The Three Doctors (TV story)

The Three Doctors was the groundbreaking first story of the anniversary season 10 of Doctor Who. The serial marked several milestones for the program. Most notably, it was the first multi-Doctor story, establishing the concept of the Doctor being able to meet his past incarnations. As such, it also marked the return of William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton to the role of the Doctor. Narratively, this tenth anniversary special also ended the three year long story arc of the Third Doctor being exiled to Earth, which had begun in season 7 in 1970. Additionally, the special saw Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and Sergeant Benton enter the Doctor's TARDIS for the first time and discover it was bigger on the inside.

Though Troughton eagerly made more reappearances in multi-Doctor stories, this was the last time Hartnell appeared as the First Doctor, and his only multi-Doctor outing. He had been suffering from arteriosclerosis and his condition was beginning to heavily deteriorate from the terminal sickness. His wife advised against a physically demanding role out of concern for his failing health. For this reason, Hartnell's role in the story was limited to recorded pieces from a chair in Ealing Television Film Studios. He was given cue cards to assist him, after a history of misreading his lines due to the effects his disease had on his memory. Nearing the end, William Hartnell succumbed to his illness only two years later.

Synopsis

Time itself is in peril! The Time Lords find themselves besieged by a mysterious enemy. Vital cosmic energy is draining into a black hole, and the Doctor is their only hope. Trapped in the TARDIS, however, he's powerless. The only way out is to break the First Law of Time to let the Doctor help himself — literally...

Plot

Episode one

On Earth, a small orange device is found on a grassy bank. Arthur Ollis, the warden of the bird sanctuary, walks over to it and bends down to examine it. A Land Rover arrives at the cottage where Mr Ollis lives. A man steps out and knocks on the door. Mrs Ollis opens the door and the man introduces himself as Doctor Tyler. He asks her about the device, and she tells him her husband is looking after it. The device is carrying an unusual energy blob that seems intent on capturing the Third Doctor. Tyler goes over to the area, and he and Mr Ollis site each other. Suddenly, there is a crackling noise from the device, and when Mr Ollis bends down to examine it, he vanishes. The birds fly off in panic. Doctor Tyler gets back in his Land Rover and asks to be put through to UNIT. He heads off to UNIT HQ and when he arrives, he meets with the Brigadier, the Doctor and Jo Grant. Tyler tells the Brigadier what happened, and he tells him^[who?] that he and the Doctor will be happy to help him. When Jo asks him what the box is for, he tells her it is for cosmic ray research. Tyler explains that even though he's not NASA, he still gets the results. Jo asks why the balloons are still being used. Doctor Tyler tells her that inside the device is the most advanced cosmic ray monitoring device between here and Cape Kennedy. Doctor Tyler tells the Brigadier he was going to contact UNIT for help. Doctor Tyler shows the Doctor some results which surprise the Doctor.

The Brigadier asks if there is anything they can do; at the Doctor's request, he hands a silicon rod to the Doctor, who proceeds to stir his tea with it. The Brigadier then specifies if there is anything UNIT can do about the space lighting. The Doctor tells him there is some sort of compressed light that travels faster. When the Doctor asks if the machine is working properly, Doctor Tyler tells him it is, but he hasn't developed the latest plate yet. The Doctor tells him to develop it at once and then let him know. The Doctor and Jo go off to look for the balloon, and Tyler tells the Brigadier he will be fine. He tells Tyler to make himself at home. When the Brigadier has gone, Doctor Tyler develops his plate but is horrified to see Mr Ollis' face. As Tyler goes to dismantle the box, the crackling sound is heard again, and Doctor Tyler mysteriously vanishes, while a strange organism emerges from the box and heads down the nearby sink plughole.

Meanwhile, Mrs Ollis is showing the Doctor and Jo the spot where her husband vanished. She then tells them the box had been there this morning, and that someone has already gone to collect it. The Doctor asks her if she has seen her husband since this morning. She says she hasn't. She tells them it's typical for him to go off on his own, but that he is always back in the evening. She says she will go and look for him if they like. The Doctor and Jo return to Bessie. Jo asks if it is important, and the Doctor tells her it is, "It's more important than I thought". Back at UNIT HQ, the Brigadier enters the lab with a full set of reports for Doctor Tyler. But he discovers Tyler has vanished. The Brigadier meets Sergeant Benton and asks him to find Doctor Tyler.

The anti-matter encroaches on Bessie, hunting the Doctor.

