OVERALL EPISODE NUMBER: 357
STORY NUMBER: 070
TRANSMITTED: Saturday 22 December 1973
WRITER: Robert Holmes
DIRECTOR: Alan Bromly
SCRIPT EDITOR: Terrance Dicks
PRODUCER: Barry Letts
RATINGS: 7 million viewers
FORMAT: DVD: Doctor Who - The Time Warrior
EPISODE FORMAT: 625 video
"Ah, yes. Yes, as I thought. A Sontaran warrior. So, the perpetual war between the Sontarans and the Rutans has spread to this tiny planet, has it?"
Sarah is taken to Irongron, who she believes is taking part in some form of role play. Linx hypnotises her and she reveals she's from the 20th century & that the Doctor brought her here. Linx demonstrates his new robot which fights the captures archer Hal. Hal escapes with Sarah. The Doctor penetrates Linx's rooms in the castle dungeon and finds the missing scientist under Linx's control. Ruebish has resisted the hypnotic effect due to his short sightedness. The Doctor is captured by Linx. Hal returns to Edward's castle bringing Sarah with him who tells them that she thinks the Doctor is responsible for aiding Irongron and must be stopped. The Doctor tells Linx he's from Gallifrey and is a Time Lord. Linx connects the Doctor to one of his machines to monitor the slave working scientists. Ruebish helps the Doctor escape, but while fleeing he attacks Irongron who raises his axe to kill him.
I find the Time Warrior a bit hard to really get interested in when I watch it. I get that it's big and important but it doesn't float my boat like some other stories do. We've already had a new companion and a new monster. Now 357 episodes into the series, and a week shy of the first anniversary of this blog, we learn the name of the place the Doctor is from: The planet Gallifrey.
LINX: You're not of this planet. How came you to be here?
DOCTOR: Oh, I'm just a tourist. I like it here.
LINX: This hole in space.
DOCTOR: You haven't seen it at its best.
LINX: It has no military value, no strategic significance.
DOCTOR: Once again, a Sontaran philosophy.
LINX: I'm Commander Linx - Fifth Sontaran Army Space Fleet.
DOCTOR: Ah, yes. Yes, as I thought. A Sontaran warrior. So, the perpetual war between the Sontarans and the Rutans has spread to this tiny planet, has it?
LINX: Emergency landing. I was on a reconnaissance mission when I was attacked by a squadron of Rutan fighters. You have encountered my race before, Doctor?
DOCTOR: Unfortunately.
LINX: I'll overlook that insult for the moment. What is your native planet?
DOCTOR: Gallifrey. I am a Time Lord.
LINX: Ah, yes. A race of great technical achievement, but lacking the morale to withstand a determined assault.
DOCTOR: Oh, do you think so?
LINX: I'm only a lowly Commander, Doctor. I merely quote from the appreciation circulated by our military intelligence.
DOCTOR: Yes, well, you'd be well advised never to put that appreciation to the test, Linx.
LINX: My only ambition at the moment is to return to my squadron. You can be of value to me. You can help me to repair this ship.
DOCTOR: You seem to have acquired some help all ready.
LINX: Primitives. I adapted my ship's frequency modulator and projected myself forward as far as I could. Unfortunately I only had the power to reach the twentieth century.
DOCTOR: From which you stole the equipment and the skilled help you couldn't find here.
LINX: Yes. But the work goes slowly.
DOCTOR: Commander Linx, if you will return these people to their own time I might possibly consider helping you.
LINX: Do not attempt to bargain with me, Doctor! Take that seat there by the controls. Move!
DOCTOR: You're interfering with human evolution, Linx. Don't you realise the damage that you're going to do to them?
LINX: I have no interest in human evolution.
OK we've already seen it three times in the War Games, briefly in the Colony in Space and most recently in the Three Doctors but this is the first time it's named.
The Doctor's "Would you excuse me I've got to go and find a young girl" is well worth a giggle and even gets picked on in the story.
Our lead villain, the Sontaran Linx is played by Kevin Lindsay on his Doctor Who debut. During this story he keeled over during the recording due to a heart condition exacerbated by the costume which led to a redesign before the Sontarans next appearance. He got on well with the show's star Jon Pertwee and returns as Cho Je in Planet of the Spiders, the third Doctor's farewell story, before making his own final appearance in 1975's The Sontaran Experiment as both Styre & The Marshal. He died of his heart condition at the age of 49 on 26th April 1975.
Barry Letts first offered roll of human warlord Irongron to up & coming actor Bob Hoskins who was forced to turn it down but instead recommended David Daker. He'll return as Captain Rigg in Nightmare of Eden, but is a familiar television face as Harry Crawford in the hit series Boon, PC Owen Culshaw in Z-Cars, Jarvis in Porridge: Final Stretch and Captain Nathan Spiker in Dick Turpin. He has smaller roles He was also in UFO Flight Path as a SHADO Guard and Time Bandits as Kevin's Father amongst many others.
Both Irongron and his deputy Bloodaxe, played by John J. Carne are for some reason uncredited on episode 1. Carne was also in UFO as the Studio Security Man in Timelash. He appears in The Sweeney as Eric in Trust Red and Blake's 7 as Sherm in City at the Edge of the World.
We've seen Lord Edward of Wessex, actor Alan Rowe before in the Moonbase as Dr. Evans and the Space Control voice. He'll be back as James Skinsale in The Horror of Fang Rock and in Full Circle as Garif. His IMDB entry shows he was a much in demand actor. I thought I Doctor Who was the only thing I've seen him in but my most recent look at IMDB spotted Inspector Morse: The Death of the Self where he played Alistair Haines. He was the partner of actor Geoffrey Bayldon who speaks about Rowe and their relationship during Whos' Round #117.
Lady Eleanor, Lord Edward's wife, is played by the most obviously recognisable member of the cast in this story now: June Brown is now well known for her 35+ years to date playing Dot Cotton in EastEnders. For many years her appearance as Mrs. Catchpole in the banned Doomwatch episode Sex and Violence remained unseen till it surfaced on The Doomwatch DVD. She too was in The Sweeney playing Mrs. Martin in Ringer and can be seen in Survivors as Susan in Manhunt. One of her few other roles since she has been in Eastenders was in the BBC adaptation of Gormenghast where she plays Nannie Slagg.
Their archer Hal is played by Jeremy Bulloch who we've previously seen as Tor in The Space Museum, but he's more famous now for being Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back & Return of the Jedi. He can be seen in The Professionals as Denver in Where the Jungle Ends, Chocky and it's sequel Chocky's Children as Landis, Octopussy as Smithers and as Edward of Wickham in the Robin of Sherwood episodes Lord of the Trees, The Enchantment, The Greatest Enemy, Herne's Son part 1, The Power of Albion, The Sheriff of Nottingham and The Time of the Wolf parts 1 & 2. He returns to the Star Wars universe in Revenge of the Sith as Captain Colton
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Donald Pelmear's IMDB entry makes me think I've seen a few things that he's been in but every time I see him here as Professor Rubeish I have to convince myself that he's not Sam Kelly because Pelmear's appearance and mannerisms remind me of the well known comedy actor so much. Pelmear also has UFO to his name, playing the Estate Agent in Confetti Check A-O.K. You can also see him in The Day of the Triffids, as the University Gateman in episode 3, and Yes Minister, as the Permanent Secretary, DHSS in Equal Opportunities.
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