339 Frontier in Space Episode Two

EPISODE: Frontier in Space: Episode Two
OVERALL EPISODE NUMBER: 339
STORY NUMBER: 067
TRANSMITTED: Saturday 03 March 1973
WRITER: Malcolm Hulke
DIRECTOR: Paul Bernard
SCRIPT EDITOR: Terrance Dicks
PRODUCER: Barry Letts
RATINGS: 7.8 million viewers
FORMAT: DVD: Doctor Who - Dalek War: Frontier in Space & Planet of the Daleks
EPISODE FORMAT: 625 video

"I beg of you to listen to me. Some third party is trying to provoke war between Earth and Draconia. You are both being duped!"

The Doctor & Jo are locked up on the cargo ship again, this time under guard. The Doctor once again wonders who's behind the Ogrons. The Cargo freighter arrives back on Earth with the Doctor & Jo taken to General Williams who locks them up, convinced they are Draconian agents & traitors. The Doctor is told he will be subjected to the mind probe and tells of how he previously fooled one. They are brought before the Draconian Prince who denies they are Draconian agents while the Doctor alleges to both Draconian Prince and Earth President that he believes a third party is trying to provoke war. Williams dismisses their story & they are then taken back to their cell. The Doctor attempts escape but sets off an alarm on the door. The Draconians are suspicious of what they have heard & seen and decide to kidnap the Doctor & Jo to question them. Arranging for them to be questioned in the presence of the President the Draconians seize the Doctor as they're being transported, but Jo is recaptured by her prison guards and questioned by the President & Williams. The Draconians are convinced the Doctor is an Earth agent working for General Williams to provoke war. They too doubt his story that a third party was involved in the attack on the Earth vessel. The Doctor escapes from the Draconian embassy and is immediately re-arrested by the humans and brought back to Jo in the cells. Jo hears the hypnotic sound she heard on the cargo ship as the prison is assaulted by Ogrons whom the guards see as Draconians. They have been sent for the Doctor & Jo.

There's a rather lengthy reprise on this episode taking 2 of the episode's 24 minutes so it takes a while to get going and when it does we get into a round of "Nobody believes the Doctor & Jo's story so they're slung into a cell" leading to several new additions to our Doctor and/or Jo Locked up tally (2 so far from episode 1)

3) Cell on Spaceship again
4) Cell on Earth
5) Cell on Earth after being taken to President & Draconian Prince
6) Cell on Earth after Doctor escapes from Draconian embassy

The Draconians themselves draw attention to General William's warmongering and at this stage he's quite an annoying one dimensional character:

AIDE: You're part of a plot against the Draconian empire.
DOCTOR: My dear chap, I've already been through all this with the President of Earth. She thinks I'm working for you.
PRINCE: You are working for General Williams.
DOCTOR: I'm what?
PRINCE: General Williams hates out people. Once before, he caused war between us and the Earthmen. Now he plans to do so again.
AIDE: Such a war would be madness since both empires would be destroyed.
DOCTOR: Yes, I couldn't agree with you more!

There's more to this plotline but sadly a quantity of it was lost to cuts to further episodes and it's something of a bolt from the blue when we return to it in episode six.

The episode is livened up by some really superb location footage, something Paul Bernard did seem able to do right both here and in Day of the Daleks. The Draconian Embassy is portrayed by the peculiar design of 8a Fitzroy Park, at the time the home of BBC Director Naomi Capon. While Capon never worked on Doctor Who she did direct the Out of the Unknown second series episode The Prophet which features the Mind Robber robots in their earlier black colour scheme.

The prison environs were filmed at the stark concrete South Bank Centre.

Arriving at this later location early one morning and finding several local down & outs asleep they were scared away by the imposing actors wearing Ogron costumes!

We had Polarity Reversal last episode. Now we have more than one threat to use a Mind Probe.

