Doctor Who 14x1

1. "An evil intruder in the TARDIS... The Doctor and Sarah are caught in a dark world of intrigue and sorcery." (Radio Times)

2. This episode was first shown on 4 September, 1976.

3. It was seen by 8.3 million people.

4. This is a sequence about one of Doctor Who's long-term production headaches: The size of the TARDIS.

5. The script calls for a "vast panelled room", but it's actually the drawing room of an English stately home.

6. It was a photograph matted in with the green-screen process Colour Separation Overlay,

7. whereas the three-dimensional TARDIS control room took up too much of the studio's floor space.

8. No size issue here: Elisabeth Sladen is indeed 5'4" tall.

9. The TARDIS interior was mostly seen only in an adventure's first scene, but it cramped out the other, more important sets.

10. So producer Philip Hinchcliffe decided to introduce a new, smaller control room. And here it is.

11. Though we've never seen it before, the set is dressed with some artefacts associated with earlier Doctors,

12. including Jon Pertwee's velvet jacket and frilly shirt, and Patrick Troughton's recorder.

13. The script calls for a swivel mirror to be part of the console itself, rather than standing on top.

14. Sarah's tootling out, unscripted, a descant recorder version of the 17th-century military march, The British Grenadiers.

15. Originally the instrument hire firm, Maurice Placquet of Shepherd's Bush, sent a treble recorder - the wrong size.

16. This is the second attempt at representing the Helix on screen.

17. The first version was a solid fibreglass model, about five feet wide, like a rotating Danish pastry (which is why it was dropped).

18. Instead, they used a controlled whirlpool in a perspex cone, shot from above and lit from beneath.

19. The liquid, a weak solution of wallpaper paste, was swirled by a propellor driven by an electric drill.

20. For budgetary reasons, the effect was done "live" in the studio, rather than pre-filmed, as was the norm.

21. Only one of the console flaps had controls inside. (Not this one, obviously.)

22. The plan was to add more in later serials - though, in fact, the set was only used three more times.

23. The TARDIS was shot in a thin, flexible sheet of "mirrorlon": The image distorts when the sheet is pushed from behind.

24. This is another mirrorlon shot.

25. It doesn't say XOB ECILOP

26. because a second mirror was used to turn the image the right way round again.

27. The intention was to suggest that the time machine is "breaking up as it travels down the vortex".

28. Materialising in the middle of the Helix, the TARDIS looks "like a matchbox in the Albert Hall", says the script.

29. Barry Newbery's inspiration for the new control room set was Jules Verne.

30. He'd just seen the 1954 Disney film version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,

31. and he wanted the TARDIS to have the same kind of woody Victorian futurism as Captain Nemo's submarine, the Nautilus.

32. It's not real mahogany, though: It's a plastic wall covering.

33. The script calls this the "Titan Hall".

34. It wasn't only the TARDIS control room that was remade for this serial: The police box is a new prop too.

35. The old one had fallen to pieces, literally on top of Elisabeth Sladen, in the very last scene of the previous adventure.

36. The replacement was made of more lightweight materials,

37. to make it easier for the scene shifters to move about, especially on location.

38. The script describes them "clinging together in the lee of the TARDIS as a great wind shrieks around them".

39. Note the visible inner wall of the TARDIS prop.

40. Barry Newbery's version of the TARDIS interior included a completely new control console.

41. Director Rodney Bennett asked for a moving central column, like on the old console.

42. He suggested that the top should open with an iris, and a dome come out.

43. Hinchcliffe and Newbery overruled him, partly on grounds of cost,

44. and partly because the moving column was another TARDIS headache they were glad to lose: It used to stick.

45. Another idea which didn't make it to the final design had been in Newbery's mind since 1968.

46. He wanted a TARDIS control system that was more sophisticated than knobs and levers,

47. so he suggested a panel on which the Doctor would simply "write" instructions to the machine.

