Fury from the Deep (TV story)

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Fury from the Deep was the sixth and penultimate serial of season 5 of Doctor Who. It was the last regular appearance of Deborah Watling as Victoria Waterfield and concluded her overarching story arc by ostensibly giving her foster parents to replace the father she had lost in her introductory story, The Evil of the Daleks. It also saw the first appearance of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver.

Apart from several short clips, all six episodes are currently missing from the BBC Archives.

Announced at The Animations panel at London Comic Con 2019, a DVD, Blu-ray and Steelbook was released on 14 September 2020, featuring all six episodes reconstructed in animated format in both black-and-white and in colour.[1]

Synopsis

The TARDIS lands on the surface of the sea, just off the east coast of England. The time travellers use a rubber dinghy to get ashore, where they are shot with tranquilliser darts and taken prisoner by security guards as they have arrived in the restricted area of the Euro Sea Gas refinery.

At the refinery base, run by a man named Robson, the Second Doctor learns that there have been a number of unexplained problems with the pressure in the feed pipes from the offshore drilling rigs and a strange sound is reverberating through the pipeline. It is later revealed that one of the rigs has sucked up a parasitic form of seaweed, which is capable of releasing poisonous gas or a strange kind of foam that allows it to take control of the minds of those it touches.

The weed spreads rapidly and seems set on establishing a huge colony centred around the rigs. The Doctor makes the chance discovery that it is very susceptible to high pitched noise; consequently, he is able to use the amplified sound of Victoria's screams to destroy it. Victoria elects to stay with the family of one of the refinery workers, Harris.

The Doctor, although sharing Jamie's sadness at her departure, understands her decision to settle down to a quieter life.

Plot

Episode one

Above an expanse of open sea not far from the coast, the TARDIS materialises in mid air, slowly descending over the waves, before setting down gently on the surface of the water.

Moments later, the Doctor and his young companions Jamie and Victoria scramble out onto a rubber dinghy and row towards the shore.

Once there, the Doctor helps Victoria out of the dinghy onto the shingle beach. The Doctor says they must be in England — Jamie agrees, citing the weather as proof, and suspects that the TARDIS must be broken as it keeps returning them to Earth. The Doctor sees something in the distance and starts to walk off. Something further along the beach has caught the Doctor's attention. Jamie and Victoria follow him. Jamie notices a preponderance of foam lying around on the beach. He points this out to the Doctor. The Doctor scoops up a handful of foam. Playfully he shoves the foam into his companion's face. Soon enough all three are engaged in a high speed battle with foam flying in all directions as they run up and down the sand. Catching sight of something ahead, Jamie stops and points down the beach. He thinks it is the source of the foam and decides to investigate. Shaking off the foam, the three travellers make their way along the shore.

At last they reach a long steel pipe that curves up out of the sand and into the face of the cliff. It bears the legend Euro Sea Gas. The Doctor peers closely at a large black metal box that is fixed securely to the pipe. Tracing his fingers around the edges, he tries to find a way to open the box — to no avail. The Doctor produces a wand-like device he calls a sonic screwdriver and the screw securing the lid of the box rotates cleanly out of its thread. The Doctor investigates the inside of the box but is interrupted by a low rumbling. The Doctor replaces the lid, then, rummaging in his pocket, he pulls out a stethoscope and listens intently to the pipe. His brow furrows at the sound of a distant, faint, pumping heartbeat. Jamie and Victoria crowd closer to the Doctor. Victoria feels uneasy and feels they are being watched. The Doctor relents and moves on.

Unbeknownst to the Doctor and his colleagues, they are being watched. A small monitor screen displays an image relayed from the telescopic sight of a high powered remote controlled camera positioned high on the cliff. The image moves and the cross hair target settles on the Doctor.

A shot catches the Doctor in the shoulder, and he crumples to the sand. Victoria and Jamie rush to the Doctor's side. The weapon re-sights and then fires twice in quick succession, rendering them unconscious.

Some time later Victoria opens her eyes. She finds herself lying on the floor of a brightly lit room with two armed guards standing over her. When she tries to sit up she finds her limbs heavy and unresponsive. A low groan at her side tells her she's not alone. She wakes the Doctor and Jamie. The Doctor tries to get a response from the guards but to no avail. A scientist by the name of Robson enters and demands answers. The Doctor points out it is hard to answer questions when drugged. Robson administers the antidote. Robson suspects that the Doctor and his colleagues are saboteurs trying to interfere with the pipe network. Another scientist, by the name of Harris, tries to reason with him, but he orders Harris to lock them up. Harris explains that Robson has been under considerable stress recently as they have lost contact with one of their rigs — there has been no answer from the crew despite the video link functioning fine. Apologetically Harris says he now has to lock them up. Harris leads the way. Encouraged by two armed guards, the travellers follow him. Behind them on a control panel a warning light starts to glow.

Elsewhere in the complex, Harris' wife Maggie finds her route barred when she tries to leave the refinery compound. A guard demands over a speakerphone to see her pass; when Maggie can't show it, the guard tells her she should go back to the living quarters.

The Doctor and his companions are escorted to a tiny bunk room whilst the Doctor is still trying to persuade Harris to let them go. Harris wants to know what the Doctor was doing interfering with the pipe. The Doctor explains about the noise he heard. Harris states that it can't be marine life as they have eradicated the possibility of that. The Doctor suggests they shut off the gas and inspect the pipe. Harris says Robson would never agree to that. He is also intrigued by how much the Doctor seems to know about their operation.

