Doctor Who: The Sun Makers (1977)

Date(s) of Broadcast: 26 November 1977 - 17 December 1977
Number of Episodes: 4
Average Episode Running Times: 25 mins
Format: colour
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Company: BBC
Production: Graham Williams
Production Unit Manager: John Nathan-Turner

SCRIPT
Script: Robert Holmes
Story Editors: Robert Holmes, Anthony Read (uncredited)

DIRECTION
Director: Pennant Roberts

PHOTOGRAPHY
Studio Lighting: Derek Slee
Film Camera: John Tiley

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Film Editor: Tariq Anwar

MUSIC
Title Music: Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
Title Music Arranger: Delia Derbyshire
Incidental Music: Dudley Simpson

SOUND
Studio Sound: Michael McCarthy
Special Sound: Paddy Kingsland

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Janis Gould
Costumes: Christine Rawlins

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects: Peter Day, Peter Logan

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Designer: Tony Snoaden

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Assistant: Leon Arnold
Assistant Floor Manager: Linda Graeme

CAST
Tom Baker (The Doctor)
Louise Jameson (Leela)
John Leeson (voice of K-9)
Richard Leech (Gatherer Hade)
Jonina Scott (Marn)
Roy Macready (Cordo)
William Simons (Madrel)
Michael Keating (Goudry)
Adrienne Burgess (Veet)
Derek Crewe (Synge)
Colin McCormack (Commander)
Carole Hopkin (nurse)
Henry Woolf (collector)
David Rowlands (Bisham)
Tom Kelly (guard)
John Leeson (computer voice - uncredited)
Stuart Fell (guard - uncredited)
Extras: Norman Bacon, Simon Barratt, Barbara Bermel, Chris Balcombe, Paul Barton, Roy Brent, Peter Clare, David Cleeve, Alan Crisp, David Downes, John Dryden, David Eynon, Max Faulkner, Louis Giboin, Gill Goldstone, Ronald Goodale, Patricia Gorino, Elizabeth Havelock, Ann Higgins, Dave Holland, David Honeyball, Leonie Jessell, Malcolm Johns, Stephen Kane, Robert Lee, Andrew Lord, David Ludwig, Valero Martinez, Keith McDonald, Josephine McEvoy, Charles Molton, James Muir, Keith Norrish, Tom Northan, Stephen Phillips, David Richens, Roy Rosen, Peter Roy, Harry Sharples, Jan Shilling, Barry Summerford, Ken Taylor, Angela Towner, Clifford Tozer, Alan Thompson, Cy Town, Harry Van Engel, Kelly Varney, Adrian Varcoe, Mario Venn, Jeff Waine, Gerald Webb, Jennie Weston (all uncredited)

PLOT SUMMARY

In the future Pluto is a habitable planet run by The Company which exploits and taxes everything it can. The Doctor and his companions join forces with a band of rebels to overthrow The Company.

Graham Williams (and the high ups at the BBC) wanted to take The Doctor away from controversial violence and this story pointed the way. Robert Holmes who left as script editor after this was equally adept at humour as he was with the more horror influenced series under his editorship. Funny in a mildly satirical way for adults, decent SF adventure for the kids.

UK
Television Distributor: BBC
Video Distributor: BBC Video

1977
November
26: UK - Part One television broadcast (on BBC1)

December
3: UK - Part Two television broadcast (on BBC1)
10: UK - Part Three television broadcast (on BBC1)
17: UK - Part Four television broadcast (on BBC1)

BOOKS

Doctor Who: The Television Companion pp.332-335
credits, synopsis, review (by David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker)

KEYWORDS

aliens, time travel

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009