The Tomb of the Cybermen (TV story): Difference between revisions

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* This serial was believed lost in 1978 (when the BBC's film archive was first properly audited, although it is absent on earlier 1976 listings) until 16mm black & white film telerecordings of all four episodes were returned to the BBC by the Hong Kong television company ATV (formerly called RTV) in late 1991. The serial was released, to much fan excitement and with a specially recorded introduction by director Morris Barry, on VHS in May 1992 and, within the first week of being on sale, it out-sold ''Silence of the Lambs''.
* This serial was believed lost in 1978 (when the BBC's film archive was first properly audited, although it is absent on earlier 1976 listings) until 16mm black & white film telerecordings of all four episodes were returned to the BBC by the Hong Kong television company ATV (formerly called RTV) in late 1991. The serial was released, to much fan excitement and with a specially recorded introduction by director Morris Barry, on VHS in May 1992 and, within the first week of being on sale, it out-sold ''Silence of the Lambs''.
* Following the story's recovery in 1991 and return early in 1992 after decades of being presumed wiped, the episodes were screened to a packed audience at BAFTA in Piccadilly on [[26 April (releases)|26 April]] [[1992 (releases)|1992]], along with guests including director [[Morris Barry]], producer [[Peter Bryant]], story editor [[Victor Pemberton]] and actors [[Frazer Hines]], [[Deborah Watling]], [[Shirley Cooklin]], [[Clive Merrison]], [[George Roubicek]] and [[Michael Kilgarriff]]. [[Tony Clark]], one of the audience members, recalled huge rounds of applause and thought that "everyone did love it". The broad verdict of a group of reviewers in ''DWB'' issue 101 agreed that the long-missing story lived up to the hype of its reputation of existing "at the very apex of ''Doctor Who''{{'}}s pyramid of masterpiece stories" when it was originally released on VHS. [[Gary Russell]], reviewing the story in [[DWM 187]], gave a "largely positive" review and said he "could go on forever about what's good in ''The Tomb of the Cybermen''". ([[TEDW 1]])
* Following the story's recovery in 1991 and return early in 1992 after decades of being presumed wiped, the episodes were screened to a packed audience at BAFTA in Piccadilly on [[26 April (releases)|26 April]] [[1992 (releases)|1992]], along with guests including director [[Morris Barry]], producer [[Peter Bryant]], story editor [[Victor Pemberton]] and actors [[Frazer Hines]], [[Deborah Watling]], [[Shirley Cooklin]], [[Clive Merrison]], [[George Roubicek]] and [[Michael Kilgarriff]]. [[Tony Clark]], one of the audience members, recalled huge rounds of applause and thought that "everyone did love it". The broad verdict of a group of reviewers in ''DWB'' issue 101 agreed that the long-missing story lived up to the hype of its reputation of existing "at the very apex of ''Doctor Who''{{'}}s pyramid of masterpiece stories" when it was originally released on VHS. [[Gary Russell]], reviewing the story in [[DWM 187]], gave a "largely positive" review and said he "could go on forever about what's good in ''The Tomb of the Cybermen''". ([[TEDW 1]])
* Toberman was originally intended to be deaf, hence his lack of significant speech; his hearing aid would foreshadow his partial transformation into a Cyberman. These elements were included in the novelisation. This omission in the TV story along with Toberman's servile nature, unfortunately contributed to the now perceived racist stereotypical characterisation of Toberman, due to the casting of a black actor, [[Roy Stewart]], in the role.
* Toberman was originally intended to be deaf, hence his lack of significant speech; his hearing aid would foreshadow his partial transformation into a Cyberman. These elements were included in the novelisation. This omission in the TV story along with Toberman's servile nature, unfortunately contributed to the now perceived racist stereotypical characterisation of Toberman, due to the casting of a black actor, [[Roy Stewart]], in the role.
* ''Radio Times'' credits [[Peter Hawkins]] as "Cybermen Voices" for episode two, and as "Cyberman Voices" for episodes three and four. All on-screen credits read "Cybermen Voices".
* ''Radio Times'' credits [[Peter Hawkins]] as "Cybermen Voices" for episode two, and as "Cyberman Voices" for episodes three and four. All on-screen credits read "Cybermen Voices".
* Actress [[Shirley Cooklin]] (Kaftan) was married to producer [[Peter Bryant]]. Her character was written especially for her by Gerry Davis. [[Frazer Hines]] actually flirted with her, not realising that she was his boss's wife.
* Actress Shirley Cooklin (Kaftan) was married to producer Peter Bryant. Her character was written especially for her by Gerry Davis. Frazer Hines actually flirted with her, not realising that she was his boss's wife.
* [[Peter Bryant]], who had previously been assistant to [[Gerry Davis]] and been newly promoted to script editor on the preceding story, was allowed to produce this serial to test if he could take over from [[Innes Lloyd]] as producer later in the season. Bryant's own assistant, [[Victor Pemberton]], acted as script editor on this serial and was also an uncredited Assistant Script Editor on ''[[The Evil of the Daleks (TV story)|The Evil of the Daleks]]'', ''[[The Abominable Snowmen (TV story)|The Abominable Snowmen]]'' and ''[[The Ice Warriors (TV story)|The Ice Warriors]]''. He did not want to be a full time script editor, preferring to pen his own scripts and, later that season, he wrote [[Fury from the Deep (TV story)|''Fury from the Deep'']]. When Bryant's eventual promotion to producer came, [[Derrick Sherwin]] became script editor.
