Doctor Who: The Caves of Androzani (1984)

Date(s) of Broadcast: 8 March 1984 - 16 March 1984
Number of Episodes: 4
Average Episode Running Times: 25 mins
Format: colour
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Company: BBC
Producer: John Nathan-Turner

SCRIPT
Script: Robert Holmes
Story Editor: Eric Saward

DIRECTION
Director: Graeme Harper

PHOTOGRAPHY
Studio Lighting: Don babbage
Film Cameraman: John Walker

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Film Editor: Roger Guertin

MUSIC
Title Music: Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
Title Music Arranger: Peter Howell
Incidental Music: Roger Limb

SOUNDS
Studio Sound: Scott Talbott
Special Sounds: Dick Mills

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Jan Nethercot, Shirley Stallard
Costumes: Andrew Rose

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects: Jim Francis, Stuart Brisdon

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Designer: John Hurst

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Associate: June Collins
Production Assistant: Juley Harding
Assistant Floor Manager: Sue Hedden

CAST
Peter Davison (The Doctor)
Nicola Bryant (Peri)
Christopher Gable (Sharaz Jek)
John Normington (Trau Morgus)
Robert Glenister (Major Salateen)
Maurice Roeves (Stotz)
Martin Cochrane (General Chellak)
Roy Holder (Krelper)
Barbara Kinghorn (Krau Timmin)
David Neal (The President)
Colin Baker (The Doctor)
Ian Staples (soldier)
Anthony Ainley (The Master)
Matthew Waterhouse (Adric)
Sarah Sutton (Nyssa)
Janet Fielding (Tegan)
Mark Strickson (Turlough)
Gerald Flood (voice Of Kamelion)
Colin Taylor (magma creature – uncredited)
Gareth Milne (double For The Doctor – uncredited)
Keith Harvey, Andrew Smith, Stephen Smith (androids – uncredited)
Keith Harvey (thin stranger – uncredited)
Les Conrad, Gerry O'brien, Robert Smythe (gun runners – uncredited)
Derek Briggs, Darrell Brooks, Russell Brooks, Pat Gorman, Bryan Jacobs, Jerry Judge, Ray Martin, Sean Mccabe, Harry Payne, Steve Rockson, Ian Staples, Doug Stark, Bob Tarff, Steve Wickham (soldiers – uncredited)

PLOT SUMMARY

On the planet Androzani Minor the production of the life enhancing substance Spectrox is controlled by the masked, disfigured Sharaz Jek. Besieged by his rivals troops he must trade Spectrox for guns and his supplier controls the drug's supplies on Androzani Major. The Doctor and Peri arrive in Jek's caves where Jek becomes infatuated with Peri and where she and the Doctor become infected with a fatal disease. At the conclusion of the adventure the Doctor regenerates.

A strong story and characters from the returning Robert Holmes. Taut direction from the young Graeme Harper. A splendid, understated performance from Christopher Gable as the villain. A fine supporting cast and excellent production design. What easily could have been average is raised to the heights as one of the best ever stories by sheer professionalism all round. A splendid goodbye to Peter Davison with the finest regeneration sequence (so far??). And the end of Part Three is the most exciting cliff hanger in all Doctor Who.

UK
Television Distributor: BBC
Video Distributor: BBC Video

1984
March
8: UK - Part One television broadcast (on BBC1)
9: UK - Part One television broadcast (on BBC1)
15: UK - Part One television broadcast (on BBC1)
16: UK - Part One television broadcast (on BBC1)

BOOKS

Doctor Who: The Television Companion pp.458-461
credits, synopsis, review (by David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker)

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

KEYWORDS

aliens, time travel

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009