A return to a troubled realm for the Doctor. Photo composition art by Lee Johnson for the Doctor Who - The Complete History partwork series.
The TARDIS brings the Doctor and Sarah to the medieval planet Peladon, some half a century after the Time Lord's first visit. now under the benign influence of the Galactic Federation, the Pel nobles enjoy new riches and new technology.
But the Federation is at war with Galaxy Five, and Peladon has taken on a new tactical importance; it is rich in the rare mineral trisilicate, which is vital to the war effort. the Pel miners, however, are in revolt. For too long they have been overworked and taken for granted by the Federation and the Pel royalty. They believe that Federation machinery has awoken the spirit of the legendary Aggedor, who is now slaughtering aliens and unbelievers. As open rebellion erupts, the Federation sends in a hard-line military taskforce - Commander Azaxyr and his ice warriors
The Doctor and Sarah must not only act as peace-keepers between the warring fractions but also discover the truth behind the 'spirit'. They soon learn that the Galactic Federation has been infiltrated by traitors and spies, determined to destroy the alliance from within...
Official BBC Video VHS story synopsis sleeve notes - November 1995.
With the original The Curse of Peladon having been so well received by the public it was a no-brainer to the Who production team that they should attempt a sequel with Pertwee's final season, and one that would make further use of the prior story's already created sets, costumes and monsters from 1971/72, especially the impressive Ice Warriors costume and their new Ice Lord leader. The end results - The Monster of Peladon - are sadly not quite as good sequel-wise, primarily because the story is just too long at six episodes (especially linked to the plotting of the Pel miners struggles, characters who look visually bizarre with their unique afro hair styles) when a tight-to-the-bone four-parter would have been much more effective and welcome. Still, it's great to see the formidable Ice Warriors return once more before disappearing from Classic Whodom forever, and especially back to their original bad guys status. Tom Baker look-a-like Donald Gee, as mining expert Eckersley, is a solid stand-out with his character's shades of grey attitude that gets darker as the story goes on, whilst Alpha Centaur is as dizzyingly delightful as ever (thanks to Ysanne Churchman's voicing, clearly relishing such a fun role). And the ferocious but cute Aggedor (once more inhabited by stuntman Nick Hobbs) makes an appealing final impression on younger viewers. It's the monster scenes in the story that I primarily remember the most from the story's original transmission, notably the moments where the captured Doctor and Sarah are pushed into the pit to encounter Aggedor, and the arrival of the Ice Warriors with their subsequent subterranean conflicts against the resident miners.
Pertwee and a group of set visitors to the BBC meet Aggedor!
The then recently opened Gatwick Airport is the setting for an unusual and eerie alien mystery set on modern day Earth, July 1966, featuring the aeroplanes-full kidnapping of human students by the mystery Chameleon species. It's also an adventure that will see-in the sad departure of popular Hartnell/Troughton eras companions able seaman Ben Jackson and his favourite 'duchess', Polly.
A genuine fan favourite which also made a fine realisation into animated form, The Faceless Ones certainly made their mark then and now, as captured in this very effective art for the cover of the excellent fan magazine An Adventure in Space & Time, by Andrew Martin.
Support your local sheriff, or in this case your local 'Doctor', as the First Incarnation and his 'rootin'-tootin'' companions Steven and Dodo find themselves immersed in the problems and dangers leading to the infamous and legendary Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. A great piece by veteran Who artist Daryl Joyce celebrating the fan-popular comedy drama, The Gunfighters.
A fun if harried shoot on location in Dorset for The Greatest Show in the Galaxy leads to lots of great photo publicity image ideas, especially when effectively showcasing notable guest stars, such as rising talent Daniel Peacock, playing the obnoxious and onscreen dopey thug and self-proclaimed 'demon of the road', soon short-lived when arrived at the Psychic Circus, character of Nord.
The Earth starliner may have been saved from destruction within a Black Hole by the alien Mogarians' piloting skills, but even they can't escape being a soon target for murder from a mysterious enemy, as their acid-wrecked bodies are discovered on the bridge deck by Mel (Bonnie Langford), Janet the stewardess (the leggy Yolande Palfrey) and scientist Doland (Malcolm Tierney). A dramatic moment from the fun space murder mystery homage to Agatha Christie that comprised episodes nine to twelve of The Trial of a Time Lord.
Tegan enquires what Kamelion is up to in the TARDIS.
Whether regular TV viewers had noticed his non-appearance in the series since first joining the TARDIS crew with the previous season's The King's Demons is unknown, but the series fans certainly did. Prior to his eventual demise with the eventual Planet of Fire, a planned sequence filmed for Season Twenty-One's The Awakening was shot but sadly cut for time, though it thankfully made it onto eventual DVD release.
