Doctor Who 18x3

Directed by

With the Doctor suffering from the time experiment, the clandestine schemes of others start coming to light, along with the secreted purposes to which the tachyonic generator has been used.

Request examples:

!req Doctor Who 18x3 [02:32]
!req Doctor Who 18x3 [Doctor Who 18x3]
Syntax: !req EPISODE [quote or timestamp] (max. 8 square brackets)

For quotes, now you can request by index (e.g !req Doctor Who 18x3 [10-11]; !req Doctor Who 18x3 [20] [24]). Keep in mind, though, that index numbers might change at any time.
You can also generate a copy command with the quotes. Hover the desired subtitle and enter the amount of lines you want to copy.

Subtitle languages: English • Spanish • Brazilian Portuguese

Note: you must use specific languages with their specific pages/discord channels.

1. This story sees the debut of a new title sequence devised by Sid Sutton

2. which replaced the previous Bernard Lodge version that had been in use since 1974.

3. Sid Sutton worked for the BBC's Graphics Department and created both the new opening and closing titles on 35mm colour film.

4. The sequence was filmed using acetate plastic "cels" of a star, backlit to make it extremely bright

5. and then slowly filmed by a camera tracking towards it.

6. These scenes were added together to give the effect of different stars moving towards the viewer at different rates.

7. Also, stars would be filmed making up the rough outline of Tom Baker's face, again using acetates and a photograph of the actor.

8. The programme was given a new logo, also designed by Sid Sutton, which was made to look like it was made from a continuous neon strip.

9. Make-up designer Dorka Nieradzik was responsible for transforming Tom Baker to look like an old man.

10. First, she would soap back his hair until it was flat to his scalp, and then would place a bald cap carefully over his head.

11. A long white wig was then carefully applied, and a false beard and moustache were also added.

12. The skin on the remaining exposed parts of Tom Baker's face was then treated with a liquid latex solution

13. that, when dry, would give the appearance of wrinkles.

14. The make-up sessions were quite lengthy, and Nieradzik had to constantly pull Tom Baker's face into different positions

15. to allow the wrinkles to form in the latex in a natural way.

16. This story was the first full outing on Doctor Who for Dorka Nieradzik, who would return to the series

17. for stories such as "Logopolis" (1981), "Four To Doomsday" (1982) And "Revelation Of The Daleks" (1985).

18. Apart from ageing Tom Baker, her main task on this story was to design the look of the Argolin themselves.

19. Taking her cue from the script's description of them having "seed pods" in their hair, she envisaged them as almost plant-like beings.

20. All the Argolin had green skin to emphasise their plant origins. The exception was Pangol, who had a more metallic gold appearance

21. which was to underscore him being a child of the Tachyon Generator, unlike the rest of his race.

22. The scene cuts from a slow zoom-in to the Hive model to a studio scene of the conference room.

23. The wind sound effect and pink tint to the picture suggests that the viewer is initially outside the Hive.

24. The tint and sound both vanish as we "pass through" the window.

25. Adrienne Corri (Mena) Has had a distinguished film and television career over a number of years.

26. Her TV credits include "Danger Man" (1965), "Adam Adamant Lives!" (1966), "The Champions" (1969),

27. "Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased)" (1969), "Department S" (1969) and "UFO" (1970).

28. Her film credits include "Doctor Zhivago" (1965), "Journey Into Darkness" (1968), "A Clockwork Orange" (1971),

29. "Vampire Circus" (1972), "Rosebud" (1975) And "Revenge Of The Pink Panther" (1978).

30. Production of this story began in March 1980 with two days of location filming at Brighton beach on Thursday 20th and Friday 21st.

31. Rehearsals for the first studio block then began on Monday 24th March at the BBC's Acton Rehearsal Rooms in Ealing, London

32. and continued until Thursday 1st April.

33. This first studio block was initially only scheduled to last two days,

34. but producer John Nathan-Turner agreed to Lovett Bickford's last-minute request for an extra day

35. to complete most of the effects shots featuring the Tachyon Generator.

36. The first three-day studio recording block for this story commenced in Studio TC1 at BBC Television Centre in London

37. from Wednesday 2nd - Friday 4th April 1980.

38. The first day saw a technical rehearsal from 11.00am to 12.00noon, with recording beginning at 2.30pm.

39. All the material recorded on this first day featured the scenes shown

40. on the bubble monitor for the Tachyon Generator featuring the Doctor, Pangol and Loman.

