Season 10, Episode 5 | 6 parts | First broadcast: 19 May – 23 June 1973 | Writer: Robert Sloman and Barry Letts | Director: Michael E. Briant
Cast
- Jon Pertwee as the Doctor
- Katy Manning as Jo Grant
- Stewart Bevan as Professor Clifford Jones
- Jerome Willis as Stevens
Summary
Investigating strange green-glowing deaths at a Welsh coal mine, the Doctor uncovers a rogue supercomputer called BOSS secretly directing a chemical company’s pollution of the mine, which has mutated local insects into giant, toxic maggots. Working alongside an environmentalist commune and its idealistic leader, the Doctor must stop BOSS’s plans before the contamination spreads beyond the valley.
Interesting Facts
- This serial closes out Season 10 and marks Katy Manning’s final regular appearance as Jo Grant, who leaves the Doctor to marry fellow environmentalist Professor Jones.
- Its environmental themes, focused on industrial pollution and corporate greed, reflect the growing ecological movement of the early 1970s.
- The BOSS supercomputer, an arrogant, self-aware artificial intelligence, is considered one of the more memorable non-humanoid villains of the classic series.
- The Doctor’s visibly emotional reaction to Jo’s departure is often cited as one of Jon Pertwee’s finest dramatic moments in the role.
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