In the control hall, technician Price calls Robson to the communication station. Price has regained contact with Rig B. On an awful line the leader of Rig B states, monotonously, that "everything is under control" and not to worry. He states the emergency crew sent by Robson needs to stay here as they have two men out of action. The communication breaks. Robson orders it to be sorted and turns away in disgust as Harris enters. Harris tells Robson the Doctor's theory and says they should turn off the gas and check. The conversation is interrupted by an engineer telling Robson that the pressure is dropping. Harris states this has been happening on and off for the last three weeks and states that this is proof of the Doctor's theory. As they argue, a briefcase lies open on the desk to one side. A white gloved hand removes some papers from the case. Robson, whilst still being confrontational, says he will look at Harris' findings but only to prove him wrong. Harris goes to get the file only to discover it is gone. Harris goes home to see if he's left it there.

In the bunk room, Jamie is standing on the Doctor's shoulders. He passes down a grille he has removed from an opening above the door. Jamie is going to try to pick the lock, but suddenly he slips. Victoria continues to work on the lock as Jamie sticks his head out into the corridor. He overhears a conversation between Harris and Maggie. Harris asks Maggie to get the report from their study and bring it to the control room. Bemused, Maggie watches her husband leave and then heads back to their living quarters. Unaware that Jamie has narrowly avoided being spotted, Victoria assumes the worst and thinks he's stuck. The Doctor gives Jamie a huge shove and he tumbles head first into the corridor outside. Momentarily stunned, Jamie staggers to his feet; behind him the door swings open as Victoria has picked the lock after all.

Maggie Harris returns to her apartment in the married quarters. Going through to the study, she searches for her husband's missing file. Eventually she finds it, although not in the drawer her husband had indicated. Picking it up, she's puzzled to see that something is tucked inside. Maggie flips open the file and then drops it with a start as she is suddenly stunned. It contains seaweed, which has stung her. Shocked, Maggie retrieves the file and the clump of seaweed from the floor. Crossing the room, she slides open the garden door and tosses the seaweed out onto the patio. Unseen the seaweed begins to bubble and writhe.

Van Lutyens, a member of the Dutch government, comes to Robson with his concerns regarding Rig B. Van Lutyens berates Robson for not informing the other rigs as it is affecting morale. Robson puts Van Lutyens in his place and strides away. From a walkway overlooking the control hall, the Doctor and his companions observe Van Lutyens storm off. Gesturing Jamie to keep quiet, the Doctor listens as Price answers an incoming call. It is Chief Baxter from the Control Rig. He informs Robson he thinks something has got into the pipes and is producing a regular, pulsating thumping noise "like a heartbeat". Hearing this, the Doctor and Jamie intend to go and investigate, sending Victoria back to the bunk room. Victoria reluctantly makes her way back to the bunk room but, as soon as the Doctor and Jamie are out of sight, she sets off in the opposite direction to do some exploring of her own.

In her apartment, Maggie is beginning to suffer ill effects from the seaweed sting. Feeling faint, she moves to the video phone and asks to contact her husband.

In the control hall Robson is advising the engineering checks when Harris asks Robson for permission to see his wife. Robson is reluctant but eventually relents.

Not far away, in a store room containing oxygen cylinders, someone wearing white gloves and a gas mask is tampering with the valves, allowing the contents to leak away. The saboteur stops in alarm when he hears someone outside.

Victoria is making her way cautiously along the corridor when she hears someone approaching. Panicking, she tries the nearest door and ducks inside. Inside the store room, the oxygen-rich atmosphere is stifling. Victoria moves further into the room, shutting off the open valve. A small sound behind her causes her to spin round in alarm. Someone is in the room with her. A tall thin gas-masked figure dashes past her and makes his escape. The door closes, and Victoria hears the sound of a key turning in the lock. Dashing to the door, she tries the handle. Resigned to her fate, Victoria sets to work on the lock. Out in the corridor, the saboteur activates the emergency ventilator control and then slips away. An electronic hum rises in the oxygen store, and Victoria is alarmed to see a metal grille in the wall swing open.

Meanwhile, the Doctor and Jamie creep past the control hall and into the room next door. The room is dominated by a large cylindrical machine, near to which an air lock leads to a loft platform above a shaft disappearing deep below the complex. Jamie eyes the machine with suspicion. The Doctor explains this is the main workings for the impeller, which pumps gas from out at sea. The Doctor leads Jamie through a door into the next room, a vast space housing a complex arrangement of pipes and pressure gauges. There is a raised observation platform at one end of the room. There is a small transparent section of the pipe for checking condensation...and anything else that might get inside.

Something in the pipes.

Victoria has had no luck with her hair pin and remains locked in the oxygen store. She begins to knock on the door, looking for help. Victoria suddenly becomes aware of a strange bubbling, popping noise coming from the far side of the room. As she turns, a mass of foam surges from the ventilator grille. Terrified, she backs away as she catches sight of something moving in the foam.

Back in the pipeline room, the Doctor has his stethoscope pressed to the main gas pipe. He can hear the same noise again. As they investigate, they hear the cry of Victoria through the pipe. The Doctor and Jamie dash out into the corridor. Victoria's screams can be heard all over the refinery compound, echoing around pipelines and along metal corridors, making it difficult to pinpoint her location.

Increasingly frantic, Victoria presses back against the door as the seething foam continues to pour through the grille. Tendrils of seaweed begin to slide through the vents, writhing and twisting and coming closer. Slowly the tendrils reach out to grab Victoria...

Episode two

The Doctor and Jamie find the oxygen store. They unlock the door and rush in. The foam is still pouring in from the ventilator shaft. They release Victoria. As she tells her horrifying tale, the Chief Engineer discovers the cylinders empty. Robson accuses the girl, but others point out the door was locked from the outside. The refinery crew note the presence of some kind of toxic gas in the room.

