Season 21, Episode 4 | 2 parts (double-length) | First broadcast: 8–15 February 1984 | Writer: Eric Saward | Director: Matthew Robinson
Cast
- Peter Davison as the Doctor
- Janet Fielding as Tegan Jovanka
- Mark Strickson as Vislor Turlough
- Terry Molloy as Davros
- Rula Lenska as Styles
Summary
Drawn into a Dalek time corridor linking a warehouse in 1980s London to a besieged space station, the Doctor and his companions become entangled in a ruthless Dalek plot to free their imprisoned creator Davros and unleash a genetically engineered duplicate infiltration of Gallifrey itself. As the body count mounts in one of the era’s most violent stories, Tegan finally reaches her breaking point with the Doctor’s dangerous, unpredictable life.
Interesting Facts
- This story marks the first appearance of Davros since Destiny of the Daleks five years earlier, here played for the first time by Terry Molloy.
- It was broadcast in an unusual double-length two-episode format after the BBC’s coverage of the 1984 Winter Olympics disrupted the show’s normal timeslot.
- The story’s high body count and intense violence made it one of the most controversial and scrutinised serials of the classic series.
- It marks the sudden, unplanned departure of companion Tegan, who leaves the Doctor abruptly and without a proper farewell after witnessing the story’s brutal events.
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