Doctor Who 10x25

1. "Captain Yates is captured by the Computer

2. "and Jo leads Cliff into mortal danger." (Radio Times)

3. This episode was first shown on 16 June 1973 and was watched by 8.3 million people,

4. a rise of a million and a half viewers from the previous week.

5. The last third of this story, was recorded in a final two-day studio block.

6. Episode 5 was taped on the evening of Sunday 29 April 1973,

7. and the sixth and final episode was recorded the following day, Monday 30 April.

8. A total of three-and-a-half days were spent filming around the Ogilvie Colliery

9. for which the National Coal Board in Cardiff were paid a total of £125.

10. The total cost to the production for the filming, including the equipment and the editing, amounted to £2458.

11. It was director Michael E. Briant who thought of having BOSS communicate by means of an oscilloscope.

12. This would give the disembodied voice a visual focus for the characters to respond to.

13. In the script, BOSS does seem a little provoked:

14. The computer "spits it out" when calling humanity "inefficient and organic machines".

15. Episodes 5 and 6 were originally planned for recording a day later, 30 April and 1 May.

16. And the session was due to take place in Studio 1 at Television Centre.

17. This was the largest studio available at the BBC.

18. But with less than a week to go before recording, the Planning Department, who look after studio allocations,

19. informed the production office that not only would the last recording block have to be moved to Studio 3,

20. but the recording dates would have to change from the Monday/Tuesday to the Sunday/Monday.

21. There was no loss of rehearsal time: The actors were expecting to have Sunday off!

22. The voice of BOSS is provided by John Dearth (1920-84).

23. As well as playing the computer in the story, he also provided many of the other unseen voices as well,

24. such as the Tannoy announcements made around the Global Chemicals building, and the UNIT radio voices.

25. John Dearth returned to Doctor Who the following year, this time on screen,

26. to play the bitter, frustrated Lupton in 'Planet of the Spiders'.

27. Dearth appeared in a huge number of television dramas over the years, such as The Avengers (1962) And Z- Cars (1962-7).

28. He also appeared in nearly 30 episodes of the ITC series, The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955-8),

29. playing a different character almost every time!

30. You may recall that for 'The Amoeboids', the original environmental story considered for this slot,

31. Barry Letts had wanted to enlist the Royal Air Force, repeating the help they had given in 'The Mind of Evil' (1971).

32. 'The Green Death' was also conceived with this in mind, but with the changing economic and political climate,

33. the armed forces were spending their "recruitment" money elsewhere, and their annual Doctor Who collaborations came to an end.

34. Instead of the intended low-level flight by fighter planes, the production had to settle for a two-seater helicopter.

35. This particular copter, a Hughes 269B, had previously appeared in 'Fury from the Deep' (1968).

36. Despite supposedly still being a Royal Air Force craft, it'll betray its non-military origins in a moment,

37. when a brief close-up reveals its real owner: The Hampshire firm, Twyford Moors (Helicopters) Ltd.

38. The fake bombs are lavatory ballcocks with fins added, courtesy of the Visual Effects Department.

39. The rather static maggots are just crude foam replicas and, for the explosions, condoms filled with petrol.

40. One of the specified pieces of equipment needed for the shoot was a helicopter camera mount.

41. This had been specially constructed for Z- Cars in September 1972.

42. This was probably for the episode 'Old Soldiers', shot 25-30 September around Weston-super-Mare.

43. For 'The Green Death; this particular helicopter was also flown from Weston Airport in Weston-super-Mare,

44. so they probably hired the same helicopter from the same place, simply because they knew the rig fitted.

45. So, do you recognise any of the set dressing for BOSS's computer room?

46. You may have seen a lot of it before in the Gerry Anderson series, UFO (1970-1).

47. For instance, this central console was originally the central control desk from the Moonbase set.

48. Various other consoles and tape storage banks came not only from Moonbase, but from the Skydiver and SHADO Control as well.

49. When UFO finished, many of the sets were kept in storage by Century 21 Props and hired out to other productions.

50. These props ended up being hired many times in Doctor Who's history; you can see them in such stories as

51. 'The Time Warrior' (1973-4), 'Robot' (1974-5), 'The Androids of Tara' (1978) And 'Revelation of the Daleks' (1985).

52. They also appeared in The Goodies (1973), Star Maidens (1976) And The Muppet Show (1980).

53. The question that BOSS is currently trying to work out

54. is a variation of one proposed in the fourth century BC by the Greek philosopher, Eubulides of Miletus.

