilling Warriors" was transmitted approximately twenty-five minutes late due to the BBC's sports programme Grandstand being extended to give additional coverage to the Wimbledon Tennis Championship. The following week, "Hidden Danger" was postponed for one week due to Grandstand again being extended on 4 July 1964: this time to give additional coverage to the Women's Singles Final of the Wimbledon Tennis Championship and the third of the four-match England -v- Australia Ashes Test cricket series.^[7] A short note headed Dr. Who was printed in the Radio Times programme listings page of 4 July 1964 to remind viewers of the postponement: "As Grandstand has been extended to cover today's important sporting events, this week's episode of the serial has been postponed until next Saturday at 5.15". (original published text)
Ken Tyllsen and Joe Greig are credited as "1st Sensorite" and "2nd Sensorite" for "The Unwilling Warriors", and as "First" and "Second" under the heading "Sensorites" for "Hidden Danger".
Peter Glaze (Third) and Arthur Newall (Fourth) are erroneously credited under the heading "Scientists" instead of "Sensorites" in Radio Times for "A Race Against Death". (The heading "Scientists" appeared only in the Radio Times programme listing, alongside that of "Sensorites".)
Ken Tyllsen (First Scientist) and Joe Greig (Second Scientist) are credited as "First" and "Second" under the heading "Scientists" in Radio Times for "A Race Against Death".
A black-and-white head-and-shoulders photograph of Carole Ann Ford accompanied the Radio Times programme listing for "Kidnap", the accompanying caption of which also mentioned Ford's appearance on the popular music panel game show Juke Box Jury (1959-1967, 1989-1990) that very same evening, and which would follow the episode on transmission: "Carole Ann Ford joins Dr. Who at 5.15, and takes time out from her journeys in space to do Juke Box Jury service at 5.40". (original published text)
Designer Raymond Cusick used almost all curves — eliminating right and straight angles — in his designs for the sets of the Sensorites' City, feeling that this would give a more alien look. Cusick drew inspiration from the Spanish artist Antoni Gaudí, who rarely used right angles in his work.
Russell T Davies has acknowledged the Sensorites as an influence on the basic concept of the Ood. Computer readouts (and a mention by Davies in an episode commentary) revealed that the Ood Sphere and Sense Sphere are part of the same star system.
For decades, Doctor Who fandom was unable to discover much about the story's writer, Peter R. Newman. It was not until production of supplementary features for the 2012 DVD release that facts such as his exact dates of birth and death and his general biography became known. (DOC: Looking for Peter)
Peter R. Newman based the story on time he spent in a Japanese POW Camp in World War II. He was inspired by 1950s films set during World War II, exploring the notion of soldiers who continued to fight after the war. Curiously, Susan's belief that it is "a better thing to travel hopefully than arrive," paraphrases the titles of "Part One" and "Two" of the James Bond spy novel set in Japan, You Only Live Twice.
This serial is the first depiction of the TARDIS materialising aboard a spaceship or a vessel of any kind, although it was transported by cart after arrival in Marco Polo.
The Doctor loses his original coat, which is ripped when he is attacked by an unseen figure in the aqueduct at the start of "Kidnap", and replaces it with a cloak — marking the first permanent costume change for the Doctor in the series.
This story features the first occurrence of the Doctor's low opinion on the use of weapons.
Frank Cox envisioned the Commander akin to Ben Gunn from Treasure Island, and cast John Bailey after seeing him in a production of Pygmalion in April 1962.
Martyn Huntley and Giles Phibbs were friends from drama school who knew the director's secretary and were scheduled an interview.
Raymond Cusick designed the spaceships sets to resemble the 1940s Dakota military aircraft.
The Sensorite masks, created by costume designer Daphne Dare and make-up artist Jill Summers, were designed for short actors; Dare designed them to look like wise old men. Mouth flaps were concealed beneath the creatures' beards to allow the actors to speak. The Sensorites' feet were created by stretching out pieces of circular card at the end of the costume, making it difficult for the actors to walk.
The hand tools used by the creatures were designed by Shawcraft Models.
To achieve the effect of the spaceship rolling on its axis, the camera was rocked erratically.
Action figures of Sensorites were created by Fine Art Castins in 1985, Harlequin Miniatures in 1999/2000, and Eaglemoss in December 2015.
The final insert shot of Maitland's spaceship heading back to Earth was recorded by Henric Hirsch, who directed the following story, The Reign of Terror.