* Peter Bryant, who had previously been assistant to [[Gerry Davis]] and been newly promoted to script editor on the preceding story, was allowed to produce this serial to test if he could take over from [[Innes Lloyd]] as producer later in the season. Bryant's own assistant, Victor Pemberton, acted as script editor on this serial and was also an uncredited Assistant Script Editor on ''[[The Evil of the Daleks (TV story)|The Evil of the Daleks]]'', ''[[The Abominable Snowmen (TV story)|The Abominable Snowmen]]'' and ''[[The Ice Warriors (TV story)|The Ice Warriors]]''. He did not want to be a full time script editor, preferring to pen his own scripts and, later that season, he wrote [[Fury from the Deep (TV story)|''Fury from the Deep'']]. When Bryant's eventual promotion to producer came, [[Derrick Sherwin]] became script editor.
* The serial begins the semi-recurring tradition of Cybermen stories being titled "...of the Cybermen". This format is also used in the televisions stories ''[[Revenge of the Cybermen (TV story)|Revenge of the Cybermen]]'', ''[[Attack of the Cybermen (TV story)|Attack of the Cybermen]]'', ''[[Rise of the Cybermen (TV story)|Rise of the Cybermen]]'' and ''[[Ascension of the Cybermen (TV story)|Ascension of the Cybermen]]''; the comic stories ''[[The Power of the Cybermen (comic story)|The Power of the Cybermen]]'', ''[[Time of the Cybermen (comic story)|Time of the Cybermen]]'' and ''[[Supremacy of the Cybermen (comic story)|Supremacy of the Cybermen]]''; the audio stories ''[[Legend of the Cybermen (audio story)|Legend of the Cybermen]]'' and ''[[Hour of the Cybermen (audio story)|Hour of the Cybermen]]''; the video game ''[[Blood of the Cybermen (video game)|Blood of the Cybermen]]'' and the novel ''[[Plague of the Cybermen (novel)|Plague of the Cybermen]]''.
* The serial begins the semi-recurring tradition of Cybermen stories being titled "...of the Cybermen". This format is also used in the televisions stories ''[[Revenge of the Cybermen (TV story)|Revenge of the Cybermen]]'', ''[[Attack of the Cybermen (TV story)|Attack of the Cybermen]]'', ''[[Rise of the Cybermen (TV story)|Rise of the Cybermen]]'' and ''[[Ascension of the Cybermen (TV story)|Ascension of the Cybermen]]''; the comic stories ''[[The Power of the Cybermen (comic story)|The Power of the Cybermen]]'', ''[[Time of the Cybermen (comic story)|Time of the Cybermen]]'' and ''[[Supremacy of the Cybermen (comic story)|Supremacy of the Cybermen]]''; the audio stories ''[[Legend of the Cybermen (audio story)|Legend of the Cybermen]]'' and ''[[Hour of the Cybermen (audio story)|Hour of the Cybermen]]''; the video game ''[[Blood of the Cybermen (video game)|Blood of the Cybermen]]'' and the novel ''[[Plague of the Cybermen (novel)|Plague of the Cybermen]]''.
* The story was chosen by [[BBC America]] to represent the [[Patrick Troughton]] era during their 50th-anniversary programming. Edited into an [[omnibus]] format, it was aired by BBCA on [[24 February (releases)|24 February]] 2013, after the debut of their homegrown special called, ''[[The Doctors Revisited - The Second Doctor]]''. It also aired in the [[United Kingdom]] later in [[2013 (releases)|the year]] on [[13 October (releases)|13 October]], along with the ''Revisited'' special, on the [[Watch (TV channel)|Watch]] channel.
* The story was chosen by [[BBC America]] to represent the [[Patrick Troughton]] era during their 50th-anniversary programming. Edited into an [[omnibus]] format, it was aired by BBCA on [[24 February (releases)|24 February]] [[2013 (releases)|2013]], after the debut of their homegrown special called, ''[[The Doctors Revisited - The Second Doctor]]''. It also aired in the [[United Kingdom]] later in the year on [[13 October (releases)|13 October]], along with the ''Revisited'' special, on the [[Watch (TV channel)|Watch]] channel.
* It has been noted that the Tomb of the Cybermen has a very similar layout to the tomb of Tutankhamun. The only significant differences being the 'bodies' in this story are underground while in Tutankhamun's they were all on the same level and there is no booby trap in the hallucination chamber. Booby traps did exist in some Egyptian tombs, but not in Tutankhamun's.
* It has been noted that the Tomb of the Cybermen has a very similar layout to the tomb of Tutankhamun. The only significant differences being the 'bodies' in this story are underground while in Tutankhamun's they were all on the same level and there is no booby trap in the hallucination chamber. Booby traps did exist in some Egyptian tombs, but not in Tutankhamun's.
