| "Terror of the Autons (Part 1)" | |
|---|---|
| Series Doctor Who Season 8, Episode 1 | |
| |
| Air date | January 2nd, 1971 |
| Writers | Robert Holmes |
| Director | Barry Letts |
| Producers | Barry Letts |
| Starring | Jon Pertwee; Nicholas Courtney; Roger Delgado; Katy Manning |
| Episode guide | |
| Previous "Inferno (Part 7)" |
Next "Terror of the Autons (Part 2)" |
"Terror of the Autons (Part 1)" is the first episode of series eight of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and the 279th episode of the series overall. It was directed by Barry Letts with a script written by Robert Holmes. It first aired on BBC One on January 2nd, 1971.
Plot[]
A rogue Time Lord known as The Master materializes on Earth. After taking mental control of a circus owner named Luigi Rossini, he breaks into the National Space Museum and steals a Nestene energy unit, which was on loan from UNIT.
Back at UNIT headquarters, the Doctor is conducting an experiment in his laboratory when Josephine Grant enters, and introduces herself as his new assistant. The Doctor has no interest in having a new assistant, but Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart tells him that if he wishes to dismiss her, he must do so himself. The Doctor cannot bring himself to fire Miss Grant, so he agrees to allow her to work with him.
Meanwhile, The Master goes to the Beacon Hill Research Establishment and incapacitates the attending staff. He overpowers Professor Philips, and shrinks his assistant Goodge to a tiny size. He then takes control of the radio telescopes and uses them to direct energy into the Nestene energy unit. The Master leaves the research center, but leaves behind a trap for his nemesis - The Doctor.
As the Doctor and members of UNIT arrive at Beacon Hill, a Time Lord appears and warns the Doctor about the Master's machinations. He also indicates that the research center's door is rigged to explod. The Doctor charges through the door, and catches the explosive before it can detonate.
The Master goes to a factory called Farrel Autoplastics run by a man named Rex Farrel. He takes control of Farrel's mind and has him begin production of Auton bodies. This brings Farrel into conflict with production manager James McDermott.
The Doctor deduces that the Master has been cooperating with the Nestene Consciousness - perhaps even controlling it. Fearing that he will use the energy unit to create Autons, he consults a list of all plastics factory in the area, and sends Jo out to investigate. While sneaking around the perimeter of the factory, Joe accidentally knocks over some crates, which alerts the Master to her presence. The Master hypnotizes her into becoming his servant.
UNIT learns about a military vehicle that contains a box that once housed the nestene energy unit. It is recovered and brought back to the lab. Jo, still under the control of the Master, rushes to open it just as the Doctor leaps forward exclaiming that it is a bomb.
Cast[]
Starring[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Jon Pertwee | The Doctor |
| Nicholas Courtney | Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart |
| Roger Delgado | The Master |
| Katy Manning | Jo Grant |
Guest Starring[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Richard Franklin | Captain Mike Yates |
| John Levene | Sergeant Benton |
| Michael Wisher | Rex Farrel, Jr. |
| Harry Towb | James McDermott |
| David Garth | Bowler hat Time Lord |
Co-Starring[]
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Frank Mills | Radio telescope director |
| Christopher Burgess | Professor Philips |
| Andrew Staines | Goodge |
| John Baskcomb | Luigi Rossini |
| Dave Carter | Museum attendant |
Notes & Trivia[]
- Doctor Who was created by British TV producer Sydney Newman, with additional material developed by Donald Wilson and C.E. Webber. The original series began airing in the United Kingdom in November 1963 and ran for twenty-six seasons until December 1989. The show was relaunched in 2005 and has since been aired on BBC One and BBC America.
- This is the first appearance of Josephine Grant, who becomes the Third Doctor's new companion in this episode (albeit reluctantly). She replaces Elizabeth Shaw, whom Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart indicates, has returned to Cambridge.
- This is the first appearance of The Master, who already has a shared history with the Doctor. He will become a major adversary in the series, and will go through numerous regenerations, similar to the ones that the Doctor goes through.
- This is the second storyline to focus on the Autons. It is also the second time that the Third Doctor had to face them. The Doctor first encountered them in his introductory storyline, "Spearhead from Space".
- The Master reveals that Luigi Rossini's real name is Lew Russell.
- Goodge is survived by a wife named Elsie who, among other things, insists on giving him hard boiled eggs in his lunch pail.
Allusions[]
- The song that the Doctor is singing in the TARDIS in the beginning of the episode is "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire", which is a pop song written by Bennie Benjamin, Eddie Durham, Sol Marcus and Eddie Seiler. It was written in 1938, but was first recorded three years later by Harlan Leonard and His Rockets.
Quotes[]
- Time Lord: I came to warn you. An old acquaintance has arrived on this planet.
- The Doctor: Oh, one of our people?
- Time Lord: The Master.
- The Doctor: That jackanapes! All he ever does is cause trouble.
....
- Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart: This err... this device of his, is it very powerful?
- The Doctor: Oh, I should say roughly equal to a fifteen megaton bomb.
- Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart: Really? Well, the research boys'll be glad to get their hands on this.
- The Doctor: Too late, Brigadier, I've boiled out the contents. The weapons that you have on Earth are quite nasty enough as it is.
....
- The Doctor: Look, I said I don't want any tea today, thank you.
- Jo Grant: I'm not the tea lady.
- The Doctor: Then what the blazes are you doing in here? Don't you know this area is strictly out of bounds to everybody except the tea lady and the Brigadier's personal staff?
- Jo Grant: I'm your new assistant.
- The Doctor: Oh, no.
See also[]
Media
The World of Doctor Who
Doctor Who miscellaneous
External Links[]
Keywords[]
Autons | Beacon Hill Research Establishment | Captain | Doctor | England | Farrel Autoplastics | Frankenstein | Hypnosis | International Circus | Laboratory | Lions | Master's TARDIS | Mind control | Museum | National Space Museum | Nestene Consciousness | Nestene energy unit | Size alteration | Smoking | Superhuman strength | TARDIS | UNIT