Influences

Yangtze Incident.
Fireball XL5 (xenophobic dome-heads).
The caste system of Sensorite society seems to reflect that of Plato's Republic.

Ratings

"Strangers in Space" - 7.9 million viewers
"The Unwilling Warriors" - 6.9 million viewers
"Hidden Danger" - 7.4 million viewers
"A Race Against Death" - 5.5 million viewers
"Kidnap" - 6.9 million viewers
"A Desperate Venture" - 6.9 million viewers

Myths

The humans responsible for poisoning the water supplies were part of a group called INEER. (The letters INEER on the badge Ian rips from the man's uniform are clearly the end of the word "Engineer". Nor are the men members of an organisation called INNER (INterstellar Navigation, Exploration and Research); this concept was added by Nigel Robinson for the novelisation.)
Arthur Newall appeared in Doctor Who as a Dalek. (Newall was never a Dalek operator.)

Filming locations

BBC Television Centre Studio (TC3)
Lime Grove Studios (Studio D)

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.

During "Strangers in Space" while the Doctor is delivering his lines the camera hits the table in front of him.
The drill marks are visible before Maitland starts to use the drill.
In some scenes, the walls are visibly unstable.
Towards the end of "Strangers in Space", the Doctor calls Ian 'Cheston'.
In "Hidden Danger", while Susan is talking about the taste of the fruit, a boom mike can be briefly glimpsed over a Sensorite servant.
Two more boom mikes are sighted in "A Race Against Death": one is seen over the Doctor just as he says "I think he's getting better" and another one is seen over the First Elder as Susan says "May I do that?"
The Doctor calls Maitland "John" in "Strangers in Space".
In "A Race Against Death", after hearing the Doctor has found a cure, the First Elder tells the Second Elder to "Give my Doctor the congratulations on the progress." Supposedly, the "my" was supposed to be "the".
When Ian sees the Sensorite in space at the end of "Strangers in Space", its hands are pressed against the window, but at the start of "The Unwilling Warriors" its hands are not pressed on the window or visible at all, its arms are along its body and it patently wears a costume. The Sensorite at the end of ''Strangers in Space'' also looks nothing like the same one at the start of ''The Unwilling Warriors''
The note Carol is forced to write and hand to the City Administrator is different to the one Barbara is reading in the next scene.
A woman's voice reciting numbers can be heard in the background of one scene in which Susan speaks with a Sensorite. The DVD release explains this was audio of a production assistant calling out camera shots which somehow was overheard by the studio microphones (possibly from an unattended set of live headphones in the studio).
In "Strangers in Space", the Doctor and Maitland react to a sound effect that isn't actually heard.
In "A Desperate Venture", when the Doctor and Ian are in the tunnels, he reads the shoulder flash they find as "I-N-N-E-R", but the camera tilts to show a prop that says "I-N-E-E-R".

Continuity

The Doctor and his companions speak of how a simple trip turned into one big adventure, saying "it all started as a mild curiosity in a junkyard". They recount going to prehistoric times (TV: An Unearthly Child) and Marinus, (TV: The Keys of Marinus) and meeting Daleks, (TV: The Daleks) Marco Polo (TV: Marco Polo) and Aztecs. (TV: The Aztecs)
The Tenth Doctor visited the Ood Sphere, located in the same star system as the Sense Sphere. (TV: Planet of the Ood)
The Doctor first mentions his dislike of weapons, which he very prominently points out at various later points in his life. (TV: The Sontaran Stratagem, The Doctor's Daughter, The End of Time, et al.)
The Eighth Doctor's former companion Lucie Miller encountered the Sensorites during her travels with the Monk. She later told the Doctor that they were "not as much as a laugh" as the "well bonkers" Roman Emperor Caligula. (AUDIO: The Resurrection of Mars)
The First Doctor previously met the Sensorites when they attempted to kill him. With the help of Amy and Tony Barker, he was able to scare them off and escape. (PROSE: The Monsters from Earth)
The Doctor and Susan's home planet is similar to Earth, but the night sky is burnt orange and the tree leaves are bright silver. The Tenth Doctor later quoted Susan's description almost word-for-word when describing Gallifrey to Martha Jones. (TV: Gridlock)

DVD, video and audio releases

DVD release

The DVD release occurred in the UK on 23 January 2012, followed by the North American release on 14 February. As with most releases from this era, the episodes have been reprocessed digitally using the VidFIRE process to simulate the original videotaped look of the original broadcasts.