DOCTOR: I'd like to get a message through to your President.
GARDINER: Not a chance. I'm going straight back to my ship. Don't want to get mixed up with security. It's not healthy. Look, I'll give you a piece of advice.
DOCTOR: Yes?
GARDINER: Sooner or later, you're going to tell them everything. They'll use the mind probe. You talk to them now. You'll save yourselves a lot of trouble.

And

WILLIAMS: We should have used the mind probe before we saw the Ambassador. If we'd had a full confession.
PRESIDENT: Has it occurred to you that they might have been speaking the truth?
WILLIAMS: Is it likely? Mysterious alien giants that can change their form? A pocket spaceship that appear inside another?
PRESIDENT: I suppose you're right. It is nonsensical.
WILLIAMS: Just you leave them to me. I'll get the truth out of them, eventually.

The Draconians even get in on the act:

PRINCE: If you tell us the details of General Williams' plan, we shall be able to expose him to your President. There will still be a chance for peace.
DOCTOR: My dear chap, nobody is more devoted to the cause of peace than I am. But I cannot tell you something that I don't know.
AIDE: We have mind probing techniques just as efficient as those employed by you Earthmen. If you do not speak now, we shall force you to confess!
DOCTOR: Don't you realise you're completely on the wrong tack? There is a plot, yes, but the Earthmen are not behind it any more than you are.
AIDE: Take him away!

So all together now: "No, Not The Mind Probe!"

This episode has a major error on the end credits repeating the slides for episode 1 resulting in several actors credits being wrong. Louis Mahoney, the Newscaster, and Roy Pattison, the Draconian Space Pilot, who both only appear in Episode One are incorrectly credited again while Lawrence Davidson, playing the Draconian First Secretary, and Timothy Craven, the Cell guard, both appear in Episode 2 only but are uncredited due to the aforementioned mistake.

This is Lawrence Davidson's only Doctor Who appearance but Timothy Craven returns as Robinson in Invasion of the Dinosaurs, Short in Robot and the Tesh in Protective Suit Face of Evil.

Barry Ashton, as Kemp the officer on Earth's table cruiser, is properly credited for both episodes. He played 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, a UNIT Soldier in The Silurians, a Technician in Inferno, and Proctor in The Time Monster. 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

Time for the guards, and as we said there are A LOT of them this story, several of whom are played by actors who are playing multiple roles.

There's two Presidential Guards in the studio and we get a good enough look at them to say who is who! Firstly Terrance Denville, who's also an Earth & Prison Guard in this and the next episode and an Earth Guard in episode 5. He had had been a double for Captain Blade in The Faceless Ones, a Cyberman in The Invasion, a Foot Soldier & Alien Technician in The War Games, a Waxwork visitor/replica in Spearhead from Space, a Technician & UNIT Soldier in The Silurians, a UNIT trooper in The Three Doctors, and a Cyberman again, briefly, in The Carnival of Monsters. He returns as a Spiridon in Planet of the Daleks, an an Exxilon in Death to the Daleks and an Ice Warrior in The Monster of Peladon. He plays a Technician in Moonbase 3 Departure and Arrival, Behemoth and Outsider, appears as a Russian Security Council Member in the Pierce Brosnan James Bond film GoldenEye and appears in the Miranda episode Before I Die as an Old Man.

Emmett Hennessey, also a Prison Guard in this episode and an Earth Guard in episode 5, had previously been a Tavern Customer in The Massacre, an Inferno Customer in The War Machines, an English Soldier in The Highlanders, a Roman Soldier in The War Games, a UNIT soldier in Claws of Axos, a primitive in Colony in Space, and a gorilla & an American aide in Day of the Daleks. He returns as one of Irogron's men in The Time Warrior. He also plays a Technician in the Moonbase 3 episode Outsiders. Hennessey appears to have led an interesting life outside of Doctor Who involving the music business and living in the Caribbean!

