Doctor Who: The Brain of Morbius (1976)

Date(s) of Broadcast: 3 January 1976 - 24 January 1976
Number of Episodes: 4
Average Episode Running Times: 25 mins
Format: colour
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Company: BBC
Production: Philip Hinchcliffe
Production Unit Manager: Janet Radenkovic

SCRIPT
Script: Robin Bland (real names: Terrance Dicks, Robert Holmes)
Story Editors: Robert Holmes

DIRECTION
Director: Christopher Barry

PHOTOGRAPHY
Studio Lighting: Peter Catlett
Film Camera:

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

SOUND
Studio Sound: Tony Millier
Special Sound: Dick Mills

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Jean McMillan
Costumes: L. Rowland Warne

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects: John Horton
Title Sequence: Bernard Lodge

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Designer: Barry Newbery

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Assistant: Carol Wiseman
Assistant Floor Manager: Felicity Trew
Movement Coach: Geraldine Stephenson

CAST
Tom Baker (The Doctor)
Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith)
Philip Madoc (Dr Mehendri Solon)
Cynthia Grenville (Maren)
Gilly Brown (Ohica)
Colin Fay (Condo)
Sue Bishop, Janie Kells, Gabrella Mowbray, Veronica Ridge (sisters)
John Scott Martin (Kriz)
Michael Spice (voice of Morbius)
Stuart Fell (Morbius monster)
Alan Crisp (headless monster - uncredited)
Jennie Le Fre (double for Sarah - uncredited)
Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton, William Hartnell, Philip Hinchcliffe, Robert Holmes, Douglas Camfield, Graeme Harper, Robert Banks
Stewart, Christopher Baker, George Gallacio, Christopher Barry (The Doctor - uncredited)

PLOT SUMMARY

On the planet Karn a mad scientist Solon stiches together parts of crashed astronauts to make a body that will house the brain of the evil Time Lord Morbius. The Doctor' s head would be perfect to complete the creature.

The myth of Frankenstein as popularised in the 1931 film, with a subplot taken from Rider Haggard's She. Philip Madoc is at his best as the latest human villain to face Tom Baker. The look of the show is its best space gothic and though Morbius himself is a bit of a dog's dinner, this is top notch horror rather than SF. Buffs still argue as to who the previous selves images (actually production staff) are meant to be in the Doctor / Morbius mind battle. When this episode was made, continuity was fun with just the sight of the Doctor's previous three incarnations being cause for celebration.

UK
Television Distributor: BBC
Video Distributor: BBC Video

1976
January
3: UK - Part One television broadcast (on BBC1)
10: UK - Part Two television broadcast (on BBC1)
17: UK - Part Three television broadcast (on BBC1)
24: UK - Part Four television broadcast (on BBC1)

BOOKS

Doctor Who: The Television Companion pp.297-300
credits, synopsis, review (by David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker)

KEYWORDS

aliens, time travel

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009