Earthshock
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| 122 – Earthshock | |
|---|---|
| Doctor Who serial | |
 The Cybermen discover that an old foe is foiling their plans |
|
| Cast | |
| Doctor | Peter Davison (Fifth Doctor) |
| Companions | Matthew Waterhouse (Adric) |
| Sarah Sutton (Nyssa) | |
| Janet Fielding (Tegan Jovanka) | |
| Production | |
| Writer | Eric Saward |
| Director | Peter Grimwade |
| Script editor | Antony Root Eric Saward (uncredited) |
| Producer | John Nathan-Turner |
| Executive producer(s) | None |
| Production code | 6B |
| Series | Season 19 |
| Length | 4 episodes, 25 mins each |
| Originally broadcast | March 8–March 16, 1982 |
| Chronology | |
| ← Preceded by | Followed by → |
| Black Orchid | Time-Flight |
| IMDb profile | |
Earthshock is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in four twice-weekly parts from March 8 to March 16, 1982. This serial is the final regular appearance of Matthew Waterhouse as the Doctor's companion Adric.
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[edit] Synopsis
The TARDIS drops the Fifth Doctor and his companions in the middle of an investigation into the murder of a team of scientists in a complex of caves. Deadly androids are patrolling the tunnels, but what are they protecting... and for whom are they working?
[edit] Plot
Lieutenant Scott and his men climb up a bleak hillside, escorting Professor Kyle to a camp set up by Scott's team. The scanning equipment at the campsite is directed at a cave and set up to detect mammalian life forms. Kyle had been part of a scientific expedition investigating the caves for fossil remains, but the expedition has all but disappeared. The lack of readings suggests they are all dead. Kyle's knowledge of the tunnels is necessary to direct Scott and his men into the caves to find out what happened, while two troopers remain outside to maintain a constant scan. As they investigate, the squad is being stalked by two dark figures.
Meanwhile, in the TARDIS, Adric is arguing with the Fifth Doctor about the lack of attention and respect he receives compared to Tegan or Nyssa. Finally, he declares that he wishes to return to his home planet of Terradon, which the Doctor loudly proclaims is not possible, However, Adric is insistent that he can calculate the coordinates to guide the TARDIS back into E-Space.
Scott's squad splits into two groups, but a strange jangling sound comes over the communications system, and a flare appears on the outside scanner indicating members of the squad who are killed. Outside, Walters and Synder see more lifeforms appear on the scanner — the TARDIS crew, which have just landed in the caves. However, Scott instantly assumes that the newcomers must be responsible for the deaths, especially when he is informed that one of the new lifesigns shows two heartbeats.
The Doctor, meanwhile, is examining the fossils of dinosaurs on the cave walls and musing about how he had always wanted to find out how they died. As the wounded party is making slow progress, Snyder goes in to help, but they are attacked by the dark figures. The jamming increases, and Snyder is reduced to a pile of smoking remains. As the survivors start to investigate, they continue to be picked off one by one.
Scott and the remainder of his squad come across the Doctor and his companions and capture them. Scott accuses the Doctor of the murders and while the Doctor tries to convince him otherwise, the dark figures continue their approach. Digging away at a recent rockfall, they discover the remains of the scientists as well as a metal hatch which begins to emit a trilling sound. The dark figures pick up their pace and begin to attack as everyone dives for cover.
The Doctor realises that the attackers are androids, which is why they did not show up on the scans. The androids appear to be defending the hatch and shrug off the troopers' counterattacks. Kyle recognises the sound the androids are making, and realises that they were the ones who murdered the others. As an android focuses its gaze on the Doctor, the image is transmitted elsewhere to their masters: the Cybermen. The Cyber-Leader orders that the androids destroy them all, using the words: "Destroy them! Destroy them at once!"
Adric wanders out of the TARDIS, trying to locate the Doctor because he wants to find out what signal is being received by the TARDIS. He is able to distract one of the androids long enough for Scott and his team to destroy it. The other one is subjected to intense fire at one point, also resulting in its destruction.
The Doctor has realised that the signal is being transmitted to whatever is inside the hatch. He runs back to the TARDIS and is able to jam the transmission. He and Adric return with the Doctor's tool kit, Tegan and Nyssa ushering the rest back into the TARDIS where they will be safe as the Doctor and Adric open the hatch to discover an explosive device within. The Doctor fiddles around with the bomb and inadvertently reactivates it, but together with Adric manages to disarm it before it detonates. Returning to the TARDIS, the Doctor informs the others that they are going to trace the source of the transmission. The Cybermen are puzzled as to why the bomb failed to detonate, but when they see the TARDIS, they realize the Doctor is involved and begin to review their past encounters with the Time Lord, Such as The Tenth Planet, The Tomb of the Cybermen and the latest, Revenge of the Cybermen.
