OVERALL EPISODE NUMBER: 379
STORY NUMBER: 074
TRANSMITTED: Saturday 25 May 1974
WRITER: Robert Sloman (and Barry Letts uncredited)
DIRECTOR: Barry Letts
SCRIPT EDITOR: Terrance Dicks
PRODUCER: Barry Letts
RATINGS: 8.2 million viewers
FORMAT: DVD: Doctor Who - Planet of the Spiders
EPISODE FORMAT: 625 video
"Tiger, tiger, burning bright, in the forests of the night. What immortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry? That's pretty. No, that's beautiful."
The Spiders leave the Doctor for dead and the villagers bring him inside. Lupton's spider tries to incite rebellion against the queen. Aided my the healing powers of the crystal Tommy begins to read, gaining proficiency and mental ability at an astonishing rate. Briefly regaining consciousness the Doctor asks Sarah to bring him a machine from the Tardis. On her way back she encounters Lupton and is captured, leaving the bag behind where the villagers retrieve it and use it too heal the Doctor. Sarah is taken to the Spider's larder and imprisoned with Sabor. Mike goes to see Lupton's group but is knocked out by Moss. Arak tells the Doctor how the human ship crashed on Metebelis 3 433 years ago and spiders on the ship mutated by the blue crystals too become the dominant life form. The Doctor finds a type of stone that will absorb the energy of the spider's attacks and has the villagers gather them to protect themselves while he leaves for the spiders' palace.
Once there he is captured and taken to the larder.
As an episode this is a bit slow and talky but it adds crucial background to the story telling us what the humans & spiders are doing on Metebelis. Virtually the only action is provided in the fight from the previous episodes in the long reprise lasting till 2m10s into the episode and another brief scene of the Doctor throwing guards around.
The "Doctor Who is a vegetarian" brigade are directed to his consumption of the mutton broth during this episode.
The character of Tommy in this story is a pretty decent portrayal of someone with a learning difficulty and actor John Kane does a decent job, first as the impaired Tommy in earlier episodes and then as his blue crystal enhanced self in the last few.
John Kane also has one of the odder entries on his CV of any performer in Doctor Who: he was the lead writer on the BBC sitcom Terry & June. You can hear him interviewed in Who's Round 65.
One of the series regular stuntmen Max Faulkner plays the second Guard Captain. He had previously appeared as a UNIT soldier in The Ambassadors of Death & Inferno, a Stuntmen/Exxilon in Death to the Daleks and a miner in The Monster of Peladon. He returns as a Thal Guard in Genesis of the Daleks, an Astronaut in Planet of Evil, Corporal Adams in The Android Invasion, Doctor Carter's stuntman in The Hand of Fear, which he also was the Fight Arranger on, a Horda Pit Guard in Face of Evil, a Coolie & Policeman in Talons of Weng-Chiang, an Other in The Sun Makers, Nesbin in The Invasion of Time and a guard in Creature from the Pit. In The Prisoner he's the First Horseman in Living in Harmony and the Scots Napoleon in The Girl Who Was Death. He then appears in Space: 1999 as Ted Clifford in Ring Around the Moon, Survivors as Phil in Mad Dog, Blake's 7 as a Death Squad Trooper in Powerplay, God's Wonderful Railway as the Scarecrow in The Permanent Way, The Day of the Triffids episode 2 as Jo's Attacker and twice in Robin of Sherwood as Gisbourne's Helper in The Children of Israel and Oliver in The Power of Albion. In the Pierce Brosnan James Bond film GoldenEye he's a Guard at the Helicopter Show.
