Doctor Who: The Daemons (1971)

Date(s) of Broadcast: 22 May 1971 - 19 June 1971
Number of Episodes: 5
Episode Running Times: 25 mins
Format: colour
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Company: BBC
Producer: Barry Letts

SCRIPT
Script: Guy Leopold (real names: Robert Sloman, Barry Letts)
Story Editor: Terrance Dicks

DIRECTION
Director: Christopher Barry

PHOTOGRAPHY
Studio Lighting: Tony Millier
Film Camera: Fred Hamilton

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Film Editor: Chris Wimble

MUSIC
Title Music: Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
Title Music Arranged By: Delia Derbyshire
Incidental Music: Dudley Simpson

SOUND
Studio Sound: Ralph Walton
Special Sounds: Brian Hodgson

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Jan Harrison
Costumes: Barbara Lane

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects: Peter Day

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Designer: Roger Ford

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Assistant: Peter Grimwade
Assistant Floor Manager: Sue Hedden

STUNTS
Fight Arranger: Peter Diamond

CAST
Jon Pertwee (The Doctor)
Katy Manning (Jo Grant)
Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart)
Richard Franklin (Captain Mike Yates)
John Levene (Sergeant Benton)
Roger Delgado (The Master)
Damaris Hayman (Miss Hawthorne)
Don McKillop (Bert)
Rollo Gamble (Squire Winstanley)
Eric Hillyard (Dr Reeves)
Jon Groft (Tom Girton)
Christopher Wray (PC Groom)
John Joyce (Garvin)
James Snell (Harry)
David Simeon (Alistair Fergus)
Robin Wentworth (Professor Horner)
Stanley Mason (Bok)
Gerald Taylor (Baker's man)
John Owens (Thorpe)
Alec Linstead (Sgt Osgood)
Stephen Thorne (Azal)
The Headington Quarry Men (morris men)
Matthew Corbett (Jones)
Patrick Milner (UNIT Corporal - uncredited)
Robin Squire (BBC3 Man (Charlie) - uncredited)
Nicholas Courtney (voice of BBC3 announcer - uncredited)
John Scott Martin (postmaster (Charlie) - uncredited)
Christopher Barry (voice of RAF pilot - uncredited)
Ernest Vlythe, Bill Burridge, David J Graham, Pat Gorman, Charles Shaw Kesketh, Michael Moore, Rex Rashley, John Tatham, Vic Taylor, Geoff Witherick (extras - uncredited)

PLOT SUMMARY

An archaeological excavation in the village of Devil's End disturbs The Doctor who races to the scene. There The Master raises one of a race of Daemons whose spaceship crash-landed there. The village is sealed off from the outside world and The Doctor must stop The Master from gaining the awesome powers of the Daemon.

Borrowing not for the first or last time from Quatermass (and the Pit) with a touch of John Wyndham this story shows that the programme fits neatly into a genealogy of great British SF. Excellent use of the village, some good action, fine characters and a strong monster. Only a bit of a soppy ending lets it down. The Brigadier's quote of "chap with wings three rounds rapid" is one of the most oft repeated quotes from the show (usually by Nicholas Courtney). For those who are interested in such things, the red velvet jacket Pertwee sports in this series is the best The Doctor ever wore.

UK
Television Distributor: BBC
Video Distributor: BBC Video

1971
May
22: UK - Episode One television broadcast (on BBC1)
29: UK - Episode Two television broadcast (on BBC1)

June
5: UK - Episode Three television broadcast (on BBC1)
12: UK - Episode Four television broadcast (on BBC1)
19: UK - Episode Five television broadcast (on BBC1)

The Demons

BOOKS

Doctor Who: The Television Companion pp.211-214
credits, synopsis, review (by David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker)

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

KEYWORDS

aliens, time travel

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009