UK, 26 February 1977-2 April 1977
6 episodes, average 25m
videotape, colour, 4:3
mono, English
Previous serial: The Robots of Death (1977)
Next serial: Horror of Fang Rock (1977)
Series: Doctor Who (1963-1989) – series 14, episodes 21-26
A British television science fiction serial directed by David Maloney from scripts by Robert Holmes.
Premise
Victorian London. An oriental magician stage makes young girls disappear; his ventriloquist dummy appears to have a life of its own; a police pathologist works on bodies pulled from the Thames; a music hall proprietor is accosted; murderous Dacoits attack without provocation; a giant rat lurks in the sewers; a mysterious masked figure haunts the underworld… The Doctor and Leela investigate.
Credits
* = uncredited
Crew
Directed by: David Maloney [parts 1-6]
© BBC MCMLXXVII [1977] [parts 1-6]
BBC [parts 1-6]
Producer: Philip Hincliffe [parts 1-6]
Production Unit Manager: Chris D’Oyly-John [parts 1-6]
[Written] By: Robert Holmes [parts 1-6]
Story: “The Foe from the Future” by Robert Banks Stewart *
Script Editor: Robert Holmes *
Studio Lighting: Mike Jefferies [parts 1-6]
Film Cameraman: Fred Hamilton [parts 1-6]
Assistant Film Camera: Brian Hall *
O.B. Lighting: John Mason [parts 1-4]
Grip: Stan Swetman *
Film Operatives: Stan Cresswell *, Bobby Gould *
Film Editor: David Lee [parts 1-4]
Vision Mixer: Pat Mordecai *
Title Music by: Ron Grainer and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop [parts 1-6]
Incidental Music by: Dudley Simpson [parts 1-6]
Studio Sound: Clive Gifford [parts 1-6]
O.B. Sound: Vic Godrich [parts 1-4]
Film Recordist: John Gatland [parts 1-4]
Assistant Film Recordist: Steve Diamond *
Engineering Manager: John Sterling *
Special Sound: Dick Mills [parts 1-6]
Costume Designer: John Bloomfield [parts 1-6]
Make-Up Artist: Heather Stewart [parts 1-6]
Visual Effects Designer: Michealjohn Harris [parts 1-6]
Title Sequence by: Bernard Lodge [parts 1-6]
Designer: Roger Murray-Leach [parts 1-6]
Production Assistant: Ros Anderson [parts 1-6]
Assistant Floor Manager: Linda Graeme *
Magic Advisors: Ali Bongo, Larry Barnes *
Locations: Wapping, London *; Victorian Repertory Theatre, London *
Fight Arranger: Stuart Fell [parts 1-6]
Stunts: Alan Chuntz *, Max Faulkner *, Stuart Fell *
Cast
Part One
Tom Baker (Doctor Who)
Louise Jameson (Leela)
John Bennett (Li H’sen Chang)
Christopher Benjamin (Jago)
Chris Gannon (Casey)
Trevor Baxter (Professor Litefoot)
Deep Roy (Mr Sin)
David McKail (Sergeant Kyle)
Conrad Asquith (P.C. Quick)
Alan Butler (Buller)
Patsy Smart (ghoul)
Tony Then (Lee)
John Wu (coolie)
Part Two
Tom Baker (Doctor Who)
Louise Jameson (Leela)
John Bennett (Li H’sen Chang)
Michael Spice (Weng-Chiang
Christopher Benjamin (Jago)
Chris Gannon (Casey)
Trevor Baxter (Professor Litefoot)
Deep Roy (Mr Sin)
David McKail (Sergeant Kyle)
Conrad Asquith (P.C. Quick)
Part Three
Tom Baker (Doctor Who)
Louise Jameson (Leela)
John Bennett (Li H’sen Chang)
Michael Spice (Weng-Chiang
Christopher Benjamin (Jago)
Chris Gannon (Casey)
Trevor Baxter (Professor Litefoot)
Deep Roy (Mr Sin)
Judith Lloyd (Teresa [Hart])
Vaune Craig-Raymond (cleaner)
Part Four
Tom Baker (Doctor Who)
Louise Jameson (Leela)
John Bennett (Li H’sen Chang)
Michael Spice (Weng-Chiang
Christopher Benjamin (Jago)
Chris Gannon (Casey)
Trevor Baxter (Professor Litefoot)
Deep Roy (Mr Sin)
Tony Then (Lee)
Penny Lister (singer [Lottie Randall])
Part Five
Tom Baker (Doctor Who)
Louise Jameson (Leela)
John Bennett (Li H’sen Chang)
Michael Spice (Weng-Chiang
Christopher Benjamin (Jago)
Trevor Baxter (Professor Litefoot)
Deep Roy (Mr Sin)
Tony Then (Lee)
Vincent Wong (Ho)
Part Six
Tom Baker (Doctor Who)
Louise Jameson (Leela)
Michael Spice (Weng-Chiang
Deep Roy (Mr Sin)
Christopher Benjamin (Jago)
Trevor Baxter (Professor Litefoot)
Vincent Wong (Ho)
Uncredited
Charles Adey Gray [theatre doorkeeper]
Arnold Lee, Kevin Sullivan [chimney sweeps]
James Haswell, Richard Sheekey [beat policemen]
Jim Delaney, Colin Thomas [station policemen]
Marie Anthony, Lisa Bergmayr [riverside ghouls]
Stuart Fell [giant rat]
Dudley Simpson [conductor]
Terry Walsh [double for The Doctor]
Debbie Cumming, Helen Simnet [young girls]
Jimmy Ang, Dennis Chinn, Sabu Kimura, Arnold Lee, Fred Leown [coolies]
Marie Anthony, Lisa Bergmayer, John Cannon, Chris Carrington, Jean Channon, David J. Graham, Charles Adey Gray, James Haswell, Bill Hughes, James Lloyd, Mary Maxtead, Ronald Musgrove, Bernard Price, Tony Randall, Richard Sheekey, Kevin Sullivan, Bob Williams, Hentley Young [extras]
Alternative Titles
The Foe from the Future – working title
The Talons of Greel – working title
Links
Extracts included in
The Lively Arts: Whose Dr. Who (1977)
References
Books
- Doctor Who Program Guide 25th Anniverary Edition by James C. Armstrong Jr, Michael L. Brown p.53 – credits, episode list
- Doctor Who: The Television Companion by David J. Howe and Stephen James Walker pp.319-323 – credits, synopsis, review