48. As you've already seen, the finished console ended up with rows of buttons.

49. San Martino is really Portmeirion in North Wales, best known as the location for The Prisoner (1967-8).

50. The upcoming shot of Federico riding towards the dome took three takes to get right, thanks to a misbehaving horse.

51. Can you spot the giant Buddha in the shadowed portico in front of the dome?

52. It was left behind in Portmeirion by the crew who filmed The Inn of the Sixth Happiness there in 1958.

53. The conceptual starting-point for this serial was the notion of an astral force which had the power to influence human affairs.

54. This led scriptwriter Louis Marks to the pseudo-science of astrology,

55. which ascribes significance to planets and stars and their relative positions as they move through the heavens.

56. The twelve significant constellations are still familiar: The signs of the zodiac.

57. There were seven planets, including the Sun and Moon, but excluding the as yet undiscovered Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

58. The planets rotated around the Earth on concentric spheres. Saturn was the outermost, the "seventh layer".

59. Mars and Saturn were both malign influences and "the House of the Ram" (Aries) signified leadership and power.

60. So Hieronymous's prophecy makes sense in its own terms.

61. Louis Marks saw the fifteenth century as a crucial moment in human history when superstition lost out to reason.

62. That conflict is at the centre of 'The Masque of Mandragora'.

63. Medieval Christianity had definite ideas about mankind's place in the universe.

64. Creation was a fixed hierarchy of beings, with humanity in the middle, above the beasts and below the angels.

65. Man was understood to be the passive focus for external influences, such as God's grace, the Devil's temptation, or the stars.

66. In Renaissance Italy, however, there developed a new theory of mankind: Humanism.

67. This held that human beings could determine their own place in creation, rather than just stay where their creator had put them:

68. You could make yourself a beast or a god, depending on what you did.

69. In other words, Renaissance man could make his own destiny, rather than being subject to supernatural forces like astrology.

70. In this scene, Giuliano explicitly aligns himself with this new school of philosophy.

71. The serial's working title, 'Doom of Destiny', underlined the outcome in melodramatic Doctor Who terms:

72. This is a story about how destiny - the power of superstition to determine human lives - comes to be doomed.

73. Louis Marks imagined Hieronymous with "sinister and fantastic" clothing, a black beard, and "evil features".

74. According to his own system, as we have seen, the old sorcerer is not a man with a head full of turnips,

75. so it's worth paying attention to the astronomical information he has to offer, as well as the astrological flummery.

76. We've already heard that the moon is "full grown", which will become important in the final episode.

77. Now we learn that it is the summer solstice, when the sun is highest in the sky.

78. In the northern hemisphere, this falls in mid-June.

79. You may have noticed a small crocodile above the window (with a smaller lizard pinned beneath it).

80. The traditional alchemist's hanging croc derives from a 1680 painting by David Teniers of Antwerp.

81. It was scripted as a rougher landing, ending with the TARDIS wedged into a bush.

82. But the door opens easily, and they find themselves in a vineyard.

83. Elisabeth Sladen originally planned to leave Doctor Who at the end of the 1975-6 series.

84. But then she heard some advance plans for the 1976-7 series - and she particularly wanted to do 'The Masque of Mandragora'.

