Doctor Who: The Ribos Operation (1978)

Date(s) of Broadcast: 2 September 1978 - 23 September 1978
Number of Episodes: 4
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: Robert Holmes
Story Editor: Anthony Read

DIRECTION
Director: George Spenton-Foster

PHOTOGRAPHY
Studio Lighting: Jimmy Purdie

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

SOUND
Studio Sound: Richard Chubb
Special Sound: Dick Mills

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Christine Walmesley-Cotham
Costumes: June Hudson

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects: Dave Havard

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Designer: Ken Ledsham

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Assistant: Jane Shirley
Assistant Floor Manager: Richard Cox

CAST
Tom Baker (The Doctor)
Mary Tamm (Romana)
John Leeson (voice of K9)
Iain Cuthbertson (Garron)
Nigel Plaskitt (Unstoffe)
Paul Seed (Graff Vynda-K)
Robert Keegan (Sholakh)
Prentis Hancock (Captain)
Oliver Maguire, John Hamill (Shrieves)
Cyril Luckham (The White Guardian)
Timothy Bateson (Binro The Heretic)
Ann Tirard (The Seeker)
Roy Brent, Yuri Gridneff, Barry Summerford, David Young (walk-nn Shrives - uncredited)
Stuart Fell, Nick Wilkinson (Shrievenzale - uncredited)
Pat Gorman (Krole - uncredited)
Tony Bell, Derek Chafer, Harry Fielder, Steven Ismay (Levithians - uncredited)

PLOT SUMMARY

The White Guardian sends The Doctor on a special mission - to retrieve the scattered segments of the powerful Key To Time. Given a special tracer device and a another Time Lord, Romana, as an assistant, The Doctor first travels to the planet Ribos where he becomes embroiled in the schemes of two conmen who are trying to sell the planet to the Graff Vynda-K.

A good start to an experimental season that managed to introduce the ongoing arc story with the minimum of fuss as well as introducing The Doctor's latest travelling companion, fellow Time Lord Romanadvoratrelundar (thankfully shortened to Romana). Robert Holmes is again on fine form and his trademark sharp dialogue and well drawn characters are well in evidence. It was a fine way to start the most unusual season of Doctor Who so far.

UK
Television Distributor: BBC
Video Distributor: BBC Video

1978
September
2: UK - Part One television broadcast (on BBC1)
9: UK - Part Two television broadcast (on BBC1)
16: UK - Part Three television broadcast (on BBC1)
23: UK - Part Four television broadcast (on BBC1)

The Galactic Con Man - working title
Operation Ribos - working title
The Ribos File - working title

BOOKS

Doctor Who: The Television Companion pp.344-347
credits, synopsis, review (by David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker)

KEYWORDS

aliens, time travel

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009