The Mysterious Planet
| 144 - The Mysterious Planet | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Cast | |||
| Production | |||
| Directed by | Nicholas Mallett | ||
| Written by | Robert Holmes | ||
| Script editor | Eric Saward | ||
| Produced by | John Nathan-Turner | ||
| Executive producer(s) | None | ||
| Production code | 7A | ||
| Series | Season 23 | ||
| Running time | 4 episodes, 25 mins each | ||
| First broadcast | September 6–September 27, 1986 | ||
| Chronology | |||
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The Mysterious Planet is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four weekly parts from September 6 to September 27, 1986. It is part of the larger narrative known as The Trial of a Time Lord, comprising the whole of the 23rd season.
Synopsis
The Doctor is summoned to a Gallifreyan space station to face trial; accused of "conduct unbecoming a Time Lord" and transgressing the First Law of Time. The prosecution is presented by the Valeyard and the judge and jury are all Time Lords. The Valeyard's first piece of evidence against the Doctor concerns events on the planet Ravalox.
The Doctor and Peri decide to visit the planet Ravalox to fulfil the Doctor's curiosity about its apparent destruction. But very soon, they find out that Ravalox hides a secret… Not only are a group of dwellers living in what looks suspiciously like a circa 1980s London Underground Station, but there are also two rogues named Glitz and Dibber, seemingly out to make a quick Grotzit or three, and the Tribe of the Free to deal with. And exactly what is it that the L3 Service Robot Drathro is so keen to hide?
Plot
- The TARDIS is caught in a tractor beam of a vast spaceship, hanging in space. It materialises in a corridor, and out steps the Sixth Doctor, bewildered and alone. He steps through a pair of doors and is greeted by a black-clad figure in a darkened room.
- The Doctor takes a seat and sees many Time Lords sat before him. The lights are raised and a white-clad female Time Lord enters and tells the Doctor to stay silent until invited to speak. When the Doctor queries being called the "accused" she asks the black-clad Valeyard to open the case. The Doctor is charged with guilty of conduct unbecoming a Time Lord and of transgressing the First Law. When the Inquisitor notes that the Doctor has been on trial previously, the Valeyard replies that he believes the High Council showed too great a leniency on that occasion.
- The Doctor states that he is the Lord President of Gallifrey and that he cannot be put on trial, but the Inquisitor tells them that as he neglected his duties as President, he was deposed. She offers him a Court appointed defender to assist him with the case, but the Doctor elects to defend himself. The Valeyard opens the case with two events drawn from the Matrix, the repository of all Time Lord knowledge, beginning with the Doctor's involvement on the planet known as Ravolox…
The Doctor and Peri arrive on Ravolox, a planet with the same mass, angle of tilt and period of rotation as Earth — an unusual phenomenon. He tells her that according to Time Lord records it was devastated by a solar fireball, but the forest they are walking through suggests otherwise. They are observed by two shady looking characters named Sabalom Glitz and Dibber. They aim their guns at the Doctor believing him to be looking for the same thing as themselves, but he moves off just in time. They begin discussing their plan to destroy the "L3 robot" by sabotaging its light conversion system — an object which has been turned into a totem by a primitive tribe on the planet.
Meanwhile the Doctor and Peri find an apparently abandoned building, and begin to explore it. Peri discovers a large roundel with the legend "Marble Arch" — it is a London Underground sign. Even the Doctor cannot explain the find.
- In the trial room, the Doctor demands to know why he is being forced to watch Peri getting upset about being on a burnt out Earth, and then asks why Peri is not with him on the station. The Valeyard cryptically answers that she is where he left her. When the Doctor cannot remember where that was, the Valeyard explains that it could be because of amnesia due to be being pulled out of time. The Inquisitor encourages them to continue.
On Ravolox, the Doctor discovers an active lift. Peri is too upset to carry on investigating, so the Doctor descends further into the complex alone. Immediately Peri is captured by two masked figures. Meanwhile, Glitz and Dibber are brought before Queen of the tribe. Pointing to the totem, Glitz identifies it as a malfunctioning homing beacon. He tells her that it attracted the fireball which devastated Ravolox 500 years ago, and is still malfunctioning. He warns her that the fireball will return if it is not repaired. The Queen tells him that he is not the first space visitor to come asking for the totem to be dismantled, and none had ever succeeded before. When Glitz and Dibber draw out their guns, but are overpowered. The tribe start to prepare to attack the "Immortal", and Glitz and Dibber are locked up.