Special features:

Audio commentary by actors William Russell (Ian), Carole Ann Ford (Susan), Joe Greig (Second Sensorite), Martyn Huntley (First Human), Giles Phibbs (Second Human), director Frank Cox, designer Raymond Cusick, and make-up designer Sonia Markham, moderated by Toby Hadoke
Looking for Peter (21 min.): documentary hosted by Toby Hadoke in which he and researcher Richard Bignell attempt to learn more about the enigmatic writer of The Sensorites, Peter R. Newman.
Vision On (7 min.): Clive Doig discusses the role of the vision mixer in making early Doctor Who episodes, including footage and discussion of studio mishaps that occurred on screen.
Secret Voices of the Sense-Sphere (2 min.): a companion piece to Vision On. Clive Doig explains the origin of a mysterious female voice heard reciting numbers in the background of one scene.
PDF materials: Radio Times listings and original design drawings
Photo gallery
Production notes subtitles
Trailer for the Revisitations 3 box set (The Tomb of the Cybermen, The Three Doctors, The Robots of Death)

Region 2 UK cover
Region 4 Australian cover
Region 1 US cover

Video release

This story was released as Doctor Who: The Sensorites.

UK Release: November 2002 / US Release: October 2003

PAL - BBC Video BBCV7276

NTSC - Warner Video E1852

It was released as part of The First Doctor Collection boxset in the UK - BBCV7278.

It was released as part of The End of the Universe Collection in the US as well as being released separately.

The Sensorites VHS UK Cover
The First Doctor VHS UK Box Set Cover
The Sensorites VHS AUS Cover
The First Doctor VHS AUS Box Set Cover
The Sensorites VHS US Cover
The End of the Universe VHS US Box Set Cover

Editing for the VHS release was completed by the Doctor Who Restoration Team.

Digital releases

This story is available:

for streaming through BritBox (US) as part of Season 1 of Classic Doctor Who.

Audio releases

This story was released on CD by BBC Audio in July 2008 with linking narration and a bonus interview with William Russell.
This story was re-released in September 2013 as part of the box set The TV Episodes - Collection Six.
A vinyl version was released by Demon Records on 26 August 2022.

CD release
The TV Episodes - Collection Six
Vinyl

External links

Footnotes

↑ The Television Companion, page 28
↑ Mervyn Pinfield was uncredited for "Strangers in Space" to "A Race Against Death", which he directed, as there was a rule at the time that production team members could only be credited once on-screen. (INFO: "Kidnap")
↑ INFO: "Strangers in Space" credits Brian Hodgson as providing sound effects, though the exact credit "Special Sound" is not given on-screen for any episode.
↑ INFO: "The Forest of Fear"
↑ DOC: Vision On
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 ^6.2 ^6.3 BBC Official Site
↑ Howe, David J., Stammers, Mark, Walker, Stephen James, 1992, Doctor Who: The Sixties, Doctor Who Books, an imprint of Virgin Publishing Ltd, London, p.34

[1] The Television Companion, page 28

[2] Mervyn Pinfield was uncredited for "Strangers in Space" to "A Race Against Death", which he directed, as there was a rule at the time that production team members could only be credited once on-screen. (INFO: "Kidnap")

[3] INFO: "Strangers in Space" credits Brian Hodgson as providing sound effects, though the exact credit "Special Sound" is not given on-screen for any episode.

[4] INFO: "The Forest of Fear"

[5] DOC: Vision On

[BBC_Official_Site-6] 6.0 ^6.1 ^6.2 ^6.3 BBC Official Site

[7] Howe, David J., Stammers, Mark, Walker, Stephen James, 1992, Doctor Who: The Sixties, Doctor Who Books, an imprint of Virgin Publishing Ltd, London, p.34

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