Meanwhile, out in space, a freighter is being inspected by Earth security forces while replenishing its supplies and crew. However, the morale of the crew is low, kept going only because of the promise of their bonus for delivering the cargo on time. Ringway, one of the bridge crew, wonders if the bonus is worth it, with several murders having already taken place. Berger seems to think that it is, and suggests Ringway adopt a more cheery attitude towards the crew to maintain their morale and his.
Having arrived on board, the Doctor and Adric explore the freighter, and come across the bodies of two dead security men. They are about to leave when Ringway comes out of nowhere. And he says: "On this ship we execute murderers!"
Ringway escorts the two travellers to meet the freighter's captain, Briggs; a middle-aged woman who is only concerned about the bonus.
Scott and Kyle start to worry about the Doctor and Adric, although only Scott says anything. Scott announces that he wants to go and find the Doctor, but Nyssa replies that the Doctor will not thank them for their efforts. Scott takes no notice and Tegan, also willing to help, goes with Scott and his remaining soldiers.
The Cyber-Leader decides that it is time to take control of the freighter, and orders a unit of Cybermen to be activated. The unit marches on the bridge, and is spotted on one of the monitors. Briggs orders a blockade set up outside the bridge, despite the Doctor pleading that her men won't stand a chance if they do that. Sure enough, the Cybermen effortlessly blast through the barricade. At the same time, Ringway turns on the crew and announces that he now works for the Cybermen, having grown tired of Briggs. The Doctor manages to disarm him, and closes the bridge doors before the Cybermen can get inside. Briggs seems confident that they can hold out until they get back to Earth, as there are only a few Cybermen; until Adric inquires as to how many cargo containers there are, when she realizes that all 15,000 are probably full of Cybermen.
As Scott, Tegan and the others kill a Cyberman and damage a second, the Cyber-Leader has his troops soften one of the bridge doors with a thermal lance. The Doctor taps into the antimatter storage system and uses it to stabilise the door just as a Cyberman breaks through, with the result that the Cyberman is fused into the door. The Cyber-Leader had also fitted explosive charges to the other bridge door, however. Just before it goes to detonate them, the Cyberman that Tegan damaged crawls up. The lieutenant points out that all the crew have been accounted for, and the Cyber-Leader erroneously concludes that Ringway lied about the crew numbers.
The explosives are detonated, destroying the bridge door. The Cybermen take the bridge, and the Leader has Ringway killed for his "deception". Additional Cybermen are revived, in order to deal with the other humans, and as they march through the hold the Leader declares, "My army awakes, Doctor!"
The Cybermen fit a device to the ship's computer which locks it on course to collide with Earth. It then explains its mission - several galactic powers are going to meet on Earth that day and hold a conference that will unite them in a war against the Cybermen. Their original plan was to use the bomb to virtually destroy Earth, commandeer the freighter and use the army to kill anyone who survived. Due to the Doctor's interference, the Cyber-Leader has switched to its backup plan - crash the freighter into Earth. As it is powered by antimatter, the resulting blast will be every bit as devastating as the bomb would have been.
Tegan gets separated from Scott and his men, and is eventually captured. Scott returns to the TARDIS, but is followed by a pair of Cybermen. The troopers kill the Cybermen and take their guns, but Kyle is killed in the process. Tegan, meanwhile, is taken to the bridge. Noting the Doctor's reaction when she is brought into the bridge, the Cybermen comments that emotions must be a severe handicap for the Doctor. The Doctor argues that emotions are what makes life worth living - in response, the Cyber-Leader orders that Tegan be killed. The Doctor throws himself in front of Tegan, and the Cyber-Leader remarks that emotions are a disadvantage, as now he only has to threaten to kill Tegan for the Doctor to obey him.
Scott and the troopers leave the TARDIS again, as the Cyber-Leader decides to leave the ship in the TARDIS. Briggs, Berger and Adric are left on-board so that a few remaining Cybermen can observe their reactions, and thus better understand human weaknesses. The Doctor and Cybermen leave in the TARDIS, and Scott takes out the Cybermen guarding the bridge. Briggs wants to abandon ship, but Adric tells her that he might be able to override the device controlling the ship's computer. He overrides one segment of it and Berger tries to bring the ship out of warp, but this has an unexpected effect - the freighter jumps into a time warp and going backwards in time. Tegan is relieved at this, believing the Earth to be safe. Her relief is soon shattered when the Doctor points out that it has made the situation far worse - not only will Earth still be destroyed, but with the freighter now back in an earlier point of its history, the planet's whole existence will be nullified.