The Doctor finds an underground complex, but is caught by yellow clothed figures when he picks up a flask of water. He is interrogated by a young man who calls him "Old One" and a "water thief". The Doctor is tied up and is about to be stoned at the command of the "Immortal". The young man identifies himself as Balazar, reader of the books "Moby Dick", "The Water Babies" and "UK Habitats of the Canadian Goose by H.M. Stationery Office" — holy books belonging to "Marb". Balazar tells the Doctor that they are in "Marb Station" in the world they know as "UK Habitat". The yellow clothed figures then proceed to stone the Doctor, who despite defending himself with his umbrella, is knocked unconscious.
- In the court room, the Valeyard pauses the playback, and declares that what started as an inquiry into the Doctor's activities should become a full blown trial, with the penalty of the termination of his life…
- The Inquisitor reassures the Doctor that what the Valeyard wants and what the Court decides are totally separate.
Red-clad and helmeted "train guards" arrive and break up the stoning. The Doctor is still breathing, but before one of the train guards can kill him, Merdeen leader of the guards receives a message from the Immortal that he now wishes to question the Doctor. The Immortal, revealed to be a huge humanoid robot, commands its two assistants to release the service robot.
Peri is brought before the Queen Katryca of the tribe of the free. Katryca informs Peri that few women join the Tribe of the Free, so she will need to take many husbands. She is then put with the other prisoners — Glitz and Dibber. They tell her that the totem is a Black Light Converter which supplies energy to the L3 robot — they are aiming to destroy it. When Peri mentions that the Doctor is a Time Lord, Glitz thinks that he must be acting on their behalf. Peri assures them that the Doctor acts for no one. They reveal a plan to get the tribe to drive a shaft down into the underground complex, after which Glitz and Dibber will pump gas down. Peri is horrified at their plans for mass murder, but Glitz is not concerned by the prospect — he will do anything for money. Taken before Katryca, she tells him that the Gods demand the sacrifice of Glitz to placate them for the attempt to destroy the great totem.
Balazar and Merdeen tell the Doctor that the Immortal never leaves his Castle, and that he has been there since the fire, 500 years ago. No one enters or leaves the Castle except the two cleverest youths — who are rumoured to be eaten by the Immortal. The Doctor enters the Castle, and is welcomed by the Immortal, who introduces itself as Drathro, an L-3 robot. Drathro says that it has been waiting centuries for an arrival from Andromeda. When Drathro discovers the Doctor is in fact from Gallifrey, he commands the Doctor to work with the two assistants Tandrell and Humker. The Doctor and the assistants get to work on the Black Light systems, which are rapidly deteriorating. The Doctor identifies that the problem must lay with an external collection aerial, but Drathro will not allow him to leave the Castle. The assistant tells the Doctor that as well as powering the L-3 robot, the Black Light system provides energy to the three Sleepers. Drathro tells him that they have now died, as the relief ships never arrived. The Doctor says that is the system is not repaired, everyone will die in an enormous explosion, but Drathro still will not allow him to leave. The Doctor questions why water is so valued, when it is raining heavily on the surface, to which Drathro replies it was his instructions to maintain an underground system — he will not allow the workers to leave. The Doctor tricks Drathro and the assistants into holding metallic objects, and then electrifies them before making his escape. Drathro sends the service robot to track and bring back the Doctor.
Meanwhile, Peri, Glitz and Dibber manage to elude Glitz's imminent execution by burning. Dibber remains behind to plant a bomb on the Black Light converter, whilst they go to the underground complex. In Marb Station, Merdeen tells Balazar the truth — there has been no fire for hundreds of years, and that he should leave the complex. Merdeen will allow him to escape, and Balazar will find others freed by Merdeen. Unbeknownst to either of them, their conversation was overheard. Glitz succeeds in blowing up the totem, which causes Drathro to convulse. Merdeen and Balazar encounter the Doctor fleeing through the corridors of Marb Station, and Merdeen implores him to take Balazar along.
