Season 9, Episode 2 | 4 parts | First broadcast: 29 January – 19 February 1972 | Writer: Brian Hayles | Director: Lennie Mayne
Cast
- Jon Pertwee as the Doctor
- Katy Manning as Jo Grant
- David Troughton as King Peladon
- Alan Bennion as Arcturus
Summary
Arriving on the medieval planet Peladon at a moment of political crisis, the Doctor and Jo pose as delegates while the young King Peladon considers whether to join the Galactic Federation, a decision fiercely opposed by traditionalists who blame the sacred beast Aggedor for a series of mysterious murders. As the Doctor investigates the killings, he uncovers a conspiracy among the very delegates sent to guide Peladon’s future.
Interesting Facts
- This story is widely read as an allegory for Britain’s contemporary debate over joining the European Economic Community, then a live political issue.
- It introduces the Ice Warriors in an unexpected role as sympathetic allies rather than villains, subverting their earlier appearances in the Second Doctor era.
- David Troughton, who played King Peladon, is the son of Patrick Troughton, the actor who played the Second Doctor.
- The character of Alpha Centauri, a nervous, hermaphroditic alien delegate, became one of the more unusual and memorable creature designs of the era.
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