CELEBRATING FORTY YEARS OF SEASON TWENTY: 'MAWDRYN UNDEAD'
An old friend and a new adversary for the Doctor in fan-favourite time drama Mawdryn Undead.
He promised death against the Doctor in his previous confrontation with the Time Lord during the Key to Time business, now the dreaded evil force that is the Black Guardian is ready to spring his ultimate revenge against our hero in his fifth incarnation, deliberately trapping him in a warp ellipse cut-out linked to an Earth orbiting ship full of scientific fools, fools who tried to turn themselves into Time Lords, of which the results of their work went disastrously wrong - as companions Tegan and Nyssa will soon find out. Additionally, the Black Guardian has also recruited an Earth-stranded young alien humanoid, the enigmatic and singularly allegiant Turlough, to his cause in killing the Time Lord when the right opportunity arises. But how does the now retried Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, living the life of a school teacher at the Brendan public school alongside Turlough, factor into the situation? And not just in the current 1983 time zone, but also linked to his other, younger self in 1977?
Proving his worth as a solid and imaginative script writer the previous season (for Time-Flight) alongside his prior outstanding directorial credits, Peter Grimwade, easily one of the greatest things to happen to eighties Who, would come up with a fine sci-fi slant on the disturbing Flying Dutchman ghost story legend, whilst also capably bringing in the new companion (eerily played by relative newcomer Mark Strickson) and handling characters from the series own building mythos, namely the Brigadier (once more played with gusto and likability by Nicholas Courtney, successfully replacing the originally hoped-for return of monochrome era companion Ian Chesterton to the series for the anniversary) and the fierce Black Guardian.
Original BBC title card for the new adventure.
The opening salvo of the Black Guardian trilogy (his return conceived by John Nathan-Turner, a big supporter of trilogy story arcs during the start of his producing era), Mawdryn Undead, also featuring some nice location filming (from 'safe pair of hands' director Peter Moffatt), pleasing set design and funky music from regular Paddy Kingsland, is generally the best story of the season when it comes to nostalgia celebrations...
The Black Guardian (Valentine Dyall) returns, consumed with revenge on the Doctor.
A new friend for the Doctor in Turlough (Mark Strickson)? Or a new foe.
The Doctor must solve the puzzle of the alien spaceship in Earth orbit between 1977 and 1983.
"You're not the Doctor!" Tegan and Nyssa are briefly taken in by the emergent menace of renegade scientist Mawdryn (David Collings).
Turlough inside the transmat cap going between Earth and the alien ship.
The Brigadier of 1977 encounters Tegan and Nyssa as the mystery stranger Mawdryn poses as the Doctor.
The Doctor must unlock the mystery of the 1983 Brigadier's 'amnesia' from 1977.
The side effects of being with Mawdryn are revealed to Tegan and Nyssa inside the TARDIS.
The arrival of the 1977 Brigadier causes problems on the ship for Maydryn and his allies...
Mawdryn and his followers prepare to absorb the Doctor's regenerational lifeforce.
... but ultimately the two Brigadier's will save the Doctor's regeneration abilities.
The new companion officially joins the TARDIS team.
Behind the scenes of the ageing make-up for Janet Fielding and Sarah Sutton.
Original Radio Times clippings.
The Doctor Who Monthly cover seeing-in the new companion.
Excellent VHS cover release art.
The US DVD release art composition by Clayton Hickman.
Art by Alister Pearson for the Target books reprint.
The striking composition for the BBC Audiobook translation.
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