- The Valeyard points out to the Court this is another example of the Doctor not extricating himself from the situation, but the Inquisitor urges them both to wait for the end of the sequence. Pursued by tribesmen, Peri, Glitz and Dibber find the Doctor, and together they retreat inside Marb Station, but find themselves trapped between the tribesmen and the service robot…
The tribesmen shoot at the service robot and disable it. Balazar recognises one of the tribesmen as Broken Tooth — who reveals he too was freed from UK Habitat by Merdeen. The Doctor is angry when he discovers that Glitz and Dibber have blown up the Black Light Converter, it will further destabilise the already unstable system. However, when he tries to re-enter the underground complex, the tribesmen insist they all return to the village.
- On viewing these scenes, the Inquisitor politely requests the Valeyard to "reduce these brutal and repetitious scenes to a minimum".
The Doctor is brought before Katryca, but she is unimpressed with the Doctor's explanation of the true nature of the Totem — that it converts ultra-violet rays to Black Light — the power source for the Immortal. The Doctor, Peri, Glitz and Dibber are returned to the prison cell. Glitz tells the Doctor he is merely on the planet to collect a few moldering files, of no interest to anyone, which he will give to the library on his home planet of Salostophus. The Doctor recognises the name of the planet as being in the Andromeda Galaxy. Glitz confirms that the planet is in fact Earth, and that because it was two light years from its correct position the Lost Expedition missed it.
After reactivating the service robot, Drathro tells Tandrell and Humker that in fact not all of the planet was burnt by the fireball, and that primitive life survived. The service robot enters the village and breaks into the village building containing the Doctor, stuns him and takes him away. Drathro observes the village and realises someone in UK habitat has been allowing workers to escape onto the surface.
- In the Court room, the Doctor makes another interruption asking how it is possible the Matrix has knowledge of events which took place outside his own experience — but the Valeyard replies that evidence from third persons can be obtained if they are within range of a TARDIS.
Katryca and the tribesmen shoot and disable the service robot. Drathro seeing the armed tribesmen. believes that the Doctor has armed them as part of a plot to seize the Secrets of the Sleepers. Emboldened by destruction of what she believes is the Immortal, Katryca plans to besiege the Immortal's castle to steal his advanced technology. Glitz sends Dibber to fetch the "Heavy Artillery" - powerful multi-blasters - with which they will exact revenge on Katryca. Peri rescues the Doctor from the grasp of the service robot, and they set off to the underground complex to stop Katryca.
Grell confronts Merdeen, it was he who overheard Merdeen and Balazar's conversation. Stalking him, he reveals he knows that Merdeen has not culled workers as per the Immortal's instructions but has released them onto the surface.
The Doctor and Peri re-enter Marb Station with the intention to disable the Black Light System. Glitz and Dibber follow them into the complex believing him to be after the Secrets.
- As Glitz and Dibber are speaking parts are bleeped out. The Valeyard explains to the Inquisitor that the material has been excised by order of the High Council — as it would be against the Public Interest.
The Doctor and Peri run into Merdeen who raises his gun and shoots…
He shoots but he was actually aiming at Grel, hiding behind them. Katryca and tribesmen arrive at the Immortal's Castle. The doors open and they enter, and are confronted by Drathro. Drathro seizes Katryca by the throat and electrocutes her, and he dismisses the rest of the tribe to await culling.
As Glitz and Dibber proceeds towards the Castle, they discuss the Secrets. Glitz says that the Sleepers found their way into something described as "the biggest net of information in the Universe" - but again the exact words are censored. The Doctor asks what information known to two rogues is withheld from the Court, and the Inquisitor demands to hear more. Glitz rolls off a list of the Secrets: anti-gravity power, dimensional transference - all worth a fortune.
The Doctor enters Drathro's domain, promising to help repair the Black Light system. The Doctor tells Drathro he must shut down the Black Light System to prevent a massive explosion, but Drathro refuses to allow that as it would mean its own destruction. The Doctor tells him he is only a robot, and the creatures Drathro calls organics are living creatures, but it refuses to believe it is of less value than them. Balazar and Peri pleads with Merdeen to not cull all the tribesmen. He eventually agrees and leads them to safety. Glitz and Dibber arrive and seeing Peri, Balazar and Merdeen trying to enter the Castle through a food chute, follow them. Drathro detects them and activates defence mechanisms in the chute, but Dibber shoots through the walls with his multi-blaster. Glitz tries to deceive Drathro by telling him they have Black Light on their ship, and they will return the robot to the Andromeda Galaxy - provided it takes the Secrets along. Drathro agrees to the deal, and once Drathro has left the Castle, the Doctor is free to try to shut down the system. When this proves impossible, the Doctor tries to contain the explosion. With the destruction of the system, Drathro collapses and rapidly corrodes - but unfortunately for Glitz the Secrets are also destroyed. Not all is lost for them though, as the fragments of the Black Light converter are made of a valuable material. The Doctor and Peri leave Merdeen and Balazar to take all the remaining inhabitants of UK Habitat to a new life on the surface.
