The Enemy of the World (TV story)

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The Enemy of the World was the fourth serial of season 5 of Doctor Who. It saw Patrick Troughton play both the lead protagonist and antagonist. It was the only story of that season which did not follow the "base under siege" monster format.

It was also was the first story to be directed by Barry Letts; Letts would later go on to produce almost all of Jon Pertwee's tenure as the Doctor.

It was the last story to be produced under the aegis of Doctor Who creator Sydney Newman, who left his position as Head of Drama at the BBC upon the expiration of his contract at the end of 1967.

Before 2013, all but episode three of the serial were missing from the BBC archives. However, in October of that year, it was announced that episodes one, two, four, five and six (together with four previously lost instalments and a higher quality copy of the only existing episode from The Web of Fear) had been located in a relay station in Jos, Nigeria, and it therefore became complete. It was released on DVD in Region 2 on 25 November 2013.

Synopsis

On Earth in 2018, the Doctor and his companions are enmeshed in a deadly web of intrigue thanks to his uncanny resemblance to the scientist/politician Salamander. He is hailed as the "shopkeeper of the world" for his efforts to relieve global famine, but why do his rivals keep disappearing? How can he predict so many natural disasters? The Doctor must expose Salamander's schemes before he takes over the world.

Plot

Episode 1

The TARDIS arrives on an Australian beach, ten miles west of Cape Arid, where the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria's seaside frolicking is observed by three men in a hovercraft named Anton, Curly and Rod. They are incredulous at the Doctor's presence; could it be "him?" They call their boss, Astrid Ferrier, who disbelieves their story and urges them to wait while she contacts the main base. Nonetheless, their leader, Anton, resolves that they'll have no better opportunity, and they ready their guns. Astrid contacts her commander, Giles Kent, and reports the men's observation. It can't be him, Kent exclaims, it's impossible. He orders her to stop the men from harming the Doctor. 

The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria watch as the hovercraft approaches, see the armed men and realise that they're in danger. They begin to run as Anton and Rod shoot at them from the hovercraft. They hide behind some dunes, and the men are forced to split up in order to find them. The Doctor and his colleagues try to escape but soon run into one of the men. Jamie knocks him out. The men see the approach of a mini-helicopter and identify it as Astrid's. In their efforts to elude the gunmen, the Doctor and his colleagues end up in the same clearing in which Astrid has landed her helicopter. She beckons them inside. Once inside, the Doctor sees the tax disc of Astrid's helicopter and sees it is valid until the end of 2018. Astrid informs them that the men have punctured the fuel tank and that the helicopter could explode at any minute. 

Below, the men board their hovercraft and pursue the helicopter. 

Astrid lands her helicopter at her private residence. She has been shot, and the Doctor tends her wounds. She explains her men have mistaken him for their sworn enemy, Ramón Salamander, a man she claims is bent on becoming a global dictator. She wants to take advantage of the Doctor's apparently serendipitous arrival and urges them to go with her to meet Giles Kent, who will explain everything. The Doctor, dubious at becoming a pawn in some political machination, declines. The three armed men close in. Astrid encourages the Doctor and his colleagues to hide in a back room as she hides behind the sofa. Astrid tangles with Curly to allow the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria to escape. Curly is accidentally shot dead by his fellows as they try to kill Astrid. Rod and Anton shoot at the fleeing bunch but realise that they stand a better chance in the helicopter. As soon as the helicopter is airborne it explodes. 

At his office, Giles Kent looks at the Doctor in fascination — his resemblance to Salamander is uncanny. The Doctor explains that they've been out of touch with world events lately ("On ice," he says, referring to their previous adventures in Tibet and in Earth's icy future). Kent plays a video-wire of Salamander's latest address to the United Zone General Assembly meeting. Salamander, despite a Mexican accent and swarthy complexion, is indeed a doppelganger for the Doctor. He announces highly satisfactory results from sun conservation tests in the Australasian Zone with sun-catching orbital satellites, resulting in a restoration of the Canada and Ukraine's corn and flour production which had been devastated by natural disasters two years earlier.

