Doctor Who: The Masque of Mandragora (1976)

Date(s) of Broadcast: 4 September 1976 - 25 September 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: Chris D'Oyly-John, John Nathan-Turner (uncredited)

SCRIPT
Script: Louis Marks
Story Editors: Robert Holmes

DIRECTION
Director: Rodney Bennett

PHOTOGRAPHY
Studio Lighting: Dennis Channon
Film Camera: John Baker

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Film Editor: Clare Douglas

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

SOUND
Studio Sound: Colin Dixon
Special Sound: Dick Mills

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Jan Harrison
Costumes: James Acheson

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects: Ian Scoones

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Designer: Barry Newbery

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Assistant: Thea Murray
Assistant Floor Manager: Linda Graeme

LOCATIONS
Locations: Portmeirion, nr. Porthmadog, Gwynedd, Wales, UK

STUNTS
Stunts: Tex Fuller, Stuart Fell, Billy Horrigan, Bruno Mcloughlin, Peter Pocock, Paddy Ryan, Roy Street, Terry Walsh

CAST
Tom Baker (The Doctor)
Elizabeth Sladen (Sarah-Jane Smith)
Gareth Armstrong (Giuliano)
Tim Piggot-Smith (Marco)
Norman Jones (Hieronymous)
Anthony Carrick (Captain Rossini)
Robert James (High Priest)
Brian Ellis (brother)
Jon Laurimore (Count Frederico)
Pat Gorman (soldier)
Peter Tuddenham (Mandragora's voice)
James Appleby, John Clamp (guards)
Jay Neill, Peter Walshe (pikemen)
Stuart Fell (entertainer)
Peggy Dixon, Jack Edwards, Alistair Fullarton, Michael Reid, Kathy Wolff (dancers)
Cy Town, Leslie Weekes (pikemen - uncredited)
Keith Ashley, Pat Gorman, Walter Henry, James Muir, Keith Norrish, Dennis Plenty, Roy Pearce, Clive Rogers, Terry Sartain, Cy Town, Leslie Weekes (brethren - uncredited)
George Ballantine, Paul Barton, Barbara Bernell, Jean Channon, Derek Chafer, Martin Clarke, Jill Goldstone, Martin Grant, Christopher Holmes, Colin Janson, Penny Lambirth, Kevin Moran, Clinton Morris, Michael Mulcaster, Maurice Quick, Mary Rennie, David Glynn Rogers, David Rolfe, Eddie Sommer, Lionel Taylor, Ken Tracey, Sheila Vivian, Neville Ward, David Wilde, Jess Willard, Lincoln Wright (extras - uncredited)

PLOT SUMMARY

The TARDIS is infiltrated by the Mandragora Helix a sentient energy ball. Landing in Renaissance Italy the energy is released and enters a forbidden Brotherhood amongst whom members plot to overthrow the new Duke of the resident Court.

Return to the historical format but within an SF scenario. Looks magnificent, interesting concept, decent performances but the lack of a great adversary and a memorable dominant evil make this rather less than the sum of its parts. A new TARDIS interior looks retro-Victorian fab but the lack of a central console (apparently due to a dispute over who should fit it) diminishes the impact.

UK
Television Distributor: BBC
Video Distributor: BBC Video

1976
September
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)

Catacombs Of Death - working title
The Curse Of Mandragora - working title

BOOKS

Doctor Who: The Television Companion pp.305-308
credits, synopsis, review (by David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker)

KEYWORDS

aliens, time travel

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009