Outside, the Doctor and Jo are driving back to UNIT in Bessie. But as they get out, the organism appears. The Doctor orders Jo to get well back. They both run, and Bessie vanishes in a flash of light. The Doctor and Jo return to the lab, and the creature slides into the drain. In the lab, the Brigadier is waiting for Doctor Tyler when Sergeant Benton arrives and tells the Brigadier that Doctor Tyler is missing, and that there was an explosion in the garage. The Doctor comes in and clarifies that it was actually a flash of light. He tells the Brigadier that the drain needs guarding. Benton gives him a strange look, but the Brigadier insists. Benton goes off to guard it.

The Brigadier tells the Doctor that Mrs Ollis called, saying her husband has not returned. He then tells him they have 1500 acres to cover. The Doctor tells him they don't have to look further because he has already found Mr Ollis — on the plate that Doctor Tyler was developing. The Doctor proceeds to take his sonic screwdriver out and search the area around the box they collected. He gets the strongest reading at the bottom of the sink. The Brigadier hands Doctor Tyler's reports over to the Doctor. He reads them and discovers that Tyler was right, and someone has been scanning the Earth and taking an interest in UNIT. Jo reminds the Doctor that Bessie vanished. He also mentions the creature from the drain that was after them. It was a powerful organism with a very strong hunting instinct, directed at the Doctor.

The Brigadier is in disbelief that the whole problem was for the Doctor. When the Brigadier asks why it took Mr Ollis, the Doctor says it was confused. Tyler was in the Doctor's laboratory, so the creature mistook him for the Doctor. It then took Bessie because the Doctor was near her at the time. He says there is a link between the beam and the organism. The beam was how the creature got to UNIT. The Brigadier asks if they can find it, and the Doctor tells him that they don't need to. If they wait around, it'll find them.

Outside UNIT, a corporal stands next to a jeep. A new kind of creature covered in a rock-like coating appears. The creature starts advancing towards the corporal. Sergeant Benton arrives with more men and shoots the creature. However, it is immune to bullets, and it continues advancing. They also cause explosions. The Doctor notes that the creatures and the organism are from the same source, first the scout then the reinforcements.

Outside, Sergeant Benton realises that force is useless, and he contacts the Brigadier. The Brigadier orders a complete evacuation and afterwards, Benton must report to the lab. As the Brigadier leaves, the coloured organism emerges from a vent behind him. Benton climbs through the window. Suddenly, the creature enters the room, and "eats" a table. The three friends rush into the TARDIS. The Doctor switches the TARDIS force field on. Benton stands in awe but refuses to state the obvious, saying that nothing to do with the Doctor surprises him anymore. The Doctor tries to take off, but he can't. Someone is draining the power from the TARDIS. Considering it an emergency, the Doctor decides to contact his people, the Time Lords.

On the planet of the Time Lords, at the control centre, the President and the Chancellor know someone needs to help the Doctor. The Time Lords, however, have problems of their own: power drains. They are facing a force equal and opposite to their own. Unable to help the Doctor, they decide he can help himself. They summon enough energy to send the Second Doctor to help the Third.

In the TARDIS, the Third Doctor discovers a recorder that is strangely familiar, asking Jo if it belongs to her and handing it to her. The Second Doctor appears out of nowhere and accepts it, thanking Jo. He then proceeds to criticise the TARDIS's new look and marvel at their problem. Jo is confused, but Benton happily greets the first Doctor he met. Jo demands an explanation; the Doctor, lost for a clearer explanation, simply says, "He's one of me." The Second Doctor insists that, on the contrary, the Third Doctor is "one of me". The Third Doctor clarifies by bluntly stating that "I am he and he is me." Benton confirms the identity of the Second Doctor.

After Jo accepts the story, the Second Doctor explains why he's there. The Second Doctor believes their capabilities have been doubled, but the Third Doctor sneers it has been halved. Outside, the Brigadier and another UNIT soldier fire at the organism. Inside the TARDIS, the two Doctors make contact to catch the Second Doctor up. They muse silently for a minute, then the Second Doctor proceeds to play "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on his recorder. The Third Doctor is annoyed by this, which results in the two getting into an argument.

The Time Lords, exasperated that they're not getting along, send the First Doctor to keep them in order. He appears on the TARDIS's screen and, unimpressed with his future selves (calling them a dandy and a clown, and remarking that he knew they wouldn't have done anything yet), tells the other two Doctors it's a time bridge, to stop delaying, and cross it. Jo asks who that was. The Doctor answer in unison, "Me", then turn to each other and insist, "Me!" They flip a coin, with the Third Doctor losing, though the Second Doctor suspiciously never shows what side the coin had actually landed on. The Second Doctor switches off the TARDIS force field, and the Third goes outside. Jo follows him and, before he can stop her, they are both are engulfed in a blinding flash from the plasma creature in the UNIT laboratory...