The Doctor is confused as to why they are intent on stopping Salamander when his intentions appear to be so good. Kent explains that underneath his guise as a public benefactor, he has been ruthlessly solidifying his power base. Several high-ranking political figures have died under mysterious circumstances and been replaced by Salamander loyalists. Kent himself was Deputy Security Leader for North Africa and Europe before being sacked for beginning to suspect too much. Kent was forced into seclusion, and his place was taken by a man named Donald Bruce who has since risen to World Security Chief. With Bruce in place, Salamander is virtually untouchable. Kent's only remaining high-ranking ally is Alexander Denes, Controller of the Central Europe Zone. Kent urges the Doctor to pose as Salamander and infiltrate his research station at Kanowa to find proof of Salamander's ambitions. The Doctor is dubious but attempts the accent, with limited success.

Kent receives a phone call stating that Bruce has cordoned off the area and is approaching. Kent warns the Doctor that if he is found he will be arrested for impersonation due to his similarity to Salamander. The Doctor correctly surmises that Kent tipped Bruce off to test the similarity. The Doctor is given no choice but to imitate the dictator. Astrid shouts at Kent for endangering them. Bruce enters, a heavy-set, imperious and intimidating man. His armed men are investigating the dead man in Astrid's house, as well as the wrecked helicopter. He explains that Astrid was being watched and that a man was present. Astrid refuses to explain who the man was, and Bruce motions to his guards to search the building. As they open the door to the back room, "Salamander" emerges, demanding that a dumbfounded Bruce explain his presence.

Episode 2

Bruce is dumbfounded by Salamander's presence in Australia, when he is supposed to be in a closed-door conference at the Central European Zone, and certainly not with Kent, a man he had denounced. As security chief, he ought to have been told. "Salamander" refuses to explain his presence, saying he will deal with Kent his own way. Bruce is sceptical of Kent's explanation that the dead man in Astrid's house was trying to protect her from his treasonous colleagues, but "Salamander" overrules him and dismisses him. Giles congratulates the Doctor and assumes he is fully on board now, but the Doctor still is not fully convinced that one side or the other is good or evil. He asks his companions; Jamie says they have to help, but Victoria is unsure. The Doctor agrees to pose as Salamander at the Kanowa Research Centre. Astrid, Jamie and Victoria, using travel passes provided by Denes, the leader of the Central European Zone, are to travel to Salamander's headquarters in the Central European Zone via rocket and put into place a plan that Astrid has been forming for some time.

Bruce checks in with Benik, Salamander's deputy, to confirm he left for the Central European Zone. As far as Benik knows, he did and left strict orders not to be disturbed. His attempt to contact Salamander there goes unanswered. Bruce informs him that he thinks Salamander is in Australia; Benik is dubious.

The real Salamander is meeting with Denes and another man by the name of Fedorin and is trying to persuade them that his scientific study confirms that a range of dormant Hungarian volcanoes will erupt soon with cataclysmic results. Denes is dubious at Salamander's suspiciously precise predictions; his own scientists have made no such forecasts. This act of defiance annoys Salamander. Denes leaves, but Salamander asks Fedorin to stay.

Jamie, Victoria and Astrid have arrived in the Central European Zone, and Astrid has set Jamie up with ID to get past the main guards. Jamie heads off. Astrid contacts Giles in Australia and tells him that all is going to plan. She also explains that she is to meet Denes later.

Fedorin is nervous about his meeting with Salamander. He gets chatting to a servant of Salamander's named Fariah. Salamander appears and orders a guard who approaches Fedorin, gun raised. As he does, Jamie leaps from an unseen point, knocks the guard out and points the gun at Salamander, ordering them all to back up. Jamie grabs Salamander's security device and throws it over the balcony. As he does, Astrid triggers an explosion outside. Two guards enter and approach Jamie, but Salamander calls them off. Jamie explains that there was a plot on Salamander's life and that he tried to inform the guards on the gate, but they wouldn't listen. Impressed, Salamander offers Jamie a job. Jamie says he would like to but is only visiting with his girlfriend and wouldn't want to leave her. Fariah says there is a job working in the kitchen. Jamie agrees and is allowed to go and get his "girlfriend". Fedorin mysteriously asks what the word "brujo" (a word uttered by Fariah) means. Salamander says it is the word for "sorcerer" which is used in Mexico.