Adric overrides another part of the control device, bringing the freighter out of warp - but still perilously close to Earth. Briggs decides that it's time to abandon ship, but Adric is still determined to break the codes. Scott drags him into the escape pod, only for Adric to jump out at the last second and continue his efforts. Back on the TARDIS, the Doctor points out that they have travelled back 65 million years - at about the time the Earth collided with an object which killed the dinosaurs. After some prompting from Nyssa, Tegan realises that the object was really the freighter, and that rather than erasing Earth's history, the explosion will form a key part of it.
While Adric continues in his efforts, Scott signals the TARDIS and informs them that Adric's still on-board. The Cyber-Leader decides to kill the TARDIS crew, but Tegan jumps on him and the Doctor breaks up Adric's gold-plated Mathematics Achievement badge and feeds the fragments into the Leader's chest unit. The maddened and asphyxiating Leader fires its gun aimlessly - damaging the TARDIS console in the process - and the Doctor grabs the gun and shoots the Leader, killing it.
Adric is closing in on fully deactivating the control device, but is thwarted when a damaged Cyberman tries to shoot him. The shot misses Adric and destroys the freighter's controls instead, leaving no chance of altering the freighter's course. The Doctor tries to save Adric, while Nyssa quickly deals with the Cyber-Lieutenant, but is unable to work the damaged TARDIS console, and he, Nyssa and Tegan watch helplessly as the freighter smashes into Earth with a massive explosion.
Then the credits start to roll in silence, with a close up of Adric's badge, broken up on the floor.
[edit] Cast
- The Doctor — Peter Davison
- Adric — Matthew Waterhouse
- Nyssa — Sarah Sutton
- Tegan — Janet Fielding
- Scott — James Warwick
- Kyle — Clare Clifford
- Walters — Steve Morley
- Snyder — Suzi Arden
- Mitchell — Ann Holloway
- Troopers — Anne Clements, Mark Straker
- Briggs — Beryl Reid
- Berger — June Bland
- Ringway — Alec Sabin
- Crewmembers — Mark Fletcher, Christopher Whittingham
- Cyber Leader — David Banks
- Cyber Lieutenant — Mark Hardy
[edit] Continuity
- This was the last story to feature Matthew Waterhouse as Adric. Waterhouse would reprise his role twice: a brief cameo in the following serial Time-Flight (1982) and an appearance during the Fifth Doctor's regeneration in The Caves of Androzani (1984). Waterhouse has since moved to New England where he teaches theatre. However, Waterhouse still participates in Doctor Who conventions and records commentary tracks for DVD releases.
- This was the first story to feature the death of a companion since the death of Katarina (and, arguably, Sara Kingdom) in The Daleks' Master Plan (1965).
- A small continuity problem arises because of the clip from Revenge, which takes place on the Nerva Beacon which was supposedly built in the 29th or 30th centuries (The Ark in Space). As Earthshock takes place in 2526, how the Cybermen have access to records from the future is puzzling, unless (as Lawrence Miles suggests in his reference work About Time 5) they, too, are time travellers. This also fits with the Cybermen using a stolen timeship in Attack of the Cybermen (1985) and explains why these Cybermen look more advanced than those in Revenge, as well as how the freighter, once modified by the Cybermen, could develop time travel capability. It may also explain how the Cybermen know of the Time Lords, regeneration and the capabilities of the TARDIS.
- This is the first story to feature David Banks as the Cyber Leader. Banks would reprise his role in The Five Doctors (1983), Attack of the Cybermen (1985) and Silver Nemesis (1988). Banks would later play the Doctor in the 1989 stage play Doctor Who - The Ultimate Adventure. He would also later write a book about the history of the Cybermen. Banks's rendition of "Excellent!" to indicate approval became a catchphrase associated with the Cybermen.
- The Doctor advises Adric to read Black Orchid, a copy of which he obtained at the end of the previous adventure.
- The Hand of Fear introduced the concept of the TARDIS being in a state of temporal grace, meaning that no weapons could be used inside it. In this story, however, this function appears not to work as the Doctor, Nyssa and the Cyber Leader are all able to fire weapons inside the console room. Nyssa briefly mentions this in Arc of Infinity but the Doctor simply attempts to shrug it off without providing an explanation.