Harris has found Maggie at home, dazed. She can only barely remember being stung by the seaweed. Harris helps Maggie to lie down but suddenly, she sits up and looks in terror towards the window. They are unaware that the foam is bubbling and multiplying outside on the patio. Harris leaves to get help, even if it's from this mysterious Doctor. Suddenly, Maggie gets up and heads for the door that leads to the patio. She takes hold of the door handle, trying to decide whether or not to open it. With a swift movement, she swings open the door to see the foam bubbling away. She screams and swings the door shut.

Robson is told that the pump is slowing down, and the Doctor informs him of the movement he heard in the pipes. Van Lutyens says that this is the exact same sound heard on the rigs. Robson is convinced the movement heard is simply a mechanical fault. He absolutely refuses to stop the gas flow, even as the pressure continues to drop.

Meanwhile Jamie and Victoria are being told how the gas system works. They learn that the gas harvested here provides the energy for the whole of the South of England and Wales. There are seven minor rigs that feed the gas to a central rig that pumps the gas to the refinery. Their conversation is interrupted by Harris looking for the Doctor. Harris begs the Doctor to come and help his wife, but Robson curtly refuses to let him go. He eventually relents, seeing the look on Harris's face, and allows him an hour before he needs to return back.

Maggie, having recovered slightly, answers the doorbell to find Mr Oak and Mr Quill at the door. They are maintenance men who request access to her kitchen for an inspection. She tries to get rid of them but, when told it is on orders from Robson, reluctantly lets them in.

Mr Quill and Mr Oak

Van Lutyens and the Chief Engineer decide there must be something wrong with the impeller itself; pressure is either dangerously high or far too low. Van Lutyens fears an imminent explosion in one of the pipes. Van Lutyens implores Robson to turn the gas off, but Robson refuses, saying he will simply burn off the pressure.

At the Harrises' living quarters, Maggie's hands are over her face, shielding out the light. She goes to the dressing table and looks at her reflection in the mirror. In the kitchen, Oak and Quill continue their mock inspection of the gas oven. Oak notices that a seaweed-like growth is forming on the back of his hands. He smiles and covers his hands with a pair of white gloves, similar to those worn by Quill. They hear the thumping pulse and make their way to the patio. Quill opens the patio door and sees the foaming mass. Foam starts pouring into the study. Oak and Quill make their way to Maggie. Much to her terror, they loom over her and open their mouths, releasing a hissing noise. Maggie's screams of terror become coughs and gasps for air as she falls to the ground.

Robson impresses the crew by engineering the release of gas pressure, but the feed out to receiving stations is still dropping and the impeller still slowing down. Price reports that contact with Rig C has been lost. Harris brings the Doctor and friends to his home, but they discover Maggie unconscious, the house full of gas. Jamie picks up a chair and breaks a window. Van Lutyens again tries to reason with Robson, but Robson is full of contempt for him, Harris, and all the others trying to tell him his job. As they argue, the impeller grinds to a halt. The entire refinery is flooded with the heartbeat sound that has been masked by the sound of the machinery.

The Doctor states that Maggie is in a coma brought about by inhaling the toxic gas. He goes on to say that it is non-natural gas, unlike what the refinery deals in, and that it is the same gas that Victoria experienced in the oxygen chamber. Harris tells the Doctor about the seaweed. Victoria finds a sample of the seaweed in the room. The Doctor speculates that the seaweed must have been planted to sting Harris. Victoria notices that the seaweed is moving.

Van Lutyens tries to raise dissent amongst the staff by trying to sway the Chief Engineer's opinion of Robson, but the Chief Engineer remains steadfast. Van Lutyens believes he knows where the blockage is likely to be and spreads out plans of the pipeline on a desk to prove the exact spot. He manages to convince the Chief Engineer to ask Robson. This is met by opposition again, and Robson tries to kick Van Lutyens out of the refinery. Van Lutyens is insistent, hearing the heartbeat and sensing a creature's presence, "in the darkness, waiting."

Episode three

In the Harris' quarters, the Doctor and his colleagues inspect the seaweed. The Doctor fishes in his pocket and pulls out a small polythene bag. He hands the bag to Jamie. The Doctor scoops up the seaweed on the end of a pencil. He carefully carries it toward the bag and drops it inside. Harris asks after Maggie. The Doctor suggests that he should seek medical help. Harris leaves to do so. Jamie realises that they are no longer under supervision, which prompts the Doctor and his colleagues to slip away to the TARDIS to carry out some experiments on the seaweed.

Robson seems somewhat shaken by the heartbeat. Van Lutyens tries to force his point again, but Robson still insists he will not stop the gas.

Back at the TARDIS, the Doctor places the seaweed specimen in a glass tank to test natural gasses on the weed. Through a test run by Victoria, the Doctor has discovered that the weed is giving off a toxic gas. As Jamie idly looks through a microscope, he asks the Doctor what the "wriggly things" he can see are. The Doctor is delighted and presses a button, and the slide is shown on the monitor. Victoria explains to Jamie that this means that the seaweed is "just as alive as you and me."

Van Lutyens tries to reason with Harris, but he is focused on his wife. Harris asks Price to contact the main rig for medical help. Robson asks Harris where the Doctor and his colleagues are and is furious when he discovers that he has let them go. Harris explains about his wife. Van Lutyens is curious but Robson suspects that all of this is because of the Doctor. The Chief Engineer says he is ready to start the impeller. He does so and it works...for thirty seconds. He speculates it must be jammed at the base. Robson loses his mind and storms out. Van Lutyens tells Harris that Robson is cracking up and that Harris should take control of the base. Harris is unsure but asks the Chief Engineer. The three of them decide they will all go and reason with Robson together.

The Doctor has consulted a book of legends and superstitions and finds a page with a creature on it that Victoria identifies as the one she saw in the oxygen chamber. As they talk they begin to smell gas. As Jamie sneezes, the Doctor sees that a tendril from the creature is over-hanging the tank. Victoria screams at seeing the tendril and, as she does so, the creature returns into the tank. The Doctor realises that this weed must be inside the pipeline and corrupting the gas. He rushes off to the repository.