Jamie returns to the meeting spot and tells Victoria and Astrid that the plan has worked. Astrid disappears as Fariah comes to collect Jamie and Victoria and take them into the base.

Later that day, Denes meets Astrid under a jetty. Astrid wants Denes to stall Salamander while she puts her plan in place. They hear feet above them. Denes stops Astrid from shooting them on sight.

Salamander shows Fedorin an official file of lies, scandal and libel he has concocted about him. Fedorin is very worried, but Salamander refers to it as insurance. Salamander offers Fedorin the job as leader of the Central European Zone if he promises to share the power with Salamander. Fedorin asks what is to happen to Denes, and Salamander explains he is to be killed. Fedorin says he can't do that, but Salamander reminds him of the file. The conversation is interrupted by the eruption of the volcanoes. Salamander is overjoyed at the fact that his predictions have come true, despite the widespread destruction he is witnessing below. Bruce enters, worried about reports he heard of an attempt on Salamander's life. Salamander placates him. Denes bursts in, horrified at the destruction. Salamander accuses him of ignoring his warnings and letting thousands die. Denes is certain that somehow Salamander engineered this disaster. Salamander coolly denounces Denes as a traitor and orders Bruce to arrest him. Denes implores Fedorin to back him up, but Salamander states that Fedorin will be chief witness against him. All eyes turn to Fedorin. Fedorin cannot even bring himself to look at Denes.

Episode 3

Denes is unperturbed at his arrest. He looks forward to facing Salamander in open trial. After Denes is led away, Salamander congratulates Fedorin on his "promotion" to European Controller and puts his dossier of blackmail documents into a safe. He gives Fedorin a vial of poison to deal with Denes.

Bruce is surprised to encounter Jamie, now in Salamander's personal guard. Jamie refuses to divulge any details of what Salamander was doing in Australia with his supposed enemy Kent.

Victoria meanwhile thoroughly fails to impress Griffin, Salamander's chief cook, with her culinary skills. Fariah, Salamander's assistant and food taster, urges her to escape at the earliest opportunity.

In Kent's caravan near the Kanowa research station, he and the Doctor watch footage of the European volcanoes. Kent strongly suspects that Salamander is somehow engineering these disasters, and it was his investigation into how the research station was involved which led to his downfall. The Doctor hides when Benik arrives at the trailer to taunt Kent and smash his possessions.

Astrid, Jamie and Victoria try to rescue Denes with Fariah's help. Fedorin intercepts Victoria as she delivers his food. He cannot, however, bring himself to poison the food. He confesses his failure to Salamander, who offers comforting words and a glass of wine to help him relax. Fedorin drinks and slumps over dead; Salamander had poured the poison into the wine.

The rescue attempt is a failure: although Astrid escapes, Denes is shot down, and Jamie and Victoria are captured.

The light dawns on Bruce when Salamander denies being in Australia with Kent earlier. Someone is impersonating Salamander...

Episode 4

Giles is waiting for contact from Astrid and is panicked by the lack of contact. She eventually contacts him, and Giles tells her to scramble her messages to ensure that no one is listening in.

Benik is, indeed, listening in and frustrated by the scrambling. He sends his guards out to trace Astrid. He is informed that Salamander is returning to Australia.

Astrid explains she has returned to Australia safely and is back at Giles' office. She explains that Denes has been killed. She is interrupted by a figure at the door. It is Fariah. Astrid is sceptical, thinking she has been sent by Salamander, but Fariah claims she hates him and wants him dead.

The guards report to Benik that Astrid and Fariah have been seen together. Benik orders Giles' office surrounded.

The Doctor and Giles have joined Astrid and Fariah. The Doctor is concerned about Jamie and Victoria but Fariah says they have been brought back to Australia by Salamander. The Doctor mistrusts Fariah but she says she has spent her whole life being controlled and blackmailed by Salamander. The Doctor asks if she has any proof. She says she has nothing to prove that she has been blackmailed but has the information he was using to blackmail Fedorin.

Meanwhile, downstairs Benik has surrounded the building.