There's a whole load of other guards in this episode. The face peaking out in the above right photo is Leslie Bates. Previously he cast the shadow that falls across the Tardis at the end of the first episode, An Unearthly Child and then played a Tribesman in the second, The Cave of Skulls. He's a Man at Lop, Mongol Warrior and Mongol Bandit in Marco Polo, a Guard in The Massacre, a Villager at Inn / Pirate in The Smugglers, an English Soldier in The Highlanders, an IE Guard in The Invasion, an 1862 soldier, Confederate Soldier, foot soldier in The War Games, a Waxworks Visitor/Auton in Spearhead from Space, a BBC3 TV Crewmember in The Dæmons, a UNIT soldier in The Three Doctors, a Lunar Guard, Draconian & Williams Guard in Frontier in Space, a Security Guard & UNIT Soldier in The Green Death, an Army Corporal & UNIT soldier in Invasion of the Dinosaurs and an Exxilon in Death to the Daleks. He returns as a Time Lord in Deadly Assassin and a Bi-Al Member in Invisible Enemy. In the The Andromeda Breakthrough he was a British Soldier in Gale Warning, in Doomwatch he was a man in Hear No Evil, The Islanders & Flood and in Moonbase 3 he's a Technician in Castor and Pollux. He's also in our favourite Adam Adamant Lives! episode D for Destruction as a TA Soldier.
To the right of the bellow left photo is Steve Ismay who had been a BBC3 TV Crewmember in The Dæmons, a Guerilla & Stills Cameraman in Day of the Daleks, Sea Devil in The Sea Devils, Varan's Bodyguard in The Mutants a Presidential Guard in Frontier in Space and a Security Guard in The Green Death. He's in every story this season playing 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 and a Guard in The Monster of Peladon. He returns as 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.
I'm pretty certain the guard in the above right photo is Dennis Plenty who'd previously been a Tavern Customer & a Guard in The Massacre, a Worker / Soldier in The War Machines, an English Soldier in the Highlanders, a Submarine Rating & Naval Base Sailor in the Sea Devils,a Solos Guard & Skybase Guard in The Mutants, Earth, Prison & Presidential Guards in Frontier in Space, a Security Guard in The Green Death, a UNIT Soldier in Invasion of the Dinosaurs, and an Exxilon in Death to the Daleks. He returns as a Soldier, Brethren member, Entertainer & Guard in The Masque of Mandragora. In UFO he was Lt. David Worth in Identified and one of the SHADO Mobile 1 Personnel in Computer Affair. In Doomwatch he is a Man in Flood and he's in out favourite Adam Adamant Lives! episode D for Destruction playing a RA Camp Guard and appears as a man in a 1901 photo in the later episode Black Echo. His Fawlty Towers episode is A Touch of Class where he plays a PC and he's a Technician in the Moonbase 3 episodes Achilles Heel, Castor and Pollux & View of a Dead Planet. Although he doesn't appear in the final film Plenty served as the model for the original Stormtrooper armour used in Star Wars.
Lots of guards in the bellow left photo but the on to the right of the picture might be Roy Pearce who was a Guard in The Massacre, a Soldier in Snow Camouflage / Engineer in The Tenth Planet, a Chameleon & Airport Policeman in The Faceless Ones, a Technician/Guard in Fury from the Deep, a UNIT Soldier in The Invasion, the Cyberman in The War Games, a Passenger/Plague Victims/Passersby/Ambulance Men/Policemen in Doctor Who and the Silurians, a Villager in The Dæmons, a Submarine Rating/Naval Base sailor in The Sea Devils, a Solos Guard in The Mutants, an Army Soldier in Invasion of the Dinosaurs and an Exxilon in Death to the Daleks.He returns as an Android in The Android Invasion, a Pikeman/Brother in The Masque of Mandragora and a Security Guard in Image of the Fendahl. In Blake's 7 he was an Armed Crewman in Space Fall, a Federation Trooper in Time Squad and a Scientist in Project Avalon while in Doomwatch he was a man in Invasion & Flood.
Much shakier ground now but the guard to the right in he above right photo might be Geoff Witherick who was a Cricketer & Male Reveller in Dalek Masterplan, a Guard in The Massacre, a Worker in The War Machines, an Airport Policeman in The Faceless Ones, a Villager/Coven Member the Daemons, a Sea Devil in the Sea Devils. a Solos Guard in The Mutants, a Prison Guard & Earth Guard in Frontier in Space, a Spiridon in Planet of the Daleks and a UNIT Soldier in Invasion of the Dinosaurs. He returns as a SRS Bouncer/Officers/Audience member in Robot, a Time Lord in Deadly Assassin and a Security Guard in Image of the Fendahl. He's also in Doomwatch as a Man in the missing Burial at Sea.
