275 Inferno: Episode Four

EPISODE: Inferno: Episode Four
OVERALL EPISODE NUMBER: 275
STORY NUMBER: 054
TRANSMITTED: Saturday 30 May 1970
WRITER: Don Houghton
DIRECTOR: Douglas Camfield (and Barry Letts - Uncredited)
SCRIPT EDITOR: Terrance Dicks
PRODUCER: Barry Letts
RATINGS: 6 million viewers
FORMAT: DVD: Doctor Who - Inferno Special Edition
EPISODE FORMAT: 525 video RSC

"If you break through the Earth's crust now, you'll release forces you never dreamed could exist! Listen to that! That's the sound of this planet screaming out its rage!"

Section-Leader Liz Shaw intervenes allowing the Doctor to repair the computer. The Doctor is interrogated by the Brigade-Leader & Section-Leader. The Doctor is taken to the cells and placed with a sleeping figure. In the real world Sir Keith Gold leaves to consult with the ministry. The figure in the cell turns out to be the mutated Bromley and while fighting him the Doctor escapes. He infiltrates drilling control, disguised in a protective suit, attempting to stop penetration of the Earth's crust but is discovered and held at gunpoint as the drill breaks through.

STEWART: You there!
COMPUTER: Final countdown commences now.
STEWART: Come down here.
COMPUTER: Zero minus fifty seconds. Stand by.
STEWART: Did you hear what I said? Come down here.
COMPUTER: Zero minus forty seconds.
DOCTOR: You must stop this countdown before it's too late!
COMPUTER: All personnel stand by.
DOCTOR: Do you hear me? You must stop it!
STAHLMANN: Brigade Leader, shoot that man now!
GREG: You can't do that! It's just murder!
DOCTOR: If you break through the Earth's crust now, you'll release forces you never dreamed could exist!
COMPUTER: Zero minus thirty seconds. Countdown moves to final phase.
DOCTOR: Listen to that!
COMPUTER: Zero minus twenty seconds.
DOCTOR: That's the sound of this planet screaming out its rage!
COMPUTER: Countdown will now proceed by seconds.
STAHLMANN: I order you to shoot that man!
GREG: Go on, run for it! Run!
COMPUTER: Zero minus ten seconds. Nine. Eight.
COMPUTER: Seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, zero.

Fab stuff again here. Very 1984/World War II film as the Doctor is interrogated by the Brigade & Section leaders.

SHAW: Name?
STEWART: Who sent you here?
SHAW: Did you come to commit sabotage?
STEWART: Name?
SHAW: What organisation employs you?
STEWART: When did you first become a traitor?
SHAW: How did you get into the complex?
STEWART: Who helped you? Was it Sutton?
SHAW: Name? What is your name? Answer!

DOCTOR: You're wasting your time, you know. I can stand a great deal of this childishness.
STEWART: This is only the beginning.
SHAW: We have other methods.
DOCTOR: Yes, I'm sure you have. But it won't do you any good.
STEWART: You'll talk, eventually.
SHAW: Everybody talks.
DOCTOR: How can I give you information that doesn't exist?

STEWART: The information must exist and you will give it to us!
SHAW: Name?
STEWART: Who sent you here?!
SHAW: Which of our enemies are you working for?
STEWART: Who are your associates?
DOCTOR: I came here on my own. I came by accident. I came here. The Tardis console slipped me sideways in time. Slipped me sideways in time.
SHAW: Shall we proceed to stage two interrogation? He's just babbling.
STEWART: No, he's a tough one. He might die before he talked.
SHAW: Yes. We'd better let him get his strength back.

There's a nice sequence as the Doctor talks with Liz which shows there are parallels between the Liz we've known all season and her counterpart on this Earth.

SHAW: You seem to know a great deal about this project.
DOCTOR: Enough.
SHAW: You're a scientist.
DOCTOR: Of sorts, yes.
SHAW: Where do you come from?
DOCTOR: I've already told you. I come from a parallel space-time continuum. A twin world of this.
SHAW: If you told us the truth, there might be some hope for you.
DOCTOR: Your counterpart in the other world would tell you that I'm not in the habit of telling lies, Elizabeth.
SHAW: This other woman, the one that looks like me.
DOCTOR: It's not that she looks like you, she is you. I do wish I could make you understand this.
SHAW: What does she do?
DOCTOR: Do? She's a scientist.
SHAW: I am a security officer so there's no possible link, is there?
DOCTOR: Did you ever think of becoming a scientist? Yes. Yes, I can see that you did.
SHAW: I read physics at university. What's that got to do with it?
DOCTOR: Simply that her mind process runs along a similar parallel to yours. Doesn't that strike you as significant?
SHAW: Not particularly.
DOCTOR: Look, Elizabeth, please try and think. Whatever they taught you in this bigoted world of yours, you've still got a mind of your own. Now use it, before it's too late!

To do a Parallel Universe story you really need something for it to be compared to and this is the first time Doctor Who has had a large enough backing cast plus a stable setting, the Doctor's Earth exile, for it to get away with doing this. Here the recall of John Levene as Benton, and his insertion into the previous story becomes important expanding the familiar cast of supporting characters to three and presenting each of them as different versions of their normal selves: The Brigadier the fascistic Brigade Leader, Sergeant Benton becomes the bullying Platoon Under Leader and Liz becomes part of the army instead of a scientist.

DOCTOR: Please, don't push. I'll have you know that your counterpart in the other world was a nice, sociable sort of chap, Sergeant.
BENTON 2: My rank is Platoon Under Leader.
DOCTOR: That's a bit of a mouthful, isn't it?
BENTON 2: Your trouble is you talk too much.
DOCTOR: Ah, I see I've got company. And what did he do, park in a restricted zone?
BENTON 2: Stop asking stupid questions!
DOCTOR: At least he seems to be sleeping peacefully.
BENTON 2: He's had a tranquilliser dart. They don't give us any trouble after that. We should have done the same to you. Now, get in!

The in story support characters are maybe less changed: very little separates Stahlman from Stahlmann bar a beard. The same characteristics are there in both versions of the character, driven to get the project to suceed at all costs.

Petra Williams & Greg Sutton become more straight laced and strict versions of themselves.

Greg's even wearing a suit in this second reality!