Episode two

Friends reUNITed.

The Second Doctor warns Sergeant Benton not to go outside because the Third Doctor knows what he's doing; "At least I hope he does." Benton worries about the Third Doctor and Jo, but the Second Doctor assures him they've simply been transported somewhere else. The two of them marvel at the creature's sudden inaction. Benton wants to "take the opportunity to blow it to bits", but the Doctor insists on a subtler approach. They exit, peering at the organism.

The Brigadier appears, and the Doctor tells him to leave it alone because it's not dangerous at the moment. The Brigadier processes what he just saw, then turns and stares at the Doctor. Benton tells the Brigadier, "It's the first one." The Brigadier wonders why the Doctor changed his appearance back, and what happened to Ms Grant. The Doctor explains, but he doesn't believe him. The Doctor tells him that changing into "the tall thin fellow" hasn't happened to him yet, and that he's a temporal anomaly. The Brigadier insists that the Doctor mucked around and changed his face back but says he just wants Ms Grant back. The Doctor can't make any promises, so the Brigadier tells him to talk to his all-powerful superiors. The Doctor says they aren't all-powerful right now and that it's been left up to "me and me and me".

The Time Lords argue over the Doctor helping himself and the force they are combating. The limited power has resulted in limited success in transporting the First Doctor. The Second is helping UNIT, and the Third is in the black hole, which likely means he's dead.

The Third Doctor and Jo, clearly not dead, find themselves in a barren desert-like landscape. Meanwhile, the Second Doctor is at a loss with how to deal with the creature or contact the Third Doctor. However, the Doctor decides to "keep it confused" and harmless and wonders if he has a television set handy. On the barren world, the Third Doctor and Jo explore. They find debris from the lab, including Bessie and a trail of footprints. The two follow the footprints in Bessie.

In the UNIT lab, the Doctor and Benton have created a device to subdue the creature. The Brigadier appears. He wants the Doctor to explain everything to his superiors, who have been told by the Brigadier that the Doctor is the Third Doctor's assistant. They leave, but Benton disturbs the creature, and the device does not subdue it. The Brigadier and Doctor return and together they flee into the TARDIS. The Brigadier stands in awe. The Doctor says he'll get used to it. The Brigadier, however, believes the Doctor has been using UNIT equipment to build the TARDIS. The Doctor says they come like this.

The Third Doctor and Jo follow the footprints and find Doctor Tyler. The Doctor explains they are on a stable planet in the black hole, "an anomaly inside an impossibility". A mysterious man looks at a screen that depicts the three of them talking and orders a rock-like creature to bring his guests to him. The three are promptly interrupted by several of the creatures.

Inside the TARDIS, the Second Doctor concludes that his plan had the opposite effect because the creature is anti-matter. The Brigadier tells him to stop his nattering; the Doctor looks for his recorder. The Brigadier demands to be let out, but the Doctor explains that he can't. All they can do it think, and he needs his recorder to do so. In the anti-matter universe, the Third Doctor and his two companions are escorted into a palace.

The Second Doctor tries to augment the Brigadier's radio and comments that he envies the Third Doctor and the adventure he is probably having as he does so. The said Doctor is arguing with Tyler, who wants to make a break for it. Despite the Doctor's efforts to stop him, he does. Tyler ends up running in circles and ending up back where he started. In the TARDIS, the Brigadier tries out his augmented radio. The First Doctor appears on the screen. He confirms that the Time Lords are struggling. He tells the Second Doctor to take the force field down; when he asks why, the First Doctor merely tells him to use his intelligence.

UNIT HQ moves into the black hole.

In the anti-matter universe, the Doctor and Tyler conclude that their bodies have been processed so they can exist in the anti-matter universe, just like the organisms who could exist in UNIT's world. Meanwhile in the TARDIS, the Second Doctor says that he is taking the force field down, much to his companions' dismay. Benton points out that if he does so, the creature can get at the TARDIS. The Doctor replies, "Precisely," understanding why his previous self told him to do it, and does so. As he does so, the creatures outside of UNIT HQ disappear, followed by UNIT HQ itself. The UNIT soldiers fighting the beings are left standing in confusion, as UNIT HQ is transported into the black hole.

Episode three

The Doctors and Benton encounter Omega.