[edit] Production
- The working title for this story was Sentinel.
- This was the first Cyberman story since Revenge of the Cybermen (1975), as producer John Nathan-Turner wanted to bring back an old enemy, but resisted using the Daleks. Before the title was changed to Earthshock, Nathan-Turner was adamant about keeping the return of the Cybermen a secret. He instructed Eric Saward not to have any reference to the Cybermen in the story's title. Nathan-Turner even had the studio observation galleries closed for the duration of recording and turned down an offer from Radio Times to provide advance publicity of the Cybermen on their cover (ultimately Radio Times would only give one cover to Doctor Who during Nathan-Turner's tenure, for the 20th anniversary special The Five Doctors). The success of this convinced Nathan-Turner to continue to mine the series' past continuity for ideas and old enemies.
- After the success of using archive footage for the flashback sequence in Logopolis (1981), Producer John Nathan-Turner consulted with series continuity adviser Ian Levine and asked him to prepare another such montage for this story. Levine selected one clip from all of previous Doctors, save for Jon Pertwee who never had a Cyberman story (though they had been briefly glimpsed in two serials from his era). Levine's selections included: the First Doctor serial The Tenth Planet (1966), the Second Doctor serial The Wheel in Space (1968) (with narration referring to The Tomb of the Cybermen, at that time not extant in the archives) and the Fourth Doctor serial Revenge Of The Cybermen (1975). All the clips were presented in monochrome to preserve continuity, as the first two extracts were originally recorded in black and white.
- Although credited as script editor, Antony Root in fact did little or no work on Earthshock. He was credited to avoid Saward, who had by this time replaced him in the job, being credited as such on his own work, which contravened BBC regulations.
- The exterior sequences seen in the first episode were shot on Thursday 29 October 1981 at Springwell Lock Quarry, near Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire.
[edit] Outside references
- The sudden extinction of the dinosaurs 65.5 million years ago is known as the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event. A similar massive reduction in Earth's biodiversity took place 251 million years ago; this is the Permian-Triassic extinction event. One of the Big Finish Productions audio plays, The Land of the Dead (also featuring the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa), provides a possible (fictional) explanation for that event as well. As with all the spin-off media, the canonicity of the audio plays is unclear.
[edit] In print
| Doctor Who book | |
|---|---|
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| Earthshock | |
| Series | Target novelisations |
| Release number | 78 |
| Writer | Ian Marter |
| Publisher | Target Books |
| ISBN | 0 426 19377 6 |
| Release date | 18 August 1983 |
| Preceded by | Four to Doomsday |
| Followed by | Terminus |
A novelisation of this serial, written by Ian Marter (who played Harry Sullivan during the Fourth Doctor era), was published by Target Books in May 1983.
[edit] Broadcast, VHS and DVD releases
- Fan reaction at the time Earthshock was broadcast was extremely positive, both due to the surprise revelation of the Cybermen and the unexpected death of Adric, the latter always a controversial character. More recently, some reviewers have argued that the shocks and twist only serve to cover up the plot inadequacies. However, the story still remains highly rated in fan polls, coming in 17th in the 1997 Doctor Who Magazine annual survey.
- This story was released on VHS in the UK in September 1992.
- A DVD release followed on 18 August 2003 as part of the Doctor Who 40th Anniversary Celebration releases, representing the Peter Davison years. This included a commentary with Peter Davison, Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton and Matthew Waterhouse, plus a retrospective documentary by Ed Stradling entitled Putting the Shock into Earthshock which included interviews with many of the cast and crew including Davison, Waterhouse, Sutton, David Banks, Eric Saward, Peter Grimwade (archive footage) plus fans of the show (including future Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat, and writer/actor Mark Gatiss). Also included was the Claymation spoof "Earthshock, part Five" where Adric survives the freighter crashing to Earth, but is promptly eaten by a dinosaur. The DVD release also included an option to view the serial with alternate CGI special effects. On 2 July 2007, this DVD was re-released with new outer packaging.
[edit] External links
- Earthshock at bbc.co.uk
- Earthshock at Doctor Who: A Brief History Of Time (Travel)
- Earthshock at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
[edit] Reviews
- Earthshock reviews at Outpost Gallifrey
- Earthshock reviews at The Doctor Who Ratings Guide
- The Whoniverse's review on Earthshock
[edit] Target novelisation
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