41. Recording finished at 3.00pm. The second day saw recording begin at 2.30pm

42. and featured scenes mainly from the opening episode set in the boardroom, the great hall and the main corridor set.

43. Effects work (such as the disembodied Pangol on the Tachyon screen)

44. And model work (such as the Hive exterior) Were also recorded during this session, which finished at 5.15pm.

45. The evening saw recording resume at 7.30pm, and featured more boardroom scenes from the opening episode. The day concluded at 10.00pm.

46. The third and final day saw recording commence at 2.30pm.

47. The zero-gravity squash game and scenes set in the shuttle corridor were recorded.

48. Both Tom Baker and Adrienne Corri were in their usual "young" state for these scenes, and recording finished at 5.15pm.

49. When recording continued at 7.30pm, Adrienne Corri was made-up to look like the old version of Mena

50. although Tom Baker was still his normal self.

51. Scenes featuring Mena and Pangol from the final episode,

52. plus others utilising the great hall, boardroom, laboratory and Tachyon Generator were also recorded,

53. but not all scenes planned for this day were completed when recording finally concluded at 10.00pm.

54. One of the main reasons for the production falling behind schedule was Bickford's desire to use a single roving camera for many scenes,

55. which meant that they took longer to record than was normal for studio work.

56. After a weekend off, the cast returned to the BBC's Acton Rehearsal Rooms on Monday 7th April 1980

57. to begin rehearsals for the second studio block. Rehearsals concluded on Thursday 17th April.

58. The final three-day studio recording block began on Friday 18th April in studio TC3 at BBC TV Centre in London.

59. The first day began at 2.30pm through to 5.15pm, and then continued from 7.30pm.

60. For this day, both Tom Baker and Adrienne Corri were both made up to look like the old versions of their characters.

61. An ambitious recording schedule saw an attempt to record all the scenes with the old Doctor

62. in the various sets seen throughout the last two episodes of the story in a single day,

63. although when recording stopped at 10.00pm, many of the planned scenes had not been recorded at all.

64. The second day saw recording begin at 2.30pm through to 5.15pm, then resume at 7.30pm,

65. all with the old versions of the Doctor and Mena again.

66. In an effort to get all the scenes with the old Doctor finally recorded on this day,

67. the planned schedule for the studio day was quickly abandoned,

68. and although some ground was made up, the studio day overran to 10.35pm before recording finished.

69. The final studio day began at 11.00am through to 12.00 noon, and then resumed at 2.30pm.

70. Tom Baker was back as his usual self, and every effort was made to complete all unfinished scenes.

71. However, when recording concluded at 6.30pm, there were still some scenes that hadn't been finished.

72. There was no choice but to add a fourth studio day to the schedule,

73. and so the cast and crew found themselves back in studio TC3 on Monday 21st April 1980.

74. This turned out to be a full studio day in order to complete the story, with recording taking place between 2.30 and 6.30pm.

75. A final gallery-only day to add various visual effects to the recordings then took place on Wednesday 30th April 1980.

76. Interviewed for "Doctor Who Magazine" in 1992, director Lovett Bickford recalled his thoughts on the script for this story:

77. "I'm visually orientated because I think what we, as directors, are doing is telling stories in pictures.

78. "Having said that, the script is obviously important, but it should be more of a screenplay

79. "and I don't think we were particularly well served on 'The Leisure Hive'.

80. "Tom and I were very together on where we thought the script didn't work.

81. "Having said that, though, I think it must have been difficult for David because John was finding his feet in a sense.

82. "He was trying to change the mould, as all new producers do.

83. "He's very inventive, and he was probably more inventive than his predecessor (Graham Williams)."

84. In the same "Doctor Who Magazine" interview, director Lovett Bickford recalled the input of executive producer Barry Letts into this story:

85. "To be honest, I think Barry was just there as a guiding hand. I don't think he really had much to do.

86. "I know Barry very well, and I think John was a very strong producer with a strong personality.

87. "He has strong views about what he likes and dislikes, which is right. I think John was feeling his way to an extent.

88. "Also, don't forget, he had a difficult director!

89. "I have equally strong views too, and we were both striving, in our own ways, to do something different."

90. Writing his memoirs for "Doctor Who Magazine" in 1996, producer John Nathan-Turner recalled his initial ideas for the story:

91. "I had already given an initial brief to David Fisher on 'The Leisure Hive'.