But his slight rogueishness is still here in the form of an insubordinate streak which is criticised by both Director Stahlmann and Petra Williams:

GREG: Well, it seems to be working. Who was that man in the funny clothes?
WILLIAMS: They said he was a saboteur.
GREG: How come he saves our skin?
WILLIAMS: He's trying to save his own. Hadn't you better get number two output pipe working?
GREG: It'll mean cutting down the drill to minimum revs.
WILLIAMS: The Director won't like that.
GREG: Well then, he'll have to lump it, won't he? There's no alternative.
WILLIAMS: Sutton, if you would only curb this insolent streak, you might have a great future as a servant of the State.
GREG: What, and become a nice well-behaved little zombie, you mean, like the rest of you? No, thank you.
WILLIAMS: You've only survived so long because you have certain usefulness, because of your technical skills. Once this project is over
GREG: Greg Sutton's for the high jump. A nasty little accident in the cells, or shot whilst trying to escape?
WILLIAMS: It's been known to happen.
SUTTON: Would you care?
WILLIAMS: I'd regret the waste, that is all.

STAHLMANN: Sutton? How long?
GREG: Almost finished.
STAHLMANN: Good, then we can continue with the drilling.
GREG: At reduced revs?
STAHLMANN: No, I intend to accelerate again as soon as possible.
GREG: Well, I don't advise it.
STAHLMANN: I don't need advice.
GREG: Except from that prisoner!
STAHLMANN: I would have come to the same conclusions.
GREG: You may have come to them a bit too late.
STAHLMANN: I sometimes wonder why I tolerate you, Sutton.
GREG: That's easy. On a project like this you don't just need a good party member, you need a good engineer.
STAHLMANN: Oh, you are useful, but you're not indispensable.
GREG: It seems to be my day for getting warnings.
STAHLMANN: You have a bad record, Sutton, a long history. It would be very easy to have you disposed of. Remember that.

But note how it's Greg who breaks ranks to save the Doctor's life at the end of the episode by jumping the Brigade-Leader holding the Doctor at gunpoint!

It's interesting that Doctor Who doesn't try a parallel universe again till Rise of the Cybermen/Age of Steel in 2006 when we have an extended cast formed from Rose's family & friends that we can compare the alternate versions to. The newer tale has another decent hook, like the Nazis having won the war here, in the Cyberman universe her father is still alive but she was never born.

The use of the Parallel Universe actually serves a function within the story instead of just being a story by itself by showing us what will happen if the Doctor doesn't stop the drilling in our world which in turn gives the closing stages of the story added urgency as the Doctor tries to prevent the destruction of Earth for a second time.

(I've actually looked at this story and parallel universe before: see The Royal Holloway College Science Fiction Society's magazine A Rune With A View Issue 28)

This is the third consecutive story this season to have a large control room set as the main setting: The reactor control in The Silurians, the Space Centre control in Ambassadors of Death and now the drill control here. The seven episode structure has given more money for larger more elaborate sets. However as we've seen it also has meant that the scripts for the stories have had to be stretched somewhat.

There's a couple of Drivers in this episode:

Bruce Cox was a UNIT Soldier/Policeman in Doctor Who and the Silurians and a Jeep Driver in Ambassadors of Death. He returns as an Army Driver in Invasion of the Dinosaurs.

B G Heath. was a Police/Ambulance Driver in The Silurians and a Jeep Driver in Ambassadors of Death. He returns as a Milkman, Black Maria Driver, Rocket Driver & Van Driver Mind of Evil. My natural suspiciousness and the similarity of roles makes me wonder if he's the Ted Heath down as a Driver/Motorcyclist in Day of the Daleks and an Army Driver Invasion of the Dinosaurs? Movie Dude's Inferno Page identifies Heath as the driver of the Jeep the Doctor hides in.

Playing the Technicians dressed in hazard suits on Location are our bunch of stuntmen: Roy Scammell, Alan Chuntz, Roy Street, Derek Martin, Billy Horrigan and Terry Walsh.

The Loudspeaker Voice is provided by Ian Fairbairn, who's playing Bromley.

274 Inferno: Episode Three

EPISODE: Inferno: Episode Three
OVERALL EPISODE NUMBER: 274
STORY NUMBER: 054
TRANSMITTED: Saturday 23 May 1970
WRITER: Don Houghton
DIRECTOR: Douglas Camfield (and Barry Letts - Uncredited)
SCRIPT EDITOR: Terrance Dicks
PRODUCER: Barry Letts
RATINGS: 4.8 million viewers
FORMAT: DVD: Doctor Who - Inferno Special Edition
EPISODE FORMAT: 525 video RSC

"I have full authority. Defence of the Republic Act, 1943."

Stahlman refuses to restore the Doctor's power. Sir Keith decides to go to London to protest to the minister about Stahlman's behaviour. The Doctor wakes up in the building he was using on the outskirts of the complex but finds it being used as a storeroom. On the wall is a poster with a man's face declaring Unity is Strength. Outside he finds a symbol inscribed on the door. He is fired on by troops and drives off in Bessie but they give chase. Sheltering on the gas stores he is menaced first by the mutated Bromley and then by Private Wyatt, who he saw die. Wyatt is shot by a troop on the ground and plunges to his death. The Doctor is again chased and seeks shelter. He sees a dark haired Liz Shaw wearing a uniform but she pulls a gun on him and summons the troops. He is taken to see the Brigade-Leader: a clean shaven Brigadier with a scar over one side of his face and an eye patch. The Doctor asks to see Keith Gold, but is taken to Director Stahlmann who explains that Gold was killed in a car crash. Convinced by his knowledge of the project that the Doctor is a spy he is sentenced to execution but an alert at the drill head postpones it. Temporarily stunning Platoon Under Leader Benton the Doctor escapes to the control room and tries to repair the computer. Benton recovers and finds him, threatening to shoot the Doctor there and then. Superb, absolutely brilliant.

We've mentioned the little details in the first two episodes as helping the story, here they become crucial. The different uniforms the soldiers wear, the guns they use, the hooter noise the Brigade-Leader's phone makes, all these things help differentiate the parallel universe Earth from the real one even when you can't see the obvious touches.

Yes we can go no further, we must repeat the Eyepatch story: On the first take of these scene where Nicholas Courtney's Brigade-Leader turns round, revealing his scarred appearance, he found his fellow cast members all wearing eye patches!

Possibly the most famous Doctor Who convention anecdote ever my wife had never heard it until I mentioned it to her when we saw Inferno together in 2011.

