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 of the kind later 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.
Photo art composition by Lee Johnson for BBC STUDIOS.
From a doom laden, horror-packed arrival at the fog-shrouded Fang Rock lighthouse station, to a deep space encounter with the dreaded Nucleus of the Swarm. And after that, a battle to rescue a miserable humanity from an alien tax man nestled on Pluto, a return to modern Earth to save it from absorption by the millennia resting Fendahl, and a trip to the edge of the universe as a mystery quest begins. Finally, the Doctor's unexpected home world visitation sees our hero bizarrely claiming the title of Lord President of Gallifrey. But is all what it seems...?
Graham Williams' lively first season producing the series for the fully incumbent Tom Baker is now a vital all-new, must-have addition to The Collection range. Get it now!
The remainder of its human crew (including the now mentally incapacitated Chief Mover Poole) now relocated to the sealed-off flight deck of the immobilised Sandminer vessel, the Doctor must somehow find a way to stop the ongoing murderous onslaught of the benign-no-more robot VOC servitors, led by their sinister master Taron Capel, in a classic scene from the finale to the true all-time classic, The Robots of Death.
I was very sad to hear of the passing of the truly gorgeous Pamela Salem, who appeared in this story as Toos, during February of this year. She was a delightful lady who enjoyed a very busy and popular film and TV career.
Roy Knipe's superlative cover for the original Target Books novelisation of Death to the Daleks, by Terrance Dicks.
An inexplicable power-loss strands the TARDIS on the sinister planet Exxilon where the Doctor meets an expedition from Earth seeking a rare mineral that can cure the virulent space plague that threatens all human life across the galaxy. Nearby, Sarah discovers a mysterious citadel but is captured by the savage Exxilons who prepare her for sacrifice...
The Doctor must uncover the secrets of the ancient Exxilon City, locate the source of the power-drain, save Sarah and help the Earth expedition. But his plans are threatened by new arrivals on the planet - the Doctor's deadliest enemies - the Daleks!
Original 1987 BBC Video release story synopsis.
The Daleks were back, their seemingly 'final end' during Doctor Who's monochrome era no more, alive in glorious colour too by the time of the Pertwee era's hugely popular mid-way point. And a well deserved return for hungry-to-see-them audiences it was too. My recollections of their prior anniversary appearance in Planet of the Daleks are very vague, but Death to the Daleks, with its terrific title, I'd remember more vividly on original transmission, primarily for the last two episodes linked to the Doctor and his new alien chum Bellal infiltrating the Exxilon city and overcoming its many traps. The Daleks, in their new silver livery, I found fascinating at nearly four years old, and I'd fully appreciate their place as iconic Who baddies by the time of their next all-time classic appearance against the formidable Tom Baker.
The first 'nice-price' VHS release of the mid 1980's from BBC Video, an important factor adding to its overall nostalgia value (helped by strong publicity support at the time from Jon Pertwee), Death to the Daleks has often been derided by fans, citing the overall plot and supporting characters feeling thin on the ground, but the overall visual style of it, fine location filming, and some great new ideas from Terry Nation work overall, a film/TV pro who knows how to roll out Boy's Own adventure yarns. Michael Briant continues to show his stuff amongst the show's finest directors, the Exxilons and their city are well thought out, sweet resistance fighter Bellal is one of the best characters to have appeared in the series, and the Daleks are as scheming and nasty as ever. Star Pertwee looks ready to leave the series now and has visibly aged, but he remains a commanding and assured presence, whilst Elisabeth Sladen is as compelling to watch as ever, especially amongst the early frightening scenes where she is stalked and attacked by the Exxilons. It was the interesting beginning of the end to a superb and successful run...
The Doctor and Sarah's holiday plans for Florana are wrecked when the TARDIS is forced to materialise, power-drained, on the mystery world of Exxilon.
Exploring the new world, the Doctor soon runs into trouble with its hostile populace.
Separated from the Doctor, Sarah discovers the incredible sight of the Exxilon's living city.
The Doctor meets an also-stranded Earth expedition in desperate need of Parrinium ore, found only on Exxilon.
Now powerless and weaponless with their arrival on Exxilon, the Daleks must negotiate with the Doctor, a situation that briefly amuses the Time Lord.
The Doctor and a desperate Earth expedition join forces with the Daleks to find the vital mineral cure for an ongoing galactic space plague.
The seemingly weaponless Daleks join forces with the humans but soon encounter murderous alien resistance.
The Exxilons retaliate violently against an enemy Dalek.
One of the city's many lethal power roots located across the planet, soon attacking both the Doctor and the Daleks.
Arnold Yarrow brings the delightful unlikely hero Bellal to life.
The Daleks follow the Doctor and Bellal as they prepare to enter the Exxilon city.
The Doctor inspects a skeleton within the Exxilon city.
The Daleks pursue the Doctor and Bellal through the Exxilon city, whose energy draining ability is eventually destroyed.
The Exxilon living city conjures up two gruesome antibody creatures to fight the inner sanctum invaders.
Sarah boldly helps the Earth expedition help win back the vital minerals away from their Dalek captors.
The Exxilon city is dying, power is restored and the Doctor and friends confront the Daleks once last time before the Skaro monsters are ultimately destroyed.
Original Radio Times listings.
The root attacks! Great cover art by Kit Bevan for the An adventure in Space and Time fan publication coverage.
The first ever VHS release at budget price, in 1987. The story was presented in feature-length compilation form. Cover sleeve design by Sid Sutton.
VHS re-release cover art for the four-part version, in the 1990's.
Reprint Target Books cover by Alister Pearson.
US DVD release art composition by Lee Binding.
Lovely subscribers cover to Doctor Who Magazine issue 553, from 2019.
Lovely showcase fan art by Philip James Allison.
Get the BBC Audiobooks adaptation of the Target Book here:
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