85. So that's why Sarah Jane's still here:

86. She decided to stay on for two more serials, which meant finishing in July, 1976 rather than December, 1975.

87. They were scripted as peaches, not oranges.

88. Since the Portmeirion trees bore no fruit (of either variety), the oranges were fixed onto them with wire.

89. The film shoot at Portmeirion was four days of very intensive work, but was greatly enjoyed by everyone involved.

90. It was "one of the most pleasant locations we have ever visited," Philip Hinchcliffe later told the village's owner.

91. The plan was for Sarah to be dragged, not carried.

92. Stalwart BBC viewers had seen these Benedictine monks' habits the year before, in The Legend of Robin Hood.

93. This was scripted as a faster-moving sequence:

94. The Doctor and the Brother run to intercept one another, followed by a more extended karate fight.

95. Most of the dialogue was improvised on location.

96. Composer Dudley Simpson aimed to lighten this violent moment with what he hoped would be slightly comical music.

97. The ball of helix energy was electronically overlaid when the film was recorded to videotape.

98. It was scripted as an invisible force which leaves a blackened trail and wisps of smoke behind it:

99. When it moves, we hear a "mine-detector wail", and leaves and branches shrivel as it passes.

100. To look suitably "alive", it had to be an intense light source, so an industrial sparkler was used.

101. The location shoot was in early May, 1976.

102. Although the film unit had priority, the Portmeirion authorities were unable to keep members of the public away.

103. The forking peasant is stuntman Stuart Fell.

104. The first take of this shot was ruined by intruding children.

105. For the effect coming up, a 20-ft length of titanium tetrachloride cord was tied to a stone and lobbed in the lake.

106. Explosives were set in the water just above where the rock had landed.

107. The two effects were set off simultaneously, giving the impression of a bang when the helix energy hits the water,

108. followed by the lake surface boiling as the energy skims along it.

109. The vapour contained hydrochloric acid, a corrosive chemical by-product.

110. That's one reason why titanium tetrachloride is now banned from use in special effects.

111. On an earlier take, there was so much smoke from the body that the Doctor couldn't be seen.

112. Luckily that effects smoke was non-toxic!

113. The leg of Guiliano's table is distinctly out of period: It's a Victorian jardiniere.

114. The table itself is even newer: It was specially made for the production out of blockboard.

115. In 1490, Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) Wrote of "making glasses to see the Moon enlarged".

116. In reality, Leonardo was no longer in Florence: He left in 1482 to work at the court of Milan.

117. Marco refers to the geocentric cosmology in which the Sun moves around a stationary Earth,

118. whereas Giuliano is at the cutting edge of new astronomical thinking in the late fifteenth century.

119. The carved wooden chest by the door is a modern reproduction.

120. It was still an expensive piece, though, valued at £2,000.

121. Much of the scenic furniture was hired from the specialist London firm, Farley.

122. It was Philip Hinchcliffe who first thought of doing a serial set in the time of the Borgias.

123. Script editor Robert Holmes wasn't enthusiastic: He didn't much care for Doctor Who in historical settings.

124. Hinchcliffe persuaded him that the period would give the drama added "bite" and some striking visuals.

125. The idea had an unlikely source: The future co-author of the sitcom Yes, Minister.

126. Hinchcliffe been reading Antony Jay's book, Management and Machiavelli (1967), which analysed modern business methods

127. in terms of the pragmatic principles of statecraft developed by Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527).

128. So Hinchcliffe was thinking about the Florentine politician and philosopher and, therefore, about the Italian Renaissance.

129. Holmes also couldn't imagine a location that would be both economical and effective. But Hinchcliffe could.

130. He remembered a visit to Portmeirion during his student days at Birmingham.

131. Yes, We Have No Bananas, whistles the Doctor as he eats his orange.

132. In the script, the peasants aren't having their lunch break: They're at work, drawing water from a pump

133. In television "grammar", movement across the frame should be consistent from shot to shot.

134. Most of the chase coming up was shot with the horses galloping from right to left of frame.

135. A continuity problem arose when they realised the Doctor rides in from frame left in the final shot.

136. So watch out for an unplanned extra shot, where he enters at frame right, follows the road round, and goes back out at right.

137. Stunt guard Peter Pocock goes off the horse and stunt Doctor Roy Street mounts it.

138. The horses are sped up by undercranking the camera.

139. On the first take, the camera was overcranked by mistake, resulting in a rather slow chase!

140. This shot caused the left to right problem.

141. "Bind the dog before he recovers his wits," orders Rossini in the script. "Count Federico will want to question this one."

