State of Decay (TV story)
Synopsis
The Doctor, Romana, K9 and Adric - an Outler from Alzarius who has stowed away aboard the TARDIS - arrive on a planet where the native villagers live in fear of 'the Wasting' and of three Lords named Zargo, Camilla and Aukon who rule from an imposing Tower. The Lords are soon revealed to be vampire servants of the last of the Great Vampires, a race referred to in Time Lord mythology.
The Great Vampire is about to be revived from its resting place beneath the Tower - in fact the spaceship in which the Lords, in their original human forms, came to E-Space - but the Doctor launches one of the ship's three shuttle craft and it pierces the heart of the creature, killing it. The Lords, deprived of their master, crumble to dust.
Plot
to be added
Cast
- Fourth Doctor - Tom Baker
- Romana II - Lalla Ward
- K9 Mk2 - John Leeson
- Adric - Matthew Waterhouse
- Aukon - Emrys James
- Camilla - Rachel Davies
- Zargo - William Lindsay
- Ivo - Clinton Greyn
- Marta - Rhoda Lewis
- Tarak - Thane Bettany
- Habris - Iain Rattray
- Kalmar - Arthur Hewlett
- Veros - Stacy Davies
- Karl - Dean Allen
- Roga - Stuart Fell
- Zoldaz - Stuart Blake
Crew
- Assistant Floor Manager - Lynn Richards
- Costumes - Amy Roberts
- Designer - Christine Ruscoe
- Executive Producer - Barry Letts
- Fight Arranger - Stuart Fell
- Film Cameraman - Fintan Sheehan
- Film Editor - John Lee
- Incidental Music - Paddy Kingsland
- Make-Up - Norma Hill
- Producer - John Nathan-Turner
- Production Assistant - Rosalind Wolfes
- Production Unit Manager - Angela Smith
- Script Editor - Christopher H. Bidmead
- Special Sounds - Dick Mills
- Studio Lighting - Bert Postlethwaite
- Studio Sound - John Howell
- Theme Arrangement - Peter Howell
- Title Music - Ron Grainer
- Visual Effects - Tony Harding
References
- Romana used to work in the Bureau of Ancient Records and once saw a reference to The Record of Rassilon.
- The Record of Rassiloon is held on magnetic card in Type 40 TARDISes.
- It speaks of bowships.
Story Notes
- This is the second story in the 'E-Space Trilogy'.
- Working titles for this story included; The Wasting, The Vampire Mutations and The Witch Lords.
Ratings
to be added
Myths
to be added
Location Filming
to be added
Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors
to be added
Continuity
- Blood Harvest and The Eight Doctors features a return to the planet seen in this story.
- Goth Opera continues the events in both this story and Blood Harvest.
DVD and Video Releases
- State of Decay was released by BBC Worldwide on video as part of a boxed set featuring; Full Circle, State of Decay and Warriors' Gate].
Target Novelisations
to be added
See Also
External Links
- BBC Episode Guide for State of Decay
- Outpost Gallifrey Episode Guide: State of Decay
- Doctor Who Reference Guide: Detailed Synopsis - State of Decay
- A Brief History of Time (Travel) entry for State of Decay