Kent and the Doctor look over the evidence, but the Doctor claims it's not enough to prove Salamander is evil. However, with Jamie and Victoria prisoners, the Doctor's impersonation of Salamander is their only hope. Giles says that when he gets close to Salamander the Doctor must kill him. The Doctor objects to this, but Giles says he will withdraw support in finding Jamie and Victoria. Fariah's presence, they hope, will help convince people of his identity. Fariah notices that the building has been surrounded.

Benik orders his men to shoot any of the party on sight.

The Doctor and his friends soon realise there is no escape other than the ventilation shaft. Benik is at the door. Astrid orders them all to go down the shaft whilst she stalls Benik and his men. One of the guards enters through the window. He and Astrid grapple and, on the sound of a gunshot, Benik enters. The only person there is the prostrate guard. He assumes they have all gone down through the ventilation shaft and rushes out to the street. Astrid has been hiding under a desk the whole time.

As Fariah tries to escape, she is shot by one of the guards. Benik tries to extract information from her but she refuses. She dies and Benik regains Salamander's file from her.

Salamander and Bruce lose their mind at Benik for his heavy handed way of dealing with the situation. Salamander is more concerned by his lookalike. Benik returns the file to Salamander. Left alone, Salamander locks himself inside the Records Room. Once he's sure he's alone, he opens a secret panel in the wall, revealing a small elevator capsule into which he climbs and descends.

Bruce tries to contact Salamander. When he discovers he can't, he is infuriated at the way that Salamander is running things.

Salamander has descended to a vast underground complex. He explains over tannoy that he has returned. A couple, Colin and Mary, discuss how Colin is going to demand from Salamander that he return to the surface. He goes to meet Salamander, who explains that the radiation on the surface is killing him but he has found a store of food. He has convinced them a nuclear war has devastated the surface, and their efforts to create natural disasters are helping them turn the tide against, in Salamander's words, "the enemies of truth and freedom". The research team have been down there for five years. They cannot return until the radiation levels on the surface fall to safe levels. They hail Salamander as their hero, risking life and limb to bring them food. Colin is the lone dissenter, demanding to return to the surface. Salamander feigns radiation sickness and leaves.

Back at the caravan, Kent and Astrid prepare the Doctor to infiltrate the station while awaiting the return of Fariah. The door opens and a figure enters.

Episode 5

The figure is Bruce, who placed a tracking device on the caravan. Bruce demands to know why the Doctor is posing as Salamander. The Doctor says it is to get Jamie and Victoria back, whilst Astrid says it is to expose Salamander for what he is. Bruce says the only bad things connected to Salamander can be laid at the door of Giles. The Doctor explains they have a file, in the hands of Fariah, that proves Salamander is evil. Bruce says that Fariah is dead. Astrid wants to go and intercept the file, but Bruce refuses to let her leave. He is, however, slightly won over and says he will investigate himself. Giles says that someone so close to Salamander is only digging his own grave by doing so. Astrid overpowers and disarms Bruce's guard, pointing the gun at Bruce.

Benik tells the guard he wants to be informed when Salamander returns. He watches the unloading of a drugged Jamie and Victoria and wants to question them as soon as they are awake.

Astrid demands to be taken to the Research Centre, but Bruce calmly notes there are a dozen guards outside. The Doctor defuses the situation and says if there is bloodshed he will not help them in their plans. The Doctor takes the gun off Astrid and hands it back to Bruce as a sign of good faith. Bruce asks the Doctor if he thinks Salamander is evil, and the Doctor says there is enough evidence to suggest it. Bruce agrees to escort the Doctor into the station, provided Kent and Astrid stay behind. They leave, leaving the caravan heavily guarded.

In the underground complex, Salamander unloads the supplies from the surface. Colin angrily confronts the leader, Swann, as to why no one can go to the surface and what they would do if Salamander never returned. Swann dismisses him. As he inspects the food packages he finds a scrap of newspaper inside a crate bearing the headline HOLIDAY LINER SINKS: MANY FEARED LOST. This appears to indicate that surface life is normal, and Swann angrily demands an explanation. Salamander claims that yes, the war is over, but the survivors are deformed in mind and body and deserve to die. When Swann asks about the creation of the natural disasters, Salamander states that their efforts are to destroy these mutants and this is necessary for a new start. Swann loses his mind at the fact he is complicit in murder. Swann insists on seeing for himself. Eventually Salamander agrees to take him to the surface as long as he tells no one what he sees. Swann informs the rest of the colony. Colin is distraught at the thought of not going.

