LEGENDS OF 'WHO': THE TRUE FATHER/CREATOR - SYDNEY NEWMAN

Image: BBC STUDIOS.

Just the right gust of fresh air needed to clear out the stuffy bureaucracy of the then BBC and take the corporation properly into the mid 1960's with innovation, gusto and popular appeal television, Canadian TV genius Sydney Newman was full of charm, charisma and bolshy aggression of the right kind in revolutionising the corporation's then upper class drama department after prior great success working for the rival ABC TV channel several year before. The idea of a science fiction series to fill the BBC's deficient Saturday pm teatime slot may have been in the planning for a while before his arrival (thanks to staff veterans C.E. Webber and Donald Wilson), but it was Newman who created that show's ultimate format and gave it the iconic title of Doctor Who. And his second master stroke linked to the series creation? Well, that was to bring in a female producer - a new first for a shocked, heavens-forbid attituded BBC of the time - to handle the creative duties: his popular, instinctive and equally ambitious young former secretary, Verity Lambert.

A legend was born, one that would soon hit its creative side into becoming an incredible international success story with viewers of all ages. 

Pioneering Doctor Who - The Early Days - BBC Website

TRUTHS AND CONSEQUENCES!

Deep within the bowls of the ice world of Svartos, its chilling leader Kane gives young Earth girl Ace an alluring but loaded with deadly consequences choice to make, during the effective opening episode to Season Twenty Four's climactic adventure, Dragonfire.

 A challenging but dramatic first scene for young actress Sophie Aldred to film for the series as Ace.

KEEPER OF SECRETS!

The all too logical, all too stubborn Andromedan android known as Drathro keeps charge of the small and efficiently run human underground colony Marb Station, located on 'the mysterious planet' that is Ravalox. But it's also, more importantly, the custodian of secret stolen knowledge from the all-powerful Time Lords and their Matrix. And when the Doctor inadvertently arrives on that world and hears the mystery of its 'sleepers', a whole chain of dangerous events against our hero will be future unleashed, during Parts One to Four of The Trial of a Time Lord.  

CELEBRATING FORTY YEARS OF SEASON TWENTY: 'TERMINUS'

Dark dangers for Nyssa and a galactic mystery for the Doctor at Terminus.

The TARDIS is sabotaged! 

Still under the bullying and malign influence of the Black Guardian, new companion Turlough has forced the Time/Space vehicle to make an emergency lock with an unknown alien freighter whose mysterious cargo has also been intercepted by two abandoned space pirates. Unfortunately, the cargo is not what anyone could ever have expected: highly infectious space lazars bound for a supposed place of healing at the mysterious Terminus space station, a troubled facility located direct centre at the heart of the galaxy and run by the Vanir, a hardened group of bitter armoured guardians controlled by a mysterious, all-controlling company. Separated from the Doctor and Tegan, Nyssa ultimately becomes the key to a hopeful future for the lazars, but first the Time Lord must race against time to stop the end of the universe after the discovery of an eons old, deceased space pilot inside the ancient station now revealed as a once futuristic time vessel...

After his acclaimed debut on the series with the ethereal and classic Warriors' Gate for Tom Baker, modern British sci-fi author Steve Gallagher's second entry for Who in Terminus proves just as clever, original and brave in its showcasing of space lepers, the latter elements perhaps a little too dark for some viewers tastes, though all of it would be competently directed from the series sadly one time only visualist Mary Ridge, an experienced and highly professional storyteller with a marvellous pedigree of work from that other BBC sci-fi series stalwart of the time, Blake's 7. Sadly, Miss Ridge's Who work would be besieged by problems not of her own making, and especially via some hugely turbulent BBC strike action that almost cancelled the later half of the Twentieth Season. 

Radio Times episode listings.

As we've previously noted before on this site, part one of the story proves extremely successful and highly atmospheric in execution, followed by other further intriguing moments and interesting characterisations ahead (especially our main trio of companions, getting some solid moments away from the Doctor) - the idea of faceless, corrupt galactic companies causing so much trouble and distress was relatively new to Who if not to the overall sci-fi general. Noted examples of this must surely include the Alien and Avatar film series, the former 1979 space horror clearly making a subconscious mark on Eric Saward during his time as series script editor, as Who got controversially darker, more industrial, and tougher with its later years. Bringing light and hope with the tale, companion Nyssa's (Sarah Sutton) departure from the series proves very emotional yet also in character, as the young woman finally discovers a way of using her scientific skills in helping the troubled lazars whilst also bringing dramatic change against the corrupt company behind their regular profit procurements.

