Doctor Who: The Invasion of Time [1978]

Date(s) of Broadcast: 4 February 1978 - 11 March 1978
Number of Episodes: 6
Average Episode Running Times: 25 mins
Format: colour
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Company: BBC
Production: Graham Williams
Production Unit Manager: John Nathan-Turner

SCRIPT
Script: David Agnew (real names: Graham Williams, Anthony Read)
Story Editors: Anthony Read

DIRECTION
Director: Gerald Blake

PHOTOGRAPHY
Studio Lighting: Mike Jefferies
Film Camera: Ken Westbury
OB Camera: David Gourier, Alan Hayward

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Film Editor: Chris Wimble

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

SOUND
Studio Sound: Anthony Philpott
Special Sound: Dick Mills

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Maureen Winslade
Costumes: Dee Kelly

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects: Colin Mapson, Richard Conway

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Designer: Barbara Gosnold

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Assistant: Colin Dudley
Assistant Floor Manager: Terry Winders, Romey Allison

CAST
Tom Baker [The Doctor]
Louise Jameson [Leela]
John Leeson [voice of K-9]
Milton Johns [Castellan Kelner]
Christopher Tranchell [Commander Andred]
John Arnatt [Chancellor Borusa]
Stan Mcgowan, Tom Kelly [Vardans]
Denis Edwards [Lord Gomer]
Charles Morgan [gold usher]
Reginald Jessup [Lord Savar]
Hilary Ryan [Rodan]
Christopher Christou [guard]
Max Faulkner [Nesbin]
Gai Smith [Presta]
Ray Callaghan [Ablif]
Michael Mundell [Jasko]
Michael Harley [bodyguard]
Derek Deadman [Commander Stor]
Eric Danot [Castellan guard]
Stuart Fell [Sonataran]
Michael Harley, Eric Danot, [guards - uncredited]
Alan Forbes, Bobby James, David Melbourne, Mike Mungarvan [Outsiders - uncredited]
Laurie Goode, Martin Grant, Mark Holmes, Julian Hudson, Derek Hunt, Mort Jackson, Giles Melville, James O'Neill, Buddy Prince, Martin Richards, Norman Rochester, Peter Roy, Tony Snell, Michael Sliwoski, Robert Smythe, Robert Tucker [extras - uncredited]

The Doctor, behaving unlike himself, lands on Gallifrey and claims the Presidency of the Time Lords. Putting defences out of action he allows invaders to land on the planet but there is a reason for his actions.

The end of season finale was intended to be a Deadly Assassin [1976] sequel but when Robert Holmes wouldn't do it, script editor Anthony Read turned to a former colleague, whose script ideas were way beyond budget resources. Thus Read and Graham Williams returned to the idea of a Gallifrey adventure and hurriedly came up with this season closing dogs dinner of a story. Almost being cancelled due to industrial action didn't help but, there are just so many things wrong. Design and effects are poor. The Sontaran invasion is unexplained. Louise Jameson saying late in the day she wouldn't be coming back for another season and thus being given a pitiful out-of-character exit is churlish.

UK
Television Distributor: BBC
Video Distributor: BBC Video

1978
February
4: UK - Part One television broadcast [on BBC1]
11: UK - Part Two television broadcast [on BBC1]
18: UK - Part Three television broadcast [on BBC1]
25: UK - Part Four television broadcast [on BBC1]

March
4: UK - Part Five television broadcast [on BBC1]
11: UK - Part Six television broadcast [on BBC1]

BOOKS

Doctor Who: The Television Companion pp.338-341
credits, synopsis, review [by David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker]

KEYWORDS

aliens, time travel

Last Updated: 21 April, 2008