Jamie and Victoria awake and are soon met by Benik. Jamie refuses to tell him anything. Benik anticipates sadistically interrogating them. Jamie disarms a guard, but Benik holds a gun to Victoria's head, forcing him to disarm. Jamie is on the verge of caving as Benik begins to harm Victoria, when Salamander enters with Bruce and orders him out. Victoria and Jamie confront Salamander with his crimes, particularly the murder of Fedorin and Denes, which appals Bruce. Victoria lashes out at Salamander, who reveals he's actually the Doctor, come to rescue them. He has been maintaining the act to prove to Bruce how good he is. Jamie and Victoria are still unsure until the Doctor mimes his recorder. Bruce is still not convinced to turn against Salamander, but enough doubt is planted that he agrees to investigate.

Benik berates a guard for not telling him that Salamander had returned. The guard states that he hasn't.

Swann follows Salamander through a cave system where he stores the food. Swann questions why he has never brought people up here. Salamander argues that whilst it's not radioactive it is too close to the mutants. Salamander warns Swann from going on, but Swann insists. As Swann leads the way, Salamander picks up a metal pole.

Kent is furious with himself for allowing the Doctor to go with Bruce alone. Kent will not be calmed and wants to be able to sneak into the Research Centre. Astrid comes up with a plan. She makes it look like Kent has received a bullet to the head and breaks a window to alert the guard. When the guard rushes in to inspect Kent, Astrid runs away. As the guard hurries after her, Giles sneaks out.

Astrid has hidden in the undergrowth to evade the guard. As she makes her way through the forest, she hears the cries of a man in distress. She soon finds a severely injured Swann. When she asks who did this to him, he replies, "A man named Salamander."

Episode 6

Swann tells Astrid that Salamander is in the cave system.

The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria try to convince Bruce of Salamander's plans. They turn and see Benik, not knowing if he had heard the Doctor using his real voice or what they were talking about.

Astrid takes Swann into the cave system to get him some water. He asks her how bad the war was; when she says there has been no war he tells her about the underground colony and Salamander's part in it, then dies.

Benik asks the Doctor to sign some papers and also says the door to the Records Room is jammed and asks for his key. The Doctor stalls the signing of the paper and says he has lost his key, then dismisses Benik. When alone, the Doctor asks Bruce how many people work at the Research Centre. He answers with twelve; but the Doctor asks why they are actually catering for thirty? His suspicions riled, Bruce tells Jamie and Victoria to leave and phone a man named Forester, who is his deputy, and give him a password to inform him there is trouble. The Doctor tells them to go straight to the TARDIS after doing this.

Astrid reaches the band of scientists. The colony workers are shocked and begin to hit and beat her, fearing she is one of the mutant humans of which Salamander has warned them. Colin stops them. Astrid tells them of Swann's death at the hands of Salamander and informs them that there is no war. Colin insists she undergoes decontamination. She is taken to the decontamination booth, which reads that she is radioactive but is soon neutralised. Astrid proves this machine is a fake by putting in a ruler which registers as radioactive and then is neutralised. A hubbub breaks out. Astrid tells Colin and Mary that they should come with her to the surface.

The guards stop Jamie and Victoria from leaving, but Bruce intervenes. One of the guards finds this very suspicious and goes to Benik.

Giles has made his way to the Research Centre and overhears a conversation between the guard and Benik, suspicious about Salamander. With his knowledge of the Research Centre, Giles lets himself into the Records Room and finds Salamander. He locks the door before pulling a gun on him.

All of this is watched by Bruce and Benik, who attempt to break the door down.

Hearing this intrusion, Giles opens up a secret hatch about which he has not forgotten that has enough weaponry to blow the Research Centre sky high. At this point the Doctor drops his act and reveals it has been him all along. He tells Giles he has suspected him for a long while now. As Giles turns to run down the hatch, he is met by Astrid pointing a gun at him. She is accompanied by Colin and Mary, who say that it was Giles who took them down into the colony first, saying it was an endurance test before Salamander took over. Giles points a gun at the Doctor's head and explains that it was his plan to kill Salamander and take over, and he still can if he disposes of the evidence. He runs down the hatch.