142. In the script, Sarah wetly asks, "Please, what have I done? Please let me go."

143. Her lines were rewritten in rehearsal to make her more assertive.

144. The High Priest is played by Scottish actor Robert James (1924-2004).

145. He'd recently played another Renaissance cleric, Archbishop Cranmer, in The Prince and the Pauper (1976).

146. Soon afterwards, he was the definitive Newman Noggs in the BBC's 1977 version of Nicholas Nickleby.

147. Now, remember the astronomy - a full moon at the time of the summer solstice?

148. What better time for the cult to sacrifice to Demnos, god of moontide and solstice?

149. And what fitter sacrifice than a maiden taken when the Sun is at its height, at noon - the daily equivalent of the summer solstice?

150. The mural behind Count Federico is in the style of the Venetian painter Paolo Veronese (1528-88).

151. The Doctor's answer was Tom Baker's unscripted contribution.

152. One the props ordered for use in this serial was indeed a rack.

153. It was to be used "for stretching nasty production assistants and assistant floor managers," quipped Barry Newbery.

154. In a Renaissance court, it was always the man with the power who set the tone. Here, that's Count Federico.

155. That's why they all wait to hear his reaction before feeling free to laugh themselves.

156. Barry Newbery's previous Doctor Who assignment was 'The Brain of Morbius', made in October, 1975.

157. While at Television Centre, he noticed a magnificent Renaissance doorway in the set for a production in Studio 1.

158. He already knew what his next job was to be, so he asked for the door to be retained.

159. Here it is in the centre of the screen.

160. It was designed by Kenneth Sharp for an arts programme celebrating the 60th birthday of the conductor Yehudi Menuhin.

161. It was expensive to store the piece for seven months - but not as expensive as making a new one from scratch!

162. A shot was cut here: In his room, Hieronymous measures out a "foaming concoction", presumably the poison for Giuliano.

163. As he does so, the curfew bell starts to toll in the background.

164. The plastic replica sword has a length of "quick-match" igniter cord down one side.

165. The make-up brief specified that this actor was "to look unlike Pat Gorman".

166. A tall order, perhaps, since it was Pat Gorman.

167. The Venus-Saturn opposition in classical astrology signifies creativity hampered by fear, melancholy and insecurity,

168. and a lunar eclipse marks a great turning-point in human life.

169. It was originally intended that Count Federico should have a moustache and a small beard.

170. At a late stage, the next scene was simplified from what Louis Marks originally wrote.

171. As scripted, Sarah isn't chained to the wall.

172. When the Brethren come for her, she is trying to force open a barred window and make her escape.

173. She struggles furiously as they carry her bodily away to meet her grisly fate.

174. The changes were made after the bars had already been bought: Seven-foot lengths of one-inch wooden dowelling.

175. A shot of the sacrificial knife was also cut.

176. Note the robe's hook-and-eye fastening visible by Sarah's neck.

177. This is anachronistic: Only laces and buttons were used in the fifteenth century.

178. The leather covers were added to hide the drumsticks' modern mallet-style heads.

179. The executioner, with false beard and moustache, is played by regular Doctor Who stuntman Terry Walsh (died 2002).

180. At a very late stage, after filming plans had been drawn up, it was decided to change the way the execution was staged.

181. This was for reasons of historical accuracy.

182. It was written as an English-style beheading, with axe and chopping-block.

183. But Renaissance continentals did it like this, with a sword and the victim kneeling upright.

184. Also seen in this episode were:

185. Michael Mulcaster (Old Duke)

186. Maurice Quick (Priest)

187. Non-speaking roles on location were played by:

188. Keith Ashley, Walter Henry, Christopher Holmes

189. Penny Lambirth, Clinton Morris, Keith Norrish

190. Dennis Plenty, Mary Rennie, Cy Town, Leslie Weekes

191. The studio courtiers and soldiers were:

192. Paul Barton, Cavin Janson, Roy Pearce, David Rolfe

193. Lionel Taylor, Ken Tracey, David Wilde, Lincoln Wright

194. Uncredited production contributors

195. John Hickman (Back Projection)

196. Ann Rickard (Production Secretary)