Robson refuses to yield from his point of view and loses his temper before storming out. Van Lutyens says this further proves his point before going to ring his superiors.

Robson lashes out.

Robson returns to his quarters, takes off his tie and lies in his bunk. Outside in the corridor, a man approaches, holding a key. He closes in on Robson's door lock with the key in his hand. Robson hears and orders whoever it is to leave him alone. Oak listens at the door. He turns the key and locks the door. He moves to the emergency vent control and activates it. Gas starts flooding into Robson's quarters. As Harris arrives, Robson frantically tears the door open and runs off. Harris looks inside the room and sees a creature moving in the vent.

Victoria uses her hairpin to open the door to the Harris' living quarters. Jamie immediately notices the smell of gas and goes to check the kitchen. The Doctor and Victoria open a door and find the bedroom covered in foam. Tendrils reach out through the foam. The Doctor closes the door, assuming that Maggie must have been taken to the medical quarters. Jamie is in the kitchen on top of a table surrounded by a sea of foam. He cries for help. The Doctor and Victoria rush up a spiral staircase to a skylight above Jamie. The foam continues to flood through the Harris' quarters, continually drawing in on Jamie. The Doctor forces open the skylight and reaches down to Jamie. The Doctor and Victoria pull Jamie through the skylight to safety.

Harris has fetched Van Lutyens, only to find the creature gone. Van Lutyens is initially dubious but is soon convinced. They exit Robson's quarters. Van Lutyens warns that there are vents like Robson's all over the repository so they had best not be opened. He also urges Harris to take control now that Robson's AWOL. Harris puts out a message for Robson to be found and says he will take leadership until he is found. Harris then contacts his superiors in London.

Making their way back to the repository, Victoria moans that she had no idea that life would be so fraught with danger travelling with the Doctor.

Harris informs Van Lutyens that members of the board are coming down to inspect the repository. They discuss the creature, stating they wish they knew what it was. The Doctor interrupts and says he knows what it is. He explains his findings regarding the seaweed, the fact it releases toxic gas and the fact it is parasitic. Oak and Quill, who have been present for all of this, silently slip away. Harris, worried about the parasitic qualities of the creature, asks Price to phone medical quarters for an update on his wife before informing the Doctor about Robson's disappearance. Harris is informed that the medics have yet to collect Maggie. The Doctor is horrified and tells Harris about the state of his home. Harris rushes off. Van Lutyens is left to discuss the Doctor's theories.

On the beach, Robson and Maggie meet. Maggie explains there is little time and that Robson knows what to do. Robson then watches as Maggie walks out into the sea until she disappears beneath the waves...

Episode four

Robson watches Maggie walk into the sea.

Price is unable to raise communications with a third rig at sea. The Doctor implores Van Lutyens to do something but he has no authority and needs to wait for Harris to return.

Overseen by the Chief Engineer, the technicians are nearly falling asleep from exhaustion and boredom. Everyone in the room is suddenly alert as the pulsating starts up again.

As Jamie and Victoria rest, Jamie is confident the Doctor will see them through this, enjoying their travels in the TARDIS. Victoria is less confident. She feels unsafe. She ponders all the facts they've learned and frightens herself. The Doctor arrives and tells her the latest news. Victoria is frustrated that they must wait, possibly to be attacked again by the weed. She longs to be someplace pleasant and peaceful.

Harris discovers Robson on the beach. He questions him about Maggie, and Robson says he will find her, very soon, then walks away.

Van Lutyens is planning to investigate the base of the impeller shaft to see what really is going on down there; neither the engineer nor the Doctor can dissuade him. Van Lutyens is steadfast and is soon lowered down. He cautiously investigates, opening a hatch and peering into the chamber below. He realises the entire chamber is a mass of foam and weed. The weed creature attacks and pulls him down into the chamber. As he is dragged into the foam, he lets out a blood curdling scream.

Hearing the scream, the Chief Engineer raises the lift to find no Van Lutyens. The Doctor and, more reluctantly, Jamie go down after him.

Harris, exhausted and scared for his wife, is told that there has been no sightings of Maggie and is also informed that Megan Jones, chief executive of the board, has arrived at the refinery. He seeks out Van Lutyens and is shocked to hear of his, the Doctor and Jamie's mission into the pipeline. He orders them to be returned but Oak and Quill, who are in charge of the lift, say it is too late.

Jamie and the Doctor find Van Lutyens' torch. Jamie picks up the torch, but it does not work. Jamie has the spooks and wants to leave.

Megan Jones and her assistant, Perkins, arrive.

Yet again, Victoria is concerned for the welfare of the Doctor and Jamie. Price informs Harris of the arrival of Jones. He and the Chief Engineer go to meet her and inform her of the situation. Harris leaves Oak and Quill in charge in the Impeller Room, with Victoria worriedly waiting and listening.

Jones is dismissive of the idea of a seaweed creature, but Harris says he's seen them. She tries to pass it off as stress due to concern regarding his wife, but the news about the lack of communication with the rigs worries her more. She allows the use of the company helicopter to inspect the rigs. Jones wants to see Robson, but Harris says she can't. He struggles to explain the changes that Harris has gone through. Down in the pipeline the Doctor and Jamie encounter the foam. They turn to leave only to discover the lift has been sent back to the top. Jones is still sceptical and wants everything checked, but all her demands have already been done by the Chief Engineer.

The foam quickly rises and the Doctor spots the weed creature thrashing around in it. Fortunately, he and Jamie are able to escape using a maintenance ladder before it can attack them.

Ignoring the emergency light, Oak and Quill exit the impeller room.