Outside Benik panics and steals a guard's gun and tries to run. He is met by Forester and a group of guards. Bruce arrests him. The Doctor contacts Bruce and says that he suspects Giles is about to blow up the Research Centre and that if he can't open the door then he should escape. Bruce assures the Doctor they are trying to get in.

In the cave system, Salamander jumps out on Giles and disarms him. Giles insists that they can work together once more, but Salamander is unconvinced. He shoots him, only wounding him. Salamander pursues Giles through the cave system. He corners him. Before he has a chance to shoot him again, Giles pulls a lever which triggers a huge explosion.

The guards enter the Records Room as the explosion rocks through the centre. Astrid is worried about the people of the colony and risks her life to check that they are okay on the TV screen in the Records Room. They are fine, and Bruce assigns her some of his guards to save them.

Jamie and Victoria wait nervously near the TARDIS. When the Doctor finally arrives, still disguised as Salamander and clearly wounded and dazed, his behaviour is puzzling; he silently indicates for Jamie to operate the TARDIS controls for him — something which neither he nor Victoria were ever allowed to do. When Jamie questions this, the real Doctor appears (dressed in his regular clothes) at the doorway of the TARDIS, mocking Salamander's impersonation of him. A desperate Salamander grabs the controls, trying to remember the button Jamie had started to touch, but the Doctor pulls him off the console. A brief scuffle ensues, in which both the Doctor and Jamie are thrown to the floor by the dictator, who then finds and hurriedly presses the dematerialisation switch. But Salamander does this while the doors are still open, creating a vacuum that blows him out into the space-time vortex while the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria hang on for dear life...