* [[Morris Barry]] wanted [[Michael Kilgarriff]] to play the Cyber Controller right from the beginning. However, Kilgarriff had never seen ''Doctor Who'' before and knew nothing about the Cybermen. So when Barry approached him about the role, he was very surprised to learn that the part would involve him being encased in silver and that he would not have any lines. Three days later, he telephoned Barry and agreed to do the role.
* Morris Barry wanted Michael Kilgarriff to play the Cyber Controller right from the beginning. However, Kilgarriff had never seen ''Doctor Who'' before and knew nothing about the Cybermen. So when Barry approached him about the role, he was very surprised to learn that the part would involve him being encased in silver and that he would not have any lines. Three days later, he telephoned Barry and agreed to do the role.
* This is Victoria's only televised story that does not take place on Earth.
* This is Victoria's only televised story that does not take place on Earth.
* This is the only story of Season 5 not to consist of six episodes.
* This is the only story of [[Season 5]] not to consist of six episodes.
* [[Deborah Watling]] admitted the scene in which Victoria gets sealed inside the sarcophagus was difficult for her to film due to her claustrophobia.
* Deborah Watling admitted the scene in which Victoria gets sealed inside the sarcophagus was difficult for her to film due to her claustrophobia.
* [[Patrick Troughton]] and [[Frazer Hines]] came up with the gag of the Doctor and Jamie holding each other's hands themselves. They did so without the director's knowledge, so that he'd have no choice but to leave it in.
* Patrick Troughton and Frazer Hines came up with the gag of the Doctor and Jamie holding each other's hands themselves. They did so without the director's knowledge, so that he'd have no choice but to leave it in.
* When Victoria asks the Doctor what a Cybermat is, he points to a book and says, "One of those". This was an ad-lib by [[Patrick Troughton]] when he forgot his line.
* When Victoria asks the Doctor what a Cybermat is, he points to a book and says, "One of those". This was an ad-lib by Patrick Troughton when he forgot his line.
* [[Desmond Llewelyn]] was unsuccessfully sought for the role of Professor Parry.
* [[Desmond Llewelyn]] was unsuccessfully sought for the role of Professor Parry.
*[[Vladek Sheybal]] was considered for Eric Kileg.
*[[Vladek Sheybal]] was considered for Eric Kileg.
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* An in-universe analogue to this serial, the ''[[Professor X]]'' episode ''[[Vault of the Cyborgs]]'', is mentioned in ''[[Klein's Story (audio story)|Klein's Story]]''.
* An in-universe analogue to this serial, the ''[[Professor X]]'' episode ''[[Vault of the Cyborgs]]'', is mentioned in ''[[Klein's Story (audio story)|Klein's Story]]''.
* This story was chosen to represent the Patrick Troughton era by fans to be rebroadcast for ''[[Doctor Who @40]]''.
* This story was chosen to represent the Patrick Troughton era by fans to be rebroadcast for ''[[Doctor Who @40]]''.
* The Cybermats were controlled by various means – some by wires, some by wind-up clockwork, some by radio-control, and some by simply being shoved into the shot. When the team were not filming, it was known for the people controlling the radio-controlled Cybermats to ''chase'' Deborah Watling around on set.
* The Cybermats were controlled by various means – some by wires, some by wind-up clockwork, some by radio-control, and some by simply being shoved into the shot. When the team were not filming, it was known for the people controlling the radio-controlled Cybermats to chase Deborah Watling around on set.
* The scene of the Cybermen breaking out of their tombs was filmed entirely in one take.
* The scene of the Cybermen breaking out of their tombs was filmed entirely in one take.
* [[Morris Barry]] was impressed by the design work of the cyber tombs by [[Martin Johnson (designer)|Martin Johnson]]. [[Peter Bryant]] claimed that [[Sydney Newman]] called him to praise the story.
* Morris Barry was impressed by the design work of the cyber tombs by [[Martin Johnson (designer)|Martin Johnson]]. Peter Bryant claimed that [[Sydney Newman]] called him to praise the story.
*As well as being only one of two serials to fully exist from [[Season 5]], this is the only Cyberman story produced in the 60s black and white era where all original episodes exist in their entirety. ''[[The Tenth Planet (TV story)|The Tenth Planet]]'', ''[[The Moonbase (TV story)|The Moonbase]]'', [[The Wheel in Space (TV story)|''The Wheel in Space'']] and ''[[The Invasion (TV story)|The Invasion]]'' are all technically incomplete, with ''Wheel'' being the only story not to be restored using animation.
*As well as being only one of two serials to fully exist from Season 5, this is the only Cyberman story produced in the 60s black and white era where all original episodes exist in their entirety. ''[[The Tenth Planet (TV story)|The Tenth Planet]]'', ''[[The Moonbase (TV story)|The Moonbase]]'', [[The Wheel in Space (TV story)|''The Wheel in Space'']] and ''[[The Invasion (TV story)|The Invasion]]'' are all technically incomplete, with ''Wheel'' being the only story not to be fully restored using animation.


=== Ratings ===
=== Ratings ===
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