The Doctor and Jamie reach the top of the ladder and find themselves in an airlock. They open the door and exit. Worried as to her safety, they head off to find Victoria.

The helicopter pilot reports foam and weed on all three of the rigs, with no sign of life. Harris asks Jones to allow the rigs to be bombed out of the sea. Perkins thinks this is ridiculous, but Jones is more receptive. Robson bursts in, followed by the Doctor. Robson angrily rejects this idea, treating it like a personal attack. He states that "we won't allow this to happen". When questioned by Jones as to who "we" are he seems confused. He staggers and holds his head before dashing from the room. Again, Jones puts this down to stress, but the Doctor disagrees. Everyone is surprised to see the return of the Doctor. Harris asks after Van Lutyens. The Doctor shakes his head. He explains about the weed and the foam he found in the pipeline. He informs Jones of his theory that Robson is controlled by a force that emanates from the weed. Jones says that that is ridiculous, but Harris says that everything the Doctor has said thus far is true.

Meanwhile Jamie is scouring the repository looking for Victoria.

The Doctor tells Jones that he believes the weed is a living organism capable of telepathic control. He believes it is parasitic and claims the humans as part of its colony. Suddenly, there is a communication from Control Rig: Baxter is in a panic, saying the creatures are all around them. His cries subside only as the communication is cut off.

Jamie locates Victoria prostrate on the steps of the Pipeline Room. For a brief moment he thinks she's dead and says how he will never forgive himself if she's dead. Unnoticed by Jamie, Victoria's eyes flick half-open. She is unsure how she got there but suspects Oak and Quill. Jamie vows his revenge. Victoria, again, complains about how she never feels safe anymore. As they are talking, they hear the heartbeat rising and can see the weed creature through the transparent panel in the pipe.

The Doctor believes the weed aims to cut off the gas supply to Britain and take control. His plan is to find the nerve centre. Jamie rushes in, shouting about the appearance of the weed. They bring the Doctor, Jones, and everyone to see it. The Doctor calls it the first part of the invasion.

Episode five

Price reports that all of the rigs are now out of contact. The Doctor hopes to find the nerve centre of the weed, as it is their best chance to destroy the creature. The Doctor fears the weed has taken over the crew and the rigs. He rejects Harris's idea to blow up the rigs; this would simply spread the weed. The Doctor hypothesises that the weed must have been unearthed through the drilling process and that its first victims must have been the engineers. Since then it has been trying to obtain significant figures to infiltrate the base. Megan Jones realises the weed has under their control the one man who knows the entire structure of the rigs and refinery, Robson, and orders that he be found. The Doctor also realises that pure oxygen must be toxic to the weed, stating that that is why the man who interfered with Victoria in the oxygen store was wearing a gas mask. Oak nods to Quill, and they move off.

Oak and Quill move along the corridor to the oxygen store. They stop to put on gas masks and enter the oxygen store.

Meanwhile, Robson is found in his quarters. Harris has him guarded. Jones wants to see him, hoping their old friendship will give her a chance to reach him. Harris and Perkins insist on accompanying her. Perkins implores Jones to send for the army, but she brushes this aside. They make their way to Robson's cabin, which has a guard posted outside. Jones insists she wants to go in alone, so Harris and Perkins wait outside. She tries several approaches, first warm and sympathetic, then brusque, and orders him, but finds him uncommunicative. In a daze, he cries out that he can no longer be helped and that he can't find it. At one point he cries out for help, which brings Harris and Perkins rushing in, but by then he's gone into a trance. Harris suggests they leave him. Jones reluctantly nods in agreement and moves towards the door. She takes a last look back at Robson, then follows Harris and Perkins to the door. Jones says their only chance now is to destroy the weed. They head off down the corridor leaving the guard outside.

Victoria wishes they could return to the TARDIS, but Jamie tells her they can't leave. She is worried that the Doctor looks stumped. Harris, Megan and Perkins enter. The Doctor admits he is at a loss for a plan. The Doctor deduces that the weed's next move is to attack them at the refinery and that they have to attack first. Jones and Harris decide they must put the oxygen supply room under guard.

Robson is lying asleep on his bunk when suddenly his eyes flick open. He looks up at the vent and nods as if receiving instructions. He gets up and heads for the door. He sneaks up to the guard and subdues him with gas from his mouth; weeds are visibly growing from his hands.

Back at the main base of the repository, they discover that all the oxygen has been removed from the store. Harris theorises that it must be an inside job. Oak and Quill leave discreetly, but Jamie and Victoria see them and decide to follow. Jamie calls out after them. Oak and Quill hurry away, but Jamie is close behind. Oak manages to get away as Jamie wrestles with Quill. Quill opens his mouth and hisses gas at Jamie. As Jamie lands a punch on Quill, Victoria screams. Quill sinks to the floor. The Doctor arrives to see what the scuffle was about, but he is soon sent back to the main base by a worried technician.

The weed is breaking through the pipeline. Perkins wonders if the Doctor has some hand in all of this. The Doctor and his colleagues enter and discover the weed expanding just as it did in the TARDIS. Robson sneaks up behind the others. Victoria is grabbed and dragged away silently. News of Robson's breakout reaches the base as the Perspex casing of the transparent pipeline completely gives way under the pressure of the weed. Everyone panics, and the Doctor attempts to lead everyone away. Jamie realises Victoria is gone. Frantic to find Victoria, the Doctor and Jamie try the exits. Finding the impeller room doors locked, they head for the corridor, but those are locked too. The Doctor manages to wedge a door open as it closes in just enough time for him and Jamie to sneak through.

The Weed breaks in.

Robson carries Victoria through the central control and outside to a waiting vehicle. He puts Victoria into the passenger seat and hastily drives off.

Alarms sound. Harris orders the pipeline closed off and Robson located.