55. In a list of seven puzzles, he included what is known as the "Liar Paradox", which stated:

56. "A man says that he is lying. Is what he says true or false?"

57. The cave that Jo and Cliff find themselves sheltering in

58. was partially constructed from a rock wall originally built for the previous story, 'Planet of the Daleks'.

59. It has been suitably redressed and added to, of course!

60. You might have noticed that these shots between the Brigadier and Benton were recorded in studio using CSO.

61. That wasn't for lack of time on location: They were always going to be done like this.

62. On Wednesday 14 March, Mike Isaacs, a photographer from Hilton Warner & Co in Cardiff,

63. was booked to visit the location and photograph the slag heaps specifically to provide the CSO backgrounds.

64. Incidentally, the shots looking through the binoculars are described in the script as being in vignette,

65. so presumably it was intended that they should be seen through a binocular-shaped mask.

66. Oh dear, Doctor. You've got it wrong again!

67. Pi (incorrectly spelled "pye" in the script),

68. is the mathematical constant which denotes the circumference of a circle to its diameter.

69. The Doctor states its numerical value as "3.1416" before tailing off into silent muttering.

70. Jon Pertwee is half-following the script, in which the number was mistyped as "3.1416927..."

71. Any mathematician will tell you it should be 3.14159265358979323846264332795 - and on and on, but let's leave it there!

72. As we've seen, the setting for this story is the fictional Welsh mining village of Llanfairfach.

73. The literal meaning of the name is "the church of little Mary".

74. Welsh place-names are generally formed by compounding words together like this,

75. a process which perhaps got out of hand on the Isle of Anglesey, with the village of

76. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwll llantysiliogogogoch.

77. The locals call it "Llanfair PG".

78. Stevens's line here is based on a misquote from the US Secretary of Defence, Charles Erwin Wilson (1890-1961).

79. Before being appointed by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1953, Wilson had been the president of General Motors.

80. During his confirmation before the Senate Armed Services Committee,

81. Wilson was pressured to dispose of the stocks he held in General Motors.

82. Wilson agreed, but was then asked if, as Secretary for Defence, he could take a decision that might damage General Motors.

83. He agreed that he could, but indicated that he could not conceive of such a situation:

84. "For years, I thought what was good for our country was good for General Motors, and vice versa."

85. This was subsequently misquoted, to Wilson's chagrin, as "What's good for General Motors is good for America."

86. Now, here's a question for you.

87. Given that the Doctor arrived dressed as a milkman, and then changed into a cleaning woman's outfit,

88. where was he hiding his own clothes?

89. In particular, where did they find his cloak?

90. The conclusion of the scene was removed during editing.

91. It showed the Doctor unsuccessfully trying his sonic screwdriver on the door.

92. When pre-production was under way on 'The Green Death',

93. Richard Franklin was already rather tied up working in the theatre

94. so there were doubts as to whether he would be available to reprise his part as Mike Yates.

95. Because of the uncertainty, some initial contingency plans were made: If this story had to be Yatesless,

96. Benton would have become an industrial spy.

97. Back in the corridor, notice the passageway halfway down on the left...

98. They run down the corridor and through a door that's been added to the set since we last saw it in Episode 4,

99. and they come down the passage by which they were just standing.

100. They're standing on exactly the same spot as the guards chasing them!

101. This is the reason why the cloak needed to be thrown into the room earlier.

102. Pertwee had worn it for the location sequences around the factory,

103. so, for continuity, he needed to be wearing it again as he left.

104. The barrier across the entrance is also a BBC prop made from balsa wood.

105. Only one barrier was constructed, so both film cameras covered the scene: There could be no retakes!

106. As scripted, this sequence ended slightly differently.

107. "The van starts to zig-zag but a lucky shot hits a tyre.

108. "The van swerves and goes off the road onto a verge, the engine stalling.

109. "The Doctor tries to start it, but soon gives up, jumps out and runs off around a corner."

110. Just as script editor Terrance Dicks had lent his surname to a soldier in the previous episode,

111. so producer Barry Letts is name-checked here as "Betts".