Meanwhile, on the planet, the Third Doctor, Jo and Doctor Tyler enter the throne room. Jo asks who brought them here, and a loud booming voice declares, "I did!" From the shadows steps the legendary Time Lord, Omega. He was the solar engineer who created the supernova that powers Time Lord civilisation, but he was considered killed in the explosion. In actuality, he had been transported to the antimatter universe, where his will and thought turned the formless matter into physicality. Trapped, due to the fact that his will is the only thing maintaining reality, he vowed revenge on the Time Lords who left him stranded. Omega sends Tyler and Jo away. While in the cell, they muse about the relationship between the Doctor and Omega. Elsewhere, Omega asks the Doctor for help in defeating the Time Lords, threatening death for the Doctor and his companions if he refuses.

In the TARDIS, the Second Doctor tells the Brigadier to prepare himself for a shock. Once leaving the shelter of the machine, the Doctor muses at how the headquarters came with the TARDIS. The Brigadier opens the door to find the barren anti-matter landscape and returns to the Doctor, upset that he's stolen HQ and they're in a new country. Benton tries to explain that they're in a different universe, but the Brigadier doesn't listen and leaves. The Doctor tries to look for his recorder, but he and Benton are chased off by a rock creature. Outside, the Brigadier encounters Mr Ollis. He explains that there were others here, but they were taken by the rock creatures. Right on cue, several appear, escorting the Doctor and Benton into Omega's palace.

Inside, the Third Doctor urges Omega to simply return to his spot on the Time Lord high council and do no more harm. Just then, the Second Doctor and Benton arrive. Omega demands to know who they are, but the Third Doctor insists they are innocent bystanders. Omega objects that the organism was programmed to seek out a Time Lord and proceeds to deduce that one of the two newcomers must be one. Because the Second Doctor does not fear him, he figures out that they are the same Time Lord. Omega is angered that they deceived him and sends them away. Outside, Ollis and the Brigadier fail to find any way in except the main entrance.

In the cell, the Doctors argue briefly until the companions rebuke them. They apologise. They also repeat the "me" escapade when Tyler inquires who the Second Doctor is. They also proceed to explain the Law of Singularity and how Omega is controlling the world with the pure force of will. Jo tells them they ought to be able to put their heads together to will up a door. They do so, leave, and tell their companions to stay put. Tyler says he wants to see the "singularity chamber" and follows, Benton and Jo close behind.

The Doctors arrive and discover a column of smoke. "Singularity!" they marvel. Omega suddenly appears, raving mad. They explain that they put their wills together to escape. Omega challenged the Third Doctor to fight the dark side of his mind.

Meanwhile, the companions lose track of the Doctors, as well as their way, but find their way out of the palace. As they leave, they run into the Brigadier and Ollis. Together, the five flee to Bessie and back to UNIT headquarters.

The Time Lords speak to the First Doctor, telling him all three Doctors are needed to defeat Omega. They send him into the black hole, using the last of their power.

Omega and the Third Doctor fight until the Third Doctor is thrown into a black void in the dark side of Omega's mind, helpless. Omega's avatar gets the Doctor in a stranglehold, and Omega declares, "Those who oppose the will of Omega shall not live! Destroy him!"

Episode four

The Second Doctor intervenes, telling Omega that if he kills the Third Doctor, he loses his only chance for freedom. Back in reality, the Second Doctor helps the Third Doctor to his feet. Omega reveals that he has summoned the Doctors here to take over the mental maintenance of the antimatter universe so he can escape. He tells the Second and Third Doctors that without him, there would be no time travel. He and the other Time Lords would be locked away in their own time. The two Doctors agree to take his place, as they have no choice, due to the fact Omega has complete control of this universe. Omega warns them about the corrosive effects of the black hole's singularity, and they will need outfits like his to resist the corrosion. He then asks them to help prepare him for his departure, starting with removing his mask. The two Doctors lift the mask portion of his helmet, only to discover something horrific enough for them to quickly lower the mask back on.

Upon Omega asking what is wrong, the Doctors reveal that years of exposure to the corrosive effects of the black hole's singularity have destroyed Omega's physical body — he is trapped forever. Omega walks over to a mirror and takes off his mask. He discovers that he hasn't got a head or a physical body. The Third Doctor states, "You exist only because your will says that you exist. And your will is all that is left of you." Omega bows his head and then lets out a insane cry. Driven over the edge by this discovery, Omega now demands that the Doctors share his exile.

The First Doctor forms contact with his future selves.