Robson drives along a road that leads to a cliff-top. He stops the car a short distance away from a waiting helicopter. He lifts Victoria out of the car and carries her into the helicopter which soon takes off.

This is overseen by Harris back at base. Jamie and the Doctor are still looking for Victoria, but Harris locates them and tells them of the latest developments. The Doctor contacts Robson in the helicopter and tells him to come back. Robson gives the Doctor an ultimatum, "If you want her to live come over to us", before severing communication. The Doctor wants to follow in another helicopter despite the risks in hope it will lead to the nerve centre.

Later, the Doctor and Jamie arrive at the helicopter and climb into it. As soon as the Doctor and Jamie are secure, the pilot takes off in pursuit of Robson.

Meanwhile, Robson sees the control rig and veers the helicopter towards it.

Harris is told the Doctor is airborne and heading to the central rig. Harris says that if he hasn't heard from the Doctor in an hour, he is evacuating the compound. Jones tries to argue, but Harris is firm.

As the Doctor and Jamie approach the rigs, they see that one rig is covered in foam. The Doctor assumes this must be the nerve centre. As the helicopter closes in, the Doctor throws out a rope ladder. The Doctor descends the rope ladder into the foam below. The foam has no effect on him. Jamie follows. The Doctor and Jamie wave goodbye to the pilot, then disappear into a hatch. They emerge from the hatch into the top of a flight of stairs. They set about exploring. They descend the stairs, looking round cautiously. They hear the cry of Victoria. Jamie sets off but the Doctor stops him, suspecting it to be a trap. They slowly make their way along the corridor, carefully peering round each corner. They approach a door and slowly swing it open to reveal a foam filled room. Robson starts to walk towards them. "Come in Doctor," he says. "We've been waiting for you."

Episode six

Robson under control of the Weed.

Robson tells the Doctor that he will help "our new masters" with the conquest of Earth. Jamie leaves to find Victoria. The Doctor tries to rouse the human side of Robson. Robson opens his mouth and emits a gas at the Doctor. The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria run, pursued by Robson. Victoria screams when she sees Robson. He covers his ears and begins to recoil. Robson retreats into the foam. The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria climb the stairs and emerge through the hatch onto the platform. The helicopter is hovering overhead. They frantically wave at the helicopter, but they cannot be seen due to the foam. The Doctor sees Robson's helicopter and decides to hijack it. They disappear into the foam. The Doctor takes off and, despite his boasts that it is a primitive machine compared to the TARDIS, dramatically loses control and ends up having to navigate wildly through the rig system. The repository helps to guide the Doctor in.

Harris, Megan Jones, and Perkins await word from the Doctor. Harris thinks they must evacuate, but Jones says the Doctor still has ten minutes. Perkins is ordered to get on to the defence minister and get tanks of oxygen sent at once. Harris and Jones argue as the Doctor returns and tells them he stopped off at the Medicare Centre and found out that Quill has almost completely recovered, the weed has withered and died off his body, and that noise was the answer. The Doctor has finally realised it was Victoria's scream that has always repelled the weed. The Doctor begs of Harris half an hour to kill the weed at the Control Rig, its nerve centre, by sending massive waves of noise through the pipelines from the refinery. Using equipment in the refinery's Control Hall, Price records Victoria's screams as she sees the weed breaking in through the impeller shaft. Harris is initially sceptical but soon concurs. The Doctor inspects the electrical circuits at the control centre and attempts to boost the transmission through the use of Price's equipment.

Unbeknownst to the rest of them, the door to the impeller shaft gives way and foam and weed flood through.

In the main room, Victoria is unable to scream so as to record it on Price's equipment. As the room implores her, she looks towards the impeller room doors and sees the advancing foam. She screams. Foam builds up behind the air-lock doors. The air-lock doors give way and foam washes through. Harris begins the evacuation. The Doctor begs for a few more minutes — he has just amplified the sound wave to make them sonic. This will deal with the foam and weed on the rigs; the ones at the repository will be dealt with by speakers. Harris and the Chief Engineer turn to see foam advancing along the corridor. Harris closes the doors. The creature is trying to break through into the control room. Eventually it breaks through. The engineers point their speakers at the creature but Price has frozen with fear. The Doctor is forced to risk it and darts to the control centre to switch on the sound wave. The sound rings out through the base, and the creature is vanquished. Harris sends out helicopters to check the rigs while Jones thanks the Doctor. Victoria, however, is disconsolate. Harris reports all rigs are safe. Robson and Maggie suddenly appear on the monitor from the Control Rig, alive and well; everyone taken over by the weed creature has been released — including Van Lutyens. Harris sends out helicopters to collect them.

Having dinner at the Harrises', Robson, the Doctor, Jamie, and Victoria enjoy their hospitality. Robson leaves, and the Doctor and Jamie prepare to leave too. Victoria remains seated, tears welling up in her eyes. The Doctor realises, however, that Victoria doesn't want to go back to the TARDIS. The Doctor asks the Harrises if they would mind Victoria staying with them for a time, to which they quickly agree. Jamie is resistant to this idea, but the Doctor insists that they respect Victoria's decision.

Price begins the process of closing up for the night, the impeller is functioning again and Robson is snapping at the technicians. All is well at the repository.

Victoria sits on the darkened patio. Jamie comes out to try to persuade her, but she insists she wants to remain in this time. She is not cut out for life with the Doctor, but can't go back to her own time.

In the morning, the Doctor and Jamie return to the TARDIS without Victoria.

Jamie still doesn't want to leave Victoria behind. Asked where he'd like to go, Jamie tells the Doctor, despondently, that he couldn't care less. Victoria watches one last time as the TARDIS rises above the water and dematerialises out of her life.

