On Through the 80's! (TV story)
On Through the 80’s! was a two-part mini-episode released in 1980 to accompany the marketing campaign to sell Prime Computers.
It featured Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor and Lalla Ward as Romana II. Although licensed by the BBC, the adverts were broadcast only in Australia and never shown in the UK.
The campaign consisted of four adverts, two in this story.
Story
Note: The titles given here are those as shown on the adverts themselves.
Dr. Who meets his match
The Doctor discovers he can increase the power of his Prime Computer by 111 seconds. When Romana tells him to ask it how to handle a woman, the computer comes up with the answer: "Marry the girl, Doctor."
Dr. Who and the Aliens
Aliens from Liprogopolis kidnap Romana to force the Doctor to tell them the name of his computer. Seeing Romana threatened by an alien hand on the monitor, the Doctor finally tells the aliens it's a Prime Computer and asks them why they want to know. The aliens explain simply, "We just want to buy one." Romana is returned and the Doctor explains it was "just some overexcited Prime buyers".
Cast
- Fourth Doctor - Tom Baker
- Romana - Lalla Ward
- Liprogopolisian - unknown
Story notes
- Prime Computer advertisement features one of the few instances of the Doctor cursing; he utters, "damn", quietly to himself in Dr. Who and the Aliens when he realises he's accidentally revealed he owns a Prime Computer to the aliens.
Home video releases
- The advertisements were released commercially as an extra on the DVD release of Destiny of the Daleks as well as on The Collection boxset of Season 18.
