Doctor Who: Battlefield (1989)

Country of Origin: UK
Dates of Original Broadcast: 6 September 1989 - 27 September 1989
Number of Episodes: 4
Average Episode Running Times: 25 mins
Format:
Colour Format: colour
Ratio:
Sound:

DIRECTION

Director: Michael Kerrigan

PRODUCTION
Production Company: BBC
Producer: John Nathan-Turner
Production Manager: Rita Lynn

SCRIPT
Script: Ben Aaronovitch
Script Editor: Andrew Cartmel

PHOTOGRAPHY
Camera Supervisor: Geoff Clark
Studio Lighting: David Lock
OB Cameramen: Paul Harding, Alan Jessop

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
VT Editor: Hugh Parson
Vision Mixer: Dinah Long

MUSIC
Title Music: Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop
Title Music Arranger: Keff McCulloch
Incidental Music: Keff McCulloch

SOUND
Special Sound: Dick Mills
Studio Sound: Scott Talbott
OB Sound: Martin Broadfoot

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Make Up: Juliette Mayer
Costumes: Anushia Nieradzik

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects Designer: Dave Bezkorowajny
Video Effects: Dave Chapman

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Designer: Martin Collins
Properties Buyer: Sara Richardson
Graphic Designer: Oliver Elmes

OTHER CREW
Production Associate: June Collins
Production Assistant: Rosemary Parsons
Assistant Floor Managers: Matthew Purves, Julian Herne
Technical Coordinator: Richard Wilson

STUNTS
Stunt Arranger: Alf Joint

CAST

PART ONE
Sylvester McCoy (The Doctor)
Sophie Aldred (Ace)
Jean Marsh (Morgaine)
Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart)
James Ellis (Peter Warmsly)
Angela Bruce (Brigadier Winifred Bambera)
Christopher Bowen (Mordred)
Marcus Gilbert (Ancelyn)
Angela Douglas (Doris Lethbridge-Stewart)
Noel Collins (Patrick Rawlinson)
June Bland (Elizabeth Rawlinson)
Ling Tai (Shou Yuing)
Robert Jezek (Sgt Zbrigniev)

PART TWO
Sylvester McCoy (The Doctor)
Sophie Aldred (Ace)
Jean Marsh (Morgaine)
Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart)
James Ellis (Peter Warmsly)
Angela Bruce (Brigadier Winifred Bambera)
Christopher Bowen (Mordred)
Marcus Gilbert (Ancelyn)
Noel Collins (Patrick Rawlinson)
June Bland (Elizabeth Rawlinson)
Ling Tai (Shou Yuing)
Dorota Rae (Flight Lt Lavel)
Stefan Schwartz (knight commander)

PART THREE
Sylvester McCoy (The Doctor)
Sophie Aldred (Ace)
Jean Marsh (Morgaine)
Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart)
James Ellis (Peter Warmsly)
Angela Bruce (Brigadier Winifred Bambera)
Christopher Bowen (Mordred)
Marcus Gilbert (Ancelyn)
Noel Collins (Patrick Rawlinson)
June Bland (Elizabeth Rawlinson)
Ling Tai (Shou Yuing)
Dorota Rae (Flight Lt Lavel)
Stefan Schwartz (knight commander)
Paul Tomany (Major Husak)
Marek Anton (The Destroyer - uncredited)

PART FOUR
Sylvester McCoy (The Doctor)
Sophie Aldred (Ace)
Jean Marsh (Morgaine)
Nicholas Courtney (Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart)
Angela Bruce (Brigadier Winifred Bambera)
Christopher Bowen (Mordred)
Marcus Gilbert (Ancelyn)
Angela Douglas (Doris Lethbridge-Stewart)
Ling Tai (Shou Yuing)
Stefan Schwartz (knight commander)
Marek Anton (The Destroyer)

UNCREDITED CAST

Simon Fielder, Mark Jardine, Martin Kennedy, Danny Lawrence (Grey Knights)
Richard Brennan, Andrew Buttery, Neal Coker, Mark Crosby, Keith Fradley, Simon Freeman, Carl Harris, Robin Holland, Martin Hughes, Murray McGrough, Peter Novacks, Chris Ponka, Daniel Spicer, Robert Von Copengst, Tony Wayne, Bon Wooding (men-at-arms)
Howard Buttress, Paul Dore, Craig Gilmans, Laurie Goode, Mark Tony, Stephen Woodhouse (British UNIT troops)
Andrew Bean, Andrew Davoile, Peter Davoile, Gerry Haig, Garry Lovini, Kevin Maltby,Anthony Moss, Mark Warren (Missile convoy troops)
Dean Foy, Anthony Hayworth, Andrew Jones, Ken Lee, Peter Oliver, Phil Player, Daniel Spacer (Czech UNIT troops)

PLOT SUMMARY

King Arthur lies in a crashed space ship lying at the bottom of a lake. A fellow knight comes to his aid but is hounded by his enemies. They encounter The Doctor who they know as Merlin and they collaborate with UNIT to fight the evil enemy. The Doctor's old friend the Brigadier comes out of retirement to help.

A cracked water tank in the studio and Sophie Aldred may have been seriously hurt or worse if not for Sylvester McCoy's quick thinking. The story is a role playing game fantasy come to life. Ultimately a bit flat. Most of the publicity at the time focussed on the return of Pertwee's car Bessie and the possible demise of the Brigadier.

UK
Television Distributor: BBC
Video Distributor: BBC Video

USA
Video Distributor: Warner Home Video

1989
September
6: UK - part one television broadcast (on BBC1)
13: UK - part two television broadcast (on BBC1)
20: UK - part three television broadcast (on BBC1)
27: UK - part four television broadcast (on BBC1)

Excaliburs Vermachtnis - German title
Storm Over Avalon - shooting title

BOOKS

Doctor Who: The Television Companion pp.526 - 529
credits, synopsis, review (by David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker)

OTHER SOURCES

screen
credits

KEYWORDS

aliens, arthurian, military, nuclear missiles, scientists, time travel

Last Updated: 8 March, 2009