There are more Presidential Guards listed on location for this episode, so I guess these are the ones escorting The Doctor and Jo TO the Prison. Somewhere in there is Pat Gorman and we'll assume you know who he is! But just in case you don't, and since we've not had them yet this season, now's a good time for a ceremonial reading of his full Doctor Who credits: he was a Freedom Fighter/Rebel in Dalek Invasion of Earth, a Planetarian in Mission to the Unknown: Delegate Detective thinks he's Sentreal the black Christmas tree, a Greek Soldier in The Myth Makers, a Guard in Massacre, a Worker in The War Machines, a Monk in The Abominable Snowmen, a Guard in The Enemy of the World, a Cyberman in The Invasion, a Technician in The Seeds of Death, a Military Policeman in The War Games episode two, the Silurian Scientist in The Silurians, a Technician in The Ambassadors of Death, a Primord in Inferno, the Auton Leader in Terror of the Autons, a Primitive and Long in Colony in Space, a Coven Member in The Dæmons, a Guard & Film Cameraman in Day of the Daleks, a Sea Devil in The Sea Devils, and a UNIT Soldier in The Three Doctors. Here, as well as a Presidential Guard, he plays a Sea Devil in episode six. He returns as a Global Chemicals Guard / 'Nuthatch' Resident in The Green Death, a UNIT Corporal in Invasion of the Dinosaurs, a Guard in The Monster of Peladon, a Soldier in Planet of the Spiders, the Gate Guard in Robot part one, a Thal Soldier in Genesis of the Daleks, a Cyberman/Dead Crewman in Revenge of the Cybermen, a Guard in The Seeds of Doom, a Soldier/Brother in The Masque of Mandragora, a Chancellory Guard in The Deadly Assassin, a Medic in The Invisible Enemy, a Kro in The Ribos Operation, the Pilot in The Armageddon Factor, a Thug in City of Death part one, a Gundan in Warriors' Gate, a Foster in The Keeper of Traken, Grogan in Enlightenment, a Soldier in The Caves of Androzani, a Slave Worker and a Cyberman in Attack of the Cybermen. Of those it' easiest to spot his face in Abominable Snowmen, Planet of the Spiders, Robot and The Armageddon Factor! He's got several Blake's 7 appearances to his name as a Scavenger in Deliverance, Federation Trooper / Rebel in Voice from the Past, Trantinian planet hopper Captain in Gambit, Death Squad Trooper in Powerplay, Federation Trooper in The Harvest of Kyros & Rumours of Death, Hommik Warrior in Power, Helot in Traitor and a Federation Trooper in Games & Blake. We was also in Adam Adamant Lives! as a Guard in More Deadly Than the Sword, a Man at Club in Beauty Is an Ugly Word, a Coven Member in The Village of Evil, a War Office Guard / TA Soldier in D for Destruction and an S.S. Guard in A Sinister Sort of Service. He appears once in The Prisoner as a Hospital Orderly in Hammer Into Anvil and just once in Doomwatch as Man in Hear No Evil. His Porridge appearance in the second Christmas Special The Desperate Hours is another easy spot: he's the Prison Officer who comes into the loos as Fletcher and friends are sampling the contraband home brew. He was in two episodes of The Sweeney as a Flying Squad Officer in Thou Shalt Not Kill (director: D Camfield) & Latin Lady, and two The Tomorrow People stories: Worlds Away as the Vesh Hunter and War of the Empires as a US Marine. In the BBC The Day of the Triffids he played a Blind Man in episode 5 while in Douglas Camfield & Robert Holmes adaption of The Nightmare Man he played The Killer with Camfield using him again as a Legionnaire in Beau Geste. He was in The Professionals five times: as a Golfer in Killer with a Long Arm, a CI5 Agent in Close Quarters & Servant of Two Masters, a Security Man in Weekend in the Country and the Police Superintendent at inquest in Discovered in a Graveyard. He's a Policeman again in The Young Ones: Interesting and towards the end of his career Russell T Davies uses him in Dark Season as a Heavy.