- In the Court Room, the Doctor smugly announces that he has saved the Universe, and prepares to depart, but the Valeyard commands him to sit down. The Doctor then starts to present his case for the defence, but the Inquisitor tells him to wait for his turn in due course. The Valeyard warns the Doctor that his most damning evidence is yet to come, and when it is finished the Court will demand the Doctor's life…
Cast
- The Doctor — Colin Baker
- Peri Brown — Nicola Bryant
- The Inquisitor — Lynda Bellingham
- The Valeyard — Michael Jayston
- Sabalom Glitz — Tony Selby
- Queen Katryca — Joan Sims
- Dibber — Glen Murphy
- Merdeen — Tom Chadbon
- Drathro — Roger Brierley
- Broken Tooth — David Rodigan
- Balazar — Adam Blackwood
- Grell — Timothy Walker
- Humker — Billy McColl
- Tandrell — Sion Tudor Owen
Trivia
- The actor playing Merdeen, Tom Chadbon, had previously appeared in the 1979 Fourth Doctor serial City of Death.
- The uncredited actor inside the Drathro costume is Mike Ellis [citation needed], father of Blue Peter presenter Janet Ellis and grandfather of Brit-Pop songstress Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Janet Ellis had previously appeared in the 1979 Doctor Who story The Horns of Nimon.
- The Doctor's claim that he cannot be on trial as he is Lord President and the Inquisitor's explanation that he had been removed were reportedly added to the script after Colin Baker noticed the apparent plot hole.
- The opening model shot of the Time Lord Space Station where the trial is held throughout the season was the most expensive model shot from the classic series run (costing more than £8,000) [1]. The sequence depicts the Time Lord Space Station orbiting in space then dragging the TARDIS inside via the use of a tractor beam.
- Dominic Glynn was hired to score the music for The Mysterious Planet, and John Nathan-Turner offered him the chance to rearrange the opening title music. His new score for the opening theme was the shortest lived, lasting this season alone (not counting Paddy Kingsland's 1973 version, which was never even used). Some saw it as an improvement on the Peter Howell version, while others criticized it for being "too quiet" or "not scary enough". It has since been used on the majority of the Big Finish Productions audio plays featuring Colin Baker as the Sixth Doctor.
- From this serial onwards, all location work would be recorded on Outside Broadcast (OB) tape instead of 16mm film. The BBC had been encouraging the replacement of film cameras with OB cameras since the early 1980s on the grounds that they were cheaper, and mixed with studio-shot material better. This practice would continue until the end of the series. The only footage shot on film for this episode was the opening special effects shot of the TARDIS.
- In this serial, the First Law of Time refers to the well-documented Time Lord policy of non-interference, as opposed to specifically forbidding a Time Lord meeting a past or future incarnation and therefore interfering with his own history, as stated in earlier serials.
- The relationship between the Sixth Doctor and Peri is less abrasive in this story than in the previous season. Both Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant wanted to show how travelling together had made their characters less combative and argumentative. Both this and the changes in their appearances, particularly Peri's hairstyle and mode of dress suggest a long gap between this story and their previous on-screen appearance in Revelation of the Daleks and allowing for "unseen" adventures in the spin-off media to be placed there.
- Early in part one, the Doctor appears to be about to reveal his surname for the first and only time in the entire series (but see The War Machines, and further discussion in "Doctor who?").
- Recovering from unconsciousness, the Doctor briefly slips back into the personality of one of his previous selves, allowing Colin Baker to do an impersonation of Jon Pertwee.
- The plot is similar to Robert Holmes' first contribution to Doctor Who, The Krotons. In both stories, an alien machine subjugates a humanoid civilization and forces its brightest young people into its service.
- A novelisation of this serial, written by Terrance Dicks, was published by Target Books in November 1987.
References
External links