We're told very little of what the parallel Earth is like in this episode save for an exchange between the Doctor and the Brigade Leader:

DOCTOR: Look, may I ask what is going to happen to me?
STEWART: You'll be shot. Eventually.
DOCTOR: Without a trial?
STEWART: This is your trial.
DOCTOR: Well, look, you can't possibly have the authority to do a thing like
STEWART: I have full authority. Defence of the Republic Act, 1943.
DOCTOR: Republic?
STEWART: Yes.
DOCTOR: Then what's happened to the Royal
STEWART: Executed. All of them.
DOCTOR: Pity. A charming family. I knew her great grandfather in Paris. Do you know, I remember on one occasion
BENTON 2: On your feet!
DOCTOR: Look, I've been standing here for quite some time.
BENTON 2: You'll be standing for a lot longer yet.
DOCTOR: Why is this place crawling with you oafs in uniform?
STEWART: You are talking of the Republican Security Forces. And the reason we are here is that this is a scientific labour camp.
DOCTOR: Staffed by slave labour, I take it? Well, you're all in very grave danger.
STEWART: We are in danger?
DOCTOR: Before that computer broke down, it was transmitting danger signals, was it not?
STEWART: You're very well informed.
DOCTOR: And what about Harry Slocum?
STEWART: What do you know about him?
DOCTOR: Only that he went berserk and started killing people.
STEWART: You condemn yourself. No one but a spy could know so much.
DOCTOR: Look, I am not a spy. I've seen it all before.
STEWART: Where?
DOCTOR: In another world.
STEWART: Very well. I can wait.
DOCTOR: You're just wasting time.
STEWART: We work to an orderly system. Your identity is being checked with Central Records. When we know who you are, the real interrogation will begin.
DOCTOR: But I don't exist in your world!
STEWART: Then you won't feel the bullets when we shoot you.

Put the Brigade Leader's Republic comments together with the signs on the doors, the "Unity is Strength" posters and the general manner of the army officers and we very much feel we're in a fascist state of some sort.

The "Unity is Strength" posters seen on the walls use the face of Jack Kline, the head of the BBC Special Effects workshop.

Script Editor Terrance Dicks is generally credited with having the idea of inserting a parallel Universe into the Don Houghton's drilling project story (Who And Me: The Memoir of Barry Letts, p97). Parallel Universes have been a science fiction stable for years and indeed what you see here is a textbook example of the concept, namely "What is the Nazis won World War II?" The 1964 film It Happened Here is a good example. People are usually quick to cite the Star Trek episode Mirror, Mirror as an influence, indeed one book I own The Discontinuity Guide by Paul Cornell, Martin Day & Keith Topping does it in print, but according to the list of Star Trek episode broadcast dates I have Mirror, Mirror wasn't shown in the UK till the autumn of 1970 so I can't see how it could have been!

There is, unlike earlier episodes, a small amount of music used in the chase sequences here but it's very minimalistic. Remember that Douglas Camfield, the director, and Dudley Simpson, the series regular composer, were no longer on speaking terms following a disagreement some years previously which almost certainly factors into Camfield's musical choice for the story. The lack however, gives it a different feel to many other Who stories and helps it stand out.

The stunt fall, where Private Wyatt falls to his death from the gas container, was performed by Havok member and falls specialist Roy Scammell. At the time of shooting it was, and may still be, the highest stunt fall ever.

Scammell is also playing the RSF Sentry that shoots Wyatt!

Another member of the stunt team, Alan Chuntz, was injured when he was hit by Bessie while trying to evade the car in the sequence where the Doctor is chased by the soldiers and was taken to hospital needing 12 stitches to a wound in his leg.

Chuntz is the soldier just to the left of the mirror in the above picture: you can tell something unexpected happens because Pertwee's head whips round rather quickly to see what's gone on!

All the Stuntmen who played UNIT Soldiers in episode 2 return this episode in addition to Roy Scammell & Alan Chuntz we also have Derek Martin, Billy Horrigan, Roy Street & Terry Walsh (actor) are all playing Republic Security Forces soldiers.

They're joined by two new RSF Soldiers: Nick Hobbs was a Technician in Ambassadors of Death and is in episodes 3-5 here. He returns as a Daffodil Man in Terror of the Autons, one of the UNIT Staff & an American Aide in Mind of Evil the Nuton Driver, Stunt Double for Axon Man, a Stuntman/Army Soldier & one of the Doubles for Captain Mike Yates and Sergeant Benton in Claws of Axos, a UNIT Man in Day of the Daleks, Aggedor in Curse of Peladon, a UNIT Troop & Guard in The Time Monster, Aggedor in Monster of Peladon, and a Wirrn Operator in Ark in Space. He appears in Space: 1999 as a Security Guard in Space Warp, Blake's 7 as the Hooded Figure in Cygnus Alpha, the Roger Moore James Bond film Octopussy as a South American Soldier, Inspector Morse as Night Hawk 2 in The Day of the Devil and the modern Doctor Who as Mr Nainby in Amy's Choice as well as performing stunt work on many productions over the years.

In episodes 3 & 4 is Royston Farrell had appeared as a Male Guardians Slaves in The Ark, a Male Elder in The Savages, a Laboratory Assistant, Miner, Atlantean Priest & Atlantean Refugee in The Underwater Menace, a Technician in Seeds of Death, a Roman Soldier in The War Games, and a Military Policemen in The Ambassadors of Death. He returns as a Technician in Claws of Axos. He also did stunts for Flash Gordon.

In the brief scene of our reality at the start of the episode the existing technicians are augmented by three newcomers: Natalia Lindley, just in this episode as a Technician in our reality, can also be seen in the Doomwatch episode By the Pricking of My Thumbs as a Woman. Marcelle Elliott is in the Doomwatch episode Survival Code as a WRAF Officer: she's also in episode 7 as a Technician in our reality as is Colin James who is making he only Doctor Who appearance: I can't find him on IMDB.

In the alternate reality many of their technicians are played by people already seen in our world Patricia Matthews, Sheila Knight, Keith Ashley, Derek Hunt, Richard Lawrence, Norton Clark, Michael Earl, Richard King, all from the first three episodes, and the above mentioned Marcelle Elliott appear as alternate reality technicians in episodes 3-5 while episodes 3 & 4 also feature returnees Joan Harsant, Alan Clements, Keith Norrish, Richard Cooper & Valerie Bland plus Natalia Lindley & Colin James, mentioned above.

Rather chillingly none of the three black actors seen in the earlier episodes are serving as technicians here.