Cast

Uncredited cast

Crew

Uncredited crew

References

Story notes

  • The end of this story leads into the beginning of The Web of Fear.
  • Patrick Troughton is credited as "Dr. Who/Salamander" for episodes two to six. He also appears as Salamander in a 35mm black & white film sequence in episode one but is credited only as "Dr. Who". Radio Times credits "Patrick Troughton as Dr. Who and Salamander" for episodes two to six, while the actual cast lists – which credit the characters in order of appearance – bill Patrick Troughton only as "Dr. Who" for episodes one and six, and as both "Dr. Who" and "Salamander" (separate billings) for episodes two to five. This style of credit would be repeated 40 years later in TV: Human Nature, in which David Tennant was credited as "The Doctor/Smith".
  • This marks the second time that a doppelganger of the Doctor has been featured (giving the lead actor a dual role), following William Hartnell's double performance as the First Doctor and the Abbot of Amboise in The Massacre.
  • Patrick Troughton's son David appears as an uncredited Guard in episodes five and six. (DWM 219)
  • Neither Frazer Hines nor Deborah Watling appear in episode four, as they were both on holiday during the week it was recorded.
  • Frazer Hines' cousin Ian plays a guard.
  • This is the final story overseen by producer Innes Lloyd.
  • This story marked the first use of 625 line PAL videotape in Doctor Who, as opposed to the old 405-line standard. For many years, incorrect production paperwork led to the belief that this began with episode three, until analysis of the recovered episodes from Nigeria found otherwise.
  • Stock footage of a volcano exploding was later reused (in colour) for the title cards of Inferno, and again in The Time Monster. Similarly, the footage of an exploding helicopter sourced from the 1963 Bond film, From Russia with Love, would again be used for The Dæmons.
  • A black and white shot of Mary Peach (Astrid) standing next to Astrid's helicopter accompanied the Radio Times programme listing for episode one, along with a synopsis, bearing the title Who's Who, which read as follows: "Tonight's new adventure of Dr. Who finds the crew of the Tardis landing on a beach and coming under fire from a hovercraft — only to be rescued by a helicopter piloted by a girl, Astrid (Mary Peach). She takes them to her leader, who explains that the Doctor is the exact double of a would-be World Dictator. Into the fray goes the Doctor, or is it Salamander, or is it the Doctor pretending to be Salamander...?" (original published text)
  • Radio Times, in certain regions for the week of transmission of episode two, featured a small article entitled Who Sets the Fashion?, which looked at future fashion as seen in Doctor Who and focused on the costumes worn by Mary Peach (Astrid) and Bill Kerr (Giles Kent), which gave the year in which the story was set as 2018.
  • The Radio Times programme listing for episode three was accompanied by a black and white head-and-shoulders shot of Frazer Hines, with the accompanying caption "Frazer Hines plays Jamie in The Enemy of the World. The third part of this Dr. Who adventure is at 5.25".
  • For the week of transmission of episode five, Doctor Who featured — in full colour for the first time — on the front cover of Radio Times (cover dated: 20-26 January 1968) a head-and-shoulders shot of Patrick Troughton as the Doctor examining a control panel, which was taken from the previous story, The Ice Warriors. This was used to introduce a two-page colour behind-the-scenes article in the centre pages entitled The Monstrous World of Doctor Who, written by Gay Search, which opened with the following introductory paragraph: "Daleks, Cybermen, Yetis, Ice Warriors — familiar monsters guaranteed to chill the blood of anyone over the age of ten. But where do they come from? Who dreams them up? How are they made? How do they work? We sent Gay Search to find out..." In addition to the origins of the aforementioned monsters, the article not only looked at the creation of the seaweed monster from the forthcoming story Fury from the Deep but also looked at the roles of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and the BBC's Visual Effects Department in bringing the Doctor's enemies to life and featured a brief interview with the Head of the BBC's Visual Effects Department, Jack Kine.
  • On its original broadcast, episode six of The Enemy of the World ended with a trailer promoting the next story, The Web of Fear. The trailer featured specially shot footage of the Doctor in the London Underground talking to the audience about the impending return of the Yeti in the next story, before fleeing at the sound of distant shooting. Although episode six has now been returned to the BBC Archives, this unique trailer remains lost, although it survives on audio, so the trailer is included on the BBC Audio release of the story. The trailer has also been animated for the 2021 DVD release of The Web of Fear.
  • Episode four is the only episode of the story for which no tele-snap record exists, and it remains unknown to this day as to why this episode is not covered. There is the possibility that John Cura was either ill or on holiday at the time of broadcast.
  • Images of Troughton as Salamander have often been used to illustrate the Second Doctor in books and magazines, even though technically the images are not actually of the Doctor (although the fact the Doctor impersonates Salamander complicates matters). These images are easy to spot due to the fact Salamander (or Doctor-as-Salamander) wears his hair parted and has a ruddier complexion than the Doctor.
  • Episode six is notable for its sudden ending, which omits any resolution with regards to whether the people trapped underground were ever rescued.
  • The novelisation of this story, published in 1981, is set in 2030, not 2018.
  • In the DVD featurette Directing Who with Barry Letts (included on the DVD of Planet of the Spiders) Letts admitted he was very disappointed that the only surviving episode of The Enemy of the World was Episode 3 as he felt it was the 'dullest' of the six episodes as there was material in it that was not relevant to the overall story. In October 2013 (four years after Letts' death) it was announced that the five remaining episodes (along with four missing episodes from The Web of Fear) had been discovered and returned to the BBC.
    • In the same featurette, Letts also admitted that he wasn't satisfied with The Enemy of the World on the whole as he felt he tried to be "too clever" as a director and attempted too many technical feats without focusing enough on the drama of the story.
  • Both this story and the previous adventure, The Ice Warriors, have as their premise food shortages caused by overpopulation; in this case, Salamander is exploiting the need for farms to produce multiple crops in a season to amass power.
  • Mary Peach appeared in the serial because her kids wouldn't believe she was a real actress until she'd been on Doctor Who.
  • The chase scene in the first episode originally took place in a crowded holiday resort. This was changed due to logistical difficulties.
  • Initially, it was planned that the Doctor and Salamander would meet more than once, but due to the technical complexity, there was eventually only the one confrontation scene, at the story's climax (utilising editing and a split-screen technique).
  • This story was aired as part of a "Classic Doctor Who" marathon on Twitch, and again in 2019.
  • The is the first story since The Tomb of the Cybermen not to be set in a cold climate.
  • The four key production roles for this story were all taken by men heavily involved in the development of Doctor Who. Writer David Whitaker had been the show's first script editor; Barry Letts, directing his first serial for the show, later becoming producer (for the majority of the Jon Pertwee era), executive producer, and occasional script writer; script editor Peter Bryant became the show's producer from the next story and Innes Lloyd who was the show's current producer, but left after this story.
  • Colin Douglas hated working on the serial, regarding the series as low-grade children's fare and well beneath his dignity. He remarked at the time that it was the worst thing he'd ever done and that he didn't want to be asked to appear on the show again. Despite this, he returned to the show ten years later, playing Reuben in Horror of Fang Rock.

