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Synopsis
The TARDIS arrives in the year 2540 on board an Earth spaceship, which then comes under attack. The crew perceive the Doctor, Jo and the attackers as Draconians, whose empire currently rivals Earth's for control of the galaxy. The Doctor and Jo, however, see that the attackers are really Ogrons.
The Ogrons stun everyone on board and steal the ship's cargo - including the TARDIS. Accused by the Earth authorities of spying for the Draconians, the Doctor is sent to a penal colony on the Moon while Jo is placed in the custody of a Commissioner from Sirius 4 - actually the Master. The Master rescues the Doctor and locks him and Jo up aboard a stolen police spaceship.
Once in flight, the ship is intercepted by the Draconians. Taken to Draconia, the Doctor is able to convince the Emperor of the Master's scheme to provoke a war using the Ogrons and a hypnotic device that makes those affected see whatever they most fear.
Jo is recaptured by the Master and taken to the Ogrons' home planet, where he also has the Doctor's TARDIS. The Doctor follows with General Williams - an emissary from the President of Earth - and a Draconian Prince. Behind the Master's plot are the Daleks, who want a war to break out so that they can invade in the aftermath. The Doctor and his party are placed in the Master's custody as the Daleks leave to prepare their forces, but they manage to escape.
Williams and the Draconian Prince depart to warn their respective peoples of the Daleks' intentions. The Doctor, though, is injured in the confusion. Jo helps him into the TARDIS, where he sends a telepathic message to the Time Lords...
Plot
to be added
Cast
- The Doctor - Jon Pertwee
- Jo Grant - Katy Manning
- The Master - Roger Delgado
- President of Earth - Vera Fusek
- General Williams - Michael Hawkins
- Draconian Prince - Peter Birrel
- Gardiner - Ray Lonnen
- Kemp - Barry Ashton
- Hardy - John Rees
- Stewart - James Culliford
- Newscaster - Louis Mahoney
- Draconian Space Pilot - Roy Pattison
- Secretary - Karol Hagar
- Professor Dale - Harold Goldblatt
- Patel - Madhav Sharma
- Prison Governor - Dennis Bowen
- Cross - Richard Shaw
- Sheila - Luan Peters
- Technician - Caroline Hunt
- Lunar Guard - Lawrence Harrington
- Draconian Captain - Bill Wilde
- Draconian Emperor - John Woodnutt
- Draconian Messenger - Ian Frost
- Earth Cruiser Captain - Clifford Elkin
- Ogrons - Stephen Thorne, Michael Kilgarriff, Rick Lester
- Congressman Brook - Ramsay Williams
- Newscaster - Bill Mitchell
- Pilot of Space Ship - Stanley Price
- Daleks - John Scott Martin, Cy Town, Murphy Grumbar
- Dalek Voice - Michael Wisher
Crew
- Assistant Floor Manager - John Bradburn
- Costumes - Barbara Kidd
- Designer - Cynthia Kljuco
- Film Cameraman - John Tiley
- Film Editor - John Bush
- Incidental Music - Dudley Simpson
- Make-Up - Sandra Shepherd
- Producer - Barry Letts
- Production Assistant - Nicholas John
- Script Editor - Terrance Dicks
- Special Sounds - Dick Mills
- Studio Lighting - Ralph Walton
- Studio Sound - Brian Hiles
- Theme Arrangement - Delia Derbyshire
- Title Music - Ron Grainer
- Visual Effects - Bernard Wilkie, Rhys Jones
References
- The Doctor has met the Draconians before.
- The Master reads a copy of H.G. Wells's The War of the Worlds.
- There are brief appearances of a Drashig, a Sea Devil and a mutant when the Master uses his fear machine on Jo.
- The Doctor once served as a delegate at the Third Intergalactic Peace Conference, though en route he got waylaid by Medusoids. Circa the year 2040, the Doctor helped the Draconians with a space plague and so they receive him as an honoured guest. He tells Jo the story of his trial by the Time Lords, his forced regeneration and his exile to Earth, though perhaps mainly as a way to conceal the fact that he meanwhile manages to cut his way out of an iron cell. The Master says that the Doctor "does not fear death".
- Under the influence of the Master's hypnosound device, Jo sees a Drashig, from the previous adventure. She mentions again the uncle that got her a job at UNIT and the lack of romance involved in it and the drudgery involved. Friends and family think she goes on glamourous secret agent missions. She compares the Brigadier, unfavourably, to James Bond. (Like the Doctor, she appears to have a monologue in order to cover the Doctor's escape.)
- In a moment of leisure, the Master relaxes with a copy of the H.G. Wells novel The War of the Worlds. He characterizes the Daleks, his ostensible allies, privately, as "stupid tin boxes".
Story Notes
- This story had the working title: Frontiers in Space
Ratings
- Episode 1 - 9.1 million viewers
- Episode 2 - 7.8 million viewers
- Episode 3 - 7.5 million viewers
- Episode 4 - 7.1 million viewers
- Episode 5 - 7.7 million viewers
- Episode 6 - 8.9 million viewers
Myths
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Filming Locations
- Hayward Gallery, Belvedere Road, Lambeth, London
- Fitzroy Park, Highgate, London
- Beachfields Quarry, Cormongers Lane, Redhill, Surrey
Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors
to be added
Continuity
- The conclusion of this story ends on a cliffhanger leading straight into Planet of the Daleks.
- Legacy of the Daleks is set (for the Master) after this story.
- Love and War is most likely set after this story when Earth and Draconia are in relative peace.
DVD, Video and Other Releases
to be added
Target Novelisations
- Novelised as Doctor Who and the Space War by Malcolm Hulke in 1976.
See also
to be added
External Links
- BBC Frontier in Space page
- Outpost Gallifrey Frontier in Space page
- Frontier in Space detailed sypnosis at Doctor Who Reference Guide
- A Brief History of Time (Travel) Guide to Frontier in Space