112. Notice what lapel Benton has his radio clipped to?

113. As we move from the fake exterior recording in the studio back to the real location footage,

114. Benton's radio jumps from one side of his jacket to the other.

115. He's also suddenly acquired the transmitter that's slung over his left shoulder as well!

116. We're back in the studio again, but this time using a blue backing to key the CSO against.

117. That's because Bessie is yellow: She would disappear if they used the same colour as before.

118. This is a rod-mounted model of Bessie that will also be used for one shot in Episode 6.

119. The background is a circular revolving model sprinkled with real maggots.

120. A wind machine is used just in front of Bessie to try and make it look like they're really driving outside.

121. Notice Bessie's tyre tracks on the ground: Evidently this isn't the first take of this particular shot.

122. According to the scripted stage direction, "Two or three times a maggot hurls itself at the car and its occupants. They dodge."

123. The four maggots outside the cave are on a wooden rostrum, and are operated by rods from below.

124. The linear tracks you can see are slots in the wood covered over by a slitted black rubber sheet.

125. This allowed the puppets' rods to be moved along without leaving an obvious hole in the ground as the rubber closed back over.

126. John Levene's jump onto the scenery rather gives away the wooden nature of the set floor though!

127. Bessie had last appeared in 'The Three Doctors', the first story of the 1972-3 series.

128. Since then, it had undergone a major overhaul, including the installation of a larger engine.

129. This meant a new and much longer bonnet had to be put onto the car.

130. The original one stopped a few inches before the headlights, but the new version extended way beyond them.

131. Cliff's bed has been raised up in the studio on four 12-inch blocks, though you won't ever see them.

132. They ensure that the other characters don't have to bend down too much to get into shot with the unconscious Professor.

133. The glowing "green death" itself, which we'll see infecting Cliff in a moment,

134. is achieved with a piece of reflective material called Scotchlite, manufactured by the company 3M.

135. Scotchlite was originally created for use on road traffic signs.

136. Tiny glass beads in the material reflect any light source back along its own axis,

137. whilst remaining non-reflective from any other angle.

138. In the case of our infection, a pulsing green light source is placed beside the camera taking the shot.

139. As the light is only directly reflected back into the lens, it doesn't affect the rest of the shot.

140. One of the inventors of Scotchlite at 3M, Philip V. Palmquist,

141. went on to develop a system using the material for creating front projection effects in the film industry.

142. Sometimes known as Front Axial Projection, the technique eventually earned Palmquist an Academy Award in 1969.

143. It has been used on many feature films, including 2001.; A Space Odyssey, Where Eagles Dare and Silent Running.

144. Mike Yates's susceptibility to ideological extremes would be further explored in 'Invasion of the Dinosaurs' (1974)

145. In which he joins a dubious environmental organisation and ends up effectively betraying UNIT.

146. He then appeared for the last time in 'Planet of the Spiders', having been allowed a quiet resignation.

147. He turns up at a Buddhist meditation centre, trying to recover from previous events.

148. Unfortunately for him, and fortunately for us, dark forces are gathering there, and Sarah Jane Smith becomes involved.

149. The blue light was created using a hole cut into a sheet of black card that Camera 2 is now low looking at.

150. As the light behind it is pulsed, a Colour Synth is used to create the blue solarised effect.

151. The end of this scene was trimmed slightly in editing.

152. As the Doctor tells the Brigadier to wake up, Lethbridge-Stewart suddenly comes to, saying,

153. "One of these days, Doctor, you'll go too far!"

154. Mr James was very much a last-minute addition to the story.

155. The two scenes in which he appears were originally written for the character of Elgin.

156. But shortly before recording, Tony Adams, who played Elgin, was suddenly rushed to hospital with peritonitis.

157. Roy Skelton was quickly drafted in to play the hastily concocted replacement character of Mr James.

158. Tony Adams reportedly spent rather a long time during the production boring his fellow actors

159. with conversation about the health benefits of taking garlic, which he said would ward off sickness,

160. so it was ironic that he ended up having to leave the production early owing to ill health.

161. The story idea for 'The Green Death' gradually developed over 1972,

162. but it wasn't until 30 November that Robert Sloman was formally commissioned to write Episode 1.

163. This first script was given a target delivery date of 11 December, but it was delivered three days early.

164. After that episode was accepted on 10 December, Sloman was contracted for Episode 2 the following day.

165. That script was delivered on 15 January 1973 and was accepted three weeks later; the rest came in quickly thereafter.

166. Meanwhile, in December 1972, Letts and Dicks were given the go-ahead to develop a new science fiction drama series.

167. Moonbase 3 was to be a BBC co-production with the American ABC network and 20th Century Fox.

168. The initial scripts for the series were being commissioned in December 1972 and January 1973 for delivery in March.

169. By then, Terrance Dicks would be working on the last story for the current recording block,

170. 'The Time Warrior', which would be made in May/June to begin Doctor Who's next series at the end of the year.

