Season 7, Episode 2 | 7 parts | First broadcast: 31 January – 14 March 1970 | Writer: Malcolm Hulke | Director: Timothy Combe
Cast
- Jon Pertwee as the Doctor
- Caroline John as Liz Shaw
- Nicholas Courtney as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart
- Fulton Mackay as Dr Quinn
Summary
Investigating mysterious power drains and deaths at an underground research centre, the Doctor discovers a colony of reptilian Silurians, an intelligent species that ruled Earth long before humanity, newly roused from hibernation. As tensions rise between the suspicious humans and the Silurians who see themselves as the planet’s rightful owners, the Doctor searches desperately for a peaceful solution before both sides resort to war.
Interesting Facts
- This serial introduced the Silurians, one of Doctor Who’s most morally complex adversaries, who would return repeatedly across the classic and revived series.
- At seven episodes, it remains one of the longest single stories of the Pertwee era.
- The story deliberately avoids a tidy resolution, ending on a bleak note that was unusually dark for the series at the time.
- Writer Malcolm Hulke used the serial to explore themes of colonialism and mutual distrust between species, a hallmark of his later scripts for the show.
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