That leaves us with John Cash, who I can't find on IMDB, who was a UNIT Soldier Invasion of the Dinosaurs. No idea which one he is!
Problematically there do seem to be more guards than we have names for!
Onto the Villagers: Of the female villagers Mary Rennie is the only one to appear in Doctor Who before playing a Kitchen Hag in The Time Warrior. She returns as a Peasant villager/Traveller in The Masque of Mandragora, a Guide in The Leisure Hive, a Citizen in Keeper of Traken, one of the crowd in the Marketplace in Snakedance part three and a Citizen/Unbeliever in Planet of Fire
Barbara Bermel is making her Doctor Who debut: She returns as the Android Receptionist in The Android Invasion, a Female Masque Guest in The Masque of Mandragora, a Sevateem member in The Face of Evil, an Other in The Sun Makers, a Court Lady in The Androids of Tara, a Citizen in Keeper of Traken and a Lazar in Terminus. She was also a woman in the Doomwatch episode Flood, a German Woman in the Fawlty Towers episode The Germans and a Thulian in the Space: 1999 episode Death's Other Dominion.
Sue Ann Manners returns as an Android Villager in The Android Invasion while Margaret McKechnie plays the Android Barmaid in the same story.
Ann Plenty - any relation to Dennis ? - was in Moonbase 3 as a Technician in Achilles Heel, Castor and Pollux and View of a Dead Planet. Which leaves Lorna Kilner as the only female Villager I've not seen in anything else.
In the Male Villagers is Pat Gorman, who was in episode 2 as a soldier, we list his credits there.
Ian Elliot 3-6 Ian Elliot was a UNIT Soldier in Inferno, an Auton Daffodil Man Auton in Terror of the Autons, a UNIT Soldier in The Mind of Evil, a Colonist in Colony in Space, a Villager in The Dæmons, a Guard Warrior in The Mutants, a Unit Trooper in Time Monster and a UNIT soldier in Invasion of the Dinosaurs. He returns as an Android Villager in The Android Invasion, a Guard in The Seeds of Doom and a Haemovore in The Curse of Fenric. In Doomwatch he's an Ambulance Driver in Tomorrow, the Rat, a Man in You Killed Toby Wren, a Man in No Room for Error, a Man in Flight Into Yesterday, a Manservant in High Mountain and a Man in Flood.
Simon Christy comes back as an Android Young Farmhand in Android Invasion.
Ken Tracey was a Dispatch Rider / Golden Age Man in Invasion of the Dinosaurs. He returns as a Kaled Prisoner in Genesis of the Daleks, and a Soldier & Brethren member in The Masque of Mandragora. Annoyingly his Avelyman entry has another actor's photo attached Richard Reeves who is also in Genesis of the Daleks. If IMDB is correct Tracey is also in Moonbase 3 as a Technician in Castor and Pollux and Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em as a Parent at Toy Fair in Learning to Drive.
Keith Ashley was a Citizen & Male Elder in The Savages, Atlantean Guard & Miner in The Underwater Menace, Firing Squad Member in The War Games, Auton in Spearhead from Space, Technician in Doctor Who and the Silurians, Technician in Inferno, a Villager in The Dæmons and a Skybase Guard in The Mutants. He returns as a Dalek Operator in Genesis of the Daleks, a Zygon in Terror of the Zygons, an Android & Man at Defence Station in The Android Invasion, a Krynoid & Sir Colin's Aide in The Seeds of Doom and a Peasant & Brother in The Masque of Mandragora
Bill Matthews who was a Waxwork Visitor/Auton Replica & Soldier in Spearhead from Space, Davis in The Silurians,a Prison Officer in The Mind of Evil and a Draconian in Frontier in Space. He was in Quatermass and the Pit as a Sightseer in The Halfmen, Man in Crowd in The Wild Hunt and a Sightseer in Hob, A for Andromeda as an Extra in The Murderer and an extra in the Doomwatch episode The Islanders.
Briefly seen on screen, in the white shirt, is visual effects designer Ian Scoones who is operating the Spider Queen.
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