For episodes 3-5 they're joined by two new alternate reality technicians:

Ronald Gough was an Atlantean Guard in The Underwater Menace and a Technician in The Silurians. He returns as a Skybase Guard in The Mutants, a Spiridon in Planet of the Daleks, an Army Soldier in Invasion of the Dinosaurs, a Zygon in Terror of the Zygon and a Marine & The Krynoid in The Seeds of Doom.

Barry Ashton had been a Highlander in Jail in The Highlanders, Scientist Franz Shultz in The Moonbase, the Double for the Doctor's Hand and The Policeman in the Antique Shop in The Evil of the Daleks, an Auton in Spearhead from Space and a UNIT Soldier in The Silurians. He returns as Proctor in The Time Monster, and Kemp in Frontier in Space. He'd been in Out of the Unknown as Frank in The Counterfeit Man, which you can see on the Out of the Unknown DVD Set, Doomwatch as man in You Killed Toby Wren and The Inquest, both of which are on The Doomwatch DVD

Ashton plays his counterpart in our reality later in this story as does Cy Town, who appears in the alternate reality in episodes 3 & 4. He was an Auton in Spearhead from Space and a Technician in Doctor Who and the Silurians. He goes on to play a Prisoner, Audience Member & Medical Orderly in The Mind of Evil, a Gel Guard in Three Doctors, a Dalek in Frontier in Space & Planet of the Daleks, a Soldier in Invasion of the Dinosaurs, a Dalek in Death to the Daleks, a Dalek in Genesis of the Daleks, multiple Vogans in Revenge of the Cybermen, an Android Villager in Android Invasion, a Traveller, Drummer, Pikeman, Brother & Servant in The Masque of Mandragora, an Bi-Al member in The Invisible Enemy, a Guard in The Sun Makers, a Dalek in Destiny of the Daleks, a Castrovalvan Warrior in Castrovalva, a Guest Gambler in Enlightenment, a Dalek in Resurrection of the Daleks, a City Person in Street in Attack of the Cybermen, a Dalek in Revelation of the Daleks & Remembrance of the Daleks, Execution Victim Harold L & a drone in The Happiness Patrol and a Haemovore in The Curse of Fenric. Outside of Doctor Who appears in the Monty Python's Flying Circus episodes Spam as a Surfer and The Money Programme as a Trumpeter plus the film Monty Python's The Meaning of Life as a Restaurant Diner. In Doomwatch he's a Man in Flood, he's a Technician in all six episodes of Moonbase 3, a Security Guard in The Sweeney Golden Boy, in Quadrophenia he's a hairdresser, in Blake's 7 he's a Rebel Technician/Federation Trooper in Blake, he's a Coach Passenger in Miss Marple: Nemesis and in Jeeves and Wooster he's the Vicar in Wooster with a Wife (or, Jeeves the Matchmaker). And if you want to know what he looks like outside of his Dalek shell then there's some screencaps of him on his Aveleyman page.

It's at this point the production of Inferno ran into very serious trouble. The location filming and first studio block, the interior shots for episodes 1 & 2, had gone off without a hitch. But during rehearsals for episodes 3 & 4 Douglas Camfield collapsed, suffering from a heart murmur exacerbated by a number of disagreements on set. He was rushed to hospital and Barry Letts, the series' producer and a seasoned director, stepped in and directed the remainder of the production. Camfield's name still appears on the credits, a move by Letts to safe guard future offers of work for Camfield. It's noticeable that Camfield doesn't return to Doctor Who until after Letts & Pertwee depart. Barry Letts safe guarding Camfield's health perhaps? Maybe, but Letts would later use Camfield on the classic serial Beau Geste and indeed had Camfield booked for another directing job when he passed away in 1984. It looks as if the reason for Camfield's absence is that he & Pertwee hadn't particularly got on during the production so we will be deprived of the services of one of Doctor Who's better directors for the next few years worth of viewings.

273 Inferno: Episode Two

EPISODE: Inferno: Episode Two
OVERALL EPISODE NUMBER: 273
STORY NUMBER: 054
TRANSMITTED: Saturday 16 May 1970
WRITER: Don Houghton
DIRECTOR: Douglas Camfield
SCRIPT EDITOR: Terrance Dicks
PRODUCER: Barry Letts
RATINGS: 5.9 million viewers
FORMAT: DVD: Doctor Who - Inferno Special Edition
EPISODE FORMAT: 525 video RSC

"Doctor, are you telling me that there's some link between Slocum and the volcanic eruption in Krakatoa?"

A UNIT soldier, Wyatt, is attacked by Slocum. Slocum is shot and collapses against the wall scorching it. The Doctor is able to bring the reactor under control. The Doctor believes he has heard the screaming noise Slocum was making at the Krakatoa volcanic eruption. Wyatt, and the injured technician Bromley escape. The Doctor encounters Wyatt high on top of the project's gas cylinders where Wyatt falls to his death, but Bromley stays hidden. More of the green slime has come up the drill pipe and Stahlman accidentally touches it. Annoyed by the warnings given by the computer he sabotages it, cuts off the Doctor's power and advances penetration time to 49 hours. The Doctor surreptitiously reconnects his power and the sends Liz on an errand to check his calculations. When she realises she's been duped she and the Brigadier return to find the Doctor, Tardis Console and Bessie vanishing.

Again it's the little touches in this episode that make it so good: the phone ringing throughout the confrontation with Slocum as Stahlman gets more and more irate that nobody will answer it not realising that the phone itself is agitating the situation. It's good stuff and a level beyond what we'd normally see on Doctor Who. The gas holders on the exterior of the drilling complex give an industrial feel to proceedings and they're not unlike the fuel complex seen in the previous story.

The one location used by the story is Berry Wiggins and Co Ltd, a bitumen manufacturer found by the crew while they were out scouting another potential location. Fire Hazard was a major risk at the site so smoking was strictly forbidden and footwear with steel caps was banned in case of sparks. You have to ask why the Brigadier & the Doctor go up onto the walkway between the gas holders to have their little chat, there seems to be no reason for it. There's nothing up there and it connects to nowhere that couldn't be more easily reached on the ground. As is well documented Jon Pertwee had a fear of heights and had to be taken up onto the gas holder by Havoc stuntmen Terry Walsh & Alan Chuntz and walked about till he was comfortable.