Cast

Uncredited cast

Crew

Animation Team

Animation by Digitoonz Media & Entertainment PVT Ltd

Post-Production Editing, Compositing and Grading by Thaumargy

References

Story notes

A top of a box, opened using the whistle design of the sonic screwdriver.
  • This story had a working title of The Colony of Devils. This was changed as the BBC was concerned about the use of the word "devils" in a programme aimed at a family audience. (DWM 277)[3]
  • No episodes of this six-part story exist in the BBC Archives and it is the last story to be completely missing.
  • This story features the first appearance of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver, it was at first a common screwdriver, the script saying it is the Doctor's "own version of a screwdriver" but upon seeing it production assistant Michael Briant suggested the use of one working with sonic waves and Troughton picked up a penlight from the Visual Effects department. (DWM 277). But on-screen, the prop eventually used was a safety whistle[4] taken from Deborah Watling's life preserver outfit, due to Troughton accidentally dropping the prop into the pipe on the day of shooting.[5]
  • This story was based on a drama that Victor Pemberton wrote for radio entitled The Slide, which focused on sentient mud rather than seaweed. The Slide was commissioned by Peter Bryant (who produced this serial), it featured David Spenser (Pemberton's real life partner), Maurice Denham, Miriam Margolyes and furthermore, Josef Gomez, the lead character of the story — who was, essentially, taking the role of the Doctor — was played by Roger Delgado, who would later go on to portray the Master.
    • Pemberton's first draft of Fury from the Deep was also entitled The Slide and was submitted to the Doctor Who production office at around the same time as his radio script (shortly before the beginning of Season 2). But story editor David Whitaker rejected it, feeling it wasn't appropriate for the show and commenting that it was "rather a stew pot of all other science fiction serials we have ever done, with bits of Nigel Kneale scattered about. I don't think the dialogue is very good and I am quite sure it is not right for Doctor Who". (DWM 277)
  • Peter Ducrow provided the voice of the guard in episode one (heard over a speakerphone) on duty at the main entrance of the ESGO refinery, who refuses Maggie Harris access. He is perhaps better known as Adam Adamant's arch-enemy, the Face, a leather-masked villain who spoke in sinister whispering tones, in the offbeat fantasy series Adam Adamant Lives! (1966-67). That series was created by Sydney Newman and produced by Verity Lambert; the creator and original producer of Doctor Who respectively.
  • Towards the end of this story, the Doctor records Victoria's screams which are then used to defeat the Weed Creature. However, the screams heard are not those of Deborah Watling. On the day of recording, she had a terrible cold and was unable to scream. Instead the screams were provided by assistant floor manager Margot Hayhoe and Watling simply mimed over them.[2]
  • The scene featuring the final confrontation with the Weed Creature had to be achieved in a single take because it was so complex. This was largely due to the excessive amount of foam that was required for the scene which meant that it could not be rehearsed beforehand.
  • For the beginning of episode one, Victor Pemberton wrote the TARDIS as materialising at the top of a cliff near the coastline with the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria then having to make their way down the cliff to get to the beach. This was deemed too similar to The Rescue so Hugh David suggested the idea of having the TARDIS land on the water; something that had never been done before. The shot was achieved by having a miniature TARDIS (the same one that was used in The Romans) suspended from a helicopter by piano wire.
  • Price was originally named Blake, but this was changed to avoid confusion with Corporal Blake in the previous story, The Web of Fear. (DWM 277)
  • John Abineri remarked that the scene where Van Lutyens gets dragged into the foam by the Weed Creature was dangerous for him to film. He explained that, roughly, four feet beneath the foam there was a platform which he was supposed to land on and then crouch; which he successfully did but, because the platform was very small, he very nearly lost his footing which meant he would have fallen thirty feet and he believed that the crew would have thought the scene was successful and wouldn't have noticed that something had happened to him.
  • A sneak preview of the Doctor's latest forthcoming adversary was featured in the two-page behind-the-scene article The Monstrous World of Doctor Who, written by Gay Search, which was published in Radio Times (cover dated: 20-26 January 1968) for the week of transmission of The Enemy of the World episode four.
  • Very little footage survives of this story, making its episodes several of the missing episodes that do not exist in the BBC's archives. However, a full set of telesnaps and the full audio do exist for this story.
    • In July 2003, 3 minutes 32 seconds of footage from episode six of this story were recovered from the BBC Archives at Windmill Road by Andrew Martin. The footage was on 16mm negative film and consisted of scenes of the weed creature attacking the Control Room. However, this footage is not from the broadcast episode, but is in fact mute alternate takes. [6]
  • Since overall story titles were introduced with The Savages in 1966, this is the first time that the title did not begin with the word "the". The next such story was Spearhead from Space in 1970. This is also the only Patrick Troughton story whose title does not begin with the word "the".
  • Victor Pemberton based Oak and Quill on Laurel and Hardy, whom he had actually met in the past.
  • Due to a production error, the original arrangement of the theme music is used during the title sequences of episodes four and five.
  • Unlike most Doctor Who stories, no characters die in this story.
  • This story's writer, Victor Pemberton, previously appeared as Jules Faure in The Moonbase. He is the first person involved in the series as both a writer and an actor, and would be followed by Derrick Sherwin, Glyn Jones, Mark Gatiss, and Toby Whithouse. Though Pemberton is the only one to have acted in a Doctor Who story before writing one.
  • In the opening beach scene, the foam fight wasn't scripted.
  • A subplot in episodes four and five was removed that involved the Weed Creature attacking a conference, as it could now traverse the entirety of Great Britain's network of natural gas pipelines.
  • Quill was originally supposed to have been killed by Victoria's screams in part five.
  • The story originally climaxed with Jamie defeating the Weed Creature by playing the bagpipes.
  • In the animated version, a "wanted" poster with photograph of the Master is visible on the notice board in the office of the guard who refuses Maggie Harris access, as well as in the impeller room. This poster was also present in the animated version of The Faceless Ones.
    Poster of the Master, as seen in The Faceless Ones animation.