Both Doctors escape, making it back to the TARDIS. Once inside, they receive another message from the First Doctor, urging them to put their heads together and figure out how to outsmart Omega. After this psychic conference, they agree to remove the force field generator of the TARDIS. As the Second Doctor opens up the TARDIS console base to disconnect the apparatus, he exclaims at the sight of his lost recorder. However, the Third Doctor suggests that the recorder is even more important than the generator itself. Realising he intends to sacrifice his musical instrument, the Second Doctor protests until the Third Doctor promises to get him a replacement, even a thousand.

The Doctors contact Omega and discuss a means to satisfy him. They agree to meet him directly once more. Fearing that this could turn ugly, the Third Doctor tells Jo she must follow his orders without question, even if they betray her compassion. The Third Doctor pilots the TARDIS back to the singularity chamber, where the group exits the TARDIS. The Doctors then offer Omega a proposition. They will give him his freedom if they send the others back to the positive matter universe. Omega agrees, and the others begin to file out into the transporter Omega creates. Ollis and Dr Tyler depart, followed by a reluctant Benton. Jo, fearing she won't see him again, refuses to leave the company of the Third Doctor until he comforts her with a reminder to trust him. She enters the light beam, then the Brigadier gives the Doctors a salute and joins her. When everyone has departed save them, the Doctors offer Omega the force field generator containing the Second Doctor's recorder, which had fallen in it prior to the transport through the black hole. They tell him that it will grant him his freedom. The two Doctors try combining their wills to compel Omega to take the generator, but he just laughs at their efforts.

When the Third Doctor shouts at Omega to take the generator, Omega is angry at the Third Doctor for commanding him to do it. He knocks the generator over in a rage and the unconverted positive matter recorder falls out of the force field. The Second Doctor screams for his successor to run and the two make a break for the TARDIS. When the recorder comes into contact with the antimatter universe, it annihilates everything in a flash, returning the Doctors in the TARDIS to the positive matter universe.

The group returns to Earth inside UNIT HQ, with everything back where it was. Jo weeps over the apparent loss of her Doctor, while the Brigadier mourns the losses of both incarnations he knew. However, the TARDIS reappears in the laboratory, and the Doctors emerge, with Jo hugging the Third Doctor earnestly. They explain that because the recorder fell into the force field, it was not turned into antimatter, giving them a chance to escape and cause a reaction that turned the black hole into a supernova, igniting a brand new star for the Time Lords to use as an energy source. When Omega's will collapsed, it made all the objects that had ended up in his world return to their proper places. For the Doctors, it was the TARDIS, and for Ollis, the lakefront with his shotgun, explaining his absence.

The Doctor feels guilt for tricking Omega.

With the power now restored to the Time Lords, they are able to send the First and Second Doctors back to their respective time periods. The First Doctor appears on the TARDIS monitor one last time to bid his future incarnations farewell, fearing what they would do without his incarnation's intellect. The Second Doctor then gives a cheerful goodbye to his friends, old and new, and admits he enjoyed meeting his successor, though his future self jokingly hopes they won't meet again. The Second Doctor vanishes into thin air, to the amazement of Dr Tyler. The Brigadier and Benton leave the TARDIS to "make a full inventory of the HQ" and see if anything disappeared after these events. Benton questions him about what they would document the cause of the lost items if they found any, but the Brigadier simply tells him to come along, obviously using this as an excuse to get away from the madness he's been through. Dr Tyler also exits the TARDIS, jesting that he cannot write about this in any academic sense if he values his job.

Now that only he and Jo are still inside the TARDIS, the Third Doctor begins to have a moment in private, quietly regretting that he had to send Omega to his demise. Jo sees his remorse and assures him not to feel guilt because he had no other choice but this when Omega put everything in the universe at stake. The Third Doctor, wishing he could have found a way to release Omega of his fate in a humane way, explains that death was the only freedom anyone could offer Omega.

The Doctor's exile is finally lifted.

Fortunately, the Doctor is given a reason not to be dispirited over his actions when he hears the unmistakable hum of TARDIS materialisation technology inside his own TARDIS, and a familiar device appears on top of the time rotor. It is a new dematerialisation circuit for the TARDIS to replace the faulty one keeping him stuck on Earth. He also notices he can remember the dematerialisation codes for the device, and all his blocked memories have come back. The Time Lords have rewarded the Doctor for the feat of heroism he has demonstrated for the whole of his race by gifting him with this new circuit and restoring his knowledge of how to travel through space and time. The Doctor is happy that his people have forgiven him and granted him his freedom, but Jo sadly states that he'll probably be rushing off now. The Doctor assures her that he won't be leaving just yet, since he needs to construct a new force field generator.

Meanwhile, Ollis arrives home and his wife responsibly asks him where he has been. Ollis tells her she wouldn't believe him if he told her and asks if supper is ready.