Another of the Havoc team, it's chief Derek Ware, gets a credited part here playing Private Wyatt. Ware had worked on the series since the very first story An Unearthly Child where he first came into contact with Douglas Camfield, his story's director, who was a production assistant on that tale. He was the Stunt Double for Kal Derek Ware in An Unearthly Child, a Saracen Warrior in The Crusade, the Bus Conductor in The Chase, a Stuntman/Soldier in The Myth Makers, Tuthmos in The Dalek Masterplan, The Spaniard in The Smugglers, a Stuntman/Soldier in Covent Garden in The Web of Fear, and a UNIT Sergeant & a Stuntman/Soldier in The Ambassadors of Death. He'll be back as Pigbin Josh & the Stunt Double for Filer in Claws of Axos, the Stunt Double for The Master & a Stuntman/Sailor in The Sea Devils. He was the Fight Arranger for An Unearthly Child, the Sword Fight arranger on Marco Polo, then Fight Arranger for The Aztecs, The Crusade, The Myth Makers, The Dalek Masterplan, The Smugglers, The Underwater Menace & The Web of Fear and finally the Swordfight Arranger on the Sea Devils. His stunt agency HAVOC is credited for "ACTION by HAVOC" on Ambassadors of Death, Inferno, Terror of the Autons, Mind of Evil, where they also arranged the fights, Claws of Axos and The Sea Devils. Ware can also be seen in various roles in An Age of Kings, the BBC series of William Shakespeare's history plays, in the Adam Adamant Lives! as the 3rd. Samurai in More Deadly Than the Sword, the Security Man in Car in A Slight Case of Reincarnation, a Servant in The Basardi Affair, Wein in Face in a Mirror and the 3rd Judo Man in A Sinister Sort of Service. In Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em he's the Window Cleaner in The Labour Exchange. His most famous role was as Rozzer in The Italian Job, for which he was also the stunt coordinator. Look at his IMDB entry, there's so much more on there and watch the Hadoke versus HAVOC documentary on the Inferno Special Edition DVD

Several of the location scenes in this episode were filmed on 1st April 1970, and a fourth member of the stunt team, Derek Martin, found himself a victim of a practical joke played by the cast & crew when he was made to believe that his beloved 1964 2.8 Jaguar had been damaged in an accident. Quite a high number of cast & crew tales exist from this story, indicating it was a memorable experience for those involved. One of them has gone down in convention circuit legend and we'll get to that next episode!

As you can see there's a lot of Stuntmen involved in this story and nearly all of them are in this episode as UNIT Soldiers!

Derek Martin had been one of the Rabble in The Romans, a Citizens of Paris (Rue des Fosses St Germain) in The Massacre, an English Sailor & Highlander in The Highlanders, a Stuntmen/Soldier in Covent Garden in The Web of Fear, the Stuntman in Spearhead from Space and a Heavy in Ambassadors of Death, He's back as a Prisoner in Mind of Evil, a Stuntman/UNIT Soldier, Stuntman/Corporal & Stuntmen/Axon Monster in Claws of Axos and David Mitchell in Image of the Fendahl. He was in Out of the Unknown as a Guard in The Counterfeit Man which you can see in the Out of the Unknown DVD Set. He was in Adam Adamant Lives! three times: firstly as a TA Soldier/TA Driver/RA Technician in in our favourite episode D for Destruction: this episode also features second Doctor Patrick Troughton and a large number of our friends the Power Station Control Panels and Tape Spool Computers, then as a Coach Driver in Death Begins at Seventy and a Villain in The Tunnel of Death. In Survivors he was in The Peacemaker as Cyril. He's also in The Sweeney as Spooner in Messenger of the Gods and The Professionals as Renshaw in Not a Very Civil Civil Servant. Nowadays he's best known for playing Charlie Slater in Eastenders. He pops up on the Who Talk commentary CDs commenting on Web of Fear 4 and features in the Inferno Special Edition DVD Hadoke vs Havoc documentary.

Terry Walsh was a Stunt Militiaman in The Smugglers, a Stuntman/Soldier at Covent Garden, a UNIT Soldier in The Invasion and a Stuntman/UNIT Soldier in Ambassadors of Death. He returns as an Auton Policeman, Stunt Double for Doctor Who and Stuntman (UNIT Soldiers/Auton Daffodil Men/Technician) in Terror of the Autons, a Motor Cyclist/UNIT Soldier in Mind of Evil, a Stuntman/Primitive, Stuntman/IMC Guard Rogers and Stuntman/Colonist in Colony in Space, the Stunt Double for Doctor Who in Day of the Daleks, the Double for Doctor Who in The Curse of Peladon, Castle Guard Barclay, a Sailor, Stunt Double for Doctor Who, Stuntman/Sea Devil & Stunt Double for The Master in The Sea Devils, an Overlord/Solos Guard in The Mutants, the Window Cleaner & Stunt Double for The Minotaur in The Time Monster, the Stunt Double for Doctor Who in The Three Doctors, the Stunt Double for Doctor Who in Carnival of Monsters, the Stunt Double for Doctor Who in Frontier in Space, the Stunt Double for Doctor Who & the Double for Captain Yates in The Green Death, the Double for Doctor Who in Frontier in Space in The Time Warrior, a Warehouse Looter in Invasion of the Dinosaurs, Spaceman Jack, the Double for Doctor Who, the Burning Exxilon Stuntman & a Zombie in Death to the Daleks, the Guard Captain, a Guard & Stunt Double for Doctor Who in Monster of Peladon, the Man with Boat, the Stunt Double for Doctor Who & the Stunt Double for Mike Yates in Planet of Spiders, a Bouncer in Robot, Zake, Stunt Double for Harry Sullivan & Stunt Double for Doctor Who in The Sontaran Experiment, a Stuntman/Soldier, Stuntman/Thal Soldier, Stuntman/Muto & Stuntman/Scientist in Genesis of the Daleks, the Vogan Dove Radio Operator, a Stuntmen/Vogan Hawk, a Stuntman/Vogan Dove and the Stunt Double for Doctor Who in Revenge of the Cybermen, a Stuntman/Astronaut, Stunt Double for Doctor Who and Stunt Double for Sorenson on Planet of Evil, the Stunt Double for Doctor Who & Stunt Double for Doctor Who Android in The Android Invasion, the Stunt Double for Doctor Who on The Seeds of Doom, the Stuntman/Executioner in The Masque of Mandragora, the Stunt Double for Doctor Who & the Stunt Double for Chancellor Goth on The Deadly Assassin, a The Deadly Assassin & the Stunt Double for Doctor Who on Face of Evil Stunt Double for Doctor Who & Stunt Double for Count Grendel on Androids of Tara, Mensch & a Stuntman in Power of Kroll, Doran & The Stunt Double for Doctor Who in Creature from The Pit, He was the Fight Arranger on The Curse of Peladon, The Sea Devils, The Mutants, The Green Death, The Time Warrior, Death to the Daleks, Monster of Peladon, Planet of Spiders, The Sontaran Experiment, The Android Invasion, The Seeds of Doom, The Deadly Assassin, Face of Evil, Androids of Tara, Creature from The Pit. Outside of the main series he was the Double for The Doctor in Dimensions in Time and a Duelling Guard, Mercenary and Fight Stager for the Ultimate Adventure stage play. The Day the Earth Caught Fire he's a Man, in Adam Adamant Lives! he's in D for Destruction as Watts and The Survivors as Gerry. In Space: 1999 he's a Clan Guard in Journey to Where, a Rescue Eagle Pilot in The Mark of Archanon, a Technician in Space Warp and the Security Guard in The Seance Spectre. He's in Douglas Camfield & Robert Holmes' The Nightmare Man as the Stunt Double for The Killer and An American Werewolf in London as the Taxi Driver Who Crashes His Cab. Plus an awful lot more!