Steve Ismay had been a BBC3 TV Crewmember in The Dæmons, a Guerilla & Stills Cameraman in Day of the Daleks, Sea Devil in The Sea Devils and Varan's Bodyguard in The Mutants. He returns as a Security Guard in The Green Death, a UNIT Soldier in The Time Warrior, an Army Soldier in Invasion of the Dinosaurs, an Exxilon and Exxilon Zombie in Death to the Daleks, a Guard in The Monster of Peladon, a Metebelis 3 Guard in Planet of the Spiders, a Guard in The Deadly Assassin, a Leviathan Guard in Ribos Operation, a Gracht Guard & one of Zadek's Guards in The Androids of Tara, would have been a "Space Monster" in Shada, possibly a Cyberman, then plays a Citizen in Full Circle, a Cyberman in Earthshock and a Security Guard in Time Flight. He had been Man in the Doomwatch episode The Islanders & Flood, and then appears in The Sweeney as a Policeman in Cover Story, a Driver in Golden Boy and a Villain in Stoppo Driver. In Porridge he played a Prison Warden in A Night In and a Gardener in Happy Release while in The Tomorrow People he was in a Vesh Rebel in Worlds Away and an SIS Sergeant in The Dirtiest Business. In Blake's 7 he plays a Scavenger in Deliverance, a Guard in Dawn of the Gods, a Convict in Moloch and a Hommik in Power.

6th Presidential Guard Jim Delaney had been an English Soldier in the Highlanders, an 1862 Confederate Soldier, Resistance Man & American Soldier in The War Games, a UNIT Soldier & Plague Victim in Doctor Who and the Silurians and a Passer-by in Day of the Daleks. He later plays a Time Lord in Deadly Assassin, a Noble in Androids of Tara, a Skonnan Guard in Horns of the Nimon, a Logopolitan in Logopolis and a Time Lord in Trial of a Time-Lord during Mysterious Planet, Mindwipe and Terror of the Vervoids, the later of which he's described as wearing crimson robes. He has an appearance in out favourite Adam Adamant Lives! episode D for Destruction as a TA Soldier / RA Major.

Clinton Morris Was an Axon Monster & Corporal in Claws of Axos He returns as a Mechanic & Android Soldier in Android Invasion, a Peasant & Brother in The Masque of Mandragora and a Technician in Pirate Planet. In Moonbase 3 he's a Technician in Outsiders and in Blake's 7 he's crewman Wallace, who's sent to board The Liberator, in Space Fall.

The fabulously named Wolfgang Von Jurgen, later an Earth Guard in episode 5, had been a Prisoner in The Mind of Evil while Jamie Griffin was down in the DWAS Production File as an Earth Guard in episode 1. Now the Prison Guards: Dennis Plenty was an Earth Guard in the first episode, so see there for his credits, and plays a Presidential Guard in episode 5. Terrance Denville & Emmett Hennessy we spotted as a Presidential Guards above.

Geoffrey Witherick plays an Earth Guard in episode 6. He'd previously been a Cricketer / Reveller in Dalek Masterplan 8: Volcano, a Guard in The Massacre: Bell of Doom, a Worker in The War Machines episode, an Airport Policeman in Faceless Ones, a Villager & Coven Member in The Dæmons, a Sea Devil in The Sea Devils and a Solos Guard in The Mutants. He returns as a Spiridon in Planet of the Daleks, a UNIT Soldier in Invasion of the Dinosaurs, a Guard in Planet of the Spiders, a SRS Member in Robot, a Time Lord in Deadly Assassin and a Security guard in Image of the Fendahl. He was in Doomwatch as a Man in Burial at Sea, one of the missing first season episodes.

6th Prison Guard Derek Hunt was an Atlantean Guards Underwater Menace, a British Soldier in The War Games, a Soldier in Spearhead from Space, a UNIT Solider in Doctor Who and the Silurians, a Technician in Inferno and a U.N.I.T. Soldier in Day of the Daleks. He returns as a Guard in Planet of the Spiders, an Android Mechanic/Soldier in Android Invasion, a Bi-Al member in Invisible Enemy, a Time Lord in Invasion of Time a Technicians/Guards/Citizen in Pirate Planet, a Passenger in Nightmare of Eden, James the footman in Black Orchid, a Worthy in Snakedance, a Guard in Planet of Fire and Time Lord in Mysterious Planet, Mindwipe & Terror of the Vervoids, during which he's wearing orange robes!