Cast

Dr. Who - Jon Pertwee
Dr. Who - Patrick Troughton
Dr. Who - William Hartnell
Jo Grant - Katy Manning
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart - Nicholas Courtney
Sergeant Benton - John Levene
Omega - Stephen Thorne
Doctor Tyler - Rex Robinson
President of the Council - Roy Purcell
Mr. Ollis - Laurie Webb
Chancellor - Clyde Pollitt
Time Lord - Graham Leaman
Mrs Ollis - Patricia Prior
Corporal Palmer - Denys Palmer

Uncredited cast

Omega's champion - Alan Chuntz (DWM 260)
Gell guards - John Scott Martin, Cy Town, Murphy Grumbar, Ricky Newby (DWM 260)
UNIT soldiers - Pat Gorman, Terence Denville, Leslie Bates, Terry Sartain, David Billa, David Melbourne (DWM 260)
Time Lords - Anthony Lang, Peter Evans, Richard Orme, Lincoln Wright (DWM 260)

Crew

Writer - Bob Baker and Dave Martin
Producer - Barry Letts
Director - Lennie Mayne
Title Music - Ron Grainer and BBC Radiophonic Workshop
Theme Arrangement - Delia Derbyshire
Incidental Music - Dudley Simpson
Special Sounds - Dick Mills
Film Cameraman - John Baker
Film Sound - Bob Roberts
Film Editor - Jim Walker
Visual Effects Designer - Michaeljohn Harris
Costumes - James Acheson
Make-Up - Ann Rayment
Studio Lighting - Clive Thomas
Studio Sound - Derek Miller-Timmins
Script Editor - Terrance Dicks
Designer - Roger Liminton
Assistant Floor Manager - Trina Cornwell
Production Assistant - David Tilley

References

Cultural references from the real world

Jo makes a reference to the Beatles song "I Am the Walrus".
Jo refers to Omega's base as being "like Aladdin's cave."

Foods and beverages

The Second Doctor offers a Jelly baby to the Brigadier.

Time Lords

The Doctor's three selves have the power to have a "telepathic conference" amongst themselves, exchanging information at a rapid speed.

Story notes

This story had a working title of The Black Hole.
This story celebrates the start of the tenth season of Doctor Who on television.
This was William Hartnell's last appearance as the Doctor and his final ever performance as an actor before his death in 1975. Hartnell was too ill to play a more active role in the story. Instead, his scenes were filmed in Ealing Television Film Studios while he read his lines from cue cards. The script was rewritten with the explanation that the First Doctor was stuck in a time eddy due to the power drain caused by Omega. As for the brief scene where the Time Lords see the First Doctor on their monitor, that was filmed in William Hartnell's garden.
This is the first of three mainstream return appearances by Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor. His next two were in The Five Doctors and The Two Doctors.
- By extension, this is the only story featuring William Hartnell and the first for Patrick Troughton to still exist on the original master video tapes they were shot on. (Their runs as the stars of the show only exist as telerecordings.)
This is the first production in which the First Doctor's species is acknowledged as Time Lord, as all previous depictions of the character had been produced before the term was brought into use in The War Games.
This is the first appearance of Omega. Originally Omega's name was supposed to be Ohm, the word resulting from turning "WHO" upside-down. "Ohm" was later used as the name of an ancient Gallifreyan god in the novel The Infinity Doctors.
The original script, entitled Deathworld, had the Time Lords enlisting the three Doctors to battle a Federation of Evil led by Death.^{[source needed]} The idea of Death as an actual entity was later used in the Virgin New Adventures novels and Big Finish Doctor Who audio stories with Death as an Eternal who purposely arranges for the Seventh Doctor to be shot and die in 1999 San Francisco at the beginning of the television movie.
Original plans were for Jamie McCrimmon and Zoe Heriot to appear in the story. However, Frazer Hines was unable to take time out from Emmerdale Farm for filming, and the idea of additional companions received objections from Jon Pertwee, who felt too many characters would detract from the story.
This story featured a new redesigned TARDIS console room set by Roger Liminton. The one used in the previous story, The Time Monster, warped in storage and had a design which Barry Letts disliked.
This story marks the end of the Doctor's exile on Earth. This also marks the beginning of the gradual phasing out of UNIT on the series, as the Doctor spends more and more time away from 20th century Earth.
The Second Doctor offers the Brigadier a jelly baby. A few years later, the sweet was brought back as a regular favourite of the Fourth Doctor.
This was one of the stories chosen to be shown as part of BSB's Doctor Who Weekend in September 1990.
Footage from this episode would later be used in The Sarah Jane Adventures story Death of the Doctor as a flashback of Jo's time with the Doctor. This marks the first and only appearance of Patrick Troughton and William Hartnell in The Sarah Jane Adventures.
The story was repeated on BBC2 on consecutive evenings from Monday 23 to Thursday 26 November as part of the repeat season The Five Faces of Doctor Who, in order to tie-in with the programme's eighteenth anniversary. The Radio Times programme listing for the repeat transmission of episode two was accompanied by a black and white head-and-shoulders publicity shot of the Second, Third and First Doctors, with the accompanying caption "Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee and William Hartnell - The Three Doctors called in to save the Time Lords and the Universe from doom: 5.35".