92. "I had devised the basic plot and most of the characters and their names.

93. "I had seen the Hive itself more like a futuristic Butlins holiday camp than it ended up,

94. "but Christopher (Bidmead) was able to make an enormous contribution in terms of extending and developing not only the storyline

95. "but also the activities of the environment.

96. "Adrienne Corri, who played Mena, told me it was the accuracy of the whole Tachyonics saga that attracted her to the programme,

97. "all of which came from Chris."

98. If the Tachyon Generator would age Romana by 500 years making her 650, then she must be 150 years old at the time of this story.

99. This is consistently inconsistent, as her age is previously given as 140 in "The Ribos Operation" (1978)

100. And 125 in "City Of Death" (1979).

101. This scene of the Doctor befuddling an Argolin

102. by discussing warp mechanics equations was retained from the first, more humorous draft of "The Argolin".

103. This was a story David Fisher had initially submitted to script editor Douglas Adams in early 1979.

104. The story was a spoof of the Mafia - the criminal gangs that originated in Italy and controlled various illegal activities.

105. The alien race was called "Foamasi", which was an anagram of "Mafiosa", and one of their hit men was named Klout.

106. The story was set at a galactic leisure park

107. where a race of reptiles in business suits called the Foamasi were engineering a number of "accidents".

108. The story revolved around the protection racket that the Foamasi were trying to run, and although it was well received by Adams,

109. it wasn't the direction new producer John Nathan-Turner wanted for the show.

110. He asked Fisher to cut back the humour levels, and to introduce more science and moralistic elements to the story.

111. He also added the opening beach scene, which introduced the first episode.

112. Clifford Norgate (Generator Voice) Had previously provided the voice of the Nimon in "The Horns Of Nimon" (1980).

113. Interviewed for "Doctor Who Magazine", director Lovett Bickford recalled working with Tom Baker on this story:

114. "Tom mostly did what he wanted, although his motives as an actor were exemplary; he cared about what he was doing.

115. "I think he was misguided in some of the things he wanted to do, but he is an immensely talented, creative and inventive actor.

116. "However, he got bored very quickly if things weren't working. For example, he'd come up with a wonderful idea and suggest it.

117. "Any director worth his salt would say, 'Yes, let's try it.' We'd try it and it wouldn't quite work."

118. "We'd try it again and it still wouldn't work. We'd try it a third time

119. "and I'd be trying to help and trying to find out exactly why it wasn't working, and it still wouldn't work.

120. "He'd then turn around and say something like, 'Damn it, then. Let's not do it.'

121. "This was a pity because he was one of these chaps who is immensely creative but got bored quickly if something didn't work immediately.

122. "Like any actor who has been in a series for a long time, I don't think Tom trusted directors new to the series whom he hadn't met before.

123. "Actors in that position don't know what the director is going to do, or what the director is going to leave them with on screen.

124. "You see, it's always the actor who takes the blame for a director's poor work.

125. "At least, that's what actors feel and I think there's some justification for that.

126. "It's not until an actor gets the trust of a director, if indeed he ever does,

127. "that he will do things which he instinctively may feel are slightly odd.

128. "We got on terribly well, and I think, in the end, he respected what I was doing. I think so anyway, but that's very easy to say, isn't it?"

129. David Fisher's first script for Doctor Who was "The Stones Of Blood" (1978),

130. which was quickly followed by "The Androids Of Tara" (1978) During the "Key To Time" 16th season.

131. He then submitted the idea for a story set in France called "A Gamble With Time",

132. which was reworked by Douglas Adams and Graham Williams into "City Of Death" (1979).

133. He also wrote "The Creature From The Pit" (1979) For the 17th season.

134. "The Leisure Hive" was his last contribution to Doctor Who,

135. David Haig (Pangol) has appeared in such TV programmes as "The Moon Stallion" (1978), "Blake's 7" (1980), "Campion" (1989),

136. "Inspector Morse" (1992), "Cracker" (1993) And "The Thin Blue Line" (1995-6).

137. His film credits include "Morons From Outer Space"(1985),"Four Weddings And A Funeral" (1994) and "Rachel's Attic" (2002).

138. This episode was screened on BBC1 on Saturday 13th September 1980 from 5.55 - 6.20pm.

139. It achieved ratings of 5.0 million.