Shada (TV story)

Shada
Doctor:	[[doctor::Fourth Doctor]]
Companion(s):	Romana II, K9 Mk2
Main enemy:	Skagra The Krargs
Main setting:	Cambridge, Earth; circa 1979 Shada
Key crew
Writer:	Douglas Adams
Director:	Pennant Roberts
Producer:	Graham Williams
Release details
Release number:	109
Premiere broadcast:	Not Broadcast
Format:	6 25-minute episodes
Production code:	5M

Synopsis

When one of the Artefacts of Gallifrey - a dangerous book dating back to the time of the all-powerful Rassilon - goes missing from his study, Cambridge professor and retired Time Lord Dr. Chronotis calls in the aid of the Doctor and Romana. The Doctor is very worried. Who knows what powers could be unleashed if the book falls into the wrong hands? Then the mysterious Skagra arrives, armed with a thought-draining sphere and a scheme for one universal mind. But first he must get hold of the book...

Plot

to be added

Cast

• The Doctor - Tom Baker
• Romana - Lalla Ward
• Voice of K-9 - David Brierley
• Caldera - Derek Pollitt
• Chris Parsons - Daniel Hill
• Claire Keightley - Victoria Burgoyne
• Krarg - Harry Fielder
• Krarg - Lionel Sansby
• Krarg - James Muir
• Krarg - Reg Woods
• Krarg- Derek Suthern
• Passenger - David Strong
• Police Constable - John Hallett
• Professor Chronotis - Denis Carey
• Voice of Ship - Shirley Dixon
• Skagra - Christopher Neame
• Voice of the Krargs - James Coombes
• Wilkin - Gerald Campion

Crew

• Director - Pennant Roberts
• Assistant Floor Manager - Val McCrimmon
• Costumes - Rupert Jarvis
• Designer - Vic Meredith
• Make-Up - Kim Burns
• Producer - Graham Williams
• Production Assistant - Olivia Bazalgette
• Production Assistant - Ralph Wilton
• Production Unit Manager - John Nathan-Turner
• Script Editor - Douglas Adams
• Special Sounds - Dick Mills
• Title Music - Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, arranged by Delia Derbyshire
• Writer - Douglas Adams

References

Time Lords

• Chronotis
• Regeneration
• The Worshipful and Ancient Law of Gallifrey

TARDISes

• TARDIS
• Dematerialisation

Theories and Concepts

• Psychoactive extraction

Planets

• Dronid is the location of Skagra's homeworld.

Scientists

• A. St. John D. Caldera
• A. S. T. Thira
• G. V. Santori
• L. D. Ia
• R. F. Akrotiri

Story Notes

• Shada was never completed due to strikes at the BBC, the footage that was shot was released on BBC Video in 1992 and was also broadcast by the BBC website as a webcast in 2003.

Ratings

to be added

Myths

to be added

Influences

• Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

Location Filming

• England, Cambridge

Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors

to be added

Continuity

• A section of Shada is seen in The Five Doctors (two sections in the 'original' version, one section in the 'Special Edition')

• The Worshipful and Ancient Law of Gallifrey appears in The Dimension Riders.

• Professor Chronotis reappears in Unnatural History as Professor Daniel Joyce.
• Rassilon mentions in Zagreus that he is Conqueror of Dronid, here mentioned as Skagra's homeworld.

DVD, Video and Other Releases

• BBC Video released a version compiling existing footage with linking narration by Tom Baker, it included full script of the original production.

• The BBC commissioned Big Finish to write and record a new version as part of the 40th anniversary, it was animated with a limited Flash animation and released on the BBC's website.

• It was later released with extended scenes on CD by Big Finish.

Target Novelisations

• Douglas Adams never wrote a novelisation for Shada, however some of the ideas present in Shada turn up in Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.
• However a fan novelised version (by the New Zealand Fan Club) is available online Doctor Who and Shada by Paul Scoones.

See Also

• Shada (audio release)
• Shada (webcast)

External Links

• BBC Episode Guide Page for Shada
• Story synopsis for Shada at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
• A Brief History of Time Travel - Shada