Ratings

Episode one - 9.6 million viewers
Episode two - 10.8 million viewers
Episode three - 8.8 million viewers
Episode four - 11.9 million viewers

Myths

William Hartnell's scenes were filmed in the garage of his home against a black backdrop. (His scenes were actually filmed at Ealing Television Film Studios. His garden shed was used as a makeshift photo studio for a set of publicity shots for himself, Patrick Troughton and Jon Pertwee together. Several other publicity shots from the same session, as well as the scene of the Doctor in a garden as seen on the Time Lords' monitor, were shot outside in Hartnell's garden)
The scene in which the Second Doctor was shown in black and white on the Time Lords' monitor originated from the (now lost) 1967 serial, The Macra Terror. (While The Macra Terror did still exist at the time, as did every single episode of Doctor Who bar "The Feast of Steven", the footage that appeared on the Time Lords' monitor was actually a specially filmed shot.)

Filming locations

Summerfield Bungalow in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire served as the Ollis's cottage. The bird sanctuary was actually Springwell Reservoir, also in Rickmansworth.
Exterior scenes set in Omega's universe were filmed at Springwell Quarry.
Halings House in Denham Green, Buckinghamshire, served as the exterior of UNIT HQ.
The fight between the Third Doctor and Omega's dark side, as well as the First Doctor's scenes, were filmed at Ealing Television Film Studios.
Model shots were filmed at the BBC Television Centre Puppet Theatre, with all other scenes filmed at BBC Television Centre Studio 1.
Hartnell's garden was used for the shot where the Time Lords see the First Doctor on their monitor.

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.

There are shots that make it quite obvious that there is no interior to the TARDIS prop. Additionally, the doors in the back of the prop are often open enough to let in the distinct light from the window blinds behind it.
Just before the Second Doctor's arm appears, a boom mike drifts into the shot directly above John Levene.
When the Second and Third Doctor are observing the Brigadier open fire on the anti-matter creature outside on the scanner, the scanner itself still displays the repetitive flash and not an image of outside.
When UNIT HQ vanishes, there is grass where the building used to be.
When the gel creature is chasing Tyler, it bumps into a wall right before the cut to the next scene.
When they first disappear, the doors to the lab are open; however when the Doctor and Jo find them in the antimatter universe, they are locked.
When the Doctor and Jo find Bessie, her tyres are covered with white dust, showing she was driven into the quarry, not transported.
Although it is later revealed that Omega has no physical shape, the actor's mouth can be seen on several occasions, notably when he is working out who the Second Doctor is.
When the dark side of Omega's mind puts the Third Doctor in the hold that ends their battle, the positioning of his arms relative to Pertwee's changes between shots.
When the Doctors flee Omega's lair, they open the door, which is smooth on its outer surface. But outside shots reveal the door to be textured.
After Tyler, Ollis, Benton, Jo and the Brigadier step through the singularity transporter, their footsteps can still be heard after they have faded away, walking down the stairs on the opposite side. (The sound of Jo and the Brigadier's steps has been removed for the DVD release, though the footsteps of the preceding characters can still be heard.)
At the start of the scene in episode one in which the Second Doctor first appears in the TARDIS, a passing crew member can be seen reflected in the silvered strip along the side of the central column.
In some shots of the TARDIS's scanner when the First Doctor appears, reflections of moving cameras in the studio can be seen.

