Jon Pertwee
Season Eight

JJJ. The Dæmons

Writer: Guy Leopold (alias Barry Letts and Robert Sloman)
Director: Christopher Barry
Designer: Roger Ford
Incidental Music by: Dudley Simpson
Fight Arranger: Peter Diamond (4)

TRANSMISSION DETAILS:

299. Episode One                   22.05.1971   6.15pm - 6.40pm   9.2M/26th
300. Episode Two                   29.05.1971   6.10pm - 6.35pm   8.0M/23rd
301. Episode Three                 05.06.1971   6.10pm - 6.35pm   8.1M/34th
302. Episode Four                  12.06.1971   6.10pm - 6.35pm   8.1M/24th
303. Episode Five                  19.06.1971   6.10pm - 6.35pm   8.3M/17th

REPEAT DETAILS:

     Edited Compilation      Tue   28.12.1971   4.20pm - 5.50pm  10.53M/         38th

     Episode One             Fri   20.11.1992   7.15pm - 7.40pm  ~2.52M/         27th
     Episode Two                   27.11.1992   7.15pm - 7.40pm  ~2.96M/         23rd
     Episode Three                 04.12.1992   7.15pm - 7.40pm  ~2.2M/Outside Top 30
     Episode Four                  11.12.1992   7.15pm - 7.40pm  ~2.19M/         26th
     Episode Five                  18.12.1992   7.15pm - 7.40pm  ~2.34M/         24th

     ~ - on BBC2 (positions just for that channel)

CAST:

THE MASTER: Roger Delgado; MISS HAWTHORNE: Damaris Hayman; BERT: Don McKillop; SQUIRE WINSTANLEY: Rollo Gamble (1-3); DR REEVES: Eric Hillyard (1-3); TOM GIRTON: Jon Groft (1-3); PC GROOM: Christopher Wray (1-2); GARVIN: John Joyce (1-2); HARRY: James Snell (1-2); ALISTAIR FERGUS: David Simeon (1); PROFESSOR HORNER: Robin Wentworth (1); BOK: Stanley Mason (2-3,5); BAKER'S MAN: Gerald Taylor (2); THORPE: John Owens (2-5); SGT OSGOOD: Alec Linstead (3-5); AZAL: Stephen Thorne (4-5); MORRIS MEN: The Headington Quarry Men (4); JONES: Matthew Corbett (5). UNCREDITED: UNIT CORPORAL: Patrick Milner (1-2); BBC3 MAN (CHARLIE): Robin Squire (3) VOICE OF BBC3 ANNOUNCER: Nicholas Courtney (2); POSTMASTER (CHARLIE): John Scott Martin (3); VOICE OF RAF PILOT: Christopher Barry (3); EXTRAS: Ernest Vlythe, Bill Burridge, David J Graham, Pat Gorman, Charles Shaw Kesketh, Michael Moore, Rex Rashley, John Tatham, Vic Taylor, Geoff Witherick

STORY:

Professor Horner is getting prepared to open a ceremonial dig at the stroke of midnight, and there is a strong television presence. Jo and Captain Yates are eager to watch the events on television, and the Doctor seems uninterested - until the prophecies of doom.

The Doctor and Jo rush to the site and try to stop the opening. Meanwhile the Master, posing as the local vicar, is using black magic rituals to summon the D%aelin;mon Azal. Inside the dig the Doctor and Jo discover what appears to be a toy spacecraft, but Jo finds she cannot lift, or move, it. The Doctor explains it is a proper spacecraft, just miniature.

Azal will appear three times. During his last visit he will decide whether to pass on his powers to another being, or whether to destroy all life on Earth.

The Master hopes to be the recipient of the power, but instead Azal offers it to the Doctor. The Doctor declines, saying humans should develop at their own rate. Azal decides to kill him, but Jo places herself in front ot the Doctor. Unable to comprehend this act of self-sacrifice for another being Azal kills himself.

BLOOPERS:

Episodes 1 & 3: When that tree is blocking Jo and the Doctor's way up to Devil's End (this s at night), they both decide to get out of Bessie and run to the Devil's Hump. Notice that Bessie's headlights are left on. Now, when the Doctor goes back to collect Bessie later on, her headlights are off, and moreover, she starts like a charm. So is this a blooper, or did the Doctor manage to rig up a device to automatically shut off Bessie's headlights?

Episodes 2 & 3: When the van (milk float?) crashes into the signpost and bursts into flames because of the heat barrier, the signpost clearly says 'Devils End 1' (as in one mile). In the very next scene we hear it explained that the heat barrier has a FIVE mile radius centred on the village church.

Episode 3?: When the Master summons Azal, look behind the Master's shoulder and play spot the crew member.

STUDIOS:

Television Centre Studio 3, Television Centre Studio 4

LOCATIONS:

Aldbourne and Membury, Wiltshire

WORKING TITLE:

The Demons

NOTES:

Episodes One, Two, Three and Five now exist in a UK transmittable colour version, obtained as Doctor Who and the Silurians. This was the first story to be converted and it was this version that was repeated in 1992

NOVELISATION:

The Dæmons Barry Letts

VIDEOS:

The Dæmons

Jon PertweeSeason Eight