David Billa first appeared as a Guard in The Savages then played a German Soldier in The War Games episode one, German / Roman Soldiers / Alien Technician in The War Games episode four and a Time Lord Technician in The War Games episode ten, a Waxworks Visitor/Auton in Spearhead from Space, a Technician in Doctor Who and the Silurians and a UNIT Soldier in Three Doctors. He returns as a Spiridon in Planet of the Daleks, a UNIT Soldier in The Green Death, a Soldier/Thal Soldier in Genesis of the Daleks and a Vogan in Revenge of the Cybermen. In Moonbase 3 he's a Technician in Departure and Arrival and Behemoth while in Doomwatch he's a Man in Flood.

Brian Nolan had already been an IE Guard in The Invasion, a Confederate Soldier & Resistance Man in The War Games, a UNIT Soldier in Spearhead from Space & the Silurians, a Sea Devil in The Sea Devil and a Solos Guard in the Mutants He later plays a UNIT Soldier in Invasion of the Dinosaurs, a Guard in The Seeds of Doom and the TV Cameraman in The Deadly Assassin. He was also in Doomwatch as a Man in Flood.

Onto the Draconians. Participating in the Prison raid we have Raymond Miller and Ken Wade, the later of which also plays a Draconian Emperor Guard in episode 5, but neither of them appear in Doctor Who again outside this story. Kevin Moran was a UNIT troop in Time Meddler. He returns as a Spiridon in Planet of the Daleks, an Army Soldier in Invasion of the Dinosaurs, an Exxilon in Death to the Daleks, an Ice Warrior in The Monster of Peladon part five and a Soldier & Brethren in The Masque of Mandragora. He's also in Doomwatch as a Man in Flood.

There's two Draconians with the Prince and the Ambassador interrogating The Doctor after the raid. One is Terry Sartain, who also appears in the raid sequence on location, and was previously seen as an Alien Technician & American Soldier in The War Games, a Warrior in The Mutants and a UNIT Soldier in The Three Doctors, the last of which was filmed following this story. He returns as an Exxilon in Death to the Daleks, the SRS Bouncer in Robot, a UNIT Soldier Android in Android Invasion, a Brother in The Masque of Mandragora, a Time Lord in Deadly Assassin, a Customer at Art Gallery in City of Death, a Gundan in Warriors' Gate ad a Cave Crowd Member in Snakedance. In Blake's 7 he was a Crewman in Space Fall and a Hooded Figure in Cygnus Alpha. In Doomwatch he is the Minister's P.P.S. / Man in Club / Man at Palazzo in The Killer Dolphins. The other Draconian in the studio would thus seem to be Bill Burridge, whom the DWAS production file has down for appearing in episodes 1 & 2 in the studio only, who was the very poor looking illusionary Draconian that we saw in the previous episode. This is his last Doctor Who appearance.

Finally the Ogrons: Maurice Bush was previously in Day of the Daleks as an Ogron and later appears in both The Empire Strikes Back & Return of the Jedi as the bounty hunter Dengar. His Empire Strikes back appearance is alongside Kenneth Colley who also features in his Inspector Morse appearance in Second Time Around where Bush plays Charlie Hillian and Colley plays Patrick Dawson, two policeman who had worked together.

Bruce Wells was an English amateur boxing champion who was once the holder of the ABA Light Middleweight and European Amateur Boxing Championship titles. He'd previously played a Cyberman in Tenth Planet, an Alien Guard / American Soldier in the War Games and an Ogron in Day of the Daleks. He'd been in the Dr. Who and the Daleks feature film as a Thal.

Geoffrey Todd was previously an Ogron in Day of the Daleks: he can be seen elsewhere in The Sweeney episode Sweet Smell of Succession as Phil Nairn. Lastly Chris Stevens had been a Greek, a Trojan Soldiers & one of the People in Square in The Myth Makers.