Alan Chuntz was previously a UNIT Soldier in The Invasion, Technician Harvey & a Security Guard in The Seeds of Death, one of Collinson's Men & a UNIT Soldier in the Ambassadors of Death and he'd already been the murdered Technician in episode 1 of his story. He returns as an Auton in Terror of the Autons, a Prisoner in Mind of Evil, a Sea Devil & Sailor in The Sea Devils, Omega's Champion in The Three Doctors, a Security Guard in The Green Death, a Guard in Planet of Spiders, a soldier in Genesis of the Daleks, a Vogan in Revenge of the Cybermen, the Doctor's stunt double in Planet of Evil, the Chauffeur in Seeds of Doom, a Horda Pit Guard in Face of Evil, a Coolie in Talons of Weng-Chiang, a guard in State of Decay and a Masked Villager in The Visitation. He also did stunt work on the Sean Connery James Bond film You Only Live Twice and on The Italian Job.

Billy Horrigan was also a UNIT Soldier in The Invasion, then played the Man on Bike Killed by Auton in Spearhead from Space, and one of Collinson's men in Ambassadors of Death. He's back as a U.N.I.T. soldier, Auton Policeman & other stunts in Terror of the Autons, UNIT Corporal & Prisoner in The Mind of Evil, a colonist in Colony in Space, a guard in The Curse of Peladon, a Sea Devils & Sailor Stuntman in The Sea Devils, a security guard in The Green Death. a guard in Planet of Spiders, and a soldier/guard in Masque of Mandragora. He was also in Blake's 7 as a Scavenger in Deliverance. In the world of films he acts or does stunt work in Jabberwocky, The Spy Who Loved Me, Superman, Superman II, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Return of the Jedi, Superman III, Krull, Never Say Never Again, 1984 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Roy Scammell made his debut in the previous story The Ambassadors of Death where he was a UNIT Motorcyclist, Peterson, Stunt Double for Liz Shaw & Technician. He's back as a Stuntmen (UNIT Soldier/Auton Daffodil Man/Technician) in Terror of the Autons, a Motor Cyclist/UNIT Soldier in Mind of Evil, the Stunt Arranger on Paradise Towers and the Stunt Double for Gavrok on Delta & The Bannermen. In Space: 1999 he was Astronaut Jim Nordstrom in Breakaway, the Space Animal in The Bringers of Wonder part 1 and the Maya Space Animal in The Dorcons. He did stunts for The Italian Job, Carry On... Follow That Camel, stunt doubling for Kenneth Williams, A Clockwork Orange (film), stunt doubling for Malcolm McDowell, Alien and Saturn 3. He also did Stunt Work on the following James Bond films featuring in From Russia with Love, The Spy Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only, GoldenEye and the first Casino Royale.

Roy Street also made his debut in The Ambassadors of Death where he was a UNIT Motorcyclist. He returns as the Motorcyclist & a Stuntmen (UNIT Soldier/Auton Daffodil Man/Technician) in Terror of the Autons, a Stuntman/Guard on Curse of Peladon and a Stuntman/Soldier, a Stuntmen/Brethren Member, Stuntman/Pikeman & Stunt Double for Doctor Who on Masque of Mandragora. In Carry On Cowboy he's a Horse Rider and he's acted as Horse Master for several films. He did stuntwork for the James Bond films appearing in Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View to a Kill, Skyfall and Never Say Never Again, and also worked on Superman, Krull, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Avengers: Age of Ultron.

The location filming completed before the studio sessions, This episode is the first to be filmed as part of a change to established recording routine, previously one a week to two a fortnight. The idea was to record one episode on the first day and the second on the next but Douglas Camfield used the first day for camera rehearsals and filmed both episodes on the second day.

This is the first episode we get to see the Doctor use Venusian Karate as he immobilises Stahlman in the Brigadier's office.

The final seven episodes of the season hadn't yet had a story attached to them at the point that Barry Letts became producer of Doctor Who. Don Houghton had been a script editor on Crossroads at the point Terrance Dicks had worked on the show and had read in a scientific journal about a real life project to dig into the Earth's crust that had been abandoned under somewhat mysterious circumstances which prompted Houghton to develop a storyline which ran to four parts. However the production team needed a seven part story to close the season. Fortunately Terrance Dicks had an idea on how to extend the story.......

272 Inferno: Episode One

EPISODE: Inferno: Episode One
OVERALL EPISODE NUMBER: 272
STORY NUMBER: 054
TRANSMITTED: Saturday 09 May 1970
WRITER: Don Houghton
DIRECTOR: Douglas Camfield
SCRIPT EDITOR: Terrance Dicks
PRODUCER: Barry Letts
RATINGS: 5.7 million viewers
FORMAT: DVD: Doctor Who - Inferno Special Edition
EPISODE FORMAT: 525 video RSC

"As a matter of fact, some of the technicians have nicknamed this place the Inferno!"