171. Moonbase 3 was finally broadcast between 9 September and 14 October 1973,

172. but the audience reaction was poor, so the programme never ran to a second series.

173. Concurrent with trying to produce Moonbase 3, Letts and Dicks were also working on a three-part adaptation

174. of the 1952 C. S. Forester novel Lieutenant Hornblower, which was being scripted by John Lucarotti.

175. This project fell by the wayside before ever entering production.

176. Now, remember those upside-down, back-to-front closing titles we saw at the end of Episode 2?

177. We have another set of them coming up in a moment.

178. No one is entirely sure why they ended up the way they did,

179. but one possible reason is that the film of the end titles wasn't run back to the beginning for each set of credits.

180. Opening and closing titles for some or all of the episodes were often recorded together during a break in recording.

181. Theoretically, the 35mm film of the closing titles would be wound back on the telecine machine for each run.

182. This time, in practice, it seems likely that the film was allowed to run completely through the machine,

183. and then the full take-up spool was exchanged for the empty feed spool on the telecine.

184. Lacing the film through with the tail end first would have made the closing titles run in this unusual fashion.

185. The real mystery is why Barry Letts let it go out like this on transmission!

186. Uncredited production contributors included:

187. John Harris, Michael McDermott (Production Assistants)

188. Karilyn Collier (Assistant Floor Manager)

189. Brenda Loader, Judith Harris (Director's Assistants)

190. Robin Stubbs, Steve Pokol (Costume Assistants)

191. Paul Trerise (Design Assistant)

192. Dick Lane, George Gibbins (Film Camera Assistants)

193. Brian Biffin (Assistant Sound Recordist)

194. Dennis Rogers (Film Assistant)

195. Roy Osbourne, Don Cattin (Props)

196. Dave Lewis (Props Buyer)

197. Terry Manning (Lighting) t go to work.

198. There is very little time left.

199. Here are your instructions.

200. He's a trained soldier.

201. He's been taught to withstand that sort of thing.

202. Mmm, if he hadn't tried so hard, he'd have come in shooting.

203. I'd have been a dead man by now.

204. You too, probably.

205. - Where am I? You're in the Nut Hutch.

206. What?

207. Professor Jones' house.

208. Oh.

209. That blue light...

210. Yes, well, you'll be all right now, old chap.

211. Well, Captain Yates, you're well out of Global Chemicals.

212. I'm afraid he's not.

213. I'm gonna ask you to go back.

214. Do you think you feel up to it?

215. (SIGHS) Right as rain, Doctor.

216. I'm sorry to have to ask you to do this,

217. but there's some information that I simply must have.

218. Now, here's what I want you to do...

219. New York, 7-2-0-3 slave units prepared.

220. Now reading 7-5-8-0.

221. - Zurich, 1-5-8-4. - In preparation.

222. Slave unit assessment to follow.

223. Moscow, 10-00-3.

224. Prepared. 1-1-0-0-9-8.

225. - Permission? Of course.

226. Come in.

227. Well?

228. The Doctor

229. is dead.

230. - Shouldn't we get him to hospital? - What'd be the point, Jo?

231. You know what happened to the others. Ordinary treatment won't work.

232. He won't die, will he?

233. - He means a lot to you, doesn't he? - Yes.

234. Well, then, trust me, Jo.

235. I'm sure these injections are doing him some good.

236. - Shh. It's all right. - (MOANS)

237. At least it'll give us time to find the real cure.

238. - And the girl? No need to worry.

239. She's too concerned about the Professor to make trouble.

240. All the same, I think it might be advisable to...

241. dispose of her, too.

242. I don't think that would be necessary.

243. Don't you, now?

244. How very interesting.

245. - Stella. - (INTERCOM BUZZING)

246. Ask Mr James to come in, will you?

247. To dispose of the girl would not be efficient.

248. The time will come.

249. Thank you for your most valuable advice, Mr Yates.

250. You sent for me?

251. Yes.

252. Wait here with Mr Yates.

253. What are you doing?

254. Nothing.

255. Just concentrate on the blue crystal, Mr James.

256. As you look, you'll see it glow.

257. Watch carefully.

258. Mr James?

259. Your mind's clear now.

260. You have to tell me what's going to happen.

261. Takeover.

262. By the Boss.

263. At 4:00 this afternoon, the computer is going to...

264. Just can't depend on anyone,

265. can you, Mr Yates?