The Caves of Androzani (TV story)

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Synopsis

The Doctor and Peri are caught in the midst of a power struggle between gun runners, a fiendish masked madman, government troops and crooked politicians over the precious mineral Spectrox.

Plot

The TARDIS arrives on Androzani Minor, the source of a life-prolonging drug refined from a substance called spectrox. Production of the drug is controlled by Sharaz Jek, a facially deformed madman in self-imposed exile who blames Morgus, a powerful industrialist on Androzani Major, for all his misfortunes.

Jek is fighting government troops sent to liberate the drug. His weaponry is being supplied by gun-runners secretly employed by Morgus, who receives payment from Jek in refined spectrox. This gives Morgus a monopoly of the drug on Major.

Jek ecnountered Peri and the Doctor, and fell in love with Peri, and saves her and the Doctor from being executed on Morgus's orders by government troops led by General Chellak. The two travellers escape after learning that they have contracted spectrox toxæmia, a fatal condition to which there is only one antidote - the milk from a queen bat, which the Doctor must obtain from the deep caves on Minor. Morgus, seeing his power base slipping away, travels to Minor.

In a climactic battle, Morgus, Jek and all the soldiers are killed. With moments to spare, the Doctor carries Peri back to the TARDIS, where he gives her all the milk that he has managed to collect. She recovers, but the Doctor has to regenerate to save his own life. However, he says that his regeneration feels "different" and isn't sure if he could. During his regeneration, he had a horrifying vision of the Master, who was trying to stop him. However, the Doctor fought and eventually managed to have regenerated into the Sixth Doctor.

Cast

Crew

References

  • Peri asks why the Doctor wears a stick of celery; it is a safety precaution. He is allergic to certain gases in the praxis range of the spectrum. "If the gas is present, the celery turns purple."
  • Spectrox toxaemia causes cramp, spasms, slow paralysis of the thoracic spinal nerve and finally thermal death.
  • The Doctor has been "this way before" and says that Androzani Minor "hasn't changed".
  • Morgus is (or was, before being deposed by Timmin) "the richest man in the Five Planets", chairman of the Sirius Conglomerate and a descendant of the first colonists.
  • During the regeneration sequence; Adric, Tegan Jovanka, Nyssa, Turlough, Kamelion and The Master are seen and heard.

Story Notes

  • Despite the title, the Doctor notes that the caves are in fact blowholes.
  • The maps of the caves shown on screen bear an uncanny resemblance to the video game Dig Dug.
  • This story had the working title of; Chain Reaction.
  • This is Peter Davison's final TV story, however he reprised the role on screen in Dimensions in Time and Time Crash.
  • The regeneration sequence features specially recorded cameos by Matthew Waterhouse, Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton, Mark Strickson, Gerald Flood and Anthony Ainley.
  • The closing credits to Part Four feature the face of new Doctor Colin Baker, and list him before Peter Davison.
  • Christopher Gable was not the first choice to play Sharaz Jek; among the actors offered the role were Tim Curry and David Bowie.
  • Colin Baker previously appeared (as Commander Maxil) in Arc of Infinity.

Influences

  • Frank Herbert's Dune (people being killed over a drug that extends life; the unstable "tripod of power" between the rulers of Androzani; the "mud blows" and Androzani Minor's generally arid climate)

Ratings

  • Part 1 - 6.9 million viewers
  • Part 2 - 6.6 million viewers
  • Part 3 - 7.8 million viewers
  • Part 4 - 7.8 million viewers

Myths

to be added

Filming Locations

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

  • The Fifth Doctor met the Tenth Doctor in Time Crash. So why was he so worried about his regeneration in this story? Generally, Doctors seem not to remember meeting their future incarnations (c.f. The Three Doctors, The Five Doctors, The Two Doctors); this is often attributed to the Blinovitch Limitation Effect or to Time Lord interference in their memories. Or, since he evidently remembered the events in Time Crash, perhaps his worry was caused by the fact that time was in flux and he didn't know whether the timeline leading to Time Crash would ever happen.
  • In one moment of the regeneration scene, the Doctor's head is on Peri's lap, in the next he is lying flat on the floor with Peri nowhere near him. (After the regeneration we see her crouched by the door). She was scared by the lights.
  • When Stotz is firing at Sharaz Jek at the conclusion of part Four, part of his gun splits in two and falls off. It could have been an old gun that was broken

Continuity

  • This leads straight into DW: The Twin Dilemma.
  • Part of BFA: Circular Time takes place during/in the lead up to the Doctor's regeneration.
  • Following this story, the Sixth Doctor goes through a brief period where he subconsciously blames Peri for his previous self's death, and tries to distance himself from her while telling himself he's working towards a greater good, until he finally realizes this in MA: Burning Heart.
  • In NA: Timewyrm: Revelation it is revealed that after the Fifth Doctor dies he becomes the Doctor's conscience., but is buried by the Seventh Doctor following his regeneration, Ace frees him though.

DVD, Video, and Other Releases

DVD Releases

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File:6r-dvd2.jpg

Released as Doctor Who: The Caves of Androzani, this release was the third of 2001.

Released:

PAL - BBC DVD BBCDVD1042
NTSC - Warner Video E1606

Contents:

Rear Credits:

Video Releases

6r-video.jpg

Released as Doctor Who: The Caves of Androzani.

Released:

PAL - BBC Video BBCV4713
NTSC - Warner Video E1183

Novelisation

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Main article: The Caves of Androzani (novelisation)

External Links

Template:Season 21

v • e
Aliens and Enemies of Season 21
Warriors of the Deep
Silurians (Icthar  • Scibus  • Tarpok)  • Sea Devils (Sauvix)  • Myrka  • Solow  • Nilson • Maddox
The Awakening
Frontios
Resurrection of the Daleks
Planet of Fire
The Caves of Androzani
The Twin Dilemma
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