The Doctor is driving to work singing as technician Harry Slocum is cycling to the the control room, called in by Sir Keith Gold to look at #2 output pipe. Professor Stahlman, the project's head, is unhappy that drilling had slowed, and is angry with Sir Keith Gold for ordering the maintenance, arguing the he is in charge of the drilling while Sir Keith "is in charge of the canteen". Slocum burns his hand on the green gunge seeping from pipe. Sir Keith tells Petra Williams, Stahlman's assistant, that he's sent for Greg Sutton a drilling consultant. A dazed Slocum savagely attacks another member of staff. Later UNIT are searching for the missing Slocum. The wrench he used to murder his colleague is still warm. The Doctor is at the project because he's interested in the penetration of the Earth's crust and is advising the project. Greg Sutton has arrived and is briefed by Sir Keith. It is 60 hours to penetration. Sir Keith introduces Greg Sutton to Petra Williams & Professor Stahlman both of whom snub him. The Doctor is worried that the computer's warnings are being ignored. He is borrowing reactor power for his own project. He has brought the Tardis console to an outbuilding and is attempting to fix it. Liz tries to persuade him it's too dangerous to make a trial run with the console but he won't be deterred. Slocum, transformed into a hairy being with green skin attacks & sabotages the reactor switching room as the Doctor begins his test. The Doctor vanishes, materialising in a nightmare limbo like dimension which he only escapes from when Liz cuts the power. He wonders where he was and where it led to. An alert sounds at the drill head. Stahlman refuses to put safety procedures into action and continues drilling. Analysing the data and hearing a UNIT troop has been murdered he deduces the problem lies in the reactor room. The Doctor & Brigadier find the wounded technician in the reactor room and are confronted by Slocum.

Right: Have you got a copy of Inferno on your shelves? No? Buy One Now at Amazon by Clicking Here. Seriously, do it. If you buy ONE Doctor Who story because of this Blog then it should be this one. It was £9.99 when I last looked which is a bargain. Take away any childhood association of watching certain stories and Inferno is my favourite Doctor Who story. Not a typical tale by any means and, as we'll see, it's the only "classic" Doctor Who story to use a certain well known Science Fiction plot device. And what's more it does it so well... But I'm getting ahead of myself here....

This episode sets up what's to come. But even the set up feels different, opening with the jolly scenes of the Doctor driving in Bessie while singing compared to Slocum, making his way across an industrial compound not dissimilar to the rocket fuel area in the last story. There's some lovely little touches here: Douglas Camfield's back directing and the notorious armyophile has immediately fixed one of the things that had been annoying Barry Letts: The UNIT soldiers are in regular army uniform. Then we have the Doctor's automatic door opener, astounding the UNIT troop but familiar to many people who put their car in a garage over night. And there's something here you probably won't notice because it's missing: There's no music in this episode, just industrial noise in the background. Little things, but it sets this first episode and thus the rest of the story aside as being something a bit different.

Because Director Douglas Camfield is at the helm, lots of the familiar faces are present and correct.

Welcome back to Sheila Dunn: She's the Director's Mrs and plays Petra Williams, a part Camfield attempted to cast Kate O'Mara in. Camfield and Dunn met working on an episode of Garry Halliday and The Gun Runners Camfield casts her in Doctor Who in The Dalek Masterplan 7: The Feast of Steven as Blossom Lefavre and The Invasion as various IE computer/phone voices. This story is her last Doctor Who appearance but you can find her in various Camfield directed productions for the rest of their careers.

Appearing as the unfortunate Harry Slocum is Camfield regular Walter Randall. He was Tonila in The Aztecs before Camfield cast him as El Akir in The Crusade, Hyksos in Golden Death & Escape Switch, the 9th and 10th episode of The Dalek Masterplan and an IE Patrolman in the missing The Invasion episode one. He returns to Doctor Who as the Guard Captain in Planet of the Spiders. There's three big sci-fi fi credits on his CV: he was in Quatermass and the Pit as a Sightseer/Man in Crowd, the Out of This World episode Impostor as Mute-O and the controversial Out of the Unknown episode To Lay a Ghost as Thomas Hobbs which you can see on the Out of the Unknown DVD Set.

The equally unfortunate Bromley is played by Ian Fairbairn who was Questa in The Macra Terror before Camfield uses him as Gregory in The Invasion. He returns as Doctor Chester in the Camfield directed The Seeds of Doom. He'd been in The Wednesday Play: Stand Up, Nigel Barton with Mrs Camfield and at least one other Camfield actor. He appears in the Timeslip story The Year of the Burn Up as Alpha 4 and then The Day of the Clone as Dr. Frazer. Camfield uses him again many times, and he's prominent in the first episode of The Professionals Private Madness, Public Danger as Ted Miller.

Derek Newark (Greg Sutton) initially appears to have no previous with Camfield, his sole prior Doctor Who being as Za in An Unearthly Child, directed by Waris Hussein. However if you read down the order on the production credits you'll spot one of the Production Assistants was Douglas Camfield. He's got an Out of This World to his name too appearing as Inspector Wright in Vanishing Act.

Olaf Pooley, playing Professor Stahlman, is the series major guest star and is one of the few Doctor Who actors to also appear in Star Trek when he was in the Voyager episode Blink of an Eye as the Cleric and he can be seen in the Doomwatch episode By the Pricking of My Thumbs as Dr. Ensor which can be seen on The Doomwatch DVD. He became the second credited Doctor Who actor to make their 100th birthday on 13th March 2014 and died just over a year later aged 101.

Christopher Benjamin (Sir Keith Gold ) is on is his Doctor Who debut here and he's one of the few actors to be in both classic and new Doctor Who returning as Henry Gordon Jago in The Talons of Weng-Chiang, and Colonel Hugh in The Unicorn and the Wasp. He was in The Prisoner three times, appearing in Arrival as the Labour Exchange Manager, The Chimes of Big Ben as Number Two's Assistant and The Girl Who Was Death as Potter. He appears in the modern The Tomorrow People story The Monsoon Man as Middlemass.

I have met David Simeon, but had no idea it was him at the time, when we gatecrashed a Doctor Who convention in Aldbourne celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Dæmons in which he plays Alastair Fergus. In Fawlty Towers he appears as Mr. Mackenzie in A Touch of Class and can be seen as the Clerk of Court at the Old Bailey) in A Fish Called Wanda.

So, for the third story in a row, we're in an industrial complex and that means Technicians and in quantity too! Unlike The Silurians and Ambassadors of Death, where the rosta of supporting artists used to play them rotated, this time we mainly have a fixed set! All of this lot play a technician in episodes 1-4 & 7:

Norton Clark had been a Greek Soldier in The Myth Makers, the Secretary in The Massacre and a Technician in Doctor Who and the Silurians. He was in UFO as the 1st Assistant Director in Mindbender and in Monty Python's Flying Circus he was a Gasman in Dinsdale!