It's a shame that Kamelion's full potential couldn't have been realized at the time, and that he couldn't have taken human form (instead of his difficult to operate machine visage) for the season so as to adventure alongside his friends. Though such a scenario would surely have made it even more difficult to plot stories effectively, adding further headaches to script editor Eric Saward's already heavy workload.
Tegan sees Kamelion examining a roundel and asks what it's doing.
Kamelion, unnerving Tegan with the voice of the Doctor, replies that the Time Lord has given the robot full access to the TARDIS systems.
Kamelion also speaks as Turlough in the event that it may make Tegan feel less troubled. It doesn't work.
As a distortion wave enters the TARDIS, Kamelion recommends that, for safety, Tegan return to the console room.
The ill-fated Kamelion prop at the Acton Hilton rehearsal rooms for the story.
The evil Malus is reactivated in the much-liked two-parter, The Awakening.
The TARDIS has brought the Doctor, Tegan and Turlough to the picture postcard English village of Little Hodcombe. Tegan has come to visit her grandfather - well known local historian Andrew Verney - but he seems to be missing. The residents of Little Hodcombe, led by the obsessive Sir George Hutchison, are playing a vicious war game - an exact recreation of a battle of the English Civil War fought there in 1643.
As each of the TARDIS crew members witness a terrifying apparition from the past, the Doctor realises that he faces a far greater menace than the unstable Huthcison. An ancient and alien force for evil is at work -one which will glory in the slaughter of them all...
Official BBC VHS video release synopsis - 1997.
Never outstaying its welcome at two-episodes (though its a shame that the Davison era was never capable of having three-parters like those belonging to Sylvester MCcoy - a story like this deserved to be able to breathe a bit easier), The Awakening gets the Fifth Doctor's final season off proper to a satisfying and atmospheric start after the mixed fortunes of Warriors of the Deep. Eric Pringle's lively tale (added to heavily by script editor Eric Saward) has a lovely aura of Sapphire and Steel about it (a show which scared the life out of me as a kid with its time incursion horror aspects), mixed with the kind of scenic charm and mystery building that the original sixties The Avengers series did so well, the Hampshire and Dorset locations used here to bring Little Hodcombe to life looking gorgeous.
Classic behind the scenes image of Visual Effects Designer Tony Harding with the two aspects of the Malus.
The cast of The Awakening is a highly likeable assembly too, most notably, ex-The Liver Birds star Polly James as school teacher hero Jane Hampden and Keith Jayne as the time traversing youngster Will Chandler. Main guest star Dennis Lill chews up the scenery in the best ways possible as the possessed magister Sir George, now under the powerful influence of the Malus creature, whose visual appearance, emergent from one of the impressive sets created by series stalwart designer Barry Newbery, is one of the best in the series classic history, as well as being a true credit to the work of visual effects designer Tony Harding, the original father/creator of K-9. Michael Owen Morris proves a fine director of the building war games, and it's a shame he was never available to do more of the series. All-in-all, The Awakening, despite a rushed conclusion, was the kind of little gem of a story that general audience viewers liked, and it delivered the dramatic sci-fi goods, albeit over two short-but-sweet transmission days.
Director Michael Owen Morris makes a fine one-time contribution to the series, alongside Davison, Fielding and Strickson during location filming.
Polly James impresses as the troubled local school teacher, Jane Hampden.
The Malus emergent from its once dormant stage.
The Doctor discovers strange things afoot in the village of Little Hodcombe.
Peter Davison, Polly James and Keith Jayne (as the timeline traversing 17th Century survivor Will Chandler) within the impressive church set, with the Malus face nearby.
Sir George Hutchison (Dennis Lill) is under the corrupted spell of the Malus.
Turlough captured... again!
And the Doctor now captured on the heath.
Brought to the manic Sir George.
The Doctor and Will Chandler sabotage the last stage of the war games, much to Sir George's dismay and anger.
Turlough and Tegan's captured now freed grandfather, Andrew Verney (Frederick Hall), take on some of Sir George's henchman in the church crypt,
Amidst the chaos, Tegan is reunited with her Grandfather.
With the TARDIS having turned the Malus's energy on itself (where it will ultimately destroy itself and the church), our heroes confront the insane puppet Sir George one last time where he is defeated.
Original Radio Times listings.
Target books release cover art by Andrew Skilleter.
Early 1990's Target Books reprint cover by Alister Pearson.
Doctor Who Magazine celebrates The Awakening's VHS release with this great art by Pete Wallbank.
Photo cover for the In-Vision magazine showcasing the story.
DVD release photo composition by Clayton Hickman.
More impressive fan tribute art by Philip James Allison.
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