Continuity

The Second Doctor and the Brigadier both mention their battle with the Cybermen. (TV: The Invasion) The Brigadier also mentions his first meeting with the Doctor during the Yeti attack. (TV: The Web of Fear)
Mention is made of the two occasions the Doctor changed his appearance. (TV: The Tenth Planet, The War Games)
The Fifth Doctor later encounters Omega, who attempts to leave his anti-matter universe again and gain a new physical form. (TV: Arc of Infinity)
The Tenth Doctor references that his people "invented" black holes. (TV: The Satan Pit)
Black holes and collapsing stars are shown to be integral power sources in Time Lord society and technology. (TV: The Deadly Assassin, Doctor Who, Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS)
Some Time Lord devices appear to be either named after or connected with Omega, such as the Hand of Omega (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks) and the Omega Arsenal. (TV: The Day of the Doctor)
When he was returned to his TARDIS by the Time Lords several hours after having vanished in front of his companions Vicki Pallister and Steven Taylor, the First Doctor had only vague memories of this incident which involved "a dandy and a clown". (PROSE: The Empire of Glass)
Although his memories of meeting his future self and defeating Omega quickly faded after being returned to his timestream and reunited with his companions Jamie McCrimmon and Zoe Heriot, the Second Doctor did remember that he had lost his recorder and went to a music shop on Amber Station to buy a new one. (PROSE: Briefly Noted)
The Second Doctor plays "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on his recorder. He had previously done so while in the Det-Sen Monastery in Tibet in 1935. (TV: The Abominable Snowmen)
The Second Doctor does not like the way his future self has "re-decorated" "his" TARDIS. He would later make a similar comment about the redecorated UNIT headquarters. (TV: The Five Doctors) Much later, the Fifth Doctor made a similar criticism when meeting the Tenth. (TV: Time Crash). The Tenth Doctor made the same remark with the Eleventh Doctor's second console room. (TV: The Day of the Doctor) Clara says the same to the Twelfth Doctor after he's changed his TARDIS interior. (TV: Deep Breath)
The Second Doctor recognises Benton from their adventure with the Cybermen, although he assumes him still to be a Corporal. (TV: The Invasion)

Home video and audio releases

DVD releases

This story was released as Doctor Who: The Three Doctors.

Released:

Region 2 - 24 November 2003

PAL - BBC DVD BBCDVD1144

Region 4 - 12 November 2003
Region 1 - 2 March 2004

NTSC - Warner Video E1925

Contents:

Pebble Mill at One - Bernard Wilkie and Patrick Troughton interviews from Christmas 1973.
Blue Peter - Jon Pertwee and the Whomobile in the studio.
BSB - Excerpts from BSB '31 Who' weekend.
PanoptiCon 93 - Jon Pertwee, Katy Manning and Nicholas Courtney on stage at PanoptiCon '93
Trailers
Photo Gallery.
Production Subtitles
Commentary: Nicholas Courtney, Katy Manning and Barry Letts

Notes:

Editing for the DVD release was completed by the Doctor Who Restoration Team.
It was also released in the UK in a limited edition boxset, including a miniature Bessie model car.

Region 2 cover
Region 2 - special edition
Region 1 cover
Region 1 Special Edition
Region 4 cover
Region 4 Special Edition cover

A special edition of The Three Doctors DVD was in Revisitations 3 boxset in 2011. The special edition contained all the extras present in the 2003 DVD (excepts Panopticon '93), plus a making-of documentary, a documentary about the less popular period of Doctor Who ("When Doctor Who Was Uncool"), and "Girls, Girls, Girls - The 1970's", where Caroline John, Katy Manning, and Louise Jameson discuss their time on the show.

Digital releases

This story is available:

in iTunes Stores (Australia, Canada, France, Germany, UK and US) as part of the Doctor Who: The Classic Series collection Doctor Who: The Best of The Third Doctor, which additionally includes the stories Spearhead from Space, The Green Death and Planet of the Spiders;
in non-continental iTunes stores (Australia, Canada, UK and US) as a stand-alone season of Doctor Who: The Classic Series;
in BBC Store (UK);
on Amazon Video (UK) as Season 65 of Doctor Who (Classic) series;
on Amazon Video (US) as part of Season 10 of Doctor Who: The 50th Anniversary Collection, which additionally includes the story Carnival of Monsters;
for streaming through BritBox (US) as part of Season 10 of Classic Doctor Who.

The Three Doctors iTunes cover
Best of Third Doctor collection iTunes cover
BBC Store cover

Video releases

This story was released as Doctor Who: The Three Doctors.

Released:

First Release:

UK August 1991

PAL - BBC Video BBCV4650

US January 1992

NTSC - CBS/FOX Video 3405

NTSC - Warner Video E1100

Second Release: Exclusive to W H Smith as part of The Time Lord Collection.

UK September 2002

PAL - BBC Video BBCV7364

UK VHS - First release
UK VHS - WH Smith - Second release
UK VHS - WH Smith - Second release spine
US VHS cover
Australian VHS - first release
Australian VHS release part of box set
The Time Lord Collection AUS VHS Box Set release

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