Keith Ashley was a Citizen & Male Elder in The Savages, an Atlantean Guard & Miner in The Underwater Menace, a Firing Squad Member in The War Games, an Auton in Spearhead from Space and a Technician in Doctor Who and the Silurians. He returns as a Villager in The Dæmons a Skybase Guard in The Mutants. a Villager in Planet of the Spiders, a Dalek Operator in Genesis of the Daleks, a Zygon in Terror of the Zygons, an Android Mechanic, Android Man in Canister and Man at Space Defence Station in The Android Invasion, a Krynoid & Sir Colin's Aide in The Seeds of Doom and a Peasant, Traveller, Workman Peasant & Brother in The Masque of Mandragora

Sheila Knight had been Wigner's Secretary in The Tenth Planet, a Waxworks Visitor/Auton in Spearhead from Space and the Receptionist & a Technician in The Silurians.

Richard Lawrence was a Technician in The Tenth Planet and a Technician in Doctor Who and the Silurians. He returns as a Man in Pub/Coven in the The Dæmons. In Doomwatch he's a Detective Constable in Fire and Brimstone and a Man in Flood.

Derek Hunt had been an Atlantean Guard in Underwater Menace, a British Soldier in No Man's Land & a British Soldier in The War Games, a Regular Soldier in Spearhead from Space and a Unit Soldier in the Silurians. He returns as a UNIT Man in Day of the Daleks, a Prison Guard in Frontier in Space, a Guard in Planet of Spiders, an Android Mechanic & Android Soldier in Android Invasion, a Bi-Al Member in Invisible Enemy, a Time Lord in Invasion of Time, a Technician/Guard/Citizen in The Ribos Operation, a Passenger in Nightmare of Eden, James the Footman in Black Orchid, a Worthy in Snakedance, a Guard in Planet of Fire and a Time Lord in all 14 episodes of Trial of a Timelord: we know he's an Orange Time Lord in Terror of the Vervoids & The Ultimate Foe so assume he's wearing the same colours the whole story.

Patricia Matthews was a Gond in the Krotons, and a Technician & Plague Victim in The Silurians.

Alan Clements was a Waxwork Visitor in Spearhead from Space and a UNIT Soldier in The Silurians. He returns as a UNIT Soldier in Terror of the Zygons, an Android UNIT Soldier in The Android Invasion and a Bi-Al Member in Invisible Enemy,

Joan Harsant had been a Technician in The Silurians, would have played Boedicia in Shada. In Quatermass and the Pit she was part of the Crowd at Museum in The Enchanted and In Adam Adamant Lives!: The Deadly Bullet she's as Old Woman/Woman in Theatre. In The Black Adder she was a Nun in The Archbishop and she had a recurring role as the Cleaning Lady in The Paradise Club.

Keith Norrish is on his Doctor Who debut. He returns as the Long-Haired Boy Wholewheel Member in The Green Death, one of Irongron's Men in The Time Warrior, a Thal Officer in Genesis of the Daleks, a Workman Peasant, Brethren Member & Soldier in The masque of Mandragora, Leela's Guard in The Sunmakers, an Orderly in Frontios and a Technician in Ops Room in The Twin Dilemma. Blake's 7 he's a Federation Trooper in Bounty, a Salvage Man in Dawn of the Gods and a Guard in Moloch. In Doomwatch he's an RAF Man in Survival Code and in Porridge he's a Prison Officer in New Faces, Old Hands.

Corinne Skinner This is Trinidadian Corinne Skinner's only Doctor Who appearance. She can also be seen in The Up Pompeii Film a Belly Dancer uncredited, Live and Let Die as a Dancer, A Touch of Frost: A Minority of One as Mrs Lansdale and 53 episodes of EastEnders where she plays Audrey.

Robert Birmingham returns as the Hippy Boy Wholewheel Member in The Green Death: he's the black man talking to the blond girl in the background of the dinner party scene.

It's worth drawing attention to these two actors ethnicities, and that of Bertie Green who is only in episodes 1-4 in what is his only Doctor Who appearance. There have been more black actors in Doctor Who over the last few years but their presence here is used very subtly to make a point in the middle of the story.

The following are also in Technicians in episodes 1-4:

Richard Cooper & Valerie Bland are making their only Doctor Who appearances in this story and I can't find either on IMDB.

Richard King was a Warrior Monk in Abominable Snowmen, a Cyberman in The Moonbase, a Cyberman in The Invasion, an Alien Technician in The War Games, and a Passenger/Plague Victim/Passersby/Ambulance Man/Policeman and Technician in The Silurians. He returns as a Lunar Guard, Draconian Emperor Guard & Williams' Guard in Frontier in Space, the UNIT Soldier Typist in Invasion of the Dinosaurs, a Technician in The Android Invasion and a Time Lord in Deadly Assasin. In Adam Adamant Lives! he's a Man in Theatre in The Deadly Bullet, in Doomwatch he's a Man in In the Dark and in Moonbase 3 he's a Technician in Castor and Pollux and View of a Dead Planet.

Michael Earl was a citizen & Lab Assistant in The Savages, an Atlantean Guard in Underwater Menace, a Regular Soldier in Spearhead from Space, and a Technician in the Silurians. He returns as a Man in Pub/Coven & Villagers (inc Mr Greville) in The Dæmons, a Time Lord in Deadly Assassin,

Then there's two other actors only in episodes 1 & 2

Harry Tierney had been a Customer at Inn/Pirate in The Smugglers and a Resistance Man in The War Games. He returns as a Plain Clothes PC in Day of the Daleks. in Monty Python's Flying Circus he was another Gasman in Dinsdale!

June Gray was a Waxworks Visitor/Auton in Spearhead from Space. I can't find her on IMDB.

Finally, playing the murdered technician we have Stuntman Alan Chuntz. Despite this character dying at the start of episode 1 Chuntz is going to have a VERY busy story and we'll look at him and the other stuntmen involved next episode.

We've got proper titles for this story, no break in the middle for the reprise, but the title, writer credit and episode number captions are displayed over colour film of lava flow seen in monochrome in previous black & white Doctor Who stories.

This is the first episode we've come across to use Reverse Standards Conversion (RSC) for it's DVD release. Inferno survives as a 525 line NTSC video used to broadcast the story in America, a conversion from the original 625 line PAL video recording. These videos can be shown in the UK by applying the process by which NTSC programs are normally converted to PAL. However this results in a soft picture and a certain amount of motion judder. The RSC process - and I won't even pretend to understand the intricacies - attempts to unpick the original conversion and give a video look that's closer to the original.