Ratings

  • Episode 1 - 6.8 million viewers
  • Episode 2 - 7.6 million viewers
  • Episode 3 - 7.1 million viewers
  • Episode 4 - 7.8 million viewers
  • Episode 5 - 6.9 million viewers
  • Episode 6 - 8.3 million viewers

Myths

  • The reason Patrick Troughton was cast as Salamander was because they could not afford another actor. (Untrue; it was scripted he play both roles.)

Filming locations

  • Ealing Television Film Studios, Ealing Green, Ealing
  • Lime Grove Studios (Studio D), Lime Grove, London
  • Climping Beach, West Sussex (Beach)
  • Walpole Park, London (Jamie meets Astrid on a park bench)
  • Dungeness Power Station, Kent (Research lab)
  • BBC Villiers House, London (Flats)
  • United Nations HQ, New York (STOCK FOOTAGE) (Salamandar gives his speech)

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.
  • The inspection plate in the cockpit of Astrid's helicopter has the first word on its heading AUSTRALASION ZONE misspelt. The correct spelling is "Australasian".
  • The police box's instruction plate that normally appears on the left-hand side of the TARDIS doors has been placed on the right-hand side by mistake.
  • While Salamander and Fedorin watch the eruption, actor Colin Douglas (Bruce) can briefly be seen behind the doors of the house, obviously waiting for his cue to go out onto the deck.
  • The newspaper is for Friday 16 August 2017. In reality, this date was a Wednesday.
  • After Giles Kent is shot in episode six, he stumbles down the cave corridor. As he does so, Kent falls then leans against the rocky walls, which wobble quite distinctly.

Continuity

Home video and audio releases

DVD releases

  • Lost in Time Region 2

    Lost in Time Region 2

  • Lost in Time Region 4

    Lost in Time Region 4

  • Lost in Time Region 1

    Lost in Time Region 1

  • Lost in Time Region 1 (Disc 3)

    Lost in Time Region 1 (Disc 3)

  • Lost in Time Region 4 Re release

    Lost in Time Region 4 Re release

  • Region 2 Slipcase

    Region 2 Slipcase

  • Region 4 (Australian cover)

    Region 4 (Australian cover)

  • Region 4 (New Zealand cover)

    Region 4 (New Zealand cover)

  • Special Edition Region 4 (Australian cover)

    Special Edition Region 4 (Australian cover)

Digital releases

  • On Friday, October 11, 2013, following a press announcement the day before, the previously existing episode three and all the remaining episodes that had been discovered in Nigeria were released in iTunes stores (Australia, Canada, France, Germany, UK and US) as Doctor Who: The Classic Series collection Lost Episodes: Doctor Who: The Enemy of the World. Apart from the six episodes, the collection includes a free 2-minute trailer compiled out of original footage with modern intertitles.
  • It has also been added to Amazon Video (UK) as Season 40 of Doctor Who (Classic) series.
  • This story is available for streaming through BritBox (US) as part of Season 5 of Classic Doctor Who.
  • Lost Episodes: The Enemy of the World original iTunes cover

    Lost Episodes: The Enemy of the World original iTunes cover

  • Lost Episodes: The Enemy of the World second iTunes cover

    Lost Episodes: The Enemy of the World second iTunes cover

VHS and audio releases

  • The Troughton Years VHS UK

    The Troughton Years VHS UK

  • CD Release

    CD Release

Commentary

External links

Footnotes

v • e
Doctor Who television stories
 
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