Doctor Who: Doctor Who and the Silurians (1970)

Date(s) of Broadcast: 31 January 1970 - 14 March 1970
Number of Episodes: 7
Episode Running Times: 25 mins
Format: colour
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Company: BBC
Producer: Barry Letts

SCRIPT
Script: Malcolm Hulke
Story Editor: Terrance Dicks

DIRECTION
Director: Timothy Combe

PHOTOGRAPHY
Studio Lighting: Ralph Walton
Film Camera: Fred Hamilton

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Film Editor: Bill Huthert

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

SOUND
Studio Sound: John Staple
Special Sounds: Brian Hodgson

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Marion Richards (episodes 1-4), Teresa Wright (episodes 5-7)
Costumes: Christine Rawlins

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects: James Ward

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Designer: Barry Newbery

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Assistant: Chris D'Oyly-John
Assistant Floor Manager: Sue Hedden

CAST

Episode 1
Jon Pertwee (Doctor Who)
Caroline John (Liz Shaw)
Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart)
Fulton Mackay (Dr Quinn)
Norman Jones (Major Baker)
Peter Miles (Dr Lawrence)
Thomasine Heiner (Miss Dawson)
Ian Cunningham (Dr Meredith)
Roy Branigan (Roberts)
John Newman (Spencer)
Bill Matthews (Davis)

Episode 2
Jon Pertwee (Doctor Who)
Caroline John (Liz Shaw)
Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart)
Fulton Mackay (Dr Quinn)
Norman Jones (Major Baker)
Peter Miles (Dr Lawrence)
Thomasine Heiner (Miss Dawson)
Paul Darrow (Captain Hawkins)
Nancie Jackson (Doris Squire)
Gordon Richardson (Squire)
Pat Gorman (Silurians)
Peter Halliday (Silurian voices)

Episode 3
Jon Pertwee (Doctor Who)
Caroline John (Liz Shaw)
Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart)
Fulton Mackay (Dr Quinn)
Norman Jones (Major Baker)
Peter Miles (Dr Lawrence)
Thomasine Heiner (Miss Dawson)
Paul Darrow (Captain Hawkins)
Pat Gorman (Silurians)

Episode 4
Jon Pertwee (Doctor Who)
Caroline John (Liz Shaw)
Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart)
Norman Jones (Major Baker)
Peter Miles (Dr Lawrence)
Thomasine Heiner (Miss Dawson)
Paul Darrow (Captain Hawkins)
Pat Gorman, Paul Barton, Simon Cain, John Churchill (Silurians)
Peter Halliday (Silurian voices)
Geoffrey Palmer (Masters)
Richard Steele (Sergeant Hart)
Ian Talbot (Travis)
Dave Carter (old Silurian)
Nigel Johns (young Silurian)

Episode 5
Jon Pertwee (Doctor Who)
Caroline John (Liz Shaw)
Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart)
Norman Jones (Major Baker)
Peter Miles (Dr Lawrence)
Thomasine Heiner (Miss Dawson)
Paul Darrow (Captain Hawkins)
Paul Barton, Simon Cain, John Churchill (Silurians)
Peter Halliday (Silurian voices)
Geoffrey Palmer (Masters)
Dave Carter (old Silurian)
Nigel Johns (young Silurian)
Harry Swift (Robins)
Pat Gorman (Silurian scientist)

Episode 6
Jon Pertwee (Doctor Who)
Caroline John (Liz Shaw)
Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart)
Peter Miles (Dr Lawrence)
Paul Darrow, Simon Cain (Captain Hawkins)
Peter Halliday (Silurian voices)
Geoffrey Palmer (Masters)
Richard Steele (Sergeant Hart)
Nigel Johns (young Silurian)
Pat Gorman (Silurian scientist)
Alan Mason (Corporal Nutting)
Derek Pollitt (Private Wright)
Brendan Barry (hospital doctor)

Episode 7
Jon Pertwee (Doctor Who)
Caroline John (Liz Shaw)
Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart)
Paul Darrow (Captain Hawkins)
Paul Barton, Simon Cain, John Churchill, Dave Carter (Silurians)
Peter Halliday (Silurian voices)
Nigel Johns (young Silurian)
Pat Gorman (Silurian scientist)
Alan Mason (Corporal Nutting)

UNCREDITED CAST
Sheila Knight (receptionist)
Gillian Toll (nurse)
Barry Letts (man)
Keith Ashley, Terry Denville, Ronald Gough, Joan Harsvant, Peter Holmes, Richard King, Leonard Kingston, Stewart Myers, Cara Stevens, Cy Town (technicians)
Alex Donald, Brian Haughton, Mark Johnson, David Melbourne, John Spradbury (soldiers)
Bernard Barnsley, Paul Barton, David Billa, Willy Bowman, Peter Brett, Constance Carling, Sue Casters, Hugh Cecil, Norton Clark, Alan Clements, Colin Cunningham, Alison Daumler, Jim Delaney, Josie Dent, Ray Denton, Antonio Di Maggio, John Doye, Michael Earl, Bella Emberg, Mostyn Evans, Stenson Falcke, Keith Goodman, Pat Gorman, Paul Hawking, Walter Henry, Alan Hood, Harold Horsham, Jean Hylton, Nigel Johns, Barry Kennington, Joanna Lawrence, Michael Lomax, Iona Maccree, Olive Macneil, Alan Mason, Pat Matthews, Patrick Milner, Michael Moor, Maureen Nelson, Roy Pearce, David Perry, Derek Pollitt, Liz Powers. Ray Rashley, Peter Ray, Winifred Ray, Betty Richardson, George Romanoff. Jean Shannon, John Shorter, Brendan Skilton, Richard Steele, Rosina Stewart, Harry Swift, Lynn Turner, Alan Viccare, Joyce Windsor, Harold White (extras)

PLOT SUMMARY

An underground research centre Wenley Moor is experiencing problems in its research into a new type of nuclear reactor. Investigating the local caves the Doctor encounters The Silurians an ancient race of intelligent reptiles revived by the nuclear experiments. The Doctor attempts to find a peaceful solution as the Silurians launch attacks on Earth.

Interesting idea intelligently done but too much repetition, Doctor goes underground, bargains for peace, goes overground, bargains for peace, Silurians launch attack, Doctor stops attack, Doctor goes underground… and then quick resolution, oh bugger it let's blow them up. Pertwee is particularly good in this episode.

UK
Television Distributor: BBC
Video Distributor: BBC Video

USA
Video Distributor: CBS / Fox

1970
January
31: UK - Episode 1 first television broadcast (on BBC1)

February
7: UK - Episode 2 first television broadcast (on BBC1)
14: UK - Episode 3 first television broadcast (on BBC1)
21: UK - Episode 4 first television broadcast (on BBC1)
28: UK - Episode 5 first television broadcast (on BBC1)

March
7: UK - Episode 6 first television broadcast (on BBC1)
14: UK - Episode 7 first television broadcast (on BBC1)

The Silurians - working title

SEE ALSO
Doctor Who: The Sea Devils (1972)
Doctor Who: Warriors of the Deep (1984)

BOOKS

Doctor Who - The Handbook: The Third Doctor pp.278
credits

Doctor Who: The Television Companion pp.185-189
credits, synopsis, review (by David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker)

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

KEYWORDS

aliens, dinosaurs, military, monsters, time travel, underground

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008