A moody Tegan helps Nyssa in her bedroom lab.

Turlough has failed to win the trust of Tegan in the TARDIS.

The Black Guardian's (Valentine Dyall) revenge against the Doctor continues...

Nyssa is taken by a decontamination droid to Terminus from the robot controlled freighter the TARDIS is locked on to, and, for the benefit of her very happy male fans, drops her skirt as a memorable parting gift.

The former mercenary Valgard (Andrew Burt) tackles space pirate Olvir (Dominic Guard) and sabotages the boy's rescue efforts for Nyssa.

Nyssa with the mysterious beast known as the Garm (R.J. Bell), a nurse with a difference on Terminus.

Space pirate Kari (Liza Goddard) and the Doctor discover the truth behind the mystery pilot...

... then work to save the universe from destruction!

Nyssa ultimately decides to stay and help the Vanir custodians on Terminus.

Nyssa, and Sarah Sutton, says goodbye to her long time friends.

Sarah Sutton bids adieu at a special press call with new companion Mark Strickson.

The original novelisation with cut and paste photos.

Memorable VHS cover art by Andrew Skilleter.

Distinctive art by Brian Hudd for the In Vision magazine on the story.

Composite art by Lee Johnson for the Doctor Who - The Complete History partwork series.

Ominous cover for the effective Target Book audio adaptation.

Get the audio adaptation here:

Doctor Who: Terminus: 5th Doctor Novelisation (Audio Download): Stephen Gallagher, John Lydecker, Steven Pacey, BBC Audio: Amazon.co.uk: Books

THE JUNGLE NIGHTMARE!

Image: Radio Times.

On the far far away realm of Zeta Minor, the Doctor and Sarah, responding to an urgent mayday call, explore an alien jungle far wilder and weirder than they can possibly imagine, and a realm where a strange invisible beast with a psychic aura around it is capable of eradicating human life with its disturbing anti-matter powers. 

Our heroes have indeed landed on a true Planet of Evil, in a classic image from the story's opening episode, taken within the impressive jungle set erected at Ealing Film Studios in 1975, conceived by Roger Murray-Leech.

Best known for his vocal work as the Third Doctor for the Big Finish audio dramas, Tim Treloar reads the Terrance Dicks Target novel into BBC Audio adaptation with impressive results, bolstered with atmospheric and ominous sound design.

Get it here:

Doctor Who and the Planet of Evil: 4th Doctor Novelisation (Audio Download): Terrance Dicks, Tim Treloar, BBC Audio: Amazon.co.uk: Books

THE U.N.I.T. FACTOR!

Yeti, Cybermen, Daleks, Nestenes... the list of attempted alien invasions of that small blue/green world called Earth have been endless over the decades, but thankfully there's been a dedicated group of humans able to repel such dreaded menaces, working alongside the talents of a certain mysterious Time Lord. The steadfast and reliable military/scientific organisation comprising these humans is U.N.I.T. (the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce), their British sector's leader is the stern but reliable Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. The Earth is indeed protected by the best of their world, and beyond, as superbly represented in this great cover and poster art for the 1991 Doctor Who Magazine Winter Special.

"MUCH PRETTIER THAN A COMPUTER!" INTRODUCING ZOE HERIOT!

Introducing Wendy Padbury as Zoe Heriot, in a rather bizarre BBC photo shoot taken around various London sites. Colourisation by Clayton Hickman.

Back in April 1968, Deborah Watling may have made a sad departure from the Troughton Who era, but an equally attractive and no less spirited replacement would soon board the TARDIS in the pixie-esque, shapely form of the delightful Wendy Padbury, playing the keen, young, at first logically aloof astro physicist Zoe Heriot, one of the human team stationed on The Wheel in Space, helping the second Doctor and Jamie McCrimmon fight off the invading Cybermen, then heading off into all kinds of memorable adventures with the duo during the close of the classic monochrome era. On and offscreen, this new trio would be one of the finest seen in the entire series. 

Still as lovely, radiant and fun as ever, Miss Padbury has been both an actor and an agent in the profession, and remains a convention favourite worldwide.

London calling! Out and about as Zoe.

Posing for the press on the bridge of the Silver Carrier spaceship.

A specially shot image of Padbury as Zoe, used for a specific Cyberman-related scene from The Wheel in Space. Colourisation by Clayton Hickman.