  • Another in-joke appears in episode three. When the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria are studying the seaweed in the TARDIS, one of the test tubes has RR-200 printed on it. This is a reference to the fact that RR was the production code of this story and that episode three was the 200th episode of Doctor Who.
  • In Patrick Troughton's biography, his son Michael named this story as one of his favourites.
  • Shortly before her death in 2017, Deborah Watling named this as her favourite story, and the one she was most keen to see found again.

Changes in the animated version

  • The year the story takes place is 1975 (this was confirmed by Gary Russell in the DVD commentary).
  • The sonic screwdriver's appearance is changed to match its design from The War Games. Additionally, the box on the pipeline has four small screws instead of one large one.
  • The guard who refuses Maggie access is visible in an office next to the gate rather than just being heard over the speaker system.
  • Most of the guards helmets have face shields.
  • A number of the sets, including the control room and the area around the base of the impeller shaft, are much bigger.
  • Price is seated in an electric wheelchair throughout the story.
  • The see-through section of the pipe is now horizontal and much larger.
  • When Oak and Quill subdue Maggie in episode two, a faint vapour is visible coming out of their mouths.
  • Quill is the one who uses the emergency vent controls to get Robson under the weed creature's control in episode three, instead of Oak.
  • Van Lutyens uses a bigger torch when inspecting the base of the impeller shaft.
  • At the end of episode five, everyone who has been taken over by the weed up to that point (Robson, Van Lutyens, Chief Baxter, Chief Carney and one of the refinery workers) appears instead of just Robson.
  • A vast number of giant seaweed-like tentacles emerge from the sea when the Doctor is flying the helicopter.
  • There are multiple Weed Creatures.

Ratings

  • Episode one - 8.2 million viewers
  • Episode two - 7.9 million viewers
  • Episode three - 7.7 million viewers
  • Episode four - 6.6 million viewers
  • Episode five - 5.9 million viewers
  • Episode six - 6.9 million viewers

Myths

  • There is a myth that someone had stolen an episode of Fury from the Deep when it was at Villiers house.
  • The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver, referred as a "little toy", with some speaker amplifiers to create "sonic laser soundwaves" and defeat the weed creatures as can be seen on the alternate take of the story's climax. This is unknown as the script for episode 1 called mentions the Doctor's "own version of a screwdriver" with no mention of having sonic capacities --which was an idea from production assistant Michael Briant. (DWM 277) Whether the script of episode 6 described the Doctor's "little toy" was the screwdriver is a fact not publicly available.

Filming locations

Production errors

Original Production
  • When Quill opens his mouth to spew gas at Maggie, the shadow of a camera (or some other equipment) can be seen on Oak's face.
  • As Van Lutyens is being pulled into the foam by the weed creature, his torch is visibly pointing towards the wall on his left. But when the camera cuts to the shot where it directly focuses on the torch, it is now pointing more towards him.
  • When Robson subdues the guard positioned outside his room, the guard passes out almost as soon as Robson touches him; rather than when he starts spewing gas at him.
Animated Version
  • When Jamie comes to the pipe in episode 1, he glances back at the Doctor and Victoria. But in the next shot, he is looking at the pipe.
  • When Maggie says "top middle drawer" her mouth barely moves.
  • When the growing seaweed on the patio starts to move and Maggie sees it, a bit of the foam isn't covering bits of the seaweed.
  • When the Doctor picks up a flask of "rusty stuff" in episode 2, a dot can be seen moving to the left of it.
  • When the Doctor agrees with the Chief Engineer about the likelihood of the seaweed blocking the pipeline, he begins his sentence standing in front of the main screen but when he finishes it, he is standing in front of Van Lutyens and Harris.
  • When the Doctor flips the connector switch in episode 6 when the creatures invade the control room, he takes off his device and gives it to Jamie to hold. However, the second he runs back towards them, in the next cut he suddenly has the device hanging around his shoulders again despite never being seen taking it back from Jamie.

Continuity

Home video and audio releases

Surviving clips from this serial are viewable as special features on the Lost in Time DVD release.

A CD and cassette of the story have been released, containing the audio from the original television programme. Narrative from Tom Baker was added on to the cassette release, whilst the CD was narrated by Frazer Hines.

An official DVD release was made available on 14 September 2020, with an animated recreation of all six episodes in both black-and-white and colour.

  • CD Release

    CD Release

  • Cassette Release

    Cassette Release

Real lives of villains documentaries

On certain DVD releases, fake documentaries focusing on the lives of the Doctor Who villain of that story in a real world environment were special features. A continuity regarding Fury from the Deep was established.

In Oh Mummy!, whilst having a meeting with Philip Hinchcliffe, Sutekh accidentally destroys "something called Fury from the Deep", referencing its status as a missing story.

Then in Eye on... Blatchford, one of the pieces of junk Sardoth has from his previous splinters (namely Canon Sistabarn, head of the BBC) is a DVD of Fury from the Deep, apparently having used his status to save a copy.

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ https://www.doctorwho.tv/news/?article=fury-from-the-deep-animation-announcement
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Loose Cannon Productions, Doctor Who - The Making of Fury from the Deep by Richard Bignell
  3. ↑ Wood, Tat, Miles, Lawrence, 2006, About Time 2, Mad Norwegian Press, United States
  4. ↑ prop research and picture analysis essay by Lee Moone
  5. ↑ Extract of Peter Day's interview by Richard Bignell for Loose Cannon Productions' Doctor Who - The Making of Fury from the Deep
  6. ↑ The Missing Episode Nexus Episode Recoveries accessed 30th July 2010
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